Make it ! Yarn candies with a fork!!!

It's time for a new photo tutorial, isn't it? ;oD

I just wanted something simple and clever ( kind of a stash buster!), like the one I did to make tiny yarn butterflies a while ago!

The technique is the same, because you need again a fork as a loom and some yarn to weave along!!!

Grab few little things as :

• a fork (metallic or plastic) with 4 prongs
• some colourful yarn
• a pair of scissors
• craft glue (quick dry)
• some pins
• a few strands of thinner yarn (2 for each candy)
• tape (optional)

When ready,  collect the fork , the scissors, the thick yarn for the "body" of your candy and a couple of thinner yarn threads ( each10 cm long, more or less)

Insert the two thin strands in the first and in the third dents of your fork

Now you can take the thick yarn and from left to right (it's up to you if to start in the front or in the back of the fork. I started from the back!) start to weave the yarn, back and for...

A useful advice : as there are many strands of yarn, I suggest you (to avoid confusion and tangles!) to use another thread or ribbon and knot it around the other four on the fork handle

After this information/interruption, remember to weave/wrap your yarn row after row...

..... until you have completed 15/17 rows (cut your yarn!) and free your lower strands....

With the first strand on the left make a loose knot on the top of your work

Now do the same with the second strand on the right

Gently slip off the "candy" from the fork

At this point, you can tie tighter both your knots to give your candy a nicer shape....

Collect the scissors and cut the thick (the blue one for me!) yarn, to level it to the sides of the candy "wrap"

then, cut a couple of strands from one side.....

.....now you can do the same for the other side...... YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST YARN CANDY !!!!

Once you have cut all the threads, to give your candy a probable bon bon shape, just keep your candy (from side to side) between your thumb and forefinger and press it gently twice or 3 times until you have a nice bon bon!!!!

Do you have a sweet tooth???? Do you want a bigger candy, then???? 

I swear to you that YOU CAN !!!!!

The technique is the same used for the little candy : the only thing that changes is the amount of yarn weaved : just MORE!!!!!

Another tip (you learn a lot while doing things!!!) : To keep your strands of yarn in place,  just add a piece of tape in the front of the fork on the top of your threads

You have to weave the yarn close to the top of the fork (more or less, 31 rows) and the two knots at the top of your work need to be tight (more yarn to handle!!!)(remember to pull off the tape, before the knotting!)

Again, gently slip off your "candy" from the fork

All these strands....so confusing....!!!!....... Remember : the procedure is exactly the one I've shown you above with the previous candy!!! ;oD

After cutting all the exceeding strands, you'll have a BIG CANDY

All together...

Any idea ????

Do you remember the glue and the pins in the list at the beginning of this tutorial?
It's their moment, right now !!!!

Put some glue on the pins, where you are going to press on your candies and voila'....

Remember to be fair with all your candies, because.....

Have fun!!!!!!
Please don't hesitate to CONTACT ME (even using the comment box below!) if you have any question/problem !!!! Thank you!!!

xxxx Alessandra

Today link party : hookin hump day #56 link party fiber arts !!!! See you there! thank you!!!

Make it! ....a bigger butterfly !!!!!

....Even now, while writing, this post : Make it! Sweet tiny yarn Butterflies !!!! is the one that has been more visited than others written by me : 15542 visitors since it was published!!!! ;oD

I smile all the mornings when I see it still there, in the first place of my popular posts !!!!

Why I'm back to the tiny yarn butterflies?? Well, a reader kindly asked me how to do bigger butterflies and now I'll explain it to you all!!!

Instead of the usual meal fork, you have to collet a bigger one ! I had one for salads, that unluckily is connected with a big spoon...

....but the good thing is that they have the same number of prongs !!!!

Another thing to change is the thickness of the yarns that you are going to use for the wings and the body/antenna ....

In this way you'll have (for sure!) a bigger butterfly, see.....?....

The other four tiny ones are old friends of mine !!!!

You have to follow the same steps and tips given in the previous photo tutorial, as I show you even now...

This morning I just made a couple of them....

....and they are really loved by the little ones.....

....and what about you ???? ;oD

Try with bigger forks or with ones that you design on thick cardboards and use, instead of yarn, ribbons!!!!

Have fun, xxxx Alessandra

Today links : Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! and hookin on hump day 49 link party for the fiber arts !!!

Make it ! Granny Square Panel !!!

I told you!!!! Our "granny squares adventure" is not yet completed!!!!

First of all you need to group some yarn, a hook, a pair of scissors, a tapestry needle, some ribbon, a little branch (and some acrylic colours if you want to decorate it!) and pom poms !!!

You have to crochet a basic granny square. If you like you can have a look at my tutorial here!

As you can see, this time, I worked 9 rounds for my granny square. Each corner is done with 2 chains, not 3 and each round is closed with the invisible join, not with the slip stitch.
You can choose to make your granny even bigger or smaller than mine! It's up to you, honestly!

To complete my granny, I decided to border it with 2 rounds with single crochet stitches (remember : I use the american crochet terminology!) in 2 different colours. In each corner, I did 2 SCs!!

With some fluffy yarn and the pom pom makers do some colourful pom poms

I'm going to use them to decorate my panel (do you remember this one or this one, too????) !!!
But these are not the only decorations I'm going to attach to it.....oh, no....!!!!
I will add even some butterflies : do you remember my sweet chubby butterfly ???
....Even these ones, still so popular.....

Add everything you choose (or you prefer to let your panel plain? Why not? It's ok!!!)! I had to do simple knots for the tiny butterflies (choosing for each of them the same yarn of their bodies)

Remember to paint your little branch/stick before to slide it in the top of your panel

Some more knots for the pom poms at the bottom...

....and for the little ones at the top, beside the ribbon (to hang the panel!)...

...and look for the right spot where let it hang...!!!!!....

xxxx Alessandra

today links : Creative Friday  and Link your Stuff!!!