Whether it is called up-cycled, re-cycled, altered designs, deconstructed or reconstructed, many of us are trying this eco friendly crafting and saving money in this repressed economy.  I know when I go through my wardrobe I am more aware to how I can transform a piece that has been in my closet for awhile into something eco-chic.  Now, Bridgett Artise and Jen Karetnick are leading the way in show us how to recycle our cast-offs into exciting new designs with their book “Born- Again Vintage” (Random House Book) 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent and Recycle Your Wardrobe”.   Bridgett’s company is B Artise Originals believes that fashion trends come and go like the speed of light, but your pieces are timeless, trendless and more importantly “HOT” proving that with a few cuts and stitches, your entire wardrobe can be transformed!  One of the most interesting things I learned about Bridgett is that she does custom orders, if you send in your old prom dress, maid of honor gown or any dress that’s been in the back of your closet for way too long and she’ll wave her magic wand and recreate your garment into something new and chic!  Visit Bridgett’s site and see all she offers.

Born Again Vintage, tells you where to go to find those awesome vintage clothes and it is not the trendy Vintage Boutiques.  Where you ask? Buy or win this book and you will be an insider in vintage shopping.  Create boot pants from sweater sleeves.  Make a vest from and old blazer and out-of-date shirt. Put together a chic sweater mini dress from a sweater and skirt or charming sweater corset from a cast off sweater.  The tee shirt blouse is created from a tee and an vintage blouse. A darling denim bags from those dated jeans. Use a elegant vintage skirt and create stunning dress shorts.  I could go on and on but you will want to open this amazing hard covered book with its stunning pictures and instructions and let your mind go wild. 

Co-author Jen Karetnick is an amazing lady you will want to get to know along with Bridgett.  Bridgett claims she was Jen’s pain while they worked on this book together.  Jen is based in the fascinating and multicultural country known as Miami; Jen is one of the most oddly prolific writers around. An editor, author and poet as well as pen-for-hire, she tackles a variety of lifestyle subjects: food, travel, wine, liquor, literature, health, medicine, sexuality, arts, culture, home, garden, shopping, parenting, children and even cats and dogs and of course “Born Again Vintage”   To learn more about Jen visit her site.  This book is available at Amazon.com or Buy.com at great pricing.

This is a book review and a GIVEAWAY to one lucky eco-minded, fashion savvy person.  Instead of using Random.org I will put your comment number in a container and the last one picked will be the winner.   Giveaway will run from June 2, 2009 through June 16, 2009.

This is one of the most difficult giveaways I have ever judged.  Everyone had great comment’s and it would have been easier if I had used random.org.  The criteria was stating what intrigued you about the book is what I judged the giveaway by. I want to thank all of you that did enter and I want to congratulate all the winners.

#1 Corvus

#2 anne

#3 lene

#4 Nicole

#5 Kat K

You can still pick up your copy of “Feltique” at Amazon.com.

Fiber Trends the pattern and yarn shop is offering us the opportunity to have four of you win one of their absolutely delightful toy animal patterns.  I pictured two of my favorites here and your joyous task is to go to the Fiber Trends Shop and choose your favorite little critter (there are two pages of pattern).  When you have decided on the one you’d like to win type your favorite in the comment section and you will be entered.  Bev from Fiber Trends is being so generous by offering these adorable patterns and I want to thank her and Fiber Trends. Be sure to look over the suggested yarns for each pattern so you can purchase the appropriate yarns when you win.  Also look at all their amazing patterns and yarns. This contest will run from April 14 through April 24 midnight.

Fiber Trends began in the fall of 1994 with the printing of one pattern, followed by five more the next month. From the beginning, Fiber Trends’ patterns were sold through retail yarn stores and it has been the continued support of these stores that has allowed us to grow the line to over 200 patterns. We were based in Bellingham WA until 2001 when we moved to E. Wenatchee which is on the sunny side of our great State. After settling in Wenatchee, chose to celebrate our 10th anniversary by venturing into the yarn business and in 2005 Fiber Trends became the exclusive US distributor of Naturally New Zealand Yarns. This meant moving to the warehouse shown here and hiring some wonderful, and efficient, employees who remain with us today.

This is a beautifully illustrated 144 page book titled; “Pet Projects” by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne from “The Taunton Press”.  This books holds over two dozen projects for knitting and recycled felted wool sweaters requiring a little sewing. If you are a pet lover and adore dressing them up, then this book is a must have!  You will be shocked at the adorable design Sally and Joanna came up with and these patterns are good for the beginning knitter too.

Some of the projects are: A variety of Dog Coats, finicky Cat Cushions, Lilly Pads, Horse Blanket, Mouse Mat, a variety of Dog Collars, Turtle Tent, Parakeets, Rosette, Eco-friendly Dog Coats, Hamster house, Knitted pets for your pet, Knitting Charts and instructions. You can create these precious items for the kings or the queens in your house or yard.  Whatever pet you have you will find a project for them, even the Koi Fish. The pictures are charming and the patterns are understandable.

These projects would make charming gifts for your pet lover family and friends.

This Giveaway will run for two weeks, and the winner will be selected by a random drawing. In the comment box just type “Enter Me” Running from February 2nd through the 16th.  Good Luck to everyone! 

If you have to have it today you are purchase it at “The Taunton Press”. 

What could be more fun then starting off your Valentine felting winning these awesome patterns from Heather Knitz Designs.  Sign up today for this VALENTINE contest @ Heather Knitz Designs !

3 pattern pack

Valentine Stripes Purse Bag
I wanted to knit an adorable weekender/vacation style purse could be used for fun…but still have a little flair!

This purse stands about 10″ tall and is about 10″ wide at the top and tapers in as you move toward the bottom! It actually holds a lot!

If you make it with the valentine heart purse handles, it would be perfect for your grand-daughter!

*technical elements and knitting for this purse:
felting
knitting in the round using circular knitting needles

It is our pleasure to offer this amazing Noni pattern to you at this time of the year so you can knit it up for the holidays.  What a statement this would make at a holiday party.  This giveaway will be a random drawing and I think you will be please with this bag.   This giveaway will run from Nov. 1st through Nov. 7th, so don’t delay enter today.

So Easy, So Noni! -

Knit this unfelted bag today and carry it tonight. This is a lovely, small, 1-skein project that takes no time at all to knit and even less time to finish. Simply hand sew to the frame (available from Noni, from Lacis, or from Sunbelt) through the convenient little holes in the frame itself and you are ready to walk out the door to enjoy a lovely evening out.

The pattern contains instructions for making this bag in three different yarn combinations: Milky Way for a dramatic sparkle; Spring Sunrise for a hand-painted bag with a softer glow; and for those of you who like an understated bag, a dark blue Silk & Merino blend that is deliciously soft.

Craft Gossip and The Felted Ewe are thrilled to be able to offer you a chance to win this adorable Grandma’s Snowmen Needle Felting Kit.  If you every wanted to learn to needle felt and not have to purchase all the items needed, this is your opportunity.   Make them for yourself or make them as a gift, or separate them into three gifts.  You could give this darling kit as a gift itself.  In the comment area tell us why you would like to win this kit. This contest will run from October 26 thru November 9th.  Good luck and visit The Felted Ewe and shop their site for your felting needs.

·         Detailed Pictured Instructions

·         Tan or White Wool Roving

·         Rusted or Golden Wire &

·         Jingle Bells

·         Beads & Buttons for Eyes &
Accessorizing

·         3 Handmade Carrot Noses

·         Sisal Twine

·         Felt for Top Hat & Scarves

·         3 Felting Needles – Assorted. Sizes

Hi all, well this is the first time I have knitted a Noni Pattern and I want you to know I am in love.   I bought the yarn, and needles. Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles was kind enough to supply an extra purse frame for me and I am absolutely pleased with the results.  This was my first time using circular needles and at first it was a little odd, but once I got started the purse took form and went very quickly and the results are perfection.   As I told Nora of Noni, I get most of my patterns from knit magazines and books, but now I will be looking to Noni for patterns.  it pays to spend the money and get a perfect pattern with all the instructions down to the felting and where to purchase the frames.  This designer, Noni is in a class by herself, as she does it all from designing, knitting, marketing and photographing the pictures for the lovely patterns, which to me are works of art.  The Cascade 220 yarn is a dream to work with and when felting, does not lose its color.  I crocheted some off white flowers for my embellishments and made French knots in the color of the bag for the center of the flowers.  I did not felt the flowers because I wanted a lacy look.   The felting in my Wonder Washer took about 45 minutes.  Putting the frame in was tricky, but I got it!  I took the pictures for you to see and tucked a hand painted scarf I had made peeking out because of the colors.  I love the purple and orange together.  Again, we should all thank Noni, Angelika’s Yarn Store and Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles for making this giveaway possible.  Watch for the reveal of Noni’s new line of children’s pattern soon to be in the market place. I am so sorry that I never put an ending date on the giveaway, so I will allow it to run until this Friday, May 2, 2008.    

I am adding an extra pattern by Noni, her lovely signed “The Unfurling Roses” Pattern!  So double your pleasure. 

Most of us knitters and felters have seen Noni’s glorious patterns and I am sure, like myself, you lust after many of Noni’s awesome designs.  Here is your chance to get one free.  This one is called the “Cascading Fuchsias Market Bag” and the instructions are for three different sizes that make this a diverse pattern and this is sign by Nora AKA Noni.  In twenty words or less tell us why you want this particular pattern.   Noni was generous enough to send me these patterns, to give away on Craft Gossip and I can’t express how thrilled I am to offer them to you.   Some of these marvelous patterns are sign by Noni, which makes them extra special.  If you just can’t wait, Google, Noni Patterns to purchase one.  I am trying to locate a yarn shop that is willing to give the winner a coupon toward the purchase of the Cascade 220 yarn needed for this project.  I am hoping some yarn shops will respond for the next pattern give away. I will be giving away many of Noni’s pattern in the days and weeks to come.  So get those clever “I want” your ideas together.  I am hopeful whoever wins this pattern will knit up and felt one of the bags and I will do an article on your finished bag.  This give away will end 11:00 pm Sunday the March 23.

About Noni:Nora Bellows “Noni Designer” was taught to knit by her mom when she was 12 but did not discover the world of felted bags until 2000. Her first bag was made from a simple pattern, but she immediately began to innovate. Soon, her unusual creations attracted the attention of customers in the Baltimore knit shop (Woolworks) where she worked (like so many of us) to support her knitting habit. In addition, she began making bags exclusively for private commission and for sale in a very few small boutiques around the East Coast. While Nora was at Woolworks, she also taught literature and composition at the University of Maryland, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a PhD in Renaissance English Literature. After the completion of her degree in 2004, she moved (for love!) to Austin, Texas, where interest in her bags came more from other knitters than those seeking to purchase them. Her extensive background in teaching came in handy as she developed classes of all sorts: one on continental knitting, another on fixing mistakes, a third on making a felted bag, several on felted flowers, and, her personal favorite, an intense multi-day workshop that focused on designing one’s own felted bag.

It wasn’t until 2005 that she, after much pestering from her knitting students and Pat Rohmer (owner of Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe in Cedar Park Texas), began to make her designs available to the intrepid knitter. During the Fall/Winter 2005 season she founded Noni Designs and launched a line of eight fashionable, innovative bag and embellishment patterns that are as beautiful as the designs they feature.