Loom knitting is an old art, recently become popular again. Looms come in a variety of shapes, including round, oval, and rectangular. Some have a single row of pegs, called single rakes; some have two rows of pegs, called double rakes. The size of the loom is a factor in how large a knit piece can be made on it. The gauge of the loom, or how far apart the pegs are from each other and how large they are, contributes to the size of the knit stitches and the thickness of yarn that works best on it.

Looms are used to create knit fabric. Think of each peg of the loom as a piece of a knitting needle. Various methods of wrapping the yarn on the pegs creates knit work in a variety of stitches and patterns, just as they do with needles. Single rake looms create knit fabric that can have a distinctive right and wrong side. Double rake looms are generally used to create a double knit fabric where both sides are "right" sides.

The joy of knitting goes way beyond the excitement of wearing something that you created yourself. The clickety-clack of knitting needles makes this hobby a great form of relaxation and a stress beater that results in a unique finished product. Knitting can be enjoyed by young and old and is a great pastime to involve the kids in. Children love the magic of turning a ball of colored yarn into a fabric that grows and grows before their eyes!

There are some basic stitches that you will need to learn - casting on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch and then casting off. Luckily there are many places for the novice knitter to find instructions and technique tips. The website Learn-To-Knit has knitting instructions for both left and right handed knitters and the site Knitting Help features instructional videos, heaps of free patterns and a forum to connect and chat with other knitters!

Search out knitting resources! There are free lessons, free knitting instructions, links, books on knitting, expert knitting tips, and much more. You just have to find it. It’s only a click away on the Internet. You will definitely find a knitting site devoted to hand and machine knitting. Knitting patterns are easily available in magazines devoted to knitting, designer knitting books. So much variety to explore! It’s a great practical skill to have to make clothing or household items.

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Everyone is so confused as to why I keep my Aquaman action figure in a phone case on the top of my computer at work . It’s to protect it from fading in the sun. Now why I have an Aquaman action figure is a different story. I was writing this myspace blog once about how when I was younger my mother used to bring me to stores and let me look at toys, but would never buy them for me, despite the fact that they never cost much. I had an Aquaman figurine that I loved when I was younger, I was carry him everywhere with me, I used to make him battle the Penguin in the bathtub, Aquaman would always win, why you ask? Because he is Aquaman, ruler of the world . I wanted to buy another figure but my mom made me put him back because she said I didn’t need any more toys . Then one fine day I was in the local comic book store, which I frequent and am good friends with the owner, and he apparently read my blog on myspace and gave me a package when I got in . I tore it open and found both an Aquaman and a Penguin action figure inside. It was one of the nicest gestures anyone ever made for me. So on really bad days when I just feel like ending it all I remember those gifts and know that there is at least one person out there who cares for me .

If you have a car or a home, you need a key chain. This means pretty much everyone must have one. I suppose you could have keys with out a ring or chain, but that is highly impractical. I spend enough time searching for my keys, I can’t imagine what it would be like if all of my keys were scattered around the bottom of my purse. I am getting headache just thinking about it.

A key chain is about as personal as you can get. Everyone chooses the one they have for whatever reason, but you will notice that you can tell a lot about someone by what is one their chain. If someone just has a plain key ring, this still says something about him or her. They may be low fuss, and just use something that is practical. Most people have something though, and this something will always tell you something about them. This is perhaps why there are so many different types of key chains that you can buy.

There seems to be fashion trends associated with the key chain. There have been times when very large ones were in fashion, and people had to buy bigger purses just to contain them. There was also a time when it seemed that everyone bought a key chain with his or her first or last initial. When I was in college, the trend was to have a key chain that contained more charms than keys. I remember having to have them hang out of my back pocket because I had nowhere else to put them.

You can find a good key chain almost anywhere. My current favorite is a large silver ring that can hold many keys. It also has a whistle that hangs from it, and this can be used if I find myself in trouble. It fits rather nicely into my purse, but if I need to find my keys in a hurry, the ring is large enough for me to find on the very first try. I can wrap my fingers around it and it pulls out of my purse with very little resistance.

If you are looking for a good promotional tool, you might want to consider the key chain. Many people love to get a free chain, and they will most likely keep them for one purpose or another. You can get them printed up with your company information and name rather easily, and hand them out to potential customers. You may find the key chain to be one of the best forms of advertising you have.

As a teenager in California in the 1960's, I well remember roaming the beaches of Santa Cruz, collecting memorabilia of the sea, in the form of driftwood and seashells. Body surfing was a popular occupation of the young. With waves not forthcoming, we spent our weekends roaming the sands.

At the time, Ron seemed to be the old man of the sea. Day after day, he built his ship in a bottle with painstaking care and unflagging patience. We thought him a fascinating person, simply because his attention was so clearly focused.

We'd sometimes try to approach this “old man of the sea”, hoping to wheedle some of his secrets. He couldn't have been more than forty at the time, but he was like an old man to us, lost in his private world of ships at sea, getting that three-masted sailing schooner into the gallon-sized bottle.

Ron acknowledged our presence in a friendly way, while fitting tiny pieces into his bottle with strange home made tools. Ron was a man of few words, passionate about his craft.

All these years later, it's comforting to know the art of the ship in a bottle is still alive. We imagined Ron a former seaman, now disengaged from his seafaring life. We never knew. His creations spoke for themselves, beautiful recreations of life at some point in time, far away and unreachable for those who hadn't been there.

The art of creating a ship in a bottle is in danger of becoming a lost art. There are just a few artisans left, with the passion of the art, recreating the ship on the open sea, painstakingly miniaturized in the bottle.

The bottle containing the ship is an essential part of the art. Once you have your bottle and the ship, you've only just begun. Detailed measurements of both ship and bottle are taken. The hull, masts and sails are designed and built outside of the bottle.

A typical ship in a bottle requires assembly outside of the bottle and then disassembling the parts in a collapsible form for reconstruction within the bottle. How do they do it?

The art of building a ship in a bottle requires patience and love of the craft. The ship in a bottle artisan builds his own tools, not commercially available. Each artisan is a truth unto himself, not beholden to an assembly line mentality, lost in thought to past times when a ship in a bottle was magic.

Although there are cheaters, drilling a hole in the bottom of a bottle to insert the ship in one punch, there are a few artisans who take pride in their work of creating a ship in a bottle that defies imagination.

If you're intrigued by the ship in a bottle, look for artisans lost in their craft, crafting their own tools to make the ship in a bottle a living memory of pirates and other romantic notions.

Many think that knitting is just for women. This is not true, because men knit too. There are as many knit groups for men, as there are for women. It has been said that knitting started in England, and by a man. Yahoo has a special knitting group just for men. But no matter the sex, knitting is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable as well as creative activities enjoyed by all.

The first step in learning to knit is connecting with people who can teach you. One of the best resources is a knitting store, which is usually staffed by people who are eager to help you learn to knit. In many cases, knitting store staff are interested in projects that their customers are working on, and they are happy to provide advice and assistance. In addition, many stores offer in store classes for knitters at all levels of experience, or referrals to classes and knitting groups. These are great tools in your quest to learn to knit, if you do not have an experienced mentor to help you.

Once you have connected with a group or class, you can pick up the supplies that you need to learn to knit. Depending on how structured the class is, you may be assigned a very basic project, or you may be asked to simply show up with needles and yarn. This is where a helpful knitting store staff or a mentor is vital; staffers can help you pick out good beginning yarn and needles to learn to knit with. In general, plain worsted weight wool or cotton yarn is a good choice for beginning projects, along with a set of circular needles in a modest size, which are easier to manage than traditional or double pointed knitting needles while you learn to knit.

Today handmade items have become a fashion look much in demand. In some ways, they are far more valuable than what can be bought in a store. An item you make for yourself is something you can have pride in as it displays your own talent and expertise. An item you make for someone else, in addition to being a beautiful garment, shows your love and appreciation for the recipient.

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The Truth About Cat Food Nutrition - An informative story of the pet food industry and what to look for when choosing a pet food.

Are you fond of collecting things? Do you like to collect various kinds of papers or stick-ons? Or, are you a "pen fanatic"? Some people just love to hoard different kinds of papers, stationeries, and memo pads. The funny thing is, they never even use them. They just love the sight of these papers. Others, however, love to have different kinds of ballpens and pencils. Pens of different colors, sizes, shapes, and forms amaze a number of people.

If you're one of them, what are the pens that you have now? Probably, you have a set of pens with different colors, from red to orange to green to brown and gray. It is also possible that ladies will have feather-shaped pens, doll-shaped pens, and even pens with crowns. Men, however, are likely to collect pens that are more business-like. For sure, a Cross pen or a Parker pen is on their list.

Not far from being a reality, having engravable pens is a fact for pen collectors. Surely, they will have engraved Cross pens. Aside from the fact that these are classy, these will also give out a more personalized message. The can have their names, their initials or their personal messages or mantras engraved on those pens.

These items will make great presents as well. Businessmen and young professionals will surely be happy to receive engraved Cross pens. They will be eternally grateful as these gifts show a personal touch and the effort of the giver. Because of this, they will really have to take good care of this gift. As funny as it may seem, engraved pens will make it less likely for a pen to be stolen. After all, who would want a pen that has a different name engraved on it?

Today, even if technology has primarily ruled the lives of the majority, some people still want to be in touch with the basics. In an age where palm pilots, really small and handy laptops and multi-functional mobile phones are in, some people still prefer to take note of their daily tasks using the traditional pen and paper. Some very technical people still want to carry with them a cool pen. On the other hand, some friends still prefer to give out pens as gifts and giveaways. Thus, the need for a pen will never really get outdated.

Many scrapbooking organization solutions come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small paper storage cubes to full sized desk and shelving systems that fill an entire room. Although the options vary, they are typically expensive. Purchasing even a rolling scrapbook organizer tote can be a small investment for those with tight budgets. Here are some affordable ideas to organize your scrapbook space using some common household items or garage sale finds that you may already have available.

A shoe organizer designed to hang from a door makes a great storage solution for scrapbooking supplies. With clear plastic pouches that are large enough to fill with most scrapbook embellishments or tools, its easy to find what you need when you need it. Find a way to hang it on the wall next to your work area and your supplies will remain at arms reach.

A large diaper bag can easily be turned into a portable work caddy. The small interior pockets can be used to carry your tools or embellishments. The side bottle pockets are great for storing pens, scissors or scrapbook adhesive. Larger bags can hold albums and paper keepers. The changing pad is an added bonus as it can be used for messy projects or as a makeshift cutting mat.

If you have an old computer desk that is not being used, it can be turned into scrapbooking furniture for your workspace. The built in shelves and compartments make them ideal for a storage solution. For example, my desk, which was one of my garage sale finds became the center for my creative outlet. Although it is a small unit, it came with built in overhead wire shelves. The top shelf holds my ribbon and punch containers. Along the sides are wire CD racks which hold ink pads. On the sides of the desktop sit small raised ledges that are ideal for keeping jars of buttons and brads. The keyboard shelf underneath is great for storing a shallow utensil tray to house your scissors, tape or utility knives.

With a little creativity, your scrapbooking room can be clutter free without costing you much money at all. Many household items can be easily converted into fantastic scrapbook organizers that help you keep your sanity while adding a personal touch to your work area.

When we plan our scrapbooking, often times we think of albums that focus on holidays, weddings, births and special events in our lives that we want to preserve. These are days that bring smiles to our faces and laughter to our hearts. As normal as this may be to select such occasions for our scrapbooking ideas, sometimes we miss out on an opportunity to use our creative outlet to express our thoughts and feelings about those unpleasant moments in our lives that are uncontrollable.

When we stop and think about the pain we have suffered, whether through the breakup of a marriage or any other traumatic event, these are all part of what molds us into the people we have become. So often we choose to bury our pain instead of embracing them to discover the hidden treasures that are often overlooked.

Shortly after the birth of my second baby, I was diagnosed with severe post-partum depression. My difficult marriage that was riddled with chaos was coming to an end. The occasions that led me to the place of complete hopelessness were overwhelming at best. As part of my recovery, I began to journal my thoughts and feelings about each event that happened. What began as an attempt to sort through the pain, developed into a complete visual expression of raw emotion and the spiritual journey that accompanied my experiences. Although not your usual scrapbook theme, it is one that played a considerable role for me in finding peace and healing.

Piecing it all together with photographs, carefully selected decorative paper and just the right stamping and embellishments gave each painful memory a sense of validity. It was like placing a mirror up to my wounded heart and saying, 'Yes, that is what I felt. Right or wrong, good or bad. These emotions are mine.' To be able to openly disclose myself this way and to have a visual reminder has made it easier to let go of the pain, forgive and move toward healing.

My scrapbook album, titled 'A Journey Through Life's Challenges' does not sit on my coffee table out on display. Instead, it lies on the desk in my office, waiting for moments, sometimes through tears, when I need a reminder of where I've been to truly appreciate where I am today.

As scrapbooking has taken the world by storm, more people are turning to the computer to create beautiful pages that mimic current paper scrapbook techniques and trends. To venture into the world of computer scrapbooking, you don't need to be a professional graphic artist. You simply need a computer, computer scrapbook software, and a digital scrapbook kit or two to get you started. Once you discover what you can do with a computer, the possibilities for displaying your precious memories will be endless.

Scrapping a digital album will save you tons of space that is normally needed to keep paper crafting stored and organized. Everything is located in on place - on your computer. There is no need for paper racks, tool boxes or cropper cases. However, organization is still essential and can be easily achieved with a well-planned directory system. Otherwise, it can be easy to loose track of your electronic scrapbook embellishments and forget what you already have. Clean-up is a snap with computer scrapbooking. You won't need to pick up paper scraps, or put away crafting tools. If you are interrupted in the middle of designing your electronic scrapbook page layout, simply saving it is all you need to do without worry about keeping your layout in tact before you can finish it.

Whether you are new to making scrapbooks or are searching for new and creative ways to design them, computer scrapbooking is an exciting alternative to paper crafting. But beware. It is just as addicting as its counterpart and equally rewarding. So have just as much fun preserving your memories as you do making them.

One of the more stunning things that parents and teachers loves about arts and crafts is its ability to produce hours of fun for children. It keeps them busy, entertained, allow them to make new toys and will generally create hours of fun for the children even when the projects are all finished. Kids get the opportunity to let their imaginations go wild. They get to do what kids love to do most, they are allowed to lose themselves in their fantasy and create a keepsake with which they can play for hours, days, or even years. Despite the 'all fun' aspects, crafts is also a good way to teach children some life lessons, or to kick of a new life project. As an example, when you wish to teach your children about the importance of saving money, why not let them create their very own piggy bank which they can customise to suit their personal tastes, their room, or whatever else catches their fancy at that very moment. It will motivate the children to participate in a hands on, creative environment that encourages education.

So here is a quick and easy project that your children can make during the holidays, or perhaps when they get at home from school instead of plopping down in front of the television. These idea is fun, easy and an absolutely fabulous way to introduce children into this fantastic world.

Photo Mosaic

Photo mosaic is a means for the child to create an arts and crafts project that could turn into a lasting memory. It can be kept on its own, perhaps as a framed photo, or eventually it could become a part of a bigger photo mosaic scrapbook to preserve some of the child's most fondest memories.

So, what do you need?:

A piece of paper on which the photo mosaic will be created. Remember that the sturduer the paper, the longer it will be preserved. Have a look around the house for some cardboard boxes, the inside of cereal boxes or any other form of trash paper that was making its way to the dustbin in anycase.
Acid free glue. The reason you use acid free glue is simply because the normal glues tend to destroy or harm the paper on which paste, making it unable to survive for very long periods of time.
Old photo's, pictures of a person, persons and a couple of cut out pictures or words cut out from magazines that all fit the theme of your project.

What to do?:

Help your young one to cut out the photo's and pictures until you have enough to cover your entire page. Try to plan ahead as much as possible concerning the layout etc. as this will make the process a lot easier.
Paste all the cut outs into the pattern that you have decided on the piece of paper or background.
If you want to, you can add a blank piece of paper on the artwork somewhere. On this blank piece of paper your young one can write his name, perhaps a little discription or anything else to give it that super special personal touch.
Using whatever material you want, paste a border unto this project to finish it of.

That was it. It is a simple way to create some loving memories. If you wish, you could frame this artwork for the office or the child's bedroom. You can add it into a scrapbook or even start a 'time machine', which a basically a box of some sort in which you put a couple of things and hide away. Either bury it into the ground on a specific spot, perhaps deep into that attic. A few years later, or on a special occasion such as an eighteenth birthday you fetch the box so everyone can share in the laughs and good memories.

This is but one arts idea of thousands! You can have fun with absolutely anything if you really put your mind to it. If you are looking for more ideas like this, visit www.sublimecraft.com