Free Pattern Friday: Monkeying Around

This week's Free Pattern Friday link list was compiled by Evin of Spring Stitches.

Monkeys are like us, but without the hindrance of mobile phones and vacuums - which makes them such a barrel of fun! Why we love them, I don't know, but here are a few patterns that make us want to swing from a tree and shout "Free Pattern Friday"!

Knitted Toy Box has fun-loving Monkey Moo

Sew your very own Funky Monkey

Monkeys can be girls too, as shown by Molly Monkey from Mmm Crafts (photo below)

JoanieR tells us how to make a Felt Monkey Applique

For sewers and quilters, a cheerful Wild Monkey Quilt designed by Fat Quarter Shop

Sock Monkeys are classic, goofy, and deserving of their own section of this post:

Paton's Classic Knit Sock Monkey

Sewing instructions for the Original Sensational Sock Monkey Toy

Of course, if you want an old school sock monkey but with modern instructions, here's one thanks to Lenny Taylor

Knit a toy in the style of a Sock Monkey

Sock Monkey Shirt Tutorial from Angela Yosten, Moda Home Mom

Photo and item photographed are by Larissa Holland of mmmcrafts.

How To Tuesday: Needlepoint

This post is written by Mandi Jackson especially for the Pink Auction blog. Slainté.

Needlepoint is a neat way to express your creativity. It is an affordable art, and let's face it…it's FUN! Here are some ideas to you started.

Neat Needlepoint Bloggers:

Chilly Hollow Needlepoint

Canvas and Thread

LilyStitch

DMC-Threads

Some nifty sites to help with your needlepoint:

Teach your kids Needlepoint

Learn Needlepoint with eHow

Basic Needlepoint Stitches from Savvy Cafe

Free Needlepoint patterns from About.com

Informative Needlepoint videos:

Getting started from MonkeySee.com

The Continental Stitch from MonkeySee.com

Ending a thread from MonkeySee.com

Other Stitches from MonkeySee.com

Photo by Ellen Macdonald

What does Action Breast Cancer do?

Directly from the Action Breast Cancer website, here is a bit about what it's all about:

Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society, is Ireland’s leading provider of breast cancer information and support. Each year we reach over 25,000 women who are concerned about breast cancer and breast health. We strive to ensure that everyone affected by breast cancer receives the highest standards of treatment, support and care, and to improve the quality of life of people living with breast cancer.

Services include:
National Breast Cancer Helpline
Booklets and factsheets
Reach to Recovery
Journey Journal
Counselling service
Younger women’s programme
Patient grants
Breast awareness education

Free Pattern Friday: Lace Knitting

This week's Free Pattern Friday lacy link list was compiled by physicist, wooly artist, and blogger Suzanne McEndoo. She wants us all to know that blocking plays a leading role in lace knitting as shown by her adventures with the Evenstar Shawl. Suzanne explains all in her recent Hook's Law blog post The Magic of Blocking.

Gail (aka Nightsongs) Shawl by Jane Araújo (shown in Suzanne's photo of hers which was knit with Cork-based Hedgehog Fibres' Finger weight Merino/Bamboo/Silk)

Frozen Leaves Shawl by Anna from Zlopyhtelkin Blog

Bitterroot Shawl by Rosemary (Romi) Hill, Knittyspin: Winter 2009

Woodland Shawl from The Thrifty Knitter

Simple Chevron from Lion Brand Yarn

Shawlette with Lace Pattern by Gail Tanquary for Crystal Palace Yarns

Shell Lace Stole by Barbara Breiter

Feather and Fan from Lion Brand Yarn

Weekender Stole by Lisa Dykstra for Crystal Palace Yarns

I Love You Shawl by Joanne Cole

Circular Lace Shawl from Crystal Palace Yarns

Fan Shawl by Gail Tanquary for Crystal Palace Yarns

Summertime Lace Shawl by Gail Tanquary for Crystal Palace Yarns

Crystal Chandelier from Lion Brand Yarn

Fan Shawl by Gail Tanquary for Crystal Palace Yarns

Waves of Grain from Lion Brand Yarn

Lace and Lacy Items Knitting - Knitting Pattern Central

Evening Echo article about Cork's Pink Auction

Last Wednesday, we were in the Wow! section of the Evening Echo. We're gaining momentum and appreciate all the support, enthusiasm, and participation by the community. There's still time to become involved as a creative textile artist, event volunteer, organizing committee member, or auction-goer.

How To Tuesday: Crewel Embroidery

This post is written by Mandi Jackson especially for the Pink Auction blog. Slainté.

Crewel is a fantastic and versatile style of embroidery. It has a vast library of stitches, which vary in difficulty and complexity. There isn't any counting involved in this style of embroidery, and it does not require evenweave fabric, so curves can be sharper and more realistic. Here are some amazing sites to inspire you.

Crewel Bloggers:

Basic Crewel Embroidery Stitches (with diagrams)

Crewel Embroidery Projects from Needle N Thread

Stitching a Jacobean Flower from Stitching with a Shimmy

Helpful How To links:

Learn to Crewel with eHow

Stitch Dictionary from In A Minute Ago

10 tips for Crewel Results from Stitching with a Shimmy

What is Crewel Embroidery from Stitching Cow

A few videos for those who learn by example (Like me):

Introduction to Crewel Embroidery

Getting Started with Crewel Embroidery: Part 1 & Part Two.

Photo by Nancy L. Stockdale

Free Pattern Friday: Hedgehogs

This week's Free Pattern Friday link list was compiled by Evin of Spring Stitches

Hedgehogs may be prickly on the outside, but they are also roly poly in a cute way. Here are a few of my favorite hedgehog patterns.

Hedgehog Applique from Sevi Designs

Blue's Hedgehog knitting pattern

William the Hedgehog knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn

Hamie the Hedgie sewing pattern from LollyChops

Sammy the Hedgehog crochet pattern by Shirley Chen

Marie Antoinette Hedgehog sewing pattern from Matsutake

Hedgehog Pincushions by SKG from Burda Style

Vintage Hedgehog Pincushion from Urban Debris (shown below in photograph and sewing by Katri Niinikangas (Ereine on Flickr)

Photo by Katri Niinikangas, Ereine on Flickr

About The Pink Auction

The Pink Auction
Sunday, 10 October, 2010

The Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland. 

Join us on Sunday, October 10th for a creative textile auction to raise funds for and awareness of Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society.

Get Involved! 

It doesn't matter if you are a student in secondary school, a fashion designer, or a hobby artist, your generosity makes a difference! Here are some of the ways you can help make this event a success:

• Print our invitation and hand it out around your town and to your friends.

• Write about our event in your blog, newspaper, community newsletter, Facebook wall, or Tweets. Download our Press Release PDF to get started. Photos of some donations being modeled are available for use with press coverage about the auction.

• Volunteer at the auction. Help is needed to direct people to the auction in the Imperial Hotel as well as answer questions guests may have. Contact us to find out what volunteer opportunities are available.

Join us on Facebook, Twitter, or Ravelry to learn more and help spread the word!

How To Tuesday: Embroidery

This week's 'How To Tuesday' was written by Evin of Spring Stitches.

Embroidery is one of my favorite textile arts because it can be added to just about anything for a personal touch. Some other reasons to love a little embroidery in your life and textiles is that it gives it a handmade appearance or vintage feel and the supplies don't take up much space.

Some crafty bloggers that inspire me to embroider while sharing their knowledge are:

Made Marian

Hooked On Needles

Grannymar

I would consider myself an embroidery beginner and think these are some useful links for those of us learning to embroider:

Embroidery 101! from Instructables.com

Free Embroidery Instructions from Craftown.com

Free Embroidery Lessons from Needlework Tips & Techniques

How to Embroider by Hand By Batul Nafisa Baxamusa

Knot Know-How Tutorial from The Purl Bee

How-To: Embroidery from Martha Stewart

How to Embroider a Bag from guardian.co.uk

How to Embroider On Crochet - For Dummies

Of course, as with most creations, it is often easier to understand how to do something after seeing someone else do it, so here are a couple of our favorite YouTube videos on embroidery:

Auction Item Spotlight: Suzanne's Pink Socks

This post is written by Suzanne who is knitting a pair of beautiful socks for the Pink Auction.

I started working on these in Cork while studying, so they've been fully immersed in physics, but they also have a playful side. The colour of these socks reminds me of old fruit salad sweets from the corner shop, yum!

The pattern is Angee by Cookie A (found in her excellent book, Sock Innovation) and the yarn is Trekking [from Vibes & Scribes on Lavitt's Quay].

The simple stitch pattern looks a little geeky straight off the needles, but blocked and on a foot (or arm like the photo), it blossoms into the life of the party.

Free Pattern Friday: Toys

This week's Free Pattern Friday link list was compiled by Evin of Spring Stitches.

Soft and squishy toys make the best bedfellows since it keeps things from going bump in the night. We can't resist these darling playmates!

Whim Wham has a delicious Felt Ice Cream Cone.

Mallory Murray helps you make your own Owl Softie in a helpful Whoo-too (how to in owl speak).

And then there are the lists! Oh yes, blogs or sites that take the time to offer many free patterns or to compile links for you. Here are a few of those with a variety of toy patterns:

Bittersweet Blog - My favorite is the Hungry Hungry Hippo

Knitted Toy Box

Knitting Pattern Central

This post has inspired us to focus on a few creatures great and small that we like so keep an eye out for next week's Free Pattern Friday!

The short link to this post is: http://bit.ly/fpf-9

How To Tuesday: Crochet a Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon Left-handed

Because 'Free Pattern Friday' is such a popular blog feature, we're starting 'How To Tuesday' which will show different creative textile arts and how you can learn to create such things yourself! For our very first 'How To Tuesday', we're learning how to crochet a Breast Cancer pink ribbon left-handed.

Volunteers Needed

Hello, everyone! We have only three months left until the Pink Auction. We know you'd love to help fight to find a cure for and alleviate the stress felt by those battling Breast Cancer.

We will having a drop-in day in Vibes & Scribes when people can drop in their work, chat with others who have donated work, and enjoy a cup of tea. Date and details available soon.

The closing date for donations is the 10th of September in order to give us time to create the auction catalogue.

Consider your plans for the 10th of October. We would LOVE more volunteers for the day itself.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Please offer to help by telling us what role you would like to do out of the following options:

• Help prepare the room and help display work on the day of the Pink Auction (10-10-10)

• Lend your creative skills to art demos and knit events we're holding around Cork City

• Print and hand out flyers to your local knitting group, library, and yarn shops

• Sell pink ribbons

If you can't commit to help on a specific day, here are ways you can help on your own time, in your own community:

• Print, post, and hand out flyers to your local knitting group, pub, library, and yarn shops

• Tell your friends and family about the Pink Auction

• Donate your own creative textile art or fashion

• Share photos of your donation on Flickr

• Hold a knit in or make-a-square night in your local club or pub

• Join our Facebook group

• Post our info/links on your Facebook profile page

• Follow @PinkCork on Twitter

• Spread the word about the Pink Auction by retweeting one of our Tweets

• Ravelry members, join our group for knitters and crocheters

• We need fabric, sewing notions, and wool for volunteers and asylum seekers create donation items

• Use your creative textile skills to make a donation for the Pink Auction

Free Pattern Friday: Stars

This week's Free Pattern Friday link list was compiled by Evin of Spring Stitches.

Summer, to me, has starry nights and sunny days, so this week's Free Pattern Friday is all about the stars in the sky upon which we wish to cure Breast Cancer.

Crocheted Baby Star Afghan by YarnDiva

Coraline's Star Sweater created by Althea Crome for the film Coraline

Star Fling Quilt by Terry Atkinson

Crochet Stars by Rachel

Cosmosdust Quilt

Photo by Tatyana Ogryzko