More Guerrilla Knitters

Mad knitters take to Tokyo\’s streets | The Japan Times Online.

Wonderful “mad knitters” add color and warmth to the streets of Tokyo.

 

Knitting Comic

 

Haven’t we all had days like this?

 

Practically Chic

More excellent freestyle fashion from across the web: Creative Mind: Necklace From Bracelet…. check out this simple, clever tutorial that reuses old bracelets to create a beautiful necklace.

Hit-run knitters darn cute, Crocker museum chief says – Theater and Art – sacbee.com

Hit-run knitters darn cute, Crocker museum chief says – Theater and Art – sacbee.com.

“We’ve been yarnbombed,” said Crocker Art Museum director Lial Jones on Facebook after knitting mysteriously appeared on a signpost outside the museum. She thinks the work is “cool.”

 

 

Easy Homemade Cranberry Relish

Cranberry relish from a can will never set foot in my house. Instead, this super simple orange-cranberry relish is our holiday favorite. Start by zesting one orange. Set the zest aside and peel the orange. Then take a bag of fresh cranberries (or frozen would probably work too) and put them in a food processor (after washing, of course), add 1/4 cup of sugar, and chunks of the orange flesh. Blitz until the consistency you like. Taste for sweetness, you may need to add more sugar (or honey or maple syrup). Put the relish in a festive bowl and mix in some of the orange zest. Sprinkle the rest of the zest on top. Done!

Play with the proportions there is nothing magical about this recipe. You can’t go wrong when mixing orange, cranberry, and sugar!

Orange-Cranberry Relish

Paper Snowflakes

Most people think paper snowflakes are only for kids, but I disagree. It’s possible to make elegant, intricate paper snowflakes that are great for decorating all winter.

The key to a superior paper snowflake is twofold. One, start with square shaped paper. Two, fold the square paper into a triangle, not a rectangle. then continue to fold the paper into smaller and smaller triangles. But do not fold it so small that it is difficult to cut, because this will result in jagged edges.

folded and cut paper snowflakes

Other tips:

• Don’t be afraid to combine wavy and straight lines in your cutout material.
• Paper snowflakes don’t have to be white. If you have white walls, shades of blue snowflakes strung together would be beautiful.
• Get creative about where you hang your snowflakes. Tape them to windows, hang them on your Christmas tree, or string them together to make garlands and hang them everywhere!
• Despite my opening statement, this is an awesome project for the kids.
• Make lots of different sizes of snowflakes.
• Don’t forget to recycle when finished!

Finished Paper Snowflakes

The Improvised Life

Modern gingerbread house

The Improvised Life, Sally Schneider & friends website, is a site very much in the vein of freestyle fashion. You might be familiar with Sally Schneider’s work on The Splendid Table, the NPR radio show. The Improvised Life covers, food, art, home, design, and seasonal topics. My current favorite: modern gingerbread house.

 

A kid-friendly holiday recipe for pretty Meringue Snowflakes

These cookies are gorgeous!  A kid-friendly holiday recipe for pretty Meringue Snowflakes at babble.com (via Craft Gossip). 

 

Creative Coffee Tables

 

This steam trunk is my coffee table.

 

I am a huge fan of multi-functional furniture, especially cleverly re-used furniture. I found this steam trunk at a yard sale in southern Maryland for five dollars. It was perfect for storing junk and eliminating clutter in my tiny living space. My Mom’s coffee table is her grandparent’s steam trunk, which was used during their emigration from Scotland. She laid plate glass over the top to protect the trunk and provide a flat surface for resting all the books, coffee cups, magazines, and knitting projects that accumulate there.

 

This chest also resides in my home. My grandfather made it as a toy chest when I was quite small. Unfortunately, it no longer holds toys, now it contains my fieldwork clothes. Chests of all sorts are beautiful, practical additions to any room and can be found at all price points.

 

“Green” Holiday Craft

I hate throwing away beautiful holiday cards. It seems like such a waste. Of course, I recycle them, but this link is a brillant way to reuse them. The tutorial teaches you how to refashion your holiday cards into a Christmas garland: Bobbi\’s Art: Green Holiday Craft. Due credit: I found the link on Craft Gossip.