By: Louise Nova
Even though you may want to jump right in there and start using
knitting patterns it is definitely a good idea to make a knitting gauge
swatch. You don’t want skip this step, it’s not worth it. A single
stitch in one inch can end up really making a big difference to the
eventual size of an item from all knitting patterns. It seems like a
chore but you need to just learn that you will be thankful in the end.
Always knit the swatch in the stitch that you will use. Obviously
different knitting patterns end up with different sizes so this
matters. I always try to make my swatch big enough to make it a good
test. I usually go for at least 4" x 4". Surround the swatch with a few
rows of seed stitch knitting (knit or purl the opposite stitch of what
you see facing you on odd number rows). Begin and end each row with
four seed stitches as well. This stitch lies very flat and will help
you measure accurately.
Feel The Tension!
It may surprise you to know that the needle size is much less important
than your particular tension with knitting patterns. Some people are
loose with their knitting while others are tight. This can also vary
from day to day with some people. You can deliberately adapt your
tension to create different looks from the same knitting patterns.
Loose knitting for a light open feel and tighter knitting for a warmer
feel. Remember also that you will get a softer feel from a loose knit
and a stiffer feel from a tight knit.
When you have finished the swatch let it sit for awhile. The yarn needs
to relax and even out any tight spots. Now count the stitches and
measure
the rows per inch of knitting. Remember to try a measurement in a few
different places. Another way is to just calculate how big the total
knitting
pattern swatch should be. If 16 stitches were cast on and the gauge in
the knitting pattern is 4st=1" then the swatch should measure 4" The
part you measure should not include the seed stitches. Think about the
size and adjust the needle size. For instance, if you are too small,
try larger needles and vice versa. Now you have finished you can start
using your knitting patterns with confidence knowing that the product
of your labors will actually fit you!
About the Author:
Louise Nova loves knitting and teaching people how to knit. She also
loves to blog. Knitting for 30 years, she has taught many young family
members how knitting is fun and easy. You can find more information on
her blog at Knitting Patterns
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Ralph Ruckman
If you have ever made soap from scratch or are thinking about it, you
should probably know that it can be one of the most frustrating things
you will ever do. After learning the process though, a lot of people
find it to be one of the best hobbies or crafts they have ever done.
Soap making can be a hobby for people, but it can also turn out to be a
very profitable business. Before you go rushing into thinking that you
are going to just create this beautiful and profitable soap making
business, you had better look at some the important features regarding
this business.
The most important feature of a soap making business is going to be the
legal disclaimers. You had better know what you are doing when you
create your handmade soap. People can not just go out and buy the
necessary materials, whip out a batch of soap, and then proceed to
marketing or selling it. You have a lot of disclaimers and in some
states, laws that you have to abide be. Each state, region, and country
is different, so it is up to you to do your proper research on the
matter and to complete all the paperwork necessary for you to proceed
with your soap making business.
After you have cleared all of the legal necessities out of the way, it
is all systems go for your business. Now you will have to think about
your time planning. Time planning will be crucial to your business, as
everyone that has made soap knows that it is a tedious process. Set
yourself a schedule up and follow it. If you have soap curing, take the
time to start mixing yourself another batch. By having a continuing
process, you will be able to produce more soap and not fall behind,
which will only lead to confusion and frustration.
Now that you have gotten all the legal stuff out of the way, and you
have a good amount of soap made, it is time for you to sell your soap.
People who sell soap are only limited by their imagination. Craft fairs
are huge for soap sellers. Travel to a craft show and set up a booth to
present and sell your soap. Not only can you make good money from this,
but you can also get tons of ideas for more soap. People stopping by
your booth will critique your soap. They will tell you what they do or
do not like about it. Always accept the compliments, even if they seem
rude. This is "critique" and it can either "make" or break" you.
Bath and Body work shops are a huge fan of soaps. Some of these store
will allow a person to present their soaps inside their stores. This is
where the legal disclaimers come in. You will not even get a blink from
the manager if you do not have your legal paperwork. Also, this may
cost you a fee to present your soaps in the bath shops. Always research
and think the deal over before making your decision. If you do present
your soaps in these shops, this can be huge. Try to provide some type
of business card, or a website address about your soaps. Word of mouth
is an enormous tool, and in bath shops it can be a viral one. You may
not be able to sell your soaps in the store, but a nice presentation
can yield results overnight that you never would have thought of.
Online advertising for your soap business is not vital, but it could be
if you are not quite cutting it in the "real world". Just think of the
possible number of people you could reach with your soaps. The numbers
are endless. Have a nice little website set up showing all of your
soaps. A first impression of your site is the critical part of
advertising online. This will decide if a single person will ever
return. It is good to have a description along with your soap pictures.
You could explain what ingredients are in the soap, what fragrances are
in them, etc…
These are only a few things you could do for a soap making business.
This is assuming that either you know how to make soap or that you take
the necessary steps to successful soap making. Once you have reached
that point of success it will be time for you to think about broadening
your horizons. A soap making business can be a very lucrative field for
anyone to get into. Types of soap to make are endless, and the amount
of money to earn is only limited to your willingness to make the soap
and put it in front of the eyes of people.
About the Author:
Ralph Ruckman is the author of Soap Making a weblog dedicated for providing information on all aspects of soap making.
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Tom Ambrozewicz
As a beginner, you might have one or two tools you use to create pages
for your scrapbook. As someone who’s been doing this for years, I, on
the other hand, own so many tools that I could write a book about them,
let alone an article. If you too aspire to own ridiculous amounts of
scrapbooking tools, here’s some of the few ways you can begin adding to
your collection. Tools aren’t cheap, but watch for the sales, and in no
time your scrapbooking space will be overflowing with products to help
you invent any page your imagination creates.
The most basic way to start collecting tools is to upgrade your
scissors. For as low of a price as one dollar, you can find decorative
scissors that will cut in designs rather than straight lines. The
possibilities are endless, so start with the basics, such as a scallop,
and work your way up to more elaborate decorative scissors. Moving
beyond straight lines, you can also purchase tools to help you cut
perfect circles. These can be a little tricky to use at first, but it’s
much easier than tracing around a glass and trying to cut perfectly on
a line. Remember that you’ll need some kind of a cutting board to use
some of these cutting options, or you’ll wind up with circles cut out
of your tablecloth or marks on the wood.
Another way to cut paper is to use a paper punch. Punches can be used
in two ways. First, you can punch out sections of paper and glue the
pieces to your page. However, for a different look, use the negative of
the punch. For example, cutting the edge of a paper with a decorative
scissors and then using a small punch along the border creates a lace
effect. Punches come in all sizes and shapes, with some even made
especially for punching borders.
Rubber stamps are also popular tools to use with scrapbooks. The
stamping industry started as a separate market, but now acid-free inks
and stamps made specifically for scrapbooks, such as frames, are
available for scrapbookers to use with their albums. Stamping takes
some time and skill, and the stamping world has its own sets of tools
to create beautiful work, so take some time to learn about stamps
before you jump into a project.
These are just a few of the many tools available for scrapbooking.
Others include special markers and paint, paper crimpers, die cut
machines, and computer programs. The possibilities are endless. All you
truly need to begin a simple scrapbook is some scissors and glue, but
exploring the selection of tools at your local craft store will help
you become more creative when designing pages.
About the Author:
Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files ready to download if you hate to keep printed files. You can check all scrapbooking tips at Ask-How.info now.
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Aaron Trubic
Beginners need to know the basics of knife making. Most beginners, in
fact, start with knife making kits, and only from there move on to
assembling their own knives from materials purchased or crafted
themselves. This will include information on how knives go together,
where to find the parts and other supplies, and how to keep yourself
safe.
Safety first: knives are weapons as well as tools. Always wear safety
goggles or glasses, and protect your hands by wrapping the blade in
masking tape while you’re working with the handle. When doing
heavy-duty sanding, safety requires that you have a breathing filter
available; some knives are made of types of carbonized steel that
produces harmful dust.
To know your blade, you need to understand your materials. Knives are
composed of a blade and a handle. Most kits come with a blade, handle,
guard, and sometimes a pommel. Beyond these four items include an epoxy
or other good glue to fix the blade in the handle, sandpaper of various
grains, and files both to sharpen your blade and to get rid of burs
left behind in the manufacture of your metals. Knife making kits will
include the three or four main components of your knife, but you’ll
have to go out and buy the glue and sandpaper.
The foundations of this art also require that you know what you’re
getting when you buy your blade or kit. There are several methods used
to make knife blanks - those are the blade/tang pieces. One is
moulding, which is a form of casting; it may be blacksmithed (all
Damascus steel is at least partly blacksmithed); or it could be made
with a stock removal method, which is a cutting process. You should
know the difference between the methods, and understand the advantages
and disadvantages of all of them.
Knowing the tools are your next step. When you build your knife, tools
will include a vise, a good table on which to work (preferably with a
metal surface and a place to clamp your vise), an electric drill with
sanding attachment for tedious grinding, and all your safety equipment.
Also in learning, you should read about the properties of metal,
particularly carbonized steel used in knife making. Metal properties
first require that you not overheat your metal; this can damage the
crystalline structure that gives it strength and flexibility. If you
overheat metal and then don’t quench it properly, you wind up with
brittle, easily blunted blades. This should include simple information
on how to handle heat.
You’ll need to learn about the different types of knives and metals
available to you. Most knives are made with stainless steel or
carbonized steel of some sort, with a few made of alloys like titanium.
This will teach you that stainless steel is the softest and easiest to
work with, but the higher grades make better all around knives. When
learning the basics, start with stainless steel blades, not hard
blades.
There are several types of knives you can make, but when learning you
should stick with the simplest: a straight blade, something like a
Bowie knife. Bowie knives are straightforward and simple: you prepare
the blade, slide the guard onto the tang, fix the tang into the handle
after ensuring they mate properly, and then finish the blade. You’ll
learn many skills while doing this, though: how to sand properly, the
different issues that can come up when matching blade and handle, and
safety.
More complicated knives will teach you more skills. For instance,
folding knives require one of several types of springs; these springs
are designed to keep the blade extended while in use, but easy to fold
when you’re done. Once you’ve learned this, you might want to tackle
one of these.
Though it’s not quite required to make a knife, you should also
understand the law where it applies to the sorts of blades you might
want. For instance, switchblades are illegal in many locations. Learn
how the law applies to the blades you’re making as well. It’s no fun to
make a great knife and then not be able to carry it around legally.
About the Author:
Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his website, Knife Making Supplies.
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Mitch Johnson
For the purposes of the hobbyist, it might be advantageous to classify
clays according to their ultimate purposes. This article will help you
how to classify clays.
First, there is pottery clay. Probably the two kinds most used are gray
stoneware and terra-cotta clay. Both will produce good plastic,
workable pottery clay. The stoneware clay fires a light buff and
permits the use of lighter and more brilliant colors in glazing. The
terra-cotta clay fires a reddish-brown and consequently darkens all
glaze colors. This should be considered when choosing clay for a
project. If both types of pottery clay can be obtained, they will
increase the possibilities available in decoration and colors. Terra
cotta is especially suited to sculpture, and is best left unglazed as
the warm color and matte surface produce an effective appearance.
Next is sculpture clay, particularly desirable for this purpose because
it is stronger, more rigid, and can take more stress and strain than
other clays. It contains an addition of grog. Sculpture clay can be
bought prepared or made by mixing grog about 20% by weight with either
of the pottery clays.
Finally, there is jewelry clay. The requirements for jewelry clay are
quite different from those for pottery or sculpture clay. As the object
to be made is smaller in volume, the details must be finer and sharper,
the colors on the finished piece should be more vivid, and the firing
temperature need not be as high. Therefore, fine-grained white clay,
with a high percentage of flint, is recommended because it gives
brilliance to the glaze colors and fires at a low temperature.
Preparing and Storing Clay
Whenever possible, it is simpler to buy clay in a moist state, but it
can be purchased in dry powder form and mixed as needed. This will
require several days, depending on the atmosphere and the temperature
of the room in which the clay is mixed.
To prepare clay from the dry powder: The powder should be spread in a
sink, tub or flat pan and mixed with water to the consistency of thick
molasses. All lumps should be removed by stirring. Allow water to
evaporate until the clay reaches a slushy state, and then spread it on
plaster bats to dry. Turn and press the mass before a crust develops on
either side. When it passes beyond the sticky state to a soft firmness,
remove it from the bats, wedge and store it.
Clays are of many kind, it uses are of different types, depending on
the types and quality of model to be make. From the above article you
can know what type of clay will match your model.
About the Author:
Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.curtains-n-drapes.com/ , www.ceramicsforme.info/ , www.goodbudgetholiday.info/
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Mitch Johnson
Art can always be an interesting hobby. There are many choices of art
that we can choose to fill our free times. Wood carve is one of them.
This article is very much useful if you decide to choose this activity
in your holiday.
A famous painter, when asked, ‘How do I learn to paint?’ answered:
‘Take a canvas, take a brush, and dip the brush in the paint and
start.’ Similar advice can be given in all seriousness to the aspiring
carver, for the best teachers in the world are practice and, of course,
the strong urge to fashion something for its own sake.
In wood you have chosen one of the most beautiful, but also one of the
most exacting media. If you are carving a design in which you are
interested, if your tools are sharp, and the wood is moving smoothly
away from the sharp edge of the tool like silk, wood carving is sheer
pleasure. If, on the other hand, you are uncertain of your design, the
tool is blunt, the wood splitting and ragging, and you are faced with a
shapeless lump of timber, wood carving is then, without doubt, sheer
misery. My main objective, therefore, in writing this book is to help
you to design, and advisedly I put design first, and then to carve your
designs in such a way that you create something really your own. It is
important that in these days of mass production we do not lose sight of
the inborn ability to use mind and hands together in personal creation.
Wood always retains something of its living quality. It is strong with
the tensile strength of a fibrous material. It is infinitely varied in
the qualities of density, weight and durability. Although vulnerable
under certain conditions to fungi and insect attack, we know on
evidence that wood has been carved for three thousand years and a few
Egyptian wood carvings dating about 2600 B.C. are still extant. There
is something about the very names of woods like ebony, snake wood,
lignum vitae, that summons up thoughts of the dark forests and tropical
shades where our ancestors started to carve in bone, wood and stone.
The qualities and sap life of timber mean that some understanding is
necessary in order to make the best use of this material. In the
following chapters I have tried to give a guide to those who wish to
carve in wood. The book does not cover carpentry and joinery. These
skills can be of great value to the carver, and those who are also
interested in construction would profit by lessons in general woodwork
to be used in conjunction with carving.
The study of wood has become a science in itself. Students who wish to
go deeply into this subject can obtain detailed information from the
Agricultural Research Service and the Forest Service divisions of the
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Some general information,
however, seems appropriate here so that the reader may gain a working
understanding of his material
To start the wood carving, we have to know the type of the objects
which we want to use. There are many centers available if you want to
sharpen your skill in this field.
About the Author:
Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.kitchen-plans-n-designs.com/ , www.besttipsforcollectables.info/ , www.goodbudgetholiday.info/
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Aaron Trubic
The most important part of your knife is the blade; therefore, you want
to be very careful about what sort of knife blank you purchase.
Materials for blanks vary from the basic stainless steel to venerable
Damascus steel to the newest alloys, and all of them have advantages
and disadvantages. You also have to consider your knife’s eventual size
so you’ll know how big a knife blank to purchase. Before purchasing,
know what you’re getting.
Stainless steel is the most basic blank you can get, and it’s good for
general purpose knives. The stainless steel variety won’t hold as good
a blade as many of the other alloys, but they look nice and are good
for general purpose use. Stainless steel knife blanks are the least
expensive available that actually make decent blades.
Talonite is made of a cobalt-chromium alloy that forms carbides, so it
tests soft by most hardness tests even though it’s very hard and wears
extremely well. If you try to cut a Talonite knife blank with a band
saw, you will wreck the saw, so you’ll need an abrasive cut off wheel
instead. Ceramic belts do an excellent job of grinding Talonite, but
other types of belts don’t do so well. Carbide drill bits will be
necessary for drilling holes into Talonite.
Closely related to Talonite is Stellite. Knife blanks made of stellite
resist corrosion and wear. Stellite doesn’t oxidize easily in any
condition, and resist heat well. Both Talonite and stellite are more
difficult to work with than stainless steel, so are better for an
experienced knife maker. Before buying either material, consider the
equipment you have to work with. Though stellite and Talonite blanks
are of temptingly good quality, if you break your drill and band saw
while working with them, it’s not really worth it.
Titanium knife blanks are very good for knifemaking; in fact, the
highest grade of titanium is called knife-grade titanium. Titanium is
an alloy of iron, oxygen, carbon, and various other materials; titanium
benefits from the strength of the material, but it is a little brittle
compared to other materials. Titanium takes a good blade as well as a
good surface finish.
Damascus steel isn’t the Damascus steel of the Crusades, but rather a
modern reproduction. When you look at a knife blank of Damascus steel,
you’ll see patterning on the metal; this is the carbides in the metal,
which precipitate out during forging and strengthen the edge far beyond
the capability of iron alone. Damascus steel blanks today are generally
pattern welded steel, which is made of layers of steel and iron which
are welded together; Japanese katana are made this way. If you get a
blank made of Damascus steel, don’t expect it to be just like the old
blades.
A nifty new twist on Damascus steel is Timascus, which is a titanium
Damascus; Timascus is limited in availability, and should be treated
the same way as titanium. These will closely resemble steel Damascus,
and vary widely in color due to the particular alloy used. Knife blanks
of this material will hold a highly polished finish, which will be
brightly colored; or you can give these blades a pearly finish, which
will show off the ripples in the metal nicely.
You may find other materials, but these are the basics. Before
purchasing, do some research on the materials; there are different
grades of each, especially stainless steel, and while some grades make
excellent knives, others make excellent butterknives.
Before buying a knife blank, make sure you have your new blade planned,
and have considered the size of the resultant knife while you’re
looking for suitable material. You can’t glue extra metal onto a knife
blade, nor can you be certain of cutting of metal if it’s too large. It
is probably best, in fact, to know the size of your handle before
shelling out the cash.
Good planning, careful consideration, and a mind for the artistry of
your eventual blade will all help you choose the proper metal for your
purposes. The knife blank is the most important component of your
knife; if the raw goods are bad it doesn’t matter how good the rest
looks. Consider your options carefully before purchasing. Seriously.
About the Author:
Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his website, Knife Making Supplies.
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Sam Smith
Have you been wanting to get a tattoo but don’t have an exact idea or
not sure what you want? Tattoos are so popular and there are so many
ideas but many of us feel stuck at times on the exact tattoo we want to
get. For me I often feel stuck when I think of how permanent a tattoo
is. I see a lot of cool designs that I like at the time but when I
start thinking about the having it permanently done I start to change
my mind and look for something else.
Others have the idea or rough plan of what they want but they can’t
find any good source material or flash that matches what they want.
Some of our customers state that they have spent months looking for a
certain tattoo design. They look through all of the flash sites and
etc. but still can not find what they are looking for.
This is a huge problem, you end up wasting a lot of time and feeling
frustrated. However there are some simple ways around this problem.
1. First you should always pull ideas for tattoos from things that you
like or are into. Don’t go and get a tattoo just because you saw
someone with one and you thought he or she was cool. A tattoo will be
with you forever and so it should be something from you not from
outside. Along these lines don’t do the stupid thing of going out to
get a tattoo with a friend and be pressured into getting the same thing
he or she gets just because you don’t want to look stupid. Tattoos are
permanent and therefore should state something about you and what you
love. Therefore if you spend time just thinking about the things you
like and things that you identify yourself with you are likely to come
up with some great ideas. For example for me I love being outdoor and
nature and so I like star tattoos a lot and nature themes. I also like
a lot of the native American and traditional Japanese designs. My wife
is from Japan and she has this plan of getting a Cherry tree branch
full of cherry blossoms across her back. These are very significant
images for the Japanese. They symbolizes the new year and new life or
even r
enewal of life. So as you can see your tattoo should be something you identify with.
2. Once you have some rough ideas it is typically time to go online and
look for some images. Now lets take the Cherry blossom for example.
Some place you could look for a tattoo would be clip art. You can
search using Google’s image search feature or go to Microsoft online
clipart gallery. Either place you can find either a clip art drawn
piece or actual source photos. Both will lead you to some good source
materials that will help in the design stage.
3. Next you want to take you source materials (photos or clip art) and
show them to a tattoo artists. You might also try some initial sketches
if you are artistically inclined. Even something with simple line art
or pigeon scratches can tell you tattoo artists a lot about what you
are looking for. So take everything you got and show it to your tattoo
artist and then let them design the tattoo for you. Remember the more
accurate and detailed you can be with your description the more happy
you are going to be with the results and the whole process will be much
easier.
4. Most tattoo artists will then provide you with an actual design
shaded in and with color and the line art of the design. If you are
getting this done online then you can take that to your local tattoo
parlor and find some one to do the actual tattoo for you. Often you can
also ask for referrals from the original tattoo artists. Typically they
can do the work themselves if you live within driving range.
If you take these steps into consideration and actually do a little bit
of homework and find your source materials and provide lots of details
about what you are looking for then you are sure to get the design of
your dreams.
About the Author:
Unique custom design done by professional
tattoo
artists or view other tattoo articles for great
ideas on custom tattoo designs
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
By: Tom Ambrozewicz
It’s true-you can make a beautiful scrapbook with less than perfect
pictures. However, if you learn to make the most of your photography,
you will find that you spend less time working on embellishing a page
because the pictures will speak for themselves. Digital cameras make it
easy to delete blurry or otherwise bad shots, but you may not get the
second chance to capture your infant’s precious smile or your pet’s
latest antic. Be armed with your camera at all times, and keep a few
tried and true rules in your head to take shots that will stun.
This is the most talked about photography technique, and once the
mystery is taken away, you will find that it is also one of the
simplest ways to separate good shots from breath-taking ones. The
initial concept is simple. Imagine you have drawn a tic-tac-toe board
in the frame. Therefore, you have two lines running vertically and two
lines running horizontally, intersecting at four points. Your initial
urge is probably to center an image-and this sometimes proves to be the
best option-but the four points of intersection are what professional
photographers refer to as "sweet spots." Our eyes are naturally drawn
to these places on a page, so when the main points of a subject matter,
such as your cat’s face, fall on one of these spots, the picture looks
more appealing and balanced. If you cannot capture this perfectly, you
can always crop your photograph when you scrapbook to help your picture
adhere to the rule of thirds. Remember that you don’t always have to
stick to this rule, but it may help you find your shot.
The rule of thirds is not the only composition trick that photographers
use to create beautiful photographs. A lot has to do with subject
matter. Every picture has a background and foreground, but if you cut
most of that out and fill the frame with your subject matter you will
usually have a much better picture. Also, look at the lines in a
picture. This is especially helpful with a landscape shot, because by
placing the horizon on one of the lines you created with the rule of
thirds, you will have a much more effective shot. Diagonal lines should
be used to create interest. For example, railway tracks cutting across
the frame and leading your eye through the sweet spots will give you a
better shot.
Lastly look at color. This is important even in black and white
photographs. Make sure that the light and dark colors are balanced. By
doing this when you take the picture, you will be able to create better
pages that are coordinated to match your photographs, and by following
the other tips your will be able to create better pages in general.
About the Author:
Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files ready to download if you hate to keep printed files. You can check all scrapbooking tips at Ask-How.info now.
Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com
« Previous Page