Blazing Needles

One of the greatest things about knitting and crochet is the community that this hobby attracts. If you live in Utah, you NEED to check out Blazing Needles, where the knit/crochet community spirit is highly encouraged. This shop is really THE place to get started as they offer free classes and the staff is so welcoming! Blazing Needles is a perfect venue to get to know other knitters and/or crocheters and build a network of fellow yarn enthusiasts. Not to mention the complimentary coffee and tea... This gathering place also carries a wide variety of luscious yarns for all of your knitting and crochet needs, among other knit/crochet novelties. Seriously, even if you are just visiting the Salt Lake City area, make a stop here, you will not be disappointed.

Beyond sending some love to this knit/crochet paradise I also want to highlight them for their generosity. Every year, Helping Kids With Cancer (a non-profit charity that assists with critical needs for kids and their families) puts on a stocking event and auction with help from the community. Basically, stockings are made and filled then donated to children with cancer (some of which may not see next Christmas). The proceeds from the auction go toward helping with various needs the families may have. I made 4 stockings to go to these children, which I wanted to be filled with yarn and needles so that I can pass on the joy I find in knitting and crochet. Last Saturday, I visited Blazing Needles and spoke with Cynthia, the sweet and generous owner, and she agreed to fill them all for me. My heart was so full of gratitude I felt I might burst! Better yet, we hope to start teaching classes for the teenagers facing this immense challenge in the upcoming year. You know, I have always felt that I would like to give back in some way to my community and I am so grateful that I have been blessed with a talent that is easy to share.

Below are the stockings I made, which Blazing Needles will be filling.

I made this first stocking using chipboard, glue, tape and wrapping paper. I had originally planned to do a tutorial, but it got too complicated and I had to depart a bit from my original plan. For the most part, I constructed it using the same method outlined in this tutorial on You Tube by Christyj1977. If you are interested in the template I used, email me and I will send it to you.

The body of this stocking is from a wool skirt I found at a thrift store. The reindeer is just a silhouette I found online when I did an image search. The lace applique was cut from fabric I bought at JoAnns.

The stockings above and below were created using 2 sweaters I found at a thrift store, then felted. The trees on the bottom one were from scraps of the stocking above. I didn't originally plan on doing the border, but the stockings were looking more skeewampus without it. For the borders, I made bias tape. For the border on the top stocking, I used another thrift store sweater. I used some scrap fabric for the border on the bottom stocking. 

By the way, if you would like to donate to Helping Kids with Cancer or you would like to send in some unused yarn or needles for the kids to learn, please email me at kitscrafts2012@gmail.com.

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