Noreen Crone-Findlay is an author, designer, workshop presenter, doll maker,and fiber artist and small loom weaver and designer. She is the creator of Tottie Tomato and loves the fiber arts in all it's glory.
Day 41 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Kindness Loom woven Butterflies for Springtime and Easter
If you would like to make some quick and easy little Easter and Springtime gifts – here’s a link to a free video tutorial that shows how to makeTiny Butterflies woven on the Kindness Loom. They are part of my ‘Weaving Kindness Project’.
All the links for how to get the instructions for weaving little projects that are the epitome of kindness, hope and delight., from making the loom to a ton of delightful little Weaving Kindness projectss are here:
Day 40 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Kindness Loom weaving for Springtime and Easter
For the first part of my 100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms I have focused just on spool knitting- and I have lots more spool knitting to share. But, with Springtime arriving for some places (not so much for us… still cold and snowy- ugh) and Easter coming I wanted to feature the Gentle Bunny
and Tiny Baby Birds woven on the Kindness Loom.
They are part of my ‘Weaving Kindness Project’. Why not make yourself the Kindness Loom and weave up some tiny treasures for Springtime and Easter?
I have designed a tiny loom for weaving little projects that are the epitome of kindness, hope and delight. All the links for how to get the instructions for everything, from making the loom to a ton of delightful little Woven Wonderfuls are here:
This photo looks chaotic, right? Well that’s because it is an almost accurate picture of some of the ‘lots going on’ in my life right now.
I’m still doing the 100 day project, but I have to adapt and adjust to HOW I do it.
So, while I am dealing with all kinds of things, I don’t have the energy to make videos or complete the pattern for several projects that I am excited about.
C’est la vie and Que sera sera….. so I will continue to design and when I have more ‘spoons’ (energy) available, I will catch up with myself and get those videos and patterns done.
And, until then, it’s slowly, gently, slowly…. but sending big hugs all round ❤
Until then, please go to my Etsy shop to buy pdf patterns for fun spool knitted projects:
Day 35 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Lots of Links for How To Use Spool Knitted or Lucet Cord
Spool knitting and using lucets to make lovely cord is relaxing, meditative, contemplative and just plain fun. But, people often ask me: What do you do with all those cords after you’ve made them?
Here’s a list of useful links to videos that I have made about ways of using spool knitted and luceted cord. (Lucets are flat 2 peg spool knitters))
Go to my Etsy shop to buy pdf patterns for fun spool knitted projects:
The ideas flood in, but it takes time to work my way through them all… and some of them are Happy Dancing Lttle Winged Beings that make my heart sing and some of them scuttle away like Nasty Elusive Nopetapusses scritching and scratching and scowling all the way to the dark nether regions.
Would you like to make Irresistible tiny Red Hats to wear on your finger –
cheering yourself up in these challenging times, or for reminding yourself that Hope is an antidote to despair and cynicism
OR maybe just for a moment of fun in putting on very small finger puppet shows?
OR, perhaps to wear on your lapel or pin to your bag or backpack as a sign of community and connection, OR to give as little gifts to friends and family and fellow travellers?
Okay, here’s a video that I made showing how to spool knit an Irresistible Tiny Red Hat with yarn or fabric strips if you can’t find red yarn. Previously, I have made video tutorials on how to spool knit in the round, as well as flat panels and also how to spool knit with fabric strips. All the links to the tutorials and so much more are at my blog tottietalkscrafts dot com.
Day 29 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Small is beautiful
I have been designing some spool knitting projects that are very small in scale and I am enjoying working with small spool knitters to make them.
So I have adapted some of the spool knitters that Jonathan @distinctivewoodworking and his son, Kieran, turned, to make Small But Mighty Spoolknitters that are ergonomically delightful for spool knitting small treasures.
I’ll be showing you more about Small But Mighty spool knitters and the oh so fun projects in the upcoming days.
A couple of days ago, I experienced wonderful synchronicities of messages of HOPE appearing like little green shoots bravely unfurling through grotty old snow. Brad Montague, artist, writer and hope-meister extraordinaire (follow him on The Enthusiast and @bradmontague) wrote a wonderful post on his Substack page that introduced me to Alexandra Rowland’s statement: “The opposite of grimdark is hopepunk,” which felt like an explosion of delight and yes-ness. (Thank you!!!)
And, the other wonderful uplifting thing was my brilliant niece, @josephinecrone being interviewed by Anita Vandenbeld for her podcast: New episode of Democracy in Conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EtrWeqXAso&t=10s . Josephine is a powerful advocate for the power of hope to change lives. She has survived Stage 4 Lymphoma and is in remission. She is adamant that hope drives action forward and that cynical behaviour is deadly. She gives me so much hope…. and I am so gratefu!
For me, living with chronic illness and a bunch of other challenges, means that hope is an absolute life line and is essential to my very being. That’s why I focus on invoking hope and beauty and sweetness in my work as an artist and a designer.
I had such an ‘aha’ about ‘Hope Punk’… that’s what I am aiming at with my whole spool knitting project and that, oh yes! Is what my Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls are absolutely ALL about.
Please stay hopeful! We need our Hope to light up the darkness!
The pattern for the Spool Knitted Well Well Well Dolls is available in my etsy shop:
Way back in 2008, an editor at Harlequin spotted it online and got in touch with me and asked if I would be okay with having it on the cover of one of their books. AND…. would I be willing to have it be part of a contest that their readers could participate in to win the heart.
I knew that my Mom would LOVE this, so of course, I cheerfully said yes indeed!
They paid me nicely and were a treat to work with. As well as a check, they also sent me a box of copies of the book (a pleasant read) which I happily shared with family and friends.
My work has been in a lot of books- ones that I have written, as well as books that I have designed projects for, but this one is certainly one of the quirkier experiences of co-creating with a publisher.
Day 24 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls
I designed the Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls as a wish that everyone, everywhere, would feel well, and that our precious planet would feel well, and that anyone who makes these dolls will feel well, and happy, and safe and hopeful and live in peace, and equanimity.
As I made them, I asked myself: What does JOY look like today? What does peace and safety look like today? What does this doll want me to know? How can this doll feel like hope or sweetness today?
I invite the doll makers to play with drawing their own unique, one of a kind faces for their Well Well Well dolls and have made a video tutorial to help them do this.
I hope that these joyful, playful, happy dolls will bring all good things to the people who make them, and if the Well Well Well dolls are meant as a gift that they will bring love, light, laughter and hope to those who receive them.
The pattern includes links to 3 video tutorials for how to make your own larger spool knitters as well as videos on how to spool knit in the round, and how to spool knit flat panels as well as spool knitting 2 peg/nail cords.
The pattern has complete step by step instructions for making the Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls with yarn and with fabric strips too.
Tottie Talks Crafts Blog 