how to knit simple cable blanket

I needed the blanket about 160x120 cm (60x45 inches). The knitting cable is actually easier than any lace pattern. 

For this project, I bought the pink yarn Steinbach Wolle (20% wool, 80% acrylic) and used knitting needles 4 mm (US 6). 

This pattern is a multiple of 16 and plus an additional 20 for the border. For my blanket, I cast on 180 stitches (160+20).

Border Rows 1-12: Seed Stitch (K1, P1)

Now start with the pattern (view the picture): 

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7:
Seed Stitch for 8 stitches (K1, P1), place marker for the border. *K4, P2, K8, P2* till last 12 stitches, K4. Place marker for the border and Seed Stitch to end. 

Row 2 and all even rows:
8 sts Seed Stitch, *P4, K2, P8, K2* till last 12 sts, P4, Seed Stitch to end.

Row 9: 8 sts Seed Stitch, *K4, P2, slip 4 sts on cable needle and hold in BACK. K4 from left needle, K4 from the cable needle, P2* till last 12 sts, P4, Seed Stitch to end.

Row 10: 8 sts Seed Stitch, *P4, K2, P8, K2* till last 12 sts, P4, Seed Stitch to end.

Repeat Rows 2 to 10 until blanket measures the desired length. 

Repeat Border Rows 1-12 and bind off knit-wise. Assemble ends and make sure to block. 

The blanket is very soft and warm, as I wanted. It is ideal for dressing a bed and keeping toes warm. More information in my Ravelry.

bullet journal

I've found a very simple planning method with Bullet Journal. It seems a really easy and successful. 

All you need the notebook and pen. Just write tasks, events and notes; make collections and shopping lists; plan a vacation etc. Then strike out the completed points. It is easy to follow and move the undone points from one day to another day inside the journal, and identify what’s important and weed out the things that aren’t. And that's it all, just day-by-day. 

bullet journal key ideas

I will try this planning method and hope to get rid of hundreds of Post-Its on my desk.

More about the bullet journal: bulletjournal.com
 

Inspiration: how to keep journals

What do you know about the journals? I'm sure that anyone has at least one journal, for example it is a planner or scheduler for everyday use, isn't it? I know some people who keep the diaries. Also sketchbooks, artbooks and scrapbooks are really great way to record life's experiences, feelings, emotional reactions or one's own inner voice.

I did a little list of some journals, that give me a lot of inspiration and share them here. All pictures are clickable and link to the source. Start with the planners, look at this pretty weekly planner:

.. or monthly planner:

The travel journal:

.. one travel journal more:

The cooking journal with visual recipes:

The visual journal of emotions and feelings:

Keeping To-Do list in a journal:

The diary with scrapbook elements:

Just the page from a diary:

The scrapbook for the photos:

 The family budget journal:

If you think that you can't draw, that is false! Everyone can draw! Just take the pencil and paper and start drawing all the things you see around you:

The Elvie Studio blog is very helpful to starting with drawing and feeling you are an artist:

View this funny picture and tutorial by Elvie Studio:

The artist's journal for drawing with watercolours:

Who hasn't any journal, they are drawing in the books:

The scripture journal:

The doodling journal:

Doodling with colors:

Also it is possible to glue in some pockets, envelopes, stickers, labels..

..and make some journal arts:

You can do with a journal everything your heart desires: to glue on your favorite pictures and photos, draw, paint, doodle, tweet, write all important and unimportant things, to travel and make sketches, collect your favorite recipes and even sketching the ingridients or just keep a journal in complete secrecy under your pillow :)

I have 3 journals: family budget journal, sold and custom orders journal and inspiration journal. Some days ago I started with 4th journal and try to draw with my new watercolour pencils. My mom keeps 2 journals: a garden journal and our house repairs journal. One day I will share some pages of our journals.

Do you have any journals too?

how to make lace earrings

Art deco inspired lace earrings. I think that lace and freshwater pearls are great partners. It's easy to do yourself :) I used lace, freshwater pearls, textile glue, earwires and some findings (chain, pins, jump rings, filigree bases). 

First step: cut out lace motifs you like. Then spread the back side and edges with fabric glue. Keep pieces flat until glue is dry. Gluing makes lace motifs more durable and less fragile.
Second step: attach earwires using round nose pliers. You can embellish earrings with beads, chains, charms as you like.

Textile glue must be transparent. If you have not textile glue, you can use white glue (PVA): mix 1 part of water to 1 part of glue (proportion 1:1), spread this mix to lace motifs and let dry. 

These earrings shown on the photos are available in my shop ArtStitch on Etsy.

victorian earrings beadweaving kits are available

I made these Victorian Earrings again - these earrings are so elegant and beautiful in any color. Available in my Etsy shop. And a little surprise - Victorian Earrings beadweaving KIT is also available! I think that is the great idea to make your own beautiful earrings without beading experience!

This kit contains everything you need to make one pair of earrings: rare czech faceted oval glass beads, high quality japanese seed beads, connectors, gold filled earwires and a beading thread. Also you will get full color printed step by step tutorial (in english) with illustrations. Beginner level.

Colors available: Amethyst, Blue, Olive green. 

Buy on Etsy for $16.

printable recipe cards

These are my best recipes :) They look ugly, I know. One day I tried to write them over to a notebook. But using the notebook is not convenient for me in a kitchen. So I searched the Google and downloaded these cute recipe cards:

I love them very much. It's easy to put the card on a refrigerator's door with a small magnet and prepare some tasty dish.