A Head Full of Fluff

(This five-hour project brought to you by Bonnie <3 ....but just kidding, it didn't take a WHOLE five hours.)

A Head Full of Fluff

You Will Need:

A ball of yarn (Double-twine or fluffy yarn, for best result)
A round loom (Less than $15 for a set at most art stores, in the knitting section)
A little knitting hook (Usually found in loom set)
Scissors
Ruler (I didn’t use one…but feel free to!)

Step 1: Tie a slip knot at the end of the yarn!  If you do knot (pun intended) know how to do this, check out this link:  http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Slip-Knot  (If you have a lot of trouble with the step, just loop it tightly over the peg.  The slip knot is just there to make sure the yarn stays in place.)

Step 2: Tighten the slip knot onto the knob sticking off to the side!

Step 3: Cast yarn onto all the pegs.  This part seems complicated, but it’s not!  Bring the yarn up from the sideways knob, slip it through the first two pegs.  Going to the right, bring it around the peg, all the way.  You should be back behind the peg.  Carry it on to the next peg, and repeat the same step.  Continue.  

Step 4: Press the completed loops down to the bottom of the pegs.  Repeat step 3.  You should have two separate lines of loops on each peg, now.

Step 5: Pick up the hook, now!  Slip it under the bottom loop of the first peg.  Carefully use it to lift this bottom hoop OVER the top one.  Complete this for all pegs.  Now repeat step 4 (including the “Repeat step 3”).

This is going to continue for a while.  

Tip: Sometimes, to avoid the yarn unlooping itself during the beginning of Step 5, I go clockwise instead of counterclockwise when I use the hook to carry the bottom loop over.  If you have trouble with the yarn unlooping itself a little, try doing it this way!

Step 6: Periodically measure the length of your hat.  Suggested length is 7-8 inches.  I usually carry on a little further, because I want the hat to fully cover my ears.  

Your hat is going to look like this while on the loom:

This is the inside of the hat! (Or it will be, eventually.)

This will be the outside! (Eventually =P)

Step 7: Once the hat is at a desirable length, cut the yarn about four or five inches from the hat. 

With the yarn left in the original pile/roll of yarn, cut off a length of about twelve inches.   

If you want to make this part a little longer, that’s fine.  

Step 8: Use the hook to scoop the first loop of yarn on the loom.  Lift it over the peg.  Using the loose strand

of cut yarn, slip it through the loop.  Continue on to the next peg.  Make sure the loose strand of yarn doesn’t

leave any of the loops!  You want both ends of the yarn to meet when you get to the end of the circle.

 

Step 9: Your hat should be off the loom now.  There should be three loose strands of yarn on top.  Take

these, and pull them to the INSIDE of the hat.  Tighten them until the top of the hat is fully closed, and then 

knot them all together until you’re confident that your hat will stay in one piece.  Cut the excess off.

Step 10: The bit of yarn at the hem with the slip knot should still be there.  Loop it around a stitch in the hat 

and it off.  Cut the excess yarn.  

Voila!  You have your very own hat!!!

Turn Your Toe-Nails Into Fruit!

Okay, you caught  me, I don’t mean it literally.  But hey, if you want a cute, summery idea to get you out of this funk that is winter, check this out!

I painted my toenails…to look like watermelon.  Here’s how I did it!

You will need:

Hot Pink (or Red) nail polish
Green nail polish
And either Black nail polish and a toothpick (seriously) OR a Black nail polish art pen!
Also, if you’re really picky (I’m not) you can consider a white nail polish pen too.
Either a shimmery or clear top coat nail polish

Step 1:

Make your toe (or finger, if that’s what you would rather do) nails all nice and purty-shaped after removing any chipped and month-old nail polish that may or may not be there!  If nail polish remover was used, make sure you wash your feet before continuing to the next steps =]

Step 2:

Paint roughly two thirds of your nails, starting at the base, Hot Pink/Red (this should come up to the whiter part of your nails).  Chill out for a while to let them dry.  If you need a second coat, to make the color stronger, have at it.  

Step 3:

Paint the strip of nail left blank with the Green nail polish.  If you want it to look really realistic (which is humorous, considering it’s on your feet) you can leave a small white strip between the Hot Pink/Red and Green, or you can paint it in.  I elected not to do this.  

Step 4:

After the Hot Pink/Red, Green, and possibly White have dried, you get to do the fun part!  When I first did this, I did not have a nifty nail polish pen.  I had Black nail polish, which I made useful due to the toothpick I managed to dig up.  Dip one end of the toothpick into the nail polish.  BE CAREFUL ! THE TOOTHPICK CAN CHIP THE COLORS ALREADY ON YOUR TOES!  Draw little vertical slash marks, raindrop-shaped, if you’re truly skilled, over the Hot Pink/Red section of your toes.  Now, I have an art pen.  You can just draw it normally with these.

Step 5:

When the Black is all the way dry, finish with the top coat!  I had a shimmery yellow color that came out just shimmery over these colors.  It gave the watermelons a nice, glimmering and glittering shine.  If you use a clear coat, the colors will be extraordinarily bright.  Once this top coat is done drying, go and impress your friends with your blatant disregard of the season =]

Happy Watermelon-ing =]

-Bonnie