Knit Tips: Weaving in ends as you knit

I love knitting stripes and using different colors in my knitting, but I HATE sewing in ends. To avoid all that extra finishing work, just these simple directions.

Double Box, Tornado, and more Lanyards - Classic Camp Crafts

Once you master the box stitch, you may want to multiply it by adding more colors to make a bigger lanyard. The same thing also works for the barrel stitch.

You may remember from the cobra stitch tutorial that you will need  plain gimp ,  neon, glow, clear, double sided or tie dye, and you can get a better color selection  online .


I also used some deerskin lacing and 3mm curb chain this time.

Remember you can make these as wide as you want, though the below is not recommended...

And now here's how to add the twist:

You can see what it looks like with more strings.

And a little bonus at the end showing you how to make my favorite stitch, the super box, or box ². It has a really nice feel to it even though it is made of the cheap plastic.

So take a look, and leave some comments if you have questions. The video thing is still new, so be nice.


I got started slow this summer on the camp crafts, but expect more  vidyos next year, and definitely let me know what you want to see or anything you remember from your camp days.

Box and Barrel Lanyards, Classic Camp Crafts

Now, this is the  real classic  lanyard knot, used by sailors to boyscouts.  One of the first things you learn to make as a camper, or at least one of the first things I learned with gimp: the box stitch. 

You may remember from the cobra stitch tutorial that you will need  plain gimp ,  neon, glow, clear, double sided or tie dye, and you can get a better color selection  online .

Still loving that neon paracord though. it is good for everything.

Classic Camp Crafts - Lanyards: the Cobra Stitch

Did you go to camp? I did, and while I was there, I used to spend as much time on the Arts&Crafts shack as possible. We made all sorts of things that were very often useless and ugly, but we also got to do the cool stuff like tie dye, clay pottery, and friendship bracelets. 

Lanyards were not on the list of cool or useful things  that you could make, but they were my favorite.

I made these 2 videos for all the ex campers out there who want to get nostalgic. It's also a great way for parents of kids that do not go to camp to share in the fun.

Spinning Color Dash Yarn

One of my first realizations about spinning was that it gives you total control to make any type of yarn you can think of.

For a really long time, one of my goals has been to find a kind of variegated yarn that only has a few dashes of bright color and will never pool. I also do not like hand painted yarns as much as those with fibers spun after dying.

Making Neon Rope Baskets

Neons are really hot right now and one of my favorite neon craft supplies is the brightly colored mason line that you can find in the rope aisle of any hardware store. Pair it with plain cotton clothesline, and you have these super fresh baskets. I use mine to hold knitting needles, scissors and my drop spindle.

You might even be able to make these and call it "spring cleaning" because they are a great way to organize things in a presentable way.

I've made some videos of this project because it is a little hard to learn with still images. There are also pictures below showing how to do the stitch.

Video tutorial part 1

Video tutorial part 2

Both of these are playable in HD, and I recommend doing so in order to clearly see what is going on.


You will need:

Cotton clothesline or a similar thick rope in any material, I used this kind.
Neon mason line, I've located it for sale online in neon yellow, neon pink, neon orange, and white.
 or
Cotton butcher's twine
 or
Similar thin rope in any material - but if you can break it with your own strength it is not a good choice
A crochet hook
Scissors
Fire to burn the ends of the mason line

Begin as in the video by making a crocheted magic ring.

Work in a coil attaching the rope with the following stitch

Reach through the previous coil with the hook and create a loop. This should be about an inch from the last stitch.

There should be a loop on the back of you work after you pull the string through.

Put the front loop through this back loop.

Put your bobbin or spool of thread through the front loop.

Now pull tight. You have finished the stitch.

Just as if you were making a coil pot out of clay, the shape of the vessel can be changed depending on how you place the coil. Each of these baskets took about 100 feet of thin rope and 20-30 feet of clothesline.  Finishing instructions are in the video.

It takes some practice to control the shape.

Have fun making your baskets and please leave a comment if you liked the videos, want to see them in the future, or have a suggestion for future videos.