In-skein

Blog has a new home. check it out.

2011-04-11T09:47:00.001-07:00

This is the last post on this blog.

This is the new blog.

http://gnomesatemyhomework.blogspot.com/

New adventures

2011-04-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

So begins the new adventures.

I am thinking about starting a new blog. One that refocuses my energy into something that works a bit more for me. I want something that can encompass my career path as a crafter, my dreams as an eventual mother and loving wife, and my crazy quirkiness of being a bit of a geek. I will still post here, just not as often as I had hoped. I hate that I never feel the motivation to actually make a post. I feel that every post needs to be crafty, and that every post needs to have a tutorial, or something of that nature. I don't feel the love anymore of this blog.

I am not giving up blogging, just giving up on this one for a bit. It'll still be here for reference, and it'll still have some new posts every once in a while, but keep your eyes open for a link to my new blog.

Thanks for all the fun!

Soap Sacks and DRTY Soap products: a pattern and a review.

2011-01-27T18:33:00.000-08:00

I havent kept my end of the bargin, I havent posted each week. but, I have been moving and working, so you should give me some slack.

In a plea of bloggy forgiveness, I present you a pattern... does that work for you?

I have a friend, her name is Mindy, and she owns her own Soap Company. I have a lot of friends who own soap companies, but lately, I have been LOVING Mindy's DRTY SOAP. She has a great selection, and great prices, and her soap is SO nice. Hubby wants me to get a whole loaf for his deployment kit if he ends up going National Guard.

Here is a look at some of her soaps:

This is my favorite!

MMM Pumpkin Vanilla!

These soaps hold up such WONDERFUL scents and lather so well. I had to make a soap sack just so I could use this soap instead of a body wash and a loofah in the shower.. I love this!

Are you getting my direction?

Here is the soap sack pattern I created. Really simple, SUPER quick, and a great gift...

I'll post up some photos when I get home, posting now from campus.

Starting with your favorite cotton in worsted weight and a size J hook

Foundation row: chain 11, sc in 2nd chain from hook, *skip 1 chain, dbl and sc in the next chain* to end, do not turn, round end of chain, and continue in same pattern between the ** up the other side. you do not have to mark the beginning of the round, just move straight to the top chain of the first sc, *dbl, and sc in the next ch, skip 1* and repeat continue this until you have a sack that will fit your soap. Put this aside.

Now, with another color, or the other end of your skein, chain about 30-35 stitches, connect the ends with whatever method you'd like, tie it, or slip stitch it, whatever you feel comfortable with and cut it off. You should have loop of chain stitch that is large enough to act as a drawstring on your soap sack.

Now, here is the tricky part, pick up the sack part and get ready to crochet, continuing the dbl, sc skip pattern, lay the loop of chains on top of the stitches you are working into, caging the yarn loop into the stitch. finish 1 round and ties off, weave in ends, there should be a loop of yarn that was too long for the sack itself, this is your hang space. You are finished, slide in your DRTY SOAP or other favorite brand and enjoy, when you run out of soap, toss this in the washing machine to wash out the scent, and refill it with a new scent!

So, new years resolutions already a bust...

2011-01-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions has already been slashed.. nope, make that 2.. but it is for a good reason!

I have gotten so much business in my baby shower boutique with custom orders, I have not had the chance to post a blog update, or to knit/crochet any charity hats.

Remember this?

I am making 2 of these sets for boys this week, is that a good reason to have NOT kept my end of the blogger resolutions?

Guess I'll need to do a few extras this week... or maybe next week, because.... drum-roll...............................

I am moving!

Again...

This time it is for the better, though I had to find homes for my feline friends and one of my super fluffy adorable puppies..... but it is for the best, and when I move again to a larger house, I can get them back, a very good friend from high school is fostering them until hubby gets into National Guard, and/or gets hired soon by ANY Oregon police department.

As for the crafty side... I love being able to multi-task.

Tonight, our Criminal Justice Club hosted a "Cop Movie Night" where we watched The Expendables.

Not as bad as I expected, in fact, much better than I expected. But seeing as I had budgeted for that time to be spent making a hat to match a blanket I have already finished, I still chose to crochet through the movie... while watching it most of the time. It is rather difficult to rip out a project with boucle yarn in the dark and pick back up to finish it......

That is a rant for another time though. Here is what I got finished at the movie:

Okay, so the blanket I finished while waiting for a yarn store to open up so I could get some yarn for a charity hat drive they were hosting... do those hats count toward my charity work?

Now, these are Sensations Boucle, and don't really follow ANY sort of official pattern. The blanket is crocheted with a J hook, in a basic granny square, the tonal yarn self stripes, and the hat closest to the blanket is made the same way, it is a 3 round granny square, then I started doing the rounds without the increases at the corners. So rather than "3dbl, ch 1, 3 dbl in corner space", it is just a "3 dbl in corner space."

The second hat, which is still a work in progress, is just a plain circle, worked in dbl then once I got to 4 rounds, I stopped increasing. This is a basic bucket hat but because of the drape of the hat, it will form better to the baby head.

Tomorrow I am doing feather hair extensions at the local Indoor Market, and then the rest of the weekend and into the week I am packing for the big move. While we may need to commute 4 days a week, the money we are saving in rent and laundry will MORE than pay for cost of gas.

I am also working through my scraps to get a decent stock of baby goods to toss up on my Etsy.. I have neglected it so much... whoops.

Do you ever get so bogged down that you have to prioritize your obligations?

School starts tomorrow, so the only thing to do is cookies!

2011-01-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

The title says a lot...

The picture says more!

Couldn't find a recipe that did what I wanted, so I combined 2 ideas.

Shortbread cookie press cookies: Found here at All Recipes

And these:

Thumbprint Shortbread cookies: also found at All Recipes!

Since neither did what I wanted, I went with the first shortbread recipe, but instead of using my cookie press (I can't find the tips) I used a decorating bag and tip (large star tip) and then filled the indents made from the tip with jellies (like in the second recipe).

I did half the batch in Orange Danish Spread, and the other half in Berry Jalapeno Jelly made by Justy's Jellies here in the local area.

Will let you know what the world (my hubby and friends from school) think of the hybridization of 2 untested recipes!

A New Year with New Goals

2011-01-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't been the best blogger this year, and I want to change that. Even if I don't have many readers, I want to chronicle my creative and crafty ideas, projects, and completions.

I figure if I put my goals up here, then I will be able to better account for my actions towards my goals. Now, I have plenty of non-tangible goals: removing neagtive energy from my life, going after more healthy habits and lifestyle choices, etc., but I do have plenty of tangible goals too.

Last week, I miscalculated my bank account, and didnt have enough on my card to get gas. the employee had already pumped the gas, and I was starting to panic! The lady in front of my in line offered to pay for my gas as well as her own. She asked only that I pay it forward when I could.

Now, paying it forward is usually thought of as a monetary thing, you are given a bit of money or something is bought for you, so you buy a cup of coffee for the next guy in the diner, or you leave $5.00 with the teller at the grocery store to pay for part of the next guys groceries...but what about paying it forward with your skills, rather than your wallet.

I have set for myself a goal, or a few goals, rather. a few goals.

In light of the loss of a friend from our local knitting group, I have started to look into donating to charities that accept handmade creations, hats, scarves, blankets, etc.

I want to make at least 1 hat every week until December 1, 2011 when I will donate them all to the regional FAN (Family Access Network) office to be distributed to students who need warm clothes from our local school districts.

I also want to make at least 1 baby blanket each month to donate to Grandma's House of Bend, a non-profit organization in my local area that works to shelter and educate teen parents and their children who have been made homeless by their situation.

I am also planning on getting a clientele set up for my baby shower boutique business, and lining up vendor accounts at local baby stores.

On the blog front, I want to make at least 1 post per week, even if it is just a picture, and a hello.

I am in my final year of school before I graduate, so I want to make certain that I stay on track. Last term I made Dean's List, which is an honor awarded only to those who take more than 12 credits per term and maintain a steady 3.60 or above GPA. I want to keep that up.

Something to be Thankful for...

2010-11-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

Beyond my health and well being:

Family, friends, creativity, and freedom to express that creativity.

Speaking of expressing...

Here is a set of thanksgiving cards that I designed and put together in the hopes that they'd get sent out before thanksgiving week...guess not.......

This is made using a green pre-cut rectangle of green from the Joann's "Stack of Scraps". This stamped with a random stamp I picked up from Goodwill (You can find it on ebay here)

The center is stamped with a Joann's Dollar stamp picked up from our local store, as well at the Thank You from the Fiskars Baby Shower stamp set. The red strip is a scarp from a card-stock set from Wal-mart. The blue and yellow toned squares are also from the "stack of scraps".

Another moment of creative expression is my holiday cards, these will only be sent out to family who will be out of town, or not close enough to visit on Christmas...

This is created with some plain white cardstock from Wal-mart (found in the office section) The dark red, dark blue and light blue cardstock is from Joann's, Core-dinations textured cardstock. The stripe paper in the ornament is from a patterned paper pack from Walmart, a Colorbok set.

The ornament is cut at 2 in from the "tag" setting on New Arrivals Cartridge.

The inside is mostly blank, with the word "Celebrate" stamped in simple black.

I am also working out a set of knitted, crocheted, and woven coffee cozies. These are all Christmas gifts.

Also, I am in the process of knitting up another simple loomed cowl.

Last year, I made this one:

this is made on the large yellow loom from the Knifty Knitter set, just a simple e-wrap knit tube. I knit until it is either 2 ft, or I run out of yarn.

Will put up pics of the cowl in a couple of days. When I finish it.

Also, I found a scarf at a local grocery store, it was a large gauge crochet scarf in Velvetspun lavender. I unravled it, and am making a garter stitch scarflet...

Again, picks when it is finished.

The Great Garter Head Hugger Knitting Recipe

2010-11-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

I told you I'd post it, and so here it is:

This is knit using size 13 straight needles, but you could use circulars. I chose Lion Brand Hometown USA in Sante Fe Tweed, any super bulky yarn would work.

Cast on 6 stitches

Row 1-2: knit across

Row 3: knit 3, yo, knit to end, (this row has created your button hole)

Row 4-5: knit to end

Row 6-7: knit 2, m1 (use your preferred method of increase), knit to end

Row 8-12: knit to end

Row 13-14: repeat row 6

Row 15-18: knit across

Row 19-20: repeat row 6

Row 21-31: knit across

Row 32-33: knit 2, k2tog, knit to end

row 34-38: knit across

Row 39-40: knit 2, k2tog, knit across

Row 41-44: knit across

Row 45-46: Knit 2, K2tog, knit across

Row 47-49: knit across

Row 50: Cast off

Finishing: Attach a button to the headband at the cast-off end to use for securing the ends together.

Embellish with whatever, buttons, flowers, pins, leaves, or leave it plain...whatever!

Ravel it here!

I wanna see pictures, so please let me know where I can see your progress!

Finishes, and Baby Showers

2010-11-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

I have an endless list of holiday knitting, but woke up this morning from a dream about knitting designs...

But that is for a later moment. For now, I need to update you on some finishes, some gifts I have been waiting to blog about until they were given, and some decent weather to photograph some of my finishes from last month.

So, here is all is!

We will start off with Fynn and his baby shower gifts. My friend Taylor is expecting her first child. She and her fiancee are a very non-orthodox couple. They requested that nothing be "typical baby". The nursery theme is pirates, and the baby shower was themed Jungle.

That got me thinking, every new parent I know has a blanket that they really like to put on their baby's crib or to wrap them up in when they are running about town with their little one. I wanted the blanket I made for them to be a representation of their personality as much as a gift for the baby.

Here you have it:

Yep, that is right, those are pirate skulls on a hand embroidered baby quilt...I wish I could have gotten better pics of that, but the pic I got of the skulls up close were a bit too blurry to save.

I also gave with this set, a handmade card (should have gotten pics of that too), as well as a granny square blanket crocheted out of Joann Sensations Rainbow Boucle in Blue (self striping) and a matching hat, as well as a couple of outfits, and I will be taking washcloths and burp cloths to her in the hospital when she has baby Fynn, I didn't finish making them before the shower.

Next, I have been trying to get some photos of some of the finishes I have done, the main one being the climbing shells scarf that I did over a month ago.

With school and the weather being so annoying, I couldn't get anything decent.

This was my first attempt:

Not so great, right?

How about this one?

I decided to try something, I decided to go into the bathroom, turned on the light, used the mirror to see my digital screen and used the auto setting on my camera... That way, your camera isnt fighting the light facing you, it is only using that light.

Next thing I wanted to show... I have seen those adorable ear warmer headbands that have fun buttons or cute flowers offset to one side or the other, they wrap under your hair and cover your ears for those cold mornings, and frosty nights walking the dogs or heading to school.

Here is my rendition: The Head-hugger!

Really simple garter stitch with big needles and super bulky yarn... I will post a recipe for this design in my next separate post...

You will also be able to find it on Ravlery. It is SUPER warm, and I got so many compliments today at school.

I am about half way through my diagonal garter baby blanket with eyelet border, but didn't get photos yet, and I think I might do another version of the Back-2-School with Flair scarf in Lion Brand Homespun, also, I may have found an adequate yarn replacement for the suggested, but discontinued Moda Dea Dream I used on the original for this pattern...

Pretty New Toys!

2010-10-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Yes it is! I just bought myself the Cricut Expression, now all those lovely ideas floating around in my head will have a method of being expressed.

My first REAL project was a challenge over at My Pink Stamper where she has challenged her readers to create a "winter" themed card, scrapbook page, or gift.

Here is my submission

This was done on generic Walmart Cardstock, Colorbok brand. The JOY and the reindeer are done on Create A Critter. The JOY was done at 2.5 in, and the reindeer was done at 2 in. I added silver glitter in the snowflake of the O and I used a Bic Mark-it permanent marker to emphasis a shadow effect on the left side of the letters.

The inside is blank for personalization.

Let me know what you think!

Gifts to a dear friend

2010-10-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

are always the best kind, and even more so when they are handmade.

My friend Kristi is expecting her first child, (and she says only child), on Halloween. She and I drifted apart through my attending college and her starting a family, but came back together during this joyous time in her life.

She is expecting a little girl, so I did what I do best...I started crafting!

Here is the score:

6 burp cloths, hand-sewn, 4 matching blanket, 2 accenting blanket

1 sewn blanket at 45 in x 48 in, Flannel on 1 side, and quilted pink plaid on the other.

1 store bought jumpsuit, and 1 handmade card...

1 Crochet granny square blanket in Sensations Boucle Pink

Of course, I forgot to take a photo of the card and the blanket in detail before I gifted it, but I might yet get pics of baby Lily wrapped up in it all.

Progress and plans...and some stuff about studying

2010-09-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

This week, I have had too much to do and not enough time or energy to do it in.

Thursday, I started showing signs of a headcold.

Not to be put out of commission, I slammed a vitamin C pumped smoothie and went about my day...I worked through the discomfort and feelings of fire in my sinuses, and now I am without voice, or energy. I really should have taken the day off and slept...

Yesterday, I had a baby shower...the day before, I realized that the fabric I bought for the shower gift was still un-sewn and in it's original bag...whoops.

So I sewed like crazy through the baby blanket, fought with my sewing machine, and finally finished. I had a ton of extra fabric from the blanket, so I found my stash of terrycloth and made 4 matching and 2 coordinating burp cloths.

I would post pics, but my memory card reader has disappeared...

While I was in the next town over, I got an invite to another baby shower...on the same day as the one I am planning. So I have moved my friends shower 1 day back, and will be in the next few weeks, crafting for 2 showers at the same time.Starting with the Granny Square Blankie for Gavin

All of these crafty activities have forced me to put my own projects on hold, as least for a few weeks. I have been commissioned to make up a scarf and 2 hats for my neighbors grown son and his fiance. Those should be easy, once I get the motivation...

And in all of this, I have to remember that I am a college student and must keep up on my homework...speaking of, have you ever noticed that college professors get very jaded after a while...I was assigned an entrepreneur to research and write a report on, and it turns out she only did 1 thing worth reporting on...and I had to BS my way from a 2 paragraph paper to a 2 page paper...

I have put my Cropped Cardigan on hold for the moment being, simply because there is not enough time in the day to do it all...

Back-2-School with Flair Scarf - personal design

2010-09-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderfully warm and fashionably acceptable scarf...for any occasion.

Great for beginners to work on increases, decreases, and double crochet.

More of a recipe than a pattern, but bear with me.

With a J hook,

Foundation: chain 38

(flair 1)
Row 1: dbl in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain across, chain 2 turn

Row 2-5: dbl in each stitch across, chain 2 turn

Row 6: dbl2tog in each across, chain 2 turn

Row 7: repeat row 6

(skinny)
Row 8-112 (as many as to row 125 for longer scarf): dbl in each stitch across, chain 2 turn

(flair 2)
Row 113: 2 dbl in each stitch across, chain 2 turn

row 114: repeat row 113

row 115-119: dbl in each stitch across, chain 2 turn

row 120: dbl in each across, bind off and weave in ends

Wear without anything, or make a scarf pin with a hair-tie and button. (I if you want a tutorial on this technique, just leave me a comment, and I'll put one together.)

Wanna track this project on your Ravlery?

Fall is here...but I wasn't ready

2010-09-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today, fall came. Just like that. Abrupt, sudden, and cold. A bit drizzly too.

Yesterday, I found some beautiful yarn I had stashed during culinary school, when I had no time to work on it, but I knew I wanted it for something. Then I stored it and forgot about it.

Mom and dad asked me to get my stuff out of their storage, and so I am slowly going through things. I found some unknown silk/bamboo blend in black and tan. I found 3 mixed skeins of Red Heart Light and Lofty in blue, turquoise and black. 2 skeins of eyelash yarn, and 2 wonderful balls of Moda Dea Dream Solid in Raspberry. I fell in love, and want more, so I just looked on ravlery and etsy to find as much as I can of this discontinued yarn. (if you have any you are willing to part with, I'd like to discuss a trade or purchase if able...)

Here is what it inspired me to make (remember the cold wetness of the day...) I started a scarf...a soft long fuzzy layering scarf.

This photo does not represent the color correctly.

Here is one of the photos from Ravlery of the yarn.

What do you think? Is the weather turning your hands busy with warm winter projects?

Took a break from the world...

2010-08-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

So Friday was my husband's 23rd birthday, and so we took a spontaneous roadtrip. Camped out at the beach in Rockaway Beach, Oregon...went to a craft fair, looked at some houses, and got to be kids again. We built a dam in the river that came off the mountain and across the beach, and we took a nap in the sand. Had a nice glass of wine and a mini-bonfire the last night we were there. And then it was back home and back to work.

When I got home, I decided to pick up some yarn to work on a blanket for a friend. She is having a baby boy in December.

She is swaying right now between a pirate theme and a dragon theme. I did a granny square motif, with a 10 round square in the middle alternating every 2 rounds between the 2 colors, and then I did solid colored 5 round squares around the border. All that is left is to stitch it all together, pictures to follow.

Also working on a little girls blanket in pink and yellow in a chevron pattern...it is adorable...I will put pics up when I get more of it done.

Owen is almost here!

2010-08-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Update on craftiness!

Don't have much time, but I felt the need to let you all know just how much progress I have made.

I skipped class today to deal with a headache, and to work on these. J's shower is Sunday!

This needs another 10 rounds of dbl and the ribbon, 8 rounds will be of teh blue, and the last 2 of the green (which looks blue here...)
This just needs to be stitched together, the blue is the back, and the frogs and other animals is the front. His name and the birth year are handstitched in black embroidery thread.

Let me know what you think!

A moment to reflect...

2010-07-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

While I have been on blog hiatus, I have come to some rather alarming conclusions, and a question.

I am running out of steam on this blog, I feel no one is following and am starting to get discouraged. If you find the information I write about useful, or have a friend who would enjoy this blog, please let them know about it. There is no sense in writing if no one is reading, I have a diary for that writing and a husband for that whining.

Please leave comments, I love to hear advice, opinions, and ideas...it helps me stay on track. It has been nearly 3 months since I seriously blogged, and I fear it is because of the lack of correspondence.

Secondly, the concerns:

1. I am crazy to have taken a summer term at school.
2. I lose track of time WAY too easy when the weather is hot...
3. I have 2 baby shower gifts to make, and shower is in 1 1/2 weeks...
4. The economy is way too far in the hole to make ANY money at local craft markets...
5. I really want to knit, but the feeling of yarn in my hands with this humidity is making it really unpleasant.
6. I have finally gotten a decent start on my book.
7. I miss blogging, and having time for inspiration
8. A glass...or 3... of wine makes getting things done nearly impossible.
9. Putting together a desk when it is so hot out you can see heat wave coming off your car is miserable.
10. A hail storm with 93*F temps makes floating the river to cool down all but impossible...

Now that I have put those thoughts down...on to the fun stuff.

I have figured out how to repackage my stitch markers to protect them better when they ship out. They are now nice and neat in these cool little tins, great for gift giving! (You can find them on my Etsy, link to the left)

Also, the baby shower gifts...about those...

First, I am crocheting a park blanket, this will not get immediate attention or use, as I know that it will be a short while before baby can go to the park, but eventually. It is designed as a granny hexagon, and will have blue ribbon strung around the edges to that it can be pulled like a drawstring, and used to carry toys. Since this is Jamie's 3rd little boy, there are plenty of toys.

Here is what I have so far!

The second gift is another blanket, but a crib or stroller blanket. Jamie hasn't got a theme, so I went with something that every little boy is sure to love, for years...turtles, frogs, and lizards!

Not so far on the construction side yet...working on that soon, need to get my studio sorted so I have table space...

This is the layout I plan on using. The green tone is the fabric with the animals, and blue is the fabric with the swirls...

As for my spinning, I planned on doing Tour de Fleece, but with classes, and Saturday market, I barely had time to keep up with my homework, let alone spend any time spinning, but this week I will MAKE time.

As for my previous post about Beau, he is still parked...but we figured out what was wrong with him! YAY...just need a mechanic we can afford, and he will be ready to hit the road!

Also, I am working on a diet, not any special diet, just replacing some of my cooking ingredients with healthier ones, and replacing at least 2 dinners a week with vegetarian meals. While I have not been working on this diet long enough to see results, I will try to keep you updated. I am starting at 185 lbs. I have not been this heavy since middle school, and hope to never be this big again.

Update on old Beau

2010-07-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Beau runs and drives...but is missing 1 break at this time. Figured out that the grease seal in the rear axle blew out, spewing grease into the brake drum causing it to seize up. Sprayed some engine cleaner in, scrubbed out the grease (after we broke the rust seal on the drum to tear it apart) and pin-pointed the problem. Now we just need to find a mechanic that is able to fit us into the schedule to press the axle and install the new seal, then we will be good as new. While we are out and about doing that, we will be replacing the brakes all around, and working on the paint. first to sand him down, then to paint him up...

We're thinking Ford racing blue and super shiny chrome.

Long time WIP...and money suck.'

2010-07-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of my newest project.

His name is Beau, and he is a 1970 F100 Ranger XLT, 360 V8 with a manual 4 speed.

Hubby and I picked it up for $200.00 with some mechanical work that needed to be done.

When our Buick finally went, rest her...treads...(she is now retired)...we gave ourselves a $600 budget for a replacement vehicle.

Mom bought us the truck because she and my dad took over the resto process of my old '59 Ford Flatbed without including me, and felt bad about it.

So that gives us $600.00 to fix him up and get him into running shape.

Now, the work that has to be done:
Back end has locked up, might be brakes, might be rear differential.... if it is the brakes, the cost is $100-150 and 3-4 hours to rebuild the system...if it is the rear differential it would be $250 and a weekend....family has the rear end from a '72 that they found, I can get it for $100.00 and a weekend of work.

Bumper, Hood, and grille replacement...all part have been located, estimated at $150.00 for all three. Then just the time to fix it.

After that, we need to replace all the gaskets and seals in the engine, replace weather stripping in the back window and the aftermarket sunroof (have you ever had a pickup with a sunroof?).

Then the painting fun begins. He has a bit of surface rust, need to sand it down, primer it and epoxy the paint to seal it until we can take it to a pro paint shop NEXT summer.

We are doing all the metal bits we can in the engine compartment in high heat Ford Racing Blue engine paint, all the tubing, pipes, or hoses will be in shiney braided steel cord, and the body will be in a deep ford racing blue as well. We are restoring the chrome, and getting a picture of an English Setter, or a Brittany Spaniel and a couple of bird hunting shotguns crossed painted on the tailgate with the name Beau.

My former neighbor had a catahoula cur named Beau boy Blue that was as loyal and faithful to his owners and friends as a blind man is to his stick. He was the best huntin' dog I ever worked with, and he was finally put down a few years ago when he couldn't see well enough to find his way in the house any more. He was 15. He had gotten his name because of his left eye, which was blue on top and brown on the bottom.

Being an older model truck, there are no computers to deal with, no conserving space in the engine compartment, so to do an oil change you have to take off the tire...he isn't going to tell you any lies, and he will be with you as long as you want him around so long as you take care of him. Strong, loyal, faithful, and honest, just like of boy Beau...

Can you tell I am both a car/truck person, and a dog person?

Ignorance about Terroists

2010-06-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, she is a fellow Phat Fiber contributor. She is a wonderful artist, and a very supportive business friend. This week she has been the target of ignorance, accusations, and insult. All because of where she was born and raised. Galia of Galia Spindle Designs was the target of hateful behavior today because of what the Israeli Government and Military did yesterday with the raid on the Gaza Flotilla . Galia is neither involved in the government, or in the Military, she served her required time in the Military and has moved on to support her family. She is an independent artist who works hard to help support her loved crafts of spinning and knitting, and giving her family happiness. Today, she was banned from her forums on Ravlery because she posted a comment helping a knitter with a knitting problem. The moderator deleted her post, and banned her from the forum because of "her being a terrorist". Furthermore, there have been sale cancellations in her Etsy store because the customers "don't want to support" the terrorists.

This ignorance has left a bitter taste in my mouth. It is like telling a man who was born in a homeless shelter that he isn't allowed to buy a house or go to school because he was born poor. It doesn't sit well with me, and shouldn't with the rest of the world.

Do your part to help Galia, and other going through this situation because of their government.

You can find Galia's spindles and buttons here.

Let her and others like her know that the world isn't FULL of ignorance, stupidity and hate. Let her know that there are still some caring and intelligent people in this world left to support those of us who are just trying to make an honest living.

WIP Wednesday

2010-05-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

So here it is, May 26, 2010...that leaves me with just under 7 months to get everything done for Christmas...I know...early to start thinking about that...but I don't want to be the knitting zombie I was last year...I won't face the formidable IT from the Yarn Harlot's life...

And, besides, I have a large family, and not enough needles to have several patterns on the needles at once, like most folks do. Nope, it will be just 1 or 2 projects at a time.

But I spent an insomniac's morning going through my family lists, figuring out who would want what kind of gifts. I have decided, looking from ravlery, that all of the adult women (with the exception of my mother) will be getting large-ish felted tote bags for their various goodies. My mom won't carry a purse or tote bag if her life depended on it, so she will be getting something different...not yet sure what... The adult guys will all be getting bulky wool slippers, as most of them have hard-wood floors in their homes. I will be lining the slippers with leather soles to make them slip resistant...

All of the young adult women (cousin, sister, and niece brackets of family tree) will be getting ear-warmer headbands, and fingerless gloves. All of the young adult men (cousin, nephew brackets) will be getting beanie caps and candy, they are so hard to craft for. For the little ones, (10 or younger) they will each be getting hats and fingerless cable gloves. The 2 littlest ones (under 4) will be getting sock monkeys.

I don't have pics yet, because I don't have yarn yet...but the projects can be found on my ravlery...

As for right now, on my needles as we speak......................I have Wisp in baby blue mohair/acrylic for my birthday, I am hoping to have it finished by Saturday.

Totally touchable yarns

2010-05-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Over at Play at Life Fibers, there are some wonderful yarns, mostly reclaimed Maki with gorgeous long color transitions, but some hand painted sock yarns too. Just check out my favorite over there right now...

Thia is found over at Play at Life Fiber's Etsy store, she is also a Phat Fiber member, and her fibers are wonderful! Check it out!

Fun Finds Friday

2010-05-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to feel like a princess? Draped in silk and lace? Or like a fairy, with magical clothing that was light and fair, and oh so soft?

Wisp, from Knitty is that kind of garment. So versatile, it can be worn as a wrap, a shawl, a hooded scarf, a cowl, or a normal dangle from your shoulders scarf. It is knit is a lightweight yarn that drapes like magic. And it is a simple lace pattern, no charts, no complicated numbers to remember, no beating yourself up when you forget your YO or you K2Tog...Just a simple and forgiving pattern. I started Wisp this afternoon in a gorgeous reclaimed mohair and acrylic blend. I found it on etsy for just a few dollars, and it arrived in the mail this morning.

Another thing to look forward to this week is the Get Spun book release. Symeon North will be at one of my favorite local fiber shops this Saturday doing demos and a book signing party for her new book.

In honor of this event, I shall show some of the fibers that have inspired my art yarns in the past...

(Found Here)

(Found Here)

Also, I received my May Phat Fiber Sampler box in the mail yesterday...OMG there is so much pretty in there I haven't wanted to touch any of it, cause I don't want to disturb the beauty. Or maybe it is just because I wanted my house clean first...any which way you look at it.....today is my fiber play day!

From the hand spun and hand dyed yarns

From left to right"

"Sakura" 50/10/10 Merino, Cashmere, Nylon from Play at Life Fiber
"Lublu" Superwash Wool from All for the Love of Yarn
"Early Spring Blooms" Mohair, Wool, Tencel, Bamboo, Fabric flowers from Cool Climates Handspun Yarns
"Roses of France" Merino, Wool from Bitsy Knits
"Botanica" Superwash Merino from Ambrosia and Bliss
"Cherry Blossom" Merino and Tencel from The Dyeing Arts
and "Tulip Blaze" Merino from Stricken Smitten

And there was more than just yarns in that box! From roving, to mini-batts, braids and locks...mmm....

In no particular order, we have:
"Pocket Posies" in Merino by Spindipity
"Spring Bouquet" by Desired Haven Farms
"Flower Power" in a (random) mix possibly containing Romney, BFL, Sari Silk, Milk Protein Fine wool, Wool nepps, Angora, Mohair and silk waste from Giffordables
"Blossoms and Bark" in Superwash Merino from CJ Delights
Mohair locks from Wonders Mohair
"Bougainville" in Milk Protein Fiber from BeesyBeeFibers
"Lady Slipper Orchid" in Wool and Mohair from Farmgirl Chic
"Coral Moon" in Merino and Tencel from Moonlight and Laughter
"Coral Gables" in 90/10 Wool Mohair from Natchwoolie
"Scallop" in Rambuillet from The Fuzzy Bunny

I also got a few patterns and some discount coupons for other shops...

I love my Phat Fiber boxes, you can get yours too, if you want, just check out the Phat Fiber blog for more information.

WIP Wednesday

2010-05-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

So I am finally getting back into the groove of things. My health has been a roller-coaster ride, and with school so close to finals week, I have let a lot of things slip.

On the bright side, Health issues gives plenty of time to knit and crochet. (Mostly knit). I have been reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Yarn Harlot, and it has gotten me inspired to work more on the craft. To explore more. I am hoping to get my toes wet in that big bad world of lace with this Tam (Raveled)

(Note: not my picture, instead it is the pattern picture by Ravler "lv2knit"

I have not yet cast it on, as I haven't got the needles for it, nor have I got a set that is larger that I can alter the pattern for with...They currently have another project on them.

I am sure most of you have seen, and maybe even knit up a few pinwheel baby blankets, am I right?

Beauties like this one by Ravler "YanTanTethra"?
Well I took inspiration of this flat, ever expanding, and evenly smooth pattern to make a smaller version of it as a hat....a baby hat....a baby beret.

I have done this without pattern, so if it doesn't fit anyone...I will give it to Brooklin to use with her dolls. And I will alter the pattern and try again. It is top down from the center of the 4 chunk spiral. I used the "Magic Cast-on" on by Judy Becker of Portland, Oregon

I have 4 more increase rounds, then I will decrease and work a 2x2 ribbing into it for the band. There will be an eyelet row just above the band, so I may add a pastel green or maybe a bright pink ribbon to it... loosely strung and tied into a bow.

Another project that is getting me in the mood for summer is my orange cream car-seat blanket... I am taking the idea from Ravlery, Garter Stitch Baby Blanket with Braided Edge. The pattern calls for you to stitch until there are 160 stitches on your needle before you start a decrease. I am doing a smaller blanket, and so I am doing 4 squares with 50 stitches on each, in 2 different colors. A variegated orange, and a Cream white, both in machine washable acrylic.

What are you working on in this sneezy spring?

Ocean Guardian Market Bag Pattern

2010-05-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

In March, Phat Fiber did a box for the Elements.

I contributed stitch markers, and a crochet pattern for a simple market bag, that reminded me of the ocean.

I have had several requests for the pattern, but I can not get my PDF writer to work, so as a special for those who have asked, and those that didn't even know about it, here is the pattern.

This tote is crocheted with a large hook, and soft durable cotton. Gauge is not important.

Supplies

· 1 ball of your favorite cotton (Lily: Sugars and Cream used in sample)

· Size J hook

· Large button

· Wooden beads for drawstring (optional)

Note:

You will be working in the round, make sure not to twist work as you crochet.

Stitches used:

Chain (ch), Single Crochet (sc), Half Double Crochet (hdc), Double Crochet (dc), Slip Stitch (sl), Treble Stitch (tbc)

Skill level: Easy

Ch 4, sl in 4^th ch from hook to create loop. Ch 2 (counts as first dc, now and throughout)

Row 1: dc 11 time in loop, sl in top chain of first ch 2

Row 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each stitch around, sl in top stitch of first ch 2

Row 3: ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next* repeat from *, sl in top stitch of previous ch 2

Row 4: ch 2, *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc* repeat from *, sl in top stitch of previous ch 2

Row 5: ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc* repeat from *, sl in top stitch of previous ch 2

Row 6: *Ch 4, sc in 3^rd dc from hook* repeat from * around, at end of round, chain 4 and connect with sc in loop formed by first ch 4.

Row 7-15: *ch 4, sc in next loop*

Row 16: *4 hdc in each loop of ch 4* repeat from * around, sl in first dc of this round, bind off hook and weave in ends

For handle/drawstring:

Ch 4, sl in 4^th ch from hook to form ring.

Row 1: 10 sc in ring, sl in 1^st sc

Row 2: *Ch 3, sc in 2^nd sc* repeat from to end of round

Row 3: (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tbc, 1 ch, 1 tcl, 1 dbl, 1 hdc, 1 sc) in each loop formed by ch 3, sl in 1^st sc

Drawstring: Ch 50, tie off, feed through holes created between sections in the dc of round 16, weaving back and forth.

Feed this end through middle of flower formed by rows 1-3 of drawstring instructions.

String on button, you can leave it like this or tie on several wooden beads (you can make several short 15 stitch chains and tie them to the end tied to the button with beads on them) (Make sure button is large enough to not slip through flower center.)

Note: This is not a HUGE bag, it is shown holding 2 balls of wool and a ball of vanity yarn, a good travel project bag. Great for taking a knitting project to the beach.

To make larger, add more rounds in the base and in the mesh. (you will need an extra ball of yarn)

Please note,

Please do not use the pattern for sale items, or represent it as your own.

WIP Wednesday..a day late

2010-05-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

I am working on getting over a cold. So I have had a lot of time to work on my crafting.

I have worked up a design for a simple crocheted round purse using 2 metal dream catcher rings, I will post a pattern for the finished project tomorrow, before the inspirations post.

I am also working on some handspun, it is koolaid dyed and I call it my Cherry Limeade. This picture is 1 of the single I spun, it will be plied with a thick and thin single in the same colors for a finky pastel art yarn.

I spun Cherry Lime-Aid on my new Pioneer spinning wheel named "Kaylee"

I blogged about Kaylee here

Another big thing to add to my stash of cool gadgets, is my new Bond Brand Ultimate Sweater Machine. While I get so frustrated with it sometimes, when it actually works as it should it is wonderful!

This is Combat Baby, she is partially finished...I need to add a scalloped edge to it, and then "kill" the acrylic yarn so it lays flatter. (Tutorial on Killing Acrylic is available over at Sarah's blog, here.)

I may be starting a Tam for myself, but I haven't decided on a pattern, I might pick and choose what I like from several different patterns. And accommodate them to fit what yarn and needles I have on hand.

Eclispe

2010-05-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Had to post!

Neglect...for a cause?

2010-05-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have neglected this blog, dismissing my reminders one after the other...

But I have been on a mission!

A few weeks ago, there was a blog post on the Oregonian knitting blog, where they took a day to explore organization techniques for the breed called "artist". I am usually one of the members of this breed that is scatter brained and my organization technique is called planned chaos. But those days have long passed, I have taken the last few weeks of blog silence to reorganize my life.

Not only have I started to ball my yarns, and sort them into boxes marked for plain acrylics, specialty acrylics, variegated acrylics, and non acrylics, but I have also been able to add a box for hand spun and hand painted yarns.

That is right, I am now spinning more and faster than ever because I bought...or am buying...or am trading services for a brand new Majacraft Pioneer double treadle spinning wheel.

Here is a picture of it, from the factory:

Being the creative type I am, I began working with Pam over at Wild 'N Wooly Farms to buy this baby off of her. Through photography, and web development and working for her at the local Saturday Market (She is a busy woman) we have come to an agreement for to get the wheel.

I couldn't have just a plain old spinning wheel, and the Pioneer lends itself for so much creativity with it''s solid and smooth wheel space. I got lost in my studio with my boxes of fabric, and my bottle of mod podge.

I took the wheel off the body of the Pioneer, and found a plate that fit within one of the sets of circles on it. I traced the plate onto the fabric (purchased at Walmart) and cut out 2 circles of fabric. I folded the fabric into quarters and cut a small section of the center off. This fit over the bolt that holds the wheel on the body. once in place, I began slathering mod podge on the wheel, and pressing the fabric over it, once I had the fabric stuck to the wheel with mod podge, I took an old library card and "squeegied" from the bolt in the middle toward the outside edge to get out any wrinkles, then I slathered a layer of mod podge on top of the fabric to seal it in.

I did this on both sides. Don't worry about the holes for the treadle cords, you can feel them under the fabric when it is dry.

Then once both sides were finished drying, I poured a bit of mod podge out onto a glass plate, and added a drop or two of concentrated water color paint, when mixed and applied to the edges of the wheel this makes a transparent but colored glaze, giving this wheel a finished look, you can still see the color differences under the glaze that occur naturally on the wood of the wheel, but now they are coated with a protective and colorful layer of glaze. I have been told that it looks ceramic.

Check out Majacraft to get your own Pioneer!

Now, remember me saying something about that whole planned chaos theory?

Here is my method for planning non-chaos!

BOXES!

I took a set of plain bankers boxes and a couple of $15 Walmart press board shelves, a little rearranging, and voila! Organization...now over the next few weeks, I will be prettying the boxes themselves with mod podge, glue and scrapbook paper, but until then, this functions!

I have a box for raw fiber, weather too little quantities to spin, or enough to make a few hundred yards of fine fingering weight yarn (yeah right...) I put it all in here, seperated by plastic bags.

Then I have a box for my "cheap" acrylic plain colors, and my "cheap" acrylic variegated. And another for specialty acrylics, such as boucles, thick and thins, and blends.

And another box for my hand spun and or hand dyed.

Then on the other side of the shelf, I have a box for fabric scraps, and another for large pieces of fabric, each chunk of fabric that is destined for a project is kept in a bag with its project specs so I can remember what I am working on.

On the wall above the shelves I have thumb tacked my looms in some sort of order from the round looms, across the wall to my long looms.

These are a few of the projects that I have been working on that have been keeping me away from this blog. Other activities include school, work, and running errands, and overall, being a distractable artistic type.

Knitting and Crocheting Charity Challenge

2010-04-27T11:09:00.001-07:00

To all of my local knitting and crochet groups, I extend a challenge.

Details can be read on this page regarding the challenge and the charity group involved: Loving Hearts and Helping Hands

I am working in close relation to Grandma's House of Bend, OR to help the teen mothers who have found themselves abused or homeless do to or during their pregnancy.

I am giving 3 weeks, to knit or crochet as many baby hats as you can, at the end of the 3 weeks, whoever has the most hats finished and ready to go to Grandma's House will win a large basket filled with yarn and fiber goodies, and even some other neat little trinkets.

Please let me know ASAP if you will be participating. My email is Shadedfears@gmail.com

I look forward to your participation, and am very excited about this project!

While you wait...

2010-04-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

I am putting together a blog of photos from my photography class to garner extra credit through viable feed back.

I would love if you could follow my Photography blog as well, and if you have friends that might also be able to help out, that would be wonderful.

I really need opinions on what I did well, and what I need to work on.

Please check out Echo Mayernik Photography

THANKS A TON

Something big in the works

2010-04-17T11:09:00.003-07:00

I have been a bad blogger, I know. But I promise when I finish this project...the wait will have been worth it!

blogger slacking

2010-04-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

This has been a rough and tumble week, and I have fallen behind in my blogging. I promise, PROMISE that I will make it all up after class this afternoon.

WIP Thursday

2010-04-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Alright, so not much to report. Just trying to tame my WIP basket, only 2 projects left in it, 1 I don't have photos of, but it matches the Daisy Jane hats I made last week.

Daisy Jane. (raveled)

It is in the red tone, and has the flower on the end, and is the width of 1 side of the pentagon made from the flower. It will end on the other side with a fringe, on the end of the fringe will be many more small flowers to match the single large flower.

The other project I am working on is that shawl I showed you a few weeks ago on WIP Wednesday. I have not progressed any further. My health and my school work has interrupted that momentum, and so she sits in the bottom of a box, just waiting for inspiration. (raveled)

WIP Wednesday

2010-04-07T18:01:00.001-07:00

Health and school has gotten in the way of WIP Wednesday, I will update with a WIP Thursday tomorrow.

Sorry!

Weekend Finish Offs!

2010-04-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

So, another weekend has gone by us, as it was a holiday weekend...we had a lot going on. Saturday, I was able to give little Brooklin her shirt and hat, unfortunately, she is growing so fast, that it ended up being clothes for her baby dolls...I guess they are still a great gift.

I also finished my spring flower inspired hat.

We call her the "Daisy Jane" and she has been reveled here, but the pattern is not yet available. I will be posting the pattern here in a day or two. Before I had even finished weaving in the ends, I got a request to make another for a friend, in exchange for coffee and a few bucks for the yarn.

I whipped up this one last night while watching season 1 of Battlestar Galactica...again.

The one on the left is Daisy Jane, the original, I am calling the second one Frosty Spring. The flowers are just starting to bud, so everything here is in tones of green, with a bit of frosted dew clinging to them every morning. That was the inspiration for that one.

Got some more spinning done, but you already know hoe that looks, maybe next week I'll have a finished skein to show you...

OMG How did I miss 3000?

2010-04-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Looks like over the course of the night, we hit 3000 readers! WOW, now if only I could get more followers! Please, if you or a friend you think would enjoy this blog, let them know about me, join my followers page, to get the newest and most updated postings every week! Thanks for 6 (i think its been 6) great months of blogging! With many more on the way!

Fun Finds Friday

2010-04-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

Alright, usually I give all sorts of fun things to make over the weekend, but as it is Easter weekend. and I don't have many things in the works, I think I shall just post my inspiration for getting things done this weekend.

I woke up to snow this morning, and trudged my way up to the college campus for a job interview. (I got the job, happy dance) but the whole way I kept thinking how it was supposed to be spring, not winter..and so here you go.

Some spring flowers to warm your hearts!

WIP Wednesday

2010-03-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

So, not much to report. Finished off my biggest project, Brooklin's dress.

Right now I am mainly working on spinning the fiber I picked up last week, also, putting together a spindle, just need a rubber grommet and we will have a second spindle to use. 1 spindle is full, at least as full as I am comfortable with, so we will have to pull the yarn off and save it for plying.

This is 'Magic"

when it is finished, I think it might make a great stole, or maybe a fancy beret.

I could see using "Magic" in this:

Or maybe this?

What do you think?

Early Weekend Finish Offs!

2010-03-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

In an effort to not be late for class tomorrow, I am going to do the update post tonight, before I go to bed.

Previously blogged, but I am too tired to link, so fee free to look through my archives. The little mass of red color on the collar is a bow that it laced through the eyelets in the first row of increases. it is a crochet chain in the same tone as the main color of the dress, the bottom edge is a band that has red dots in it, but I have not ironed it flat yet. Thanks for checking it out!

OOOH Pretties!

2010-03-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

I have been spinning away like crazy.

Here is my work so far!

This is Turquoise Sea on my hand-made spindle Serenity, this is Merino and Firestar

This is Mother earth, my 3rd ever spun yarn, in mixed fibers from a mini/sample batt from March's Phat Fiber Box. It is a 2 ply, single spun with a recycled cashmere for the ply. I can not (right now) recall who sent in the roving, but the plying cashmere is salvaged from a sweater by Jags of Jags Funky Fibers

This is Cloudy, my second spun, also from the phat fiber box. Mixed fibers, from Cozy Cove Farm. It is plied on itself, and I have about
And my first spun yarn (ever) is called Phoenix, also from the sample box, but I can't think what it is or who sent it in...I know, bad artist...need to write these things down.
Here she is again.

Maybe next months I'll try my hand at hand painting and other dyeing techniques. I have found myself a great resource out at Pam's place, Baabaara's Wild & Wooly.

More later in the week, back to spinning!

Fun Finds Friday

2010-03-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have been on a bit of a hat kick lately. It is spring here in Central Oregon, and is the perfect weather for a nice cute hat. Also, I am seeing a ton of new shops opening up that cater to all things baby!

I just finished Brooklin's Berry hat, and want to make many more of these hats for other babies I know...and even some that I don't know.

Here is some inspiration, no, these are not my creation, and the links to find them are at the bottom of the pictures.

Found here

Found here

Found here

And last but not least...

Found here

WIP Wednesday!

2010-03-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, not much to show you, only have 2 projects going right now.

The first project is the dress for my baby sister's baby girl. Her birthday falls on Easter, and so I am making her a super cute Easter outfit. I already showed you the hat here, and now I am working on a Maxi Dress. This is a top down sweater dress, so no seaming, which is cool. I took the pattern and used the top have, the shoulders then too some 'advice' from the mom, and tweaked it a little bit to make the dress more "twirly and swirly". Instead of doing an increase on either side of the markers, I am doing a YO before each marker, creating a visible "Swirl" down the shirt section of the dress. (Raveled Here)

Brooklin liked one of my tank tops last summer, so it will flow and fall like that one, tight around the bust to keep it in place, then flowy from the tummy down. She will love it (I hope)!
Need to go by the "dollar Tree" today, they have this yarn in stick, only a buck a piece, and in more than just these 2 colors, I need to pick more up for this dress and some for a few hats too.

***

Secondly, the scarf I showed you last week is well on its way and just over 1/3 done...

Again, this is done on the Knifty Knitter long blue loom, with 1 strand black acrylic (not sure the brand, but it is very soft) and 1 strand of the Sensations Rainbow Boucle in Red/black. the 2 strands are used as 1 throughout, wrapping around every-other peg zig-zagging down the board. I will be knitting this out to 300 rows, I am just past 100. That will make this scarf roughly 6.5 ft long. (Raveled Here) There is no official pattern, but if you would like to use this reference, please feel free.

Weekend Finish Offs

2010-03-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

I was working diligently on my Lavender Dreams handbag from Angela's Blog, but I miscalculated the amount of yarn I would need, and am debating frogging it for a different, self created design, so I don't have that to show you. But with this decision, I did have the chance to work on some other projects with the needles that the bag were on.

I bring to you Brooklin, my baby niece, here she is shown at 14 months at my wedding.

Now, she is almost 2, and Easter falls on her birthday. So I have made her a cute birthday and Easter hat.

This adorable hat was my first needle hat, ever. It called for dpns, but not having any, I opted for the magic loop method, worked out great, a little frustrating at the part where the leaves start and the berry ends, but overall, a fun little hat. I am making her a dress to match, but I can't show you that until Wednesday...I this was so much fun, I may have to make her some others, maybe in eggplant, and a brighter red for strawberry, and a blue for blueberry, the possibilities are endless, and it doesn't just have to be a berry, I am going to try carrots, and maybe even do some Easter eggs, and leave off the stem. But before I move on to those, I only have 1 set of needles for this, so I need to do one project at ta time. Here is the blog with the pattern: Randomstitches
Raveled here

In the world of Crochet, I used up some of the wonderful yarns from the Phat Fiber Sampler Box to make a couple of flower pins. Only 1 of them was satisfactory, so I frogged the other one.

This was crocheted with a size 7 hook, using "Ore" colorway from the Light Brown Hair.

I am now working on spinning some fibers, and making up some felt beads to make light weight stitch markers for lace work. Join me again on Wednesday for all of those projects in motion!

Chao!

It is still the same blog, I just felt like a change!

2010-03-20T03:21:00.001-07:00

Title says it all.

Fun Findings Friday

2010-03-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

So before I get into the fun finds, I suppose I should show you my fun makes! It is in fact the reason for the finds!

Just before Christmas, I bought myself a simple little top whorl drop spindle from Ford4Him over at Etsy.com

Apparently puppies think that a stick is a stick even when it is not a stick, and they chewed up my spindle while I was out grocery shopping with hubby. Needless to say, I was a bit more than upset. However, even though I really did like that spindle, it was not what I really wanted.

So I scoured the internet, and found a few that I liked and decided that I needed to make my own, so that it would be MINE. Not someone else's.

This is what I got:

I haven't figured out a name for her yet, and wouldn't mind some help on naming her.

I spun up some sample merino, bamboo, and alpaca from my Phat Fiber box last night, hubby thinks I am crazy, and addicted!

Also, last night, I discovered that kittens like spindles as much as puppies do. Though, they didn't destroy the spindle, they just batted at it.

here are a couple pics of them not being freaks!

This is Jack and Mocha lazing across one another. They are wonderful little ones.
This is Jack and Daniel lazing about on top of my printer...solidly asleep, even while hubby was printing things for school. Jack is the one sitting up, and Dani is the one laying down.

Now for the inspiration of the weekend!

Check out these yarns! The links are below the pictures to find out where to get them.

Found here

Found here!

And lastly!

Found here!

Hope you have as good of a weekend as I plan to!

Here I come spring break!

WIP Wednesday! and Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here are my WIPs for this week!

This is my elegant spring wrap, it stays chilly here in Central Oregon until about mid May, and even then, the evenings can get down to around 40* f in the middle of the summer. So I have decided to pull out my looms again, and make up this shawl. It is knit with 1 strand of Red Heart in black, and 1 strand of Tonal Rainbow Boucle in Red Pattern by Sensations. It is knit zigzaging between every other peg on the KK 22 in long loom. Raveled here.

This is another of Angela's Fab Felted bags. The pattern is on Half-Assed Housewife, and also on Ravlery. You can find the information on my previous post about my Cherry Garcia Bag here. Knit on size 7 needles, with tan and lavender in Deluxe Chunky 100% Wool (found at Enchanted Yarns in Redmond, OR) Raveled here.

AS for St Patty's Day, we made a great homemade Guinness beef stew (my recipe, message me if you want the recipe) and Irish Boxty (potato pancakes) and some beer. It was a great, though we made enough for about 10 people, and had invited just as many (I hate it when people don't RSVP) and no one, I mean NO ONE showed up. Guess hubby and I have plenty of leftovers for the week.

Here was dinner!
MMM Good hearty Irish food. Probably not the most healthy, but still damn good.

Also, proud to announce the passing of all my classes this term with a B+ or higher. On to next term with momentum.

I know, inpirations aren't supposed to be here until friday...

2010-03-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

but I just couldn't help it! This is gorgeous! and I want so badly to spin it into a thread ply yarn and make a scarf!

Found here at The Critter Ranch on Etsy

Also, check out the givaway over at Phat Fiber! The Sand and Sea batt is BEAUTIFUL!

Weekend Finish Offs

2010-03-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

SO, I have been busy this weekend, both in the knitting and the crochet aspect, but as it is final week at school, it makes working on my yarn addictions a bit hard.

Here is what I got done:

Angelina's Fab Felted Bag
WIPed here

Original pattern found HERE

Found here!

Fun Findings Friday

2010-03-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

I have been on a big Felting kick lately. Ans so I bring you....da da tada...fun and funky felted bags! Keep in mind none of these are mine, and have infact been made by others. The links to their origin site can be found at the bottom of each image.

Here are few bucket style bags with flowers,

These can be found here.

Then there are these:

Pattern here!

Not everything felted needs to be a bag, pot holders, mittens and hats are great too!

Found here!

And last but not least, I give you a stylish messenger bag, all felted.

Found here with tutorial!

Have a good weekend, see you Monday!

WIP Wednesday!

2010-03-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

A good start to my new goal of organization, it is time to show you what I am working on!

Here is my main project:

This is my progress on March 7:

Here is it when I got home from my knitting group tonight, March 10:

By the way, that JM cigar box was inside the bag both times to show comparison and shape.

After I hand felted the whole thing after casting it off. Tomorrow, after it has blocked out a bit, I may do another felting job, to tighten up the fabric. I plan on threading the i-cord pictured through the front of each long side, and tying it on the short sides.

Original pattern is found on Angela's blog, The Half-Assed Housewife, and is called Felt Me Up, or Angela's Fabulous Felted Bag! This pattern is also Raveled. I was working on it in a solid Rosewood colorway, from Patons Classic Wool, but ran out of the yarn, my Michaels is really low on wool right now, something about "Felting coming back into style faster than they figured it would"...or something to that effect. Anyways, I decided that the top half of that bag would look nice with a rich brown tone to match the brown woven through the pinks of the rosewood. I decided to go with Chestnut brown in Patons Classic Wool. The colors blend seamlessly... they are such a great match. I saved out enough of the rosewood to do about 2 ft of icord, I will felt the icords and do tied in handles instead of the purl bind off handles in the pattern.

My other WIP of the week is a scarf that I have designed, blogged, and raveled. Crooked Little Paths - A Scarf of Dreams is crafted using a granny square style cluster stitch, and it made up of several pentagonal shapes. I do not have enough of this done to warrant pictures, but it will be done in Caron Simply Soft in jade and silver, and Caron Rhapsody in Cranberry Mist. I will put up pics later in the week, when I post the pattern.

Blog neglegence should be a punishable crime.

2010-03-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

I am starting out my new years resolutions a little late, at least where my blog is concerned.

In an effort to be a better, more organized blogger, and to give myself some initiative to work on my posts, I have decided to take some steps towards a more regular blogging style.

Many blog I have seen work very well with their updates coming at regular intervals with themes, and so I find the need to follow suit.

Monday's will be Weekend Off Show and Tell, I know, not very creative, if you ahve any suggestions on the names of these, please let me know.

Tuesday, I have classes and will not be able to do much more than work on school stuff.

Wednesdays will be WIP Wednesday, where I will introduce my Works in Progress

Thursdays will be another class day.

Fridays will be weekend inspiration finds. This will be where I will compile a few images that fuel my inspiration for whatever I am making at the time. This will also be your chance to see many other blogs that I pull my own creativity from.

If you have any suggestions or ideas to add to the , please please please let me know!

Crooked little paths

2010-03-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Have you ever dreamed a dream and woke up with artistic inspiration?
I have been reading abook by Yasmine Galenorn about fairies, and their kin and friends (warning, she is a great author, just not kid appropriate.)

Anywho... Last night I dreamed I was wandering down a path in the middle of Smokey's land (Smokey is a dragon, but in this book, dragons can walk amongst the FBH-full blooded humans- as a humanoid form) it was dark, and the Moon Mother shone brightly. I noticed a shimmer on the path, and came to the conclusion that the path was being lit by the glow of moonstone pavers that lined their way down the middle of the path and into an open meadow, a meadow that housed the Moon Mothers coven. Preparing to battle for the safety of the FBHs, the Earthside supes, and the Earthside fae as well.

Anyways, this all brings me to my point.

I woke up wanting to crochet the path. Make a scarf out of that green earthly meandering set of pavers.

And so I will, and I will put the pattern up as soon as I figure out the logistics. I know it will be done in crochet, with a 'J' hook, and most likely a mix of pink and green boucle, but I will do a few sample blocks in acrylic for the blog.

First Finish of March!

2010-03-01T02:20:00.000-08:00

Hunter's blanket is finally done, just some finishing touches on the bib, baby bottle cover, and hat, and it'll all be ready to give to the person who commissioned me to make it.

Tiff will be giving this as a baby shower gift in May, to the mother-to-be of her baby nephew.

Only took 2 weeks, and a lot of motivation. But I think it will be well received, it is so comfy!

Need more caffine!

2010-02-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have been so busy, and kind of ill (can not sleep without getting sick, so I just haven't slept much lately)so I have been drinking a lot of tea (and coffee) and more tea. So I have been searching out cute coffee cup cozies, for both my cups at home, and my beloved Dutch Bros (for those of you not from the Oregon area, Dutch Bros is like Starbucks, only local, not corporate, and they have a much friendlier staff and I think they have better customer service)Chai Tea Latte cups.

While searching out coffee cozies, I have seen so many cute buttons and flowers and accessories for the cozies that I decided I needed to make some clay buttons.

I am even getting my hubby in on the action.

I'll post pics in a few hours after we bake up some buttons and I crochet up a few cozies.

until then, check out some of my favorites.

A lot of these would be great gifts and are very simple patterns. None of them are mine. Under each picture you can find a link to the owners site (or at least where I found them)

found here

Found here

Found here

Found here

Found here

BLANKETS! So many blankets!

2010-02-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

So I have been on a blanket kick, since I decided that I was doing the local farmers market for my baby stuff. So I have been crafting blankets like crazy to put in a portfolio.

Here is the competed set that I made for the owner of hubby and my fave Vietnamese diner.

It is crocheted with a size J hook, in a standard granny square. I used less than 1 skein of each color in Bernat Baby Coordinates, 5 rows of each color per stripe. If anyone wants the actually stitch numbers and specifics on the granny square, I'd be happy to post them later.

Here is a blanket that I was commissioned to make for a friends nephew-to-be, Hunter.

It is done in granny squares as well. This was done in Sensations Rainbow Boucle Patterns in Green/Cream Rainbow. It was made up of 20 7 in granny squares. Crocheted with a J hook, with 6 rows in the granny square stitch pattern.

This last blanket, done in Sensations Rainbow Boucle Tonal yarn is not for anyone in particular. It is actually for my Etsy store, and if I do not sell it there, I'll put it up in a set at Saturday market.

Now that I have gotten to blogging again, I remembered why I have been so quite, I have way TOO much going on. I just burnt dinner because I forgot I was cooking. I started blogging again, and it slipped my mind. Guess I should go take care of that.

See ya later!

New house, and new projects.

2010-02-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

We finally got into our new house, and I have 1/2 of an entire room to myself for my crafts!

In other news, we went out to dinner with my in-laws the other day and discovered that the manager of our favorite Vietnamese Restaurant is expecting. Her name is Vicki, and she is not going to find out the sex of the baby, but I asked if she would mind if I made her a blanket.

I went shopping with my hubby the next day, and found some Bernat Baby Coordinates in gender neutral colors of green and purple. I have created it as a large ever expanding Granny Square. I started with a green center, and change to and from the purple every 5 rows. I will be adding a picot or shell boarder at the end, I have not decided yet.

Also, created a new blanket using Rainbow Boucle in pink. It is crocheted in a Granny Square, much like Vicki's blanket. Bust as the Rainbow Boucle has a natural color change, I will just crochet until it is large enough. I am binding the edges of that one with satin bias tape. This, I hope, will extend the usefulness of the blanket for many years, and maybe even many cildren. I still have my bias bound blanket from my childhood. It is still in good enough condition to wrap my kids up in (when I have them).

Photos and patterns will come soon, I promise.

It's been a while...

2010-01-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

since I last had anything crafty to talk about. My personal life has kind of taken over for the moment. Admittedly, I have had some stressful situation come into view, but through it all, I have been trying to craft.

As for the moment, I am "homeless", living with family in a guest room while we find a new place to call home. In thanks to my Aunt-in-law, Hollie, I am knitting her a wide fuzzy scarf.

This isn't just any knitting...no this is the first project I am doing...ever on knitting needles instead of the looms. I am using size 15's. I picked them up today while shopping. I am doing it is a color called Barley from the LionBrand Homespun line.

The sweaters from the previous post were put on hold when we lost our house.

We are trying to get into a new place this week, looking at an apartment tomorrow, can not wait to get back into my own room.

As for right now, I need to go get some water, and some artificial light. I have had a migraine all day, just getting to where I can work in artificial light. I'll post pictures of the scarf later.

My newest project...hopefully

2010-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

I am working on taking some designs I have found, and altering them to fit my needs. Specifically in regards to baby jumper (sweaters)

here is my inspiration:

Pink Sweater (image wouldn't transfer)
Blue Sweater ( Image also wouldn't transfer)

I have not chosen my yarn, and am not going to be following a pattern, just working from feeling.

I'll post pics as I get it going.

Winter term 2010

2010-01-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

So...the first week of Winter term is almost over. Just two classes today. Customer service and Business math. Fun stuff. Started Aikido yesterday... all I can say is OUCH. I didn't realize how out of shape I am, I literally had to FALL out of bed this morning.

Got into my Spanish classes Tuesday, then after 1 class period, found out that the teacher talks too fast for me to actually learn. So I dropped it. Picked up the Aikido to replace it.

Also, got into my first Aid/CPR/and Fitness class. and my Customer service class.

All of these classes were waitlisted. our campus has over 6000 more people than it has seats. and the state doesn't feel that it really needs more room/funding, we can do with what we have.

Logically, the school should hire teachers assistants, that way, a) more people would be able to get jobs, b) more people would be paying to go to school (therefore paying for the extra hires) c) the school could handle more students to make this economy a little easier to handle.

In knitting news: I have made several more cowls, and am designing a balaclava in brown "Barley" homespun yarn from Lion Brand. I have already made the gauntlet bracers to match. Not fingerless gloves, but just wrist warmers, tucked under the cuff of a loose sweater, they keep the wind out of the sleeves. I'll post pics when I can.

Some helpful hints for your technological adventures!

2010-01-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

Though not necessarily crafty, I thought it might help, what with Christmas having just passed, and with the new term for school starting...

My husband is somewhat of a computer geek, which is great when it comes to free services to keep my computer (the lifeline, blood, sweat and tears of my business) up and running in tip-top shape.

He has written up a great tutorial on Glary Utilities, a must have for anyone who wants a simple yet effective "one-stop-shop" of computer protection.

He also has a great write up on Mozilla Firefox, which I prefer hands down to Internet Explorer! It is a must read and I can not tell you how thankful I am since he introduced me to these programs.

For everything else he writes about (book reviews, rants, raves, software directions and reviews, steps for furthering your education, and much much more, check out his entire blog, from head to toe! Getting There - Guns Girls and Obnoxious Sunglasses by David Mayernik

Leave him some comments on your thought about his blog!

Regarding post: Boxing Day

2010-01-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

So in regard to hoping to get the goals accomplished before teh new year, I was mostly successful.

Achieving 8.5 of 15.

Now, still need to get a few more done, but I got a lot out of the way. On to a new year and new adventure!

Some of the holiday crafting photos surface

2010-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Here is the only photo I have gotten to surface from Christmas with the inlaws...

This is my Grandma-in-Law Nancy with her handcrafted homespun scarf by me..

This was knit on the long KK in pink. I zig-zagged using every other peg on every each side, creating an actual zig-zag patter (rather than the Z formed from the normal zig zag stitch or the figure 8 stitch. This creates a rib on every other peg on each side alternating between which side has the rib in which space. I am starting a new scarf today, I will add a pic so show you what I mean.

Bringing in the new year with a quote to live by.

2010-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

"Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." ~ Author unknown

I received this in an email about my sister. It has lifted my spirits this year already.

1500 HITS

2009-12-31T17:32:00.000-08:00

I just saw that my blog finally has 1500 hits, hubby points out that I should have done a post at 1000 hits, but I was kind of sleeping and it went from 975 one night to 1346 the next morning....boo yah! Lol, anyways, thanks guys so much for keeping my blog going. Having only started it a few months ago, this is so cool! I'll keep the information and patterns, and creative ideas coming so long as you all are still reading!

Echo

Warm Winter Cowl

2009-12-31T17:18:00.000-08:00

I have seen all these girls with beautiful cowls, and beautiful scarves, and nice warm hats, and I have always said "I will learn to make those...eventually"

Well, over the years I have mastered hats and scarves, and I finally, about a week ago, decided to attempt the ever elusive cowl...boy was it easy.

I used a single strand of Homespun in Montana Sky (I am addicted to Homespun, especially blue tones...mmmmmmmm...) and my yellow 41 peg KK loom. If you were making this for a child or petite teen you could use the green loom.

I made mine large so that I can have it hang around my neck as a scarf (sort of)...

or I could pull it up as a hood.

Some prefer it just as a scarf, in that case, I'd suggest 1 size small of a loom, Adults would want to use the green loom with 36 pegs, and child-teen sizes would use the red loom. If you are making this for a small child, I would still use the red loom, as the blue freaks me out, it is SO tiny...

Anyways, back to directions...

E-wrap the loom, and knit off in the round until your cowl measures 2 ft (for hood style) or about 1 ft for short style. Then bind off with stretchy bind off. (found here, or here)

I really hope you enjoy this, and I hope that you find lots of warmth in this project. I have found that the cowl is easier to work in, as there are not long tails of the scarf to dangle and get caught in things. (I am making one for my mum, she works with furniture, and it would end badly if she got caught on a dresser by the neck.)

Peace Out!

Enjoy!

Found a UFO, now to convert it to an FO

2009-12-29T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a blanket my hubby and I started (he picked the yarn background color) I am calling it my stashbuster blanket.

We started it last Feb. I am going to add one more column of mixed colors, and send it off to a teen mother in need. This blanket is very wamr and soft. would be a good play mat if not used for a blanket.

Here it is!

I used the yellow long KK and knitted about 3 ft, I wasn't too terribly picky on exact stitch counts. I am adding a black boarder to tie in the colors, then sending it off. I know it isn't pastels, but bright colors and contrast can be fun too.

Newest Idle Project

2009-12-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone I know has some project that they use, just to keep their hands busy. Something that isn't complicated, and doesn't require a lot of concentration. The kind of thing you take to a doctor's appointment, or when you have to go to the DMV. I have started a new project, seeing as I have completed almost all of my late gifts. I am going to make up some baby blankets out of "gauge swatches" Ok, so not really gauge swatches, but the same size. I am doing a patchwork blanket out of scrap yarn. I am crocheting 6 in x 7 in rectangles of different colors. I am using a K hook so that it will be warm, but not heavy, and it crochets up faster too. I am using super saver for the project, and might back the final project with a micro fleece or cotton.

Here is my design. the colors are going to be changed, this is just a template.

I will update you on my progress. and I hope that I can finish the first one by Easter, I am hoping to donate it to the FAN (Family Access Network) to go to a teen parent in need.

Yes, this is along with all of my other goals.

So...Boxing Day!

2009-12-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so American version???fighting crowd in the Wal-mart to make exchanges and return the ugly stuff your family bought you. Not that my family bought me anything ugly, or anything at all. But that is perfectly fine because we gave to charity instead. I love Karmic Christmas! It's a family tradition!

So now, for my goals before the 1st! I want to have my house clean and organized to start out the new year.

Here are the steps I am taking.

Hubby didn't have to work tonight, so we started our list tonight.

1. Fix the dryer so I have access to my back door again.--Done
2. Organize my yarn into boxes and put on shelves in the back section of the garage (my fiber work studio)
3. Claim back my work table in the garage (beading and decoupage)
4. Put all completed projects into plastic totes for storage until they are sold online or taken to craft shows--Done
5. Set up book case in office with ALL of my books and binders--Done
6. Organize rat accessories and new cage onto new stand in Office--Almost Done
7. Set up reading corner for office
8. Clear out old clothes into boxes for Goodwill and Homeless shelters
9. Build padded bench out of old coffee table for extra seating
10. Shampoo carpets-- Done
11. Mop kitchen, bathroom and dining room floors--Done
12. Catch up on ALL laundry and Dishes--Done
13. catch up on our bills so that we can get ahead with our financial aid for school.--Done
14. clean out all old food from fridge so that we can get a full pantry when we go shopping the beginning of the next month.--Done
15. Move Large work desk into office to replace the very small desk I currently have in there.

After the 1st of the year, I will be replacing hubby's desk with one like mine, they will come to meet in the middle of the back wall in the office, I can put a slab of decorative wood or marble (imitation) between the ends to make a solid piece, so we can share the printer.

As for Holiday gifts, I should have taken pictures before I gave them, but I was silly and wrapped them before I took pics, and then forgot the camera on Christmas.

Aunt Holly= Blue/gray homespun long cowl (loom knit)
Aunt Robin= Red/burgundy rib stitch hat (loom knit)
Mom-in-law Sandy= Denim scarf (loom knit)
Cousin Haley= Blue block scarf (loom knit)
Cousin Jenni= Purple block scarf (loom knit)
Cousin Kindle= Green and White scarf (crochet)
Cousin Skyler= Camo and black hat (loom knit)
Cousin Robert= Blue and gray hat (loom knit)
Cousin John= Back and blue hat (loom knit)
Cousin Stephen= Blue multi-colored hat (loom knit)
Cousin Gabe= Red and black hat (loom knit)
2nd Cousin Noah= Blue and orange hat (loom knit)

Sister Shelly= Blue black and turquoise scarf (crochet)
Sister Shadow= Blue and brown hat (loom knit)
Mom Rita= white and pastel scarf (loom knit), painting (acrylic on cotton fabric framed with embroidery hoop) fuzzy socks (store bought)
Niece Brooklin= twin size blanket in black and blue with white polka-dots (sewn)
Nephew's girlfriend Haily= blue and turquoise scarf (crochet)

Still need to make (late gifts)
Cousin Jamie= blue scarf (crochet)
2nd Cousin Jacob= blue and black striped hat (loom knit)
2nd cousin Josh= turqoise and black striped hat (loom knit)
Cousin KaSondra= scarf in pink and black (crochet)
Dad Ken= Orange and camo hat (loom knit)

As for me... for Christmas I got:

The Harry Potter box set with the first 5 movies, Fuzzy snowflake pajamas, and leather slippers lined with fuzzies from Hubby.
A plug in griddle from Mom and Dad
A TON of bead from my sister Shelly.

The rest of the family donated to charity or cooked for the holidays.
I had a very good holiday, and I hope that everyone else did too!

Now maybe as I finish my to do list regarding crafts, I'll remember to post pics. until I get them finished... Have a great night.

Also, I am making a cowl for myself. I gave away all my warm scarves and cowls for Christmas gifts. Hmm... yay...more crafting for me!

Some projects finished!

2009-12-18T00:40:00.000-08:00

I have been promising it for a few weeks, and I keep putting it off, and putting it off, but here it is...Finally some finished projects!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brooklin's Christmas Blanket. I had been working on this for almost ayear for myself, finished it and decided to gift it!

Here is a hand knit bulky scarf in some of the SOFTEST yarn I have found. It is for my cousin-in-law, Haley. She loves Blue.

This one is going to my friend Tiffany. The colors just reminded me of her fun style, so When I finished it, I wore it a few times, and decided that it fit her better.

Do you remember the secret Santa family I adopted with my in-laws?

This is what I made them (silly me, I forgot to take picks before I wrapped everything...)

In each of the large boxes is a coloring book and a handmade fleece tie blanket. In each small box is a fairy doll for the two oldest girls (Jazmyn,8 and Lida, 5). In each stocking, there is a handmade hat/scarf set, a box of crayons, Lifesavers "Santa's Book" package, 2 snowman marshmallows, a pencil, a candy cane, and in the littlest girls Pink stocking there is a bunny rabbit (youngest is 2)

Wish I had taken pics before I wrapped it all and gave it to Holly to take to the family. But now I have the rest of my WIP list to work through! I really wish I had more hands...

Echo

Not really crafty, but helpful

2009-12-14T01:21:00.001-08:00

I have been trying and trying and only slightly succeeding to find a budget to try and get out of debt and start a business.

Last night I built a website for my brain child of a business. Hopefully it will be a good start. Hopefully I have something here and can eventually make it a real live physical store! not just an online one.

So here it is, without further ado... Lilypad Little Ones!

In other news, I figured out my families debt...down to the last penny, and I am shocked at how much we have accumulated through school, medical emergencies, car breaking down...over and over again, and reckless spending!

And to counter it, I plotted a budget, one that allows me to put a little into saving for emergencies and still slowly but surely pay off all my debts along side of the monthly bills that come every month regardless of how much I pay them. With any luck, or any prayer, We will be able to save up enough in our account to take a REAL honeymoon in 2011. and buy new furniture, and maybe even get a decent car. or two (right now I have to drive hubby to work very night.)

Also, in potentially good news: might be getting a new part time job to buffer the state pay I am getting in school. Hubby took my resume to his boss last night (I would have done it but it's a bar and I'm not old enough) And with it, I attached a copy of the Oregon Liquor Control Commissions rules on employing minors, as well as the regulation on allowing minor patrols if they are with a spouse of age.

In addition to these advancements to my financial well-being, I have started using household scraps much more frugally to save money in the places I can so that I can buy quality products for my shop where I can't afford to skimp. Also, I have added more products to my Etsy Store. You can click on the pictures to the left of this post to link to the store.

And with that, I must head to bed. My head is pounding from all the accounting thinking.

Peace Out!

Thanks for looking!

Craft fair sucks, but Etsy took off!

2009-12-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

So the 3 day craft sale got me -25.00 Thats right, negative numbers. I actually lost money at the fair. And now I have a TON of stocking stuffers and knitted items that are crowding up my living room...however, on the up side...now I have stocking stuffers for the family my in-laws, husband, and I adopted for a Secret Santa Holiday charity. The family has 3 little girls, and my husband and I volunteered to do the stockings. Not just to stuff the stockings, but I am actually making them... I chose some great brightly colored flannel for the stockings in pink, purple, and turquoise. Each stocking has a matching blanket in the same color. Inside each stocking we are putting some hot cocoa with candy canes, a scarf/hat set, and some coloring books and crayons. they liek disney characters, but not sure which ones, so we went with plan colors. I am putting the 1st letter of each girls name on their stockings.

The first hat and scarf set is made with Redheart White Fiesta and a blue/purple variegated. I am almost done with the scarf, the hat is already done.

The second is turquoise and lavender, and the second will be lavender and tan. The hats for each set are already done.

I'll post pictures as soon as they are finished.

Also, I was "Sneak Attack"ed by Winemakerssister on my Etsy store, every two days (or so) the HandmadeMovement does a sneak attack on an Etsy store with few or no sales. When they host an attack, several people (those who read the blog regularly) got at a designated time and purchase as many ro as few items as they want from the chosen stores. This causes a very exciting sales rush for the seller...in this case me. This could not have come at a better time. I was about to loose my water, propane, and electric this week, I could pay one other the other, but not all. The sales this week on my Etsy shop have allowed me to pay them all. This was a great thing to happen, and now I want to share to help other store owners like myself. So please, go check out th HandmadeMovement and be a part of something great.

Also, due to the huge number of sales (10 in under 2 hours) I have had to restock my store, so go check out all the new stuff...I put up nearly 15 new stitch markers, and in the next few days, I'll be putting up some of my jewelry and knitwear.

In Skein Designs (this is my Etsy store!)

Hope you have a great week!

Today is the start of a new...adventure!

2009-12-03T00:41:00.001-08:00

Today marks my first craft fair. Many of my ideas and inspiration came from Kerry's blog but they have my own...flair!

I learned about the fair about 3 days ago, and ahve not slept for lack of time to finish, I even got my husband in on the crafty fun!

I'll post pics and tell you how I did for my very first craft fair. If you are in the area of Central Oregon this weekend, make sure to stop by! Terrebonne Grange Hall, 9-4 Thursday - Saturday

My take on the Alice Cullen wrist warmers

2009-11-30T14:22:00.001-08:00

These are my version on the Alice Cullen wrist warmers that I blogged about here.

I changed it up a bit to make to thumb hole a little bit less...awkward looking, and then changed the bind off to make them more uniform and stretchy.

I knitted them on my KK flower loom, I knitted 6 rows in e-wrap, then the loop on peg 6 was moved to peg 5 and the loop from peg 7 was moved to peg 8, wrap again and knit off, moving both bottom loops from pegs 5 and 8. Make sure that you wrapp all the pegs, this is a double yarn over (kinda...I think)

Continue e-wrapping for another 19 rows. Then do a stretchy bind off.

SUPER-STRETCHY BIND-OFF found at yarngear.com (thanks Meilynne)

This is great for those magic or three-way scarves. There's no need to knit the last row loosely.

Cut yarn, leaving enough tail to wrap around the loom 4
times, then thread the tail through a tapestry needle.

The yarn tail should be at the last peg, so bring the tail
past the 1st peg, and sew UP through the 2nd peg, then DOWN
through the 1st peg. Sew UP through the 3rd peg, then DOWN
through the 2nd peg. Sew UP through the 4th peg, then DOWN
through the 3rd peg. Sew UP through the 5 peg, then DOWN
through the 4th....

Follow this sequence, pulling the yarn snug as you sew,
keeping the needle in front of the previous UP strand and you sew DOWN
through the loops. The last sequence will be UP through the 1st peg,
then DOWN through the last. You will make the equivalent of
little cursive E's all around the loom. Now pop everything off your loom,
and voila - stretchy bind-off.

This is also useful for flat pieces. Cut tail, leaving
enough yarn for 4 times the width of the active pegs.
The peg with the yarn tail is #1, its neighbor is #2,
the next is #3, etc.

Sew UP through #2, then DOWN through #1.
Sew UP through #3, then DOWN through #2.
Sew UP through #4, then DOWN through #3, etc.
The last stitch will be UP through the last peg,
DOWN through the 2nd to last peg, then UP through the last peg once more.

This will make the wrist warmers stretchy, I can make them the same way for everyone from my 13 year old niece (probably younger, but she is the youngest in my family that is not an infant) up to my husbands Burly Manly hands...

Thanks, hope you enjoy!

My first baby blanket

2009-11-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

I keep telling people about the baby blanket I knitted...it seems like forever ago that I completed it, it was only a year and a half ago.

My little sister was only 16 when she had her baby girl. Finances were not exactly stable, so rather than her spending money on things like coats and baby blanket, I wanted here to have plenty of hand crafted items so she could spend her money on things like formula, and diapers.

I started this project 3 months before the baby was born, and lost the project 1 panel in (I was moving) 2 weeks after the babies due date, I found it again (notice I said due date???). I told my mom that I would work her furniture store while she helped my little sister finish setting up the nursery/ her room. In less than 3 days, I finished the blanket. The baby was born the next morning. Baby Brooklin Nichole. April 4, 2008.

Shadow's (that's the mom) favorite colors were Pink and Purple, and I found a great Variegated Red Heart super Saver that worked perfect when doubled with RH Super Saver White. Alvin, yes like the chipmunk, ( That's the highly un-liked Daddy) liked Blues and greens, so i found another great RedHeart Super Saver Variegated and paired that with the white from the pinks and purples.

The blanket was made up with 3 panels of alternating colors.

All panels were knitted on the Purple rectangle loom by Knifty knitter.

I guessed on the length of each panel, I knitted (zig-zag or figure 8 stitch) a few inches in the first color and white until the panel started to set into it's correct width (after it starts to slacken from being stretched between the pegs) and measured how wide it was, then I knitted until it was as long in that color as the panel was wide, counted the rows (this is your base row count) every other section of color will be this many rows.

Switch to the other color and white, keeping the white uncut. knit the number of rows you determined from 1st section, and switch back to the first color. Knit the number of rows you have worked out. Bind off with your preferred bind off method.

This is 1 panel. You will make another just like this.

The 3rd panel will be made the same way, but switching the colors, so that you secondary color and white will be the first and last square of color.

When all the panels are complete, you will line up the stitches and stitch them together, I used whip stitch on the blanket shown above, but in the future I would use mattress or blanket stitch to avoid the bulkiness on the back.

I accented this blanket at each of the meeting corners in the middle of color with a daisy made on the KK Flower loom. Each flower had a pearl center, do not use beads that are glued in or just sewn in if this blanket will be used as a regular child's blanket. Shadow used this one to shade baby in her swing, so baby Brooklin never actually touched this blanket until she was almost 2 years old. By which time the pearls had fallen off in the wash or in the nursery closet. My next blanket, I might use large festive buttons, or leave it without centers, just have the flowers.

Additional ideas!

If you want to make the blanket for use in a car-seat, leave a section about 6 inch wide un-sewn int he middle of one of the panels as you sew them together. this gives adequate room to buckle a seat-belt through the blanket without pulling the warmth off of the babies feet.

Reversible Beenies!

2009-11-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Reversible hats are often loved by people of all ages, because it allows them to have one hat that can match two outfits. In my case, I made hats to match my airsoft gear... reversible dead-rag beanies.

The pattern is as follows:

Two colored hat:

Using yellow round loom for large, green round loom for medium, or red round loom for small/child's, start with two strands of color A, e-wrap loom twice, and knit one over 1.

For Large hat: Knit 35 rows, and change to color B, knit 35 rows of color B.

For Medium hat: Knit 28 rows of color A and 28 rows of color B.

For Small hat: Knit 20 rows of color A and 20 rows of color B.

Pull end up as if making brim on regular hat, knit brim as usual and take off by gathered method. You can choose to embellish with button, flower, pom-poms, or whatever else your heart can fathom. Or you could leave it plain.

Three colored hat (main color A with brim of C outside, Main color B with brim of C inside):

Using yellow round loom for large, green round loom for medium, or red round loom for small/child's, start with two strands of color A, e-wrap loom twice, and knit one over 1.

Large hat: Knit 24 rows of color A, 20 rows of color C, and 24 rows of B.

Medium hat: Knit 20 rows of color A, 16 rows of color C, and 20 rows of Color B

Small (child's) hat: 15 rows of color A, 11 rows of Color C and 15 rows of color B

Pull end up as if making brim on regular hat, knit brim as usual and take off by gathered method. You can choose to embellish with button,flower, pom-poms, or whatever else your heart can fathom. Or you could leave it plain.

Alice Cullen Wrist Warmer Loom-Along

2009-11-26T09:12:00.001-08:00

Alright, so if anyone knows me, they know I am a die-hard Twilight fan, the books are amazing and the new movie is great (Not going to give any spoilers for those of you who have not seen it). My husband took me out on a great date to the 12:06 showing at our local theater.

There is one character, Alice, that embodies good fashion sense. Her wardrobe must be millions of dollars...but with an uncanny ability to predict trends in the stock market...that isn't really an issue. But not all of her clothes are designer and spendy. She wears this great pair of blue toned wrist warmers with a white long sleeve shirt under a blue jacket. It looks great and just pushes that cozy fashonista thing she seems to be able to pull off so well.

Check out this great Loom-A-Long on craftzine.com

These great wrist warmers are easily made with the flower loom, if you need to size up and use the KK 24 peg loom, the process is the same, just more pegs.

Inspiration interupted...

2009-11-24T19:35:00.001-08:00

One of my major pet peeves is being interrupted when I have a great amount of built up momentum in inspiration... well, guess what?

I am stuck in my Financial Accounting class...

6 miles away from my craft room...

Unable to knit...though my knitting is sitting in my backpack...6 inches away.

Wish me luck to keep my focus when class is out.

Peace Out!

Christmas List slowly deminishes

2009-11-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that as you get closer tot he holidays, your Christmas list begins to get simpler and simpler as you realize how over your head you have gotten? I have gone from Cocoa packs for EVERYONE to the contents of cocoa packs in small tent style treat cards. Found these at Wunsapona Time. I think that this will demonstrate my skills in a sector other than just knitting. I am still making scarves and hats, but not the knitted gift pouches. I completed 3 pouches that will also fit wine bottles, so they were not a complete waste of time and yarn. But now, to make some pouch cards...Yay.

More wonderful fiber!!!

2009-11-18T04:59:00.000-08:00

Hey! Check out Cloudy Skies by Critter Ranch

Wouldn't it make such a wonderful and warm hat for the season?

Have a GREAT Wednesday!

Christmas List

2009-11-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Here is my plan for the next month or so...

Homework, and knitting.

40 Hot Cocoa pounches. These will be 6-8 in drawstring pouches filled with:
*a plain black, white, blue or green coffee mug,
*3 packs of hot cocoa
*2-3 candy canes in peppermint
*5-6 caramel squares
*2 chocolate bars
*3 cinnamon sticks

Scarves for 9 people - 2 finished
Scarf-lets for 1-2 people
Hats for 7
2 wine bottle cozies

Wish me luck. less than a month for all of this.

I'll post pics as they get finished.

Newest give away!

2009-11-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Phat fiber has so many of the greatest give aways! This week they are featuring the Woolie Bullie Silver Silk Giveaway.

Woolie Bullie is giving away a seasonal handdyed "Plum Pudding" silk hankie

All you gotta do is check out the Etsy store of the company giving away, in this case, check out Woolie Bullie and then return to Phat Fiber and leave a comment on your favorite piece of work in the Woolie Bullie shop.

I fell IN LOVE with the ELEMENTAL Silk Sliver PHAT FIBER September FEATURE LUXURIOUS Fine Quality Hand Painted Mulberry Top for Handspinning 2 ounces. Found at Wooli Bullie's store

Seriously, go over and check it out!

Impatience and New Crafts...

2009-11-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

I am a bad bad bad girl. I hinted at a gift for christmas to my husband...well not so much hinted as linked him to an etsy shop with some REALLY elaborate drop spindles and fibers, then I went today, and bought myself a plain and simple drop spindle. Just a plain wood spoke spindle...maybe I'll still get one for Christmas...maybe not, but I couldn't wait to try out my new interest in hand spinning and dying my yarns. i wanted to make some scarfs and hats from my own yarns before Christmas...Hope he doesn't get angry, and if he does, I'll make him a hat out of heavy handspun wool and he won't be angry anymore, since he has taken to walking to work now.

Here is "The Little Joe" He will be renamed...too many folks I don't like in the area named Joe...

Hehe, I can't WAIT until it arrives!

another great givaway!!!

2009-11-12T03:22:00.000-08:00

FARM FRESH FIBERS!!!

I found this dreamy Silky purple Merino, and silk blend on the etsy store, and fell in love!!!

Again, from the sponsorship of Phatfibers and counting sheep farm, we have the chance to get some great project pieces for our addiction, check them out to see all of their products!

Also, Phatfibers.blogspot.com has all of the entry information for your chance to win!

Knit it up tag givaway!

2009-11-12T03:02:00.001-08:00

So, as a new member of the Phatfiber Sampler Box, I was perusing their blog and found this wonderful little competition...now granted, I do not spin...yet...this was very incising, as the store they reference (the sponsoring store, which it giving away the prize) has SOOOOOOO many wonderful roving (both naked and dyed) and batts for spinning and already handspun yarns...and charming, if but a bit sarcastic, gift tags for those Christmas gifts this year.

So please check it out... you won't regret it...

PhatFiber's Knit it up giveaway!

again, even if you do not participate in the contest, at least check out the fibers on this etsy store and the blog site.

Thanks!

Have a good day!

WIP's and UFO's

2009-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

My husband has a friend coming to visit this weekend from the Navy, Harry came to the West Coast to visit his grandmother while he is stateside (he just returned from Iraq). I decided that I wanted him to visit a clean home, without traces of a craft explosion (he deals with explosions enough in the sandy lands. He is on an EOD team). So as I was cleaning, I found traces of projects long forgotten or given up on. One such project was a flat double knit panel that had at one point been the start of something, and then forgotten. It was about 3 inches of Lion Brand Homespun in Lagoon on the Green Knifty Knitter Long Loom. I sat down to frog the project and the next thing I know it is almost 2 feet long. I guess this piece was not meant to be frogged. I decided that I would make a blanket (that way, if I get board I can create a shawl out of just one panel.) It is not a really heavy material when it is knit up, but it is soft and cozy. I am thinking that it will make a nice throw blanket when it is done. I also have Lion Brand Homespun in Hepplewhite and Waterfall.

Now these colors go together wonderfully, but I didn't want to work with even stripes (normally this would bug the crap out of me) but I wanted to push my own limits, and make this artwork a little more...abstract so to speak.

I found online in my searches and travels this wonderful website by Biscuits and Jam. This site generates a random stripe pattern. It allows you to choose your colors, the number of rows you want, and the width variances of each color you'd like to allow, then gives you a row count of each color and a visual of how the pattern will look. If you don't like the first generation of stripes, just refresh your page.

I'll post pics of my first panel when I finish it, I plan on making it about 4.5 feet wide, and making 5-6 panels. I will have to buy more yarn. Michaels in the local area has a sale running right now on Homespun, and in fact all Lion Brand yarns.

Another work in progress has been frogged, in sacrifice for the blanket. My mom's slipper socks have been exchanged for a homemade dinner. I will be making her slipper socks for Christmas, and think I may make them from Lion Brand Yarn's Hometown USA in Red or Blue. This is a super bulky yarn that is SUPER warm.My husband works in a bar with a back deck, and as he is often on the back deck at closing (Last call is 2:00 am) I made him a scarf out of this yarn. Now, while he found out he can not wear this scarf at work (too easy to grab onto in a fight) he finds that it is sometimes too warm to wear even off the clock (He will not be saying that when the real winter hits).

In other crafts, I received a suggestion, perhaps even a request for some lobster claw clasp stitch holders for use with crochet, and so my journey begins to find that box of clasps I had before I moved...so- into the garage I shall go! Talk to you all later, and thank you for reading my blog, I appreciate it very much.

Days of Wonder

2009-11-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

This video was found on a fellow crafters blog, and while it admittedly has nothing to do with knitting, it tugged at too many heartstrings to not post it.

The song is about a father who lost his son very early in the Iraq war. He still dreams about his son as a young boy, and is proud of his service to his country. The songwriter, Michael Smith, wrote the song the day of the Virginia Tech massacre. He loves his country, but isn't happy with what's going on at the moment. Enjoy...(quoted from Wunsapona Time: )

This video was produced by Amy Manhart's husband and can be found here

more stitch markers

2009-11-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have continued with the beading inspirations to create several more stitch markers.

I have here another 11 sets with more on the way. I splurged last week and bought 1.5 pounds of new beads...I know bad me, I should be buying yarn...but this still has much to do with knitting.

The set above is called "Garden Leaves" and is made from naturally shaped glass accent beads, and reclaimed glass leaf shaped beads, and is secured with crimp beads. They are strung on beading cord, and can be used on any looms, or needles up to...well, I'm not sure what gague, but larger than 13's I know (KK Looms are 13 gauge).

This set is called "Garden Ladies" and is accented with little lady bug charms at the end of each marker. You will notice that many of these marker sets have one that is different from the rest, this is a marker designs to mark the beginning of a row, as opposed to the beginning of a pattern stitch set or other uses.
I wasn't sure what to call this picture, so I settled with "Cranberries", as my husband said they made him crave cranberries when he saw them.

This set picked up the name "Cobalt and Granite", the beads (while not made from cobalt or granite) reminded me of these colors. The blue beads were salvaged from an empowerment bracelet I got (and promptly broke) as a kid.

These markers earned the name of "Clouded Skies", they held the same colors as the sky around my house a few days ago as I tried to watch the sun rise, but got only darkness and clouds. But is was beautiful and inspiring. These are set on hard rings rather than a string loop, and are made from a wire wrapping technique that I learned in college. they are secured to the rings by use of jump rings.
These markers I chose to call "Amber", not only because of the colors, but because they were made from beads that I inherited from my cousin Amber. When she gave up beading in exchange for working full time, she gave me some of her beads, these were a set she had given me to tie into hemp purse handles, but then stopped carrying purses. And so, here they are.

This set is called "Tiger Stripes" and is called such because the plastic beads I chose to use resemble the fur patterns of a Bengal Tiger, the offset bead (Row start marker) is made using a bead that looks like green marble, it reminded me of the deepness of a tigers eye.

These are the "Splash of Color" set, mounted on hard rings, they are best if used on looms or on large gauge needles. They are made from plastic accent spacer beads, with a focal empowerment bead in clear glass, with splashes of melted glass in various colors.

These markers are interesting, They are made from a semiprecious stone of some sort. I reclaimed them from a broken necklace and earring set my mom had found. I think that they might be rose quartz, but am not positive. The one thing I know is that they are beautiful. Mounted on large hard plastic rings, these are best used with a large gauge loom or needles.

This set looks like blue and green marbles, they are accented with white tossed glass beads, and speak a lot for themselves in the rights of their beauty. Yes, they are made from plastic, but are very durable.

Here is a packaged view of "Garden Leaves".

This set, similar to the "Garden Ladies" and "Garden Leaves" was made from the same bead set. These are my longest set measuring to approx. 1.25 in. from loop knot to end. They are made with glass beads in faceted green and white spacers.

A tutorial will follow shortly (With pictures)

Knitting jewelry... No not Jewelry that is knit, but jewelry for your knitting!

2009-11-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

I have been struck with the inspiration to make stitch markers...lots and lots of stitch markers! Check them out. I will be selling them (When I get my etsy store up and running) in sets of 5 for $3.00. I have sold these sets of 5 for $5.00 at local markets and to LYS's for their stitch marker selections, so my Etsy store is the way to go. Check it out!

New projects on the horizon...

2009-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

In light of my dear mum's birthday, I have decided to take on that new and scary world of socks! Having never knitted socks, nor managed to finish a crochet pattern for socks in the past, I am hoping that a single pair of loom knit tube socks will not prove too evasive for my patience.

Now, lets get a sense of who I am crafting for. My dear mum is a very hard working woman. She owns a furniture and antique store in a small farm town in Central Oregon. She lives in a small home with a wood stove, and no electric or propane heat. If you know anything about Oregon winters, you'll know they are erratically random. One winter, you will see inversions where the temperature on the mountain is higher than down in town, and others where you only get 3 or 4 snowfalls the entire winter.

Likewise, if you have ever had a severe injury, or surgery on a joint or major limb, you will know that cold weather is not the greatest thing for the pain. My mom has had more than a dozen knee surgeries, and coming up on half a dozen foot surgeries. Last winter, temps fell below 5* F at night, and only rose as high as 30*F on some days. At the time, My husband and I were living with my mom on her property in a 5th wheel camp trailer. I understand only a fraction of how the temps can effect previous injuries (having only had 1 surgery and none of my sprains, breaks, or fractures can even compare to hers).

I have started my loom knit tube socks on the Knifty Knitter Blue 24 peg loom with double strand of Lion Brand Homespun yarn in Lagoon and Waterfall.

So...with the pattern, here we go!

Cast on with what you feel comfortable with, I have chosen the e-wrap cast on.

Row 1-10: E-wrap around
Row 11: Bring bottom loops up (As if making a brim) and knit over
Row 12-35: e-wrap
Row 36: bind off with gathered cast-off method, if you choose (too lessen the bulk at the toes) move every other loop to its neighboring peg and knit off before gathering.

This is made much like a very TALL hat.

Pictures will be posted as soon as I finish them...but I keep getting distracted, good thing I have 2 of that size loom, right?

Insomniac creations attack

2009-10-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

It is nearly 3 am Pacific Time, and I can not sleep. I had a spark of inspiration, and can not break it down. so, here I am, blogging the process as I develop it.

Planned project: Loom knitted angel with wire beaded halo, and ribbon wings.

My husband just pointed out that I kinda have to start the knitting part of it to finish the angel, blogging won't get her done. So, off to knit!

Materials:
KK Flower loom (with pegs firmly in place)
Knitting hook of your choice
Homespun in Waterfall (or color of your choice)
1/2 to 3/4 in false pearls
wire earring hoops
white or silver small gauge beads
silver, white, or light blue transparent wired ribbon
small amount of polyfil or other stuffing of choice
small amount of fishing line
small amount of contrasting ribbon or yarn to accent the angel
small amount of sewing thread or beading string and small needle
hot glue and glue gun
tapestry needle
scissors
a glass of wine (or preferred crafting drink)
Some music, or TV or company to keep your mind working.

Currently drinking I am drinking hot tea, listening to husband writing a book and rats try to become acrobats.

1. Using 2 strands as 1 throughout, e-wrap cast on all pegs.
2. E-wrap knit for 3 inches.
3. When you reach 3 inches, weave the small length of ribbon or yarn through her stitches (the rows of stitches, the vertical ones)weave around twice so that there is no row without ribbon on the outside. DO NOT tie this off yet, just leave it be.

4. E-wrap another 1.5 in. of knit
5. Bind of with the gather method. Pull yarn inside and weave in ends.

6. Turn up-side-down, and push a small amount of the filling into the top, cinch up the ribbon so that it is tight and tie a decorative bow, or leave hanging down the back.

7. Now, set your angel body aside. Grab up your earring hoops and white or silver beads. Put as many beads onto the hoop as you can while still being able to clamp them closed.
8. Grab up your wired ribbon. Cut about 12-15 in of ribbon (yes you will need this much).
9. Fold both ends into the center, running stitch this connection point to the center of the ribbon.

10. Cinch up the wings and sew them to the back of your angel.

Intermission, just making sure we are on the same page, if your angel has a hard time standing, pull at her skirt a bit to bell out the shape, it will begin to curl up naturally.

Are we good? Great…

11. Using your hot glue, glue a pearl onto the top of your angel body.
12. Glue on the halo behind the head and clean up your glue strings

If you choose to keep her as a table decoration, leave her as she is, if you want her as an ornament; tie a length of fishing line or beading string just above the wings. You could even glue her skirt to a small round mirror to give her a firmer base to stand on.

Hope you enjoy!

This is my own design and is not to be used for sale. You may use this pattern for your own use in teaching or decorating and for church events and charity.

Oh, and please leave comments, I'd love to hear what you think.

WIP

2009-10-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the projects I am working on...tonight at least...

A honeycomb scarflet for Missy's best friend, I told her mother that I would make her a Christmas gift in Missy's stead.

A tattoo design in Missy's memorial...

I will post updates as they come. Thanks for check out the blog.

Oh....and here is a hat I made a few weeks ago, now I gotta remember how i made it so I can post a pattern. Add that to the list.

So Much to DO, So Little Time to Do It! (wow...that was cliched)

2009-10-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have decided to participate in a local craft bazaar. There is only 1 problem, I only found out about it this week...so I haven't prepared anything. AHHHHHHH! There is only one me, and way too many things to do, along with keeping up in school. So, I will blog my way along here, and if anyone has any suggestions along the way, please let me know.

Chaos organized...kinda

2009-10-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

I have started to teach my roommate to knit. Sounds great and all, right? No. No he is obsessed. Again, sounds great, right? No. My husband works nights at a local bar. Now when David is at work, Tom thinks that it is our time to "bond" he comes into my room and tried to get me to knit with him. Because I let him use my yarn stash, and my looms, and ask questions, he seems to think that gives him free reign of the whole house, my room included. So he is using my KK Pink long (not...so...long...long) loom. He made a scarf, it is double strand worsted weight in purple and black, he is making it for his mom. A loving thought, really... but now he is spending his money on yarn and chew instead of video games and chew...and I still haven't seen a penny in rent. For two months. Or gas for all the Taxi-ing I am doing. I think I'm done. I think I'm gonna have a talk with the hubby, away from the creepy roommate. And I think that the hubby is going to...kindly... put him in his place...not in my house.

In other news... I dreamed up a stuffed animal...then when I woke up, I knitted him. Well kinda. It is a jelly fish, but he only has 2 tentacles right now, I got board of knitting his little legs. He is blue and furry..kinda...ish. I'll post pics and a pattern when I finish him. Stay tuned.

As for now, I'm going to go watch Battlestar Galactica until I go pick up David.

In honor of Missy

2009-10-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

I had started knitting to make Missy chemo caps to keep her head warm during treatment. She asked me to teach her to knit when she got better. When she knew she wasn't getting any better, she asked me to knit for her friends at the hospital and the homeless folks that didn't have caring families like hers. I never got the chance to teach her to knit, so I am donating my time and talents for her to our local VA. I have donated 3 hats so far (forgot to take pictures) and plan on taking another 6 or 7 on Monday. I told her while she was lying on her death bed (I do not know if she could hear me or not) that I would donate at least a dozen to the homeless every year in her name. She was such a loving young girl. Her heart went into everything.

Here are a few of the Hats I am donating next week.

I plan on making about 10 more, but will donate them closer to Christmas. It is time soon to start of family gifts. Also, I got my roommate, Tom, to start knitting. more on that soon. Love ya Missy, never forgotten.