New adventures

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!

A New Year with New Goals

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.

Knitting and Crocheting Charity Challenge

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!

Need more caffine!

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

Found a UFO, now to convert it to an FO

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.

So...Boxing Day!

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!

Craft fair sucks, but Etsy took off!

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!

Insomniac creations attack

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.