Pumpkins and Lions

I have two FOs for you today!!! (OK, so they're two of the same thing, but that still counts, right?)

I had a little bit of a dumb moment with the ribbon. When I was cutting it, I just held it around the pumpkin and guesstimated how long it needed to be. I figured I needed eight pieces of ribbon for each pumpkin, so when I did the math, I would have run out of ribbon. I really only needed four per pumpkin, because each piece covered two grooves. Whoops! I'm really happy with how these turned out, and I got them delivered on Saturday, with plenty of time to spare.

I also worked on the Harry Potter cross stitch:

I might be able to finish this one today. But no promises.

Come on. You know you want to . Go make a Hallowig. You can probably even do it by Wednesday. Go!

To Do To Start:

• the house emblems on my HP cross stitch
• handsew a zipper to the brown skirt
• sew on ten sequins every day I work on these other things 

FO-Embroidered Bird Bag!!!!

Ahhh! I'm so excited!

The embroidered bird bag is done! Here's a close up:

Even though I didn't intend to do this project, I am very happy I did. This is my first ever embroidery project, and I am super pleased with the result! Members of my household with no interest whatsoever in crafty things (yeah, men) were impressed, which is always a good sign! I think it will make a great gift.

Once I finished, I jumped right in to my next project, the cross stitch ornaments. After reading through the instructions on the kit (right, because I did that first.....) I determined I needed to draw 4x4 squares:

And cut them out:

Before starting. The first one is going to a cat lover, and luckily, there's one featuring a cat. Perfect! I'll probably start that some time this weekend.

Yesterday, I was feeling a little grumpy with my two WIPs (bird bag and M&M dishcloth) so I decided a brand new project would cure me of it. Instead of picking a pattern and making some kind of doodad that would cheer me up and put me back on track, I decided to go crazy and make my own thing. It didn't go well:

I actually just took this picture because I thought it looked like a little girl's apron.

I was trying to make a little pleated bag, but the opening was to small for the rest of the bag:

It has wings, for crying out loud!

So once I take it out of time-out, I will reshape it into a little pouch, and if I'm feeling generous, add a zipper. At this point, some kind of snap is more likely.

I have been in a super good mood today, because yesterday I bought the Star Trek soundtrack and put it on my iPod. It makes everything an adventure! :)

My Crafty Christmas To-Do List

• buy supplies for, and make, two etching projects
• buy yarn for, and make, a mohawk hat (I have a printed pattern, I just can't find the link right now)
• make two more (better) globe knot necklaces
• make four cross stitch ornaments
• finish the M&M dishcloth (this could take a while, since I have to mess with the pattern too)

Where to Now?

Hi guys! I had an awesome vacation, and I'm sure you're all sick of lists, but I have a few more for you.


First, just a few updates regarding things I mentioned last week:

• I threw away the wrap bracelet. It was ugly, and annoying, and it wasn't working right, so I set it up on a blind date with my trash can.
• I did a little bit on the bird bag, and I'll have a picture of that tomorrow. Most likely.
• I made a tiny globe knot necklace! (Confused? Go look here.)

I used a drawstring from a pair of shorts, and a random white marble I dug around for. Three problems: the cord is too thin, the marble is to big, and the obvious one involving cord length. The video didn't specify where in the cord to start, nor did it show it's full length, so I just started in the center and hoped for the best. It didn't work out so well, so I had to glue the two ends together:

OK, I swear I took a picture of it glued. Just take that picture, and imagine the two ends glued and twisted. That's right, twisted. I wore heavy garden gloves, and I actually didn't burn myself! (I was surprised too!) I am planning on putting a flower or other doodad over the spot I glued, and I'll be all done.

Now here is a project that is so crazy I should be locked up for even considering doing it:

It looks innocent enough, doesn't it? Doesn't really look like a project either.... How about some back story?

 This comes from me doing something I have never done before. This weekend my family stayed in a house owned by my aunt and uncle, along with many other assorted family members. My uncle took a few of my cousins and I garage-saling. It was quite the experience, but I did pick up this skirt. Let's take a closer look:

Do you see the project yet? I'm re-sewing all the sequins back on. Yes, I am completely insane. Here's why (about the sequins, not my insanity):

Can you see?

How about now? All the sequins are strung together! (Well not all of them; there is more than one piece of thread.) This means if one sequin goes, they all go. In fact, a whole bunch already have. So I'm going through and painstakingly unthreading and re-sewing Every. Single. Sequin. And there's a whole bunch. This will be one of the only things I will do, once I really get into it, so I'm thinking about keeping it packed away until I finish with Christmas. Speaking of which....

My Crafty Christmas To-Do List

• buy supplies for, and make, two etching projects
• buy yarn for, and make, a mohawk hat (I have a pattern, I just can't find the link right now)
• finish the embroidered bag
• find a pattern and yarn for an M&M dishcloth, then make it. I had a pattern I liked, but the blog disappeared! There's another one I have seen, but I don't like it. Hmmm, how hard would it be to make my own?
• make two more (better) globe knot necklaces
• come up with two more really great ideas, because there are two more people on my list!

That's it! Just a hat, a dishcloth, two fifteen minute necklaces, some etching, and some mysteries!

BO is now FO!

And by BO I mean Branching Out, not Body Odor. And by FO, I mean FINISHED OBJECT!!!! Yay! I finished Branching Out, and I am super happy with it! I had a few problems, most of them involving my inability to count, but I still really like this pattern. Here it is:

All I have left to do is block it, which I am a little nervous about, but hopefully that will go well and I can do one of those awesome photo-shoots-on-a-bush. I'm really excited to have my first completed lace project!

Yesterday I made this bookend

from a cardboard box. It isn't perfect, but I think it's good enough, at least until I can go for a second try.

I also made a little ornament from an empty sprinkle bottle and some beads. Plus a ton of hot glue.

Here is an update on my list:


1. the Zigzag Lace Scarf from Persnickety Knitter
2. this Mohawk Hat
3. another Branching Out
4. another Zigzag Lace Scarf


Have a great day!

Underestimations

I have seriously underestimated myself. By a lot. I have two FOs to show you from this weekend, and I didn't think I would have one. Here they are:

The Magnificent Mantle was made using this pattern from Crochet Kitten. I used a Pound of Yarn in Rose. (I think. I do know that it's pink!) The yarn I have left is about equal to a skein of Red Heart Super Saver, which is nice, because now it fits with the rest of them. The only modification I made is that I didn't do the last two rows, because I didn't want the scallops. Other than that, I followed the pattern exactly, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

For the Apple Cloth, I did exactly what she told me to, but then I got to the second page of the pattern (Row 49, I think) and I was missing a stitch! I have no idea where it went. None at all. Since I was so far I was not ripping back, because who knows how far I would have had to go! So I just took out a purl stitch at the end of each row (ex for the end of Row 51, I did p7 instead of p8) and it turned out just fine. It only took me a few hours on Saturday evening, and I have another Christmas present completed! Here it is blocking, which is a much better representation of the color:

I didn't do anything yesterday, since I was celebrating Father's Day, but I think I will start something today. Here's my list:

1. the Three Crosses Cloth from Knitting Knonsense
2. Branching Out, from Knitty
3. either another Branching Out or the Zigzag Lace Scarf from Persnickety Knitter (it depends on how much I like the Branching Out pattern)
4. the Apple Dishcloth from Knitting Knonsense
5. the Sailboat Dishcloth from Knitting Knonsense (the picture doesn't show up for me, but I have seen it before)
6. another Hug Scarf from Knitty

I don't have the yarn for the Hug Scarf or the Three Crosses Cloth, so that leaves Branching Out or the Sailboat Dishcloth. Hmm..... I don't know what I'll pick, but you guys will see tomorrow!

Magnificent Mantle Update

Hey guys! I have been working away on the Magnificent Mantle, and I am up to Row 13. It is taking  a lot longer than the other rows for this part, but I am about a fourth of the way done. Here's what it looks like now:

This is what the lace pattern looks like up close:

It's really pretty, but I'll probably have to block it out. As you can see in the top picture, it's a little scrunchy! I had to pull on it a little bit for this picture. I think this is going to be really pretty when it's done! (Which may or may not be some time next week. I'm thinking may, since I only have a few more rows left.)

I also printed out the pattern for the Apple Dishcloth, so I will probably start that some time tonight or this weekend. I have everything I need, so at this point it's a matter of how interesting the next few rows of the MM are! :)

I hope you all have a great weekend, and I will talk to you on Monday!

Baby Blanket? Or Afghan?

Hey guys! Yesterday I mentioned that I had an idea for the baby blanket, and I'm going to give some details in this post. All colors mentioned can be found on this site.

Right now, I have the one four-square, which is made in Monet and either Light or Spa Blue. (see yesterday's post for that) I had the idea that I could make some more, then join them all together to make an afghan. I'm thinking I would need six four-squares to make it a nice size. These color combinations use yarn I already have, and would just need a little bit more of:

1. Monet and Light/Spa Blue
2. Ocean and Light Blue
3. Cherry Chip and Coffee

I'm not sure if I should do solids:

1. Coral and Real Teal
2. Cornmeal and Orchid
3. Magenta and Delft Blue

Or variegated:

1. Purple Tone and Medium Purple
2. Green Tones and Tea Leaf
3. Pink Tones and Perfect Pink

I really do like those color combos, so I might just do all of them in variegated yarns. (To clarify, I mean each four-square will have two solid, two variegated.)

Please comment with your opinions, and if you have better ideas for the colors (because I'm sure you do). I hope you have a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!

FO-Tree Skirt!!!!

Oh my gosh!!!!! I'm done, done, DONE!!!!!!

The tree skirt ended up being about fifty inches in diameter-maybe a little less, but still, more than enough. OK, details. 

This is mostly my spontaneity, but it started out being an actual pattern. It has disappeared from Crochet Pattern Central, but since I only used the first row, I think it's OK. After that, I was just increasing on the fly, trying to make it lie flat after each row. When I got to the home stretch, I did a row of single crochet, (it was half-double crochet for almost all of it) then shells. I used the shells from Planet June's Easy Rose pattern. I'm pretty sure I used it exactly but I wasn't looking at the pattern while I did it (just a quick glance before I started) so who really knows? Here's a close-up:

I think it looks really pretty, and certainly better than if I had just left it raw. The overlap, however, did not fare so well:

It looks kind of nasty, but I'll just tell my mom that part goes in the back. :) And finally, here it is, all folded and ready for storage until Mother's Day, which is when my mom is getting it:

I'm thrilled to have this done! And I bet you guys are thrilled you won't have to listen to me complain about it anymore!

Have a great day!

Tree Skirt News Channel

OK, so I was supposed to post this yesterday:

I'm going to change things up a bit today, order-wise, and do the tree skirt first. I'm super excited; I got four rows done on Tuesday! That's right, FOUR! So now, I have a very good chance of finishing the entire thing by next Monday! 

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(Up until this point, it will be HDC all the way, with a few increases thrown in here and there. 21 will be SC to set up for the shells, which will be Row 22.)

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I'm not going to photograph it until I'm to the end of the HDCs, which is three more rows, so here it is, an inch and a third shorter than it really is:

Obviously, I never finished that post, so here is today's news:

Oh my gosh!! I am on the shells! Totally, completely done with HDC for maybe forever. It is such a good feeling! I am hoping to finish today, but the shells take a lot longer than the HDC. A lot. I am a third of the way done, maybe? I've got my fingers crossed! And the obligatory chart:

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(Up until this point, it will be HDC all the way, with a few increases thrown in here and there. 21 will be SC to set up for the shells, which will be Row 22.)

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 As soon as I finish (and by "as soon as" I mean after I've jumped up and done screaming and danced a little jig) I'm going to work on the baby blanket. OOH!!!! I'm so made at myself. I went to Michael's the other day, and I got everything I needed except baby blanket yarn! ARGH! Okay, I'm going to go do some amazing crocheting. Hopefully, I'll have a FO post sometime tonight! Have a great day!

It's spring!

I know it's been spring for a while now, but I'm really starting to feel it this week. Spring cleaning (lot's of it), warmer weather, birds, bugs, and all kinds of flowers are making their way into everything. Since this month is Records and Information Month, I thought I would share how I organize my crafty stuff!

First up, yarn. YARN!!!! OK, so I have this big white thing that I hold stuff in. Mostly yarn. I don't know how to explain it, but maybe you can see from the pictures. I have the yarn sorted by colors: cool, warm, and neutral. (I got a few skeins of Sugar 'n Cream today, so I pulled everything off anyway. I wouldn't just randomly do this. I swear.)

This is all my warm yarn. It's mostly pink, despite the fact that pink is one of my least favorite colors! (can you see the white metal thing?)

I have a lot of cool yarn. Mostly blue, and it barely fits into one compartment... Is that a bad thing? :)

I have about the same amount of neutral yarn as warm, or maybe a little more. I also have the partial Pound of Yarn attached to the tree skirt.

I also keep most of my fabric in one of the sections. It's mostly fleece, from when I made about a bazillion 18x18" fleece pillows. By hand. I was a little crazy!

This is a really big binder. It has a lot of pockets and secret hiding spots in it. Well, they're not really secret, but that's not the point. I have all of my swatches (that would be a total of one) in one pocket, but mostly I use it to organize ball bands! 

This is something I recently started doing, maybe in August or September? Before that point, I didn't know what those were for.... at all. But now I do, so I cut them out (carefully) and glue them into this notebook, sometimes with one edge flapping up so I can read the back, sometimes with the back rewritten on the page. In total, I have about five pages filled.

I keep that binder on a bookshelf with my craft books next to it. 

I also have bins with my WIPs or random FOs and general supplies (you can kind of see the latter at the left edge of the picture).

And finally, my sewing machine gets a little cupboard all to itself. And the instruction manual. And the pedal and spare bobbins. But other than that, all to itself. 

Alright, that's all for that! (Just a note, if you think there's a lot of pictures now, when I first wrote this there were about two or three times as many. But then I trimmed it down, and the only "fluff" picture left is my blue yarn, because I wanted you to see how much there is!)

****We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post.****

Here is a picture of the monstrosity:

(It's getting kind of hard to photograph this thing!)

My goal is to have all the HDCs done by next Monday. That's 7 rows in 6 days, plus maybe a little of tonight. I'm not sure how well that's going to work out, but here's a look at the chart:

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(Up until this point, it will be HDC all the way, with a few increases thrown in here and there. 21 will be SC to set up for the shells, which will be Row 22.)

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We'll see! As for other things, not much as been happening. I've really been concentrating on the tree skirt. Toodles!

What is with this month?

For a while, March zoomed by. And now that I have something to look forward to in early April, oh no. No way would the world be nice enough to keep sucking March away. It's now dragging! A lot! But I have my yarn to keep me company, so life's good!

Hmm, tree skirt first today? I've done some more. Maybe, three rows more? No, just two. (OK, I can work with two....)

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(Up until this point, it will be HDC all the way, with a few increases thrown in here and there. 21 will be SC to set up for the shells, which will be Row 21.)

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I could maybe buckle down and finish this before the end of March as planned, (before the extra was added on) but you wouldn't hear from me, and neither would the rest of the world. As appealing as that is..... I have things that must be done. Lots of 'em. I probably ought to end this post soon. So I can crochet. But I have some shocking news:

I worked on the baby blanket. 

(cue thunder, lightning, and all sorts of cool stuff.)

No pictures today. There is no visual change to either project, plus I want to go crochet now! Have a nice afternoon/evening!

Be creative today!

Today is Make Your Own Holiday Day, so I thought it would be a good day to link to some DIY tutorials.

Knitting:
-A woven wool rug from diy Network. This is pretty simple, but very neat! It would make a good stashbusting project, too.

Sewing:
-This is for sewers, but you need some power tools too! Here is a tutorial, also from diy Network, on how to make a flip top counter for your sewing machine. Ugh, I can't explain it, just go look!
-A cool button bracelet from diy Network (again. I kind of looked around on this site for way too long........)

Miscellaneous:
-It's one of those stepping-stone things from, you guessed it, diy Network.

I did some serious work on the tree skirt this weekend. I got four rows done on Saturday, and three yesterday, bringing me to 7 total rows on the new chart. 

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(Up until this point, it will be HDC all the way, with a few increases thrown in here and there. 21 will be SC to set up for the shells, which will be Row 21.)

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I got it to lay flat again! However, the edge isn't cooperating as well as I'd like, so I'm going to have to start increasing a little bit more.

I also finished something:

Yep! The felt doll is all done, after a disastrous attempt at the face. It was so awful, I had to cut off the hair and reattach it to the other side of the head to cover it up. Then I very carefully redrew the face, and while it wasn't as good as my practice (oh the irony), it looks fine, I guess. Here's what the hair looks like now:

And a closeup:

This picture took me way too long to get right. I was trying to show how the threads attached it to the head make it look like the hair is done in some kind of intricate braid or something. I think it's pretty cool, but apparently, my camera disagrees!

A little closer to her face, and I'm done! I'm happy to get this one of the list, because it shouldn't have taken as long as it did. I just have a (well justified) fear of drawing faces!

Be careful!

Today is Near Miss Day, marking the day (3/23/12) an asteroid came very close (within 500,000 miles) of hitting the Earth. This made me think of the day the dinosaurs weren't so lucky, so today's Bizarre Holiday links will be all about dinosaurs.

Knit:
-Dinosaur Hand Puppet from Knitting from the Heart. (You have to go to the sidebar and click on the link.)
-A seamless dinosaur from At Knit's End

Crochet:
-An adorable baby dinosaur pattern from My Skills Guide
-A really neat baby triceratops from somewhere. Yep, it's from somewhere. So helpful.

Sewing:
-It's a dinosaur, but I have no idea where it's from.

It's a mustache on a string! It doesn't work very well, so I may wear it as a necklace! Either way, I'm calling this one done.

It's the tree skirt! I have absolutely no idea what happened to that picture, but at least it's a new one, right? As I mentioned earlier this week, there was a..... misunderstanding about the size my mother wanted, so I did some measuring and I now have a final row count. (I didn't do the math, because my increases will be based off of how ruffly it looks.) 

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(Up until this point, it will be HDC all the way, with a few increases thrown in here and there. 21 will be SC to set up from the shells, which will be Row 21.)

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I have done Row 1, and I'm almost done with Row 2, so I'm going to finish! I can feel it! Oh, and I wanted to mention that yesterday I managed to get it to lie completely flat. I was super excited, so I did a couple of increases in Rows 1 and 2.

Have a nice day!