Archive for crafts
January 5, 2006 at 12:48 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
Okay, so I haven’t posted my New Year’s list yet. I’ve been busy knitting.
Yes, I finished Moon’s poncho on New Year’s Day. She put it on when we went on family walkies with Foxxi. It’s sooo soft and warm, and I’m wearing it as I write this. The poncho was supposed to be a coat substitute, because Moon doesn’t use her locker at school (not enough time, too far away, lost the key to the lock) and the kids can’t wear overcoats in class. I mean, they might be concealing an AK-47 in there or something. But ponchos are fine, although I’m thinking a lot of contraband could be hidden underneath. It might be that ponchos are worn mainly by females, and the school district might not consider girls to be a threat.
Anyway, Moon’s not planning to wear it unless it’s really cold, because the classrooms are kept rather toasty. But it’s perfect for wearing in the house, especially when IM-ing and doing other important computer tasks. Which tells you something about our energy conservation practices.
In other news, I cast on a new project from a book I received for Christmas, using brand-new needles which were also a gift. I had some leftover Cascade 220 yarn that was perfect for the pattern. It’s a sling bag, and although I already have two awesome bags, it totally caught my eye. Next week I’ll be away getting feng shui certification, and the bag just seems very feng shui to me. Yes, there will be pictures, but for now you’ll have to look at my cute family.
December 31, 2005 at 6:25 pm · Filed under blythe, sewing
I feel like I’m back in 7th grade home ec class. Fortunately, I seem to be picking up skillz a lot quicker than I did then, because I can already make bobbins and thread my machine without referring to the manual (much). Here I am making my very first stitches on my very first project: a cover for the machine. It came out rather short, but it covers the important parts. I’m going to add a skirt to the bottom as soon as I figure out how.
Today we made a family trip to Target to look at video games and office supplies. After that, Moon generously offered to accompany me to Jo-Ann Fabrics, where there was rumored to be a big sale on cutting supplies and such. I picked up some clearance fabric for future use, a rotary cutter and self-healing mat (40% off!). Then I hauled my sewing machine up to the kitchen table so I could practice on some leftover fleece squares from the no-sew blankets the kids and I made last month.
Soon I discovered that my little practice pieces were the perfect size for Blythe hats. Angelica was grateful, of course. Hats for everyone!
Naturally, the domestic arts will have a role in my top 10 list for the New Year. Too bad I need to bring income into our family, or I’d just stay home all day and make wonky-looking craft stuff. (Tune in tomorrow for my resolution list!)
December 26, 2005 at 1:43 pm · Filed under family, knit/crochet
One of the final touches on our pile of gifts this year was a pair of crocodile mittens for each of the cousins whose names were drawn by our kids. (At the in-laws’, the adults exchange names, and so do the kids.) The larger pair were for Sister #1’s daughter, and as you can see, she’s old enough not to try to eat googly eyes. The other pair were for Camden, the next-to-youngest cousin.
Before we headed for the in-laws’, however, we had our immediate family gift exchange and various church adventures. Pete still directs a choir at the Catholic church he used to attend, and he was scheduled to do music for the Christmas Eve mass. I decided to sing with the choir at my former church, too. We had tofurky for our mid-day meal, and as soon as the sun set, we piled into the car to go see the lights. (Foxxi included.)
My parents, Brother #2 and his wife drove up last Sunday for holiday festivities, as my parents are visiting Brother #1 in Seattle this week. My mom left a small package for each of us to open on Christmas day. Imagine our surprise when we all received …. underwear. Not just any underwear, either. Mine were white cotton granny panties, a size too large. Moon had the same, but with snazzy multicolored patterns. Peter’s were adult men’s briefs, which I’m sure would have come up to his armpits. Pete’s were two sizes too big (and not his preferred brand).
So basically, my mom gave us the gift of laughter for the holidays. And that’s cool. (Plus, we were able to return the errant undies.)
Our other presents were pretty awesome, though. The kids and Pete gave me a sewing machine and a JBL OnStage for my iPod. Now we can hear my tunes all through the house! We gave Moon a video iPod with 60GB memory. I downloaded all her music into it and bought a few music videos for her from the Apple Store. I think she was surprised. Peter got a PSP, and I’m sure he had it all figured out in advance.
Later, when the 20 of us gathered in my in-laws’ living room for gift exchange, Camden showed us that he knew exactly what to do with his new mittens: dominate them!
Pete, Sister #1 and Sister #4 went outside with some of the kids later and built a snowman. Peter hauled his cousins around on a sled and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I put my feet up and watched them all out the window with Moon by my side. It was lovely.
And it was all over so fast. In a few days, 2005 will be but a memory. Merry Christmas!
December 3, 2005 at 11:35 am · Filed under knit/crochet
But first, I must show you the awesome shoes I bought when I was at the Anew Women’s Expo.
The second I saw them, I knew they must be mine. And buying them made my weekend worthwhile, as I was pretty much stuck in my employer’s exhibit booth there and could not enjoy my usual leisure time activities.
Obviously, I managed to check out the other booths, and I was astounded by the number of exhibitors whose businesses were dedicated to improving women’s looks. Not just makeup and diet clinics, mind you … but hair products, salons, and even plastic surgeons. One booth was offering botox on-site. Get yours today and enjoy a $100 discount!
Pete asked me later, “So … where was the booth where they told people ‘You’re fine just the way you are’?” Not at the Women’s Expo, obviously. Brainwashing works, because I caught myself looking in the mirror in the ladies’ room, wondering whether the creases between my eyebrows made me look old.
Okay, no botox for me, but I do admit the laser hair removal place had its appeal.
Now to feast your eyes on my latest work. My Hogwarts scarves are finished! Notice the lack of Slytherin … I’m tempted to make one just to have a complete set. As you may recall, I started with Ravenclaw (for Moon), followed by Hufflepuff (for Peter, although that’s my house), and finally Gryffindor for Pete.
These scarves make me smile, because they are warm and cozy, and a constant reminder of the goodness that is the Harry Potter series of books and movies. Did I mentioned we saw Goblet of Fire the day it came out? We did. And Moon saw it again two days later. In my opinion, it’s the best movie of the series so far. (And I loved Prisoner of Azkaban, so that’s saying something.) I hope that the deleted scenes include a bit more footage of the World Quidditch Cup, because the tent area was so full of interesting visuals that I wanted to slow it down and check it out more thoroughly. I also enjoyed that the movie makes Neville into a dancing enthusiast (note the bravery of being the first to get up and try — very Gryffindor).
But I digress. Here are two quite uncharacteristic knits that were quick and fun to do:
Yes, fun fur! I normally don’t care a whole lot for the stuff, but the yarn jumped out at me when I was shopping at Michael’s for kids’ art supplies. We picked up a few names from the giving tree at church, and the 9-year-old girl we selected had asked for paint-by-numbers or color-by-numbers stuff. She also wants a Hello Kitty nightgown, so I thought a fuzzy scarf might appeal to her. When I was knitting it, I kept stopping to pet it and check out the color changes of the ribbon that was woven with the eyelash yarn. On the other hand, the bunny was a project I had planned months ago, but never got around to doing. When the scarf was finished, I remember the ball of Moda Dea Aerie that I’d put away with the pattern. He’s stuffed with bits and pieces of leftover yarn that I had been saving in a Ziploc bag, so in a way he’s a talisman for my knitting. He’s got a little dab of all of my projects from the past year inside him.
And hey — I’ve been knitting for a year now! November is my knitiversary.
One more observation: I love my nostepinde. My family gave me a ball winder last Christmas, but I had to return it because I had nowhere to clamp it. All our surfaces were too thick. I wound yarn on my fingers until I discovered the nostepinde — which is inexpensive, completely portable, and does the job. Check out the amazing results!
November 11, 2005 at 3:12 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
The Hufflepuff scarf is finis! Peter graciously agree to pose for me. He’s probably more of a Gryffindor (gets in trouble, dislikes rules) but he makes a fine Hufflepuff as well. I used the rest of the scarf yarn to make a short version of Alison’s HiP Scarf. I think I’ll wear it as a headband.
Only one week remains until the Goblet of Fire movie, yay! I started a Gryffindor scarf for Pete. If I manage to finish it in time, we’ll all have something appropriate to wear when standing in line. (We have tickets, but we’ll still stand in line for good seats.)
I also finished my Moebius scarf (I’ve been spelling it incorrectly, I guess). What a fun and quick knit! It was a worthy use of my remaining ball and a half of Noro Kureyon. I also used up a bit of the Lamb’s Pride I had left. Now I know what to do with my odd balls of yarn. The next one I make will be shorter, more like a cowl.
November 4, 2005 at 1:34 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
A while back, I bought the book A Treasury of Magical Knitting. It was fascinating, but a little intimidating. I don’t know how many times I read the page about casting on, going through each step in my mind and trying to picture how it would work.
Today, after getting coffee, vacuuming, paying the bills and balancing the checkbook, I decided to finally give it a shot. As the book warned, the first half round is awkward and tricky. But I kept at it, and lo! I have a project on the needles. Not that I didn’t have anything else to work on.
October 21, 2005 at 12:11 pm · Filed under knit/crochet, moon (rachel)
Yep, I’ve finished the Ravenclaw POA scarf, and I think Moon is pretty happy with it. She wants to be suitably attired for the opening of the Goblet of Fire movie. We’ll be attempting to get tickets for the first day, since school will be out for conferences. I can’t wait. Over the summer, Friday was typically our movie day — I’ve missed going to the theater with the kids.
Moon re-read the sixth book as a warm-up. I’m reading the first book over again, and my plan is to read the second, third and fourth one before November 18. That might be a bit ambitious, but oh well. (I mean, didn’t most of us read Book 6 in 24 hours or less?)
Now I’m working on a scarf for Peter. At first, he was asking for Slytherin colors … but he thought the better of it and went with Hufflepuff instead. (Maybe he was afraid people would throw stuff at him in the movie theater?) I’m really liking the colors and how the stitches show up in the butterscotch areas. I think I might make one of these for myself with the leftover yarn. Hufflepuff is my house, too, you know.
I really like this photo. It makes all those hours of stockinette worthwhile.
October 10, 2005 at 10:01 am · Filed under knit/crochet
This is the thing that has been occupying my evenings and weekends. I pretty much pick it up every time I sit down in the living room.
The scarf will be around Moon’s neck when we see the new Harry Potter movie in November (notice the colors — Ravenclaw, naturally). I’m predicting that I’ll finish it by next weekend. But my needles won’t have a chance to rest, because I’ll be casting on a Hufflepuff scarf for Peter.
It’s easy stuff, but lots and lots of stitches. Let’s see… 90 stitches per round, times 38 rows per repeat, times 11 repeats so far … 37,620 stiches and growing.
September 30, 2005 at 3:52 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
I’m testing out my cool new WordPressDash widget. It’s a beautiful day outside, and I spent a few highly enjoyable hours with Nichole and Kari at Lakeside Fibers. I think it’s the first time I’ve gotten together with anyone expressly for knitting (crocheting, in Nichole’s case). Lakeside just added a coffee bar, and it was lovely to sit outside with a mug and my knitting.
This is exactly why I so love having Fridays off work.
September 24, 2005 at 8:17 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
I figure it’s time to show you some evidence that I’ve been knitting. Some days I only do a row or two, but I daresay I pick up the needles every day.
Bad Penny, which I’m modeling here, took me weeks to finish. First, I broke my size 5 Denise needle when I was coming home from vacation. (Remember that?) Then when the replacement arrived, I became frustrated working in the round using the smallest Denise needles. The cable is nearly as big around, and it was a pain because it was so difficult to slide my work along. I was much happier when I switched to Addi Naturas.
To get gauge, I had to use size 5 for the body of the sweater, and size 3 for the ribbing. Cotton-Ease is a bit thicker than the yarn called for in the pattern. Those little stitches kept me busy through many DVDs, but I was glad to be able to work on baby stuff periodically as a break in the routine.
Speaking of baby stuff, Sister #4 is scheduled to deliver her second baby (and first daughter) in a few days. I decided to make a sweater and some booties for the little one. (Click to see the full-sized photos, of course.)
The pink booties ended up being much bigger than I had expected them to be. SpiritMan says the baby’s 3-year-old brother could probably wear them, but that’s an exaggeration. I’m having trouble visualizing how big baby feet are supposed to be, but I’m guessing they’ll fit in about a year. I decided I needed to make a smaller pair, so I knitted the multicolored ones. They look a little big, too.
Truth be told, I can’t really remember how big newborn body parts are. I have a vague idea of the overall length and heft, but otherwise I’m lost. That’s what happens when you get to the point where your kids can look you in the eye. (And borrow your shoes.)
August 22, 2005 at 8:42 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
No pictures yet, but I’m thisclose to being finished with the baby sweater from the Summer 05 IK. I just need to add the ribbon closure. (The ribbon is in a bag on my dresser.)
With the half ball of yarn left over from the sweater, I started a pair of booties. It was the perfect amount for one bootie, which means I’ll be putting in another Knit Picks order. Of course I’ll need to get some extra stuff so I can spend $30 and get free shipping.
As a quick and easy distraction, I made a Special Companion from some yarn ends in my stash. It was nice using size 10.5 needles for a change, although they felt like baseball bats after not knitting on anything larger than a size 3 for two weeks. I’m using it for SpiritMan’s business cards. I think I’ll knit up a few more – pink would be perfect for my own cards.
In progress: iPod cozy #2 and Bad Penny (awaiting my replacement Denise needle). The weather was nice enough (read: almost fall-like) for me to consider taking out my bulky wool and starting the second sleeve of Banff. But I think I need it to be another 10 degrees cooler first.
August 7, 2005 at 10:10 pm · Filed under knit/crochet, vacation
When I was packing, I had a tough decision to make. Do I put extra needles and yarn into my knitting bag, or should I assume I’ll just work on one project during the flight home? I was only about an inch or so into Bad Penny, so I figured it would be a waste of space to tuck the other stuff into my bag. I left the Addis and the Shine in my checked luggage.
Less than an hour into our flight, I broke a needle. $#%@! Four hours sitting on a plane, with no project between my hands.
I’ve put Bad Penny aside while I send my size 5 needle to Denise for a replacement. I cast on for the super-secret Shine project (okay, a baby sweater for Sister #4’s progeny-to-be) as soon as I finished unpacking.
Murphy’s Law, anyone?
August 5, 2005 at 1:10 pm · Filed under knit/crochet, vacation
I’m sure you’ve noticed that something has been missing from this week’s posts. Yes, I’ve been knitting – did you have any doubt? I actually finished my second sock during the flight (not that I had much left to do – I’d already turned the heel). Here are the twins in their glorious finished state. Of course I brought the first sock along. It didn’t seem right to separate them.
Now I’m working on Bad Penny in blue Cotton-Ease. Unfortunately, I haven’t finished much of it. In my optimism, I brought three balls of yarn PLUS pink sock yarn and two Addi Turbo circulars. They’re all still in the suitcase.
Here’s something else I haven’t shown you. My bodacious knitting bag. She. Is. Awesome. I’ve had many compliments from non-knitters, even though she seems a bit lengthy for a regular purse. The color is perfect. I’m so glad the first Zelda was too small, or I would have never scored the last Molasses Dot Zelda Grand in stock at DreamWeaver Yarns. (Wanna peek inside? I’m sure you do.)
July 29, 2005 at 10:06 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
Of course I knitted an iPod cozy. Are you kidding? After I finished, the openings seemed to call out for a bit more oomph, so I tried out my new single crochet skillz.
The cool thing is that it cost next to nothing. I used up some Kureyon left over from my Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers.
I’ve been buying toys for the Huskie, too. This and this. I think we’re ready for tunes on vacation now. And lots of photo storage.
July 16, 2005 at 9:54 pm · Filed under books, knit/crochet
To the relief of everyone in the house, the new Harry Potter book came in today’s mail delivery. (My shipping confirmation email had indicated an arrival date of July 19, so Moon was a bit worried.) But there was something else in the mailbox as well: a package for me, me, me!
Several weeks ago, I received a mysterious postcard from someone in England. I suspected a RAOK (random act of kindness) on the part of a Knitty forum member. Today’s package was the follow-up. How fun!
Inside was an assortment of Wallace and Gromit characters. (Did you know we own the boxed video set? We do.) Also note the ball of DK wool, which looks perfect for a dying experiment. I also found a silver gel pen in the package after I took this photo. You know, it’s such a rush to get real mail.
In other news, Moon is probably going to finish the Harry Potter book tomorrow, if not tonight. She keeps making little noises and expressions, lamenting that she can’t talk about what she’s reading. I’ll be grabbing the book as soon as she finishes, so she won’t have to be silent for long. Peter picked up Moon’s copy of Order of the Phoenix and is busy reading, too. It’s odd to have such a quiet house on Saturday night.
Here’s another look at one of my favorite knitting icons. Cute, cute, cute.
July 4, 2005 at 5:10 pm · Filed under animals, family, knit/crochet, shopping
- Dragging Pete and the kids to War of the Worlds (despite it not being a Pete-friendly movie). Overlooking my current distaste for Tom Cruise enough to enjoy the kickbutt alien tripods.
- Being sung to by restaurant employees and hoarding my free birthday mug.
- Unwrapping the book I wanted
and a gift certificate to Lakeside Fibers.
- Accompanying Patti (with Peter) to Petsmart to look at the shelter kitties there. Falling in love with a cat named Morty, who is going to come home with Patti in two weeks (yay!).
- Driving around trying to find a good spot to watch Rhythm & Booms. Pulling over and putting the hazard lights on next to James Madison Park. (We weren’t the only ones.)
- Taking my parents to Hubbard Avenue Diner and Olbrich Gardens.
- Trying yet another spectacularly good flavor of Michael’s Frozen Custard (PB Crisp).
- Starting a new knitting project. Ripping a huge chunk after losing my place and creating an inadvertent jog in the lace border.
- Getting the nerve to wash my recently completed T3 sweater, after looking at it nicely folded on the sofa for several days.
- Working on web stuff but obviously not updating my own site.
- Deciding that a lame list will have to do.
June 15, 2005 at 6:24 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
Yep, I finished my One Skein Wonder, and I love it, even though I’m not as cute as Stefanie. I’m also totally enamoured with Lorna’s Laces yarn. Once upon a time, I didn’t think I could wear wool because I was under the belief that all wool was scratchy and uncomfortable.
I never realized wool could be so soft and cushy. The Bazic Wool I used for the trim is pretty comfy, too. (You can see other pictures here and here.)
Now I can wear a tank top to work without breaking any rules.
June 6, 2005 at 4:19 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
Here’s evidence that I was not in bed Saturday morning. Need I say how inspiring the whole experience was? Or how happy I was to be a part of it?
I also have two newly-finished items to wear around my neck: the scarf you see at right, and my second Clapotis in a lovely summerweight bamboo. If you’re so inclined, you can see several photos of each while you’re clicking around at Flickr.
Now I’m working on Glampyre‘s clever One-Skein Wonder pattern, using the lusciously soft Lorna’s Laces shepherd worsted that I bought from Jane. (How ’bout those internets, eh?)
May 6, 2005 at 7:21 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
And now I have a cozy warm wrap to wear during those chilly May evenings. Must admit, I wore it for a while today, even though it must have been 70 degrees out.
I already miss working on the pattern, but the good news is that I have three skeins of bamboo yarn just waiting to become a Clapotis. A summer Clapotis. Because knitting is a year-round activity, don’t ya know.
April 18, 2005 at 3:54 pm · Filed under knit/crochet
I’ve been knitting along with my Himalayan wool/silk, and I’m almost finished with my first skein of yarn. Yay! But I can’t help wondering what a Clapotis would be like with various other yarns. Like, say, bamboo. Specifically, bamboo yarn that I saw marked down 25 percent.
Maybe I need an assortment of Clapotises (Clapoti?).
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