Knitty Gritty Thoughts

The first of the hand-mades

**First - my ball tutorial was featured on Elle Decor España! How exciting!)**

Well I'm nothing if not predictable (or is that unpredictable?)  -  as soon as I get a list together I get distracted by making some other pretty, shiny thing and go off on another craft tangent.

In this case I was distracted by the cold.  Abby really needed some warm pants and I can never seem to keep socks on that girl so I wanted to make them extra long to cover her toes and extra wide to cover her cloth diapers.  I picked up a few wool sweaters from my local goodwill and felted them.  The wool when felted creates a super warm material that keeps out most cold winds so she can stay snug and warm when outside on our walks.

The first sweater became two pairs of pants.  1 pair was made from the body of the sweater using Anna Maria Horner's super cute book - Handmade Beginnings.

I modified it slightly by only making a single layer instead of a double and cutting down on the seam allowance because of the thickness of the sweater and to increase the room for the cloth diapers. I also cut out the back contrasting part.  This is a great, very basic pants pattern.  I've already made about 5 pairs of pants from this pattern and I really like how fast they come together.

The second pair of pants was made out of the sleeves of the felted sweater.  I had been dying to try this super cute tutorial here and it actually was really easy.  I think once I got started it took less than 30 minutes for a pair of pants.  There is another super cute tutorial here that I'm going to try with my next sweater. 

Next I finished weaving in the ends of a pair of super warm stripey baby socks.  I knit them out of the BT shelter yarn and wanted to use it as a practice piece for doing jogless stripes in the round (link to youtube video)  These were a really basic sock.  I used 3.25mm DPN's and cast on 32 stitiches.  There is a K2P2 ribbing for an inch and a short row heel with regular sock toe like my plain vanilla pattern.  I hand-felted them slightly when I was finished for extra cosy-ness.

I also finished a set of plastic bag holders for a Christmas gift for my Grandma.  I'm not much of a plastic bag collecter myself, I try to use reusable bags as much as possible but she loves collecting them and had requested a holder. 

I thought these turned out cute.  If you'd like to make something similar there is a tutorial here.  I make mine slightly different.  I make them wider and shorter and add an extra row of stitching to the top to create a ruffled edge.  They are super cute and very very easy to sew.  If you're looking for something quick to create for someone on your list, this is it!

While I've been busy making things, Abby has been playing along with her new super cute set of handmade wool Matryoska dolls from Kathleen.  K actually designed the pattern herself and they are adorable.  They are perfect for baby grips and light for throwing.  You can see her pattern on ravelry here.  I have very fond memories of these types of dolls.  I used to have set when I was young from Russia I believe and it was one of my favorite things to play with.

Happy Making!  Hopefully I can get a lot knocked off my to do list this weekend! =)

Starting to go crazy :: Holiday Style

It's official -- I feel like I'm starting to lose my mind.

I was so proud of myself this year - I had finished all of my Christmas shopping early, before Thanksgiving and was feeling so proud of myself.  Nevermind I forgot I was planning on doing a mostly hand-made Christmas and most of those hand-mades haven't even been started!

So of course, I had to start something new -
a little handspun hat for me using the Madtosh Slouch Pattern. 
Such a fun knit!
Hanging out with is my favorite bag of all time. 
A gorgeous Freda leather bag hand-crafted by my friend Joanna
and purchased from her awesome etsy shop. 
Get thee over there to drool at all the amazing designs! :)

I feel like the list keeps going on and on.  I'd love to -

Make a stocking for Abby's 1st Christmas - (plans are in mind for colorwork/reindeer design using some more Shelter yarn I purchased.  Something like her dad's stocking but rework the gauge for the yarn and make it bigger.  Too much thought process involved, argh!)

Knit Advent Calendar - (this one is a biggie.  I have 5 stockings done.  If I can just do 1 stocking a day I can make it.  Nevermind I barely have 1 hour a day to knit.  Let alone sew.)

Knit a hat for Hubby - (I knit him a hat every year.  Here's one of the previous year's version.  Now if I can just sit down and do it!  He has a big head!)

Make a bender for Hubby's stocking - (He's been bugging me for years about this bender doll.  I have no idea how to amigurumi or even how to spell it but I need to figure it out prior to Dec 24th!)

Make a toy ball for Abby - (I saw these super cute balls on etsy and found the tutorial here.  I can't wait to make a minkee material ball for her.  She loves watching me toss things in the air.)

Sew zip pouches for Mom and Grandma - (I got a start on these here.  Now to finish.)

Figure out handmade goodies to put in advent calendar - (Any ideas??)

Re-do the lining of Hubby's stocking so it's more stretchy - (Right now it won't fit anything!)

Sew all the wrapping paper using my leftover fabric and using the Japanese art of Furoshiki(!)  - Wrapping gifts with fabric.  You can get the idea of what it is over here.  And here's a neat link to the Japanese Ministries image of How-To's)

I'd also like to make potholders.  Oh yea and make some more fabric balls. 

Make heat pads filled with flax seed for Hubby's Dad

Knit a handspun hat for MIL.

I'm enjoying my new super fabulous fabric weights from this etsy shop. 
Ruth is super talented!

And the list goes on and on!  I'm crazy, I will never get this all done.  And in the meantime, I really need to sew Abby some more diapers and make a few bibs - she's 6 months so we're starting on solids!

Getting Crafty :: Making your own clock

Cleaning out my craft room the past few weeks I've come across quite a few old craft materials.  Most of them go straight into my donation bin but in the bottom of a box I found two old, empty wooden embroidery hoops and I was struck with inspiration to create a pretty handmade clock for my craftroom.

I'm pretty proud of this creation and couldn't wait to share it with you.

It was fairly easy to create, 2,  9 inch embroidery hoops, 1 fat quarter of fabric (from the lovely cicada studios that I've been saving for over 2 years), heavy weight iron on interfacing, timtex for a heavy duty backing, glue gun, wood glue and the best part, a clock making kit!

The steps were fairly straightforward - iron interfacing to fabric, attach fabric to first hoop, glue second hoop to the back (to create a extra deep pocket for the clock mechanism), put in timtex in back.  Punch a small hole and put clock mechanism in.  Attach numbers to fabric and voila!  your own crafty fabric clock. 

 Easy peasy!  Now I always know what time it is in my craft room and I get to stare at one of my favorite pieces of fabric all day!  Perfect project for a small bit of prized fabric!

Pillows, hats, wristlets and more!

Since I'm still here, still pregnant I thought I'd pop in and share with you what I've been working on...

 

There's another easy-peasy newborn hat for the baby, now with stripes!  The free pattern I shared is here and you can queue it up in ravelry here.  The stripey yarn is yarntini in cheertini.  I love stripey yarn - it's my one major weakness!

It all started when I saw these beautiful pillowcases here.  I immediately started scheming how to figure out how they were made, so I could make a few of these beauties for myself.  Luckily, I found a really fun crochet/sew-along to make them.  You can find the whole great tutorial here.  I made a big stack of pillowcases, some with edging and some without and have a whole pile more in progress.  It's a great stashbuster, it uses up a lot of fabric.  The folksy set I made for the master bedroom. 

If you tweak the tutorial and shorten the pillowcase measurements by approx 2 inches you can a set of pillowcases out of a yard of fabric of the main and contrasting colors.  Much closer to the way I stash than the 1 1/8 required by the tutorial.  Plus, the pillowcases were a little large for my pillows, so shortening just made everything fit better.

And, last but certainly not least I spun up some more yarn.  This is 100% superfine CASHMERE top and it's oh so yummy and luscious.  I spun 2 ounces which got me about 125 yards.  I'm currently knitting this super cute free pattern for wristlets out of it.  So yummy!

Hexagons Galore!

I've been single-mindedly focused lately on many crafty projects.

I don't know why, but I feel like when the baby comes I'm not going to have time to craft for ages so I've been stuffing every single crafty project I've ever wanted to make in the last 2 years into the last 2 weeks. =)

I've been finding a lot of interest and comfort lately in putting my feet up and hand-sewing with my hexagon sewing kit.  I love how minimalistic the supplies are.  A few templates, some pins, fabric scraps, needle, thread and scissors.  (Pouch handmade by Joanna)

One of the things I've been playing with is using up all the little bits of scraps.  Everytime I have 3 inches or smaller scrap I cut it down into 2.5 or 1.5 inch squares to make hexagons.  Quite a pile was piling up!

I started a mini wall quilt for the babies room using left over scraps from the zigzag quilt -here's how it's coming together so far.

I've also been making some pretty hexagon coasters - my new favorite thing!

You can make one too if you'd like -

You'll need a hexagon flower top handpieced - there are 6 petals and 1 center fabric.  These are the 1 inch hexagon template size.

You'll also need 100% wool felt for the backing (I love getting mine from here) and some batting for the middle.

Place the layers as follows - put the felt backing right side facing to the hexagon flower.  Place the batting on the back.

Hand-sew along the edge leaving a 1.5 inch opening.  It will look like the above.  Turn the flower right side out through the opening and iron flat.  Slip stitch the opening closed.  Add handquilting on the top if you wish to emphasize the hexagon shapes (I skipped it).

Add a cup and done!
 

Happy Hand Sewing!

Cleaning out the craft room :: Use what you have

I've  been decluttering in my craft room again.  Every time I have a chance to go back through it, I always seems to find more I can get rid of.  And isn't that the point?  I feel like something that you haven't used since the last time you went through can most likely be gotten rid of now.  Since I haven't touched it in months, am I really using it?

I run into that problem all the time, I see something neat and interesting online, a new tutorial, project or design or doo-dad and buy it!  Then it sits in my craft room waiting for me to get around to using it.

Take these clover yoyo makers for example - remember when they were uber popular like 2 years ago?  Yea- they've been sitting in my craft room untouched since then except to take out and stare at occassionally.  I have a hard time starting things that require me to sit down and actually figure it out for more than 5 seconds and those directions are terrible!  They make my eyes cross. =)

Rather than spending so much time thinking about doing something, I should just put in the time to try it!  And if I finally admit to myself that I don't plan on making the time to doing it anytime soon or I'm not interested anymore I should get rid of it and donate it to someone who will. 

I finally took 20 minutes the other day and grabbed my big scrap bin where all leftover pieces go.  Took my templates, scissors, thread, needle and pincushion, sat down and finally figured it out.

So - so easy!  Been making this way harder in my mind than it needed to be.  And now I'm whizzing through them, and they're piling up around me.

Same goes for this cute little patchwork purse kit from Posie - The Tanglewood Bag.  I bought the pattern and fabric patch kit a year ago and I even sourced vintage scraps from thrift stores and quilt store scrap bins to match.  Cut them up and everything and they've been sitting there ever since, waiting for me to figure out how I wanted to lay out the squares.

Sometimes you just need to dive in, take a chance. 

I'm guilty of letting things psyche me out - if I don't know how to do it, rather than figuring it out, I let it stop me.  Sometimes you just need to start something, pick something, for 20 minutes.  Just sit down, and take a step towards completing.

I'm working hard to get to the point where I only keep things in my house that I plan on using within the next 6 months.  Declutter the rest and keep only what I love and plan to use.

Here's to cleaning out that project closet, overcoming our fears and creating amazing new items.

Sew on!  Sometimes the results amaze ourselves.