Yarn Caddy

I love my cats, but they can cause a lot of problems for a knitting or crochet project with their curiosity of string and their shedding of hair. I found this really easy pattern for making a yarn caddy. I love that it uses a 2-liter bottle and it is a great way to use some scrap yarn.
This crocheted up really fast and I think that it is a great way to keep the yarn you are working with nice and clean and tangle free.

****It has come to my attention that the pattern link for the yarn caddy is no longer available so I typed up a basic version of what I did to make mine.

Remove the bottom of a 2 liter bottle, I used an exacto knife and then re-cut it with scissors to smooth the edge. Punch a hole about every inch around the bottom of the bottle, leaving about 1/2” between the hole and the cut edge, using a standard hole punch. I then crocheted into each hole three times, I just used the crochet hook that was recommended for my yarn (any scrap yarn you have will work). I single crocheted in the round until it measured about 4”. To finish it off I single crocheted one, chained one and skipped a stitch and repeated that all the way around. Then I just crochet a chain and laced it through the holes. (I am not a pattern writer! if you have any questions just leave me a comment and I'll do my best to help.) I love these things and they are so easy to make.****

Etsy Sale, Yay!!!

I'm going to say that this is my first sale, even though it looks like it is my third(the first was to a personal acquaintance and the second was a trade).
My Mokume Gane Ornament will be on it's way to California tomorrow. I'm so excited!!!

Hiding Out

For anyone wondering where I have been, I have been hiding. Actually I have been a little under the weather, but never fear, I have still been crafting. In the past week my crafting ADD has produced this.A stack of record bowls. These are fun and quick, you just put the record in the oven at 250 for a few minutes and once they are soft you shape them. I am also working on a record purse, but so far it is just a stack of jaggedly cut vinyl.
Some crocheted scrubbies made from nylon netting that I bought last weekend at the city wide yard sale.Tawashis that are knitted and crocheted. I had never heard of tawashis until I joined the swap for knitters only at craftster and one of the other swappers mentioned making these with acrylic yarn. After searching the "net" and learning how to read the Japanese patterns these are what I came up with.A crocheted cupcake pincushion made from a plastic bottle cap. As you can see I'm still finishing the ruffle of icing.The start of some pop tab chain maile to make a purse. I purchased instructions from aluminus publishing.And finally, some more shrinky dinks for my swap partner. These are stitch markers and yarn bobbins to hold yarn tails modeled after bread ties. These are a practice run. I had a hard time getting them to shrink without sticking. When I make more I may shrink them with my heat gun so I have more control.

My Eyeball Hat is Finished!

ElectricBlueBird has finished my custom eyeball hat and it is on it's way to me!!!

I can't wait for it to get here. I am sending her my electric pink sparklicious wristlet for the trade.

Finished Back Patch for Crafty Coveralls

I finished my back patch and got is sewn on yesterday. I really like how it turned out although I may have gotten a little carried away with the rhinestones and glitter paint on the mouth.

Once everything dried I carefully cut around the design and ironed some lightweight interfacing on to the back and sewed it on to the coveralls that I bought at my local thrift store. I altered the coveralls by cutting off the sleeves and then dying them with RIT dye in the washing machine. I used one package of purple and one package of red.

I know it looks kind of crooked in the picture, but it really is straight. They are surprisingly comfortable and I think they will make great studio attire that I won't be ashamed to leave the house in.

I'm thinking that the front needs something, like a name patch. I may make one that says "crafty". Anyone have any ideas?

On the Needles

I've been working on Elisa Nest Tote pattern from The Purl Bee, I'm really enjoying it and learning two new techniques: yarn over(yo) and slip slip knit(ssk).

I am finished with the bag portion and now I just need to crochet the sides together and add the straps, this pattern is knitting up fast, even for me!

Back Patch Day 2

I worked on painting my patch a little more today. I just need to finish the bottom banner, add some more high lights/shading and do all the black.
I'm still undecided on the background and I may add a border of either flowers or buttons on the sides. I'm now thinking that I need some sparkle, I have a bedazzler...hmmmmm.

New Project: Back Patch

I bought an old pair of coveralls from the local thrift store a while back. After cutting off the sleeves and dying them a new purply-red color they are now ready for more embellishment. I sketched out what I wanted, I was going for day of the dead meets vintage tattoo. I tried to incorporate a lot of the tools that I use the most and keep it fairly symmetrical.

I traced the design directly onto some muslin using a sharpie marker. When I am done painting it I will cut it out and apply it to the coveralls like a patch.

As you can see I have just started painting it. I'm just using cheap acrylic paint with a textile medium mixed in. I thought that I had kept it pretty simply, but I think this may take me a while to paint. I am also trying to decide if I will paint the background or leave it the natural color of the fabric.

A Swap for Knitters

I have signed up for a Swap for Knitters on craftster and I have been stalking my partner. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to make, now I just need to make a shopping list and get started. I love doing swaps, it's so exciting and it keeps me motivated to keep crafting and to try new ideas

First Trade on Etsy

As I said yesterday I was really in love with this hat in electricbluebirds etsy shop and the more I looked at it the more I knew that I just had to have one(My own version just wasn't going to cut it), so this morning I contacted her about making one for me. I offered to trade or to pay cash and she opted to trade for my electric pink sparklicious wristlet. I'm so excited, I can't wait to have my own crocheted Eye See U hat.

Project: Crocheted hat

I was in the Etsy forums a few days ago and I saw this awesome hat in electricbluebird's avatar and I wanted it so badly, but unfortunately it was already sold. Electric Blue Bird's shop

I decided to try to make one of my very own. I am not an accomplished crocheter and after some advice on pattern reading from my mother I was able to come up with this.

I like how it turned out, but it just isn't as striking as the original. I did use all scrap yarn, so that's a plus. In hindsight I think that using white in the center of the flower was a mistake.

I really admire the originality of this hat and I think I may have to contact electricbluebird and see if she would make one for me.