Crafterella

7.30.2010

Three Months Old

I can’t believe it, Little Man is three months old today. Let the embarrassing photos begin! I’ll be squeezing chubby cheeks and watching the little wheels in his head turn as he watches Little Miss and Little Sir, forever trying to catch up.

Probably not the most crafty post, but hey technically I did make him. Have a super crafty weekend!

7.28.2010

So Many Projects and Not One Done

As you know I am usually working on five to fifty projects at a time, but normally I decide what I will be finishing each week to post here and concentrate on those two or three projects. Unfortunately this week things came up that disrupted my crafty time and I don’t have a finished project for today, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’m working on. This is one of the treasures that we rescued on our Forth of July junk shopping trip. I’m trying to make it go with my kitchen vision. So far plan A and plan B were a total failure, but I’m hopeful plan C will work (I also have a plan D, but hopefully it won’t come to that). I am waiting to get supplies for plan C, I’m hoping for a 40% coupon from Hobby Lobby next week. This was what I thought I would have finished today, but now it is just a pile of legs and arms. It’s a doll from the famous Craftster Poppet pattern. I’m thinking I may have this done next week, unless I get distracted (oooooh shiny, yes that really happens to me) or need some special supply that I don’t have. Here is another pile of parts, knitted parts, waiting to be blocked and sewn into many fun little creatures. I have finally restocked my yarn and am back knitting again. Working on number three of four, but thinking I may improvise an extra to make it a family of five.

That’s the main focus of my craftiness this week, I am also working on other things and trying to keep on the cleaning/organizing binge I’ve been on. Now I have to go clean the kitchen, someone knocked over an entire can of soda and there is sticky everywhere, I’d really rather be knitting!

7.26.2010

Spa Bag

So, I was on Ravelry and I found the pattern for The Zakka Pouch (non-ravelry link) from Black Dog Designs and thought it would be perfect to keep my current knitting projects in. I envisioned having several with one project per pouch. I started knitting using some Peaches and Cream cotton and the bag got bigger and bigger, wow, this was going to hold a mega project, like a sweater and all the yarn, not just the skein I was working with and I wasn’t liking the rounded bottom, so I frogged it.Now that I knew what I wanted I started by crocheting a large coaster for the bottom and then picked up stitches around the edge and knitted the sides. I made sure to do a purl row at the top so I would have a line to stitch on when I added my fabric. I also made some I-cord for the drawstring, I really hate making I-cord, and really a crocheted chain would have worked just as good, so I’m not sure why I felt the need to make the I-cord. I guess I just wanted to be sure that I hated making it.

When I got all done I thought that the bag looked like something you would get a gift set in, like a washcloth, and some lotion or something. I may make some for that for Christmas, or maybe I’ll just keep a knitting project in there, like I planned, it would be perfect for a hat.

There’s the added bonus, I used three different crafty techniques to make the bag, maybe I’ll stencil the fabric on the next one and make it four or hand dye the yarn for five, this could be some kind of new challenge…

7.23.2010

But It Was On Sale

Last weekend I found a Sizzix Sidekick die cutting machine on clearance for $9.00 and although I don’t really need a die cutting machine the deal was too good to pass up. (BTW mine is red, image from sizzix.com).

I also got some flower dies (?) to cut with and decided to really put this little machine to the test. For my first project I cut aluminum can into cute little flowers. Soda cans are easy to cut with regular scissors and I just cut them into small squares and ran them through the Sidekick!It cut them beautifully and even bevels the edges so they aren’t razor sharp anymore. I snipped the petals a little and bent them forward to make these more dimensional. I think I might try embossing the next one.The dies seem fine, I cut paper and card stock after and they still worked great, now I just need some more shapes I have so many ideas. We’re going to have to start drinking more colorful soda!