and one more before vacation

woot! my new crochet-hook roll! now, i LOVE the one my friend gave me for my birthday; it has this great mod-ish yellow pear pattern on it, but unfortunately my hooks have, um, seemed to reproduce and it doesn't hold them all anymore! the smaller one is perfect for taking projects on the go, though...

so here's the new one! i only had to buy half a yard of this great yarn fabric at ben franklin's; the rest i had in my stash. in fact, the bright green paisleys (below) were used to make my friends corchet hook roll (that's right, we made crochet-hook rolls for each other)!


and partway open... i love the bright colors...

and there it is in all its glory! the inside is actually three vertical panels lined with pockets, and the stuff doesn't really stick out on the right; i just wanted to pull it out so you could see all the stuff i have in there. currently it holds 30 crochet hooks (including the long afghan hook and the giant one), stitch markers (my own design), tape measure, needle holder and scissors.

i think the stitch markers are my favorite; i used number beads and seed bead spacers to indicate all the hook sizes i have, so when i need to put a project aside for awhile, i can remember what hook i was using. i also have some little lemon stitch markers, but i didn't stick those in for some reason.

love, love, love it.

i finally finished a project...

... and now on to the next one

This is Ava's baby blanket, and I've been working on it on and off for about 5 months, though truth be told i've been working fairly hardcore for the last week or so to get it done in time to give it to her when we go on vacations.

Here's a basic pattern:
Hook size 5.5mm
Guage isn't important
Yarn is caron simply soft (4) and yarn bee italia (4), makes a lap blanket for an adult or roughly a large baby blanket

Tip: use a hook size .5mm larger for your starting chain!

Starting Chain: multiples of 42 + 15
Row 1: ch 3, dc in first st (counts as first 2 dc). 5 dc (one in each st), dc3tog, 5 dc, 2 dc in each of next 2 st, 11 dc (one in each st), dc3tog, 11 dc, 2dc in next st. Repeat across row, ending with a 5-dc ripple. Always start and end your ripple with a [2-dc] st; you'll have one [2-dc] st on each end, and in the middle you'll have 2 [2-dc]st in-between ripples.

Actually, that's about it. i did three rows of caron simply soft, (do not tie off), tied in the italia yarn and did a row (tie this one off), then went back to the beginning of the row, picked up the caron, slip-stitched through the top, and repeated the pattern across.

Fringe: 4 pieces of caron, 2 of italia. I just pulled 'em through and tied a square knot (i didn't want the normal fringe to come unraveled), picking up the yarn tail from the italia and incorporating into the knot.


and there's some lovely stitching

and all wrapped up for the baby!

i'm so excited to give it to her - i just hope it holds up (it should; i actually knotted everything when i changed yarns or ran out of a skein, so it really shouldn't come undone!) and i hope it gets good, hard use.

now if only i could make a career out of this kind of stuff...

wedding craftiness!

Woot for wedding crafts!
i know i'm not getting married for about a year, but i go back to school in two weeks, and i'd prefer to have as much done as possible...

so these are the parents candles and the unity candle i decorated with ribbon, spray adhesive (stickiest mess ever), metal bits and some paper... we bought the holders at hobby lobby, but i absolutely love them anyway.

and this is the flower girl basket! i spray-painted the basket silver and wound around bunches of ribbon which i then secured with knots and hot glue (and burned my fingers several times in the process). i sewed the jeweled buttons onto the ribbons and then glued the ribbons onto the basket. mom edged the satin liner, and i'll be sewing LOTS of beads onto the corners, so its not quite finished. at least i didn't draw blood OR break a needle on this project! i'll have to post an update once it's all said and done. sometimes, ya gotta love goodwill and wal-mart (no one will ever know, heh heh heh... well... i suppose they will now...)

i'm also working on the ringbearer's pillow right now, but i need fraycheck to keep the satin from going, and i need to turn in inside out again and round the corners before i stuff it... i'm making progress at least! and i have to finish my [grandma's] headpiece, but that's almost done.

once my dress and veil come in at the store, mom needs to slightly alter those (how i got a dress that fit so perfectly i have no idea...)

and then i need to make programs, invites, and bridesmaid gifts and then i think, i think, wedding craftiness is done.

in case you're curious, colors are ivory and silver (pewter really) accented with green and pink. we plan on having lots of green and pink candy at the reception and stargazer lilies everywhere possible!

i busted a needle!

but i finished a project! my man's been wanting a safe case for his chisels in the garage. i dunno why but i'm always happy for a challenge! he actually got the idea after seeing my crochet hook roll case and wanted to know if i could make something similar. of course, i said, but the interesting shapes of the chisels will require some innovation. and being large, sharp, metal tools, (and him being a man) i couldn't use regular fabric.

behold! the lovely, manly creation that busted a needle on my sewing machine!

and here it is untied, partially open...

and all the way open! the black stripes are elastic - the strip around the yellow handles keeps them from falling out the side, and the other strip keeps the flap in place, to keep them from falling out the top.

i'd post a tutorial, but i'm really stinkin' exhausted and my fingers hurt. did i mention i also drew blood (my own) working on this damn thing??? i'm just really glad he likes it.

here's a list of the projects i'm working on:

pink ripple baby blanket for ava (deadline july 28th)

cream bamboo shawl* for moi (deadline june 26, 2010)

4-color afghan

baby quilt

large, um, other quilt (deadline december 25)

curtains

placemats

invitations* (deadline january 2010)

headpiece* (dealine august)

embellished towels (deadline december 25)

baskets* (deadline june 26, 2010)

coca-cola table

* WEDDING CRAFTS!!!

:D

a small motif

in response to last episode's cliffhangers, no, i didn't have to go to the hardware store. yes, i did get the paint out from under (most) of my nails, and no, the table doesn't look glittery anymore! later today i plan on embarking on step two - painting the metal!

to take a small break, i saw this post on craftster and thought it was the perfect little motif to do an afghan out of. now, pinkatari doesn't know where she got the pattern from, but it is possible that it is from a copyrighted source, so please do not use this pattern for any financial gain.

i think i'll name it, the, uh, 8-petal square? anyone have a better name??

in the following exhibits, i will post a pattern diagram [exhibit A], some tips [exhibit B], and a photo of the square done in two different yarns, a solid and a variegated [exhibit C]. at the current point i despise written patterns, so the pics and the chart will just have to do!

without further ado, (and with cosby stand-up playing in the backgroud :D ), here is:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Hook Size: 5.5mm

Yarn: Vanna's Choice or other worsted-weight yarn

Some tips: use one size bigger hook for your starting chain - it helps the loops be a little easier to see and work in. the original pattern called for double crochet all around, but for some reason my doubles are short, so it turned out like a short rectangle instead of a square. use whatever works for you to end up with a square; it shouldn't affect the border at all. when working treble crochets in the ch-2 spaces, you don't have to get into every stitch; just go ahead and insert your hook under the chain itself.

Exhibit C

photos!

if you have any tips for me on pattern writing, don't hesitate to comment. i'm not very good at writing patterns, but i want to be! hopefully someday i'll have some of my originals in a magazine or something, but only if i'm good at it!

reconstruction - acquisition and first attempt

so ever since the fiance and i moved into our rented house (which has this awesomely large kitchen/dining area), we've wanted to put a breakfast nook in one of the corners with a window. but future hubby wanted tall stuff, so we kept our eyes open and eventually i found this set at houseworks for about 60 bucks. thankfully what you see in the background is not, in fact, our kitchen but the garage.

not bad, eh?

however, looking at the top of it, it was pretty scratched, beaten, and the paint finish was generally worn. yes, i am a perfectionist.

and the metal, well, lets just say it has seen better days. this here is one of the more noticeable rust spots, but the overal condition of the metal on both chairs and table was pretty poor. not to mention a few stripped and rusty screws... and i didn't get a good photo, but the vinyl cushions, though decent, did have a small hole in one and were generally pretty dirty.

"what's this, mama? a new toy for me?!?" says Clarisse. not quite, honey.

but yet, she still approaches the disembodied dining set with curiousity and a touch of paranoia. no, babe, the cushions are not out to get you. eventually she got over it and we would often see her perched on one of the cushions, awaiting our arrival with her morning grub.

so here's the plan. i buy extra fine grain sand paper, a black matte finish spray paint, silver "hammered finish" spray paint, red and white craft paint, 5/8 yard black vinyl, and a couple of replacement screws and bolts. not to mention a drop cloth, needed for spray painting.

the plan is to gently sand the lacquer off the top of the table, matte finish the top in black and paint on a coca-cola logo in red and white, then either seal it with varnish or get a round piece of glass to protect it. the vinyl seats get re-upholstered, and the metal gets treated with the slightly textured new finish to dull down the annoying shiny-ness and mask some of the rust spots.

the thing is, i apparently SUCK at spray painting. you could see all the patterns of where i went and everything! i also somehow got spray paint all over my feet. so take two, dad recommends i roll it on. gives me a roller, a roller brush, and the pan and advises me to buy a liner which i promptly do on my way home. i'm determined to get this top finished tonight, right? so i dig out my old can of black paint i used on my previous dining set, shake it up real good and pry the top of with a screwdriver... and what comes oozing out? hell if i know but it looks like the bastard offspring of the tar baby. i finally get enough good paint in there and get the disgusting stringy, clumpy, oozy, slimy, semi-dried paint out of the way. i begin to roll and look what happens, i mean just look at it!!!

okay, look closely, and do not attempt to clean your screen. it is not your monitor. those are thousands, perhaps millions of tiny little shiny bubbles on my table top. i swear i'm going to scream if it hasn't gotten better by morning. and to top it all off, i still have paint on my feet, but now it's also on my knees, shorts, and hopelessly caught under my fingernails.

right.

on a happy note, i made a major score at wal-mart. who would have guessed? they used to just have those crappy poncho patterns but i got some really nice FREE ones back in the craft section: 2 scarf/hat sets, sweater vest for kids (that i'm hoping to modify for adult sizes), 2 sweaters, a tank top, 2 vintage doilies and 7 amazing afghan patterns. seriously i don't know where to start!

i also got this great fabric for $1.50/yard. hopefully it'll become a cute little skirt, but we'll see. my sewing skills are about as on-par as my painting skills.

next episode: will we be venturing to the hardware store for some serious paint thinner? will i ever get the paint out from under my nails? will the table cease to look glittery in the face of photo flashes? tune in to find out!

well... someday...

... i'll get around to the furniture post. i just happened to have time to block that finished shawl though...

and i've never blocked anything before!

the gritty details of the shawl: pattern adapted from an afghan pattern (i think) from the may/june issue of crochet today. they did theirs in worsted weight light green, i did mine in bernat baby weight fuschia.

here's the whole, pic-heavy process, and i have to say that most magazines don't recommend blocking acrylic yarn as they say it won't do much good, but it worked for me. it might have worked better with a natural fiber yarn, but i was still pleased with the results!

1) the unblocked shawl

in the close-up you can see how the individual sections are visible, just not really very regular...

2) fill a large tub with lukewarm water. places i've read recommend to not use extremely hot or cold water so you don't "shock" the fibers (i think this is more important with fibers like wool and very hot water) and you just let it soak in, no pushing or forcing under the water.

in she goes!

halfway there...

3) okay, i skipped some photos here. i dumped the water and very, very carefully squeezed, not twisted, the excess water out. i laid it all out on a towel and rolled it up (this i do have a picture of)

4) then i transfered it to another towel to let it air dry, making sure to shape it as i went.

see how they're so much more regular now?? it seems like each stitch in the pattern is truly visible...

ahh, the wonders of crochet.

i promise, sooner or later, the furniture.

okay... i lied...

... the next post is about the wonderful world of reconned dining furniture.

but first i had to show you these guys,
made by artoo1121 on craftster.org (check it out here)

in case you can't tell, that's the whole firefly/serenity cast, including, left to right: Jayne, River, Simon, Mal, Inara, Zoe, Wash, Kaylee, and Shepherd Book.

and they're crochet.

which, in theory, means that if i'm smart enough i could make them. the tricky bit's always the hair and clothing and accessories though. i mean, how do you get belt buckles that tiny?? or leather that thin?? i'm estimating one whole doll stands only about 4" high. and the tiny guns? how am i supposed to replicate vera in miniature??

nevertheless, i am determined to [one day] make and own all these little guys. but never reavers. they be the bad guys.

My first post!!

i'm a craft addict. i'm also (jokingly) ADD, which is slightly ironic because i'm not entirely convinced it even exists.

when i was young, my mom always told me i couldn't start another project until i finished the one i was working on, and history has begun to repeat itself in the form of my fiance, who's beginning to echo that very same sentiment.

it doesn't help that i leave half-done projects strewn all over the house. my crochet bag might be in the kitchen, where i dropped it coming in the night before, a half-finished motif draped over the arm of the couch - if i'm lucky there'll be at least a safety pin in it, a few balls of yarn in the bedroom with the latest edition of a crochet magazine carefully propped open (ok, casually thrown on the floor); i've even left half-completed projects in the man's game room! and lets not even talk about my craft room - that's right, i have a whole room dedicated just to my crafting, and right now i'm not sure i could navigate it without tripping on something.

to that effect, i did recently acquire a modular shelving unit meant to help organize my ongoing projects. as of now, half of it is sitting completed in the upper level hallway... and the other half is still in little metal pieces downstairs on the floor...

but i did complete a shawl last night!

so there.

and this is my first blog. being that, i appreciate the patience you have for slogging through my first entry. also - i should take a moment to explain ScrapJam! "Scrap Jam" is from a recent bout of jelly making i had with a good friend of mine. we went out and picked what felt like about 5 pounds of wild blackberries, and bought some frozen strawberries, peaches and mangoes, along with 5 pounds of sugar, 3 boxes of pectin and 3 flats of half-pint jars. out of this magically came 10 jars of blackberry, 10 of blackberry-strawberry, 9 peach mango, a few burned thumbs & fingers, and 6 of what we exquisitely decided to call scrap jam - all the leftover fruit. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MOST DELICIOUS JAM OF THE ENTIRE DAY. of course, there's also the connotation of 'jamming' as in with a music group, when everything is grooving along just fine.

so i pick up my crafty pieces and try and find a rhythm.

next post - venturing into the world of reconned dining furniture! (with many pictures)