crafting

So, I’ve been taking a summer knitting class and lovin it!  I’m saving the project for a seperate post since I don’t have a lot to show for it yet.  In the meantime, I’ve also started a long-term crochet project because having one project at a time just isn’t enough!

A couple of weeks ago Michaels was having a big yarn sale so I stocked up on my favorite Sugar n’ Cream brand cotton.  4 skeins for 5 bucks!  NICE.

I was inspired by Sarah London’s blog.  She always used bright, fun colors and works with granny squares a lot.  I’ve made several granny square projects (here, here and here) and even with the bright colors I still think they look um…well…granny? I’m just not feelin the granny love!  The thing I do like about granny squares is that you can make them in batches and sew them all together which makes them very portable.

So, I decided to give this hexagon tutorial a try.  It’s basically a granny square only the shape is different.  I like it, I mean “I like it a lot!” (in the voice of Jim Carry from Ace Ventura). Wow, was that movie really 16 years ago, seriously? 

Anyway, here’s my first stab at it:

I can easily make a few of these in one night. Instant gratification! There are some great examples on Flickr right now.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

African flowers bag

Hexagon Pillow 

Baby Blanket

It’s been a while since I sewed anything.  In fact, the last project I used the sewing machine for was back in December when I made an apron for my neice Christmas stocking. 

So, while I was home this week with a sick kid, poor little guy had a fever & cold, I dusted off one of my sewing books.

I’ve had Simple Sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter for some time but have yet to make anything. I love her books as they truely are simple, and fast.  The first thing I ever sewed 3 years ago was from her other simple sewing book.  They’re a great way to get into sewing or, in my case, a great way to get back into sewing when time is a limited resource. 

So, while Jr was napping I whipped up these simple pants with some japanese Kokka fabric I purchased from Purl in NYC.  Although the pattern calls for 3/4 of a yard of fabric I was able to make these with 1/2 a yard but just barely!  I’m pretty pleased with how they turned out and since it took less than an hour from the time I cut the fabric to the time they were done I forsee a lot of handmade pants in my future. 

I tried getting Ian to model them but as you can see, he just wouldn’t sit still. Go figured! He’s got things to do and people to see, I guess.  The next sewing project on the agenda is a metal framed purse.  Pattern found here. Wish me luck!

Back in April, I put this cute little elephant project on my to-do list.  I thought it would be a good way to get back into crafting now that Jr. is on a regular schedule.  Even though it worked up really fast, I had all the completed parts just sitting around waiting to be sewn together.  So, over the 4th of July holiday weekend I sat down with my yarn needle and got to work.  Here is the final result.

I added some Amy Bulter fabric to the eyes for a pop of color.  But overall, the pattern could use a little work.  I think both the body and the legs could be a bit longer.  The way it is right now it looks like a giant elephant head on four little stumps.  Even so, he still looks kinda cute.  Not sure what I should name him but I’m open to suggestions.

What are your favorite summer craft projects so far?

One of the many projects I made while preggers is now paying off.  Some others never really worked out like the knitted pullover.  Note to self:  When making baby gifts be sure to make something like a blanket or in this case a toy where sizing isn’t an issue.   

I made this out of cotton as I assumed the first place this would go, once Jr. could grab things, is in his mouth.  Sure enough, one second after this was taken, he was sucking on the frogs leg.  Ha, how European of him!

Also, the texture of the crochet stitch seems to sooth his gums since he’s also teething. Next up: This little creature!

Lion Brand Elephant pattern found here

Well, I’m running out of time to make clothing for Jr. but I was able to finish this little sweater today.  It was a pretty quick and easy project that over 1300 others have made over on Ravelry.com. It’s a free pattern and I will definitely be making more in the future.

The yarn is something I’ve had in my stash for a while.  Mom brought it back from England on one of her six trips this year.  Holy cow can you say frequent flier miles!  Anyway, I like how this turned out and can’t wait to put it on the little guy with a pair of cords.  How cute would that look?

I was thrilled to discovery that my Manicure Kit Cover tutorial was featured on Sew Mama Sew (SMS) yesterday!  YAY! 

Thanks to all the new visitors that have stopped by and left comments.  It’s great to hear that you will be adding my little project to your holiday gift list.

All month long SMS will be featuring handmade gift ideas and tutorials so if you’re part of a holiday gift exchange or just want some fun ideas be sure to check it out. If you not an avid sewer don’t worry!  There are recipes, printables and lots of giveways! 

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/

A while back Beth and I decided to do a trade after I fell in love with one of her necklaces that was on display at the Strange Folk Festival last month.

The necklace perfectly matches these earrings that are also from her collection.  So, when I asked Beth what she would like in return she suggested a crochet bobble pouch much like the one I made for her sister Holly last year.

Finished size 9 by 5 in

It’s based on a pattern from the One Skein book by Leigh Radford but I made this version wider and a little shorter so it looked more like a clutch. I also added a patchwork lining with some Swell fabric I had in my stash. I thought the fabric went well with the grass green yarn from Knitpicks.com.   Their cotton worsted weight yarn named Shine is by far my favorite to work with.

I hope that Beth enjoys this as much as I enjoyed making it.  The textile of the bobble or popcorn stitch really makes this a sturdy and unique looking piece.

Amigurumi is what first got me interested in crochet a couple of years ago but its been ages since I made a crocheted little critter.  Since I had plenty of time to kill on the drive to and from Chicago, I was able to work on this little guy. 

It’s the perfect project for a road trip because it requires so few supplies.  The most time consuming aspect is sewing all the parts together and even that doesn’t take long.

If you’re interested in learning more about amigurumi the creator of this pattern has a blog and shares some free patterns. I found that starting with the simple snail project was a fun way to get introduced to this style of crochet. 

Other great amigurumi resources include:

Ana Paula’s Amigurumi Patterns & Random Cuteness

Gormet Amigurumi

Bittersweet (Crochet & Kitting patterns)

Did anyone see this tutorial posted on ohdeedoh today?  What a fantastic idea!  Not sure how I would use it but it could be a fun way to do a gift exchange or school raffle. 

Tutorial can be found over at Artmind 

This past weekend we headed down to Table Rock Lake just outside Branson, MO.  It’s been an annual event for quite a few years now (maybe 6) and I look forward to it every year.  The first few years it was an organized camping trip but in the past couple of years we have graduated to a lake house.  There were eleven of us this year and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.  The house had 6 bedrooms, 2 outside patios and access to the lake. The only down side was that it didn’t have a boat dock so we had to drive to the nearby marina.

All the girls at the marina waiting for the boys & the boats to arrive

We rented a pontoon boat (aka party barge) as well as a little speed boat.  The speed boat was a great addition this year.  It was nice to go zipping around the lake and to allow others to go tubing and wakeboarding.  Jason made several successful attempts at wakeboarding which seems very hard and he’s still aching.  Granted getting yanked out of the water at full speed has to take its toll!  I remembered just about everything for this trip except for the camera!  So documenting this trip was a little tough.

Scarf close-up

I was able to take some pics of a project I worked on during the commute to and from the lake.  I finished up my version of the simple scarf tutorial over at Pretty Ditty which came in handy at dusk when the sun started to go down and the wind kicked up on the lake.

I used a lightweight wrinkled linen fabric purchased on Etsy.com

All in all, it was a really fun weekend even if I wasn’t able to drink or participate in any action sports but there’s always next year!