I am sure you all have been wondering if I have given up my knitting in favor of sewing lately. Not to worry, I’ve just been working on the same project for a while. Remember my dear friend Kaci? She is pregnant and due in November. She found out a couple of month’s ago that they are having a little boy and they’ve decided on the name Elias. Isn’t that sweet? The minute I found out that Kaci was pregnant, I decided to knit her a baby blanket. I used the pattern Big Bad Baby Blanket from StitchNBitch. I picked out some cozy cream colored yarn and got started. It was a fairly easy pattern, yet it had enough detail to hold my interest. Good thing, because it too a while to complete. I got it done just in the nick of time – the baby shower is Sunday! I am pretty happy with how it turned out, I just hope that Elias likes it!
Category Archives: She’s Crafty
All things Craft.
Dressing up Bro
Well, I’m still on my crafting/organization kick right now. I decided that I wanted to make a cozy for the sewing machine, a.k.a Bro. Since Bro is down in the basement, along with the rest of my crafting nest., I thought that he’d need a cozy to keep off the dust, cobwebs, etc. It was pretty easy to make. I just measured out the approximate dimensions and then made a pattern. I added a little contrasting fabric for trim so it wouldn’t look like a big sack, then added a little skirt to the bottom to spruce it up a bit. Easy peasy. I only wish that I might have had some interfacing or batting, that way it would have had a bit more shape to it.
I just hope that it isn’t too feminine for Bro. . . or maybe I should change the name to Bromina?
Stool Time
I have been looking for a little step stool/ottoman that I could use as a little low table next to an Ikea chaise lounge that I got for the office. You know, just a little spot wear I can rest a cup of tea while I read a book, or a landing area for my knitting ephemera. Well, I have been looking online and in stores for a while now with no such luck. So I decided, hey maybe I can figure out a way to make one!
I went to Joanne Fabrics and found a little unfinished step stool made out of pine. It seemed sturdy and was just the blank canvas I was looking for. I brought it home and painted it with some red acrylic paint I had around, then rubbed on some copper acrylic paint to give it a distressed feel and to soften the brightness of the red. I then took an old towel that I had cut up for rags and stapled it to the top to give it a little padding. Next I covered that with some remnant fabric that I had stashed and stapled it over the towel. . . and Voila! I am thrilled with how well this turned out. It was SUPER easy and was a simple, cheap (under $20!!) and eco-friendly solution. I could imagine making this again for a gift for a child or fellow vertically challenged adult.
Orangey Goodness
Hurray! I received an new envelope from my Ravelry Knitting Swap. This time I received some amazing goodies from “Silverbirks” in Benbrook, TX. She decided to go with an orange-colored theme, knowing that it is my favorite color. And did she ever hit it out of the park! Take a look at all the treats I got.
I really love being able to be a part of this swap. It is so much fun to make up packages and send them around the country. It gives you a look into peoples lives and what they like and dislike. It also seems to give a sense that the world is a little smaller by sharing a common interest with others around the workd. Plus, when you get one in the mail, it makes you feel so special.
Socks!
I am sorry, but I must congratulate myself. I just finished knitting my first pair of socks! Can you believe it? This was a knitting project that I was pretty intimidated by, but had always wanted to attempt. Thank goodness for Silver’s Sock Class website. I found the pattern and link to her site on my precious Ravelry. I was a bit nervous starting out, but the instructions were very easy to follow and not at all intimidating. There are a ton of photos for each step along with great words of encouragement. I will highly recommend it to anyone that has wanted to knit up a pair of socks, but was too afraid to try.
I decided to make this first pair for Shawn, since I haven’t knitted anything for him yet. ( I think that he was getting a bit jealous.) I picked out some lovely Bernat Sox yarn in Wooded Denim. I liked the muted colorway and how it was self-striping. It brought some interest to the rather basic pattern, but wasn’t too crazy for the hubby. He seemed pretty happy with them, although he’ll have to way until the weather cools off to give them a spin.
I am so happy that I was able to accomplish this project. It has been my most difficult one so far. Now that I have it down, I’m already planning on starting another pair. This time for myself!
Knitting Swap Swag
I participated in my Ravelry knitting swap for July, which had a”Summer Fun”and here is the great things that I got from “Solopoodle” in New York: a TON of knitting patterns, two NYC postcards, some tea bags, a knit check (used to check needle size, gauge test swatches, and measure your work), a yellow lab puppy bookmark, some wool wash, stickers, a bit of pretty blue grosgrain ribbon, some aqua buttons, some sticky notes, a yummy Tootsie Pop, a mini beach ball, two yarn samples, and some beautiful hand made stitch markers. So excited!
Rozzie’s Wrist Warmers
Well, I finished up my latest knitting project. Roz requested a pair of arm warmers/wristlets . (Sorry, no picture yet. Will try to get one up soon.) She gave me some teal yarn that she had at her house to make them. I decided to use the pattern “Voodoo Wrist Warmers” by Bonne Marie Burns that I found on Ravelry. (Great name, huh?) Pretty easy 2×2 rib pattern, the hard part was this was my first project with using only DPNs. I would have preferred to use circular needles, but the circumference was too small. After getting the hang of them, they knit up fairly quickly. I think that I would like to try these again using a higher quality yarn. Maybe something that is variegated or striping. . . good think Roz can never get enough wristlets!
Dad’s Club Covers
Here’s my latest completed knitting project: Golf club covers for Dad. Decided about a month ago to make them for him for Father’s Day. I found a pattern for them on Ravelry and changed it a little bit to add the stripes and numbers. Pretty easy to do, surprisingly enough. I even found a neat little gadget to make the pom poms at JoAnn Fabrics. Much easier than the one I was currently using. Please notice the colors . . . Chicago Bears! Here’s to hoping that he likes them.
Vanity Skirt
Today was a good day. I was able to finish sewing the skirt for the vanity that my mom gave me. It was made by her grandfather for her mother when she was young. I’ve made skirts for it before, but never with a machine. Usually just hand-stitching or rigging up something with fabric glue. I felt that they never really lived up to the original design and workmanship, so it has been naked for quite some time. I’ve had making one on my “101 things” list, in order to get myself motivated. Since I’ve figured out the sewing machine, aka Bro, I felt confident enough to give it another try. I went to Joann Fabrics to find the right material and decided to go with this white on white print. I like the whimsicality of the print, but felt that it was still subtle enough to be fairly neutral in case I move it to a different room or redecorate. I also decided to use some navy grosgrain ribbon on the upper edge to help finish it off and add a little color. I am super happy with how it turned out. (I personally think that the photo doesn’t do it justice!) Now I need to figure out what my next project will be. . .
Meet My Bro
Hello, Bro! Please meet my sewing machine, Brother LX-3125, aka Bro. Bro was given to me by my mom a couple of years ago for Christmas. Unfortunately, Bro and I never got to know one another outside of the box, since moving and having him in storage kept us apart. Well, I decided recently that Bro and I should try to get over our estrangement and start anew. So, I dragged him out this past weekend and toiled over the directions. Which were terribly written, I must add. Geez!
Anyways, I was able to figure out the basics and got him loaded up with thread. I had some scrap fabric laying around, so I practiced my stitches for a bit and finally made a ditty bag for my knitting. Basically its a small pillow case with some ribbon attached to tie up the top, but still! My first machine sewn item! I need to practice a little more, so I might try to make some decorative pillows or something. Once I am comfortable with making straight seams, I am hoping to move on to making a skirt for a vanity that I have.
I really would like to get to the point where I might be able to make some simple items of clothing. Sundresses or something?? Who knows. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. But a girl can dream big, right? Wish me luck on my new crafting adventure!
Widdershins 