Crafting Tuesday

Seems I find things on Tuesdays.  Today I had coffee with Sonya and her husband Aaron who is recovering from a stroke only a month ago.  It's astounding to watch the progress he has made.  It makes me smile as I watch him stiffly walk about, cane in hand, knowing how marvellous that simple function must be.  I paused today to be grateful for a fully functioning body.  I can move my arms, legs, and have no trouble talking.  I look forward to celebrating with Aaron on his accomplishments and spending time with that wonderful family.

After coffee, I strolled down Broadway to the Value Village on 11th.  I really shouldn't tell anyone this, because the amount of crafting loot that can be found there is rather staggering.  Patterns for $0.69!  Goodwill charges $1!  But I mustn't hoard the wealth of supplies. 

I found some fabric.  This purple plaid was only $2 and came with what I assume to be it's original tags. I think I'll steam them off for safe-keeping.  It's currently destined to become a skirt!

This sweet miniature rocking chair came home with me too.  I couldn't pass it up.  Something about the red colour, and the woven seat bottom just spoke to me.  Besides, my dollies need a place to sit, right?  Right.  I quite thought so myself.

Along with the purple, I found a red fabric that appears to be taffeta perhaps.  It drapes like silk and is super yummy.  Despite having several large holes in it, I am content to use it and wear it to pieces.  Also coming home is a scrap of green leaf print that perhaps used to be a curtain.  It might be enough for a blouse, perhaps with some accent fabric to stretch it.

I finished my o w l s sweater today as well, so stay tuned for a photo shoot for that.   So far my summer is plugging along in a wonderful fashion!  I'm so excited to begin manipulating all the patterns I have found recently.  Until next time, keep crafting!

Love,

Anna

Crafty Goodness!

I've been busy!

First up is this ruffle bustle skirt I whipped up from a fab tutorial over at The Noble Hare.  Super simple and very satisfying.  I plan on adding a little more length to this though, at 18" it's darling, but I worry that my knickers may show should I bend over too far!

Next up is my o w l s sweater designed by Kate Davies of the blog needled.  It's such a quick knit that I've knit this version three times!  Heehee.  First two incarnations had minor tweaking that needed to be done.  It's frogged again and back on the needles hopefully for the last time.  However now that the weather has turned sunny it may be a little while before I actually pick this up and knit on it.  It's knit in Malabrigo which is a kettle dyed squishy-soft merino wool.  I picked it up as a reward to myself for finishing my first year at Cornish.  after forking over $80 this sweater better come out perfect! ;)

I have a few other things in progress, a brides maid dress for a friend, starting to tweak my Sabriel costume, and dreaming up ideas for Steamcon in October!  So stay tuned.

Cheers,
Anna

They Multiplied!

Tiny Sweaters . . .

These things are addicting.  Consider yourself warned.

The Hope Project

I haven't written about this idea before, so don't worry if it suddenly sounds new to you. :) It's been percolating in the back of my mind and on my heart a lot lately. Since I spend the bulk of my time alone all day, there is a lot of time to think, and sometimes that thinking isn't terribly productive. It's often revealing of what's on my heart though, and this is how Project Hope was born.

Last October I lost my first baby and it was traumatic, horrible, and scary. I have hoped for so very very long to finally have a child, and here I was, loosing that which I desired above all else. I did what any self-respecting student of Elizabeth Zimmerman would do and knitted. I made a little tiny hat for someone who would never wear it. I wrapped it in tissue paper, stuffed it into a box and tried to forget how much it hurt. Here I am, ten months and twenty days later, still knitting. I am drawn to baby projects, I admit it. I want to knit tiny baby things to soothe myself. At first I considered this idea idiotic, why knit baby things for a baby you don't have? What not knit baby things for other people's babies? I do sometimes, but it's always with the knowledge that I still don't have one. My baby hat is still empty, my heart still has a baby shaped hole in it, waiting for that beautiful day when I can finally hold my child in my arms.

Then I caved. I made booties. Tiny, perfect, little baby booties for feet that aren't here yet. These languished for a while on my crafting table waiting for a time when I'd finally put buttons on them. Yesterday I did just that. I tucked away all the little yarny ends, I sewed buttons on them, I took the obligatory knitting-blog photos and something in my heart changed. Project Hope was born. I don't want to be bitter (It'll never happen), or scared (What if I loose another one?), I want to knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises, until I reach the day where I can pull out the bonnet and put it over a little head, until the day when I can tuck tiny baby toes into handmade booties. I want to hope for that day, and in so wanting, I allowed myself to knit. I permit myself to knit things for my babies to come because it's theraputic for my soul. Other things for other babies will be made, but there will also be extra special things just for my babies, to be tucked away in the box labeled Hope.

The MAC Sweater, part 2

Several years ago now, I had grand delusions of knitting up a sweater version of a British Lieutenants jacket circa 1805-ish. It was in the throes of my Master and Commander phase before I really knew what I was doing in terms of designing my own sweaters. Five years later (if not more) I found myself with an okay little sweater, sorely lacking the original vision. I didn't want to rip it back for the millionth time and let it languish for several years more. It wasn't until today, when I was rummaging through my things that I picked it up with notions of just sewing on the buttons to see if that would help. This led to picking up a decorative band along the button edge. It didn't work, and I set to crocheting a picot edging all round, and picking up for cuffs with picot edge. It's turned out decidedly darling with a steampunky feel now and I haven't taken it off since I finished tucking away all the little yarn ends. So finally, the MAC sweater has found it's happy medium and will most likely be worn frequently. Hurrah!

Have you met FrankenBlankie?

So several years back, I discovered I had a plethora of little squares, rectangles, and knitted scraps. As a knitter you cannot throw away this evidence of beginning projects, or bad early knitting. You save it, in that box of shame you keep under the bed. One of those days where you pull out said box and dig through the memories, I had the idea of sewing all these little scrappy bits together. Why not? It would give them purpose and, rather like quilts, keep the story of each scrap out for plain view. For the first incarnation of this blanket I only ended up with one little not-quite-lap-blanket-square. Later another square that created a lap blanket sized piece, but never quite enough for a blanket-ey thing. Until lately. I am working on an afghan (Olive's Afghan from knitalong)and subsequently changed my colour scheme and was left with one slightly awkward pink and chocolate brown bias-knit strip. This was quickly assimilated into the scrap blanket and Franken Blankie was born.
I'll add more to it as more scraps show up, but for now I'm really enjoying looking at the history in stitches as it keeps me warm whilst I read in bed.

The Pirate Sweater

Have Sleeves...

...Sweater to Follow?
It seems I have a wee problem.











I have begun two sleeves with only enough yarn to complete ONE SLEEVE! Gah. How silly it that? It's quite silly in terms of knitting but as my budget is severly limited to enough for two skeins of Noro, it's understandable. So my sleeves sit in a knitting bag, on my work table, tempting me with their loveliness and promise of cozy warmth in which I might wrap myself up in come their completion.

Crafty Haul and a New Project

JoAnn's is having a sale all this week and it's a lucky thing for my bank account not to be there any more. It was horribly difficult to walk to the cash register with six skeins of yarn and eight fat quarters. I'm not greedy by nature, but when yarn or fabric is on sale...I WANT IT ALL!!!



However I was very, very good and left some for other people. The store on the other hand should have given me something for my promotion on their behalf. I was in line and a young lady in front of me glanced back at my basket full of this cacophony of colour and made the fateful turn. I knew she was looking at my haul, so I caught her eye. "They're lovely colours," she said. "Aren't they?" I replied, all innocence. Then, dropping my voice to a conspiratorial whisper I told her they were half off. $5.99 yarn ($6 I know) for $3! Her eyes grew wide and after a moment of "step forward, step back" she jumped in place and ran off to buy yarn. "I don't need any more yarn," she had said. I didn't remind her that no knitter ever doesn't need more yarn. We do, more importantly, we want it. I speaks to us and it's colour, texture, and usually price seduces us into taking it home, placing it on a mantel, shelf and simply admiring it with blissful sighs from time to time.




Now this lovely lady is my first attempt at a top down sweater-ish something. I'm on my second skein of yarn and almost kicking myself for not purchasing a third, but we'll see. I'm thinking of some lacey sleeve because I, personally, loathe cap sleeves. They do nothing for my arms (nor many female arms for that matter) and I end up looking fat. So far I love it, I love the technique and plan on knitting most, if not all the sweaters I design from now on this way. It's so simple! It's called the Azrael Bolero (or maybe Jacket?) I dunno yet.
But I'm in love with it's yummy sparkly goodness.

FO: Tonk's Bolero

I know the pictures are crappy, and beg your forgiveness and understanding. :0)



There isn't really a pattern for this,just lots of vague notes. I really need to get better ones. Heh.


I made this especially for my Halloween costume, but I'm not sure I'd ever wear it again, I don't know yet. I'm thinking of posting it on my etsy, so if you're interested, let me know!



I'm now in a play due to some other people quitting (blech!) so I find myself with copious amounts of lines to memorize! Whee!

Fall Makings...

It's a quiet rainy sort of day, and I've been working on several neckwarmers for my etsy as well as an Advent Fair or Christmas Bazaar. I'm looking forward to that with great delight simply because it will be my debut as a crafter selling my wares in public.
It rained all day, beginning with dark clouds rolling in last night and not letting up until recently. A peaceful, simple day that makes me want to curl up by warm fire, with a cat and a good book.

Things I Love...

..granted, there are too many for one post, but I'll make do.


My rocking chair. I had one, growing up, and it became ever so many wonderful things. Pirate ships, and wagons, prison bars, castles. Now I have my own and it's often the place where I knit while I listen to books on tape.


Shadow. My Mannequin. A gift from a friend for one of my birthdays, I don't remember now. He's often a cut up, the bird is his constant companion, but but he always tries on my knitted and crochet creations with infinite paitence.


This is the first quilt block I'm actually happy with. All the others suck, I'll admit to the blogiverse right here. It's vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter, eh?


My coffee cup. The first thing I go for in the morning, and a close companion whilst I knit. And my pirate mitts! I'm adoring them even though it won't be cold enough to wear them for some time yet. They're just so cute! Pattern modified from Hello Yarn's "We call them Pirates" mittens.


A corner of my bed. This is the place I hide when I want to read a book, or just relax for a bit from the rest of the world. Cozy, comfy, and rather spiffing if I do say so myself. I also love the pictures I've put up. Some are from a calendar of Romantic Era paintings by artists I adore. It's a little proof that I am a hopeless romantic, despite all my tomboy tendencies. The rest are pictures I've drawn, like that lady in red there. She's me, yet someone from a story I wrote, but partially from a magazine picture I saw once.
The twinkle lights left up from Christmas. I find them soothing and mysterious at the same time. Lastly, the pom-poms made from scraps of yarn and experiments with pom-pom makers. Don't worry, none of them touch the twinkle lights.

There are more things I love, but these shall suffice for now.
Cheers!

The MAC Sweater

Well, that time has come. The time when it is done being knitted (GASP!) and ready for blocking, and seaming. Right after I seam the sucker up just to make sure everything fits. Natch. It's been a long slog to finish it, and now that it's actually done, I'm not quite sure I want to seam it up and everything. I do want to make a snazzy one out of something nice like wool or something, but the pattern still needs A LOT of work before it's ready to go anywhere. Maybe by Fall? I dunno.
I want to do some kind of piping along the edges like the jacket from the movie, but I'm not sure yet how to do that. I-cord or single crochet? And for pete's sake I need to to that in a yarn that won't 1) shed white fuzzies ALL over a navy blue sweater, and 2) a yarn that won't soak up any other colour should I need to wash the MAC sweater.
There, rant over. I hope.
I need some photos of the MAC sweater to comemorate this momentous point in time! That will need to wait until I get home.