Pretty Darn Great

Two-Glass Dishcloths

This is not the most exciting knitting project. Its one I've done several times before. But it is what happens when you have more square dishcloths than any household could use, the desire to have distinct sets for bathroom and kitchen use, and some spare time.   Voila patch-worked circle cloths for mopping up kitchen spills!

Love the pattern - could do it in my sleep, did do it during a no-dinner-but-two-glass-of-wine craft night and even though I KNOW I messed up the pattern was able to easily recover.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: A few balls of of Lily Sugar and Cream cotton yarn; Size 6 straight knitting needles

Patterns: Petal dishcloth from http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/petal.html

Warnings: If you're a loose knitter definitely recommend working with the smaller needles, though know that the cloths will be a little smaller.

Wreathed In Brights

This winter's been strange here in VA - freezing then unseasonably warm then gorgeous rainy then gorgeous sunny then some other craziness with wind mixed in. Basically anything but consistently cold and snowy as I always thought East Coast winters should be (and usually are). But one thing that's remained characteristically winter-bleak? The trees are all still dreary grey bare.

(Above) Balcony view of lots of bare grey brown branches

So even though its been a weatherly-weird one its been a loooooong winter and this woman needed some extra color in her life. Looking at a package of tissue paper and an unused wreath form, I knew just what to do.

(Above) What it takes to make a wreath - paper, scissors, a form, and lots of hot glue

I pulled out full sheets of five colors (red, orange, magenta, pale peach, and pale pink) and made three flowers from each sheet:

• first cut the sheet and half, then cut that half into equal quarters to make the larger flower (four pieces of tissue paper all together)
• then took the other half, cut it in half, and made quarters of each half to make the two smaller flowers (eight pieces of tissue paper all together)

Made the flowers using the usual method. They're quick to do, made one set of each color before I started gluing so I had a variety to work with. Then I started by gluing large flowers around the wreath and filling in with the smaller ones, trying to keep the colors as mixed as possible. I kept making flowers and gluing them on until the wreath was filled and/or I'd had enough (I'll never tell).

(Above) Done, and hanging up by the window thanks to the thermostat

Love it. Know that with the way that tissue paper fades and collects dust it won't last forever but for right now its bright flowers were exactly what the weather ordered.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: Colored tissue paper, scissors, foam wreath form, glue gun, yarn or string to tie off flowers

Pattern: I wrote up some instructions for making these flowers with cocktail napkins a while back that should be able to get you through it.

Warnings: Hot glue is, well, hot. Take close care to not burn your fingers while gluing.

Wine and Rum, Knitted Up

When I was home in CA over Thanksgiving, my sister Bug and I met up for lunch and shopping over in Rockridge. That part of Oakland is about halfway between where I was visiting and where she lives (okay closer to me but she's sweet like that to take the longer trip) and is jammed with the most adorable shops packed with things that seem absolutely necessary or at least far too cute to leave behind. Like the knitted booze-bottle-sock I saw.

(Above) So cute I took a picture so I would remember later to look up a pattern

I didn't take it home with me but once I got back I started looking for patterns so I could knit something similar for wine bottles. Found several that made little wine sweaters with arms but I adapted them to a) not have arms and b) work with two strands of yarn knitted together since I was looking for a marled look.

(Above) Success! With embroidery!

I made a few of them, playing with the numbers of stitches, the degrees of decreases, and the placement of the writing-stripe. The embroidery was easy, the only tough part being getting the yarn through the needle eye.

(Above) Vin, Vino, Wine - pick your language, it's all delicious

The best part? Once I got confident working with wine bottles it was easy to adapt to working with liquor ones. One of my best girls is more of a Rum-fan than Wine-fan so I knitted up one for a fifth of Captain Morgan's. Didn't take long to do and it was the favorite thing I made this Christmas.

(Above) Captain Morgan, at the ready!

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: Worsted-Weight acrylic yarn and Fingering-Weight sparkly yarn knotted together.

Patterns:  Check out Ravelry (www.ravelry.com) and look up patterns for wine socks

Warnings: Try it on the bottle as you go and adapt accordingly. Using stockinette stitch while knitting in the round looks pretty but doesn't seem to have much give so don't be afraid to add a couple of stitches at the beginning - better its a little big than too small.

Tote-ing It

Lesson two in the Red Velvet Sewing Class I'm taking?  Reversible Tote Bags.


(Above) Two totes in bad lighting - showing printed side out and in

While I eventually figured these out I encountered a few problems along the way. I was so grateful that I made and royally messed a plain muslin version before I worked with pretty fabric because I could make the following mistakes on scrap:

• I had issues cutting the material the right size  - my lines were uneven, eventually just made a paper pattern and used it to mark and cut the fabric;
• I had some sort of mental block about sewing the correct sides of the bag together. For some reason kept sewing a right to a wrong size - had to undo it three times; and 
• I kept putting the handles on the outside rather than the inside of the bag. Once I figured out how to do it right I wondered how I missed it earlier, but it took a good twenty minutes of puzzling and one hilariously mistaken effort to get there.

But after all of that I l-o-v-e these things. They take about a half yard of fabric each so two one yard pieces yield two identical bags - one for me and one to give away. They don't take too long to make up, they're super-cute and a good size for toting a small project or a mid-week grocery run. I like using them as a way to wrap presents - the cost about the same as a fancy gift bag and are more useful.


(Above) Currently holding my stash yarn

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: 1 yard patterned, I yard plain quilting fabric; Matching thread; Super-sharp scissors

Class Information:  D.I.Y Dress Up E-Course at http://shopredvelvet.com/collections/e-course/products/d-i-y-dress-up-e-course

Warnings: I really do recommend making a muslin version first. Sure you want to get to the sewing straight away but its worth the practice time to get a product that looks as awesome as you imagined.

Wonky Bow = Success (Really)

So, my sewing machine and I have been getting to know eachother. I think we're both a little hesitant (I know I am) so to ease things along I signed up for an online sewing course through Red Velvet. The projects are all adorable and it promised to walk me through different skills at my own pace. Hurrah!

The first project? A bow with some topstitching.

(Above) The truly wonky but I think sweet result

This gave me a good opportunity to get comfortable with my machine and sewing in general - cutting patterns, forward and back-stitching, zigzag and decorative stitches, finishing items. Don't think I'll actually use the bow as anything but a measure of early success but it does make me smile.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: Scrap fabric; Contrasting thread; Super-sharp scissors

Class Information:  D.I.Y Dress Up E-Course at http://shopredvelvet.com/collections/e-course/products/d-i-y-dress-up-e-course

Wild and Woolly Hot Coffee Cup Sleeve

My morning coffee wakes me up before I even take a sip. How? By the way my hand gets throughly seared  through the thin paper cups available at the cafeteria at work. The cardboard jackets they provide offer about 1 minute of relief but that still leaves switching hands and trying to find somewhere anywhere to set my coffee down well before the time I get back to my desk.

 One solution? A better coffee jacket. One like the one I knitted up last weekend from some pretty pretty wool tweed scraps I had on hand.

(Above) Red woolly hand protection

Used it today and was pleased - my hands got pleasantly toasty (but not hot) and despite the wool-ness of it it wasn't scratchy.

(Above) Clooooooooooose up on the stockinette stitch

Think I may make a couple more to have on hand, and I have some coffee loving friends who may get some as gifts for Christmas this year....

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: Each sleeve used up scraps of DK Weight wool tweed; Size 6 double-pointed knitting needles; Tape Measure

Patterns:  Reusable Hot Coffee-Cup Sleeve from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts (ISBN-13: 978-1584798606)

Warnings: Don't think it was strictly necessary but I supported the cup at the bottom, was a little worried that the sleeve would slip.

Getting to Know, Well I Don't Actually Know Its Name Yet

I bought a sewing machine a couple of weeks ago.  A gorgeous fancy sewing machine with a billion stitches and a quilting foot and all kinds of other madness. Looking at the box I had visions of all of the great pillows and presents and skirts and sashes and alterations and general awesomeness I'd soon be making.

Of course I was terrified to actually you know, open it and try and make it work.

So she and I sat down Monday afternoon. I took the machine out of the box, laid out all the parts, and snuggled up with the users manual. I identified all the parts, read the safety warnings, connected the power. I then turned the machine on, and nothing blew up. Fantastic!

Next task - winding a bobbin.  Again took my time to follow the diagrams and within a minute we were merrily winding.  

(Above) Action shot, about halfway through the bobbin

Feeling bold, I picked up the section on threading the needle, got the top and bottom threads threaded, picked a pretty zigzag stitch, and stitched my first bit.

(Above) Zigzag-ing Away!

So there's a ton I have to learn, like how to backstitch, or change the needles, or maybe even sew a really straight line. But it was a great hour introduction, and am looking forward to getting to know What's-Its-Name better.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

The Machine: A lovely Brother CS6000i Sew Advance Sew Affordable 60-Stitch Computerized Free-Arm Sewing Machine, available a lot of places including Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JQM1DE)

A Most Excellent Handi-Hour at the Renwick

Looking for a way to create some fun crafts in a gorgeous setting while drinking really good beer in a glass you'll get to take home? Look no further than the Renwick's Handi-Hour....

When wonderful Mariah suggested going to the two-drink-ticket and all-you-can-craft event at the Renwick Gallery's Grand Salon it sounded fun. We got there about 6pm, 30 minutes after the start time and the place was packed with every crafty-girl in the city either making glass-pebble magnets or fabric-covered buttons.

Luckily Mariah's friend had snagged us seats at the button-making table and I got to work. 90 minutes and two beers later I'd made practically a breastplate of 9 gorgeous fabric buttons. 

(Above) A whole lotta cleavage. And yes, I remained dressed like that for the rest of the evening

I may doll some of them up further at home with jewels or sequins or rickrack but really they're plenty pretty as is. It was so much fun to make them - the three of us contemplated buying a button machine but after looking at the cost I think I'll content myself with the ones I made tonight. Can't wait for the next Handi-Hour to see what kind of fun crafts we'll do then!

 

Interested in trying out it for yourself?

Where: Renwick Gallery | 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. (at 17th Street), Washington, D.C. | Orange and Blue Lines, Farragut West Metro

When: There was one tonight (http://www.americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D94465411); The next Handi-Hour is November 3rd (http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/renwick/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D95681725#/?i=1)

Warnings: Get there at start time for the best seating and materials.

Sweet Goodbye for A String of Roses

Its been a good 11 months with them strung cross the room. But after enough times having roses bonk me on the head and maybe once or twice try to string me up it was time to take them down.

But not without a smooch and hug from me.

(Above) Right before saying adieu

Owls, Owls, Everywhere....

Or at least on some dishcloths.  I was going through my yarn stash and found a bunch of half skeins just dying to be knit up. And since its easier to follow a pattern several times I decided to make four owls out of them.

(Above) Purple! Christmas! Tan with a smidge of Yellow! Blue!

These birds make me smile whenever I see them so its nice to have an extra four lying around.

 

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: Each cloth took about half to two-thirds a ball of Lily Sugar and Cream cotton yarn; Size 7 knitting needles, Three stitch holders.

Patterns:  Owl potholder/dishcloth from http://www.fibergypsy.com/pmkn/potholder.shtml