Blog

It's Beginning....

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:56:00 -0500

To look a lot like Christmas!

The view from my front porch.

Here's what's ON my front porch:

I spent all day yesterdy beating on my hands. It seems to be an annual holiday tradition that I have cracked and bleeding fingers.

First we made duct tape dressforms:

This really works! My daughter will have a dressform just her size after we have finished stuffing it. I recommend putting lotion on your hands before doing this. The duct tape made my finger tips very sore.

Then the abuse continued with me hanging the pine roping and lights on the fence. Pine always makes my hands very itchy and sore...but I LOVE the way it looks up. I still have to finish make two wreaths but I have learned and will wear gloves for that.

Then we moved on to the gingerbread house...really my daughter's house. I was just the dough and icing mixer and candy tester. Somehow i kept getting icing all over me though!

Hi!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:26:00 -0500

Oh hi there!

Just wanted to stop in and remind you that there are

ONLY 22 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!

Poor Neglected Dog

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:28:00 -0500

There seems to be some different fiber mixed into my wool....

Daisy finally got fed up with me spending so much time with my wool and ignoring her. Being a SMART dog she decided to take matters into her own paws. She snuck behind the couch pillows and hid herself in the middle of my wool pile. Heh. Of course I put the wool away and gave her lots of cuddles.

Here's what I've been working on:

Im most pleased with the secret hiding spot under a rock and with the fishing pole....I am easily amused!

A Tetanus Shot Might Be a Good Idea

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:31:00 -0500

I've been needle felting A LOT lately....which of course comes with a certain amount of stab wounds. I made a few felted playscapes and while working on them managed to stab my leg several times. I don't know how I did that since I had to get all the way through the 1 1/2 inch felt and the 2 inch foam pad! I think I need to put the needles away when I'm stressed.

Camp Out Cave

Tree Stump Mouse House

Pine Tree Trio

25 DAYS LEFT!!!!

Soy silk arrived!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:56:00 -0500

I finally got my order of soy silk so I got busy dying yesterday:

I've been needle felting snowmen and santas too. I need to finish up a few needle felted playmats too. Sock pair #4 is almost done! I'm still searching for the perfect hat pattern. I will need a few projects to take in the car with me on Thanksgiving for the long drives so I hope I find it soon.

Felting and dyeing get in the way of knitting....

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:32:00 -0500

Things are getting a bit frantic on the crafting front. I have wool, soy silk and milk fiber soaking in my kitchen sink, strands of bamboo top hanging over my kitchen chairs and piles of wool on my couch waiting to become snowmen and santas....not to mention the knitting projects...a scarf in my car, a sock in progress in my purse and some mittens on the coffee table.

I have cut out fabric waiting to become pajamas in my sewing room too!

I'm feeling a bit frenzied. I'll never get anything done with my time so divided so I need to make a priority list. I'm a big fan of lists.

I did get a little play mat done and some bamboo dyed. I love how shiny it is, but HATE rinsing it out after dyeing as it just takes FOREVER even with synthrapol. I dyed my hands purple because I didn't wear gloves during the rinsing. They were REALLY purple this time.

Three Down, Four to Go

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:15:00 -0500

Pairs of socks that is....

I cast on right away for the next pair -

I'm trying to get the bigger men's sized socks done first.

I finished the green hat and have just one more hat to make for Christmas. I'm starting to think I might be able to get all my knitting done.....but something always comes up! I really need to get going on some needle felting projects. People have been asking me for playscapes and creatures for Christmas. I have a feeling the next few weeks of crafting will be making things for my etsy shop and not for my own friends and family....which is a good thing I suppose as my daughter's dance school is ~~a swirling money-sucking vortex~~ expensive.

Avert your eyes Mindy, here's the stress inducing, speed-knitting-inspiring countdown:

41 DAYS!!!

Eeeeep!

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:53:00 -0500

I made some pencil rolls....Canvas on the outside

Orange faux suede on the inside. I want to make something like this for my double pointed needles....after the Christmas crafting is done that is....48 days left!

Art Lessons for Dogs?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:18:00 -0500

I started doing watercolor lessons with my kids. I'm definitely not acting as teacher, but as co-learner in this. We're using The Watercolor Workbook by Ann Elsworth, which is great!

The first lesson is to make a color chart to practice mixing colors. I think just the charts are going to be beautful, and it seems that you can already see how different our styles all are just from this simple exercise.

Daisy got fed up with us ignoring her so she tried to get in on the action-

She does have eyes under there-really!

I'm just a hat machine

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:37:00 -0500

Big Ugly Hat....the Jayne hat (from "Firefly Serenity")

Working on a long hat...kind of like Link's hat from Legends of Zelda:

And I made a baby hat for a friend off a friend's baby....very fast knit from bulky handspun:

The CHristmas knitting continues...I have 3 hats done,one to go 2 pair of socks done, 5 more to go....plus some sewing and other craftiness to do still....

ONLY 49 days left!!!!