Discovery Today for Knitting and Crocheting Fans: the Nostepinne

This is a handheld ball winder for turning skeins of yarn into a ball.  I am charmed by anything rustic, simple, portable.  I am going to ask my father-in-law to make me one--he turns wood.  Here is a video that explains how to use it.

Red Dog

Dog made of two combined patterns.  Should've made floppy ears because she looks like a bear.  But she is nice and solid and sitting height under 8".

My Doodles from Summer 2010

Bizzy and the Kodamas:  Forest Parade

Bizzy and the Kodamas:  Home Base

Good Reading

I am a magazine addict, so I always look for titles for my hobbies.  For crochet, I enjoy the articles and patterns but I also like ads for supplies and events.

New Year's Resolutions!

1.     Make enough small animals (15) to apply for Thread Guild Membership
           PROGRESS:  5

2.     Crochet ten potholders (a quick, easy goal to keep motivated!)
           PROGRESS:  one

3.     Crochet a garment
           DONE:   purple shrug for myself
           DONE:  blue shrug for daughter

4.     Make twelve items (one per month minimum) for charity
           PROGRESS:  one dog blanket for Snuggles project http://www.snugglesproject.org/

5.     Crochet a full-size afghan.
           PROGRESS:  nearly finished with the 99 required squares

6.     Sell items (i.e. booth at festival or website)
7.     Visit a real yarn store!
           DONE!  http://www.theyarncottagefairhope.com/    Fairhope, AL
                        cozy shop, super friendly people, a shop cat named Tilly,
                        and only 25 minutes from home--woo hoo!
           DONE!  http://www.yarniverse.com/  Memphis, TN
                        two-story heaven! the main room was working alive with women knitting, talking, helping.
                        VERY friendly ladies, amazing button collection, lots of knitted and crocheted items hanging
                        in shop.  I bought three balls of yarn and brass stitch markers.

8.     Buy a new sewing machine

9.     Teach daughter more sewing skills and maybe crochet

10.   Get some traffic on this blog!!!

Gotta Have It!!!

I was looking at this in Barnes & Noble and it was KILLIN' me that I couldn't buy it that day (other shopping to do).  If you craft, you gotta see this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Ass-Book-Crafts-Mark-Montano/dp/1416937854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293472713&sr=8-1-spell

My Cartoon Portrait of My Daughter, Katie

The clouds are a tiger and a llama.  One of her favorite manga characters is Kisa Sohma from "Fruits Basket" manga (Kisa changes from human to tiger), and she got a stuffed llama from Santa last year--she is crazy about llamas.  The llama's name is "Yama".

The bow is real ribbon, and the pink/green outline/silver dress is 3D paper paint.

Hobby Lobby ROCKS!!!!!

I haven't shopped yarn in Hobby Lobby for years but made it in today.  After about 15 minutes, I wanted to SCREAM from the OVERLOAD!  I touched, and dreamed, and put back, and picked up, and staggered up and down the aisle in a frenzy.  I had an acrylic hook and some other gadgets in the basket but put them back for yarn.  I had to watch my spending because I was also shopping for eyes and noses, and air dry clay to make "dolls", and my daughter wanted a sketchbook.  I finally left with only three skeins (but giggly happy! what IS IT about yarn?!). 

1. Yarn Bee chinchilla in "fling", a variegated blue/purple with subtle sparkle a big chunky yarn, to make a critter for my daughter. 

2.  Patons Lace in Patina, a gray/tan/cream variegated, a skinny acrylic/mohair/wool for small bears. 

3. Yarn Bee Snowflake wool blend in Tangerine (variegated orange/pink/brown) for critters. 

Yes, I have a thing about variegated yarn!  I love color.  I have plenty of solids in my stash, hopefully something I can coordinate with these, but if not, no problem because these are scrumptious to the touch and for the eyes!

My First Teddy Bear

She's about the size of a Ty Beanie Babie.  She has matches underpants.  I want to make her a stuffed animal of her own.

This pattern is from a book I bought.  I worked this one in a regular yarn with a size F hook, and I am making the same pattern in crochet yarn and a 1.65mm hook.  The size difference is astounding!  There are so many freaking ADORABLE patterns out there but I am really enjoying bears!

The book as listed on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Itty-Bitty-Animals-Annies-Attic-Crochet/dp/1596352515/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292863046&sr=1-1

This turned out rough but the pattern is SO much fun to work and I adore this bear--which I gave to my daughter!

The pattern is from Demonstrative Bears---too much amazing cuteness in one place!!!  My idol!

http://www.demonstrativebears.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/amigurumi_demonstrative_bear_free_pattern.pdf

The Rabbit that Wasn't

I started a white rabbit for my daughter, but when she saw it unfinished, she thought it looked like a kodama and didn't want me to finish it.  I stitched on the black mouth and gave it to her.  Kodamas are forest spirits (see middle photo) from one of our favorite movies, "Princess Mononoke" by H. Miyazaki.  In the right photo, you can see it is a good snuggle size!

pattern:  Bella the Bunny
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80448AD.html?noImages=

My New Pin Cushion!

I started with green wool needlepoint thread but ran out and switched to what I had in my bag!  This is from a free pattern off the internet but I made a lot of changes.  He is about 3-4 inches tall.
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70584AD.html?noImages=

Learning Amigurumi!

This little Auburn Tiger was one of the first animals I made (I was working on the alien at the same time.)  He is about four inches tall and is made from a heavy embroidery.

free pattern on the internet
Sherbert Kitty from http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Amigurumi/Sherbert-Kitty

Painting

Felt Dragon

I LOVE sewing with felt.  I didn't have a pattern and enjoyed figuring out different body parts.  He's not technically fabulous but I think he is adorable. ( I love dragons!)  Sitting height=approx 8-10 inches.

Found Object Art: Clock

I enjoyed making this but it needs new batteries.  It is hanging over my craft desk.  Length=approx 18" (that's a CD at the top for a clock face)

Paper Horses

I saw this activity on Art Forty-Two years ago and finally convinced my daughter to try it with me.  We only made these three but I hope we make more.  They were pinned to the craft room wall in the photos but they are on a bulletin board now.  The joints are buttons wired through holes, but I may just glue in place them next time.  (Daughter did the two on the left and I did the black horse on the right.  She is more creative than I am!)

Dreamcatchers

My daughter and I went to a festival and spent some time studying the Dreamcatchers at one booth.  We decided we had to give making those a try! 
1. ring is over 12" across, the center went kind of random, the feathers are from our own chickens and guineas.  Hanging in guest room.
2. ring is the rim from a whipped cream tub lid, covered with thick yarn and leather cord, embellished with jewelry parts and a gorgeous shimmery green feather from one of our roosters.  Hanging in master bedroom.
3.  ring is from a willow branch, which formed a teardrop (about five inches long) as I worked, feathers from our birds, and a bell.  Hanging from ceiling fan in living room.

Polymer Clay Summer: Switchplates

1.  blended colors and transparent clay, with watch parts embedded--in my bathroom
2.  stamped image into clay before baking, then colored with chalk pastels--in my living room
3.  stamped image into clay before baking, painted with Lumiere acrylics--in daughter's room
4.  shaped clay---all colors are clay colors--in my kitchen
5.  blended clay colors, stamped gold butterfly, added asian "coins"--in master bedroom

Knit and Crochet for Charity

This is from Interweave Crochet Accessories Special Issue 2010.  Page 96 is "Craftivism" and these links are helpful if you want to knit or crochet for charity.

http://www.algerianaction.co.uk/
http://www.handmadeespecially.org/
http://www.hatboxfoundation.org/
http://www.friendsofpineridgereservation.org/difference/craftforprr.shtml
http://www.knotsoflove.org/
http://www.thepreemieproject.com/
http://www.milesofsmiles4charity.blogspot.com/
http://www.theshipsproject.com/

The ones below I am adding after discovering The Yarn Cottage in Fairhope--the links are on their website.

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/calendar/knit-your-bit.html
http://www.theyarncottagefairhope.com/patterns/lookslikeknit.pdf

My Dolls Blogs

I have LOVED dolls since I was tiny!  I had dolls that people NOW pay a fortune for--tough break for me that I sold off my dolls at a yard sale when I was 13 :(   I had Liddle Kiddles, Blythe, Chrissy, Dawn, and Barbies of the 1960s passed to me from older cousins--yeah, the first Barbies. Sigh.  After my daughter was born, I had an "excuse" to own dolls again! That was when I discovered customizing dolls, rooting hair, painting faces, switching parts, and then selling them!  Doll collecting has become an ADULT hobby--a big dollar industry and an amazing form of artistic expression.  There are even magazines, although most of those focus on porcelain, artist, and baby dolls, and my passion is FASHION dolls.  Here are my blogs for my doll collection: little vine is small dolls under 12" tall, and Agency 1216 is dolls 12-16" tall.  I don't still have all the tall dolls because I adore the little dolls 8" and smaller.  (I like to sew and crochet for the little dolls.)

http://little-vine.blogspot.com/
http://agency1216.blogspot.com/

Diversity Project

(top row) Eskimo, "Rita Marley", Flower Child;  (middle row) Chinese Monk, Scandinavian Girl, Rabbi; (bottom row) Church Lady, Aborigine, Guatemalan Woman.
Faces from polymer clay and mold.  Clothing from fabric and hair from embroidery floss or doll hair.  Jewelry materials and dollhouse miniatures.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have to be busy all the time.  If I am not busy, I am sick.  If I am not reading, I am making something.  Usually, I become obsessed with a certain craft and I stick to it as long as I am learning something about the craft or I'm completing a special project.  When I was teaching, I spent a summer making characters out of polymer clay and combining them in a shadow box; the theme was "Diversity" and I really love the results.  I also made about a dozen light switch plates out of the clay.  (I'll add photos soon.)  When my daughter was an infant, I made about four machine quilts.  We love them but I can't spread out such a large project these days with an active 10-yr old and crazy animals in the house.  Later I got into customizing dolls, rooting hair and painting faces, but now such delicate work is difficult with my onset of arthritis. I have done most of the crafts listed in my current poll.  My current obsession is crochet, especially amigurumi and tiny stuffed animal crochet.  My goal is to achieve membership in the Thread Artist Guild.