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I finished my first challenge item!
I started out with these odd pink things:
Not really sure what they’re supposed to be. “Ah!” says I, “They look like mustaches!” So mustaches they became. First I painted them:
One black, one sort of a peppered grey. Then I affixed a finger strap:
Meaning I hot glued a tube of fabric to the back. And voila! Mustaches! And since the challenge was to create some gifts, I gifted them to my sister:
Now she’s (and the cat’s) prepared whenever she needs a disguise!
(Though I wrote this post before I left, when you all read this, I’ll already have been in DC for a few days. So greetings from DC!)
So I signed up for a swap on Craftster that is Dollar Store themed–that is, participants must spend between five and ten dollars at the dollar store (or the equivalent of such for other countries) and craft at least two items for their partner. Well, my partner was A2JC4life, and here’s what I sent her:
Out of two dishtowels, this bag:
Out of some wedding favors, some ribbon, and scraps from the bag (as well as some stash buttons), these pin cushions:
(The button one also has a fabric bump for pins, it’s just lower in the bucket.)
Out of another of the wedding favors and some more ribbon, a little container for storing small things:
And finally, out of a piece of flour sack cloth, this little patch, which she can sew on whatever she chooses:
Another bit of embroidery! I love it. I was going to sew it into a zipper pouch, but then I realized I would have to use a bunch of non-dollar store stuff, so I just left it as a patch. It’s pretty though. : ) I used a pattern from Jenny Hart’s book “Sublime Stitching”, which I borrowed from the library (I just put the cloth over the pattern and traced it with a disappearing ink pen). I shall have to make myself a zipper pouch with a bit of embroidery.
For more dollar store crafts, the rest of the gallery is here
So the other day I received an OWS package from one of my favorite OWSers, PheonixFireDesigns. She claimed me for a wisty surprise, and sent me a GORGEOUS necklace and a rubber stamp:
I also made a necklace of my own:
Basic necklace chain from AC Moore (usually a dollar, on sale for Memorial Day for half off), some thin wire, and some buttons from my stash. : ) It hangs a little funny, but I do like it a lot.
In other craft news: I’m expecting a swap packing round Thursday, I’m hard at work on more swap socks, and I have been working on another swap. So stay tuned for lots more crafts. What are you guys working on?
So, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times so far, I am currently home in Virginia Beach for my summer break from school (and I’m not pleased about it, but that’s a story for another day). This means I have the time and supplies (or ability to drive to the store to get supplies) to do all the various crafts I’ve been meaning to get around to.
Like this tutorial on CRAFT for a vintage tea cup pincushion. I went to the Good Will outlet the other day looking for a couple of things (wool sweaters, yarn/craft supplies, and tea cups) and found some tiny porcelain tea cups, probably from a child’s playset.
I didn’t feel like sewing, so I just sort of stuffed the fabric in there. My first attempt at this turned out like this:
…Yeah. I have since pulled out the fabric with the intent on reusing the cup. My second attempt was much better because I gathered the excess fabric at the bottom and tied some thin crochet cotton around the bundle THEN glued and stuffed. It came out much better:
Yes, that’s Dora the Explorer. Yes, I am aware she’s now a busty teen. Yes, I am appalled. And yes, I will be using this pin cushion (and yes, it’s adorable).
First thing’s first:
That’s right people, FEATHERWEIGHT IS DONE. My longest wip EVER (since October) is finally DONE. I settled for 3/4 length sleeves instead of the full length ones I originally planned for, BUT STILL. IT’S DONE. It’s currently laid out on my bed, drying after a soak and I can’t wait til it’s dry. It fits beautifully (before blocking at least), and I’m so pleased with it. AND, the thing I’m most pleased with is this:
When I started Featherweight, I grabbed the pound cone of the yarn and hand-wound a ball of it that kind of looked like the 100 g of lace weight that the pattern calls for. I totally guessed, having only a 100g ball of worsted weight wool to compare it to. That little ball of yarn up there is all I had left of my original hand-wound ball after knitting THE ENTIRE SWEATER.
I’m so good.
Anyway, I’ll have a proper FO post of this sweater on Thursday probably.
Clearly April is raglan fever time (Featherweight and Seafoam plus…), cause I started a new sweater. It’s just going to be a little shrug, so it shouldn’t take that long and it will be perfect for wearing over tube tops (I always feel awkward in them). It looks like this so far:
I’m using some Regia Silk sock yarn I got in a destash on Ravelry, and ohmigod, it’s SO SOFT. I love this stuff.
While I was soaking Featherweight earlier today, I got around to another craft project I’ve been meaning to do. I went from this:
to this:
A bit of scrapbook paper and some buttons make for a much prettier pencil cup than the plastic cup I’ve been using. It was super easy and took all of five minutes. AND because of where the paper joined, the seam is practically invisible:
I mean, you can see it if you look up close, but if you’re just glancing, you can’t see it at all. : )
So I claimed sunspotted for a Calorimetry, some hair things, and some scrapbook paper.
Pattern: the ubiquitous Calorimetry
Yarn: Cascade Eco Wool, Coffee
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm metal straights
Mods: CO 88, fewer short rows, closed up some of the holes.
Here are the hair pins I made:
They’re glued and sewn onto bobby pins and they were kind of a bitch to make, but they’re cute, I think. I had a hard time getting the bobby pins to stay in the glue straight. It was a learning experience, at least.
There were also a couple sheets of scrapbook paper, but you don’t need to see those.
Coming soon: A couple more swap things. Some knitting. And the dino mittens pattern!
My school apparently thinks Halloween is Friday, so I got to dress up twice, plus the Halloween party that I went to last week. Unfortunately, I only had one costume and it was difficult enough to come up with that idea to begin with. Somewhat unoriginally, I was a bat. While this sounds like the usual slutty girl costume, I assure you, it was not. And it had some pretty sweet diy elements. Check it out:
(imagine me wearing black pants and a black long sleeved shirt.)
Much of the costume was just me wearing black, which is pretty easy since I wear a lot of dark colors. The ears I crocheted from crochet cotton that I bought at a thrift store over the summer. I just crocheted triangles and then sewed them to a crocheted band. Easy peasy.
The wings were much more difficult. I got the idea from Craftster user EmilyinOrbit, who posted the wings she made here. Using some wire hangers, dollar store pantyhose, packing tape, and a whole lot of elbow grease (plus some crochet cords to keep the damn things on my back), I came up with these:
They’re not perfect, obviously, but they are awesome. One of the wings flaps a bit due to the way I affixed the hangers to each other and they’re quite crooked now after three days of use. I managed to get a mostly seamless outside edge, which I’m super proud of. I used three hangers and two pairs of pantyhose. The hangers, tape, and yarn I had on hand, so the total cost for my Halloween costume was $2.
I am, of course, planning ahead for next year, when I plan to be Little Red Riding Hood (again, not slutty). The sole reason for this costume decision? I want a cape. I want to knit an awesome cape (of course, I’ll wear it other times, like during winter. : ) I found this pattern on Ravelry, which will be the one I use. There will be some math to size it up, but seeing as I almost always get 5 sts to the inch in worsted weight yarn, I don’t have to swatch. Nyah nyah. Anyway, yes. I will be Red Riding Hood next year so I have an excuse to wear a cape (not that I need an excuse… And I may make another in a different color). I would have done it this year if I’d thought of it with enough advance notice to actually knit the damn thing. Plus I don’t have the right dress. Next year, though. Next year will be awesome.
And as for knitting: I finished the sweater vest, which you will see soon. I also started a new project that is HELLA AWESOME, and that will be coming soon as well. Stay tuned!
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 