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So I recently participated in the Rainbow Swap on Craftster.org. Unfortunately, my partner seems to have flaked on me, though she has until Friday to contact someone before the organizers of the swap get an angel (someone else on Craftster to make me a package and in return, they get Friend of Crafster status for a year).

Since I am sure she received my package (which I’m kind of bummed about) I’ll go ahead and show you what I made for her:

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Fingerless mitts using Peaches and Cream in fiesta and some black Simply Soft

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Crochet bracelet that took me a while and I liked, so I’m pissed I gave it to someone who flaked on the swap.

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Little pouch I wasn’t using anyway.

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Shrinky-Dink jewelry, which I’m really pissed about because I love how it came out and the ring was a bit of a PITA to get right. Rawr.

I also sent her a couple of extras, like shoe laces, the rest of the Peaches and Creme yarn, an a flashy light up thing. Hopefully I’ll get an awesome angel and I won’t feel quite as bummed.

At long last, the items for the Craft my Wish Swap on Craftster have been sent and received by the intended parties, and I have finally received my final package from sg1psychopath, which came all the way from Great Britain and somehow managed to do that is less time than it took for Nikimac’s package to get from Virginia to Washington. *shrug*

Anyway, here’s what I got from sg1psychopath:

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Sweet buttons (the red ones will probably go on my version of Lilith, which I think I’m just going to design myself), a phone holder, which I will make an honest effort to use, a bookmark, a little box with shells (which she didn’t make but had around) and a pillow cover, which doesn’t have a pillow in because she (understandably) wanted to save on shipping, and one of these days, I’ll just haul my ass to Michael’s to get my own pillow form.

And here is what I made for my partners:

For Nikimac:

A little itsy-bitsy sweater for her baby due in July:

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I’m so excited I got to make this. : ) I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, US 10/6mm needles and the 5 Hour Baby Boy Sweater pattern. It’s so tiny and so cute! Now I want to make a ton of baby sweaters. : )

Also, this little earflap hat for her two-year-old son:

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I freehanded the pattern top-down using US 7/4.5mm dpns, red Ella Rae Class wool, and blue Lion Wool. The earflaps were picked up after casting off, and there’s a border of single crochet around everything. I love this hat too because it’s cute and tiny.

And also this kickass apron:

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Oh my God… This apron. It is my opus. Okay, not really. But it WAS extremely frustrating and turned out extremely AWESOME. I am kind of sad I don’t cook and therefore have absolutely NO use for any such thing because I really love it. Niki really loves it though, so that’s good. : )

I was going for a retro sort of look, and I think I got it. I found the fabric at Walmart on the day before send out (yep, I did this all the night before, as I do everything) for $1.50 a yard and bought a yard. And I used every inch. The white bits are pieces from various t-shirt scraps. The ruffle at the bottom was extremely frustrating and I did not enjoy sewing it on and poor Mary, my sewing machine, did not enjoy sewing it on either. She does not like knit fabric. Nor did she like this this, seersucker-ish fabric that the main bit of the apron is made of. But she pulled through like a champ, and it looks awesome. I am SO SO proud of this thing.

For JanelleJ:

Amigurumi Fruits and Veggies:

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With faces! Cute. Had to put these off til the last minute because I lack food-colored yarn at school. Fail. I actually intended to make many more of these than I actually did, but I ran out of time and also desire. And food colored yarn. So I have a pear, a lemon (which I made up and did NOT use a pattern for, even though there’s one on Ravelry), and an orange which actually looks more like a peach and I guess it doesn’t matter which. Pretty basic patterns.

A stuffed elephant:

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I improvised this design using Vanna’s Choice, left over from Talia way back. It’s based on the crochet elephants I used to make, and I definitely like the knit design much better. Mostly because I prefer knitting and find it’s much faster and much less annoying. *shrug* I think this little guy came out looking pretty cute though. : )

Headbands for her two-month-old:

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Basically some elastic and some fabric scraps. These were definitely a last minute decision, and I, of course, made them Thursday night. I like how them came out though. They were very simple, and I would definitely make them again given an occasion.

Decorated Notebooks:

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The smaller one I got in a previous swap but knew I would never use, so I slapped on a carrot (one of her desire themes/motifs) and called it a day. The other one I am MUCH more fond of, but I went through a couple different octopuses before settling on that one. I think that one is adorable though. The paper inside of it is the innards from a small notebook that was missing a cover. So I glued some black construction paper to the spine, slapped on an octopus, and called it a day.

And because I didn’t make anything large like the apron I made for Nikimac, I also threw in two skeins of Bernat Matrix and two spools of ribbon. You don’t need pictures of those.

I’ll be honest. I picked the Matrix because I wanted it out of the stash. I have no regrets.

I had a bit of sewing-related inspiration recently, so I sewed up a couple of things, one of which you can purchase and keep and own for yourself.

First: Coffee Cozy number one:

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(That last one is the backing fabric.)

There was a bit of trial and error involved in getting the pattern right, but I like how it came out. Two pieces of scrap fabric and a piece of cotton quilt batting, a hair tie, and a button. I wish I’d have sewn the button on before I sewed the whole thing together, but I love how this came out anyway. Also, it’s topstitched, and I love things with topstitching. Also, I love both of these fabrics, which I’ve had forever.

Second: Coffee Cozy number two:

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Same pattern as the last one but I attempted to machine sew on the buttons (without a button foot). It came out… Interestingly. I like it a lot, actually, but unfortunately, my bobbin went a little screwy so the back is all messed up, so I can’t sell this extra one. : ( Also, I used a piece of a t-shirt scrap, part of a curtain I bought at the thrift store a while ago, and the quilt batting. And a hair tie (cut in half) and some buttons. : )

Third: Iron Maiden Tote Bag

And this is the item you can own for yourself! If you love Iron Maiden or if you know someone who does, this would be the perfect gift for them (or you):

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A Hot Topic tee I picked up at Rugged Wearhouse for like four dollars (in the kids’ section… win) and some stiff canvas-like fabric. The straps are from a roll of thick fabric ribbon that I got from Target after Christmas.

If you’d like this bag in your possession, you can pick it up here on Artfire.

Coming up soon: Swap things and perhaps the Button Me Up/Superman Sweater which now measures 12.5″. Why yes, I do knit almost constantly. : )

Before I get to the pictures, here’s an update: I have completely finished Hey Teach, buttons and everything. Still need to photograph it (that’ll happen soon), but in the mean time, I have plenty of other things to post over the next week or so. I sent out one of two swap packages and am expecting mine any day now, so look for that post probably Monday.

But as for now: Two things I’ve done recently and (OMG!) how you can get them in your possession.

First: ADCD tote bag!

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Made from an ACDC t-shirt I purchased at Rugged Warehouse and some fabric I purchased at Walmart. It’s 15″ by 15.5″ with a squared bottom and the straps are 16″ tall. It’s totally machine washable and very sturdy. It also has a line of blue topstitching around the top of the bag.

This totebag, perfect for an ACDC fan, is available here on Etsy and here on Artfire.

Item number two: Another dpn/pencil/crochet hook roll.

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This is made from cotton houndstooth fabric and a thrifted Barney bedsheet. It has eight pockets, six of which are an inch across and two of which are two inches across. It ties securely with ties made of t-shirt scraps.

This little organizer would be perfect for dpns, crochet hooks, pens, pencils, paint brushes or colored pencils for yourself or as a girl. It’s available here on Artfire.

Stay tuned for more crafts, including Hey Teach, a hat, and the swap.

Unfortunately, it is still quite cold, both in Virginia Beach, where I live, and in Fredericksburg, where I school. The sun, however, is shining, and I took advantage of it, snapping this lovely wip photo of my cable cardigan:

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But as I’ve said, it’s still cold. I’m home on spring break, but my bedroom, where I spend much of my time, is freezing because the heat doesn’t reach back there. As a result, I had to whip up these:

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I used Caron Felt-It in colorway Evening Mist and 4.5mm dpn’s. I used my basic mitten pattern, but I knit these from the top down to make sure I had enough to finish both mitts (I did, with yarn left over). They came out a little too large and I had to rip back the thumb gusset on the first one a few times before I figured it out, but I like them. They’re soft and squishy.

The yarn is interesting. I have a little left over, and I think I’m going to felt something–probably a little bowl. From what I’ve seen on Ravelry, it felts pretty well, which is to be expected seeing as the yarn is pretty much roving.

One last thing: right before leaving school for break, I whipped up this:

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A holder for my double-pointed needles (and also crochet hooks). I bought some dowels recently to make my own dpns, so once I finish them, I’ll be moving my crochet hooks elsewhere. I still need something for them and also my circular needles (of which I need many more sizes… Especially 6’s and 7’s).

I recently participated in a swap on Craftster, the theme of which is naughty words. Awesome, yeah? Well, both my partner and myself have received, so here I will provide you with pictures of all the swear-y goodness.

From me (and these are her pictures because… well, my camera, my laptop, my hard drive, and I don’t really get along that well):

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A coffee cozy (Red Heart acrylic on eights, knit flat and seamed. Says Fuck), a pair of fingerless mittens with very crude embroidery/duplicate stitched “fuck!” and “shit!”, a little pouch (with a snap! And a wristband!), and the most awesome bag I’ve ever made. The lettering was a bit tedious, but if anyone wants a bag like this, let me know. I’m more than happy to commission another one cause it was quite fun to make. Also: other words. : )

Anyway, here is my totally bitchin’ package from my partner:

A door sign which is currently on my bookshelf:

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Note cards for wishing someone “Whore!” or “Cunt!”:

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A kickass box, in which to store my stitch markers:

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Many of which she made me:

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(As a side-note, I fucking LOVE stitch markers and would like to horde some awesome ones. I’m planning like 47 more swaps, expressly for this purpose.)

And this FUCKING AWESOME embroidery, which is currently residing on my printer:

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It was an awesome swap! If you want to see more swear-y, crafty awesome, the swap gallery is located here.

So Walmart’s closing their fabric sections, but the one close to me still has a fairly sizable one. The good news is that because they’re closing them, there’s a TON of discount fabric (I’m talking a dollar a yard). Their remnants bin is pretty awesome too, which is where I scored half a yard of halloween fabic for 80 cents. Using some orange gingham (also from Walmart’s remnants bin) and a zipper I took off an old purse that was all ratty and dingy, I came up with this:

I love it, and it’s just big enough to hold my wallet, my phone, my ipod, and a chapstick. : ) Making these clutches is addictive, and I will definitely be making a ton more. Probably some to sell. I ought to list another Halloween one on Etsy seeing as I still have quite a bit of this fabric left.

Hello all, and welcome to the first post of my brand new craft blog, The Adulterous Whores Club, which (if you check the About page, you’ll see) is named for a high school joke. Here in this blog, you’ll find pictures of new crafts I’ve made, my attempts at pattern-writing, ramblings of ideas concerning crafts, and other crafty things. You might find special information or deals in my etsy, tutorials, and (maybe, someday, if I ever gain readership) contests. We’ll see how things go.

This is basically the beginning of my attempt to draw business toward my crafty pursuits. I enjoy crafting immensely, but I also enjoy shopping on Ebay, and as a college student, that’s not always financially sound. So you all get fun crafty things, and I get to feed my Ebay addiction. I say it’s a win-win situation.

So this first post isn’t totally boring, I’ll include pictures of my latest crochet endeavor, as well as a sewing project I’m considering listing on my etsy:

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A cute little duckie/chickie that’s currently up on Etsy

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A dpn/pencil/crochet hook roll. This is actually the third I’ve made of these. The first was to test what I was doing, and the second I made for a swap (I actually intended to make the first for the swap, but I liked it so much, I kept it and made my swap partner a better one). The third I made with the intent to sell, but it isn’t up yet.

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A tote made from a t-shirt (a totally kickass t-shirt that I scored for $4 at Rugged Warehouse) and some cotton fabric ($.99 for about a yard and a half at the thrift store–it was actually a curtain). The print says “Chuck Norris can defeat a brick wall at tennis”. It also has a small pocket on the inside. I have a couple more sweet t-shirts, so I’ll probably make a bunch more tote bags. I used this one for a while, and I always abuse the hell out of my bags (I put so much stuff in them), and it held up just fine. I didn’t notice any tears or stressed stitches or anything. And I put a LOT of heavy things in my bag (water bottles, books, jackets, etc.) so I’m thinking it’s pretty sturdy design. I’m thinking I may list a couple of totes on etsy because frankly, I don’t need this many tote bags. I like making them, and I love that there are infinitely many awesome t-shirts to make them out of, but definitely I need the money more than the bags. : (