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So I joined another swap, even though I said I wouldn’t. This was a small one: we just had to craft two bookmarks based on the themes our partner gave us. My partner was beeker and she made me some awesome bookmarks:
My themes were knitting, art deco, dinos/animals, and Star Wars/space. The first two were for me, but I aimed the second two at my lovely boyfriend. It was a quick, easy swap and I figured I only read one book at a time so I only need one bookmark (and I have two), and he reads about as voraciously as I do. : ) So the dino one is for him (I told this to my partner, btw, so no surprise handing off of crafty goodness).
Here are the ones I made for her (her themes were Beatles, red, pink, and leaves):
I loooove the red one, and I’m not quite as happy with the Beatles one. But I still like it and I am quite pleased with the dictionary definition of love bit. I shall definitely be making more thread crochet bookmarks as it was quite easy and I scored a bunch of crochet thread at the thrift store. Random stuff at this particular store (Goodwill Outlet) is something like 59 cents a pound and my total (which included a somewhat heavy roll of contact paper/stickable vinyl) was only 74 cents. SCORE! Anyway, the bookmark took literally about 20 minutes to make and they’ll be perfect for Christmas presents for some of the readers in my group of friends. Oh, and to stiffen it, I just dunked it in a glue/water bath, pinned it out, and let it dry. : )
The rest of the gallery is here if you want to check out the rest of the swap.
Okay, probably not. I’ll probably sign up for later rounds. But for right now, I’m taking a break from the Ongoing Wish Swap. I received my package from spectrumsparksie, and she totally spoiled me. She claimed me for felted soaps, which came in droves, and a crafty surprise:
The soaps are a bunch of pretty colors and scents: Olive Oil, rose, sandalwood, “floral garden”, “petal touch”, and coconut.
Stamps! Many stamps! And a little album that I might scrapbook and a book about marbling paper which I will certainly put to good use.
All in all, it was a SUPER AWESOME AND AMAZING package, and I’m so glad spectrumsparksie claimed me. Thanks so much! : )
Sorry for the radio silence, people. My hard drive crashed and I needed to install a new one, so I’ve been without a computer since… Thursday? Friday? Something like that. Anyway, on to crafts:
I recently tried my hand at swap organizing! I put together and organized (with co-organizer edwards1) a Post Secret swap. If you don’t know about Post Secret, check out the official website here. The basic premise is that people write their secrets (normally with an artsy element) and send them to Frank and he puts some of them on the blog. He’s also done several books of Post Secret cards.
This swap was similar. I put everyone into groups and gave everyone some addresses. Each person made five secrets and sent them to five different people and got five secrets, one from each person. Here are the secrets that I received:
My secret still secret
For 15 years, my stepfather and I didn’t get along. For one 1 year, we didn’t speak. The last 5 years have been great. All it took was 120 miles.
I may not cry in front of other people but that doesn’t mean I don’t cry.
I would say yes in a heartbeat.
Back:
We’re not even dating… He knows I have feelings for him… He doesn’t know I’m in LOVE him!
I think Harry Potter sucks!!
Mine were also quite crafty, but I’m not going to post them here (because they’re secret). If you want to see the rest of the secrets in the swap (including mine), the gallery is located here.
It does, actually. I think this might be my last claim for a while (though not the last post–there’s this one and then what I got from the person that claimed me). I want to do some regular swaps and maybe even organize one. Or perhaps just get started on my Christmas knitting. Anyway.
I claimed lapoli for a cowl and acrylic yarn. Here’s what I came up with for the cowl:
(Modeled by my sister)
Pattern: A Noble Cowl, available as a free Ravelry download
Yarn: Almost a skein and a half of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (left over from Climbing Vines)
Needles: Knit Picks 16″ US 7/4.5 mm circ.
Modifications: Only cast on 105 (though that was still waaaay too big), only did two repeats of the pattern instead of 2.5.
I think this came out rather nicely, actually. It’s big but still warm and it can always be pinned with a shawl pin or something similar. And in any case, she loved the drape of it. Turns out she hates things that are tight around her neck. Win.
I also sent her a bunch of acrylic yarn that has been marinating in my stash:
Some Red Heart Super Saver, some Vanna’s Choice, and some unlabeled stuff. She said it’s perfect for her charity knitting. So hopefully it’ll keep someone warm and make someone happy–more than it was doing in my stash.
I’m still working on the baby sweater and the cami. They’re sort of slow-going (well, compared with my usual rate of progress), but hopefully I’ll get Colin’s sweater finished by the time his family gets here. It’s getting there. It’s a bottom-up raglan, and I’m almost at the sleeves. Exciting!
(If you could sing the part in parentheses like “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, that would be great.)
Anyway, my Ongoing Wish Swap package from PhoenixFireDesigns arrived at my house while I was out of town, but I’ve gotten it now and snapped a photo:
She claimed me for stitch markers and a “wisty surprise” (which I knew was a Tree of Life pendant). I love both things, but the tree is particularly lovely. Yesterday I went to Michael’s to get a chain to hang it on. : ) I don’t wear jewelry much, but I’m sure I can find and occasion to wear my lovely Tree of Life.
In knitting news: I’ve just started a project for the Ongoing Wish Swap (I know, again), and I’m also working on a tank top. And I have a FO that I never posted. Never fear, THERE WILL BE POSTS. : )
Hi guys! This post is a little late in coming because I’m away, but here’s a little something regardless. : )
I claimed Craftster user Rangerbeth for fruit cozies and an eye pillow. Here’s what I came up with:
Pattern: This one from I think I’m gonna purl.
Yarn: Lily Sugar and Cream cotton
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm dpns
Mods: I made the blue one smaller to fit smaller applies, peaches, and plums.
They’re cute! If I ate apples with any regularity, I might make some for myself.
(Note: This picture is courtesy of Rangerbeth because I brilliantly forgot to photograph these.)
I also whipped up some eye/neck/back pillows. They’re filled with rice and a little bit of lavender soap and you can put them in the microwave or the freezer to heat or cool your aches and pains. I might make some for myself cause they were so easy and they’re perfect for using up small scraps of fabric (you could quilt them too). The rice is contained in a smaller bag inside the pretty fabric. I used t-shirt scraps because I didn’t want the rice to leak out all over.
I really LOVE how these came out and I think they’d also make great gifts, so I’ll definitely be making more. Plus, they’re top-stitched. Everything looks better with top stitching. ALSO, I bothered the iron the fabric, which was basically amazing. I love the iron.
I also got my package from the person that claimed me, but as it is at home and I am not, pictures of that will have to wait. I may have other FO’s coming up though, including a tank top.
I finally got my second OWS package in the mail. Craftster user Lunanne claimed me for wool roving, a needlebook, and needle felting stuff:
I’m pretty thrilled to try needle felting and also to play with the wool. The shiny ones are wool and silk, which is doubly awesome and special. I think I’ll try spinning those. There’s not a lot, so I’m not sure what I could make with the yarn and I’m definitely not going to try it until I get better at spinning (which I haven’t done in a while). The other stuff (just wool) I’ll probably needle felt onto something. I don’t know yet. We’ll see. : )
So as you know, I was flaked on for the Rainbow Swap. : ( Fortunately, hippiejo74 volunteered to angel for me, making me an amazing package of rainbow goodness:
A rainbow stamp, some perler coaster things, an AWESOME perler tree (that glows in the dark!), a trivet/potholder, two handkerchiefs, a lunchbag (made of totally sweet rainbow colored fabric that says “All you need is love”), the extra fabric, and an AMAZING messenger bag, into which I JUST transfered all the stuff in my purse cause this one is so much more awesome (and also more summery than my previous dark brown one).
And I’m NOT EVEN DONE YET. It wouldn’t all fit in one photo.
Rainbow arrow crayons, a cute little box, and YARN! I love yarn. She said she thinks it’s a cotton/silk blend and I’m still not sure how much there is, but I’ll figure out something to do with it.
Anyway, yes, hippiejo TOTALLY SPOILED ME, and this package was TOTALLY AWESOME and as soon as I get a spare moment, I’m definitely sending some awesome rainbow stuff her way.
More on the Ongoing Wish Swap: I had two claims in a short-ish period of time, and since they both received, here is what I made:
For Leighi123, a crochet sandwich:
I used random scraps of acrylic yarn I had lying around and made up some patterns. There’s lettuce, cheese, hard boiled eggs, onion rings, and pickles. I really like how everything came out. : ) Also, I got to use up some scrap yarn.
and a tote bag for her son to use for the library:
I used the legs from some old jeans to make the bag and strap and some other fabric for the shark, which I glued on cause I hate sewing appliques. I love how this thing came out. I didn’t bother to line it since it’s just going to hold books, but like I said, I love it. I’d have wanted to keep it if I needed another tote bag.
And for AbbyRose, a paintbrush roll
Used some Houndstooth and some orange fabric I’ve had forever. The construction was pretty easy since I’ve made a bunch of this type of thing. There’s some interfacing in it like she requested so the bristles of her paintbrushes wouldn’t bend. I also included some felt and some kool-aid for dyeing, but I don’t think you guys really need pictures of those things. : )
I’m still waiting on another OWS package and also a rainbow swap package, so that’s coming soon. Also, I’m still plugging away on the Climbing Vines sweater (it’s taking FOREVER and I’m not sure why), but the last sleeve is ALMOST done. Then it just needs blocking and sewing and it will be ready to show.
So I joined a new kind of swap called the Ongoing Wish Swap on Craftster. It’s like a chain: person A posts a list, person B claims to make something from A’s list and proceeds to post their own list; person C comes along and claims something from B’s list. I claimed a couple of people, but they haven’t gotten their packages yet, so I’ll post what I made for them when they get there. It might be a while cause I had to send one to Canada.
But I did receive one of my packages, from Craftster user mcook72677. She claimed me for soaps and scrubs, and this is what I got:
Two tulip-scented soaps, a lavender soap, a sweet grass soap (not pictured), and pikake salt scrub. The scrub smells AMAZING. So does the sweet grass soap. : )
The sweet grass soap isn’t in the picture because I got the package while I was at work. I needed my sister to bring me something, and she asked if I wanted my package too (of course), and I used the soap when I got out of the pool and took my shower. : ) It smells amazing, and I love it.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 