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So I joined a swap on Craftster that was bird themed. Whoo! My partner was PinkChick. Here’s what I sent her:
An amigurumi peacock! The body is actually teal, but for some reason, my camera has a problem picking up that color. **shrug** There’s a pattern for a crochet peacock on Ravelry, but it wasn’t exact enough for me, so I made it up as I went. I like it. It’s cute. My first attempt looked like a blue turkey, but I think this one is distinctly peacock-like.
My first embroidery project! I’ve been meaning to take up cross stitch and embroidery as a means of decorating (simply–I don’t have the patience for all those complicated counted cross stitches), so I thought I’d dive in with this bird. I like how it came out! I traced a vague outline but mostly did it free hand. Here’s a close up of the bird:
My stitching isn’t that even cause I’m new at it, but I suspect it’ll get better with practice. And I do intend to practice.
I also included this card, for which I used a stamp I got in that big batch of supplies from OWS:
I like this too. I like bird stamps. : )
Stay tuned for the gallery link and what I got from my partner!
Yeah. Ahem. Anyway, I occasionally knit for money. Or yarn, as the case may be. Ahem. Look! Knits!
Pattern: Sort of Paton’s Monkey Around Sock Monkey, but I also just made things up as I went.
Yarn: Acrylic stuff from my acrylic stash. The blue came from a learn-to-knit kit, I think.
Needles: US 5/3.75 mm dpns
Mods: Many, since I just looked at the basic shapes and knit as I pleased.
Inn’t he cute? I knit him for a woman I know at school. Her daughter is pregnant and loves sock monkeys, so she commissioned me to make one for her! It was tons of fun to make and it came out super cuddly and wonderful and I briefly considered knitting one for me. Only to be stopped when I remembered I have no need or space for stuffed animals. He’s cute though.
(modeled by my sister)
Pattern: My Dinosaur mittens
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers and Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm dpns
Mods: None! Cause they’re my mittens!
I’m pleased I was “hired” to make these cause I’ve been wanting to try out the smallest size of my pattern but had no kids to knit for. I think they came out cute. : )
I also sent along this card:
The picture is cut out from a little picture book of dinos I got at a library book sale. It’s highly unscientific (it’s from like, the 80s I think, but there are nice pictures. I think I’ll make a similar one and send it to Joe. : )
The arrangement for these mittens was set up through the Ravelry group Will Work for Yarn. As such, I was paid in yarn: One lovely, wonderful skein of Dream in Color Smooshy in colorway “Punky Fuchsia”. It will become socks. With contrast heels and toes because the yarn is 100% superwash merino, and I will wear through that shit in a hot second. I need some nylon in my socks. So I’ll just add some with leftovers of another sock yarn.
So… I made another OWS claim recently. I claimed Faux_Valentine for some monster-themed goodies and a wisty surprise. For the monsters, I made another monster chunk:
out of Sugar and Cream and Serendipity Tweed. I also made an iPod cozy:
out of Wool-Ease and some nylon Fun Fur I had around. Cute, right? I like him. I decided at the last minute to make one more plush, so I knit up this:
out of some “Sullivans Crinkle”. I don’t even know. Glitzy/furry stuff from Big Lots. I love his big teeth though. : )
The wisty surprise I made was based on this bracelet from her wist:
And here’s my version:
I used a zipper from the ones that hngoodlett sent me and I bought some lace trim at Hancock Fabrics. There’s also some felt on the back. I didn’t have a jewelry clasp, so I used ribbon. I really like how it came out. : )
Now that we have returned to our regular schedule of me showing off awesome things, it is Mail Call day! I received some swap things and some other things that I will talk about as I get to them.
First: I received an OWS claim of supplies from hngoodlett, who COMPLETELY SPOILED ME:
That’s a ton of zippers, stamps, ink pads, sewing thread, glue gun sticks (I’ll have to steal my mother’s glue gun, probably), yarn, kool-aid for dyeing, and some plastic sheets that I’m not sure what are. Also: candy! Yum.
Here’s a close up of the stamps:
I also received an OWS package from Lucinda879:
It has a hummingbird quilted in! I didn’t even know you could do that with quilting! I love this thing. It’s so pretty and squishy and wonderful. : )
Next, I received some things from Knit Picks:
PIC
I have a screwy cord in my interchangeable set, so I wrote to customer service, and they sent me a new one! I love Knit Picks–they have such great service! The yarn I got on sale, and I wanted a metal US 8/5 mm 16″ circ to replace the bamboo one I currently have.
Next, I got a skein of Plymouth Colornep, a lovely pink tweed that I don’t have pictures of from a Ravelry destash. It was up for free as half a skein and a mitt, so I claimed it! I’m highly pleased. It will probably became a hat or something for my gift stash I keep meaning to start.
Last but not at all least, I received from MissDolly for my Yarnie/Sewer swap, and she totally spoiled me:
A nice purse (I have to shorten the strap though), a drawstring bag for my spinning, a cool zippered wristlet, a little wallet, a skirt, (*deep breath*) a tank top, and velcro bags for snacks.
Plus a whole load of extras!
Candy and a bracelet and magnet hearts, and cute little ice cube trays.
I would much rather have stayed at school than come home for summer (the reasons are long and somewhat personal), but coming home to like six packages did make it better. : )
So, yes. OWS. I claimed Spotnik for a totebag and slippers for her husband. And they’re AWESOME. Cause I’m good like that.
Pattern: Garter/Rib Slippers
Yarn: Bernat Alpaca Blends
Needles: US 8/5 mm
Mods: None? Made them bigger, I guess.
They are way too big on me and too big on my shoe size 8.5 boyfriend (who’s modeling), but that’s that’s to be expected seeing as the recipient’s feet are size 10.5. I think they came out well. They’re super fast and easy to make, and they look pretty good too. On feet, that is. They look very silly when they’re not on feet:
Yeah. Anyway, I also made a TOTALLY KICK ASS totebag:
Check out that hot hot reverse applique action:
The brown and blue fabrics are canvas I found at the thrift store for uber cheap, and the lining is an old sheet. I am running low on old sheet, so when I am home for the summer, I’ll have to get another one at the thrift store. Sheets really are perfect for lining stuff.
Yep, more OWS stuff. Which means more knits, I just sent them to someone else instead of wearing them myself. I claimed lapoli for wristwarmers and a soaker (and I’m sending tomorrow, so if you are her, don’t look til you receive). Here’s what I sent her:
Pattern: Eh, I made it up as I went.
Yarn: Wool-Ease, I guess Sprinkles since the colorway was called “Ivory Sprinkles”
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm dpns
These are pretty big on me as you can probably tell, but the yarn is REALLY SOFT, which I never would have guessed seeing as it’s mostly acrylic. But seriously. SO SOFT. My mother bought me two balls she spied at the Goodwill Outlet (so she paid about a quarter for the pair, probably). Anyway, the mitts are pretty big on me, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I have really small hands (which means I need to go back to my shark mittens pattern eventually and work out a larger size. Boo). Hopefully these will fit lapoli.
Pattern: Curly-Purly Soaker
Yarn: Grant’s Knitting Wool (more vintage stuff from the Thrift Store)
Needles: US 6,7,8/4, 4.5, 5 mm 16″ circs
Mods: None. I made the Small size as written.
Not that I would ever be the sort to cloth diaper my kids, but I think it’s kinda cute. I’ll definitely be making an effort to claim for these when they come up on OWS lists.
I received a swap package from icebyrd67. She claimed me for a thread catcher, and it’s great:
I’m highly pleased with it. The sand bag bit is attached to the bag with velcro, which will make it easier to clean/empty. At any rate, it’s much much prettier than the plastic cup I’d been using.
In other news, I made another OWS claim (for wrist warmers and a soaker), which I’ll be starting soon. Also, I’ve been working on my Featherweight. It currently looks like this:
I started sleeves! I finished the body and the collar and am working on sleeves! I’m so excited. It’s like the light at the end of the tunnel. The sleeves are taking forever, of course, but STILL.
All right guys, I finally finished and sent my swap package for the Yarnie vs. Sewists swap on Craftster. My partner was MissDolly, and we decided to craft each other’s lists (we each had five items). Here is everything I made for MissDolly (and warning–the last one is probably NSFW).
Pattern: None, it’s a top-down hat.
Yarn: Grants Knitting Worsted, the vintage wool I’m slowly working through.
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm
I like how this came out. It’s not overly complicated and the ears and a little crooked but it’s cute. And comfy.
Pattern: The Mary Jane Slippers I’ve made three pairs of now.
Hook: H8/5 mm
Yarn: Cascade 220 (grey) and Ella Rae Classic (blue)
Mods: None, I think. Crocheted as written.
Every time I make these, I like them more. One of these days I’ll make a pair for myself. In the mean time, I’ll continue making them for swap cause they’re SO FAST and they’re a great use of random wool or acrylic that I have lounging about in the stash. Also, great use for buttons I only have two of.
I did do something different for this pair though:
A while back, I picked up a couple of shelf liners/placemats (one of those things) at Goodwill. They’re kind of sticky, and I figured they’d be good for sewing to slipper bottoms so the slippers aren’t so dangerous and so they last longer (since pure wool crocheted loosely that gets stepped on a lot probably won’t last very long).
Pattern: Fetching by Cheryl Niamath, from Knitty
Yarn: Almost EXACTLY one skein of Knit Picks Comfy in Marlin (I had about three yards left)
Needles: US 6/4 mm Susan Bates dpns
Mods: None? Though next time I would do a little shaping and a different thumb. I hate afterthought thumbs.
I think these are cute. I REALLY love the cabled wrist, and I will definitely be working that into a future pair of fingerless (or fingered) mitts or gloves. It snugs up nicely and it’s quite pretty. I don’t especially care for the top (it flairs out a little) or, as I said, the lack of shaping (there’s not enough ribbing for that) and a regular mitten thumb (have I mentioned I dislike afterthought thumbs? Cause I do). I probably won’t make these for myself, but they were fun and fast to make for the swap, and I’m pleased I used up the last lingering ball of Comfy. (Now I have to order more.)
Pattern: My own; made it up as I went.
Yarn: Lamb’s Pride (in Kiwi), Lion Wool (in Purple), and some yarn from a thrift store sweater I frogged
Hook: Uh… G maybe? For amigurumi, I generally just use whatever hook I pull out first. I think I used a 3.75 mm hook.
Guys, I love this rabbit. LOVE. I was convinced it was going to come out horribly, and then I put it all together, and it’s AMAZING. I’m seriously considering making another for myself to sit on my desk and be cute and nerdy. His little glasses (scraps of jersey I glued on) are adorable. LOVE.
WARNING: This next one is NSFW or kids. Though you should expect this sort of thing from time to time since the name of my blog is “Adulterous Whores Club.” Just sayin’.
Pattern: Adult Lip Balm Cozy
Hook: Uh… 3.75 mm?
Yarn: Wool from a thrift store sweater.
Mods: Made adjustments for thicker yarn, stuffed it fully instead of leaving space for chapstick.
…Yeah. It was fun to make, and she wanted one, so I obliged. You know you want one too.
In my most recent OWS claim, I claimed leighi123 for fingerless mitts and little stuffies for her two-year-old. Here’s what I made:
Just a ribbed tube with a thumb hole. Very simple, no shaping. I used US 2 dpns and Trekking XXL (the same yarn I used in my last baby knitting adventure).
Gator! I love him. If I didn’t use up all the Lion Brand Cotton-Ease that I had (the yarn I made him out of), I would make another for myself cause he’s SO CUTE. LOVE.
Armadillo! I used Lion Fisherman’s Wool. I love him too! It took me a couple of tries to get the right head shape (I had the same trouble with the gator shape too), but once I got it, it worked out really well. He’s stuffed fairly lightly, so he’s super squishy and wonderful. Although, I will say that when I was sewing on his legs, I misjudged the placement of one and it turned out… unfortunately:
It’s all fixed now though, and it no longer has an unfortunate appendage.
Cute little turtle! I love this picture. Glamor shots. Hella cute. I used Lamb’s Pride Worsted.
A little bird made of various label-less stash wools. He’s a little sad looking. I love him though.
A little mouse out of Knit Picks Palette and a tiny bit of Brown Sheep Nature Spun from my gigantic cone.
Most of them came out a bit bigger than I intended, but I still think they are super cute. I can’t wait to Leigh-Ann to get them because I know her son will love them. : )
So I’ve gotten a couple of packages in the past couple of days. Yesterday, I received an OWS package from StephanieGravatt:
First: Ravenclaw wall art:
I didn’t want to just tape it in the frame, so I think I’m just going to save the frame for something else, but I do have the cross stitched bits up on the wall (next to Bender).
Next, my favorite thing ever:
Team Tyler’s Van shirt! (I’ll add in an apostrophe with contact paper or something.) For those that don’t know, in the first Twilight movie, Bella (the whiny main character) almost gets run over by Tyler’s van after school, and Edward runs to her rescue and pushes the van away. I hate Twilight and can’t stand Bella, Edward or Jacob (except in a mocking this-is-so-bad-it’s-good sort of way); ergo, I am on Team Tyler’s Van. In addition to LOVING being able to show my support for Tyler’s Van, the tee fits perfectly and is even long enough for my abnormally long torso (it’s true… I’m really short; I just have really short legs).
I also got a package in the mail from YarnOrATale on Etsy. I ordered 6 oz. of Romney roving (which I haven’t tried yet) in her Melon Balls colorway.
There’s a bit of a story to this order, since I was trying to not buy any more fiber (I can only spin so much between all of my knitting projects). I’d been following this thread on Ravelry, looking at all the pretty fibers and yarns and wishing I were better at spinning (it took me most of a month, but I got through all of the nearly 600 pages), and Leah (YarnOrATale) is a member of that group on Ravelry. Her ravatar is a picture of that roving (Romney in Melon Balls) and I COMPLETELY fell in love with it. Every time I saw her ravatar, I wanted it a little more. : ) So I tracked down her shop, messaged her about it, and custom ordered the colorway (she was out of it at the time).
She was totally fantastic about the whole thing, so if you happen to be as in love with the roving as I am, you should totally check out her shop and order some (or something else… she has lots of other lovely colorways, but I’m on a fiber diet). ALSO, she was recently running a promotion for St. Patrick’s Day where if you ordered something with green in it, she’s throw in a bar of handmade soap also:
So, yes, wonderful. Not sure when I’ll get to spinning this up or what I’ll make with it, but whatever I do, it’ll be bright and springy and wonderful. : )
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 