Stitch, Brinn, Stitch!

A Kool Way to Dye

May 26, 2010 in dyeing, stash | Tags: dyeing, stash, wool, yarn | 3 comments

So I recently did some dyeing. With Kool Aid. Cause I had some yarn from some sweaters I frogged but I didn’t like the colors. First this, which was originally pastel pink (yuck):

This is a wool-acrylic blend (50/50 I think) from a cardigan I frogged. I’m still not thrilled with the color, but I figure with the high acrylic content, this is as good as it gets. And anyway, the dye took much better than I thought it would. I used… several packets of grape, I think.

I have a sweater quantity here (as it came from a sweater), but I think I’ll use about half of it in a striped pullover with some grey woool. It’ll tone down the pink, and I have a random craving to knit/have a striped pullover.

Next, there was this ugly yellow color that came from a zipper hoodie:

Again, a sweater quantity. Probably a light sport weight. This is 100% merino wool, so it took dye much better:

I wasted a bunch of blue Kool Aid before I figured out it wasn’t going to take up more dye without heat and then I got the hang of it. I dyed the base red and did some grape variation. Not sure what this will become (probably a sweater). I’ll let it marinate in the stash. I’m not complaining–the sweater was probably under two dollars (the thrift store where I bought is 1.59/pound for clothes) and the Kool-aid was probably about two bucks. making the total cost of a sweater quantity of yarn in a color I like about four dollars. Win.

Sock Trades

May 23, 2010 in knitting, stash, swap | Tags: knitting, sock yarn, socks, stash, wool, yarn | Leave a comment

While I have in fact been doing some knitting and spinning for me (sort of–the spinning may eventually turn into a gift), I have also been knitting for other people. Sort of. Like the mittens I made, I am working on socks for Will Work for Yarn trades. The first is a pair of Skew socks in Regia Nation Color. I finished one sock:

and started the other. In return for knitting them, I received three skeins of Aslan Trends Santa Fe (two in Jungle and one in World’s Ocean):

It’s pretty pretty–squishy and wonderful. : ) It’s a two-ply so I might have to do contrast heels and toes, but it does have nylon in it.

Once I finish the Skew socks, I have another pair lined up. I received these two skeins

of True Love Fiber hand dye in Further Under the Sea (for the trade socks) and Happy Lipstick (for me).

I’m not really sure what socks I’m going to knit for this trade because of the variegation in the yarn and because the person I’m trading with didn’t have a specific pattern in mind. It’ll be a couple days because I get to them because I have to finish the Skew socks first, so I have some time to think about it.

More Mail of the Swap Variety

May 21, 2010 in other people's crafts/cool things, swap | Tags: fabric, ongoing wish swap, ows, sewing, stash, swap | Leave a comment

I received a couple more swap things this week! First, from leighi123:

Two pretty zipper bags and some very pretty cotton fabric that will most likely become a skirt or summery dress. She also sent a sheet of shrink plastic, some pretty sparkly thread, and some chocolate (which I gave to my brother as I’m not a fan of dark chocolate). Yay! The bags are lovely and large and while I’m not really sure what I’ll put in them yet, I’m sure I’ll think of something. The thread will probably be used to ply handspun, maybe.

I also received from bkrenning4

I like it a lot. It fits and it’s pretty and will be perfect for wearing over less-than-presentable pj’s. So win!

Recently in the mail I also got some yarn for some swaps, but more on that later. : )

Some Paper Crafts! And Stuff.

May 19, 2010 in paper craft, swap | Tags: art, finished object, FO, inchies, ongoing wish swap, paper craft, swap | Leave a comment

For Ongoing Wish Swap! I love that swap, guys. Anyway, I claimed lindyv321 for an address book, some inchies, and a wisty surprise. The wisty surprise didn’t really work out, but the address book is really cool (and probably took over two hours anyway).

First, the inchies:

I’m quite proud of these, actually. They’re very simple–a background and words or picture. I like ’em. Especially the stripey one. I also included a few extra bases (newsprint and striped scrapbook paper) cause I didn’t want to make more, and she had inchie bases on her list.

Now, here’s the address book, which is Alice in Wonderland themed:

(front, and it actually is square and not trapezoidal)

(back)

It was a ton of fun to make, and I like it a lot. For the front, I found an image of the Cheshire Cat online and drew it out myself, referencing the image (and I did the same with Alice on the back, only that was harder). I stamped out the quote on cardstock (the one on the back I just wrote out), then covered the whole thing with Mod Podge and glued on a stretched out piece of tee shirt for a closure.

The base book is just something I found at the dollar store. I had previously found a smaller one that I liked a lot better, but it disappeared somewhere in the house and I had to get a new one. This one (which is binder style) was the only kind they had, much to my chagrin. Still, I think it came out totally awesome, and I’m super proud of the Cheshire Cat.

I also included this card:

I like it a lot. Just a cut out of cardstock, which I spot printed with a green ink pad.

Bird Swap!

May 18, 2010 in crochet, sewing, swap | Tags: amigurumi, birds, crochet, embroidery, peacock, sewing, swap, tote bag, toys | 2 comments

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!

Commission-licious

May 16, 2010 in knitting, stash, swap | Tags: finished object, FO, knitting, mittens, sock monkey, toys, yarn | 1 comment

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.

The Weather, Man

May 14, 2010 in life | Tags: beach, life, weather | Leave a comment

Warning: This is not crafty.

Yesterday, I wore my Girl Friday sweater. I packed away all of my pants, but I would have been comfortable in them. The high was like… 65. Maybe.

This is what I wore today:

I went to the beach. It was 87 degrees outside.

The weather in Virginia Beach, man. It’s crazy. The high on Sunday is 73. **shakes head**

FO: Lace Socks

May 13, 2010 in knitting | Tags: finished object, FO, knitting, sock yarn, socks, yarn | 2 comments

As you may have been able to tell, I am on a definite sock kick lately. Here’s my latest pair:

Pattern: Easy Adjustable Lace Panel Socks
Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Sock, one skein in Indigo
Needles: US 1
Mods: Well, the pattern is written fully, but it is presented as a lace panel you can also throw into whatever socks you want, so that’s what I did. I took my usual 54 stitch toe-up sock with garter stitch short row heel and threw some lace on top.

So I like these socks. They’re taller than I normally knit them because I split the yarn into two balls with my mother’s sort of reliable kitchen scale. They weren’t even, but I started with the smaller ball and knit until I was sick of knitting it (which was before the yarn ran out). I like ’em. They fit well. The yarn stretched out a little by the end of the day when I wore them (Wednesday, in case you were wondering), but once I throw them in the washer and dryer, they’ll be good as new again. It’s the bamboo. That stuff stretches.

Currently, I am knitting a couple of things. I’m knitting some dino mittens on commission (more on that later) and some more socks. I started Viper Pilots! Well, I had started them before then proceeded to knit the chart upside down, so I frogged and knit something less complicated (the socks on this post here). But I’m starting them again. And they’re going to be awesome.

Summer Craftin' Happened So Fast…

May 12, 2010 in Misc. Crafts | Tags: miscellaneous craft, pin cushion, upcyling | 1 comment

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).

Monsteriffic

May 11, 2010 in knitting, sewing, swap | Tags: finished object, FO, knitting, ows, sewing, swap, toys | Leave a comment

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. : )