Never Ending Inspiration

There are times when I just sit around and twiddle my thumbs, wanting to crochet but not having any idea of what I might make.

Then I remember that I'm a member of a wonderful group of crocheters and can go to the Crochet for Life forum for ideas and encouragement to try something that I otherwise may not have or a simple pick me up (there's always something to giggle about there).

Life has been kind of busy for me lately. What with trying to plan a new direction in life, getting my son ready to start school next month, feeding my need to create, and trying to keep my shop and studio active.

As I type, I'm thinking of what I will crochet next and in which colors, who will wind up with it and how many I want to make.
I wonder if all crafter's minds are like never ending movie reels.

This month, C4L had a challenge which was to use granny squares or motifs for a project of your choice. IF you're a frequent reader, you already know about my "choice". You know, the one t hat didn't work out so well.

I totally switched gears and came up with this one, which I finished last night
It is a 100% cotton white, light blue, and ecru granny squares dishcloth.
I had planned a solid border for this one, but decided at the last minute to highlight the outside with just white, then finish it with a blue and ecru mixed simple scallop type edge.

I'm almost tempted to keep this one for a wash cloth, just because it looks like home, you know?

But!
Instead, I'll keep it around for memory's sake.

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Last but not least, I'd like to shout out a few of the members of the group- they're lovely people and I highly recommend checking them out =-)

Monet has some lovely stitch markers, fibers for spinning as well as knit and crochet items:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=44124

Sandy uses her blog to shares with us the many projects she's worked on. Just so pleasant!
http://www.sandyshook.blogspot.com/

Naida's got some cute stuffed toys in her Etsy shop as well as crochet patterns and stuff:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=12193

She's also got a nice blog here: http://yarnchick.blogspot.com/

Darlene's blog, in which she talks about 'A little bit of everything in my daily life and beyond' - plus she's got some cool quilts there too!
http://hounddogsnews.blogspot.com/

Mini mucks around on her blog which describes life in a kind of humorous way while adding a bit of sci-fi junkie along with a fair share of crochet, too.
http://minibooger.blogspot.com/

She's also got a few things for sale on Artfire.

Branded!

I haven't been posting or listing lately because i've been consumed with getting my brand together.
(I'm sure you noticed the new look of this blog, I've also tied it into my Artfire studio as well as my Etsy shop Banner. I know that simply changing colors doesn't equal a brand, but I think that these are some nice little steps to get me on my way. I'm hoping that this winter, I'll make enough sales to be able to purchase some custom stickers which will be added to my packaging. I also plan to send all orders out with my shop's colors used for packaging, too.
It's gettin serious! (FINALLY, right?)

I figured that since I already have 100+ items available, taking time to do this wouldn't hurt too much. I've been working on some new things to list while I've been working on this branding thing- they're not listed yet, but check em out--

I had a lot of fun making these hair clips. I think I've been working on them for a whole week or so. But that's because I've been trying to get the part that you don't see here just right. The bows are attached to small, rectangular hair clips which I've covered in a coordinating fabric.
I ordered lots of little clips and still have even more ribbon left, so you'll be seeing a greater variety of these in the future.

The yarn I used for this black and white set is called zebra. I originally got it to use in my favorite bag inspired bag, but since it didn't look like that would ever come along, and because the yarn was so soft, (and a nice break from using cotton), i decided that a hat would be a great little side project. The edge has a decorative finish that will also help it from stretching too much- unless your head is totally huge =-)

My last little FO I have to show is a black clothes pin bag which has a red and a beige button on it. I think it will be my last of the season.
It's a bit smaller than the other 2 I've made, but I'm sure that it will be able to hold the same amount of pins.
It's the perfect thing to help you go green. Let's use all this free wind and sunshine along with this nifty clothes pin bag to dry our clothes rather than those power pulling dryers, eh?

Almost a What not to crochet!

I'm going to give thanks to this Your Ugliest FO thread on ravelry for preventing my from making yet another Ugliest FO.

Here was my contribution to the thread.

I made this shrug a long time ago, hoping that it would give me something colorful to add to my Etsy shop. Fortunately, it did not.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I would be using this month's C4L challenge (using granny squares or motifs) to make a bag that inspired by my favorite all purpose bag.

I was hoping that I would be able to carry my creation with the same pride that I do when I carry the other, but after mapping out the design, i decided that i best turn around and or stop before things got any worse (i.e. assembled)

I think the colors are just too much. Next time, i think i'm going to do one huge granny square in a nuetral color, like off white and then try 'applique-ing' my design on.

If I weren't afraid of running out of time on this challenge, I would do it sooner rather than later, but i am afraid, so I'll save it for another day. =-(

Now, it's back to searching Crochet Pattern Central for granny squares that will arrange into something easily.

I have to say, I am a bit disapointed in myself for this project failure. But! on the bright side, I am one step closer to making the bag I invision AND I stopped myself from making another horrid crocheted... thing

Broken Hooks, Crochet Flowers and Granny Daughters

A long time ago- perhaps more than a year, I bought a size c Crochet Lite hook from Michael's. I think the only reason I got it was because it was on sale, so I had not used it until recently. ( Its design doesn't fit well with the way I usually crochet)

But when I did decide to finally use it, it broke after a few minutes! I guess I should have been a little cautious of the small size and clear plastic, but when I realized that I could crochet in the dark with that thing- it was on!
It's not TOTALLY broken, but I could just bend it back and snap it off right where the one part starts getting narrow again.

I'm kind of disappointed, but what can I say- there are other hooks in the sea.

In other news...
I've been working on this pair of clips for about 4 days now. I'm wanting to cover some toddler clips and place the bows in the center, as I did with my 4th of July Clips, but I didn't consider the fact that the fabric that I'll be using to cover the clips is way lighter than the denim I used on the others. So, gluing won't really work as it kind of darkens the fabric and makes it look all yucky.

I grabbed the color scheme from a popular kid's clothing website. There are quite a few cute tops for toddlers which include purple, pink, and white along with other colors.

The colors are a bit off here

I have some polka dotted (along with a lot of other cute girly) fabrics that I purchased in a pack of remnants from the lovely ladies of bstep401 on Etsy.

Rather than struggling to find a way to get the regular, triangular shaped hair clips into a cover that still looks decent, I ordered some rectangular ones which will hopefully be easier and quicker.

Along with that, the crochet group I'm a member of, C4L has started a monthly challenge and this week's theme is Granny Squares or Motifs.
We are supposed to crochet anything that uses squares or motifs and requires some assembly.

I've decided to go with using a bunch of Granny Daughters (about 46) and assembling them into a shoulder bag.

Because this is still my favorite bag ever, and I wanted to make something fashioned after it, I decided to take the challenge to create something using the bright pink and blue yarn I for this purpose. I also had some zebra yarn(to use for the strap), but used it up on a hat and scarf set.

With only12 squares made so far, I still have a long way to go, and need it to be done by the end of this month, but I'm sure I can and will do it. I can't wait to have something to show for the idea finally!

Put your Clothes Pins in a pouch!

Being outside inspires me to make things that would be useful while lending a bit more of a homey feel to the surroundings.

Despite the fact that we reach triple digits here in the LV, I do enjoy sitting out on the back porch alone with either a good book or some yarn.

My latest outside work is this green, blue, and white Clothes pin Pouch. It's the perfect way to bring those scattered pins together, keeping them organized in one regular spot.

I love sun dried clothes, don't you?

I'm usually scrambling around for clothes pins when I go to hang out my laundry.

I guess it took me a while to realize that I'm a crocheter who loves making practical things, but I finally got it! lol
I very much enjoyed making this little clothes pin pouch, which can be hung open or closed on the clothes line.

There will be more colors coming soon, so be on the look out!

To Dye

I think that in my last post, I mentioned that I would be researching inexpensive dyeing methods and reporting back here in the next post.

This is that post.
(It's been a while, I know, but what can I say- this whole blogging world seems foreign after a few days away)

The browsing of blogs about dyeing turned into my browsing about spinning and eventually, my interest in plying yarn.

I did do so.With fibers that I found here on Etsy

Because I was overly cautious about spinning the single plies, my first yarn of this type has a few breaks in it. I read that there is such a thing has having too much twist, so I relaxed a bit on it and wound up with less than enough.

In this picture, you can see the single ply yarn before I took it off the spindle. I layed that gray worsted weight yarn across it to give an idea of how thin i spun it.Forgetting that this worsted weight yarn is 4-ply, I was expecting to come out with a nice weight, but instead came out with around a sport/DK kinda thick thin yarn.

It's totally fine! I'm still going to dye it using my chosen method of FOOD COLORING!

While kool-aide appears to be the least expensive, at about $.25 a pack, it's not quite what I'm looking for. I'd like to do a hand painted type of deal, but from what I've read, Kool-aide has to have water added to it, left to sit and osmos (heck yeah, that's a word!), and yadda yadda too much.

This blog, Pea Soup of the Day, which is about life, yarn things and a whole bunch of other stuff made my mind up. I've fallen in love with the knitted strawberries! and the cute kid totally helpd too. (not to mention the clear pictures, viberant colors, and easy to follow tutorial offered there)

We Swam For My Birthday!

It seems like I've been away from my computer for forever, even though it's only been about 6 days.

My birthday was on Monday- I turned a whole 25!

We cooked good food, had some drinks and swam for hours. Here are some pics from the party, collage style =-)

I'd been wanting to braid my hair for the longest time, and finally got that done for my birthday. You can believe that I've brought my love of yarn into my look, loving it every day- my hair was done using black Red Heart yarn. It's super light, natural looking and just love able.
I.
Love.
Yarn! lol

Next post, i'm going to be talking about yarn dyeing options.
I've got some undyed wool that i'd like to give some color to, and need to research which is a effective method while not spending a whole lot of money. (I'm guessing kool-aide will be the winner, but we'll see)

AND!
I've created a personal blog which is still blank, but can be found here 'Nisha does!'
I'll let ya'll know when I've started blogging there. I'm still looking for a nice layout template that fits my personality, so if you have a favorite free site for that, please share!

☺

Red, White, and Blue Toddler Hair Bows

Hey!

I've added a couple new hair bows to my shop and studio. They're cute and toddler hair friendly. And, rather than placing the bow on the end of a hair clip, as would be done normally, I've covered a 1.25 inch hair clip in a denim fabric and placed the bow in the center.


It's awesome for placing at the base of ponytails, or, because they're sold separately, you could place one to the side to keep those fluffy curls out of her face.

There are 2 available of each.

Hot Pink Zig Zag Scarf

Hey all!

I just wanted to pop in and show you a scarf that I've listed on Etsy. For what ever reason, i'm more likely to list things at night, while folks are in bed and what not, so I thought i'd take this time, before I get to listing the Patriotic Toddler Clips, to show you all my latest addition.
Making this bright scarf was a nice little crochet vacation for me because it's awesome colors motivated me to get it done in one sitting, and now I'm more motivated to do more things with bright colors.

I'll have more coin purses and pouches to offer soon enough in these and other vibrant colors =-)

A quick Post

Hello there, and how are you?

Me? I'm ok , i guess...
So-
I'm strongly considering creating a personal blog here on blogger. In this blog, I'll be talking about life, bitching about things that are too long to fit on twitter, and sharing what's going on in my head at the moment. It's often that I want to come on here and ask the world (a.k.a my 40 followers) wtf is up with this or that!?
But, I'm wanting to keep this blog a handmade, easy blog browsing friendly deal, so I've refrained.

If i ever do start this blog, I will probably attach an RSS some where on here so that just in case you care, you can peek at it every now and then.

That is, unless you don't mind me going on and on about how my son's teeth are wiggly, how he didn't listen in basket ball class, how I can't find my glue, or how my peas are dieing!!!! oh no! [they really are =0( ]

Another thing i wanted to mention was this idea of a give away that's swimming around in my head. most likely, I'll be giving away wash/dish cloths and would want to pair it up with some handmade soap and something else nice.

The thing that's putting me off from this is actually asking someone to share their soap samples for the give away, or finding some one who is already giving soap away and asking them if my items could be included.

I'm just a bit lazy like that =-\
(and one day, i'll search for a lot of cute emoticons so i can stop using up the punctuations, lol)

Along with the cotton cloth give away, I'm also thinking of a warm weather wear give away for the folks south of the equator. I like to include every one in what i do, and I do love creating hats and scarves, but with it being hot here, it kinda seems like a chore (when they're not moving at all)

Am I rambling?

If i must ask- I'm guessing that I am.

OH! one last thing. I'm trying to use correct capitalization and what not because I believe that I'll eventually want to work for the post office (if they'll have me) and there's a typing standard there, so practice til perfect!

Red, White, Blue, and Handmade Too!

Perhaps it's because I've only tie dyed once (and it came out not nearly as beautiful as this tank),which can be found in tiedyejudy's Artfire studio, along with a good amount of other tie dyed/hand dyed goods to choose from, all which are priced very reasonably.

Also, she's having a 20% off sale on ALL items in her studio! (see her studio announcement for details).

You should definitely take advantage of this deal- perhaps you could have some tie dye wear made up for each of your family members for this 4th so that whether you're just hanging out in the back yard at your personal BBQ, or at the park doing your thing, you'll know who's representing the red, the white, and the blue with you.

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This little guy is so cute! A gingerbread figurine made by MichellesClayCorner on Etsy, it's 2 inches tall, patriotic, and perfect for nestling near spice canisters, placing on a bookshelf, on a side table next to your favorite chair, or pretty much anyplace that has room for a little smile.

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And now, for 2 more of my own red, white, and blues.


This red, white and blue crocheted flower hair clip, measuring 2 inches total is sure to add a bit of patriotism to your look. It's a nice way to add something cute and fun to your 4th of july outfit.

Allow these round ruffled dish cloths to help your BBQ or party along. They can also be used as hot pads for placing pots or serving dishes on. Being 100% cotton, they're ready to catch any spills or condensation and are also machine washable.

There's lots to chose from when planning for a special day, but not all of it is made with love, attention, and hard work. If you're able to, please support your country and the Handmade Movement by buying handcrafted items made here in the U.S.A.

(and if you're not from the U.S.A. - buy anyway, we'll love ya for it =P )

Red,White,Blue, and Handmade!

I was going to make this post all about patting myself on the back for actually getting the Red, White, and Blue things that I had to list listed. BUT rather than go that route, I'd like to share a few handmade red, white, and blue items that I've found interesting and which i would buy up if I had the funds to do so. (I'm still going to plug my own stuff, but I'll wait til the end =-)

First, while in chat (again lol) I came across BroadwayBead's. Her shop is full of lamp work glass beads, anti-tarnish fabric pouches to store jewelry, and a wide variety of glass and gemstone jewelry. With over 200 pieces available, she's sure to have something that you or some one you know will like.

Of course, what caught my eye was her

Patriotic USA Lampwork Glass Red White Blue Sterling Silver Bracelet

which is adjustable in size between 8.5"-9" (can be made smaller if need be).

What attracted my eye to this bracelet was the fact that, although the colors were traditional, the way they're put together here is something I've rarely seen- the white solid, rather than stars, the red kind of floating around each bead, and the blue dots drawing your eye to either side of the bead.
The silver toned star at the end of the adjustable chain is a nice touche too!

It's just a wonderful combination and spin on a theme that has been done for hundreds of years.

Secondly, this Afghan Americana Star ,which was made by a fellow crocheter and friend.
In Zzazz's Artfire Studio, you'll find placemats, pillow covers, cloth napkins, and a few other things including crocheted wearables.

This 53 and a half inch (that's about 4.5 feet) afghan would be perfect in the den or out on the porch in your favorite sitting chair. It can be draped for a festive cozy look, or actually snuggled under while watching fireworks, on chilly nights, or while reading a favoirte book. Made of 100% acrylic, it's totally machine wash and dryable.

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And now for my Red, White, and Blue...

I was going to put this set of kiddie clips/barrettes in my shop for memorial day, but it snuck up on me like whoa!
plus, i had to re-do them a bit because of that whole eco glue thing.

So- as stated in my description, 'These red, white, silver, and blue handmade barrettes are great for placing on top of ponytail holders to give the hair that extra lift that's needed to complete the 'spray' look.'

I wanted to add a bit of sparkle to these barrettes, so that the sparklers and rockets are not the only eye catchers of the night.

I'm hoping to have a couple more pair of these cuties done and listed well before the 4th, which gives me only a short amount of time, but lets hear it for goals and making them!
---

While at the park the other night, I saw the cutest little girl with her sitter. Her hair was fine and kind of curly, which made me wonder if i should be attaching these type of ribbon barrettes to little hair clips instead, and selling them as individual bows. Perhaps to be placed at the base of a single cute and curly baby ponytail.

Whatcha think hmm?

This whole light box thing is kinda cool!

I think it was last week (or so) that i was shown a light box tutorial by its creator, the author of the CETphotography Blog, and Etsy seller Charles Thivierge.

The tutorial can be found on his blog here.

When i made mine, the only thing i lacked was a sheet or t-shirt to use for the sides. i went ahead and put it together and grabbed a twin sized white sheet from Wally world for $4 later on.

The first step was to gather all supplies- which i did here:

(ok, so those aren't ALL the supplies, but they were near by)

The instructions say to cut out all sides, then tape one back together. Honestly, i was too weak to cut through 2 pieces of cardboard at the same time, so i wound up just leaving a side in and skipping a step or two.

(don't mind the ashy knuckles- i was working outside ;-P )

So! long story short- this became this

and then this and from that i got this ..

I

Swear!

How awesome is that picture! it's of a lip gloss that my mom bought me from Avon a Looooong time ago.
I found it while we were clearing off the porch for my brother's party and i tell you, i still love it!
(while the stuff in there smells like strawberry tinted castor oil paste BLEH!) I'm going to scoop it out and jam some carmex or vaseline in there and carry it around like i'm an 8 year old who can't wear lipstick yet and still loves all things strawberry.

So, after such a successful test shot, i thought, i'm going to be picturing up some stuff all night!
These are photos i took using the light box- i took them during the day and used the light coming in from the window for one side (rather than using 2 lamps)

now, i know that the back grounds on these two photos aren't perfectly white, but their subjects colors are true, which to me, is most important.

I'm finding that photographing fabric items is way more complicated than capturing what's true on a smoothly finished object.

But i'm totally not complaining. I know it'll take time for me to master the light box, and with these never ending winds that we're having here which have been getting in the way of all the fun stuff lately, i'm going to have plenty of it.

Please be peas!

I don't know exactly how long ago it was that i planted these peas, but they're finally looking like they're going to give me peas.

I've enjoyed having a reason to go outside and i do so about 3 times a day, just to see how much the tendrils have grown and wrapped themselves around.

but today, i noticed a bud!

it's looking like i might get actual peas!

I didn't know about that old trick of planting another set when my first seedlings had 2 sets of leaves, so i'm a bit behind on that- but after a soak, i'll be planting more.

-

I did have an orange plant growing- it had a whole 3 leaves on it, but a wind blew through and knocked it over. it wasn't until it was all dry and blown away that i noticed the loss =-(

so, here i made some seed pots from newspaper and planted lemon seeds from lemons my aunt grew out in california.

the lemons aren't as quick to sprout, but having planted 6, i'm hoping for at least 2 trees.
*crosses fingers*

Congrats to Angelo!

Yesterday was the big day for my little brother after 13 years of school (as he counts kindergarten, too) lol.

I'm way happy for him, but also glad that the day has come and gone. making sure that everything was in order and what not for it has taken up a lot of time.

I'm looking forward to getting on to my projects and perfecting my pictures. i put together a light box, but unfortuntely, the bulbs i have to use with it are not strong enough- 60 watt equivalents, i think. I was using them for reading, and had hoped that i could use them for this purpose- eh, maybe it'll work a lot better if i try it in the day.

I got the tutorial to make it from CETphotography's Blog

I'm a little behind on things here

Aiming to do a weekly feature may have been a bit ambituous for my personality type. (i'm always rushing, aften late, and way too lax about some things)

I've been spinnin a lot lately. with my excitement about making coin purses and other hand spun items, i've been neglecting blogging and even listing the things i've made.

The pile is growing and growing =-(

I've been having a tough time photographing these things- all but the orange flower - which i will be offering with the option to have it made into either a hair clip or brooch- are hard as hell to photo correctly. i just can't seem to figure out the blues and purples. the flower on top is made of hand felted wool. the blue is darker than shown up there and is kind of purple-ish, but in order for me to show the true color, the picture has to be darker than i'd like.

on the bottom coin purse (which is zippered) that purple is darker as well andthere is more contrast between the colors.
-insert sigh-

if any one out there has any suggestions- i'm all eyes and willing to soak them up.

Back to the weekly feature thing-
i'm going to shoot for bi-weekly, because sure i could just pick something randomly, but i'd like to be able to really talk about what i'm featuring, so that will hopefully be a better idea.

I love hand spun, don't you?

The amount of support one can receive from the handmade community is just awesome!

I missed my "It's All Good" entry for yesterday, so to make up for it, i want to share with you a few shops whose love I am definitely feeling.

To start, Shady Fibers on Etsy-
along with a few jewelry items, stitch markers, and knit and crochet, Monet offers some pretty nice roving along with some pizzazz


Another Etsian who offers some roving, as well as some wonderful hand dyed yarns is
Froggy Fibers

My favorite handspun yarn in her shop is called Clown College

Blue, yellow and red come together in this 2-ply Domestic/Merino/Corriedale Wool for a fun effect. It reminds me of Superman Ice cream- perhaps you could knit or crochet the 2.7 ounces offered here into a small bag to make a bold, fun,reminiscent of the good old days statement.

A few more things from Froggy Fibers

☺

Something new! I'm excited about this one

Not too long ago, i splurged on some pretty bright roving from TheRainbowRoom on etsy.
(the colors are amazing- as vivid as pictured)

My vision for this roving was to spin it into color combinations for flower hair clips.

Then i wanted to needle felt it, and well- that didn't go too well. It seems like the easist craft in the world to do, but for some reason, it wasn't coming together for me.

Long story short-
I'm experimenting with making my own felt sheets to be formed into flowers for clips and pins.

here's what i've got so far.originally, the whole thing was going to be this royal blue with yellow marbling, but it seemed a bit too dark for me.
wanting more contrast, i thought i'd add a bit of shimmer to accent the yellow parts buuuuut- that didn't go too well either.

so, i've decided to add solid yellow petals to the back- can't wait til it's finished.

the combinations of shape and color are innumerable! way exciting!

i'm hoping that this whole felting thing will evolve lanee's crochet into a fiber art shop rather than just crochet.

When i figure out how to form and stiffen my felts- o0o0o0oh, ya'll better watch out! ☺

It's All Good! - NOT

Ok-
recently, i purchased some of this stuff called Eco Glue. I was pretty excited about it because it looks like the traditional white glues, but has no smell while still claiming to be as strong as those smellier, pop your brain cells glues that a lot of we crafters use.

Eco Glue has a nice little list of benefits, which are...
• Less than 1% VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
• Virtually no hazardous air pollutants (less than 0.165 by weight)
• No animal derivatives
• Excellent water resistance
• 100% recyclable packaging!

with all these great things about it, it can still bond wood, stone, metal, glass, and tile.

My intention was to use this glue to help me put together my hair bows,
and i was happy with its strength, bonding capabilities, and all the rest up until last night.

While things are still stuck together, some of the pieces look like they've grown boogers =-(

This would be ok if i were making monsters or something, but, well... i'm not.

I know it's a bit late for doing research, but when i went onto the EcoGlue website and found the "uses" page with a couple 'technical data sheets' links on there, i noticed that one said craft.

D'OH! i thought- my issue is that i have the wrong glue! The CRAFT version of this glue MUST be the one that doesn't yellow!

EEEENT- Wrong!

The sheets were both the same (i'm guessing that the only reason there are 2 of them is because they have two different names).

Neither say anything about drying clear. that sucks. both of them state that there is no UV protection and that surfaces should be painted over for more protection. sucky.

I really thought i had found something cool, but it doesn't seem so. I think this will be my last resort glue, or something that i keep in the ole craft box just to say that i have some Eco! Glue.

Sigh.

1 point loss for impulse buying.