New Old Craft

When we were going through my maternal grandmother's house a couple years ago, getting it ready to sell, one thing we found were these long dowels with a kind of crochet hook on one end and a flattened part at the other end with a hole in it.
We all wished we would have asked Grandma what the heck those were.
Last week, I got two separate craft catalogs in the mail (Mary Maxim, and Annie's Attic), and to my surprise, they both featured this "NEW" craft that clearly uses the same hook thingy.
"now you can knit with a crochet hook!"
Very intriguing.
Not wanting to wait for a package in the mail, I tried locally, I stopped at Michael's and called JoAnn's, no and no. So Monday, I stopped at Hobby Lobby, and I almost missed it, because they are tiny!
I was expecting this kit to be regular book/magazine sized, because the knooks that we found at Grandma's were more the length of a regular knitting needle, these little babies are barely five inches. So the book is actually just a pamphlet.
The instructions seem pretty good, and they have some great videos on their website to help you get going. I've only had a chance to practice a little bit this week, but it's my new obsession to learn!

Hey! I just remembered Project Runway All Stars starts tonight! I can practice knooking while I'm watching. Yay.

Plarn

Plarn I made a couple years ago

 So I'm looking around this sad little neglected blog of mine to find info of when I made a plarn shopping bag a couple years ago, for Earth Day (Happy Earth Day, BTW). And it appears that I not only didn't post anything about it, I barely took any pictures. Silly me. ;p
Sometimes I'm pretty good about taking photos and notes on projects, and sometimes not.
I found my early crocheting notebook, with patterns that I was writing down as I went along, but nothing on the plarn bag. Bummer. I don't even know what hook I used. But I do remember one thing: I used mostly good bags, but a few bad ones.
Good bags, in this particular instance, are the nice squishy grocery bags that are strong, but pretty thin. The 'bad' bags, were the heavier plastic, either soft heavy almost like a garbage bag, or crunchy heavy, mostly from book stores. I guess to carry books, they need to be heavier. Go figure.
I was looking for something to re-inspire me crochet-wise. I've made bunches of scrubbies, but got a little bored with no challenging project. And then I saw this blog on my trip 'round the interwebs, and got that inspiration I was looking for! I guess the spring time brings out the eco-friendly part of me.
So I dug all the plastic bags off the back porch. Despite having nice reusable bags that I use most of the time, we do definitely collect bags! I decided to sort through and not make a variegated plarn like last time. Digging through the various kinds and colors we have, I decided to also go home town with this project, so I'm starting with Super Saver yellow, and then I'll work on Russ's white with black and red. I've got a three inch ball so far, and I will accept donations only of the yellow.
I've been wanting to rearrange things on the blog for a while, and update from the old design. The background photo is of a watercolor I did in high school, one of my favorites.

And More To Be Finished

During my summer crochet-scrubbies-as-stress-management project, I learned that while the making of the scrubbies was relaxing, the tying off of the scrubbies was definitely NOT.
So I'd end up with a big pile like this waiting to be tied off. And since they were waiting to be finished, they weren't going off to new homes to actually be used, which was, after all, an essential part of the plan.
My folks, as I think I've mentioned before, have been doing volunteer work ever since they retired (almost ten years now!), and I have sent a few scrubbies along with them to give as gifts to their team mates, as well as give to family members they meet up with along the way, but I've never sent enough along, because they were still waiting to be tied off!
So I had a great idea. If my mom was willing to tie off the scrubbies (maybe busy work during the long drive?) then they could take a big bunch of scrubbies with them, and give them away when they're finished. Mom was game for the idea (thanks Mom!), so this big batch is in her capable hands now, being tied off and given away.
...and I'll get busy crocheting MORE.

Stress Management...

This summer has been rather stressful in our house. I can admit that now, because it does appear that we are back on the uphill climb (knock on wood!!).
One thing that is interesting to me, is how my creativity ebbs and flows with stress. Not that I ever stopped getting ideas, but that I had no ability to move forward on any of those ideas.
Mindlessness was my stress management solace. Sims 3, I'll admit, was one of my best friends this summer, and I do like to think that there is some creativity at least in the designing of clothing and furniture, and especially in the house designing.
On the actual creativity front, ie, working on arts -n- crafts, the best I could do was crochet dishcloths and scrubbies. Lots and lots of scrubbies! Cotton yarn and tulle crocheted together in various colors and shapes. There are at least twenty scrubbies missing from this photo, between the ones already given away, and the ones waiting to be tied off.
Some people focus on a big project to overcome stress, I guess it's different for each of us, but also different for us depending on how the stress is hitting us.
I am really looking forward to starting something soon. Knock on wood again.

...Shaping...

While the purse was still wet, I wanted to see if I could give it some shape. I was pleased to find that soup cans fit just fine.

...Soup?...

...Out Of The Washer...

The colors did bleed a bit more than I anticipated, but I still love how the colors look together.

...Ready For The Washer...

I found these mesh tote bags at the Dollar Tree, they had originally been upwards of $5 for the package of four, now only a buck. I had to tie a slip knot to keep it closed, but it worked fine. (Using another of the mesh totes for fine washables, so hooks don't get caught, you know.)

...Pretty Pooling...

...Crocheted...

...Gage Checked...

...Rolled Into A Ball...

(no sound to speak of, just experimenting with video)

...Died With Food Coloring...

I had meant to try dieing yarn with Kool-Aid, but somehow the instructions I kept finding seemed daunting. How could Kool-Aid be difficult? I'm not sure. But when I found these instructions using food coloring instead of Kool-Aid, I decided this would be the better way to go!

Hand Died Yarn...

Perfection Procrastination

A little story of overcoming that putting-it-off-till-it’s-perfect crap!

Remember that bag I crocheted and fulled way back when? (back when I could upload photos easily) I loved it when I was making it, I loved it when it was done, but it wasn’t quite finished, it needed the perfect button. And by gads, I would make it the perfect button! Since I’m a polymer clay artist, I will make a button in just the perfect size and shape, in the colors that will mirror the fringe.

Now lately, I’ve been getting all my poly clay supplies organized, my art supplies overall organized, my house organized, my brain organized…well, you get the picture, more organizing than actually doing. And so the button had yet to be made, and the purse had yet to be used.

Yesterday, a busy day for a Summer Sunday, we were getting ready to leave for theatre in the park*, and I was troubling over what to take with me. I had a few things I needed to take, you know: keys, wallet, sunglasses, but didn’t want to take my regular (read: big and heavy) purse. Too bad I hadn’t finished that perfect button, because this was exactly the occasion that I made my little purse for.

Well, in perfect shell style (I’ve been known to make a pair of earrings in the car on the way to where they will be worn), twenty minutes before we have to leave, I decide that I can make the perfect button later, and I need to find the good-for-now button right NOW! Poor BFF (boy friend forever) making a sammich as I’m whipping things out of my art supply closet, throwing things around him on the table, he had no idea what my crazy brain was up to! I knew I had a couple choices of buttons that would probably work, and I found one that works just fine. And even if I don’t make that perfect button soon (or ever), at least I didn’t let my cute little purse sit in some box waiting for perfection.

Rah! For overcoming perfection procrastination! On to the next ‘waiting’ project!



*We have the coolest theatre experience here in Lincoln. In the huge park on the edge of town is a theatre in a little valley, surrounded by pine trees (thus the name Pinewood Bowl). Every summer around this time, they put on a musical under the sun and stars. The doors open at least an hour early so you can get a park bench seat, or find the perfect place to park your lawn chairs or blankets. By the time the show starts, the sun is behind the trees, and they time it perfectly so intermission is hitting right when dusk is over, and the second half of the show is lit with stage lights, and a wide screen on the side of the stage shows close-ups of the action.

It’s always a great experience just to be in an outdoor theatre, but the shows are awesome, too. This year it’s The Music Man (it runs again next weekend if you’re local), my uncle happens to be one of the producers, and this year, my young cousin was in the ensemble, too, which made it even more fun to watch!

Felted Bag: Finished Felting

Finished Felted Bag
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

So way, waaaaay, back when, I was felting this purse. Wow, I checked the date, I took this picture over 2 months ago. Here's the bag after the second trip through the washer. It shrunk up just perfectly, I was so pleased. I figured where I had added the fun fur, it wouldn't felt as much, but I didn't realize it would end up this cute. One of my kids said it looks like a little skirt flaring out at the bottom. I have yet to make a button for it, I'm thinking I'll use poly clay in the fun fur colors, try to match those colors pretty closely, that should tie the color scheme all together nicely. This bag is pretty small, which is what I wanted, so that's fine, I wanted a purse to carry at times when you really don't want to carry a purse, but can't stuff the essentials in your pocket. I really love the felting process, and I've been antsy to do something else. In my stash of gifted yarn, I did just find two skeins of off white wool. (from Woolworths-LOL!) So I may experiment with Kool-Aid dying and felting on the same project.

Happy Arbor Day!

Yesterday was one of my favorite things about working for the state: Arbor Day is a paid holiday here! I got Friday off, the kids still had to go to school (hey, they get the whole summer off!), so I could do my own things.
First a little nap, which turned into sleeping too long, but I guess I needed it! The afternoon and evening, I spent working on my art supply cupboard, which I am affectionately calling my 'nest'. I got it all rearranged, and mostly organized, fitting the various tubs, boxes, and crates in like a Tetris puzzle. I will need to reorganize some of the stuff in some of the containers as I use them, and hang up a few things on the insides of the cupboard doors, but it's mostly done.
Done enough, that I was able to start a project this morning that's been working in the back of my head for a while, it was right in the front of my cupboard, and I had a few minutes, so I did a little work. That's my goal, to be able to work even a little at a time. With no dedicated arts-n-crafts room or area that I can leave things out, I have to be more organized, thus the nest.
In crocheting news: I made two hats this week!
I made up a pattern starting Tuesday, finished the first hat Wednesday, wrote it all down, as best I could, and tried to recreate it Thursday and Friday. The second hat is slightly different than the first, in a couple small ways, so I'm working on the third one now, trying to perfect the pattern. When I get the pattern figured out for sure, I'll share it! Here's a tease: the name of the hat is the Granny Star Hat.
Off to crochet club, maybe one of the experienced hookers can tell me where the second hat is different.

Dreaming Of Crocheting

1964
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Since I'm still not able to get new photos uploaded, and the blog is getting awful word heavy, I dug through a bunch of old photos already on flickr to find a good one to share.
Here is adorable Baby Shelly, brand spankin' new to the world. I labeled this as being 1964, but since I was born only 11 days before the end of the year, and a full seven of those I was still unwrapped in the hospital, this is probably actually 1965.
I remember this quilt, no not from this time of my life, from later! It was multicolored, maybe even a using up leftovers kind of project. I'm sure it is crocheted just by looking at it, but I don't remember who made it, this photo wasn't taken at our house, it was at Grandma's. I wonder where this awesome quilt is now? And I wonder if I can figure out the pattern just from the photos?

Felted Bag: Sans Button (and Photo)

Well, I must have used up my photo mojo Saturday, when I went I went to upload the "finished" photos, I'm somehow locked out of iPhoto. It's some networking issue, and the BFF will have to figure it out later this week. Then I'll put up more photos.
The bag is very cute, and I'll just need to find or make a button in the right size for it, and it will be done.
The only thing that I didn't really like in the whole process was some tiny white-ish bits of fluff that got felted into some of the fiber. Probably from the towel I put in the wash with it, or just from the washer itself, it really wasn't much at all. But I had to get every last piece off, with scissors and duct tape. I'm not sure if putting it in a pillowcase bag, which I had decided not to do, would have stopped that, but I may try that net time.
And since then, nothing on the hook. I don't know why, I guess I'm just not sure what to do next. I'm kinda tired of dishcloths at this moment, and I read the chart pattern to learn a granny square, so I think I might be able to read another chart, and maybe I'm this close *.........* to being able to read a real pattern, so what to tackle next?
Maybe I'll frog that last dishcloth and try a different hat, those colors are too cute not to wear!

Felted Bag: One Wash Down

Once through the wash
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

After restarting the washer, I had to walk away, I was starting to obsess too much! I forced myself to just wait until the wash cycle was finished to peek again.
So after one trip through the washer, this little wet doggie of a bag is still a little soapy, but I'm doing the look-what-I-made dance and singing 'it worked! it worked!' until I woke up the rest of the house!
It needed another trip through, and felted up even a little more. It's now happily in the dryer for a little bit to just take the edge of the wetness off, then will be dried flat overnight.
Photos of the finished and dry bag tomorrow, now it's off to chores!
(but I certainly don't mind chores as much when I have already done something soooo cool today!)