bag 'n' trash

I'm Quilting!

for as long as i can remember, i've been obsessed with color.  any kind of color.  in any sort of medium.  as a small child, my most prized possession was my box of crayons and i remember the day i got my first set of magic markers.  when i got older, i was obsessed with  those giant make-up palettes (i still kind of am, i just don't buy them anymore).  i hoard yarn and fiber because i can't not buy one more color.  and the real reason why i started playing around with cross stitch? those tiny, colorful skeins of embroidery thread.  so you know it was just a matter of time before i started looking at fabric.

i resisted for a long time.  sewing, unlike my other hobbies, requires a table, or two.  and a more permanent set-up.  which i don't really have.  well not really unless i'm willing to have j give me a hard time about the mess on the dining and kitchen tables (i guess that as long as i have a circular saw, a bag of cement and other masonry equipment under the kitchen table, he really can't complain too much). 

but finally i broke.  i reacquainted myself with my machine (a 25 year old singer that i've used maybe a dozen times).  i spent a small fortune at joann's on rotary cutters, rulers and mats, and i practiced first by making a few 9-patches. 

my first project is a little string quilt (see this tutorial).

my squares are done.  now i've got to do something with them. 

Potholders Done!

this past weekend, stacie, maritza, cheryl and I headed off to adrian's to redistribute everyone's fantastic potholders.  this was the second year and  i think it was a success.  but before i tell you about the swap (that's for tomorrow or the next day), i'm going to finally show you my contributions.

oof.  i was a little ambitious so each one took forever.  but i'm also pleased with how my little experiment turned out.  they are far from perfect.  i should have maybe used a smaller hook, they aren't as stiff as i would have liked them (heh), but overall, they turned out how i imagined they would in my head.  and that's not bad.

using size 3 crochet cotton thread (not the super thin stuff, but thin enough) i basically made my own cross stitching fabric. then i just cross stitched a design on each one.  for the swappers i made these squirrels.

then since it's tradition, i made potholders for my co-administrators.  that's a lot of freakin' potholders let me tell you.

anyway, that's all.  i raveled some details.

i hope that everyone who got one of mine, likes it. 

Potholder 2010 Update

i hesitate a little to talk about the 2010 Potholder Swap because OMG! almost 300 people have joined the Ravelry Group!  not that 300 people will be sending in potholders but still.  last year we received potholders from 100 people and that practically killed us dead.  so you know, i'm concerned.  heh.

oh well.  what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  right?

on the topic of strength, i could certainly use some.  because my right hand has frozen into the shape of a claw with all of the crocheting and cross-stitching i've been doing for my own batch of swap potholders.  although i'm rather relieved that my plan is working out, carrying out said plan for the swap was not my most brilliant idea.  dudes, that is a lot of crochet with a very small hook. 

oh well, it's too late to change my mind.  the deadline is March 27th!

oh jamie, my jamie

i seem to have developed a bit of an obsession.  and i'm not verra proud.  but i also can not deny it, since it has infiltrated even my crafty life.

at least it's got me reading again.  heh. 

My 2009 Project Retrospective

before i looked at my 2009 project photos i didn't think i'd made all that much. in the spring i was obsessed with potholders and the summer was spent working on 2 secret projects so i figured that my normal yearly production numbers would be smaller than normal.  but i guess not.  i dyed more and my color palette was more subdued and varied this year than in previous years. i worked from the stash and did some test knitting/crocheting for friends.  but overall, it seems as if 2009 was the year of the hook. 

i don't have any crafty resolutions for 2010. i would like to spin more. and design more. and i'm definitely going to continue with the hooking. heh. and maybe i'll try weaving. and maybe i'll expand my crafting to sewing or embroidery. or maybe not. whatever i end up doing, i can guarantee that it'll be colorful. because in the end, that's really what inspires me. color. what inspires you?

Eye Candy Friday

have i mentioned that i'm working on some secret projects?

Potholderpalooza

in a little bit, i'm off to adrian's house to help her and maritza sort through the 500 or so potholders that were sent in for the swap.  i can't even imagine what 500 potholders will look like.  i promise to take pictures. 

Distractions

so i've been distracted lately and have neglected the blog.  and blogging.  and other people's blogs.  (seriously, i've been reading though.  well i read some.  in  the past two days.  did some catching up.  whoa, i'm subscribed to a lot of blogs).

anyway, yesterday margene asked me if i was ever coming back.  so here i am!

and what has been distracting me so much?

potholders.

if you'd like to get sucked in to the mania (because i'm not the only one) join us in the crocheted potholder swap currently being organized by adrian and maritza.  check out their blogs for details and come and play.

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hi!

Whatever I Want Wednesday

i don't like to jump the gun too much when it comes to holidays.  i don't do my christmas shopping months in advance and i don't listen to christmas music until after thanksgiving. 

but as much as i'd like to take my time and savor each holiday properly, i still have to play by the rules now and again.

so i'm playing.

i just updated my etsy shop with some holiday themed cards.  i have 6 designs available.  i think they're super cute and colorful.

you can buy them individually or as a set.

they're great for presenting a gift card or gift certificate to the yarn/fiber enthusiast in your life (you know, other than yourself), for tucking into a stocking, or for sending to someone special. 

i like 'em.

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day 208 -- more self-promotion.

 

Noro November

i've been blogging for so long now that i don't feel bad about recycling old posts.  except for some rare exceptions, i don't have the same readers, and after 4+ years, even those who did read back then are bound to have forgotten.  i  know i've forgotten.

anyway, one such post, written almost 4 years ago to the day, was my first "pattern."  in honor of it being noro november and because i've gotten some requests for details since i've posted flickr pics, i've made some edits to the pattern and re-issued it under what i think is a much better name. 

the stegosaurus noro cowl.

this is a great pattern for using up random skeins of noro kureyon (or silk garden if you're a little bit of a petite flower and find noro kureyon a bit itchy).  it'll also work with any yarn that has long color repeats.  the randomness is what makes it fun to knit (for me anyway).

the pattern can be found in my side-bar there to the right under "original patterns."  i've also posted the pattern on ravelry.

as always, it's free for your own personal use.  don't go making a bunch of them though and then go selling them on etsy or anything.  that'll just piss me off. 

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day 198 -- recycling is good.  look at me being all environmentally aware.  *snort*