Craftyminx

I'm bad at this...

I'm a bad craft blogger. Sorry... Not that anyone actually reads this. I'm still kind of sad about that. Leave me some love... Please. I'm ok with pity comments, really.

I am in love with this site. The patterns are amazing, although they are sometimes hard to read. I'm making a cabled/ruffled neckwarmer from there right now. Its so pretty! I have also recently been introduced to the world of knitting podcasts. I really wished I would have looked for them a while ago when I was looking up harry potter podcasts. I was there for the beginning of pottercast and mugglecast and am still a faithful listener of both. If you haven't subscribed to them you should (if you want to do one, go with pottercast they are a little more grown up ) Anyways, on with the knitting and craft podcasts. I have subscribed and listened to all of the episodes so far of Lime and Violet, Cast on, Just Linda online knitting, Craftychica, craftsanity, the mosh knit, Crochet cast. So you may ask, why do you have so many stinking podcasts Dana? Well the answer to that my friends is that my job is boring and I need fun stuff to listen to. Podcasts are sooo fun. Its sad that you listen to them and feel as if you know these people, but I guess that is part of the charm. They are normal people just like me who decided to pick up a mic and talk to others about their hobbies and obsessions. I must say that lime and violet are my faves though, they are stinking hilarious and completely honest about how horrible some yarn stores can be (we all know its true). Cast on is next because Brenda Dayne is goddess of all that is knitted and her voice is soo soothing. The mosh knit has great music and brooklynn is fantastic. These people are just too crafty. I love it! I'm ready for some of them to update, now that I have listened to all of the back episodes.

I have made some great stuff this week for a swap so I can't post pics yet. But be ready for hello kitty greatness. I've been on a roll and wanted to keep it all for myself. My sock book is coming in tomorrow hopefully. So I can work on dad's socks after I get it. Saturday is the southside hooker meeting so I shall work on them then. I need to buy more yarn for the baby blanket. I found out she is having a boy so I can buy an edging color now. What else... I made a hello kitty doll that has been faceless for a week. I'll post pictures when she doesn't look so scary.
I finally found some good textile paint that will help me remake john's major victory shirt. I'll probably work on that Friday night.

I made some really easy and self designed (yay) wrist warmers for a lady at work. I will post about these and put up a pattern tomorrow.

I'm finding it very hard to keep this blog up along with my xanga, facebook, myspace, and post on craftster. How do people do it? If you read this and find your blogging to be successful, please help a newbie. I've kept up my xanga for like 5 years now, but can't seem to keep up with my crafting escapades. I would really like to turn this into an awesome website, but lack the time, skill and money to do so. Eventually, Eventually...

Labels: knitting, podcasts

Bri's Birthday gifts and some Major Victory Love...

I can finally post the pictures of the stuff I made for Bri's Birthday.

Fairly ugly pom pom slippers
Made from Wool ease super chunky and jiffy thick and quick yarns.

Last night Dempsey and I finished the horrid Major Victory shirts. These are two layer stencils done with the acrylic/textile medium paint. This was not what I should have used, however, I didn't know this before I began. They are really stiff now. I should have probably bought actual white t-shirt paint or something. Or I should have just used my transfer iron on sheets for these. Oh well, they still look ok, they just won't be as comfy and they might crack faster. I made one for John as well, but his was ruined in the battle of shirt making. His was supposed to say "Ooh shiny pants!" on the back. The best quote ever I know!

I apologize for my poor picture quality. I really need a new digital camera. Mine is an hp photosmart from about 1999. Sometimes it can surprise me with how well it still works but other times it is a complete disappointment.

Labels: crochet, major victory, stencils, t-shirt

Yarn lust

I really want to make a sweater. I have two that I'm currently salivating over. Knitscene's central park hoodie, and an openwork pullover from an old issue of vouge knitting. However, I'm still in the "I've only bought 100% natural fiber yarn twice, and don't really have the budget to only do so" situation. So I'm looking at yarn from Knitpicks. Has anyone used their stuff before? I bought cascade and I felted with it so it was wonderful but I've heard it pills a lot. So I'm just leary of spending so much on yarn for a sweater and having it pill up and look like crap. I've made the commitment to finish my dad's socks before I buy yarn for my sweater. I think that is a perfectly good plan. I really loathe these socks. I don't know why. I liked my first pair of socks. But I think it was just the-- that was easier than I thought - I can make socks!-- thing coming out. Now I really can't stand the thought of making socks, unless they are lacy, pretty socks. (cough melanie falick's socks from handknit holidays-- purrr)

I'm going to a crochet group on Saturday and I am taking the socks. We'll see how far I get. I tend to not be able to concentrate on knitting or crocheting while everyone is talking. I think I will get used to that though.

Ok so a picture of the socks so you can see how far I am...


Not too much left to go. However I don't really know what I did to get this sock to look this way... hmmm. I haven't touched these since April. This could be scary for everyone involved...

Labels: knitting

t-shirts a plenty

I've become addicted to stenciling and t-shirt transfers recently. Stenciling is soo much fun and once I get my real website up and running I will be putting up a tutorial with my special hints and secrets added to the fun. It can be very tedious, but I enjoy such things.

My first stencil...

Its a roy lichtenstein. I used bleach for this one. I'm surprised that it turned out so well. I used cardstock and a bleach pen. I did nothing to adhere the paper to the shirt so I can't believe that it didn't bleed. The craft gods were on my side with this one.

Jolly Roger

I made this as a surprise for John. It was too small and white so I had to remake it in black (the other shirts pictured were transfers I didn't have time to do all stencils). I used freezer paper stencils and acrylic paint with these. I learned my lesson after these to use textile medium with the paint.

Knitting Pirate

By far my favorite shirt. I wear it once or even twice a week sometimes. Its held up pretty good with all of the washings and hasn't cracked a bit. I see this as my ginnea pig shirt. It was the first time I used the textile medium and it really does make all the difference.

Hanson

I made this for Bri's birthday. I gave it to her last night and she absolutely loved it. Its made with freezer paper and acrylic paint with textile medium as well.

A squid with no ocean

John and I made these shirts for PR parties. I don't know what I did with mine that caused it to bleed, but the bleach got on the back of the shirt some how. Even though I used cardboard in between and no drip bleach (which I must add is a godsend for bleaching stencils!) I even put vinegar on it to neutralize the solution before I soaked it in water. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. I still wear it with prize and just say that my squid inked .

Major Victory

This is still in progress and I'm not too happy with them at the moment. White is sooo hard to stencil with because it requires too many layers. Its also a two layer stencil (my first) So we haven't been getting a long too well. I'll post pics when I finsh them.

Labels: bleach, iron transfers, painting, stencils, t-shirt

W.I.P.

I had to rip all of the edging off of a baby blanket I was making for my cousin. I only had one side done, but I messed up twice and got mad because I couldn't unknit all the rows I needed to and ripped it out. Thankfully we were at Starbucks (Bek, Bri, John, and me) and John wound up the yarn I was ripping out which saved everyone from the copious amounts of profanity that would have flowed from my lips if it had gotten tangled. The good thing about this is that the blanket was too small and needed more added to it before I did the edging anyway. Now I can go ahead and add to it with the same color and then do the edging in a different color once its bigger. But I'm still mad. Good thing she's not due for a while.

I have three things on needles/hooks at the moment.

• Socks
  for dad- still only 1/3 done. I loathe socks! I don't know why. I think
  the only thing worse than socks would be hand knitting a sweater with
  fingerling weight yarn. Only a psycho would attempt such things.
• Some
  crocheted shrug from the happy hooker book - pretty sure this will be
  in my "to do" pile until next summer. I'm not too fond of the yarn
  color, or the pattern. I think I just wanted to make something that
  wasn't an accessory. To hell with clothing, accessories are far more
  fun to make!
• The aforementioned baby blanket from hades.
• I'm not knitting these but I have to finish the three major victory shirts I started before we left.
  

There are many other things I need to start making soon.

• T-shirt orders from Bekahs work. (they will probably be coming in by droves soon, or so she says)
  
• Birthday presents and christmas presents for my very lucky friends and family members.
• Hello
  Kitty slippers for a swap with a girl on craftster. I was so humbled
  that someone would actually want something I made (that didn't know me)
  that I said yes even though I knew I was super busy. She was ok with
  this, so I should put more effort into finishing these for her by the
  end of this month.
  
• many many patterns saved on my hard drive, just so I don't have idle hands.

Labels: crochet, frogging, knitting, t-shirt

ugh...

I had to rip all of the edging off of a baby blanket I was making for my cousin. I only had one side done, but I messed up twice and got mad because I couldn't unknit all the rows I needed to and ripped it out. Thankfully we were at Starbucks (Bek, Bri, John, and me) and John wound up the yarn I was ripping out which saved everyone from the copious amounts of profanity that would have flowed from my lips if it had gotten tangled. The good thing about this is that the blanket was too small and needed more added to it before I did the edging anyway. Now I can go ahead and add to it with the same color and then do the edging in a different color once its bigger. But I'm still mad. Good thing she's not due for a while.

I have three things on needles/hooks at the moment.

• Socks
  for dad- still only 1/3 done. I loathe socks! I don't know why. I think
  the only thing worse than socks would be hand knitting a sweater with
  fingerling weight yarn. Only a psycho would attempt such things.
• Some
  crocheted shrug from the happy hooker book - pretty sure this will be
  in my "to do" pile until next summer. I'm not too fond of the yarn
  color, or the pattern. I think I just wanted to make something that
  wasn't an accessory. To hell with clothing, accessories are far more
  fun to make!
• The aforementioned baby blanket from hades.
• I'm not knitting these but I have to finish the three major victory shirts I started before we left.
  

There are many other things I need to start making soon.

• T-shirt orders from Bekahs work. (they will probably be coming in by droves soon, or so she says)
  
• Birthday presents and christmas presents for my very lucky friends and family members.
• Hello
  Kitty slippers for a swap with a girl on craftster. I was so humbled
  that someone would actually want something I made (that didn't know me)
  that I said yes even though I knew I was super busy. She was ok with
  this, so I should put more effort into finishing these for her by the
  end of this month.
  
• many many patterns saved on my hard drive, just so I don't have idle hands.

Labels: crochet, frogging, knitting