Category Archives: Crafting

knit night

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So last night I actually made it to Common Threads, which is the monthly knit/crochet night at my local library. Since my mom was visiting, she came along and we had a great time! I haven’t been crocheting much lately because I’ve been busy working on bows. Let me tell you — it was so relaxing picking up the hook again! The other day I was looking at the beading supplies at the craft shop and thinking about incorporating some pretty beads into a scarf design. Maybe I’ll start on that soon.

In the meantime, I am still plugging away on my afghan. I have three squares done, which isn’t a lot, but I’m meeting my goal of one per month. So at least there’s that! I think I’m going to be working on some hats for a friend who is a photographer. She’s been doing a lot of baby photography lately and wants some fun props. That will be a nice change of pace. I just have to find the right patterns. I’ll be sure to post pictures when I’ve finished them up!

st. patrick’s day sale

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I just wanted to give my blog readers a “head’s up” that starting on Monday I’ll be offering free shipping on all St. Patrick’s Day bows in my Etsy shop. I only have a few holiday-themed items left, but I hope to make a few more tomorrow. If you’re nervous about “electronic pickpocketing” and ordering online, Etsy is a completely safe place to purchase vintage goods as well as handmade items from independent crafters. You’ll find so many amazing artists, so be sure to browse other shops!

etsy update: st. patty’s day hair bows

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This afternoon I had a chance to upload a few of the St. Patrick’s Day hair bows I’ve been making. Sadly, I totally missed the boat on Valentine’s Day (it’s just been a crazy time), but I’ll be stocking up for Easter once March 17th has passed. I’ll also be designing a line of First Communion bows, so feel free to send me a message if you have something specific in mind that you’d like me to create.

Here’s a peek at what’s new in my Etsy shop:

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Set of 3 classic tails-down bows: $9

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Twisted boutique bow: $4

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Awesome 80s-style braided ribbon barrette: $3

I love dressing Lulu up in clothes that go along with whatever holiday is closest. She just needs to grow some hair so she can wear some of my bows, too!

Oh, and don’t forget: now you can follow Pure Sugar Bows on Twitter as well as liking us on Facebook. Stay connected for the lasted sneak peeks and exclusive discounts!

etsy shop updated: awesome 80s barrettes

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retro 80s barrettes

Do you remember wearing these barrettes in the 1980s? I wanted one so bad and finally my mother gave in and bought me a hot pink and white barrette that had silk flowers at the ends. I think we might have been on vacation at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, but I’m not sure. Anyway, there are a lot of retro styles at the moment so I thought it would be fun to make up a few of these braided barrettes. I have a few available in my Etsy shop, and I will be making up more as I have time. (My telecommuting husband has been conference calling up a storm this week, so Laura has been super clingy and I’m not working as fast as I’d like. Usually he can take a quick break so I can get some things done.)

At any rate, pricing on these barrettes is $3 each. I will be offering sets of two for $5. And as always, I am more than happy to make one (or two… or ten) up especially for you! Just send me a message including the following information:

1) What colors you want (pick 2 or 3: light pink, hot pink, light green, green, light blue, royal blue, navy blue, red, cream, white, brown, black, purple, yellow, orange)

2) Hair length (chin, shoulder, long)

3) What side of the head the barrette will worn (left, right, doesn’t matter).

These barrettes are great for any girl from preschool age right through the teen years. I do not recommend them for babies three and under because the streaming ribbons present a choking hazard.

And because I am so tired of the snow and cold (and I think most of the country is too at the moment) use the coupon code THINKSPRING to get an extra 20% off through Friday!

sampler afghan progress: january

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afghan sampler squares - january progress

Last month I was really motivated to start this project and I completed the first two squares. Both were very quick and easy. The shell square is especially pretty, I think. The only thing that concerns me is that they are very clearly not the same size, even though I used the same type of yarn and the same hook. Since I’m not working on any other knitting or crochet projects, I really don’t think my tension was that different. I mean, I hooked them both up maybe just a couple days apart. Hopefully it will all work out in the end. I suppose if all else fails I can just work up a different square. We’ll see how the next one shapes up in terms of size.

Here’s a close-up of each of the patterns:

Square 1: Checkerboard

square 1: checkerboard

Square 2: Shells

square 2: shell

I loved working up the Shells square and I think it would make a great scarf! Hopefully I can stay on track for February.

bows for the big game

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Honestly, we are not football fans around here, but I know many people who get really into it. And since not everyone can be in Texas for it (oh, to be sipping iced tea while sitting underneath ceiling fans instead of warming my hands around a cup of tea while sitting in front of the wood stove!), parties are super popular. My friend Anita is probably the biggest Steelers fan I know, so I decided to make a bow for her daughter using the team’s colors. And then I figured I’d make a couple more (and I couldn’t leave out the Packers) and list them in my Etsy shop. Check ’em out:

super bowl-inspired bows

If your team didn’t make it this year, there’s always next year, right? And don’t forget that I take custom orders. If you have a favorite sports team let me know — I can make any kind of bow you want so even the littlest of fans can cheer ’em on!

ideas are spinning

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partygirl

Lately I have so many ideas for hair bows and so little time to actually make them. They never said that creativity was a good treatment for insomnia, and with good reason — I can barely fall asleep at night thinking of everything I’d like to do! The other day I did have the chance to play around with my ribbons and this is one of the bows I made. I am totally in love with it and I am still debating whether or not to list it on my Etsy shop or keep it for Laura. I think I need to make a duplicate bow.

I just placed an order for a bunch of ribbon and clips. I’m excited for it to arrive so I can experiment with some new styles. I also ordered some really gorgeous printed ribbon I plan to use for headbands. These will actually be better suited for older girls and teens. The ribbon designs are less “cutesy” and a little more sophisticated.

Hopefully I can get some Valentine’s Day-themed bows up soon. There is just never enough time to do everything I want to do, unfortunately!

new afghan in progress

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Since it’s a new year I thought I’d start a new crochet project that I can work on a little bit every month (and not feel guilty when I set it aside!). It’s been a long time since I made an afghan (in fact my first real crochet project was a ripple afghan). The time has come to make another, but I didn’t want to go the ripple route again. I wanted something a little more challenging, so I browsed the patterns over at Ravelry. My jaw dropped when I saw this:

KTVSamplerC Crochet Sampler Afghan by Marianne Forresta

This was what I had to make: the KTVSamplerC Crochet Sampler Afghan! Conveniently, there are 12 squares — one to make each month. If I’m motivated and/or have the time, of course I plan to do more, but even if I can only manage one per month, I can be snuggled with this next New Year’s Eve.

I don’t enjoy working with the recommended Red Heart yarn, so I’m using Impeccable, which is a store brand at Michael’s Arts & Crafts. It feels just like Vanna’s Choice, but you get a little more yardage for the money. My intention is that this afghan is for Laura’s room, so I chose colors that work well with the lavender walls.

crochet sampler afghan - progress 1

Last night while watching NCIS I started the first square. As you can tell it’s a checkerboard pattern and it is so easy and goes quite fast. Other squares are more complicated, and I’m looking forward to that, too. It’s always nice to expand upon your skills. Are you starting any new crafting projects this year?

december deal

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Do you still need some girly stocking stuffers for your daughter, niece, grand-daughter, or just a special little girl? During the month of December all the hair bows in my Etsy shop ship FREE! That’s right, free shipping whether you order one or five! Here are a few of the holiday bows I have available right now:

More bows will be uploaded this week and I will take custom orders through Friday December 10th. Comment here or shoot me an e-mail (carol @ puresugar.net) and let me know if you need something. Happy shopping!