Crafting – Page 7 – Pure Sugar

feeling hooky

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

Ah, yesterday I mailed out the last pumpkin hat I’d promised to a friend. While they were fun, I am so done with pumpkins for a while, LOL! I’m still on hats, though. Last winter I’d promised both my dad and my husband winter hats. I’m not fooled by this weekend’s warmer temperatures; I know winter is well on the way (in fact it should be in the 40s later this week — eek!). So my plan is to crank through hats and hand warmers and then hopefully, hopefully start on a new project. I still would like to knit Colonnade or some other shawl, or a scarf with an interesting pattern. I’ve not yet decided.

Last week I requested several crochet books from the library for inspiration and they all arrived on Saturday. Mom and I had lots of fun looking through them and getting ideas. Here are a few projects that I just love. The first two are from Special Techniques & Stiches in Crochet, edited by Judy Crow.

I am thinking that this might be the pattern for my next ripple blanket. I’m not sure about colors yet, but I just love how this looks:

And this sweater! It’s so simple, but so classic, I think. In college I had a silk sweater that was very similar so maybe that’s why I like this so much:

Then there’s this beautiful lacy scarf. This scarf and the following shawl are from the book Wrapped in Crochet: Scarves, Wraps & Shawls by Kristin Omdahl. I think that right now this gorgeous scarf is out of my skill set, but that’s OK. It’s still pretty to look at:

Last, there’s this shawl. It doesn’t seem very useful. I mean, how warm can it keep your shoulders? But I just think it looks so cool. It reminds me of spiderwebs. Maybe I can finish it in time for next Halloween? 🙂

Too many projects, and too little time! Isn’t that always the way?

pumpkin beanie

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

This was such a quick and gratifying project. Too bad it is too small for Laura! But no worries — it should be the perfect size for my newborn niece, who is due in early November. I think pumpkins are acceptable until shortly after Thanksgiving 🙂 I’ll make another larger hat for Laura and for her cousin Jillie. I offered to make one for Noah, but I think he’s outgrown the age of fruit-inspired hats. He thought I was a little crazy.

Pattern: Baby Pumpkin Crochet Beanie
Yarn: Vanna’s Choice in terracotta and olive (this is soooo soft for an acrylic — I really like working with it!)
Time: Less than two hours total

scalloped baby blanket & matching bibs

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Carol — 5 Comments ↓

Did you know that September is National Sewing Month? Well, it is! And, fittingly, I’ve been sewing a lot lately. My latest projects came from my favorite book, “Bend the Rules Sewing” by Amy Karol (of Angry Chicken). After borrowing this book from the library a couple times, I deemed it a worthy purchase for my craft library. There are so many cute and easy projects in it. I decided to make the Scalloped Baby Blanket for my sister-in-law’s baby shower.

I originally bought this paisley fabric during the summer, intending to make myself a skirt. But I decided that, paired with a charming polka-dot print, it would be a great baby quilt that wasn’t “cutesy.” The pattern was very clear and overall it was not too difficult. Sewing all those scallops took patience, but it was worth it.

The worst part was sewing shut the two scallops left open to turn the blanket inside-out. You’re supposed to just top-stitch them closed, but I clipped the fabric too close for that and ended up hand-sewing them. It didn’t come out exactly as perfect as I wanted for a gift, but I was very proud of the end result. I just reminded myself that it’s not perfect, it’s handmade. All told, the project probably took me about 6 hours (including the bibs). I did it when I had chunks of time, though, so it’s hard to tell. I worked slowly because I didn’t want to rush my way around all those corners. I imagine the next one would go faster.

I made a couple matching baby bibs to round out the gift set. I love making bibs! Quick, easy, and fun. Plus I really am not fond of all the character bibs or babyish bibs that you always end up getting. They don’t take much fabric and they’re about as stylish as a bib can get!

get a leg up

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

I fell in love with Babylegs long before I had a baby girl of my own. When I was doing 365 Days on Flickr, they’d occasionally show up in people’s photos. There are so many cute patterns and I think they’re all-around great. Except for the price. So I decided to look online (of course) for a tutorial to make homemade babylegs. Most of the instructions basically called for cutting off the foot of a sock and either leaving the edges raw or just sewing under the raw edge. That’s OK, but I really wanted a cuff at both ends. A couple days ago I found this baby legwarmer tutorial on Nannygoat and decided I just had to make some.

That also meant that I had to set up my sewing area, a task I’d been wanting to cross off my to-do list, but really hadn’t had the time. Well, I made the time. Over the weekend I’d purchased a few pairs of women’s socks. Not knee socks, not anklets… those in-between sock. Crew socks, maybe? Anyway, they were cute and it’s never to early to introduce babies to fun socks! Not wanting to ruin the new socks, however, I first tried out the tutorial on a stray to make sure I understood the steps. (I’d suggest you do this too, though the instructions are quite simple). In less than 15 minutes, with barely over one-dollar’s worth of materials, I’d made this pair of baby legwarmers! I’m going to sew up a bunch for the fall and winter. Lulu seems indifferent to them in this photo, but I think she likes them 🙂

Sometimes It’s Nice…

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Carol — 6 Comments ↓

It’s a well-documented fact that I am, for the most part, a morning person. I was up extra early this morning (one of the perils of falling asleep around 8:30, I suppose) and I’m really enjoying the dim light, the quiet sound of rain outside, and my cup of tea without the noise of the TV or anyone calling for me. 🙂

Things are good. Life is good. Time is just rolling along, as I expected it would. The last couple weeks have been busy, busy and here we are, less than a week away from baby girl’s arrival! I figured I’d make this a random sort of entry, hitting on all the things going on. I hope I don’t miss anything!

Shed Dormer Construction
The dormer/upstairs reno is moving along nicely and on schedule! There are updated photos here. Everything is framed in, and yesterday was the framing inspection which was fine. Today I believe the electrician is coming to work on some things and insulation will be put in. If my timeline is correct, Monday will be the insulation inspection and then they will sheetrock everything and finish up. The only inspection left will be for Certificate of Occupancy! We’ve chosen the stain color for the house (similar to our old stain, but a bit more brown) and we have a general idea of carpet colors (a shade of grey for the kids’ rooms and the hallway, and blue for our bedroom). As for paint colors… we’re going with a shade of brown for our room, a very (very) light purple for the baby’s room, and once we get paint chips we’ll work with the boys to help them decide. I’m just so thrilled with this project. The upstairs already looks a million times better! Yes, it’s a lot of money, but in our opinion it’s well worth it. Let’s face it: with three little kids there’s no way we’re going to be jetting off to Europe or looking into Caribbean cruises anytime in the near future. As a “homebody” I would so much rather make our house extra comfy and cozy! This was without a doubt the right thing for us.

Pregnancy
Tomorrow I hit the 39 week mark! Yesterday was my last scheduled OB appointment, and I was in and out as usual. I’ve gained 23 lbs. with this pregnancy, which I know is just fine, but… let’s just hope it all comes off quick! I’ve been so lucky that my only real “problem” has been some back pain of late. My C-section is scheduled for next Wednesday. My OB believes that there are only two C-sections that day, so I’ll need to head to the hospital for either 6 or 7 a.m. and they’ll operate at either 8 or 9 a.m., depending on who is first. My parents are coming down on Tuesday night to get the boys ready in the morning and get Jake on the bus and then take Noah to the hospital after the baby is born. Then he’s going on a “vacation” at their house until Saturday. (Thank you, once again!) Drew’s mom and aunt will be coming up in the afternoon to get Jake off the bus and take him to meet his little sister! One or both of them is also going to be available in case I need Drew to spend the night at the hospital. That one we’ll play by ear. Everything is lined up, and I’m really not concerned about going into labor early. She still feels pretty high up and I’ve been taking it easy the last few days.

Crafting
I’ve not done much in the way of crafting lately. My attention span is so short, and my stuff is boxed up for the most part. I did cast on for the Sarena shrug, which I’ll bring as my “hospital knitting” since it’s easy and mindless. I’ve also been whipping up little crochet flowers to use up scraps of dishcloth yarn. So easy and cute, see?

I’m looking forward to getting back to sewing once our house is back in order! But for now, all those projects have been set aside. It won’t be much longer, though.

Family
The boys are great! Noah cracks me up on a daily basis. He’s really into Hot Wheels Trick Tracks at the moment. He sets up the loop and the curve and various dino launchers and sees which cars work best. Totally cute. He’s also obsessed with the ABC Song, which I find funny since he refused to count or say his alphabet until very recently. He knew it, but he wouldn’t perform. My independant little guy 🙂

Jake is good, too. School ends here at the end of June, but they are already winding things down a bit, probably because the kids’ are getting antsy. His class is doing a little play, “The Carrot Seed” in a couple weeks, and there’s Field Day and lots of other stuff. He’s still majorly into arts and crafts as well as writing stories and making books. The other day he decided to make a list of all the different fish he could think of:

Well, I finally hear the boys stirring, and this is certainly long enough! Have a great weekend, everyone!

ripple

Posted on May 3, 2009 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

It’s finished! Last night I crocheted the last row and wove in the dozens of ends of my ripple afghan. (It sure beat trying to figure out what to do about the blackheads that have been plaguing me this week — crazy weather is making my skin miserable.) Here are the stats:

Pattern: Easy Ripple Afghan
Started: February 8, 2009
Finished: May 2, 2009
Yarn: Berella 4 Acrylic Yarn
Hook: Size H

I haven’t measured it, so I’m not sure of the size, but it’s a decent sized lap blanket, perfect for rainy days like today! It took me a little while to get the hang of the pattern, but once I did it was really fast and easy. If I had crocheted every night, this would have been completed a lot faster. I’m really looking forward to starting another blanket using this same pattern, but with brighter, more fun colors (possibly a baby blanket for one of the upcoming babies in our family aside from mine 🙂

Clothespin Bags

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

When my dad put up my new clothesline earlier this week, I knew I had to make a cute clothespin bag to go along with it. The first one I made came out great! I was really happy with it and sent it home with Dad to give to my mom. I wanted to use a little funkier fabric for the one I’d make for myself. Unfortunately, mine did not come out perfect 🙁

I have been having a crappy day since the second I woke up was woken up by a small child this morning and should have held off on this project until I was in a better state of mind, but oh well. The top is obviously not cut right, the fabric is upside down where the bag folds up, and although you can’t tell, the sides of the opening hang really awful. I’ve fixed this with some safety pins, so it’s fine, but… really, I consider this project a total FAIL. I can’t justify redoing it because it does serve its intended purpose, but it’s such a disappointment. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Miscellaneous, in Bullet Form

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

Yesterday was D’s birthday! We had cupcakes and presents on Sunday night and then last night we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner (because he got a birthday coupon for a free appetizer!). We had no idea, though, that they’d drag out this saddle on a sawhorse, make him sit on it, while everyone in the restaurant yelled “Yee-haw!” at him. I would have been mortified, but he was a great sport and we all had a really good time (and a good dinner!)
I feel a little guilty about one of Drew’s presents, because… really, it was more for me rather than him: the Compost Crock. Last year we used a big plastic bowl (with a lid, at least) for our food scraps for the compost bin. However, the shape took up a lot of room and it got gross and smelly. This is much more attractive on the counter, will clean easier, and it has a charcoal filter! I think it’ll work much better than the old garbage bowl.
While Drew is in Virginia for a couple days (hopefully the last of these business trips for a few months), my dad is coming down to hang out with us. And he’s going to put up a clothesline for me! We attempted to make one last year with a kit from the hardware store, but it didn’t work very well. I’m so happy he’s doing this for me. I look forward to not having to run the dryer for every single load of wash. Growing up, my mom always hung up the laundry so to me it just makes sense. Plus, it’s one more thing I can do to be more eco-conscious.
I think I want to see about trying the Dove Skin Vitalizer deal that is reported at CVS. Even if I can’t get the coupon, $4 isn’t bad — and certainly much cheaper than heading to the spa for a microdermabrasion treatment. Supposedly the Dove product is quite comparable, though obviously not the same thing.
I still have a cold. I felt great for about a week, and then Saturday I started to feel crappy. Poor Noah woke up with a cough this morning, too. Hopefully it’ll be short-lived. The fluctuations in temperature and weather can’t be helping!
Otherwise, things are just moving right along. I have one more repeat on my ripple afghan and that will be finished. And I plan on sewing up a few more bibs and burp cloths this week, as well as some nursing pads. I’d rather not buy the disposable ones and I have plenty of cotton flannel, so we’ll give it a try! I’ll let you know how it goes.

saturday knitting

Posted on April 11, 2009 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

Back in February when I went on my little yarn spree at Webs, I purchased four balls of Plymouth Royal Bamboo intending to make myself a light, lacy scarf for summer. I had printed out this pattern from Mind’s Eye Yarns ages ago and stuck it in my knitting binder, and when I saw this beautiful peacock-blue bamboo I knew that the time had come to knit this pattern. Yesterday afternoon I decided that I felt like starting a new project, since my ripple afghan is almost done. (I find the ripple blanket incredibly relaxing — maybe not as good as a sleep number bed or anything, but without a doubt, a great way to wind down before zonking out for the night.)

Anyway, back to the lace scarf. I knit three repeats yesterday and I just finished one more. This pattern knits up fast and easy, even for a slow knitter like myself! I haven’t spent much time on it, but I love how much progress I’ve made. I also love the soft feel and the drape of the bamboo, but the problem is that it unplies (is that a word?) easily. There is one stitch at the bottom that is splitty and loose and making me crazy, but I think ripping the scarf back would only exacerbate the problem by causing more of the same. I’ll try to fix it later, maybe by tacking the stitch with some thread or something. I’ll figure it out. Anyway, here’s a peek:

patchwork eggs

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Carol — 6 Comments ↓

When I saw the tutorial at Retro Mama for these adorable Easter eggs, I knew I just had to make a few! They are super simple and make a quick and easy decoration. There have been a few snow flurries off and on today, so it seems strange making Easter crafts, but it’s just around the corner. The boys colored eggs this afternoon and I think they’re dry now. Good thing because they are begging to decorate them with stickers and such!