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Friday, September 28, 2012

FO Friday!

These past two days were all about me finishing some animals.


The first is the seahorse, its finally finished!! I'm so excited because it took me a month to actually get it done. I like him over all but stuffing him was a little difficult because of all the different shapes in the body. The tail was a little hard to crochet too because you already have everything else stuffed. I will definitely make another one but it might now be for a while. :) 


This second one is so cute. I really like how she came out. I really like how the colors look together. I'm not sure if the feet were supposed to be lower but I think it looks fine like it is. I will probably make one of these in a boy version soon. 


This last one is the ball monster from the Design your own monster on Craftsy. I really like how he turned out. I wasn't sure how the stripes would work out but I think he looks great. I really like these two colors together. 


So I wanted to share with ya'll how much stuffing is in the 5lb box of poly-fil. Its a lot of stuffing! Which is perfect since I will be making lots more animals & monsters. They started selling these at my local AC Moore for $21 but you can get it for much cheaper by using a coupon. I got this for about $13. 


I got my yarn Wednesday!! I was so excited. I ordered from yarnmarket.com and got 13 colors in Berroco Vintage. The shipping was quick which is great. The only not so good thing is they accidentally sent me one of my yarns in DK weight instead of Worsted and it was an error by them because I checked my order and it was all in worsted. I have decided to keep it but I would have liked to have gotten it in Worsted. Other than that everything was great plus it was on sale. As you can see I got my yellow so the purple owl I started a while ago will be finished by next week. 



Wednesday, September 26, 2012

WIP Wednesday: Socks, Bib, Granny Square & Monster

For the last couple of months all I've been making is amigurumi, which I love making but I think its time that I work on other things as well. I will continue to make amigurumi a lot but will try to make more time for other things. I have four binders filled with patterns for so many other things I want to make and haven't yet. I'm hoping to get around to making them but for now I have these four items to share. 


First up is my first attempt at making socks! So I know most people would think to copy a pattern exactly when they make something for the first time but I'm not doing that. It might not be such a good idea because at the end they might not look all that great but I'm going along with it anyway. I looked at several videos to get an idea of how to make them. I actually have several patterns for socks that I got free and decided I was going to make one that was basic stockinette. When I finished the ribbing I decided to no longer follow the pattern and make a simple rib pattern of my own. Its basic 2 x 2 ribbing except for I move them over a stitch every 8 rows. I decided to use 2 small circulars and put both socks on at the same time. Its a little difficult at first but I think I got it now. This video was a lot of help for working 2 socks on 2 circular needles. I used it mostly for the heel flap,turning the heel, and gusset. Now I'm knitting the foot. I am doing stockinette for the bottom and continuing the pattern from the leg on the top. I used Cascade Heritage which is super soft and I love this color too.  


This second project is Fred the Croc by Elaine Fitzpatrick. I love her bibs they are all so cute and the best part is she offers the patterns free on her blog. They are super quick to make too. I made some adjustments because her pattern calls for worsted weight and I'm using a sport weight. If I followed the pattern exactly it was too small so I added  stitches to the side border so that it wouldn't affect the pattern. I'm using the Knit Picks Shine Sport in Apple Green that I bought a while back. This is the softest cotton yarn I have ever felt and it has a beautiful shine to it. I haven't washed it so I don't know how well it holds up but I love how it looks and feels right now. I am working on the ties which is an i-cord and I am making both at the same time so that they are the exact same size since that's been an issue for me with other bibs I have made. 


The third project is a granny square for the Freshstiches BFF Cowl we are making in the Freshstitches group on ravelry. I have 5 more of these to make and I am using Vanna's Choice in Dusty Purple. Its the first time I am making granny squares and they are so quick which is always a plus. We are using a basic pattern so I didn't have a hard time making it. 


Lastly I am working on another monster! Its the ball monster from the Design your own Monster class on craftsy. I am using Berroco Vintage in Emerald and Mint. I'm hoping to finish him up today so I can show him completed Friday. 

I will also have the Platypus and Seahorse finished to show ya'll. I know they have taken me a while to make. I am also supposed to get my yarn I ordered from yarnmarket.com today so I may be able to finish the Owl I was working on last week. I still need the beak and feet and I am using one of the yellows I ordered. 



Friday, September 21, 2012

FO Friday

I had a very productive 2 days and finished 3 animals! All of which will be for sale as soon as I get my Etsy shop set up. 


The first is this super cute teddy bear. I just color this color which is Aquae. I use Berroco Vintage which is a blend of 50% Acrylic, 40% Wool, and 10% Nylon. Its super soft!. I used the baby safe eyes with a white highlight and I like this look better than the plastic safety eyes. 


The second is a monster from the Design your own monster on craftsy. I love how quick it was to make it. Again I used Berroco Vintage in the color Petunia and Fondant. I used the same eyes but this time instead of black I made them with the purple and I really like how it turned out. 


The last animal is a whale. I need to take a better picture but for now this will have to do. I already made this one before but this time I stuffed it more and it gives it a completely different look. I really love this one. I used the same technique for the eyes but made these slightly bigger and and oval shape instead of round. I also used Berroco Vintage in the color Misty. 


So this isn't really a finished project but I was so excited I decided to share it with ya'll. I bought this 5lb box of stuffing at my local craft store for $13 by using a coupon. This should be enough for several stuffed animals and I will be making tons more so I know I will definitely need it. 
I also just ordered some more Berroco Vintage Yarn! YAY! My LYS doesn't have many colors so I had to order it online. Yarnmarket.com has a 20% sale on all Berroco yarns so I decided to try it out since I have never purchased from them before. Its until October 1st for anyone wanting to buy some Berroco Yarn. 

UPDATE
I'm almost done with the Platypus. I would have finished it for today but things came up and I didn't get a chance but pretty much all that's left is attaching all the pieces so it will be done for next Friday. 
After that I will work on the seahorse. I'm so close to finishing but its taking me forever. But I will for sure get the one done this weekend. 
The Owl is on hold until my yarn arrives. I ordered 2 yellows and an orange all which are candidates to be used for the beak and feet so as soon as that comes in I will finish him up. I will probably sew the parts I can now. I am also waiting to see what color to use for the eye circles and its probably going to be one of the new colors. I'm not sure how fast the shipping is so it probably won't get finished for next Friday.
The last animals on my to do list are the 2 dragons I started and I'm hoping to make some progress on them this weekend too. 

Have a great Weekend!

For more FO's check out Tami's Blog!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

WIP Wednesday: A little of Everything

This week has been a little crazy. I have been working on more than just crocheting. Last Friday my internet was not working so there was no FO Friday post. Which is actually okay since I didn't have time to actually finish anything but I will this Friday at least that's the plan. So I am actually typing up this post early because today (Tuesday) my internet was not working again for a couple hours and I actually have plenty to share so I wanted to make sure I had no problems getting this one up on time. 


So many of you may know that Craftsy.com had a sale this weekend and all their classes were $19.99. Remember I mentioned in last weeks post that I was thinking about attempting to make my own animals well I think this was the perfect time to buy Stacey Trock's Amigurumi: Design your own monster class. Stacey teaches how to make your own monsters by sharing lots of tips and showing you how to create anything you can imagine. It's an awesome class and I highly recommend it. I had taken here woodland animals class a while back and loved it so I knew this one would be great and it is. Here are the 4 patterns you get when you sign up for this class. 

I started by making this little guy from her class. He is the yeti which is based on the pattern from above. I loved how I had very little sewing to do since the legs and arms are crocheted in. Its pretty small so I am almost done with him even though I started him earlier today. 
I am almost done with my bear which I was supposed to finish last week but didn't get around to it until today. This one will be finished by Friday. I added some eyes that are different from any others I have used. I got the idea from a fellow member of the Freshstitches Group on ravelry her ravelry name is chocobo-knits.  She makes amazing amigurumi and I love how the eyes are baby safe and decided to try them on my animals. You will really be able to see them on Friday. This bear will be my first finished animal for sale in my etsy shop that's coming soon! 

I started several other projects this weekend which include two dragons. I finished crocheting all the parts so I can attach them to the body as the instructions say. These will be my sixth and seventh dragons. Thats really exciting because soon I will have an army of them. Expect for the fact that these two are going to be for sale so this will only be a temporary home. You may have noticed that one of them is a color combination you have seen on my blog before and thats because I am making a second blue/green dragon. I loved the first one so much I refuse to sell it but I think its a beautiful combination so I bought more yarn and the second one is going to be for sale. 

                                                                                       Another animal I am working on is another whale from the M. Richard pattern that is a free download. I got this awesome blue color and knew that it was going to be for a whale. I got started on Monday but haven't worked on it since. Its a pretty quick animal to finish so I think I will get him done soon. 
This next animal I started last week and have made some progress. I finished up crocheting all the pieces I could. I made the wings longer and striped like Hootie the owl. I still need to make the beak and feet but I need a yellow for that which I don't have. I think I will be ordering some more colors in Berroco Vintage next month so I will definitely get some yellow then and be able to finish him completely. I found a couple online store I am thinking about yarnmarket.com and jimmybeanswool.com Both have a large selection of yarn which unfortunately my LYS doesn't have. If anyone has any good or bad things to say about either or these two that would be helpful. Or if anyone has any recommendations for where to order online that would be great. 
I have 2 more animals on my to do list that I need to get finished asap and those are the platypus and seahorse which I have not done anything since the last time you saw them.




Check out more WIP's on Tamis Blog!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

WIP Wednesday?

Today is Wednesday right? I am a little off and didn't remember to do my WIP Wednesday post until somebody at work told me it was Wednesday. I think it might be because I actually had to work outside the house today. So anyway I have plenty to share this week. Most of this weekend I was doing a lot of planning. I found out that there is a local indie market here in my city. I was super excited because its a great opportunity to sell some of the things I make. Of course being that this would be the first time I do something like this I have to buy the tent, tables, chairs, displays and everything else to make my booth great.  Since I am only starting my business I already had a list started that I just added on to. I did some price checks and slowly am coming up with a budget for everything. This indie market is the First Friday of every month from April to December so I think I will start in April that way I have plenty of time to get everything I need and make a lot of stuff.  If anybody has an tips or links for me those will be greatly appreciated :)


Okay first up are some really bad drawings for my first self designed amigurumi. The techniques will be the same that you would use for any Freshstiches pattern just because I love the look of her patterns. I have two animals I am thinking about and they are a Lemur and a kangaroo. I think I may even try to add a baby into the pouch of the kangaroo. I wrote my notes of how I think I am going to make them but the actual making of the animal may take a while. I really want to take her class on craftsy Amigurumi: Design your own Monster but I will have to wait because I already spent to much on my credit card this month. 

 

Taking about spending too much. I bought 10 hanks of Berroco Vintage this past weekend. I pretty much got one of each color I liked. They don't have a huge selection at my local yarn store so I think I may have to order more online since this is the yarn I am going to use for the amigurumi I will be selling. Of course that will probably be next month but meanwhile I will be making cuties with these. I am thinking about ordering from Jimmy Beans Wool because they offer most of the colors in this line. Has anyone ordered from them before? Any complaints or good things to say about them?


Moving on I did have plenty of time to crochet and I am working on three animals. This first one is a teddy bear using some of the new yarn I bought Berroco Vintage. Its the same color as the dragon I did last week and I have to say I really love it. I only have the sewing left but I might wait to do that until I finish the other animals. 


The second animal I am working on is the Freshstitches Platypus pattern I bought during the sale. I am using Caron Simply Soft yarn. I am slowly but surely working on using up all my stash of this yarn. I really like these two colors together. It is really easy and fast to make. Hopefully I will have it finished for Friday. 


The last animal is also a Freshstitches pattern, Nelson the Owl. I have been wanting to make another one for sometime now but haven't really gotten around to it because I have been making other animals but now that I have some new yarn I couldn't resist starting it. I am using a dark purple with a mint green. I was unsure at first if it was the right choice but I am really liking it. I won't be able to completely finish this one up until I get some yellow or orange for the nose and feet. So the completed project may take a while to show up in a FO Friday post. Another thing I don't know is what color I should use for the eye circle. Any suggestions?

Reminders & Updates
If anyone is interested in a finding a way to store small balls of yarn or thread you can check out my blog post from Sunday about it here.

I have not finished the seahorse form last week and don't think I will in time for Friday but maybe next week...hopefully :)

Check out more WIP's on Tami's Blog!

Join the Yarn Along!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Storage Idea!

For today's post I wanted to share with ya'll a new storage system that works really well for me. This post is really long but I hope its helpful or at least somewhat interesting :)


 I buy a lot of thread every time I go to Mexico and its gotten to a point where I couldn't figure out a good way to store them until now. I use these for needle punch embroidery that I learned from my aunt. I'm not sure what fiber it is but its a very fine lace weight thread. As you can see in the picture above it can get tangled easily if you don't have a good way to store it. I buy a lot of it in Mexico because its not sold here in the United States at least not in my area. Of course you can use this method to store other kinds of thread and yarn as well. 

I have tried several different ways of storing them and until now none of them have worked. I put them all in a bin and they got tangled. I would wind them into balls by hand and that didn't work either. I wanted to find a way to store them that would let me see all the colors I had available to use and both of these methods did not do that because I had to dump them all out onto the table to be able to see the colors and that only made them get tangled even worse


The latest storing idea I used was winding them onto cardboard bobbins I made that are about 3 x 4 inches and put them in a drawer. It looked a lot neater as long as all of them were in the drawer but if some were missing they would fall over. I also usually take all the colors I will need for a project and put them in a bag so the cardboard didn't look as neat after being tossed into a bag. So I knew I had to find another way to store them since I am kinda of a neat freak. 




I mentioned in another post that I had gotten my ball winder from KnitPicks last Friday and immediately started to test it out. Since most of the yarn I have doesn't need to be wound up into a ball the only other thing I had to wind up was this thread. Of course the idea wasn't to wind them all up but when I saw the solution to my storing problem I started to do just that. They fit perfectly into the drawer. This drawer is one of those Scrapbook Storage Cubes that they sell at Micheals and other craft stores. 


I liked this idea much better than any of the others but then I went to Michaels on Monday to see if there were any good sales going on since it was Labor day and I had gotten a 20% off your total purchase including sales items coupon. I had bought this Iris Scrapbook case that is supposed to be for holding 12 x 12 paper a while ago for my paper and when I saw them on sale I decided these would be much better for holding the balls of thread because I would be able to see them all without opening a drawer. Regular price they are $8.99 and it was on sale for $3.99 so with the 20% off coupon I got them for about $3.19 which means I saved a total of $5.80 on each and I got 5 of them. I put in the thread and it works out perfectly. 


I prefer the clear case but if you want to put them into drawers that works really well too. It just depends on whether you want to label the drawer or just be able to see the colors through the box. In the picture below I have the colors all mixed but my plan is to have each box hold the different shades of a certain color. For example all the blues in one box, all the greens in another and so on. If I would have used the drawers that would also work out because I could just label them with the color that goes inside. That way I wouldn't have to go through all of them to find the color I am looking for. 


Okay so now that I had the boxes I need to find something to put them in. Lucky for me the Scrapbooking Storage section at Michaels already had one available for me. It is a little pricey at over $70 regular price. Of course if you really wanted one you could buy it with a 40% or 50% off coupon. It was actually already on sale that same day I bought the cases at 40% off and then I had the 20% off total purchase coupon also.  As you can see in the picture below I already have them separated by colors. I put all the yellow and orange in one, the pinks and reds in the second, blues and purples in the third, greens in the fourth, the neutrals like black, white, greys, and browns in the fifth and the sixth one has the multicolored ones. I know I'm missing one because I didn't really check how many fit I only got the ones I thought I needed. I will get another one on my next trip to Michaels and will use it to store a different type of thread. 


Like I said at the beginning this storage system not only works for the type of thread I am using but for any others that you might have. Another type of thread that I have been looking for a good storing solution was Aunt Lydia's size 10 crochet thread. I went through a phase where I wanted all the colors available. I used these when I was learning how to tat. It was easier to use these because they were cheaper and thicker which made them better to use since I didn't have experience enough to use the thinner and more expensive tatting thread. 

One thing I really disliked about them was that they were huge and it took a lot of space to store them. So then while winding up some balls I thought it would be a good idea to wind up one of these and see how that worked out. Basically two wound up balls are about the size of one of them and they fit into the cardboard cylinder that hold the thread. Meaning that they are easier to store. I still have many more to wind up but here are a few that I have done and put in another clear scrapbook case. I'm pretty sure they will all fit into one so I thats perfect since I have one more space available. They wind up pretty quickly and I'm sure anyone who had a ball winder and a lot of this thread will prefer having them smaller and easier to store. 










I also have this Omega crochet thread I brought back from Mexico which is actually small enough that they fit into the box already laying down or standing up right. I think I will actually put these into the drawer instead. Since I have no more room in the clear boxes. 


Now that I have gotten better at tatting I started buying Lizbeth Tatting thread. My collection is really small right now but eventually I would like to have a lot more colors and these clear boxes would be prefect for storing them also. These are also really small so no ball winding is needed and you can store them sideways which I think will fit more into a single box or up right works also. 


 The last item that I found also works well in these boxes is regular yarn. Here I have some KnitPicks cotton yarn wound up into balls and since they are 50 grams each they are small enough to be stored in these boxes. I also put a ball of Sugar n' Cream which you can find in any craft store and those fit in there as well. So do the Hobby Lobby brand I love this cotton which is wound up into a ball.  I put two balls of Cascade just to show that those fit in also and lastly I have five balls of Caron Simply Soft. These are not the full ball which would be to big to fit but as you use them up and wind them into smaller balls those will fit in there perfectly. Since I make a lot of stuffed animals I have a lot of left over yarn that needed to be stored and I think this is a good way to go. 


I hope that you found this storage system interesting and maybe even helpful in case you need a way to store any type of thread or yarn that's small enough to fit in these boxes. They are a little over 3 inches in height in case anyone was wondering. I have found that many of these scrapbook storage systems work really well for storing knitting and crocheting items as well. This isn't a very cheap method of storing but if you can spare a couple extra dollars you might want to consider looking into it. Of course if you didn't have a lot of thread you could just buy one or two boxes to store them in and put them into you closet. There is no need to buy the complete set. :)

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