EVENING CRAFTERS: JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Finally posting some Crafters projects from this year (more in another post). In July we did cross-stitch snowflakes on felt using waste canvas using a pattern (scroll to "Finish an Ornament 5 Ways")  from Cross-Stitch and Needlework

. In August we did felt leaf-shaped coasters from a Create and Decorate pattern.

In September we made felt (yes, felt again) pincushions from a pattern in American Patchwork and Quilting. I liked this one so much I made 2, one to give to my mom and one to keep myself.

EVENING CRAFTERS MAY 2013

A little late for Easter this year, but I'm now ahead for next year. We used a shaped brick and wood pieces cut out by Jelayne's husband, paint, and a gluegun. All three are different and equally cute. Mine's on the right.

EVENING CRAFTERS FEBRUARY 2013

Our craft this month was a "St. Patrick's Day Door Hanger" from Crafts 'n Things for Feb/Mar last year. We used Fimo "Effects" (green and gold) and Premo (moss). They turned out really cute. Here's mine:

MMario Autumnal 2012 Mystery Shawl KAL

I finished my shawl on Thursday and blocked it yesterday. This is the first MMario Mystery shawl I've finished (I still have 5 in progress)! I used a size 8 circular needle and the yarn from a recycled thrift-shop sweater--a wool medium v-neck, sport/dk weight.

There were 6 clues for six weeks starting the Labor Day weekend. The idea was a "Make Your Own Recipe Pi Shawl". It could be a full circle, a 3/4 circle or a half circle. I chose to do a 3/4 circle. Suggestions for lace patterns were presented and they could be combined or used as is. Everyone did the ist week's pattern the same, but then the selections available meant everyone's is different. Beads were optional. I like beads, so I used them. Clue 1:

Clue 2: Helix

Clue 3: Balanced Bruce

Clue 4: Mrs. Montegue and Lesser Montegue

Clue 5: "K" and "L", split

Clue 6: 6 rows of "Q"--ran out of yarn.

It is HUGE, with the radius 38-40". It didn't fit completely on our double bed, so part was blocked over the edge. Unblocked

blocked

If I'd completely finished clue 6, it would probably been a foot bigger. I love it.

AUGUST YARN DYEING CHALLENGE pt 2

This time I used I Love This Wool in "cream". I made a long skein, then tied yarn around a whole section or around just a few strands at a time, kind of randomly.

I did a first dyeing with Peach Mango Kool Aid.

Then I undid some ties and retied or added other ties and dyed the skein again with orange Kool Aid.

For the third dye bath, I redid it again only using Wilton's copper and brown. The color didn't change enough, though, so I did a fourth round (retying etc.) with Wilton's Kelly Green.

I was trying for sort of flecks of lighter colors and I think I succeeded. To me it looks like fireflies or sunlight filtering through tree branches on a leaf covered forest floor. It, too, will probably become a hat (or a scarf).

AUGUST YARN DYEING CHALLENGE: RESISTS, pt 1

This month's Ravelry What a Kool Way to Dye group challenge was to deliberately keep some parts of the yarn free from dye. The first version I did was using a sleeve from a thrift-shop sweater--white 50% wool, 50% acrylic.

I tied bulls-eyes with rubber bands, like in tie-dyeing, and did the first dyeing with Kool Aid Peach Mango.

I added more rubber bamd ties and took a few away and dyed again with Lemon Lime Kool Aid. Last I added more ties and took a few away again and redyed with Mixed Berries KA.

Unraveled and wound, the yarn is more pastel looking because of the white left because it was already knit. It will probably become a hat.

CROSS STITCH EYEGLASSES CASE

I got this kit at a sale and it's just been sitting around. I was kind of burned out from all the knitting and crocheting I've been doing and wanted to do some counted cross stitch to give my hands a rest--and I need another glasses case. this was a good do-some-every-day type of project and there was no deadline. I used three strands instead of two and like the way it looks very much. Now I want to add a lining and it'll be good to go.

RAVELLENIC GAMES 2012

The Ravellenic Games start today at 3 p.m. CDT. I'm on 2 teams: Team Tardis and Team Crochet. We'll see how many projects I can get finished by the final day of the 2012 London Olympic Games. This is my Ravatar for the games--so far.

EVENING CRAFTERS JANUARY FEBRUARY 2012 PROJECT

Finally got the applique pieces sewn on. Really cute.



Pattern from Crochet Today!, 2011, called "Spring Awakening".

SNOW DAY YARN DYEING

Friday was a very snowy day--2-4 (or 6) inches of snow. Neither Rudy nor I had to go anywhere, so we just sat around and did our own thing. [In fact, I never got dressed at all, just stayed warm in my fuzzy jammies and robe.] I mostly knit and crocheted all day, but I also dyed a skein of yarn (I Love This Wool "Cream") using some of the techniques from the Dyepot Confidential video--though I used Kool Aid and Wiltons food coloring gels. After soaking the skeined yarn and then squeezing out the water , I twisted the skein loosely and microwaved it using Wilton's Lemon Yellow and Golden Yellow. After it cooled enough that I could handle it with bare hands ( c. 1 hour), I retwisted the skein and microwaved it using 2 packages of cherry Kool Aid. After this round cooled enough, I made two overhand knots in the untwisted skein, and microwaved it a third time with 2 packages of Berry Blue Kool Aid. Here's how it looked then.
I did a 4th round using Wilton's Sky Blue and only one knot. Here's how the skein turned out (I think it's gorgeous!).
Here's how it looks wound into a ball.

I also managed to make bread (using my bread machine) as well. A productive day.

SCARVES FOR CHRISTMAS

A co-worker made scarves from the Lion Brand Tweed Stripes and the pattern on the label for all the women in her department and for friends. They were so beautiful, I wanted to make some for presents, too. I ended up making 9.

Rainforest


Mixed Berries


Orchid:


Marble


Caribbean


Limeade


Lakeside


Prism


Woodland

MMARIO MYSTERY SHAWL FFOUR

Designer MMario has started the new mystery shawl KAL in the Mystery Yahoo Group. There are several options using the same basic pattern--a triangle, a square, a circular pinwheel, and a "mock" Faroese (triangle with center panel). I started the mock Faroese on November 14, never having done one before, with the sock weight yarn unraveled from a thrift store wool sweater. I made some errors and couldn't see them, so I started a second one with worsted weight yarn--I Love this Wool "Olive Green" dyed a darker green with Red, White, and Blue Kool Aid--so I could follow the pattern better. I also thought a pinwheel would be cool, so I started a third shawl using some fuchsia recycled sweater wool that is more a lace weight (and fuzzy-ish). I will not finish very quickly.

I finished Clue 1 today on all three--I do each charted row and return row for each version at the same time; it is then easier to remember the directions.
Worsted weight Faroese version

Blue Green Faroese version

Fuschia Pinwheel version

Closeup of Pinwheel


Only 4 more clues to go.