Getting Crafty

I’m still trying to get my hands on some knitting needles and what I’ve discovered is the cost of a tiny bit of metal or bamboo is really far more than I expected. Thrifty crafter that I am, I’m seeing cheap circular needles and double pointed needles. There’s a store I need to check this week. If I’m out of luck there, I’ll have to cave in and pay through my nose for needles that I may only use once.

The wool prices are also making me catch my breath a little.

Creating has been hellish: I can’t seem to do anything that doesn’t turn out looking awful.

I continue to struggle with the magnets—have I suddenly become anal-retentive, agonizing over every excess dot of glue, or am I just not able to make them like I used to? I am still having trouble putting the right amount of silicone sealer to the marbles: too much and it globs all over and looks juvenile; too little and you can see it under the marble. It’s enough to make me scream, especially since this is that prize that is so overdue that I have to send an apology card and throw in an extra gift too I think.

A friend of mine, knowing my love all things crafty, sent me a picture from Cosmo magazine of a knit slouchy beret that she is in love with. It’s the “it thing” right now, as you can see from this clipping, which shows a number of young popular stars wearing the very cute berets in a number of ways. This is not our grandmother’s beret, that’s for sure:

(Image courtesy of Accessories Studio)

I would love to make one for her, because this friend has been nothing but kind for me, but the pattern I found (a very popular knit pattern that’s going around right now is Wendy Bernard’s Le Slouch) uses double pointed knitting needles and Jummy has never had the pleasure of fumbling about with dpns (as the cool kids call them). I’m sure I can direct my questions to Barbara over at Knitting Passion and I may have to, but in the meantime I better get some dpns!

I’m surprised by how fast time is flying. Wasn’t it Monday just a minute ago? Well now it is Thursday and I have been busy, although not so much on the crafting front.

The dishcloth is coming along nicely though:

It is such a quick knit and I recommend making up dishcloths if you’re looking for a quick and easy craft. If you like a bit more of a challenge with your knitting, and you have a bit of time to knit before Halloween, why not knit up a skully dishcloth for yourself? Barbara over at Knitting Passion was giving two of these away and really I shouldn’t mention it since the contest is over. I recommend you keep check back on her site often though: she makes some lovely things, and you never know when the next giveaway might be.

I went to Michaels yesterday evening because I am in dire need of some chunky yarn. Unfortunately, the yarn I was hankering for (hehe) was sold out at that particular location, so I’ll be running around tomorrow hoping that the other location has managed to save a few skeins for me.

I decided that my brother probably wouldn’t appreciate a homemade card, and to be honest, most of my crafting supplies are rather feminine in nature, so I went and bought his birthday card today! I ended up going with cards (I always buy at least two cards) that aren’t particularly impressive with respect to the art on them (they’re very plain, actually) but the wording was very appropriate. Which leads me to a question: one thing about handmade cards that keeps them from being 100% professional is the writing on them (unless you’re blessed with the ability to produce fonts by hand. If you’re in the habit of making your own cards, how do you handle the writing on the card (on the front and on the inside)? Do you use rub-ons? Try to write in your most legible handwriting? Type something up in a nice font then paste it in the card?

Inquiring Jummys want to know!

My knitting date last week was canceled, and I had been counting on it to get me back into a knitting sort of mood. (If you recall, it took me nearly a year to finish what was a very straightforward black scarf, so inspiration is something I could always use).

Last year I had hoped to be able to knit some gifts for friends and family, but I just couldn’t get into it. This time of year always seems like the perfect time to start knitting, even though I know that my schedule and the way I work does not leave me enough time to attempt (and complete!) any grand projects such as a vest or sweater (especially since I have never knit anything more complicated than a hat!). Instead I will stick to stocking stuffer/small gift ideas to knit up.

First on my list is dishcloths. When I was younger, a neighbour knit a set of them for us and they were great! I knew she had knit them but the way they looked led me to believe that they were a complicated thing to create. How wrong I was! About a year ago, I came across this very simple pattern involving increases and decreases, and starting with only four stitches on the needle. The pattern appealed to me because it is exactly what I see in my head when I think of homemade dishcloths.

I’ve only just started (and I don’t have any completed ones to share) so this is how it looks so far:

This will be the perfect stocking stuffer for friends that recently bought a house (the colour even matches their kitchen!). I’m using yarn that I got at Wal*Mart. It’s 100% cotton, just like the dishcloths you buy in the store.

There is one quick stocking stuffer idea; I’m seeking others! Please leave any ideas for quick things to knit below in the comments. I’ll also have a look around online and provide with a list of quick and fast crafts that you can squeeze in before December 25!

Later today I will be having an impromptu knitting session with two of my coworkers. The older coworker has been knitting for over 25 years but the younger coworker is a year younger than I am, yet so much more accomplished. She got married earlier this year, is fit (due to daily runs at lunchtime, and regular visits to the gym), very stylish (she is how I know what is “in” nowadays), extremely intelligent and certainly the best knitter I know around my age, and has even created her own pattern. She made the cutest little booties for a gift basket we prepared for another coworker whose wife had had a baby, and there was genuine admiration that someone could create something so delicate and precious.

She is a blogger too, and on her blog she often showcases beautiful pieces that she’s working on for her family and friends.

Then we have me, whose knitting “expertise” extends to scarves and not much else. I don’t even knit efficiently, as I can never get the needles and yarn to fly through my fingers as fast as others seem to. Needless to say, I am intimidated at the thought of meeting with these ladies and I expressed my trepidation to the younger knitter in an email, saying I would come to the meeting, but just to ooh and aah over their projects.

Her response was to encourage me to bring some yarn and needles, and she expressed an overwhelming desire to share her knowledge and technique with me! I don’t know why it always surprises me that people out there willing to help, but it does. I spend all this time envying those who seem to be able to do things better than I can, often glossing over the fact that it might have taken them some time to master the technique. I figure they are too busy or easily frustrated to teach someone who might not get it at the first try, especially when they are the level of creating patterns. So, I try to learn and master things on my own and when I fail I am so reluctant to reach out a hand for help that I instead settle into the role of cheerleader of other people’s successes.

Thank goodness that some people just see the uncertainty in your eyes, or read the insecurity in your email, and offer to help.

Image courtesy of Missa H

Vanna White crochets…who knew?

Well, Michaels did and now they’re carrying Vanna’s Choice yarn, made by Lion Brand (Trivia: Vanna has been their spokesperson for 13 years!). With over 20 colours to choose from so far (I have my eyes on a baby pink), there are lots of colour combinations to choose from!

Yarn snobs, avert your eyes: although the VC is a premium yarn, it’s a worsted weight acrylic yarn, which is perfect for making those hats, mitts and scarves for your most rough and tumble customers, but not so ideal for some of the more delicate knits.

See all the available colours here!

Vanna White, knit, crochet

Thanks for your patience with this blog. I’m still working on a plan for the blog and hope that things will be more organized as time goes on. Needless to say, your visits and comments are greatly appreciated.

Good news: the scarf (mentioned here and here) is complete:

I took pictures of it around my neck but those didn’t turn out too nicely. I hope the completion of this scarf doesn’t an early appearance of winter!

unfinished projects, knit, scarf, knitting, finished projects

A couple of months ago, I showed off some of my unfinished projects here.

Unfortunately, both are still unfinished. I have made an enormous amount of progress with the scarf though:

Goal: to be finished by the end of the month. My next knitting pattern will not involve a 1×1 rib (knit one stitch, purl one stitch) because it takes entirely too long to complete. I’m sure when the cold winter arrives I’ll be glad that it’s such a thick scarf though!

Christmas is coming and I plan to make at least some of my gifts this year. To that end, I have been checking out books that focus on holiday gifts and I happened upon Holiday Knits by Sara Lucas and Allison Issacs:

Everything in the book looks so pretty: the book has clear instructions to follow, beautiful pictures, and patterns for everything from ornaments to the ubiqutous hat and scarf set are in this book.

Here are a few images that caught my eye:

soft-as-a-cloud baby booties: All I need to do is find a baby to knit these for.

old-fashioned christmas stocking: I would love to make a set of these stockings for a couple of families I know.

winter placemats: My family doesn’t use placemats regularly but I bet if we had pretty ones like this one, we would!

If you’d like to see more patterns for pretty projects that range from short term to long term in nature, get yourself a copy of Holiday Knits!

knit gifts, holiday gifts, holiday crafts, knitting, Sara Lucas, Allison Isaacs, Holiday Knits

Last entry’s talk of unfinished projects made me feel sufficiently guilty enough to share two of my unfinished projects.

My most recent unfinished project dates back to last November or December. I was feeling fairly proficient in my knitting so I decided that I would knit scarves for some people as their Christmas gift. Thank goodness nobody was depending on me to prevent them from catching hypothermia or I’d be in trouble!

The pattern for the 1 x 1 rib scarf came from last year’s special issue of the Martha Stewart magazine, the holiday Handmade Gifts edition. I recommend you get your hands on this magazine if you’re thinking of making your own gifts this coming holiday season. You may want to start now if you tend to procrastinate!

My second unfinished project is a scrapbook.

I started this in the spring of 2006 and I’m still labouring away. My hope is that this scrapbook (my first!) will not see another spring in my hands (it’s a gift).

Your turn: what unfinished projects do you vow to finish?

unfinished projects, knit, scrapbook, scarf, Martha Stewart, knitting, Christmas craft, holiday craft