Craftylilly

School's out for summer!

PQL had her last day last week, but RR gets out today.  The first graders are going to have Olympics this morning, and then pizza at school.  A classmate has then invited everyone over for a swim party.  There's only one bummer on the day, it's a cloudy and cool day.  I don't think that's going to keep the kids out of the pool though. 

Although I've been caught up in the end of school goings ons, I have been crafting quite a lot.  I'm completed three washcloths, and am working on a fourth.  I've also sewn a simple skirt.  I'm having so much fun with my sewing machine, I plan on trying my hand at a few more skirts and another summer top or two.  The skirt I just completed I just winged, but I just picked up a book called Sew What Skirts that goes over how to draft differnt skirt shapes.  I'm especially interested in drafting an A-line skirt.

 I also completed my February Lady Sweater.  It's been cool lately, so I can still wear a sweater, but I think this little pink number will be spending time in storage until next fall.  I really love this sweater though!  It's so soft due to the yumminess of the malabrigo, and the shape is very flattering.  Here are the specs.

Pattern:  February Lady by Pamela Wynne

Yarn:  Malabrigo in Geranio.  When I first got this colorway, it was a bit of a stretch for me.  In the skein it's a very bright, vibrant pink.  After knitting it up, the color becomes a very rich purpley/pink and is just lovely.

Needles:  Size 8 Addi interchangeables

Thoughts:  This is a simple and cute pattern.  It went pretty quickly aside from being distracted by other crafting pursuits while knitting it.  The lace pattern is easy to memorize, and I like the style of having just a few buttons at the top.  I'll get a lot of wear out of it next fall/winter.

I hope to be around the blog and the blogiverse much more this summer.  I've got lots of crafting planned, and kid crafting in the works.  The kids are working on Pom-Pom creatures, friendship bracelets, decoupage boxes, and we may tie-dye some shirts.  I've got weaving, spinning, sewing, knitting, and I'm going to try my hand at some bead crochet as well.  Too bad summer is only 3 months long, eh?

I'm more active on Twitter (craftylilly), and on Facebook.  I also am having a huge on Ravelry.  I've got a bunch more to put up by the weekend, sweater quantities and several skeins of Kureyon, so if you are interested check that out too. 

On your marks, get set, Summer on!

Yes indeed, summer is certainly almost here.  The kids and I are already thinking of all the things we'd like to do this summer.  For the kids the list goes as follows:  swim, play, swim, swim, swim, play some more, swim.  For me the list goes like this:  knit, spin, weave, sew, read.  Good thing I can do many if not all of these things poolside, no?

I got started early with the sewing by make the Spring Ruffle Top my Made by Rae.  I'm a sewing newbie, and made a few mistakes along the way, but I'm pleased overall with the finished top.  I elected not to put ruffles on  the straps.  I've got a good set of shoulder, and don't need to be calling attention to them.  I also did sew in the arm divots (what a clever thing), and did not do the waist shaping.  I see this as more of a flowy shirt, and didn't need the shaping.  This summer I want to play around with my sewing machine and make some other things.  I'd like to make a skirt, another top or two, and maybe a bag.  I'm definitely less intimidated about sewing more complicated items after working on this one.  What a great tutorial!  As you can see my fabric is of owls who are clearly experiencing a winter climate.  This ironic use of fabric for a spring/summer top does not concern me, however.  After all, the owls are wearing knitwear. 

Thanks to all who sent RR and the rest of us support last week.  The Ranger is doing well after his eye surgery.  His eyes are still tender, and have started to itch as they heal, but he's in good spirits, and is looking forward to returning to school tomorrow.  The relief is overwhelming.

Blankie making

There's nothing like comfort knitting when one's life is super busy.  I recently finished a super easy mistake rib baby blanket for my soon to be born goddaughter.  I held two strands of Red Heart Designer Sport together to make a marl effect.  I decided to go with the nontraditional baby colors of teal and chocolate brown.  The colors go quite well together, I think.  This acrylic yarn is actually quite soft and easy to work with.  It didn't feel squeaky at all, and it's machine washable, a must for a baby knit.  This blanket is more of a blankie size, to be used in the stroller and car seat.  I hope my friend likes it!

I also completed my crafting T-shirt quilt.  I'm quite pleased with the results.  The T-shirts are ironed onto fusible interfacing, the borders are quilting cotton in a solid purple, and I decided to go with fleece to back the quilt.  I found super cute print with cats and yarn balls.  The theme went perfectly with the theme of the quilt.  I also decided to tie the quilt top and backing with buttons instead of yarn ties.  I think the small purple buttons I got pulls the quilt top together quite nicely.  It's not a perfect first quilt.  There are a lot of  mistakes, but it's comfy and has charm.  I'm not sure I'll be quilting again any time soon, but I'm glad I gave these T-shirts a new life.

Happy New year and some random rambling

Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes.  They appear to be helping as PQL's pain is a little less every day.  Kids are so resilient.  I think if I had surgery on both of my eyes, that I'd be huddled under the covers.  Not PQL!  Of course she hates having the antibiotic eye drops put in.  We have to do it 4 times a day, and she hates it.  Last night when told it had to be done again, she put her hand up to her chest and said, "No!  I just can't take it anymore!" 

Needless to say, I didn't get a ton of crafting in.  I did have a chance to hem some pants for RM.  While the sewing machine was out, I whipped up a couple of pirate drawstring bags for the kids.  My kids love the little drawstring bags.  I guess they take after me.  You can never have too many bags. 

I've also almost completed Ms. Purplejeans.  I just have the buttonband to knit, and button to sew on.  I rifled through my button stash, and realized I don't have anything appropriate, so I think the kids and I are off to our local fabric store to get a button today. 

With all the medical hubbub, I didn't get a chance to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year.  Welcome to the year of the Rat!  May it be a prosperous, healthy, and peaceful year for everyone.  We didn't get to celebrate the New Year with my extended family, so we enjoyed some Chinese food together on Saturday night.  RM and I gave some lucky money to the kids, and I tried to get some of my crafting things organized.  I wasn't as together as I usually am about the new year.  I hope that doesn't forecast what this year will be about!  So Gung Hay Fat Choy everyone, a few days late. 

Bead Time Boogie

Spring time has arrived and so has beading fever.  I got this idea to create pendents out of seed beads, using a circular netting stitch.  I also started playing around with Project Spectrum colors.  Pretty, no?  I'm enjoying putting these together.  I think they will look nice strung on satin cording.  I also want to create some bracelets that look like this, using Project Spectrum as inspiration.

I'm planning on reopening my etsy store at the end of the month and stocking it with these pendants, bracelets, and sock knitting bags I've been creating using my sewing machine.  I'm having a lot of fun with these beading and sewing projects, but it is putting a dent in my knitting time.  Good thing I've decided to make April, small knitting project month!

Yes, I do still read on occasion

As some of you know (Carrie K, Stephanie, Teabird), I love to read.  I've always been a reader.  My parents remember the difficulty they had keeping up with my reading habit when I was a child.  I loved the library, and had a voracious appetite for the written word.  I still do.  Just ask RM about the breadth and depth of the "to read" books in our bookcase.  Life with two children under the age of 5, and a serious crafting addiction cut into the reading time.  However, I've been a part of a book club for about 7 years.  Almost all of my local friends are in this book group, and I really need a girl's night, so I made a real effort to read this month's selection, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. 

Let me just say, I will never look at fast food the same way again, or eat a hamburger, or go to McDonald's.  A similar thing happened to me after I read the novel, My Year of Meats.  I didn't eat any red meat for over a year after that one.  In the spirit of the book (tongue and cheek spirit), I made a tote bag to bring to my book group on Thursday.  I'm expecting it to generate a few laughs.

I also finished knitting up the first RPM sock.  I love this pattern and I love the mediumweight STR.  I've cast on for my second Dublin Bay for my Bloomin' pal.  I hope to have those done by early next week, and I don't think I'll be able to stay away from my RPM's that long.  What an addictive and quick pattern!

Family requests

As my crafting pursuits have grown, so have the family requests.  The requests have increased quite a bit with my growing interest in my sewing machine.  I have a gallon sized ziploc baggie full of cut fabric for two pillowcases, an Ipod case, and four drawstring bags, everything for my immediate loved ones.  I'm not complaining.  It's nice to be wanted.  I'm quickly coming to the realization though that splitting my time between four crafts is slowing each one down considerably.  On the upside, I'm guaranteed not to have aching hands.  When the hands get tired knitting, I can sew up a bag, or string a necklace, or start spinning.  It's nice to keep one's options open.

With all the extraknitular crafting, I have finished my Blooming Sock Pal's first sock.  I really like knitting with Lorna's Laces, and think the first sock looks good!  This picture doesn't really give the Bittersweet colorway justice.  It's a beautiful colorway.  It's a good thing I finished the sock up, as I've developed an addiction to knitting my RPM's.  I can feel a STR mania coming on too.  What lovely stuff to knit with!

How to put a smile on Children Craftylilly

Thank you everyone for such complimentary comments on my Matrix sweater.  I love it and am sure I'll wear it a lot.  Even more importantly, I've gained a lot more confidence designing sweaters for myself and my family and take control of my knitting.

I have been doing more than knitting and spinning lately.  Unfortunately my beading tools have still been dormant, although spring and summer are usually when I get the beading bug.  I have done a bit of sewing lately, however.  Whenever I knit while my children are playing, they will come sit next to me and ask if whatever I'm working on is for them.  My kids are often recipients of the handknits, and they do love them, but I haven't worked on a project for them since Christmas.  I have bought some fabric with them in mind. 

First, let me say, I am not an accomplished seamstress like some of you.  I do enjoy playing around with my sewing machine.  I've never made anything that needs to fit a human body, but I can make a blanket.  So, I was organizing the little bit of fabric that I have and I came across two yards of flannel in kid prints, and two yards of cotton fabric in kid prints.  So after washing the fabric, and two hours of work, I ended up with two kid lap blankets.  SWB is in crazy love with his, and PQL has been carrying hers around the house since receiving it.  I enjoyed my sewing machine time so much, I washed a bit more fabric to make a couple of drawstring sock bags, and RM is requesting a pillowcase. 

It appears that the list of crafty projects keeps getting longer.  It's a good thing.

All hail the might "T" Tote!

So remember a couple of weeks ago when I showed off my "no sew" altered/recycled T-shirt?  Well, I whipped out my sewing machine to try repurposing two more T-shirts using a pattern in the same book, Generation T.  I used one of RM's old T-shirts.  I picked one with a front pocket, that I saved to create an interior pocket in the tote.  I then chose a T-shirt that's been hanging in my closet since the birth of PQL.  RM bought me a T-shirt commemorating the dedication of the WWII memorial in Washington D.C.  A friend of ours was getting married that Memorial weekend in D.C. a few years ago, the same weekend the memorial was dedicated.  RM got to see President Bill Clinton as he rushed to the dedication.  RM says he's taller than you'd think.  Ok, back to the point.  So RM comes back with this great T-shirt in Extra Large, as I was 6 months pregnant at the time.  I wore it throughout the rest of my pregnancy.  Since having PQL, I haven't been able to wear it because it's too big, but I haven't wanted to part with it.  Repurposing it into this tote was the perfect idea! 

Now, the pattern as written had me hand stitch the handles onto the tote.  If I was to do this again (and apparently I am as RM was so impressed, he mentioned that he has several old Raider's T-shirts that are begging to be totes) I wouldn't do this.  First off, my hand stitching leaves a lot to be desired.  Don't look too close, ok?  Second, It would have been much easier to machine sew the handles onto the sides before sewing the body pieces together. 

It's a great tote though!  I'm currently storing my spinning project in it. 

P.S.  My ongoing crafting group blog, FiberFlix is gaining lots of members.  I'm very excited!  We are collecting nominations for our first film, which will be a film noir.  Sound interesting?  Email me at craftylilly AT hotmail DOT com to join.