Day 17: Ninja love

 A cute fast pattern 

for a busy day.

It looks like everyone

is getting into Olympic fever.

Day 16: my first stamp

Oh I can see how making

these stamps can get addicting.

Yes there are a ton of mistakes

in this but I'm still really happy

with my little owl.

(Tell me you can tell 

that it is an owl).

Today I was so busy, 

actually this whole week will

be busy so I may have to

try my hand at carving again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carving tools $14.00

So far this week $21.38

Day 15: money pouch

We will be going to Italy in

May so I made this pouch to hold

all the coins that we'll need...

for tips, for parking, for gelato.

Free pattern here 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No new supplies.
This month $7.38

Day 14: part crochet/part fabric bag

The whole time I was finishing this up

my sweet cat Oreo was on the floor 

crying for attention. 

I turned to get my camera from 

the shelf behind me and 

this is what I found when I turned back.

Underneath her is this bag. 

I tried a couple of different 
drawstrings but couldn't find one
that I liked so I'll find something
the next time I go to the fabric store.
Here is a wip where only

the bottom is finished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No new supplies.

So far this month $7.38

Day 13: Mermaid

This is my first embroidery.
 Yesterday was a merfish and

today is a Mermaid.
The stitching is complete, 

I just need to remove the clear

transfer sheet that has the 

pattern marked on it

(you might see some of the blue

marker that should dissolve

in water).

 The free pattern is here

and while you are there check

out the rest of this talented artist's work.

I'm so glad that I finally got 

around to making this.

This challenge was the kick 

that I needed...I'm hoping

to tackle a second embroidery

project this month (fingers crossed).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For this project I bought transfer

sheets and floss for $6.00

Total this month...$7.38

Day 12: merfish

Here is my first modest attempt 

at making a merfish.

This pattern comes from one

of my favourite blogs

resurrection fern.

Her blog is very unique and inspirational! 

But actually the first time I saw 

this pattern was on flickr

when I saw the work of AnniePurls.
As you can see I have a long way to go. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zero $ were used to buy supplies
so total this month $1.38 cents

Day 11: a surprise for me

 A while back I found this 

pattern that was in Japanese;

 it didn't include a picture of the actual 
project and only included charts.

So when I started it I had no

idea what I was making,

it was, in a way, an act of faith.

What I could tell was that it didn't involve

very many rows or stitches

so I knew it was probably

doable in a day.

This is what I made.

When I finished the individual

pieces and  realized what they were,

 I recrocheted the underbellies

of the mushroom caps in a 

lighter blue.

I like how the other colours

worked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today I unravelled some of my 69 cent
scarf to use for this project.
Total this month...$1.38

Day 10: teacosy made from thrifted hat

When I found this hat yesterday 

at the thrift store I didn't know

what I would do with it

but it was such pretty colours 

that I couldn't resist.

Both the scarf and the hat

were each 69 cents.

Normally I would just wear the

hat but it was a toddler 

size so that was out.

Then I realized that it

would make a perfect teacosy.

First I tried to sew a band of

stitches on either side of 

where I would cut

(this technique has always

worked in the past).

 

But it was so thick it wouldn't

go under the pressure foot so 

I sewed the rows by hand.

The second I started to cut I

knew I was in trouble because

all the stitches started to unravel.

So I put tape on the back to 

temporarily stop more unraveling and

resewed the edges with yarn that

I had unraveled from the flaps.

Then I single crocheted over the edges

to clean up the mess.

I had been thinking of cutting

a hole for the spout but because the

side and top were made in one piece

I knew that I might ruin it.

I have to say that I'm very

chuffed at my new teacosy and

I'm going to be on the lookout

for other suitable hats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cost 69 cents.
So far this month 69 cents

Day 9: I wear my heart on my sleeve

 
Okay, so I wear it on my wrinkled shirt.
I know this is a ridiculously simple
project but hey... it's still cute.

But the cool thing about this project 

is all the endless possibilities 
and this would be great for
both adults and kids. 

Can you imagine making little animals 
(maybe climbing monkeys like in the 
barrel of monkey game),
characters from books,
letters to spell words,
holidays (ghosts, black cats, xmas trees, 
bunnies), flowers, pets,
the list goes on and on.
I think I'll make a batch
of book related ones for my nieces.
They would love Max (wild things), 
hungry caterpillar, Charlotte,

Should I even bother with instructions?
Cut hearts from felt 
(I made mine in in different
sizes with the larger at top.
Cut a slit in centre and then pop
it on after you have buttoned up.
Time-- 2 minutes 
 I found this idea in a Martha booklet 
in thrift store.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No new supplies so zero $ so far.

Day 8: poppy coaster

The front coaster is finished.

The black stamens are embroidered 

 using thread and, although you

can't tell, each petal is separated 

by a  ridge of backstitch 

using the red yarn.

Finally the flower is backed with felt 

held in place with a blanket stitch.

The great pattern here is by 

Stephanie Garcia

 I enjoyed making this one so

much I decided to start two more

to be finished another day. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything used for today
was stash so zero $ on
new supplies so far this month.

Day 7: Korknisser

These two guys look a lot better 

than this picture reflects. 

The one on the left is made 
with Noro Kureyon,
 it has beautiful shades of green.

After I took this picture I realized

that I hadn't given them eyes

so I'll replace this picture soon.

The original pattern for these Korknisser

is for knitting but I made

a crocheted version.

Day 6: Do you think this will get taken too?

A while ago I discovered that

my front corner post was missing.

A week later I went out to discover

that someone had popped a broken

dog toy over it.

I left that toy on it quite a 

while and then it hit me that

it would make a nice base

to attach a crochet project.

Today I made this.

Here is the top view.

 

Day 5: Flowers for her hair

I knew I was going to 

be busy today so I picked a cute 

but fast project.

Here is the free pattern

for the flower part. 

Simply add a button on front

and a piece of felt on the back

and sew (or glue) it onto a 

bobby pin.
~~~~~~~~~~~
$0 spent so far this month

Day 4: framing up vintage children illustration

Sorry for the poor lighting (again)
but I wanted to show it in my room.

I have a couple of rooms in my house

that are bare of any artwork.

So today I'm framing a page from a 

vintage children's book

that will go in my bedroom.

I chose an old Italian book 

called Cappuccetto Rosso.

Isn't the illustration delightful!

Il Lupo, con un balzo divoro

Cappuccetto Rosso.

The wolf, with a leap, devoured

Red Riding Hood.

 As you can see the picture

covered two pages so  I scanned
it into Paint and blended

the colours over the centre fold.

The plastic frame was simply given a 
lick of light grey paint.

I'm totally happy with the 

result and I'm looking forward

to finishing more of these.

-----------------------------

Todays's supplies were all from 

my stash :o)

Day 3: A spring bird

I've been wanting to make this

for a while ever since I saw this

great tutorial by Attic24.

Today is overcast so
this pic isn't quite as cheerful
as in real life.
I had these tube shaped beads
which turned out to be 
perfect for it's eyes.
I'll eventually make four birds,
one for each season.
This one is spring.

----------------------

New supplies for this project $0

Cost so far $0

Day 2: small notebook cover

A while back I sewed some covers

for a few notebooks to send in a swap.

I had an extra notebook for 
myself so I sewed up a cover
using some leftover muslin,
stamped it, and added a couple
of crocheted embellishments.

I think if this wasn't a day
project I would have spent
a little more time on it
but for now I will pop it
into my purse.

Also my sewing machine
is acting up and I
may have to take it in.

----------------------------

This project used all stashed items
so total spent so far $0

Day 1: Ugly Bunny Pincushion

Actually I think he's quite cute.

Free pattern here

Pattern was really easy to

make... I'll put him to work as a

pincushion just for needles.

Supplies that I needed to buy- $0

February: A month of small projects

I want to see if I can post a finished project 
every day for the month of February. 

Unlike this lacemaker I will be 
making quick projects.
 I know my limitations...

Also I'm hoping to avoid buying
any supplies but if I do I'll track them.
I have a little more than 
a dozen projects bookmarked 
(a mix of sewing, crochet and embroidery)
so if anyone wants to toss some simple
ideas my way, that would be great.
Wish me luck!

The above image is a painting done
by the great painter Vermeer
called The Lacemaker.

Green and red favourites

Green and red favourites
Originally uploaded by Torirot

Daphne's moment of transformation

Isn't this tree beautiful.

It is especially gorgeous in

spring when the leaves are out.

I pass it on my walks through

my neighbourhood and I always 

stop and marvel at it's beauty.

To me this is Daphne, 

the beautiful river nymph in 

Greek mythology who was chased by the powerful 

and often ruthless god Apollo.

She realized that she could not escape from

him so she pleaded with her father to protect her.

He changed her into a laurel tree

 and wept knowing that 

he had lost his daughter forever.

There are many beautiful interpretations

of this moment in art. 

Apollo and Daphne by Bernini

I hesitate even posting a

picture of this statue since 

it doesn't do it justice.

If you could see it in person

you could appreciate how each

 delicate leaf that sprouts from

her fingers has been carved in marble.

 Daphne's face reflects her

sorrow as she realizes her fate.

Beauty and sorrow together.

Apollo and Daphne by

John William Waterhouse

I've not always been a fan 

of Waterhouse but he has started 

to grow on me lately.

 His subjects are often scenes from mythology 

so it is always interesting to see how he

interprets classic stories

through his romantic style.

Yarn tagging around the city

Do you know how hard it is to

find a telephone booth anymore!

I would've rather put it in

an enclosed booth but I 

couldn't find one nearby.

That meant I had to attach this one

right near a busy train station

and parking lot.

That also meant I got an 

awful lot of strange looks 

as I tried to sew it on

without drawing too much attention.

I ended up putting the phone

to my ear to make me look

a little less conspicuous.

I'd make a terrible spy.

A small crocheted dog

I'm still alive even though I haven't posted

anything for ages.

I've been busy with other things

and I really miss my creative time.

 I don't have much to show for my time

away, just this simple dog.

 It's funny how unfinished it feels to me.

Probably because I didn't alter

the pattern as I made it.

That's unusual for me.

Another crocheted Max from the Wild Things

What is really cool about Max is that
he makes a great gift for both
a 25 year old male (my son) and 
a one year old girl (my niece).

Again this is from this great pattern.

by Allison Hoffman from

 Crafty is Cool (etsy).

I loved making him,

so easy, and so well designed.

I can see myself making this pattern again.

Related link: A Tale of Two Maxes

Hobbes.... waiting to come alive

You can now find my free pattern here.

I've been waiting for a nice sunny day

to take a picture of my finished Hobbes

and today was the day.

How do you like him?

I decided to make the Hobbes that
the world sees, not the one Calvin sees.

I wanted to remain as true to the original

drawing as I possibly could.

I'm pretty sure by son will 
be happy with his Hobbes.

A Tale of Two Max's

I made the bag on the left to hold

the crocheted presents that I made

for my darling new sweet niece.

You could also use it as a Xmas stocking.

I really love how it came out despite the fact

that my sewing machine had major problems

and that I could only find the acrylic felt

and not the nice wool felt.

This great free pattern comes from

the totally cool blog Meet Me at Mikes.

Click here for free pattern

I crocheted the little Max figure from

this wonderful pattern that I bought on Ralvery.

I found him easy to make and

only changed his nose.

His crown comes off and his

hood comes down, how cute is that!

I'm part way finished making a second

one for my son.

Related link: Another crocheted Max

The beginning of Hobbes

Hobbes
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

Since we are now in November I thought
it was high time that I get started
on my son's Xmas present.

We interrupt this program for a short announcement

knitted breast
Originally uploaded by acechick

As you probably already know
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
This year it was a little more personal to me
as my annual ultrasound showed a
small lump...
thankfully my results turned
out to be negative.

So a small reminder.
Take the time to perform
breast self-examinations.
Check with your doctor whether
you should be getting a
mammogram and/or ultrasound.

Tasty Crochet

Tasty Crochet
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

I've been working on a batch of crocheted
food for my 2 nieces.
These are some of the snacks I've made so far.
The patterns are easy to make and
are from the great book called
Tasty Crochet by Rose Langlitz.

How I came to love tea and their cosies

You can never have enough cosies
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

I was first introduced to tea time
and all it's grand traditions
through the English side of my family.
Every summer our family and
my aunt's family would visit my
Great Aunt for two weeks at her
place by the beach.
Twice a day we were summoned
to tea time by the ringing
of an outside bell.

The grownups including my grandmother
would carry the trays of teapots,
teacups and slices of cake.
We children would carry the
trays of cheese and crackers
and pop since we weren't
old enough for tea.

During the rest of the year
we often didn't get to see our relatives
because we were scattered across the country
so these times were very special to us.

The teapots at these gatherings were
covered in knitted, well worn cosies.
They looked like hats that
our mothers
had popped on them,
and unlike us, they accepted
their adornments without struggling.

Years later I visited England,
and saw all the beautiful cosies there...
it brought me back to those wonderful days.
I bought my first teacosy (made of cloth)
and since then have made a point
to indulge in teatime at least once a day.

Related post: My first knitted cosy

Great Malabrigo Giveaway

Salihan Crafts is having another great giveaway!
This time it is for 2 skeins of lovely Malabrigo yarn,
how nice is that!
All you have to do is pick out which
Malabrigo yarn you'd like to win
and then leave a comment on her post
Yarn & Kisses Malabrigo Giveaway
Last day to enter is October 25.

And while you are there check out the
rest of Salihan crafts.
It is filled with lots of yarn, diy, recipes
and other goodies.

Have you seen a teacosy like this before?

DSC02291
Originally uploaded by sukigirl74

Isn't this a beautiful tea cosy!
I really wish that I could take credit
for making it .
I bought it at a small garage sale put on
by a group of lovely older Polish women.
I'd be curious to know how old
it is and if there is a pattern for it
floating out there somewhere.

It is crocheted with loops pulled through
and as you can see,
is made with the most glorious colours!
The flowers are simply made
from loops of yarn tied in the middle
and are laid on a bed of pale green yarn.

If you've seen one like this
I'd love to hear about it.

A Knitted Cosy fit for a teapot

Although this isn't a great picture I
thought I'd post my finished cosy.



I feel fairly happy about it,
I didn't drop any stitches,
it didn't end up half finished
stuck in a drawer somewhere
and it fits my teapot.
Not too shabby.

At first I did make it way too tall
so I managed to rip back a few rows
and make it shorter.

I used 4mm circs and one
skein of Noro Kureyon 163
and this lovely free
pattern by aemmeleia
.
I actually made this for my
sister for Xmas but it may
be too dark for her.
Also, the last time she visited
I asked her if she wanted tea and
she said "oh good god no!"

Today's Problem & Solution...knitting

My problem:
I want to try knitting
a teacosy and the pattern
calls for 5mm small circular needles.
I am a beginner knitter.. I don't have any.

Solution:
When I checked my free needles
(given to me by my sweet mum)
I only found some really large
circular needles in that size.

So I went to my favourite
knitting help site
(aptly named knittinghelp)
and found a video demonstrating
a technique which allows you to
do small diameter circular knitting
on larger diameter needles.
Magic Loop Knitting

A sad goodby

Comet

Today I said goodbye to the sweetest,
and gentlest dog that I have ever known
and it broke my heart.

Crochet Apple Cosies

No... these apples aren't wearing
sweaters to keep them warm.
These cosies actually have a practical
purpose...keeping them from getting bruised.

I'll be curious to see if they work ...
don't they look pretty!

Link to free apple cosy pattern.
Link to leaf pattern

A vintage style crochet bunny

For a long time I've had an image of a bunny
in my head that I've wanted to make .
It has floppy ears, arms and legs,
so that a little girl could easily grab it
and carry it around.

I came across a pattern very close to it,
this is the result.


It's not exactly the same as the bunny
in my head but he's pretty close.
When I completely finished him I
couldn't figure out why I wasn't happy with him.

That's when I realized the reason.
It was because my imaginary
bunny was a girl and although I
tried, there was no way this guy
wanted to be transformed into a girl.
He did, however, keep his wee granny
square scarf in pink and purple.

Maybe someday I'll make
a female version but for now
he'll do.
The pattern came from a book
called Vintage Crochet by Susan Cropper.
The errata, which includes
the entire pattern
is here.

Peter Rabbit embroidery

I was cleaning out the crawl space in

my laundry room today and found this.

In 1977 ( pre-children, pre-husband),
when I had loads of time,
I decided to try embroidery for the first time.
Being young, I decided to tackle a fairly large project
so I bought a this crib sized Peter Rabbit cover.

My stitches aren't too bad for a beginner
but I only managed to embroider this one panel
but I did finish all the words in the other panels
Then I quit.

Here is an overall picture of what
it could look like.

I still have all the embroidery thread
and the instructions so I'm going to
set this aside for a winter project.

I have no idea how far I'll get but
hope springs eternal.

Free knit and Crochet patterns

I'm the administrator for a great group
over on Flickr called
FREE KNIT AND CROCHET PATTERNS
where members
post their projects along with the
links to the free patterns.

It's a great resource.
Right now we have over 2500
of some of the coolest projects.
Some are perfect when you want
a little instant gratification.
Others take longer, but the results
are so beautiful that it is well worth it.

Check it out...grab some patterns,
and make something!

Comparing crocheted and knitted baby booties

I've never made the same project before
in both a knitted and crocheted version.
But these booties came in both
so it was interesting to compare them.

This isn't a totally fair comparison
because the knitted did get an unfair advantage by
getting the better yarn and the smaller size.
I''ll take that into consideration.

Crocheted version

Knitted version


Looks:
I think if they were both made with identical yarn
and identical sizes
then they would be EQUAL in cuteness.
The knitted version was made with
some lovely soft wool in a smaller size
while the crocheted one was a test run made
with acrylic in a larger size.

Seams:
The crocheted version gets big points for no seam
up the back. It looks better and is much faster to make.
I think this is the biggest difference between these two patterns.

Price:
The big advantage for the knitted version
is that
the knitted version was free while
the crochet version cost $5.95 (US)

Fit:
The knitted one stretched more because
of the stocking st.
This could be seen as a plus or minus depending
how closely the fit matches the baby's feet.
This was an advantage for me because it turns out that
the baby had bigger than average feet.
Not sure if there is a downside to this stretchiness.
So the winner?
Both have advantages and disadvantages so
it really comes down to personal choice.
For me, it's the crochet version because
I can't knit that well and I'm willing to pay
for the advantage of seamless.