Anybody out there crafting???

[lovn_my_boys]

Right now I am working on a baby blanket for a lady at church, she is due next month and I am only about 1/2 way done so I gotta get on the ball, then as soon as I get that taken care of I hope to use some of the fabric I already have on hand to start some christmas gifts for my kids.

Sooo whatcha working on???

[MissMandy]

Currently knitting:

Dishcloths (to donate a set to the silent auction at the NSA Annual Conference)
Cable scarf (to donate to the silent auction at the NSA Annual Conference)
Balaclava (for JeanBean)
Sock (to learn/for me)
Lacy scarf (for me )

Yep, I have ALL of these going at the same time.  Lots to choose from depending on my mood!

Fun thread!
Mandy

[lintonmom]

Last week I knitted red hearts with a white crocheted trim to give to my friends at book group.

I also knitted myself 3 hearts in different sizes that I connected with a white crocheted chain to hang on our door.  They were so fun to make!

I am finishing up a knitted bracelet made with sock yarn.  You just knit a long i-cord so it looks like 4 or 5 bangle type bracelets of different colors.  I'm trying to figure out how to finish it now.  Sew it together to just slip on.  Make a loop and sew on a button for a closure.  Haven't decided yet.

I'm always working on dishcloths.  They are just so fun to knit. 

I'm going to make my first ripple afghan soon to give to Andrew and his fiance for their new house.  The directions for a ripple pattern sound complicated, but I'm hoping once I get started it will make more sense to me!

~Ann~

[MissMandy]

I'm always working on dishcloths.  They are just so fun to knit. 

~Ann~

Me too!  Plus, I use a different one every day, and they get worn out after a while, so I like to have a few spares on hand.  This is the (CRAZY simple) pattern I've been using lately:  http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/grfavorite.html.

Mandy

[lovn_my_boys]

I found a book I want to get, its how to crochet socks that look like they've been knit instead of crochet. Whenever I work up the nerve to try it, I'll let you know how it goes, its been the only reason I've ever wanted to learn to knit, lol SOCKS!!!

Love all of your craft lists!!!

[Andrea G]

Mandy, that's the same pattern I like to use.  It's easy enough that I can knit while watching tv or talking to someone without losing my place.   I like to use variegated yarn to jazz it up a bit.

[lintonmom]

Me too!  Plus, I use a different one every day, and they get worn out after a while, so I like to have a few spares on hand.  This is the (CRAZY simple) pattern I've been using lately:  http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/grfavorite.html.

Mandy

I LOVE this pattern!  So pretty and quick.

I've also done a lot of these:
http://homespunliving.blogspot.com/2007/11/waffle-knit-dishcloth-pattern.html
It's an easy pattern to memorize so that you're not having to look at directions the whole time you're knitting. 

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

I ended up sewing on a heart shaped silver button to my bracelet and a loop closure at the other end.  I love how it turned out and will definitely be making more of these for gifts.

~Ann~

[Trudy in TN]

I always have something going.....

Right now,  I just finished my 11th winter hat (knitted) last night, needlepointing a piece for my chiropractor who just got married, sewing stuffed animals and knitting dishclothes.  I need to find a baby sweater pattern from my stash.  We are having a baby boom at church.

I like to keep a variety going 

[calicogirl]

I am working on a counted cross stitch bookmark for my sister.

Teresa

[TJN66]

I'm working on some jewelry.  Earrings and braclets.

[micandme]

I'm getting ready to work on things for our farmer's market.  I always have a hard time switching from winter projects to spring/summer projects (since I knit mostly).  I've made a BUNCH of pairs of wristwarmers this winter.  Now, I'm switching to felted purses and market bags (I think those could do well at the market!), and maybe some turkish bedroom socks (we'll see how those go...). 

And spinning.... always spinning.

[lovin my dogs]

I am not crafty at all, so I LOVE reading what you ladies are working on and making.

Nothing like something handmade with love.

Blessings,
Cathy

[nita]

I have my first batch of shampoo bars drying. I am working on knitting wash/dish cloths so that I have a pile of them to start a etsy store. Sewing a summer dress for Mahala, aprons of different sizes and looking at my material and trying to think of ways to use it up. I have lots of small pieces from quilts I have made.

Would cooking from scratch count as crafts. in my neck of the woods it is a lost art I think.
Marnita

[MissMandy]

I started knitting a baby blanket yesterday for some friends of ours in Scotland who are expecting their first babe in a few months.  I'm using the same dishcloth pattern that I posted above, just with chunkier yarn, bigger needles, and more stitches .  It's working up really quickly and turning out really well!

Mandy :

[natesmom]

It's my dream to one day learn crochet or knitting.  I look at those patterns and stitches and about go cross-eyed, though.      If I find a great teacher, maybe they'll be able to explain it to me simple enough that I can get it.

Right now, I'm embroidering some oregano onto an apron for my mother.  I had intended to have it done no later than Valentine's Day, but life has just gotten in the way.  My work is not fine and lovely like the stuff I've seen you all post, so there won't be any pictures here.

My next thing will be doing some red work on some tote bags because we now pay 5 cents for every bag.  Well, not really "we" because I bring my own.

Nate's Mom

[lovn_my_boys]

My work is not fine and lovely like the stuff I've seen you all post, so there won't be any pictures here.

Nate's Mom

Nate's Mom I would love to see pics of your work!! There are no professionals here, we all work in different mediums, and at different paces and at different levels. I am sure your work is lovely and you should be proud of it!! Hand work is darn near a lost art, at least around where I live, so if your able do any you should be proud to show it off!!! Please post pics!! We all LOVE pics!!

[crazyeights]

I would love to see those pictures also!! I bet you do better work then you think!

Debi

[MissMandy]

Yes!  Pictures, please!!

My latest projects can be seen here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150515169282005.365930.731562004&type=3&l=b4a895c2b8

(I've made this album public)

Mandy

[natesmom]

Debi and Dana, you two are so encouraging, maybe I'll get brave yet--we'll see!  Thanks for being sweet!

Nate's Mom

[natesmom]

And Mandy, you too.  And your stuff is BEautiful.  Of course, any picture with a dog in it is beautiful.  And that scarf, those look like 'Skins colors to me...  Now I gotta get stitchin' so I have something to take a pic of.

Nate's Mom

[crazyeights]

Very nice Mandy!!! I love the colors! And the dogs!!!!

Debi

[KBS2000]

I am knitting too - made baby-uggs-style baby booties and hat for a co-worker and a scarf for dd to go with the new coat she got for Christmas.

Ann -that it the exact pattern I use for dishcloths - have made a million of them (ok, a slight exaggeration, perhaps) but everyone loves them - because they are tightly woven they are a bit thicker and hold up great!

Just found a pattern for knitted placemats in the current issue of Love of Knitting and have started those.  I really need to get back to doing some quilting - I have a t-shirt quilt I have promised to make...if only I had more time!

Kristi

[natesmom]

Here is an apron I embroidered recently.

Nate's Mom

[natesmom]

And here is another apron.

Would like some feedback because I'm trying to improve my technique!

Nate's Mom

[MoWin]

Hello Nate's mom. I think your embroidery is beautiful. I love redwork. Did you make the aprons yourself? One thing I would add with the aprons is a front pocket. Pockets are a lifesaver when I am wearing an apron. I usually wear one when I garden. Those pockets are so handy to keep the seed packets in, etc. You are doing great. Keep up the good work.
Blessings,
Winona

[natesmom]

Thanks so much, Winona.  I bought the aprons at Hobby Lobby.  The patterns are iron-on from Aunt Martha's.  I know what you mean about pockets, love them on aprons.

I did the word "oregano" in stem stitch but am not real happy with how it looks.  Should I make my stitches smaller next time?

My next embroidery will be done on some bags to use for grocery shopping etc.

Nate's Mom

[MoWin]

Nate's mom,
I don't like the stem stitch much. My favorite stitch is the back stitch. I guess I need more practice with the stem stitch because mine never looks good. I thought yours was great. I read an article about embroidery. That lady said our stitches should be about an 1/8 inch long. That is pretty small. I think mine may be longer. I do know I get better the more I practice.

You know, I have been thinking about your aprons. I don't see any reason why you couldn't take these aprons that you bought at Hobby Lobby and put a pocket on them with some colorful fabric. I think it would be cute. Maybe do your embroidery on the bib part of the apron and make a pocket down near the waist line. You could even go further with some rick rack as trim. Just play around some. That is how you learn.

By the way, I love Aunt Martha's Iron-Ons. They are so easy to use. I just had to figure out that I couldn't slide the iron. I had to pick it up, press, pick it up, move over, press again. LOL Only took once of having a very blurry design to embroider to remember this.  Keep on having fun. You are doing great.

Blessings,
Winona

[MissMandy]

Love Aunt Martha iron-ons as well!  I bought a set of the chore-of-the-day (i.e.: Monday - Washday, etc) iron-ons and a set of sackcloth dishtowels, but didn't get very far with them...maybe halfway through the first one   Your aprons look GREAT, Natesmom! 

I've been knitting like crazy lately!  I just finished my first baby blanket for some friends of ours in Scotland.  It might be a little fuzzy, but all in all I think it turned out pretty well!  I couldn't for the life of me get it to lay straight on our bed, but here's a pic.  It measures about 30"x30" and has a hole/eyelet detail around the edge (that also doesn't show well in the photo):



Mandy

[nita]

I have tons of aunt Martha's iron ons. I think that the aprons are great. I personally hate embordering words. no matter how I do them I am never happy with it. But I feel that way with most of my work, Joel says I am to critical of my own work.
marnita

[natesmom]

I just had to figure out that I couldn't slide the iron. I had to pick it up, press, pick it up, move over, press again. LOL Only took once of having a very blurry design to embroider to remember this.  Keep on having fun. You are doing great.

Blessings,
Winona

Well, I do have a tip for preventing blurriness.  I have used a few straight pins around the edges to secure the pattern to the fabric, maybe even catching the ironing board cover if I'm lucky.  Once I do that, I've found I can rub the iron with wild abandon and still get a clear transfer.

Nate's Mom

[crazyeights]

Nate's Mom, those are so cute!!!!

I have found that when my stitches are small it all looks better. My problem is my stitches keep changing size as I sew. I need to work on that!!

Mandy, I love the blanket! I love the color because it isn't the typical pastel. Very nice!!

I have a lot of Aunt Martha iron ons also. And I seem to keep buying more every time I go to the store!

Right now I'm work on pillow cases for my granddaughter. They are butterfly's and hearts. Her favorites! Then I have an apron to do for my daughter. It has cupcakes across the top. Plus I want to do her a kitchen towel with February's flower on it since her birthday is in February. Then I have to do a cross stitch for my son in law that has the Detroit Lions emblem on it. His favorite team. THEN I can finally get back to crocheting on Rebekah's afghan. Unless I don't get the other things done before April which is when I have to start working on an apron and kitchen towel for my second oldest who's birthday is May 1. HA! You never have to complain about being bored when you have hobbies!!!

Debi

[tiffibug]

I made one sock from a pair then put that aside to make a shawl as a birthday gift. I don't have any pics of the sock, but I'll post a pic of the shawl.

I really would like to make a few fitted diapers too.

[faerieeva]

Nates mom: those are great! I love stem stitch myself, but unless the lettering is very large, I prefer back stitch for lettering and for redwork. But I love the way your lines flow in the redwork.  That is always my own challenge.

[faerieeva]

I have not had much time for crafting recently, but I am trying to find small pockets of time again.  I have started, ripped out and started again, a small baby sweater 7 times.  No exagerating.   I now have about 6 rows of the front.  *L*  Let's hope the seventh time is the charm?  Obviously there is not much there to see yet.


I have been working on my blackwork again.  It is really taking much longer than expected (as in about a year longer.)













It's interesting that it is a new technique that I thought looked so simple.  Then, when I tried it, it turned out so much more complex (usually it is the other way around), but I absolutely fell in love with it.  I will definitely do more blackwork projects (though I will also plan much more time for them.) because it is a really soothing technique.  It also is one of the few techniques in which I actually love the work while it is still in progress.  Usually I hate my work and can only see the mistakes until several months have passed after completion.  The one problem is that this project really requires a bit of a set up and I can't just 'do a few stitches in between' or leave the stand out when the boys are awake.  That limits the opportunities to make progress.

[nita]

Today I finely got Mahala's dress cut out and ready to sew. I had started to knit a scarf to use up some free unwanted yarn, then Ethan wanted to learn so I gave him some needles and let him start. then once he had started William wanted to try too. so I gave him my yarn and needles sense those were the last of that size. now I  am Looking at my crochet hooks and thinking I should find some thing to learn on. But everything I find I can't understand the pattern and are all those lopes and I was hopeing to find just some simple straight stitching.
Marnita

[natesmom]

Nates mom: those are great! I love stem stitch myself, but unless the lettering is very large, I prefer back stitch for lettering and for redwork. But I love the way your lines flow in the redwork.  That is always my own challenge.

Thanks so much! I am enjoying the practice.  I think your blackwork is beautiful, no matter how long it has taken you to progress with it.  Anyone with little guys in the house is going to take longer than average!

Nate's Mom

[Nicki]

I found a pattern set for Sunbonnet Ladies with a quilting them, so I'm gonna embroidery those on material in redwork.  Then I hope to make the squares into a large quilt someday.  I say "someday" because I will only be able to work on the embroidery as time allows.  Summer is coming and there will be gardening and lots of outdoor chores to do.

[QuiltingLady]

Beautiful work Ladies! Just wonderful.

I just finished a wall hanging top for a Demo Derby project for Saturday. It's an easy version of the Delectable Mtns. pattern. Usually paper pieced my version is with half square triangles. Should be fun.

Then I need to have a small applique project finished for embellishments for a retreat in a few weeks. Working on that now. Then a crazy quilt block also for stitching embellishments for the same retreat.

Other than that..... Ha! Other than that! I have 34 UFO's to finish! Don't say you can beat that. I'd feel  for you. Just as I am for myself.
This years' goal is to finish a few of those!

[Cook n Cater]

Last week I knitted red hearts with a white crocheted trim to give to my friends at book group.

I also knitted myself 3 hearts in different sizes that I connected with a white crocheted chain to hang on our door.  They were so fun to make!

I am finishing up a knitted bracelet made with sock yarn.  You just knit a long i-cord so it looks like 4 or 5 bangle type bracelets of different colors.  I'm trying to figure out how to finish it now.  Sew it together to just slip on.  Make a loop and sew on a button for a closure.  Haven't decided yet.

I'm always working on dishcloths.  They are just so fun to knit. 

Could you post a picture or two? I'd really like to see these.    
~Ann~