{Sam} Monkeying around with...

An assortment of crafts!!  Starting with a sock monkey hat I'm making for my soon-to-be born nephew!  He's got a little sock monkey toy and I'm going to take photos of him when he is born and thought it would be super cute if he had a matching hat!  It's still a work in progress (I only started it last night), but the basics are there!  I'm going to attach some ear flaps, the ears, a red pom pom on top and the face!!  I'll make sure to post a finished picture when it is done!

The second project requires a tiny bit of back story...

I used to work at a craft store.

Said craft store occasionally threw away fixtures when they were no longer needed.

Said craft store couldn't give them away instead, but they could sell them to me for a dollar :D

Enter: paper racks.

They keep my scrapbook paper nice and neat and color coordinated.

Enter husband losing space in the hobby room.

Exit... husband giving up hobby room so it could become full time scrapbooking and photography room.

Enter a couple other things, and then Christmas time...

Ornament Holder = Jackpot!!

I know it doesn't look like much yet, but in the next few weeks it's about to become the most amazing sticker holder.  EVER.

Step 1: Disassemble and Sand.

Step 2: Stay tuned!

Side note: While at the craft store this week I stumbled upon these beauties!!  I swear they were singing my name!  I think the colors are magnificent: bold, but still seeming soft because of the lighter parts and the fuzziness!  I LOVE the texture of them.  I think they are about to become hats and cocoons for props!  :)

Unless anybody has any better suggestions for me??

Let me know what you think in the comments below!!

-Sam

Wordless Wednesday: Sam's Finished Crochet Blanket!

Previous blog posts about this project:
http://2createsg.blogspot.com/2011/07/first-attempt-at-crocheting.html
http://2createsg.blogspot.com/2011/07/crochetknitting-progress-update.html

International Crochet Day!

So if you didn’t know already, I’m a fairly new yarn enthusiast.  Meaning I’ve only completed 1.5 crochet projects, but I already own a giant container’s worth of various yarns!  The full completed project is a hat I just made a few days ago which is what this post is about!  J

I was itching to do some creating and only had one evening available.  As my scrapbooking bench was a mess and I did not feel like spending half the evening cleaning it first I opted for a yarn project.  I could have worked on my blanket project (featured in previous posts), but I really wanted to learn to make some hats so I can get going on some props for kids and babies and the upcoming Christmas season.  (I’m planning ahead on some Christmas Mini-Shoots for my business, Snapdragon Studios Photography).  I had also been eyeing some crochet patterns from an etsy shop, Just Be Happy.  The hats are adorable, and from her facebook page she seems like the nicest lady, so I knew if I had any problems I could probably send her an email and she would help me out!  Plus, I know she is local to my area, and I know over the internet that doesn’t really matter, but as a new business in the area I would like to form some connections. 

Feel like I’m rambling already soo…

1. Bought Patterns. 

2. Looked at patterns. 

3. Got confused by crochet pattern lingo.  (I’m still a crochet newbie remember?!)

4. Emailed Mom she would have to help me interpret pattern and teach me how to start a hat. 

5. Was impatient and didn’t want to go watch tv with hubby. 

6. Opened up google and youtube and taught myself.

7.  Completed the hat minus trim and braids that night. 

8.  Finishing touches the next evening. 

9. Emailed Mom completed hat picture before she even looked at original email! 

10. Tadah!

A couple of notes, and then pictures to follow.

I watched a lot of videos but the two links below are the ones I found most helpful.  The other videos done by these two people also seem to be some of the most instructive and easy to follow out there.

The Art of Crochet by Teresa - How to Do the Magic Circle Crochet Loop

Half Double Crochet Stitch

Also, something I’m working on getting better at… size!  My stitches are even, but I think I stitched this hat too tight.  I was following the pattern for the 12-36 months, but ended up with a hat that is the size of 3-6 months.  So I either need to work on looser stitches or I might try using one size bigger of a crochet hook.  It still turned out really cute I think, and pretty well for a first attempt… check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!



Checking my gauge/stitch size so the hat would come out right… measured correctly to what it should have been, but I think I was so focused on doing a stitch I hadn’t done before that the size wasn’t accurate to what it would be once I was comfortable with it. 




Made Magic Circle and completed first ring.





About 6 rows in, and starting to look pretty even stitch-wise.  Using a paper clip as a stitch marker, because actual stich markers were buried in scrapbook bench mess.  J





12 rows done!  I was so excited at this point because it was actually starting to look like a hat!  I kept interrupting hubby from tv and exclaiming… “look at what I can do now!!”





End of night one… stuffed animals make the best models, lol.  Can’t wait until I have a client that fits my first ever made crochet hat!





Finished green single crochet around the edges and tied the braids!  Success!

 After deciphering crochet lingo, the pattern directions were great!  Straightforward, multiple sizes included, and great pictures for reference!  I've since bought a few more patterns and can't wait to try them (probably going to try another as soon as I finish posting this)!  If you are interested and if you are reading this today... It is International Crochet Day, and Just Be Happy is offering a 15 percent discount on already made hats and her patterns with the coupon code "CROCHETISCOOL" today only!

As she always says, Happy Crocheting!

Sam

Custom Tote Bag for Becca's Crochet Projects {Gail}

Samantha’s sister Becca is home for a couple weeks, and she had a wish for a bag to carry her yarn projects in. Of course, we couldn’t just have or buy any old bag, we had to make one! She actually had chosen fabric for this in April, and now we had a chance to design and make the bag together.

It had to be: roomy enough for a moderate crochet project; small enough to be reasonable for her mostly-small projects; and with straps long enough to sling over the shoulder and stay there.

We stacked up some yarn skeins, measured, and then calculated. I’ve made a bag or two before, so I soon had the fabric pieces cut and interfaced. I like to use Pellon Décor-bond for tote bags that need to support themselves. It’s wider than regular interfacing –  at 45” across, you don’t run out of width no matter how big the bag is going to be! The only thing about a heavy interfacing is that the pieces have a mind of their own after fusing. You really have to take charge when you are sewing!



Decor-Bond interfacing on the wrong side of the bag, going to be covered up by the yellow lining with pocket soon.



I decided to add a wide pocket to the lining for project books even though Becca didn’t ask for it. It just seemed like something that would be handy.

Three yards of cotton webbing makes the perfect straps for almost any tote bag. Lucky for us, I had the perfect color already on hand so we didn’t have to make another trip to the store.

To make the bag small AND large at the same time, I copied a technique from my favorite diaper bag. There’s a stitched-in crease all around the bag, about 2 1/2” down from the zipper. When a larger project will be carried, the top of the bag can be pulled up, adding much more volume! Most days with small projects, the zipper will be tucked down into the bag. Notice that the ends of the zipper have been mitered off, with ribbon tabs to grip when opening and closing.

See the crease just above the front handle?
The bag folds crisply and easily at that point as you can see below.

The cheery yellow lining only goes up to the crease, not all the way up to the zipper – it was just easier that way.



 

If you ever want to make a custom bag, first consider the most useful shape and size. Stack your stuff up, experiment with actual boxes or containers, measure, think it through. Bags can be made in any shape and size you want! It’s so nice to have one that exactly meets your needs.

Speaking of which, the whole time I was working on the yarn project bag, Becca was stitching up a messenger bag based on a Green Pepper pattern (that we altered a bit, of course!) She ended up using 4 different fabrics and it’s going to be wonderful – pictures soon!

Gail

Creative Efforts Win the Weekend {Gail}



I posted on Friday that I was being overwhelmed trying to figure out which projects to work on.  I thought laziness might win, but even if I hadn’t worked on anything, it would have been Creative Paralysis from Overwhelm, not laziness. Like my label? LOL ;)   Anyway, I managed to focus on 2projects after tidying up my sewing room from some frantic button and ribbon searches.

I ended up sorting through and organizing (once again!) my buttons and trims. This is not a hardship for me! Last week, I had to dump some full containers to find what I needed, and getting them put away right then was too much mental effort. I had fun re-sorting and trying once again to find a storage method that allows for easy access, easy recovery, but doesn’t take up any unnecessary space.

On to the projects. First project, finished! Crocheted infant ballet slippers for Samantha’s photo prop box. Actually, I finished 1 1/2 times, as I made 3 slippers instead of just a pair. I figured they are kind of like socks and one may go missing, right? These work up really quickly if you aren’t confused by slip stitching. I’m a math and numbers person, but crocheting in the round always gives me fits with counting my stitches! More experience is helping. It would also help to keep my stitch markers handy.  I chose Caron Simply Soft yarn for these, as it has a satin-like sheen to it like a real satin ballet slipper. I am really happy with the way they turned out.

Project supplies and finished slippers.
One more bow to add.  Aren't they cute!?





Infant ballet slipper . They're so tiny.



 Second project, progress made. Sewing a sister-dress to a dress I previously made. They will go to two adorable young sisters I know.

The big sister dress has been finished for a while now.

The little sister dress is all but done. My progress this weekend included finishing the barely-started bodice, cutting out and prepping the skirt, getting the back of the skirt put on, inserting the center lap zipper. I was planning on putting in an invisible zipper, then realized I didn’t have one. Since I DID have a regular zipper, I went ahead and put it in. Tasks remaining: front skirt, side seams, hem, and embellishing. This one is not going to be an exact match, embellishing-wise. Tomorrow I need to see if I can find some sky blue ribbon or trim, or possibly the pink or peach, to go with the brown mini-rickrack. No flower appliqué for this one. They are sisters, not twins!

Big sister dress, just a few touches on the embellishments to finish.

I made the pattern for the flower appliqué from the fabric print itself. That’s one way to get a very coordinating embellishment! You can scan the fabric, or stare at it long enough to understand it. I then use Auto-shapes in Word to create a clip-art style pattern. Add hem allowance all around if needed, trace, cut, and apply! This appliqué was traced onto Steam-A-Seam Lite from the computer printout, cut and fused in place, then the edges were zig-zagged. I will be adding some hand-stitching and some tiny white buttons on the brown flower appliqué to make it resemble the flowers in the print.

When I sew, I let my perfectionist tendencies take over. I love taking the time and effort to get the best results I can. Things like the way the seams meet up across a zipper (see picture) make a difference to me. I know that no-one else might notice this, except for another perfectionist sewist. I’m still going to take the time for these details because it makes me happy! 



Detail of the back of the dresses.
Matching seams like this make me happy!


See my sample card? I’ve started making project cards, so I can spontaneously shop for pending projects. As long as I remember to take them with me, this has been working really well! I also can keep a file of finished projects to smile about!



My swatch shopping card for this project.
Written info is on the other side of the 4"x6" index card. Cheap, easy!



Crochet/Knitting Progress Update

Mom and Dad came up to help with house project yesterday!  Thanks to their help we got a new bedroom window put in and a good chunk of the back of the house ready for siding!!  During a break for the two of us (our men, busy measuring and cutting OSB to put up), we shared our progress on our yarn projects and I got out the good camera to snap a few shots!  My momma’s post below explains her project.  And mine is just an update to my progress… it’s starting to look like a blanket instead of a scarf!!

It's starting look more like a blanket!
 I will probably finish out this skein of yarn and call it good on size!

Can you find where I switched skeins?
I think I did a pretty darn good job.  :)

Mom's hands spreading out this adorable blanket!

It is so delicate compared to my chunky blanket!

I love the edging!

Look at that pattern starting to emerge!

Heehee, this is Bruce... he was watching us play yarn.  :)