Thing-a-day & the other blog

So the month of February is dedicated to making things, well it is for the thing-a-day people. And since it is such a gloomy month here in Nor Cal I have decided to try it out. I have to make something and blog about it everyday for the whole month. I hope you will join me in trying to make something everyday for a month. However, I need to blog over on posterous in order for me to contribute to the community of thing-a-dayers. Therefore, I will try to blog here as well but since I do work full-time in a non-craft related career I can't promise anything yet. I will post a link here next week to the other blog so you can follow along and I will post weekly updates here every weekend. So get your crafty juiced flowing for a month of creative fun. PS I should be back blogging more frequently now so stay tuner for some awesome projects that I have been meaning to share with you all! Thanks for waiting for me.

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Look Up

So this month is yet another blogging month and I am finally back. Well, sort of. I am on my final month of this school year and I want to start blogging again. I feel like I have missed a good deal of my life with this job and a bit of my creativity has been drained but I feel it coming back. In fact, I am working on a pretty cool new project. I found this book called Urban Paper and have introduced the concept of paper toys and robots to my students. I hope to get them to try to design their own Mars lander for Space Day (May 7th). Oh and for those of you who wonder about my title this month time... Look Up is the theme for this month. Space is looking up, right? ;) Check out the blog for the book.

It has been so long, and I am sorry!

So I got swamped with vacation travel and then my new job (which has put a permanent crimp on my crafting time) so I haven't been blogging either. And then I come on to see what I last blogged about and I see people have been looking at my blog and I am failing them! OH NO!! I must begin to blog again.

So in crafting news I am teaching Art to middle school students and I have no idea what I am doing. We have like no budget and not much in the supply department... not to mention the fact I craft not make art so I don't know if I should even be teaching this class... but at least the kids are having fun.

I have also gotten into paper crafting a little bit (though I still suck at it). I still crochet like there is no tomorrow (because according to some movies there is). I am working on a scarf, some Christmas presents, and maybe even another wearable. I do have a BIG flub-up to share but maybe later this week... I tried to make a really cute cardigan with a substituted yarn and did not think about drape or weight... oops!

Check out my Flickr for a few of my most recent (well more recent than here) projects, like my Toy Society Swap and Holocaust Butterflies.

I promise more soon and thanks to those of you who have stuck around waiting for me. I promise to be interesting soon... or at least posting more often. In the mean time check out my newest obsession for jewelry from Surly-Ramics on Etsy or ArtFire!! I have the Scientific Method one... so cute for a science teacher!

First Wearable Done!!

So I just finished blocking my first wearable for me!! It is not perfect (a BIG whole on one side because of too many stitches and one pineapple that is a little wonky) but I love it. Here are some pictures from blocking (one of me in it on vacay soon). I haven't blocked in a long time and it was a challenge but I think I did OK... especially without any special tools. The close up is of the pineapple pattern. I think it was very easy (but I think most patterns are easy by the end) and a great place to start with a first wearable. I might even make another Doris Chan design before the end of summer... but this one might be a swim cover-up.

Let me know what you think! I am currently working on a scarf, three shawls/wraps, a cardigan, and I am thinking about starting something else but not sure what. I hope to have at least two of these projects done for my trip... maybe more but who knows. I guess I should get back to work. More pictures later but I will be out for a while... next blog post will probably not happen for a month. Have a great month and happy crafting!

My first wearable: Part 1

I have been surfing the internet (and my extensive book collection) for a good first wearable
project for myself. I was thinking maybe a sweater or a dress but those are very ambition (read: takes a lot of yarn) so I choose a tank top instead. I found this on Knit and Crochet Today and decided it looked easy enough to try. I am making it in Lake (blue) Cotton Ease (50/50 cotton and acrylic) and so far I have just finished one skein.

It is going well. I have been working on it for about a week now (off and on but more like 2 days). I have frogged several times because I keep losing track. It is hard to pay attention and watch TV but it is not that hard if you focus. The pattern is available for free on the website and I think this is a very cute pattern for anyone. This show sometimes comes on different PBS stations. You can use their website to find a station. The instructions on the show are great to help you be successful with this project.

This is me in it so far. I am making a L/XL (same size on the pattern) and it is a little big on me without it being blocked... it is might be huge when I finish it. I am in the exploded pineapple repeat section. I hope to finish this this week and start my first real blocking project (well one this large). Tell me what you think!!

Happy crocheting!!!

Crochet Exchanges rock!

So I have been busy with my new group on Ravelry... The Crochet Exchange Club (CEC). It needs a little work but so far I love it. So I finally got to participate in one of the exchanges, the May Flower Swap. My partner sent me these beautiful roses, all made with handspun (and even dyed) yarn. She also included the really pretty stitch markers.

I made these roses, since she likes roses, but I don't think they are as nice as hers. I tried five different patterns and still love hers more. Oh well. I should be sending these out today. I hope she likes them.

Later I will show you a preview of my first crocheted wearable I am making for me! I have made wearables before but never for me. I want to make a ton this summer... since yarn is cheaper than clothes... but it all depends on how this project turns out. Oh, and two new books and a magazine review in the future!

Happy crafting!

Book Review: Creepy Cute Crochet

As you know I am mildly addicted to books and this is one of my new favorites. Ever since I found out I could make totally adorable little dolls with crochet I have been crazy for it and that is where this book comes in.

Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden

Mine is not as cool as the ones from her Etsy shop (she did not sign mine... boo). But it is still awesome! She has some incredible patterns for all kinds of unusual creatures to make into dolls. DH really wants a cthulhu (from Lovecraft and adorable) and one of my former students wants a Brotherhood of Steel (from Fallout 3) modded from one of the warrior patterns. There is just so much fun you can have with this.

Beyond everything being so cute, Christen is also a phenomenal pattern writer. Her patterns are simple enough a beginner could handle them (slowly but still) and she has great instructions on how to make eyes and the little accessories.

In my opinion assembly is the hardest part of toys but she has a step by step guide for each doll and she even includes drawings to help with placement and order. This is a great book to start off with when learning to make amigurumi or little crocheted dolls of any type since it is so user friendly.


I have actually been busy making some of the items from the book. Below is my belated (only by a week) V-day gift to DH... Day of the Dead Guy and Gal... we just got married last August so he wanted these to commemorate it. There was also a skeleton bride an groom but DH liked these better... I guess they seem more like us. So go out and check this book out at some point!

Happy Crocheting!