Oct 1

Where does the time go? seems its just flying by lately. Which means I lost all track of what day it was and am making my weekly post a bit late. whoops.

Anyway, things are going well in the craft-world.

I finished 3 holiday presents:


First, some felted Piggy Banks in teal & lavender.

And then a nifty knitted bunny made almost entirely from just a knitted square. How neat is that? Mine ended up with lop ears since I made them too big, but I think it looks cute that way. Lop bunnies are always so adorable :)

I'm still working on a few more yarn-based holiday presents and am right on track to finish with lots of time left. Which is good, given the house buying, DAT & DAT prep, packing, and moving and all over the next 2 months. Eek! So much!

Jewelry class started again on Saturday and its kicking serious butt. My session has only repeat students, so thats super fun. On the one hand, it means the instructor can leave us alone more and spend more time going around to everyone. On the other hand, it means we're all doing more advanced things and need more instructor focus. It all evens out.

The leaf I had originally cut out has been given texture and looks just great. I'm going to put it on a plain cuff bracelet. It was intended to be a gift for my sister, but as it turns out she would prefer a pendant. Darn, guess I'll have to keep this one for myself :) But now I need to figure out what to do for the sister...

I started what was supposed to be a bracelet for the SIL but accidentally hammered the wrong side. Nothing wasted, I'll just throw a stone on it and give it to the MIL instead (and now I don't have to think about a gift for her!) Win-win.

Silkscreening is most likely gonna be on hiatus till December. We have to start packing for the move now, so all non-essentials are being packed away first. Luckily most of my crafty stuff is already in boxes so I won't need to re-pack those, but the screens & other accesories will be put away for now. I doubt any emergency printing will come up until then, but if it does I can always unpack. I think when we're all settled I'm going to look into creating my own lightbox (or buying one) so I have a better set-up for my printing.

I'm so very excited about this house. So much space, and I'll have 2 craft areas! squee! Can't wait!

Frogged!

I've been a lot pickier about my yarn crafts lately. I don't want to waste my time. I want my projects both to look awesome when finished but also fun or at least interesting to make.

I had started the Li'l Devil Pants by Marcy Neth (Published in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation). They looked cute, basically just plain red pants with a little devil tail. Seemed like a great x-mas gift for the now 5-month old niece. I had gotten all of maybe 2 inches into the first leg and just couldn't bear it anymore. I just had to frog it. Its fingering weight yarn (for you non-knitters, that's on the thin side) and 3.0mm needles (size 2.5). And its alllllll stockinette. I was losing my mind from the boredom, and it would take forever to finish these things that Evelyn would only be able to wear for a few months at most.

Yeah, that's not gonna fly. So its been ripped, yarn re-wound. I'll find a use for the yarn, but the 2nd skein will be exchanged, hopefully for the yarn that'll be the new holiday present for the niece.

On the up side, the swirly socks seem to be going well. They're less boring, but are simple enough to be just a 'zone out and knit' project. I think its the color changes and double-point needles that keep socks more interesting for me. Though I have been known to frog socks that were too dull as well.

In jewelry news, I have the base for a leaf pendant cut out & filed. I'm hoping to at least hammer in some veins and maybe, just maybe, get to solder on the stem. The kicker is I'd like to do this all before Saturday morning so I can take it to my jewelry class. It might not happen, but that's okay. then I have something to start on :)

Sept 16

Only week 2 and I'm already a day behind. Wow, I'm good at this :P

Anyway...

I purchased yarn for a few holiday presents. I won't say what & for whom, as I have no idea who (if anyone) reads this blog and I don't want the surprises ruined. I'm big on the surprise aspect of presents--thats half the fun!

See? Pretty fun yarn all ready for being made into awesome presents :) I'm excited to have a few ideas for a few people so I can start early and not be rushed during the pre-holiday chaos. Now to just figure out the more difficult ones and I'm golden!

Jewelry class starts next week (woot!) so I'd like to whip up something this weekend to at least start on or have finished to show the instructor. I think I'll make a ginkgo leaf pendant. Or maybe something else. I dunno. There are so many options, its hard to figure out where to start! gah!

That's about all to report for this week. Things have been pretty chill craft-wise but will hopefully pick up a bit soon.

<smooches>

Sept 8

Wow, amazing how having a job can really distract from crafting! :P

I'm going to try to update weekly, and Wednesdays seem like good days for that :) (note: I wrote this on Wednesday but sucked about getting a photo so it was posted on Friday. d'oh)

Hmmm... I think it'll be too difficult to back-track to May and list all my projects, so I'll just start off from about this point on.

I signed up for a Jewelry Making class at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts over the summer.

It was a kick-ass class. I learned a ton, and made a few really awesome pieces. I liked the class so much that I signed up for the fall session! I'm not sure if I'll take classes beyond this one, but we'll see. I'm so excited for more classes and making more jewelry. Metal is a new medium to me (unfortunately an expensive one) but its very satisfying and I hope to learn and explore more.

In yarn-related crafts I currently have 3 projects in progress: A pair of Hearts and Flowers socks made with Tofutsies, a Maire Riding Jacket (I forget which yarn is being used. something awesome), and another Snowflake Afghan from Cascade 220 as a class sample.

The Tofutsies used to be a preferred yarn for me, but after finishing the Knotty or Knice socks in Madeline Tosh sock it just feels like burlap in comparison to the delightful softness of the Tosh. Damn you and your awesome yarn! I'm nearly done with the first sock but its a sometimes project and I only get in a few rows now & then. I'll admit, I'm not super psyched about it so its not something I want to make. But at this point I've gone too far so I'll just plow through & finish eventually.

Speaking of going too far, I'd gotten through the beginning cable embellishments on the Maire jacket when I realized I'd not understood the pattern directions and missed several rows of decrease. Well, crap. I thought about just starting the decreases then and plowing through, but the cable design would make it show and it would look like crap. I tried to tink back, but it was slow going and I'd have to tink back across 300 stitches for 10 rows. No thank you. So I tried to put in a lifeline and rip back, but with the cable pattern it was really difficult to figure out where to pick up stitches and it was proving to be just a big ol' mess. So I poked at people on Ravelry for advice and the consensus was to frog it. So, off to the pond it went! Frogged back to the i-cord cast on, re-picked up stitches, and now it lays in wait for me to start the meat of the jacket again. I'm sad to have to start over, but I don't want this to look like crap so better to lose some time and re-do than have something that's unsatisfying.

The snowflake afghan is a repeat pattern. I made a lap blanket sized one for my sister years back when I first got really into yarn crafts. Its a simple pattern, and I thought would make a great crochet class. I try to make about 1 hexagon a day and then occasionally sew them together. Not sure how big the final product will be, depends on how tired I get of making hexagons. Hopefully someone signs up for the class...

Teaching has been going well. Every class I learn more and figure out good/bad approaches & techniques. Hopefully the students are learning well and enjoying themselves--everyone seems to have a good time and leaves smiling :) I've also had a few kid's classes and I think I'm getting a grasp on good approaches to children's teaching. Not much different than adults, but a little simpler and more giggles.

New Job! & New Class

First off--in non crafty news: I GOT A JOB! Woo! I'm really excited about it and can't wait to start! I'll spare the details (this is my craft blog, afterall) but needless to say this is awesome and I'm super dooper happy. The only downside--now I'll have less time for crafting! :P

Thursday was my Student's Choice pattern reading class. The class went well overall, I think, despite a slightly rocky beginning. I think both students left the class much better at reading patterns, and that's awesome. Also, when it comes to crochet just straight out reading the patterns and charts can be super confusing even if you're good at visualizing things. Future pattern reading classes will start off with a "lecture" about terms, charts, etc and then a few examples of easy patterns while doing. Then I'll end the class with the students starting a pattern of their choice while I'm there to still help them with any questions/problems they have with reading their work.

I'm really learning a lot from teaching and that's pretty awesome. I hope to keep improving with every class.

In personal project news, things are progressing nicely. I'm nearly finished with my Cthulhu purse--just 4 more tentacles to make and then its felting time! woo! I'm also progressing nicely on the mother's day Haruni shall. I'm going to make it a little bit bigger but I think I should still be able to finish in time. Well, I hope so at least!

Spring cleaning (both in house and projects) is going well. I'm going to have a bunch of yarn to sell/give away, so keep watch for when I post about that. I'm also exercising great self-control to not make new projects (like the amigurumi Alot that I really want to make!) I've also put myself on a yarn fast until spring project cleaning is complete. It will be a reward to myself for getting it all done.

Class Samples

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm super psyched to have 2 new crochet classes on my June class schedule. So to "advertise" for the classes, I made samples to have in the shop and pique people's interest. Of course, that's not fair for you out-of-town readers (do I have *any* readers?) so I'm posting pictures here!

First up, the Garden Tie-Backs. A super cute way to hold back curtains and add a little floral happiness to a room. I really love the unique construction of these--its not just a solid band with flowers on it. The thick part has a neat pseudo-ribbing and the hanging flower bits are actually multiple chains that join where the flowers attach. It makes it more fun to make and gives it a much more full appearance.

Next is the awesome Black Lacy Triangles necklace. Its a great combination of crochet lace and an introduction to crochet jewelry. The actual beads & sequins on mine is more of a fuchsia color, but somehow turned out looking purple in the photo. I kind of wish it was actually purple--I think that looks much cooler! I think I will make myself one of these necklaces with different bead work.

Now I need to write a pattern for an amigurumi pony. I put it on the class schedule but have no pattern. eek! I've looked up a few online and found some cuties, but none were free patterns. So I'll just take the features that I like best from each one and make my own. Lets hope that works out!

Speaking of classes, I got my first Student's Choice sign up--and they want to learn to read patterns & charts. I can do both, but still working out how to teach it. I think it'll be best to just go through some textures in a book and make the item while following along in the written pattern and chart. I'm open to suggestions, so if you have a better idea, please share!

On non-class news I broke my "no-new-projects-till-I-finish-all-UFOs" pledge (as part of Spring Cleaning the shop has a "finish your UFOs" theme for April) to cast-on a lacy shawl for the MIL. Only 2 weeks till Mother's Day so I had to start now if I want a chance to finish by then. It'll be a focus for a little bit, but then back to finishing!

June Crochet Classes

I'm so excited! I contacted Sandra from Cherry Heart about her Garden Tie Backs pattern and Fatima from Crochetology.net about her Black Lacy Triangles pattern, and both have given me permission to use them for classes! I'm so excited!! :D I love both of these patterns and hopefully they'll bring in some more students to the shop.

Both classes will be in June, with the Garden Ties being on June 3 from 6-8pm and the Black Triangles on June 12 from 2:30-4:30. Squee!

Now to advertise out the wazoo :)

I should probably take photos of my finished objects from these patterns to help advertise... on the To Do list for today!

MIA

Wow, I was gone for quite a bit there.

I lost some momentum with all blogging, and really I stopped when I found out I was getting laid off (about a month after my last post). I'm still unemployed, and while the extra time has been kind of good for crafting, its been a tough & depressing time.

But things are looking up! Sun is shining! I'm now the Crochet instructor at Natural Stitches! I'm interviewing for jobs, and trying to make the most of the time left (I'm *really* hoping I get a job soon).

So back to updates! I'll probably make some notes about my thoughts on teaching (so far had two classes, both with great students, and I've already learned a bunch about how & what to teach), and talk a bit more about my current projects (yarn & otherwise).