I Took the Handmade Pledge

Last Christmas, I gave a lot of handmade gifts. Instead of relying so heavily on eBay and Amazon for so many of my gift ideas, I discovered Etsy, Your place to buy and sell all things handmade.

Maybe I am just crafty by nature, but I LOVE seeing what other people have make on Etsy. Things I never would have thought of, things I have no skill to complete and things I really want to try and make. I especially love that people have a place to share/sell these items in a single place.

One of the things I found on etsy.com is the HANDMADE PLEDGE from buyhandmade.org. This year I have taken the pledge.

What is the HANDMADE PLEDGE?
I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season and request that others do the same for me.

My daughters and I are making all of our gifts rather than buying handmade, but the idea is the same. I hope you will take the pledge with us this holiday season.

Thanks.

Handmade Sweater in Blue

Here is my latest completed knitting project. It is a sweater that I saw at Knit + Stitch when my friend Elizabeth was looking through the latest Rowan Design Books. I immediately knew I wanted to make it, but it took me awhile to identify a yard/color that I liked. The recommended yarn is a tape style yarn, but the sample colors looked so flat. I found a Berroco yarn called Glace that looked very lively. I made this sweater in Cadet.

I finished it last night and I'm wearing it today because I had hoped to wear it with white capris, but I did not finish it in time for summer. Off-white looks pretty good too I think.

For those of you interested in the details of this project see my project listed on Ravelry, but those you who are sick of hearing about knitting (Lori) you can enjoy this photo of me wearing it and my daughter dressed and ready for school.

Summer sweater

I know it has been some time since I last posted to this blog, but I have been busy knitting myself my first adult-sized sweater.

Now I know you saw my post about the shrug I made for my daughter, but there is something very different about making kids clothes because if you make it big, they can grow into it and if it gets too small I have a second daughter who can wear it. But, making something for myself was a little trickier.

Anyway. I don't want to ramble on and on because I have other projects waiting (yes, including the purse that is still waiting for a lining and zipper)

This is a pattern called Rhumba that uses two Berroco yarns called Seduce (in Vintage White) and Lumina (in Silver Plate). I will post all the details on Ravelry.com for those who are interested in knitting (I know Lori, enough of the knitting, let me see your kids)

Enjoy the day and I will try not waot so long until my next post.

Is your head spinning?

Can you believe it? Another entry so quickly. Well, I sent a link to the last one to some of my friends who said, it was interesting, but enough with the knitting. I guess they agree with my husband who feels I need a 12-step program to deal with my knitting and yarn addiction.

Well, here is another project that I had finished, but had forgotten to post. We'll call it "my first pair of socks" and I learned a lot even though I figured it all out on my own. I used the Free Pattern called Knit Child's Striped Socks available from Lion Brand Yarn, but instead of doing stripes I selelcted Encore Worsted in coral and the coordinating Encore Worsted Self-Striping color with coral color in it.


This was my first project with ribbing, first with short rows, and first with kitchener. And Miranda looks great in them. Sorry it's so blurry. Next socks will be in my size using the simple sock pattern from Anne at Knit and Stitch.

March Madness

In my last post, it had almost been a month and sadly this time it has been a long time as well. I'm going to chalk it up to March Madness. I thought March Madness was a sale at discount stores like Woolworth's or Ben Franklin's, but apparently it is the time when people pretend to be extremely knowledgeable about college basketball. I however, spent most of my free time knitting or hanging out with people I've met knitting.

So what have I been making? First I would like to post a picture for the woman at Craft Camp, who by the way also has not posted in a month. She has asked about my initial knitting project that I was making in line at Stitch Austin and didn't post because it was to be a gift. Although I like this pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, I have since made more difficult fingerless gloves that I will post a picture of shortly. These were made with Berroco Ultra Alpaca color 6285 which is fantastic yarn in wonderful colors.

For Easter, which was also part of March Madness, I made a stuffed bunny for my niece, Emily. It was also a pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and was my first stuffed project and my first knitted toy and it was adorable. It must have been because Miranda keeps reminding me that she didn't get one. It's on my to-do list.

I made it using a strand of Baby Alpaca Brush by Plymouth Yarns together with a strand a strand of Encore Worsted Weight also from Plymouth Yarns, but cheaper. I also used 2 US 6 circular needles. It is a pretty thick fabric when done, but it feels great and finishes well. I used pink scrap yarn from a friend for the inner ears and it doesn't take much so just use your stash.

Okay, so now the big news. While there are other things that I have been working on and finishing, the one that had me most worried was the one we call Dana's First Knitted Sweater. So, based on the thoughtful advice from the many women at my knit shop, I decided to make something small and I decided to make the Bolero Style Cardigan called Molly from Junior Knits by Debbie Bliss. I used Encore Worsted Weight from Plymouth Yarns. When I was done, I was very excited to sew in a personalized label that says "Made Especially For You By Dana." These labels were a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law who comes from a family of sweater knitters who also use such labels. My daughter, Parker, had to wait patiently for me to finish the sweater for her, but I think it turned out alright. See for yourself.

So, I know it is almost April and it will probably be awhile before I have a whole lot more completed and posted. Hopefully next time you will see my purse (if I ever sew the lining), my winter hat, my fingerless gloves and let's just leave it at that for now. Let's see how the spring real estate market and tax season go. They may determine how much yarn I have to play with.

February Already?

February is almost over and I can't believe it.

I feel like I was just making Christmas presents and then it's birthday time for Miranda and Valentines Day. I did not really take pictures of the pieces I made, but here is a picture from a recipient of one of my pieces. After finishing gifts, I made myself a few things and pictures will be available shortly.

In the meatime, I read through a bunch of materials I picked up in Austin when I went to Stitch Austin with a friend. I read about these people who make samplers of indie art and sell them. They are always sold out so I signed up for notifications and recently received one for their latest samplers which was from Boston. I ordered one and just received it and it is very interesting.

Inside, one of the artists named Melanie McMullin, submitted a postcard printed with her collage artwork on one side and she filled in her mailing address and it said connect with me. She included her blog as well. I'll send the postcard off tomorrow and see what happens.

Erin's Beads N things sent a bracelet made of gold coloered wire and glass beads. Her site is here.

I noticed that I particularly like the things that are useful, even if they are not what the artist really makes. I received a luggage tag with artwork titled Boston in the future from http://www.destinationunknownjournals.com/ which is cool. I also received gift tags from http://www.rifferaff.com/.

Meredith Cutler of http://www.crostini.etsy.com/ sent some earrings that I might wear tomorrow and http://www.saint9.com/ sent some buttons that have images of Boston T tokens. Sabrina's Charms of shanalogic.com sent me craft kit called "Wicked Pissah" so I could make a charm bracelet.

There are many other items and several ads, stickers and prints and a copy of the Cambridge Local First Directory of Locally-Owned Independent Businesses.

Each sampler is different and I am not really doing my kit justice, but I think it would be great to have a DC Sampler and a Bethesda Sampler and a New Orleans Sampler, etc.

Anyway, back to knitting. I'm working on a first sweater and it is taking forever.

Oh Christmas Tree...

When my father passed away and my mother put up her first Christmas tree in her new home, she wanted a tree with only white lights and red balls. It really freaked me out that she chose a magazine type of tree. I even sent her a bunch of our original family ornaments to put on, much to her dismay. We were raised with a tree with tons of stuff on it.

My husband, children and I have a tree like the ones I grew up with. It gets comments like, "Uh, do you put all this stuff on yourselves every year?"

First of all it is a fake tree. It's a pretty good one, with a few different types of branches and it's pre-lit with white lights, which we consider a good start. My husband adds tons of colored lights and my daughters love to help.

We then add some garland of lifesavers and candy canes, disco balls, red beads, gold beads, etc. There are tinsel garlands as well. I also have a good assortment of glass balls that are placed on the inside of the tree to reflect light and hide any thin areas. But, the most important part of our family tree is the process of pulling out the ornaments and putting them on the tree while listening to the Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis Christmas Albums . Each ornament has memories that are all a part of the tradition.

The best ones are the ones that are home made. The soldier made of a toilet paper roll and Raggedy Andy that my Dad made at an Indian Princess outing when I was a kid. The macrame angel I made for my grandmother when she was in the hospital her final Christmas.

Being raised in Ohio in the 70's, there were the ornaments we made in public school like the one made from tooth picks placed around a picture of taken from old x-mas cards. Or my mom's favorite, a hand sewn cardinal where I attached the wings where ears should probably be. As long as I can remember, I have always hung my Snoopy ornament in the front of the tree. My sister-in-law made us some great wooden star ornaments with grommets and glitter. And I have a glass star that makes me cry when I put it up each year and remember my dad.

Now that my kids are in nursery school, I have a bunch of new ornaments that may replace some of our older commercial ones to which we have little attachment. I like the candle ornament that my daughter made in school. At home we made ornaments from my girls to all of family and friends. See what She made for Daddy.

We were going to take the tree down yesterday, but our daughter wanted a few more days so it will come down this weekend. I love that my girls are into holidays and enjoy the traditions. I just don't think the girls would be attached to a tree with only white lights and red balls.

Happy New Year!