Go to your studio and make stuff

so --I have been bookmarking nice handknit patterns I have found here online to make someday and thought I would share a few of them with you all....


1) I just love this knit tea cozy at the blog TEA BY THE SEA

2) and how about these lovely DAISY STITCH HANDWARMERS  at the Purlbee.com?

3) and these ZIGZAG MITTENS at Just Crafty Enough.....

Three projects...should be enough to fullfill the STRATEGIC PLAN--at least for now. I just am compelled to keep my hands busy--especially at this time of year....feel those holidaze coming on!

Wreaths.....

A few crafty wreaths from around the net....

Every Christmas for many years I would go out into the woods around my house and  cut cedar branches to make fragrant wreaths...usually we had a wreath making day and many of the women in our small town (pop. maybe 60-80? in the winter) would all get together in our community hall and make wreaths...then we would send them in on the mailplane to the Pioneer Home in Sitka for all the elders to enjoy. Sometimes I really miss those community activities. I haven't really lived here in my new home in a new (to me) city long enough to have a community to create wreaths with...but I certainly have some great ideas for wreath making (next year) now !

I is for Ingenuity

ingenuity, noun, pl. -ties.
1. skill in planning or inventing; cleverness.
(SYN) inventiveness.
2. skillfulness of contrivance or design.

This letter ("I") had me stumped ....(hence my lack of posting here); however this morning the topic of inventiveness or ingenuity popped into my head. We are all blessed with ingenuity---I think my ability to tap into my ingenuity was honed by living in the Alaskan "bush"--with no stores (except a very small grocery store)--so one saved everything, and recycled most items---and became very inventive when one needed something not readily at hand.

Everyone in town had some area of expertise, so we also traded goods and knowledge--rarely did money change hands, but I might trade a handwoven scarf for an outboard motor repair job. Ingenuity was the key to a comfortable survival.

I think living in a larger city--with all the services readily available for money---stamps out ingenuity---unless one is seriously dedicated to recycling or buying nothing new, it is much to easy to just buy what you need (or want---there is a big diff between needs and wants, but that is another topic).

Here are some wonderful examples of ingenuity that I have recently found online:

mini paper wreaths from the blog Scrumdilly-do!



Sweater Balls
from The Sweeter Sweater
A Button Bracelet from Creative Kismet

Recycled Slippers from SEW GREEN
I am currently working on my own inventive holiday project--one that I can gift to everyone on my gift list (and that is ingenuity!)---but I can't show you it yet--that would be a gift surprise spoiler...but I will be sharing this project once the gifts are in the mail...meanwhile here are my hands clapping to making your holiday gifts or at least buying handmade. For buying handmade may I suggest HERE....and do have fun either creating or shopping.

mermaids and dolls!

Yesterday, while enjoying a 3 day stay-over in lovely Sitka, Alaska, I created a mermaid doll! My longtime friend here--Kari--is a fellow craft woman--she creates gorgeous quilts, knits and does beadwork--and makes the most adorable personable dolls....



So, yesterday, while storm winds howled around her snug home, she showed me how to create this cute mermaid doll!

we had fun co-creating---which we do whenever I visit Sitka---in the past we created fiber inchies and fiber ATCs (artist trading cards) and once she helped me piece the top of my daughter's wedding quilt...thanks so much Kari for sharing your expertise with me! it was a fun day!

Today's quote: "I get by with a little help from my friends." - John Lennon

Re-purposed sweaters baby blankie

I have been rather absent here as I hunt for a job---which, ironically, is a full time job--but now I think it is time to move on from my life transforming trip to Ghana, Africa and return to the main blog topic: creating crafty objects and art !

I have a special baby shower to attend this weekend and created several presents for the baby girl due to enter the world in June...first, I created a baby "blankie" intended for laying on the floor for the tiny baby to lie on and have "tummy time." This blankie is made of wool sweaters I felted (washing with soap or detergent and hot water in the machine, then drying in a hot dryer--felts a wool sweater up nicely)--then I cut squares, sewed them together---and since I thought the little "quilt" looked a bit plain--I used some wool crewel yarn to embroider flowers on some squares. The blankie is backed with colorful cotton flannel.


And I knit a little baby girl hat out of cottons...in spring colors.

Even though I have been absent here I have been busy creating more crafty objects--so will be returning to more regular blogging --and I have quite a bit to share with you! so do check back...

Ghana Craft Markets and Kente Cloth #1

While in Kumasi we visited a Ghana Craft Market with out guide, "Mr. Charles." In this compound many artisans were actively creating and selling their beautiful crafts. I wandered around and took some photos---since I am always fascinated by fellow crafters and their process. I purchased a lovely basket, some beaded jewelry, and other crafts as gifts to take home--including a colorful strip of Kente Cloth.

a basket maker---showing a basket in progress

these beautitful young women wanted me to take their photo with the basket--which they were selling

here I am--with the basket I purchased (great for storing yarn in or taking to the Farmer's Market) and a sculpture that was in the compound.

there were wood carvers at work


and ART! everywhere we went in Ghana artists were selling their art---mostly on unframed canvas---I really liked much of it--but was relunctant to ask to photograph an artist's work, if I wasn't planning on purchasing it, so didn't get many photos of the great art I saw. These two large paintings were public art--on the side of a building, so I snapped a few shots of them.

And then I saw my first Kente Cloth artisan at work...I must say that the fabric designer in me was fascinated by all the great fabrics I saw--and the Kente Cloth was no exception---I took numerous photos.

Kente Cloth is woven on a narrow horizontal loom. The loom usually uses four heddles, but sometimes has more. The cloth is woven in narrow strip that is about 3-5 inches wide and about 5-6 feet long. Several strips are sewn together to make a wider piece of cloth for both men and women.

a strip of black and white Kente Cloth on the loom



later we visited a wonderful place in a small village where many Kente Cloth weavers worked and sold their cloth--so check back tomorrow for a colorful treat! as I really did take many photos;-)

Holiday Gift Wish List : Books

Have they been naughty or nice? Some ideas for gifts for the Crafty Person in your life! (these are on my wish list;-)

Beyond-the-Square Crochet Motifs: 144 circles, hexagons, triangles, squares, and other unexpected shapes by Edie Eckman

Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines: Patterns, Stories, Pictures, True Confessions, Tricky Bits, Whole New Worlds, and Familiar Ones, Too by Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne

The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes






Knitting Through It: Inspiring Stories for Times of Trouble by Lela Nargi

and this very special yarn ---handspun and hand dyed--so lovely to knit with! from SPINCYCLE YARN --I first encountered this yarn made by some lovely young women from Bellingham, Wa @ the Bellingham Farmer's Market--and I fell in love with it at first sight--then I knit a hat from it and I was hooked!

and the colorways are beautiful--this is just one example---they have many to choose from--so do visit their website.

holiday crafty links round-up

I have been bookmarking some links to fun crafty holiday project tutorials, so here are few last minute quick projects:

From CREATURE COMFORTS
Loverly gift wrapping idea! plus nothing to buy--just recycle your plastic bags into these POM POMS "eco happy gift toppers" to tie on your package.



From HOW ABOUT ORANGE
A FABRIC FRIDGE FRAME tutorial--so you can frame a favorite photo for a gift. She also is featuring on her blog some downloadable gift tags for you to print.



And from PINK ARGYLE a a quick last minute quick knitting project--TINY MITTEN DECORATIONS for someone's tree!


And for that child inside you or the child in your life from MAKE BABY STUFF.COM a cute MOUSE HANDPUPPET made from a felted sweater.

so--only (oh my!!!) nine days left until Christmas ---if you count today, which is 1/2 gone already--so get busy! and have a HAPPY CRAFTY HOLIDAZE.

Crafting it Forward : Make New Knitters

How much about knitting, crocheting, beadwork and quilting have you learned from fellow crafters? I learned to knit from my Grandma, and ever since I have been CRAFTING IT FORWARD.....like the concept of Pay It Forward...crafting it forward means to teach others what you know, so they can then teach others...and the traditions and stitches of knitting (or whatever art/craft you are doing) get passed down generation to generation.

Benjamin Franklin championed this notion (only his involved $ or debt) , he wrote: " I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money."

And I first was introduced to this concept through the film Pay It Forward where the concept was " described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own, and the person doing the good deed then asks the other to pay it forward. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society creating a social movement with the goal of making the world a better place."

I do believe sharing what we know and/or our skills can help the world become a better place. I taught one of my daughter's to knit, and hopefully--since I will be living in the same town as her soon--I will teach my other daughter to knit, also. I will certainly teach my Grandson when he is old enough--age 6 or 7 is a good time to start, I think. I have found that if you knit around them---- small children will invariably want to try it.

I love this aspect of knitting groups--everyone is always willing to help others learn how to do something new in a knitting group, and I have certain knitting friends who I turn to when I need something demonstrated--since they are more expert than I am.

Today's Quote: " Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." ---Albert Camus

Summer Craft-a-palooza: LINKS

I spend more time than I should surfing the crafty blogs and following links from crafty blog to crafty blog---the result is a nice list of crafty tutorials of interesting projects--items I would like to make "someday".....
(when does that someday actually arrive?)
Anyhow---here are some links to a few crafty projects I am intrigued by:

1) from the CraftyPod blog---HOW TO MAKE A BOOK WITH PLAYING CARD COVERS
so cute--a small blank book! to fit in your backpack or purse.




2) a yummy knit HOT WATER BOTTLE COZY --with a cable on it! from Yarn-A-Go-Go. This is just how I want to make that old rubber hot water bottle all comfy....




3) Great sewing pattern and instructions for that essential hippy "peasant skirt" from jcarolinecreatvie. Just like those ones I made in the '60's ! and still as comfortable in hot summer weather.



4) How about a purse made from playing cards? from the Craftbits website. A great way to use up those old worn out playing cards you have lying around.




5) How to make your own Embroidered Buttons from the Feeling Stitchy blog. These would be fun on that fabulous handknit sweater--or just to spice up a vintage thrifted blouse.



Have fun!