Crafters Challenge September 30th-October 6th, 2018

[Lana]

Welcome! Welcome!

We are starting another new month!!!!

Lots of work done last week!

I am still waiting on the thimbles to put onto the ornaments. Have a few to put stitches in as I re cut a couple.
I am hoping to start on cutting turkeys this week.

I have never learned to knit. I crochet some.

It is a pain when you live away from places and then have to hold up a project until you get it. Thankfully we normally have other things to work on. Joanns and Michaels are about 50 minutes from me. Have a Hobby Lobby that came in about 3 years ago and it is 25 minutes from me. Haven't been to Joanns in forever it seems.

What are your plans for the week.

 

[DahliaDoll]

Thankfully, I live in a metropolitan area that has many craft store and activity options. It seems like I need to make a stop several times a week, even if I try to get everything at once. If I lived too far away, I suppose I would need to learn to plan much better!

We'll head home from camping tomorrow. I'll be doing mostly knitting till we are home, although I have a CCS project I could work on. Once we get home, I should craft some flip-flop magnets for the washer/dryer at the lake and figure out something cute to make for Sonja for her birthday. I had started on some felt food for her, so perhaps I should finish some of that up.

 

[luludou]

I'm far from craft & fabric stores too, like Lana
I want to start another pair of knitted socks this week

 

[FrostyShimmer]

I'm kind of in-between. I live rurally, but we do have a fabric store. We live in an area with a lot of religious groups where they make their own clothing, etc. I figure that may be why a fabric store can keep going in such a small area while they're closing out in the city.

It's nearly and hour to get to a Michaels though, so if the fabric store doesn't have it I'm out of luck...which is why I was so surprised to find my snowflake buttons!

My goal for the week is to finish my balaclava. It's looking like it may be too big, which astonishes me as everything I knit always ends up coming out too small.

luludou - are you knitting or crocheting the socks? My grandmother gave me a book of sock patterns that was hers in the 40s. I'm thinking of making some for DD5 if I can't size down my balaclava for her.

 

[luludou]

FS I will be knitting. I have to look up what a balaclava is.

 

[AuntJamelle]

I have plenty of craft options nearby - both on our side of town and now near my new office location. Hobby Lobby is 3 minutes from my office - scary! lol

Crafting has been focused on felt campfire set and on another set of mini embroidery hoop ornaments. I decided to make another set - of 3 this time - for my niece. Have one embroidered and the second one is almost done.

Have two "logs" and one "flame" done with the others ready to stuff and sew up. However, when I set them up last night I realized I need to make one more log for the assembled campfire to really look right. Peachy. So I have to get final pieces cut for that! Here is a shot of what I've finished so far:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135134547@N04/44311189664/in/dateposted-public/

 

[FrostyShimmer]

FS I will be knitting. I have to look up what a balaclava is.

It's the type of hat they wear in the movies when they rob a bank Sort of a big one piece over the whole face with just the eyes cut out, sometimes as two small openings, other times as just one large one. We get a lot of wind where we are and they're always saying they want to go out and play but their faces are cold, so they've been asking for that type of hat.

 

[luludou]

FS I looked it up, we use that here too.

 

[DahliaDoll]

Greetings!

DH wears a balaclava for skiing when it's really cold. We've never called it that, though.

We're home from our camping trip, so back to real crafting!

 

[AuntJamelle]

Finished embroidery on the new set of mini embroidery hoop ornaments! Just need to trim the hoops of extra felt and hot glue on the pom pom trim/add hanger, etc.

Also finished sewing up another "log" and "flame" for felt campfire set. One new log to create but I have pieces started. And one last "flame" to finish stuffing and sewing up. Hoping 1-2 more nights of work and then I can move ON! So much left to do!

 

[Lana]

AJ, WTG!

 

[DahliaDoll]

AJ ~ You're making great progress!

I finished a small CCS birdhouse motif last night. It was one I started on our camping trip. It will be a greeting card at some point.

I also started on some flip-flop magnets that are for the washer and dryer at the lake. It's a community washer and dryer and the magnets have names on them that will tell others whose clothes are in the washer/dryer in case that party has to be searched out to take care of their clothes.

 

[luludou]

Just made a toilet paper pumpkin - looks nice!
Wanted to sort out the 2 balls of yarn to start new knitted socks... and of course the colors don't start at the same place. ugggg! will have to find out the 2 parts that fit. Will start by rewinding them.

 

[FrostyShimmer]

I just have the top three inches of the balaclava left to go. I think it's going to be too big though. May have to redo it with a lighter weight yarn. All those cables though Actually, surprised how quickly it has knit up.

luludou- that's a pet peeve of mine as well. I have to start my socks at the same spot in the pattern. I usually unravel the first ball to where two colours meet, and make the slipknot for my first cast on stitch right where they join. That way I can just unravel the second all to the same point and know the tops will look identical.

 

[AuntJamelle]

Nothing but respect for all of you knitting socks and balaclavas and non-square/rectangular shaped things - which is all I'm capable of!

Finished the last "flame" from campfire set last night. Working on that last "log" still - and "marshmallows" but the end is in sight!

 

[DahliaDoll]

I got compliments on my knitting skills from my friend yesterday. It was in front of a group of women, so I felt the need to explain that, yes, I do lots of different stitches, but I resist trying to make something that has to "fit" someone. I specialize in scarves, shawls and afghans! LOL

I think there is a fad now to make mis-matched socks, so starting the stripes at a different location could be very trendy!

 

[FrostyShimmer]

DahliaDoll is right about the socks. We were at a friend's house and their teenager was purposely mismatching all his socks straight out of the laundry basket because it was "uncool" to have them match now. This was a year or two ago, but I think it's still the case. As the great Punky Brewster once said "I have two different feet, why shouldn't I wear two different shoes?" It applies to socks as well Also, I was surprised his mother didn't say anything about mismatching them all, but then again, when you have a teenage boy who folds his own laundry, it's best not to rock the boat.

AuntJamelle - It's easy to make different shapes. When I first learned to knit I wanted to make a scarf and my grandmother wouldn't let me because she said it would take so long I'd get tired of it, never finish, and give up completely. She gave me an old pattern from the 60s for homemade slippers that fit in your purse. They came out really well. It was a small project, but with lots of increases and decreases. A good place to start if you ever want to learn. That said, I can't sew a straight line, so I'm amazed by your abilities to sew and do embroidery.

DahliaDoll - I don't like making things for a specific size either. Adults are generally safe for hats, etc. but for kids often they'll be broken down into 5 or 6 sizes, and I find mine never quite match up. One year these scarves that were hollow and could be opened and used as a cowl or a poncho were popular. I must have knit 20 of them that summer. Eventually I got tired of making the same straight thing all the time, but my tension was really improved by all that practice. Scarves can be difficult too in that errors are more visible than in something with lots of increases and decreases.

 

[Myron's Mom]

I'm not sure I could knit anything anymore. I did in grade school now I think I would end up with knots! My cousin got the knitting gene not me.

I've spent yesterday and today at a Floriani embroidery work shop and it finishes tomorrow. We are making a cute Christmas wall hanging. I got to use the new brother machine today with all the bells and whistles. I like my machine that I have already which is a good thing I guess. Much easier on the wallet. Picked up a few sewing tips and got a good deal on some odds and ends I needed.
My thread is ordered to finish my quilt. By the time it comes in I should have my Christmas purse finished. Looking forward to Sunday , husband will be gone for the day so I can play all day in my sewing room.

 

[DahliaDoll]

Greetings!

Myron's Mom ~ I know you could be great at knitting if you had the desire. I have a friend who started knitting and hasn't looked back. She, also, had had some experience years before she took it up again. Even my 9 year old DGD took to it quickly. It does take the patience to sit still for a while. LOL I have a friend who is using a knitting loom type thing to make lots of hats and is having fun with them. She's going to sell them at a craft fair.

I'm going to Creative U today. The topic is Quilters Tool Time. I do like to see all the new tools, but don't usually get rulers that are designed for special shapes. I don't think I would use them enough to justify the price. DH can make acrylic shapes for me to use when I need them. He can get scraps for pretty cheap and sometimes free.

 

[Myron's Mom]

Greetings!

Myron's Mom ~ I know you could be great at knitting if you had the desire. I have a friend who started knitting and hasn't looked back. She, also, had had some experience years before she took it up again. Even my 9 year old DGD took to it quickly. It does take the patience to sit still for a while. LOL I have a friend who is using a knitting loom type thing to make lots of hats and is having fun with them. She's going to sell them at a craft fair.

I'm going to Creative U today. The topic is Quilters Tool Time. I do like to see all the new tools, but don't usually get rulers that are designed for special shapes. I don't think I would use them enough to justify the price. DH can make acrylic shapes for me to use when I need them. He can get scraps for pretty cheap and sometimes free.

I should give it a try. I have my cousin who could help me. I have a hard time sitting still and it would give me something to do in the evening when watching tv with my husband. I've worked 12 nights the entire time we've been married so since I've retired spending our evenings together has been a priority. But sitting and just watching tv makes me nuts.