spinning-jennie: Crafts archives

Advent Hack
I was excited to get out the Advent Calendar and clip it up above our new patio door this year. But I certainly wasn't expecting the "cornice" to prove too thick for the small Bulldog clips!

After a few days of deliberation, and at the point where I'd pretty much thrown up my hands and begun clipping them into the tree (PSA: this does NOT work with a curious five-year-old), D. grabbed some spare plastic clips we'd used to attach lights to the gutters, and voila! instant remedy.

Gutter clip hack

Now they can still hang cheerily in the (as-still largely undecorated and far, far too beige) kitchen, and keep far out of reach of small hands.
12/03/09 01:13 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


Festive Felt Forest
I love these felt Christmas trees! So easy—just felt, foam cones, pearl-head pins, and some shiny embellishments.

Mine will probably be more muted than the ones pictured, but I see myself making several of these in different sizes. We have cavernous (and still half empty) built-ins to deck, after all.

Via Craft.
11/14/09 10:56 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


Gearing up...
for Halloween with a few papercraft ideas to consider. I'm so excited to decorate the house this year -- rumor has it we actually GET trick-or-treaters!

  • Cat-and-mouse silhouettes
  • And some ravens, too
  • Spooky garland
  • Falling leaves lamp that can easily be adapted for a haunted mantel

    • Every year I say I'll start on a haunted mica mantel village, but it never happens. Maybe I'll find time to assemble one this year. Or get a tiny wooden dollhouse and deck it out, lights and all.
    09/22/09 11:05 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Leaf Garland
    Daniel often brings home huge fingerpaintings, and I can't possibly keep them all. But the colors in his latest masterpiece were so rich and fall-ish, I couldn't let it go to waste.

    So we collaborated! The simpler leaves are all his handiwork; I took care of cutting the complex ones.

    Supplies were all things we had on hand already: pony beads, jute cord, miniature clothespins, craft glue (I prefer Delta Sobo for stuff like this), and an empty afternoon.
    11/20/08 10:30 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Purely Coincidental, No Obsession Here.
    Harry Potter Sock Yarns, by German company Opal. Out in Fall (I'm assuming in conjuction with the release of Half-Blood Prince).

    Cute, but no Hermione? Hedwig is my favorite.
    05/13/08 10:00 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Die! Die!
    I don't scrapbook, really, but I love craft diecuts and diecutters. Back when I was still gainfully employed, in a fit of extreme paper rapture, I whipped out the latest "40% off any one regularly priced item" from Michael's and plunked down for a Sizzix. It reminds me of the heavy-duty Ellison dies I used constantly, both at the middle school, and at both the NMU and Oakland libraries, often for displays; once it even cut felt shapes for a DIY feltboard. And it does come in handy from time to time. I've got mostly basic shapes that I use for cardmaking. And now that the bub is getting a little craftier, I imagine we'll have it out even more often.

    So today we were wandering aimlessly around Michael's (which can be a dangerous proposition, fiscally, if we're not vigilant), and we stumbled upon a whole clearance aisle that hadn't been there before. And bliss! A couple of Sizzix alphabet sets. Normally retailing for $99, they were marked $9. My 50% off coupon -- a necessary habit -- made it $4.50. I didn't think it was supposed to be applied to clearance/sale items, but, really, who was I to argue? The font isn't one that I'd choose if I had a hundred bucks to throw away, but for what I paid I'm of course more than happy. And I must say that it's growing on me as I look at it.
    04/18/08 04:16 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Little Paper Amusements
    I think some of you might still be snowbound, so here's a handful of my favorite recent printable goodies. If I can get the printer to play ball, I want to do the skull (myself) and the cat (with the bub) today.

    Ceiling Cat
    Connect the Skull (pdf)
    NaniBird
    Sasatoku
    03/26/08 12:26 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Freaking Fantastic Felted Fisher-Price Friday (!!!)
    Check out this ginormous, entirely needle felted version of the classic Fisher-Price Little People dog! That's dedication, right there.
    03/14/08 05:30 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Almost Time for Eggses
    I don't know if I'm going to try natural dyes this year or not. I know I said last year that I might, but at the moment I have all the energy of overcooked linguine, so the gathering of stuff seems like a huge overexpenditure.
    03/04/08 08:53 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Small Idea
    Often, it takes a long time consuming a recyclable for any useable idea to strike. We don't offer little cup meals for bub lunches often these days, but I'll admit they do come in handy (Table Time being preferred -- more natural -- if not always available) when we need a quick, easy, mostly nutritious meal option. Or if I'm looking for a way to sneak some veggies into him. Or when we just need to go grocery shopping.

    So I was opening one today, and thought about how, with the four vent holes, the lid looked like a button. A really big button. Why would I need a big button? Oooh, a snowman could use a bright plastic button.

    I just happened to have some nylon Amy Cord for the "threads;" it only takes a few inches. That should be durable enough for the wet outside.

    I'm only assuming that the thin cover edges should insert and stay easily in packed snow. Hopefully someone out there will be willing to test them for me and take pictures -- I'm very curious, and I'll send you my set, since I've no use for them!
    01/29/08 08:44 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    A Couple Ideas...
    ...from my feeds that I like:
  • Mini Yip Yip Martian. We've been watching the Old School Sesame Street DVD's, so this is even more timely.
  • Matryoshka needle case from a Kinder Surprise egg. I'm pretty sure I've got a vending machine bubble or two squirrelled away in a reuse bin somewhere, and my needles are needing a nifty nest.

    • 01/20/08 08:10 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Candy Box Mirrors
    When I saw this Sunburst Mirror project on the Sunset magazine blog, I'd also just been thinking about Valentine's crafts, and the two ideas got together in my brain and had babies.

    I did prime those little wooden hearts into what I thought was submission, but, even though I also gave them a good five coats of red, the coverage still isn't perfect. And the glue issues, oi! Don't use wood glue. Sobo seems to be keeping the hearts on for now (the mirrors have felt secure from the get-go with an Aleene's Platinum adhesive made for slick surfaces). It's also clear I need to work on my bow-tying; my results are always disgustingly hit-or-miss.
    01/15/08 10:37 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    More Fun with Spray Paint
    Yesterday I made a functional box pretty, too. It was an easy and satisfying little project.
    01/02/08 02:09 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Two Tweets in One
    I've been feeling a little crafty, so for today (one down, 364 to go, wooooo!), I've got a pic up on Flickr of a quick reuse tidbit I threw together in about a minute a couple of days ago. It's just a pretty spent gift card, one of those bleeping AmEx snail spam magnets, and craft glue.

    Everyone is on to deer or squirrels or maybe even something else now, and, while of course I love those things, I'll always be a bird fanatic first. Bird + magnet + Target + reuse = happy Jennie. At least until Jennie burns dinner and fills the house with grease smoke, and becomes grumpy and annoyed and needs wine.

    Tomorrow, look for another little reuse project I finished today.
    01/01/08 07:58 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Advent-ure!!!
    Over the years, we've collected a lot of small tins. Altoids, Velamints, Penguin mints, travel candles -- the usual suspects. I decided to gather them from their various drawers, boxes, and purses, and make an Advent calendar. Something that could be used year after year.

    The transformation required:
  • twenty-four assorted small tins
  • one can of white spray primer
  • four cans of decorator enamel spray paint (RustOleum American Accents Satin, in Colonial Red, Aqua, Soft Wheat, and Seaside Green)
  • two packages of adhesive tagboard numbers
  • Coordinating 1/4" wide satin ribbon for the lid rims (which are maddeningly difficult to get good spray coverage on, mainly near the hinges; you can kind of see why here). I did also need one short length of 1/8" wide -- amazingly I had just the piece in the exact color I needed -- for one particularly thin-rimmed lid
  • glue for the ribbon
  • twenty-four small traditional Bulldog clips (the more modern black ones just won't cut it)
  • very strong epoxy for the clips
  • felt and glue for lining (maybe next year)


    • It might be worthwhile to give them a coat of matte clear -- the numbers definitely won't last forever on their own, and this is one project that I'd prefer to give many years of use. Luckily I already have a can of this, purchased for Halloween projects.

    Originally I'd intended to hang them from an elasticised ribbon meant for hooking over a door and attaching greeting cards with tiny gilded clothespins. But the tins didn't look quite right hanging sideways, and then there were tempted small hands to consider. I like them much better clipped above our sliding patio door, even if it's impossible to get a good photo there! They could also be clipped to a long, thin painted dowel or other strip of wood. Or epoxy very strong magnets to the backs, and just stick them to the fridge.

    It doesn't show well, but near the end of the calendar, I had to get a little more "creative" with the digit pairings. Sure, I could've gone to Michael's and picked up a third package of numbers, but that didn't really seem in the spirit of the thing, so I made do.

    Day 24 is a Twining's Tea Tin much larger than the others, and, even though I did attach a clip to it, it's too unwieldy to hang right. So it can sit on the ledge above the other numbers, serving as a placeholder to remind us which day we're on.
    11/29/07 08:18 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Paper, Printer, Scissors, Glue
    3D paper art from Canon Europe.

    Craftown looks like fun for rainy day midget fun. And, nearly finished with a complete 1-7 Rowling re-readthrough, the snowy owl seems like an appropriate project.
    11/20/07 11:03 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Bauble Babble
    I've been watching parts of certain episodes of Beads Baubles & Jewels on PBS. In the past, I've had a hard time sitting through shows dedicated to one art or craft, but it's so much different now that I can record via DVR. Shwoop! just skip right through the less useful segments.

    Anyhow. This is the kind of topic that makes television really invaluable. I mean, it's nice to have a book on hand with clear diagrams, or a class. But if there's a technique you don't quite understand, there's not much better than a big-screen closeup that can be saved and replayed until you do.
    11/19/07 08:37 PM in Crafts , TV  |  Comments


    Perfect Day
    Well, my knitting and crocheting is at a dead standstill, but if you're like 75% of the blog world, yours isn't. So take a look at Sarah's brand-spanking-new shop of beautiful hand-dyed yarns and accessories, Perfect Day Yarns (and didn't Phaedra do a lovely design job, too?). Check out the blog, too, where you can enter her Grand Opening Contest! New ventures are so exciting.
    11/15/07 08:34 AM in Crafts , Link  |  Comments


    Iris Folding References
    Iris folding involves strategically taping strips of folded paper beneath a cutout shape to create a dimensional pattern within it, reminiscent of a quilt. I just learned about it yesterday, and now I'm intrigued. Origami papers are one of my favorite craft items to browse, and now I'll be able to put some to good use. And my scrap ribbon drawer might finally get an overdue cleaning-out, too.

    How to create your own patterns at Circle of Crafters

    Video demonstration on YouTube (parts a and b)

    Some very pretty Asian-themed examples at Oriental Stamp Art

    And of course Flickr is a gold mine of projects.
    11/07/07 11:15 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Swap Box
    I haven't done a lot of Artist Trading Card swapping (quite honestly, mine haven't been that terrific so far, but I'm working on that), but I have collected enough that I wanted to keep them together. I was tempted to buy a hard trading card case at Toys r Us when I shopped for plastic protector sleeves there, but only briefly before I set to thinking about making my own.

    As it turns out, an insert box from a certain large, assorted package of feminine hygiene product fits the cards almost perfectly, and there's just enough cardboard there to cut out a fold-down lid. I covered the sides with some adhesive fabric I found as part of a cardmaking kit at Big Lots (cheap!), the button came from my button jar and some long-ago shirt, and the elastic closure was saved from some kind of hyperpackaging.

    It doesn't have a dragon on it, but I think it'll do just fine for me.

    After the holidays I plan on joining swap-bot for some ATC trading action. Eventually, I may just need more cases.
    11/05/07 08:09 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    More Skeleton Fun
    Even if I didn't make Daniel's costume (we're re-playing the Old Navy monkey from last year, since it fits, and he wants to), I thought I might inject at least a little home-grown creativity into his trick-or-treating tomorrow. So I whipped up this little skeleton bag. Just the right size for him, and he's really into cute little skellies right now.

    Super easy and inexpensive, and it took less than two hours start to finish.
    10/30/07 06:13 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Little Skelly
    Thanks to Sewing Stars, Daniel and I had some fun this morning making a cute little paper skeleton for our Halloween-less hallway!

    I didn't have any brads, so I connected the pieces with a needle and embroidery floss. Which makes him a little more jiggly than poseable, but we like him all the same. I covered both sides with clear Contact paper before cutting out the parts, for durability.

    Daniel likes Skelly so much, I've promised to make another later just for him!
    10/20/07 10:49 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Tisket Tasket
    Yesterday we came home with a big eleventh-hour summer berry haul from our favorite local organic farm. Some for eating, some for freezing (both pureed and halved), and some made into frozen yogurt and berry pops (the bub had a great time with one in the bathtub today!).

    And then we were left with a bunch of green plastic baskets. There are some really terrific ideas for reusing them at make-stuff, though.
    08/30/07 06:28 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    More Fun With Beads
    In a hurry to ship, I didn't take a photo of my last set of jewelry, but happily Sarah did!

    I fell so much in love with those swirled glass beads while working with them, that I really need to get some for myself.
    08/02/07 02:12 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    More Like 1983
    Yup, I'm going back to fifth grade (humming John Mayer lyrics the whole time much?), and you can, too. Dioramas were my super-favorite school projects, hands down. Rock.
    05/14/07 06:47 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    No, I Won't Be Skewering His Toys!
    Do you have those sites? You know, the ones that you'll read if you think about it, but just haven't been driven to bother with adding it to your feeds. And then one day, one day, there's a post that makes it completely imperative that you read it ALL the TIME?

    DIY hood ornament was mine, today. Hee.
    03/11/07 04:23 PM in Crafts , Link  |  Comments


    Christmas Knit Magic
    I knit a wreath! The colors are a lot more flattered by natural light, but that's at a premium these days, and I needed to get this post in before my coach turned into a pumpkin and all, so. Don't know that I'm happy with that bow.

    I knit two balls of Patons Twister (on sale at Michael's, serendipity) into a tube with the Mattel Knit Magic; this was the perfect amount, and left me with enough give for a little bunching. Then I sliced an opening into an 8" extruded foam wreath form, slipped the tube over it like a sausage casing, electrical-taped the foam ends back together (we have a gazillion things in the house, but not one of them duct tape? must correct that), and sewed the tube ends together. And voila.

    Kind of a cheatsy project to the purists out there, perhaps, but it was a satisfying little thing to make. And it's all soft and scrunchy and pettable, for all its hard extruded core.
    12/15/06 11:09 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Knit Lite
    I admit, I've fallen almost entirely away from knitting. I'm going to whip up a skinny scarf on my vintage Knit Magic sometime this week, and that'll pretty much be the most productive thing I'll have done all year (even if what I have finished on that sweater so far was way more labor intensive).

    But, damn, these lighted needles are just the bee's knees.
    12/13/06 04:25 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Artsy Fartsy
    I've been at the cheap canvas & fabric "art" again, this time on the landing between floors. A blisteringly boring spot beneath the skylight that needed a little punch.

    Which this photo does not illustrate well. Should've planned ahead and shot earlier. It'll do for now.

    ETA: Ah, natural light from above, that's a little better.
    11/17/06 10:58 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Shiny
    I finally ordered a needle case for myself! My mom liked hers so well.

    Now if that, along with having a great pattern, doesn't offer up a proper impetus to pick up those needles, I don't know what will.
    08/19/06 03:29 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    You Know You Want It
    I barely pick up a needle these days, but I'd be remiss if I didn't introduce you to Spring's yummy hand-painted yarns.
    06/28/06 04:27 PM in Crafts , Link  |  Comments


    Preparing to Indoctrinate the Geekdom Early
    I'm having quite a time locating a pattern for a plain peasant shirt and breeches (and cap?) in size 2T. The Folkwear pattern set would work, but for some reason, the shirt pattern only goes up to 15 lbs. (???), and I don't trust myself to size it up. I wonder what kinds of ghastly lopsided things would come out of my machine if I just used his clothes to draw my own patterns?

    ETA: Okay, I'm blind. I was looking at the wrong piece on the yardage chart. The tunic does come in sizes 2 and 4. Rock.
    04/03/06 09:31 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Consider it a PSA
    Perfectionism + large sheet of Con*Tact paper + hormonal instability + WW(complete and utter lack of chocolate) = $#%&^%!!!

    And this concludes our short streak of hating on material things.
    04/02/06 09:23 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Little Round Crutch
    I'll admit it: the thought of knitting "round" things like socks and hats frightens me. Probably because in four years, I didn't make it past the scarf stage; Sacramento just never really felt like a good place to knit. Petaluma has a real fall and does, so, once again inspired and motivated by the chill, I am visiting my friendly LYS (I'm a JoAnn's-lovin' LYS virgin! Heathen!) next week so that I might finally make The Coif - still not round.

    So I was thinking about these Flexilooms. They remind me of those little potholder-weaving looms, unintimidating enough to get me past this bump. Have you seen them? Have you tried them?
    12/09/05 09:16 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Knit Magic Redux???
    Hey, lookee what I bumped into entirely by accident! So cute. The basic machine design looks similar to the vintage machine - I wonder if they've made any improvements to the function?
    11/07/05 02:08 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Halloweenies
    I've posted more in the Reusablog, but, as promised, here are the Bat, Cat, and Duck! I made yesterday.
    10/19/05 08:34 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    The Gen X Tupperware Party
    Slowly picking up the in-vogue Mandatory Mom Hobby - scrapbooking. I've actually been accumulating bits and bobs since well before leaving Michigan, but never really got off the ground. Now that it seems to be an excellent way to get out and socialize (my favorite kind of event - hands busy and something crafty to talk about, as opposed to just staring at each other while trying to be interesting), I've got no excuse not to pick it up.

    It's easier for me to consider it now, too, what with a plethora of lines that aren't terribly froufy-cutesy. Though I'll admit that Daniel's first year book is going to be fairly precious.

    And, after two years, it's about time I put my little investment to use.

    Update: I dug up the first (and only) layout I did, for the Jennie and D. book, back in '03. It's not too bad for a first attempt, methinks.
    05/12/05 12:03 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Bub-terior Design
    Needed curtains for Daniel's room, preferably a springy green. As you know, we've got, well, KMart, and I've been feeling too lazy to drive up to Target. They have lots of neat cafe curtains, and pretty patterned sheers, and neutral linens, but not anything nearly fun enough for a bub room (aside from some splashy Joe Boxer stuff aimed at teens - girls, mostly). And I would've paid about twenty-five bucks for two panels.

    So I found a twin sheet I liked, light green with a darker green box pattern. I could only get it in a set, but, still - that was only thirteen dollars. The flat is enough for two perfect panels and then some; just a rod pocket for each, a couple of side hems, and vi-ola. He can use the fitted sheet and pillowcase on his first real bed.

    Now I just have to lug the Pfaff in from the garage and finish them.
    04/20/05 10:25 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Curses
    Just when I needed something new for the walls.
    02/09/05 07:23 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    If Only it Didn't Come With the CD
    Hey, new reuse project! It's as if the dead has risen. Sort of.

    One of my boards talked about a handmade card exchange (not that it ever happened... but I digress). I had a handful of these chipboard Popular Internet Provider CD mailers just waiting to be liberated from their pathetic and embarassing lives. I carefully peeled off the laminated paper covering, and lightly sanded down all the sides and sharp edges and corners. The nice craft-glued stripes are courtesy a Target tissue box, and the George Eliot autumn poem and color pic are printed on glossy photo paper and 3-D Zotted inside.

    Still trying to figure out how to hinge the lid to the box (the paper covering had been holding them together before). Possibly gluing a couple of pieces of reused ribbon at the top may work.
    11/06/04 07:30 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Knit Magic Redflux
    Someone found one of my posts about the Mattel Knit Magic, and asked if I might scan and send the instruction manual, which I was more than happy to share. Then I thought that it might be useful to others who got hold of the machine without manual, so I posted it for posterity here removed it when someone else wasn't happy with my blatant abuse of copyright law, but found you an alternate source - in nasty, poorly-executed .pdf, but at least straight from the horse's mouth.
    07/02/04 05:03 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    It Takes Chipboard to Raise a Village
    Luckily we have a Utrecht in town; I need to call and find out if they have thin chipboard in stock. Because I certainly don't want 40 pieces for my little project. Got the issue of Living with the templates, fun fun.

    Also have to find some decent chenille stems to make trees and reindeer. Is it possible to find bags of stems that aren't assorted colors? Must get me to a Michael's, the last resort. I'm itching to work on this stuff now, because the pre-holiday months will probably be a little hectic. To say the least.

    (Yes, one of these days I promise I'll get around to cleaning up my blucky, unorganized archives, and get the pre-MT stuff back out. No excuse, except I don't want to.)
    04/13/04 06:15 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Bugknits
    When I barely have enough patience for a full-sized infant piece, along comes nano-knits. My eyes are going buggy just thinking about it. Via MetaFilter.
    02/22/04 03:48 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Bubble-Brite
    It's really too early (late?) to be talking about Christmas, but remember that I didn't get to have one this year. My family hasn't been together for a proper holiday since, oh, 1998, so this one will have to be extra shiny.

    My mom used to have a tabletop bubble tree. Every year, she'd set it up on whatever flat surface we had free at the time - TV cabinet, endtable, buffet - surrounded by angel hair snow and a tiny glowing Alpine village, complete with Santa's sleigh and bottle brush trees. The set was regarded with much more reverence and ceremony than the "big tree." Sadly, it disintegrated a couple of years ago, being just brittle old plaster.

    So how excited was I to see a reasonable facsimile at Christopher Radko? The joy! I'll be watching eBay like a hawk. How nice to be able to carry on a silly little family tradition. I've already got plans for my own cardstock village (I've tracked down a copy of the December 2000 Living - it has patterns and instructions in lieu of the too-expensive kit at Martha Stewart).
    02/17/04 10:10 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    New Skin for Satan
    So have you received the new style AOL CD mailer case? Very sharp, I'll give them that. Kind of a pressboard flip-top square that closes flush into a very clean box. Many applications, I'm sure. I'm in the process of peeling off the shiny-shiny laminate dreck now.
    02/12/04 08:56 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Jennie Sew? Ugh.
    Did you see the adorable fleecey kitty scarves! The picture on the site really does them no justice; they were so much cuter on the show. It made me really want to have a girl, until I figured how easy it'd be to make puppies, too - just add floppy ears and a pink tongue, maybe change the head shape a bit.

    Assuming I could get my butt off the couch long enough to do anything that constructive. I've become extremely lazy the past few weeks. Which I'm chalking up to this *unbelievable* fatigue, the usual February blahs, the loss of a schedule to keep me in line - and the full realization that, for a good many years down the road, being alone with a cup of (decaf!) coffee and a book will be a thing of the past!
    02/10/04 10:39 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Curtainly
    I'd originally purchased three yards of this fabric to make a tablecloth for our dining room table. But now we have a smaller built-in table off the kitchen (this will soon be the source of bigger, weirder news for the great room, stay tuned), and the colors don't match our new scheme, so I'm using it to make some fun grommeted valances for the kitchen, instead.

    Now I just have to get my pukey butt to JoAnn's, the only place I've been able to find grommet pliers around here. My little eyelet punch wouldn't have enough oomph for the job.
    01/16/04 08:28 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Hide Those Piles!
    Sauder now has a line of crafter's cabinets. My favorite is the one they've pictured in the Bee, which they don't seem to show on the Sauder site...
    12/01/03 01:23 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    The Golden Age
    I'm too keyed up to say anything instructive or amusing. Obviously. Maybe you can review my old ornament project page. You know, from when I used to do stuff, instead of just whine. Fa la la la la!
    11/14/03 06:35 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Burn
    I attempted a soy candle this weekend. Microwaveable soy chips are so easy - just melt 'em down in a small frozen dinner tray, mix in the color and scent, and pour it into the (reused!) glass. It didn't turn out too badly for a first try, I guess.

    I didn't add quite enough wax or color (I was going for a rich brown). I used vanilla scent, but decided at the last minute to add some cinnamon, which, as I should have suspected, mostly dropped to the bottom of the candle. Which looks kind of neat - better than in the picture - though. It still smells good, kind of autumny.

    I was told that soy burns cleaner and longer. It does seem to burn clean, but I'm beginning to believe that the only reason it burns longer is because it burns so poorly. Unless I'm just using a bad wick.
    10/28/03 08:08 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    90 Degree Scarf
    My first official Knit Magic thing. I would've worked harder for better pictures, but my neck was sweating within seconds. Owning scarves in Sacramento may just be stupid.

    Lessons learned:
  • My machine seems to like cheap cotton yarn the best. I tried chenille, but the hooks kept getting snagged in it. Simple synthetics were okay, but the less fuzzy the better.
  • I should've gone six inches longer.
  • Skinny scarves look best on very skinny people. Or maybe with a coat instead of capri pants and sandals.
    • 09/26/03 06:15 PM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Vintage Toy Lust Slaked for the Moment
    I received my Mattel Knit Magic Wednesday, whee! The only disappointment is that it doesn't handle fussy or nubby yarns - only my straightforward acrylics and cottons so far. The needles choke on anything else.

    If the cats love my knitting needles, they adore this. That long, quickly-moving yarn hanging there just for their enjoyment. At first I couldn't figure it out, why the tension would suddenly increase, then decrease. Ah, quick little Elli paws under the table.

    Does anyone know what happened to yesterdayland.com? I went there to look for the Knit Magic, and it's just gone. Tragedy! At least there are archives.
    09/12/03 06:19 AM in Crafts  |  Comments


    Everyone Else is Knitting, So Why Can't I?
    Did you see Jessa's beautiful blanket?

    And, look - a scarf of Ellen's has become famous... it gets a mention in the September issue of Library Journal! As part of the Fall reads cover story, specifically the part about Debbie Stoller's new knitting book. Sadly, I can't subscribe to LJ, and neither can anyone else in my poor little library circle. If you have a copy you can part with, Ellen would love you forever! Or at least be really grateful.

    Addendum: Lori finished Sitcom Chic! Awesome.

    Meanwhile, the cotton scarf I began last year is still sitting in my canvas bag, waiting for fall t.v.
    09/03/03 04:32 PM in Crafts  |  Comments