12 and counting

i've watched this about 12 times and counting at this point. and you should too.
i'm completely blown away and my heart is in a gloopy mess on the floor.

via craftzine

so so perfect

i would make myself it if i thought it might turn out half as, well, lovely.

Joetta Maue

oim noivis.

i have my quilting class tonight.

i am very very excited, extremely curious, and really nervous. Like, I really feel like it's the first day of school. I am not a "class taker" - i hate excercise classes, I do yoga in my own home where no one can make fun of me, i don't drink my coffee in a coffee shop - i do all my "things" in my home, where I am safe from prying eyes and sneery weirdos. and i like it that way. however, i cannot have a professional quilter come to my house and teach me.
(well, i guess i could, but i certainly could not afford it)

$12, tsktsk

anyway, off mohammed went to the mountain.

pinhead

wouldn't these pinwheel-esque thingies make really nice homemade ornaments? just thread a needle with fishing wire or bakers twine, or whatever you want, and poke it through the top, make a loop, and ta-da - ornament-astic.

they are so easy to make and with the floral paper they really come out unique and pretty.

style me pretty did this super awesome tutorial, but after doing it once, it really is easy.


so cute!

a take on a take

so crafting is obviously my number one love, behind my family, friends, animals, manicures, call of duty xbox live, and of course a freshly washed and dried set of white sheets.

not everyone has the time or the interest in the handmade, so taking a break on the actual making of things, i had a look on etsy and found some interpretations of craft itself that left me swooning.

if you are not a crafter yourself, and want that handmade feel in your home,
or if you love to craft and just want more more more,
this is the perfect post for you!



thread print, $30, TheCuriousNomad



framed print, $14, honeylux



knitty, knitty print, $20, ashleyg



sew love you print, $25, JenniferDennisPotter



workside accidents prints, $40, sweetiepie


make do and mend print, $18, farouche


and there ya have it!
a take on a take!

pompom

So now I'm jealous that my husband has cozy hand knit socks to wear on the long plane journey we will be taking tomorrow, so I am furiously trying to knit up a pair for myself!



Gosh, Purlbee really has the best patterns.

Eso sí que es!

so i forgot to post the final cut of my first double pointed needle project (see original post here). I finished it the next day and I guess just forgot. Anyway - i LOVED making those booties. i will absolutely make many more pairs, as any color combination would look great *i was thinking of red and white for xmas booties for my new niece* - but since then i've embarked on larger projects. Yesterday I finished what I consider to be my greatest accomplishment - SOCKS!
(do you remember those radio commercials that encouraged you to learn spanish!? "if you can spell socks you can speak spanish!")

Here is an update on my moccasins:

find pattern here
i used all their recommended yarn - and boy am i glad i did.
it's AMAZING and soft and gorgeous and not that expensive!

anyway here are the eso sí que es!
(please excuse the quality of pictures, I took them with my blackberry)
(also please excuse the pins in the pictures, I was blocking - which i never did until this project for some reason...
my mother thought they were pearl beads haha)
They are technically socks for giving to the homeless.
I first made a pair for my husband, and I will now make 2 pairs for the needy to make up for my selfish beginnings.
Karma, intact.


find pattern here
yarn here

Merry Craftmas

So this Christmas I have endeavored to make almost 100% of my gifts. Of course, with a list of 60 (YES 60, I can't believe it myself) I will most likely not have time to make things of quality without repetition for every single person. Luckily, I've already begun and have gotten through a good chunk of my list.

Helping me along the way is my collection of amazing craft, sewing and knitting books and patterns. I've bought these books over the course of the last year, when my interest in the handmade has gone from purchasing to creating them myself. These books, however, are not cheap, so the wonderful STC Craft site has given the gift of 20 free patterns for holiday crafting.

If you, too, are a "maker", you will love all these patterns that are perfect for gift giving - men, women, and children alike - or for keeping for yourself. I have the unfortunate sickness of never wanting to make anything twice, and of never committing to make anything for myself. I've made things for my future non-baby that doesn't even EXIST yet, but I can't seem to sit down and make something for myself. So silly.

Anyway, here is the link to the fabulous and generous post by STC Craft. And if you've never made anything - here is a good way to dip your toes in the water!

From a once ultimate consumer, I am now a dedicated crafter (gosh I wish there was a different word for it, crafter seems so - how do i put it - "quirky buttons" to me) and am more fulfilled than I have ever been in my entire life. Giving someone something you have put your time, care, and heart into is more gratifying and long lasting than anything you could ever buy. There are tons of simple and quick projects (even baking cookies and packaging them nicely) that make people smile and feel special instantly.

pumpkinhead

halloween is really super close and i'm super excited. one of the nice things about halloween, is the pumpkins - they are nice to see and to eat!
another nice thing bout them pumpkinz is they are also applicable at thanksgiving, so any leftover pumpkin crafts or items you have laying around can be used to decorate a table, vignettes, etc, etc......

i've been looking for a nice knitting pumpkin pattern so i can make a few for my mom for her thanksgiving table (she doesn't read this, so it makes no matter)... and finally after browsing the ultimate resource - craftig - i found one from lavendarlime knits!

these are so cute!

click here for pattern

it's just that kind of day.

pretty pretty princess

allthemountains

oooooooh

I think this is SO COOL!

YARN CRAWL!!!

there is a yarn crawl through 14 of New York's yarn and knitting shops, beginning on Friday, Oct. 9 and ending on Monday, Oct. 12.

There are lots of great promotions and discounts going on and I am definitely going to participate in one way or another.

click on the image below for details!

hell to the yea!

i did it!

so easy i just took so long to actually get off my coolie to do it!



i am so happy and feel so accomplished!

plus, i LOVE it!

i bought that shabby piece of crap last year at the flea market
thinking i'd re-paint and re-upholster right away, but of course
i just kind of ignored the project until today.

all you need is a piece of crap, a bucket of paint, some fabric, a staple gun,
and about an hour and a half of some free time!

yay!

iphoto

So I don't do tutorials. not because I don't have them in my brain, it's cause I simply make something, forget to photograph it, and don't feel like re-doing it all just to show it off.

however, OTHER people do great tutorials.
this being one of them.

I've never been a "photo book" kind of person. I just organize my photographs (not that there is any such thing anymore: fail) into boxes and go through them when i'm feeling nostalgic. But this seems like a great way to be a photobook person if I ever were to become one!

Imagine - our children, when flicking through their baby pictures won't be sitting on the floor looking through dusty boxes like we do - there is such pleasure in that. They will be slouching in a desk chair, clicking arrows on a keyboard. I am 100% for ayo-technology however, what is there to be nostalgic about now?
miley cyrus?
i dont think so.
Popples! That's the shit I'm talking about!

If you are feeling the same way as me. and would like to create a solid representation of life, not just something with a power button - this is a cheap and easy tutorial to make a photo book (a good gift) without it being the average plastic cover junk.

freckled nest tutorial
found via thimble

put some heart into it, people!

tape measure

Last night I purchased some really awesome deco tape - which is something I've been wanting for a while, and oddly, considering its like the cheapest thing ever, I haven't yet brought myself to purchase.

Alas, after a few glasses of wine and some Xbox Live Call of Duty (no one ever accused me of being cool) I dared to take the plunge!

here's what i got below:

i also got this lil guy for good measure:

visit missmacau on etsy for all things adorable

i bought it so i can make cool things like this:
image via ohhellofriend

holy moly

this woman will never ever cease to amaze me.

i may be crafty, but i would NEVER think of this.

this DIY is truly truly GENIUS.

click here for project from justsomethingimade

AMAZING!

fiddy cent

i'm fifty percent done! i did it! it's not perfect, but i'm very pleased with the first half of my endeavor! the only thing left to do is booty numba 2 and then decor.

yay!

Mocca Mocca

So I've gotten pretty decent at knitting. I still have a crazy crazy amount to learn obviously, and one of those things is knitting socks. Obviously knitting a sock is a knit-of-passage, so i must must must learn it or i'm just a poser. well, i'm probably a poser anyway, but i'd like to be authentic in one part of my life. i've knit booties with 2-needle patterns, however, i've never knitted on double pointed needles.

until today.
i have officially started my first double pointed needle project!!!

it is going alright so far, and i'm already proud just for starting. i've wanted to make the infamous purlbee baby mocs for a long time, so i am pretty excited to do these.


if you knit i suggest you make them as they are the most badass things ever.

and if you don't knit you should learn!

it's the best hobby in the world!




purlbee moc's pattern

any way the wind blows

so i took on what seemed to be a simple task, however, massively annoying and time consuming things come in deceivingly small packages.

winding my embroidery floss.

yea.

however, the result is totally worth the cost.

dearest vl

my dearie dear friend vanidha is moving back to la this week and we are all beyond devastated and sad. so we had a lovely quiet dinner (liz made great shrimpz) and I made these blue ribbons of awesomeness for her!

VL's # 1!!!!