FO - Hand dyed yarn

Yesterday I dyed some yarn using the Knit Picks Bare Superwash Merino/Nylon yarn I had ordered. After figuring out how I wanted the yarn, I got right to work. At first I was going to have 3 colors in the skein but last minute decided that two would be enough. Using some Kool-Aid, I used 3 packets for the orange (wish I would've used another packet or 2) and 3 packets of LemonAid and 1 packet of Lemon-Lime for the green. It took me longer to prepare the yarn than it did to dye it. Lucky for me, the girls were more interested in playing than helping me. I could just see James coming home to an orange and green kitchen.

Using my daughters chairs I prepared my yarn into 2 skeins. Wrapping the yarn around each "section" a few times then going up to the next "section".

The green section took right to the dye and while it still came out with that "hand dyed splotchyness" (which I love) it still looks great. The orange however, some really absorbed the dye and some parts didn't. It still looks nice though, I just would've liked it a little more solid. There's always next time though.

Then of course hanging it up to dry is always the part that I hate because I want to play with it, knit it up, see exactly how it looks. But patiently I waited (and waited) then finally got too impatient and placed it over my heating vent in the kitchen. K. and L. kept going in there smelling it. (Yes, which brings me to a point to get across, children do not understand why you would want to soak yarn in a sugary goodness drink mix. While they did think that it was cool they were both just puzzled by what I was doing. hhhmmmmm............and they wonder why I hardly ever make this stuff for them and make them drink milk, water, fruit juices and occassionally a soda or two.)

This morning it was all fully dryed and ready for me to wind it all up. It does look really pretty and I can't wait to knit it up to see exactly how it'll look. I'm thinking (finally) the Jaywalker pattern would be great for these. We'll see.

Like Mother Like Daughter

Friday night I was in my craft room trying to work on a project that just all of a sudden came to me. While I was working in there I had to little helpers. While L. and K. were busy cutting up my fabric scraps I noticed K. was trying to put together something. Pretty soon she came to me and asked me if I could sew it together. I told her I had an even better idea and that she could sew it herself. She wanted it handsewn and so after I showed her how to do it, she was off and doing it herself like a little pro (sorry, conceited Mother part coming out).

I was just watching her as she was so focused on what she was doing, and being very careful as to not poke herself with the needle. She did such of a wonderful job and I am so proud of her.

Yesterday

Yesterday was a rather somewhat busy day. Not to busy to the point of exhaustion but just busy enough to keep us going.

When K. got home from school her and L. got a snack and then it was off to do her homework. (I have her do her homework when she gets home from school. I figure that way then it doesn't get forgotten about and she has the rest of the afternoon/evening to play and be a kid.) Her class is reading the story Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night. It's an interesting book, one that I might have to read myself. They go on a camping trip and find a waterfall and all other sorts of exciting things. K. loves to read and I love that she loves to read. I've read to her ever since she was brought home from the hospital 7 1/2 years ago.

After snack was ate and homework was read, we headed upstairs so that I could get back to work. They played dress up and then decided to come join me in my room and color. Now, maybe most children have their crayons still in the box and pick out one, use it, then put it back into the box, but not my girls. When they color, they will literally take up a whole room. Crayons, glue, glitter, paint, markers, paper (tons of it), are spread out all over the place. They need their space to create and imagine a world that they transfer from their mind to their paper. I love children's artwork. I think that it shows us the world through their eyes.

And while they were busy doing a little work of their own, I was busy doing mine. I've made good progress on a project that I'm working on for L. I just have to put it together now and it will be complete.

On this project, it's my first time doing free motion embroidery (I think that's what it is called) and I have to say that, once you get the hang of it, it's really fun to do.

Back in the swing of things

Spending some good quality time today in my craft room. It feels good to be sitting behind my sewing machine again. I haven't stitched anything in almost 2 weeks. Oh, and I have a little assistant. L. is doing very well today helping me out. It's nice. Of course what I'm making today will be for her so I think that's why she wants to help out. Either way, I'll take all the help she has to offer.

Scarf Bag

I have add this tutorial stored on my computer for some time now and being that I was able to find a bunch of craft things that I forgot I had I thought I would go ahead and make it. The tutorial is from Blueprint magazine that I found via fort and field. Once I got my knots just right it was a piece of cake. Took me probably about 5 minutes to make and would be the perfect little project to make before your night out on the town.

Fabric Covered Buttons

Fabric Covered Buttons
Originally uploaded by multicrafty.

My new toy! I'm SO in love with this thing. I've already used up the 2 that came with the kit and am probably going to head back out to the craft store to pick up more. It's SO easy and SO much fun. The only hard part is 1. picking out the fabric, and 2. deciding where exactly you want to place the fabric and what needs to be centered. Other than that, I LOVE IT!

Stitch Markers

I've been really busy this past weekend whipping up a bunch of stitch markers. So many that I am now officially out of supplies that I use to make them. I'm hoping to make it this up coming week to the craft store and pick up more supplies. Once I get more supplies, I'll put up a little tutorial for how to do them. They are, in fact, SUPER easy and just require a small amount of tools and a really big imagination. The possibilities are endless really. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the ones that I did manage to get done.

Here are a few that a made that I put in my new knitting needle case.


a bunch of them together


some pretty red ones


and then my most favorite stitch marker of them all.

(sorry the photo is a little blurry, I had a smidge too much coffee that day.)

Tape Measure Cozy

Tape Measure Cozy
Originally uploaded by multicrafty.

I whipped up this little tape measure cozy today using this tutorial. It is really easy to make. Now I want to make more of them. Looks like I'm going to have to pick up more tape measures next time I'm out at the store.

Yo-Yo

I made my first yo-yo last night using this tutorial. I was SUPER excited with how easy it really was. For some reason I though alot more went into it that it actually was. I am going to make plenty more of these because they make the CUTEST embellishments.

Crafty Weekend

So aside from the fact that I was helping my daughter make her hat in the other post. I was toying around once again with making another brooch/lapel pin. My latest invention turned into me working on it Saturday night while watching "Fun with Dick and Jane" which I have already seen about 4 times but for some reason I love to watch Jim Carrey, his body language is absolutely hilarious to me and while he has played a few serious parts (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Man on the Moon), I just for some reason LOVE to watch him perform.

Ok so on to the reason why I am posting on this 39 degree very windy, very cold April afternoon, so here is my little pic from Saturday night and while I kept feeling as if it was missing something but being tired I retired to bed and then Sunday I was busy with the girls and along with my other household chores, I was busy catching up on a hoopla of laundry.

And today I finally finished it up with the approval of L.. She makes sure that Mommy doesn't make anything that looks crazy or ugly.

The fabric is vintage fabric that my Grandma gave me. The little lacy fabric peeking out from under the green yarn is recycled from a shirt that I use to wear that while I still love it, it has served it's fashion duty for me and is now time to move on. The green yarn is 100% cotton Red Heart yarn that my Grandma gave me, and the button I had in my button box that came in a package of 4 for $0.73 from good ol' Walmart. While it still needs a lapel pin backing which I will pick up right after I pick up Kyla from school it is (in my eyes) complete.

Spool Loom Flower Brooch

I was messing around last night with my Spool Loom by Knifty Knitter and was trying to figure out a way to make a pretty something (I only use it to make I-Cords handles for purses). Well, I finally got it and after adding a button and a pin backing I am quite pleased with it.

My new creation


(showing how I attached the pin backing with just some simple hot glue)


I have made a few more (one using some vintage cotton yarn that my Grandma gave me) and they all just need buttons and pin backings.

It is really super easy and I am going to write up a tutorial tonight (of how I do it, not sure if it's the correct way to do it or not but it works for me).

I am guessing any yarn will work with it. The yarn I used for this one is Sugar n' Cream Hot Pink and the other yarn I used is Red Heart 100% cotton yarn (that my Grammy gave to me).

I dyed!

So I finally joined the bandwagon and got myself some Kool-Aid hand dyed yarn using the tutorial from Stitch n Bitch Nation. After wrapping the skein around the legs of my daughters chairs a couple of different ways I finally got it. I was trying for a variagated skein where the colors are all separate but *clears throat* I forgot the one teeny tiny little detail that THE DYE RUNS. So I just randomly (using my turkey baster) put the color on in the different sections I had tied off.


I used Patons Merino Classic Wool in Natural Marl 3 1/2 oz skein.


It was yarn that I got from my local Goodwill and there were 2 skeins in the package along with a hoopla of other yarn (not to brag but FOR $11.00).


Here is my skein of wool before I hand dyed it:




and here is my skein of yarn after I hand dyed it:


I used Kool-Aid brand Tropical Punch, Grape, and Orange. I used 2 packages for each color and while I am extremely happy with the Tropical Punch and Orange, I am not to fond of the Grape. I think next time I use Grape I am only going to use 1 package of it so that the color is not so concentrated.

New light cover!

My old light covers are completely boring and BLAH! So with a little paint, modge podge, and magazines I turned this:


(this is the other light switch which still needs done but you get the basic idea of what it looks/ed like before)




Into this:


It was SUPER easy and I didnt sand the light switch covers before hand. I just wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove any dust/dirt. Painted the edges first and then Modge Podged the magazine clippings on to it. Let it dry for about an hour or so and then put it back up. Didn't put any protective coating such as polyurathane (sp?) over it but I'm sure if you wanted to you could.

Recycled yarn

I decided that I didnt want this sweater anymore because it didnt fit me properly. So I was going to make a pillow out of it but then decided to see if I could disect it. I was so thrilled when I just kept pulling and pulling and pulling.

Here is the project so far. I still have more to do as you can see.

Another pic: