Friday, February 29, 2008
Crochet for Charity
I have been thinking...I like to crochet, but really, how much stuff can I honestly make for myself and those around me? So, I have been researching charity crochet projects. I found a pattern for a 10 minute Crochet Preemie Hat that I decided to try out. It was quick, not 10 minutes quick, but close enough. This is the finished project. The deck of cards if there for size. I thought to myself that I made it too small...stretched lightly it's 10 inches, unstretched it's 9. So I find this size chart at Touching Little Lives and I guess it's not too small after all. I think that I'll work on several of these, then donate them to local hospitals.
A Couple Things...
I am a part of a CAL (crochet-along) which does 12 inch afghan squares. I like it. It forces me to try squares I wouldn't otherwise do, and learn techniques I might not learn otherwise. We are given 1 square to complete per month, but most do at least 2 or 3 squares. With 2 months over, I have 11 squares done. Yeah, I got a little obsessive about it, but I have learned a lot doing it. I just completed 1 square that I'm not sure I'll keep, but it was interesting to make. It originally was made in thread as a bedspread. No way in hell I have the patience to do that, but the website that referred me stated that, in yarn, it made a 12 inch square. Eh, I figured, why not try it. I had trouble with the directions on a couple rounds, but I eventually figured them out. This is the result. It is perfectly 12 inches square. The waviness is due to the fact that I needed to move the square to get a picture (more light needed) and didn't think to flatten out the square as well as I did before. I really wish I had a better picture, but since I killed my camera, I am using a borrowed cam. The center rose sits up quite a bit and is thick, so I don't know if I'll use it or not. If I decide not to use this square, I'm probably going to donate it to Project Linus or one other charity like that.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Well, I did it...
I've been "online" since 1999, but always looked at blogs as something that I would never do. I just wasn't into it. So, nearly a decade later, here I am, with my first blog. I've decided that I needed somewhere to post my crafty stuff, vent about things that are irritating me, and share good news. Do I honestly think that anyone other than me will read this? Nope, not at all. I'd be shocked if my blog was read by more than 1 or 2 people in a years time. I just hope that I don't ignore it.
Unfortunately, just as I'm ready to add pictures here, my good digital camera gets broken. Stupid me knocked it off the counter and onto the non-carpeted floor. Sooooo......I have 2 other digitals, one of which has no batteries, and the battery door is broken off (thanks to an inquisitive 2 year old) and one that the hubby has lost the battery charger to. Oy vey. This is typical, he never puts things away where it belongs. I really need to go through the desk drawers and look for it tomorrow. Wish me luck, it's a jungle in there.
A little about me. I'm 31, well I'll be 32 in May. I've lived most my life in the Southern Californian High Desert, which I really don't mind. We do have 3 seasons at least. I like the cold, but I'm not too crazy about the heat. Nothing like the heat in Phoenix where I lived for a year. That is just insane. I'm married, and have 2 girls, one that just turned 3 in January, and the other was born in January of this year. Funny thing is, they both had the same due date.
I am learning to belly dance, which I have wanted to learn for as long as I remember. Am I good at it? I think I'm not too bad actually. I'll probably never perform, but it's fun. I also love going to renaissance faires. I worked one year at an ale stand, and with that I could again. It's just not in the cards right now. Too much going on, especially with a new baby. I'm a member of the Wenches Guild, #2524.
While I was pregnant, I really wasn't interested in sewing, which I really do like to do. I wanted to make myself another Victorian corset, but with an ever-expanding belly, that wasn't something that I could do at the time. So, I picked up a hook and learned how to crochet. I had tried before, but those learn to crochet books didn't cut it. I could not learn how from them. I did find a site online, www.nexstitch.com, that had videos on how to do various stitches that I learned from. It's perfect. I'm the type of person that can watch someone do something and then do it myself (I learned to spin with a drop spindle this way). The drawings in the book didn't cut it for me. So I crochet now. Lots. But the sewing bug is coming back big time now.
Right now, the next big project is a tribal/belly dance outfit for faire. I'm making a ghawazee vest, pants, skirt, and dreads for it. Hopefully, I'll have time to do this before faire starts in April. Yeah, it's a long time from now, but with 2 kids, working full time, and a hubby that works graveyard (meaning, I'm basically on my own watching them), it might be tough. If it doesn't work out, I have my wench gear to wear:).
Besides that bit of sewing, I have a corset that I made my aunt to finish. It really only needs to have the boning finished, and have the binding put on. She's not working right now, so I'm using duct ties (think really large, thick zip ties) as the boning instead of steel. When she finds a job and gets a steady check coming in, then I'll have her buy steel and I'll replace it.
Well, the baby is waking up, so I better wrap this up.
G'night
Unfortunately, just as I'm ready to add pictures here, my good digital camera gets broken. Stupid me knocked it off the counter and onto the non-carpeted floor. Sooooo......I have 2 other digitals, one of which has no batteries, and the battery door is broken off (thanks to an inquisitive 2 year old) and one that the hubby has lost the battery charger to. Oy vey. This is typical, he never puts things away where it belongs. I really need to go through the desk drawers and look for it tomorrow. Wish me luck, it's a jungle in there.
A little about me. I'm 31, well I'll be 32 in May. I've lived most my life in the Southern Californian High Desert, which I really don't mind. We do have 3 seasons at least. I like the cold, but I'm not too crazy about the heat. Nothing like the heat in Phoenix where I lived for a year. That is just insane. I'm married, and have 2 girls, one that just turned 3 in January, and the other was born in January of this year. Funny thing is, they both had the same due date.
I am learning to belly dance, which I have wanted to learn for as long as I remember. Am I good at it? I think I'm not too bad actually. I'll probably never perform, but it's fun. I also love going to renaissance faires. I worked one year at an ale stand, and with that I could again. It's just not in the cards right now. Too much going on, especially with a new baby. I'm a member of the Wenches Guild, #2524.
While I was pregnant, I really wasn't interested in sewing, which I really do like to do. I wanted to make myself another Victorian corset, but with an ever-expanding belly, that wasn't something that I could do at the time. So, I picked up a hook and learned how to crochet. I had tried before, but those learn to crochet books didn't cut it. I could not learn how from them. I did find a site online, www.nexstitch.com, that had videos on how to do various stitches that I learned from. It's perfect. I'm the type of person that can watch someone do something and then do it myself (I learned to spin with a drop spindle this way). The drawings in the book didn't cut it for me. So I crochet now. Lots. But the sewing bug is coming back big time now.
Right now, the next big project is a tribal/belly dance outfit for faire. I'm making a ghawazee vest, pants, skirt, and dreads for it. Hopefully, I'll have time to do this before faire starts in April. Yeah, it's a long time from now, but with 2 kids, working full time, and a hubby that works graveyard (meaning, I'm basically on my own watching them), it might be tough. If it doesn't work out, I have my wench gear to wear:).
Besides that bit of sewing, I have a corset that I made my aunt to finish. It really only needs to have the boning finished, and have the binding put on. She's not working right now, so I'm using duct ties (think really large, thick zip ties) as the boning instead of steel. When she finds a job and gets a steady check coming in, then I'll have her buy steel and I'll replace it.
Well, the baby is waking up, so I better wrap this up.
G'night
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)