Some of My Latest Projects

Let's see what I've been up to these last couple days:


Pretty twig spray painted gold and hanging with a red ribbon.




Basic faux leather iPod sleeve with flannel lining for my guy.




Working on a priest-style stole for a friend's wedding. Paper cranes!




Up all night on this one: reversible messenger bag with side pocket.




Hope these provide some good inspiration!

A Manly Valentine: Introducing the Malentine

Now is the time to answer the age old question: what do you give a guy for Valentine's day? It better not be all sappy and pink and heart-shaped! OK so here is my solution, parts one and two. Part one is the card. Although I managed to slip in a tiny heart, here is my end result, painted on heavy duty watercolor paper, then folded in half.



Simple. Gets the point across. You wouldn't believe how long I spent trying to choose a font. That I could hand draw. And still looks good (not like scribble). After a very serious hour-plus, I finally settled on what I call the e.e. cummings. This font has a real way of bringing out the awwwe. Watercolor, rubber stamp (thanks to Walmart's amazing dollar bin), and pen and ink.

Part two is the jewelry. It was inspired by a cute bracelet I came across somewhere on the internet for an outrageous price. I would post the link, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it. Anyway... I made a set: one for him and one for her (AKA: me.) Because we go together like peas and carrots, I decided that was appropriate verbage. I was/am so excited to be using my new metal stamps!


Here is a pic of another bracelet I made of a similar style. Notice this one is shrinky-dink rather than metal, and has no clasps but just a knot instead. I post this photo to demonstrate what they look like on a wrist, and how they are intended to be worn. But of course creativity is always encouraged in my house, and if Ben wants to wear h is bracelet wrapped once around his head or wrapped ten times around his big toe, I don't care, as long as he keeps it creative :)

Striped Variegation Scarf

It's high time I posted an original pattern on here for you friends. Here it is: my personal, simple, yet somewhat tedious pattern for an amazingly awesome scarf. This utilizes a double knit approach while only requiring that you carry one strand of yarn at a time (score one for the clumsy!) The double knit is necessary in order to make the stripes only one row each. For a much simpler variation, you could make the stripes two rows each, do the whole thing in stockinette stitch, fold in half, and seam up the side. This version involves no seams. Sweet, huh? It's more work though. Each visible row is secretly two rows stitched (front and back) and for each stitch made, there is secretly one stitch slipped, thus 4 times the work for a usual row. Yikes! It takes longer than you might expect at a glance. But the awesome color change effect is SO worth it.This is also a good choice for a guy. (Just make sure there's no pink in the color gradation. Sometimes those girly colors have a way of slipping in there! Or maybe your guy is into pink. That is a tribute to his masculinity, and we ladies should embrace that, for sure! But I digress...) Here is my gender-neutral Striped Variegation Scarf:By using two completely different variegated yarns, we get a really cool effect. Well actually the yarns are self-striping and not at all variegated. But then what excuse would I have to use the word "variegated?" Another option would be to use two skeins of the same variegated yarn, but starting at different points in the color scheme. The colors will move in and out of each other in interesting ways.

Striped Variegation Scarf

Materials:
1 skein your favorite self-striping yarn (color A) (The yarn I used was blue/green)
1 skein your second most favorite self-striping yarn (color B) (The yarn I used was jewel tones)
appropriately sized knitting needles

Instructions:
using color A, cast on 40 stitches (for a scarf that will be 20 stitches wide. Adjust more or fewer as necessary.)
row 1:
using color A, *slip to purl, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
row 2:
Switch to color B. *slip to purl, k1, repeat from * to end of row. Switch to color A.
repeat rows 1 and 2 until you reach desired length (75 inches is about standard).
Cast off two stitches at a time. Pull ends to the inside.

tips:
~The finished scarf is essentially a tube, so any mistakes or ties can just be worked in to the purl side, and will disappear to the inside of the tube. The is the same inside where you can pull the ends. No need to weave them in. Yay!
~Be careful to keep a consistent tension on the yarn when you hit the ends of the rows, as they may not come out straight on the finished product if the yarn is too loose or too tight. My scarf is a little bit wobbly on the sides, but some stretching and blocking an they disappear more or less. Also remember, non-knitters completely don't notice this stuff!
~ when switching yarns, I strongly recommend picking up the new color from UNDERNEATH the old color every time. This will cause some amount of twisting, which will later have to be untwisted occasionally throughout the project, but it is totally worth it. The result is a smoother transition of color and the appearance of one perpetual stripe of color going round and round and round the scarf, with no indication of color switches. How professional!