So much for updating regularly. Once a week is still regular, right?
Things have been busy. What can I say? The last 36 or so hours, the girls have had a stomach something-or-other and so I've been doing lots of laundry and cleaning lots of carpeting and patting two lethargic little girls on the head and reassuring them that things will get better.
While doing all that, Tile Man came and preped the bathroom to receive its tile. After 2 years, it's looking like I should have a completely finished bathroom by the end of next week.
And there was much rejoicing!
And, on top of both of those things, I've had some good stuff going on that I don't really want to talk about yet. But it has to do with meeting one of my major crafty goals for the year and will involve quite a bit of work between now and the end of next month. So, I'm not going to have tons to report for the next 6 weeks or so.
I have managed to figure out some of the issues with my camera (Thanks, Michelle!) and my business website should relaunch soon and I should be able to get some more photos up in the next day or two of some more FOs. Namely, a few more adult-sized hats and some baby hats for Afghans for Afghans. And, right now I'm in-progress on my SIL's birthday present. It's another Fat Bottomed Bag from The Happy Hooker, but I'm making it in Peace Fleece this time with a smaller hook. I wasn't all that excited about it to start with, because I couldn't figure out how to embellish this particular color of PF that was the only one I had enough of to make the bag. But then it dawned on me, and I'm totally excited can can't wait to finish it to show it off and really, really want to make another for myself. Ugh.
Pictures soon!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Photos!
Ok, I got some good shots of my finished projects. Still no luck on the stitch markers, but I think I know what the problem is now and will tackle them later.
Ok, the bag:
The Stats:
Pattern: Fat Bottom Bag from The Happy Hooker (the gold version)
Yarn: 2.5 hanks of Cascade Fun in color 0280 used with a thread of white, size 30 crochet cotton.
Hook: I
Other bits and pieces: vintage plastic handles, Pin from Claire's Boutiques ICING line, white fabric scraps for lining.
This project worked up fast and was very easy. Lining was the roughest part, but just because I don't do well with gathers. To cut out the lining, before making the tabs to attach the handles to the bag, I put a piece of folded fabric on my cutting mat, folded the bag in half and laid it down on the fabric, and then used my rotary cutter to cut the fabric about 1/2 of an inch away from the bag edges all the way around. I seamed the bottom "curve" of the fabric, then hemmed the sides and top. Then, I tried to do tucks on one side, but got the measurements a bit off, so for the other side, I just did gathers so I could adjust as I go. And I don't stress about it being different on either side of the lining, because it's just for me and how many people are going to see the inside of my bag?
My only beef with this bag is a minor one, and that's that when you set it down, it flops all over the place and comes open. That's an easy thing to fix, though. I'll be sewing a snap into the lining to take care of that.
I am totally smitten with this bag. I wore jeans and a t-shirt to go to the yarn shop yesterday and I took this bag with me even though it was way more glam than I was. I just love it to bits.
The hat:
Pattern: A free one from Jimmy Beans Wool.
Yarn: A strand of Reynolds Lite Lopi in natural, and a strand of some verigated wool that I have forgotten the name of that I got from Ms. Pink sometime last year. It was leftover from the bag she made for her One Skein swap partner. I ran out of it about 10 yards from the end, so the crown is a strand of the lopi and a strand of SWTC's Optimum in Turquoise. It coordinated, and the motteling made it less noticable.
Needles: 10.5 US
Notes: I only knit 4 rows between the first and second decrease rows, because I knew I was going to be close.
This is a great pattern for bulky wool, or if you want to make a scrappy hat with a couple of strands of worsted. It's very thick and warm, and it worked up in about 2 hours. Maybe 3. It's going off to Afghans for Afghans for their Mother's Day drive.
Ok, the bag:
The Stats:
Pattern: Fat Bottom Bag from The Happy Hooker (the gold version)
Yarn: 2.5 hanks of Cascade Fun in color 0280 used with a thread of white, size 30 crochet cotton.
Hook: I
Other bits and pieces: vintage plastic handles, Pin from Claire's Boutiques ICING line, white fabric scraps for lining.
This project worked up fast and was very easy. Lining was the roughest part, but just because I don't do well with gathers. To cut out the lining, before making the tabs to attach the handles to the bag, I put a piece of folded fabric on my cutting mat, folded the bag in half and laid it down on the fabric, and then used my rotary cutter to cut the fabric about 1/2 of an inch away from the bag edges all the way around. I seamed the bottom "curve" of the fabric, then hemmed the sides and top. Then, I tried to do tucks on one side, but got the measurements a bit off, so for the other side, I just did gathers so I could adjust as I go. And I don't stress about it being different on either side of the lining, because it's just for me and how many people are going to see the inside of my bag?
My only beef with this bag is a minor one, and that's that when you set it down, it flops all over the place and comes open. That's an easy thing to fix, though. I'll be sewing a snap into the lining to take care of that.
I am totally smitten with this bag. I wore jeans and a t-shirt to go to the yarn shop yesterday and I took this bag with me even though it was way more glam than I was. I just love it to bits.
The hat:
Pattern: A free one from Jimmy Beans Wool.
Yarn: A strand of Reynolds Lite Lopi in natural, and a strand of some verigated wool that I have forgotten the name of that I got from Ms. Pink sometime last year. It was leftover from the bag she made for her One Skein swap partner. I ran out of it about 10 yards from the end, so the crown is a strand of the lopi and a strand of SWTC's Optimum in Turquoise. It coordinated, and the motteling made it less noticable.
Needles: 10.5 US
Notes: I only knit 4 rows between the first and second decrease rows, because I knew I was going to be close.
This is a great pattern for bulky wool, or if you want to make a scrappy hat with a couple of strands of worsted. It's very thick and warm, and it worked up in about 2 hours. Maybe 3. It's going off to Afghans for Afghans for their Mother's Day drive.
I'm not a slacker! I swear!
Ok, it's been a few days. I think the whole camera-exploding thing threw me off. And now, I'm having a really difficult time figuring out how to get good shots from our new camera, so I've been spending a lot of time fighting with that. But I've still been knitting and crocheting.
I started and finished a Fat Bottom Bag from The Happy Hooker, designed by Julie Holetz. Click her name and you'll see her website, which opens with a photo of the bag. But mine is made in a totally different yarn, in the "gold bag" style from the book and I can't wait to get a decent shot of it to share, because I luuuuurve it.
Also, I've decided to work through my scrap box and make up some stuff for charity. I started crocheting a hat, ran out of yarn, frogged it, started again with a larger hook because it was so stiff anyway, ran out again, frogged it, and then knit it. I finished it last night while watching a TiVoed 24 and had 1 yard to spare. *phew* Then I cast on for a baby hat and should finish that today.
But REALLY my goal for today is to figure out where in my house/yard I can get proper lighting to make the new camera happy so I can get photos of all those FOs and get the shots I need to relaunch This Is Spiffy!, since that was supposed to happen days ago.
Oh, and also, Crochet Me went live the other day and the response to my Reduction Tote has been so positive and encouraging. Thanks, everyone, for all the warm fuzzies.
Ok, off to fight with the camera!
I started and finished a Fat Bottom Bag from The Happy Hooker, designed by Julie Holetz. Click her name and you'll see her website, which opens with a photo of the bag. But mine is made in a totally different yarn, in the "gold bag" style from the book and I can't wait to get a decent shot of it to share, because I luuuuurve it.
Also, I've decided to work through my scrap box and make up some stuff for charity. I started crocheting a hat, ran out of yarn, frogged it, started again with a larger hook because it was so stiff anyway, ran out again, frogged it, and then knit it. I finished it last night while watching a TiVoed 24 and had 1 yard to spare. *phew* Then I cast on for a baby hat and should finish that today.
But REALLY my goal for today is to figure out where in my house/yard I can get proper lighting to make the new camera happy so I can get photos of all those FOs and get the shots I need to relaunch This Is Spiffy!, since that was supposed to happen days ago.
Oh, and also, Crochet Me went live the other day and the response to my Reduction Tote has been so positive and encouraging. Thanks, everyone, for all the warm fuzzies.
Ok, off to fight with the camera!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Let's talk here, people.
Ok, you all need to learn to crochet.
And not just you, Ms. Pink. I'm talking to all y'all.
Let's discuss:
1. Crocheting is faster than knitting. It's practically instant gratification. Last night, I sat down and crocheted a cotton washcloth in an hour. AN HOUR.
2. It uses 1/3rd more yarn per square inch than knitting. This might sound like a negative, but:
3. Couple 1 and 2 and you get to use more of your fabulous yarns. Which, in turn, allows you to feed your fiber obsession without feeling like a crazy cat woman. And since as far as I know, there is no Yarnaholics Annonymous, there are many out there who need to keep their stash movin'.
4. It is very much in style at the moment. Don't believe me? Check out Interweave Crochet. Or Crochet!(But don't let the yarns they use fool you. They seem to have a knack for hiding good designs under questionably chosen yarns.) Pick up a copy of The Happy Hooker. Oh, and don't forget Crochet Me. FREE, fashionable patterns for all skill levels, yo. Have you seen the new edition? Or old ones, for that matter?
5. You only have one stitch live at a time. If you hook falls out, the whole thing doesn't fall apart before your eyes. Frogging is less stressful. It's easier to transport without worrying about your needles jabbing through your bag or dropping stitches.
6. Crocheted lace? Infinitely easier than knitted lace, if just for the reasons mentioned in #5.
Skeptical? Check out the stores the next time you are there: embelishments, trims, skirts, hats, accessories, sweaters, ponchos, wraps, etc, etc. Despite the fashion industry classifying them all as "knits", much of what you're seeing is actually crochet. I'm not going to say "it's not your grandmother's crochet!" because, you know what? It is. A lot of the stuff out there is based on styles that were around in Grandma's time. They have been tweaked and made in better yarns with up-to-date styles and they are fabulous. Think there is no way for "grandma's" fashions to be brought up to date? What, you think wedges and a-line skirts popped out of a designer's brain, fully-formed, last year? Now, I'm not anti-knitting. In fact, for the last year, the majority of what I've done has been knitting, mainly because it finally clicked and so I've been enjoying the novelty of it. But, crochet is always my first love.
And not just you, Ms. Pink. I'm talking to all y'all.
Let's discuss:
1. Crocheting is faster than knitting. It's practically instant gratification. Last night, I sat down and crocheted a cotton washcloth in an hour. AN HOUR.
2. It uses 1/3rd more yarn per square inch than knitting. This might sound like a negative, but:
3. Couple 1 and 2 and you get to use more of your fabulous yarns. Which, in turn, allows you to feed your fiber obsession without feeling like a crazy cat woman. And since as far as I know, there is no Yarnaholics Annonymous, there are many out there who need to keep their stash movin'.
4. It is very much in style at the moment. Don't believe me? Check out Interweave Crochet. Or Crochet!(But don't let the yarns they use fool you. They seem to have a knack for hiding good designs under questionably chosen yarns.) Pick up a copy of The Happy Hooker. Oh, and don't forget Crochet Me. FREE, fashionable patterns for all skill levels, yo. Have you seen the new edition? Or old ones, for that matter?
5. You only have one stitch live at a time. If you hook falls out, the whole thing doesn't fall apart before your eyes. Frogging is less stressful. It's easier to transport without worrying about your needles jabbing through your bag or dropping stitches.
6. Crocheted lace? Infinitely easier than knitted lace, if just for the reasons mentioned in #5.
Skeptical? Check out the stores the next time you are there: embelishments, trims, skirts, hats, accessories, sweaters, ponchos, wraps, etc, etc. Despite the fashion industry classifying them all as "knits", much of what you're seeing is actually crochet. I'm not going to say "it's not your grandmother's crochet!" because, you know what? It is. A lot of the stuff out there is based on styles that were around in Grandma's time. They have been tweaked and made in better yarns with up-to-date styles and they are fabulous. Think there is no way for "grandma's" fashions to be brought up to date? What, you think wedges and a-line skirts popped out of a designer's brain, fully-formed, last year? Now, I'm not anti-knitting. In fact, for the last year, the majority of what I've done has been knitting, mainly because it finally clicked and so I've been enjoying the novelty of it. But, crochet is always my first love.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
No real update. A video instead.
I have cast on 3 times so far for the linen kitchen sheers. I just am not paying close enough attention to the pattern is all. Do, you know, that makes it slow going.
Since that is all I have to report, I'm linking to a video. It's by Billy Reid. His stuff is hillarious and can be found on YouTube or at Very Tasteful.
Since that is all I have to report, I'm linking to a video. It's by Billy Reid. His stuff is hillarious and can be found on YouTube or at Very Tasteful.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The big finish!
I haven't had any FOs to share lately because they were all sitting and waiting to be lined at the end of the knitathon, or it was the massive and never ending project known as Kai's Blankie.
First, the FOs:
4 iPod sized and 1 Nano sized pouch. Since I started these... uh... last year... we have gotten rubbery iPod covers, so I think these will become notions pouches.
Abby got to pick one of them, because I feel badly that her blankie isn't going to be done for ages and she wants something I made soooooo much
These were inspired by a pattern in the Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting, though I didn't actually use the pattern when I sat down to make them. The nano cozy has a garter border on the edges and for the flap, I just changed from stockinette to seed stitch. They were all knit on tiny needles, though it's been so long I forget the sizes. The larger pouches were made with Sockatta, the green pouch is a cotton yarn from a recycled Gap sweater. They were lined with muslin and have snap closures with a button from the button box on the outside.
The other big FO is the 8-cabeled bag:
My first cabling project. I started this at about this time last year in a class at the LYS. The yarn is hand-dyed 100% wool, dyed by the LYS owner. The pattern she wrote up was horrible--missing steps, wrong row counts, no gauge (which meant having to buy another hank at the last minute, which didn't work for me as she was out of my colors and I ended up frogging one side and reknitting it with the shade closest to what I already had.) I did learn how to cable while in the class, though, so that's all I was after. I just figured out her pattern as best I could and got it to work. I got the lining material a month after I finished knitting it. And then it sat in pieces until the knitathon, when I dug it out and assembled it and lined it. And was reminded once more that the finishing work really isn't as painful as I tell myself.
And, remember, not only did I learn to cable on this project, but I also did my first invisible seam:
Yay!
There is no clasp or snap in this bag yet. I'm not sure if I'm going to put one in. I'm going to live with it for a bit and see how it works and if I don't like it without one, I'll add it later.
Of my remaining UFOs, the one that got the most attention in the last 26 days was Kai's Blankie of DOOOOOM.
Before:
After:
As you can see, I'm another full color repeat and maybe 1/3rd more into it. It's lying on the treadmill if that helps you figure out scale. I thought I only had one more cake of yarn left, but in addition to what is there there is one more cake twice the size. Which is good, because this sucker is way wider than I meant for it to be. If needs be, the stripes will just be vertical instead of horozontal, but I'd like for it to at least be square.
So, that's my big finish to the knitathon. I'm going to be a good girl and continue to plug along on Kai's blankie during any knitting time I may have today, but then tomorrow I'm casting it aside for some other projects! Variety is the spice of life and I have ONLY 7 projects on the needles now. What kind of variety is THAT?
First, the FOs:
4 iPod sized and 1 Nano sized pouch. Since I started these... uh... last year... we have gotten rubbery iPod covers, so I think these will become notions pouches.
Abby got to pick one of them, because I feel badly that her blankie isn't going to be done for ages and she wants something I made soooooo much
These were inspired by a pattern in the Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting, though I didn't actually use the pattern when I sat down to make them. The nano cozy has a garter border on the edges and for the flap, I just changed from stockinette to seed stitch. They were all knit on tiny needles, though it's been so long I forget the sizes. The larger pouches were made with Sockatta, the green pouch is a cotton yarn from a recycled Gap sweater. They were lined with muslin and have snap closures with a button from the button box on the outside.
The other big FO is the 8-cabeled bag:
My first cabling project. I started this at about this time last year in a class at the LYS. The yarn is hand-dyed 100% wool, dyed by the LYS owner. The pattern she wrote up was horrible--missing steps, wrong row counts, no gauge (which meant having to buy another hank at the last minute, which didn't work for me as she was out of my colors and I ended up frogging one side and reknitting it with the shade closest to what I already had.) I did learn how to cable while in the class, though, so that's all I was after. I just figured out her pattern as best I could and got it to work. I got the lining material a month after I finished knitting it. And then it sat in pieces until the knitathon, when I dug it out and assembled it and lined it. And was reminded once more that the finishing work really isn't as painful as I tell myself.
And, remember, not only did I learn to cable on this project, but I also did my first invisible seam:
Yay!
There is no clasp or snap in this bag yet. I'm not sure if I'm going to put one in. I'm going to live with it for a bit and see how it works and if I don't like it without one, I'll add it later.
Of my remaining UFOs, the one that got the most attention in the last 26 days was Kai's Blankie of DOOOOOM.
Before:
After:
As you can see, I'm another full color repeat and maybe 1/3rd more into it. It's lying on the treadmill if that helps you figure out scale. I thought I only had one more cake of yarn left, but in addition to what is there there is one more cake twice the size. Which is good, because this sucker is way wider than I meant for it to be. If needs be, the stripes will just be vertical instead of horozontal, but I'd like for it to at least be square.
So, that's my big finish to the knitathon. I'm going to be a good girl and continue to plug along on Kai's blankie during any knitting time I may have today, but then tomorrow I'm casting it aside for some other projects! Variety is the spice of life and I have ONLY 7 projects on the needles now. What kind of variety is THAT?
Monday, April 9, 2007
*Yawn*
Well, it almost didn't happen. I have been struggling with a sore throat and/or allergies for the last couple of days. (I'm still not sure if it's a different reaction to seasonal allergies than I've had in the past or if it's a virus of some sort.) I was going to pack it in and not worry about getting the linings in and focus on projects that were mindless and repetitive. Productive yes, but not anything that would be finished in time for the end of the knitathon tomorrow.
Well, I bit the bullet. I did all the handsewing this evening to attach the linings in the ipod cozies/pouches and the 8-cable bag. Cue the trumptets, because that means 11 finished objects! Can I get a w00t?
That still leaves 7 other projects needing to be finished, but when you're starting with 18 that's some pretty awesome progress. My little UFO cubbies are looking very spartan.
I will try to get some photos up tomorrow. We have a spangly, new digital camera and I don't quite have it figured out yet, but I will try!
Looking forward, I'm going to use some linen I got in a swap to try and get some shears knit up for the kitchen window. I think there is a pattern in Mason Dixon Knitting (maybe?) for some shears with random yarn-overs that looked interesting. I don't have the book, though, and I don't think I'd really need it to knit a couple of rectangles with random yarn overs, so I'm just going to wing it and see what happens. I'd also like to start in on a lace project from Victorian Lace Today. And I have a pair of wrist warmers I want to make, but I'm waiting on the yarn. (I bought a skein on vacation, realized it wouldn't be enough, so used a gift certificate from Webs to get another skein. All completely kosher with my NYFAY rules, right? Right?!)
The NYFAY community on LiveJournal is talking about making May a UFO busting month, so I need to get more stuff I want to do on the needles. Cheating? Moi?
Well, I bit the bullet. I did all the handsewing this evening to attach the linings in the ipod cozies/pouches and the 8-cable bag. Cue the trumptets, because that means 11 finished objects! Can I get a w00t?
That still leaves 7 other projects needing to be finished, but when you're starting with 18 that's some pretty awesome progress. My little UFO cubbies are looking very spartan.
I will try to get some photos up tomorrow. We have a spangly, new digital camera and I don't quite have it figured out yet, but I will try!
Looking forward, I'm going to use some linen I got in a swap to try and get some shears knit up for the kitchen window. I think there is a pattern in Mason Dixon Knitting (maybe?) for some shears with random yarn-overs that looked interesting. I don't have the book, though, and I don't think I'd really need it to knit a couple of rectangles with random yarn overs, so I'm just going to wing it and see what happens. I'd also like to start in on a lace project from Victorian Lace Today. And I have a pair of wrist warmers I want to make, but I'm waiting on the yarn. (I bought a skein on vacation, realized it wouldn't be enough, so used a gift certificate from Webs to get another skein. All completely kosher with my NYFAY rules, right? Right?!)
The NYFAY community on LiveJournal is talking about making May a UFO busting month, so I need to get more stuff I want to do on the needles. Cheating? Moi?
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Posting in my craft blog on a weekend! My stars and garters!
I just had to share that I spent my evening marooned at home sewing all the linings for the ipod cozies and the green and brown cabeled bag. I should be able to get them all hand sewn in by the 10th. There are some snaps to be sewn on, too. It may be tight.
But if I do get it done, it will make eleven FOs for the knitathon. One more than my goal.
Woot! There's a party over here! There's a party over there!
In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably share that I was trimming the excess selvedge from an iPod lining when I accidentally snipped the linning bit itself. So, I threw that lining away and I'm NOT redoing it. That iPod cozy will get a snap and will become a pouch for the girls to use for dress up. Maybe I'll chain a cord for it or something. I'm so sick of sewing, though, there is no way I'm making another tonight.
Also, this is a reminder to be careful with your scissors. I'm lucky it wasn't a piece of my clothing. I'm going to have to start sewing in the nude.
Also, I just got word that the hubster has procured a new camera, so photo posts should be returning soon! Yay!
But if I do get it done, it will make eleven FOs for the knitathon. One more than my goal.
Woot! There's a party over here! There's a party over there!
In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably share that I was trimming the excess selvedge from an iPod lining when I accidentally snipped the linning bit itself. So, I threw that lining away and I'm NOT redoing it. That iPod cozy will get a snap and will become a pouch for the girls to use for dress up. Maybe I'll chain a cord for it or something. I'm so sick of sewing, though, there is no way I'm making another tonight.
Also, this is a reminder to be careful with your scissors. I'm lucky it wasn't a piece of my clothing. I'm going to have to start sewing in the nude.
Also, I just got word that the hubster has procured a new camera, so photo posts should be returning soon! Yay!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Newly Updated Swap Post
My terms and conditions:
1. The dollar amounts are what I think is a fair trade value, not what I'd like to be paid. If you want my stuff and don't have anything I want in trade, I'll gladly take gift certificates or you can order things for me. I don't know why, but trading seems so much better than taking cash. I'm not completely anal about the trade amounts, but I would like the trade items to be within a dollar or two of each other so no one feels ookie about the trade.
2. Since these are all books, I'll be shipping via media mail with delivery confirmation.
3. I prefer to ship to the US only, but if you are in a different country and simply MUST have something, I'll most likely swap. My only condition is that if I'm sending you 5 pounds of books and you're ordering something online for me or sending me a pound of yarn that would make the shipping totals dramatically different, that you increase the swap value a bit to make things fair.
4. I will only swap for items from smoke-free homes. If you are a smoker or live with one and want something, please order something off my wish list in exchange.
5. Email me at annilita at gmail dot c o m and let me know what you would like and what you have to offer and we'll work it out. :) I like for my trades to be settled on within 2 days, so please try and reply quickly so things aren't left hanging.
Things I'd like, in order of preference:
600-2000+ yards of lace- or fingering-weight yarn in natural fiber blends. (Some mohair content is ok, but I'm not looking for epecially fuzzy yarns.) Cherry Tree Hill Laceweight Merino is always cool, but I'd like to try some Lisa Souza and Knit Picks laceweights, too. I'm partial to blues/greys/purples/blacks as well as "burnt" shades of orange, red, and yellow. Natural shades are cool, too.
Other nicer quality yarns. Make me an offer. I'm not really into felting, and I live in Arizona, so while I enjoy working with wool, I'm looking to branch out into other fibers. Cotton, silk, hemp, linen, etc. Those fibers blended with wool or acrylic is fine, too. I'm not a fan of yarns made mainly of man-made fibers. And I will still take wools, they just need to be softy-soft. And I rarely (as in, "have never yet") turn down alpaca, llama, or cashmere. I'd definitely take some Cotton Fleece in primary colors, white, or black. DB Cashmerino would be cool, depending on the color.
Gift cards to Webs (yarn.com). Oh, Webs, how I love thee...
On to the swap:
The Versatile Doily (1980) 23 projects. $2
Crochet: Special designs for Babies, Women, & Home (1977) 40 patterns $2
2 newspaper inserts from the Phoenix, AZ area. Undated. Either early 40's or 50's (no mention of the war, so I'm guessing they are from before or after.) Mainly just a catalog chock-full of items people could order patterns for. Great for inspiration and history buffs. Each has a free pattern inside, both are crochet patterns, but one has directions for small decorative painting or sewing items, too. $2 for both.
Crochet Patterns Sept/Oct, 1990 $2
Bedspreads, (1939) $3
The Complete Book of Crochet (1973) 32 projects, hardcover in excellent condition. A lot of lace crochet. With some modifications/updates, the fashions in the book would be in style. $3
Women's Household Crochet, Summer 1985. Some cute patterns, interesting look at pre-internet world (pen pal requests, tips, etc.) Cover coming off a bit. $1
6 Magic Crochet Magazines:
June 1986,
April 2003, December 2003
August 2003, June 2003
February 2003 (NOT SHOWN -- 3 Ways to Welcome Baby, 4 Big Projects of Great Beauty, Get Ready for Spring with a Lace Top and a Parasol. -- In good condition, my camera just died before I got a shot of it.)
Lots and lots and lots of thread crochet. Doilies, bedspreads, table cloths, accessories. Originally $4 each, asking $2 each or take them all for $10.
2 issues of Women's Circle Crochet. Summer 1982, Fall 1985 The cover of the Summer issue is split down the seam and the original owner cut the address label off. $3 for both.
Knit One, Bear Two: for the bear with nothing to wear. (1983) Patterns for teddy bear sweaters. $2
Special Baby Outfits (1992) 4 outfits (bonnet, top, bottom, booties) to knit for baby. Really cute outfits for boys and girls. $3
Create with Beads (1972) Great beading book. Hardcover. Lots of projects. $3
Working with Wool: A Few Ins and Outs. Undated. Info on sewing with wool fabrics and proper care of wool. $1
The Miniature Book of Napkin Folding. (1990) $1
Leaflets on gift baskets and gift wrapping. Sent as an enticement to subscribe to get more. Will give for free to anyone who is doing a swap and wants them. The "post-its" are printed right on the booklets.
Country Style, Spring 1987 $1
Floral Doilies (1950) $3
Baby Afghans 4 to Knit and Crochet (1989) $2
Baby Book: Knit and Crochet in Wool, Cotton, Nylon (1952) Quintessential 50's baby outfits. The cuteness factor is HIGH. TONS of patterns. A previous owner sewed around the binding staples and then secured them with tape. No idea why. $4
Spinnovations: Fashions from cradle to crib. (1979) It's baby stuff, so of course most of it is still cute and in style. Babies have it so easy. 24 patterns, knit and crochet. $3
Family Circle Easy Knitting Plus Crochet, Holiday 2003 -- My camera died it's last death before I could get a photo of this one. It's got some light cover wear, but otherwise in good condition. Originally $5.99, asking $3 in trade.
1. The dollar amounts are what I think is a fair trade value, not what I'd like to be paid. If you want my stuff and don't have anything I want in trade, I'll gladly take gift certificates or you can order things for me. I don't know why, but trading seems so much better than taking cash. I'm not completely anal about the trade amounts, but I would like the trade items to be within a dollar or two of each other so no one feels ookie about the trade.
2. Since these are all books, I'll be shipping via media mail with delivery confirmation.
3. I prefer to ship to the US only, but if you are in a different country and simply MUST have something, I'll most likely swap. My only condition is that if I'm sending you 5 pounds of books and you're ordering something online for me or sending me a pound of yarn that would make the shipping totals dramatically different, that you increase the swap value a bit to make things fair.
4. I will only swap for items from smoke-free homes. If you are a smoker or live with one and want something, please order something off my wish list in exchange.
5. Email me at annilita at gmail dot c o m and let me know what you would like and what you have to offer and we'll work it out. :) I like for my trades to be settled on within 2 days, so please try and reply quickly so things aren't left hanging.
Things I'd like, in order of preference:
600-2000+ yards of lace- or fingering-weight yarn in natural fiber blends. (Some mohair content is ok, but I'm not looking for epecially fuzzy yarns.) Cherry Tree Hill Laceweight Merino is always cool, but I'd like to try some Lisa Souza and Knit Picks laceweights, too. I'm partial to blues/greys/purples/blacks as well as "burnt" shades of orange, red, and yellow. Natural shades are cool, too.
Other nicer quality yarns. Make me an offer. I'm not really into felting, and I live in Arizona, so while I enjoy working with wool, I'm looking to branch out into other fibers. Cotton, silk, hemp, linen, etc. Those fibers blended with wool or acrylic is fine, too. I'm not a fan of yarns made mainly of man-made fibers. And I will still take wools, they just need to be softy-soft. And I rarely (as in, "have never yet") turn down alpaca, llama, or cashmere. I'd definitely take some Cotton Fleece in primary colors, white, or black. DB Cashmerino would be cool, depending on the color.
Gift cards to Webs (yarn.com). Oh, Webs, how I love thee...
On to the swap:
The Versatile Doily (1980) 23 projects. $2
Crochet: Special designs for Babies, Women, & Home (1977) 40 patterns $2
2 newspaper inserts from the Phoenix, AZ area. Undated. Either early 40's or 50's (no mention of the war, so I'm guessing they are from before or after.) Mainly just a catalog chock-full of items people could order patterns for. Great for inspiration and history buffs. Each has a free pattern inside, both are crochet patterns, but one has directions for small decorative painting or sewing items, too. $2 for both.
Crochet Patterns Sept/Oct, 1990 $2
Bedspreads, (1939) $3
The Complete Book of Crochet (1973) 32 projects, hardcover in excellent condition. A lot of lace crochet. With some modifications/updates, the fashions in the book would be in style. $3
Women's Household Crochet, Summer 1985. Some cute patterns, interesting look at pre-internet world (pen pal requests, tips, etc.) Cover coming off a bit. $1
6 Magic Crochet Magazines:
June 1986,
April 2003, December 2003
August 2003, June 2003
February 2003 (NOT SHOWN -- 3 Ways to Welcome Baby, 4 Big Projects of Great Beauty, Get Ready for Spring with a Lace Top and a Parasol. -- In good condition, my camera just died before I got a shot of it.)
Lots and lots and lots of thread crochet. Doilies, bedspreads, table cloths, accessories. Originally $4 each, asking $2 each or take them all for $10.
2 issues of Women's Circle Crochet. Summer 1982, Fall 1985 The cover of the Summer issue is split down the seam and the original owner cut the address label off. $3 for both.
Knit One, Bear Two: for the bear with nothing to wear. (1983) Patterns for teddy bear sweaters. $2
Special Baby Outfits (1992) 4 outfits (bonnet, top, bottom, booties) to knit for baby. Really cute outfits for boys and girls. $3
Create with Beads (1972) Great beading book. Hardcover. Lots of projects. $3
Working with Wool: A Few Ins and Outs. Undated. Info on sewing with wool fabrics and proper care of wool. $1
Leaflets on gift baskets and gift wrapping. Sent as an enticement to subscribe to get more. Will give for free to anyone who is doing a swap and wants them. The "post-its" are printed right on the booklets.
Country Style, Spring 1987 $1
Floral Doilies (1950) $3
Baby Afghans 4 to Knit and Crochet (1989) $2
Baby Book: Knit and Crochet in Wool, Cotton, Nylon (1952) Quintessential 50's baby outfits. The cuteness factor is HIGH. TONS of patterns. A previous owner sewed around the binding staples and then secured them with tape. No idea why. $4
Spinnovations: Fashions from cradle to crib. (1979) It's baby stuff, so of course most of it is still cute and in style. Babies have it so easy. 24 patterns, knit and crochet. $3
Family Circle Easy Knitting Plus Crochet, Holiday 2003 -- My camera died it's last death before I could get a photo of this one. It's got some light cover wear, but otherwise in good condition. Originally $5.99, asking $3 in trade.
Nothing super exciting.
Kai got sick the day after we got back. She is better now, but we're just getting settled in post-trip as a result.
I have knit very little since we got back, so I have nothing to really report. Most of what I have been doing was on Kai's purple and pink blankie. I've made it through a second repeat of the pink and am in the middle of a purple repeat, so I think that puts me at twice the length of the "before knitathon" photo I posted.
Adam got back from his meeting early, because they neglected to tell people it was canceled this month. So I was able to make it to the last hour of knit club after all. Linda took me on a tour of her communty's ammenities area and they are hooked up! Knit club is going to be a par-tay this month! Or we'll just sit out on the patio. You know, one or the other.
When I thought I wasn't going last night, I made some strawberry freezer jam. It's the first time I've made it. It is delicious! I'm eating jam on everything today. (Which should be interesting, because we have left-over pizza.) It only took an hour to make from prep to finish, so I may just cross over to the dark side of making out own jam from now on.
I have knit very little since we got back, so I have nothing to really report. Most of what I have been doing was on Kai's purple and pink blankie. I've made it through a second repeat of the pink and am in the middle of a purple repeat, so I think that puts me at twice the length of the "before knitathon" photo I posted.
Adam got back from his meeting early, because they neglected to tell people it was canceled this month. So I was able to make it to the last hour of knit club after all. Linda took me on a tour of her communty's ammenities area and they are hooked up! Knit club is going to be a par-tay this month! Or we'll just sit out on the patio. You know, one or the other.
When I thought I wasn't going last night, I made some strawberry freezer jam. It's the first time I've made it. It is delicious! I'm eating jam on everything today. (Which should be interesting, because we have left-over pizza.) It only took an hour to make from prep to finish, so I may just cross over to the dark side of making out own jam from now on.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Oh, man.
So, I'm sticking with my whole no yarn for a year thing fairly well. The stash is dwindling crazy cat lady levels instead of the crazy, drooling cat lady levels where it started.
But I'm sitting here listening to Saturday's episode of Ready Set Knit (link in the side bar), which is the radio show/podcast from Webs. They are talking about their anniversay sale. Cascade 220 is under $5. FIVE DOLLARS! And one of their Valley yarns is 60% off!!
I'm just telling myself that I just had my vacation buying and they WILL have
OH CRAP! CLASSIC ELITE BAM BOO FOR $5.29!!!
*sigh* They WILL have their anniversary sale next year. They will. Honest. I can resist.
Ok, I'm skipping the rest of this podcast. It's going to kill me.
But I'm sitting here listening to Saturday's episode of Ready Set Knit (link in the side bar), which is the radio show/podcast from Webs. They are talking about their anniversay sale. Cascade 220 is under $5. FIVE DOLLARS! And one of their Valley yarns is 60% off!!
I'm just telling myself that I just had my vacation buying and they WILL have
OH CRAP! CLASSIC ELITE BAM BOO FOR $5.29!!!
*sigh* They WILL have their anniversary sale next year. They will. Honest. I can resist.
Ok, I'm skipping the rest of this podcast. It's going to kill me.
Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig.
We made it home in one piece. San Diego was lots of fun. I found 3 yarn stores, but only two were open and only one was full of nice people. I was a bad no-yarn-for-a-yearer and a bad knitathoner, but it was vacation so none of it counts.
I will post more tomorrow. Right now, I have to go rotae laundry and do some yard work. It's going to be hotter than Hades here all too soon so it'd got to be done asap!
I will post more tomorrow. Right now, I have to go rotae laundry and do some yard work. It's going to be hotter than Hades here all too soon so it'd got to be done asap!
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