Wo(ven) is Me

More Christmas gifts this time! I have a lot of those to share. This one was another relatively new craft for me: weaving. I had a bunch of interestingly textured yarns in various shades of blue, so I decided to go for a simple design that let the yarn do all the talking. I used three different types of yarn in my warp: a fuzzy, vibrant blue, a more subdued, knobbly yarn, and a bit of another homespun yarn that varied both in its thickness and its color! I really wanted the stripes of these yarns to be the focal point, so for the weft, I used some very thin cotton yarn, doubled up for strength. It recedes into the background in comparison to the worsted weight/bulky yarns used for the warp, so you hardly notice that it's what's holding the entire scarf together! The construction of the scarf itself was plain weave (I haven't really mastered anything else on rigid heddle yet), again so that the different yarns were the focus. I'm quite pleased with the result!

Of course, this is for the recipient to use however she wants, but I personally think that this scarf would go great with denim. The colors are reminiscent of a medium wash blue jean, and it would be a fun fall style to throw this on with a pair of jeans and a contrasting shirt/sweater! And it really goes to show that if you have interesting yarns, you don't have to do anything super fancy to them to get a nice product. Just give them a chance to shine, and they will!

You Spin Me Right Round

I enjoy making handmade presents for Christmas. To me, putting so many hours of effort into creating a gift yourself really shows how much you care about the recipient! That being said, when I make gifts, I try to stick to crafts that I'm well-versed in, so that the result will be professional and something the recipient will want to wear regardless of sentimental value.

That being said, there are situations that break the mold, and this year, I had one. Earlier in the fall, my grandmother presented me with a big ball of brown wool roving, knowing that I was trying to learn how to spin. She joked that I could turn it right back around on her and make her a present with it. I don't know that she really expected me to follow through, but by golly I was going to!

Like I said, I'm still trying to learn how to spin. I have a drop spindle, and while the theory of the craft makes sense, the execution escapes me a little bit. I did my best to produce a nice yarn, and then crocheted it up into a simple cowl that made the irregularity of homespun the centerpiece.

All it all, I'd say it turned out pretty well. The yarn is a bit inconsistent in size, but I suppose that gives the cowl a charming look! Plus, I know my grandma will be happy to explain the cowl's origins to anyone who so much as looks at it (in a way, the conversation starter is my real gift to her).

I have lots more roving lying around, so expect more spinning in the future! I may make a tutorial page for it eventually as well, seeing as I need the tutorials just as much as the next wannabe spinner!

Thanks (A Lot!)

It always seems like people fall into two camps when it comes to thank-you notes. Either they love them and spend lots of time finding or making the perfect card, or they think that cards are an outdated tradition and find the prospect of sending a physical note silly. 

Is it a surprise that I belong in the former category? I just think that the extra effort put into getting someone a card shows how you appreciate them and whatever they did. I don't exactly send thank you notes at the drop of a hat, but when I feel they're warranted, I want them to be special. 

I've had a lot of people to thank over the course of the fall, so a few notes were definitely in order! I could have gotten some at the store, but where's the fun in that? You can make your own cards just as easily, and make them personal to boot!

For someone I didn't know exceptionally well, I went with a safe, generic look. Calligraphy will always be a good choice for a handwritten note, and by spicing things up with little dotted accents, I think I made the card unique!

This next card, on the other hand, is anything but generic! The recipient of this particular card is a computer scientist, so I decided to play off of that theme. It's a bit backwards to hand-letter computer code onto a piece of paper, but I like the simple, nerdy result! The coding language I used for this is Java, if anyone is curious. 

I really can't resist an opportunity to be nerdy, so this last card also showcased it! This time, the recipient was a biochemist, so I had to draw a chemical structure. More specifically, this is an oligopeptide, made up of a number of amino acids in a chain. Since amino acids are each symbolized by a different letter, they can be put together to spell out words. Guess what this one spells!

Cards really aren't hard to make. All of these were made with only cardstock, markers, and pencils. If you have people to thank who are computationally or biochemically inclined, feel free to make your own versions of the cards above. Or, get creative with your own ideas! And even if you think that paper notes are outdated, be sure to thank the people in your life who help you! 

A Triumphant Return

Hello again! Long time no see, huh? I had intended to make a post or two before Christmas, but some members of my family found my blog, so I couldn't post pictures of gifts before I gave them! That, and I was very busy making said gifts and spending time with loved ones.

That being said, I'm back! I fully intend to catch up on all the posts I've missed during December, so watch out! I'll be posting every day or every few days until I get through my backlog.

I've missed sharing things here, so it feels good to be back. Stay tuned for more, and stay crafty!

It's the Busiest Time of the Year

Hello! Long time, no see! I've really been slipping with my one-post-a-week rule, huh?

Unfortunately, that's not likely to stop just yet. Late November through early December is one of the busiest times of year for me, as I'm sure it is for some of you. Between academic/professional responsibilities, planning for the holidays, and holiday concerts and performances, I'm really stretched thin!

What I'm trying to say, is that I'll have to go on a brief hiatus for a few weeks. Once I'm off for the holidays, I'll be able to get back to posting. And boy will I have posts to spare! I have to make gifts for my friends and family, after all, and only some of them read this blog.

Sorry to leave you all hanging like that, but life calls! I'll be back in a few weeks. Until then, stay crafty!

One for the Road

First off: sorry for the late post! I've been busy getting ready for holiday traveling. That being said, I wasn't too busy to get one more softie pattern off my chest, and this one's a real cutie.

It's a giraffe! Specifically a baby giraffe, designed by Courtchet. Isn't it just the cutest? I can't get over the adorable rounded shapes and babyish proportions of this softie. This is one of those projects that really works best with crochet, since the firmness of the fabric allows you to stuff the pieces to their full rounded potential without deforming them. And I made the fabric extra tight by using a 2.25 mm steel crochet hook on sport weight yarn (for reference, I would probably use a 3.5 mm hook on the same yarn in most other situations). Don't be afraid to go down a few hook sizes when making softies!

Okay, I've gotten my fill of cute animals for the moment. It's getting cold out here, so I need to shift focus to things that will keep my loved ones (and myself!) warm! Stay tuned for the adventures of Franken-mittens, the return of a favorite pattern, and my first attempt at a knitted top!

Plush Pals

Whew, it's been a busy week! I don't know about any of you, but November always seems to be the busiest month to me. And it's just about time to start on Christmas presents for my family...

...but before that, I need something cute and cuddly to get my spirits up. Or maybe more than one something. Enter, plushies!

Yes, whether you call them plushies, softies, amigurumi, stuffed animals, or something I haven't heard of, you'll probably agree that they're adorable. I've rounded up a few cuddly friends that I've made recently to share with you!

Bunnies are a plushie classic. Teddy bears may commandeer the number 1 spot on the list, but the lovable rabbit is a close second! Krawka's Bunny certainly does the animal justice with a cute, simplistic style that's just begging to be hugged. The pattern has a lot of pieces to juggle, but it's well written and easy to follow, so don't let that intimidate you too much!

Rabbits are a classic. Flamingoes... not so much. But maybe you have a quirky person in your life who would enjoy a large hot-pink bird plushie. Maybe you are that quirky person. Fair warning, Amigu Amigurumi's pattern is written in Dutch. Supposedly there's an English translation somewhere, but the site I was directed to looked so sketchy I was afraid to click on anything... If you're willing to brave a pattern in another language (or if you know Dutch), this is a wonderfully fun one to try! I'd recommend it if you have some experience with amigurumi crocheting, so that you can fill in the blanks when Google translate fails. 

If you're not confident enough to pick through a pattern in a foreign language, maybe these chicks by the Enchanted Ladybug are more your speed. They're ridiculously quick to whip up, as they're crocheted in one piece. Just stuff, sew on eyes and a little beak, and be happy! If you're totally new to making plushies, this is a great pattern to test the waters. No big commitment in yarn or time, and if you like it you can make a whole family of chicks!

As you can see, I rather enjoy making plushies. It's quite a different experience from making a garment, and so the "rules" for doing it well are different as well. Here are a few tips if you're looking to start making plushies as well.

I'll readily admit that knitted fabric often feels better that crocheted fabric. It's much more supple and stretches better. But in a plushie, that's the opposite of what you want! Crocheted fabric's structure and stiffness makes it ideal for holding the shapes necessary to make softies, so if you want to learn a plushie-ready craft, try crochet over knitting. (You absolutely can knit plushies, it's just harder)

Pick a hook that's a few sizes smaller than you'd normally use with the weight of yarn you've chosen. Again, you want the fabric to be stiff enough to hold its shape, and tight enough to hold all the stuffing! By using a smaller hook, you can achieve this stiffness. 

Learn how to start a project in the round with the magic ring crochet technique. If you've ever tried to start a project in the round, you'll notice that there's often a sizable hole at the center of the circle. While this is fine for a hat that you intend to put a pompom on anyway, it can be a problem with a plushie that has to be stuffed. The magic ring technique solves this problem, creating a very tight circle center with no hole at all. It looks much more professional, and no stuffing will fall out!

Finally, stuff generously! In order to give your plushies a nice rounded shape, you need to put a lot of stuffing into each piece as you put it together. It will be more than you expect initially. And while there is such a thing as overstuffing, a firmer plushie often feels better in the long run than an under-stuffed one. A good rule of thumb that I follow is that I should be struggling just a bit to keep all of the stuffing inside as I close up the hole. 

Hopefully with this advice, you'll be able to go forth with confidence! Make plushies for the kids in your life. Make plushies for the adults in your life. Heck, make plushies for yourself while you're at it! We all need a little soft-and-cuddly love in our lives, after all!