Crafty

I've been in nesting mode for the past week.  I woke up one day and was struck, for the first time, at how white my apartment is.  Every wall is white and they are bare.  You may ask how I had never noticed this having lived here for seven months.  Who knows, but something had to be done.

I took to the internet and started researching DIY home decor for cheap.  DIY because I like doing things myself and cheap because I'm broke.  Pinterest is my new favourite site and I'm on it all the time.  It's a site where people can collect websites devoted to anything and store them in one place in a very visual way.  I'm such a visual person so this site really inspires me.  There are TONS of crafty DIY ideas on the site.  I scoured for a day or two and decided on my two projects:  fabric wall art and a twine picture display.  Here's my inspiration for the wall art: Bella Dia fabric panels.

I modified it a little.  Instead of foamcore I used small bulletin boards I found at the Dollar Store.  And instead of double sided tape I used flat headed thumbtacks.  It worked really well.  I couldn't get the sticky tack to stick to my walls so I used twine to hand them up instead.  For the fabric I visited my local fabric store and bought from the discount aisle.  I also scored some quilting squares from Walmart.  And here's the result:

I hung them over our bed and I'm really happy with them.  Hopefully I'll add more eventually.  

Next was the twine picture display.  This one I'd seen awhile back but couldn't remember where.  All it takes is pictures, twine, clothes pins and thumbtacks.  Super simple.  I hung this above our couch in the living room.  I'll add another layer or two when I get around to printing out pictures to hang on the twine.  For now I just used some postcards and prints I had.  

I'm happy with both projects but need to add more to both of them.  I've already got my eye on some other crafty projects but I need to focus on school work for the next couple weeks until this term finally ends.  

Seaming

I tackled the first round of seaming on the baby blanket today.  I seamed 16 squares together and am super pleased with the outcome.  I am a damn fine seamer.  Mattress stitch is the greatest knitting invention ever and I feel I'm starting to master it.  I think the picture speaks for itself.

I also love that it's starting to look like a real blanket.  I'm also pleased with the sizing thus far.  It should be a good fit for crib.  And only 37 more squares to go.  

What a square

A good friend of mine is expecting a baby July.  She is my hubby's best friend and was even the best "man" at our wedding.  So this means a baby blanket is in order.  I love baby blankets.  They have a warmth to them that I love.  Instead of doing a one piece blanket, I wanted to try something with more of a quilt feel.  So I set off making tiny 4 x 4 squares.  I want the blanket to be big enough to fit inside the crib but not too huge.  I figure it should be 8 squares long and 7 squares wide.  In other words, 32" x 28".  I also wanted it to have a patchwork feel so I'm using many different colours.  

I'm using odd balls that I have around the house to do this project which means it's gonna be completely wool because that's all I knit with.  I know it should be acrylic so when it gets pukey it can just go in the washer but I hate acrylic yarn.  

By my math I need to make 56 squares to reach the right measurements.  That's a lot of squares.  I've done 13 so far.  So that's 43 left.  Yikes.  But I do have awhile to finish.  Plus there's something satisfying about doing the squares.  It doesn't take long to finish a square so there's a pretty good level of satisfaction.  We'll see.  

Another Sleeve

Here we have another laptop sleeve that I completed yesterday.  It's worked in a worsted weight yarn rather than Aran and has the single cable going up the middle.  I'm very happy with it and have uploaded the pattern for purchase on Ravelry.  

The yarn is wonderful but not commercial so I can never buy it again.  I got it at a craft fair back home from a local fibre artist.  It's hand painted beautiful shades of purple from lilac to indigo.  I'd been looking for a project for this yarn for a long time and I think I waited for the right one.  I even had a little left over which I turned in to two squares for a leftover blanket I'm starting.  

V Day

I said to myself I wouldn't do a Valentine's post.  But it appears I am anyway.  This will be brief.  Here's a song that I think is suiting.

Short rows

I was always under the impression I had a firm grasp of short rows.  They're a means of adding shaping to a piece that is being worked flat.  I've done the Calorimetry headband before and that was a success.  But for some reason I can't figure out the shawl collar for the Rockefeller Sweater.  It's the final step in completing the sweater and it's driving me nuts.  The pattern doesn't make sense to me.  The part that it wants me to work on after the turn is going in the wrong direction and doesn't seem to work the area where the shawl collar is meant to appear.  So, I put it aside last week but now it's cold and rainy here and I want to wear the sweater.  Maybe after this paper is finished I'll try again.  Grr.

Stumbling

I love stumbling.  Love it.  Some days are better than others and today was great.  I love to stumble design websites.  I have a facination with home design concepts.  I don't have much design sense so I like to ogle. 

While ogling today I found an artist called Rachel Denny.  She works with fibre and makes domestic trophies.  Have a look.