No More Tangle Ear-Buds

I've seen so many people on Pinterest showing these friendship style knot covered earbud cords. I found them difficult to work with and easily frustrating. I looked at the results I was getting and was not happy. After ripping out almost two days of work, I decided to try something more in my bag of skills. I crocheted them!

I made one for me and one for my husband. I used embroidery floss on one and a finer perle cotton on the other. Hands down, I liked how the finer cotton made a thinner cord and that is why I will use it if I make these again for a gift or just as a way to jazz up a cheap pair of earbuds.

Here are the results:

Perle Cotton 

Embroidery Floss

Look for the How To Soon!

UPDATE: Here's the How To. Enjoy!

Crochet Thread and Ric-Rack Pot Holder

So I tried my hand at mimicking the beautifully worked crochet pot holder I mentioned in an earlier post. It looked simple but turned into quite an undertaking, the thread is hard to keep in tension and hard to see. The ric-rack seems to just gracefully weave in and out of the double crochets but it's hard to find a needle with that large an eye so you have to work it in while you crochet. Also the ric-rack ravels and so leaving a raw edge for a while exposes ugly fuzzy fringe that has to be trimmed and tucked (another thing I didn't anticipate). I found myself juggling a hook, thread, and an awkward ric-rack board between only a few fingers. I've never been much of a juggler so my pot holder is more of one that would be for a kid's pretend kitchen. I still had fun, and might try another but might have to embrace the old lady look of using reading glasses and use simpler techniques.

All this makes me thing of the folk art crafts long past, like embroidery samplers, crochet pot holders, doilies, and monogramed handkerchieves. Most of these were ways for women to provide beauty in their lives while providing function and necessity. This leads me to ask, where is this outlet today? What in this internet age allows people to add beauty with personal touches to the function of their life? In a world run with mass produced borderline materials, where can the beauty be added?  Do we really expect out homes to reflect personal touches if we do not venture from shopping at a cookie-cutter strip mall or big box store?

 What is the folk art of 2012?

A Question Factory

Sometimes I feel like I'm working in a question factory. Everyone is coming up to me asking what product is better, how to use this, how much of that to buy, is one enough? Would my kids enjoy this? Can I schedule I class? Do you have personal experience with this seam ripper? and ON AND ON! Sometimes the questions float around in my head and then I start to get sick in the drowning wave of questions.

I guess the store brings it on itself, however. It is so full of various crafting materials even the most experienced crafter would like to consult some sage advice on the process. I think the difference is that with an experienced crafter, the have learned the principle of experimenting. Just like a factory has a Research and Development division, so does every crafter's mind. See a new product that could be beneficial to an existing project or spur you on to a new and adventurous one. Well rather than asking questions of the person who has fewer ideas on the matter (little retail shop girl writing this), just buy it, experiment with it, and if you don't like it then chock it up to experience and tell other people about it. Sometimes I want to tell this to the customers at the store: Just experiment with it already! THAT'S HALF THE FUN OF CRAFTING!

I know my greatest triumphs have come when I've been intrigued with how something works and seeing if I could master it. For example these eyelet embroidered napkins and table cloth with serged rolled edge. While I do not hope to master this level of embroidery at this moment, I know I could learn the basics. So I bought a hoop and needles, I already had the floss from another project. I started with the wrong fabric, the wrong spacing and a horrible printed background that distracted from my work. But I learned! I now know the needles I got were too thick, but would be great for counted cross-stitch, the fabric scrap I used was not sturdy enough to use all six strands of floss. So next time, I'll use a different fabric and have better results.

These items added a spark to my fire of a new craft: Serging! I did some research, and financial conversations with my husband, and bought a serger! It's marvelous. For some reason my brain connects with this machine much more than a traditional sewing machine. I can already see how I'm going to construct something using this machine, I'm so excited to learn. Here goes the grand adventure in R&D of the Question Factory!

A Delicate Dance in Delicate Crafts

And the dance has begun. I've been intrigued for a while with many delicate items like crochet in cotton thread, embroidery, filet crochet, detailed sewing and many others. I think this stems from the fact that for the past few weeks I've been finishing projects. Hence the absence from writing.

I've finished a beautiful baby blanket in light blue, off white, and chocolate brown. As well as the one shown on the left in green, pink and blue. I've finished pyramid bags that will be given as goodie bags at my best friend's bachelorette party/bridal luncheon. (I'll have to wait to show pictures of these since they are gifts and still want to surprise the recipient) I've worked these bags first in fabric and now in crochet. I realized for some reason these bags were very difficult for me by sewing because of my limited experience. I gave up that endeavor and finished them in crochet along with button holes and buttons.

This experience definitely need to work on my sewing techniques and skills. There are times when it would be nice to have a project with nearly instant gratification. I seem to pick crafts that are time intensive and therefore can get frustrating when the project does not come together as quickly as I thought it would.

I've found that the delicate crafts that are so graceful to have your hands dance with also seem to drain the time like sand through a sieve. However, isn't the dance the best part of all? The rhythm of the thread coming through your fingers, into the hook, and adding into the work; the push of the needle and the floss leaving its trail across the fabric; the delicate flowers that quickly emerge from the ball of cotton. These are enjoyable moments are their own type of gratification. The creation process is almost if not more enjoyable than the creation itself.

I hope you find yourself enjoying the process and the creation of delicate crafts that cause your hands and heart to dance.

Weekend of Magic

This past weekend was full of all sorts of magic!

First, I got to spend a wonderful two days with some good friends which is always it's own kind of magic.   After traversing a few hours north, we came to an area that they treasured as the home of their past generations. We heard story after story of going to this place with Grandpa and that place with Great Aunt Louise, and how Uncle Chuck and Auntie V were such a beautiful match for each other. Late into the night we settled down in anticipation of a thrifty day ahead with dreams of shopping adventures giving us chills as we drifted into an excited sleep.

Almost like it was Christmas morning, the day started earlier than planned and the sites and deals where not far behind. In the antique stores, milk glass matching my growing collection was everywhere in pieces I had only seen in a catalog. I found beautiful collections that I wish could have told all the stories of how they came together.  However, most of the pieces were out of my price range for this trip and I had to leave them on the store shelves.

As we discovered the town we were visiting, we deepened our relationship by finding that we all could find joy in a city bakery that had carmel dipped cake doughnuts with toasted coconut on top and cake pops to boot! Our joy was compounded when we overheard of an estate sale that was "packed." After a quick time spent in figuring out how best to get to this estate sale, we were on our way, full of hope of the treasure to come. This was adventure time.

As we pulled up to the driveway, we all made a point of reminding each other that we only had so much space for the four of us, our bags, and whatever else we bought. Soon, all was forgotten with walking through the door and spotting a table 12 feet long filled with milk glass. My heart stopped, my voice was nowhere to be found and all I could do was jump up and down in joy. I had found better pieces than I had left in the stores! As I turned to the woman helping with the estate sale she greeted me with better news! Everything over $1 is half price! My mouth went dry as I started to scuttle all the pieces I wanted into the box: Eight matching snack plates and mugs, final prince $7.50; four custard dishes, $1.50; and four small plates, $2 .50.

After the hurried rush to grab all the glass I wanted, I slowly started perusing the rest of the house. I found a beautiful off white table cloth with matching napkins that I could take home for $10. My husband did not go home empty handed either. He was able to get a record player with amazing speakers, with much prompting from the woman running the sale. He had been out the door when she called out the price he could not refuse: $5.

Our friends walked out with a film projector, divided drawer, cook book, milk glass dish (I love the things I share with this woman!) and the knowledge they would be able to play the home movies taken long ago. All in all this was the mother load that we thought had made our weekend. We were in for more treats!

After dinner with Auntie V, we were blessed with going over to her house and started hearing story after story of family member after family member. She brought out crocheted thread pot holders that were works of art and such an inspiration to me (I'm planning to try my hand at it soon). These folk art pieces started a pleasant discussion of functional art and it's place in the American home.

Soon the attention went to the large trunk off to one side of the room. The beautiful red roundtop trunk that was brought over from Norway was remarkable enough with its original key but the beauty we saw first did not match what was inside. As Auntie V started unpacking the chest showing us this and that from here and there, my friend and I zoomed in on beautiful vintage dresses, one in white and one in green. Auntie V said that she had made the white one she had worn to her bridal shower and the green as her going away dress after her wedding.

We exchanged a glance and I knew my friend had the same idea I did, but with more courage than I she asked, "Can we try them on?" My heart pounded as Auntie V chuckled and said yes. The white eyelet dress was so fresh and springy that my friend couldn't help but twirl in excitement!  The pencil skirt green dress with a high neck and cap sleeves miraculously fit both my friend and myself (magic once again).  We both knew we would have to try to replicate this as we envied this for our own wardrobes. As we explored more of the wonders of this trunk, Auntie V shared another treausure from her closet, the dress she wore to her father's funeral, a wide collared v-neck with full skirt once again transported both of us to a time of elegance and grace.

This night was magical!

Our friends had introduced us to a wonderful woman who has been a light in their life and since spread her light to us. As we left for the weekend, she invited us back with eager anticipation to share more stories and more love of all things lovingly made.

Thank you Auntie V!

The Art and Craft of Breathing

Making crafts is like breathing to me. Every time  I see something at a store or online I think, how could I improve this? My mind goes wild with what supplies I have and new ways I might  be able to use them to beautify or improve my surroundings.

I never want to go to the store to pick out something for a specific project--I'm more inspired by the items themseves and want to pair the items I love with other items I love. My shopping is much more if a time to  see what's available. I'll get a single skein of yarn just because I like the color or the texture is interesting or it's on clearance (I'm a sucker for the clearance signs!). Then when I come home I sit down with it and think, what would make the most out of this yarn? How can I show off the color, texture, as well as learn a new stitch or pattern?

The way I shop is so much like the way I crochet and experiment with yarn. I rarely follow a pattern to a T. I'll change the yarn or finish it in a different method or use a different hook size without thinking twice. Many times I've started a hat with one intention but what comes out is totally different. I'll add flowers and pom-poms hap-hazardly or make a long ruffle to give the hat an elegant flair.

All this comes out of a yearning to learn all I can and push my experiences with yarn that comes as second nature to me. I'm so thankful to be this way! I can do the same project over and over again and get different results each time. Just like a tree recycling air, I love bringing in items to my home, do a little crafting and taking out new, beautiful pieces to the world.

Enjoy your craftiness!

Crafty Day

Friday was another day of putting away tims, buttons, paper punches and organizers (I wish that it had been in my craft room instead of at work)

My husband repaired a chair we got off craigslist and had it all sanded down waiting to be refinished in our kitchen. It was as if it was greeting me as I came in shouting, "PRIME ME! PRIME ME!" How could I refuse a call like that! After stirring up the primer left from another project, I set about priming the chair while putting on a guilty pleasure show on my laptop. Even though I was only able to find a one inch flat brush, it came out nicely. I decided to make an off-white color by using a warm ivory and white acrylic paint.

After allowing the primer to dry over night, I started with the off white covering. It took a few tries to get the consistency and color right since I was using a watery craft ivory paint and a thicker tube acrylic white paint (gotta love those college leftovers :) ). The front legs of the chair have turned detailed that I decide would look great in alternating burnt orange and teal. However, after doing all of one side, I think I'll add more blue to the teal, it just looks quite child-like and not quite right for our dining room. I do want to try some floral motifs but I'm honestly getting sick of this at the moment and the apartment smells like paint even with the window open. I'll put it to the side for now.

I'll include pictures later on of this project

I love the way inspiration hits! While working on the chair I figured out my next hat and scarf combo! This makes 8 hats in the last two weeks!

Happy Crafting!