My new spindle arrived!

On Friday afternoon I ordered my new Golding drop spindle. And it arrived today! I was so excited I just had to play with it. I felt like I was throwing purls before swine by using the crappy roving I had on had but I just had to play. (I ordered some spiffy hand dyed but it hasn't arrived yet)

Anyways, I have to say I LOVE THIS SPINDLE! It spins for ever and so smoothly! It is so light, I was instantly getting smoother finer yarn that I could ever hope of getting on my old spindle, I can't wait until the good roving arrives.

Stats:
Golding spindle
Micro 2" model, .8 oz.
Purpleheart whorl "tsunami" design.

I know I'm just a newbie, but if you are looking for a new spindle, I cannot recommend Golding enough. It's like a dream to work with, and so pretty!



a comparison with my old spindle. In a post I made to LJ, when I mentioned I wanted this spindle, tashabear said it was one hell of an upgrade. I didn't realize how true that was! I look at my old spindle now, and can't believe I managed to make halfway decent yarn with it.



the whorl



and a crappy picture of just how fine I could spin.
After a little more practice I was getting even finer, and I'm sure it improve even more with the better roving.

Spinning!

A couple of years ago I bought a beginners drop spindle at Rhinebeck. I spun up a really bad and lumpy bulky skein on it then promptly put it aside for something else. Then a little later I picked it back up and started spinning Fur from our American Eskimo Cayenne. It was difficult since I had no way to properly prepare it, and the staple length was short and the spindle was heavy, so I didn't do it too often and for very long.

Then the other day while I as cleaning out my stash I found a bag of unlabeled bats that I had bought long ago on e-bay, and decided to pull out the spindle again.

The wool wasn't very well prepared, there were a lot of little matted lumps in it, tons of vegetable matter, and it was a little sticky from all the leftover lanolin. But it was all I had and I wanted to spin! I decided that if I was really going to take up spinning seriously I wanted lace and sock weight. So that's what I aimed for.

Here it is on the spindle before I took it off to ply:


And after plying:



With penny:


stats: about 102 yards, 17-20 wpi, unknown breed of wool.

It's not perfect by a long shot, there are a lot of too thick and under spun bits from the beginning but towards the end I was getting really happy with my consistency, but it kept breaking and pulling apart if I got as thin as I wanted. From my research I guess that was because my spindle was just too heavy. So I think I'm going to get a new spindle - I was looking at these specifically the Tsunami in purpleheart.

When we go into town today, I'm also planning on going to the library to take out some books on spinning. Ohh I'm so excited!

A new skirt!

I hate clothes shopping. It's annoying.

I'm a big girl, and it's always difficult to find clothing that 1) fits me and 2) looks nice.
One of my favorite types of clothing during summer time is skirts. They are easy to take on and off; they cover my flabby pale legs, and are amazingly cool, even on the hottest days. (Way cooler and more comfortable than shorts even, because skirts allow air flow)

I especially like the bohemian tiered skirt look, because they are looser, look better on my figure and allow more freedom of movement and air flow.

But I've had a very difficult time finding many that are both the appropriate colour palate for summertime (I prefer lighter colours during the summer, but not white, I am too much of a klutz to wear white) and that match shirts that I already own (I have more than enough tank tops and t-shirts, thankyouverymuch) AND that will actually fit over my rather large bottom.

My solution?

Make my own!



I've scrounge the internet and library and bookstores for good skirt patterns, and I found a couple of resources that discuss my favored skirt design. And a couple of weeks ago I finally got up the nerve to try it out.

So I went to Jo-Ann's Fabrics and got a pretty fabric, and some elastic, brought it home, cut it out and make a skit!

It was way easier than I expected, and I'm incredibly happy with the results. AND with a coupon, (and not counting labor, since it gave me something to do, and was fun) it came out to WAY less than I've paid for similar skits. YAY!

The skirt isn't perfect, but I'm happy, and already have the fabric to make another one!



if you're interested, here's the tutorial for how I made it

Fnished Flutterbyes

Yay!

Since the weather is getting nicer around here, I figured it was high time I got off my duff and finished the crochet butterfly top I started a while ago.



All I really needed to do was the sleeves and edging. And since I decided to just do plain Sc around the main body it was a snap. The sleeves on the other hand got ripped out several times before I was happy. See, I have flabby arms, and am very particular about my sleeves. But I eventually got it.



I am so incredibly happy with this top, I just want to wear it all the time, but it's still a bit chilly.
::pout::

original pattern by Proper Trappings and available here(ravelry link)

Bunnies, Bunnies, it must be BUNNIES!*

I've been up to a lot lately, nut for some reason not up to posting, but I've finally getting all my thoughts in order so prepare for a bunch of posts.

First up? BUNNIES!

*ahem*

I've knit a few more bunnies from this pattern I really like it and think the product is absolutely adorable.

One of my friends just had a baby and I think I'll send one to her.



The first one is from some random Lion Bouclé that was given to me from a lady at knit night. she didn't like it and wanted to get rid of it, and al I could think of was a bunny. I lost my pattern about half way through so I fudged it. and you can kind of tell, it's head is a little too small. Ah well.



The next one is a bunny I started a while ago but ran out of yarn just as I was starting it's second ear. I had a heck of a time finding the matching yarn for it, but I finally found some that was 'close enough' while I was wandering around Jo–Anns the other day.

I think the off colour ear give him a kind of charm, don't you think?


*bonus points of you can name where iI got the title from

change purse tutorial

as promised, here's the tutorial.pattern for the little change purse I made yesterday.
be warned there are a lot of pictures. (you can click on each picture to get a bigger view)
if you would like, you can also view the tutorial as a slide show from my flickr album


gather your materials
you will need:
2 4x6 pieces of fabric, a short zipper (length isn't too important, so don't worry if all you can get is a longer zipper), sewing machine and thread, scissors and an iron.


fold each of your pieces of fabric in half, with right sides together. Press.


With zipper closed, place the zipper in the fold of one of your fabric pieces. Center the fabric on the zipper, making sure the pull tab is out of the way.


Sew along the folded edge


Unfold fabric and refold wrong sides together, press. (be careful not to melt your zipper!)


Repeat on the other side of the zipper with your other piece of fabric.


press again.


Unzip the zipper so that the pull tab is "inside" the fabric.


Fold the zipper in half so that the teeth are on top and the fabric pieces are together.
Sew each end of the zipper several times along the edge of the fabric.


Trim away the excess zipper, being careful not to cut where you just sewed everything together.


Making sure that the zipper pull tab is in the center of the fabric. Unfold the very top and very bottom piece of fabric so that you now have two flaps of fabric (right sides together) above and below the zipper.


Sew along first one side, then the other side. Making sure the back stitch several times over the zipper to secure it.


Sew along the top edge (the piece that will be the outside of your purse, if you are unsure which end this is, it's the one where you can see the top of the zipper and the pull tab from.)

Then sew along the bottom edge, leaving about an inch gap unsewn in the middle. Trim your corners. And trim the ends of the zipper flush with the fabric. (not shown in the picture)


Pull everything right side out through the gap you left in the inside bottom edge.
Make sure to poke out your corners. And sew up the hole.


Push the lining fabric inside the change purse, making sure everything is neat and tidy, and admire your handiwork!

Some much happier purses

So after the disaster of a purse from my last post. I got serious. And went looking for a good purse pattern. Then I realized I actually HAD a good purse pattern already, but I kept forgetting about it.

I year or so ago a good friend of mine who doesn't quilt, won a quilt kit. In the kit was a pattern for a really cute purse as well as the supplies to make it. Since she didn't' quilt or sew and I did, she gave it to me.

Here is my practice purse from the pattern:




MUCH better! But the fabric is so not my style. So I dug up the leftovers from my denim tote bag, and made another:



I really like it, it makes my very happy.
Only one problem (if you can call it that) the back pocket is its only pocket. So I have no place to put my change.
Sooo..

DO DO DOOOT!



Change purse to the rescue!

It's my own super spiffy pattern. And once I get all the photos edited and write everything up all pretty, I'll post it for you.

an unhappy purse

I was feeling out of sorts today, so to cheer myself up I decided to make myself a new summer purse.

I should have know better, but it don't come out how I wanted.

since I'm unhappy with it, I will never use it. and my husband won't let me throw it away. so you guys get a chance at a free purse.



it measures roughly 8.5 x 5, has an extra long strap, and two internal pockets.
the sewing isn't the best but it's free, so if you want it let me know.

just leave me a comment here with your e-mail address. if I get more than one request I'll go ask a random number generator.

What I did today:

Finished knitting the heels on the striped socks:



Picked up the feather and fan shawl again, it's getting close to the end, I hope to get there soon, this has been sitting in my knitting bag for too long.



And made mocha brownies using my new mini bunt pan



Yummy.


Yesterday I sat down to cut the yellow fabric for the sashings on my quilt, and promptly messed it up. I was cutting the last strips, and somehow lost my mind and measured wrong. When I realized I was upset, but I thought I could still salvage, and I had measured too big, and could easily trim the pieces. And I could have too, if I had measured correctly the second time. But I didn't. I had originally purchased the fabric thinking I was just going to use it on the borders, so I didn't have much wiggle room when I decided to do sashing too. Next time I'm in town I'm going to need to buy more, and until then I can't go any further with the quilt, since the pieces I messed up were the ones that go in the middle of the quilt.

Ah well. Luckily I left myself plenty of time to get this finished before mother's day.

Coasting and smocking.

After I took the pictures of the blocks last night, I decided to wait until this weekend to cut the slashing. But I was in the sewing groove, so I took some of the scraps left over from the blocks and threw together these coasters. They are very spring-y, and make me very happy. We already have plenty of coasters around here, so I think I will give them to bill's parents for Easter.

Also, the other day I worked on this:



It's my first attempt at Smocking.

I found this really wonderful sitethat gives instructions on smocking, and then while we were in town on Wednesday I picked up a few books from the library.

There are a lot of really nifty applications for smocking; it's not just for baby's clothing (although I do find it appealing... I just need somebody near me to have babies so I can make stuff for them) smocked fabric usually has a lot of elasticity and stretch to it, and one book I got shows it being used a lot on blouse cuffs, and the waistbands of skirts. It looks really nice as an embellishment.

There was even a pattern for smocked Christmas tree ornaments in one of the books I got from the library. Now THAT is spiffy.

Spring!

In honor of the first day of spring today I started putting together the spring quilt for my mother.



As you can see I got the main blocks done this afternoon. While I was laying them out for the above photo, I decided to lay out the yellow I was planning to use as a border:



And it was lacking in something, so I spaced out the blocks a little...



Perfect!
So in the next few days I need to cut the sashing and border and finish up the top. I'm so excited!

Oh yeah. Yes, I did hand embroider those blocks. I posted one here before. But here they all are together: (click to see bigger size)

A new use for cheap place mats

can you guess what these are?


Need a hint?


Yep! I just made myself a set of sock blockers, perfect for my feet, and only $1

Here's the original placemat:

(spongebob was all I could find at the local dollar store that wasn't a dead guy hanging on a cross, seriously... wtf? Who wants a placemat with the crucifixion scene on it, and it was gruesome too, just what every person wants to look at while eating dinner...)

The instructions are here at Little Sesame Knits
It's super simple and super cheap!


I think I need to go back and pick up another placemat so I can make another set... and perhaps some contact paper. While spongebob is cute, I don't think he really works on sock blockers.


The coolest part about the new sock blockers? I can now model my new socks: