Finishing a cross stitch bookmark

How to finish a cross stitch bookmark when not working with already prepared bookmark fabric:




Before you start stitching, be sure to cut your fabric with at least 9 extra squares on each side for finishing.





Stitch your bookmark pattern, then fold the sides to the back leaving 3-4 empty squares on either side of the stitching. Tack the edges down - you can use a blanket stitch like I did, or a simple running stitch, or any decorative stitch as long as it isn't too bulky.





Flip the bookmark over and carefully trim the corners. Then pull out the horizontal threads to create a fringe. Be sure to leave at least three empty squares between the fringe and the stitching.








Wash and Iron your bookmark. Remember to keep the bookmark face down so that you do not crush the stitches.





Carefully glue a piece of felt over the back of the bookmark to protect the back of your stitching.


Enjoy your new bookmark!!







(Cross stitch chart for this bookmark is available here)

stuff, and lots of it!

I said I was going to try to post more often; boy did I drop the ball on that one.

I've been crafting a lot, but I've also been super busy with the baby, ah well.

Anyways here is a giant post with everything I've been working on the last two months (oldest first):

Remember the cthulhu embroidered onesie? I finally colored it in.



And then made another embroidered onesie, this one with Godzilla:



DMC#s:
356, 433, 471, 666 (heh), 740, 815, 905, 3787

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I made myself a new baby wrap, this one out of a tablecloth from Target; just cut down the middle and hem! Its 2.1m and perfect for the rebozo carry, which Tommy loves to fall asleep in.



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while wandering around Goodwill I saw these really interesting summer dresses, they were the kind that just tie around the neck which DO NOT work for my figure, my boobs are always too big to fit in the top, and I always look bad in dresses. But they were nice and long and had some great prints. So I grabbed a couple and cut the tops off and sewed in some elastic and voila! New skirts!





I got three different colours/prints, red/orange, yellow and blue, but for some reason this is the only one I took a picture of.

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Baby blocks!!



Bill had these really nifty pj pants with rubber duckies on them that eventually wore out as pjs are wont to do, but I loved the print so I kept them. When we had Tommy I thought it would be awesome to make something for him out of them. My first thought was blocks! But since I had a limited supply of fabric I made a prototype first out of an old worn out pair of jeans. It's a good thing I did; the first block was HUGE! (5" squares) so I made the next one a bit smaller, and that worked out much better (3.5" squares)



Now to get off my butt and make the ducky ones.

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Whenever we go anywhere I always sit in the back seat with Tommy to make sure he's entertained and happy. (driving anywhere with a screaming baby in the back seat is not fun) unfortunately, I didn't have a bag or anything back there to throw bits of trash into (up front we have a grocery bag hooked over the gearshift) so I made one!

the car trash bag from One Yard Wonders
made from leftover cotton/linen scraps from the baby wraps



so far it's working beautifully.

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and last, but most definitely not least, a new purse/diaper bag!







it's a mash up between the toddler messenger bag from One Yard Wonders and the onbag

there's a little pocket on the front under the flap, and a bigger one inside:



and like the onbag it can be worn may different ways, I love it!
Since I made it slightly larger than the bag in the book (and made two straps) I used about 1 1/4 yards. I got 1 1/2 so I have a bit leftover which I may use to make a little zippered pouch to put all my little purse extras into so they don't get lost. (you know, note pad, pen, chapstick etc.)

I think if I do something like this again, the only things I would do differently would be to make it from a stiffer fabric (this one is quilting cotton), and make the back loops a bit smaller.

A post to distract me

Because today is my due date, with no end in sight.

I've been in heavy 'nesting' phase for the last couple of weeks, it's all crafting all the time around here (when I'm not napping)

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First this little guy:
This is out first dishwasher, and sometimes we don't empty it as promptly as we should, so there have been many days where either I or Bill has needed to ask the other "are these clean?" So I made a little sign to help us out.



It's kind of silly, but I'm way happier than I should be about it.
Stitched on 16 count Aida, three strands over two holes.
'dirty' is DMC 816
'clean' is DMC 3755

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Of course I've also been knitting a lot too, sometimes I just lay on the couch and knit all day, (when I'm not dozing off) and of course socks make perfect waiting room knitting at the doctors during my weekly visits.



We had better light conditions today, and I tried putting one on a blocker to stretch it out, but it's still difficult to get a good detail shot of the pattern on the dark yarn.
Trust me, it looks really neat.

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And lest you think I forgot about the baby (HA!) I finished spinning the yarn for his BSJ last night. Now it just needs to be washed and abused a little, and I can start knitting!



The two darker skeins came out to approximately 168 yards and the yellowier skein came out to about 180 yards. Right now it's roughly light fingering, but I tried to spin it rather softly, so it should bloom quite a bit it the wash, and be all sorts of snuggly and warm!


Next up on the wheel:



Some delightful fluffy Jacob top I got in a swap on ravelry. This is going to be a pair of work mittens for Bill. he wore out his last pair before we moved, and he's reluctant to wear his Squirrel and Oak mittens while cleaning the snow off the car, for fear of ruining them.

Happy socks, sad socks, and some embroidery

Sad socks :(

I blew a hole in a pair of socks the other day.



My first holey socks, I am sad.

It's especially sad, because I was just thinking that these were one of my favorite pairs, I love the colours, I loved the stitch pattern, and the yarn was so squishy and soft. Yeah, I guess that should have been the clue. Not only do I have this hole, but there are sever thin spots in both heels, and the other toe as well.

They are the leaf lace socks, I knit using Autumn House Farm Twist Strideaway.

I'm keeping these around for now because I haven't decided if I want to darn them or not. I feel so sad, because they were one of my favorite pairs.

And now I have another dilemma, because I have another skein of the same yarn in a different colorway. And I really like the colours, and the yarn is so soft and squishy, but I'm not sure if I trust it in socks again.

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To makeup for the lost socks, (and to have something relatively simple on the needles) I have started another pair of socks!



It's kind of hard to see in the dark yarn (darn overcast conditions!) but this is the bluebell pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. It looks really nice, and is super easy to memorize. I'm using leftover Knit picks Palette from my woven and fulled scarf. I only had on ball of the darker, and about half a ball of the lighter, so I'm using the lighter purple in the toes and heels, (and possibly the top ribbing if I have enough when I run out of the dark)

I'm zipping right along on these guys, I'm only about an inch away from the heels already. The pattern is so easy, and lately I haven't really had the energy for brain intensive knitting. (Due date is a week from today!!!)

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and finally some embroidery:



This is the Colonial Christmas Sampler, a First Friday Freebie from the painted quilt

I used two strands of DMC 321 for the main motifs, and a strand of 321 plus a strand of gold filament for the grid lines, all on unbleached muslin. It's kind of hard to see in the small picture, but if you click though to see the big, you can see how much it sparkles. I really love it!

I'm going to frame this up and give it to my mother for Christmas.
I'm also thinking about taking some of the individual motifs from this piece and making little tree ornaments to go along with it, but I haven't decided yet.

FO dump

Ok, so um, like I said in my last post I've been busy lately, but I finally have something to show for it all!

First up, the parade of headbands:



Like the last headband, these and just test knits by me while I prefect the pattern. I plan on posting it up on Ravelry sometime this weekend. (a link will be provided here for everybody who wants it)



Then there were fish...



I got a commission order for some catnip fish, and then I was on a roll, so I made a bunch more
Most of these are for sale up in my etsy shop if you are interested.

I also finished up another design I've been working on, the shamrock tam:


This is for a class on stranded colourwork I'll be teaching at the hand weaving museum. Once the class is over I'll be putting this pattern up too.


Speaking of the hand weaving museum, I finished another scarf, this time for myself:


Yarn: knit picks palette, pattern from Hand woven magazines web site.
It was woven relatively loosely (10 epi) and then felted once it was finished.
It's wonderfully warm and squishy, I love it.

And if all that wasn't enough I've also been embroidering:


These are from some sketches of my cat, Esme. I really enjoyed them, and have several more planned. I think once I get everything worked out, I may offer the patterns up as a block a month type thing, but I haven't decided yet.


Now that all the FOs are out of the way, I've also started a pair of socks using some handspun yarn. But I don't have any photos of those yet,.
What I do have is a photo of some lovely Mountain colors barefoot (in evergreen) that Lucia sent me for winning one of her contests.


The picture doesn't do it justice, this yarn is so deep and lovely with dark greens and blues and just a touch of violet. I love it, but Bill has already claimed a pair of socks for himself out of it. (once I finish the socks I have going right now.)

Thanks Lucia!

Twas the night before Christmas...

We are actually having Christmas at my parent's tonight so that Bill's parent's can watch Cayenne, and then we can spend Christmas with them tomorrow.

So I guess I should give the final rundown of all this season's craftiness.

First, my mother's handspun mittens:



I hope she likes them; she's been pestering me for a pair for a while.

On the embroidery front we (finally) have my grandmother's pillowcase.
I finished it a while ago, but didn't get around to washing and ironing it until yesterday:



Also on the embroidery front, I've been on a bit of a cross stitch ornament kick:


(tree with cardinals and the deer are from page 8 and 28
Cross-Stitch Quick & Easy Dec/Jan 1991, cardinal is from Crossed Wing Collection and the scrollwork tree is from gazette 94

I actually have a ton more patters that I want to do, but I had to put them aside for next Christmas, because was running out of time!

Then there is Bill's scarf:



No, do not adjust your screens, you se right, that is a woven scarf. I have indeed succumbed to yet another fiber hobby.
This was my first ever weaving, so it is very far from perfect (please, don't even LOOK at the selvages!) But I am incredibly pleased with it. I've already got several ore projects in mind, I can only weave once a week though, because I'm using one of the looms in the weaving room at the hand weaving museum but then do have Inkle looms that you can take out, so I took on home and have been playing around on it a bit:





Some of the belts and bookmarks have gone up for sale in my shop I'm having so much fun playing around with color patterns and pick up designs, I'm making way more than I could ever use!

I'm alive!

I've just been super busy with Christmas stuff.

I finished off the merino/tencel:



(click through for a super huge version that I am currently using as my desktop wallpaper)

30/70 merino/tencel from stony mountain fibers
It came out to about light fingering-ish, 520 yards, 4 oz.

Im planning a pretty lacy scarf, but it will be for me, so it will have to wait until after the Christmas crafting is done.

Example: my mother's mittens.
You may remember I posted a picture of the bats last time
The bats became this:

(this was my desktop for a while as well)

Which became this:

(also makes a nice desktop)

166 yards, worsted-ish, 4 oz.

I've cast on for the mittens. Just a plain old boring mitten pattern, no pictures yet.

I've also been cross stitching up a storm, I have a bunch of ornaments ready for finishing, I just need to get to jo-anns tomorrow to pick up some fabric and ribbon. I'll be posting pictures once they're done.

I've also finished my grandmother's pillowcase, but it needs to be washed and pressed before I can take any good pictures.

Holidays are coming!

And with that in mind I have a few presents already done.

First is a pillowcase I embroidered for my paternal grandmother:


I actually finished this a wile ago, but kept forgetting to post a picture.
I've started another pillowcase for my maternal grandmother and it's almost done.

I also need to make dishcloths for her, but have been dragging my feet, because they are so simple and boring.

Also in embroidery, (cross stitch to be exact) a bookmark for my mother:


(Modeled on one of Bill's textbooks)

I also want to embroider up a few cute little ornaments for other family members, our local library had a book sale a while ago and I picked up a ton of holiday crafting books.

Since I was in an embroidery kick, I made this.
I decided my new wheel needed a tote bag, so I took some denim and made it on, then I embroidered the thumb an planet logo from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on one side, and "Don't panic" in nice friendly letters on the other:





On the selfish knitting front, I took the alpaca/merino/mohair I spun up and knit myself a pair of mittens:



Pattern: Plait Cable Mittens
I love them, so soft and warm. The pattern was pretty good; but I have a little gripe. I hate patterns that are written for 4 (or any number) or DPNs and give instructions as needle 1, needle 2 needle 3, etc.

I knit magic loop and it is a huge PITA to convert everything where there are no actual stitch counts. (ie, knit 5 stitches, purl 2, cable, purl 2, knit 5 stitches, etc.)

I’m not sure if I got the thumb placement just right, and there were a few other bits I had to fudge due to the lack of actual numbers.
but otherwise this is an awesome pattern, and the mittens turned out beautifully.


after my mother saw my handspun hat, and then the mittens she started pestering my for a par of mittens for herself. So I've carded up some wool, 1/2 romney/perendale sliver, and 1/2 louet northern lights in violets, and I'm going to spin it up and knit her a pair of matching mittens.


But first I have to finish my current spinning project:


4 oz merino/tencel from stony mountain fibers.

It's coming along beautifully; I actually have a full bobbin done, and am working on the second half now. I'm hoping for a light fingering. I want to make myself, a nice little lacy scarf or something.