Knitting!

I am still knitting a TON. But I'm pretty lazy about blogging. Therefore I don't get credit for the things I am knitting! So I'm going to try to keep track, if not just for posterity's sake. I have made a bunch of hats, I recently bought 16 inch circular needles and they are so quick! I love instant gratification projects, and hats definitely fill that void. The project in this picture is obviously a scarf, I don't love the yarn, but I got it because I thought it would match with scarf I had already started and it didn't, so it's just been taking up space in my basket. So I'm going to finish it and then gift it to someone.

I'm really excited about an order I just put in to Webs it's a bunch of gray alpaca yarn and size 8 addi lace needles! I have never used their lace needles so I'm really excited!

--Maggie

Bookmaking and Stampmaking

So I have been obsessed with the library lately! And since I don't have a lot of time for reading actual books since I am supposed to be reading school books, I got some crafting books at the library. This one is (obviously) about making books.

I have made little pamphlet books before but never any kind of book that requires a knowledge of stitching pattern, so I am excited to make this one.

The below picture is of my bone folder becoming more flexible in oil. It had to soak overnight, but has since been dried. I am not in love with the fact that it is made of bone, but I guess I have leather shoes, so there isn't too much of an ethical difference. (Plus the silicone ones are quite pricey, supposedly.)

I have actually made 10 signatures (folded pages) of 4 leaves per signature. So, I am on my way to making a new book, but I think I need a drill to (easily) drill the holes for the instructions I am trying to follow, so I am bringing the project home with me!

So this is my other crafting adventure lately! Trying to make my own stamps! This one is obviously going to be my own initials. And I did this just with the carving tool obviously and an eraser, I have some of the carving blocks, but it is obviously cheaper to use just plain old erasers to practice on.

Here's a close up of one of the stamps, you can see the mess it makes in the background of pretty much all of these pictures, but luckily I have a vacuum. (and I like contained chaos!)

This bottom picture is an account up to the point that these pictures were taken. When I go to Hobby Lobby or a craft store, the stamps I seem to look at most are the ones used to proved a backdrop or lines for journaling. So I am working on making some stamps with like lines, and stuff. But as I am not very skilled yet, the lines have come out pretty wobbly and sketchy, haha.

So those are my newest crafting attempts, and I swear I have some scars (from the carving tool) to prove my trials, but I am always excited to make new things!

I am obviously still very excited about knitting. I am being more and more tempted to try the double pointed needles for some cute mittens, but I am holding off learning a new craft 'till I at least master the two above!

--Maggie

So I Know I Said That...

It was beautiful Fall weather a couple of days ago, but jeez, Fall has officially arrived today. It's been a little chilly with a cool breeze and some nice cloudy sunshine.

This scarf is for my friend, she picked out the yarn it's that Lion's brand Home Spun yarn, I actually like the colors. I am messing around trying to figure out a pattern that I like for it though. I am not sure if the one above works...but I have some time before it gets too cold, and the yarn should be a quick knit, it's pretty thick.
Oh, macro shots, I love them. But you can see the different shades of the yarn and the texture.
I'm using size 1o needles, they seem to be working out pretty good.
So this depressing shot is my wall, the wall itself is like textured outdoor true white paint. It's pretty boring and ugly. So my plan is to give it as much visual interest. This part of the wall is going to be a little cluster of embroidery hoops.
I love this quote from the movie Fight Club, and I LOVE my labeler right now. I remember when I got it and I was so fascinated by it. Lately I bought this black tape, and that has brought my love for it back.

All my notebooks are now clearly labelled. I also sent little labels to my family members and one of my good friends. I don't know how much they appreciated them, but I love making them!

I am thinking more about scrapbooking lately, so there will probably be a scrapbooking post in the near future!

--Maggie

Bridgesicle.

So for the 3d Design course that I'm taking, we had to create a bridge that would support an eight pound brick that also met these requirements:
-only using popsicle sticks, woodglue, and kite twine
-must be 24 inches long
-cannot layer the popsicle sticks any more than 3 deep at any given point.
This is what I came up with:
I knitted a net for the brick to be set in in the bottom, which really seemed to impress my instructor, actually. He told me I should "go to New Zeland and help make chain mail for the new Lord of the Rings movie." He's kind of a character.

He was pretty helpful to me though, I am more good at making things that are aesthetically pleasing and not so much have any practical uses, such as brick holders. He advised me to have it meet at the top or else it would fall in on itself, which I wouldn't have had the foresight for. I tested it with a couple things at home, such as a weighty candle, but couldn't find anything heavy yet small enough to compare to the brick, but what i did have to use didn't even seem to phase it, so I have pretty high hopes, seeing as whoever had the bridge that can hold the most bricks gets 2 movie tickets! This really was a big learning experience for me, having to think about creating things with a purpose and solving problems along the way, such as trying to attach two popsicle sticks with a dowel rod.

Anyway, the brick contest is Monday, I will report back with how it goes down!
And I will be sure to post our next project on here as well, which is a chair made out of cardboard that doesn't look like a chair...and can support a human sitting in it.
-Rachel

Blocking and Bookmaking!

So I am working on a bunch of projects, since school has started and therefore I need things to make me procrastinate from my actual homework. Unlike Rachel's awesome school project below, this is not for any of my classes. But I am trying to do more exciting knitting projects. So this is my first attempt with lace knitting. I'm blocking it here with t-pins.

Here's a close up. But don't look too close, I wasn't worried enough to make it perfect. It's supposed to look like leaves though. I think it does in a kind of abstract way.

So, I used to make little books all the time, but I haven't for a while! But lately, I have been making crazy lists and my mom's birthday was coming up, so I made a couple. The pattern from the blog, http://www.creaturecomforts.typepad.com/, which I love.

One was made with blank pages, and I made one with lined pages too! I sent my mom the one with blank pages and it received rave reviews. So I'm excited!

Now I'm working on two new scarves and Rachel and I have got to start our cardigans if we want to get done by Thanksgiving. We are currently looking for 8 inch circular needles, because neither of us want to try the seemingly impossible task of double pointed needles. So our cardigans are at a standstill!

I will try to be a more routine blogger, especially because I want to show off my scarves!

--Maggie

Back to Blogging!

So Rachel is right, it isn't like we haven't been crafting or even avoiding craft blogs, because that's definitely not true in my case! We were just going crazy getting ready for school! And I was trying to buy everything ever possible for living in my (first!) apartment! I have pretty much everything necessary now, but I am really try to think of some decorating ideas so it looks less boring! And my room will be kraftxcore to the brim, but I feel a little guilty about pushing the DIY on all of my other room mates. So, I would love some decorating ideas for the living room that aren't too crafty, though i think I have some that will work out!

Mostly, I haven't been scrapbooking, but knitting and crocheting a bunch. These are some of the projects that I am working on/completed.

I am completely obsessed with making these beret style hats! They are quick to make, and it's made with crocheting, which I honestly haven't done too much of. I am definitely a knitter at heart, but I am excited about crochet. I finished the baby blanket I started when I was super young, there are missed stitches and the color isn't the best, but it's completed! I am working on 2 scarves that are knit with tiiiiny needles and skinny yarn! I am excited, but it is definitely labor intensive!

Anyway, Rachel and I have been talking about making cardigans, we are pretty excited about and maybe we will actually motivate each other to do it!

on pins and needles..

Kniting needles to be precise. Ohhh I'm so clever. Haha. Anyway, from just looking at this blog (and around myself) I am pretty aware that it's hard for me to just stay focused on one project for too long. I suppose that keeps me from getting bored, but it also prevents me from finishing alot of the things I start. I can usually come back to them after a while with a refreshed inspriation, though. And if I don't make a task seem to dauntng, I can usually finish it. So maybe it would help me to break big things up into smaller parts? Who knows!

Anyway, knitting and crocheting have seemed to be my vices as of late. Maggie got me a crochet hook and some yarn for my birthday, so after about a 10 year pause on that one I was able to pick it back up again with a little help! I have been working on knitting a scarf for my boyfriend, who once tried to learn, but that was short lived. So I am putting the yarn and needles he bought to good use at least! But as I said earlier, that by no means says that his scarf is the only project I have going. I am also knitting another scarf simply because I like the yarn, am always scrapbooking on and off, and am even tryng to work on some decorations for my walls. That embroidery piece is on an indefinate haitus. Much like Blink 182 was..until just earlier this year!! So exciting.

Also, I got a whole buch of used-up giftcards from my work...I don't have a plan for them yet, but I'm sure I'll find something!

-Rachel