Busy Needles

It’s that time of year when the cold weather descends with a vengeance and compels me to pick up my needles and find a skein of yarn.  Yes, almost all of my spare time has been dedicated to needlework these last several weeks.  I love it!  There is nothing more satisfying than saying, “I made it!”

My dear husband tolerates these forays into the fiber world with amazing composure, although I am sure he would like to toss all that yarn out into the yard at times.  The couch is my main work station, although you can also find half-finished projects in other rooms (like the schoolroom) where I can work on them while away from my main station. 

I thought I would share a few projects that I have finished as well as peeks at a few that aren’t finished yet.  I am also going to share my much-coveted Rainbow Ripple afghan pattern, for all of you who want to make one for yourselves!  :)

This delicious wool/silk/mohair self-striping yarn was a gift from a friend.  I learned several new knitting techniques while doing this scarf, and I was vastly pleased with the results.  I love how the  colors just blend into one another!  (Casablanca by Cascade)

Here is the finished product.

The awesome thing about this scarf is that it goes with so many different outfits!  All you have to do is twist the scarf around so that the color you want is showing, and voila! (Right here and now I am going to mention my complete intolerance for people who do not know how to spell voila and insist on using it anyway in their blog posts, texts, etc.  It is NOT spelled wa-la, wahlah, or even wallah!  If you are going to use a foreign word, please spell it correctly… or any word, for that matter.)  Okay – the lecture is over.  You can go back to reading now.

Here is another side of it.  Please ignore the unfolded laundry on my bed at the time of this photo.  Anyway, you get the point!  I love this new scarf, and it is so warm, too!

Then while I was trolling through Instagram (follow me there @rvmamacrow), I saw another lovely scarf that I just had to make – the Tuesday Night Cowl (www.ravelry.com).  It had all these lovely cables and I knew I had to try it.  I used dark gray wool for this, and it turned out so well that I will probably end up making another one in a different color!

Here it is in the mid-stage of creation.  See all those lovely tucks and folds?!  Yum!

I even finished it on Tuesday night!  Well, almost.  It was a little into Wednesday morning, technically!

Of course, I have also been keeping up on the #crochetmoodblanket2014 project.  I am really enjoying that, and my blanket is getting larger all the time.  I think we will be able to use it as an RV cover when I am finished!

This is my latest picture of the project.  One square each day for the entire year will make a nice blanket.  If you haven’t joined the movement, it’s not too late!

This is the month of January – looking pretty good!

I also have a knitted wrap in progress.  It is taking me a long time, though, because I keep getting distracted by all these side projects like the Fisherman’s Ring granny squares (see further down).  This is not the first one I have made, but it was several years ago when I made the other one, and I would like to think that my knitting skills have improved in that time!  Here is is in all of its unfinished glory.

Not the greatest picture of it, but you can see where it is heading.  It has to be about 64” long.  Only about 40 more inches to go at this point.

Here is a better picture of the yarn color. (Red Heart Soft in Seafoam)

Then I found the Fisherman’s Ring pattern by Priscilla Hewitt.  I had to try it.  And I love it.  So I have plans to make another blanket with these squares.  I need to stop exploring all these needlework sites – I have more ideas than I will ever be able to finish!  It sure is fun, though!

So, let the snow fly and the wind roar.  At our house, we will be snug and warm in all the crocheted and knitted goodies I have made this winter! 

And now you can make a lovely afghan, too, with this Rainbow Ripple afghan pattern!  Some of you have asked about it, and I finally got around to writing it down.  Here are some pictures (I made two of these this past year).

Without further ado, here is the pattern:

Rainbow Ripple Afghan – Sarah Crow

Hook size: I (4.5 mm)

Yarn: 1-7 oz. skein each of white, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, lt blue, dark blue, and purple (or colors of your choice)

Terms:

Decrease stitch – uses 2 st. YO, insert hook in stitch indicated and pull up a loop. Draw through two loops (two loops remaining on hook), YO, insert hook in next stitch, pull up a loop, draw through two loops (3 loops remaining on hook), draw through remaining 3 loops.

Chain 209

Foundation row: Turn, 2 dc in 4^thch from hook (ch3 counts as 1^st dc). Dc in next 3 ch, work 2 decrease stitches, *dc in next 2 ch, work (dc, ch 1, dc)in next two stitches, dc in next 2 ch, work 2 decrease stitches, repeat from * across to last 4 st. Dc in next 3 st, 3 dc in last st.

Row 2: Turn, ch 3 (counts as 1^st dc), 2dc in same st. Dc in next 3 dc, work 2 decrease st, *dc in next 2 dc, dc in ch 1 sp, work (dc, ch 1, dc) in next two dc, dc in next ch 1 sp, dc in next 2 dc, work 2 decrease st, repeat from * across to last 4 st. Dc in next 3 dc, 3 dc in last dc.

Finish off. Change color. Repeat Row 2 twice for each color stripe until you have repeated the rainbow pattern 3-4 times. Finish off, weave in ends, and enjoy!

Now go get  a hook and get busy!

Baby Blanket

If you read my last post, you will recall the lovely windfall of yarn that I received.  Still so blessed by that!  Anyway, I couldn’t wait to start a project using some of those glorious fibers.  I picked out several skeins of the same soft-textured yarn.  I had six different colors, but not the same amount of each.  Undeterred, I began making granny squares.  This was my first group.  Those colors make me smile – so bright and cheery!

Let me insert here, that granny squares, while easy to make and great for scraps, are not my favorite things to make.  Why?  Because of all the joining you have to do to finish the project.  Ugh.  They do look so nice when they are done, though.  They are also great for when you have just a few minutes of time.  I like to take my bag while riding in the vehicle, sitting on the couch watching a movie, or even while the kids are doing seatwork.  Before you know it, you have a stack  of completed squares.

After using up all the yarn, I had an unequal number of squares of each color.  That meant that I had to put together a random arrangement of squares – not my best mad skill.  I really don’t do random things very well.  But after about 30 minutes, I had the squares arranged in a sufficiently random-yet-balanced way that was pleasing to the eye.  My eye, at least.

Then came the fun part – the joining of all those blocks.  This is where I really wanted to shove it all in a bin and forget about it.  Maybe bring it out for my grandkids to finish one day.  But I did not quit.  I steeled my nerve, and set to the task at hand with a vengeance.  Once I got started, it was not too bad, and it went rather quickly.  I used the single crochet joining method rather than slip stitching them all together.  I think it gives a little more definition to each block, as well as a bit of texture with the raised ridge.

After I finished all the joining, I went around the edge with  single crochet, then again with a shell stitch, giving it a lovely little scalloped edge.  I love shells on the edge of my blankets!  This is the finished product.

Project completed.  Happy me!  :)  Now I need to sell it…  Anyone need a baby blanket? 

Colorful Blessings

Recently, I received a great windfall of yarn.  A church in the area had been given excess yarn from some ladies who made blankets and things as a ministry.  Since no one really wanted the yarn (or knew what to do with it), I ended up with all of it!  Woohoo!  Of course, I had to take some pictures to convince myself that it was not all just a pleasant dream! 

The first haul was about 65 skeins of yarn (some partially used, but most were intact) and 18 balls of colorful cotton thread for crochet.

Of course, I was ecstatic, and only took some of the yarn at first, leaving a good deal for anyone else who might wish to find a home for all those lovely fibers.  Later in the week, I learned that the yarn had been sitting there for some time, and that they really wanted to get rid of it.  I was only so glad to oblige.  No arm-twisting required.  So I cam home with another boatload of yarn.  I won’t be needing to buy yarn for a while.  I love the variety of colors, but it makes it hard to do one single project since you need so much of the same color for normal projects. 

Before I began any projects, though, I had to find a place for all that yarn in my craft/laundry room.  Remember that hutch that I repainted last year?  Perfect hiding place for all those lovely yarns!  Sigh. I love it when a plan comes together!

So now that my fibers have a snug little home, I am beginning to put them to use.  Stay tuned for updates on all my upcoming projects! 

Shed a Little Light…

It was some time ago that the lamp in the trailer bedroom fell and was squished in the slide-out.  The lamp itself was unharmed, but the lampshade was, well, let’s say, it had definitely seen better days. But, it was one of those things that I never really thought about unless I was turning on the lamp, or putting it in a safe place for travel (this lesson was quickly learned).  Never once in all my pre-shopping list-making did I think to put “lampshade”  on my lists.  For months, it was a live and let live situation.  As long as the shade was not in danger of catching fire, I let it be, cringing at it’s misshapen ugliness whenever I really looked at it.

The metal spokes of the frame had actually come apart, and poked out through the fabric in several places.  The day came when I finally decided to get a new shade.  I was tired of trying to make this one look presentable.

Off to my favorite store – Hobby Lobby – with  a 40% coupon in hand.  It was lampshade hunting day.

I was somewhat disappointed in the selection of shades.  If  you wanted a whole lamp, they had some gorgeous options, but my lamp was fine – I just wanted a shade.  I finally (to my husband’s great relief) decided on a design-your-own shade that could be covered with fabric.  I paid less than $5 for it, and I knew I had some fabric back home in the trailer.  So I came home and dug through my stash, finding a bright, cheery fabric scrap leftover from one of my favorite aprons. 

The shade was wrapped in a wax paper template, so cutting it out was quite simple.

I didn’t have my hot glue gun with me, so I had to make do with Elmer’s school glue.  Even then, it was really easy – no burnt fingers from boiling glue!  Yay!  :)  It went together quickly, and I was pleased with the speed of the project.

Ta-dah!  The new sassy lamp shade!  I could add some fringe-y stiff, but I didn’t have any in my stash.  Perhaps I will do that later.  I actually kind of like it just as it is. 

New vs. Old

The finished product – yes, it makes me smile.  :)

My “New” Hutch

For several years, I have had this hand-me-down hutch.  Not really happy with it, I was unsure of how to improve it to meet my décor standards.  I thought about getting rid of the hutch, just because it was so blah.  Brown and blah.  I even toyed with the idea of having my wonderful hubby make me another one more suited to my taste.  However, that seemed like a waste of time and money when I already had a hutch.  (Sometimes being a good steward is not all that fun. )

I decided that I would just paint it.  But what color?  I already had a lot of red due to the benches we made and painted, and I wanted something a little different  that would add some zing to the room.  Turquoise came to mind, but that is a huge step that I wasn’t sure I could make.  It would really zing, perhaps a bit too much.  I discarded the idea and thought black – nah, too dark and boring.  I kept coming back to turquoise.  I also wanted an aged look, but was trying to find out how to replicate that look.  I searched the internet, found some awesome DIY refinished pieces, and watched a few tutorials. 

Seized with the desire to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak, I ran to Lowes and picked out paint.  Yes, I did end up going with a turquoise blue.  The weather was gorgeous, so I headed out to paint just as soon as I got back.  I also bought spray paint to redo the hardware.  I liked the drawer pulls and little knobs, but they were yucky, and the hinges had been painted brown by a previous owner.

I had to get creative when I painted the hardware screws and dangly drawer pulls.  I was trying to figure out how to  paint all sides of the drawer pulls without having them rest on another painted part.  Enter the common wooden toothpick.  I wedged a toothpick into the swiveling part until it stood upright, not touching any other part of the drawer pull.  Voila!  It worked!  Fueled by this small success, I turned to the screws.  I poked them  into a piece of cardboard so that they all stood upright.  Again, success!  I could now spray paint all the surfaces without having to touch them and flip things around!

Maybe those of you who do this kind of thing all the time are laughing at me, but it was fun to figure out. :)

I looked all over for the finishing glaze to add the antique look to my newly painted hutch, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about.  Back to the internet I went, and read carefully the blogs that I had found those awesome pieces with the same finish.  I found out some brand names, and learned that I would have to mix the glaze with whatever color of paint I wanted the glaze to be.  This was going to be more work than I had anticipated.  The Home Depot was the only store in our area that actually had glaze, so I went there.  While I was looking at quart cans of clear (add-your-own-color) glaze, my eye fell on a display of Martha Stewart special painting finishes.  There were several different varieties of pre-colored glaze.  They were much smaller cans, and the price was happily less.  I decided to get the small jar and experiment.  I f I didn’t like it, I could always paint over it again.  This is what I wound up buying.

I highly recommend this product (Black Coffee is the name).  It is latex, so it dries faster and cleans up easier than the clear glaze, which is oil-based.  This little jar was more than plenty for my whole hutch.  In fact, I used over half a quart of paint to repaint the hutch, and I may have used two or three tablespoons of glaze to finish it.  A little of this stuff goes a long way!  Glazing is one of the most fun things I have ever done.  I told my husband that I have a new favorite thing to do! :)

Basically, you apply the glaze with a sponge brush or regular brush, if it is very detailed, and let it sit for 30-60 seconds.  Wipe off the glaze with a damp cloth, allowing as much or as little of the glaze to remain in the cracks and crevices of the piece.  This is where it gets a little messy, since the glaze gets all over your hands.  I had to keep changing the water in my bowl because it was paint-y after a few dips with the cloth.

The whole project took one afternoon, and I am so thrilled with the results!  I have moved the hutch into my laundry/craft room, where I will store some of the items that now reside in cardboard boxes.  I am thinking I will be able to keep quite a bit of fabric and craft items in the bottom cupboard.  Here is what it looks like now!

 

This is not the best picture because the sun was blazing in the windows.  You can still get a good idea of the way it looks now.  As you will notice, I left the back of the hutch brown, just for a bit of contrast.  It was not painted very heavily, and the wood grain shows through, giving it a unique look. 

The best part about glazing is that it does not have to be perfect.  If it is a little darker or thicker in some places, it just adds to the antique look.  I will definitely be using this technique again in the future!

Do you have a piece of furniture that you want to change?  Have you ever tried glazing?

Just Call Me OCD…

Patterns, symmetry, balance, schedules, organization – all of these make me happy.  I do not do random well.  Normally, this randomness is never an issue, but this week, I am working on my quilt.  Having bought my fabrics and gloried in their lovely patterns and hues, I set about cutting the pattern pieces (very tedious work, by the way) painstakingly and precisely, so as not to mess it up.  Once the whole Quilt in a Day  was cut out (what a joke that is – it took me two days just to cut it out!), the laying-out process began.  I was at a total loss.  The eight different fabrics were to be laid out in a random pattern (is that an oxymoron?).

I got out a piece of paper, and sketched the quilt as it should be, leaving blanks for the blocks to fill in with the proper fabric.  I could see a pattern emerging.  I began to panic.  This was supposed to be random, right?  No patterns!  In frustration, I erased it all.  How was I going to do this? 

 

In despair, I did a google search for “random quilt pattern” (don’t you dare laugh!) and actually found a program that will determine your layout for you.  It did mention that it could take several hours for it to figure out your individual quilt layout. “Ummm… that’s probably  how long it will take me,”  I thought.  If I was a math whiz, I could use the probability formula to factor in four fabrics of 24 pieces each, and four more fabrics of 16 pieces each, divide it by the Pythagorean theorum, multiply it by my age, and divide the total by the number of gray hairs I was acquiring as I sat there stressing over the quilt pattern.  But I am not that awesome.  It would have to be done the hard way.  Lay it out, piece by piece on my spotless(ahem) laundry room floor.  *spotless in this instance means that the floor had just been swept, and all the large specks of dirt were gone – mostly.

I did figure out the number of pieces of each color that I would have to include in each row to avoid having a plethora of the same fabric in one area.  From that figure, I began my random pattern layout.  I told you I was OCD!

No two pieces of the same fabric could be long sides together, so it took some work.  Thankfully, I had a friend who helped me with this first row.  We laid out the blocks as random as we could.  It was a mental workout.  I never knew randomness was so hard! 

The next morning, after I had recovered somewhat from all the mental strain, I went back to my creation.  I figured that if I rearranged the block order, keeping the same fabric combinations in each row, that I could have the randomness that I needed while not establishing a pattern (my one weakness).  I set at it with a vengeance, determined to be random…

This is what I ended up with.  Of course, it actually is random, because in rearranging the block order, I had to switch swatches (say that ten times fast) in order to keep same fabrics from being next to one another.  Sometimes I had to change them up in order to get a more pleasing combination.  All in all, the very randomness of it is quite pleasing, because it was such a challenge for my pattern-oriented brain! :)

After getting it all laid out, I quickly filled in my chart so that I would not lose my pattern, and picked up the pieces and put them in piles of rows replete with post-it notes.  Now this I can do!  Organization reigns supreme in my workshop once again!

Now comes the fun part – sewing it all together!  It will take more than a day (I wonder if I can sue for false advertising), but I am so excited about this project!  I will keep you updated on my progress. 

Are you a pattern/symmetry person or a random person?

Pinterest Projects

Okay, I will admit that I have been a member of Pinterest for quite some time, but I don’t really get on very often, nor do I know how to navigate the site very well.  However, I did find a few projects that I wanted to attempt.  I pinned them on my board, and decided to do them as soon as possible. So, last week, after seeing so many spray paint projects, I decided to take on this metal folding chair.  It was just a plain, dull, metal chair, and I am planning to create a whole collection of brightly painted folding chairs for when we have company.  This is my first attempt.

It was a learning experience for me, having never done something like this before, but really, how difficult could it be, right?  So, this is the almost-finished product.  Due to my inexperience, it really could use another coat of paint, but I will have to buy another can.  :(  I used Krylon in a Watermelon shade, and I love the color!  It is definitely a “girl” chair!  I’m thinking canary yellow, lime green, aqua, light pink, and orange for starters.  Whadda ya think?

I know there are tons of other projects for me to do, but I enjoyed giving some new life to this tired old chair.  Look out!  I have discovered the great decorative qualities of spray paint!

Do you Pinterest?  Do you have any fun, easy projects?  I already have great plans for a Christmas wreath for my door.  Maybe I will share that later…