Creativity – Page 10

It’s Magic!

August 27, 2012March 8, 2020Creativity, Crochet, How Tos, Kid Projects, Sewing1 Comment

Crochet is magical. Any one of us that have even a basic familiarity with the art of the hook know this.

This past week I got to demonstrate another version of crochet magic. I was asked by my kids to create a “Merlin” cloak and hat as a birthday gift for one of their good friends. The birthday party was this past Saturday so I can post the pictures of the finished project now.

I had made a version of this costume for my oldest when they wanted to be Harry Potter for Halloween last year. What I needed: 1 1/2 yards of 60″ wide poly fleece, about 300 yards of acrylic yarn (I used 2 different colors), 24″ wide by 15″ tall piece of acrylic felt, size G hook, sewing needles and sewing thread.

The first part of this project was to cut out the “cloak” from the poly fleece. The great thing about poly fleece for a project like this is I can leave the raw edge un-hemmed and it won’t fray. The piece of fleece I was using had a few bits cut out of it, so I had to work around that. I folded it in half and cut out the shape I wanted with a concave curved bit for the “collar”. The photo shows the basic shape I cut out with the collar in place.

Then I blanket stitched along the collar area to give me an edge to crochet into. The collar itself was a single crochet base worked into the blanket stitching, then some slight increasing with double crochet stitches to create the shape I wanted. I wasn’t really following any type of pattern. Just going by a feel for how I wanted the finished collar to look, as well as including a “button-hole” for the button fastening.

You can see the button and button-hole better in this photograph.

Of course, it isn’t a real magic costume if you don’t have a hat. So I grabbed some black felt and cut out a shape to make a cone for the crown of the hat. To make the hat go more with the cloak I cut out some of the leaves and stars from the left-over scraps of fabric I had from the cloak.

I then sewed them in place with a simple whip-stitched edge. Once all the appliques were sewn on I rolled the felt into a cone and sewed the seam where the edges overlapped.

I crocheted a brim by starting with a foundation single crochet strip that was the right circumference for a good fit. Rounds of single crochet worked even and then in flat increases created the rest of the brim with a finishing round of double crochet worked even. After the crocheted brim was finished I used yarn and a zig zag hand stitch to attach it to the bottom of the felt cone.

The final costume was finished just in time to be wrapped and ready for my kids to give to their friend. The costume was a big hit and already has had some serious play time.

A different Yarnie Craft

July 13, 2012Creativity, Humor, Kid Projects1 Comment

Yesterday was was an indoor rainy day and was all about my children. Especially Thing 1 (Dr. Seuss reference for those of you thinking I’m a wicked mom to call my children Things).

My children see me playing/working with yarn All The Time. Yarn pervades the entire household. So there really is no way to avoid it. They both have expressed desires to learn to crochet, but it is slow going at times. So what is a Mom to do to share the yarn crafting love with them?

Why, teach them to weave of course. Particularly Thing 1, as Thing 2 is sticking with the crochet hook for the nonce.

Actually it’s sort of funny me teaching my children to weave, since my knowledge base isn’t a whole lot larger than their own. I’m just blessed with a nimble mind and a small bit of experience from over 30 years ago.

The wonderful thing about weaving is it is so accessible, even for the utter novice. So I grabbed my trusty utility knife and an empty cardboard box from the recycling pile and declared it was going to provide the bits for a loom and accessories.

Without any real measuring I cut out a flat piece to use for the loom and made small slits along the top and bottom to hold the warp of the loom. Quickly warped it with some acrylic yarn. Then I dug out some oversized knitting needles to act as sheds.

Shuttle-pre-notching — Shuttles, with one needing notching

My son and I began to play with weaving a bit of yarn in, but it soon became apparent that we needed some more tools. Like sturdier shuttles for the weft yarn and a shed and sword. So more cutting on the box and I had made shuttles, shed and sword. I also grabbed a comb for him to use as the “beater”.

Then my son went to town weaving happily. He decided this is really a hobby he wants to learn more about. After he went to bed I did a little research about basic weaving on the internet and learned how to make a simple heddle to use to speed up the weaving process.

Today he and I are going to Boulder to visit “Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins”. This is a LYS that I have visited many times to purchase yarn for crocheting and animal fiber for felt work. As their name indicates, they also have wonderful supplies for weaving. So it will be a great opportunity to look at the various looms available and learn more about weaving from folks that know a lot about the craft.

Since Thing 2 is also expressing an interest in learning more about weaving I’m thinking we will be bringing a potholder loop loom home as well. They aren’t expensive and they are a super fun quick way to learn about weaving that both boys can enjoy.

Best part of this experience is it’s been a wonderful reminder of how much fun it is to do arts and crafts with my kids. Even if it is just paper-crafts, find some time to craft with your kids, they have a great time learning something new and you may surprise yourself with the new things you learn about them.

Foster Puppy!

April 23, 2012Creativity, Latest News1 Comment

There is a puppy at my house. Yes, I know, it wasn’t like I wasn’t already busy. But my family and I decided to become fosters for the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue.

This is part of my resoluation to do more volunteer work in my community. My husband and I love animals. Before we had children, there were a few years when we had 3 dogs and 3 cats.

Organizations like RMLR depend heavily on Foster homes as they don’t have a dedicated shelter facility. Which means they can’t take more dogs than they can place in foster homes. Sadly, there are many dogs needing a safe haven.

Now, a puppy wasn’t what we had in mind when we decided to foster. We were thinking of dogs around 3-5 years old. But this sweet little guy (called Beatty) needed a place to stay for a bit, so he is hanging out with us.

I had really forgotten what it is like to have a puppy in the household. He is going to keep us on our toes while he is here. Fortunately, puppies tend to get adopted fairly quickly. Though I may have to pry the puppy out of my beloved’s hands to give him to his adoptive family when the time comes. Himself is becoming very attached and we haven’t even had the puppy 24 hours.

I am getting inspired though about a crochet project especially for our foster doggies (and maybe other foster homes too). This little guy has been in 2 foster homes the last 72 hours, and will eventually be going to his forever home. So I’m hoping to make some kennel pads using 3 strands of washable worsted weight yarn. Then the adoptive families can take it with them to help the dogs make the transition to their new home.

I’ll do a special post once I have come up with the pattern, to share with others. I’m sure that shelters in your area can use them too. If you are inspired to get started before I put something together, try the pattern I shared for “Boo’s Blanket” but adjusting the size to be shorter and using a 3rd strand of yarn to create a cushier fabric.

Once last thought to leave you with. If you are looking into adding a dog (or cat) to your family, please check with local shelters and rescue organizations in your area instead of purchasing thru a breeder or pet store. These animals make wonderful friends and you will save a life. And remember to spay and neuter your pets.

Finding Colors

March 10, 2012March 15, 2012Art Projects, Creativity, Crochet, Tips and TricksLeave a Comment

I love to play in free form crochet for art projects. One of the questions I get most often from crocheters interested in trying freeform is about choosing the yarns for a project.

But often the real key to a successful freeform project is choosing the colors. I chose the colors for this piece using the advice of the wonderful Jenny Dowde. She said that one of the easiest ways to get colors that play nicely with each other was to choose a multi-colored yarn. Then you find solid color yarns that pick up tones in the multi-colored yarn.

I choose some Lion Boucle’ in the Wild Berries colorway for this project. Then picked pink, orange and blue yarns from my stash that matched the Boucle’.

If you want to learn more about Jenny’s approach to FreeForm Fiberarts I recommend getting your hands on her books: Freeform Knitting and Crochet; Freeformations, Designs and Projects in Knitting and Crochet; Surface Works.

My Big Black Bag

February 3, 2012February 3, 2012Art Projects, Creativity5 Comments

Everytime I go to a conference or needlearts show I am trying to find a good bag to carry along. I have a long list of requirements for the best bag to bring and I’ve tried a number of different adaptations. Since September 2008 I have been to 6 different crochet or fiber-arts type shows. But I may have finally created the right bag.

It started out as a plain black commercially made bag of a decent size, it had been in my stash for awhile and I’m not certain where I originally purchased it. Unfortunately it was solid black inside. Which is what I what I refer to as “black hole bags”. For some reason the commercial bag making business seems to think that nearly all bags should have black interiors.

Light-sucking black means anything going in there may never be found again. Not the end of the world when you are having ordinary daily adventures, but a bit of a drag if you are trying to find your business card case whilst talking with an interested editor.

The first order of business then was to line the bag with lighter colored fabric. Though I am a very good seamstress, I decided to have my friend Val sew up the lining for me. I gave her fabric and measurements and she created the padded pocketed loveliness you see on the interior.

Once I looked at the lining I knew the bag would need a zipper closure so I could put it thru the airport security machines without everything falling out. I created the zipper plackets, which would fold down neatly inside the bag when I wanted to use it as a tote.

I wasn’t happy with the plain black exterior, and needed an outside pocket (a great place for the elusive business cards and my phone). After a bit of digging in my stash of fabric I came up with some black denim that would work. I decided, since I would be carrying the bag everywhere at the TNNA show, I wanted something that would reflect my artistic style.

I sat down with wool yarns in my favorite blues and purples, plus some black to tie in with the bag itself and began crocheting a free-form piece that I would felt later in the washing machine. In 2 evening’s work I had finished a wonderful square of felt to decorate my exterior pocket. When I began sewing it to the bag and the exterior pocket lining I wanted a bit more excitement to it and added beads. Many of the stitches holding on the beads also anchored the felt in place on the bag.

It was a great bag for the TNNA show and I think I will be taking it to many more shows in the future. Though I had so much fun creating the decorative felt piece for the front, I may have to make some more of those as well.

Design Evolution

January 26, 2012January 26, 2012Creativity, Crochet Design, Humor1 Comment

Have you ever wondered what the process is from conception to publication of crochet designs? I hadn’t really thought about it much until 3 years ago when I decided I’d like to try selling some of my designs to magazines.

Magazine Image as Shawl — Photo from DRG Publishing

My most recent published design, Plum’s the Word Shawlette, is available now on the Crochet! website as a web Extra to their Winter 2011 print edition. You can see more details on page 79 of the magazine, or if you are a digital subscriber go to Crochetmagazine.com/EXTRA.

The beginning of this design was born during my family’s Spring Break road-trip in March 2011. As always for a road trip I made sure to pack one of my suitcases full of yarn, hooks and stitch dictionaries. One of the yarns I had packed was Premier’s Alpaca Dance.

As I have freely confessed many times, I have a bit of a thing for unusual yarns (sometimes called “novelty” yarns). If it is fluffy or sparkly it is very likely to catch my eye. I am particularly fond of soft fluffy yarns. Though they can be a bit of a trial when having to frog back stitches (I have a few helpful hints in this post on working with these types of yarns).

When I design with yarns like that I want to use stitch patterns that are less likely to cause grinding of teeth. So I knew I wanted something that allowed the majority of the stitches to be worked into chain spaces instead of actual stitches. Using a big hook is also helpful.

I worked my swatches with my Laurel Hill M and L size hooks, deciding in the end that I was happiest with the swatch I had made with the L hook.

I had been looking at the popularity of ruffled wraps, and started playing with Hyperbolic Planes as I swatched.

Because the fluffy yarn has a lovely halo effect, I knew that a lacy open stitch pattern would look very delicate and still make a warm fabric. Ideal characteristics for a feminine scarf or shoulder wrap.

Since this was a fairly small project idea, I decided to work a larger swatch to check my increase calculations and made an actual shawlette.

This photo was one I included to show the shawlette in my proposal for a “Fluffy Ruffles” Shawlette/Scarf to Crochet! Magazine. I also used Universal Yarns’ Swiss Mohair to create a swatch of the stitch pattern as another suggested yarn for this pattern.

When the editors reviewed my proposal they thought the lighter weight yarn would be a better match and they wanted to use the design in the “Winter 2011” issue of the magazine. I finished the final sample in the chosen yarn and wrote up the pattern, then sent them off to the magazine staff at the end May 2011.

After that my focus was swatching and working on other design ideas. I was excited when my CGOA copy of the Winter Issue came in the mail as I remembered I had a design in it. But when I looked at the design names I didn’t see “Fluffy Ruffles”. Then I spotted the information and photo on page 79. My design now had a new name, and was one of the Web Bonuses available to Crochet! readers.

And that my dear readers is my part of the story of design evolution.

Bang! 2012 is Rocking Already

January 7, 2012January 7, 2012Celebrating, Creativity, Crochet Design, Humor1 Comment

Here we are one week into 2012 and I’m looking at my resolutions and goals once again. Didn’t we just do this?

I know I’m marking myself as gaining in years with this comment, but it does really seem like every year is passing by more quickly than it’s predecessor. Of course it could be explained mathematically. Yeah, like you didn’t see that one coming.

It’s all about proportionate relative POV (point of view). For a child 5 years old, 1 year is equal to only 1/5 of his life experience. So that year seems to pass slowly as he anxiously awaits each of the markers of the passing year: Halloween, Christmas, his 6th Birthday. Where for me at 48 years, 1 year is equal to 1/48 of my life experience and those same markers seem to come along at warp speed.

This New Year started off with a bang, work and family life were both keeping me on my toes, so getting to the blog has been a bit delayed. Finally found a moment to think about what my resolutions are for this year.

#1 – Make time every week to play with my children. This has actually been going pretty well as the boys got lots of Legos and some board games for Christmas. I figure I need to make the effort to play with them while they want me to, as they are growing up so fast.

#2 – Do more volunteer work with organizations that matter to me. I love going to the CGOA conferences each year to learn new techniques, spend time with crocheting and designing buddies and shopping the unique offerings at the marketplace. I’ll be doing more with the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) this year than ever before. Because I’ve agreed to work with Doris Chan and Shari White as part of the CGOA Design Competition committee.

#3 – Purge my household and creative “stuff” to create more space in my home and office. Yes, I seem to have this resolution every year (or some version of it) but it is a never-ending process as more “stuff” seems to come in on a daily basis.

Modeled-with-Rock — M2H Designs: Tumbling Leaves Scarf

#4 – Publish at least 8 crochet designs in my M2H Designs line. Just this week I published the first one of the year, Tumbling Leaves Scarf. If I can manage to do that at least every month I’ll fulfill this goal easily.

#5 – Finish 2 fine art pieces of a good size. Say at least 1 foot by 2 feet. With all the design and writing work I’ve been doing recently, my art studio and art supplies have been getting lonely. I’ve also been wanting to make time to explore using more textile pieces and techniques in my “fine art” work.

#6 – Get back into a regular Yoga practice again, working up to doing an hour of yoga 3 times a week by the end of the year. I have found my life more sedentary with the work I do now (design and writing), so making myself stick to regular exercise is becoming more important to my overall well-being.

It’s a White Christmas

December 22, 2011Creativity, Crochet, How TosLeave a Comment

Last night we had a big snow storm and woke up to 2 feet of powdery white stuff. Timing was perfect as my in-laws had arrived earlier in the day. Now we have a nice fire going in the wood-stove and we are watching Christmas movies.

I did have to wonder if the snow came because I’ve been crocheting lots of snowflakes out of cotton crochet thread.

I’m not usually a “threadie” when it comes to crochet. But there is something about snowflakes worked in crochet thread that really makes it feel like Christmas time is here. Plus they are wonderful quick gifts that can be mailed easily or used as a decorative element on greeting cards and packages.

Snowflakes can be very simple or extremely complex. Personally I like to play with different ideas, sort of riffing with the hook and thread. My only guide being that I need to keep the flakes 6-sided.

Generally I start off with an adjustable slip knot, then chain 2, work 6 single crochet in the 2nd chain from hook. Pull on the beginning tail, slip stitch into the first sc of the round and I have a nice little center for my snowflake, from there out any thing can happen.

The best bit of snowflakes is that you can make lots of open spaces, then when you use the stiffening material they suddenly become beautiful crystalline looking miniature works of art.

I like to pin my snowflakes out with blocking pins on top of wax paper with one of my foam blocking pads or a piece of cardboard underneath.

Then I brush the snowflakes with my stiffening solution. I use the product “Stiffy” that I purchased at our local Michaels. But there are lots of options out there such as Alene’s glue mixed with water or laundry starch. Sometimes you need to experiment to see what works best for your climate. I want to saturate the fibers enough that the flake will be strong, but not so much that it gets blobby looking.

Once the flakes have completely dried I remove the pins carefully and may use a tiny bit more solution brushed lightly over the flake and sprinkle with some glitter.

A bit of nylon line to make hanging loops and my flakes are ready to decorate the tree or hang in the window.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday visit with your friends and family too. Happy Holidays to all my lovely readers.

The Beauty of Beads

December 11, 2011Creativity, Crochet1 Comment

I love beads. If I could I would completely cover projects with beads. Even though I know that 1) the project would be very heavy and 2) it might really not be in good taste.

Beaded-Bracelet — Beaded Bracelet for Crochet Club

A recent fun project I did with my Crochet Club kids was to make chains with beads. We used plastic pony beads. They are easy to thread onto worsted weight yarn and come in a variety of colors.

I decided it would be fun to make a “fancier” version for myself. I purchased some Czech Glass Beads Size 2/0 in rainbow colors and some Patons Silk/Bamboo #3 thread to string them on.

I’m sure there are other ways to string beads on thread or yarn, but the method I like is to use a dental floss threader. You can find them in the toothcare area of most pharmacies.

Beaded-Chain-Stitch — Making a Beaded Chain Stitch

To make my necklace I strung a bunch of beads on the thread, though I ended up only needing 25. Using a H-8 (5 mm) hook, I chained 8 then slip stitched into the first chain, after making 10 more chains I slid the first bead up and chained around it (first bead chain made). I alternated bead chains and regular chains until I had used 25 beads up.

My length of beaded chain now measured approximately 15 1/2 inches from the loop at the beginning. I made 11 more chains and fastened off with a 6 inch length. Using the ending length I sewed a button to the chain and wove the end in. Then wove the beginning length around the loop to act as reinforcement for the buttonhole.

Less than 30 minutes after starting this project I have a lovely necklace. If you are needing a quick gift during this holiday season this is a fun one that can be made with a wide variety of beads and thread or yarn options. Have fun experimenting.

Snow-spiration

December 1, 2011Creativity, CrochetLeave a Comment

Well the first day of December has begun by dumping a load of snow up here on the mountain (a bit over a foot at the moment). I guess Mother Nature heard me complaining that I wasn’t feeling very Christmassy (is that a word?).

It now looks like a classic Christmas card out my window. A steady flurry of flakes in the air, a foot of fluffy snow on the ground and un-plowed roads have contributed to the overall effect. All I need is a horse-drawn sleigh and I’m set.

Of course it could be Santa’s doing. I’m guessing he really didn’t want to wreck his nice sled on our dry snowless roofs. The weather dudes are promising at least a week of the wintry temperatures we are currently enjoying. 16F in my backyard at the moment.

Living here on my mountain is beautiful, but definitely makes it difficult to think about designing garments or other crochet items for warmer seasons.

Currently my design brain is thinking about fluffy warm lap afghans and throws that are quick to stitch up. One of the Christmas gifts I want to make is a throw, but I need something that won’t take too long.

I’m thinking Caron’s Dazzleaire will be perfect. Because the yarn is rated a “bulky” yarn with a recommended hook size of L (8 mm). With the fluffy “halo” of this yarn I’m thinking that I might be using an even larger hook, say a N or P hook (10 -11 mm). Worked in a simple open stitch pattern the halo of the yarn will fill in the open spaces and help create a warm breathable throw that can be enjoyed even when the weather isn’t quite this nippy.

One item on my gift list started, hopefully this “snow-spiration” will last long enough for me to make some real head-way on the rest of my planning for the festive season.