Shopping local, supporting handmade.

A perfectly lovely way to start my day is shopping for yarn. I think I have a problem: I had a mini panic attack when I thought my credit card had expired and I couldn't buy yarn :). But all in all I love to buy yarn, and I love to buy it from small local shops. I know they are more expensive and people might feel that they are getting less bang for their buck. But what you are paying for is higher quality yarn. Even the acrylic yarns are softer where I shop. But I think is most important is that you are shopping local, supporting small business similar to the ones you see on Esty. I think on a way I'm paying it forward. Shopping local, supporting handmade.

My soon-to-be baby sweater. I wasn't even planning on buying and making this but I saw the yarn and had to have it :)

Support your local hooker! Week 1

And this time I'm not talking about Rugby! Although I do it there too :) So my Etsy team has decided to post blog questions/topics for team members to answer in an effort to bring more readers to our blog and to learn more about one another.

Here is the week1 question: When did you start crocheting? Did you teach yourself or did someone teach you? Tell us the story of how you became a hooker.

   My sophomore year of high school, I joined the fiber arts club. A couple of my best friends from high school were in the club run by  Ms. Taylor and they taught me the basic stitch and I loved it. My first project was a pretty sad, although Ms. Taylor told me it was beautiful ha ha.
   My mother had taught me how to knit when I was in elementary school and while I enjoyed it, I didn't take to it like I did to crocheting. Seeing this, she bought me a book of stitches and I would just sit there with the book and practice the different stitches. Somehow during that time I taught myself how to read a pattern but I'm not really sure when I learned that.
   I think my first major project was a blanket for my twin bed which I never finished ha ha. I think I bit off more than I could chew with that one but it did turn into a lovely throw. I love crocheting. I get so excited about new projects and ideas that I tend to jump from project to project. I'm trying to work on that :) Hopefully I will be crocheting long into the future. I would love to own a boutique with my friend Dan that includes unique hand-made items, but I'm still working up to that. Hope you learned a little something about me :)

A Foray into Book Making

I have always been interested in paper crafts. I have kept old magazines, books, wallpaper samples, in the hopes that I could make something out of them. And I finally am! I enrolled in a book making class and I am loving it! I have listed my first journal with coptic stiches and I couldn't be more proud. My favorite part of the book are the inside covers. I used pages from a 1947 copy of Nancy Drew and the Clue in the Jewel that I've had for a few months and was falling apart. I love that I could use it to make something new instead of throwing it out. I also used the orginal covers from the book to make a journal for myself. But that's just for me! Ha ha. I have no plans of selling that one :) Check out the picture below. I can't wait to share the box I made using old wall paper and the tape bound book I'm making now. :) Until then check out the photos of my first journal.

Manayunk Eco-Arts Festival

I guess I'm not really a blogger. I've always like the idea of keeping a journal or blog of my witty private thoughts that are now public to the world, but I am not good with the follow through. But I got something in the mail today that I thought was pretty interesting and I think I want to participate in. The festival is called the Manayunk Eco-Arts Festival and it's all about "celebrating a healthy and earth friendly lifestyle". Seems like a great place to showcase my new eco-friendly items. Like my up-cycled bathmat crochet from bed sheets:
   I've also been taking a bookmaking class where we are learning to make hand bound book and gift boxes. Every part of the books or boxes that I've made thus far are from recycled objects or paper that have just been sitting in my house waiting to be turned into something else. So hopefully I will be churning out new paper products for my new shop :)

Frogs

So the Create Crochet team is having a frog-a-thon. Meaning this week we will try and finish up all of the projects that we have started but have not finished. I'm posting my before pictures but I don't have a great deal of faith that I will finish considering most of my projects are massive but we shall see.

A set of earrings for a friend.

A ladybug baby sleeping sack

A cell phone case

A blanket that will probably be ripped out and look totally different

A cotton Groccery bag.

I have a lot of work to do!

Custom Scarf

I sold another custom item Saturday! Very exciting. The wife of the family I’ve been babysitting for 5 years is one of my biggest fans after my parents. I made her a really pretty caplet out of mohair that she loved the color and feel of so she requested a scarf in the same color and material. My friend Dan has a fancy new camera and came with her nephew to take pictures. She also has an etsy page, check out Dinhnydan. She makes hand-made cards among other things that are simply divine! Check out her blog for the other stuff she makes, http://dandannoodle.blogspot.com/ .


Alight here are the pictures of the scarf I made. Also we re-shot some of my other stuff so check out my etsy page in a bit for those pictures!

That's her nephew in the background :)

Dorothy's Other Ruby Slippers

So I have finished the first boot of my Wizard of Oz inspired slippers. I used a pattern from a book I've had for a while and tweeked it to fit what I was doing. And I took pictures!

Phase 1: So this is the boot plain and simple made with Vanna's Choice yarn in ruby red.

Phase 2: I wanted to add more of the glitz that my converse and the original slipper so I added sequines

:

I had a hard time with the sequins! I used a hot glue gun but it was a little messier than I wanted. If anyone has suggestions on attaching sequins please let me know!

Phase 3: Finally, we add the ribbon:

Let me know what you guys think!