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oversized swatch becomes cute wool clutch

Last weekend my friend Jennifer drove up from Kansas City to hang out. It had been over 20 years since the last time we’d seen each other. We had a lot of catching up to do. She wanted to learn how to knit, which is a great way to spend your catching-up time. I cast on some wool to show her how to start. We kept talking and I kept knitting. Without realizing it, I had knit all of my yarn. What was I going to do with this gorgeous rectangle?

Hand Knit Wool Clutch with Denim Lining and Zipper Closure

I folded my oversized swatch in half, whip stitched the sides and added a lining. The result: super duper cute clutch! The good thing about me finishing this so fast is that I got to show Jennifer how to bind off. She caught on quickly and is doing awesome with her first scarf. Another person successfully converted to the fiber arts. Yay!

Visit my etsy shop for close up pics of those lovely garter stitches.

stash: This is a great stash busting project. Yarn was gifted to me by a friend who was ironically destashing it. Denim lining from my garage sale stash. Thrifted zipper.

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crafting as meditation

crochet bag in progress

I’ve got a lot going on offline. I’m sewing, spray painting and taking pictures. I’m visiting with my parents and watching them visit with their granddaughter. There is always so much I want to accomplish when I have someone here to spend the day with Bella. My mind is racing with all of the possibilities.

I try to be mindful of when my creative brain goes into overload. When I start spinning my wheels, nothing gets done. One of my favorite ways to slow down is to knit, especially in the round. Its soothing, repetitive stitches need just enough focus to allow my brain to settle down and let me think. I’ve recently discovered crochet in the round has the same effect (now that I’m getting better at it, of course). Whenever my mind needs a break, I pick up the hook. I like that I can sit with my family, do something I love and refresh my creative spirit.

Do you have a favorite craft that helps you find peace? Please share!

project: Attic24 crochet bag pattern in progress

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two dollar deals!

The past few days I’ve been cleaning and straightening the house because my parents arrived last night for a nice, long visit. I am looking forward to some serious sewing time while they are here!

I did manage to get out a little bit and score some serious thrifty deals. Thursday, my daughter and I went to a garage sale looking for kid stuff. Instead we found a London Fog wool coat for my husband. I swear it is brand new. It was even his size, so no alterations needed. It was a mere $2. Can you believe it? I had to pinch myself. And he likes it!

london fog coat

Saturday afternoon I went out with an actual mission. I’m tired of having a door knob in all of my photos and decided I need some kind of wall shelf with pegs to hang my totes and refashion projects. I found this on sale for $2 at the first store I visited. I’m going to paint it white. Yay!

shelf

I still had some time to myself, so I went to a few more stores just to browse around. I’ve been looking for some pretty sheets to make some pajama bottoms and happened to stumble upon these bright and cheery flowers. These were also on sale for $2.

flower sheets

thrifting: Some days it feels like I never find anything at the thrift stores and I wonder why I even bother. Then I have jackpot days like this and it reminds me that the extra effort is worth it!

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project done: crochet jar jacket

crochet jar jacket

I love this little jar jacket. If you remember, the yarn was from a garage sale. I’m so glad it was wool, because it was worn in so many places. I did a lot of splicing it back together. It makes me think that it is recycled from something, but the wool is so straight. Usually recycled wool is wavy from being knit. Did someone actually take the time to unravel, steam out the kinks and then sell it? Or was it so old that the kinks just fell out? I wish I knew its history.

It turned out a little big, so I wound up putting it around a larger jar. (Smuckers natural peanut butter, if you must know.) I also had to crochet with two strands held together because the yarn weight is so fine.

stash: I have lots of yarn left to make this crochet bag. You can find the jar jacket pattern here.

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my creative space

my creative space

I can’t tell you how hard it was to get a picture of this scarf. My family watched as I walked from room to room trying to capture the leaves. I started this scarf on retreat last weekend. It’s my first lace project and I love it. Tonight we’re going to see the Saltdogs at Haymarket Park and I’ll be taking this as my stadium knitting. Isn’t it pretty?

my creative space

You can find more pretty things over at Kirsty’s blog. Take a pic and play along!

details: Pattern is Branching Out from Knitty. Yarn is Red Heart Luster Sheen. Yes, really.

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handmade student emergency kit

virginia tech birthday gift

My brother is very smart. He’s got one of those jobs where he can’t tell you what he does. I have a feeling I probably wouldn’t understand a lot of it if he could. He’s also working on his PhD. Both involve a lot of hard work and math. Two things that he can always use: pencils and caffeine.

virginia tech birthday gift

If you’ve been reading my personal blog for awhile, you know that he went/goes to Virginia Tech. He never tires of Hokie-themed gifts. (I asked.) I figured what he needed these days was something for all of those pencils and caffeine. I made him a pencil case and tucked some extra mechanical pencils, lead and erasers inside. I also made him an adjustable coffee sleeve and sent him a big bag of his favorite tea.

recycle: I can’t believe I am still using up VT fabric scraps from a yard I purchased over a year ago. Denim was from a pair of jeans. (Freecycle is a great source for denim!) Fabric and button were from my stash. Elastic was a colored pony tail holder.

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knitting homework

knitting retreat

Last night I was all ready to settle down with the sock I posted yesterday when I remembered that I had homework to do! I’m going on a little knitting retreat this weekend. It’s a local retreat — only 30 minutes away — with beautiful gardens and meditation paths. I’ll have my own room and bathroom. Meals are included. Doesn’t that sound lovely? The best part, though, will be guilt-free knitting! There will even be a few classes, which explains why I had to do homework. I can’t wait!

stash: Yep, you guessed it! My swatch yarn is thrifted from goodwill. It’s part of my acrylic collection for making amigurumi.

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my creative space

my creative space

I would have loved to post this earlier, but I misplaced my camera cord. Yes, it’s been one of those days. I’ve been hustling and bustling to get gifts in the mail. I don’t know why June seems to be a last minute month. I start planning early, I really do. I think part of it is because I really want these gifts to be special, and it takes a lot of searching for that perfect thing to make.

Now that everything is packaged up and at the post office, I am going to work on something just for me: my monkey socks that have been in the UFO pile for almost a year. Yikes!

You can find more creative spaces over at Kootoyoo’s blog.

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that’s how i roll

Another little Mother’s Day gift for me: a rolled hem foot. The other night I sat down to make some tea towels and expected to have a whole stack to show you. I didn’t realize there would be such a learning curve! It was like learning to use my machine all over again. I think I’ve got the sides down, but the corners are still giving me a little bit of trouble. So, here’s my one tea towel.

tea towel

I found this fabric in my stash while I was hunting for something else. It was originally for a sewing machine cover, but when I washed it, it got super soft. It feels like a linen/cotton blend, but I’m pretty sure it’s just cotton. The colors match my kitchen perfectly. Check out those beautiful hems!

tea towel

I couldn’t have gotten this far without this awesome tutorial from the Sewing Divas. I think once I get the hang of it, this little foot is going to be a big time saver for me!

stash: Having the right tool for the job can make life so much easier. It will pay for itself in productivity.