Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I heart the internet

Seriously, the internet rules. Lookit what I learned to make:






(I made the necklace display. I cannot take credit for the necklace - it was made by the lovely Ms. Vanda at paraphernalia. Isn't it so great though?)



Admittedly, you can purchase such things - and if you make a lot of jewelry, you probably should. But if you are more of the crafty generalist and just need the occasional snapshot for your etsy shop or blog, it's way easy to make your own.



In my case, my officemate was organizing a silent auction for an alumni fundraiser. She was looking for a way to showcase some of the donated jewelry so that it wasn't just laying on the table looking ordinary and not attracting any bids.



She didn't have time left to order a pre-made display, so I found down a DIY version on the internet. This would be really pretty if you covered your cardboard with imitation leather the way they did in the instructions. But if your fundraiser is tomorrow, you can also MacGuyver one of these together with some recycled office supplies (a legal size file folder and spare rubber band if you were wondering).

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Now with 20% more knitting

Okay, it has been a while, but I'm back now. No more letting work get in the way of my craftiness. That just won't do.

I finished my very first pair of socks. Yay! Socks!


There is a bit of a learning curve evident in them, but they are definitely socks. I was pleased that they are both the same size and that they fit on to adult sized feet. I'm calling it a win.
And now I see how so many knitters become obsessed with making socks. (I think there must also be a learning curve associated with taking a picture of socks on your own feet. Or else I really need to do something about my cankles)

To recap, these are Spiral Eyelet Socks in Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed on size 2 DPNs. The yarn was originally a prize from the lovely knottygnome, it just took me almost a year to work up the courage to use it.



And, for some bonus knitting footage, check out the lovely Miss Aubrey modeling her duck hat and feet:

Bad timing that she grew into them during a record heat wave, but hopefully they will still fit in a few more months when hats are more seasonably appropriate. (oh how nice hat weather sounds about now) My baby garment growth trajectory extrapolation skills (or whatever) may still need some tweaking. But damn she looks cute (and boy will she be pissed when she grows up and finds these pictures).


heh. duck hat.

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Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Bad blogger, no biscuit

Alas, the socks I have been working on are still only partially knit. Sorry to all for the lack of updates, but I've been in home improvement mode and it is eating in to my craft time.

I had the brilliant idea to replace all my carpeting with wood laminate. Actually, that idea was okay. It was the idea that I could install it myself where things took a turn for the sucktastic.

Like any good home improvement project, this one has involved more time, more mess, more money and more trips to Lowes that I anticipated. I'm almost done though. I still have a bit of shoe molding to install, and then it is back to the craftiness. (or possibly off to the chiropractor and then back to the craftiness)

The progress so far:

BEFORE

Miss Madeline and the old carpeting. Well, the portion of the carpeting that she didn't chew up during her puppyhood.






AFTER

Poor Mads. She can't figure out why her butt keeps sliding when she sits on the new floors, but I like 'em.