tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22634501390990109742024-02-18T19:29:35.914-08:00LaughingLark's semi-random craftinessLaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-83065284429618903182011-08-12T04:51:00.001-07:002011-08-12T05:07:33.363-07:00Using what you have<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeIn71YwoCji90Pv6OaAOpHp3iRgB4a8Xchyphenhyphenwm0G7UZb-OJNyXDV8lDstRgbzQw4B5LuKqWeXCmc7ZzVW1MRsKqKcAKUA2e4V_u2aLWgicz88rW6aJ24lLvw1kedJEy4DlMdVAzKog1Ul/s1600/brasscastingsusedtomakeTPearringscr.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeIn71YwoCji90Pv6OaAOpHp3iRgB4a8Xchyphenhyphenwm0G7UZb-OJNyXDV8lDstRgbzQw4B5LuKqWeXCmc7ZzVW1MRsKqKcAKUA2e4V_u2aLWgicz88rW6aJ24lLvw1kedJEy4DlMdVAzKog1Ul/s320/brasscastingsusedtomakeTPearringscr.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639936688372248098" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z8j3sOud5gWVP-DIvVDzYfr_IYBcDGM02TxenFlY1Swzp31lHHFdQ0INtrVkJmXDt90thQ9QUnGqBQgrv05xUagbvl07H4dDPUza1TKyiv4yxB8rrS-PT_SxDDzP3nJly-BDgg1AWpr9/s1600/TPandgluegunearring3cropped.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z8j3sOud5gWVP-DIvVDzYfr_IYBcDGM02TxenFlY1Swzp31lHHFdQ0INtrVkJmXDt90thQ9QUnGqBQgrv05xUagbvl07H4dDPUza1TKyiv4yxB8rrS-PT_SxDDzP3nJly-BDgg1AWpr9/s320/TPandgluegunearring3cropped.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639936684474627122" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfJUbT_Kf9YWwYoJX0QURGKxiWUsXBkMELFafeN9SW9B-5JB0sG2r8lWaKmueKYNpZEZRYcPhHVhqDGceZ35fLKuHbcPPxX_QzM4nOZoq9qp4jQ186GTqzF97Qt9K-gh4eb61wmT2p8Kr/s1600/TPandgluegunglueearring1cropped.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfJUbT_Kf9YWwYoJX0QURGKxiWUsXBkMELFafeN9SW9B-5JB0sG2r8lWaKmueKYNpZEZRYcPhHVhqDGceZ35fLKuHbcPPxX_QzM4nOZoq9qp4jQ186GTqzF97Qt9K-gh4eb61wmT2p8Kr/s320/TPandgluegunglueearring1cropped.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639936682647053634" /></a>
<br /><p class="MsoNormal">I was rummaging through some very old photos this morning, and ran across images of some earrings I had made almost two decades ago. We had been bitten hard by the early nineties recession in <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state>, and were preparing to leave for <st1:state><st1:place>Missouri</st1:place></st1:state>. The cost of living in SoCal was just too much for us with a new baby.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I knew I would have to make and sell jewelry to help with income, but we had no money for supplies to keep me going. I mean NO money. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Big earrings were in style back then, and sparkly dangles, and niobium and titanium. I had a few findings to work with, but not enough to flesh out a craft show when I got to the <st1:place>Midwest</st1:place>. I also knew I’d have to change my products and my price points for a different market. How to do this with no money?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One day, I got to thinking about making art paper earrings with beading as accents. I found out that the art paper I had in mind came in huge sheets, and would cost as much as a pack of diapers for my baby, so that was right out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know how it happened, but one day I got the idea to use an old brass stamping as a mold, and try making an impression of it by laying down a piece of thin paper, squirting on some glue gun glue, then laying down another sheet of paper. I pressed down the stamping with the end of a pencil to make an impression in the hot glue, and then I cut away the extra paper. The goal was to end up with a surface that looked like art paper, and could accept paints and varnish. After some trial and error with every type of paper readily available to me, I tried sheets of Charmin toilet paper. Bingo! Success! The paper was thick enough to make a good painting surface and to keep the glue contained, but thin enough to get a good stamping of the design in the brass. And they did not look like what they were made from once I finished.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I painted and sold a bunch of these earrings back then. I made them in all different colors, with whatever suitable old stampings I could find. This is the only pair I had left when I stopped making them and moved on to other designs. The pictures I took are very blurry and the earrings themselves are long gone. I painted and decorated them in all different ways. This was one of the plainer pair that was just a solid color slicked over with some shimmery violet interference paint. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now we are being kicked in the teeth again and again by the economy, and I am learning how to spin and weave even though these both are very expensive hobbies. I probably will not resort to using Charmin in my work ever again, but I do find myself having to create as many of my supplies as I can. I’ll be blogging about that in the coming months.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This blog lay dormant for a long time because my schedule and my toddler kept me busy, It’s hard to find time to write sometimes. But now he is growing up and becoming a good helper, and he goes off to preschool this year. More posts coming soon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lark <span> </span></p>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-61015479845132096572011-08-11T19:01:00.000-07:002011-08-11T19:08:39.928-07:00The scarf that made me get a spinning wheel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ7VCAHsin4VYr-fp0RoovBQcHyhGfzRHYmEtjQvPfF7DDUiRK0dNUgz4h_Dzmc1_y5oRFzK3jO-1KMzX4RzYsoTC3QtdMcaUOqddW-DHyqhD7_RUWLXFtyeTsJgnOJp4EnR5k0SRkO5Z/s1600/The+scarf+that+made+me+get+a+spinning+wheel.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ7VCAHsin4VYr-fp0RoovBQcHyhGfzRHYmEtjQvPfF7DDUiRK0dNUgz4h_Dzmc1_y5oRFzK3jO-1KMzX4RzYsoTC3QtdMcaUOqddW-DHyqhD7_RUWLXFtyeTsJgnOJp4EnR5k0SRkO5Z/s320/The+scarf+that+made+me+get+a+spinning+wheel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639785073999129170" /></a>
<br /><p class="MsoNormal">It’s both too much “something”, and not enough “something”, and it’s scratchy as heck. This is my first clasped weft weaving project from last year. I had just ordered a 10-dent rigid heddle, and I thought I had plenty of fingering weight yarns that would work, but I was wrong. I forgot to take into account the need for lots of tensile strength in warp yarns, and that they should not be subject to stretching. Suddenly I was down to a strident green mystery yarn that was the only yarn I had that would work as warp. I found two other colors that I hoped would at least be on speaking terms with the green, and off I went to make my scarf.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I loved every minute of the process, and I see real possibility here, but not with these types of yarn. To get what I want, I have to spin it myself, or dye it myself, or both. A scarf like this in buttery soft homespun with random slubs and harmonious color changes throughout would be a different beast altogether. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With this in mind, I asked for a Babe wheel for Christmas. I had always wanted to spin, and now I had a legitimate reason to start. The economy being what it is, I didn’t want to ask for something I couldn’t use a lot, and eventually use for income. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I discovered that I love spinning. I mean, I LOVE spinning. I also learned that I am not crazy about spinning uniform and neat yarns unless they have a lot of color in them. A couple of weeks ago, I spun a bobbin full of solid teal colored yarn and it felt to me like the yarny equivalent to driving I-80 across Nebraska or I-70 through Kansas. Serviceable and predictably monotonous, and not something I want to do a lot of. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m being pushed towards art yarns, and incorporating them into my weaving. I don’t know where I am going with all this fiber stuff yet. All I know is that feels right to me, and that I enjoy the journey. I thank this itchy scarf for pointing the way. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once my kids are in school this fall, I will start blogging about spinning, weaving, beading, etc. I will also get around to writing beadwork tutorials at last. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whatever you might be working on right now, embrace it and listen to what it has to tell you. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading, </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lark</p>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-1259916659364275932011-07-21T13:33:00.000-07:002011-07-21T13:55:12.550-07:00Do you recycle ramie sweaters?<div>I have misgivings about ramie, but I found a sweater that was 40% silk, 30% nylon, 15% ramie, 11% wool, and 4% other fiber, and I decided to buy it. It was a quarter, so I would not be out much money if it didn't work out.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found it reasonably easy to take apart and unravel, but I did not like the feel of the ramie. It was dusty and the texture reminds me of soft paper. Even with only 15% ramie, I could feel it was in there. </div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhlnXjo0XhgX2KsPh9-nbPFJWuJRG3nFRzg2xQRKNmqWCog1HQ1b4wbWW4ctgQ1rW-MGGd7ixcTu3dA2pz5SLq6Tr8yLupyjoiHYzLhW8ddPLTBhbiiuUvLxMQd_6JlC-BJyl-oqec9LU/s1600/Blotch+dyed+sweater+yarn.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhlnXjo0XhgX2KsPh9-nbPFJWuJRG3nFRzg2xQRKNmqWCog1HQ1b4wbWW4ctgQ1rW-MGGd7ixcTu3dA2pz5SLq6Tr8yLupyjoiHYzLhW8ddPLTBhbiiuUvLxMQd_6JlC-BJyl-oqec9LU/s320/Blotch+dyed+sweater+yarn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631908240302632018" /></a>Since I am not attached to this yarn, I thought it would be fun to blotch it with McCormick Neon purple and blue. The yarn itself is a striped gray tweed. I'm hoping this will be fun to weave into scarves with the colors appearing at random throughout the work.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5CqAncYwjILxBbjY_7I0jHKj0xhX2i_TMIbUVQxvYSay6inS0d67nVWx7fFwAW-kpxomAaE4Vt8E6pyemlFexcOxpkUzgfBXIW2Lyrhny7t2d-zqZNH9pVp24-iSq51tUcnieem3BOK2/s1600/blotch+dye+close+up.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 176px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5CqAncYwjILxBbjY_7I0jHKj0xhX2i_TMIbUVQxvYSay6inS0d67nVWx7fFwAW-kpxomAaE4Vt8E6pyemlFexcOxpkUzgfBXIW2Lyrhny7t2d-zqZNH9pVp24-iSq51tUcnieem3BOK2/s320/blotch+dye+close+up.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631908234069025890" /></a>I will probably avoid ramie in any quantity from here on out. I just don't like it. The texture reminds me of the feel of an old wadded up unused tissue that has spent the winter in your coat pocket. Soft, yet dusty and vaguely unpleasant. It's not my thing for knitting or weaving.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Have you ever taken apart ramie sweaters for the yarn or re-purposed them in some other way? What did you make with the sweater? There are tons of these sweaters around, and if there is a project for them, I might reconsider my stance on ramie.<br /><br /></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-88078422807114293672011-07-21T11:45:00.000-07:002011-07-21T12:48:34.449-07:00Chenille on the Wheel<div>Hi folks,<div><br /></div><div>This blog has been dormant for a very, very long time, but I have been crafting. I will not really have time to post about all the things I have learned until this fall, but I will get in here from time to time this summer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since I last showed up here, I have taken up weaving and spinning with all the zeal of a new convert. I don't have a lot of money, and I like the concept of recycling whenever I can, so I will be posting about making "new" yarn from old yarns in the coming months.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today's effort is a chenille yarn made from 2 plies of recycled thrift shop sweaters. It's acrylic, and I'm making it for weaving into scarves on my Schacht Cricket loom. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't sure what to expect, so I started out with the sweater I liked the least from my thrift shop haul, and got this yarn as an end result. I'll edit in the wpi later.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ru7L2zjlSZ5cKFwHJmHMC59UKAjYd28DZEo-dxK5nT0OKv2YWhjxsOQOEfUnkBVgHIvMao7y7JAk42NtZBbjzFdowuRjZHxOaBx78468wXs6g5LcAVB-iBwVbKlF9yBtaC5EKDiYQZ0/s1600/Finished+skein+of+2-ply+chenille.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ru7L2zjlSZ5cKFwHJmHMC59UKAjYd28DZEo-dxK5nT0OKv2YWhjxsOQOEfUnkBVgHIvMao7y7JAk42NtZBbjzFdowuRjZHxOaBx78468wXs6g5LcAVB-iBwVbKlF9yBtaC5EKDiYQZ0/s320/Finished+skein+of+2-ply+chenille.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631889446041801570" /></a>On the niddy noddy, before setting the twist<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVZSukLenwxssSFP-HrdPFojwSsyHxF-eWSXr7etp4ATqfEUhY0wp0Bb8DODt4bH6WGyL4AlxgF7mUmA1GyJ6E7YTiRywLguwe4bjnAhQ-AMwobs1T0kXo3vhy614wrPhnr2xBw12g50E/s1600/2-ply+chenille+on+niddy+noddy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 189px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVZSukLenwxssSFP-HrdPFojwSsyHxF-eWSXr7etp4ATqfEUhY0wp0Bb8DODt4bH6WGyL4AlxgF7mUmA1GyJ6E7YTiRywLguwe4bjnAhQ-AMwobs1T0kXo3vhy614wrPhnr2xBw12g50E/s320/2-ply+chenille+on+niddy+noddy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631889440638627506" /></a>Balls before plying.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MbuXR2Nayi-m4dJCv_WdTFHjJWxuS4ywryt__H_Lwh-ouTgraprWIHfnsnM3BdGUZeZWxbiAqC8w06_rghaXRatn7_iHfsLprILdNxEqgAdh9oIpw9WHg09Lffyi7KcHBln5xVQaKnbv/s1600/Unraveled+chenille+sweater.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MbuXR2Nayi-m4dJCv_WdTFHjJWxuS4ywryt__H_Lwh-ouTgraprWIHfnsnM3BdGUZeZWxbiAqC8w06_rghaXRatn7_iHfsLprILdNxEqgAdh9oIpw9WHg09Lffyi7KcHBln5xVQaKnbv/s320/Unraveled+chenille+sweater.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631889435862650578" /></a>On the Babe Production wheel.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaGQv_E6VVpPrMYKxL3nwvdpMsCAsVZPSEp3XH-dz5apa7he4sj7nzMNV-BJQi5iV7ZdtjYH8XL-h2jXkK6YKdIyMR-pgkHsxARG1by8UNsM4DY0tpZbO7RgbEG_M4K0SFTK6bmdRdUcA/s1600/two-ply+chenille.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaGQv_E6VVpPrMYKxL3nwvdpMsCAsVZPSEp3XH-dz5apa7he4sj7nzMNV-BJQi5iV7ZdtjYH8XL-h2jXkK6YKdIyMR-pgkHsxARG1by8UNsM4DY0tpZbO7RgbEG_M4K0SFTK6bmdRdUcA/s320/two-ply+chenille.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631889432985754994" /></a>I have not used Blogger in so long that I accidentally uploaded my pictures in the wrong order. Whoops. :)<div><br /></div><div>So far, I'm pretty happy with this yarn. I don't know if I would knit with it, but my goal was to make a weaving yarn. I believe I could use this yarn right from the sweaters without plying it, and use the 12-dent heddle I bought separately, but a lot of us only have the 8-dent heddle that comes with the loom. By plying this yarn, I now have a thick enough yarn to use with the 8-dent. I have been reading that chenille yarns need to be woven fairly tightly to prevent "worming" in the finished piece.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll keep experimenting and posting my results. For now, I will continue to be semi-random in my posting habits, but soon you will see more from me. Look for a lot more posting activity from September on. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-72622033482875968262010-01-14T10:28:00.000-08:002010-01-14T11:09:40.337-08:00Mom, can I have some more of those screaming alien heads?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ86Llxaenr8CXsnYMEr8hAxU7w90SLJ1RdKPlLBpdpA1FxM9GFM8xnyw5TneKZeZros4Pw_zG9ZeaoStuB22t2GHh41dmRhkGgNeGDOIdjEUeaWZOb9emoXVjXD7syzlEtB5WIfROcEwq/s1600-h/Elbows+169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ86Llxaenr8CXsnYMEr8hAxU7w90SLJ1RdKPlLBpdpA1FxM9GFM8xnyw5TneKZeZros4Pw_zG9ZeaoStuB22t2GHh41dmRhkGgNeGDOIdjEUeaWZOb9emoXVjXD7syzlEtB5WIfROcEwq/s320/Elbows+169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426668310423508642" border="0" /></a>I love it when something mundane turns out to be unintentionally funny, it changes the course of my day for the better.<br /><br />I have a nine year old boy who never eats. He's growing, but I don't know how. I was the same type of child. If I could find a way to hide things on my plate to make it look like I'd eaten them, I would. He is me all over again.<br /><br />We shop at Big Lots whenever we can. A lot of stuff that ends up at Big Lots is discontinued products or various oddball things. I found some elbow macaroni that are pinched closed on one end, and open on the other, and since they were made in Italy and priced under a buck, they landed in my cart. Pasta that little guys can easily get on a fork is always welcome in our home.<br /><br />Last night I was dog-tired and disinclined to spend much time in the kitchen, so I went for the pasta. When I opened up the bag and dumped it into the pot, I noted again that they were odd-looking, but I was when I spooned one out of the pot to test it for done-ness that I burst out laughing. The pasta had puffed up into a little screamy-face, like these guys:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NkLqPVa0kIjFAhwLfMQ7tkIhTWHdD_-L9hGAxwDv2deCZvcN-xBztWiV5la3LNd6cq3VE-RXLbKk1yn8mP_ufpt72xXH3LNSrray3zBFD9iu78WXhgDMs9sP_7v_hCn0m88b75p6XqA3/s1600-h/000_0019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NkLqPVa0kIjFAhwLfMQ7tkIhTWHdD_-L9hGAxwDv2deCZvcN-xBztWiV5la3LNd6cq3VE-RXLbKk1yn8mP_ufpt72xXH3LNSrray3zBFD9iu78WXhgDMs9sP_7v_hCn0m88b75p6XqA3/s320/000_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426667980822499954" border="0" /></a>The sauce I used with these was rather thin and unremarkable, and didn't look very appealing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiSSObdicQRSttdwykoLssj28IVULwbZxuFYAQBVQMqRvjJSyidYuz8NXljnLn6HfyxXEPfzMhvKSFR2Ea6D0aK8wYuU7ngxL6eXt2_lMiX8NXljlLjcJ-b1NR_hhCCp_VOfH6kr1Kvd4/s1600-h/Screaming+pasta+in+sauce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiSSObdicQRSttdwykoLssj28IVULwbZxuFYAQBVQMqRvjJSyidYuz8NXljnLn6HfyxXEPfzMhvKSFR2Ea6D0aK8wYuU7ngxL6eXt2_lMiX8NXljlLjcJ-b1NR_hhCCp_VOfH6kr1Kvd4/s320/Screaming+pasta+in+sauce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426667973953634338" border="0" /></a>But when I showed the meal my nine year old, he said "Cool! Screaming alien heads!" He cleaned his plate and asked for seconds. That never happens, ever.<br /><br />This blog post is silly, but alien head pasta wrought an unexpected miracle at the dinner table, and I wish I had bought more.LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-62965681229118606342010-01-03T09:36:00.000-08:002010-01-03T10:18:55.832-08:00Some old sweater recons, in time for the cold weather<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSTJ_j4mpVTgBK2K0k2LByYykrf0ZWPlM_lfCND_Pw-hUI8gZFcrJVSkHlbd4b8VwN2Lo7kWuxb9oahluj3Qr5t0nhDIt9kjpe-l1FWJXUaMQDmaZ7j09my3LLqQYQRUuDEmsL9jsm0TL/s1600-h/Checking+out+the+snow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSTJ_j4mpVTgBK2K0k2LByYykrf0ZWPlM_lfCND_Pw-hUI8gZFcrJVSkHlbd4b8VwN2Lo7kWuxb9oahluj3Qr5t0nhDIt9kjpe-l1FWJXUaMQDmaZ7j09my3LLqQYQRUuDEmsL9jsm0TL/s320/Checking+out+the+snow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422570225012040098" border="0" /></a>I actually made these last winter, and I fully intend to make more this year. Due to my sketchy blogging track record, I might not blog about them until July! So here are a couple of basic sweaters I made for my youngest. He was not a cooperative model, but I got him to stay in one area, looking out at the snow, long enough to get in a few blurry shots.<br /><br />I noticed that many of the old acrylic sweaters in my pile to go to the thrift store were serged together. I had just downloaded some Kwik Sew toddler shirt patterns at that time, so I thought that turning my old sweaters into something warm for the little guy would be a great way to use them. I live quite far from any real fabric stores, and runs down to Joplin for supplies are few and far between.<br /><br />The lighter blue sweater is made from Kwik Sew 3149<br /><br />http://www.kwiksew.com/Catalog/cat_detail.cfm?pid=3149&Cat=Children&Level=Toddlers&QL=Toddlers<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kG87YTlOZBV4z5tLoOpKZIiADsPHZftRkt9VZbBjKg4gsE-o45EMG6LeuSM3Zr9_Ewp6JUkaURRhUtwO-X_oZzI0OYRaWmgwHLQYNdOP5G8fRLyHCkO8NiGGnXSpT_SU9zl1uQIgoIlH/s1600-h/blue+sweater+recon+side+view.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kG87YTlOZBV4z5tLoOpKZIiADsPHZftRkt9VZbBjKg4gsE-o45EMG6LeuSM3Zr9_Ewp6JUkaURRhUtwO-X_oZzI0OYRaWmgwHLQYNdOP5G8fRLyHCkO8NiGGnXSpT_SU9zl1uQIgoIlH/s320/blue+sweater+recon+side+view.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422569590720258226" border="0" /></a>I used the turtleneck collar from the pattern, and made it from the big piece of back section left over after cutting out the front, back and sleeves.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFy4V3hE_p49PmzYgVjD-kQBF8VNBu4Jk1eppfWOBfuZqKtH1xAIe-12VqAa0IF0nnrx3EHQhwcBsQSkDye1-LUjIXzI5M3g3gndSyCz2UcKuB46Dwbtbl0BXzXVz8dfX72iZfn5SU5lRS/s1600-h/Blue+sweater+recon+cabled+front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFy4V3hE_p49PmzYgVjD-kQBF8VNBu4Jk1eppfWOBfuZqKtH1xAIe-12VqAa0IF0nnrx3EHQhwcBsQSkDye1-LUjIXzI5M3g3gndSyCz2UcKuB46Dwbtbl0BXzXVz8dfX72iZfn5SU5lRS/s320/Blue+sweater+recon+cabled+front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422569582408821058" border="0" /></a>I placed the pattern pieces so that I could use the existing ribbing. No hemming needed to reconstruct this sweater. Awesome!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhwyT8lNYIllXx3YToBimEzE2Ytfv4NcoL6vGQJzheAvabJxg3PMunjIxYZUv5e9VyHgr_s54vqxy_aEMycvXo-ammqIXskvtEhN36X6hDC3uIzdEobyLcLkVSUPQqNYpBfHe-AhaTEWB/s1600-h/000_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhwyT8lNYIllXx3YToBimEzE2Ytfv4NcoL6vGQJzheAvabJxg3PMunjIxYZUv5e9VyHgr_s54vqxy_aEMycvXo-ammqIXskvtEhN36X6hDC3uIzdEobyLcLkVSUPQqNYpBfHe-AhaTEWB/s320/000_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422569574057351106" border="0" /></a>The seam on the collar was centered in the back. I did not center it perfectly, but maybe next time. This sort of knit creeps a little while sewing on an older serger. I just got a new one with a differential feed, and I think that will help. No matter, it's not that noticeable unless I point it out.<br /><br />The darker blue sweater with the patterned areas needed to have some wrist cuffs added. I just cut them out of some scraps left from the original sweater, when I cut out the collar. I had to do this so that the design would line up the way I wanted it to. It's very easy to add cuffs with a serger.<br /><br />The dark blue was made with 2918 view B<br />http://www.kwiksew.com/Catalog/cat_detail.cfm?pid=2918&Cat=Children&Level=Toddlers&QL=Toddlers<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrKAYvwiyaci9wURNsABgMso2qQkVDxJ9vu8jkyrYdxRZTpyedwzA7YItJWzvz8474pJ1bUKd5vXKkrXrWT5qNeZaXxj-TgjvShDLXrXkogu9sLCkXXIPKZ2iGeJpMP4S-ji9uTeDDJef/s1600-h/Sweater+sized+down+and+serged+for+toddler.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrKAYvwiyaci9wURNsABgMso2qQkVDxJ9vu8jkyrYdxRZTpyedwzA7YItJWzvz8474pJ1bUKd5vXKkrXrWT5qNeZaXxj-TgjvShDLXrXkogu9sLCkXXIPKZ2iGeJpMP4S-ji9uTeDDJef/s320/Sweater+sized+down+and+serged+for+toddler.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422569572448691442" border="0" /></a>This was not difficult, and the sweaters you see here have been washed many, many times and are holding up quite well. When I first made these, I was afraid they would not last, but they are tough enough for an active three year old.<br /><br />This is a great project if you have too many grownup sweaters. It's also environmentally friendly and very inexpensive. You can use thrifted sweaters, or mix together a few sweaters into a new creation as long as they all have similar washing instructions.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyj20p-DFtVAvT7QnsDHwJp6YmXttz0aGwtzddOu1GsiXGrKIBuIyKCNFa1CjWtt4hsado0yRxCXvKE_fgCDsDsAWEvLZUOZ5g1o3nkrY4BgoLBfLouuZieoHJbFTtTRWmtEWh6FG_kEXj/s1600-h/000_0008.jpg"> </a>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-11628329611010539712010-01-03T05:26:00.000-08:002010-01-03T05:37:04.626-08:00Rooting fresh basil from the grocery store<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekBuDz9HSbFeJ-9Hwvv0uEGy2kDgfMr0rUMuLVuXFNzfiCPjZpysCgibMJrmQEJUTPyBvMN7J0x401XwHiU8kVXePnnVkaNrPEXHPYBXlOq3JkDwWC_hyphenhyphen-lAjkl1nrp3XXUOs4oP7F0vZ/s1600-h/Rooted+basil+from+grocery+store.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekBuDz9HSbFeJ-9Hwvv0uEGy2kDgfMr0rUMuLVuXFNzfiCPjZpysCgibMJrmQEJUTPyBvMN7J0x401XwHiU8kVXePnnVkaNrPEXHPYBXlOq3JkDwWC_hyphenhyphen-lAjkl1nrp3XXUOs4oP7F0vZ/s320/Rooted+basil+from+grocery+store.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422504679183136386" border="0" /></a>About three weeks before Christmas, I was in the produce aisle at my local store, and I got to thinking that basil might root easily in water, like the pothos plants that I had just finished potting up. I found a package of nice-looking leaves with a good date on them, took them home, and put them in a vase near a window.<br /><br />Three weeks later, they had enough roots that I felt I could transplant them into a pot. They seem to be happy enough, considering that they need more light than I can give them at the moment.<br /><br />So far, so good. They smell heavenly and are a good antidote to the dead of winter. Next time you go shopping, pick up some sprigs of basil and give it a try.LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-32246691377145747542010-01-02T17:20:00.000-08:002010-01-02T17:29:57.530-08:00Experiment with craft felt, acrylic paints, and rubbing alcohol<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULGtloFiIpJ4i9ZiyjRQM1Ugsuah9_lg6S_nCRk8O_Iqrng3OGB1p4I3leySW1fIAGMniHtKqYm-fmRMYZNhJGThnBD_qCfHAmer2McFd0K1MZ6A8ejHVslgjv1nSagKFMpKZOmB9_Py4/s1600-h/Acrylics+on+white+felt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULGtloFiIpJ4i9ZiyjRQM1Ugsuah9_lg6S_nCRk8O_Iqrng3OGB1p4I3leySW1fIAGMniHtKqYm-fmRMYZNhJGThnBD_qCfHAmer2McFd0K1MZ6A8ejHVslgjv1nSagKFMpKZOmB9_Py4/s320/Acrylics+on+white+felt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422318869465126962" border="0" /></a>I have a large supply of felt in drab colors or colors I simply don't like, and thought I would see what happens when the felt is painted. This is synthetic craft felt, the cheap stuff. I saturated it, then did a color wash with some very old acrylic paints that I wanted to de-stash. For fun, I took a dropper and added a bit if rubbing alcohol to the wet paint. They took forever to dry, but here are the results.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpKAjLzNxar19ENJYf2eJgbG6ua8sBwRQnmssy-oJCohnQ_lRY_b0lxnseETItHP0LqvzCrzKXcnIbtaczZOaHKFfbB4V4HDOeB0lGOvwB0tT3KMk17ndqi1ojKxwKSD59pDtU3yCBj92/s1600-h/Yellow+felt+with+purple+sparkles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpKAjLzNxar19ENJYf2eJgbG6ua8sBwRQnmssy-oJCohnQ_lRY_b0lxnseETItHP0LqvzCrzKXcnIbtaczZOaHKFfbB4V4HDOeB0lGOvwB0tT3KMk17ndqi1ojKxwKSD59pDtU3yCBj92/s320/Yellow+felt+with+purple+sparkles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422318865628525954" border="0" /></a>The fabric is stiff, as one would expect, but not so stiff that I can't sew it. I'm not sure what I am going to make with them yet, maybe brooches or something. When I make it, I'll post it on the blog. Thanks for looking!LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-74500448895669043022010-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:002010-01-02T15:07:01.738-08:00Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn Hot Stripe #792, better than potato chips<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3el9BKJyBAFxmxBkZwr6t2bL9Ac_N6Wrfyd25JA0tymkrefxAqCp0so4km84WG8cCiYNhZUDyWbhs8pivQmmTidm-nu56aEO71CwSf8tblO6gRyEtmeAvZ4JPZjYO31Gs0el1P7mp-U4t/s1600-h/Hot+Stripe+info.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3el9BKJyBAFxmxBkZwr6t2bL9Ac_N6Wrfyd25JA0tymkrefxAqCp0so4km84WG8cCiYNhZUDyWbhs8pivQmmTidm-nu56aEO71CwSf8tblO6gRyEtmeAvZ4JPZjYO31Gs0el1P7mp-U4t/s320/Hot+Stripe+info.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278499651815234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5NbHvPokxLZvU-IuJfiPJO6EFQ32zrshlM8-SPnCkGBteza-WJwkSFUZkmO4x7FfBh61ZmVTKmqaKKcpYQeZ949StWM_WWJoLDQIWzmmtX9pUtWKJySPwxNUkHwePhEECkvcDV2YeX8z/s1600-h/Hobby+Lobby+I+love+This+Yarn+Hot+Stripe+Colorway.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5NbHvPokxLZvU-IuJfiPJO6EFQ32zrshlM8-SPnCkGBteza-WJwkSFUZkmO4x7FfBh61ZmVTKmqaKKcpYQeZ949StWM_WWJoLDQIWzmmtX9pUtWKJySPwxNUkHwePhEECkvcDV2YeX8z/s320/Hobby+Lobby+I+love+This+Yarn+Hot+Stripe+Colorway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422278495241354898" border="0" /></a><br />I'm trying to eat less and craft more this year, but in the evenings, which are my munching downfall, I'm too tired to take on anything challenging. So I'm whipping up some basic garter stitch scarves. If visitors come to my house and look cold, they may go home with a scarf to keep the chill off. I'm really liking striping yarns and will probably not rest till I've tried them all. I wanted to knit more of this one before taking a pic, but the daylight was fast disappearing. Anyhow, you get the idea what this yarn does from the above image.<br /><br />This yarn is so much nicer than Red Heart! The price is slightly higher that Red Heart, but comparable. The skeins are also a little shorter, so buy more than you think you'll need.<br /><br />I am not wild about this colorway as an accessory, but at least it isn't boring. There's nothing wrong with these colors. I'm just remembering that they (except the blue) could be found in 1970's kitchens, and I'm old enough to remember those vividly. But it's growing on me, as is this yarn.<br /><br />I Love This Yarn is softer and springier, and less likely to split than Red Heart. Definitely an improvement. And a skein costs less than a bag of Doritos. Maybe I will lose some weight this winter! I'm going to try.<br /><br />I'll show you what some other striping yarns look like this week. I bought a few of them to get me through the latest cold snap.LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-4268208159250691052010-01-01T14:32:00.000-08:002010-01-01T14:51:18.364-08:00Funkelnde Perlensterne by Ingrid Moras<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBQ5wJtxCY6ILlU2XzJtJjQ03ChScvig9WoMDtfA3_Z6ZgVwJVTEnRPkwOBXCE98JIJMv8jDg4WEP_Y_2Pgbun-n758FdTYTBqalklyjc0bsosNFVUnnw8ZjzZ2USxawsv9kIvwoSEpbL/s1600-h/blue+green+perlensterne.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBQ5wJtxCY6ILlU2XzJtJjQ03ChScvig9WoMDtfA3_Z6ZgVwJVTEnRPkwOBXCE98JIJMv8jDg4WEP_Y_2Pgbun-n758FdTYTBqalklyjc0bsosNFVUnnw8ZjzZ2USxawsv9kIvwoSEpbL/s320/blue+green+perlensterne.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421903172421439570" border="0" /></a>This is my new favorite beading book. I got it in November, with the hope that I would make all new ornaments for our tree this year. I got this one (above) done. Just the one. But it was a blast to make, and the diagrams were very easy to follow. Everything is in German, but it does not matter if you have some beading experience.<br /><br />I used 28 gauge galvanized wire to make mine. I got it from a hardware store, rather than a craft supply store. The 26 ga. wire you can buy at the craft shops is a little bit too thick for multiple passes through glass beads.<br /><br />This is the book:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_X1e98GHVH7mECSOctP_EbGE0HVsSXXh3PqdAMCnEsgJIqNv_5lS44Xb8Zd4a8AOoHlhaz6Wuly8jVyF4EvCUsPUhOOTQzKsRmr_skoxFeCWzr9bpBKr7d6coqawOxzwBkHFe-CpVZcx-/s1600-h/Funkelnde+Perlensterne+Ingrid+Moras.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_X1e98GHVH7mECSOctP_EbGE0HVsSXXh3PqdAMCnEsgJIqNv_5lS44Xb8Zd4a8AOoHlhaz6Wuly8jVyF4EvCUsPUhOOTQzKsRmr_skoxFeCWzr9bpBKr7d6coqawOxzwBkHFe-CpVZcx-/s320/Funkelnde+Perlensterne+Ingrid+Moras.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421903164124486242" border="0" /></a>I was able to get my copy from Amazon Marketplace. Sometimes you can find German beading books there, and if you are lucky, you can get one that is being shipped from a U.S. address and pay a lot less for the shipping. Look up Ingrid Moras on Amazon, and you will turn up a few books like this one. Someday I'd like to have them all.<br /><br /> I can't show you the inside of her book for copyright reasons, but I am very happy with it. I'm hoping that now that the holidays are over, I will be able to find the time to make more of the patterns from her book. Her method of constructing stars is quite different from the way I learned it, and it's very fun to do. I highly recommend this book.LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-86353194383071017702010-01-01T10:33:00.000-08:002010-01-01T10:48:32.623-08:00Why I don't knit with wool (yet).I have a helper. If anyone takes off any garment and sets it down for more than a moment, my three-year-old housework assistant takes it to the washing machine and drops it in. Sometimes I find it there before I run a load, but not always. One time not long ago a lovely and soft gray wool beanie found its way into the laundry thus. When folding that load, I found a tiny gray thing that might fit my cat, but no longer would fit any of the humans around here. Other wool objects have avioded that fate so far, but it's been a near thing.<br /><br />I love wool. It knits like a dream and does not feel squeaky or rough on my hands, or split on the needles. But until my helper knows wool does not go in the machine, I'm sticking to the washable stuff. That said, I am very happy to have a helper.<br /><br />I have not tried super wash wool yet. I imagine it would survive a trip though the machine, but I'm afraid to find out just yet.<br /><br />Over the next few weeks I will be posting about various brands of acrylic yarns, as I try knitting with them.LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-73040358254773657722010-01-01T07:45:00.000-08:002010-01-01T08:28:06.440-08:00Red Heart Peruvian Print 0946. I hate loving this yarn!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MNtqCwRupqi4s3ZGUWEocPIxgfdN5vdDMDq7kssrEql8orOLrPXqSmodbb2R9QfqGP0zNTFWUbrJT-UOHu3O1pmsCFGBD04CcVpL6KeAIJG0SJ8hp5FApra81MFc7GeTY9M9JimUqwdo/s1600-h/Red+Heart+Peruvian+Print+Colorway.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MNtqCwRupqi4s3ZGUWEocPIxgfdN5vdDMDq7kssrEql8orOLrPXqSmodbb2R9QfqGP0zNTFWUbrJT-UOHu3O1pmsCFGBD04CcVpL6KeAIJG0SJ8hp5FApra81MFc7GeTY9M9JimUqwdo/s320/Red+Heart+Peruvian+Print+Colorway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421802436372542482" border="0" /></a>Now, I am still a beginner at knitting, but I wanted to share this colorway with you.<br /><br />We just went up to visit family in the Chicago suburbs, and on the drive up I bought some Red Heart yarn in the colorway Zebra (black/gray/white) to make a scarf for my oldest son. He picked the color to go with his new black pea coat. I worked on the scarf periodically while we were there, and on the way home I decided I'd need more of the same dye lot, so we stopped at the Walmart in Springfield IL to try to find a match. Luckily, they had it, so I went on to finish that scarf.<br /><br />While there, I noticed what looked to be a striping yarn called Peruvian Print. I bought a couple skeins to work on while in the van. While I don't care for the squeaky feel of Red Heart, this colorway is so fun that I almost don't mind. I knitted about two feet of scarf before I ran into a repeat of the pattern. I think that when I get out and try my Bond knitting machine, I'll have to make a throw or an afghan in this yarn.<br /><br />I think that self-striping yarns could be my new addiction. I have a few other kinds of acrylic yarns to try, and I'll post how they work up in scarves, in case you want to see the colors before you go yarn shopping. I'm sure you will do something much prettier with them, but it's nice to see what a yarn does before you order it online or grab some in the store.<br /><br />This simple scarf is 28 stitches wide on number 9 needles.<br /><br />This year, I'll post what I'm up to more often. With a three year old, the crafting becomes sporadic, but I think I've figured out ways to keep crafting incorporated into my daily life. I'm eagerly looking forward to this year's round of Thing a Day.<br /><br />Happy New Year and happy crafting!LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-44408764420625659182009-02-28T21:00:00.000-08:002009-02-28T21:05:13.251-08:00Thing-a-Day, Day 28-- Red OrnamentHere is my final TAD project, an ornament I finished this evening.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeQuuLgMHZzCFaCb2ALCq4GRzRehtYwzSkBWXB6JxlY5wV3ptBMmRdPUYNR06x33ZgpxqyZbzso4rUHgokalSafPOB1ZABj0Zyv7_IZ0AXgaCn7gW_gs0lCpxwYEhU_AS1okcv0YpzZAv/s1600-h/redornament1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308080299470848882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 245px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeQuuLgMHZzCFaCb2ALCq4GRzRehtYwzSkBWXB6JxlY5wV3ptBMmRdPUYNR06x33ZgpxqyZbzso4rUHgokalSafPOB1ZABj0Zyv7_IZ0AXgaCn7gW_gs0lCpxwYEhU_AS1okcv0YpzZAv/s320/redornament1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsoMJ-cAdxhL_-olJ-bptW-b7wI_6HTiXWIXe5KiaUtqgHXzFJXhzMmz_nbrAop39MoN3wCtBsDwBySyqPLRTsDsTTbjSTwhU2MY6iwgM8hmas69BCmh3o40hkwdgR5NsTz8_oheTprjB/s1600-h/redornament2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308080286961679554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 288px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsoMJ-cAdxhL_-olJ-bptW-b7wI_6HTiXWIXe5KiaUtqgHXzFJXhzMmz_nbrAop39MoN3wCtBsDwBySyqPLRTsDsTTbjSTwhU2MY6iwgM8hmas69BCmh3o40hkwdgR5NsTz8_oheTprjB/s320/redornament2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I'm going to miss TAD!</div><div> </div><div>Soon I will be less busy and I'll be writing some tutorials, as promised. So I hope you will drop in from time to time.<br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-19477088473171102202009-02-28T20:50:00.000-08:002009-02-28T21:00:38.740-08:00Thing-a-Day Wrap-upDue to the flu and taxes, I got a few days behind on Thing-a-Day, and just now am catching up. Here are my things from the TAD blog:<br /><br />Day 25, a simple scarf:<br />Sorry to not have posted for a few days, but my kids have been sick, and I’ve been sick, and we did our taxes. I did manage to finish this scarf on the 25th.<br />It’s about 7 feet long, and it’s folded up a bit because I had just worn it out in a snowstorm today and the ends are both wet. This was a mindless TV project, great for someone with the flu.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6r2nmYixphZ8QdttFtlPe9Tr4IuYzE-QvqrTM2GLvqhAg335uAGu-e5GIvvwcAIIzzqEuluo9XgH6N15_OxFRVG36i0-tyshp0WF_bxK3_VbNE-IVstsQiJPawaz0QYmx9RyeaMx2mtj/s1600-h/scarf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308078031020831602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 224px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6r2nmYixphZ8QdttFtlPe9Tr4IuYzE-QvqrTM2GLvqhAg335uAGu-e5GIvvwcAIIzzqEuluo9XgH6N15_OxFRVG36i0-tyshp0WF_bxK3_VbNE-IVstsQiJPawaz0QYmx9RyeaMx2mtj/s320/scarf.jpg" border="0" /></a> Day 26--Which is more fun, kitties or taxes?<br /><br />Kitties, of course!<br />We spent the day getting everything ready to take to our tax lady, and during the mayhem and unhappiness of that, a package arrived for Seymour the cat. It’s a hand-knitted mouse made with homespun from my friend Mullerslanefarm, on Craftster. She grows her own catnip, and Seymour loves her mice better than anything. Here is his initial reaction to his new toy.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-d1XiEtmlnCstnrp7aXhiMubbFudZE9CSO47rARxlnxxpx1nOQW0ZsOnXHx_Tz9dIp3EMII1YduhFY53k_THKHUKCcD3zwTGciFgBQiQaLoA5r7nFyMD2GV6pn9LZvIgRcG1PIpkM9Zv/s1600-h/Seymourloveshismeesker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308078031588885410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-d1XiEtmlnCstnrp7aXhiMubbFudZE9CSO47rARxlnxxpx1nOQW0ZsOnXHx_Tz9dIp3EMII1YduhFY53k_THKHUKCcD3zwTGciFgBQiQaLoA5r7nFyMD2GV6pn9LZvIgRcG1PIpkM9Zv/s320/Seymourloveshismeesker.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a title="Permanent Link to Day 27– Knifty Knitter Long Loom project" href="http://www.thing-a-day.com/?p=18515">Day 27– Knifty Knitter Long Loom project</a></div><div> </div><div>I had a chance to start another easy project yesterday. This is a Knifty Knitter loom with one strand of novelty yarn, and a strand of Caron simply soft. I’m not so sure I like it, but I don’t want to frog it. I think it will go into a tote bag and be carried out to the van for those times when I have to wait for someone and need something to do. </div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ghq-D8mgPYj6_cCyxDMPM6KJHfh-gKB_jCcDaV6OFUB_jFqOp95I7FLen1TG71AfLcGykw7xsF5Ejf2KKefsK3GG3Ls1LQHvpasag0PiXNiTGBGkwruxAe6at5js315PG5eX3OvBW-4R/s1600-h/kniftyknitterlongloomscarf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308078027290255970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ghq-D8mgPYj6_cCyxDMPM6KJHfh-gKB_jCcDaV6OFUB_jFqOp95I7FLen1TG71AfLcGykw7xsF5Ejf2KKefsK3GG3Ls1LQHvpasag0PiXNiTGBGkwruxAe6at5js315PG5eX3OvBW-4R/s320/kniftyknitterlongloomscarf.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'll be back soon with my day 28 project.<br /><div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-51312537672654512632009-02-24T18:24:00.000-08:002009-02-24T18:53:55.494-08:00Things 23 and 24 --- Ply, ply againMost of my family is down with the flu right now, myself included, so I'm going to just copy my TAD blog posts about this yarn experiment tonight.<br /><br />Thing-a-Day 23:<br />A couple of days ago, I started experimenting with plying yarn from old acrylic sweaters. Here’s the pic of my first blue-green yarn attempt. I did it all wrong, and someone over on the TAD blog explained to me what I did wrong. Thanks, Pat! I read your comment before I made too much more wildly unbalanced yarn. <br />In the first yarn, I did not put twist into the two frogged sweater yarns before plying them. This yarn is not useable. I wound it onto a pencil for now, till I decide its fate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVCbGfxXlWccVCOrHRUTW3ULlgX5ejrrzU4z1juObVSakcLLuwvQeGxFmKnOsq2NpOqrHZXxX_Sd9GQjeg4Yrfm7U1l587jGtexS4z_l7kmIMgz_QbaPo7hgjhe2AFYlIQb7aHnxbb7ID/s1600-h/bluegreenplyingexperiment.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306556398964189778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVCbGfxXlWccVCOrHRUTW3ULlgX5ejrrzU4z1juObVSakcLLuwvQeGxFmKnOsq2NpOqrHZXxX_Sd9GQjeg4Yrfm7U1l587jGtexS4z_l7kmIMgz_QbaPo7hgjhe2AFYlIQb7aHnxbb7ID/s320/bluegreenplyingexperiment.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here, I have two more balls of the sweater yarn, and I twisted them each individually on the spindle. I have been doing a little research, and I found out that if you don’t have a tensioned lazy kate, you can keep your yarn balls under upside-down, heavy terracotta flowerpots and have the yarn come up through the hole. This is a great idea, but I had two problems with it. Number one, there are no such flowerpots in the house, and my kids are sick, so I can not leave the house. Number two, I get interrupted a lot, so I have to leave my work often. I could not just pick up two flowerpots with yarn balls underneath each one, While holding a spindle, and put them up out of the reach of kids or pets withouth making a tangled mess. Since we have our own business, and I am in charge of dealing with emergencies, I might need to leave my work at any time.<br />What I ended up doing is taking two semi-disposable containers from the cupboard and making my own weighted yarn-holders from them. To make a hole in the lids, I gently folded the lid in half so I could fit it into a hole punch’s jaws. There are two holes; I just used the smoother one to feed my yarn through. To wieght them, I grabbed some glass marbles and dumped them into the containers until I was satisfied that the containers were heavy enough not to move around, leaving enough room for a smallish ball of yarn. I imagine that you could use anything heavy that would not snag or dirty your yarn for this purpose. Now I’m plying again, and if I have to stop, I scoop up my containers, stack them, and put them out of harm’s way.<br />I am twisting the plyed yarn in the opposite direction of the two single plys this time…<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zzLoatxZH_C1Ku59ozuumjeVd0NTf90BDIAdPQRWScfssNigQop6YS7tL16ocHxIpVWSNlbXRJzlJoAFJIr1PFrG0uU6Pt_b5Qet1h2CZK95TNmbWDFUia3QMqEqhmCtpSDvr_8d10CU/s1600-h/weightingyarnballsforplying.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306556393959769746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zzLoatxZH_C1Ku59ozuumjeVd0NTf90BDIAdPQRWScfssNigQop6YS7tL16ocHxIpVWSNlbXRJzlJoAFJIr1PFrG0uU6Pt_b5Qet1h2CZK95TNmbWDFUia3QMqEqhmCtpSDvr_8d10CU/s320/weightingyarnballsforplying.jpg" border="0" /></a> …and the yarn is not twisting up on itself much, so I’ll take that as a good sign.</div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBOwibj2yC7LYF9eqvl05tVYSVQd5vXtFWlu75oUrBQyKxOrEOMQFc-yDkYlIFZc-Y3nG_fCSbbyzadsRKgYccyUCrqEDRi9ZuD901plO-beJ5Dtycb84Lhw6uhov9GE_pj7FoO5qeNp-/s1600-h/Morebalancedecoyarn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306556391668709202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBOwibj2yC7LYF9eqvl05tVYSVQd5vXtFWlu75oUrBQyKxOrEOMQFc-yDkYlIFZc-Y3nG_fCSbbyzadsRKgYccyUCrqEDRi9ZuD901plO-beJ5Dtycb84Lhw6uhov9GE_pj7FoO5qeNp-/s320/Morebalancedecoyarn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />There is very little info out there about plying recycled yarn, and I am an absolute beginner at spinning, so your input and ideas are warmly welcomed. </div><div> </div><div>Thing-a-Day 24:</div><div> </div><div>Kinda boring today. I have the flu, but there’s no way I’m missing a day of TAD if I can help it. <br /> I did manage to ply the practice skein (purple and blue) today. It is commercial variegated acrylic yarn spun up with the leftover blue from the first skein. Pretty soon I’ll be ready to do this with wool.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBs_MQ3cXx__H7u10jFaSw4BtJrN9KsEHI0kbG5vyokvBVyQS3SDiBuS63G18dRl6sd39PfRK_iEb1AVdSF3lgmG2uZy84t7OuHjlimMCHMsWNZZ4_HBnS7HGVg6o6qTvDzzwWFYFaM14/s1600-h/plyingpractice.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306556394734249778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 227px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBs_MQ3cXx__H7u10jFaSw4BtJrN9KsEHI0kbG5vyokvBVyQS3SDiBuS63G18dRl6sd39PfRK_iEb1AVdSF3lgmG2uZy84t7OuHjlimMCHMsWNZZ4_HBnS7HGVg6o6qTvDzzwWFYFaM14/s320/plyingpractice.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-3485779673911338982009-02-22T12:33:00.000-08:002009-02-22T12:45:47.189-08:00Thing-a-Day 22 --- hat on a knitting loom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuea_OhR0QlF768BxyofNe5z2CGdEi8uk8N8P4wELC7Fbg6fd9UK_epr81TxsAQEJOOiBkHQeRsj7Sd6voXlmAx287JBuadMPprqJ-bzLTpX72QBf6Ux-L82RkZukLKOykh46x8YMNlJi/s1600-h/Loom+hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305724919195589714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 317px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuea_OhR0QlF768BxyofNe5z2CGdEi8uk8N8P4wELC7Fbg6fd9UK_epr81TxsAQEJOOiBkHQeRsj7Sd6voXlmAx287JBuadMPprqJ-bzLTpX72QBf6Ux-L82RkZukLKOykh46x8YMNlJi/s320/Loom+hat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Hi all. I'm not feeling very well today, and I did start spinning some yarns to try plying together, but it's more a day for sit-down crafts. I might finish my new yarn tonight before I go to bed, but not in time to put it in the TAD blog. Or I might set it aside altogether until I have time to make this cardboard charka and spin faster than by hand:</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.rabbitgeek.com/charka.html">http://www.rabbitgeek.com/charka.html</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Meanwhile, I curled up in a chair and made the above hat. I don't remember the brand, but it is a soft fluffy polyamide yarn and I used two strands. It was very fast to make on the green Knifty Knitter loom.</div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-47535968968974444052009-02-21T16:47:00.000-08:002009-02-21T21:51:13.789-08:00Thing-a-Day 21-- Frugal Eco-yarn Experiment(Edited to add: Someone over at the TAD blog kindly let me know that I need to twist my individual strands of yarn first, then ply them together by spinning in the opposite direction. So my next experiment may yield a usable yarn. )<br /><br />Two of my children are down with the flu, so I'm going to copy my post from the TAD blog verbatim tonight. I may add more details later, or in subsequent postings.<br /><br />As you may know from an earlier post of mine this week, I just tried spinning yarn for the first time. I do believe I’ve created a monster, and I might need to convince my hubby that a spinning wheel will be a good investment.<br /><br />Today, I decided to try an experiment with some yarn from old sweaters. The sweaters had been unloved nineties confections from the back of my closet, and they all frogged apart really well last year, when I was on a recycled yarn kick. What I did not like about these yarns is that they had no twist in them. So I just wound them up on my ball-winder and promptly forgot about them until now.<br /><br />The multi-brown one is cotton, and I thought I might make it a workable yarn if I plyed it with some plain brown worsted. So I tried that. I think on the next try I’d better reverse the direction of the twist, but I like the concept.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdnFE47LcMke59fPpWkDbRy1BC5S91-hWB9cz7egzAb-WDZ4OyNVjKetvHUndOJZG6qF6D6GbbMAEiCNKeKMdr4T_xl_VVHe3-DdRKkBpTI72ElZOn-984qia4fxijmZlrUZw2UH1g0IK/s1600-h/brownyarns.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305417199655305954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdnFE47LcMke59fPpWkDbRy1BC5S91-hWB9cz7egzAb-WDZ4OyNVjKetvHUndOJZG6qF6D6GbbMAEiCNKeKMdr4T_xl_VVHe3-DdRKkBpTI72ElZOn-984qia4fxijmZlrUZw2UH1g0IK/s320/brownyarns.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pD6jWXEh8bvjj4eRZqifOjpPF4W_laYLhONEpO_sSmpwbwjuI72MDGn6WZHeP0S9YaLoUelAUwx0D3FPC2DCqw8UWmhM9QYBxqIXkR4jjLcMDiCDUp0Ebpi8QyUEEJ_m1ZiZF646ibw5/s1600-h/pliedbrown.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305417198542663122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pD6jWXEh8bvjj4eRZqifOjpPF4W_laYLhONEpO_sSmpwbwjuI72MDGn6WZHeP0S9YaLoUelAUwx0D3FPC2DCqw8UWmhM9QYBxqIXkR4jjLcMDiCDUp0Ebpi8QyUEEJ_m1ZiZF646ibw5/s320/pliedbrown.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Next, I took the yarn from two of my old acrylic sweaters and combined it. Neither sweater yarn had any twist at all, so it seems like it is plying well (but let it be known that I don’t know what the heck I’m doing yet). This is really a fun TV-watching project on the drop spindle. It would be a whole lot easier with a wheel, but I’m getting the hang of plying the slow way. I like the color of my “new” yarn, and I’m hoping that plying will remove the kinks left in the old yarn from being frogged. I will set the twist in this yarn by wetting it and hanging it to dry once I’m done.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiqRqRZ5PulugjtLrOqpM7XSAoqx13X4-vbvHUOLlgnHfBKLmb-SVy4rxDnYDcnW9yWVPGbFZTF2G-wbMS67xwcDCSE2jXNrxYOXceUcOajktjVCezzrRNkMMcrPAeZFjheMFBBVbNdN7/s1600-h/bluegreenplyingexperiment.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305417201888116562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiqRqRZ5PulugjtLrOqpM7XSAoqx13X4-vbvHUOLlgnHfBKLmb-SVy4rxDnYDcnW9yWVPGbFZTF2G-wbMS67xwcDCSE2jXNrxYOXceUcOajktjVCezzrRNkMMcrPAeZFjheMFBBVbNdN7/s320/bluegreenplyingexperiment.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If this works out as hoped, I think that no ugly old sweater will be safe from me. :)</div><div><br />When you think about how many acrylic sweaters must wind up in landills, never to degrade, this lowly synthetic fiber becomes worth another look.<br /><div></div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-51426432783201337782009-02-20T18:01:00.000-08:002009-02-20T18:08:40.687-08:00Thing-a-day 20 -- Pendant in a hurryI ended up being quite busy earlier today, and my hubby has a rare evening off from work, so I deciced to make a pendant as quickly as possible, but different from the other pendants I've made during TAD. These beads are from my bead bowl.<br /><br />I think I should have added one more white bead to each side of the yellow bead, but other than that, I'm pretty happy with it. This seems to be the week for candy colors. I'm glad my bead bowl has so many.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8sRdq8LGHSg64NsCAGS2aJ5GVuklcJOWjDBKi1Uyh8QtbQ-BruT1xUuaoIUJkPTEeKJed-VjHYMdYFPSynmMEw6w9aEKuJdjDX5JEH1SZqY4vFGtmkqsoWhCXWTnclh64ESNQzkzkpEo/s1600-h/TAD20pendant.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305065202995373010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8sRdq8LGHSg64NsCAGS2aJ5GVuklcJOWjDBKi1Uyh8QtbQ-BruT1xUuaoIUJkPTEeKJed-VjHYMdYFPSynmMEw6w9aEKuJdjDX5JEH1SZqY4vFGtmkqsoWhCXWTnclh64ESNQzkzkpEo/s320/TAD20pendant.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-59447596990819432702009-02-20T17:51:00.000-08:002009-02-20T17:59:42.035-08:00Thing-a-Day 19 --- My first YarnI wasn't able to post this last night due to internet issues and my little one not feeling well, but I started learning how to spin today, and this is my first yarn. I feel a new addiction coming on...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-LH5vgisA8nKNSw6owm4xLSVOh1r7uTKNPhQv_qK7vF_iv9x0ZGi7TWOHgV_2ognbcZl0TfSbwNJ9WME-1popCRPqHJhu4rpwXU3nE55aFcs7qs9YXfXe7O7BjPj9oouWfx9p4CkIb2t/s1600-h/first+yarn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305062936314940642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 248px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-LH5vgisA8nKNSw6owm4xLSVOh1r7uTKNPhQv_qK7vF_iv9x0ZGi7TWOHgV_2ognbcZl0TfSbwNJ9WME-1popCRPqHJhu4rpwXU3nE55aFcs7qs9YXfXe7O7BjPj9oouWfx9p4CkIb2t/s320/first+yarn.jpg" border="0" /></a> This was yesterday's TAD.<br /><div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-16628346617235670252009-02-19T00:42:00.000-08:002009-02-19T01:04:17.200-08:00Thing-a-Day 17 and 18My two year old has been sick for the last couple of days, so I'm a bit behind in posting here. I did manage to keep posting daily on the TAD blog. In order to catch up, here's a two-fer.<br /><br />Yesterday I posted these ornaments as a work in progress (next photo down). Here they are as a completed set of six. Each ornament has 16 picots in it. They were really fun to make, even though repetitive after a while.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MkHCxohp5_eM7L9bXWlK-QVUfSkLAMf4frc8U9D81ojx63eflvJAVv4ECmwsJ0NJH4ejlVYgh8fVshuBdoAmOCYt2Jr8-_jxvjv3ZZkEgHyb_2znqSuWfYqNPtF2pUAfsjI1ezbiRBh9/s1600-h/Perlensterneornaments.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304427513594564546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MkHCxohp5_eM7L9bXWlK-QVUfSkLAMf4frc8U9D81ojx63eflvJAVv4ECmwsJ0NJH4ejlVYgh8fVshuBdoAmOCYt2Jr8-_jxvjv3ZZkEgHyb_2znqSuWfYqNPtF2pUAfsjI1ezbiRBh9/s320/Perlensterneornaments.jpg" border="0" /></a> 28-ga wire sticking up everywhere. I use the galvanized stuff from the hardware store, not the copper-based kind from the craft store. The ornaments hold their shape better, and the galvanized is more break-resistant. You have to pull those picots pretty tight. It is maddening to have craft wire break on the last picot.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyxmtCPqsgD5g4o3HfeKEhVTNt4YhS3CLTmX-e0Ov3iAfDc9G4-pXAxrChCbMieyx5c3RrQNGoMzExcX9WaTZXMdOXZnDWhQ6e8_UzacR0JCqqspl5VTZUrFwl2tEySTAqRBw5IHoIf1q/s1600-h/workinprogressornaments.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304427516108451330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyxmtCPqsgD5g4o3HfeKEhVTNt4YhS3CLTmX-e0Ov3iAfDc9G4-pXAxrChCbMieyx5c3RrQNGoMzExcX9WaTZXMdOXZnDWhQ6e8_UzacR0JCqqspl5VTZUrFwl2tEySTAqRBw5IHoIf1q/s320/workinprogressornaments.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And here is day 18, a few pendants, one still in progress, and and Ojo de Dios that I started.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxK2OYHNS7_UHaCBv2j9_LgZPLoyvw1KVXqyup6Airx4nS_cVc3bzXnSiDVG7cnogD1oQ7dNXSoR_lV1edstrSY01vbgL_WzQuErrdAYKahr42w91BSgrDjQxkvssz1aRiiM8EVTWP7xG/s1600-h/WIPsandpendants.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304427515553044946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxK2OYHNS7_UHaCBv2j9_LgZPLoyvw1KVXqyup6Airx4nS_cVc3bzXnSiDVG7cnogD1oQ7dNXSoR_lV1edstrSY01vbgL_WzQuErrdAYKahr42w91BSgrDjQxkvssz1aRiiM8EVTWP7xG/s320/WIPsandpendants.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm not sure whether I'll work on the Ojo more today, or do something else altogether. At any rate, I'll get day 19 in the blog before bedtime. I hope. :)<br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-79093027133302341962009-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:002009-02-16T17:30:37.788-08:00Thing-a-Day 16 -- a tiny pendantI made this teeny pendant today. It did not turn out to be a good day for crafting, but I'm happy I got something done.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LkDD-vgZayRV4E3tdgxqLTTl-N_7qXA6jEdkdc9nvB5CX7hdEHbH0ESeimJ69G2krY0IQTM7hzfyIp9Ky7U9puVOGvDh5s3O1cCTo5VTVJbspvKnoQZ4mYQdTl_w9NVNxiLVHXCGSVDB/s1600-h/pendant4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303571078614273762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 313px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LkDD-vgZayRV4E3tdgxqLTTl-N_7qXA6jEdkdc9nvB5CX7hdEHbH0ESeimJ69G2krY0IQTM7hzfyIp9Ky7U9puVOGvDh5s3O1cCTo5VTVJbspvKnoQZ4mYQdTl_w9NVNxiLVHXCGSVDB/s320/pendant4.jpg" border="0" /></a> It's really little. the next one I make will incorporate larger beads, I think.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTnsP71atE71Hr5QH50fCcLWxc4ttTRr8rTC5ExE-Gv1fvAV_-o7MUaelr1yhiH26lwYcUbryTjU6sGT3oIqPuuRqPHzKYGXVNP3wCWsI0a2x54XJJvuGNcTrPKNYCX6KyidbqttL5szD/s1600-h/pendant2-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303571073226903042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTnsP71atE71Hr5QH50fCcLWxc4ttTRr8rTC5ExE-Gv1fvAV_-o7MUaelr1yhiH26lwYcUbryTjU6sGT3oIqPuuRqPHzKYGXVNP3wCWsI0a2x54XJJvuGNcTrPKNYCX6KyidbqttL5szD/s320/pendant2-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-26091302069293806602009-02-15T19:23:00.000-08:002009-02-15T19:42:50.370-08:00Thing-a-Day 15-- A beaded Ojo de DiosI love to do French beaded flowers, but the petals can get quite tedious to make. So I often will work on them on road trips. I use a tool called a beadspinner to rapidly string beads onto wire, and then I wind the loosely strung wire around a bit of cardboard. These are what I take in the car, so I never need to mess with loose beads in a vehicle.<br /><br />However, I ended up making more than I needed for our most recent road trip, and now I want to use them up. I have a bunch of these:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjltHIZxJ-UDbAbyaf5IcQzzdxcJwhZc4ZRZt4PKW8tb0LAO_0YLWn4lZKeeEVpvD0Kx76L2J2_GKiqMBILqERAFpzCIpLX5Vh-zkl1g4r8Zn-lI3HrI6Dz1Cu9gwL1CRXnJsmuvGF9ZNE/s1600-h/beadsforgodseyeproject.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303231339053547442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 305px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjltHIZxJ-UDbAbyaf5IcQzzdxcJwhZc4ZRZt4PKW8tb0LAO_0YLWn4lZKeeEVpvD0Kx76L2J2_GKiqMBILqERAFpzCIpLX5Vh-zkl1g4r8Zn-lI3HrI6Dz1Cu9gwL1CRXnJsmuvGF9ZNE/s320/beadsforgodseyeproject.jpg" border="0" /></a> The beadspinner works very well, and it is FAST! Here's a link to the kind I have:<br /><a href="http://www.beadspinner.net/page/page/3437207.htm">http://www.beadspinner.net/page/page/3437207.htm</a><br />I have the plastic one--well, three of them, actually--and they are FABULOUS! If you have any application that requires the stringing of massive amounts of beads, you will love this thing! I needed more than one because I sometimes switch colors on my French beading projects, and I like to have several bowls ready for dipping my beading wire into. They are quite reasonably priced.<br /><br />Without further ado, here's today's project. The winding of an Ojo de Dios is a lot like making a beaded flower petal, only they are normally made of yarn. This one used up a lot of beads! It is as big as my hand, and I hung it up in my kitchen.<br /><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_i5MsoHT0JWWY0sUU5AawyPSR-FY39Q5aMoyofdvOW7iwwHko3fmaihxmeoVP6R3c77A1ZqI7MaERyHt2T3ujAiUC0QihC6K1y7NlmV4Yf7eN10QHhifzQnMzO-2pOGWlx9MeL4Zcjdvm/s1600-h/beadedgodseye.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303231335002202322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 203px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_i5MsoHT0JWWY0sUU5AawyPSR-FY39Q5aMoyofdvOW7iwwHko3fmaihxmeoVP6R3c77A1ZqI7MaERyHt2T3ujAiUC0QihC6K1y7NlmV4Yf7eN10QHhifzQnMzO-2pOGWlx9MeL4Zcjdvm/s320/beadedgodseye.jpg" border="0" /></a> I might make a couple more to keep it company on the wall. This was fun, and surprisingly fast to make. I spent just under and hour on it. That includes my estimated stringing time, thanks to the beadspinner.<br /><br /><div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-23751433047495227072009-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:002009-02-15T08:42:10.857-08:00Thing-a-Day 14--I don't know what they are...Yesterday morning, my craft room belched forth another baggie of irresistable craft supplies. I bought the rainbow acrylic pieces in San Deigo, CA sometime in the late eighties or early nineties. The acrylic rivoli stones were from a long-ago "bosses bead bag" from Fire Mountain Gems, also purchased in the early nineties. They'd been languishing in my craft room for a very long time.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWaXAd-OkOrjxsDXpIGCeU6cZnvYxSnr0SVfMG0zGZp1oKFBfszAaY6ksV1abKCp4Hb-V2HHJxeZOBZbVtltSc-yNB3WIg4SdTS2eFbaX_310PgIS-MDdpt1dEq8NpgAIndStlabDhuvZ/s1600-h/acrylicsparklies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303048043964187570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWaXAd-OkOrjxsDXpIGCeU6cZnvYxSnr0SVfMG0zGZp1oKFBfszAaY6ksV1abKCp4Hb-V2HHJxeZOBZbVtltSc-yNB3WIg4SdTS2eFbaX_310PgIS-MDdpt1dEq8NpgAIndStlabDhuvZ/s320/acrylicsparklies.jpg" border="0" /></a> I added some really, really bright acrylic yarn, and a pom-pom tool:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzzsmRROFRSa5OxCx-tZa3VkpwPQ2auqjQ9L1EJcsX9qB0MmpP6nx0dv-g3DFj5pOV_YHFLltXY8-v-2Gt2KxvCBGBPLxp1AeBmncfGsJdO8I6s8ns6QQ0TLnQ5LkaI8VvvSQD5e-sUFb/s1600-h/yarnandsparklies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303048041649062562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 285px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzzsmRROFRSa5OxCx-tZa3VkpwPQ2auqjQ9L1EJcsX9qB0MmpP6nx0dv-g3DFj5pOV_YHFLltXY8-v-2Gt2KxvCBGBPLxp1AeBmncfGsJdO8I6s8ns6QQ0TLnQ5LkaI8VvvSQD5e-sUFb/s320/yarnandsparklies.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And these guys were born!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcKmX3vJ5invue-TMWgmRpQnAUTVpuGJ0fpk1JvRn2QPDn1edoswcptimZjjJQsOu4r3iVjCJNtI_QBL5w9Q40iqhztV64c3qtIpBeGwF9UWN7wFIWjCOm9DHfTnqhtIzbjf8numrlPUM/s1600-h/critters2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303048040312629938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 278px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcKmX3vJ5invue-TMWgmRpQnAUTVpuGJ0fpk1JvRn2QPDn1edoswcptimZjjJQsOu4r3iVjCJNtI_QBL5w9Q40iqhztV64c3qtIpBeGwF9UWN7wFIWjCOm9DHfTnqhtIzbjf8numrlPUM/s320/critters2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But what are they? Owlets? Aliens from outer space? Owlets from outer space?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>They seem fond of the odd parlor games to be found in our house, so they have a wack sense of humor.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKBXM-SRJ0l9ykY3atprkTMJz1fG-ntY3OClZ_vjT8NTSbYcJZeIurftaGTr9Z6uWGcQO_RZTLqgcg4K1oqGELBaV-k7iG82Pw5G8ZBaQetDi0xvcf5u3OP7ih4o2djEukjVU-CaV3pC-/s1600-h/Adultmadlibs1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303048034773462018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKBXM-SRJ0l9ykY3atprkTMJz1fG-ntY3OClZ_vjT8NTSbYcJZeIurftaGTr9Z6uWGcQO_RZTLqgcg4K1oqGELBaV-k7iG82Pw5G8ZBaQetDi0xvcf5u3OP7ih4o2djEukjVU-CaV3pC-/s320/Adultmadlibs1.jpg" border="0" /></a> They were really fun to make, but now I'm thinking about buying another crafting tool, the Clover Brand pom pom maker. The one I was using produces a sloppy, uneven pom pom. I may try this again sometime this year. It's be fun to have a few of these guys peeking out from the branches of next year's Christmas tree.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This is a link to the Clover pom pom maker, to show what they look like:</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clover-3126-Pom-Pom-Maker-Large/dp/B001BA38X4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1234712791&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Clover-3126-Pom-Pom-Maker-Large/dp/B001BA38X4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1234712791&sr=8-1</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It looks like this item will make a fuller, more consistent pom pom. Maybe I'll talk myself into getting one for Easter crafting. Yeah, that's it! I have an excuse to buy one now! I'll do a comparison post later on... :)<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-90373312632941297752009-02-13T09:30:00.001-08:002009-02-13T09:36:45.246-08:00Thing-a-Day 13-- A Skullyflower!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwhl0UQHULAcFKjaqYqhoaAjp4sBK5Q6npjSi3OdCpP9NWao81Pj6mVy0yOUFrPllbSmLGR5ux8Fu9OxOrIXwry2TA-XL7sCeftUFamNNpiWGz7GGRrSNA3QxB6z-VTGSV3PJqwGokdi8/s1600-h/skullyflowerday13.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302335881374906642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwhl0UQHULAcFKjaqYqhoaAjp4sBK5Q6npjSi3OdCpP9NWao81Pj6mVy0yOUFrPllbSmLGR5ux8Fu9OxOrIXwry2TA-XL7sCeftUFamNNpiWGz7GGRrSNA3QxB6z-VTGSV3PJqwGokdi8/s320/skullyflowerday13.jpg" border="0" /></a> I have had some really cool quilting scraps that I got in a swap a few weeks back sitting on my desk, waiting to be turned into tiny crafts. I thought I might be able to make a flower brooch out of four square fabric scraps, and this is my first attempt. I was following around a toddler while sewing this, so it's not as even as I'd like, but it was a quick and satisfying craft project, and after I make a few more, there will be a tutorial.<br /><br />Watch for the tuts from my Thing-a-Day projects in March; I'll have a bit more time then.<br /><div></div>LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2263450139099010974.post-46350916943151670642009-02-12T19:21:00.000-08:002009-02-12T19:31:32.562-08:00Thing-a-Day, Feb 12th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dEAttULuk6auIMQd3yLLeLRCeAXmg7S7J_nFV0pXgzZ7ELj1nc_Xa6uRR5eaKbZXm9QIZk0KZFzl8bc0lx3rs7S9Kc0_uYDc4rdhR1EU5pfZnluArtZfiEVkcwEGBP7eAEFzzAW6kTuq/s1600-h/day12pendants.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302117356265802610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 151px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 325px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dEAttULuk6auIMQd3yLLeLRCeAXmg7S7J_nFV0pXgzZ7ELj1nc_Xa6uRR5eaKbZXm9QIZk0KZFzl8bc0lx3rs7S9Kc0_uYDc4rdhR1EU5pfZnluArtZfiEVkcwEGBP7eAEFzzAW6kTuq/s320/day12pendants.jpg" border="0" /></a> Today ended up being a busy day, with little time for crafting. I did get these pendants done early this morning. The top one is made with Fireline as the stringing material, and it came out better than yesterday's attempt. The bottom one is Fireline surrounded by an outer row worked in 28 ga. wire. The inner pendant was getting floppy, so it needed a wire armature to keep it's shape. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I will revisit the idea in a smaller pendant.<br /><br /><br /><br />I just bought some thinner, 6lb test Fireline, and I'm going to try some denser beadwork now that I have thread that will (I hope) fit though the skinny needles I like for beading. More on that later this weekend or early next week.LaughingLarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994128593188409798noreply@blogger.com0