Color me excited!

My word of the day...exciting!

Just because I LOVE this picture.

I was interviewed last week by a lovely reporter with the Associated Press for an article about Pinterest.  It. Was. Awesome.  Well, the article came out yesterday on abcnews.com of all places!  Me!  This blog!  We were both mentioned.  And Martha.  Yes, that one.  And my friend Jessa over at Happily Home Sewn.  This whole thing has been - there's just no other word for it - exciting. 

Here's the article!  You should totally read it.

Crazytown.

Kristin

Etsy Grand Opening!

Okay folks, the day has finally arrived!  My Sewtastically Made Etsy shop is now open for business.  Check it out... SewtasticallyMade .

I'll continue to add things throughout the week so keep checking  (or message me for a custom order) if you don't see something you are looking for.  I also plan to use this blog to feature new products in the shop once a week or so.  There will be links to facebook pages and Pinterest as well.  Let's consider it a "work in progress" for a few weeks til we get the hang of everything.  Exciting stuff!

Huge thanks again to my fabulous sister Carly for helping me get everything up and running. You can click over to her blog Johnny Bug and show her some love.


Kristin

A Big Announcement!

Things are starting to look a little different around here.  I have big news...I'm finally doing it!  After so many of you suggested I open an Etsy shop, I'm jumping in.  My shop will officially be open and taking orders Monday, April 16th.  What kind of things will you be able to purchase from the shop you ask?

Gnome perpetual calendars

My Memory Games

Knit/Crochet project bags.
They are reversible!

An Organized Knitting Bag.
Also reversible!

Hooker pouches.
I'll also offer knitting/crochet sets.  An Organized Knitting Bag with
a project bag AND a hooker pouch.

Various sizes of my fabric baskets.
I'll also offer nested sets.

Diaper pouches

Birthday Banners!
These will be custom orders only and will require 6-8 weeks for delivery.

This is what I'm planning to start with.  These first items will be added to the shop over the next week.  I plan to eventually add flannel backed baby quilts, zippered pouches, knitting needles, knitting needle rolls, iPad/iPhone sleeves,  nook covers, an alphabet matching game,  reusable snack sacks, etc.  Also, if you have something specific in mind just message me and we can set up a custom order. 

After the shop is up and running I think we'll do a couple giveaways to celebrate so stay tuned...


Kristin


p.s.  I'd like to thank my sister Carly for giving the extra push I needed.

Patterns and a Knitting Needle Tutorial

Has it really been a MONTH?  I can hardly believe it.  It has been a very long month.  Lets see... Our daughter was diagnosed with asthma.  We tied that to the mold in our bathroom which we then gutted and are slowly putting back together.  We only have one bathroom so that means we've been staying at my mother-in-laws house.  I'm so grateful to have that option but we're all out of sorts.  Discombobulated.  We are hoping to move back home this weekend.  Anyway, that accounts for the absence. 


Lucky for me (and my mental health crafting) knitting is very portable.  I've mentioned before how I just hadn't jumped in to patterns yet.  Well, cross that off my list of things to learn!  I've been working it out with small, useful projects.  Just dish rags so far but I'm doing it!  I've tried 3 different ones and they are official patterns.  (here are my Ravelry notes )

Browsing Ravelry will quickly make you realize that you need a LOT of different needle sizes.  (I'm using US10 needles instead of 7's on these dish rags.)  Being an "I can make that" sort of girl I did just that... I made knitting needles.  Want to make some too?  Here ya go. 

Part one:

Supplies:
- Assorted dowel pack.  Mine came from Michael's and is an assorted box of 50.  You could also head to a lumber store for the specific dowel size you need. (but take your gauge thingy with you!)  I'm a beginner so I need lots of sizes.
- Dowel caps or any type of end decoration.  Buttons, clay, beads, etc.
- Pencil sharpener
- Your knit gauge/ needle size thingy
- Sandpaper. I used 150 grit, 220 grit, and 320 grit. 
- Wood finish.  I used boiled linseed oil.  You can also use beeswax, a mixture of an oil and beeswax, or any type of wood varnish.

Step One:
Using your gauge/needle sizer choose the dowel that will fit your needs.

Step Two:
Take your trusty pencil sharpener and sharpen one (or two for double points) end of your dowel.  Try to get this point as smooth as possible. 

Step Three:
Sand sand and more sand.  I started with 150 grit and worked my way to the finest 320 grit.  Try and get your dowel and the point as smooth as possible before moving on to the next grit.  This part is really amazing.  It becomes so buttery and wonderful.  That's when you know you're almost finished sanding.

Here is my lovely 6yr old assistant making his very own knitting needles!

Step Four:
Attach your dowel cap, button or bead to the end.  I used dowel caps and wood glue.  I plan to try and make clay beads for some next.  (If your dowel cap has any rough edges - you should knock those off with the sandpaper also.)

I was able to make all of these for close to the cost of ONE
set of wooden needles at my local craft store

Look how pretty they are!

Step Five will come in Part Two - the finishing.  *Full disclosure*  I haven't actually finished mine yet.  With all the craziness this month that has been put on the back burner.  I have used them already though!  I finished up the Pixie Hat from last post with the double pointed US13's.  Even without the finish they were a breeze to knit with.  (it's all about the sanding)

There you have Part One of making your own knitting needles.  It's really a simple process and the results are beautiful so stay tuned for Part Two.  I think we'll also do a needle roll/storage tutorial soon.

I'm yarning along with Ginny at Small Things today which means I need to tell you what I'm reading also.  I'm still slowly going through Organized Simplicity on my nook.  I really love the idea of living intentionally and we are having one of those massive 10 yr spring clean and go through everything kind of seasons at the moment.  This book is pretty perfect for that.

Have a crafty day!

Kristin

A Pixie Hat

I think I'm getting the hang of this knitting thing.  I've figured out circular needles, double pointed, decreasing, and I've sorta figured out increasing.  But patterns??  Not even close.  I'm sure it's just a matter of cracking the code (or even trying) but it seems I'd still just rather wing it at this point. 

I started making hats a couple weeks ago.  They are pretty quick and easy and portable.  Well this one turned out so cute I just had to share it.

The beginning.  I'm almost always knitting like this. 
With a kid going to sleep and a dog and various stuffed animals.

Just switched from circulars to double point.
FYI those are my homemade double pointed needles.

She likes it.

Dang she's cute.

I used size US13 circular and double pointed needles with bulky yarn.  I think I'm a fan of fat needles and fat yarn.  It just makes things so much faster.  Coming from crochet (which is much faster anyway) I needed some nearly instant knitting gratification. 

I suppose I could be convinced to make another one and keep notes for directions (how ironic - I'm offering a pattern when I can't even use a pattern?  Ha ha.) if anyone would like.  Just let me know.

I'm yarning along with Ginny and the gang at Small Things today as well.  I'm reading Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids on my Nook. 

** P.S.  Coming up I have a tutorial for making your own knitting needles so stay tuned.

Repost: An Easter Craft

**This one was originally posted over at The Fipper Show on April 25, 2011 while we were travelling in Germany.  Sorry if I'm a little repost happy but they were all done before the crafty blog.  Plus...Easter comes around every year.**

While packing for this trip I realized we would be celebrating Easter while we were here. I talked a little to Fisher about it and we were trying to come up with a solution that didn't involve bringing their Easter baskets and eggs from home. I have really gotten myself into something here because any time we are faced with a problem like this his answer is always "you should just make it mom".  But this time we did. I had planned to bring some felt with me anyway for my mental health crafting. So here's how it went down.

Baskets? Check.

But what to do about the eggs? I refused to haul plastic eggs all the way to Germany!! So I decorated some felt eggs with embroidery.

I made the back out of two pieces that overlap like a pillow sham. Then they can be stuffed with candy.

All candy filled and nestled in the basket.

They each got 6. Here are Piper's.

Two of my favorite ones for Pipey.

Boy colors for Fisher.

Two of my favorites for him.

This one is my REAL favorite. Fisher did this one himself. His first time EVER sewing with a needle and thread!

Unfortunately I don't have any action shots for you. The way we are set up here they sleep in the living room. And the Easter baskets were set out for the Easter bunny in the living room. Late night pictures of filled Easter baskets + sleeping kids = bad Easter experience. But they enjoyed finding their "stuffed" eggs and eating all the goodies.

Happy Easter

Kristin

Basket Case: Repost

**Another repost!  Originally posted June 2, 2011 on The Fipper Show when my sweet husband was working out of the country.  This is a fantastic project for springtime. **


I discovered pretty early on that the best way to not get so depressed about James being so far away was to keep busy. I have completed close to a million sewing projects since he's been overseas. Well, maybe not that many. Lets go with a bunch. So here's a little project for you.

In Germany we were strolling around Marburg and I came across this little kitchen shop. In the window (like I'm going to take my children in a cramped kitchen store!!) I saw these great fabric bowl type basket things that were apparently used for rolls. After the sharp intake of breath, (cause seriously, those were cute) I started to figure out in my head how to recreate it at home. I can sew after all.

My first attempt was a little...large. That's a dozen muffins in there. I figure it'll be okay at family gatherings to hold rolls, hamburger buns, chips, etc.

Like large.

This is a much better size. Again with a dozen muffins.

Then I went a little crazy.

The smaller two are a different design and WAY easier to make. The bottom here is rectangular instead of round.

The possibilities are endless really with what to do with them. Flowers? I'd even put a jar in the taller (of the small ones) and put cut flowers in it.

But here's what I do with them. Cotton balls and q-tips. A nice way to brighten up a bathroom!

So there you go. My fabric basket making craziness.

Note:
I now use the large one in my daughter's room to hold her little socks and underwear.  It works out really well and she can easily reach everything.  I think they would work well for small toys too.  The medium size one is now on my kitchen counter holding all our vitamins.  Let me know if any of you are interested in some sort of tutorial for these. 

**Bonus**

Here's a bonus for you. I'm in love with this fabric. Can you tell? Anyway, I have an e reader. A Nook to be specific. My nightstand is basically shelf that is pretty far away from my bed. It's fine for a clock but a little tricky to reach to put away glasses and the nook when I'm finished reading at night. Solution: A nook and glasses pouch that hangs on the side of the bed.

I've been thinking for a while about having a separate craft blog. What do you guys think? Would you follow that one? Should I just keep posting crafts on here every once in a while?

Craftastically yours,

Kristin