Kleas

with one skein

Last month I began fiddling around crocheting some little vessels.  I found this solo skein of yarn in the reduced bin at Joann's and did not hesitate to buy it as I really love a self striping yarn.  

It's a micro fiber yarn made by Premier Yarns (more information about it can be found here).  I really love it's vibrant colors and had fun just trying it out in different ways.  I experimented with crocheting a variety of vessels (one with a lid), I knit two gnomes (faces made with a different yarn) and then I taught myself how to to crochet a square and just barely had enough to finish the ninth one so I stitched them into a bigger square using thread.  I had not one bit of yarn left over from these projects.  

just fiddling around

There's always a ball of yarn and needles or a hook of some kind in my bag.  It makes for easy pick-up crafting, which between soccer and playdates and beach trips can happen several times a day in my world.  I've been playing a bit, experimenting with different kinds of vessels and pouches.  I'm not really sure where I am going with this, but I do love having a self-striping yarn as I always find the surprise of the color combos so thrilling.

I was caught off guard Monday when I went to flickr to resume my Mosaic Monday posting and suddenly everything there was so different.  I don't even know when the change came, but I had trouble getting used to it so abandoned the mosaic idea for Monday.  Emma Lamb has a good bit to say about Flickrs updated site here, which helped me pin point some of the things about it that felt so awkward.

As resistant to change as I am, I am one of the many dreading the July 1st shut-down of google reader so was so happy to see that Susie of Flowerpress wrote up a piece about all the available blog feed options she has discovered out there.  She has tried several different sites and gives a fair opinion and good information about what she likes/dislikes about each one.  I found it very helpful, but remain undecided.

Linking up today with Creative Spaces.

a third one

I finished two of those scarves I mentioned that I've been working on for the silent auction for my son's school, but then I decided I had to make a third one.  Frantically, I stitched away on the above scarf and did finish it in time to submit for the fundraiser.

I also couldn't resist making another pixie hat to add to the three scarves.

I do love self striping yarn.

Details:

scarf 1-2 skeins Bernat mosaic yarn

size 8/H crochet hook

pattern: chain 20, next row alternate dc and sc, next row stitch a dc into a sc, and a sc into a dc.  I continued this pattern until I had used two skeins of yarn.  weave in ends.

I love the way this pattern stitches up...it creates such a nice texture

scarf 2-2 skeins Boutique Treasure

size 8/H crochet hook

pattern: chain 20, row 1 sc into every stitch, row 2 dc, row 3 sc, row 4 dc.  Continue in pattern until both skeins are used.    weave in ends.

scarf 3-2 skeins Bernat mosaic yarn

size 8/H crochet hook

pattern: chain 15, next row alternate dc and sc, next row stitch a dc into a sc, and a sc into a dc.  I continued this pattern until I had used two skeins of yarn.  weave in ends.

more creative spaces here

making

I've been making myself a little crazy getting ready for Friday's Holiday Fair at my preschool.  Knitting, stitching, stitching, knitting.  I made these little santa ornaments for a swap last year and never got around to posting them.  They are sweet and easy to make and there's a pattern and a how to, here.

Mine were all hand-stitched and made of new felt and sweater felt.

Last years tree (haven't put one up yet this year).

More festive creative spaces here.

autumn color inspirations

All these brilliant autumn colors.  Makes me feel almost dizzy at times.  Mostly it makes me want to capture the colors and hold on to them just a wee bit longer.  I dug out an old wool blanket and dyed it the color of autumn...thinking perhaps a wool leaf mobile.  The wool turned out beautifully...spotted and mottled like the leaves have been.   But then we got our first taste of winter this afternoon and the flakes came down hard for a brief spell.  Suddenly it doesn't feel quite like autumn anymore.

creative spaces-little pumpkin

Sometimes when the moment is right, I can see a project through from start to finish in less than an hour.  This knit pumpkin pattern caught my eye last week (found via) so on my way out the door to the preschool this morning, I grabbed some orange wool and the only DPN's I could find.  I was able to knit this up during free play today.

The DPN's I used, however, were a zero (not the recommended size 4) so mine came out to be a tiny little thing.

I used a piece of twig for the stem in place of a knitted one.

It found a nice resting spot on the nature table...

but Julen asked if he could bring it home for the evening.

More creative spaces here.

first of the season

Yesterday, seventy-eight degrees...today forty-eight.  For me, this indicates that knitting season has officially started.  I began a scarf knitting quest last year and did pretty well finishing up several...we were all happy to have a variety of new cozy scarves to choose from.  This is one I began way back when and have finally finished up.  It is such a fun pattern to work, I am almost thinking of attempting a blanket...but that seems a bit ambitious at the moment.  

Here are the details:

Holding Hands Feeding Ducks

Free pattern found at Ravelry

CO 34 stitches on #8 needles using Malabrigo Worsted

The star stitch is so pretty and once I got the hang of it, I didn't feel too klutzy.  The back is quite nice too and reminds me a bit of weaving.

Up next is to finish this scarf...if I could only find that second skein of yarn...

Linking up today with creative spaces.

creative spaces-crochet on the go

While traveling to and from Boston earlier this week I managed to stitch up a few squares.  Just as the taxi pulled up to my house, I quickly grabbed a few random balls of yarn and a hook and threw them in my bag.  I like having a simple project in my hand when flying and this took up no space at all.  I used mohair, wool and cotton for these squares, alternating between single and double crochet.

Each will eventually become a bunny or a kitten, and will likely find it's way into the loving arms of a child someone.  (Although, I'm not too sure about that rainbow one....)

More creative spaces here.

creative spaces-creating along with children

Do you know about Art Projects for Kids?  It's become my new go-to site when looking for a project to do with my boys.  Kathy posts her classroom art projects geared towards children grades K-5 and she offers easy to follow instructions, a simple goal for each project and an example.  When I was home sick a few days with my boys, we used her ideas to create together at home.  I love that once we all worked through her art project, it inspired us to further create in other ways.

We began with Tinted Ugly Bunny-learning how to tint by adding white.  

My seven-year-old (using orange)

My four-year-old (using red, until he was surprised to see it made PINK!!  no tinting for Julen after that)

I chose felt as my medium

The next day we all sat down to try How to Draw a Fox-learning how this adorable fox came together using a few simple shapes.  I so enjoyed drawing next to my guys.  

Again...I had to try this one in felt.

I think Julen is going to try making wearing brooches in preschool the new "thing"...he loves this little fox so much.

I later discovered my older boy found his own way to the site when I saw him working on Koi Fish Painting- learning how to draw from a different point of view.

I'm already thinking ahead to how I might use Kathy's ideas to plan for our summer painting projects.

I'm linking up to My Creative Space (which is at a new location).  I like the idea of focusing on my creative space once a week as a reminder to take that time for myself.   More creative spaces here.

creative spaces-needle felting

It's been a while since I've needle-felted, but when my teaching partner brought her new book, Wool Toys by Laurie Sharp to the preschool the other day I starting browsing and was inspired to have a go at it again.

There is something so satisfying about jabbing and stabbing all those little wool tufts and turning them into a sweet doll.  Sharp's instructions for making a pixie are easy and straightforward and it was quite fun making this little guy.

And another one is waiting for a face.  Don't know if I'll be able to stop at just two!

More creative spaces here.