Sewing Project Monday!

Alright, so it's a small project but one I've been meaning to do for a long time, so it counts! I had seen all these adorable pin cushions on Etsy and thought "I bet I could do that" so today was my day to tackle it. I had some fabric that I didn't really know what to do with - it's only a small amount and the graphic doesn't really allow for me to use it as lining for one of my bags - but while digging through my fabrics today it occurred to me that it'd be perfect for my pin cushion. Here's a brief picture tutorial of what I did:

It was still missing something so I added a button to the center of the front and back to create a little extra tension.

NOW it's complete!

So quick and easy to make, I wanna make twenty more! I don't need that many, unfortunately, but totally intend to tackle making a pin cushion for my wrist next. Eventually. My new pin cushion will replace the ugly chicken? duck? that my mother gave me many years ago and that I love but that is in a sorry state after being handled by the neck one too many times.

Besides the pin cushion, I altered a skirt and started altering a top. I also started the graphics on one of the mens' mittens and am pretty confident I'll complete the pair before day's end. I got so much more done than I usually do in one day! Normally, it's just a monotonous "I made a mitten today" but look how much more I have to report! Also, I technically finished the slouchy beanie this weekend but have decided that I need to undo just a bit and make it a little longer. So I can't show that one off yet. I also started another slouchy beanie, with a different design, but wasn't able to finish it before my No Knitting Week began, so that one's gotta wait, too.

Projects, projects, projects  and not a knitting needle in sight - I love it!

Etsy Finds Friday and Goodies!

From left - right:

artallnight - mermaid and anchor necklace
mediumcontrol - Carry All Iconic Camera Bag Khaki
retrowhale - Magnet set Build Your Own Favorite Directors
mojospastyle - Metallic Silver Flower Headband
gardensofwhimsy - Blue skies a whimsical butterfly clip
ableandgame - Romantic Card I don't have a lazy eye BOY VERSION
diffractionfiber - The Cameo Pillow
PoorRobin - Button Bracelet - My Little Mod Garden
janinebasil - Silver glitter bow headband
FableAndFury - Fawned of You 2 headed deer necklace in satin

I finally, FINALLY received goodies I ordered over a month ago. The delay was due to a shipping mix-up (don't ask) but perfect timing now since I decided I'm not knitting next week. Instead, I'll be playing with a gazillion buttons! And my first knitting loom ever! Wait - does that count as knitting? I mean, I won't be using needles. I think I can allow it. Especially since I'll be using far chunkier yarn than I have been lately. I'll put it off 'til the end of the week - how 'bout that? I'm so excited! Oh, the ideas spinning around in my head - I need more hands! I love getting new stuff to experiment with. And I know you're probably saying "they're just buttons" but I'm saying "they're BUTTONS." See the diff?

I made a few more mittens this week and will try to finish the slouchy beanie before my knitting weekend is over but come Monday, these hands won't touch knitting needles. I've made my list to make the most of this free creative week and first up is making something that requires my sewing machine. What that is exactly, I don't yet know, but it'll be fun. Or frustrating. It could really go either way.

Currently shuffling through my soundsystem: Brothers album by The Black Keys. I rarely listen to albums in full but I like almost every song on this one, especially the last half of the album.

Balancing Act

I love to knit. And spend all my free time doing it. In fact, I create as much free time as possible so I can knit even more. But there are so many other things I enjoy doing, too. Like reading. I LOVE to read. I don't remember not always having a book I'm in the middle of. I used to get in trouble all the time as a kid for it. My mom would give me chores to do and I'd really intend to get to them but there was READING TO BE DONE. How could she not understand that? And before you condemn my mother for not encouraging literacy, it's not that she didn't. It's that she could only tolerate so much of my ignoring what she was saying or my going "in a minute, mom!" before she'd be compelled to yank the book out of my hand and hide it somewhere. I think that's where my habit of reading a few books at the same time stemmed from. She hid all the flashlights, too, 'cause I'd sneak read after I was supposed to be asleep. That didn't stop me. I'd pull my curtain wide open and read by moonlight. That certainly didn't help my already poor eyesight. Nor my glasses (I'd often wake up with my glasses smushed between my face and the book). I spent every waking moment reading. Now I spend every waking moment knitting. Obsessive much?

I've come to the realization that I really need to learn how to balance my life. I'm lucky that I have all the time I want to do whatever I want (thanks, The Doomed!) and that's why it felt like such a perfect opportunity to really see if my crafting could turn into a serious, profitable business for me. After all, if you want something to succeed, you've gotta give it everything you've got. But what's that saying? There's such a thing as too much of a good thing? Yeah. So I'm starting with baby steps. I still want to meet the goal of having most of my merchandise completed by early October, but I think I can still manage to squeeze in some recreational time.

Last fall we went to the Miami Book Fair and I bought about a dozen books at awesome prices. And even though I started reading three of them immediately, somehow they fell by the wayside. I've decided to pick one back up at a time and the first of the three is Black Dahlia Avenger. (If you don't know who the Black Dahlia is or how obsessed with Los Angeles history I am then that'll just have to wait 'cause that's a post all on its own.) This week I started allowing an hour for reading every morning. And night, if I'm not too sleepy. And it's my plan to take a full week off of knitting next week. What?! I know! I've been meaning to alter some clothes and maybe do another sewing project and some other things and I keep putting it off because I've got these knitting deadlines I've set for myself. So next week, no knitting! I'm gonna try really hard not to, anyway. I am, however, still allowing the completion of projects related to the shop as long as they don't require knitting needles (adding decorative touches, buttons, etc). We'll see how it goes!

To Be Fair...

...some things I like about living in Miami:

1) my house (having spent most of my life in apartments, it's nice to have a house to live in)
2) Flanigan's (there's one not too far from our house and while I know that their ribs are what they are known for, it's their shrimp that I LOVE.)
3) winter weather (humidity finally dies down, pleasantly warm weather stays)
4) no smog (clear skies in a big city, who knew?)
5) Inka Cola is available in every supermarket
6) having lots of time to craft
7) Moondoggie!

Taken the first week we brought him home.

Not as many things as those I like about LA but hey, I've only been here a year and some months.

Etsy Finds Friday

daphnenen - Rolling Forward with Handmade Large Pleated Bag
claraiuribe - NEW The original sewing machine Needlecase No 1
annyandme - Delila Bag Martini Blossom
blockpartypress - Cloud 9
ghostlovejewelry - A Mighty Ship GORGEOUS ANTIQUED SILVER

I started this post late today because AT&T had to come back out AGAIN for the same problem from last week. Which is, conveniently, never being a problem when they show up. So, only five Etsy Finds today - but better some than none - especially that adorable needlecase!

I've spent this week working on making men's mittens and the slouchy ladies' beanie that frustrated me so last week. Wanna see the progress?

I'm really digging the beanie so far - it's too large to be a beret but not quite large enough to hold rasta dreads, at least not yet! - but have gotten stuck on the decreasing part. I've undone my decreases THREE times (and on over 170 stitches that ain't no joke) and refuse to start again until I know for sure I've mapped it out correctly. Hence the going back to my trusty mittens. At least they're the ones for the fellas this time! I find them so easy and enjoyable to make and seem to have nailed down a good average size, so now it's just a matter of bangin' out all the colors I have for guys. And I already know I need to stock up on more yarn. Taking a look at my inventory the other day, which isn't miniscule, I realized I had less to work with than I thought I did. What's a girl to do but order more? Hee.  

This weekend seems to be shaping up to be very low key so I hope to knock out at least a couple more mittens and maybe even finish that beanie. Oh, but how I hate to be frustrated so I don't know - I might put it off 'til next week.

Currently shuffling through my soundsystem: it's a Chet Baker kind of afternoon. I've had the Funny Valentine album on repeat for a couple hours now. There's just something good about slow, jazzy trumpets.