I spent the day crocheting to try to shake off the weekend. I hate sending the kids back to school on Monday morning after a weekend that just wasn’t quite right. So I drowned my sorrows in some gold wool and a pumpkin spice latte.
Kitten likes her new dress. She herself is made from the Katie Kitty pattern from my book
It's chilly today! Kit, Chloe and Louise need new Fall outfits. Leggings to go with this flannel dress are up next.
Part amigurumi, part “crocheted ball”, part thrifted sweater vest. This guy was a little troublemaker! But in the end I’ll call him a success. I’ve started on a second and already I think it’s going more smoothly.
Those of you who have been reading my blog for years and years may have noticed my tendency to make one thing and then think how fun to have a series of that thing and then never do it. So in that grand Wee Wonderfuls tradition, here is my first installment of “sewing things from the thrift store on other things from the thrift store”
I just put a coffee in the freezer so I can chug it down and see if I can salvage any of this day! I have a long list, of things I'm actually looking forward to doing, but I can't seem to get out putter-around-craft-room with breaks of looking-stuff-up-on-the internet mode. I'm trying to remember if I've ever crocheted a toy. I don't think I have. I hate searching things on my blog because a. I can never find them and b. when I do find things all the links are broken! This is the downside to blogging for 10+ years. So far today I did sew and stuff and potentially bizarre bunny body and a perfectly acceptable kitty head. If I'm not too distracted looking up amigurumi patterns I will get back to them after the coffee treatment.
Does anyone else feel guilty picking wildflowers from parks? I'm a weirdo. I try to remind myself they'll mow or burn these all off in a month or so anyway. And literally every untended square foot of Illinois is covered in them. Still, I have to run to the car like a criminal after I've picked a handful.
I can remember how to make a circle. Hey! This is reminding me that I need to get my crocheted afghan out again now that it's Fall.
When I go over to get photo links for blogging it's fun to see what random photos come up on my flickr activity feed when people like them. Fall stitchettes! Little mice having tea with an acorn tea kettle. Shot outside against our red fence. I'll have to show this to Tim. Our fence is sooo not that red anymore, crazytown.
I made a deal with myself that I could buy thrifted woolens only if I used them right up and that I couldn’t move on to next pile until I’d done so. I made a little blue bear friend from the rest of this giant sweater vest. I wasn’t sure it’d felted up tight enough for stuffing but it did hold up well.
Now I can start on this pile! This crazy soft gray sweater had the tags ripped out but if felt like angora or cashmere, something super fuzzy soft. It felted up wonderfully and it was an XL sweater so now I have a LOT of very furry gray. I was thinking maybe some kitties. I also found a tweed skirt and a plaid mini skirt to go with the gray. I wish I had more color though. I really want to go back to thrift but am trying to be frugal.
I was good yesterday and confined spending to the farmers market and the health food store. And today I’m busy working my shift at the school library so that’ll keep me out of trouble. Tomorrow though? Friday is a perfect thrifting day! I should spend my day out walking or biking, collecting more wildflowers.
Making a fox has been on my to-do list for maybe 5 years now? I can’t kick the feeling that I did make this already?? It’s the giant tail. I for sure had a prototype going with a giant tail but I don’t think the final toy was never made. Tim thinks the tail is too big but I think it’s awesome. It’s definitely not a feature for a dress up doll but I just sewed it on there over her outfit. What’s a fox without a giant tail?
Here’s my pile of thrift that I used to make her, a merino wool sweater, a ginormous navy speckled sweater vest and a boy’s flannel shirt. I have lots of navy left and I think it may be a bear if I can find a good accent fabric.
Doesn’t she look like she’s headed to a football game? I very tempted to put a letter on that sweater.
A captivating gang of 24 huggable, lovable creatures to sew—from classics like Margot, a topsy-turvy doll, and the button-jointed teddy bear Bjorn Bjornson, to irresistible Evelyn, a wool felt inchworm decked out in mod glasses and a kerchief, and Koji, a fiercely cute spiked softie monster. There’s something for everyone here—from kids to grown-ups and from beginning sewers to advanced dollmakers. Published by STC Craft, August, 2010.
