Currently Working On // Week 10

Happy Friday! I'm about two weeks into my March Challenge, and while it's tough not buying new materials when inspiration strikes, it has totally been forcing me to finish projects that I start and use up my existing supplies! On that note, here's what I've been working on this week:

FOR FUN:

I've said it before, weaving is the best way to use up yarn scraps!! I decided to try something different, so I salvaged the gold wire from last week's tangled mess of a failure and used it as the warp for my weaving. It was definitely challenging to work with, but I love the way it's turning out - especially with the negative space.


I really liked the copper bowl I was working on last week (see below), but since I had crocheted it on a larger hook, the weave was really loose. This wasn't a huge deal, but it did make the bowl a bit floppy. I used the leftover wire to start a new bowl with a tighter weave. The look is better, but it will require more wire, and I'm all out for now. Stay tuned!

PROGRESS UPDATE:

Hooray, it's done! I wrote more about weaving earlier this week, but I'll elaborate on the process for this specific piece. As you can tell compared to last week's post, I took some parts of it out and started over in certain areas. It's a little warped here and there, but overall I love the final product! I even added a scrap of leather to the top left corner because I'm fancy like that [insert sunglasses emoji here]. AND - a good friend even asked if she could buy it from me! So now it's sold as well :)


Done! Like I said earlier, a little floppy but still works. I definitely learned a lot from it for next time. Here are the two side by side for comparison:



Have a great weekend!

Currently Working On // Weeks 8 & 9

Happy Friday! I'm looking forward to catching up on blog work this weekend! I didn't think anyone would notice when I took a week off, but apparently some of you really DO read my blog ;) hehe anywho, here's what I've been working on the past 2 weeks.

FOR FUN:


As I mentioned on Instragram, at the Renegade Craft Fair I saw an artist who crocheted beautiful jewelry from tiny chains. She inspired me to try crocheting with new materials other than yarn. I decided to try making a basket and got this far with my second attempt before running out of wire. I'm excited to keep experimenting!! See below for my first try (oops).


In my defense, the gold wire had a slightly larger gauge and was loosely coiled as opposed to on a spool like the copper wire. Lesson learned!



Scott got me this loom for my birthday and I've slowly but surely been chipping away at my first weaving. It's a great way to use up my spare yarn scraps! I'm in the process of writing a full post about weaving including my favorite textile artists, and a roundup of free tutorials from around the web. Stay tuned!

TO SELL IN THE SHOP:


I loved the way my blush and black blanket turned out (see below), so I decided to replicate that with another color combo that I really like - tan and black. I've only completed the black block so far, and now I'm on to the tan part. Should be done in about a week! I'll wait until this one is finished to post them both to my shop.

PROGRESS UPDATE:


This one has been so fun to work on!! It's only 70 stitches across, so it goes by very quickly. It also looks like it might end up being much larger than a baby blanket. I just ran out of yarn, so I'll have to make a quick run to get more this weekend. I'll have to make myself some craft store blinders so I'm not tempted to buy anything else ;)



Remember those balls of t-shirt yarn I was using to make a rug during week 2?? I'm almost done! It did not take 3 months, I just ran out of t-shirts to make yarn out of. I kept saying I would cut up an old flat jersey sheet to make more, but I never got around to it. I finally just caved and bought some ready-made from Joanns. I DO NOT recommend it - the quality was crap. I still need a little bit more to finish the rug, so I'll either finally cut up that jersey sheet, or else I'll go to the thrift store and grab some cheap t-shirts. Almost there!



I mean how great does that look?? (other than the crappy picture, I had to use the self timer app with my phone on the coffee table - which greatly confused Akria) It's also my first baby blanket that's made entirely of natural fibers (black is wool and blush is alpaca) vs. acrylics. I'm thinking of doing a whole series of color block blankets. As soon as I finish the other one and take some high quality photos, I'll post it on my shop!

Have a great weekend!!

Currently Working On // Week 7

Happy Friday! Thanks to the three-day weekend, I finally had some time to work on some new knit/crochet projects - and even finish one from previous weeks. I've been trying to experiment with new techniques that are original but still current, while also trying to find new ways to knit/crochet larger projects more quickly (which will in turn let me lower my prices). Bring in the chunky yarn and oversized knitting needles :)

FOR FUN:

I started this blanket on Monday, and I am LOVING the way it is turning out! I bought these enormous size 50 knitting needles last week, and used two strands of chunky roving. (For reference, my "chunky" beanies are knit on size 10 knitting needles.) I ran out of yarn before I could finish, but if I can complete it in a reasonable amount of time without spending a crazy amount on yarn, then I'll go ahead and sell it on my shop!

TO SELL ON THE SHOP:

Using the yarn from my February color crush post, I wanted to make a crocheted color block blanket using blush and black. I've been inspired lately by bold geometric shapes, so I thought it would be fun to play with that here. The black block is finished, but I'm still working on the blush.

PROGRESS UPDATE:

I finally finished it!! You can see the progress here and here. It took WAY longer than I expected, which I why I bought the new, bigger, knitting needles. Hopefully I can start making affordable cowls that I can list on the shop, which will allow various price points for my shoppers :)

That's it for now - have a great weekend!

Currently Working On // Home Edition

Happy Friday! I'm still working on most of the same projects from the previous weeks, so today's Currently Working On post will be about some DIY projects that Scott and I have going on around the apartment. Therefore I present to you Week 5 - Currently Working On: Home Edition.



As I previously mentioned, I have been collecting postcards for several years now. In that time, I've been trying to find a way to creatively display my collection without damaging the post cards or the walls. In college, I tried using these fun connecting clips from the PhotoJojo store, but the postcards were a little too thick, so they ended up getting dented by the clips. I couldn't find something that would stick to the postcard without ruining it, and if I did, it probably damaged my walls instead. Then I came across a few examples on Pinterest of creating gallery walls using washi tape. For those who aren't familiar, washi tape is similar to masking or painters tape in that it sticks to surfaces without damaging them if/when you need to remove it. It's also made of paper and comes in tons of different colors and patterns. I figured this would be our best bet, especially since we're renters. You can see my inspiration pins here, here, here, here, here, and here.



The wall is still a work in progress, as we have a few gaps that need to be filled in, but overall it's shaping up quite nicely and it's SO much better than the blank wall that was there before. In addition to the postcards, there's an illustrated map of Greenland that Scott brought back for me from his trip, a whale watercolor print from CactusClub, some original art from a very talented friend, a California print from Blue Atlas States, and of course a handful of Scott's photos.



Scott and I had been wanting to put up a map of the world somewhere in the apartment since we moved in, but for whatever reason just never got around to it. We also thought it would be fun to mount the map on a layer of cork, and use color coordinated map pins to identify where A) Scott's been on his travels, B) I've been on my travels, and C) where we've been together. We may also do a fourth color for places we want to visit. For part of Scott's birthday/Christmas presents, I finally went out and got all the supplies we needed. Now we just need to put them up! Currently, we're planning on hanging it in the bedroom, next to Scott's side of the bed.



My yarn collection inventory is getting to be a little out of hand plentiful, so I've been trying to find ways to store it in an organized way without taking up a ton of space. I was super inspired by this post about using a pegboard to organize and display yarn, so I went out and bought the recommended yarn winder. Why didn't I do this sooner??? SO convenient! Here's a before and after of what my yarn used to look like (excuse the crap before picture, it was the only one I could find):




It took basically a million years* to wind all my yarn, but I finally did it, then went out and bought some peg board and hooks. PROS: The yarn that IS up there looks nice and organized. CONS: I don't know where to hang said peg board so it currently resides in my closet; the yarn is not hung in any cohesive order; I have since accumulated a billion** additional skiens of yarn which all need to be wound as well; I ran out of pegs (and peg board). So that's where I am with that project. Stay tuned!


*A three-day weekend
**Several, maybe like 20-30?

Currently Working On // Week 4

Happy Friday! I've been very very lucky this week to be busy with orders - my Valentine's Day cards, a baby blanket (!!!), and a couple of beanies. That being said, I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on much else, much less new items for the shop (although I have so many in mind!). I remember reading in Creative, Inc. that when you decide to turn your hobby into a business, it stops feeling like a hobby, so you have to make sure you have something else to rely on as entertainment, a creative outlet, or stress relief. Because of that, I've been using the little free time I do have on the "for fun" projects this week. Here's what I've been working on!

FOR FUN:

I've been super inspired by artist Lisa Congdon's instagram feed of doodles and sketches, so I ordered myself some Sakura Pigma Micron pens, white gelly rolls, and a sketch pad. Time for some mindless doodles to get the creative juices flowing! In case you're interested, Lisa has a line drawing class on CreativeBug that looks great. I think I might try it...


In case you haven't noticed, I've been recently obsessed with putting my handwriting on photos. I came across this tutorial that's been super helpful! I'm hoping to apply it to my card making as soon as I get a nice printer. That way I can paint my designs, scan them, then layer my handwriting on top without warping the cardstock or the colors bleeding through (this happens after so many layers of paint and ink). Then I can print my designs over and over - making it cost effective for me, and a more affordable product for you. I'll be testing it out on my yearly valentines to friends and family.

That's all I got for now, have a great weekend and GO SEAHAWKS!

Currently Working On // Week 3

Happy Friday! In case you missed it, I updated my Etsy Shop with some Valentine's Day cards this week. I may create more with different styles, but for now you can shop the XOXO cards in a few colors. Other than that, here are a few more things I'm working on:

FOR FUN:

You know I love me some good handwriting! About two years ago, I purchased this simple calligraphy kit online. I wasn't terribly good at it, and had no resources on hand to learn from, so I set it aside temporarily. Then I saw that Lauren Essl of Blue Eye Brown Eye was offering a Calligraphy 101 E-Class! I went out and got a new oblique pen per her recommended supply list, along with some other related goodies, and I'll be taking the class this weekend (hopefully). Looking forward to giving it another shot and stepping up my handwriting game! PS: Did you know today is National Handwriting Day??

TO SELL ON THE SHOP:

I love love love everything about these flower granny squares! Great colors, fun pattern, unique twist on the traditional granny square. However, they are SO time consuming. Someday, I'll be able to post them on the shop...



I've been so lucky to have a few new orders in the shop!! I can only work on these orders during non-day job hours, so I try and squeeze in some knitting whenever I can. Such as on the bus, or on my lunch break - as photographed above. I finished up those two this week, and I'm working on a third this weekend! Thank you Mighty Mellie shoppers!!!

PROGRESS UPDATE:

Remember this brown cowl from 2 weeks ago? It's almost done! Like I said, took wayyyyy longer than I had hoped/anticipated, but I like the way it's shaping up. I'm going to grab some black roving and try again with larger needles. I would love to have something similar in my shop, but it would have to be less time intensive than this pattern.

That's all for now! A special thanks to Scott for channeling the "Mighty Mellie" vibe and taking these photos while I was at work because I didn't have enough time to. On that note, I haven't had much time to work on much else, as I've been lucky enough to be busy busy fulfilling orders for the Etsy shop - which feels so so great. Thank you to everyone who has shown support! It makes me very happy to have this hobby as a creative outlet, and the enthusiasm from friends and family keeps me motivated and encouraged.

Have a great weekend!

Currently Working On // Week 2

Happy Friday! In addition to working on the projects below, this weekend I'll also be registering for a ceramics class and attending a Vintage Paper Fair! I'm going to stock up on stamps and postcards for my collections and be surrounded by [the few] people who share my enthusiasm. Scott is not one of those people, but he is excited about my ceramics class because "now we can do ghost".



Back to the blog: I have a tendency to have a couple [dozen] craft projects all going at the same time. Believe it or not, it helps me to see them through until they're finished. If I work on one project too long, I'll get bored and abandon it. If I work on multiple projects at once, I take turns working on each one for a bit at a time until they're all done. Is anyone else like this?

The bright side is that it makes for the perfect weekly blog post! Every week I'll post about what I'm working on for fun, what I'm working on for my Etsy shop, and the progress I made on the previous week's projects. So without further ado...

TO KEEP:

When my friend Lola was in town for New Year's Eve, she showed me a beautiful knit cowl her mom had gotten her for Christmas. It was knit with this super soft, chunky, unspun wool roving. I can't find a picture of it online, but it was similar to this style. So I grabbed some roving (the same type I use to make my beanies) and started knitting one of my own on size 13 circular needles (24"). However, I think my yarn and my needles were still too small to achieve the same effect. I was hoping for it to be a quick project, but it's taking much longer than I anticipated. I'll still finish it, but I think I'll try again later with bigger needles, and maybe working with two strands of roving at once.


I bought candle-making supplies over a month ago with the intention of making Christmas gifts, but I didn't end up having the time until a couple of weeks ago. It was much harder than I expected (why didn't I just buy prepped wicks in the first place??). I only ended up giving two away, and the last one that I kept for myself wound up being a dud. This weekend, I plan on giving it another go. They're rosemary scented, which I love. Scott and I are very sensitive to overly perfume-y scents, so it's great that I can control the strength with essential oil. I also have lavender and vanilla, so I'll try that too. [Side note: would anyone reading this be interested in a DIY post for this project? I would be happy to share a tutorial if so!]

TO SELL ON THE SHOP:
I'm very, very excited about these!! They're 100% cotton, washable, reusable, crocheted wash cloths. They're not finished yet, which is why they may not seem very exciting to you. For now, consider them more of a blank canvas. STAY TUNED!!


Valentine's Day is only 5 weeks away! For whatever odd reason, I love making valentines (even though I don't like celebrating Valentine's Day). I make them every year for my friends and mail them out. They're more fun for me to make and send than Christmas cards (less pressure), so I'll definitely be making some for my shop! I'm hoping to have about 3-5 different designs, and obviously not all for couples - friends need valentines too :) I'll post a shop update when they're ready!

PROGRESS UPDATE: Updated from THIS post
I'm loving the way this scarf is turning out, but it's definitely a long-term project. Since it's just for fun and I'm in no rush, I keep it in my bag and only work on it during my lunch breaks and on the bus.


Remember those balls of tshirt yarn?? They crochet REALLY quickly! I got about this far before running out of yarn, and I think I had only been working on it for less than an hour. Since Scott and I upgraded to a bigger bed, I now have some old jersey sheets that I can turn into more yarn. I'll be doing that this weekend so I can continue.

That's it for now, have a great weekend!

Currently Working On // Week 1

Last week in the midst of a cold outbreak at work, I mentioned that I was the only one in the office that hadn't gotten sick yet. That, in fact, I hadn't even taken a sick day since I started at the job back in March. Ha! 2014 got it's revenge by making me sick on New Year's Eve, and so I ended up ringing in the new year using my very first sick day on January 2nd. Hooray 2015! The bright side is that I got to work on some Etsy Shop projects and some to keep for myself.

TO KEEP: Last night, I started working on an infinity scarf using this brown-speckled black yarn and some US size 13 needles. I'm a fan of knitting thin yarn on big needles so that combined with the ribbing, it makes it nice and stretchy. Should be perfect for this project! I will be sure to post project pictures as I go along for those interested. If it goes well, and I can get it done quickly, I'll think about making them for the shop as well.


Scott and I did a big apartment clean out when he got back from working in Canada, and as a result we purged a bunch of clothes to donate. I had seen this tutorial floating around Pinterest for a while, so I saved all of our t-shirts that didn't have any logos on them to make t-shirt yarn. It was surprisingly very easy, and I think I got enough to make a new rug for the kitchen. I'm hoping to get that started this weekend, and it should go by fairly quickly since that crochet hook is enormous.

TO SELL ON THE SHOP: I started this granny square blanket over a year ago, and crocheted about 12 squares before I started running out of yarn and forgot about it. I finally ordered more, and I'm hoping to finish it up and get it posted on the shop. I'm a big fan of those muted colors together - forest green, mustard yellow, crimson red, and lapis blue (is lapis the right name for that shade?). Anyway, stay tuned for that in the shop. It'll most likely be in my normal, large baby blanket and/or adult lap blanket size.

That's it for now! Hopefully my New Year's Resolution of taking more vitamins will help me recover faster. If anything, I've had lots of time to read, so I can fill in those bubbles this weekend.

Have a great weekend!