IKEA Reaction

So I'm going to post some of my most embarrassing photos today. To make myself feel better, I'll give a bit of background.

As many of you know, I stopped teaching full time this year, and because of that, had to bring home any of my school supplies that I didn't want to part with. I've bought several books, paper packs, markers, bottles of glue, notebooks, etc., etc., etc., over the past five years, and while I left what I thought might be helpful, I didn't want to overwhelm the new teacher with someone else's old stuff (Having been in that position myself several times). The "keep" pile(s) came home with me and into my craft room for storage.

In addition to that, this summer I had the brilliant idea to swap my bedroom with the craft/guest room. My new bedroom is larger, complete with a bookshelf and reading nook. My new craft room is not. There's a great closet, but since it is the largest closet in the house (one of the reasons it was originally the bedroom), some clothing needs to be stored there. The other closet won't fit it all and the Christmas decorations.

Now factor in that we've been blessed with lots and lots of company the past few months, so that every time I think I may have time to start the gigantic task of bringing order to the room, it's time to re-inflate the air bed and transform my workspace into a guest room. This is NOT a complaint about company in ANY way. We love having visitors. It's just a bit of explanation to make me feel better about showing the pictures that are about to follow.

Looking at the calendar, now is the time to try to get my room in tip-top shape. Thanks to a few great weeks of Toasty Toes sales, I have some extra cash to spend on shelving and such like, and no more shows for a few weeks, which means I may have a chance to do something besides frantically craft slippers and boot cuffs (Not that this is a bad thing AT ALL. It's just been a bit crazy around here. There's yarn all over my house. But I digress.) So I'm hoping that by sharing these "Before" pictures with you, I will be motivated to hurry up and provide some "Afters" as well.

Here goes. Please don't judge!

Here's hoping I can organize this room beyond recognition. I'll keep you posted!

Stay Crafty!
CR

Fall

Just a few photos from this lovely October day!

Snuggling with my kitty! He likes to act like a pillow.

Still enjoying my first pair of Toasty Toes. They are looking well loved, but still holding up to all the wear.

New boots! Yay for boot weather!

The best thing to do on a chilly morning. 

Yarn is such a good addition to fall weather. It's a glorious time of year!

Stay Crafty!

CR

Crochet Necklace Pattern

So right now I'm buried in a pole of sparkle yarn. Well, not literally, but there is a large pile on the couch from earlier this evening. What am I doing with this yarn? Necklaces! I love making these, because they whip up so quickly and it's really hard to mess them up. No real counting required!

Materials: Lattice yarn or thin ribbon. (My favorite lattice yarn right now is the "City Lights" brand); J hook

Tie a slip knot a good distance from the end of the yarn. This will become the side of your necklace, so you want enough room to give it length and still be able to tie a knot.

Chain about 60. This number can go up or down, depending on how long you want your necklace to be.

Fasten off. Cut the yarn about the same distance from the end of your chain as you left at the beginning. It doesn't have to be exact.

Repeat about 6 times. You can add more for a fuller look and/or vary the amount of stitches for a tiered necklace.

When you've completed all the chains, gather them all by one end. Make sure you line up the knots! (This is about the only part you have to be somewhat precise). Tie all the chains together, forming one large knot over the small knots. (This sounds confusing, it's really not)

Repeat on the other end. 

Determine how long you want you necklace to be, make it even, and tie the ends together. Trim off the excess yarn. (It makes a great cat toy)

Let me know if you have any questions!

If you want to win one of these, pop on over to the Toasty Toes Facebook page and enter the giveaway! I'll be picking a winner Saturday night!

Stay Crafty!

CR 

The Epic Quest

So these braided scarves I've been "hooked" on are great for stash busting. Well, until you run out of the color you are using half a row from the end. 

I thought it would be no big deal. Berry tones are in again this fall, so the mulberry shade I needed should have been a simple find. Ha!

Store 1: I went to Hobby Lobby. Nothing came close to the required color. I had a coupon, so I bought the best option (it was pretty!) and tried the next place.

Store 2: I thought I'd found it at Joanns. The lighting in the store showed the colors as the same hue. I happily bought the yarn and headed home.

 I showed M my purchases and the yarn I was trying to match. In the lower light of our living room, I realized my yarn was most definitely a different shade than what I had purchased, so the next day it was back to the craft stores. 

Store 3: Michaels didn't have anything close to what I needed, but it did have a large clearance section, including $0.99 hippo color yarn. I'd still call that a win.

Store 4: My last try was Walmart. This is what I found there:

I figured that the Joann's yarn would be my best option, since I had originally thought they were the same. While trying to take a picture of the two yarns, I couldn't find a way to show there difference. I took that as a good sign. 

At any rate, the scarf is finished and I can't tell where the yarns switched colors. Crisis averted!

Stay Crafty!

CR

The Scarf

So I'm trying something new and posting from my phone. We'll see how this goes. 

I finished a super cool scarf the other day and wanted to share some pics. It's a braided infinity scarf. I'm really liking infinity scarves, since you don't have to figure out what to do with the ends or how best to tie it. You just throw it on, wind it around a time or two, and go. Brilliant! 

The finished product! 

Basically I made three really long strands of double crochet, braided them, and stitched the ends together.

Not only am I loving the infinity scarf trend, I'm also a fan of mustard and grey. 

To give you an idea of the length...

This one is 375 stitches long. It seems to be about the right length for a few twists.

These next pics are of the works in progress:

Funny story about that pinkish yarn...but I'll get to that later. 

Stay Crafty!

CR

Catching up

Sorry I've been a bit quiet the past week! The official "end of summer" arrived, and with it, my summer routine. Although if I'm honest, my routine hasn't changed much except that I'm dragging myself out of bed before 7:30 so I can attempt to whittle down my to-do list.

It's been an odd week, what with everyone else returning to school and me not returning. My initial response is to ignore it. Pretend like nothing has changed and life has always been this way and I've always been jobless. But Friday I had an epiphany: I quite enjoy my life right now. So far I've been kept extra busy with etsy and craft shows and friend orders and new pattern designs, as well as training for a new job to begin at some point in the future. I'm sure things will settle down after I catch up with the changing seasons and restock all the fall and winter patterns, but in the meantime I've constantly got a crochet hook in my hand. (Except for now. But it is sitting right beside me.)

I'm also trying to become a better housewife. M is cool with me setting up "work hours" and sticking to them (for the most part), but I can tell he also appreciates the fact I've been able to keep up th the dishes and laundry and actually have dinner made on a consistent basis. Alright, I lied. The laundry is still in a GIANT pile in the laundry room waiting to be folded and organized, but at least it's all clean! (That's been my excuse for how long now?)

I also enjoy the freedom to socialize. I can stay out past 8:00. I can meet up for coffee in the middle of the day. Someone needs a sitter for an hour or a ride to the store? I can do that! This past Sunday we spent the entire afternoon and evening with good friends, and not once did I have to worry about the next days lesson plans or what I had to do before duty the next morning. I was able to focus on the people around me and invest in the relationships. This may very well be my favorite part of life right now.

Best of all, I'm not as bitter as I was before. I'm still not ready to return to the world of teaching, but I'm at peace with it. I'm hoping and working towards a position as a brain trainer, and enjoying the process. It's not totally outside of education, but the setting, context, and purpose are different. M is the one who suffered the most from my bitterness and anger, and I'm trying to reverse those patterns and create new ones, such as a clean house, smiling wife, and dinner. It's only been a week, but so far it seems to be working.

Ultimately, I feel as if I've reached a place of peace and trust. It's scary not knowing when the next order will come in or how well we will do at a show, or if there will be enough money in our bank account if I don't start work for another two months. But God is faithful and continues to provide in unexpected ways. If nothing else, I am thankful for a chance to relearn trust and reliance on God, even though it makes me so uncomfortable. He has never let me go before and He never will.

Sorry for the very un-yarn centered post! When I get a chance (by Friday, I promise!) I'll be putting up pictures from my current project: Braided Infinity Scarves. I've got one finished, and I think I'm in love!

Stay Crafty!

CR

Boot Cuff Pattern 2.0 (No pics)

Materials: Worsted Weight Yarn, Size J hook

Stitches: sc, slip stitch, hdc, dc, fpdc, bpdc

(Don't worry, they're not as complicated as the abbreviations look!)

 Chain 13

Starting in the second chain from the hook, single crochet (sc) across. 12 stitches total.

When you reach the end of the row, chain 1, turn. Repeat for +/- 38 rows.

(I use 38 rows for a "generic" size boot cuff, but you can make them smaller or larger as needed.)

When you're done, it looks like a short scarf.

When you're cuff is long enough (it will fit around your leg without needing to stretch too much or being too loose), chain one. Without finishing off, slip stitch row 1 to row 38 across.

Chain 1, sc across the top edge in the end stitches of each row.

When you have made your way around (+/- 38 stitches) (I never count), join to the chain 1 you began the edging with.

I use one of two edgings for my boot cuffs. I'll show you both, starting with the scalloped edge.

Chain 3, skip one sc, slip stitch to next sc. Repeat around. If you end up with an extra space, you can either make an extra chain 3 loop OR make one chain 4 and skip two stitches. It won't make a huge difference.

Chain 1. Sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc in each chain 3 loop around (5 stitches in each loop).

When you reach the end, slip stitch to chain 1. Fasten off, weave in ends, turn the boot cuff right side out (so the seam is hidden). Tada!

Version 2: Ripple edge (Bubble edge? Poofy edge? Traditional Sock edge? I really need to work on naming things better!)

This is what the cuff should look like after you finish the sc along the top edge.

Chain 2. Fpdc, bpdc around. Join to chain 2.

You should have a good bumpy pattern going. When you reach the end of the row, chain 2.

Fpdc in fpdc, bpdc in bpdc around. Join to chain 2. Fasten off, weave in ends, turn right side out.