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Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:35 am
by BookSaver
We have wonderful examples of creativity and artistic talent all through our forums.
What projects do you have on your list for October?
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 12:01 am
by FelineFriend
My October projects are all Christmas crochet items to get done, as much as I can.
I made a Cancer Awareness Month shocking pink "ribbon." But since I couldn't find pink ribbon, I used bias tape, with a silver cross pin attaching the criss-cross of the "ribbon" to attach to my clothes. Works for me! It's fine for everyday at home, too. I had to use my imagination.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 2:22 pm
by FelineFriend
I finished 1 pair of origami potholders, for a Christmas gift. This is what I did, from beginning to end:
1- I used a size "G" hook.
2- I chained 38 chains.
3- At the end of the chain, I SC up the other side of the chain...
4- At the end of that chain, I SC down the other side of the chain....
5- I SC around and around, never turning....
6- I continued until I had a rectangle folding in on itself, hence the term "origami" potholder.
7- I left about 14" of a string, when I ended off, to sew it closed.
8- I attached yarn in 1 corner (of each potholder, naturally), 
and chained 12 chains.
9- I slip-stitched into each chain, came back down...
10- I got both ends of the loose yarn, on 1 side of the potholder, on the loop side, tied a small bow, then tied it 1 loop more, to form the cutest little feminine bow, to add a cuteness to it, for a woman.
It's nice to do this, too, because you need not "fuss" with weaving in loose ends. 
You just tie and trim the strings, to a cute length, to add some pizazz to it. I love this little look. It adds a little "special something." 
I now will make 2 pairs of origami potholders in red and white variegated yarn and 1 pair in red-green-white yarn, for Christmas. My 1 friend will get the Christmas pair of origami potholders, to use during the holidays, PLUS she'll get the red-and-white pair, because those are her accent kitchen colors and she also loves to decorate for Valentine's Day. I had "planned" on crocheting her a hanging dishtowel, but I've made 2 for her, in recent years, I don't like following the pattern that long and trying to find the perfect button to fit the button hold and sew it on. The origami potholders don't need rows counted, don't need turning, or anything. I just crochet around in a circle until I've got the rectangle, so it's a no-brainer project. 
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 12:03 pm
by Nancy
Bucket list goal to conquer ripple stitch in crochet and knit. Watched Utube for crochet the today I can do this!!!
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 11:22 pm
by FelineFriend
My first ripple afghan was in pink, rose, off-white, and burgundy. Very pretty, but I gave it away or donated it to someplace. I never liked it because it turned out too narrow, even though I followed the pattern, explicitly. 
I've crocheted 2 Granny Ripple afghans, too. They're so beautiful. At the site, where they donate knitted, crocheted, or sewn afghans/quilts, they have a Granny Ripple afghan pattern, in size children/babies/toddlers AND for adults, too. The pattern's easy to crochet, the colors, in bands, of color, are just way pretty, when finished with the afghans, too. I remember making one in white, royal blue, and variegated blues/white, too. It was for a DGS, when he was a baby, who turns 11 next week. I might even get ingenious and make an adult one for myself OR work on a baby afghan "stash" to have on hand, as my DGS's age. One's turning 18 and one's 17.5 years old. You never know when somebody needs a baby afghan. I believe, now that I'm editing, the pattern site for this particular ripple afghan is at Project Linus.
In one of the crochet books, which Vanna White's featured, there is a rust or orange ripple shawl, too. Nancy, is this the one you're crocheting now? 
I finished the main body of DGS-3.5's afghan, will add the border tomorrow, because tonight, I'm crocheting myself a 2-strand scarf in pinks, chained 101 chains with an "M" size hook. I'm SC-ing it, will add a loopy chains fringe, making 1 loop longer than the next one. This adds texture and pizazz, making it look more professional.
Hoping to crochet the rest of my DGD's butterflies and assemble her afghan tomorrow and into Wednesday, since Wednesday's Anti-Procrastination Day, too. 
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:13 am
by FelineFriend
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:20 am
by Nancy
Drat ripple is a downer the width of a scarf not a shawl.
Canceling that idea. The knit one was a fiasco. Not doing it either. After waisting 2.5 days on these moving on to projects and things that are a better use of my time!
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 11:13 am
by BookSaver
I will be going to the annual fall sewing retreat a week from tomorrow. At the camping lodge Thurs. afternoon through Sun. afternoon Oct. 16-19.
Preliminary plans for projects to take:
1) Tshirt -- I cut out the pieces in June but decided the fabric was too hot for a summer top, and deliberately set it aside to sew at this retreat.
2) Reversible apron -- uses cotton print fat quarters, instructions from a tv show. Need to enlarge the pattern diagram and cut out the pieces.
3) Simple jersey knit jacket -- class project that I stopped in the middle, need to find the bag where I stashed it and see how much is left to do.
4) Learn to make gloves -- on the list for a couple years, so I am determined to get to it this year.
5) Crochet dish cloths -- for pick-up work as a break from the sewing machine.
That should give me enough variety to choose what to play with based on time of day, how many interruptions, daylight vs. artificial light, etc.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:35 pm
by Harriet
While glancing at the old Taxi episode, in which Rhea Perlman's character's parents' living room is the setting, I was struck by the exquisite granny-square afghan, which dominates many of the scenes. Looked it up and Natasja of "crocheTime" blog did a blog post on this, last year this time. The photos appear to be videos, but they are not, btw, so you just have to put up with the arrows in the middle of photos.
Natasja links within this blog post to another of her posts on the Roseanne show granny-square afghan and The Big Bang Theory granny-square afghan. She explains the method she believes was used to make the Taxi afghan (including comments on size and size of yarn), and talks about the differences between it and the others. I disagree with one thing - she sees only the difference of an extra round of black in the Roseanne afghan from the Taxi afghan. I think a difference that is just as important is the use of muted earthy colors for the Roseanne, and bright colors for the Taxi afghan, making the Taxi afghan the more pleasing of the two to me.
On her comments about the groupings of color in The Big Bang Theory afghan, I would say that the afghan was probably intended to be displayed in one layer, likely across a bed. An overall image is appreciated only when the entire piece is viewed at once, or nearly so. Since it was going to be opened and spread across Jim Parsons, the set designers probably thought they wanted an overall image. But even in that scene, so much of the afghan is still serving as a "throw" rather than a flat work of art, that the image is lost. So for a piece that will be displayed in one layer on a bed (or wall, in the case of a quilt), an overall image makes sense. Otherwise, for "throw" use, it's the pattern that is going to make the statement and a large image is lost.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, October 2014
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:34 pm
by Nancy
Giving my brain and wrist a break from yarn work today.
My right shoulder went so SORE and ACHING from waaaaaaay too much crocheting for the past 3 days! It was "overkill". 
Took a break and read instead.