Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

A place for Artistry, Crafts and Needlework; Decorating and Holidays.
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Harriet
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Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby Harriet » Wed Dec 31, 2014 10:41 pm

With the new year ahead, what will you be changing in your creative life?

Are you going to set aside certain times for your crafts? Do you have goals you plan to meet?

Will you learn something new this year - a new technique? Or maybe add a new type of art?

We would love to hear about it!

And if you have news about gifts you were able to give, or decor you made for your home during holidays, please let us know!

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FelineFriend
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby FelineFriend » Wed Dec 31, 2014 11:16 pm

I gave 3 smaller grandchildren afghans and a bath tub puppet each. I gave DGD a crocheted vest/matching hat for her January b-day.

I gave other members of the family, hats. I gave friends kitchen crochet and 1 down's syndrome young woman pretty crocheted hair scrunchies.

Currently, for the New Year, I'm crocheting DGD some dresses, found at:

http://www.ravelry.com

They are "Bernat Girl's Lace Pinafore". The yarn in the photo's been discontinued. However, I have variegated pink-rose-burgundy yarn, a lot of yellow yarn, and a pound of pink yarn, for dresses, for DGD.

I continue to work on hats, for DGS-turning-6 and DGS-turning-4, and another bath tub puppet apiece, too.

For myself, I'm making hat/scarf sets. 1 set in heather grey is stunning. The yarn I received at Christmas, as a gift, will be equally stunning, in shades of teal wound together in 2 skeins. Very rich-looking. Other than that, I'll finish my black main color Granny afghan, as I've always wanted one. I'll sew myself a comforter, I have the top, the fiberfill batting, and the thread. I need to get the backing.

I'd love to master the art of Tunisian crochet this year, get back into my calligraphy, pen 'n' ink, to incorporate the 2 together, and do more pencil sketches and Conte, too. :mrgreen:

I plan to crochet at least 3 afghans, for the 3 youngest grandchildren again this year, for Christmas 2015, to use up my stash yarns. I'd like to make more afghans, to use up the remainder of the stash, but am uncertain if I'll have t-i-m-e to do all 8 grandchildren each an afghan, as that's quite an undertaking. :shock: :shock:
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby FelineFriend » Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:33 pm

I subscribed to Annie's Attic Quilting Kit-of-the-Month Club last night. I figured this way, I'll learn how to do quilting projects, via a kit, since I don't have local friends who quilt. I have 1 Alabama pen pal who quilts, but I'm in WA State, so it's redundant to believe she can help. :lol:

My thumb cut is still raw, I won't crochet until it's healed.
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby Twins' Mom » Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:48 pm

I cleared off a spot at my upstairs craft desk ans cut card stock to start a card. Unfortunately we had hard rain and a storm and macs needed me downstairs w him. It will be easier to start playing next time.

I also have stamp camp next week. I attended in November and dec and it has been nice to have cards to use.
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better [wo]man. Ben Franklin

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby Nancy » Sun Jan 04, 2015 11:25 am

Went to spinning meeting did some knitting yesterday, I have gotten the first 1/3 of this prayer shawl complete yea for progress.

Goal to lean to knit lacy leaves this year.
Knit top down sweater also one of my goals I found a pattern.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby FelineFriend » Sun Jan 04, 2015 10:41 pm

Dson/Ddil will have a combination b-day party for DGD-2 and DGS-turning 6, the end of Jan. or mid-Feb. so I hope my right thumb heals soon! I'd like to resume my crocheting for DGS's b-day and DGD already has her b-day from me, but I'm doing her dresses. What gets done, dress-wise, I'll take with us, when we go to celebrate.

Edit here: My thumb's healed just fine. It has a sort of callous-looking scab on the cut. It doesn't hurt to crochet with it, nor does it bleed, when I crochet. I'm crocheting DGS's hat today, I'm using the "I" hook, as stated in the pattern, but think I accidentally used the "H" hook, when I crocheted 10 of them, for Christmas! :o They still looked good, fit my head, and their heads. Whew! :P

I also need to make DGS a puppet, then I'll do dresses for DGD, or visa versa. :?:

When I get dresses/puppet/hat done, I'll crochet myself a couple of headbands and a hat and scarf out of the yarn I received for Christmas.

P. S. The camo hat, in DC ribbed crochet, is awesome-looking! I will try to finish it tomorrow, then finish DGD's dress. ;)

I printed up information about making a comforter and tying it off. :mrgreen:
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby Harriet » Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:41 pm

I hope the goals here work out well for each one - new spaces, new patterns and techniques, meetings to attend, all sound great.

My goal is to get back to creativity without sacrificing any of the current chores or tasks.

Recent progress was getting all the pressed blossoms organized and safe in thin clear CD cases.

In fabric news :) yesterday I measured my fireplace insert window's inside measurement, 23 x 32 inches. I'm going to sketch out on quarter-inch graph paper some ideas for a new quilt hanging slightly smaller for that space. I already have the mini-rod for it, although it only has one finial on one end. I'm going to try finding online another that matches this one. We have stain that matches the rod's stain already mixed up.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby Nancy » Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:50 pm

I finished the yellow prayer shawl project.
Have started to resume work on a mauve knit sweater.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby FelineFriend » Sat Jan 10, 2015 12:13 am

Tonight, my left rotator cuff surgery shoulder is bothering me. It means how crocheting can be "challenging." I think I'll do the warm-up exercise, ice, prior to doing crochet, to "test-it-out", so to speak. If that doesn't help, I'll put it off for 1 - 2 days. :roll: I need to get this gift crochet done, for our DGS & DGD, towards the end of Jan. - mid-Feb., because of their combination party. I hope/pray that it'll be in Feb. and not in 2 weeks!

I'm very, very happy with the headband patterns I printed up the other day, from Ravelry. One had a flower on it and it looks a lot like an ear-warmer. It'll be pretty for spring and summer, too. With my balding, from the Thyroid level being "off," and my hair falling out, I felt, for self-confidence, how it might be nice to wear some headbands, to cover up that thinning/balding part above my forehead. :idea: Making them in different colors, to match my clothes or the holidays (red = Valentine's Day/green = St. Patrick's Day), would be nice, too.

I found my facecloth pattern, in a box of papers, I'm sorting, in the main office last night. I'm so happy! These make the best facecloths or dishcloths. It's fun, sometimes, to make up an oodle of them, for somebody's kitchen gift, too. Folding them, and tying them, in a stack, would be nice, too. :idea:

I have a neighbor-friend, with a kitchen of white counters, a grey wall and a clay-colored wall nearby, in their dining room, which runs into the living room. I found another crocheted pattern, sorting the main office box! :mrgreen: It's a pattern, by Lily, in Sugar 'n' Cream. But I use Peaches 'n' Cream; similar.... The pattern is at www.sugarncream.com and it's called "Lily Sugar 'n' Cream Potholders." I made DH a pair, in variegated yarn. He LOVES ♥ then, cooks with them ALL the time! 1 version is solid color in the photo w/a contrasting color edging/loop and a 3-color striped version. In P 'n' C "stash", there's nearly a full pound of: 1) black, 2) white, AND 3) variegated black-grey-white! :idea: :P A striped pair will be stunning, with the black appliances, silver appliances, those white counters/sink, and grey walls. I'm sure she'll actually use them, too. (I'll tell her that DH uses HIS all the time!) This a solution to my question, what to make. If I have enough yarn leftover, I can make her a dishtowel. It's due in May, so there's time. :mrgreen:

My shoulder stopped hurting, here, as I typed this, too. Strange, but marvelous! 8-)
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2015

Postby FelineFriend » Sun Jan 11, 2015 4:15 pm

On Saturday the 10th, I watched morning quilting shows with DH on PBS. I enjoyed them so much! I've decided on every Saturday morning, to make this part of my normal daily routine! :idea: :)

I finished DGS-turning-6-next-month's camo hat, it's nice, and he'll love it!

I ended up with a very sore, swollen, tender right thumbprint pad, from obviously crocheting on DGD-2's dress. :roll: :!: :( I went on-line, to research tips, info, and advice. It's not any joint and it's not the base of my thumb joint either. It's a repeating motion injury and I've clutched my hook too tight. These are the tips I learned:

1- Rest the thumb! (a no-brainer),
2- Thumbprint soreness isn't serious,
3- Relax during crochet; you get tense, which you concentrate too hard to be perfect or while watching TV; Have FUN with the crochet, loosen up your grip on the hook,
4- Use pads on hooks or thick-handle hooks, which I DO.
5- Take breaks: Such as, crochet 15 minutes/do something else for 15 minutes. (I can walk, do housework, yoga, etc...)
6- Try using different parts of the thumb, while crocheting, to give that specific sore spot a break.

I thought these ideas were great! Also, they said to take a few days, up to a week, off, and resume a more relaxed style then. It's sort of like I got stung by a bee, on my thumbprint, but there is no "hole" from the stinger. I'm icing it, soaking in Epson's Salts, and am resting it. Several women said how they quit crochet and started to knit instead.
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe


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