Spring Fun - Or How To Avoid Summer Heat

Answer:  Find another craft to keep you busy inside with the AC running.  Yep.  I'm one of those people.  Can't stand the heat and humidity of the South.  It knocks you down and makes you unable to breathe !  UGH !  With near 90 degree temps all last week, I hibernated as I do every summer.  Only venturing out when I must.  I dread summer coming at all.  

Ok, so I haven't posted in a few weeks.  It's really due to that first loom knitting project.  I actually finished it in roughly 6 weeks - give or take a day here and there.  Loaded with mistakes, attempting to fix mistakes and finding it heavier than I really thought it would be - I finished it !  It's big, about 65"x58" I think it was.  Something in that range.  Nice size for getting nice and cozy warm.  Which who needs that in the summer but hey, it's available.  :)  
I'm not sure I like the way the yarn ended up after washing.  It's very "fuzzy".  It washed up great !  It's soft to be sure.  No issues there.  Even the repairs I did held up really good.  Still, I don't care for the fuzz.  This yarn is really nice in hats and scarfs though.  I love how it looks.

Since finishing my first afgan, I started yet another one with new yarn.  I LOVE the new yarn but had to "frog" the project.  Why the term frog to end a knitting project ?  I'm not sure but might as well keep with the lingo right ?  :)  Anyway, I learned the purl stitch.  Never did that stitch before and found I really liked the look and it was something different.  Also learned the other 3 basic stitches.  On the new project I used both estitch and purl.  Decided I really liked the yarn alot and was going to buy more but because I was unsure I would get even close to same dye lots, figured I better not.  So the project was frogged.  Anyway, I got practice on the stitches.  

Now we come to yesterday.  I got my latest shipment of yarn !  Oh yeah !  I'm addicted because I could not WAIT to get those packages.  Only 2 arrived.  lol !  More to come.  Anyway, so I started yet another afgan as soon as I could yesterday.  LOVE LOVE LOVE this yarn !  OMG !  Soft, chunky, beautiful colors !  I bought 2 colors of this stuff and I know I'll go back for more.  Bernat Blanket Yarn.  YUMMY !  Doing what is called the garter stitch - which is nothing but knit a row, purl a row.  Love it !  Will have to add a photo later.  Still in camera.  

So, as it is with my glass addiction -  it is also with loom knitting.  :)  I'm not complaining mind you.  Oh no, I'm enjoying it totally and completely.  And have already shown that it's not just the yarn or the loom or the actually knitting - it's the gadgets that go with it !!  lol !  Oh brother..................

Time to get my day started.  Thanks for coming by.  Have a great week !  Enjoy life !  



  

           

Slow As It Goes

June 24, 2015 - UPDATE:  If you  are looking for the hummingbird and otter pendants, they sold LONG ago.  That part of this post has been edited out.  Thanks for coming by though.  :)

Below is the original post which was written September 2014.
It's been one of those weeks.  Sigh.  Nothing accomplished at all as far as any crafty or artsy projects.  :(
- Melting glass to make beads is still on hold due to heat and humidity.
- Working braids is on hold due to hand/thumb area injury and I have no idea how or what I did but the pain is severe.  Can't manipulate cords too well with a bum hand/thumb area.
- I haven't had a chance to work with the loom due to my hand and time.  It's been a week full of appointments, doctor and otherwise.

So what HAVE I done ?  Not much at all.  lol !  I'm ready to get moving again too !  I get bored so darned easily and feel like if I'm not doing a little something most of the time, I'm wasting time.  Kinda a dumb way to be I guess but when I get too lazy, that laziness is hard to get away from.  lol !  Does that make sense ?
So I have no tales to tell, no lessons I've learned or in process of learning.  No insights to share at all - that I can think of anyway.  lol !

I do know that I have some dye, white satin cording and instructions on how to hand dye my own satin cording and it just sits.  I COULD be doing that.  lol !  I've hand dyed my own SILK cording in the past and must say I really enjoyed it BUT, it is quite time consuming so I'm guessing the satin cord will be the same.  Plus not only dyeing is involved !  You gotta unwind the cord first then wind a specific way for dipping or painting then dye then once dried you gotta wind into a ball or whatever.  Now, I am talking about no small amount of cording !!  Each "ball" of cord is 144 yards long !   And that's probably why I'm procrastinating about it.  lol !  So it sits in my craft closet with all the other "stuff".  lol !   Hmmm, maybe I'll go for the loom again afterall..........................lol !

I've added a few oldies but goodies photo's below just to add some color to this post.  Hopefully next week I'll be able to show something I've done lately !

Thanks so much for coming by  !  I hope you come back again very soon !!  

                                 
                                    The next two photo's are of beads I made a VERY long time ago.  The first one is of a set I have always regretted selling !  lol !  I can't remember what I used either.  Oh well........ The doll beads were some of my very first.  The one on the far right IS my very first.  :)  The one to the right of the dime is the tiniest I've ever made.

  

Has My Muse Re-emerged ?

I have wondered about that this week since I got going with several projects at once.  It's not my glass muse unfortunately .  Four of the projects were beaded kumihimo bracelets and one is the loom weaving.  So nothing new really.  Well, the loom weaving is pretty new actually.  So here we go..........

Pictured below are 3 of the 4 bracelets I made this past week.  The forth one, I had to take apart even after I was about to put the end caps on !  I found a missed bead and I actually KNEW it when it happened but thought no, it just looks loose so I'll tighten it up.  Yeah, right.  lol !  These are the 3 that did make it.  :)  So happy with all 3.  The red and black one is now in my Etsy shop & the other two will be there sometime over the weekend I think.  I had a lot of fun picking colors to work with.  The silver and gunmetal together is also in a necklace I made also in my Etsy shop.  Beaded Kumihimo is so much fun to do !  I'll ALWAYS enjoy making these little gems.

I used the magnetic clasps on all 3 bracelets simply because they make it soooo much easier to get the bracelet on and off.  They might not look as pretty as some of the other clasps but hey, in my opinion, what's easy is best !  lol !  Especially as we get older right ?  Yep.  :) 

 

The second part of my week began when my brand new BEADING LOOM (pictured below) was delivered !  :))  I FINALLY picked one out and ordered it.  It arrived Wednesday and I've been "playing" ever since.  Since I feel I need to devote a whole post about this loom and what I've done on it, I'll just show the photo's below and in the next post, I'll get into lots of detail.  You won't be sorry if you come back next week to check it out.  Lots to tell and I've only been working on in for a day and a half at this point !  lol !  

 

 

So, has my muse re-emerged - I think in a way it has.  Not for melting glass, it's too hot anyway to be at that torch right now. :(  But for other fun stuff - yep, it's here and I'm glad.  :)  I really needed a distraction this past week. 

Since I have a very early appt. this morning I gotta go for now.  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon.