Thursday, May 29, 2014

Knitting class?

   So many people have asked me to teach them how to knit that I'm tossing around the idea of doing a knitting class.

   I'd be $10 and go for 3-5 days (or however long it takes to finish the project).
   First day we'd be going to the craft store to buy our supplies (included in the $10), talk about needle sizes, and how to pick your yarn based on your project, yarn weight and material.
   Since I'd be working with beginners, I'd go with the famous and easy to memorize Diagonal Dishcloth.
  I have a big giant notebook I'd write the pattern on as we went.


   In book news, I've gotten the text done and edited it twice. I've gotten orders in to my artist and I've finished the page graphics so I think it's safe to start working on the doll while I wait for the illustrations. I'd like to put a picture of her on the cover.

   It's really coming along nicely. I'm excited to start on the next one. :)

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Look at this!

Ohmugawd he's sooooo cute! (cue girl squeal)

   So I'm working on a shhh secret project(s) where I'm taking this pattern and then I plan on embroidering them into sugar skulls for the next day of the dead! Woo!

   I will have a new 3 mo old and I'm not sure how big it's head will be then, but I don't have any done yet so I guess I'll worry about that later.

  My doll supplies are here, and I'm forcing myself to wait until my book is done before I start making any.

   I got the robot princess's hat done and she is excited for the scarf. Silly girl! It's almost summer!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Winter Set for my Robot Princess

   Let's start off with an interesting note.
   Interesting Note: I'm actually a pretty learned writer, but somehow when I try to say "pattern" for knitting, "diagram," or really any set of instructions, my mouth always manages to say "recipe."
   I could type "pattern" whenever I mean it, but that would be dishonest, so if you're a word/grammar nazi, please leave now. I'd hate to break your day!

   I've knitted things for myself before. I look at the recipe, pick the size that is the closest to my measurements and have at it! Recently though, I took a glove recipe that I'm very familiar with and TAILORED it to myself!
   I cast on for a kid's glove because I have tiny wrists, made it just long enough and all the fingers are exactly the right size! Ooooh, It's great!
   If you have the talent, I would highly recommend making yourself something perfect like that. If not, I'm thinking it's worth it to get something professionally tailored. IT'S SO AWESOME!!
   There is, however, a problem; I don't have the brain power to make the mate!

   I tried to do some baby legwarmers, which was the same recipe I finished before I started the gloves, but that was too much to! :S

   Luckily, my oldest daughter requested a hat, scarf and glove set. I started with the hat and somehow, it's working out so I'm just going to go with it. She wants the same gloves that I'm having problems with so I'll do them last!
   Not sure what it was about the warm spring weather with all the tulips coming up that made her want a winter set, but I can't complain.





   My other project right now is much bigger. I'm making soft body doll sets based on historical figures with books that answer all those questions my daughter asks.
   "What did Cleopatra eat for breakfast?"
   "What was it like when George Washington was a kid?"
   "What kind of toys did (everyone she's ever heard of) play with?"

   I'm sure she isn't the only little kid asking these questions so I'm sure a few other parents would gladly buy a book that answer them in kid-friendly words instead doing the hours of research I've done!

   I'm working on a book for Cleopatra (the seventh) at my daughter's request right now and I've discovered that some of those questions are hard to answer! What kind of bed DID Cleopatra have as a kid? Other ancient Egyptian kids had pets, but did SHE have a dog?

   The doll supplies are coming in the mail and if I wasn't sleep deprived I'd be wriggling with antici. . . . . . . . pation!

   Good luck with your own hobbies!

Breezy!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Dolls!

I crocheted a doll from Melanie Blak' Pattern, Human Amigurumi. Mine came out with a cartoonishly large head, an ugly, lumpy nose and I'm not sure if the belly and rump are where they are supposed to be.



   I will certainly try it again for my daughters, but I've discovered that crocheting too much really hurts my hand so I don't think I'll be able to use them for the historical sets that I was planning on using them for.


 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Many blogs, yes

I decided that my current blog, they really lived, is too random to put my crafts on, so they now get their own special little place to keep things organized!

Welcome to my crafty blog! I will be putting things on here when I make them.