Learn About Stick Weaving.

Here is an article I wrote on Stick Weaving. I bring it up now because it's the perfect project for summer camps, homeschooling and summer vacation days that are getting boring. Inexpensive and a good way to use up partial skeins of yarn from past projects or donated yarn that doesn't quite suit your taste.

Focus

I've had a hard time focusing lately. So for the next few days I'm going to pick one project and work on it until it's completely done, unless I hit a wall (like a part I don't have yet) in which case I'll set it aside, and try to finish the next project to completion. And so first on the agenda is the purple hat I'm making for a customer (paid work first, right)? Women in particular find their days chopped into so many bits as they are forced to tend to housework, kids, grandkids, yardwork, answering phones, being taxis and running errands. It's amazing we get anything done at all.

Update: I finished the hat and got tams listed in my Pigglewiggins Etsy shop. So a day well spent!

Assorted Crafts

Today was a mixed bag craftwise. I sanded my gourd fairy house getting it ready for painting or dyeing. To sand the tiny windows, I found it helpful to roll some sandpaper around a pencil and tape it on the ends.

I also started to crochet two tams today. One is pale green with little flecks of different yarn. The other one is for a custom order and is purple. So I only worked on the first one a little and then set it aside so I could work on the purple one for a customer.

I also started knitting a bikini top. I need to find the right size needles though and start over. It calls for size 10 and I don't know the size on mine but I'm guessing they are either 13 or 15. Too big. I wish the directions had specified a gauge square. I'll try again soon with the right needles.

Gourd Workshop

Yesterday in the mail we got a new gourd saw we've wanted for a few years. And boy what a difference it makes. Up till now I've been doing all my cuts either with a utility knife or a hacksaw.

So I tried out the new saw today and I cut out a fairy house and a rain stick and part of a lamp shade that I started years ago but grew weary of all the hand cutting. It's amazing how often I need to cut a gourd, and the saw has a fine blade and a course blade that handles even tight corners. So today we had a friend over and between the 3 of us worked on the fairy house, a rain stick, a lamp shade, a drum, a salt cellar, a canteen and a jewelry box. I'd say we made some pretty good progress.

Happy Little Hooters

I just listed five new owl hooter babies in my newest Etsy shop Tweeters and Hooters. I had a lot of fun making the furry green one today. I sewed beaks on all five and added a tail feather. This is a new product in my shop so I hope it's a big hit.

Little Balls of Fun and Chainmaile

I finished some of my new little puff balls with eyes. I'm debating on calling them baby Norkels to go with my felt aliens, or calling them Zorkels, or taking a different slant on it entirely. They are crocheted and then stuffed with polyfil. Let me know if you want to order one. They are a lot of fun to make so I sure plan to make more. I can make any color or texture you want. Just let me know.

And I also put a key ring on my chainmaile so I can use it. I got to use my split ring pliers and they sure are a lot better than breaking my fingernails trying to open those rings.

If you buy anything from me on Etsy and mention my blog, I'll give you free shipping until the end of July 2009. Peachy keeno!

Whimsical Wire Crown

I'm working on a freeform wire crown with purple beads and trellis yarn. I really enjoy working with wire. It has such a personality. If you wear a crown while doing any sort of magical pathworking, you will find yourself feeling more magical indeed and able to focus on your intent all the more. Perhaps it's because a crown sits where your crown chakra is. Or perhaps it's just that dressing the part makes us feel so much more magical.

Chainmaile

Yesterday was our Paleoplanet gathering in Pasadena,CA. For the first part of it I finished crocheting a hat for a custom order for one of the archers. Then the second half Paige and Mike showed up with their chainmaile making gear and taught 3 of us how to make Byzatine chainmaile. It was great fun and I took some close up photos so I wouldn't forget how to do it later. My mind is like a sieve when it comes to techniques sometimes. Photos help a lot.

Super Busy Sunday

I just heard from my daughter and she wants to go to the Sawdust Festival with us soon. It's a famous art festival in Laguna Beach, CA. The first time I went was back in high school in the '70's. So now I go every year or two. I like going at night when the lights are all twinkly and jazz music is wafting through the air. It feels very magical then.

Today was the Paleoplanet gathering in Pasadena CA.It was boiling hot. My friend Paige taught 3 of us how to make Byzantine chainmail. It was a blast. I also sold two crocheted hats and got an order for a purple one.

Afterwards we went swimming and had a bbq. So now I'm pretty exhausted but happy.

Hammer In

Today I went to an event called a Hammer In. It was a workshop for learning to weld and forge. And it was a hot day so we were all pretty melted by the end. But everyone that tried putting hammer to hot metal said it was fun. They are already planning another gathering for next year, but they are aiming for a winter month instead, which I think is a really good idea. I got sunburned too. Silly me took my visor and didn't wear it and also didn't wear sunscreen because I was in the shade all day. As you can see in the photo, being in the shade all day didn't stop me from getting a sunburn. And since our archery gathering is tomorrow and I'm going swimming afterwards, I'm definitely going to have to wear sunscreen and a sunhat tomorrow.

Witchiness Isn't Just for Halloween

Today I decided I want to live my life like a living storybook. I got the idea from the trailer for the soon to be released film based on Where the Wild Things Are. Why shouldn't we fill our lives with all the magic and zaniness we can find? I was off to the movies to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. So I took these witchy photos before I went. Also, I've been meaning to make some original witch hats for awhile, so now I am suitably motivated. Yay.

Crochet Kind of a Day

I love to look at all the cute babies on Etsy.
Tonight I worked on 2 crocheted necklaces. I'm mostly done but I still have the ends to sew in. They are very light weight so I'm wondering if that will be weird and if I need to add some beads, charms or buttons to weigh it down some. It's funny how we expect jewelry to have some weight to it. Then our jewelry ends up weighing so much as we pile it on we about need a forklift just to stand up.

I also made a new Treasury tonight that will be up just a few days called Frilly. I'd love to wear any of those items I listed.

Crocheted Scarflette/Necklace

I spent most of today making a crocheted necklace, working on a trellis scarf and sorting through random bags of yarn and projects trying to bring some order to the process. I have two other crochet blogs if you want more details on the craft of crochet. It's tedious to put links in every single post. Just know that you can find my other blogs all listed on my profile page. Many of them have only a follower or two so be sure to follow the ones that might be useful or entertaining to you.

I've noticed it's the trend now to have lots of blog give-aways and gimmicks, and reviews about endless artisans, but I am trying to veer far from that and keep my blog on track. I hope people come here to see my creations or get some tips. I don't want to dilute it with a bunch of other nonsense. Plus I want to make as much one of a kind art as I can before I die, and so many things take big chunks out of that rare creative time.

Soapstone Mold

I'm trying my hand at carving soapstone. I'm making a mold for soap out of one piece and a signature chop (stamp) out of the other. I'm using some rasps I got in Quartzsite AZ. The soapstone was some scrap from a roadside that my friend gave to me. It's white with gray stripes. Most people just buy soap molds from a store or online vendor, but I always wanted to carve my own so no one else has the same ones.

Welburn Gourd Farm

I was wrong. I guess we did need some more gourds. I wanted to take them all home I guess. Luckily I had a list this time and hopefully got just the right ones. If you've never heard of the Welburn Gourd Farm click on the link to go see their webpage. I already got the ones I wanted so feel free to take the rest home.

Soapstone

My friend gave us some odd bits of soapstone so today I thought I'd try carving them. I'm going to make one into a triangular mold for soap and the other one into a 'chop' or hand carved stamp to put on my artwork. At this point I want to make a dragon handle but that may be beyond my skill level.

I'm not sure why I keep picking projects that are hard on my hands. I finally had to give it up for the night and let my hands rest until tomorrow.

Earlier in the day I did some cable knitting as well, which is also hard on my hands. And I cut out a denim plush monster. So I got a lot started today and nothing finished. Story of my life.

Gourd Fever

Here is why I should be working on gourds. And we are going to the gourd farm on Friday. Because we think we need more gourds. We are insane. I think it's called gourd fever.

I'm now accepting pre-orders for gourd witches and santas. I'll have some listed in my Pigglewiggins shop soon.