Today is moving day. We are only traveling 110 miles today. Well over night in Pasco, WA and then head off to Idaho tomorrow. Everything is packed, cleaned and amazingly organized. It was so cute last night Jorge had said to me. "Are you OK? Are you stressed?" - you see I am freak and freak out real easy when it comes to cleaning - I always would rather clean by myself then have someone around. But with the rains yesterday I just didn't have that option. I said to him "Yes I'm OK and no I am not stressed" why? Well because you didn't yell at me once. LOL - it's true folks I didn't. But there was one last cubby to work on - the coffee cubby and I don't make coffee and so I am never in the cubby. Jorge got scared LOL because it was anything but clean or organized. He feared he'd be the one reason I'd blow my lid off. But I didn't. It meant a lot to me that he cared enough and feared me enough to know better. But it wasn't that bad and took me about 20 minutes to clean and re-organize everything . All is right in our world again... So for May for Me for the next 5 days will be still about relaxing - just non crafting wise - I will post pictures of our RV fun until we are in our summer location and all of our inventory is unpacked and put in it's spot. We'll be beading for our next May for Me Project. Both Jorge and I and so it should be a lot of fun - and we won't be alone. We'll have our wonderful friend Sue from Lake Whales, FL that will be working for the same company and who is going to be my teacher this summer in crocheting and knitting - I so need to up my skills so that I can be in the same league as my very talented husband.
Please add us to your prayers today and hope to see some comments tonight (if we have wifi). I hope that everyone has a wonderful day!!
I started this at 11am and worked up until about an hour ago and I am sorry to report I need a lot of practice... A LOT!! The poor things is just NOT CUTE... I was going to give my Bear to JuneBug my cat but then decided that I am going to attach a key ring to and put it on my backpack. Why Not?
I should say something positive about today's project. I have never casted on after or added stitches to a working progress - So I rock at that now. I have never binded off with out using crochet hook and I can now bind off. So there you go I succeeded in my quest to learn something new!! Job well done and my pat on back is now done....
Now on with the giggles....
Jorge and I where chatting up a storm today and I had said "you know this May for Me is so good for us because it's allows me to challenge myself and put aside my fears. It forces me to put a time frame and do the best that I can on my chosen project" And it's working sort of lol... Will I make another? Sure only this time I will use a bigger needle - this was done on sports yarn and using a size 4 needles - I have never worked on a project with small needles before.
This rad, vintage sweater was made in the eighties by Biba Pariscop of viscose,wool and angora with big shoulder pads and ugly fluffy pink teddy bears! The tag indicates size II (odd size!); please refer to the measurements to insure a perfect fit. Contact me with any questions!
Measurements (in inches, unstretched):
Around chest: 44
Sleeve length: long
Total length: 26
Vintage, from the elegant to the absurd!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition:This item is in excellent, previously owned condition.
It is free of stains, tears, odors and excessive wear.
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
MAKE THAT 2 QUESTIONS...
What should I name my bear?
Have you ever crafted something so ugly that you just had to keep it?
And so we headed to HorseTail Falls and while in the car - I crochet a hat that I will place up for sale tomorrow on my store http://www.etsy.com/shop/hatmasters and its for a boy - so do check it out tomorrow.. It's a new type of style and I'm pretty happy with it. This is the second time I've ever crochet in a moving vehicle and I didn't mind. It made the time go faster and kept me from being a back seat driver in which I am sure with no doubt the driver appreciated. Sorry I drive people nuts!
Not a lot to report today and so I will post pictures and get the etsy feature of the day,,,, FUN - FUN- FUN ummmmm who did I pick today? OK check pictures out and then see for yourself. Don't forget to read the question of the day and leave comments. I love all the feedback's we've been getting and just reading all of your answers. Trust me - your experiences help newbie crafters and open many other crafters eyes too - heck we all have the right to have bragging rights...
This store has 110 items and holly molly way way way cool - I am in love!!
KnittingsMyBag's Shop Announcement
Thanks for stopping by KnittingsMyBag. We have great needlework project bags in small, medium and large with lots and lots of pockets! There are stitch markers and pocket mirrors that coordinate with the bags and custom orders are welcomed. Scoot on over to my other etsy shop at http://lrichmond3.etsy.com for accessories (make-up bags, foldover clutches, ISB holders, passport holders and more!!
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Have you ever crafted in public? If so what was the project?
Question: How did you get into this type of crafting? I had to ask because as you can see from the pictures this is no ordinary crafting project - something I can only dream of doing. This is the type of craft that truly takes not just talent but a whole lot of patients and apprication for the beauty of Mother Natures earthly beauty "grass" and not just any grass either. Do read this and fall in love with this wonderful artist of the heart and soul that I am lucky and honored to call "FRIEND".
Now lets see if I can tell you what you want.
I started making pine needle baskets in Jan. of 2009 at a class in Zephyrhills Florida. We had four lessons and then joined a basket group
where we just went weekly when we wanted to go and had group support and
worked on our baskets and got group support and help when needed.
I have always had a love for arts and detail. I have done many things
in the past from ceramics, cake decorating, machine knitting, machine
embroidery, and sewing, but nothing has filled my need more than basket
coiling. I feel like I can let my creative talents flow more than ever before
. I also just kind of go with the flow and a basket for me is always work in
progress. I have ideas in the beginning of what I want to do, but the basket
kind of takes it's own form as I make it. Coiled baskets go way back in history and they say will last for hundreds
of years if taken care of.
I use mainly Florida long leaf pine needles, Sweetgrass , and will try
other grasses and natural items that I think will work, or have been
told do work. Like Cat tails.
The Native Americans use to bind their baskets with sinew, which was
the tendons from a Deer's leg. I use artificial sinew which is man made.
I also use waxed linen. Some use raffia or palm's but I find it can be
brittle and not as strong as the waxed linen or artificial sinew. When
I make a basket with a handle in it I also put wire in the beginning coil
of the handle to give it some extra support.
I do not apply any stabilizers to my baskets, such as varnish, bees
wax, as it does not need it. When my baskets are made they are done with
dried materials not soaked and they are nice and tight and firm when
finished. I prefer to leave them natural and to have the natural smells that
God intended them to have.
The pine needles are gathered generally in the fall as they fall freshly
from the trees. They are picked as you would a bunch of your favorite
flowers. You check each needle to make sure it has no twists or breaks
in it and if it does it is discarded. Once collected rubber bands are applied
to the end of the bunch and they are wrapped in newspaper and put away
in a dry place for future use. Once dried they are like a piece of wood
and will last for years if taken care of.
Most of the colors in my baskets are created by using colored threads
that are wrapped around the coil tightly so you see only the color and
not the needles. I do use some dyed needles but prefer the wrapped method.
The dye used to color the needles is Rit dye and it is poisonous and
if the basket is going to be used for food I am not comfortable with that.
Even though the needles are rinsed and treated to get all the excess dye
out I do not care to take a chance.
To start a basket you have to have a base that has holes in it to start
stitching the coil around. From the beginning of the basket to the top
of it a basket is one continuous coil. I use a brass 3/16 feral for a
gage for most of my baskets but sometimes larger. Other people use soda
straws of various sized. I just keep it packed all the time and move the
feral up on the coil as I go. Some of my bases are wood with holed drilled
in them. I prefer solid hardwood. I also use other items that I cast in a
clear coat resin and drill the holes in it after it hardens.
I also embellish the baskets with other things to give it shape, design
and or color.
My baskets are a lot of work and an average sized one will take about
20 hours of work to create. But once made I know will last a life time or
more. I do have one that I got a Grand Champion on at the County Fair Florida that took me about 80 hours to do. But when they are done I am proud of what I have created.
I just feel that God has given me a gift and I want to share it with others.
A NH Native now a full time RV person
touring and searching our wonderful country to find
a place to call home once again someday. Hopefully where it
is warm in the winter.
Now do you see what I mean about the beauty of her heart and soul that's put into these baskets...
OK so I am bored due to being stuck in the town of Bend, OR due to the snow and weather alert going on for this area till 4pm today. Which means we are staying another night here (remember we are RV full timers).
I floated around the Walmart Craft section looking for clearance items - a must do in any craft store to bang my bucks.... And today they seem to be wiped out in the good deals department - this tells me they get a lot of bad weather here and the house wife muck this department (for crying out loud there is a worn out walking path - lol).Now I am sitting at the McDonald's surfing the web to kill some time.... tic tock - tic tock for Pete sakes hurry time hurry...
Here is some other funny weird things I found... Enjoy! And if you get bord like I do - don't do what I do just shop at any of my 4 stores - and that will keep you busy for sure...
I do hope you enjoyed this BLOG enough to leave a comment! Often I wonder who looks and the only way to tell is when a wonderful person who took the time to read this places a comment in the comment feed box - a girls has to feel some kind of love from her followers!!
