Always, Alli

I stopped posting these because I got tired or something. On Christmas Eve most of my family took off to visit the Air Force Museum. I stayed at my parents’ house to help set up for the big Christmas Eve Dinner.

Out of the list of chores my mom created, I took the task of setting the table. It demanded more attention than just slapping flatware and plates on the table. I had to iron linens, arrange the tables (we had three), and make festive napkin rings. It was a job rewarded with praise and excitement from the family, and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Technorati Tags: December Photo Project 2007, Christmas Eve

As I posted earlier this week, I made a hat last week. And today I finally finished the matching scarf. I used the last of the skein, which made a shorter scarf than I wanted, but it still keeps me warm!

I received two books for Christmas to help me in my crafting. One book was on my wish list and the other was on my sister’s wish list.

Felted Crochet is a book I wanted in my library because the idea of felting has always intrigued me. My friends who knit do it and I wanted to learn to knit just so I could felt. But then I discovered I was a bit naive and felting can be done with crochet as well. I found this book and thought it would give me great inspiration. And inspiration I have. But, I have two three other projects I must finish before I am allowed to start working on anything from the book.

Last Minute Fabric Gifts was on Austina’s Christmas list. And I ordered it for her. But it didn’t arrive by Christmas morning. So imagine my surprise when my sister unwrapped a gift and it was this book! Turns out someone else also bought Austina the book, so when the copy I ordered arrived today I took a quick glance and declared it was for me.

I am sticking to crochet while I am here in Ohio but look forward to bringing out the sewing machine to get some of these projects done.

Have a craft project to share? Blog it and leave a link over at Cass Knits! We would love to see your progress!

I didn’t get any jewelry for Christmas. But thanks to the folks at D’s Keepsakes, where you can find wholesale fashion jewelry for sponsoring this post.

Technorati Tags: online craft club, crochet, craft books, fabric sewing

I tried to take several self portraits today, but this one was the only one I was remotely happy with. I took it at church and really wanted the stained glass window in the background to show up. But it really wasn’t meant to be. I could only capture myself looking cute. Oh well, you will have to live and leave me comments that I do look really cute. Especially in this hat!

See, this picture is also useful to catch up on the Online Craft Club. The hat I am wearing is a new one I made this week. Thursday I bought some yarn and a J hook at Wal-Mart, sat down in the nail salon and started making the rounds. My mom was getting her nails done, so I started this hat while I waited. I had an interesting conversation with one of the employees who was asking me about how I hold my hook. I guess I need to get someone to take a picture of that, since I have had more than one person notice I hold my hook differently.

The hat fits me well and covers my ears- two things important to me. I have sensitive ears and a big head, so making myself hat is really the easiest thing to do to meet those needs. I’m happy I got it done in about two days, and have moved on to making the matching scarf.

Do you have a self portrait to share? Post it on your blog and leave a comment at Digi-Cass. We would love to see your mug!

Do you have a craft project in progress or completed? Then post it on your blog and leave a comment at Cass Knits! We love crafty things!

Technorati Tags: Self portrait Sunday, Online Craft Club, crochet, hat

Here we go… another vague picture. It is me, working hard on the secret Christmas craft. I’m so happy it is finally done!

And no. I’m still not telling.

Um, and this really isn’t a self portrait. D took it while I was working. But it is a picture of me, so I am happy. There have been very few of those recently.

Got a self portrait to share? Post it on your blog and leave a comment on Digicass. We want to see who you are!

Technorati Tags: Self Portrait Sunday

Could this be any more vague? Another picture from my Christmas craft project.

I still have to wrap them and mail a few of the tomorrow.

I only made 10, but I wanted to make more. Cost and time prevented me from doing that, but after Christmas I plan on making more to give away.

And no, I’m still not telling you what they are.

I’m not sure if even legal steroids would have helped me finish this project, but I did it!

Technorati Tags: December Photo Project 2007

I got a day behind without realizing it.

This is a vague picture, but I can tell you the bag and contents are from Ikea. The contents are being used in a Christmas craft project that I finished tonight. I can’t really tell you more than that because I have no idea who all reads this blog and the crafts are gifts for 10 people.

Also, I almost didn’t use the contents of this bag because I came up with a plan B that was way cooler than plan A. But plan B fell apart and I had to back up.

It’s all so very vague, I know. But it will be cool when I tell you what it is all about!

Technorati Tags: December Photo Project 2007, craft, Ikea

I can’t believe it is Friday. I mean, I knew it was Friday when I woke up, but I forgot what Friday entails… putting out the garbage, feeling extra lazy, the “thank goodness it’s” feeling, and the online craft club!

I remembered the online craft club when I saw Cass’s entry in my feed reader. She is the brains behind this show and tell and one of three women I shared a hotel in Vegas. I saw her entry and self chastized, “Alli, you didn’t work on your poncho at all since Monday!” But then I stopped and thought about what else I did this week.

When Cass started this club (anyone can join) and I decided to start showing off my craftiness, I thought it would be relegated to my crochet or beginning sewing skillz. But I have learned that sometimes I am crafty in other ways.

This week has seen me working on a project that will be a Christmas present for many, many people. It is a bit laborious in that I have to pick out 50 pictures and run then through some picnik magic (I thought I broke picnik yesterday). Then I get to throw some photoshop mojo around (conjured by my awesome husband) to see the result you see here. Click the picture to see it in its awesomeness.

I can share this one piece because it is one of 50, and doesn’t really give away the awesomeness that is the final product. (I’ll let you know if it truly is awesome when I actually see a final product.)

What craftiness have you been working on? Post it on your blog and then leave a comment over at Cass Knits!

Technorati Tags: online craft club, digital photography, picnik

Man, I almost didn’t get this one up. Our internet went wonky around 6 p.m. and I was about to go to bed. I really should have gone to bed. Beauty rest is so important. And I didn’t get to take a nap today (stupid phone kept ringing!) so here is my picture to post today:

This is my crochet project that I have found a lot of time to work on recently. I had a doctor’s appointment this morning (nothing exciting) and spent most of the hour of wait time working on it. And then with the internet essentially out this evening, I found time to get some more done.

I think I could be done with it by the end of the week. How exciting!

Technorati Tags: crochet, December Photo Project

I spent a lot of time this weekend working on my crochet project. I plowed through two skeins and will probably need to use three more before having a finished product.

Yesterday I went to the craft store that is closing and picked through the remnants of the left over yarn. The bins were mainly yarns that handworkers tend to find difficult to work with- eyelash, fun fur, ribbon, and thin mohair-like yarns. I found two more skeins of the free stuff I received last Thursday so I can possibly make a matching hat or fingerless mittens.

One of the great finds I got at the craft store was a pattern book with the exact shawl/ poncho that I was working on. If I like the poncho I might try making a new one, possibly one with cables, since I like that look. It would take more yarn and detail than what I am doing now, but I think it would be worth it.

Man, I am really happy to be crocheting again. It makes me feel really good to create something.

Technorati Tags: crochet, poncho, yarn

Twice a month I go to a knitting club. I crochet while the others knit and we all get a long just fine. We met again last night (I missed the previous meeting due to being in Vegas) and it was a small group- me, BA, and a new member named Scott. He just learned how to knit and has been working on scarves. He has been really excited about his new craft and spent some time at a local craft store that is closing.

Last night he came bearing gifts. Yarn he bought on black Friday (70% off!) that he didn’t like. So guess who got it? Me and BA! It was like a fun early Christmas present. The yarn is Moda Dea in orange crush. I immediately put my project to the side (I wasn’t thrilled with it anyway) and started working on a large rectangle.

The idea was to create something similar that I saw Uncommon Threads (it was a special episode on HGTV). I only caught the very end of the show, when they said it was just a rectangle and stitched up asymmetrically. If I had searched for it before I would have seen it was Tunisian crochet. But at Knit Wits I just started doing double crochet.

I’m a little excited to have a new project, and hope it goes from a work in progress to a finished object. Have something crafty to share? Put it up on your blog (works in progress, finished projects, and even the idea of a project welcome) and put a comment over on Cass’s blog. We would love to see it!

Technorati Tags: Online Craft Club, crochet, free yarn, new yarn