Update on crafting

First, the good news is a finished the shawl that I was knitting for my sister as a Christmas present. She opened it and really liked it which did make me feel really good. The bad news is I forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to her.

Since my last post I was able to complete 48 cool ties for the soldiers thanks to the help from my husband. I was also able to get a few pairs of slippers completed and even a couple of soap savers done before Christmas.

Now I am trying to get a bit of crocheting done before tonight as I would like to finish a 1,000 gram ball of black yarn that I have had on the go for a while. Now to see if I can get it finished before midnight tonight.

I have already started thinking of all the things that I want to work on in 2009 so that is a good thing. I am hoping that I will be able to get a list of things completed as well so that I can post it here in the new couple of days.

Happy New Years everyone and will post again in 2009.

Busy crafting

It's hard to believe that Christmas is under a week away. Lots of things to do for it but have been enjoying sometime crafting. I have been busy working on slippers for soldiers and hopefully before Christmas I will be able to also complete some cool ties.

I still have one Christmas present to complete so would like to get it completed before the end of this weekend. I guess I better actually sit down and work on it instead of looking at it and hoping that it will get completed. It's a fast project so maybe tonight I will work on it instead of working on all the different projects that are currently sitting around me.

Hope to be posting more pictures in the next little while to show you what I have been working on but will not post a picture of the Christmas present until after it has been given.

Off to work on the present.

Wonderful Feeling

Today so far has been a good day as I have been trying to find a way to send handmade items to soldiers and now have a way to get the items to them.

I have been asking and asking different people how I can do it but never got an answers. A few weeks ago I got one way to get the items to the soldiers but it meant mailing items half way across the country. Today I just got news that I will be able to drop off items to another military base a lot closer and a place that we pass a few times a year.

I guess it means I better get moving and get some items completed as we will be passing this base just after Christmas.

Cross-stitch day

Today was a day to stitch and try and work on a cross-stitch that I started at the Creative Festival. The project is called "Camelot Miniature" by Teresa Wentzler and it an over-one cross-stitch using 25 count. I had started it and had the border done before this morning. The finished piece will be 3-1/4" x 2-3/4" so not very big.

Here is what I had done before today

Now here is a picture of what I accomplished today.

I know it doesn't look like a lot but considering it is 25 stitches to the inch it does take quite a bit of time to get anything accomplished. Hopefully next time I work on it I will be able to start working on either the knight or the horse.

Now it's off to crochet for a little while to give my eyes and hands a bit of a break from holding the canvas and needle.

I also need to list out all the projects that I have now ready to sew because I have quite a few of them as I have been busy working on getting cool ties, infant jackets, caps and pants cut out so now to sit down and figure out how many of each of them I have to sew.

Time is going way to quickly

It's hard to believe it's December already. I have been extremely busy the last couple of weeks and that is due to trying to get some charity knitting done. I have been helping get some sweaters knit for one of the organizations that I help out with for their Christmas Hampers.

I have already got almost two sweaters knit and that is since last Thursday and would like to get two more done before the 15th of December.

I haven't been doing a lot of other crafting since last Thursday so figure that after the 15th I will then pick up and work on other projects for a while.

Once I finish knitting these sweaters I will try and remember to take some pictures of them and post them. I also want to try and get a few of the projects done from the Creative Festival so hope to do those over the Christmas holidays.

Now to get back to knitting and see how much I can get accomplished.

Knitting and such

This last week has been me trying to get a few things done for one of the charities that I work with. I have been knitting some quick boa scarves and have also knit two self patterning hats.

Oh, this week I also was able to get 54 pairs of pants (13-18 pound size) cut out so now I think I have around 170 cut out and now just need to sit down and sew them so that I can get them out of the way as quickly as possible. The cutting out of the pants means spending a day with my mom laughing and enjoying our time together. It's great having the chance to do this while I am currently looking for a new contract or full-time job.

I have also been getting some of the living room cleaning up which is very satisfying. It has taken quite a while for me to get into a routine of wanting to do things like clean up an area but now seem to be enjoying doing this a little bit at a time.

Now to see what I can accomplish this weekend so that I can see more and more results. I think what I should do is try and write down what I accomplish so that I can see what is done.

Now to see what I can get done.

Where is the time going

It's hard to believe another week is over but I have been busy which is great.

I have had a good week and my sewing machine that I added to my wish list has arrived thanks to my wonderful husband who got it for me. I haven't had much of a chance to use it as I just got it Thursday evening. I am hoping that this week I am work on some pants for one of the charities that I work with.

I have been trying to get some organization done as well this week so that has also meant not quite as much crafting being done. I have finally taken a picture of the 4-way bargello that I finished after the creative festival. Now to just post the picture where.

Time to curl up for a little while to craft before starting another week early tomorrow. Now to just try and take some more pictures this week so that I can post what has been happening.

Another Crazy Week

It's hard to believe that it's Monday already and last week is over.

The good news is I did finish knitting the hat and scarf set for the friend that was moving to Edmonton. The bad new is I wasn't able to give it to her as she didn't work last week like she said she would be.


Right now I have been trying to get all my craft supplies organized so that has taken up some time so haven't got anything done craft wise. Now to see what I can do this week as I would like to have something to show for all the time I have been spent crafting. I know that tomorrow I am planning on spending some time cutting out some pants for babies as one of the charities that I craft for needs some. I also need to finish off some preemie blankets and some receiving blankets so I better get busy on them.

Hopefully soon I will be able to start posting more pictures to show you what I have been working on instead of just talking about them.

Loving Crafting Again

It has been a long time since I have felt like crafting like I have in the last week. I have seen some progress on my projects from the Creative Festival but still have lots and lots to do.

Now I have something to add to a wish list which is a new sewing machine. I have been doing a lot of looking at machines and think I have found the one that I like. I have decided that I would like the Brother CS-5000H machine. Now to see when I get it as I do have lots and lots of fabric to use up.

This week my goal is to finish a hat and scarf set for a friend that is moving to Edmonton at the end of the week. We only found out about this last Friday so I have been busy working on the scarf. I finished the hat this morning so now just need to finish the scarf.

Well better get back to working on the scarf so that we can take it on Wednesday when we see her at lunch.

Crafting Day

Today was a good day for me as I was able to get some sewing done on preemie blankets and receiving blankets.

The Bargello is finished and now to take a picture of it so that I can post it. It is so nice having at least one project completed from the Creative Festival. Today I was able to send some time sewing and I also spent some time working on a cross-stitch needlecase so will see how on it takes to complete it.

I am spending the time that I can trying to complete as many projects as I can while I am not working so that I can see some progress before getting back to work. Today I sewed 40 preemie blankets and around 25 receiving blankets so they are just about ready to be given to the charities.

Now to see how much more cross-stitching I can do tonight before the eyes don't like doing the 28 count linen.

Back to crafting

The last week I have been very busy working on projects that I got at the Creative Festival last week. It is so nice wanting to craft again as I haven't really wanted to do it for quite a while.

Last week I attended the Creative Festival and took 12 classes. The classes ranged from Quilting to Cross-Stitch. I had never quilted before so it was a lot of fun learning on to back both the 9 patch block and the friendship block, now to just finish a baby afghan using the squares that I made last week. I also took a couple of knitting classes, one which was about alternative fibers so got to see what bamboo, corn, seaweed and flex fibers are like before they are spun into yarn. Now to just spin the fibers that I go so that I can use them.

My other 8 classes were different versions of cross-stitch which I did enjoy. I took a class on Bargello and it was great and I should have that project done very soon and will post a picture of it once it's completed. The other classes were just fun classes using specialty stitches and knowing the instructors meant it was fun. Some of the classes were with Jennifer Aikman-Smith and the other one's were with Teresa Wentzler.

I am going to be keeping myself busy for the next little while trying to get some of the classes finished. I am hoping to get some of the items done so that I can post pictures of them very soon.

Well off to work on my Bargello piece so that I can get it finished.

Missing but busy

Haven't posted for a while but have to admit that I have been extremely busy knitting and crocheting.

Over the last few months I have been working on my charity crafting and trying to reduce my stash by a bit. I have made some hats as well as a few preemie blankets so that has been great. I have so many things that I want to work on.

Right now I am working on getting some newly acquired yarn used up and am having a great time doing so. I bought some Black Lites yarn in July and it knits up very quickly so making hats has been great. I now have two balls of the yarn left to use up so hopefully by the end of this week I will have all of that yarn used and will start using up some of the other yarn that I have.

My plans for the next little while is to work with some Boa yarn as well as try to crochet a sweater to see how much yarn it uses.

Now back to knitting and hopefully will be posting more often.

Another day, another two projects

I seem to be adding more projects that are partially done than I am finishing projects lately. It's suppose to be that you start a project only after finishing one. I seem to be enjoying starting the various projects but really need to start finishing some of those off instead of just starting them.

I am very happy with the projects that I have been starting lately and now I just need to concentrate on getting them finished. My goal this week is to try and start finishing some of the projects that are on the go and now to try and document the process that I will be going through.

My unfinished list right now is:
2 preemie blankets
9 Barbie outfits
2 baby afghans
1 toque

Now to try and finish some of these projects over the next few days.

Well off to crafting I must go.

Why I am Craftkitten

I was given the nickname Craftkitten by my now husband because of all of the crafts that I do. Yes I am one of those individuals that do too many things and of course that means I have lots of projects on the go all of the time.

Here is the crafts that I do:

Cross-stitch

Needlepoint
Petit Point
Canvas Work
Swedish Weaving
Knitting
Crocheting
Sewing (a little)
Spinning (well have a spinning wheel)
Beadpoint

Yes I know that I do a lot of stuff and some of it I work on more than others so I keep myself busy. What I am going to try and do is document some of the projects that I am working on and the progress of each of them.

I have set myself goals for this year so now to see if I can actually achieve them. The goals are the following:

Headbands 12

Kid's afghans 6

Stroller blankets 3

Preemie blankets 6

Toques 16

Dishcloths 6

King size afghan 1

Scarves 6

Baby afghan 4

Barbie outfits 40

Now to see if I can actually achieve these goals for this year without getting too distracted on other projects. I am going to try and post at the end of each month what I have done so that maybe it will help keep me on track.

Preemie blankets and Barbie outfits

I am having a lot of fun working on preemie blankets for one hospital. These blankets are used in memory boxes for parent's that lose their baby. The blanket is put in a box with a small sweater set, the bracelet from the baby, their foot print and a lock of hair. When I first started to work on these items it felt a little odd but knowing that someone can receive something to remember their child has made me feel a lot better.

The other project that I am currently working on is making Barbie outfits for barbie dolls that will be given to children in other countries. I am having a lot of fun knitting these outfits and now have picked up items to hlep make the dresses that I am knitting look nicer.

These are just two of the projects that I am currently working on and it helps knowing that I am making other people smile even just for a couple of minutes. I have given myself a goal for the items for this year so I am going to post it within the next little while so that I can actually see if I am making progress on these items or do I keep working on other items instead.

Well off to work on a preemie blanket.

Busy crafting for charity

It's hard to believe that I set this blog up in November and haven't posted anything since then. I have been extremely busy with charity knitting and will now try and keep up to date with what I am working on.