This is a reminder for those who handmake Christmas presents that now is not too early to start. It may in fact be a good time to start if you have a lot to make/your craft takes a long time. You should maybe start it now, whether that's brainstorming or actually doing the crafts!
Several weeks ago one of my coworkers called me over into her cubicle and gave me a very unexpected gift. Her mother passed away recently, and she'd been packing stuff up at her condo to give to relatives and sell, so the home could be sold. The mother was an avid knitter and crocheter, and when my coworker came upon her stash of equipment, she told me, she "immediately thought of me as someone who might get some use out of it."
So, I have inherited a varied collection of knitting needles and crochet hooks, cable needles, sewing needles, and, best of all, now-out-of-print pattern books, mostly for blankets, because that was what this lady loved to make most. Plus, I also have a bunch of gauge swatches she made, pinned to little bits of card covered in perfect schoolteacher handwriting setting out the patterns they were made to test.
And also...
My coworker brought another bag, full of yarn and...knitted blanket squares.
Her mother's last started project, before she got too sick to continue.
And she asked if there was anything I could do with it.
It turned out, there are twelve completed squares, and I quickly located the pattern book they are from amid those given to me. It's a book of 60 patterns, meant to be put together however the maker wishes into blankets of 20 squares. I figured out which of the numbered patterns were already made, and selected eight more that I thought might go well with them.
So now!
I am working on completing!
My coworker's mother's last knitting project!
Asking for all the fiber artists here, are you aware of the term "frogging" in fiber arts like knitting and crochet to mean "ripping out your work?" It's a pun on the sound a frog makes being ribbit because when you frog something you riiiip it rip it rippit. A lot of fiber artists themselves are unaware of this and their reactions to this knowledge range from exasperated sighs to utter delight.
Novice sewing pattern: Cut out shapes. Line up the little triangles on the edges. Stitch edges together. We've also included step-by-step assembly instructions with illustrations.
Novice knitting pattern: yOU MUSt uNDerstANd thE SECret cOdE CO67 (73, 87, 93) BO44 (63, 76, 90) 28 (32, 34) slip first pw repeat 7x K to end *kl (pl) 42 * until 13" (13, 13, 15) join new at 30 pl for 17 rows ssk 27 k2tog mattress lengthwise BO and sacrifice a goat to the knitting gods. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT "INSTRUCTIONS," I JUST GAVE THEM TO YOU
welp. i think i’m in love with super wash merino wool. so fucking soft, yo. i have 3 balls/skeins/whatever you wanna call them in yellow, dark purple, and light blue. currently using the yellow to practice bamboo stitch, which will be used for a blanket ‘cause i like a challenge and it’ll be interesting to see how it turns out.
i may have gone a little craft happy yesterday, but it was worth it. 3 things of merino wool, a uneek sock kit and size 3 needle for it (thank you local yarn store) one hank of bulky merino (courtesy of hobby lobby, surprisingly) and a cake of caron chunky (michael’s). now i just need my knitting books to come in so i have new patterns and ideas to work with. got one more book i wanna get, but i can wait.
i am so torn on whether i wanna get a few more balls of the merino in the same colors and like, make myself a lap blanket with it, or a scarf. could make a hat too but i haven’t tried that yet. dunno whether i wanna knit it flat and seam it together, or just try it on circular needles. i’ll figure out eventually. maybe a hat kit?
next goal is to try pima cotton yarn! i was checking that out at the store, and it feels pretty soft, but also slippery, so maybe bamboo or birchwood needles for grippiness. i think i have blankets on the brain, ‘cause again, that was my first thought: ooo this would be good for a blanket. self why. should really work on clearing out my stash, preferably through projects. once i figure out clothing and bigger household items, it’s over.
Being a crafter and having non-crafty friends/family insist that you should sell your finished objects is so frustrating. It would be like if when a mutual friend showed us pictures of painting the walls in an old house, the non-crafty friend immediately said, "You should start a home renovation company!"
isn't it weird how if you get up at 7 or 8, do your work all day, then have free time and go to bed at 11 that's absolutely fine
but if i said i get up at 10, do fun stuff in the morning then work in the evening and go to bed late, i could be called lazy, nevermind that i'm getting just as much or MORE work done as i would in a traditional work day
PSA for all the people who have a pet Fibre Artist, whether you have a Knitter, a Crocheter or perhaps one of the more rare breeds like Spinners and Lace-Makers, make sure that they take frequent breaks from their craft by playing with them and taking them on walks since Fibre Artists are prone to giving themselves RSIs and Carpal Tunnel when left to their own devices for too long!