finished projects

Through the recent series of postings "7 days - 7 unfinished projects"  Kim inspired many of us to dig through our bins and finish up some of the projects that had been set aside and forgotten about.  I was no exception.  Although I wasn't able keep up the pace of one per day, it was still very satisfying  to get them out of my bin and into the hands of those they were intended for.  I had things in my bin that had been neglected for up to 2 years, but when it came down to finishing it off it only needed a few minutes of attention!  Why hadn't I done it years ago?!?

For example, these barefoot sandals, only needed the ties on one to be redone into a longer length.  Finished it off in about 10 minutes and they are now in the hands of my sweet, sixteen year old friend who I had promised them to when I was finished.

These fingerless mitts just needed a thumb made and attached. My little guy put dibbs on these fingerless mitts long ago.  Thankfully they still fit!!

And finally, a project for me!  It was sitting half done in my project bag, just waiting for me to wind the second skein so that I could carry on.  This is the Extreme Pom-Pom Scarf minus the pom-poms, obviously, and a fringe in its place.  It seemed a little more me.  I fell in love with this chunky hand-dyed alpaca, shetland wool blend at my LYS and this scarf was the perfect project for it.  Love it!!

I have a few more projects that I have finished off as well but I will save those for another day.  What have you been working on??

tara.

current project.

Lacy Shopping Bag by Goh Hui Lian.

I'm very pleased with how this bag is turning out! I am working with Nordic Montoya Beach which is a 100% Linen. I just started in on my second ball. The yarn has a pretty sheen and seems to be a good fit for the bag. I think that I will take the advice in the pattern and chose a light coloured lining to highlight the lace and the relief pattern.  

kim.

patterns.

Nadin Sandler of of Nadin Art Design and Nadin Art Glass put together a beautiful treasury full of inspiration.

We love Lianka Azulay's  of Bonita Patterns new pattern for the Crocodile Stitch Booties. Aren't they super sweet?

Thanks Nadin for sharing our pattern for the Vintage Inspired Felted Cloche in your "Patterns" treasury! 

kim and tara.

knotsewcute myth busters - can you felt wool by boiling it?

Sometimes we get questions about boiling wool to get it to felt. Since it is a combination of moisture, heat and friction that causes an item to felt I'm a little sceptical about the boiling method, but I'm still hopeful. Anything that would make my life easier is worth a try.

Using Patons Classic Wool I crocheted a 7x7" test swatch.

I placed the test swatch in a pot of water and set it on the stove to boil. Since I was a bit nervous about a kitchen fire I kept a close eye on it and using tongs I swished it around once in awhile.

So, how did I make out? Well, after an hour of boiling...

...nothing!

From what I understand soap makes water more soluble and the felting process occurs more readily when the pH level of the water is higher so I thought that I would try again, but this time I would add soap. I opted for a bit of laundry soap so that I wouldn't   have bubbles boiling all over my kitchen.

...still nothing. So, unless I am missing some crucial step, "boiling your wool project in a pot of water on the stove does not work"! The only thing that I accomplished was that my entire house was scented with the "knot sew" delightful smell of wet sheep :)

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Boiled wool is a special type of fabric primarily used in berets, scarves, vests, cardigans, coats and jackets. It is created using a mechanical knitting process which involves a set pattern that is then shrunk. It can also be a woven fabric which is shrunk, compressing the fibres together." Sounds an awful lot like fulling or felting to me.

I think that the misunderstanding arises from the term itself and it is perfectly understandable. If someone told us to boil some eggs...we would never throw them into the washing machine on the hot cycle :)



You may also be interested in our other felting posts:

What is felting
Felting tutorial

kim.

michaels app.

Just in case you haven't heard...

did you know that you can get a free Michaels app for your phone?  No more clipping coupons only to forget them at home!!! This has changed my life! I love this app!!

I don't get the current flyer in the newspaper but no worries...I am always in the know as the app includes the weekly ad as well as any featured deals.  Also, you can surf products, projects, and events to keep you inspired.  Of course, my favorite aspect of the app is the availablility of coupons.  The current coupons are always on your phone! Simply show the store teller your phone and it will be scanned and the discount will be applied to your order!  Yay!

Want to get the app?  Just search the app store for "Michaels Stores" and install. I recommend it to all crafters out there!  It will make you so happy!

tara.

day seven of 7 days - 7 unfinished projects.

This is day seven, the last day, in a seven day series :)

Not only did I get all 7 projects completed but I also managed to sneak in an extra project, so I'm doing a happy dance!

Here are my last few projects...

I finally lined the "Touch of Africa Shoulder Bag"!

I am almost embarrassed to admit it, but I released the crochet pattern for the "Touch of Africa Shoulder Bag" way back in August of 2010 and the bag has been sitting ever since just waiting to be lined. I wasn't sure if I would get this project done this week so I'm pretty excited and so is my daughter as she is the happy recipient.

If you are interested in purchasing the pattern for the Touch of Africa shoulder bag you can find it here.

A Touch of Africa Shoulder Bag

I also finished the "Ladies Felted Chapeau"!

Ladies Felted Chapeau

On October 5th, 2011 I posted a felting tutorial and at the end of the tutorial I showed what the Ladies Felted Chapeau looked like after it was felted but there was still some finishing work to be done. At the time I was a little discouraged as I got so involved in the tutorial that I shrunk the hat a bit too much. I tried steaming it and stretching it but without a head form I really wasn't getting anywhere. I figured that I would finish as is and pass in on to someone with a smaller head, but after I added the cording and the top stitching I gently washed the hat in lukewarm water and I found that I was able stretch it while it was drying and now it fits perfect!

If you are interested in purchasing the pattern for the Ladies Felted Chapeau you can find it on our blog under hats.

Other than a couple of patterns that I am working on I am officially caught up....yay!!! Now as a reward I have my eye on the Lacy Shopping Bag by mycraftyideas :)

kim.

day six of 7 days - 7 unfinished projects.


This is day six in a seven day series...

Whenever I design a pattern I usually make several test samples. I just finished the crochet pattern for the "Honey Bee Beret" and this is the last test sample that just needed a bit more work to finish up.

Only one more day left of "7 days - 7 unfinished projects" and I can't believe how much lighter and more organized I feel. I am not allowing myself to start any new projects until the end of the 7 days so I am getting very excited and can't wait until Friday so that I can start on a new project...I already have a new pattern picked out :) I hope that this series has helped to encourage others to complete some of those nagging unfinished projects.

kim.