Tag Archives: Crafts

A Sweater for Russ

by Cedar Posted on October 9, 2012

I finished knitting my cowichan sweater about a month ago (pictures coming soon!), and needed a new big project. I pulled out my massive stack of vintage knitting books (which grew significantly this past weekend after finding some great 50s and 60s knitting pattern books at an estate sale, but that’s another story), and had Russ go through and pick out one he would like (I told him it was for Christmas, but that’s only so he wouldn’t be opposed to me investing that much time in something for him). It was between the one above and a few cardigans. I pointed out that he already had several cardigans and no pullovers, so this is what he decided on. The next day we went and he picked out the yarn, and I have been working on it ever since.

This is about three weeks worth of week. It is fingering weight yarn. The ribbing was done in size 0 needles and I switched to size 2 for the body of the sweater. It is quite a change after the size 11 needles I was using for the cowichan!

Funny thing, last night I was flipping through my 1979 copy of Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework and I spotted the same sweater. There are subtle differences, but I found it really interesting, since the original pattern was published in 1954.

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Cotton Ball Snow Wall

by Cedar Posted on December 15, 2011


I saw a snow wall made with cotton balls on Pinterest a few weeks back and decided I would make my own. I didn’t even click through the link (or save it for that matter), because it is such an easy little project. It sure does make the room look lovely and festive. I haven’t yet found any art I like for our dining room, so this will be the perfect backdrop (and the wall won’t look bare!) for our Christmas dinner.

All you need is a needle, thread, cotton balls (2-3 per strand), and something to secure it to the wall (I used a dot of wall putty for each string). I used about five feet of thread for each strand, though you really can make them whatever length you like.

I started by pulling off a small piece of cotton and balling it up in my hand. I then threaded the needle through it from top to bottom, then again from bottom to top. Make a not with the two pieces of thread and trim the short end so it doesn’t show.

The remaining cotton balls I wove the thread through three times, so the thread ended up coming out the top. I used varying sizes of cotton to create the look I wanted, as well as staggering the placement of the cotton balls. Easiest craft project ever!

 

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Mothers Day Gift

by Cedar Posted on May 8, 2010

Last weekend I decided to try my hand at canning. My mom dabbled a bit in canning when we were growing up, but until recently it never even crossed my mind as something to do. I did some researching online and after buying a huge bag of mangoes last weekend for 20 cents a piece, I wanted to preserve them. One of my favorite things to do is make mango ketchup, which I almost always have on hand in my fridge. Obviously it isn’t really ketchup, and I only call it that because of the similar texture, and the versatility of it. I put it on everything; burgers, burritos, sandwiches, fries…yum! It is food of the gods.

Anyway, I used all 15 mangoes I bought to make three cans of my mango ketchup. I messed up the canning on the first batch, and over filled them, causing a horribly sticky mess all over my stove and counter. After the jars cooled enough I tried again, and was successful.

Tuesday I shipped out a package of mango ketchup and this dish cloth I knit to my mom in New Mexico. She picked it up today from the post office today and was so happy. I can’t wait to hear her feedback on the ketchup.

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Bird Hook

by Cedar Posted on April 29, 2010

My internet has been wonky for the past three days. It has been coming and going whenever it pleases, not bothering to think about my wants or needs and leaving me very frustrated! I wanted to get this post up yesterday, but due to my flaky internet access and a stupid glitch that caused all that I wrote to get deleted, I was unable to post. So here I am, rewriting it, and keeping my fingers crossed that it makes it online this time!

I have been spending a lot of time this past month working on making our apartment feel more cozy. I have been hunting out all kinds of pictures, art, and unique frames at estate sales and thrift stores to fill our walls. Our new apartment has a lot more wall space than the past places we have lived, meaning a lot of blank walls.

One of the things I have been wanting to get is a hook or hooks for our kitchen wall. I wanted something practical so that I can hang my aprons and oven mitts, but I also wanted it to be cute, decorative, and fit in with my decor style. After looking for quite a while in the homemade section of Etsy, I decided to browse the vintage section. I found this pretty quickly, and knew it would be perfect, in another color.


Usually a few times a month I work part time for my mom’s best friend, who paints houses. I have learned a lot from her, but whenever I have a painting project that I am not sure how to go about doing it, I call her up. After this came in the mail I called Ricia, the lady I work for, and asked her what would be the best way to paint iron. She suggested a lacquer or Shelaq sprayed on, then painted with any kind of paint. I knew it would be a few days before I could get to the craft store so I put the project aside. The next day Ricia called and told me she had been thinking about it, and that I could use hairspray in the place of lacquer. She suggested doing four or five coats, and then going ahead and painting.

I got to work on hairspraying and painting my birdies that afternoon. Now they are a lovely butter color, much more suitable for my kitchen. The hairspray really helped the paint stick to the iron. After we screwed it into the wall I painted the screws. I first sprayed a cheap paintbrush with hairspray and painted a few coats on, then went ahead and painted them, just like the birds.

These pictures turned out a bit on the dark side due to the overcast weather we have been having the past two days. Our kitchen walls are actually a mint green color.

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Knit Snuggie

by Cedar Posted on April 23, 2010

Yesterday my sister and I got together for lunch, during which we decided to spend the afternoon crafting.  I have been wanting to make some knit or crocheted dishcloths for my kitchen, so we went to the fabric store to buy yarn and needles. When I worked for Michael’s eight or so years ago I dabbled in many different crafts, including knitting and crocheting. I never really followed through with either, having only made practice squares or random projects that I never got close to finishing. I never really thought I would get into knitting or crocheting again (I think at this point I prefer knitting), but I am really enjoying it. It is kind of relaxing to do right before bed.

This is what I wore yesterday. The coat is newly thrifted, for only $7!

This is the first dishcloth I am making. It is about half done now, and while it isn’t perfect, I still plan on finishing it–and using it!

While we were at the fabric store I was looking through the free patterns they offered. I had to take this one, because it really made me laugh out loud.

A knit snuggie?!

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