Frayed Knot - Savannah, Georgia

     

Frayed Knot is local yarn shop CANDY!  The owner is so very, very kind and friendly.  I  know  you want to visit Savannah, Georgia and shop at Frayed Knot.  This shop is right across the park from where Forest Gump, the movie was filmed.  The restaurant where Jenny worked is right next door. 

 And, for you spinners she also carries roving for you to spin.  

Crochet Hook Project Markers

Just when you're crocheting the best project ever you see another crochet project that you happen to have the perfect yarn to create the new project with, and you have to start it now.  The new project uses the same size crochet hook you are currently using and sure you have other crochet hooks that size but you take the hook out anyway.What happens to your latest project that you'll get back to...eventually?  I have a couple WIPs going...yeah me too.  I needed a way to remember what size crochet hook I used on a particular project.  So, into my craft room I get all my jewelry supplies and begin to design a crochet hook marker.  So many ideas ran through my head.  Simplify.  The crochet hook markers I came up with uses alphabet beads and 1 inch safety pins.  

I made two or three for the crochet hooks that I use the most.  This is a very inexpensive project.  

Looks like I needed the "K" crochet hook for another project, but that's okay because when I get back to finishing this motif I'll know that I need the "K" crochet hook to finish.  The crochet hook marker keeps the project from unraveling too.  

There are only alphabet beads in this packet, but for those of you who use the tiny number crochet hooks, there are probably a packet of those available too.  

Dazzle Me at Lowe's

Lowes is so much fun!  Have you been down the string, rope and wire aisle?  I always find something to crochet!  This visit I found Dazzle Twine in six awesome colors and for only .98 cents each.  I bought pink and purple and I'll visit again for the other four colors.  But, I haven't quite figured out what to crochet with the stuff.  It's shiny and kind of feels like a straw hat; too rough to make a scarf or gloves. Jewelry maybe?   I'll figure it out and post.  Got to go to Lowes! 

Papillon...Butterfly Scarf for a Friend

Papillon is the French word for "Butterfly."  Le Papillon was a fantastic ballet with two acts and only four scenes in the 1860's.  The scarf pattern is from allfreecrochet.com.  You'll enjoy the easy three row repeat while crocheting this "stitch."  There are two rows that you single crochet straight across and then on the third row you crochet half way across and gather the two rows below and then continue across with the double crochets to the next set of single crochets to make the papillons.  I added to 3-D butterfly motif to the bottom of this scarf.  To keep the scarf together poke the entire butterfly motif through one of the openings in the stitches. The friend who I gifted this scarf to loves butterflies and found the perfect sweater to wear with it on her special vacation to Seattle.  

Birds in the Wool

A wild critter broke into our bird house, probably a raccoon.  It cracked open the roof to have fresh eggs or fresh baby bird for a meal no doubt.  The torn up nesting material was lying on the ground.  Intertwined with the grass and small sticks was Christmas tree tinsel and my spinning wool.  The birds were borrowing it to make their nests.   My wool helped keep the birds warm that is so awesome.  

Pink & Yellow Polwarth & Spice BFL

What a very lucky girl I am to have been able to visit the 2013 Fiber Event in Greencastle, Indiana this year.  I couldn't wait to run into Riin at her Happy Fuzzy Yarn booth.  I purchased six, four-ounce braids of wonderful fiber to spin.    The hand spun skein in the picture is "Art Nouveau."  The fiber is from a Polwarth Sheep.  

This is a Polwarth sheep family.  Originally from Australia, some of the sheep have been exported to South America.  

This hand spun skein is from a Blue Face Leicester sheep.  I do not know what the name of the fiber was called because I lost the card that was attached to it when I bought it.  It's another one I bought from Riin at Happy Fuzzy Yarn.  It reminds me of spices especially the color of the curry spice.  There are no special plans for either of this hand spun skeins of yarn but whatever it turns out to become I'm sure it will be beautiful.    

Peace

Art from Nature.  Peace Rose  

Crochet Ball 6-Pack

Crochet in the round using cotton yarn and a 2 1/2 inch foam ball.  The foam balls were bought at Hobby Lobby in a six-pack for less than $3.  Single crochet in a magic loop and pull to form the center.  Crochet around and around until you get to the other side where you need to decrease back to a center spiral.  Leave a long tail of yarn to secure tightly with a yarn needle.  Crochet the whole six-pack and place in a bowl for decoration.  Children can play safely with these.  The ball I made was loved and lost when it rolled under the couch while our dog, Kiwi, was enjoying it.  

My First Ami Doll

 Amigurumi (編みぐるみ, lit. crocheted or knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art ... the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning ... that retains stuffing and does not allow the stuffing to show through the fabric. 

 

The inspiration to crochet my amigrumi doll came from clicking on websites behind Pinterest pins.  The dolls that I saw were crocheted in "skin" colors of yarn and had realistic eyes, mouth, ears and hair.  I chose not to crochet my "ami" realistically but to use an acrylic yarn from Red Heart in the color "Fruit Punch."  I learned how to crochet each component of the doll and then how to crochet her hair.  The body pieces weren't a surprise but the hair was one of those "why didn't I think of that" kind of thing.  Once the round head is crocheted (the hardest part) and body and the extremities use a big-eyed needle to put together.  With strands of yarn you attach the "hair" in a circular pattern around the head one strand at a time.  Then once all of the way around with the strands (think about how to put tassels at the end of a scarf) you bring them together to make a "ponytail."  It looks nice and oh so easy.  The doll I made could be personalized by creating the skin and hair to match a child you know.  I would love to share the website I found for this pattern but I cannot find it again.  No, not in my history either.  Sorry.  

Another surprising thing that happened was my dog, Kiwi, thinks that I made the Ami doll for her.  She has been begging me to give it to her.  I will make her one for her very own out of a natural cotton yarn, something better for pups to chew on.  I guess everybody is a fan of Amigurumi.  

Amigurumi Doll - she measures 14 inches long

Detail pictures of how to create the hair. 

 

Love Stitches Hat

While visiting Memories Yarn Cafe (Henderson, Ky), I saw a beautiful hat that Carolyn, the Proprieter and talented crocheter) had crocheted.  She was very kind enough to share the website for the pattern to make my own.  This pattern is available at lovestitches.blogspot.  It was very easy to follow and while I grabbed a Bernat yarn to make my first hat, I want to snag a couple skeins of solid colored soft acrylic LionBrand yarn from Carolyn's shop to make another one or two, or three.  It's very hard to stop once you learn to crochet and hook up (now that's funny) with a great pattern - free pattern. The possibilities are truly endless and the people you meet who love it are pretty amazing.  The flower on my hat is huge and little disturbing in that I did not follow a pattern to crochet it.  It needs a flatter flower.  Can't wait to wear it...once I remove the enormous flower.  Thank you, Carolyn. 

Memories Yarn Cafe

I drove across that "money saving bridge" (a local thing people say around here; the blue bridge between Kentucky and Indiana) and discovered a super nice lady and her beautiful antique store in Henderson, Kentucky.  Mrs. Carolyn is a very talented crocheter and member of a prayer shawl group.  Inside of the Memories antique shop is the Memories Yarn Cafe, something that has recently opened and has caught on like wildfire.  You will find Memories Yarn Cafe on Facebook.  While there I purchased yarn (you knew I was going to say that) and new crochet hooks.  My new Susan Bates Quicksilver crochet hooks are a hit.  The shape is nice and like the name says they are "quick."  They are made of aluminum, designed nicely and have a smooth texture that allows for fast crochet action.  The yarn I just had to purchase is called Kaleidoscope and has a dye lot number but not a name.  It's 100% wool so feltable and is made by Elegant Yarns, Inc a USA company.  Take a look at my fingerless gloves that I crocheted using my new 100% wool yarn.  I got a whole pair from one skein and plenty of yarn to do another small project.  I had to modify the LionBrand.com pattern that I used for the fingerless gloves.  So what I ended up with was 24 rows of double stitch which I had 35 stitches on my foundation chain.  When you are ready to put the long edges together start from the top, skip about an inch and a half for the thumb hole and then continue on down the edge to put the gloves together.  I decided to top stitch around the top and bottom and I think it looks nice. 

Susan Bates Quicksilver Aluminum Crochet Hooks

100% wool yarn in a bright purple, red and yellow color scheme

Finished fingerless gloves and leftover 100% wool yarn. 

Newly Styled Scarf Closure

Sometimes when I get the crochet hook in my hand and the yarn through my fingers I don't have a plan.  That sounds crazy, right?  With a new skein of Debbie Bliss purple tweed with white specks came this what I'm calling a "row scarf."  I crocheted the scarf using the basic double-stitch until it was about 6 inches wide and then remembered a technique I had once done on another project.  I crocheted more double-crochet stitches on top of the already created stitches which created a "height" so-to-speak in the original double-stitch.  So, I continued in this manner until I had 3 rows.  In jewelry making, a bead or knot is used to create something that is placed inside of a loop for the closure.  That was my idea for this newly styled scarf closure for my project.  I made the ball by crocheting a "pocket" and then stuffed it with a bundle of the same yarn.  I had stuffed the pocket ball with some fiber fill but the white color showed through and it didn't look good at all.  So, that's where using the same yarn made it look nice. It feels girly and elegant when you wear the closure just below your collar bone against your sweater or blouse.  

32 inch scarf with ball closure and row crochet

Necklace style scarf closure

Crocheted rows are soft and delicate. 

Local Crocheter Wins

I'm really the winner of my blog contest.  I feel validated because Jessica Buckler commented on Fiberista Studio that she is familiar with my booth at our local flea market in Newburgh, Indiana. I work really hard to create things and stock my booth and it's so nice to hear my work is valued.  Jessica wrote that she purchased my upcycled yarn for her crochet projects and sells them on-line.  Jessica email me (sonya.addington@insightbb.com) so I can get your handspun yarn to you for posting your comments and joining Fiberista Studio.  You just never know how things are going to turn out when you post, I feel especially blessed with this one.  

Fresh Alabama Cotton

Fresh Alabama Cotton 2013

Look at all of this fresh Alabama cotton.  My dad was a career United States Navy man.  We met a lot of people in our travels for his job and we were lucky enough to keep in touch with a few great people over the years.  Our family friend lives in Alabama.  When he called me to ask how everybody was doing, I asked him about the chance of him sending cotton.  I remember seeing the fluff that fell off of the trucks from the cotton fields to the processing along the sides of the road.  That conversation was months ago, but just a couple of days ago there it was a whole box of beautiful white cotton.  The bits of brown that you see on the cotton is leaf crumbs and is easily removed by lightly brushing.  I learned recently that cotton also grows naturally in a light brown color and even a green color.  I will spin the Alabama cotton with my metal Tahkli spindle that I purchased from the website Cotton Clouds.  I will post more as I learn how to spin the Tahkli and make cotton yarn and thread.            

 

Garden Boots Ya'll

A pair of glazed terra cotta boots. 

When I was on a rummaging trip this morning, I found these great boots.  I just love finding something so unusual.  They are made of terra cotta, you know the stuff that flower pots are made of.  The toes on them are glazed but the tops are not.  There is even faux threading on them.  I was rummaging for items to add to my flea market booth where I sell my yarn and roving, but these may just have to stay home.  Since they are glazed, I could grow green plants in them or maybe a silk flower arrangement could look nice coming out of the tops.  They almost look like a pair of size 12 or 1 little girl/boy's cow boots - so adorable I wanted to share them with you. 

One Skein Single Crochet Stitch Scarf

I made this scarf with a wonderful Italian chunky Merino wool two-ply skein that I picked up in a clearance bin at Dee's in Louisville, Kentucky on a recent road trip after Christmas. I made up the pattern.  Its just single crochet throughout - that's the only stitch I used.  Single crochet, the netting is made from single crochet (like you would use on a beach bag) and then add tassels on each end of the scarf.  It measures only 30 inches so it's perfect to poke one end into itself to keep it on your neck and from falling on the ground.  
 

Sticks and stones....no Crochet Hooks

Handmade crochet hooks from sticks in the yard that had fallen from the trees. 

This little pile of wooden crochet hooks is the result of me picking up sticks in the yard and getting the idea of making my own hooks.  They turned out really pretty.  On some of them the gauge is even correct as far as the size of the hook - that was just pure luck on my part.  I've used a couple of them to crochet and they work very well.  I used my husband's tools in the garage to make these.  I grinded the bark off of the sticks with a sander and then cut the "neck" of the hook with a bandsaw - pretty high powered tools that move fast.  Some of the sticks got away from me before they became crochet hooks.  Since I made these I got a small Dremel tool to make them.  That ought to be a little easier to handle than the big tools I used before. 

Hit 2,000 Visitors Giveaway

My blog visitor number isn't far - less than 100 from hitting 2,000. I would really like to see more of you sign-up as followers of Fiberista Studio, so I am proposing to giveaway something special I have stashed in my studio.  Give me some ideas of what to give away in the comment section and please sign-up to follow me.  If I don't get any takers, I will simply send my one faithful follower something really awesome.  Easy.  Comment and follow before I hit 2,000. 

70's Embroidery Jeans and a New Floss Collection

Embroidery was a BIG thing in the 70's when I was in high school.  Where you one of the girls (or guys) that embroidery all over their jeans from top to bottom and especially on the pockets...I totally was.  My jeans had Peace signs, "Love", a cat face, birds...Oh, how I wish I still had those jeans.  It started with a hole in the knee and then I pretty much covered them in embroidery.  I'm wondering if my mama has a picture of me wearing those jeans (reminder:  call mama and ask about those jeans...)

Today on Craft Gossip there is a post for a giveaway for a brand new floss.  Click on the Craft Gossip link to enter a chance to win some of this floss for yourself!  

This is not your mama's floss - click this link Sublime Floss to see the collection for yourself. 

Jenny Hart is offering delicious colors: Frosting, Fruit Salad, Taffy Pull and others Prism, Portrait, Flowerbox, Breakdance, Parlour, Mingles and Metallic. The collection of beautiful floss is not expensive - it's very reasonably priced for $6 dollars for a collection of six skeins and available at Sublime Stitching website.  I hope you win the giveaway!  I have entered to win myself but I will be buying my own collections very soon. 

I Love Yarn Day

What will you do Friday to honor I Love Yarn Day?  I have been crocheting with a vengeance preparing for an upcoming craft show.  "Honor?"  Yep, anything you love so  much that you spend hours and hours thinking about and the last thing you have on your mind before falling asleep is worth honoring!  I hope you have a great "I Love Yarn Day!" 

Happy Fuzzy Yarn Interview

 It's not secret that I am a big fan of Riin Gill and her yarn art.  I have blogged about being a loyal member of her fiber club.  Monthly, in the mail, I receive happy fuzzy fiber.  It reminds me to slow down and do what I really love to do - spin yarn.   Riin is the featured artist on the Spinartiste blog.  What a treat to read her story.  Click this link:   http://www.spinartiste.com/featured-artist-riin-gill-of-happy-fuzzy-yarn  Riin could write a book about her fiber experiences... wink-wink Riin.  

Crochet Challenge

Crochet 50 pair of fingerless gloves for the fall craft shows; that's my challenge.  I crocheted a pair and then sold it.  So, started again and now I have 3 pair done - 47 pair to crochet.  I created the pattern myself and I have to say it goes pretty fast.  Some yarns do much better showing the stitches than others.  Since it's a one-size-for-all pattern, I hope to be successful in selling them at the craft shows.  Here are a few pics I want to share with you. 

 

Dyeing Yarn - My First Experience

During a recent trip to a fiber festival, while there, I bought a couple packages of fiber Cushing's Perfection Dyes from W. Cushing & Company in Kennebunkport, Maine, USA.  I bought the colors strawberry and chartreuse.  I chose strawberry to try for my first experience dying fiber.

  I chose a grey sheep fiber and a white merino fiber.  Both fibers are very soft.  I was curious to see how each fiber would take the strawberry dye. 

 With the pots full of water, I sprinkled in the dye being careful not to breath in the dust from the dye.  Next I added the 1/2 cup vinegar for each pound of fiber, then put the presoaked fiber into the dyebath.  The instructions said to keep the fiber in the dye bath until all of the color is absorbed into the fiber.  

 

 This is the results of each fiber in the strawberry dye.  The grey fiber (above left) has grey bits going through it, turned out to be kind of a raspberry color.  The white merino (above right) took the dye in a bright strawberry color.

                                                                                                      

 

Waiting for the fiber to dry was the longest it seemed, but I had a very good day with the weather a slight breeze was blowing.  The lavender smelled so good drying next to the fiber. 

I spun the bright strawberry fiber on my Kromski Sonata spinning wheel.  I think it turned out pretty good for my first experience dying yarn and it was really fun too! So don't be intimidated by the fiber dyeing process; you can do it too!  If you love it, that's all that matters. 

 

Sandal...Flip Flop Socks

A pair of sandal socks!

Sandal sock with my sandal!

Why didn't I think of these?  When you see a great idea like these, don't you wish you'd been smart and inventive enough?  Sandal socks weren't just invented though; the Japanese having been wearing them for many, many years.  I first spotted a pair on Pinterest.com 

I crocheted my pair using my own pattern and stitches and using my own feet for the fit.  They are comfortable and stylish! There are many free patterns for "flip flop" and "sandal socks" on the web.  Measure your mid-foot around.  Begin with a front post for the band and single and double crochet until you have your own pair of sandal socks!