Creativity Project

There is/was this copy + paste status update going around Facebook about making something handmade for people, the first five people to comment. I thought this was a great idea and had been looking for a project to help me stay inspired creatively throughout the year. So I copied and pasted and, to my surprise, got a lot of good response.

Sadly, a lot of people commented saying that they weren't creative, or couldn't make anything. I like to think everyone can make something, sure some people are more creative than others, but there are enough instructions and ideas out there to get anyone started. Anyway, I was just really excited about this so I let these people slide. (this time!)

I ended up with 12 people - one for each month of the year. Fellow yarn-crafters may be thinking, this seems like a lot to add to the (somehow always) infinite list of projects to be completed/started. And maybe it is. It might turn out to have been a crazy idea, but I guess we'll see.

I decided to write down the names on pieces of paper, and just draw them at random. Or have co-workers/whoever I can find at the office do it.

I've already started on my projects for the first person I drew and plan on having them in the mail before month-end.

I'm can't explain how excited I am about this! I just thought I'd share a little about it, to document my progress and hopefully inspire someone else to be creative. Maybe not on this scale just yet, but to at least get started. :)

The Great Knitting Debate

I've been thinking a lot lately about learning to knit. But I'm trying to decide, should I learn because it's useful and I can make new things? Or, should I not learn because I can make new things and have that many more "to be made" ideas floating around?

Well some lovely person bought me the knitting needles I had on my amazon wish list for Christmas, and today my sister (who I learned to crochet with) told me one of her new years goals was to learn to knit with me. Hm!

Either way, here are some patterns I'd love to try... someday... when k1p1 means anything to me. (Found through Ravelry)

by Trish Woodson

by Ohmystars

from Crystal Place yarns

Cozy!

The Neverending Headband Story

A month or two ago (oops) a friend from work asked me if i could re-create this for her. Without thinking I said I would try it. How hard could it be?, I thought. How hard, indeed!

I didn't get started on it until after the crap-i-forgot-to-start-on-Christmas-gifts-before-thanksgiving rush, so by that time I was already feeling bad about the amount of time that had passed. Once I was working on it I kept having the problem that i would measure it (to my own head) after a couple of rows and it would be fine, actually it was too long and would overlap, but every time I was almost done with it would have somehow shrunk down and ended up being too short. I hard to frog it -- not once, but five or six times!

To make it worse, my sister, after seeing that I finished (she knew how many times I'd started over) said, "So, did you write down what you did?" D'oh. The friend I made it for is out of town, but when she's back in the office I plan on borrowing from her long enough to write it down and turn it into my very first written pattern.

Anyway, after all that I was really happy with how it turned out, and quite proud that I could recreate something by looking at it.

The yarn is Patons Angora Bamboo (soooo soft!) in Low Tide.

happy new year!

photo by legalnonresident

Just wanted to say... see you next year!

Here's a post on Skip to my Lou that I just loved... So many pretty calendars, how will I choose??

Printable 2011 Calendars

Another Needlecraft

I admit that the last thing I need is another "work in progress" pile in my craft corner, but come on, who wouldn't love this??

click here to buy

My oldest sister did cross-stitch (I know it's not exactly the same) when she was younger, I'm sure she would have liked to have some more modern designs like this to work with (she's just stylish like that!) So, yes, I think this is pretty great.

(as heard about on the indie biz chicks podcast)

Have a great weekend!