November Wrap-Up

I was able to accomplish a few more crafty things in November! The best part- many of the projects I did were free and pretty easy for the average person to accomplish, so I'll be sure to include links to techniques and projects so you can make your own!

First, I made these cute little crochet Christmas ornaments. Their pattern is not available online, unfortunately, but they were the free project with issue 111 of Mollie Makes magazine, so if you have it laying around somewhere, now is the time to make it!

Next I made a much-needed knitted hat. This pattern is called "Duality", and is free on Ravelry (please note- Ravelry has some accessibility issues that have caused injury to some, so please use the website with caution). 

Then I got an email with a free pattern for a finger-knitted wreath, and I couldn't resist whipping up a couple of them! The first picture is made with strips of red fabric, the second is made with bulky-weight yarn. You can find the free pattern from Flax & Twine here.  

The last thing I whipped up last month was the easiest Advent calendar for my son. I had some pull-out papers from issue 58 of Mollie Makes magazine (yes, it seems I utilized them a lot this past month), and the papers included little illustrated numbers, so I cut them out, wrote what he gets on the back (candy, small toy, things like that) and strung them up on some spare yarn. You could do this with any cute paper- no need to find this exact magazine! You could cut number shapes, or Christmas ornament shapes, or anything, really!

That's it for FOs for the month. I currently have the following projects OTN (on the needle):

1. All Work, Gnome Play by Sarah Schira (Ravelry link- use caution)

2. Leave Gnome Stone Unturned by Sarah Schira (another Rav link), which is a mystery knit-along

3. Chromatic Cowl by Amy Detjen (final Rav link, I promise!)

My big plan for the month is to finish up some works-in-progress and make a Christmas present or two, but I'm taking it easy! December is busy for everyone, and I intend to live in the moment and enjoy crafting when I can, but not push it. I hope the same for all of you. 

Happy crafting!

October Wrap-Up...Finally!

What a busy start to the month I have had! So many work obligations, so many appointments, so many meetings...but finally things are calming down as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday week. Thank goodness!

I finished two little things in October, as I am slowly starting to get my crafting mojo back as the colder months approach. 

Here is a cute little pin-loom pumpkin that I made:

I used my pin loom to weave a few orange squares, sewed them into the shape of a pumpkin, and then used one of my Purl & Loop Minute Weavers to weave the stem. I got the pattern and idea from WindsweptMind.com. 

I also finished this knitted blanket square, which is going to be made into a blanket with many squares from other friends for a mutual friend who is currently working through some medical problems. 

The pattern for this square can be found on the DROPS Design website, though it is just a basic 8" garter square, so it's not too difficult to make up your own version if you so choose. Just choose your needle and yarn carefully to get the right size of square! 

So, what's in the works now, you might ask? I am currently working to knit a much-needed hat, I'm crocheting some Christmas decorations, I'm nearly finished with a knitted gnome, and I hope to get some work done on the woven towels that have been languishing on my loom for the past few months. Now if I can just find a bit more crafting time! :-) Hopefully the holiday week next week will afford me a few more moments to relax and craft. I hope the same for you. 

Happy crafting!

September Wrap-Up

I actually got some crafting done this past month! I'm slowly climbing out of my crafting slump, and I'm in love with the projects that I worked on this month. 

I completed two items:

1. A crocheted potholder/trivet, kit by Casa Marengo Studio. 

2. A shape loom Christmas tree, loom also by Casa Marengo Studio. 

I also started a few other projects that I'm excited about:

1. A blanket square in a vivid pink color for a collaborative blanket with some friends, pattern is "Happy Patch"

2. A new Mystery Knit Along gnome, pattern by Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes, pattern is "All Work, Gnome Play". 

3. I started some sewn masks, but they still need nose clips and ear loops. I'm using my usual pattern from Sewing Therapy. 

I've already been working away on the three WIPs above in the last few days, so I hope I'll be showing you pictures of those finished objects in the near future!

Selling Crafty Possessions

I have recently been trying to sell off some of my mother's craft books. She passed away in 2016, so it is far overdue, but the emotional labor behind getting rid of such things has been intense. I finally have started by posting some things on a craft website, Ravelry. 

She had so many books of so many different kinds! Embroidery, quilting, knitting, crocheting, mixed media, felting, spinning, cross stitch, the list just goes on and on! She was a life-long lover of all things craft, and it really shows as I work my way through her library. 

I have been fortunate enough to offload some of her cross stitch materials to online acquaintances that I know will love and respect her books and magazines. I sent a huge stack of cross stitch magazines to a friend on the West Coast. I just sent a few books to a friend in Denmark. I hope to pass more along to other craft lovers as it goes. 

Here is a picture of ONE stack of craft books I have gone through so far. There are sooooo many more. 

So, here is my question- do you ever have craft books you want to offload somewhere? What do you do with them? If I can't get them sold online somewhere I will probably give them to Goodwill or a local craft re-store. Any ideas I can get would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, and happy crafting!

August Wrap-Up

What did I accomplish in August? Honestly, I didn't finish a SINGLE THING. Not my finest craft productivity. But I had good reason- I'm pregnant, and the fatigue was so intense I couldn't bring myself to craft most days. I did work on a long-term WIP, however, and it is almost ready to bind off and be complete. It is my brioche cowl: 

I'm also excited to finish the current towels I have on my loom, plus I've been asked to make some samples for a shape loom shop, so I have my work cut out for me! I'm still going to be crafting slower than normal, (a friend recently told me, "You're crafting constantly when you're making a baby, it's just not on the outside") but I'm hoping to get some things done this month. I'll keep you all posted!

Happy crafting!

What do you craft in the hottest part of the year?

The heat is here! We have had heat advisories in our neck of the woods for the last few days, and we are scheduled to have more in the near future. 

So what should we craft? I can tell you that knitting and crocheting sounds much less appealing to me when it is hot outside. I need small, quick projects that don't require me holding warm materials on my lap! Here are some ideas:

1. Face masks

Yes, I am still making face masks. I work around 250+ people per day, and until my young child can be vaccinated, I will be masking. I've made three masks for my son, two for my spouse, and one for myself so far this month. Sitting at the sewing machine with a small project that doesn't drape onto my lap is no problem in the heat! Here is my preferred mask sewing pattern/tutorial: https://sewingtherapy.net/diy-mask-with-a-replaceable-filter/

2. Shape loom weaving

The shape looms I have been working with are quite small, very portable, and require few supplies, making this an easy project to work on in front of the TV (and under the ceiling fan). I currently have a small pile of looms from Casa Marengo Studio that I am working on weaving up as samples for her. Look at these cute little ornament looms! 

3. Cross stitch

Cross stitch is an excellent idea for this time of year. I prefer to make smaller cross stitch projects anyway, so maybe some ornaments, or cards, or other small seasonal things would work for you. I found quite the collection of free patterns here, and I really enjoy the back-to-school patterns that I found here on that site. Lots of cute teacher gifts!

4. Origami

How about a little paper folding to keep you cool? I loved origami as a child, and I still have fun breaking out the pretty papers once in awhile. I found a bunch of fun tutorials here. The same website (gathered.how) also has other papercrafting tutorials. 

So, what will it be? What craft is going to be doable while staying cool for you in these late summer months? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear! 

Happy crafting!

July Wrap-Up

 Hello hello! It's been a wonderful summer so far, and as it's wrapping up, it's time to look at what I accomplished in July. Honestly, it wasn't a lot of crafting. It was a lot more resting, relaxing, having fun, and exploring! :-) Just as a summer ought to be. However, I did craft a bit:

I finished this cute cat weaving, which is a portrait of a friend's cat:

I finished up this set of three tapestry weavings, which were little exploration pieces, testing out new-to-me techniques:

I made this macramé paw print, pictured with the cat portraits that I gifted with it:

And, perhaps most impressively, I finished this complicated woven lace wall hanging:

That last one was quite the workout! 

As fall arrives and I get back in the swing of things, I have some different projects on the horizon. I've been asked to make samples for a shape-loom maker, so some weaving is in my future, plus I plan to finish up some works-in-progress. I have a brioche knit cowl, some woven towels, a baby quilt, and some sewn face masks to finish up, and I'm ready to have them done! 

I look forward to getting back into the swing of blogging this fall, and I hope to have many fun projects and tutorials to share. Remember, if you follow me on Twitter (@fuzzydorff), Facebook (@fuzzydorffcreations) or Instagram (fuzzydorffcreations), you'll see much more frequent updates and lots of progress photos. I hope to see you there!

Happy crafting!

June Wrap-Up

It's time for the monthly wrap-up! 

I tucked in the last few ends to finish up this cute knitted gnome that I started working on clear back in December:

I made this cool weaving. It reminds me of stalactites:

I made this weaving of a happy, sleepy cat:

I crocheted this chunky rope basket, perfect for holding craft supplies:

And I also worked on some other weaving projects, but I haven't finished any of them yet. FOs coming soon! 

I hope you're all having a wonderful and safe summer! Happy crafting!

Summer break!

Happy summer, everyone! I have been doing a bit of crafting here and there, but also taking a well-deserved break. I'm not on my computer as much during the summer, so there might be longer breaks between blog posts, but you can ALWAYS catch up on my latest crafty pursuits at the following social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fuzzydorffcreations

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fuzzydorff

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuzzydorffcreations/

Here's my latest post on the above sites: 

Anyway, if you don't see me here for a couple weeks, check me out on social media! Happy summer, and happy crafting!

Fun Summer Kid Crafts

It's that time of year- we have kids to entertain, and we want to craft. Let's combine interests and get some fun kid crafts worked up! Here is a list of some helpful websites I found:

Happiness is Homemade- Here is a list of quick summer crafts, including a cool pool noodle racetrack that I'm going to have to make for my son. 

Hands On As We Grow- This website compiled fun crafts from a bunch of different websites into one fun list, including a bubble snake blower!

Good Housekeeping- This list has a bunch of fun crafts that are a little more involved, like soap making, fabric stamping, and pottery painting, but I'm most excited about the seashell crab magnets.

The Idea Room- This is another list of crafts for older kids. I saw several on here that I'd love to make, but the one that caught my eye as a cool craft for upper-elementary-aged kids was the DIY Kool-Aid lip gloss. 

I Heart Crafty Things- Here is a HUGE list of summer crafts, and right at the top is a bunch of links to tutorials for zoo-themed finger puppets. My kiddo would go crazy for those. 

Projects With Kids- If your kid is into painting, there are a bunch of cool ideas on this site. 

There are many more websites that popped up with my simple Google search, but I think the list above is a good start. :-) 

In my house, fingerpainting is always a beloved activity. This summer I intend to pull some cardboard boxes out of the recycling, open them up flat, and let the kid paint whatever his heart desires all over them. The art work is easy to hang up if you want to display it, or it can be recycled when you're done. It's a win-win!

Happy crafting!

May Wrap-Up

 Happy summer! School is out, the temperatures are warming up, and it's time for the May wrap-up!

In the month of May I was able to finish off some weaving, some locker hooking, and some knitting.

At the beginning of the month I finished the last bit of work on this woven lace wall hanging, is a project in Lindsey Campbell's Lace Weaving Tapestry class:

Something I really got excited about in May was using a cat-shaped loom to make this woven cat portrait! The loom is from Casa Marengo Studio.

I made this locker hooked trivet, a project from Lindsey Campbell's locker hooking course on The Crafters Box. 

Mid-month I found a vintage flower loom, so I had to try it out, of course!

And finally I made this cute little gnome, the newest gnome MKAL from Imagined Landscapes:

I've already finished two things this month, so I'll have more FOs to share in a few weeks! Until then, happy crafting!

What's OTN?

 OTN- "On the needles"

So, what are you working on currently? I'd love to hear about it! "On the needles" refers to knitting, but I really mean anything- what crafty project are you currently working on? I have several projects in the works right now:

1. A small tapestry weaving on my Flax & Twine hand loom

2. A knitted gnome mystery knit-along

3. A lace rose weaving on my large Hello Hydrangea frame loom

4. A set of kitchen towels on my Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom

5. A baby quilt (hand sewing the binding currently)

Plenty of projects to work on! I'd really love to see what you've got in the works. Do you knit? Crochet? Weave? Sew? Felt? Scrapbook? Leatherwork? Any craft counts! Let's share what's keeping us entertained right now in the comments. 

Happy crafting!

How to Dabble in Weaving

Have you ever thought about weaving, but you didn't want to make the financial commitment of purchasing a loom without knowing if you'd like it or not? Despite my extensive loom collection, I was once in this boat. I have some project ideas for those of you that would like to try weaving without buying an expensive loom. 

Let's start with some non-loom projects! I found an article about weaving a bag on a cardboard loom in a book, and decided to cut up a cereal box and give it a try! Here was the result:

The book was called, "Spiders' Games: a Book for Beginning Weavers" by Phylis Morrison. 

I've also made some cool non-loom projects from Anne Weil's book, "Weaving Within Reach". This bag was made by laying the yarn down on a table, weaving it bit-by-bit, and then stitching it together to make it stay put. 

By the way, Anne Weil sells kits for a lot of her loom-free weave projects on her website Flax & Twine. 

Here are some free internet resources that may help you jump into weaving without a loom:

How to Weave Without a Real Loom

Weave This: Weaving Without a Loom

Geometric Weaving Wall Hanging (this one weaves on a crochet background- clever!)

Boho Woven Wall Hanging Without a Loom

DIY Macrame for Beginners/Macraweave Tutorial (if you're interested in macramé, try this!)

Perhaps you want to create your own loom? I made a loom out of an embroidery hoop to make this pretty trivet:

This project is also from Anne Weil's book, linked above.

There are a lot of tutorials out there for constructing your own simple loom out of a frame or a canvas. Here are a few:

How to Weave Without Special Equipment

DIY Dollar Store Woven Wall Hanging

Create Your Own Frame Loom: No Tools Necessary

Make Your Own Weaving Bookmarks

How to Make a Woven Wall Hanging and Weaving Loom

Weave Thieve: How to Make a DIY Weaving Loom for Less Than $20

How to Weave and DIY Loom Tutorial

How to Make a Simple Weaving Loom

I could go on and on- I love looking up crafty things on the internet! I hope that these links give you a place to start so you can dabble in my latest obsession and see if you enjoy it, too! 

Happy crafting!

April Wrap-Up

Doing a monthly wrap-up for projects during April this year is a bit strange. I only finished one thing! But I spent most of the month casually working on a variety of long-term WIPs (works in progress), so I'll share them as well. 

The only project I completed during April were these pretty towels for my friend, Tif.

They have magnetic snaps! They will stay on the oven door handle a lot better this way. 

Here is what else I worked on in April:

I nearly finished this lacy, woven wall hanging. It's finished now, but on the last day of April it was still on the loom, looking like this:

I also worked on my brioche cowl, especially while watching Zoom meetings:

I finished my ADVENTure gnome except for weaving in a couple ends and blocking the beard. I don't have a picture of what it looks like right this instant, but here is a picture of his lovely hat:

I warped my Schacht Flip loom and started another set of kitchen towels for my friend, Lorna:

I also worked on the binding for a baby quilt that I finished quilting AGES ago, and have been procrastinating sewing on the binding. I don't seem to have gotten a picture of that! I'll just have to get it finished up and share a photo of the finished object! 

Not as much crafting in April- it's just been a busy spring, and I've been tired out from my real-life job. I'm a teacher, so I'm looking forward to some extra crafting time in the near future as the school year wraps up. I'm attending a virtual conference later this week, so I anticipate plenty of crafting while watching Zoom meetings all day! 

What have you been working on lately? Let me know in the comments! Happy crafting!

Success!

So, in my last post I tried valiantly to get a weaving comb from Wild Juniper Fibre Art, to no avail.

However! The owner announced that some people had technical difficulties, plus she had some delays due to a sick kid, so she decided to have a mini-update last Friday, and I am pleased to announce that I had some success! I scored this beauty:

I tried to get a loom, too (not that I need one!), but those were gone in an instant. I'll just have to try again in the future. 

I can't wait to have this beautiful comb in my hand! It will take 2-4 weeks to ship (it's coming from Abu Dhabi), but when it arrives I will be sure to post pictures! 

So Close!

 I am not usually one to sit on a website anxiously awaiting for a shop update so I can snatch up some wonderful product, but then I learned about Wild Juniper Fibre Art. 

Besides astonishingly beautiful handspun art yarn, she also makes beautiful resin looms and weaving combs with watercolor paints and dried flowers. The first time I saw one I gasped- I must have one. 

Yesterday was her monthly shop update, and I was ready. I had a countdown on my phone, I was watching the minutes tick by. The update went live at 11:00, and I jumped on and skimmed through the weaving combs, determined to have one to use with my Hello Hydrangea lap loom. 

At 11:01 I put two combs into my shopping cart so I could look at them more closely. I chose which one I liked best, deleted the other, and hit "update cart". The one I had just chosen had already sold! It was this one:

So I hurriedly went back, snagged the other comb that I liked, and hit submit. I got to the payment page, speed-typed my information in, and clicked submit. It was mine! Except it wasn't. I'd been cart jacked. This was the one I almost got:

So I hurried back to the looms and combs page to try to get any comb that was left, but they were all gone! Noooooooooooooooooooooooo. 

Oh well. I can certainly get by without one, and now I just have the fun of waiting anxiously for the next update! Maybe I'll end up with one someday. :-)

What about you? Is there a shop update that you anxiously await? Have you been cart jacked out of something amazing? Let me know in the comments. 

Happy crafting!

Distractions During Virtual Meetings

How are all of you surviving the seemingly never-ending stream of virtual meetings? Zoom, Teams, Google Meet...how do we even keep these all straight? 

After awhile I feel like I can't focus unless I'm doing something with my hands, so I often turn to knitting or crocheting. It's kind of fun to look back at pictures I've taken of a project while I was attending a webinar or a Zoom meeting. 

I try to have a project going that is simple and repetitive so I can easily pay attention to the words of the meeting without losing myself in a tricky stitch pattern, although I have occasionally muscled through with a trickier project. 

It's funny- looking at these pictures makes it look like my computer is doing a cameo in my crafting life.

 

I've even been known to do a little weaving in front of the computer (on a small scale).

And of course, in the era of attending constant Zoom meetings, I have obviously also attended some Zoom fiber arts classes!

It's nice that not EVERY computer-related thing I've done in the last year has been all about work.

It's great that we have the internet to help connect us to others, but it's also nice to have a good craft project to help us stay sane while we attend a constant stream of virtual meetings. I hope you have found something to help you get through it all. I'd love to hear about your Zoom meeting projects! Feel free to comment on this post so I can hear all about it. 

Happy crafting!