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!

New Crafty Goodies On The Way!

I may have a problem. When I am feeling particularly sad, I buy crafty things. Let's be real, I buy crafty things often for other reasons, too, but I have learned through the last year that the way I cheer myself up is by buying crafty things.

I've been feeling pretty down about my RL (real life) job lately- it's pretty hard to be a teacher during a pandemic. So I've been on a crafty shopping spree over the past several days. All of this spree has been via the internet, so nothing has arrived yet, but I look forward to fun deliveries in the near future!

First up- I got a wild hair and decided to order some macramé supplies for a really pretty dreamcatcher that I saw on Instagram. The project was designed by Miss Knottie Macramé, and the YouTube video of it can be found here. They didn't have a kit, but I found the materials I don't already own on their website. I bought the C-frame for the dreamcatcher, some 1 mm cotton cord, some natural 3mm/4mm cotton cord, and because I am a sucker for pretty things, these gorgeous stainless steel gold scissors. I can't wait to make this beautiful project!

So, that was Sunday morning. Plenty of things to be excited about, right? Oh no. Flax & Twine had to go and make these great kit bundles. I decided to get two bundles, because there are four projects I've been wanting to try. I ended up with this crochet rope basket kit, the Sunburst basket kit, the Adeline linen dish kit, and the April basket kit. I also got an extra skein of the 3mm flax cord to make an extra April basket. I'm going to be busy once these arrive!

That's enough, right? More than enough, perhaps? Well, on Tuesday Imagined Landscapes announced their new mystery knit-along gnome, Gnot Just Another Gnome. I've been participating in each of these gnome MKALs, so of course I bought the pattern right away! Here is a Ravelry link to the pattern, please use with caution (Ravelry has accessibility issues that have caused migraines and seizures in some users). If Ravelry is not accessible to you, here is the Payhip store link. The MKAL starts on May 7th- I can't wait!

We've only made it to Tuesday afternoon now, but I'm afraid more crafty money was spent! I have been longing to purchase some of Stephanie Soebbing's fabric line "Nocturne" from Quilt Addicts Anonymous, and when I saw a kit for their Split Nine Patch Quilt featuring Nocturne, I just had to have it. The fabric line is going into a final printing in the coming months, so I had to jump at the chance to get it before it's gone!

Good news- that's all the money I've spent this week! But there are some temptations on the horizon...

First of all, there is a Monty Python inspired MKAL shawl (another Ravelry link, proceed with caution) that I might need to get in on. The pattern is only $7, so that's not a huge expense, but after all the other money I've spent this week, I'm trying to be responsible. I'll check and see if I have the yarn in-stash for it first. I'm not buying more yarn right now!

Second, I really want to buy an umbrella swift, and was fully preparing to do so THIS WEEK until I spent all of the above money. I'll hold off until next month now, but I'm planning to get the Knit Picks umbrella swift. 

I'm also going to try to purchase a resin loom and/or weaving comb from Wild Juniper Fiber Art at the end of the month. She makes the most beautiful looms and combs, and they sold out in a matter of minutes at her last shop update, so I really do mean that I will TRY to get one. 

So, yes, shopping like mad. Whew! I look forward to showing you all of the beautiful things that I will be making with these patterns and materials in the coming months! 

What have you been splurging on lately? 

March 2021 Wrap Up

I didn't get that much done in March, but what I did accomplish are some of my favorite projects to date, so I'll take it! Check out these gorgeous FOs:

I finished this cute little sprang weaving pouch that I started back in February. It will hang on my spinning wheel and hold my wheel oil.

I made this beautiful weaving inspired by an issue of Mollie Makes. It now hangs in place of honor in the hallway of my house:

I made a keychain using sprang weaving. Can you tell I enjoy sprang?

I made this great locker-hooked trivet. The pattern and instructions (and an optional kit) are on The Crafter's Box and the designer is Lindsey Campbell of Hello Hydrangea. 

And last, but not least, this beautiful shawl. The pattern is called Corrina Shawl, by Jaala Spiro. (Warning- link takes you to Ravelry.com, which has accessibility problems and has caused eye strain, migraines, and seizures. I haven't found another place to find Jaala Spiro's patterns.) 

Here's a closer look:

It's so bright and happy, and I look forward to wearing it on chilly spring and summer evenings. 

And that's it for March! Like I said, not a lot of FOs, but I'm in love with every one of them. 

This month is for catch-up- I'm trying to finish off a bunch of FOs in preparation to start some new projects in May. We'll see what I can finish! I'm already nearly done with a knitted gnome, I've made good progress on a crocheted over-door organizer, and I've done some weaving on some kitchen towels and a wall hanging. Tonight I plan to spend some time with a long-overdue quilt WIP- it just needs the binding sewed on. It's a baby quilt, so it shouldn't take too long! 

I hope I have some fun FOs to show you at the beginning of May! Happy crafting!

Easter Craft Round-Up

I'm feeling uninspired this week, so I thought I would do a round-up of some fun Easter crafts for those of you looking for a little quick craftiness this weekend. 

Here is a tutorial for crocheting around Easter eggs from Anne Weil of Flax & Twine. 

Here is a tutorial for gold animal Easter eggs, also from Anne Weil. It's a very unique idea!

Here is a tutorial for the most adorable cactus Easter eggs from The Homespun Hydrangea. 

Here is a tutorial for a beautiful, flower-covered Easter egg from Crafts Unleashed.

Here is a tutorial for beautiful DIY glass Easter egg decorations from one of my favorite artists, Becki Clark. 

Here is a tutorial for silk-dyed Easter eggs from Stephanie Soebbing of Quilt Addicts Anonymous.

Here is a cute printable "Easter egg costume" set from Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive. 

Here is a tutorial for a cute embroidered bunny pouch, also from Mollie Johanson.

Here is a tutorial for adorable crocheted Easter bunny egg cozies from crochet artist Twinkie Chan. 

Here are a few other tutorials for cute crocheted Easter-themed things from Twinkie Chan. 

Here is an adorable paper weaving tutorial for Easter chicks from Maggy at Red Ted Art, perfect for completing with little kids. 

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter weekend, regardless of what that looks like for you and your family this year. I hope everyone has a chance for some rest and relaxation. 

Happy crafting!