Sewing Masks- The 2020 Pastime

I have to admit it- I went from begging my friend's mom to make me a couple masks so I could switch them out to launder, to deciding I should make a few of my own, to full-on wanting to have one mask in my favorite style per day and also could it match my outfit? When I first started sewing them, I thought, "This is a huge hassle, I'm glad I don't have to make too many." Now I think, "Yay, I have time to make masks today! Let's fire up the iron and pick out fabrics!" 

My favorite mask pattern is this one from Sewing Therapy. They fit the best, they're the most comfortable, and there is a video tutorial, which is very much a thing I needed when I started making them. I have made them for everyone in my immediate family, plus my dad, a friend, and a friend's parents. 

Masks that I have planned to make in the near future:

1. A mask with snowmen on it for the winter holiday season for each person in my household.

2. A Holstein cow mask for my son and my dad, so they can match. (White and black patterned fabric)

3. Music-themed masks for me for work, and also one or two of these for my grandma. 

4. A couple masks in gingham, because some friends thought they could be fun. 

5. More masks from the fabric that I got in the mask kits that I bought back in August. 

When will I have time to sew all of these? Your guess is as good as mine! I dream big. Sorry/not sorry. I'll get them done eventually, I'm sure. :-) 

So, are you sewing masks? If so, what pattern/style is your favorite? Do you prefer surgical-style or N95-style? Ear loops, ties, or elastic around the back of the head? Share with me your mask adventures!

Fiber-related Social Media

 Where do you tend to go for your fiber-related social media needs? 

I have always been a fan of Ravelry, but their recent accessibility issues have caused a lot of unacceptable problems for people, so I'm looking for other popular venues. 

I have a Facebook account where I post updates to my blog as well as recent projects. You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/fuzzydorffcreations

I also have a Twitter account where I post blog updates, recent projects, as well as share lots of free projects and fun things from other fibery people. You can find it here: https://twitter.com/fuzzydorff

Finally, I have a Pinterest account that I don't use as much as I used to, but I do like to scroll through for crafty ideas (and recipes!) from time to time. You can find me here: https://www.pinterest.com/bethanyseedorff/fuzzydorffcreations/

I probably use Twitter the most. Many people have told me I'm missing out by not being a member of Instagram, but I'm reluctant to create another social media account. I'd rather be crafting than constantly scrolling social media! :-) Do you think it's worth it? 

Are there any other places you think I should be checking out? I really want places where I can reach out to fellow fiber enthusiasts. 

October Recap

 So, what did I do in October? (Besides purchase fiber tools, you mean?)

I sewed several masks. This is my new favorite hobby, when I have time to sit at my sewing machine, at least. I have a pattern from sewingtherapy.net that I've fallen in love with, and they are just more comfortable than any other mask I've tried. 

I made a blue one and an aqua one-

I made a green one for a friend- 

And I sewed an entire set for my family to wear for Halloween, featuring sugar skulls-

I also made this cute little macrame feather, another Mollie Makes 2020 Calendar project-

I finished tucking in the ends on this cute little knitted gnome from Imagined Landscapes (please forgive the dark picture)- 

I wove (weaved?) these adorable little squares on my friend's Minute Weaver set before I got my own-

And I made this amazing woven table runner (draft from Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom) for my grandmother- 

Not a lot of knitting and crocheting, I notice! I have some bigger/more fiddly projects in the works for knitting and crocheting that I worked on through the month, I just didn't finish them. Hopefully I'll finish them this month and they'll be in next month's recap. 

What have you finished lately? Please consider commenting, or you can even email me at fuzzydorffcreations@gmail.com and let me know what crafty goodness you're engaging in. I'm a craft dabbler, so I love to hear about ALL crafts!

Proudest FOs from 2020 so far

It has been SO LONG since I last updated this blog on my FOs (finished objects). I'm not about to post four years worth of projects on here, but I'll post some that I'm particularly proud of that I've made since the start of 2020.  

Knitting: 

I finished these socks that my mom started YEARS ago. The yarn is super soft, and it was knitted from a sock blank, so the socks match! The yarn is from Sandy's Palette. 

I made this amazing Pi Digits Scarf for my favorite nerd:

Crochet:

I made this cool hat (Visage Lace Beret, by Kristin Omdahl) for a friend using some beautiful Hedgehog Fibres yarn:

I made this silly crocheted "toilet paper" scarf (pattern from Chrissy Misso of London Loo tours) for my dad, who requested it, believe it or not:

Weaving:

I made this beautiful trivet from "Weaving Within Reach" by Anne Weil. It was really fun to make and is super sturdy. 

I made this beautiful roller towel using SAORI weaving techniques on my Schacht Cricket rigid heddle loom:

Assorted crafts (anything that doesn't fit above):

I made this cool desk organizer out of a wooden tray, a couple wooden boxes, and a clothespin. I glued everything together and painted the off-white spots on the tray, for interest. The idea came from the Mollie Makes 2020 Calendar, and this project was originally designed by Becki Clark.

I made this beautiful spring wreath from card stock and a hoop. The idea and templates came from Becki Clark, the same person as above. Do you see a trend in my craft inspiration?

There were so many more projects I could have shared, but I don't want to overload you on show-and-tell! I'll start recapping my FOs for each month, so I'll be back later this week with an FO update from October. 

Happy crafting!

Comfort Purchases- Impulse Buys

Anyone else find themselves making "comfort purchases" lately? I am totally guilty of splurging on fibery pursuits when I'm feeling down about the world. Below are some items I've purchased in the last two months.

The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival was cancelled this year, but they still had a virtual marketplace. I invited over a couple friends to sit, socially-distanced, on my front lawn and look through the goodies on our computers. We had a blast! (And by the way, you can, too- their marketplace is open until next September- https://wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com/marketplace#gohere) Here are my Wisconsin Sheep and Wool purchases:

1. Two spindle bowls- Mielke's Glass Spindle Bowl and Mielke's Ceramic Tahkli Bowl. I will be using the glass spindle bowl with my beautiful handmade wooden support spindle, and I will use the ceramic spindle bowl with my two tahkli spindles. 

2. Fiber Optics yarn- Dawn's Early Light Gradient Six Pack and a skein of Darkest Hour to go with the set. I will be using these yarns to make the Lost in Time shawl. 

3. Soap- Sheep Milk Soap from Maple Hill Farm. We love sheep milk soap in my house, so getting some is an absolute must!

As you may have guessed from my this blog post, I am currently obsessed with weaving. I have owned and used rigid heddle looms for awhile and I've even dabbled with an Inkle loom and a tapestry loom, but frame looms have been my most recent obsession. Due to this, I have fallen in the deep end of weaving tool purchases. First of all, I heard that Purl and Loop (https://purlandloop.com/) will be discontinuing their business after November 15, so I had to buy all the things I'd been drooling over from them! I got a Minute Weaver Set of 3, a Maple Swatch Maker 3-in-1, and a Round Weaver Ornament Pack (now sold out). Then I also decided to get the Large Loom + Lap Loom set from Hello Hydrangea that I'd been wanting for quite some time, so now I suddenly have several frame looms! 

I also purchased my first "bundle" last week from Ultimate Bundles. It is already unavailable (that's how they work- amazing deals for a very short amount of time). The bundle that they had on sale last week was 64+ crafts courses, tutorials, patterns, and videos for only $20. One of the classes in the bundle (one that I had wanted to purchase anyway) costs $30, so it was already a steal! I'm making big plans with all the classes I now have!

I have refrained from making any more purchases right now, although the gorgeous yarns from A Whimsical Wood Yarn Company and Stitch Together Studio are making it difficult for me! I just bought some yarn/fiber from them last spring, so I am resisting temptation...for now. 

Does anyone else find comfort in crafty purchases? Let me know in the comments- maybe you'll enable me.

So...whatcha reading?

Anyone else find themselves escaping into books more lately? My reading time is limited, but I have been devouring crafty literature, both nonfiction and fiction. Here are my current and recent reads:

Things I Learned From Knitting...whether I wanted to or not by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

This is a hilarious list of things that Pearl-McPhee has learned along the way from her knitting experiences. This is a great collection of short "essays" about the tragically funny things that can happen in your knitting and how you can apply the stories to your life. 

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

This is a fictional tale of four adopted brothers who lose their mother and decide to try to keep her yarn shop up and running with the help of her part-time employee (who was also a surrogate daughter). A bit of a romance, the tales of keeping the shop open intertwine with the blossoming relationship between the part-time employee, Kerry, and the brother who decides to run the shop, Jesse. 

Last Wool and Testament by Molly MacRae

This is the first book of a mystery series that I am enjoying. I've read the first three, and the next one is waiting for me to have time to dive in! This is a series about Kath, a surprise yarn shop owner who inherited the shop when her grandmother passed away. The first book is about deciding what to do with the shop (spoiler: she keeps it) and learning a lot about her grandmother (and herself) along the way. Each book has a touch of mystery, murder, and mystical beings.

Please note- while I have included Amazon links to each book so you can read the synopses, please consider buying from an independent bookseller! My favorite local one is River Lights Bookstore in Dubuque, Iowa, and another favorite is Nowhere Bookshop, founded by the fabulous Jenny Lawson (AKA The Bloggess) in San Antonio, Texas.

How to "Escape" in 2020- Weaving Edition

Hello everyone! I've been feeling the need to come back to serious crafting for a bit now. My brain is full of ideas with little time to implement them, but it's time to make time. One of my goals has been resurrecting the blog. I need an escape from the real world, and let's be honest, you do, too. So, let's talk crafts!

In the last few months I have had much less crafting time than I would like. This has resulted in me reading and researching crafts more than normal, and I'm actually loving it! Lately I've been obsessed with cute weaving tutorials. Check out these links for some that I'm excited to make in the coming months:

The new home of Mollie Makes magazine (which I still love!) has some great free tutorials- https://www.gathered.how/arts-crafts/weaving/ 

Hello Hydrangea has some paid video weaving classes/tutorials that I'm drooling over- https://www.hellohydrangea.com/shop

The Weaving Loom had a free lace weave-a-long that I'm excited to try- https://www.theweavingloom.com/weave-along-part-1-double-warp-your-loom/

Schacht is currently hosting a free pillow sampler weave-a-long- https://www.schachtspindle.com/blog/pillow-sampler-weave-along-day-1/

Schacht had a free tapestry weave-a-long last spring that I participated in, and I had a blast! The instructions are still up- https://www.schachtspindle.com/blog/explore-tapestry-weave-along-week-1/

Flax & Twine has some paid video classes available that largely follow along with her books (which I own and adore!)- https://www.flaxandtwineshop.com/collections/video

Purl & Loop has some free patterns/tutorials on their website, and I'm not sure how much longer they'll be available (they're discontinuing their business), so get them while you can- https://purlandloop.com/collections/books

All of these tutorials and classes above use a combination of different tools. For example, some of Flax & Twine's classes don't even use a loom, or use one that you make out of cardboard. One of the Mollie Make's tutorials is weaving on a plain crocheted background. Most of the tutorials above use simple frame looms, and some even have instructions to make one! The Schacht tutorials use different looms- the pillow weave-a-long uses a rigid heddle loom and the tapestry weave-a-long uses a tapestry loom, although you could certainly adapt these for different types of looms. 

I hope you get some inspiration from some of the links above. I sure do! Please note- I haven't tried most of the links above yet, and I'm not a paid sponsor by any of the companies. Enjoy at your own risk.

Happy crafting! 

-fuzzydorff