Intimidating Crafts

I'm always looking for new things to do.

There's still plenty of things I could/need to learn with knitting, and I DEFINITELY need to up my crochet abilities, and...there's a lot of things I want to do. It's easier than listing it out.

One thing I always admired was resin pendants. If you don't know what that is, do a search on Etsy or DeviantArt. They look like glass, almost, but it's actually a clear epoxy. You can embed things into it, color it, etc. They look amazing.

But then I started reading up on the stuff. The dangers of the fumes, getting it on things, and I have a house with kids and pets. I can't do things dangerous.

But I found this stuff called Easy Cast at Hobby Lobby. It was around $14. And then..well...

Yeah, that happened. Lots of glitter, a mold tray, plastic cups, and stirring sticks.

Now, if you're planning on trying resin, please read up on it. There's a ton of things to read about it on Craftster, or you could do a search about it. There are some precautions to take and there's different mixing ratios for each resin set. Mine is a 1:1 ratio.

So, I threw my fears aside! I was going to conquer the beast!

Fail. To avoid this, I learned that I needed to pour some resin, then lay my object (which happened to be a skull button, OMG HOW CUTE?!) and let the resin set. Then make up another mix of resin, pour some ontop, then add the glitter. *facepalm* Duh.

I finally *kinda* got the hang of it, though.

Once they're fully cured, you sand the excess off along the edges and (can) paint some clear glaze on it to give it a nice shine. You also have the option of buffing it and whatnot.

A lot of factors go into the proper curing of your resin, temperature being one of them. It's kind of insane how much goes into it, but I think the end result is worth it.

Quickie: Crafting Practicality

I have a hard time finding potholders that I like/go with my kitchen. So, needing a craft, I decided to crochet. Again.

My tension is still a bit wonky (it's HP weekend on ABC Family, excuse my words please) but that'll even itself out with practice.

These were crocheted using Peaches N Creme 100% cotton (I small ball at WalMart will make 1, and it's a little less than $2). You don't want to use ANY acrylic yarn, because acrylic is plastic. Plastic + Heat = Melt.

Pattern found here. And quite honestly, I won't be paying for new potholders anymore, unless it's the supplies to make more of these. These are the BEST potholders you'll get. They're double thick (I'll admit, I struggled with the pattern as a beginner crocheter) so NO heat goes through these babies!

I'm inlove with my potholders.

First Crochet Project - Done!

I can't believe it. I really can't.

4 skeins of I Love This Yarn! Stripes in Surprize Stripe.

Size I (5.5mm) hook, using all double crochet..stitches? I don't know.

And then a crocheted black border around it.

Baby blanket. Not to shabby for a first project, huh?

It's a bit large, I'll admit, but I love it. I'm going to pop it in the washer to get it clean and wet, then block it a bit. Blocking is a bit iffy with acrylic yarn for me, but I hope it'll work.

And I think I need a few thousand more of those skeins. I just love the colors.

Quickie: I'm a hooker!

I never thought the day would come.

I really didn't.

I'VE LEARNED TO CROCHET!

My tension is still pretty off, but I'll get better as I go.

This ninja is super stoked.

The Stash.

I'm always curious about what people have when crafting.

You might not be. But I know there's others out there like me. 

There's something about seeing the raw material they're working with and then seeing a finished product that is so awesome, it's hard to find words to describe it. Part of it is probably due to the fact that crafters know what kind of work goes into making things. 

So I thought I'd share pictures of what I'm working with, yarn, knitting, and crochet related.

This is my odd and end box. It's got my scissors, stitch markers, some embroidery thread, gauge reader/ruler, yarn bobbins, darning needles, etc.

This is my yarn. And it's constantly changing and growing or shrinking. It's made up of Red Heart brand (which I honestly don't like, I think it's too rough for much of anything) and I Love This Yarn! acrylic worsted weight. After taking this picture, I got two things of Peaches & Creme 100% cotton. My kitchen needs some potholders.

These are the only two sets of circulars that I have. They're size 8 and 10, both 29". Needless to say, I use a LOT of the magic loop method when knitting on these.

Theeeeese are my knitting needles. Thanks in large part to my best friend, Kristy. Her mom had moved into a house that had a mess of things left over, including a large amount of knitting needles. I've got a pretty good amount of 14", then a couple sets of 10", and then a few sets of DPNs.

These would be my crochet hooks. I had, literally, ONE before Kristy. I also have a big assortment of pattern magazines and books for crocheting, straight out of the 70s and 80s. My house would be retro-fab right now if it wasn't for Kyle stopping me.

And, you know, if I could actually crochet. >.<

So, that's my knitting and crocheting stuff. Not a lot, but it's mine and it works for me.

Hopefully one day I'll be able to show you my craft room.

If only someone could get it done...

(Kyle, if you're reading this, HINTHINT.)