Crafty weekend fun

We had a good time at my house last weekend. All week, I had planned on taking the day Saturday to figure out my new-to-me knitting machine. I got it free from a lady who said, "I just want it out of my house." Okay. It's a Brother ElectroKnit KH-910. I'm very intimidated by this thing. It didn't have a manual, but I found one online.

Even so, I let the intimidation get the best of me. I told myself (and those around me) that the lack of sleep Thursday night was really affecting me on Saturday and my brain was too tired to learn something new. You see, my daughter and I went to the midnight premier of "The Dark Knight Rises." Learning something new just wasn't possible in my sleep-deprived state. In my heart, though, I know it was intimidation. I won't let the knitting machine get the best of me. As soon as Ravellenics (formerly Knitting Olympics) is over, it's going down! I'm going to conquer that thing!

My avoidance did have some productive results, though. I made a few draw-string project bags to go with my purse. Yes, I had some small drawstring project bags already, but they were quite small and didn't match my bag. So, I did some thinking and looking around at other project bags. I knew the bags I already had were great for socks or other very small projects. But for a shawl, scarf, or larger project, I needed something a little bigger. Maybe just taller. I also didn't like that I had to guess what was inside the bag, or open it first. An excellent solution can be found in Tom Bihn's Yarn Stuff Sack. Clear vinyl bottom? I can do that! At least, I think I can....I've never sewn with vinyl before. Let's try it out!

Look at that! I CAN sew with vinyl! So, I decided to try my luck with zippers too.

That's the Boxy Little Pouch from Three Bears. It measures about 5" x 3" x 3." Perfect for my little knitting implements--like scissors, stitch markers, tape measure, and sewing-up needles.And this method for sewing in a zipper is super easy!

I also cut out all the pieces for a fall version of my purse. I assembled most of the pieces, but realized I only had one magnetic snap. So, the lining and the outside are done, just waiting on the snap so I can put it all together. Maybe I'll have time one evening this week.

Then, last night, I whipped this together:

It's a little pouch for my earbuds. Tutorial available from Dog Under My Desk. Mine is far from perfect. Sewing a curve is tough. I need to practice.


Seriously? I never knew sewing was this fun! If you had told me six months ago that I would enjoy sewing, I'd have called you crazy. I blame Pinterest. And not in a bad way! It's just piqued my interest in things I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Speaking of which, my daughter, Tori, who is 14 went into a Pinterest-induced cooking and crafting frenzy last weekend too! She made Chicken Taquitos (delicious!),Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls (potentially delicious with a few tweaks), Nutella Chip Cookies (om nom nom), and some string art for her bedroom wall (which I will have HER tell you about in a future post).

All in all, a very productive weekend at the Gill household!

Beginning tomorrow: Ravellenics (formerly Ravelympics or Knitting Olympics). I have my projects ready to cast on at 4pm EDT, at the moment Opening Ceremonies begin in London. Details tomorrow.

Baby, it's hot outside!

Wow! What a week! Record breaking temps here in Indiana made it really miserable. I was so thankful to have air conditioning--at work, at home, in my car. Even so, that kind of heat sort of seeps into your soul and wipes out all motivation to do anything except sit. I guess that's why they're called the lazy days of summer.

While my week, as a whole, was pretty lazy, my weekend was filled with activity. But first, I need to rewind and tell you a little story.

As I stated in my previous post, we went to TNNA a couple of weeks ago. I believe I also expressed my disappointment in what we saw. That disappointment extended a little further than what I let on. Every time we go to TNNA, we see a bag that we fall in love with. For me, it's usually something new from Namaste, though I've crushed on many a knitting bag. And my closet shows it. I am to bags as many women are to shoes. I love them. This year, however, nothing really struck my fancy. It was kind of sad. As the weekend progressed, I resolved to design my own bag. The Perfect Bag (for me).

So, as the idea percolated in the back of my mind, I started putting together a list of all the things I feel like I need to carry with me. There were the obvious things: phone, wallet, sunglasses, keys. Then the things I can't live without: nail clippers and file, migraine meds, chapstick, a little mirror, mints, earbuds, thumb drive, etc., etc. Then the luxuries: iPad, Kindle, chargers for both, at least one knitting project.  Keep in mind, this is not a run-to-the-store bag. This is a bag I can carry every day to work, where I'm not always in my own office.

Once I had a pretty thorough list, it was time to measure and plan. I measured my stuff, but I also measured bags I already own that I knew were a good size for me. Then I drew some pictures of how it could all work together, did a lot of math, and cut pattern pieces out of newspaper. I spent most of the day Saturday sewing, and ended up with this fully reversible, perfect for me bag:

That's the front, with a pocket for my iPad and a pocket for my Kindle, with one strap to hold both closed.

Side view. See the elasticized pocket on the side? Well, there are 4 of those on the purse--one on each side, both outside and inside. Perfect for sunglasses, phone, keys and wallet. In this photo, you also get a better idea of what the iPad/Kindle pockets look like. 

This is the back. It has a nice, big, flat pocket--perfect for a magazine or files/papers for work.

 This is the inside. Lots of pockets and a big open space for knitting projects. One side has a row of 4 pockets, each about 4" wide. The other side has four 2" pockets and two 4" pockets. And, of course, the sides have those wonderful elasticized pockets.

And, finally, this is what it looks like reversed. I don't foresee myself carrying it this way very often, but it's nice to know I can if I want to.

Today is my first day carrying it, and so far, so good. It's not too heavy, and holds everything I need. Oh! I also sprayed it with Scotch Guard to help keep it clean. If I find that it really is the perfect bag, I might make one in a darker fabric for fall and winter.

And, really quick, I'm going to show you the knitting I cast on Sunday morning.

Not that you can tell yet, but the pattern is Jo's Pride by Sivia Harding. Yarn: Zauberball 1966Ombre. Beads: Japanese foil-lined glass 6/0 seed beads; black with silver foil (even though it looks gold in the photo).  My daughter, who is in love with all things Avengers, informed me that those are Loki colors, so I have to call it "Loki's Pride" instead of Jo's.

What projects have you been working on this summer?

Summer is definitely here!

We've had a whirlwind couple of weeks at our house. First, our spontaneous (for us) family road trip to Washington, DC the week of June 10. We visited various monuments/memorials,

















Smithsonian museums, including:

The Museum of American History (where Tori totally geeked out at seeing the batarang from the 2008 movie while wearing her Batman shirt!),

The Museum of American Art (where both the kids geeked out because of the Video Game As Art exhibit),

And, I think this one is from the Archives, but I'm not 100% sure..... Still, it's terrible, but it's such extreme propaganda that I couldn't help but laugh.

We rode the Metro a lot,

got rained on,

got sunburned, and even cried a little (both at Arlington National Cemetery, where I didn't take any photos). 

Tori and I visited a wonderful yarn shop in Alexandria, VA called Fibre Space, where I bought some amazing locally dyed yarn. 

On the way home, we spent a day at Cedar Point, riding roller coasters and getting more sunburned. Again, no pictures. This time we were too busy having fun.

All in all, it was an excellent week away. Just what we needed to completely wear ourselves out and feel like we needed a vacation from our vacation. I know you know what I'm talking about!

Then, after a few days of "normal" (whatever that is), I left town to attend TNNA with Elizabeth (who owns River Knits) and Heather (who is the other instructor at River Knits). This year was quite interesting. We didn't go last year, and the difference two years can make (and not make) is amazing. Every year when we go, we see exciting new yarns and patterns, and sometimes even innovative new products. This year was kind of disappointing. In addition to the fact that there wasn't much new stuff to report about, attendance was really low, there were way fewer vendor booths than in the past...... it was kind of sad. But, I think it speaks to the fact that yarn companies and publishers need to re-think their marketing and how to get their product seen by retailers. Clearly, they weren't attending the trade show. My husband says the same thing happened in the computer industry about 10 years ago. In the digital age, there's just not a lot of logic in the old trade show model.  Even with the tactile experience of touching yarns and trying them out, it HAS to be less expensive or at least cost the same for vendors to put together packages of samples to send to yarn shops than it does to go to the trade shows. There is one exception: the classes are amazing, and you can't replicate that experience online.

I took a class called "Fake your way to Fair Isle." We dyed knitted blanks using Greener Shades Dyes. It was so fun, there aren't even words!

Undyed blank:

Dyed Blank:

After steaming:

Another set, after steaming (I'm using these together for Fair Isle Mittens):

And what trip to Columbus, OH would be complete without a visit to Schmidt's?!?!?!

And now, we're all caught up! That's what I've been doing the last two weeks. I can't wait to do more dyeing. I've purchased dyes, and Elizabeth has ordered me a knitting machine so I can make tons of blanks and dye my little heart out. I can't wait! I'm sure you'll get to see lots of pics of that in the future.

What have you been up to this summer?

Vacation Knitting and my Craft Cart

I know I'm not alone in planning specially vacation knitting. Many bloggers talk about packing their knitting, and then seeing if there's room for anything else. :) I'm not quite that bad, but when I'm staring down a road trip with hubby and the kids, you can bet I'm thinking about all that uninterrupted knitting time in the car. You see, I'm blessed with kids who travel well and a husband who prefers to drive....one reason for that could be that I'm an impatient lead-foot, but I digress. So, here we are. It's summer, and I find myself once again evaluating my Ravelry Queue and Favorites to find just the right thing(s) to knit while we travel. Which raises the question: What makes perfect vacation knitting?

For me, it has to be simple enough that I can look away regularly without losing my place. It also has to be complex enough to hold my interest for hours at a time. Past vacation projects: Morganite shawl, various moebius scarves, socks, Clockwork, Catkin... you get the idea. I seem to really like shawls and scarves for travel knitting. But not super-lacy, complicated shawls and scarves. I stick to the basics. Nothing finer than fingering weight--the bumps in the road make laceweight too difficult to handle--and garter or stockinette stitch with a little shaping thrown in for interest. This year, I think I want to knit a sweater. I've done a ton of shawls lately, and I'm ready for something different. I picked up 4 skeins of Briar Rose Glory Days at the Fiber Event in April, and it's calling to me. It hasn't told me what it wants to be yet, but it's definitely calling to me. Stay tuned.

In other news, last week I took Wednesday off, and I used the afternoon to assemble a Craft Cart. I had an idea of what I wanted, but tried to keep an open mind as my son and I wandered through two Goodwill Stores and the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Nothing was quite what I wanted, though. Sigh. Off to Target to get a few groceries before going home....and then I found it. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it would sure work.

Room Essentials 3-Tier Wire Shelving plus the set of casters (sold separately). I also stopped at the hardware store and picked up some S-hooks and carabiners for hanging things from the wire shelves. What it holds: Both sewing machines (which are both hand-me-downs, and the only reason I keep them both is because my daughter likes to sew when I do), laminator, box of scrapbook papers, sewing supplies, boxes of fabric, trims, thread, craft paints, brushes, a couple of canvases, and on the very top is a paper cutter, a bolt of fabric and some fusible interfacing that I don't want to fold.  And the best part? It fits in the closet, under the games and beside the vacuum and carpet shampooer! (Yes, it's an insanely deep closet.) I do have to pull it out to get the vacuum and/or shampooer out, but that's okay!

Now, all I have to do is pull it out when I want to use it, and push it right back in when I'm done. This is going to go a long way toward keep my crafting messes under control. It will also make it more likely that I'll work on projects now that everything is in one place and easy to get to.

How do you store or organize your hobby/crafting supplies?

Busy weekend!

Had a great weekend! Spent the day Saturday painting over the blue wall in the front room. Kicking myself because I forgot to take a "before" picture. I loved the blue once upon a time. But it's been about 4 or 5 years of blue. Time for a change!

I took this picture with my phone, not the "good" camera. So, it's a little fuzzy, and not great. But, you can see the green, which I love. Did you know green is my favorite?

I also made curtains for the same room the windows are directly across from the green wall.

I cannot wait to get rid of that blue futon! But, that's a project for another day. Still, I love the curtains. Here's a closeup of the fabric:

I have enough to make some pillows....maybe even enough to make a pouf or maybe this one or this or even this!

While I had the sewing machine out, I decided to tackle a project I'd been mulling over in my mind for a while. I saw this really awesome magazine organizer on the Container Store website.

Cool, right? And, really, at less than $15, totally worth it! However, I don't have a Container Store nearby, and I didn't need the little pen pocket, and the grommet hanger wouldn't really work where I wanted to use it. So, I decided to engineer my own.

I had some 6-packs of fat quarters I picked up on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics a few weeks ago, so I used those to create the pockets, which are sewn to a base of remnants from the tablecloth I used to make my curtains. Here it is, filled with my knitting magazines:

It's just what I had envisioned. And way cuter than the one from the Container Store, right?

Tomorrow, I'll tell you all about the crafting cart I put together on Wednesday of last week. It's made my life so much easier! And it's helped keep the house tidy.

What did you do this weekend?

Pantry: Full Reveal and Details

Okay, so it's been two weeks. This will actually prove that the new pantry is working for us. I didn't clean it AT ALL before shooting these detail pics. Everything has a home, and there's no question where items belong. The kids can figure it out. My husband can figure it out. It works. First, let me remind you what I started with:

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't right for us. It was a lot of wasted space. Now, for the after. The full-length photos! The one on the left is of the main shelf. The one on the right is the second shelf section on the right side of the pantry.

By building an "L" using narrower shelving, we actually created a huge amount of usable and accessible space. I also feel I need to point out that the second shelf from the top on the right picture isn't actually crooked like that. My camera has a "panoramic" setting, and that was at the seam, so it looks kind of weird. :)

On the left wall of the pantry, I installed pegboard, which (of course!) I painted green!

The top has hooks where we hang cutting boards. In the middle are two small plastic baskets that hold seasoning packets, dry soup mixes, and dry dressing mixes. At the bottom are two seagrass baskets that hold onions and potatoes.  I love this! The pegboard was a cinch to install, and it's infinitely adaptable. 

One of my favorite things is finding new and unexpected uses for stuff. When I was contemplating can storage, I knew two things. 1) I hate stacking cans; 2) I want to be able to see at a quick glance what I have. I contemplated this issue for a long time. I visited the Container Store and looked at their Gravity Feed Can Rack, but it doesn't have very good reviews. Plus, the size wasn't quite right. I looked at some DIY options, like this Canned Food Dispenser, but they all seemed way bigger than what I need. Then, I was walking through Menards and saw this 33" Wide AkroBin, and I knew I'd found just what I needed!

You should have seen the funny looks I was getting from the men when I took this thing to the food section to see how many cans would fit in it!

It's just the right size to have 3-4 cans of each category, and I can fit 7 categories per bin. And, it fits perfectly across the back of the pantry! I actually contemplated spray painting them green, but decided the blue isn't so bad.

Another big problem I had with our old pantry was the unorganized floor. Particularly the cases of pop and beer that would accumulate, and we'd have this huge empty box with ONE beer in it, just taking up space.  We also had an issue with giant packages of individual snack bags. It just looked messy and gross.  Enter the Beer Basket and the Snack Basket. Yes, they are still on the floor, but at least they are contained, and we can easily see what we have.

You can also see that I've followed the lead of many a pantry makeover by putting rice, cereal, pasta, etc. in clear containers. I always thought people were nuts for doing this, but now I totally get it. I love how it looks, and I love that I can see at a quick glance what we're running low on.

I used a green plastic basket to corral peanut butter, honey and other spreads. Another identical basket holds Stove Top Stuffing and Rice-a-Roni. A wicker basket holds Ramen (which my kids love). Crackers and nuts are on a shelf together. Oils, vinegars and sauces are grouped together.

Oh! And the labels! I had so much fun creating the labels, laminating them, cutting them out. I totally got my label geek on.

Where I could, I attached them with double-stick tape. In other cases (like with the cereal containers), I used sticky-back velcro so the labels could be changed out easily. You know, because Aaron doesn't ALWAYS want Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Sometimes he wants Frosted Mini Wheats or Raisin Bran. So, I also made one blank label that can be written on with a dry-erase marker.

Overall, I'm thrilled to pieces with my pantry makeover. And I'm really proud of my family for being on board with keeping it tidy.

I've been working on some other organizing projects, a couple of art projects, and (of course) knitting! But I'll tell you more about those tomorrow. What have you been organizing lately?

Pantry Preview

The pantry isn't quite finished yet. I still have a few more key things I'd like to do with it. However, I'll share what I've done so far. Here's the before:

It's not *that* bad, but certainly nothing amazing. You can sort of see the liquor shelf all the way at the top. What you can't see well is the floor: a case of beer, some large plastic food storage containers, napkins, a large wooden cutting board, and a shoe mat (because I come in through the kitchen door, and it doesn't make sense to take my shoes all the way to the front door). You can also see that we've put a "shoe organizer" on the back of the pantry door for small things that would easily get lost or fall through the cracks of the wire shelves.

I went into this project with several problems I wanted to solve:

• The wire shelving sucks. Items in narrow boxes (like Rice-a-Roni and Stove Top Stuffing) fall over. Some things are small enough to fall through the wires. Yuck.
• The shelves were too deep at 16 inches. Stuff would get pushed to the back and forgotten, and it wasn't easy to see, at a glance, what we had.
• Too much wasted space! The pantry measures 27" deep X 36" wide, and none of it was being used wisely. Except maybe the liquor shelf. 

So, how do we solve these issues? Space planning! Several weeks ago, I went to the hardware store to seek out possible storage solutions. Here's what I knew for sure:

• I need narrower shelves. And not just across the back of the pantry. The side is usable space too!
• I want to store cans on their sides, but not in a gravity-feed can organizer. I can't imagine a world where I would have more than 2 or 3 cans of any one item (other than fruits and veggies), and most of those organizer are designed for more than that. 
• I want to group like things together.
• I need some hanging space for things like cutting boards, potatoes and onions.
• I want to label everything! That way, even if I'm not home, the kids and hubby will know right where stuff can be found or put away.

Tomorrow (Lord willing and my evening goes as planned!), I will post detailed pics of how I filled each of these wishes. Until then, here's a quick pic of how it looked Sunday evening.

Giddy with delight is the only phrase I can think of to describe how I feel when I look in this pantry now! Once I got the old shelves out, it was obvious that the walls needed a fresh coat of paint. So, instead of the stark white that was in there before, I used a nice warm beige. See the blue things up toward the top? Those are the best! I promise full details tomorrow. See the door? We got rid of the awful shoe organizer, and now the door just holds our Ikea plastic bag dispenser, which is pink because they were out of white the day I was there. The step stool even fits in the pantry on the floor!

Like I said, I still have a few things to do. I need to address the desire for hanging storage (hint: Pegboard!), and I need to figure out where else to keep my shoes. But already, the improvement is so great that, I swear, I hear angels singing every time I open the door!!  I can't wait to get home this evening and work on it some more!