#Kae1Crafts

[kae1crafts]

To Pom Pom or Not

I’ve been making some hats and have the question of whether to add pom poms or not.  Here is a picture of one of the hats with a pom pom.

And here is another picture of three different hats without the pom poms.

I'm especially asking the under 40 age group if they like wearing hats with pom poms or if they find them annoying or difficult to wear.  Please leave a comment here or on Facebook.

[kae1crafts]

Clean Bill of Health

It seems like I have spent the last 2 weeks in the doctor’s office but I‘m glad to say that I‘ve finally gotten a clean bill of health and am allowed to start exercising again.  Now I just have to play catch-up from all the time away from home and daily activities.

I completed the Fair Isle hat for the shop model at the Yarn Outlet in Colorado Springs - great yarn shop with reasonable prices and lots of discontinued yarns.  They have the best needle supply in the area plus lots of patterns.  But I digress.  Here is a picture of the hat. 

A neighbor saw me making the hat and has ordered some for Christmas so I’m currently making more.

I’m discovering that the online Mah jongg game can be a huge time suck.  I’m getting better at picking hands and becoming a faster player but find it rather addictive.  As are the jigsaw puzzles that my DH keeps working.  I sit down for a minute to put in a couple of pieces and before I know it - an hour has passed.

[kae1crafts]

Strange Reactions

This post isn’t really about crafting - just indirectly.  We live in a 55+ apartment building and each year before it is time to renew our lease we check out some of the other apartments in the area.  Now I love looking at houses and apartments just because I do.  Last year was very different.  The building that DH wanted to look at had all the features that we usually like but I had a melt-down just at the thought of leaving where we were.  True, I have friends here (but I usually can make friends fairly easily wherever we are).  I’m never fond of the packing and moving process but none of this seemed to be the problem.  I finally gathered myself together, gave myself a stern talking-to about viewing the apartment objectively and we set off.  

We measured, we studied how to fit in our activities (my crafts, our computers, my love of cooking, the view), we took pictures, we talked to the residents, we number-crunched - and through it all I still had this negative feeling that I couldn’t explain.  The numbers didn‘t really work out to be great so we stayed were we were.  On the news yesterday, I found out why I had such a negative reaction - the residents in the building we were considering were given 21 days to move out with a $500.00 incentive but a maximum of 60 days to vacate.  Some had been there for over 40 years.  The building owners hadn’t raised the rent for many years.  Now they sold the building and the new owners are completely renovating the building and then here come higher rents.  

I don’t very often get this type of feeling but tend to listen to it when I do when it is this strong.  Past feelings of this strength have proven to be a great warning when I’ve heeded them.

As to crafting, I’m working on another Fair Isle hat this time of my own design.  So far, so good.  Will post pictures when finished.  

I’ve also learned that some yarn makes great pom poms and other yarn not so much.  I made a pom pom the other day and it looks like a wet mop rather than a perky pom pom.  Back to the drawing board on that one!!!

I’ve also been increasing my supply of the ladder or trellis yarn necklaces for an upcoming craft fair at a friend’s business.  Here is what I’ve completed so far.

I still have a few more colors to go

[kae1crafts]

Crazy Week

This week - like many- has flown by.  I’m not sure exactly what all was accomplished but will attempt an update.  

The Newsletter is completed and we received word that it is printed so it can be distributed on time.  YEA!!!

I’ve been helping a friend with a project and I think we are in the final stages of it.  I’ve been learning how to use text boxes in a document.  Text boxes have always been what my DH used and I generally used tables or avoided the issue.  I’m finding that the dreaded text boxes are a lot easier to use that I remembered.

Since I live in a 55 plus building (almost all residents need to be 55-years-old or older to live here) I spend a lot of time visiting friends in the hospital or rehabilitation facilities.  One of my wonderful 90+ friends has been struggling with a variety of problems (including removal of a kidney) and is in her second stay at a rehab facility.  I’m glad to say that she is improving and may be home soon.

Craft wise, I’ve been working on trellis yarn necklaces since I sold most of mine at the last craft fair and I have another craft fair on the horizon.  Here is a picture of one.

I’ve also started the fair isle hat needed for a shop model.  I finally got gauge on it and am into the first section of the fair isle design.  Hope to complete it next week.

Today I go help the granddaughter of my friend that died sort through her yarn and completed projects so the granddaughter can reclaim her basement.  I guess it is piled high with random boxes and totes filled with a mixture of yarn, projects and incomplete knitting UFOs (Unfinished Objects) that were put in the basement a couple of weeks ago when the grandmother had to move suddenly.  Should be an interesting and sad project.  At least it is something I can do for this lovely young woman who is hurting and missing her grandmother. 

[kae1crafts]

25 posts!

[kae1crafts]

I Survived!!!

Yesterday was the craft sale and the good news is that I survived and made a little money as well.  This time I remembered to take some pictures of my tables so I will share them a little later.  Today I’ve been doing inventory, washing the table coverings, and getting ready for the next craft sale.  I usually only do two a season.  The one in my building and another at a friend’s work.  I also have my Etsy shop and have been mainly inventorying what is listed there to make sure that what I have on hand matches the shop.  

Bottom line is that today I’m tired and would rather be relaxing but want to get this done before the Bronco’s hit the gridiron.  

I had two tables because my friend couldn’t come (long story and not mine to tell).  

Just discovered that the pictures load last selected comes on first.  The bottom picture should be where you start to walk through the door and see my tables.  Note: the fabric hanging up is a dining scarf.  You can use it to protect your clothing when dining, then fold it up and anything you have spilled can be contained on the scarf rather than on your clothing.  They are made out of cotton so they are easy to launder and absorb spills.

[kae1crafts]

Silly Mistakes We Make

I had all the pieces crocheted and ready to assemble on the Beautiful Trellis Yarn poncho that I was making, laid it out quickly and started seaming at my Thursday knit group.  When I had it all together, I held it up to admire my work and discovered my mistake.  Instead of a poncho, I had a Mobius with 2 twists - creative but not the look I was wanting.!!!  Now that offending piece of crocheting went back in my bag in a flash and I went back to knitting a hat.  The next day, I picked out one seam, flattened out the poncho, and corrected my mistake.  I’m very pleased with the finished product and hope to get a picture of it soon so I can share the end results.

Today I started out on a new adventure inspired by one of the tassel making videos that I watched.  The instructor was salvaging beads from clothing - mainly bugle beads and seed beads.  The last time I was in the local thrift store I noticed some beaded clothing in the Halloween costume section so I headed out early this morning to take advantage of their 50% off sale.  I came home with a long blue dress heavily beaded with blue bugle beads, white seed beads and lots of sequins - blue and silver.  I quickly learned that it was much easier to remove the bugle beads than the seed beads.  The bugle beads could be removed by simply snipping the treads on the back and unraveling the thread.  Now the seed beads are much more difficult to do and I’m still seeking a better solution than anything I’ve tried so far. I’ve unraveled one and a half sleeves and have a large number of bugle beads to show for it so I think this may be a worthwhile experiment but I’m still not positive.  More on this later.

I also found a vertical wine rack that is on a sturdy turntable that I plan to repurpose into a bracelet display case for the craft fair next Saturday.  I need to find some dowels or rods to hold the bracelets.  I hope to have them organized as to sizes to make it easier for the shoppers.  The Craft Fair is from 9 - 2 on October 21 at the Regency Tower Apartments, 921 Green Star Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Public is invited and I hope that some of you can come.  If you come to my Kae1Crafts booth and mention that you saw this on Tumblr, you will receive a 10% discount on your purchases from my booth.

[kae1crafts]

Some of my tasseled necklaces that I’ve been making that will soon appear in my Kae1Crafts Etsy store.  

[kae1crafts]

One of Those Days

I’ve been busy.  I’m tired.  But what did I do today?  It doesn’t feel like I did a lot or accomplished a lot so we will see.

Woke up about 5:30 which is about normal for me.  Started coffee, computers, got dressed and played a couple of hands of Mah jongg on the computer, had breakfast then reviewed the Newsletter that I had basically completed yesterday.  Found a couple of small things to change and edited the calendar so it reflected the new activities.  Had to wait a while before calling the person I needed to coordinate the calendar with so we could have a final copy.  When I called her, we couldn’t get together until about two o’clock.  Called her again at three and she still wasn’t home.  Finally met at 3:45 and finalized the calendar.  Had to get the revisions done and emailed so it would be printed in time.  Got the Newsletter done about 4:30 and emailed.

Craft wise, I worked on a shop model for my favorite knit shop.  I needed to do a bulky fair isle cap and the gauge needs to be accurate.  Started off with size 11 needles, had to go to size 13 to get gauge.  Once that was established, ripped out the swatch and started knitting.  Just a few rows into that hat.  

Meanwhile, I had a medical test so off we went to lunch and then the test.  Got a little knitting done on a cardigan that I’m making for myself.  

Maybe I’m tired because of all the switching of activities and on the go most of the day.  Seems to be a typical day for me - when did I ever have time to work???

[kae1crafts]

Arm Knitting and Craft Fair Prep

Today is going to be hectic since I have a dental appointment this morning to take an impression to complete the dental implant on a front tooth that has seemed to take forever.  I’m then trying to complete preparations for a craft fair tomorrow and attend game night in the building this evening.    Because of all this, activity today, this will be a short post.

Arm knitting has been progressing and I’ve taken a few pictures which I will share.  I’ve completed a cowl, a medium length infinity scarf and a long infinity scarf that you can loop twice around your neck.  These were constructed out of 2 strands of bulky yarn and are headed to the sale tomorrow.

The top pictures shows the difference between the wrong side and right side of arm knitting.  I wrote about how I accidently purled some of a cowl and knit the rest.  The top picture shows the difference.

The middle picture is the closest to the actual color of the yarns.

The bottom picture shows the three completed cowls.

[kae1crafts]

I have some tassel necklaces and link bracelets in my Kae1Crafts shop on Etsy

[kae1crafts]

Crafting ADD

My very patient husband laughingly asked me if I wanted to take up a new hobby?  Looking puzzled, I asked ‘Why’?

His answer was, “There is about 5 square feet in the living room that isn’t occupied by a hobby.”  

Now I know that he was joking-sort of- but it does highlight the problem of having lots of crafts in a one bedroom apartment that you share with a loving husband of 50+ years. 

So what is taking up space, you ask?  Well, lots of jewelry completed, in progress and supplies, knitting and crocheting supplies, books and notebooks of patterns and ideas, my cookbook collection, our computers, jigsaw puzzles, card games - and that is just the living room.  

The bedroom has more yarn and my sewing desk.  Did I also mention that I do needlepoint, embroidery and paint?  

To add to the confusion, I am frequently in line to learn a new skill.  Last night, I learned to arm knit so I could teach a group next week.  I’m also exploring tassel making - yarn, ribbon, beaded and jewelry.  This is just this week.  Now of course, you need the supplies and equipment for some of these new ventures.  

In addition, I try to keep my Etsy store - Kae1Crafts - stocked and up to date.  

Many of these crafts were started to combat depression or boredom.  I’m seldom bored anymore but depression can rear its ugly head most any time.  I had to quite taking my antidepressants when I started flinging coffee randomly because of a reaction to the drug.  Now I just cope the best I can and peacefully drink my coffee.