The Craft Blog

Have a crafty long weekend!

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:58:20 GMT

Here's hoping that you have a chance to indulge of your craft of choice over the next few days. And maybe a bit of sitting in the sun, barbecuing, and time outdoors, too.

I've got plenty to keep me busy. Knitting and reading and knitting and did I mention knitting? The Tops, Tanks and Tees Knitalong ends next Wednesday, and it's going to be a squeaker!

I've got miles to go. OK, not really, more like six inches, but you know what I mean. I might take a break from the body and do the sleeves, so that when I cast off the body I'm really, truly finished. That's such a good feeling.

Oh that? Just a list of the next dozen things I want to make. At least I know I won't be bored...?

Custom-made softies from children's drawings

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:30:25 GMT

In my travels around the internet the other day, I came across one of the coolest craft ideas I've seen in a while. Wendy Tsao in Vancouver runs Child's Own Studio, a custom shop that creates soft toys from children's drawings.

Parents send in a drawing like this (notice that "Mom" is the name emblazoned on this creature, and she's holding a laptop!):

All photos, courtesy of Wendy Tsao, Child's Own Studio Flickr photostream

...and Wendy uses some funky fabric, some fancy stitiching and tons of creativity to turn that drawing into this:

She's made "a few hundred" of these soft toys for many a happy child who gets to see his or her 2-D creation come to life in 3-D. Check out her gallery of finished projects here.

There was another one that really made me smile – and reminded me of Monsters Inc. (one of my very favourite movies). It was this sparsely illustrated dragon:

...who Wendy turned into this fantastic multicoloured softie:

Fortunately for Wendy, business has been brisk. Unfortunately for us, she's not taking any new orders at the moment, and is working through her waiting list. I think everyone here can sympathize with that – I'm not the only one with a years-long backlog of projects in her craft room, right? Ahem.

But it got me thinking. This would be a great craft project if you have kids and some decent sewing skills. What do you think? Would you try making something like this?

Giveaway winners: Say yes to the mess

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:25:11 GMT

Just stopping by to announce the winners of the two P&G Yes Kits (each one is a cute tote bag filled with aprons and products – Tide, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Puffs facial tissue, Charmin Freshmates and Bounty paper towels – to help you clean up any creative messes you and your little ones make). Last week my toddler and I experimented with pudding paint, which, I am happy to report, actually made a lovely "masterpiece" when it dried. I am looking forward to trying a few more mucky kids' crafts once the weather is warmer and I can hose the baby off when we're done (just kidding! maybe.).

And the Random Integer Generator has chosen...

and...

Congratulations Kim and Kiki! I'll be contacting you shortly to send out your prizes. And thank you to everyone who entered – I enjoyed reading what kinds of messy fun other crafty kids (little and big) are having. Keep up the creative chaos!

Crafts in our June issue (we're excited!)

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:58:38 GMT

Chances are that many of you have seen our June issue on newsstands (or in your mailbox) by now. It's the one with the bright pink type and that delicious looking salad:

If you're a long-time reader, you'll have noticed some changes – we've updated the look, changed some things around and generally made your magazine even better than it was before. But there's one big change that I'm SUPER excited about: Canadian Living now has an entire section devoted to crafts!

Yay!!!!

Every month, you'll see the section opener: look for the big blue banner that reads "Crafts are for sharing."

That's the opening page of "Craft Matters," two pages that are devoted to exploring craft products, books, projects, hints and tips – every month! It's where we'll report on creative Canadians and great craft finds, take products for test drives (in June, it's scissors), and share the bits and pieces that don't fit into the larger craft stories.

After Craft Matters, you'll find craft projects for adults and kids – now conveniently packaged together. We've been working hard to come up with easy projects, short instructions and GREAT photos – after all, you can get a lot of information and inspiration just from looking at the pictures. Here's a peek at what's in store in June.

A quick and easy picnic tote to sew, and...

...a Father's Day card (and Dad can even clip the tie to his collar! perhaps not boardroom-appropriate, but good for a giggle).

I really hope you like this new section and can't wait to hear what you think. And hey, if you've got an idea for something (or someone) you'd like to see in Craft Matters, I hope you'll let me know!

PS Not a subscriber? That's easy to fix. Sign up right here.

Knitting for babies and the TFA colour knit-along

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:46:56 GMT

Well, if there's anything better than seeing a teeny-tiny baby sweater come off your knitting needles, it's seeing a photo of that sweater on a teeny-tiny baby. Oh, my goodness.

The sweater in question...only about 8 inches across the bottom hem.

I received just such a photo on Saturday, and if there's anything that will guarantee that I'll keep knitting for teeny-tiny babies, photos like the one in my inbox would be it. Seriously.

So, since today is the beginning of the TFA Colour Knit-along, and since I am going to see that teeny-tiny baby in just a month (so excited!), and since I'm a bit behind on my 12-in-2012 project...there's another baby sweater in the works.

Tanis's Blank Canvas Baby Sweater pattern (available as a free Ravelry download) will be just the ticket. I'm going to cheat a bit and upsize my yarn and needles – from fingering weight to DK weight – as an easy way of upsizing the sweater, since the baby seems to be doing pretty well at upsizing herself! And hopefully that will mean the sweater will fit for more than a few weeks.

Now the only question is what pattern to use. I'm thinking a monogram would be cute, or maybe a Fair Isle pattern from Mary Jane Mucklestone's great book, 200 Fair Isle Motifs. As if she knew what I was plotting, this morning she shared a great post about "how to choose and use pattern motifs" – great stuff! I see some quality time with graph paper and pencil crayons in my near future...

Will you be knitting along? What are you going to make?

Friday links

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:52:04 GMT

The middle bit of a stockinette sweater is undemanding, but it doesn't exactly lead to opportunities for great photo ops or deep thoughts. Around my place these days there's a lot of mindless knitting-in-the-round and watching Quite Interesting (QI), which is a terrific, totally silly British TV show that I'm thoroughly enjoying.

And sometimes, there's a bit of stitching. But not much. As you can see, I'm still on "B."

Meanwhile, there are all sorts of delightful, colourful, lovely, funny things happening around the internet. And so I bring you a list of Friday links (it's been a while!).

Words cannot express how much I love this Queen Elizabeth colour chart from Vogue. The only way I'd love it more would be if it was arranged in a colour wheel, but there's probably a law against that, don't you think?
Over on the Omiyage blog, a quick+easy way to customize your washi tape. So smart! Perfect for invitations, thank you notes, envelopes...
How to make wind-up butterflies. Yes! Lovely and springy and make one for Mother's Day, why don't you?
Glittery hippo! Best disco-zoo party centrepiece ever. (Now I need to have a disco-zoo party. That menu's going to be tricky to plan...)
These clay plant labels are cute and would be a good way to dress up a Mother's Day plant. In fact, I wish I had time to whip a few up today, although my...esoteric...cookie cutter collection might be a hindrance. (Skull & crossbones, top hat, pig. Not exactly holiday-themed.)
Maya Donenfeld has a new book out, Reinvention: Sewing with Rescued Materials. If you like to repurpose fabric, you can't go wrong with this book! I mean, check out this cover:

That sewing machine? Seriously covet-able.

Don't forget that you've still got lots of time to enter this week's giveaway for one of two "Yes Kits" – all you have to do is leave a comment telling us about your favourite messy craft to make.

Have a great, creative weekend!

Colour obsession: Spring green

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:30:27 GMT

There's something exciting about the riot of yellowy greens that's popping up on the trees in the neighbourhood.

Photo by garden beth, Flickr

There's so much potential in that mix of tints, shades and tones. Energy that's been locked up for months, waiting for just a bit of sunshine and a whisper of rain – a new beginning.

I think I know how that feels.

So each time I look out the window, I'm finding new inspiration. I've been Googling all sorts of green things. On Craftgawker I was looking for whatever came up under "green":

On Etsy I was trying to find craft supplies that would inspire a new project (LOVE the green buttons):

On Ravelry, I was on the hunt for a pattern that would make the most of two skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock mediumweight that I've been squirrelling away for the last year. The colourway is Irish Girlie Green, and it's just the thing for a little spring knitting.

After a long, leisurely look through (what seemed like) a million options, I clicked on the Sweet Oak Shawl by Megan Goodacre. It had just the right look for my beloved green yarn, and it's the perfect mix of interesting lacy patterns to keep my attention and give my lace-making skills a workout.

What colours are inspiring your creativity this spring? Are you a green person like me?

Make a mess (and win a prize!)

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:35:28 GMT

I am not a fan of messes. But having a toddler in the house has really curbed my compulsion to clean obsessively – there's no way to keep on top of the chaos, so I've had to settle for things to be "somewhat tidy."

Letting kids experiment with arts and crafts is good for encouraging creativity, and I find it relaxing to take a few minutes to create something, however small. Archie and I have had a few lovely colouring sessions (and one failed handprint-making craft that resulted in a rainbow-coloured boy and crumpled paper).

Since he is still sampling everything he gets his hands on (I'd be curious to know what purple tastes like too), we use nontoxic art supplies. I recently found a simple homemade paint recipe: Make a batch of vanilla instant pudding (or if you're pressed for time, buy some individual pudding cups) and just add food colouring. You can do the same with plain yogurt – though I imagine the artwork wouldn't keep as long.

Colours appear darker when the pudding dries

To promote creativity, P&G brands have created It All Starts With Yes, a campaign to encourage adults to join kids in exploring, discovering and sharing life's experiences. And to help manage all the the mess that entails, the company has created the "Yes Kit," a cute tote bag filled with aprons (one for you and two pint-sized versions) and products (Tide, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Puffs facial tissue, Charmin Freshmates and Bounty paper towels), so you can clean up when you're done.

He thought it tasted pretty good, too!

So, we're having a giveaway! (Yay!) I've got Yes Kits for two lucky winners.

Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post to say hello, and tell us what messy crafts you enjoy doing (with kids – or yourself, of course!).
Make sure you leave your name and email address, so that I can contact you if you win. (Unfortunately, we can only ship prizes within Canada, but we'd still love to hear from you if you're an international reader!)
Do it before 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

I'll randomly choose and announce the winners on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Good luck!

Knit along news, and so on

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:15:45 GMT

What with all that sewing last week, my knitting took a bit of a hit. But not too much! In fact, a long drive out into the countryside last weekend gave me ample opportunity to do a bit of catching up.

I'm half a round away from dividing the sleeves from the body of my sweater, which will cut the stitch count in half. At that point I think this project will really start zooming. (Especially since the sleeves require just 6 rounds of st st each! Thank goodness for short sleeves!)

The pattern is Gemini, and the KAL is the Tops, Tanks and Tees KAL that Shannon is hosting. I've got another couple long car rides coming up, so I should be in good stead to meet the May 23 end date. (More discussion and information on the Ravelry thread.)

Meanwhile, there's another KAL on the horizon that I'm kind of excited about: the Tanis Fiber Arts Colour Knit Along. It starts next Monday and it's wide open for interpretation – as long as your project has two or more colours of TFA, you're good to go. I don't know what I'm making yet, but I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be making it with...

This jewel-tone TFA Palette that I picked up at the Knitter's Frolic. I love it! It's an assortment of Yellow Label DK weight yarn. I might make a simple (but super cheerful!) striped pullover.

Of course, there are tons of appealing options that use a different gauge yarn – including Colour Affection, for example, or Gathering Stripes, both from Veera Välimäki. Or either of the Bláithín sweaters (for bigs or littles) or the Betty Mouat cowl from Kate Davies. Decisions, decisions...

What are you making these days? (Have you seen the granny-along over at wise craft? Fun!)

Giveaway winners

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:46:10 GMT

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Thanks to everyone who entered last week's giveaway – I'm so excited to re-read all the lovely comments and spend a little time finding matching prizes to winners. It's always fun to imagine which projects you'll make and how much fun you'll have.

Congratulations go to this week's lucky (and randomly generated) winners: Leah L., Linda J.L., Stephanie, Shew59del, Stacy Hirano, Celine, Flavia and Donna Davis.

If you see your name on the list, be sure to check your inbox for an email from me in the next couple of hours (check your spam filter if it doesn't appear, sometimes bad things happen!). And if you don't, don't worry – there's another giveaway just around the corner.

Thanks again for reading, and commenting, and being part of our little community. We couldn't do it without you!

Making my own T-shirt

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:36:03 GMT

(Hey, don't forget that you've still got a couple days to enter to win one of the books we're giving away to celebrate our 800th post! Go on and leave a comment over here if you haven't entered yet!)

It took a few late nights (and several dinners of leftovers!), but I'm happy to report that today, I'm wearing a T-shirt that I made myself. So exciting!

It started with the T-shirt pattern drafting class that Lisa and I took at The Workroom last weekend. The teacher was Cal Patch, an acquaintance of mine from Squam Art Workshops and an all-around superstar when it comes to sewing clothes. She wrote this book:

Design-it-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified. It's a great book, and I own it, but I always found it was a little bit intimidating. So many things to measure!

I'm glad we took the class. Everything seemed so straightforward with Cal leading the way. It turns out that the measurements you take for a T-shirt pattern aren't really that different than the ones you take when you're sizing yourself for a knitted sweater. (You can just call me Master of the Obvious, if you like. ;^)

Once you've taken your measurements, it's just a matter of plotting them on a piece of paper and connecting the dots. Grading the curves was alternately frustrating and satisfying, but I got there eventually.

Cal shared lots of great tricks about choosing the right fabric, which stitches to use (hint: check your manual!) and what order to put things together in, and then she sent us off into the wild.

And it worked! It really worked. Check it out:

Hee! I'm pretty pleased. I mean, it's not perfect (I definitely need to practice sewing neckbands) but it's close, and it fits better than anything I've ever bought from a store.

At this point my goal of being able (at least in theory) to clothe myself in handmade clothes from head to toe is pretty well complete. Now I just need to find a class about pants, I guess!

Have a great weekend – hope it includes some crafting time just for you.

A whimsical video to watch: Melvin the Mini Machine

Austen Gilliland — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:32:48 GMT

I thought that after yesterday's sort of rueful reflection on trying to get things done, we could use a bit of fun!

I love this video: Melvin the Mini Machine. It's an honest-to-goodness Rube Goldberg machine and it works! It's from Hey Hey Hey design studio in The Netherlands, and it's the best thing I've seen all week.

Click on the link or the photo above to watch on Vimeo. Enjoy!

The myth of the prolific after-work crafter

Austen Gilliland — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:06:09 GMT

Today Lisa and I were chatting about what to blog about today, and I thought about a conversation that we had over email yesterday. We were discussing our plans for the patterns we'd made in a custom T-shirt pattern making class we took at The Workroom...and incidentally, about the myth of the prolific night-time crafter.

From: Lisa
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:16
To: Austen
Subject: !

Superaweseome thought I just had: You could totally use that Tshirt pattern to make a dress! The most awesomely comfortable dress ever. I'm doing that.

---

From: Austen
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:21
To: Lisa

That is a genius idea! So smart. Hellooooooo, summer wardrobe!

I am planning to try my pattern out tonight. But just for a T-shirt.

---

From: Lisa
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:26
To: Austen

I was thinking I might too. Though I often daydream about these things in the afternoon, and then when it gets to be about 8 p.m. and I finally have a few spare minutes, I don't follow through.
Excited to see what you come up with!

---

From: Austen
Sent: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:30
To: Lisa

That happens to me too. For some reason I feel like I should be able to start something and finish it on the same day, and then when I know I can't, I get frustrated so I just don't start anything at all. And watch TV instead.

So maybe I should say that tonight I am going to cut out the pieces of a tshirt. Or, more realistically, tonight I am going to set up the ironing board. At this rate, I'll have a new t-shirt by Labour Day. Guess I should make it long-sleeved after all?

---

From: Lisa
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:34
To: Austen

Glad it's not just me! I always imagine that you go home every night and make or cook or write something

---

From: Austen
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:41
To: Lisa

Well, you know: make (a mess), cook (boil the kettle?) and write (a four word email).

--------------

When I re-read this exchange this morning it made me laugh (and it sort of reminded me of this post on Dinner: A Love Story).

I think that sometimes – even to people we know quite well, people with whom we share daily routines and typical ups and downs – it looks like we're just effortlessly putting in the 9-to-5, then going home, taking care of business (dinner, housework, family, all the rest) and, oh yeah, no big deal, whipping up a craft or two on the side every night.

But we're not. Some nights, just ironing the fabric for that new T-shirt is as good as it gets. If we're really lucky and someone else is making dinner, sometimes we might get more done. But there are many many nights that end, not with some late-night sewing, but with a dead drop onto the couch.

Just thought you might like to know.

Where do you buy your fabric?

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:06:46 GMT

Yesterday at lunch time I treated myself to a fabric store field trip. It'd been a while since I'd been there, so I was looking forward to seeing the spring/summer fabrics and checking out the sales. (I love buying fabric on sale, don't you?)

The store near our office is a Fabricland "Decor Centre," which means that in addition to the fashion- and craft-oriented material, it's got a great selection of home decor fabrics and notions. But yesterday the store seemed even more jam-packed than usual – it was difficult just to turn around, let alone shop.

But then I overheard a conversation at the cutting table. Turns out that all that fabric and all those sale signs (so many sale signs!) had nothing to do with a springtime bonanza and everything to do with a closing-out sale.

Harrumph!

The company surely has its reasons (rumour has it the rent was set to quadruple), but still. This close-out means that there's only one Fabricland in Toronto – and it's kind of a pain to get to if, like me, you don't own a car. I *love* my local independent retailers, but I'm going to miss this Fabricland for all those urgent lunchtime sequin-tape-buying missions. (It happens more often than you might think!)

Of course, the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that living in Toronto, I've become spoiled. In lots of places in Canada, fabric and notions that are a 10-minute walk away would sound like a crazy pipe dream. Back when I lived in semi-rural Nova Scotia, it was an hour's drive to the closest fabric store – definitely not something I could do on a lunch hour.

So I'm wondering: Where do you buy your fabric? Is there a chain store where you live? An independent retailer? Do you order online? What would you do if your local fabric store up and moved out?

#800: Roll call, giveaway, happy days

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:03:07 GMT

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for reading!

Wow: This is our 800th post here on The Craft Blog. Can you believe it? I wish I could give each of you a cupcake to say thank you for coming along on our crafty adventures.

It didn't happen overnight. We've been gathering here to talk about all things crafty for three years now. In that time, we've shared project ideas, exclaimed over crafting triumphs (and frustrations), hosted guest bloggers, posted tutorials, and met all kinds of Canadian crafters.

Through the blog, we've been able to get to know the people who read our website and our magazine each month – finding out what crafts you're passionate about, where you buy your fabric and yarn, what you love (and hate!) about your hobby of choice. It's been wonderful.

To celebrate, we're having a giveaway! (Yay!) I've got 8 great craft books ready for 8 lucky winners.

Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post to say hello. Tell us what your favourite craft is, what you like to read about, what you wish there was more of....any or all of those things.
Make sure you leave your name and email address, so that I can contact you if you win. (Unfortunately, we can only ship prizes within Canada, but we'd still love to hear from you if you're an international reader!)
Do it before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 6.

I'll randomly choose and announce the winners on Monday, May 7. Good luck – and thanks again for reading The Craft Blog!

Knitting a story (or twelve)

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:53:43 GMT

OK, so I've cast on – almost – for my Gemini pullover three times. Twice, I ran out of yarn before I'd cast on the required number of stitches. The third time I ran out of yarn AND realized that I'd been using the wrong size needles all along. Rats.

This is what it looks like right now. It's been in time-out all week. (Because clearly the sweater is the issue here. Not me, nor my reading comprehension. The sweater. Ahem.)

My simple shawl is going well. I am a late convert to the wonders of Noro Silk, but wow, I love it. It's soft, and the colours! Yes.

It's a little bit of magic. Of course, it's not a sweater, but honestly, I'm starting to question the folly of trying to knit 12 sweaters in a year. First of all, that's a lot of sweaters. Secondly, what about all the other awesome things there are to knit?

Things like Kate's Bigger on the Inside, a Dr. Who–inspired knit that is just fantastic. Even if you're not a Dr. Who fan, click through and read the story behind the pattern. It's a neat little testimony to the way that the things we make can have secret, coded meanings – how the sweaters and scarves that come off our needles, the quilts that we sew, the pictures we paint, are often so much more than what they seem to be at first glance. They're not always garments or blankets or home decor. They're stories. Our stories.

So maybe instead of sweaters, I should focus on knitting 12 stories this year. What do you think?

PS. Be sure to check in on Monday for our 800th (what?! I can't believe it!) post.

Quick pet craft: Catnip ravioli

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:30:10 GMT

All the unrest on the home reno front has made my house decidedly craft-UNfriendly of late. I haven't had time to work on anything substantial in ages.

But I did have time to make a couple of new toys for Olive and Nestor. Here's my recipe for one of the simplest, most effective homemade cat toys in the world. I see them everywhere – Etsy, pet stores, the vet's office – but they're a cinch to make at home with fabric scraps.

Catnip Ravioli

1. Cut two squares of quilting cotton or other crisp, tightly woven cotton (whatever size you like). Stack the squares with the WRONG sides facing. Pin on three sides.

2. Sew 5/8 inch or so in from the edge on each of the pinned sides. Start and end right off the edge, and don't worry about backstitching to secure the thread – it doesn't matter. Snip off the thread ends.

3. Grab a small bunch of craft stuffing and stuff into the hole. Dump in a few decent clumps of catnip, then add another little ball of the stuffing.

4. Pin the open edges together. Sew about 5/8 inch in from edge to close. Snip off thread ends.

5. Cut each edge with pinking shears to desired width.

6. Push the stuffing around to fill the centre and crush the catnip. Add one curious cat.

7. Enjoy the silliness that ensues.

Do you grow your own catnip for your cats? I would love to hear your tips on growing it – if there are different varieties, what soil conditions work, and how you dry it. Nestor and Olive are eager for me to get the garden started!

New online sewing community

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:55:09 GMT

The knitters and crocheters have Ravelry, so it's only fair that we sewists (OK, I know that's not a word, but "sewer" always looks wrong) have our own online gathering place. Enter Threadbias: a new online community for people who love to sew, quilt and embroider.

All of the content is created by the site's users, so once you create a profile, it becomes your own virtual sewing studio: You can post the projects you're working on; exchange ideas and patterns with other Threaders; and browse fabrics, notions and books (with links to buy them online).

As Threadbias just launched, there haven't been a lot of unique patterns posted yet, but I found a few interesting ideas (fancy making a tea wallet or a baby bowling shirt?). I could see the site becoming a great resource for quilting inspiration – just check out this Luigi (of SuperMarioBros. fame) quilt!

My absolute favourite sewing-project-sharing site is still BurdaStyle – though I find the clothing patterns a bit cumbersome to print, tape together and cut out. Do you have a favourite online craft community? I'd love to hear about what else is out there!

Favourites in my queue (and the world's best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe)

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:49:55 GMT

Do you memorize recipes? I do. Most of the time it's not deliberate – it's just that after you've made the same cookie recipe five or six dozen times, you're bound to remember the details. And so Chocolate O'Chippers* are a permanent part of my repertoire.

Same for scones, pancakes, and baking powder biscuits. For me, they're all comfort foods, and there's nothing more comforting than being able to walk into the kitchen and start baking – no cookbook required.

Just this weekend I realized that I've started to do the same thing with my knitting. I've got a few standby patterns that now reside permanently in my head. Glenna's Nice Ribbed Socks have taken up residence, as have the Cutest Booties from the Yarn Harlot. Given a repeat knit or two, I think that the Classic Raglan might move in, too.

I've also got a simple shawl pattern stored away up there. It's based on Simple Things – a super basic triangle shawl built with symmetrical yarn overs, with rows of garter stitch and yarn overs as decorative edging toward the bottom of the shawl. It was just the ticket for Sunday afternoon, when I had a movie to go to and nothing simple to work on in the dark. This is Noro Silk Garden, knit on 5 mm needles. I'm loving it.

* You didn't think I'd let you go without providing that cookie recipe, did you? Of course not! This recipe was shared with me by my friend Ali. I don't know where she got it, but I do know it's my favourite.

Chocolate O’Chippers
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with sugar until light. Add vanilla and egg; mix well. Add flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt; stir til incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min, or until edges are golden and tops are just beginning to set. Makes approx 36 cookies.

(You can play with the add-ins if you like: I'm also a fan of raisins, pecans and coconut, in any measure.)

Adventures in craft shopping

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:07:56 GMT

I had a super crafty weekend – how about you?

Vintage buttons! Yay!

On Friday afternoon, Lisa and I headed to Hamilton to explore James St. North. This street seems to be experiencing a crafty renaissance – though there are still some seriously dilapidated storefronts, it's also home to some great stores that are chock-a-block with nifty wares.

We popped in to White Elephant, where I reconnected with Jane, a former classmate of mine. (Small world alert!) You can read more about Jane and Hollie, the store owners, and the eclectic wares they carry, at their blog Love it A Lot.

Down the street a bit, Mixed Media, an art supply store, tempted me with a wide array of art supplies, inspiring books, magazines and posters, and blank notebooks (my favourite). Needlework, a fabric store and creative workspace, made me wish for a free afternoon to do nothing but sew in the sun.

Saturday morning I ventured out to City of Craft – and I'm so glad I did! It was packed and I had my hands full, so I don't have any photos, but what a great show. I was pleased to see lots of great vendors – some familiar, some new to me – including:

Krystal Speck, who makes ceramic art & tableware (and offers pottery classes! exciting!)
Kid Icarus, from whom I bought some supersweet recipe cards
Wolfe Island Woolworks, with a selection of lovely one-of-a-kind yarns (read more on the blog)
Rare Specimen, by Jane of White Elephant. I'd like to buy a pair of these cool earrings for each of my friends
The Workroom also had a table at the show, where they were selling packs of vintage buttons (shown above) and fabric scrap packs. It was a feeding frenzy!

I don't have room to enumerate everyone I saw, but it was great to see so many vendors – and buyers – out on a cool, rainy spring day. Hooray!

Crafty moments

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:18:12 GMT

I'm on vacation today, so I'm just popping in to share a few crafty moments from my week, in the style of Soulemama's {this moment} series. If you have a crafty moment to share, I'd love it if you left a comment, a photo, or a link in the comment section!

Have a lovely, crafty weekend!

5 crafts for flooring and tile scraps

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:30:41 GMT

My intrepid husband and I are half-finished laying down new Pergo in our living room. Yay, right?

Ugh. We hate it. And so does Artie – it's so slippery under his old paws. Plus, he hates all kinds of renovations. Or change of any kind.

Don't get me wrong – Pergo is lovely stuff. And this floating type with the underlayment attached is almost criminally easy to install. There's not one thing to hate about the material.

The problem is: it just doesn't work in this space. We installed this very laminate flooring throughout the second floor, where it's lovely and dark and quiet. It's ideal in bedrooms (and quilt rooms), where you want something soothing.

But the living room gets almost no natural light. That means a dark floor will suck up all the light and make the room like a cave. Olive thinks dark rooms are a total bore. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

So back to the drawing board we go. But it got me thinking: What do people do with those bits and bobs left over after a flooring/reno project?

Buddy Allen Carpet One in Nashville, Tenn., rounded up a bunch of neat ideas for using up carpet, laminate and tiles, including a Decorative Tile Message Board from Serenity Now
eHow has a guide to using up laminate scraps in interesting ways – homemade picture frame, anyone?
Dremel offers up a few fun crafts you make with leftover laminate tiles, including turning them into hard felt-backed placemats (for messy eaters like me)
Instructables has a tutorial on making decoupaged signs from laminate floor planks
Crafting a Green World has a step-by-step lesson in creating custom coasters from leftover tiles

So what do you think? Have any other great ideas for using up leftover building materials? I'm all ears.

Sweater #4: still just 6 balls of wool, but looking hopeful

Austen Gilliland — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:21:41 GMT

I dropped by the post office yesterday to pick up Sweater #4. Although in my head this baby's already finished and ready to wear, the reality's a bit different.

Yeah. So I have a bit of work to do yet.

The yarn is CotLin in Surf, from KnitPicks. I loved the colour, the cotton/linen blend will be just right for summer, and at $2.99/ball, the price was right. (I'm saving up to buy a Palette from Tanis Fiber Arts for a colourful KAL she's planning. And if I win the Heart & Stroke Lottery, I'm buying one of each!)

Um, where was I?

Right. Sweater #4.

I'm going to make the Gemini t-shirt by Jane Richmond, featured in the spring issue of Knitty. So cute! Reversible! And – importantly – short sleeved!

I started swatching last night while I caught up on my various guilty-pleasure TV shows. You know: Bones, Castle. That sort of thing. Though I should have saved the plain-vanilla knitting for Sherlock, which is far too absorbing (and scary!!) to watch while tackling raglan increases for a top-down cardigan in sock yarn on 2.75 mm needles, I learned this weekend.

Sorry, distracted again.

Anyhoodle. I'm joining the Tops, Tanks and Tees KAL over at luvinthemommyhood – I'm a week late to the party but hopefully I'll be able to catch up. Today there's a great post about understanding fit, so if you're like me and sometimes your brain starts to hurt when you're trying to discern the difference between body measurements and finished measurements (and what's this business about ease?!) be sure to check it out. Helpful to the max!

I'm almost finished my swatch – couple more rows and then a wash and dry and we'll see how I did. Right now it's coming in a bit tight – looks like about 24 sts and 30 rows to 4 inches on 4 mm needles, rather than the specified 22/28. But only time will tell!

So anyway, what are you making these days? And failing that, what are you watching? Sherlock's only got a few episodes per season, so I'm looking for recommendations!

Mend It Better contest winners

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:14:35 GMT

Whoops! Today has been a whirlwind, but I'm here at last with the winners of last week's contest – the copies of Mend It Better, by Kristin M. Roach.

Photo, Storey Publishing

As usual, I made the random integer generator do the, um, random integer generating.

Congrats go to Jennifer, Laura and Marlo, the lucky winners.

As always, thanks to everyone who entered and shared stories about mending. I always love hearing from you. I think this comment was my favourite...there's a lot to be said for a having a sense of humour!

Tee hee! Have a great night, folks, and we'll see you here again tomorrow.

Spring is here! And so are fun craft events

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:36:07 GMT

We had a rainy weekend in Toronto, but it seems as though the rain was exactly what the world needed. Suddenly everything seems to be in bloom. It's beautiful! When I got home from my walk last night I looked at these crewel wools and thought that they are just about the perfect colours for this time of year.

Of course, spring is arriving in the crafting world, too. Jane Brocket (of Yarnstorm) is sharing her annual tulip harvest. The spring issues of Knitty and Twist Collective are out and I'm seeing new spring sewing patterns pop up online, too.

Local crafting events are popping up just like tulips and daffodils, too. Here's a tiny sampling:

The City of Craft Spring show is next Saturday.
The DKC Knitter's Frolic is just a couple weeks away on the last weekend of April.
The Creativ Festival is also running April 27 and 28.
At the end of May, we have the Textile Museum of Canada's annual More than Just a Yardage Sale to look forward to.
And then, of course, there's the TTC Knitalong...which is still in the planning stages, by the look of things.

What crafty events are you looking forward to in your neighbourhood? Quilt guild meetings, store events, museum exhibits – tell me all about it! I'd love to hear about what you're up to in your part of the country.