Zigzag

I have a memory of being around 7 or 8 and lying on our brown, high pile carpet in West Palm Beach, Florida. Next to me was my older brother, and over us was our Mom's zigzag crochet blanket, just wide enough and long enough for 2 snuggled kids.  All twenty of our toes had found adjacent holes to poke through, just like piglets lined up for dinner.

I asked my mom why the brown and orange striped blanket had holes in it (that seemed like the opposite thing to have in a blanket) and she told me that it was an afghan; she had crocheted it years before, and it was all made from just one strand of yarn!  Maybe she'd teach me someday, she said.

On a winter trip home around 10 years ago, Mom taught me.  I made all kinds of wonky scarves for friends that year, but I was hooked.  Thanks goodness for gracious friends.  Luckily, things have gotten a bit straighter.

I love these things that tie us to our families, things that make us like our mothers.  I found my inspiration for our new nursery and the first thing I thought to make for it, and the little one that will someday fill it, was a zigzag afghan, just like the one my mom made so many years ago.

So as the rain pattered our skylight this weekend and I nursed an 8-mile-run racked calf muscle,  I sunk into the couch, tucked up my toes underneath me (just the way Mom does) and started in.  I can't wait until it all comes together, and I promise I'll share with you then too.

Do you remember having one of these afghans in your home when you were young?  What do you have that ties you to your family?

Wishing I Was on a Greek Isle

If I lived on a Greek island, I'd wear this everyday.

I don't, but who says I can't crochet and make my first sweater anyway?

Inspired, yet again my the magnanimous Anna Maria Horner, I snagged this book and used this yarn in Misty Taupe, which I love for the shiny 3-dimensionality of this soft, sustainable bamboo yarn.

Knitting Antisocial

I attempted to go to my first knitting social at a great, newly discovered yarn store lastt week. I say attempted because here is how it went:

I happened upon super cute said shop where I learned of the upcoming Knit Night, which I quickly plugged into my mental calendar. I dreamed of mingling with like-minded women as needles clicked and words like worsted weight and cable and purl floated around the room, but truly, I wasn't sure what to expect.

So I packed up my yarn and did a drive-by peeking to see if there was anyone there. The bell on the door chime greeted the 5 women already sitting in the small shop, but no one looked up to welcome me into the fray. I surrepititiously browsed the yarn, waiting for some recognition of my presence until someone (I suppose one of the owners) finally sent a weak hello my way.

I continued around the store, touching, appearing to be busy, secretly eavesdropping and wondering if I would be allowed to enter the club, if even for a visit. I made a full circle without any acknowledgment of my presence, even nearly bumping into the owner-woman at one point, still being ignored.

So I left, thinking to myself that this was much less of a Knitting Social than it was a Knitting Antisocial. I also left feeling keenly aware of how easy it is to be a part of a clique and vowing to make a more concerted effort to not repeat this very high school behavior in my own life.

I will reach out to women who don't have a place at church, I will not let the unnoticeable students be invisible this year, and I will keep being friends with the underdogs.

What can you do to make sure an outsider is made welcome in your life?

Making Time

Aside from being in escrow and trying to buy a house, thinking about having a baby and/or adoption, grandparents being sick, giving finals at school, catching up on routine doctor visits, and the final release of our movie, To Save A Life...
THIS is what I've been up to. Check them all out at the Etsy shop.

What have you been doing with yourself?

A Few More Newsies

New in the Etsy shop.

I haven't entirely crawled under a rock in my going back to work. Sure, being a full time art teacher is time-consuming, but friend, it has it's perks! I've still found a bit of time to be creative. If I can do it, so can you.

What are you going to do to be creative this week?

Holding My Nose, Into the Mud Puddle I Go

Ahhh, friends, I have been swamped this week in writing curriculum for a new 6th grade art class, building all my own lesson plans from scratch for three sections of a HS Art 1 class, and reteaching myself how to teach art to elementary students. Add to that the responsibility of ordering all art supplies for the department for the first time which took two full days of work, one full week of meetings from 8:00 to 3:00 and somehow, just somehow, blogging has slipped through the cracks.

I am singing praises for a full-time teaching schedule this year (which includes benefits, woo hoo!), and the opportunity to teach with my husband again. But all these blessings means less time to craft, sew, crochet, paint, blog, and even sit down and watch TV.

I'm excited about new directions and know they will be reflected here on my blog and look forward to the new face of my little online outlet. Aside from all that, I did find a few spare moments to add this piece to my shop. With cold weather soon to be around the corner a cowl is a perfect addition to any wardrobe...they are going to be all the rage this fall.This time next week we will have had a Color Wheel Pot Luck, made another color wheel out of frosting and animal crackers, and I have a revisitation to one of my own HS art projects planned. I was recently at a friend's house in which she has framed an oil pastel pointillist landscape. While I too did this project in High School, I did NOT enjoy it and don't even think I finished it. However, the pride with which she kept, framed, and displayed it encouraged me to try this again with my own students.by Pamela Potter

What art projects did you love and hate in High School or Junior High? I'd love some ideas and feedback if you have a minute to spare your thoughts.

Just For You

Baby Bear Crocheted BeanieStrawberry Kiwi Felted Zipper Purse

Mini Harmonica/Bird Pendant

"Ode to Dad" Bicycle Felted Zipper Pouch

Summer Lovin' Beach Card- Original Watercolor

New in my shop this weekend. Have a lovely, full, summer weekend, everyone!

Make Something Cool Everyday

Well, now it's been May for a couple of days, so I'm a bit behind in this here summary. Honestly, my mind is wrapped up in plans for visiting family, graduation (woo hoo! more on that later) and a beach party, the husband trying desperately to buy a used jeep, and as most teachers do (just like every student with "senioritis") I've been looking forward to summer. (Seriously, folks, the tank tops and flip flops are ready to go...not so much the swimsuit, though).

Anyway, last month I signed up for Dabbled's Make Something Cool Everyday, and I wanted to give you some *hopefully* inspiring highlights of my creative endeavors this past month.1.Teacup watercolor card 2.April Fool's day sushi 3.Springtime Frenchy Bag 4.Birdie watercolor 5.Felted "Pumpkin Pie" bowl for my Etsy shop 6."E. Lindsey, Handmade" watercolor 7."Lamb's Ear" felted bowl for my Etsy shop 8.Frenchies for Tiffany and Bethany 9."Blueberry Pie" felted bowl for the shop 10.Silk dyed Easter Eggs 11.Boots + Shells watercolor cards for my shop 12.Succulents watercolor cards also for the shop

What plans do you have for creativity this month? What is one creative thing you want to accomplish in the next few weeks? Tell me about it, then give yourself a deadline to finish it by; you'll feel so good when you get it done! And believe me, the creativity bug is addictive.

Firecracker Cornbread; Watermelon Bowl

I am so head over heels for this simple recipe from 101cookbooks called Firecracker Cornbread. Heidi calls for red pepper flakes to be baked into the bottom of the loaf, but I never have those. What I do have is tabasco...works just as well, and man this stuff has bite! You also use fresh or frozen corn to make it different than the rest, and just a bit heartier. I can't get enough of it.

...And no, that won't fit in this...I've also been itching to make something new with my felted wool trickery, so I opted for a little bowl. My cute husband just saws logs all night long and I keep losing my earplugs as they swim around in my night stand drawer. This tiny bowl does just the trick! I listed it on Etsy just in case someone else likes it as much as I do. (Edit: just hours after posting Peridot Design purchased it! So I've made another and reposted it for sale.) I also felted 3 other new pouches/purses, but I have yet to post them. Be sure to check out the shop regularly for updates.

Felted Zipper Purse Tutorial

So I wanted to post a short tutorial...well less of a tutorial than a before/after shot of my felted pouches which you can purchase through my shop on Etsy.

WET FELTING

Crochet
1. I start with 100% wool (there are no substitutes...I recently picked up a 50% acrylic blend without knowing it, falling for the "will felt when washed" label. It did not.)
2. Using a smallish hook, I single crochet a large rectangle, folding it in half as I work, envisioning the finished size.3. To close the sides I slip stitch down one short side after I've folded it, then cut the yarn and slip stitch down the other. If I've added a handle I chain, then do two single stitched rows before closing up the sides. I do this with all one length of yarn, never cutting it until I close up the second side.
4. I then choose an alternating yarn to freehand the topstitched design and we're ready to felt.
Felt
5. With nearly boiling water, I work in the sink, with yellow plastic gloves (what do you call those???). Adding a little bit of liquid soap I scrub and agitate and rub and, well, all you can do here is elbow grease and sweat. The longer you agitate and scrub the pieces together, the more the fibers fuse.
7. What is happening here is the previously separated fibers are fusing, becoming one piece of fabric, one piece of felt.
8. Rinse the work and pop it into the microwave to dry for about 3 minutes. Done and done!
Alternately, you can wash it in the laundry on super hot, drying it on high as well, but this costs more in energy, and can shrink your clothes...what a waste to run it alone. I suppose if you have a very large piece and hand felting won't work, but I don't even think there is enough agitation or heat for it do work properly anyway.

Warm Wooly thoughts to you all, and make sure to look around my shop! Baa bye.

New Felted Goodies in My Shop

I've been crazy busy lately in the creative realm, but somehow found time to make a few new Felted Zipper Pouches to post in my shop. Two are camera sized (teal and white), one is perfect for coinage (navy).


Click on my Shop link in the sidebar, or click here to go to my shop on Etsy.

New Item in my Shop

I've posted a new Felted Zipper Purse on Etsy, the precious one with an "E" was made-to-order for a camera, as was the pink Cherry Blossom one. If you have a preference for a particular item and don't see what you like in my shop, just request it in my personal Alchemy, or convo me through my shop, or leave a post here!

Felted Wool Satchels

This is what happens when you only work one hour a day and take one class two days a week. Some of you may be envying all my free time, but I'm getting quite bored. The upside is that I have time to make all kinds of crafts, one of which are these wool pouches I crocheted.

I made a rectangle, folded it in half and slip stitched the two edges. I top slip stitched the design in a contrasting wool yarn, then wet felted it. The last step was to hand sew in the zipper. I used wool yarn as only natural fibers will felt, and then some do so better than others. I bought the yarn for the front lime green one and the rear gray one at Piper's in Salt Lake, the teal one came from Michaels. The former is better and, of course, more expensive, but the fibers fuse together better, which in turn yields greater shrinkage.

I've made several of these...they're perfect for cameras, ipods, or catchalls. Try it!

I do not support breast cancer!

Maybe I can make you smile: I was making this cute little bear for a basket to be auctioned in the name of Breast Cancer Research at the train station the other day. A rather interesting man seemed very intrigued with it, asking what I was doing. I quickly explained and he said, "Oh, you support breast cancer?" I said, "No, just the research." Poor guy, maybe it was the joint he was smoking that threw him off.

My seasonal infatuation

So to go along with this temporary pumpkin infatuation, I indulged myself a bit in the last few days, just as a way to be creative since I haven't been able to paint much lately. I fell in love with this recipe on 101cookbooks.com, as recommended by a wizard of a cook, and personal friend/precious lamb of Jesus, Jessie Jansen. Anyway, the recipe is for a pumpkin salad with butternut squash, shallots, and wild rice. Check it out, it's amazingly autumnal and delicious.

I also couldn't pass up the pumpkins at Trader Joe's the other day, I had a serious craving for toasted seeds. So I brought home my new friend, and while I was cleaning and carving this one, I toasted yesterday's butternut seeds (which were actually better than the pumpkin seeds). I hate not using everything up, so after harvesting the little white treasures from the pumpkin's mysterious center, I carved a little cat (using my own black Halloween cat, Mowgli, as a model) and made sure I had the most negative space as possible, yielding lots of pumpkin meat to make soup with. I used the leftover onions, put it all in the microwave under veggie broth and pureed it when it came out. Delish!

As far as the jack-o-lantern went, I don't usually do it, but I couldn't help it this year. I hadn't done it since Sara Astle's birthday party in 6th grade. I had a bulb that I inserted in the back in lieu of a candle...much brighter and safer in these neck of the woods, which seem to be fire-threatened regularly. I rather like the effect. And feel quite satisfied with my recent pumpkin indulgence.

Mountains, a birthday, and a little crocheted pumpkin

I decided to come home to Salt Lake for my little brother's birthday since my mom is in India. Met with much warmer weather than I expected, my boots were put away in favor of my staple: the flip flop. My dad has been cycling a lot lately and he recently did Emigration Canyon, so this week we tried our hand at the route, via car of course. Michael, Bethany, Dad and I all went for a drive and were met with beautiful early morning rays across glistening golden yellow aspens and breathtaking views. It was a bit dry, but it satisfied my recent hunger for a more colorful autumn.

Since the weather was a bit warmer than nostalgia preferred, I opened my window at night in favor of the crisp October air as I snuggled under 3 quilts. But the most serendipitous surprise was getting to wake to the rooster out back and the geese that I know were talking and laughing about something wonderful.

For Michael, I crocheted him a little orange pumpkin. Homemade pizza was on the birthday menu, and a super chocolatey cake. I would have liked to cook everything from scratch, but we just didn't have time. Instead we went birthday shopping, and dad sent the girls for a massage from a friend they met while in Costa Rica last year. Pure bliss. We fell asleep on the couch after that for two hours. Much needed. It seems that's the thing to do when you come home--something about feeling comfortable and safe without day-to-day stresses.

I got to see an old friend, I made sure the 2 new puppies were being taken care of by a teen mom (Sophie's not even 2 yet), and I relaxed...a seemingly foreign concept right now.

I do love San Diego, but there still is a soft spot in my heart for those Wasatch mountains, especially when they show off in the fall, and are powdered white in the winter. (Actually, it's incredibly green in the summer and equally colorful in the spring). I am so blessed to have what I do, and get to travel so often to what I don't have. This world is a beautiful, dynamic, awe-inspiring place...how can you look at the mountains or the ocean and not believe God loves us that much?