Confessions of a Mad Craftwoman

Pressing Matters

2011-07-24T23:06:00.001-07:00

Just a quick link post this month, to an article I wrote some time ago for the AntiCraft. It's just a simple why-to/how-to about preparing your fabric for sewing, before it ever sees the cutting table.

Ironing Sucks!

Enjoy!

Want-to vs. Ought-to

2011-07-08T13:46:00.001-07:00

In May, I was gifted with two hanks of Ullcentrum one-ply yarn (the website's in Swedish, but your browser may be able to translate it), one in Denim, the other in Heather. Lovely stuff. I've finally decided what to do with one of them.

I plan to make the Fall Silver Shawl, available for purchase from Ravelry (you'll need a Ravelry account to visit that link, but the account is free.) I have the pattern downloaded, I have the yarn, and my fingers have been itching to start for days, but I need to buy needles for this small yarn, and I have a custom order crochet project that's waaaay overdue, and I owe blanket blocks to seven or eight people from last year's swap, and I have multiple projects to finish for the AntiCraft, and flutter sleeves to make for my formal dress, and and and....

Sigh.

Someone kick me in the ass, please?

Count-free Flat Round Crochet

2011-06-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

There are lots of tutorials on the web that show you how to crochet a flat circle, working in joined rounds or in spirals. The problems I have with these tutorials is that they're either too vague ("keep adding stitches on each round" - how many, how often?) or too rigid, requiring careful counting that's hard to follow, especially on spiral work where it's hard to keep track of what round you're working on. When I'm designing my own project, I want to be able to pick up the work and just go, without a lot of confusing counting and fiddling with stitch markers.

Through experience, I have learned that my stitches will tell me when it's time to increase. Once you can read your stitches, you never have to count again to make your own free-handed flat circles. (If you're following someone else's pattern, you'll still want to match their directions, of course, to make sure the stitch count comes out right.)

So, here's what single and double crochet stitches look like, worked in straight rows. I show this as a base comparison:

I know, the single crochet doesn't look like a straight row, but that's just because I wasn't careful enough laying the piece out for the photograph.

Here's what the same stitches look like worked in a flat round, between two increases. See how the single crochet stitch looks like a V at the bottom, and the double crochet stands up straight?

And here are the stitches telling me it's time to increase. See how the left arm of the V in the single crochet is straight up now, and the double crochet visibly leans to the right? If you're working left handed, your stitches will lean toward the left, instead.

When you see that lean, add another stitch in the same place.

Then continue on, placing one stitch in each stitch of the previous round until you see the lean again.

That's it, no more counting stitches to keep your work flat, and no more frogging to fix unwanted curling or cupping. If you need to end up with a certain number of stitches (say, to add a shell stitch edging, or somesuch) just count up how many stitches around you have at the moment, figure out how many more you need, and stop stitching when you've added enough increases to get to that number.

Everybody gets hot pads for Christmas! :D

the biggest pinhole omelette since the times of Dadaism

2011-05-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hatch yourself from an egg, photographically. It's simple, but, apparently, not easy. Is it worth it? Maybe I'll let you know someday. All I know right now is that it's damned cool!

Photo by francesco

That Waxy Buildup

2011-04-19T00:32:00.000-07:00

There are so many mediums in which painters can express themselves. There’s watercolor:

acrylic:

and oil:

which none of those are.

This is encaustic art, painting done with colored wax. You may not have heard of encaustic art before, but it’s far from being a new technique. Some of the earliest extant examples are Fayum Mummy Portraits, dating from around the second century C.E. Some sources cite the ancient Greeks, who sealed and decorated their ships with colored wax in the fifth century B.C.E.

Modern conveniences, like electric irons and heated styli, have made encaustic art easier to learn than ever, and there is a surprising amount of information and suppliers at your fingertips right now. Just ask your favorite search engine about “encaustic art,” but make sure you have plenty of time to spend surfing the results. :)

Here are a few links to get you started:

Arts Encaustic: This is the source of those lovely paintings above. They offer very nice tutorials with clear photos, and free online videos for beginners to get you comfortable with the techniques. They sell everything you need to get started and then some, including videos, pre-cut cards, and rubber stamps. Be aware that they are in the U.K., so if you’re not, you’ll either need to pay extra for shipping or find a local distributor.

Joe’s Introduction to Encaustic Arts: This is another excellent tutorial with large, clear pictures. Perhaps the real gem here, though, is the website on which it’s posted, Wet Canvas, which is an online community for painters and illustrative artists of all sorts.

And if that really whets your appetite for wax, here are the “encaustic art” results for Amazon.com and Powell’s Books.

Wax on; wax off. ;)

Sticks and Straps

2011-03-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been toying with the idea of getting back into band weaving lately, but I no longer have an inkle loom, the funds to procure one, nor the space to store one.

Fortunately there are backstrap looms. Made from little more than a warp tied between a hip-belt and a stationary point via some cleverly inserted sticks, a backstrap loom can be made from items you may have around the house. (Got an old broomstick you can cut up?) Even if you don’t have the materials on hand, dowels are cheap to buy at the hardware store. A sturdy scarf can serve as your backstrap until you can weave your own. Because there is no frame, your weaving or loom parts can be bundled into a bag or box between sessions, so it takes very little storage space.

It’s been a while since I did anything with a backstrap loom, and then it was for card weaving, so I didn’t use heddles and such. I needed a refresher course.

I found stunningly clear instructions at WeaveZine. Laverne Waddington’s "Backstrap Basics" takes you step by step through the process of assembling, warping, and weaving on a backstrap loom, with beautifully done photos and videos. There are two projects; a simple band to get you familiar with the weaving process, then a strap to replace the pillowcase she recommends using in a pinch. There are links to Laverne’s own blog, where you can learn more advanced weaving techniques, like stripes, warp floats, and supplemental wefts. And look through the comments, too, for a few more tips.

Now, what did I do with that broomstick I stashed away...?

The photo above is used here with kind permission of "Ursula in BKK," from her photoblog of her travels, Weekly Wanders. This photo is from her post about visiting with the women of Taliang, Laos, who have made a cottage industry of their exquisite weaving. It's a wonderful read; go take a look!

This One's Letterfu is Strong.

2011-02-20T22:48:00.000-08:00

You're at your computer printing out thirty party invitations when you discover you only have 3 envelopes. What to do?

Run those invites through the printer again and print a design from Letterfu on the back. Five folds and a tuck turns the invitation into its own envelope, sealed with the postage stamp. There are 4 designs available on the Letterfu website, links to several other folks' designs, and all the tools you'll need to create your own vector designs.

So, when's the party?

Narcissity

2011-01-31T23:51:00.001-08:00

I have long hair, and I’ve decided to grow my bangs out. They just haven’t looked as good as I’d like for a few months. About the only way to grow one’s bangs out at all gracefully is to wear hairbands, but I have a problem.

I have a fat head.

On top of that, my head is really pressure sensitive. Oh, it’s not changing weather that gives me a headache, it’s anything squeezing my head that does it. It’s instant - I can feel the headache coming on within a minute of putting on too small sunglasses, which is all of them. I can’t use headphones that are connected to a band, only the ones that clip over your ears individually. (Earbuds are excruciating to me, too, so they’re no help.)

So buying hairbands is hard for me. Most of them are too small, which means they squeeze me into an instant headache. Sometimes I can stretch them out enough that they work for a while, but doing so inevitably pops some of the stitches, and they don’t last long after that.

Clearly, the solution is to make my own. Clearly I have to make them using my most recently acquired crafting skills, in this case, knitting. Clearly I can’t follow someone else’s pattern, because then it wouldn’t be all about me, and I would seem less cool as I told you all about how I did it.

Tell me, do I seem narcissistic, or am I really that good? ;)

Design Notes: The sizing for Narcissity is determined by actual length, rather than by stitch gauge. (You’ll need to keep a ruler or measuring tape handy.) It can be made in any yarn with needles appropriate to the yarn, however, the thickness of the yarn will determine the width of the band. Sock yarn will produce a very narrow band. A thick-and-thin yarn will give you an uneven band. A band made from bulky yarn will serve as an ear warmer, too.

A yarn with some elasticity will fit and stay on your head better than 100% cotton, linen, or silk.

You should be able to get at least two Narcissity hairbands, possibly more, from one average sized ball or skein of most yarns.

The main decoration in Narcissity is a simple 2x2 cable, so you’ll need a cable needle, as well. This is a good project for your first attempt at cabling since the cable is so simple, and the project is small enough to not be heartbreaking if it doesn’t come out well the first time.

NB: I don’t care for the purl bump that the standard knit-front-and-back gives, especially in a project this small where every detail makes a difference. I have discovered that knitting the back loop first, then the front loop, gives me a smooth front surface, with the increase looking more like natural growth than cut-and-paste. The notation I have used for this increase is kbf.

Terms and Stitches Used:
co = cast on
RS = right side (front of fabric)
WS = wrong side (back of fabric)
stockinette = fabric that shows only knit stitches on the right side of the fabric. When working back and forth on flat fabric, this means that you will alternate rows of knit and purl stitches.
k = knit
p = purl
kbf = knit back and front (see NB above)
p2tog = purl two together

If you don’t know how to perform any of the stitches, just do a search for them on Google or another search engine. There are lots of good tutorials for knitting on the web. Searching for “knit front and back” should help you understand my “knit back and front.”

Measurements are given in inches. To convert to metric, remember that one inch is approximately equal to 2.5 centimetres.

INSTRUCTIONS:

FIRST TIE

Co 4.
Work in stockinette for 6”, finishing with wrong side (WS) row.

INCREASE SECTION

Row 1:(RS) k1, kbf twice, k1 (six stitches)
Row 2:(WS) purl across.
Row 3: k2, p2, k2
Row 4: p2, k2, p2
Row 5: k1, kbf, p2, kbf, k1 (eight stitches)
Row 6: p2, k1, p2, k1, p2
Row 7: k2, p1, k2, p1, k2
Row 8: repeat row 6
Row 9: k1, kbf, p1, k2, p1, kbf, k1 (ten stitches)
Row 10: p2, k2, p2, k2, p2
Row 11: k2, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 12: repeat row 10
Row 13: k2, p2, kbf twice, p2, k2 (twelve stitches)
Row 14: p2, k2, p4, k2, p2

MAIN (CABLE) SECTION

Measure the length of your Increase Section. Subtract this length from 20 inches. Work Rows 15 through 18 until your Increase and Main Sections combined measure this amount, or as close as you can get, finishing with Row 17.

Row 15: k2, p2, slip next two stitches from left needle onto cable needle, and bring to front of work. K next 2 stitches on left needle. Return stitches from cable needle to left needle, and knit them. P2, k2.

Row 16: p2, k2, p4, k2, p2
Row 17: k2, p2, k4, p2, k2
Row 18: repeat row 16

DECREASE

Row 19: p2, k2, p2tog twice, k2, p2 (ten stitches)
Row 20: k2, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 21: p2, k2, p2, k2, p2
Row 22: k3, p1, k2, p1, k3
Row 23: p1, p2tog, k1, p2, k1, p2tog, p1 (eight stitches)
Row 24: k2, p1, k2, p1, k2
Row 25: p2, k1, p2, k1, p2
Row 26: k3, p2, k3
Row 27: p1, p2tog, k2, p2tog, p1 (six stitches)
Row 28: k2, p2, k2
Row 29: purl across
Row 30: knit across
Row 31: p1, p2tog twice, p1 (four stitches)

LAST TIE

Work in stockinette for 6”. Bind off. Block as needed, but leave the ties alone to curl.

Thanks go to Rogue at Rogue Knits for testing my first ever knit pattern. You rock, Girlfriend!

If at first...

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I didn't meet my 2010 goal of one post-of-substance per month. Oh, well. As my husband says, "If at first you don't succeed, keep on suckin' 'til you do suck see-" uh, er, maybe I should paraphrase that: just keep trying.

So, yeah, what I said back here? Ditto for 2011.

Wish me luck. :)

Ta-daaa!

2010-07-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Mixed Berries and Raspberry Truffle.

No, I Didn't Die.

2010-07-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

I *dyed* two 96 yard hanks of cotton yarn (good ol' Cream n Sugar) today, with my friend Andrea's help. They're closed up in plastic bags, sitting on folded paper bags to absorb the excess dyes and keep them from running all over and turning the yarn muddy looking. Tomorrow afternoon, they'll get rinsed (and rinsed, and rinsed some more) then put in the dryer. I can't wait to see how they turn out. Don't worry, there will be pictures. :)

Make Your Mark

2010-07-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

(Dateline: April 98th, 2010 ;) )

My dad and I recently learned about letterboxing. It's an informal treasure-hunt sort of game, similar to geocaching, that began with a gentleman's calling card left tucked into a bottle near a remote English pond in 1854. In the modern version of letterboxing, one follows clues left on a website to find a secret stash containing a rubber stamp and a logbook. The adventurer brings their own signature stamp and logbook along, stamps an image from their signature stamp into the letterbox's book, and takes an image of the letterbox's stamp away in their own logbook.

While there's no rule against using a store-bought stamp, either for your signature or for the letterbox, it's so much more personal to create your own design. Indeed, the vast majority of letterboxers use stamps of their own design. They may have the stamps custom made by a stationery company, or carve them themselves from rubber erasers. Being somewhat uncertain of my ablility to carve a rubber eraser, and displeased with the small size of the erasers I found, I went looking for an alternative material. I found it in craft foam sheets.

You will need:

One sheet of adhesive-backed craft foam
One sheet of 6 mm thick craft foam
A craft knife
A cutting surface
A stamp pad with a raised surface, or a watercolor pen
Your stamp design

Your design can be quite detailed, but you should probably try not to get too fancy with your first attempt. You can hand draw your design or use a graphics program to create one. Consider the size of your image carefully. It should be small enough to fit on a small logbook page, but large enough to be easy to cut out of the foam. I chose a daffodil design that I use elsewhere as well, and my dad created a simple radio tower design, alluding to his ham radio hobby. We decided that three inches in the largest dimension of our designs would likely fit well in most logbooks.

As you work with the adhesive-backed foam sheet, be careful not to press your fingernails into the foam. It will take impressions from your nails rather easily, and your stamped design may have small crescent-shaped voids as a result.

I found that carbon paper refused to transfer to the foam, so I cut the designs out of their paper print-outs with the craft knife, then used them as stencils to apply the design to the foam. My daffodil design was already created in a stencil-like negative image, with the pieces of the flower cut from the background. With the finished stamp, the background would be printed, while the flower remained the white of the paper. My dad's radio tower, however, was a positive image with crossbars that needed careful handling in cutting the transfer stencil. I left thin bands of paper between the crossbars and the uprights on the paper stencil, to hold the design together. I would later cut through these lines when cutting the design from the foam sheet.

Place the stencil on top of the adhesive-backed foam and ink through the stencil with the stamp pad. (If your design has letters or any other element that requires a certain direction, make sure to put your stencil down backwards.) I had a little trouble getting all the smaller parts of the pattern inked, and by the time I did, there was a good bit of ink bleeding through the paper onto the foam. I think a smaller, dauber-type ink pad or a water color pen would have worked better, but I didn't have either of those, and I was able to see the design clearly enough on the foam to cut the design out.

With your craft knife, cut the design out of the foam. There are a couple things to which to pay attention as you cut. The first is that you don't undercut the edge of the stamp. It's best to angle the blade of your craft knife away from the piece at the point of the blade, so as to ensure adequate support to the edge of the foam. The other is that you either start at one side of the pattern and work across, or start at the center and work your way out. This is so that the piece you're cutting always has as much support from the surrounding foam as possible. On my daffodil, if I had cut all the petals first, then cut the trumpet out, I would likely have broken through the lines as the lack of support allowed the foam to stretch and flex.

If your image has several separate pieces, and their exact placement on the stamp is important, don't just cut the pieces out willy-nilly. With my dad's radio tower, I chose to cut the tower out first, as the anchor of the design. I stripped the paper backing off of the adhesive back of the tower, and placed it on the 6 mm thick foam sheet. Then, one by one, I cut a lightning bolt, but did not remove it from the surrounding foam. Instead, I removed the paper backing from just the lightning bolt, fitted the surrounding foam around the tower on the 6 mm thick foam sheet, pressed the lightning bolt down, then removed the surrounding foam from the now-adhered bolt.

Once you have all the pieces of your design adhered to the 6 mm thick foam backing, cut the stamp from the rest of the sheet. Cut off any excess backing that isn't supporting the image. Doing this will help prevent accidental stamping of the edges of the backing. Ink your stamp and make a test imprint on a piece of paper. If you use watercolor pens, you can color different parts of the stamp different colors for a multicolor image.

Congratulations! You've made your very own personalized stamp. Now, go gently clean it with water and an old soft toothbrush. The ink will never completely dry on the foam, so cleaning it off will reduce accidental stamping on your clothes and furniture, as well as prevent a buildup of residue that can reduce the quality of your impressions.

Not only are craft foam stamps easy and fun to make, they are incredibly cheap! Having a 3" x 3" custom stamp made professionally costs about $25. Both the self adhesive foam and the 6 mm thick foam were a mere 99 cents per sheet. I made two stamps, and have enough foam left over for at least another four stamps of the same size. This means that each stamp used about 30 cents worth of foam. That's what I call thrifty!

Happy stamping!

For more information on letterboxing, visit the Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterboxing .

Summertime Tea-ser

2010-07-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day, America!

One of my favorite treats for summertime (and 4th of July barbeques, naturally) is suntea. The gentle warmth of the sunlight coaxes the flavor from even the cheapest Lipton's knock-off, without drawing out the bitter taste that boiling water stews from the leaves. Plus, there's something so relaxing about setting the jar of cool water and tea bags out, finding just the right sunny spot, then going about my business for an hour or two. With hot-brewed iced tea, I always worry that the container is going to either melt or break when I'm pouring hot tea over the ice, and it takes so long to cool to drinking temperature. Somehow, I associate the act of boiling the water for the tea with being in a hurry, and then the hurry is frustrated by the cooling time. Suntea never gets hot enough to threaten the pitcher or jar, and will often cool enough for drinking just in from the sun by pouring it over ice in your glass.

So, why am I talking about sun tea in a craft blog? Well, food can certainly be craft or art, completely aside from decorating or garnishing. Any foodie will tell you that. It's how the food tastes that really makes it art. Sculpting mashed potatoes into a bust of Beethoven would certainly be impressive, but if the potatoes taste like paste when they're served up, the dish is really a "bust."

While simple black tea makes a perfectly satisfying iced drink, I like to enhance the flavor by including a few bags of a flavored tea blend in the jar. Most often I choose Earl Grey, which is my favorite flavor of tea for drinking hot in cooler weather, but sometimes I fancy mint instead. (I also sun brew mint alone from time to time. Mint and black tea together are a wonderful hot drink, as well.) There are both peach and pear flavored herbal teas that are lovely added to a black suntea. If you like the flavors of flowers (some don't), try adding rose petals, lavender buds, or jasmine flowers. Just make certain the flowers are food grade, or from a garden that doesn't use chemical pesticides. Muslin bags for loose teas are available at most whole foods stores with the bulk teas, so you don't have to strain your tea to remove the flowers. If your black tea is loose as well, you can use a muslin spice bag, which is made to hold herbs and spices for flavoring a clear stock. The flowers or loose flavored tea and the black tea can go in the same bag.

My basic "recipe" for suntea is this:

1 gallon of drinking water (some folks get good water from the kitchen tap, some don't.)
8-10 bags of black tea (or 8-10 teaspoons of loose black tea in a muslin spice bag)
2-4 bags of flavored tea (or 2-4 teaspoons of loose flavored tea in a muslin bag)

Your jar or pitcher can be glass or plastic, and should be clear or translucent. A decorative print on the container is fine, as long as it still lets the sunlight through.

Fill the container up with the drinking water, and add the bag(s) of tea. If the cover for the container is screw-on (like a jar lid), try draping any strings from the bags over the edge of the container opening, making sure that the bags can still hang down into the water deep enough to submerge them. You should still be able to screw the lid on, and this will keep you from having to fish the sodden bags (and paper tags!) from the bottom of the container later.

Find a spot outside (or in a window sill) that will receive bright sunlight for at least a couple hours, and set your container there. Find something else to do for those couple hours until the tea is nicely colored. Remove the teabags and serve over ice.

I don't sweeten my tea in the jar anymore because I want others to be able to drink the tea with the sweetener of their choice, or with no sweetener at all if they prefer. Most manufactured stevia-based or artificial sweeteners dissolve pretty readily in a cold drink with just a couple stirs. Good old-fashioned sugar, on the other hand, likes to settle in a gritty, too-sweet pile on the bottom of the glass.

If natural sweetness is your preference, make a simple syrup. Combine a cup of granulated sugar and a cup of water in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down to just over a simmer, and stir for a minute until the sugar all dissolves. Take the syrup off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. You can either stir this directly into your jar of tea to sweeten the whole gallon, or keep it in a syrup pitcher for folks to sweeten their own glasses of tea.

Ahhhh. Tea. :)

In the Temple of the Marshmallow Kings

2010-04-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, I am a mad, mad craftwoman! Finding myself unable to procure the flower-shaped cake decorating sprinkles that I had so foolishly declined to purchase just the previous day, I turned to other methods of decorating an Easter cake. Powerful methods. Terrible methods.

Sugar-coated marshmallow methods.

Behold, the Temple of the Marshmallow Kings:

MuwAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAcoughcough, ahem....

Marshmallow priests encircle their two-faced god, while worshippers bring more offerings of jelly-bird gems.

Those who pass within the temple walls find respite in the pastel splendor of the cakey sanctuary.

The cake itself was made using the method (but not the recipe) found at Omnomicom.

A Turning Trick for Hookers

2010-04-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

The date on this post is wrong. Today is March 34. ;)

Traditionally, when you're crocheting something with more than one row in it (which is anything other than a simple edging, of course), you get from the end of your current row to the beginning of the next row by crocheting a few chain stitches, which count as the first stitch of the next row. On flat pieces, this can make an edge that's a little wobbly looking, and on round pieces, it leaves a visible seam.

YouTube video poster TXCr1cket demonstrates a method for creating a freestanding double crochet stitch to replace those wobbly, seam-ly chains. It makes a nice even edge in flatwork, and a nearly invisible seam in round works. Watch and learn:

You're getting veeery sleeeepyyyy...

2010-02-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

This spiral block is one of the crochet designs I'm using for a block swap I'm involved in. The other swappers liked the design so well, they asked if I had a pattern I could share with them. I don't, really, though if you can crochet a flat circle, I can tell you generally how I did it. Again, this isn't a pattern, so much as a guideline, and you do have to have at least a little experience with crochet to do this.

Start with a large slip knot, either color, doesn't matter. Into the loop of the slip knot, sc, hdc, 4dc. Pull your working loop large, and drop it off the hook. Attach the second color after the last dc (I just made a small slip knot, like you would start a chain with, and brought it through the loop from the back, then started working around the loop.). Repeat the same sc, hdc, 4dc in the loop. Pull the loop tight.

Now, still with the second color, work 2dc in each stitch of the first color. Enlarge and drop the loop, pick up the first color, pull the loop back down to working size, and work 2dc into 6 stitches of color 2.

So, at this point, you should have a center with 6 stitches of each color, and the first round of the spiral with 12 stitches of each color, with the colors ending on opposite sides of the spiral. From here, you just work flat, taking one color to the end of the other, and count the stitches you make, then take the other color to the opposite side of the spiral, making the same number of stitches in the same increase pattern.

When the spiral is almost as large as you want it, measure it across the ends of the spiral arms (we'll call this the X axis) and perpendicular to that (the Y axis). You will find that it's slightly larger across the X axis. Mine was about a half inch difference, much less than the height of 2 rows of dc. (Remember that what you do with one color you also do with the other, so each round increases the size by 2 rows.) What you have to do is work until you're about 6 stitches away from the narrowest point. Then work 4 hdc, 4 sc (this is going across the narrowest point), then 4 slp st, and stop, but don't break off yet. Repeat for the other color, also not breaking off yet. (Unless you're not making a block. This would be a nice design to make in a heavy natural fibre for trivets and coasters.)

As for turning a round spiral into a block, this is actually the hardest part to figure out. Count the stitches around your motif. Divide that by 4. Now take a good look at the edge of the piece, and decide how many stitches could reasonably be considered straight enough to be part of the edge of the block (we'll call this number N). Subtract N from your previous number. This is how many stitches need to be enclosed in a corner.

Decide how many sections of mesh you want to work into this area. A number that divides evenly, or within one stitch of even, is good. I made three sections worked over about 18 stitches total, each section worked over 6 stitches.

It gets a little confusing here. If you read slowly and work along with the instructions, I think you'll be okay.

From the end of one spiral arm, chain 1 or 2 more than the number of stitches that the first section is worked over, preferably an odd number of chains. (I chained 7) Join to the spiral at the appropriate place (6th stitch, for me), then repeat this until the last section. On the last section, chain half as many, then work a tall stitch to match the height of the chain (I worked a treble stitch), placing this stitch in the last stitch of the spiral to which the corner is attached.

Turn the work, chain a section of mesh, join to the middle of the next chain loop, continue to the last section, and work the last section as before, with the tall last stitch. You'll work 1 fewer sections of mesh than the previous row. Continue like this until you make a single last mesh section in the corner. Bind off.

Remember "N"? Count N around the spiral from the end of the mesh, join, and make another mesh corner. Then pick up the yarn from the other spiral arm and do it all again.

That's it. Please ask any questions in the comments here, so that others may learn from the answers as well. I'd love to see your interpretations of this pattern!

[Credit where it's due: Photo by S. Kelley]

Color Me Happy

2010-01-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

Every crafter is a visual artist, and, as such, works with color. You probably learned in grade school that red, blue, and yellow are the primary colors (of pigment, not light, but that's not the issue here), and that combinations of any two of those make the secondary colors, orange, green, and purple. You might have learned about complementary colors, colors opposite each other on the color wheel. And of course you know that black and white go with everything.

But what do you do when you're tired of primaries and secondaries, monochrome and two-tone, black and white? Unless you followed an art track in college, you probably don't know much more about color theory. What happens when you open your bead box, your yarn stash, your fabric closet, and don't know where to start?

Color Scheme Designer to the rescue! Created by Petr Stanicek as an aid to web site designers, CSD is an elegant, easy to use guide to color.

Above the color wheel on the left, there are buttons for selecting for six different color arrangements (monomchrome, complementary, triad, etc.). Once you've chosen that, you can pull the dots on the wheel around to select your main color, and the colors that fall within the range of your chosen arrangement. On the left are four blocks in a row that show the main colors of your selection, above a larger block showing some different shades of your palette. Below the wheel are tabs that allow you to play with brightness, saturation, and contrast. If you do happen to be designing for a website, or need a color for your digital art, you can get a list of the colors with their hexadecimal codes. There are even controls for viewing the colors as people with different kinds of color blindness see them. I could write a how-to guide for this application, but really, the best thing is just to go play with it. Try everything on the page, just to see what it does.

If Color Scheme Designer can't break you out of your color block blues, I don't know what can!

P.S. Idle fun for sports fans: set the color wheel to "complement," then pull the dots around and see how many team colors you can find. ;)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-27T14:44:00.001-08:00

I know, I'm almost a month late to be offering such greetings. If you look back through my posts of the past year, you'll see that you might consider yourself lucky to be reading anything from me at all, given how infrequently I've posted in that time.

I'm not usually one to go for the whole New Year Resolution thing, but I've decided to make just one this year. You're all witnesses, and I expect you to call me on it if I fail. Here goes:

I, Carin Huber, Mad Craftwoman Extraordinaire, hereby resolve for the year 2010 of the Common Era, to make at least one post during each month of substance, where "of substance" means not relating strictly to my craft woes or published works (though those posts will continue to appear as well), but shall impart useful knowledge, whether it be a tutorial of my own making, or discussion of others' works or events, or of trends in craft. Making two such posts in one month will not excuse me from making another one in the following month. Posts intended to fulfill this resolution will carry the label "resolution," along with any other applicable labels.

Okay, there it is. I'm counting on you to poke me with a stick if a month comes and goes without a substantive post here from me. And, no, this post doesn't count as "substantive." That one's coming next. :)

The Samhain '09 Issue of the AntiCraft is Up

2009-10-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

And it's all about me me me! Seriously, in just this issue I have four projects and a review. It wasn't planned, I just kept having ideas, and failed to realize how much I was trying to do at one time. I managed to get it all done anyway.

Flask Jacket: A sewn fabric cover for a hip flask. "Dress up a plain hip flask for a night at the cemetery, cover the claw marks left on it from the last full moon, or just remind yourself which flask has the whiskey and which has the O-negative."

Restraint: "It's what you apply to your slave's wrist or ankle.

It's what you ask of a dirty old man in a forum full of crafty girls. (He knows who he is.)

It's what you show when your servant spills the wine again. Unless you don't."

A carrying harness for a wine bottle made from thrifted belts.

Hoist By Your Own Picard: A cordial. "Tea. Earl Grey. Hard."

Terpon's Cup: A spiced honeydew melon cordial. "I'd like to think Terpon might have made libation of such a drink as this in honor of noble Aphrodite."

Review: Xela's Disposable Flasks. Perfect for sharing your home made, um...infusions with distant friends.

Whew! That's a lot of crafting and writing. I think I'll take a break on the next issue, Imbolc '10. But don't worry; I'll let you know when it comes out. Maybe you'd like to contribute, to take up some of my slack? The theme for that one is food. After all, it's best to eat something, if you're going to drink.

How to Grade Seam Allowances

2009-09-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here I am, again, after 3 months away, to fill another tutorial need. If you want something done right...

When you're sewing thick fabrics, or several layers, or just sewing a small enough project that every detail matters, you may want to grade your seams. It's simple to do.

On a garment with a lining or facing, when all the layers of a seam allowance are cut to the same width, they can leave a bulky lump along the edge of the garment. I've sewn together three random fabric remnants to illustrate:

I've run the iron along the edge of the seam allowance to make it show up better for the picture. You can see how thick the edge is, and how sudden the transition is from the seam allowance to the main expanse of fabric.

To ease the transition from seam allowance to main expanse, trim each layer of the seam allowance to a different width. This photo shows the innermost layer trimmed to about an eighth of an inch from the stitching.

And here you can see the second layer of the seam allowance trimmed to a width between the outer fabric and the inner fabric. See how the edges of each layer are a different width from the seam?

On a lined garment, you can usually trim quite close to the stitching without fear of it raveling enough to come apart at the seam. If you're really worried that the fabric won't hold up, you might try running a bead of Fray Check along the cut edge after you trim the allowance. Make sure the Fray Check dries before you fold the seam closed again - it could mark the garment if it bleeds through to the outside.

Here is the same seam seen from the outside after grading. Notice how much smoother the transition is from edge of the garment to main expanse of fabric. It's best if the widest seam allowance is the one closest to the outside of the garment, for the smoothest finish possible. It's just one trick, of many, for a more professional finish on your home sewn garments.

How to Measure and Cut Needlepoint and Crosstitch Canvas

2009-05-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

When I went looking for a link to include in an AntiCraft article about how to measure and cut canvas for counted needlepoint, I found exactly two. They were both by the same person, and they were both Wrong. (Seriously, I'm still spluttering over just how wrong!) None of the sites devoted to needlepoint and cross stitch seem to realize that before you can get to "step 1: bind the edge of the canvas to prevent fraying," you have to figure out where that edge should be.

So, I'll tell you. Isn't that kind of me? ;)

There are many different kinds of canvas that can be used for needlepoint. You can even use plain woven fabric if you're a ~~masochist~~ expert. But, if you're new enough to stitchery that you don't already know how to measure your canvas for your project, you'll most likely be using aida cloth, so that's what I'll talk about here.

Aida cloth comes in many different "counts" or "points," which refers to the size of the weave. A point is the space for one stitch in basic continental or cross stitch; it's where the vertical threads and the horizontal threads intersect. The number of points refers to the number of stitches you can make over one inch. 11 count aida will have 11 stitches in one inch. 16 count will have 16 stitches in an inch, and so on. It's possible the canvas may be a point off here or there, but, unless you're planning to stitch a wall-sized tapestry, it probably won't be enough of a difference to matter.

If you have purchased your pattern from a regular pattern company, it may tell you how many stitches high and wide the design is. If you can't find this information, you'll have to count the stitches yourself. If the design is not a regular shape, be carefull to count from the very lowest stitch to the very highest, and from the left-most to the right-most. Write these numbers down.

Now, divide each of these numbers by the count of your fabric. For example, lets say that our pattern is 200 stitches high by 150 stitches wide.

On 11 count aida:
200/11 = approx. 18 inches high
150/11 = approx. 14 inches wide

On 18 count aida:
200/18 = approx. 11 inches high
150/18 = approx. 8.5 inches wide

On 22 count aida:
200/22 = approx. 9 inches high
150/22 = approx. 7 inches wide

You can see that the higher the count of the canvas, the smaller the pattern will be when it's finished.

So, that's how you figure the size of your stitched area, but it's not the size you want to cut your canvas. Once you have your stitched size, you want to add a minimum of 3 inches to each side (adding 6 inches total to each dimension), possibly more, depending on the size of the stitching frame or hoop you'll be using. Using our 200 by 150 stitch example:

On 11 count aids:
18" + 6" = 24" high
14" + 6" = 20" wide

On 18 count aida:
11" + 6" = 17" high
8.5" + 6" = 14.5" wide

On 22 count aida:
9" + 6" = 15" high
7" + 6" = 13" wide

That's the size, at minimum, you cut your canvas. Any less and you'll risk not having enough room at the edges to mount the canvas in a frame or hoop to work the design completely, or to mount or sew the finished design into the display frame or other project for which you've stitched it.

Now you can proceed to "step 1: bind the edge of the canvas to prevent fraying."

Let me know if you need help with that, too. ;)

Just Checking In

2009-05-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I haven't posted anything in over a month. Well, I've been busy leading hoodoo practitioners in making portable altars out of cigar boxes:

learning about "or nue" embroidery:

and working on my project for the next issue of the AntiCraft:

Whoops. Oh well.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know I'm still here, and still crafting my fingers to the bone. Now, if I could just get paid for all this crafting...

Two New Releases!

2009-04-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased! 42 Magazine's inaugural issue has finally been released! It's forty-four pages of wonderful writing and art, all wrapped up inside gorgeously rich cover art by Kathleen Flannigan. Page seven features an article by yours truly about thrifty crafting, accompanied by the wonderful illustrations of Danielle Thillet. There's parables and poetry and pictures, with very little silly alliteration!

Here in pixel-land, the Beltane '09 issue of the AntiCraft, Attack of the Merkins is live. (I should warn you that the pictures in this ish may not be safe for work. It probably depends on where you work.) You'll find my offerings in this issue bright and shiny, and later you'll be able to see another. I'll let you know when that one's available for viewing. Don't the let the wait make your brown eyes blue. ;)

Both 42 and the AntiCraft are always looking for your submissions of creativity for publication.

42 looks for "...articles, poems, and stories that illuminate the themes of a meaningful life, whatever that means to you. Our thematic focus -- if indeed something so diffuse can even be called a focus -- is on: Peace :: Justice :: Ecology :: Economy :: Self-reliance :: Simplicity :: Reason :: Joy :: Love :: Art "

For more details on the what, how, and where, visit 42's submission information page.

The Anticraft likes "Craft in any media (weaving, metallurgy, crochet, soul-painting, cooking, or other any medium you can bend to your will)... so long as results are reproducible by your tutorial, it doesn't suck, and it is previously unpublished (blogs count). " The what/how/where for the AC is found at their submission page. The theme for the next issue is embroidery, but you should submit whatever moves you. If we like it, we'll find a place for it in a future issue.

I hope to see something from you in the inboxes soon!

Art from the Needle

2009-02-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

I realised this evening that it's been a really long time since I visited the craftgrrl community on Live Journal, so I went over there to check it out.

I'm so glad I did.

Miss Maya (LJ username "missychacha") draws linework on fabric with her sewing machine, fills in the basic colors with gouache, then brings the whole piece into the third dimension with various beads. My favorite of the pieces shown in the above linked post is the first one, titled "Love and the Ocean," but I also love the more sombre "Hal," and there isn't a single piece there that I wouldn't love to have mounted and hanging on my wall!

Miss Maya also draws and paints in more conventional ways. Her work can be seen at her Deviant Art account.

Been a While

2009-02-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I have been (and still am) busy crafting. Here's just a tiny hint:

More on that later.

I'm also getting really excited about 42 Magazine's first issue coming out next month! Serene has been wading through tons of submissions, and she says there is some incredibly good stuff in there. I've seen a couple of the pieces, and I can't wait to see more!

I've added a section over on the left side of the screen, for links to Useful Things. Right now it's only got one item in it, a website for measurement conversions. The site even has a place to convert volumes of various cooking ingredients (tiger lily blossoms?!?!?) to weights, and back again! I plan to add This to That as soon as I get or make a button for it. What website are you always referring to, when you need to know something? Let me know, and maybe I'll add it to the list!

The Imbolc '09 Issue of the AntiCraft is Up

2009-01-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

My latest published work, Timeless Tunic, went live today. It's instructions for how to measure, draft, and sew your own custom-fit T-tunic. That handsome viking shown wearing the tunic is my best friend and long-suffering husband, James. No need for envy, ladies; I might be persuaded to share. ;)

The aftermath

2009-01-02T12:03:00.001-08:00

So, the tie silk scarves were a big hit. I gave one to my boss, and both his wife and his son tried to abscond with it. The guys in my family were impressed with them, too. I still have a couple left, and I'll probably put them up in my Etsy store, as soon as I get around to photographing them. I'm thinking $30-$35 is a good price for a flannel lined silk scarf, yes?

I haven't completely finished any of the purses, though a couple of them just need the linings sewn in place, and the bead pulls made for the zippers. I have until Easter to finish them now, but I can't let myself procrastinate based on that. It just means I don't have to rush and panic over it.

Aside from having my car wrecked by someone who didn't look before they turned into my path, this holiday season has been pretty good for me. How was yours?

Waving the White Flag

2008-12-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

I surrender. There is no way I can complete the sewing on 4 more purses and do the hand-work (sewing the lining to the zipper) on all 7 in the next 2 days. Not even if I don't go to work or sleep.

Instead, the ladies will be getting cards with scraps of the purse fabrics sewn onto them, explainging the situation, to be redeemed at the family Easter gathering.

Ah. That feels much better.

I've got how many days left 'til Christmas???

2008-12-18T00:45:00.000-08:00

I am freaking insane.

I've got the gifts for the guys in my family-of-origin made: scarves made of tie silk, lined with flannel. Warm, but classy.

But, like an idiot, I decided to make purses for the ladies. Views C and D of this one, from Butterick. That's a little more involved than a scarf. And I only got the last of the materials ~~today~~ last night. (I'm typing this at one in the morning, after washing and pressing all the fabrics, before going to bed.)

My family does Christmas on Christmas Eve. If I can make one purse a day, I'll get the gifty ones done just in time. If I can get at least three done over this weekend, I'll be able to make mine before then, as well. If I don't get mine done along with everyone else's, it will never get made. I know this from past experience. I make a dozen of something for gifts, and get so sick of looking at the same project over and over that I just give up on my own.

Wish me luck, and a lack of gremlins in the sewing machine.

You'd be melancholy, too...

2008-12-04T00:25:00.000-08:00

...if you were a lambsquid.

Melissa Sue Stanley is a crafter after my own heart. She paints, crochets, embroiders, and finds interesting ways to put them all together. She calls her creations that have yet to find new homes "free-loaders," adjuring them to "go out and earn a buck, you bastards."

Surely, you need a free-loading melancholy lambsquid monster in your house!

Time, She is a Wastin'

2008-11-23T23:45:00.000-08:00

I have less than a month to do the sewing and photography for a project to be published in the Imbolc 2009 issue of the AntiCraft. I have Giftmas presents to sew for my family of origin. I haven't a clue what to buy/do/make for most of my chosen family. I have sewing commitments that are over a year old, and related to winter events. Not to mention that I really need some new clothes, myself.

My living room WILL be tidied and organised enough for me to start sewing this week.

Hey, Mom, Look at Me!

2008-11-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

As I have a few published works out there in cyberspace already, I thought I'd start talking about myself by posting links to them.

Now, by "published" I don't mean I posted it in a blog somewhere, although that does count as "published." What I mean is that I submitted an article to an honest to gods 'zine and had it accepted. I'll admit to a certain amount of advantage, being that I'm an editor for the AntiCraft, but I hope that if I submit something that stinks to the ~~Mistress~~ ~~Over Lord~~ Boss, she'll tell me it stinks and file it under G for Garbage.

That being said, here's where you can find my previously published projects and articles:

Splitter, published in the Imbolc 2008 issue of the AntiCraft. Crocheted wood chopping axe and chainsaw.

This was my first published project, though not my first accepted work. I took the finished axe and chainsaw you see in the pictures to a family function to show them off. When I handed them to my grandmother, she turned to the family friend to whom she had been talking and said "look what my granddaughter made me!" Well, I had been trying to figure out what to do with them. As much fun as they were to make, and as irresistable as they were to play with (especially the chainsaw), they didn't exactly match the decor of my home, you know?

Baconhenge, published in the Beltane 2008 issue of the AntiCraft. Monumental breakfast. (photo by Carol Squires - Thanks, Carol!)

Oh My Gods, this got so much press on the internet that the Bryant Park Project on NPR had me on for a five minute interview the morning of Summer Solstice! What a rush!

The funny thing I noticed in all the hullaballoo is that at least a quarter of people who commented on Baconhenge, wherever it appeared online, couldn't think of anything to say except how "bad for you" it is, and how much cholesterol there is in it. I think they missed the point, not to mention the part where it says "feeds six." If you compare one serving of Baconhenge to a Denny's French Toast Slam, you will find 1/4 as much French Toast, the same amount of bacon, the same amount of eggs, no sausage at all, plus potatoes and vegetables, both of which are missing from the Slam. So, while a French Toast Slam may not be the Breakfast of Champions, I'm not going to apologize for the nutritional value of Baconhenge!

Dollar Store Death, published in the Samhain 2008 issue of the AntiCraft. Cheap angel figurines show their darker sides.

This was my first submission to the AC, accepted before I had even considered applying for the editing gig. It was a year before it was published, though. While the Editrices liked it, it didn't fit the spider theme of the 2007 Samhain issue. In the end, I'm glad it waited that long because I had the opportunity to paint up a couple different angels, to show that they really all can work, and to polish my writing a bit. This project has proved rather popular as well, garnering over 7000 hits within the first week of publication. Hmm, maybe I should "Google" the project, and see how many places I find it online.

Comparative Calaveras, published in the Samhain 2008 issue of the AntiCraft. Article comparing different methods of making Sugar Skulls.

This isn't a project so much as a review of two different types of sugar skull recipes.

Well, that's all for now. Stay tuned for projects in future issues of both the AntiCraft and 42 Magazine. Who knows, maybe, someday, I'll even submit something to a 'zine to which I'm not already connected!

What the hell is this blog about?

2008-11-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the inaugural post of my new crafting blog.

Here I intend to share with readers my current projects, my UnFinished Objects (UFOs) and finished projects, links to my published works, noodling about things I might make or about the crafting process, my bitching about Things That Just Don't Work, and whatever else crosses my bead-berattled, yarn-entangled, needle-pricked mind. I hope you find it interesting, if somewhat bemusing.

I hope I do, too. I'd hate to be bored by my own blog.

Now, where did I put my camera?