Category: Crafts

Craft projects of mine

  • Ravelry Project Bags

    Ooooh, Ravelry projects bags! Anybody want to do a combined order?

    Edited to add: As Miss Fee rightly pointed out, these things tend to sell out quick so best not to dawdle. I’ve just placed an order for six of the project bags. So far four of them have been claimed, so let me know if anyone wants the others. The cost with shipping works out to $17 AUD.

  • Baby Slippers

    Baby Slippers. So wrong they go all the way through Wrong and back to Awesome. (Link courtesy of Nora.)

  • Tired.

    Tired. Spent entire day working on Guild stuff.

  • Sturdy Tote Bag Tutorial

    Another tote bag tutorial. This one looks a little more complicated than the previous, but also a bit more sturdy. (Why am I obsessed with sewing projects lately? I think I may need to take a break from knitting for a while.)

  • Not-So-Secret Guild Business

    So the big news of the weekend was that I was elected unopposed as the new Convenor of the Inner City group of the Knitters Guild of NSW. Basically that means I’m in charge of running the meetings for our group of 32 knitters every month. My first act upon taking power was to MOVE THE MEETING! Our old location at Humanist House was getting decidedly cramped. So last week I got in contact with a nice lady at the City of Sydney Libraries who ended up offering us free meeting space at Customs House Library! Fiona and I checked it out Saturday afternoon and it’s PERFECT. (Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4) The group members agreed to it immediately so I’ve been busy sending out notices and updating websites. In the space of a fortnight I’ve gone from “Revolution!” to holding an office within the regime!

  • Knitting Camp at the Opera

    moblogged image

    Andrew, Tia and I have set up camp in the Domain! It’s sweltering. We are cowering in the shade.

  • Oscar Contest 2009

    Oscar Contest 2009The Seventh Annual Web-Goddess Oscar Contest is now open for entry! This year’s winner will take home a one-of-a-kind pair of Batman and Joker sock monkeys. (I almost didn’t do them because it seemed too obvious, but I also couldn’t resist the opportunity to make my second Heath Ledger tribute monkey.) I have to say, the Joker monkey is without a doubt the most DISTURBING sock creation of all time. He features hand-hooked green hair, a green waistcoat, a purple duster, and a SUPER-CREEPY painted face. Batman features a utility belt, a bat crest on his chest, his bat mask/helmet, and a long black cape. You could act out your favorite scenes from the movie… or slash fiction! Up to you.

    Please note: You’re welcome to save these photos to your server as long as you give me credit and link back to the contest. If I catch you hot-linking them or claiming credit, I reserve the right to replace them with something nasty (or poke you in the eye with a pencil).

    Anyway, I know this picture is enormous, but it’s also my favorite and I can’t resist. I’ve got this set as my desktop wallpaper right now.

    Batman and Joker Sock Monkeys

    Here’s the full view so you can see how long their arms/legs/tails are.

    Batman and Joker Sock Monkeys

    Joker close-up. Note: I used acrylic paint on his face, so you can’t ever get him wet or it’ll come off.

    Joker Sock Monkey

    Batman close-up. I’m really proud of how his mask turned out.

    Batman Sock Monkey

    Batman interrogates the Joker.

    Batman and Joker Sock Monkeys

  • Weekend Update

    It was grey and horrible the whole time. Do I need to say more? Friday started promising with beers and Japanese food after work, but I was dreading Saturday morning. I had to go to the Knitters’ Guild Executive Committee meeting and give a report on the state of the website. Which isn’t too bad in and of itself, but I knew that there was also going to be quite a bit of discussion about the Ravelry Incident. (Basically, two weeks ago somebody started a discussion thread on Ravelry to air some gripes about the Guild. The Guild didn’t like this AT ALL. The first rule of Knitting Guild is you do not talk about Knitting Guild. Seriously. The whole thing blew up into this huge scandal with the non-Internet using folks feeling very attacked and defensive towards those Ravelry people.) And since I was going to be there, I knew the chances were good that I’d end up trying to defend The Entire Internet to a bunch of aggrieved old ladies. I wasn’t wrong. After three hours of that – I wish I were joking – I headed off to Newtown for SSK. Ahhh, to be around people who get it. That was a nice time. Sunday morning I got up early to head to IKEA with Miss Jane. I’m proud to say I was quite restrained. I got a lazy susan for the pantry, a coat rack for the entry hall, and another Benno to hold our DVDs. (Of course, I haven’t put any of it together yet.) After getting home, I came down with a wicked sinus headache that’s been kicking my butt ever since. My nose is relatively clear but somehow there’s still pressure making me feel nauseous. Standing in the shower clears it momentarily, but I can’t do that 24-7. Any suggestions?

  • Blockhead

    BlockheadBlockhead
    I just realized that I forgot to properly document my most recent Finished Object! “Blockhead” was designed partly as a Halloween costume and partly just as a jumper I thought the Snook would like. The pattern itself is from Wendy leaflet #5101, which is the exact same one I used for the Long Sleeve Cotton Polo. Because the zig-zag would be done as intarsia, I couldn’t knit the body in the round as I normally do. So the front and back were knitted separately to the armholes; then the whole thing was joined up on one circ for the yoke and collar. The yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (80% cotton, 20% merino) that I ordered direct from the mill in the US. It was ridiculously cheap (luckily I got it before the Aussie dollar collapsed) and I used less than 7 skeins for the whole jumper. The yarn was wonderful to knit with, much less splitty than the Jo Sharp cotton, and I think it’ll be a good weight for our climate. Snookums actually graphed the zig-zag for me (after much analysis of the comic strip) and it’s available for download as a PDF here. Now all I need are some buttons and it’s done!