I just inherited some pretty chairs from the lovely Nicole and I am excited about the possibilities they hold,and they are already right at home in my dining room.
Thank you, Nicole!
hand dyed t-shirt rugs
I dyed t-shirts to make this yarn and have been using it to crochet rugs. It is the perfect rug yarn!
Thick enough that the rug has substance, but still pliable and easy to work with. This particular batch (and the resulting rug) was chartreuse, navy blue and a dark pink/salmon color. I also used a grey t-shirt in the middle to break things up a bit. The rug pictured above measures 20" across and would be perfect next to a bed or in front of a dresser.
First Attempt...
I finished my first little hooked wool piece. This one consists of handcut wool pieces (hand-dyed wool felt from the local quilting shop). The underside still needs to be bound and finished, but I am not in any hurry since this was more about playing with color and technique and getting my hands used to a new skill.
This wool is pretty expensive, so for my next project (which will be much bigger) I am using wool sweaters (I found some great ones at the thrift shop!) and bits of yarn.
P.S. This offers a little glimpse of the tutorial I'm working on, as well. ;)
xo
Just wanted to check in and let you know that the tutorial for this week will be up either tomorrow or Wednesday. I am still working on the crochet pattern for that hat I posted about last week, too. My little monkey has walking pneumonia (luckily he seems to feel pretty good!) and will be home all week, so things might be a little quiet in this space...
On a perkier note, isn't the yarn above the prettiest? A few weeks ago I won a giveaway on Abby's blog and the prize was a Monkey Mitt Knit Kit from the Spun Monkey fiber shop. I chose a colorway called "Squirrel Party," which is even more beautiful in person than I had anticipated.
I love that some of the fibers are dyed with acorns!
Since I already have a pair of wristwarmers (I made these with some Noro from the local knitting shop), I am going to use this for another project. I can't wait!
Henry is home sick today and I was looking for something quiet to do on the sofa while he rests next to me. Rug hooking has been on the To-Do list (I will show it to you sometime--it's insanely long!) for quite awhile, and I realized I have everything necessary to give it a go. Nothing fancy here--some burlap, an embroidery hoop, a crochet hook and some 1/2" strips of really nice felted wool I bought a few years ago. I am already wishing I had more in choice of color, and am itching to scour the thrift shop racks for a few rug-worthy sweaters.
I tend to obsess about new crafts (hello, needle felting and crochet!). Are you particularly enamored with a certain craft or skill right now?
xo
My FAVORITE Oatmeal Pancakes
OatmealPancakes
I ripped this recipe out of a magazine when I was pregnant with Henry and have been using it ever since. In fact, we have these pancakes for dinner once every couple of weeks!
The recipe should be easy for you to print out and use--I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
xo
I ripped this recipe out of a magazine when I was pregnant with Henry and have been using it ever since. In fact, we have these pancakes for dinner once every couple of weeks!
The recipe should be easy for you to print out and use--I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
xo
Last night I updated the Virtual Yard Sale to include two of my yellow fiberglass chairs. See listing for details!
TUTORIAL: HOMEMADE CLEANING PRODUCTS (WITH FREE LABEL DOWNLOAD!)
Sometime right after Henry was born I came across the book Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan and fell in love with making my own cleaning supplies. Not only are these better for the planet and your family, but they are much more cost efficient than buying many of the "green" products on the market. All of the recipes below are from Karen's book (I have adjusted the amounts slightly to fit the container sizes I suggest here).
Materials:
*One box Borax Laundry Powder
*One large bottle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in your choice of scents (or other castile soap).
*One large (or a few small) box of baking soda
*white vinegar
*distilled water
*essential oil (in your choice of scents--I used Tea Tree this time)
*two one-quart Mason (available at the thrift shop if you don't want to buy a whole case)
*two empty 32 oz. spray bottles (either new or one you have washed and are reusing)
*funnel for pouring ingredients into containers
A NOTE ABOUT BORAX:
*Borax is a commonly used household product, but can be extremely harmful to children and pets if ingested, so please use caution to mark all products containing Borax carefully and to store them away from kids and animals. Some people experience skin sensitivity to Borax, as well, so it is best to wear dishwashing gloves when using these cleansers.
*OPTIONAL: Print my little labels on sticker paper (I use this one--it's great!) to put on your containers:
Homemade Cleanser Labels
Label your containers before you start, and then mix everything up right in its own bottle.
COUNTER SPRAY RECIPE
Ingredients:
A clean 32 ounce trigger spray bottle
2 teaspoon borax
4 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup Dr. Bronners soap
Essential oil of lemon, tea tree or lavender
Hot water (enough to fill bottle)
Instructions:
Fill bottle 1/4 full with hot water then add borax. Shake to completely dissolve borax. Next add vinegar, home soap, and 20-25 drops essential oil. Fill the rest of the bottle with hot water. Gently shake mixture. Ready for use.
SOFT SCRUB CLEANSER RECIPE
You can use this cleaner really anywhere in your house. Common places include the tub, bathroom sink or on kitchen counters. It also works well on floors and garbage cans – basically on any surface that becomes greasy or grimy.
Ingredients:
1 clean Mason jar with lid
3 1/3 cups baking soda
1 cup of liquid soap
1 cup water
4 tablespoons vinegar
Instructions:
Mix baking soda and liquid soap in your jar. Dilute with the water and add the vinegar last. Stir until the lumps are gone. If it's too thick, add more water. Keep the lid on the jar because this mixture will dry out. Stir or shake well before using. For future uses, add more water if cleaner seems dry.
GLASS CLEANSER RECIPE
Ingredients:
2 cup white distilled vinegar
2 cup distilled water
6 drops essential oil of your choice
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together. Pick an oil you'd like, or just skip.
POWDER CLEANSER RECIPE
Use just as you would any other household cleanser.
Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
2 cups Borax
To make the "shaker" lid for this, trace a circle slightly larger than the lid of your jar onto a piece of cardstock or cereal box. Use a hole punch to perforate the cardboard circle. Mix together the baking soda and borax in your jar, place the piece of cardstock on top and screw on the lid ring.
Now, enjoy your spring cleaning!
xo
Have you spent any time on the American Science and Surplus website? It is a great resource for craft supplies, random items for your home, science projects for your kids and more. From the website: "American Science & Surplus continues to offer a unique mix of industrial, military and educational items, with an emphasis on science and education. We supply a wide range of unusual and hard to find items (some say bizarre stuff) to the hobbiest, tinkerer, artist, experimenter, home educator, do-it-yourselfer, and bargain hunter.
Customers have used American Science and Surplus items in home made cars, sculptures, precision instruments, home made telescopes,costumes, model railroads, window dressings, holiday decorations, and innumerable science projects. Our items are great gifts, inexpensive supplies, and an endless reason for a giggle or a "Gee whiz!" We try to be scrupulously honest in presenting whatever we know about what we have, and always take it back, no questions asked, if the customer isn't satisfied with it."
Here are a few of my favorites:
Just what you never knew you always needed! Have fun browsing.
xo
I scored these two train cases at a local thrift shop yesterday for fifty cents each. Seriously--fifty cents!! I felt a little weird and guilty like I was stealing as I handed the lady my $1.08.
The insides are not horrible and not great, but the outsides of the cases are in good shape. I really like the label on this one.
I will use one for myself for carrying cosmetics and things (or, more likely--yarn and crochet hooks!!) while I travel, and the other will be fixed up to hold this little lady and her things.
I will be sure to show you the before & afters!
xo
New class with Elsie Flannigan and Rachel Denbow!
Tell Your Story is a six week online art journal class taught by Elsie and Rachel of Red Velvet Art. They've designed this class to help you artistically document your daily life as well as your hopes and dreams through daily prompts and challenges. They'll be sharing book making projects as well as tips and tricks for finding and storing your supplies.
Along with daily prompts you can participate in live chats to get friendly with your classmates and enjoy Q&A time with your teachers. Click here for registration information and more details or e-mail racheldenbow(at)gmail(dot)com.
xoxo, Rachel and Elsie
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