my creative space

blue chromium star blanket

I delivered the Chromium Star baby blanket tonight. I am in love and it was hard parting with it. The pic is before I put it in the wash. It looks even more beautiful once blocked. Would it be weird to make one for myself? I think just a little bit.

I think I can officially say that crochet is faster than knit for me. I finished this in 10 days without really trying too hard. I’m getting ready to start another little blanket, also from a sweater. I’ll have some before pics soon!

recycled: This blanket used to be a sweater. I happened to know the knitter, so I can tell you that the yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. It washes (gentle cycle in cold) and dries (on low) beautifully.

Don’t forget to visit Kirsty’s blog to see what all the crafty peeps have going on in their spaces.

review: natural dyeing by jackie crook

natural dyeing jackie crook

This book has been on my mind on and off for the past year, but I’m working on so many different things. When would I ever find time to try something new? Last Wednesday at knitting group I spotted a copy in the Barnes and Noble sale bin and figured it was time to come home with me.

I already have plenty things to dye with in my pantry: tea, henna and lots of turmeric. I’m also itching to try red cabbage, onion skin and avocado skin. Don’t think I’ll ever be able to dye with blackberries. though. They’d be gone from the refrigerator too fast!

The steps are well illustrated and the photography is beautiful, but I’m disappointed in the choice of mordants. They are all toxic metals and definitely not something I can pick up locally. Plus, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable playing around with that stuff while I’ve got a curious little girl one step behind me in the kitchen. Right now I’m at the “add a glug of vinegar to the slow cooker” stage.

I’ll definitely be keeping my copy, though. Like I said, the photography is beautiful. I’m sure it will be a starting point for many ideas. At least I’ll be able to do something with all of my turmeric!

review: Natural Dyeing by Jackie Cook isn’t on sale anywhere else that I can find. It must have been because the cover of my book was a little worn.

closet overhaul

lapis skirt from 99 cent sale

Last week’s trip to the 99 cent sale did not disappoint. I found a ton of clothes for me! I spent just under $25 if that gives you any indication of how much stuff I brought home. It was all good stuff, too. A really nice Eddie Bauer dress, a couple of skirts, a few sweaters and a ton of shirts. It’s a good thing, too, because a lot of my shirts were starting to look like they’ve been worn by the mother of an (almost) four year old.

I had good luck with size, especially since I didn’t try on anything at the store. It was a madhouse and the lines for the fitting rooms were crazy. Only two shirts that I bought need to be re-donated.

When I got home, I had to face some things in my closet. Not only did a lot of my shirts need the heave-ho, but there were other things I needed to put behind me, like clothing that was too small. It was hard coming to grips with the fact that even as I lose weight, my 40 year old body just isn’t the same shape as my 30 year old body. Also, I had to take care of some items that had sentimental value. Do I really need to take a trip down memory lane every time I walk into my closet? No.

Two big trash bags of clothes left my closet while my new duds took a spin in the washer and they are headed up to the People’s City Mission this week. I went through my stack of refashioning-to-do and weeded out a few things, too.

It feels good to only have clothes that I know will fit and will look nice. It was hard work, though. Some silly emotional decisions, a lot of trying things on, and too many loads of laundry. I’ve also renewed my interest in what’s my refashion pile and will have some things to post here on the blog soon!

thrifting: The above Lapis skirt is one of my favorite finds. I think it will look great in both late Summer with flats and into the Fall with boots.