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crochet pincushions in spring colors + etsy shop update

crochet pin cushions in my etsy shop

I had a hard time figuring out what to do with the Easter egg yarn. Once I saw the colors, I immediately wished I had dyed more. I wanted to use every last bit of it, so I decided to make something that I could start from the bottom and go until I ran out.

I love, love, love how these turned out! They were a lot of work, and I don’t think I’ll make them regularly. The pink one with flowers is my favorite.

These are too pretty to just sit around in my “finished” pile of projects so they’re available for sale in my etsy shop.

I also spent the weekend working on a crochet pattern for tiny flowers. Stay tuned!

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mini hanks of easter yarn

dyeing yarn with easter egg dye

I have never considered myself a yarn dyer. I have so many odds and ends in my stash, I can’t imagine ever needing a specific color for anything. But while I was cleaning up from Easter egg dyeing last Saturday, I decided to dunk a few balls of yarn in the leftover dye just for fun.

dyeing yarn with easter egg dye

It was a really sloppy attempt. I soaked my yarn under the kitchen faucet before plopping it into the cups. I let them sit for a long while before I remembered to microwave them. Some of the mini-hanks were wound too tightly and are pale on the inside. The colors, however, are absolutely beautiful! They make me want to try my hand at dyeing a larger amount.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with this little bit of yarn. Maybe I’ll crochet some eggs.

details: The white yarn is from my stash of unraveled sweaters. I didn’t follow a tutorial for dyeing the yarn. If you google “easter egg dye yarn” you’ll get a bunch of links.

I haven’t been spending a lot of time in front of my computer lately. Thanks for putting up with all of my instagram photos.

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the cost of thrifting

When I think about going to the thrift store with my daughter, I’m always reminded of the phrase “the cost of doing business.” The more stores you visit and the longer you stay at each, the higher the cost of thrifting.

Sometimes you can get away with a book or small toy. Other times you come home with an electric guitar. Today we came home with all three. I can’t complain, though. After watching my daughter play with her uncle’s guitar a few months ago, I didn’t think twice when she asked if she could have this:

bella guitar

It’s mostly black and silver with just a hint of pink. It’s not covered in Disney characters or princesses. It doesn’t play Hannah Montana or Justin Bieber. It was only $4. It was, in a word, perfect.

I came home with a cool wooden crochet hook and a set of presser feet that sadly do not fit my sewing machine. I also found some cute dresses for my daughter to wear next summer.

None of that compares to what she scored, though. The guitar, a cat book and plastic Easter eggs = the cost of thrifting.

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projects in waiting

cars shirt before

I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post. I don’t have much to show for it. A lot of projects are stalled for one thing or another.

  • The Cars shirt was a thrifty find. My daughter’s fabric bag for her matchbox cars is too small. When I saw this on the rack, I thought it would make a cute basket or tote for her ever-growing collection. I just need to get started.
  • This sweater was unraveled and ready to knit, but the swatch turned out lumpy. I have to straighten the kinks out of the yarn before I begin.
  • I’m still trying to swatch for another wooly project.
  • I have a whole slew of sewing ideas that are just bouncing around in my head.
  • I have been working on a little project that I hope to have ready next week. Fingers crossed.
  • I’m knitting a sock, which deserves it’s own post and picture.

What is everyone else working on these days? Share a link to your blog in the comments!

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thrifty thursday: bowls

It’s been a long time since my last Thrifty Thursday post. It might be because my partner in thrift moved away to California. She came back for a visit last month and it was just like old times! I found a few things that I’m planning to transform, but I want show you these little bowls first.

thrifty thursday

I was so excited to find them. They match our plates nicely and are perfect for a side bowl of dal. When we have an Indian dinner, we use a soup or cereal bowl for our dal. Considering how much I love all kinds of beans, that’s not a problem for me. Now the rest of the family can have a proper-sized bowl on the side.

thrifty: I scored 10 Oneida china bowls at 65 cents each.

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finished: toto the potholder

mason dixon toto potholder

Good grief. This project took way too long. I got frustrated with the fair isle tension and the double stranded cotton. I’m glad I didn’t give up, though, because I love it so much I want to make a set.

I’ve rescued a pair of socks from the UFO pile and have started swatching for another project, however. All that yarn might distract me from a second potholder.

project notes: can be found on my first toto post, yarn from my thrifted stash

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instant cowl

cowl from unraveled sweater

Yesterday I started unraveling this sweater. When I detached the neck, I thought, “This would make a beautiful cowl.” I slipped it around my neck. Lovely. I doubled it up. Toasty.

cowl from unraveled sweater

It’s the fastest cowl I’ve ever made. In fact, it kind of looks like the Burberry-inspired cowl by The Garter Girl, which just happened to be on my to-knit list.

Sorry for the mobile phone pics. It’s been a busy week.

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speckled shrug: before

speckled shrug before

I love this sweater. I found it at the thrift store during a 99 cent sale last year. The colors are so pretty: light gray blending into warm oatmeal. It’s a soft wool acrylic blend that doesn’t need to be hand washed.

It’s too big for me, so I knew I’d be unraveling it, but to make what? It took along time, but I finally found something: the Speckled Shrug. I’ll admit that I’m not a big fan of how it looks finished on Lion Brand’s website, but my friend Jess knit it up and I love hers.

I’m so excited to have a project for this yarn. Let the unraveling begin!

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toto the potholder: take three

Toto the Extremely Useful and Cute Potholder

I’ll admit it. My first real fair isle project after my retreat last year probably shouldn’t have been using kitchen cotton doubled stranded. The first attempt was incredibly puckered. The second attempt was off gauge and a tight fit, even for my small hand.

The third time is looking like a charm, though. A friend advised me to knit my work inside out. The strands have a longer distance to travel and it forces you to loosen up. Brilliant!

I hope to have a finished photo to share soon.

pattern: Toto the Extremely Useful and Cute Potholder (ravelry link) from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines (amazon link).

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finished: flower motif scarf

flower motif scarf

I’m on a roll finishing scarves. This one turned out a little longer than I planned. I just kept joining motifs and forgot that each one is a little bit bigger after blocking.

flower motif scarf

This has got to be one of my favorite yarn projects. I love the colors and the pattern, plus it has amazing drape. Who would have thought a few thrifted balls of sock yarn could be transformed into something so lovely?

details: Pattern from 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas. Yarn is Knit Picks Parade (ravelry link). I used 2 1/2 skeins for the scarf and I’m crocheting the leftover bits into bookmarks.