Knit Fingerless Gloves

I know I have been neglecting to post updates here for several months, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! I have been spending time finishing old projects and making new cards and books for craft shows and exhibitions.

The finished gloves!

These fingerless gloves are a Christmas present I made for my sister in law. I made them using the Lusekoftesque pattern on Ravelry. The yarn is called Road To China Light and is a wonderful blend of cashmere, silk, baby alpaca, and camel. Seriously, this yarn is ridiculously soft.

What the inside looks like.

This was my first colorwork project, and I am very happy with how it turned out. Honestly it was a lot easier than I was expecting, it is just a matter of paying attention to your chart and watching the tension on the yarn as you carry it over behind your work.

Detail of the colorwork.

The only problem I had was with the size. I followed the gauge but it ended up being too small for my sister in law's hands. Luckily it is going to be the perfect size for me! So now that Christmas is done I can finish the second glove for myself.

Look, they fit!  Hooray!

Photo Album: Handmade Books

This post is all about books!  Specifically, photos of my recent handmade books.  Because let's face it, I am making these suckers faster than I can blog about them all!  Many of these are blank journals.  Others are made using interesting recycled materials.  And there are a few art books thrown in there for good measure.  Enjoy!

Mini journal with ribbon closure.

Mini journal and regular journal both with ribbon closures.

Astronomy Alphabet book.

Astronomy Alphabet book, detail: Milky Way.

Journal with bird paper and brown book cloth.

Expandable spine, Octopus book.

A collection of journals, roughly 5x7 inches each.

Recycled tea box books.

Recycled tea box book.

Robot journal with cork book cloth.

A stack of journals, roughly 5x7 inches each.

Aurora Borealis art book, front.

Aurora Borealis art book, back.

Wool-Eater Progress

I haven't posted about my Wool-Eater blanket in quite a while, but I am still steadily crocheting away!  I have added six or seven colors since my last update.  That is about an extra foot in width and length.  The blanket is getting big, but still not big enough to wrap up in during the winter.  I would say at least 5 more colors...  But who knows how long that is going to take at this point.  Luckily, I have a window A/C unit this summer so it is still comfortable to crochet when the air is blowing right at me.

Glass Suncatcher

Last month I spent an afternoon glass blowing with a friend.  The glass blowing studio near my house regularly offers Groupons for making a suncatcher.  It was a lot of fun!  We got to collect glass out of the furnace onto the pole, roll it on the table to shape it, add in colored glass, and twist it into a suncatcher.

I think mine came out very well.  I used blue, green, and yellow glass to add the colors.  The very tip of the spiral broke off in the kiln while it was cooling... But that adds character, right?

I added a yellow ribbon through the hole in the top and gave it to my mom for Mother's Day.  It is now hanging in her kitchen window where it gets lots of sunlight.

Toms Rescue

A couple weeks ago I staged an intervention for my old pair of black Toms.  My toes had worn through at least 2 places on each shoe, and I really wasn't digging that homeless look.  Luckily, I had seen a great tutorial on covering up those holes and giving the shoes a new look.

First I took needle and thread and sewed together the holes.  I figure that will reinforce those spots well enough to wear the shoes at least another summer, if not another year.  Then I covered the front with Aleene's double sided fabric tape and stuck on some funky fabric.  The tape is durable, permanent, and doesn't need to be ironed or sewn, so I was basically done.

Some fabric trimming and a couple pieces of decorative trim later, and I was done!  Look at my pretty new Toms.  I've gotten several compliments on them while out and about.  And I LOVE when people ask "Did you make those?"

Monday Project: Astronomy H-I-J

Last Monday I was dealing with day one of a cold... So my "project" for the day was laying on my couch, napping, and drinking tea.  My whole to-do list of projects, laundry, and writing blog posts went out the window (and got put off another week.)  This week on my day off I made the pages for H, I, and J in my Astronomy alphabet book.  H is for Halley's Comet.  I is for the International Space Station.  J is for Jupiter.

Sneak Preview: Astronomy Book

I couldn't wait to share with everyone the book I'm working on.  It is an alphabet book based on Astronomy.  I am using acrylic paint, fine tipped markers, and embossing powder on navy blue cardstock...  And pure AWESOMENESS.

So far I have made 6 out of 24 panels.  Aurora Borealis, Cassiopeia, Draco, Eagle Nebula, Flame Nebula, and Gemini.

I am planning on entering the completed book into a show at Zygote Press in May.