Moving on ..more crochet projects: mice and jellyfish

After following a few patterns and making some cute crochet critters I am starting to form ideas of how shapes and forms are generally made. With that I am starting to do a bit of experimentation.

Although not entirely novel I decided to make small mice using what I have learned. Here is the result!

The first one had a funny nose that I wasnt too happy with so I modifed that the next time around. I think however the look of the first one will be useful in making a cute hedgehog (Working on figuring out how to do the spikes effectively). I think they have came out rather cute. I even made one for a friend to give to her lovely cats to play with. Apparently they loved it!

I would like to get into making patterns for people to follow so maybe this one will be a good start, so keep tuned!

More recently I became inspired by this lovely rainbow colored yarn that I had bought. Naturally I thought ...Jellyfish! so I just start crocheting not sure of what the results would be but here it is along with some progress photos:

the top

flipped over

curly tentacles

finished!

Jellyfish family

I am very pleased as to how they came out. I plan on selling these so keep tuned for the opening of my etsy shop!

~skunkrabbit

Beginner Crochet!

It was my cousin that first inspired me to learn how to crochet. Her skill is brilliant and she has made all kinds of attire with this technique. I was a child and got quite experienced at making granny-squared potholders but didn't progress much further until that.

Recently I tried to use what I remembered to make a scarf which seemed straightforward enough but it was not coming out right. I think I discarded it, if not it would be a funny picture to put on here. Anyway after a short google session I figured out what I was doing wrong and started over and now have a wonderfully soft scarf to keep me warm. I prefer them longer and thinner so that is how i made it:

Anyway so for some reason I wanted to make crochet animals. I have seen them all over craft sites and they are rather adorable and seem fairly easy to do. Aside from that there are tons of great free patterns out there to test out. Amazon is saturated with crochet how-to and pattern books and the selection is rather overwhelming to say so in the least.

However I did stumble upon the Crochet Answer Book by Edie Eckman which is succinctly written and pocket sized. It seemed like a good resource to have if I were to have any and the reviews were good so I purchased a copy. I am rather glad I did. Its easy to carry with me so I can check on something if i need a refresher

http://www.amazon.com/reader/1580175988?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Aside from that, the web has been a fantastic resource for finding free patterns and project ideas.

Here is what I found to be a couple of great resources :

www.crochetpatterncentral.com

this site has a rather old fashioned design but I have found it to contain links (many of them working!) to a large number of projects. Clicking on their free Pattern directory will lead you to a listing where you can find something and get started immediately

http://www.lionbrand.com/
http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/patternIndex.fcgi

This site has a patterns to buy but a great collection of free ones. It also has a great introduction to crochet and types of stiches (including clear illustrations!). You need to register for free on the site which is completely worth the effort in my opinion. My first couple of projects were derived from this site:

new bffs

Often simply typing a search into google... for example "crochet elephant" will turn up many results that you can use to make your own cute crochet critter. There are thousands of craft blogs and websites out there so chances are you will find something do-able and sutiable to your level, whatever that may be. Its a great way to get your feet wet and not invest uneccessarily in books.

~skunkrabbit

Home Improvement Part I: Starburst Mirror

It has been a long while since I have updated but that will probably happen quite often. Anyway I have become a bit DIY crazy. It is such a great way to produce unique items and impress the the folks and the get the "you made that??' No way!!" response, which feeds quite nicely to the ego.

Best place to find projects/inspirations are on the webs. I rent a room in a little house that, needless to say can probably get on one of those Home makeover shows with ease. Most of the furniture is either thrift store bought or side of the street found. I have become interested in making it looks less like hobo-land, so a long term project has been to spruce up the living room. However as a graduate student living barely above the poverty level my options are limited...so I have to get a bit creative

I came across this entry on the apartment therapy site:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/how-tomake-your-own-starburst-mirror-allisons-february-jumpstart-project-2009-076260.

Initially it seems complicated, but as you read through it appeared to be a project one can do with ease. So of course I went out (almost immediately) to get the materials needed.

I ended doing a few things differently. The instructions called for a blind spot mirror which I did get, but I had much difficulty getting the plastic off. I even tried melting it off. Luckily when getting more mirrors at another craft store I found a perfectly sized mirror to substitute. Also, instead of silver leaf I just got some metallic paint which did the job quite nicely.

having lots of fun with the hot glue gun

closeup of the back..thankfully no one will see it

before adding the smaller mirrors

pretty much complete!

Conveniently the tutorial is not specific as to how to hang the damn thing so I had to do a bit of brainstorming. After thinking through several ideas I ended up adding one of those hooks with teeth and hung it from a picture hook. I just hot-glued the hell out of it and it still hangs safely to this day:)

~skunkrabbit

whoot!....felt owls

One of my goals with handmade crafts is to get good at making stuffed animals. I have driven my parents crazy with my obsession with plush toys and I will never stop loving them. Recently i have become inspired by felt plushies since they were so cute, different and seemed like an easy thing to pick up if you are just a bit creative.

After some web browsing I decided on purchasing assorted felt sheet packages fromhttp://aetnafelt.com/ . I went with synthetic since they were cheap and I am just starting out. They arrived in the mail and I must say I was rather pleased with them and excited to get started.

After very little deliberation I decided to work on making some cute felt owls.

I had already made a prototype which I was set on improving. I made a sketch which I used to make a pattern to trace onto the felt.

My owl all flat and ready to get some shape.

he is done!

extreme closeup...

I am extremely pleased with how this little guy came out. He stand at about 5 inches tall so not very big. Photographing was also tricky and I find that natural light works best.

whoot..

skunkrabbit

my first sewing machine

Deciding on a sewing machine was kind of tricky since I had no idea what i wanted in one. I knew that i was was going to be somewhat serious in sewing so I didn't want to get a machine only for beginners since I will eventually want to upgrade and that will result in wasted money. I did not want something super complicated but still desired a reliable machine. I decided by looking at reviews and keeping to a budget on purchasing the Brother XL-2600 from Overstock.com. It was a reasonable price and the company had a good reputation.

My machine.

I have only used one stitch so far. *blush*

I also purchased some thread to go along with it and got a beautiful assorted set from Madera.

I love the shiny coat all the thread has.

So i was very happy to finally own my first machine, but was very intimidated since I have never used one. The instructional booklet was full of complicated instructions and warnings all over the place. I would never picture sewing to be an extreme activity. Ha. It would take me a while to pursue my first project but better late than never...

~skunkrabbit

First Post!

I have always had a fondness for arts and crafts. I doodled constantly as a child and attempted painting, all kinds of illustrative mediums (charcoal, oil pastels, pencil, chalk), sculpture, cross stitching, crocheting, bead making and others that Im sure I have forgotton. I have been developing as a illustrator throughout highschool and college and continue to push myself to get better. I am not an art student so I am mostly self taught with some exceptions.

I am currently a graduate student pursuing a phD in Ecology and Evolution. My love for art continues to be reflected in my constant doodles which one can find on printed articles and class notes and throughout my lab.

Recently I became inspired to start sewing. I think it started with my frustration in finding handbags and purses that I like. I somehow stumbled upon this amazing site called etsy.com where creators of handmade items can sell their work and buyers can find unique and often one-of-a-kind things to purchase. I immediately found bags that suited my personality and tastes among other things. It was also satisfying to buy directly from the person responsible for the unique item I have added to my belongings.  I then decided to attempt to make my own bags among other things.  This has led to a cascade of events including returning to try crocheting again, and other forms of crafts including working with felt, card making, mosaics..etc.  

I thought it would be fun to start a blog describing my new experiences so that I can share them with whomever stumbles upon my site and hopefully inspire a few to create their own projects and connect with other of similar interests.  

Enjoy.

skunkrabbit