DIY soy milk and nondairy nog

For my soy milk, I soak about 1/4 cup dry organic soy beans overnight. Drain and rinse, then steam for about 15 minutes. Add those to 2 cups of filtered water and a pinch of salt in a high speed blender and blend until well combined. Strain out the okara (bean paste) and add in the additional cup of water. Sweeten to taste. This is enough for one person for several days. Double or triple the batch if you're feeding a family. =) Don't throw out the okara!

The recipe for the nog can be found here. =)

DIY dog bootie tutorial

Winter has been colder and snowier than normal here in the Pacific Northwest this winter. I whipped up dog booties for my boys and for those of friends to keep tiny toes warm and shared the process in case anyone wants to do the same. =)

episode 67: plant stashing

FOs

Spring Lace Ponchette
Micala Shawl

WIPs

Rikke Hat
Sheepy Hot Water Bottle Cover
Dog Walk Poncho

Other things I talked about...

Book - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Book - A Life in Stitches by Rachael Herron (blog)
Shop - Vegan Yarn.com
Podcast - FiberTrek episode with indigo dyeing (dyeing segment starts around 27 minutes in)
Podcast - SSK episode with Claudia Hand Painted Yarns
Shop - Claudia Hand Painted Yarns
Cookbook - Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking (blog)

episode 66: thankful for small blessings

FOs:

• 2 Barley hats from handspun

WIP:

• Micala Shawl

Ornaments:

• Angel
• Sheep
• Tree
• Yarn Basket
• Red Bird
• Snowman
• My Stocking
• Pet Stocking
• Wreath

episode 65: living with less (stash)

FOs:

• Spring Lace Ponchette
• DIRK the Dragon (check out episode 50 for the destruction of the dragon slayer)

Check out Babbles Travelling Yarns if you love travel and eco-friendly discussions. =)

The 2017 Biggest Loser Stash Reduction KAL/CAL/WAL/SAL is being hosted by Benita of The Fiber Pusher Podcast and Debbie and Sheila of Never Cast Off. Check it out! I already know I'm not winning, but it'll be fun playing along! =)

episode 64: secondhand love

FOs:

• Pfeilraupe shawl
• Eyre of Romance Jane shawl
• Brickless shawl
• Trillian shawl
• Surf & Turf Handspun Poncho

Caring for Cast Iron:

The book:

Live Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze

the return of video... episode 63 of the simply stash less vlog is up!

Projects in this episode include:

FOs

• Stripey Vanilla Socks
• Cell Phone Caddy
• Chic Little Pumpkin

WIPs

• Spring Lace Ponchette
• Surf & Turf Poncho

I recorded with my phone and the video gets a bit twitchy at times. If I can't fix that for next time, I'll use a different recording device. For this one, I hope you'll bear with me. =)

disconnected... and it feels so good!

The Winter of Our Disconnect (Susan Maushart) was published in 2010 so the statistics included are out of date now, but still, eye-opening at times. I haven't checked specifics, but I'd guess current stats would show average screen time has increased immensely. Agree or disagree with her method of this disconnect (her no screens rule applied only at home so access was still available everywhere else - one child even moved out during part of this experiment to stay constantly connected), this experiment certainly impacted their lives, especially those of her teenagers. I do find it disturbing just how connected kids (and most adults) are these days. It is a different world now and technology isn't going anywhere, but I do agree that boundaries are good and time away from digital devices is beneficial for everyone. I love that her son redirected his new disconnected time into music. And it seemed all of them benefited in improved schoolwork. Sleeping patterns changed (for the better). They became closer as a family as they talked more rather than retreating to their various devices. So many good things occurred because of the digital limitations. I was shocked at the fervor with which they dove back into connectivity though. I was hoping they'd go back a bit more slowly, having learned they didn't need to be constantly connected.

Like the author, my job requires computer use (I work remotely from home) so a complete digital fast isn't possible without taking time off, but I do try to limit my exposure. Back when I was working insane hours, I took my one day off each week as a Tech-no day. I shut my router off Saturday night and kept my cell phone in one spot so I could still answer calls, but wouldn't be tempted by texts or apps and nothing came back on until Monday morning when I sat down to work again. That weekly break was so refreshing! Since I wised up and changed jobs last year, I now very happily work only a 4-day week. This left me less stressed and I didn't feel as great a need for that complete break so I've fallen a little out of the habit of taking a full day away from the internet. Some weeks I still do it, but not always. Long ago, I turned off the notifications on my phone and tablet and I quit using Facebook when I realized I just didn't enjoy it that much anymore (no, I don't miss it and it's been probably a year or more). This means I'm only on social media when I choose to be (rather than in response to continual pings). I still enjoy Instagram and Ravelry for most things crafty, but I keep the groups and people I follow on the lower side. I use feedly to keep up with some blogs I enjoy too. Am I missing stuff? Sure! But I somehow survive. 

A little distance can be good. I think I'll reinstate my Tech-no Sundays again and throw in an occasional 3-day break here and there. 

Do you limit your digital connectivity? Do you think you should? All of our lives are different. What works for me may not work for you. I won't judge... unless you start texting when we're chatting face to face. 😕

What's the worst that could happen?

Ah, after my month off from shopping in July, I have ventured into the thrift stores a couple times but haven't brought much home. Thankfully, I broke the habit and am very picky about buying anything. I did find a great covered basket for $2 and knew exactly what I'd use it for. Perfect for my craft room to hide sewing supplies! Today though, I found something I've had on my list for ages... Cast iron pans! I've found a few here and there, but usually they're either made in China (I don't want to risk it as some have been found to contain lead) or they're insanely priced even when they've been abused. 

Years ago, I ditched my nonstick (Teflon) skillets in favor of stainless steel, but some things just work better in a less "sticky" pan. I picked up a set of ceramic coated pans a few years back and they work well, but after awhile, the coating chips (even though I only use wooden utensils in mine and no harsh scrubby to wash) and then you have to trash them. Not cool, as far as I'm concerned. So I've been wanting cast iron, but I'm also avoiding anything but secondhand shopping. Cast iron is nearly indestructible. I have friends cooking in pans inherited from their great-grandmothers! If you find a cheap, USA-made pan that the coating is gone, have no fear. It can be revived! So how did I finally luck out? Goodwill had them priced way too high. As in, one was actually priced higher than it sells for new. Maybe they were pricing by weight? LOL I looked up the prices on Amazon on my phone and decided to try for a better price at the register. Worst they could say was no, right? Then I'd just leave them behind and know it wasn't meant to be today.

8.5 and 12 inch skillets and a 10.5 inch griddle pan

It took awhile since they had to call a lead to come make a decision, but the guy eventually came and he gave me much more fair prices on the pans. Total paid for the three? Less than $20. The large pan alone sells for $27 from Amazon. 😀 They're technically new with the tags still on, but they need to be reseasoned. Maybe someone got them as a gift and left them in the garage, unused, until they cleaned it out and they made their way to me. Who knows. Reseasoning is easy enough and well worth the savings. I already have a cast iron Dutch oven  and two nice, heavy stainless steel pots (also thrift store finds!) so I'm all set! Patience wins again!

Have a pan you want to fix up? Lodge shows you how:

August craftiness

With the massive destash done, my yarny stash has drastically shrunk to a much more manageable size. It felt so good to let all of that yarn go! This is my new, much, much smaller stash:

Yes, the cabinet I once hoped would hold my entire yarn stash now holds all of it plus my drum carder, serger and some sewing supplies too! I love my new smaller stash. 😄 There's still plenty to play around with and be inspired by, but not so much that it feels overwhelming anymore. 

Ravelry organizes the Ravellenics to coincide with the Olympics and until this year, I'd never participated. But for some reason (likely due to the start following my huge destash), this time it relit my crafting bug and I jumped right in. I started with just one small goal, finish one shawl as part of the Shawl Sailing event so I pulled out three skeins of stash from 2009 (it's about time!) and started on a garter stitch shawl formed by knitting a billion (only slightly exaggerating here) short rows:

Eyre of Romance Jane Shawl by Kay Meadors

This was a great choice for knitting while distracted by the various Olympic events. Simple to keep track of where I was but not so simple that I got completely bored of it. Details here.

As I was finishing up the shawl, I took advantage of the Frogging Trampoline event and pulled out the Shalom cardigan I finished last year but never did even weave in the ends because I just didn't love it. The cardigan is now once again a pile of skeins with lots of potential:

Once the shawl was done, I still had a week of Ravellenics fun left, so I jumped into the pool with a braid of faux cashmere for some for Synchronized Spinning:

I split the braid roughly in half lengthwise and then plied the two singles together so the colors would mostly line up. Still inspired, I chose another shawl pattern and quickly knit up this:

Spring Garden Kerchief by Clare Lakewood

This was my first experience with faux cashmere. Not bad, but I won't be buying any more. Faux cashmere is nylon and I'm trying to stick with just natural, plant-based yarns and fiber from here on. This braid had been in my stash awhile though so I'm glad it has finally reached its potential. It sat in my stash since 2013 but its journey from fluff to shawl? Five days. (Info on the pattern and fiber can be found here.) Be warned, there is an error in the written directions for this shawlette. I've noted the correction on my project page and let the designer know, but it doesn't appear that the file has been corrected yet.

With only a couple days remaining, I decided I wanted one more project so I grabbed the remainder of the yarn from the Eyre of Romance shawl and knit up a quick hat for the Hat Dash event:

Kitkat Hat by Andre Sue

Super simple and quick! (Info here.) And with that, my 2016 Ravellenics Games were complete.

I thought after all that, I'd be all knitted out, but I quickly got the urge to cast on again and used Ravelry's awesome pattern search function to find my next project. I decided I wanted to use some stash from 2013 and used that yardage/weight to search. The first result? This shawl I'd seen ages ago, wanted to knit and... then forgot about:

Pfeilraupe by Alpi Alpenrose

I'm past the halfway point now and the rows are finally getting shorter! This will likely be the first of my donation shawls for 2017. (Pattern/yarn info here.) Another warning here, the shawl is quite simple to knit. The most difficult part about this shawl is deciphering the pattern instructions. The written instructions aren't incredibly clear and the charts aren't completely accurate. Between the two though, you can get the gist of it and as long as it's close, no one would know anyway. Garter stitch is forgiving! I may eventually make another from this pattern to keep.

So, that's it for August! See you next month for another crafty update. Until then...

Craft what makes you happy!

charitable crafting

For the past few years, Sheila and Wendy, of the Knit1,HeartToo! podcast have helped a local (to them) group collect shawls for a comfort shawl program. Last year, I was able to send a few shawls, but I set myself a goal of a dozen for this year. Though my knitting mojo has waned this year, I've also been reducing the things I hold on to and this year? I was able to send a whopping 14! The charity accepts not only new shawls, but gently used shawls as well and of any fiber content. Most charities I've come across require acrylics and I'm not a fan of working with acrylic. This opens up the possibilities immensely! I do label all my shawls with fiber content and care instructions in case there are any allergies. I did a quick search online for free printable labels. I've made up my own in the past, but this year I used the ones found here (KnitPicks).

Getting them ready to pack up, I gave all of them a bath that hadn't already been done. Need a reason to always wash a shawl by itself the first time?

So. Much. Bleeding. Happily the shawl made from a skein I dyed... didn't bleed. =) Another happy moment? Realizing all but one of the shawls I needed to wash could be hung out on my clothesline to dry rather than being pinned out to block which meant they all got washed and dried in a single day.

Here they all are! If you're interested in more info on patterns/yarns used, see my Ravelry page and click on the specific project you're interested in for details.

Fall 2016 donations

Do you have any unloved shawls hiding in your closet? Or do you love making them but have already gifted them to all your knitworthy friends/family? Find a local charity to donate them or you can send them off to the group I did. Info can be found here.

I'm aiming for another dozen next year!

the omnivore's dilemma

Awhile back, at long last, I finished reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. While I haven't been an omnivore in decades, it was in any case a very interesting read and one I'd recommend to anyone no matter what your diet currently looks like.

Pollan follows 4 meals through our food chain and sheds light on areas of "food" production many of us would like to ignore. While he doesn't advocate a wholly vegan, or even vegetarian, diet, he does, in my opinion, make a strong case for at least cutting back meat and animal products in our diets and also shares why free range or pasture raised animals are healthier for both the environment and our bodies if we do choose to consume animal products.

I do see his point in the symbiotic relationship between thoughtful animal farming and organic crop farming, but he didn't convince me to start eating dairy or eggs and there certainly won't be a steak on my plate! There are still animal products entering my home in the form of pet food however. While I know there are vegan cat foods on the market, cats are obligate carnivores and I don't feel I should mess with nature, but I can try to source their food as humanely as possible. I have been seriously contemplating making my own dog food for awhile now. I've tried a vegan commercial food in the past but Reilly, my older dog, has issues with some grains so it didn't go well. I've purchased the supplements necessary to try making my own vegan dog food. Making it myself, I'll be able to choose the ingredients and hopefully avoid whatever Reilly reacted to in the commercial food. It'll be more work than opening a bag of kibble, but definitely worth the effort!

Pollan discusses the prevalence of food-like substances in our diets as well. As our food system has become more and more processed, we've lost much of the natural state of foods. Reading labels these days practically requires a biology degree. Simplifying our diets and using mostly whole foods we cook ourselves eliminates the need for label reading though. BTW, it's also good for the wallet! ;-) Since I've switched to shopping from the bulk bins, I've cut out most highly processed foods. Sure, there are still items in the bins with more than one or two ingredients, but a quick glance through the list will make it obvious if there's real food in that bin. I'm lucky to have a local co-op along with a few other options for organic produce and bulk foods.

Though companies continue to mess with natural foods and make eating more "convenient" for us, it is ultimately our choice and responsibility to know what we're putting into our bodies and what practices we are supporting with our dollars. Organic or free range may cost a bit more than conventionally grown/raised products when compared head to head, but isn't that worth it to not subject the farmer to the pesticides or the animals to a short, miserable life in deplorable conditions? Though I choose organic and local foods whenever possible, overall my grocery budget is down now that I avoid the highly processed, convenience foods. That's a big win in my book!

Even if you're not ready to overhaul your entire diet, small changes add up. Commit to making one small change this week, then next week or next month, add another positive change. Your decisions today do matter and have real impact no matter how small they seem. Let's all take one step together toward a more positive impact on the world. 😀

simple inspiration

How about a little simple inspiration on this fine Friday? I've watched a couple of great documentaries recently on simplifying and cutting back.

First up, a freebie!

It's well worth a watch! A group of strangers come together and attempt to live with a more positive environmental impact. While not everyone wants to downsize this drastically or live in a mud hut, I think we can all be more conscious of the impact of our daily decisions.

Next, is one that's available currently as a paid download, but here's the trailer:

I've been reading The Minimalists blog for quite awhile and also enjoy their podcast. This documentary is a compilation of interviews they did with people from all walks of life, living their own brands of minimalism. I think a lot of people have a certain image of what a minimalist is, but in reality, minimalism looks different for everyone. You don't have to live with just 100 things or have only 33 items in your wardrobe. It's about simplifying your life and removing the excess so that you can focus on what's truly important to you. The video is available on Vimeo right now, but if that doesn't work for you, they do say it'll be available on other platforms at some point in the future so keep an eye out for it!

crafting with my conscience

I've been thinking more about where my crafting materials come from. I have been for awhile. I've already reigned in my fabric acquisitions to better align with my beliefs. I decided to only add secondhand fabrics with maybe an occasional organic cotton or linen purchase and it's probably been a year since I purchased anything but secondhand. But what about my other crafts?

Last month was kind of a turning point for me. Spokane hosted its third annual Vegfest and I experienced my very first. 😄 These are my people! I wasn't super interested in the various booths, but the speakers were so inspiring!

Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary and me

I transitioned to a vegetarian diet when I was around 11 or 12, but have been eating a mostly vegan diet the past few years. I make my own nondairy milk (and ice cream!) and have plenty of options for replacing eggs when baking and even make a darn good tofu scramble. I have been using local honey the past year or so in an effort to limit my use of cane sugar (the industry is very environmentally taxing), so not totally vegan, but close.

Gene talking about one of the rescues living out her life at the sanctuary

I've always struggled with using animal fibers in my crafts however... or I suppose not using them. I prefer not to use synthetics whenever possible so have mostly natural fibers in both my wardrobe and craft stash. A few years ago I decided I wouldn't buy animal fiber yarns unless I found them secondhand, but I'd still use what I already had... and I had a lot. I was still buying wool for spinning (I know, I know, I didn't say it made sense). This year, I swore off buying anything but consumables (with just a few caveats) so the new animal fibers stopped coming in. I did happen across a local doing her own destash however and picked up some inexpensive secondhand wool for spinning. (I didn't even look at her yarn destash!)

So I suppose this change has been slowly coming on for years and I'm a big believer that making changes is easy when we are ready for them and until now, I just wasn't truly ready to let go. But now? I really am. I started thinking through what was actually stopping me from letting the yarn go. It wasn't the money I'd spent that I knew I wouldn't recoup. I'd already sold off or donated a lot, but my stash was down to the yarns I really did like and were on the nicer side. I've donated so much other stuff though. Why was this so different? It wasn't, really. So, I finally culled my yarn stash. I'm not ready to let my handspun go, but nearly everything else with animal fiber content not currently part of a project got pulled and marked for sale:

I did say I had a lot! I decided this needed to be a quicker process than trying to sell off individual skeins so after some thought, I packed up boxes to sell as lots at what I thought was a very good price for the buyer and would hopefully make it a quicker process for me... and oh my was it quick! Did I get back all the money I'd spent over the years? Not even close! But these yarns are now in the hands of crafters who will put them to use and they're not here making me feel guilty over past decisions.

I'm not telling you that your values should fall in with mine. We all make our own decisions and need to be at peace with our actions. Someday, I may be ready to let my woolly handspun go too, but today is not that day. Baby steps (and sometimes giant leaps)!

July craftiness

 July ended with a heat wave... we are all waiting for Fall! But for now, another month has passed and time for a crafty update!

First up, sewing! Surprised? haha I borrowed a copy of Sewing to Sell by Virginia Lindsay from my local library mainly for this pattern:

I love them! I plan to make a couple more for myself, but so far this has been enough for my weekly grocery runs. 😊 It's harder to see if the above pic, but the orange and blue bags? Those are from thrifted cotton men's shirts:

And yes, both have pockets. 😀 Perfect for the receipt or whatever. The interior fabric and both fabrics for the red bag were also secondhand fabrics. It just took a couple small adjustments to use the shirts for the exteriors. They're super comfy to carry when full and are surprisingly roomy. I actually used my old store bought bags when I decluttered my kitchen and donated the bags too. I'm seriously thinking of making some of these to sell. They're so fun!

But wait, don't I still knit?

I do!

Knit designer Rachel Borello Carroll designed a set of sea creatures and this was the first... an adorable manatee! I used bulky yarn for an bigger stuffy and ended up with this football-sized critter. So cute! Not sure when I'll be makin the others, but I'm sure they'll come eventually.

I spent a good deal of the past week culling my yarn stash and prepping for a massive destash. Details here if you're interested! 😉

enough!

A funny thing happened this month since declaring a No Buy July. Nothing came in, but a lot went (and is still going) out!

I suppose being more careful not to bring in unnecessary items caused me to start looking around more carefully at what was already in my home. Last year around this time, I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (I highly recommend it!) and followed her direction which resulted in a much less cluttered home and a decent credit on my income taxes from the donations so I was a little surprised how easy it was to fill the back of my Jeep again this month. Some items were ones I'd set aside previously to try and sell, but didn't have any luck with... I didn't try all that hard. lol  No more waiting! Out they went.

Happily, all kitchen-related items now fit easily in my kitchen cabinets aside from my dehydrator that is simply too big to fit into any of my cabinets. No more basement overflow! I even moved the holiday plates I keep an eye out for throughout the year (secondhand of course!) to use for cookie plates for friends/neighbors at Christmas to a newly-emptied cabinet. That will make it quick to check to see if I need more or not. So far, I've gone through my kitchen and also shredded old paperwork, keeping only what's absolutely necessary.

This time around, I'm not following the konmari order, but I am sorting all of each category at one time. I also did a major overhaul if my yarn stash. It feels good to let go! It's interesting though how or minds adjust to the new level of stuff in our lives and suddenly what once felt like an acceptable amount is now too much. Enough is a constantly shifting goal. 😊

seeking personal independence

Happy 4th of July, everyone! I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday! For my non-US residents reading this, happy Monday! ;-)

If you've been here long, you know I love challenging myself and this month is no different. Along with my yearlong goals, I decided to up the ante this month with a:

Well, not entirely NO buy. I'll still be buying necessities like food (it's cherry season!) and gas and Reilly is getting his teeth cleaned in a couple weeks (totally counts as necessity in my book) which won't be cheap, but outside of that and regular monthly bills, there shall be no spending! Not only will I be paying a significant amount to the vet (health is always more important than money!), but I'm still saving for a few home repairs (ugh, always) and my budget needs a tune up. We're now halfway through the year. (How did that happen?!) It's a good time to reexamine that budget and be sure I'm still on track to getting where I want to be. Where do I want to be? I want more freedom! Good time of year to take a closer look at this, being the month the US celebrates our independence! I'll be busier with work too so why not take full advantage of that extra income by socking away as much as possible? :-)

This means no thrift store browsing this month! I've been finding plenty of secondhand clothing to repurpose and have a stack to work with. Any crafting time I carve out certainly won't be lacking in supplies. I'm still planning a trip or two to my favorite thrift store, but only for dropping off donations. ;-) Time to clear out the few items that made it to the basement the past year. I have an urge to clean out cabinets and closets as well, to cull the extraneous and no longer loved. Funny how not bringing things in gives me an urge to move things out. lol I'm hoping to make some real progress this month! My first goal is earning enough at my second job to cover Reilly's upcoming vet visit. :-)

Totally worth it. :-)

June craftiness

Are you looking for yarny crafts? Move along, nothing to see here...

This lazy guy? He turned 14 this month. Happy birthday, Xander!

Seriously, I don't think I've even touched any yarn this month. I have been sewing though and made another fun project bag using a thrifted skirt and man's shirt. No before pic on this one. You'll have to use your imagination. ;-)

There was plenty more sewing in June, but first, how about a little craftiness in the kitchen?

My black raspberry plants have been producing  an incredible amount of berries! I even got to pick most of them myself. I had some furry helpers after a few days. ;-)

One day's bounty!

Combined with some overripe organic nectarines.

The BEST cobbler I've ever made!

With the help in picking (and eating), it took me a few days, but I finally have enough for another cobbler. I hope the yellow raspberry canes I planted this year do as well as these in year two!


Early in June, we got a short heat wave. Gus handles heat about as well as I do so I tried my hand at some remedies without having to crank the a/c. First, I tried a damp washcloth. That worked pretty well, but we needed something for walks once it really heats up.

I picked up a package of SoilMoist from my local feed & seed store and got to work with my sewing machine. =) I'd seen plenty of neck coolers for people, why not for dogs?

I tried out the standard collar type first.Then ventured out with a bib style that would provide more surface contact. After searching, I saw some commercial ones of this style, but even using barely any crystals in mine, it still seemed too heavy for my little guy. A bigger dog would likely do very well with this style though. I'll stick with the collars for Gus. I always bring cold water on our walks (in a doggie-friendly water bottle of course) and he gets multiple opportunities to cool off, but I'm hoping these will make him more comfortable. He loves his walks so much, I'd hate to have to keep him in when it heats up.

These are super simple to make! When I make some more, I'll take some pictures for a quick tutorial if anyone is interested in making some for their own furry kids. Just let me know in the comments and I'll write one up. =) I keep a couple in a container with water in the fridge so they're ready to go when needed. DO NOT leave these on your dog unattended. The crystals, if ingested, can cause problems and no one wants that!

That wasn't all my sewing though! I pulled another shirt and skirt (in this case two skirts) combo from my thrifted clothing and got to work on a new library tote.

The white cotton skirt was originally cut and sewn on the bias. This was my first project with such a light bias cut fabric and boy is there a learning curve! I figured it out though and I LOVE the result!

What else has come off my sewing table this month? Another baby gift! The first was so fun (the pink/purple one I shared last month), I headed back to the stash for some greys and yellows and made a second:

This time, I used a solid piece for the back since I wasn't using pre-cut strips. I liked the grey/yellow combo so much...

I made a wall hanging for my little dinette. =) I'll likely make a couple of place mats to match.

That wasn't all my sewing though! With the heat upon us, Gus wasn't the only one getting hot on walks. Ashley Nickels also has the Sew a Reversible Sun Hat class on creativebug. Both the bib class and this one come with printable patterns. I dug around in the stash and found a couple of fabrics I wanted to use and got to work on my first ever fabric hat:

Cutting was easy, the piecing together of curves less so. LOL With a bit more practice, that'll get easier. I already want to make another!

I LOVE it!! I usually wear it reversed to the lighter side so it reflects more of the sun, but I wear it almost every morning on our walks so it's getting a ton of use. Works great for keeping the sun (and sweat) out of my eyes and so far it's washing up nicely. I just wash and hang it on my clothesline to dry, giving the brim a quick press to smooth things back out before putting it back to use the next morning.

So that's it for this month. Until next month, craft what makes you happy!

May craftiness

Another month has passed and the poncho that will not end is still... unfinished. I had high hopes, but I swear this thing is shrinking.

Plus, I didn't work on it much. ;-) Most of the finished objects for this pattern on Ravelry have been knit with 21-22 repeats of the pattern. The above has 21 completed repeats and even stretched, it's a good 10" from being long enough! This is why I don't knit sweaters often - they take forever! I do love how the two yarns are playing off each other and I know once finished and has had a nice bath and tumble in the dryer, it will be lovely and soft, but I have to admit... I am fighting the urge to frog this thing! I'm wondering if this yarn might be better in a different project. We'll see...

With the poncho on ice, I have started another knitting project that I can actually see progress on:

Socks! I looked and it's been a year and a half since I finished a pair of fingering weight socks. It's about time for another pair, yes? I'm not working on them often, but I can at least see some progress. ;-)

With my knitting mojo waning, I turned from the knitting needles to the sharper needle of my sewing machine. Now here, I can definitely see real progress! I started with a little something destined to be gifted to a little someone:

Over Mother's Day weekend, Amazon offered a deal for a full year of access to Creativebug classes for $25. I've taken classes from Craftsy, CreativeLive and other sites, but had been curious about Creativebug. I haven't been disappointed! I followed along with the videos (and printed pattern) and created this adorable bib. The first was so much fun, I've now made a second, but you'll see that in my June update along with more sewing from a different Creativebug class. :-)

Not too impressive for an entire month, huh? This is why it's a hobby. I do what and how much I want, when I want. No pressure. I do seem to be on a sewing kick now though so next month's post may have lots of fun stuff!

Until then, craft what makes you happy! I know I will. :-)