handmade by stefanie

Well, some of you might have already caught this post which accidentally went live LAST weekend. Oops! Thanks, Blogger publisher, for not accepting the publish date I entered the first time...ok, fine, that might  have been operator error on my part! At any rate, I apoligize if this gives you deja vu, and for those of you who are just now seeing this post for the first time: just pretend you didn't read this first paragraph! Ahem. I've been making some random toys lately and haven't gotten around to sharing them on the blog, so today's post is a hodgepodge of some toys that you might have already seen if you follow me on Instagram. After making my contributions to the #ProjectGnomeDiplomacy, I decided to keep with the tiny theme and made a wee little sheep with a tiny alpaca for a buddy: Keeping in the theme, I also crocheted this tiny snowman , which was a past FreshStitches kit club shipment that has been sitting in my WIP basket for several months. ...

I finished my snowman crochet-along project for the FreshStitches choose your own adventure CAL - isn't he adorable? I plan on making at least one more this holiday season once I finish my more pressing gift projects! The yarn I used is Drops NEPAL , which is a nice-quality, affordable worsted weight that comes in a wide range of colors (I ordered mine from the NordicMart ). It's really easy to crochet with, and I've been liking it for amigurumi projects especially. In other news, I snapped up a FreshStitches project bag just before the holiday when they were on sale for only $6! Isn't the fabric adorable? I know that I have quite the collection of project bags, but it was time to retire a few from the rotation. While I was justifying things to myself, I remembered I had a paypal balance, and before I knew it I'd bought myself this cute new bag.  Speaking of things I don't actually need...my SweetGeorgia sock yarn arrived earlier this week! I ha...

This morning I was suposed to be headed to Columbus, OH for the TNNA Summer Trade Show  - but there was a slight snafu and I will now be taking an overnight bus there tonight. Argh! Such is life, I guess. Before I go, I wanted to share this week's finished projects, however - first, I was able to finish my Zilver shawl with plenty of time to block and dry before leaving town...that is, if something in my luggage hadn't leaked all over it. I am currently re-blocking it, which is a shame because I had really been looking forward to wearing it at the show. Zilver is a free pattern from Lisa Mutch of Northbound Knitting , an etsy dyer/designer selling excellent yarns, fibers and patterns. For my shawl, I used one skein of Sincere Sheep Cushy in Winter's Night, however (though knitting with some of Lisa's yarns is on my to-do list - the fiber I bought earlier this year was fantastic to spin with!). The yardage is a little less than the yarn that's called for in th...

I'm still making steady progress on my Fieldwork Cardigan and Scalloped Rib Socks , but to be honest, they aren't super-exciting to look at right now. Plus, last Wednesday I cast on for a new shawl using a skein of Sincere Sheep Cushy in Winter's Night - a new project is always  more exciting, am I right?! The pattern is Lisa Mutch's Zilver , and it's available for free here on Ravelry . As you can see, it knits up nice and quick! I also realized it's been a while since I've crocheted anything, so I decided to start something that has been on my to-do list since last fall: make a silly snake to block the draft that comes in through the kitchen door in the wintertime. Um, yeah...it's not exactly timely, but that's just how things go sometimes! I am using Stacey Trock's Slithers the Snake pattern as my guide, minus the shaping of course. For added draft-blocking insulation, I'll be stuffing him full of leftover bits of yarn and fiber. I...

This week, I have two amigurumi projects, both of which use patterns by one of my favorite crochet designers, Stacey Trock of Freshstitches . First, I finally got around to making my February kit club project, Dale the Mosquito ! I spent last Saturday afternoon baking and crocheting in the kitchen. A few hours later, I had a new friend, complete with poseable nose and legs! In other crochet news: the moose is done! The moose is done! It took much longer to put together than I was expecting, mostly because I had to reattach pieces more than once. I think he's cute, but a little on the wonky side; part of that is because I still managed to have a pretty loose gauge, despite using a smaller hook than recommended (used an F instead of the recommended H). I probably should have noticed sooner and switched to an even smaller  hook, but it's a little too late for that now! The pattern is Stacey Trock's Maple the Moose from Crocheted Softies , made with Malabrigo Merino Worst...

On Tuesday night I put the finishing touches on my slug for the Fresh Stitches Slug-a-Long : The yarn is a combination of various leftovers in my stash - Organik from the Fibre Company, Cascade 220 , and Berrocco Vintage . This was a fun little project that took me only a few hours to complete and it's already found a home with my crafty pal Susan! I also finished my Spanish Moss Legwarmers from November Knits . I completed the knitting portion at the barista throwdown on Monday night, and then did the sewn bind-off the following evening when I was at home and had access to the instructions, which I always need to reference. I love, love, LOVE the yarn and colorway - The Uncommon Thread's Heavenly Fingering in Zitouni. It's so very luxurious and soft. I'm excited to wear these around my home office with my favorite skirt. Celebrate FO Friday by checking out more posts over on the Tami's Amis blog ! Have a crafty weekend!

I'm getting serious about amigurumi this year! In January, I decided to set up an amigurumi station in my living room so that everything I need - safety eyes, crochet hooks, and YARN of course! - is all in one place (not pictured: poly-fill stuffing, but it's been added to the general vicinity since this photo was taken). Each drawer is filled with worsted-weight yarn that has been earmarked for amigurumi: the top drawer contains small bits and bobs of leftover yarn; the middle drawer contains half-used skeins that would be suitable for accent colors; and the bottom drawer is stuffed with full skeins of yarn just waiting to become something cute. My husband bought me Stacey Trock's Crocheted Softies book for my birthday last year (which incidentally was the anniversary of its publication!), and since then it has been my #1 source for cute amigurumi patterns. Several holiday gifts were made from this book, in fact! Recently, I purchased Amigurumi On The Go via Cra...

Happy FO Friday! Today I'm sharing the last two projects completed in 2012. Both were made during the course of my trip to Kansas City for the holidays. I crocheted this cute little crab on the train ride down from Chicago - it was a great way to spend the first few hours of the trip! Tyler and I named him Eugene (I've been watching a lot of Spongebob Squarepants on Netflix streaming) and he became my little buddy for the duration of our trip. He's sitting atop my pretty new Knitter's Pride needle case that I got for Christmas, though I think his permanent home will be somewhere in my office. The yarn, safety eyes and pattern were part of the first shipment of the Fresh Stitches Just Add Stuffing Kit Club - the perfect thing to grab and go when packing! The Here and There hat by Veera Välimäki  has been lurking in my queue since early last year, so I figured this trip would be the perfect time to cast on. I knit it in similar colors to those pictured in the pa...

In today's post, I'll be sharing the toys I made for holiday gifting this year, starting with the  Fraternal Twin Monkeys I made for our friends in Portland who were expecting twins next month. However, they got an early Christmas gift this year with the early arrival of said twins on Christmas Eve! The pattern is Rebecca Danger's Jerry the Musical Monkey , and I used some Cascade 220 that I got on closeout from Doodlebug Yarn earlier this year. It was so hard to send them away to their new home, but I know they will be well-loved. Early last week, I decided to crochet two patterns from the book I got for my birthday, Stacey Trock's Crocheted Softies ; one for my friend Ellen and one to add to Tyler's stocking. For Ellen, I thought that Milton the Slowpoke Snail would be really awesome with a Zombie BBQ shell (and I just happened to have a partial skein of Shepherd Worsted in my stash in that particular colorway!). Who doesn't need a Christmas snail ?...

Just one more week til I can reveal the details of my secret knitting (and crochet) projects! Luckily, I have plenty of other goodies to share between now and then. For example, my first shipment of the Fresh Stitches Just Add Stuffing Kit Club arrived last Thursday - it's a cute little crab! I also ordered some yarn from Doodlebug for the express purpose of crocheting even more amigurumi projects. I did a test knit for Kelbourne Woolens earlier this year and fell in love with Organik , which is a luscious blend of organic merino, alpaca and silk. Needless to say, it's a really beautiful yarn! Aaaaand if you still need some gifties for your fibery friends (or perhaps yourself!), Craftsy has some cool new stuff on sale ! Today is the last day to place your order for guaranteed delivery by Christmas, incidentally. You're welcome.

Last week I received the final clue for the Fresh Stitches Mystery CAL , but it wasn't until this week that I had enough time to sit down and assemble my mystery stuffie. Now I have this super-adorable puppy to keep me company! I also received an early Christmas present from my fiber friend Leanne - a Schacht Ladybug Wheel ! Holy moly, I sure didn't see that coming, so you can imagine the look on my face when the UPS guy showed up on my doorstep with a ginormous box from The Woolery (one of our clients!). Woo hoo! Don't get me wrong, I've loved my Heavely Handspinning wheel - it's served me well these past three years. However, I've been wanting to upgrade for a while now, and even though I've only just set up my new wheel and tinkered a bit, I am already in love with my Ladybug. It's so smooth (and quiet!), not to mention adorable...I can't wait to spin my first project on it! I have a big ol' container of fiber that is ready to be...

It's been a while since I mentioned it, but I've been working on each clue for the Fresh Stitches Archer Mystery CAL and I stil have no idea what I'm making! All will be revealed tomorrow when the final clue comes out. Here are all of the pieces: Yep, I'm totally stumped. What is your best guess? Looking for a little more WIP Wednesday inspiration? Hop over to the Tami's Amis Blog for all the blogginess you can handle!

I can only share a few of my WIPs today, as we're rolling into that time of year when secrecy is of the utmost importance. As far as projects I am  at liberty to talk about goes....I haven't gotten much work done on my Shangri-La top , so I'm not sure it's worth a photo update. However, I have become addicted to making Grandma Trees for my holiday decor this year - they are so quick to crochet! I made five on my birthday and have been whipping up more whenever I have a few free moments. I am also making progress on the Fresh Stitches Archer Mystery CAL , but I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone who is just now joining the party - so click here to view my progress shots on Ravelry! I have come across some fairly hilarious turkey-themed patterns of late - so I thought I'd do something a little different today and share some of my favorites: Turkey Coasters by Joanne Loh  (free!) Thanksgiving Softies by Gari Lynn Turkey Hat by Kristin Han...

Today's FO Friday is a continuation of my first review for the Woodland Animals class on Craftsy, but it's also an FO Friday post! Two, two mints in one! The next project from Stacey Trock's Woodland Animals class, the Amigurumi Teddy Bear uses the same techniques we learned in the first lessons, but includes a larger emphasis on seaming due to its many pieces. This lesson probably could have been shorter (its just under an hour), but it's worth watching all the way through as Stacey reviews the skills learned from making the bird. Stacey's running commentary also makes it worthwhile - it's sort of like sitting down to a stitch n' bitch session with her! However, if you are feeling confident in your crochet skills (or just pressed for time because you have a BEAR EMERGENCY), you can probably go it alone and make all of your pieces, skipping the first 30 or so minutes of this lesson and getting right to the good stuff: bear assembly. Again, I'v...

Why make something twice? It's generally not in my nature to knit or crochet a pattern over and over again, but lately the familiarity of an easy-to-make design is something I've been craving. I was so delighted with my Fresh Stitches CAL project Jack the Tiny Pumpkin , that I decided to make him a friend: I had a similar experience with Cookie A's Lateral Socks ; there is something about this pattern that I found immensely appealing...plus, I could tote it along wherever I went, sans instructions. For my second pair, I subbed in a speedy short-row garter stitch heel and garter toe. These socks were the perfect project for long (or short) trips on the CTA. Of course, finishing two projects this week means I get to start some new ones...right?

Hooray, it's WIP Wednesday! After a productive weekend of crafting (and instagramming what I've been crafting), I'm excited to share everything I've been working on. As of last night, I began the toe shaping on my second pair of Lateral Socks  by Cookie A, which means that these will be off the needles and onto my sock blockers before the weekend kicks off! I'm also nearly done with all of the monkey bits for the first of many Jerry the Musical Monkey  toys! I'll be allocating some time this weekend to sew in ends and assemble Mr. Monkey before I cast on for a buddy. Here are the monkey feet before I finished them on Monday! I also started and completed my first-ever CAL in a matter of days! Here are my progress shots as I worked on Jack the Tiny Pumpkin by Stacey Trock; I'll be sharing my finished pumpkin this Friday. I might even make a few more this month - it was such a fast and easy pattern to crochet! Finally, I cast on for a baby blanket wit...

Earlier this year, I signed up for Vicki Howell's Crochet Lab class on Craftsy.com , determined to re-learn how to crochet. This was the first class I took on the Craftsy platform, and as you can tell by how often I reference and support Craftsy on this blog, I was impressed! I would (and have) definitely recommend this class for anyone who wants to learn how to crochet. Vicki is enthusiastic and good at explaining things in a way that is easy to grasp, encouraging folks to find the way that's easiest for them to do rather than insisting that what she is demonstrating is the only correct way to crochet. This is something I find very refreshing about Craftsy courses in general - the instructors are very good about either demonstrating a few ways to accomplish the same thing, or, at the very least, encouraging their students to experiment and do what comes naturally to them. The instructions were clear and easy to follow; for each technique, there is a close-up of Vic...