handmade by stefanie

Instead of making sweeping resolutions of all of 2015 which I will probably forget about by the spring, I have decided to set monthly goals for the sake of manageablility. I know there are several bloggers who have been using this idea to great effect (though can I pull any of those names out of the air right now as I type?! No! If you can recall the names of these blogs, please feel free to name-check and post links in the comments!), so I don't think I'm really introducing a novel concept per se. However, it's already February and I haven't mentioned anything about my 2015 crafting goals yet, with the exception of talking about a monthly spinning project here . For shame! In addition to a monthly spinning project, I want to could get through my design backlog and publish something new at least every other month. Originally, I wanted to shoot for  every month, but I know that's just not practical for me, especially when designing is still very much a side gi...

Man, I really  wish I could share this week's FO project with you - but alas, it's best if I wait til after they've been gifted. Oh, man, are they cute, though. I apologize for being a total tease, but it's pretty hard to keep this project to myself. Ahem. I'll try harder! What I can share with you is the first round of items which were already gifted when I went to the salon earlier this week: a robot for my esthetician and a basic black ribbed hat for my stylist. Afterwards, Tyler and I met up at the Christkindlemarket, our favorite Chicago holiday tradition! I also finished the first of what I hope will be many Zoom Loom ornaments - I just sewed a finished square into a tree-like shape and then added beads here and there, an idea which randomly popped into my head earlier today. I kind of like how it turned out! Hope you have a fun & crafty weekend!

At first glance, it would seem like I've hardly made progress on any of my WIPs since last week. It kind of feels that way, too, but perhaps that's because I spent most of the weekend working on a project that I won't be able to share for another couple of weeks. At any rate, I did manage to start the second half of my Adm iralty pillow for the Holla Knits KAL: I also finished the second welt row on my Lory Shawl : Finally, I just have to weave 3 more Zoom Loom squares before I can assemble my second turtle for the Woolery's zoom-along ! I ordered some yarn for new projects to start soon, but have managed to avoid startitis thus far. I have a feeling I'll be making my first attempt at crocheting a Lumpy Space Princess out of this yarn I just bought from Knit Picks, however! To prepare, I've been watching a lot of LSP clips on YouTube (in addition to getting caught up on episodes each night). I think this one has the best. apology. ever:

I decided to make a destash version of the turtle I made last month on my Zoom Loom! This project is part of the Zoom Loom-along which is happening right now in the Woolery Ravelry group ; I am using the instructions I received with the Turtle Critter Kit and various leftover bits of yarn to weave my squares. I might make more than the pattern calls for so that I can give different color combinations a try when it comes time to put everything together! As I mentioned in my Stitches Midwest recap on Monday, I cast on for the Lory Shawl from Knitscene using one of my favorite yarns from Bijou Basin Ranch, Himalayan Trail . As you can see, I'm not very far along - the shawl is knit long ways and I just finished the first ridge row, which took me a LONG time! It's been a while since I've used my Karbonz needles, so I was glad I could bust them out for this project. I've also finished the first side of my Admiralty pillow for the Holla Knits KAL that...

Today I have something to share that I've been working on in semi-stealth: a turtle made entirely out of Zoom Loom squares! I was given this everything-you-need kit by the kind folks at the Woolery . In August, they are hosting a super-fun Zoom-along featuring the Zoom Loom Critter Kits , which they currently have on sale on their website. The swatch critter kits are made by DJE Handwovens , and there are several animals to choose from: chameleon, dragon, frog, lion, sheep or turtle.  The kit was made especially for the Schacht Zoom Loom, and it includes full instructions and enough Mountain Colors yarn to make the critter as pictured. You'll just need to provide your preferred stuffing to complete the project. I chose the Turtle Kit! I was a little worried about the level of skill needed to assemble the it, but the kit specifically states that if you can sew a button or a hem, you can make a swatch critter. Ok, I can do both of those things....no need to be in...

Weaving with worsted weight yarn is a little tough, but it's worth the effort! I'm excited to finally post about a project I've been working on for a VERY long time! I originally began it last summer, when I thought I would be making it to give as a holiday gift. However, I decided to put it on the backburner til 2014. Earlier this year, I pulled it out of hibernation to finish it in time for my grandmother's 90th birthday (which was this past Wednesday). There is no pattern for this pillow , as I made it up as I went along. It began with the Schacht Zoom Loom I got at the TNNA Trade Show last summer, which I thought would be a fun way to use up leftover bits of yarn. My first squares were made with sock yarn, since that is what I have the most of in my stash, but I decided that using a thicker yarn would make a pretty great pillow fabric. I used leftover worsted yarns to warp the Zoom Loom, then created the weft (woven part) with my own handspun yarn. It was ...

Welcome to the first installment to what I hope is a regular feature here on this blog - See it Swatched . My goal is to try out new yarns (and sometimes revisit old favorites), sharing my thoughts and feedback as well as showing what each yarn looks knitted, crocheted, and woven; since I'm not a weaver, I'll be using my Schacht Zoom Loom for the woven swatch. I admit that I am not a very enthusiastic swatcher, so I thought that this would be a good way for me to make friends with the swatching process and maybe even learn a few things along the way. I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for this new feature so that I can refine the concept for future posts!  Anzula Cloud A few years ago, a friend gifted me a skein of Anzula Cloud . It was beautiful in the skein, but that was nothing compared to the experience of knitting with it, much less wearing the finished garment! I ended up using it for the second Stephen West Mystery KAL, Rockefeller . I pai...