End of the Swap Season

So, I had to get in a couple of swaps before baby came and I have to take a serious hiatus.  So, I did three in the last three months!  No big deal, right!?  Anyway, here are some of the goodies I made for the two swaps I haven't posted pics for yet:

The First Swap: End of Summer Random 

Crocheted Sushi Roll earrings!  I totally made the pattern up myself, and it's done with crochet thread and a teeny tiny hook.  I was quite pleased with myself!  

Awesome cape.  I've been wanting to make this for myself for a while, but decided to make it for someone else instead. (which is good, because it's technically too short for me, and I would have had to do math to figure out how long to make it.)  It has hand openings and a stiff collar.  I love the way it turned out!  

Stuffed key.  Haha!  My partner had a key collection, and I figured she didn't have one like this, yet!

These are knit and then machine felted coasters.  I've been really into felting, lately, and also have been trying desperately to use up as much yarn as I can before Stig gets here so there is less to store.  Two birds!  

This is maybe my favorite thing I've made in a very long time.  It's a Dalek glove.  Seriously.  A Dalek glove.  A pair for myself is definitely in order (along with the Dalek hat I found!)

This is a pattern I created myself.  It's a paintbrush roll.  there are individual slots for brushes, and the top folds down to keep ends from poking out.  Then you roll it up, and the end with a flap has a tie on it, so you just tie it closed!  I was quite pleased with myself, once again.  

The Second Swap: Falling into Autumn

Felted sweater goodies.  I made rice bag handwarmers.  I love handwarmers for winter.  Heat em up for a couple of minutes and pop them in your pockets on the way out the door.  Perfect for warming up fingers after scraping your car windows.  And, they're recycled. 

These are pretty lacework fingerless gloves.  My partner wanted some, so I figured I'd comply, since they're my speciality.  Once I wrestled with the pattern to figure out what the heck was wrong with it, they are really quick and easy.  I will not route you to the pattern, because it's terrible and I had to re-write it.  

My favorite thing I made (and my partner's favorite thing she received!) was this set of acorn potholders.  She said she had a thing for acorns, and I thought about doing "porcelain" ornaments, but then I got obsessed with felting, so did these instead.  I think they turned out fab, and I was super stoked about how the applique came out on them.  And, again, recycled!  

I've had this mug sitting in my stash for a long time because I was somehow emotionally attached to a mug I got at the thrift store.  It's a problem.  Anyway, in my nesting desire to clean out every nook and cranny of my life, I decided it was time.  Plus, it was fall colored, and Autumn was the theme of the swap.  So I poured a vanilla soy candle into it, and sent it on it's way to a new home in Iowa.  

And, though you may not be able to tell by this picture, this is a pillow cover.  Again, a felted sweater.  It was a cardigan, and I liked how the buttons looked, so I salvaged the entire body of the sweater for this one.  I didn't get the pillow filling made in time, but it fits a standard pillow, so I will make the filler and send it later.  

I Love a Commission!

So, recently I got an Etsy order for a commissioned pair of leg warmers like the green cabled ones I posted a pattern for.  She just wanted them in white.  My first round of making them was a slight disaster.  I tried using a cheaper yarn alternative that was a true "white" and they turned out terribly.  No stretch, way too long, totally ridiculous.  So, I went and got new yarn today and whipped up the first one in the proper yarn, even though it's a little "cream" colored.  I'm slightly jealous of them and may want to make myself a pair, too.  They look fantastic in white!

(Yes, my thighs look giant... it was taken at an angle and I'm pregnant.  I'm over it.)

I also had a friend ask if I could make a specific fingerless glove pattern for her to use for her Halloween costume as a cat.  She sent me this pattern from Lion Brand that I had seen and wanted to make for another friend at one point (like 3 years ago), but then lost interest.  Anyway, interest piqued, especially since she is paying AND she gave me a deadline.  I work much better with a deadline imposed by someone else.  Here's how they turned out:

Not the most beautiful picture I've ever taken since it was with my phone, but the gloves themselves turned out amazingly well.  Especially since I didn't have to buy any new yarn for them.  It was all stuff from my stash.  And though you can't really tell in the picture, the black has some pretty sparkle to it, and since she's slightly obsessed with sparkle, they're even more fabulous!  Yay for kitties!  

Baby Cuteness

My dear friend Karen is expecting a little boy about a month before I am.  Therefore, I felt the need to make cute little crocheted things for said baby.  I settled on a couple of ridiculously easy and cute hats made from some chunky yarn I had laying around.  The first one is white with a lime green border:  

And my trusty model wearing the cute little chunky hat:  

The second one is this great blueberry color, that I chose because they are decorating the baby's nursery in L.A. Dodgers colors.  I thought this was a pretty close color to Dodger blue.  And I thought it was too plain as it was, so I added a pom pom... love a pom pom!  

And the model:  

These are seriously the easiest hats to make.  And the pattern is very good.  I made both hats in about 20 minutes.  It's a great stash buster if you have some chunky yarn laying around.  The pattern is from Oodles4Noodles and is really fantastic.  Great pattern for a new crocheter, as well!  

Spell My Name Swap goodies

I have taken a break from swaps for a while, but signed up for a few in the last month, trying to get my crafting fix in before the baby comes.  One of the swaps I did is one I have done before... the Spell My Name Swap, where you craft an item for each letter of your partner's name.  First, let me show you the amazing stuff that I received from my partner stacysews:  

She made all kinds of awesome Star Wars and owlie goodies for the coming wee one.  And an awesome Miss Piggie eye cold pack for my tired eyes and aching head and some handmade lip gloss in a totally sweet little case for my inevitably chapped lips during labor.  Amazing, no!?  

So, for Stacy, here is the package I made.  It turns out we have similar interests and styles, so I didn't have to do that much shopping.  I did buy the yarn for the "hat of frustration" but I literally had all the rest of the supplies in my stash.  

Hat of frustration (a.k.a. Letter S: Skully Skullcap):  

This hat is the third one I made from the initial pattern.  The first one came out baby sized with a weird flared brim.  The second one was slightly better, but was toddler sized.  I ended up changing the number of stitches I cast on, the length I made it, and even the intarsia pattern, which had weird deformed "X's" between each skull.  I had some separation anxiety when I mailed it off after spending so much time working on it.  

Letter T: Tattoo inspired brooch

This one is based on an awesome craft I did with my super crafty friends Abbey and Jenni two years ago for Valentine's Day.  I made one for myself at the time that says "Pookie" on it, and I wear it the entire month of February every year.  Since Stacy likes tattoo art, I thought it only appropriate that she have a crafty badge to show off her crafty and hardcore sides all in one!  It's felt, and I used blanket stitch for the edges, a simple whip stitch for the "banner" and back stitch for the lettering.

Letter A: Alice In Wonderland embroidered art

Stacy had Alice in Wonderland stuff all over her Wist and Pinterest, so I knew I had to include something "Alice Inspired."  I ended up creating this sort of cameo outline design based on the Disney Alice and I included an "eat me" mushroom for our little heroine.  It was basic back stitch, since the pattern was so detailed around Alice herself.  I was quite pleased with how it came out.  

Letter C is the Cameo Cup Candle you can see in the first picture.  I apparently forgot to take a close up.  It is done with soy wax and natural vanilla scent so that she can use the mug when the candle is gone.  I love making candles... so simple and so satisfying!  

Letter Y: Yummy Cupcake Bunting

I had trouble with the letter Y.  I was thinking Yeti at first, but couldn't figure out anything yeti to craft. Then I saw the awesome cupcake bunting on Stacy's Pinterest, and KNEW I had to make it for her.  Since I already had my letter C, I thought, what are cupcakes if not yummy?  Bingo... letter Y.  This is a very satisfying pattern and project.  Super fast and really great looking when complete.  

I love the Spell My Name Swap.  It requires a bit of creative thinking, but for the most part, you can really craft things that your partner will love, and that fits their likes and personality.