CraftyME: Kool I'm Dyeing....

Hello SBSM readers.
 Seeing as I'm always talking about this person they call CraftyME, I guess I'd better show some reasons why she got that name. So, I joined this group on OCS called Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup challenge otherwise known as HPKCHC or just HPKC or..well whatever I feel like typing at the time. Every participant/student gets sorted into one of 4 houses a la Harry Potter, Gryfinndor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and the most awestacular house of all HUFFLEPUFF. Can you tell which one I'm in?)

Every month for the 3 month term, you are assigned 8 different class homework assignments. You are only required to complete one. But you know me, overachiever that I am, I went for all 8 in both Jan & Feb. I don't know if I'm gonna make all 8 for March, I'm sure I'll try to find some way. So needless to say, CraftyME has been SUPER extra busy. I'll do a semester summary at a later unspecified date and time, because I really want to talk about one assignment in particular for March.

Our assignment in Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) class for March is to turn theory into practice and try a new technique. Um hello paging WannaME?!?! Where to even start right? But I narrowed it down and decided to try my hand at yarn dyeing. Did you know that you can dye yarn using Kool-Aid? And apparently back in the day people used to use it even dye their hair. Yet again OCS has roped me into some new method of obsession/coveting. So I joined yet another group on OCS, What a Kool way to Dye ordered up some Knit Picks Bare superwash fingering yarn, grabbed some Kool-Aid from the market and got started.

I began by re-skeining my yarn. I wanted really long color repeats, so I stretched it around a couple of chairs. (Knot untangling experience #1 of like 5).  Make sure you tie the hank in several places to help prevent tangling once yarn is wet.

 Speaking of wet, next you have to soak the yarn in lukewarm water for like 30 minutes.

This gave me time to decide which flavors/colorways I was gonna go with, grape, pink lemonade, and black cherry. I mixed up 2 1/2 packets of each using enough water to fill the jars like 3/4 full.

Set the jars in a large pot with some water. Add your yarn and then bring the large pot of water to a boil.

Once it starts to boil turn off the heat and just let the yarn cool down while resting in the water. . You will be so tempted to just stand there and ohh and ahh. Trust me on this, go away.

Then come back and see the magic.

Those once murky jars of colored water will now be completely clear once again.

Rinse the newly dyed yarn in luke warm water and set to dry.

Enjoy your fruity pretty new yarn. And begin searching for even more colors, I mean flavors.

 Side bar: Now I'm irked remember back in the day there used to be like fiftyeleven flavors of Kool-aid on the shelf. Now it's just like cherry, grape, orange, and tropical punch. I never even like the red and the purple. If you find some lime or blue-raspberry or anything exotic hook ya girl up. Please and Thank You. Happy Crafting
ME

CraftyME: Summer Crafting wrap-up

So I started the summer being obsessed with sox, sox, sox. And guess what... I ended the summer still obsessed with sox. For some reason this has just been where all of my crafty mojo has been interested. WannaME seems to think that I am going to ultimately get to a point where I can just reach in my drawer on any given day and toss on a pair of sox that I made myself. Yeah...at this rate that will never happen.

As I said, this has been like the worst summah evah. It took like every ounce of everything I had to keep my sanity. So in efforts to feel better I decided to pick up a project that I cast on way back in May. I was determined to have a FO. I NEEDED to have an FO! It took me approximately 3 months to finish 1 single pair. But finished they are. They are my red stripey happy happy joy joy sox! And I F'LUV EM!!!

And just as I hoped it would, finishing my HHJJsox kick started my CraftyME juices. Immediately after those I cast on my Iris Ivy Anastasia Sox. A week in and I'm kicking arse on 'em. I'm already like half way down my big ol size 10 feet. And did you peep that, oh I'm fancy huh?!? Somebody is really feeling themselves and changing patterns up. Yeppers sure did! Took a single toe-up dpn pattern and made it 2-@-a-time.

I told you CraftyME is coming back. I've even been crocheting. I made a cute little baby blanket for one Ms. Chloe who is due to make her debut next month. Mom-to-be wanted a very simple mostly white blanket. So I took the Circles, Stripes & Squares pattern and modified it to her tastes.

As far as my other projects...let's just say they are on timeout. They need a few weeks to get themselves together. Either the project itself or the recipients lol. For now I'm just gonna keep trucking away on my Iris Ivy's. And work on some more posts. Catch Ya later. CraftyME

WannaME: Uh oh I've finally done it.....

Just a quick little update. WannaME has finally gone and done it. Yes folks. I've finally given into the temptation. After months and months of fighting it. WannaME just bought a drop spindle kit from ETSY.

As if CraftyME needs another craft. Now I am really gonna give spinning my own yarn a try. Hopefully all will go well and by the time Stitches East comes around in October, I can invest in some awesome fibers and a better spindle. I'll keep you posted on how this works out.

RememberME: Memory Mondays....Tis the season (almost)

Today's Memory Monday was inspired by yesterday. What was yesterday? Yesterday was CHRISTmas in July. And what does this have to do with Memory Mondays? Well, I would like all of my fellow crafters and general gift givers to just take a moment to remember all of the craziness that ensues come December. Everyone has the best intentions all year round. But then December hits and there is just nothing left. No time. No $$. No interest because you are just so over this overly commercialized holiday that no longer has any meaning.

So my friends, be ye crafters, be ye shoppers, be ye broke, or be ye slackers. I raise the call to you today, the day after CHRISTmas in July. Starting now we have 5 months. Pick up the tools of your craft and plunge in. Let's see if we can actually follow through this year. Select small projects. Hit up you local 5 and dime. Don't forget the thrift stores. Gift giving doesnt have to mean breaking the bank. With some well timed planning you can find something for everyone on your gift giving list. Do they have hobbies, favorite colors or things, tv shows etc? Heck grab some old magazines and a picture frame from IKEA. Think of the recepient and go crazy. BOOM insta-collage! Crap did I just give away a potential gift?


All I know is CraftyME's digging in my stash and hands don't fail me now. Cause unfortunately a sista's pockets dont reflect the amount of love I have for my family and friends. I may not get everybody. But I'm gonna try. And just because I can, here's a sneak peek of what's to come....

Merry Xmas in July friends.....

WoeIs ME: CraftyME to the rescue.....

So there maybe a slight theme to my life lately. WoeIsME has been running rampant. I may have a day or so of relief and then its back to the gloom.  But once again CraftyME to the rescue... by way of my old boss.  Now this is a man who was wowed by the fact that I made an apple cozy and who loves to tease me on all of my CraftyME expertise. After reading a couple of WoeIsME's Facebook statuses, he made the following comment... Why don't you make a banana cozy to cheer yourself up?

You know what..........

IT DID!! It did cheer me up! lol And all of the comments that ensued provided tons of hilarity. And even lead to this....

Yep it's a tampon cozy!  Dude you gotta get your kicks wherever you can get em! I do have to say though. Crocheted tampons changed my life. Wait Wait let me explain. Not like that.  A few years ago I used to only crochet. And I used to visit this one gossippy message board. Well one day someone posted a picture of some crocheted tampons that they found online. Well that led me to discover Craftster.org. Which in turn led me to discover OnlineCrackSpot aka Ravelry.com. So if it wasn't for reusable tampons I wouldn't be the CraftyME, blogging, onedaypodcasting ME that you all know and love.