Archive for October, 2009

Hi friends,

Just a quick note today – I think I have to go help carve a pumpkin in a minute – but I thought you might get a kick out of this "terror-ium" from DesignSponge. It's a collection of carnivorous plants, brought together for a special Halloween terrarium!

Hope your weekend is as spooky as you want it to be. See you back here on Monday for the results of Giveaway #26, and for Giveaway #27, which will surely have you monkeying around!!

Hi folks,

Today I want to share an inspirational email (and photos) that we recently received from a reader in B.C. named Brenda Campbell. She writes:

"Dear Canadian Living,

I was surprised and happy to see your small article about the Knit Bits in your October issue.  A group of women (snowbirds) who spend their winters at La Penita RV Park, Nayarit, Mexico, have been busy all summer collecting prostheses and bras to take to Mexican breast cancer survivors who are unable to obtain these supplies due to  lack of funds and support. These brave and gentle women are so grateful to have an opportunity to regain their self esteem and femininity and it was our joy to provide more than 270 of them with these supplies at our 3 day clinic at La Penita last February.   Hopefully, we can help more women this winter.

We are convinced that Knit Bits are the answer for many Mexican women because they are lighter, cooler and more comfortable than regular prostheses in the hot weather.  We have been sharing the pattern with knitters and knitting groups all summer and hope to have many of these light and packable prostheses to take back with us in 2010. We are also taking needles and yarn so that some of the local women can make them for themselves and others.

Thank you for recognizing this wonderful little idea that will mean so much to so many women."

Brenda says that several knitting groups in the Kamloops area have taken up this cause as their winter knitting project. What a great way to make a difference in the world! If you're interested in getting involved, email me and I'll put you in touch with Brenda.

(Find the original knitting pattern here.)

Hi friends,

Just a quick note for today: our 60-Day Holiday Countdown starts on Monday. It's just the ticket for holiday inspiration, chock-a-block full of recipes, craft ideas, baking tips, holiday decor hints – and don't forget the giveaways. I've seen some of the prizes we've got lined up for you – you don't want to miss out! Click here to sign up; the first e-newsletter will hit your inbox on Monday, November 2nd.

Have a great day!

Hi friends,

In one of those weird office coincidences, just about everyone here is wearing a grey shirt and blue pants today. I think we're all channeling the weather! I did get to enjoy some sunshine and fall colours on the weekend, though, and I came home from my walk on Sunday with a handful of beautiful leaves – and, not coincidentally, with a roll of super-thin painter's tape. It was the work of a moment to add a bit of autumn inspiration to the wall above my desk.

Later, I decided to revisit a craft from my childhood – ironing the leaves between sheets of waxed paper – so the leaves would last a little while longer.

It's easiest to set this up right on your ironing board: a one or two pieces of kraft paper or newsprint; a sheet of waxed paper; your leaves; a second piece of waxed paper; a final layer of kraft paper or newsprint. Put the iron on low heat (no steam!) and press the leaves. You want to hold the iron over top until the wax is melted but not so long the paper starts to burn; start with short bursts and take it from there. Make sure to press both sides. When you're satisfied, let the pages cool, then peel apart the waxed paper and remove the leaves. Bob's your uncle! These look great taped to a wall or a window, or pressed in a scrapbook.

I know they won't last forever (even with the waxed paper treatment) but I do think they add a bit of pizzazz to my work area. Now, if only there was a way to keep snowflakes...

Have a great day!

Hi friends,

Hope you had a lovely weekend. I finally had some nice quiet crafting time and boy, it was just what I was hoping for (after I finished ripping out and reknitting a certain Christmas present for the third time, at least).

If you're looking for a manageable Christmas project or two to knit, I bet you'll find some sweet inspiration in this week's giveaway: a copy of One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit, by Leigh Radford. This book is chock-a-block with cute projects, all of which take only one or two skeins of yarn (or perhaps a fun assortment of odds'n'ends from your stash?).

As usual, for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 1st. This week I'm wondering: are you going to take the Handmade Pledge this holiday season? I will post the winner here sometime on Monday, November 2nd. Good luck!

Hi folks,

Wow, more than 70 entries for Weekly Giveaway #25! I had no idea you all liked handbags so much...then again, there's a lot in that book to like.

As usual, I let the Random Integer Generator do all the hard work:

Congratulations to commenter #20, Seema, who writes:

Seema, I hope you enjoy this book! I'll be in touch shortly.

Check back soon for Weekly Giveaway #26! (I can't believe we've been at this for 6 months. Time flies!)

Hello!

Well, I didn't have any luck locating a copy of Stitch last night, so I guess I know what my mission for this weekend will be! Actually, what I'd really like to do is spend a few hours catching up on my favourite podcasts (This American Life and Radio Lab) and getting some knitting and quilting done.  I'm in the middle of two big projects (a quilt and a sweater) so I'm also hankering for a little bit of instant crafty gratification (instant craftification?). I think a pin cushion might be in order; the only problem is deciding which one to make!

Here's a brief roundup:

• Hex pin cushions from A Stitch in Dye
• Four-patch pin cushion from Paper.String.Cloth
• Bottle-cap pin cushion from How About Orange
• Offset square wrist pin cushion from Planet June
• Lady bug pin cushion from Goody-Goody

Have a great crafty weekend, friends!

Hi friends,

When the weather's grey and rainy as it's been here in Toronto for the past few days, I often end up at the local bookstore searching for a bright spot of inspiration in the magazine aisle. So you can bet your sweet bippy that I'll be stopping on the way home tonight to see if I can find a copy of the new Stitch magazine.

I bought the spring issue of Stitch and was excited to see a number of projects by some of my favourite bloggers, and I have a feeling that this issue might be the same. I've already seen one project from the pages of this issue pop up in blogland (right here) and I'll be keeping my eye out for more.

Where are you looking for inspiration as winter approaches?

Hi there,

A copy of Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain arrived on my desk a few weeks ago.  We spent a lunch hour or two paging through it, looking at the photos of statues and telephone poles bedecked in handknits, and wondering what it was all about, and then it went onto the shelf with all the other craft books destined for the giveaway pile.

The photo above (via Thoughts from the bus stop) is an extreme version of yarn bombing (see the Yarn Bombing blog), a particularly hands-on style of craft/graffiti which is defined as "The surreptitious or unauthorized placement of knitted objects on statues, posts, and other public structures." In other words, someone (or many someones) spend hours knitting, only to wrap their hard work around a light pole, a hand rail, a door knob, or a fence.

Since the book has been published, I've seen several newspaper articles about the practice of yarn bombing (for example, this one, in yesterday's Toronto Star; an older one from the National Post). I have not done an extensive search by any means, but most of what I have read has been positive – so far, I've only encountered this post, titled The Anti-Knitting-Graffiti Manifesto, from Web-Goddess, that is less-than-glowing. (And with which, at the risk of sounding like a grumpy old lady, I have to admit that I agree. At the very least it seems like a waste of time, money and resources; if you have those things to spare, why not make things for people in need rather than light posts?)

Have you seen any yarn-bombing in your community? Are you a yarn-bomber? Is it art or graffiti? I'm interested to hear what you think about this new trend. If you're interested in having this book, let me know by leaving a (civil, please!) comment on this post and I'll draw a name.

Hello again,

I don't know if you're like me, but every time I'm planning a trip I start to think about what bag I'm going to take with me. In an ideal world, I'd have the money, time and energy to make the perfect bag for every trip! The trip I took to NYC this weekend was no different, and I got tons of inspiration from a new craft book that landed on my desk a few weeks ago.

"Carry Me: 20 Boutique Bags to Sew" was the perfect book to read as I daydreamed about my trip. This is a Japanese craft book, published in English by Interweave, and so it's full of beautiful photography, step-by-step directions, easy-to-follow line drawings and (you know how much I love this) full-size paper patterns included at the back of the book.

In the end I ran out of time and didn't end up making a new travel bag, but I don't begrudge the time I spent poring over this book and dreaming! Whether you're heading on a trip yourself, thinking about making a gift for a wanderlusty friend, or just want to do some daydreaming of your own, I think you'll get a kick out of this book.

You know how it works: For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, October 25th. I will post the winner here sometime on Monday, October 26th. Good luck!