Crochet & Knitting handicapped??

I've heard so many people say this lately. "I can't crochet because I'm not coordinated." Or "I can't knit because I can't hold the two sticks."

It's okay! If we were all good at the same thing, the world would be one BORING place. Besides, then you'd never need to buy anything AND you'd never have time to do anything fun because you'd be loaded up with the tedious tasks of making EVERYTHING! Gosh, that even sounds painful.

Trusty ole YouTube to the rescue! According to this lady, you can buy pre-made crochet headbands and make baby beanies with them. The sidebar on YouTube says that she buys them on eBay by the dozen, but I've seen some a the local dollar stores, too. (Just in case you don't need a dozen!)



You could carry this idea over into making baby clothing - jumpers, pants, skirts, shirts, etc... You'd only need to know how to hand or machine stitch. Wow! The possibilities are endless!

The best part... You can amaze your friends and family with handmade baby goodies in a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost! Imagine their faces when they open the gift expecting to find something that was pulled "off the rack" (and, perhaps, matches another gift) and then find the most precious, hand selected & designed apparel!

Monday's with Etsy

I'm so excited about this weeks pick! (Not that I'm not normally excited, but I guess I'm even more so this week... you'll see...)

I met this fellow Etsian on Twitter. I have recently become a Twitter fanatic, and not only does this person always give the nicest, most helpful replies, but she's funny and very personable.

Honestly, I hadn't visited her shop until the other night when another person on Twitter recommended something from her shop. (I know...but sometimes I forget who's Profile I've checked and whose I haven't. Guess that happens when you're being followed left & right!)

Anyway, let me introduce you to Sharon Paradiso of Seedlings: Jewelry Because.

Dark Blossom

Sharon's shop offers hand-crafted jewelry of all shapes and sizes. There you will find a small selection of goodies ranging from earrings to bracelets and necklaces.

Across the Universe

Her color selections are naturalistic, presumably because her creations are "inspired by and created from natural materials (including recycled materials where possible)." Recycled materials??? Woot! That's a big plus in my book! I'm constantly looking for ways to incorporate something to be "upcycled".

Swirlmaille

And, she had one piece of crochet jewelry lurking on the second page... Hey, this is a fiber arts blog, after all!

Cosmos

While I enjoy her work immensely, the thing that put Sharon over-the-top this week was her decision to do more with her shop. Twenty percent of every purchase goes towards making a donation purchase at Heifer International. If you're not familiar with this amazing group I encourage you to visit a previous post I did earlier in the year or their website.



As Sharon states this is "a group that takes the "teach a person to fish and feed them for a lifetime" just a bit further with gifts of animals, bees, etc.". These gifts enable families around the world, including the United States, to start their own home business and eventually procure a better livelihood for not only themselves, but their entire community!



Visit Seedlings: Jewelry Because to enrich your life and the life of someone else!

Photographic rights are retained by Seedlings: Jewelry Because.

Have you heard of Amigurumi???

While searching for my Monday's with Etsy featured seller I continuously ran upon Amigurumi Patterns. I'd never heard this term before. I happened to be Twittering at the same time, so naturally I asked about it on Twitter. (Have I told you that I'm addicted to that site??? Well, I am...)

Thanks to Jadielady & mysie_at_etsy for their help with this mystery!

Amigurumi means Knitted stuffed toy in Japanese (according to Wikipedia). Although crochet appears to be just as common during creation. The toys can be intricate or artistically rendered.

Traditionally, the patterns run in spirals and use multiple colors. These creations are made on small or fine needles, which prevents the stuffing from escaping. This translates into very time-consuming for me! ;-)

The patterns I've found are precious. Here are a few of my favorites...

Worm in Apple

Fairy Doll & Mushroom Set

Fuzzy Guinea Pig

Elton, the Sheep (doesn't he look like the Serta sheep??)

From the traditional to the not-so:

Pancake Stack Treasure Plate (this reminds me of an actual plate from the 60's!)

If you are interested in any of these patterns, just click on the photo and it will take you straight to the proper individuals' Etsy shop.

*****

Moral of the story -

If you're looking for a way to test your skills and while away some hours...these may be just the thing you're looking for! Enjoy!

Photographic rights are retained by the individual artist.
Links are accessed through the photos above.

Monday with Etsy

I spent yesterday combing the Etsy Pounce feature for "new" and "undiscovered" artisans. I found some really lovely shops. Unfortunately, several had no seller "Bio" or Shop Policies listed. As much as I want to share Etsy finds with you, I'd like to know something about the seller (other than what their listings look like) before I feature them.

To me, buying handmade is an entire package. That's the same reason I love shopping at the farmer's market - I want to get to know the person behind the creation. It adds something to the experience for me. It's something you simply can't get shopping at Walmart...

During this long search I Twittered about it a few times. As luck would have it Popsicle Stick found me there. Will wonders never cease! Just when I needed a fiber arts oriented post...

Skate Socks Granny Square Afghan

Apparently she's been selling on Etsy for several months now, utilizing her fiber and other mediums to entice us. What a sunshiney, happy shop. It reminds me of the 70's!

Hang Ten Crochet Bracelet

She states that she picked up the crochet skills from her mother who went everywhere with crochet in hand (hallelujah...that makes me feel not so crazy!)

Knee Socks and Nikes Crochet Scarf

With almost too reasonable prices, and 100% cotton, customizable creations how can you miss? Hop over to visit when you have a moment and snatch up a great deal for that upcoming birthday or shower!

Bubblicious DNA Crochet Bracelet

(Doesn't this look like the old Bubblicious package??? Too cute!)

All photographic rights belong to PopsicleStick.

Don't worry - I'm still here!

Hey, everyone!

Sorry to be "missing in action" so long. I was vacationing this past week & had planned on blogging while I was gone, but my darn Internet connection didn't have a signal where I was at.

Oh well! Guess God was telling me to take a break...

I did complete several projects while I was gone, which I'll be posting this week, for your viewing pleasure!

Had a great time and I'm refreshed and renewed. Hope you all are well, too!

Danita

Mondays with Etsy

Pottery is another love of mine. Actually, I guess you could say that I like anything you can make with your hands. Making something out of earth is an added bonus for me!

I found Emburr a few weeks ago in the Etsy forums. I just LOVE her things! Ms. Monika has some cute pins made out of clay tiles- walruses, frogs, sea turtles, etc... There are even some color pencil drawings, mostly showing nature. But, my favorites are the larger pottery items...

Teal Tree ceramic soap dish, $12

Set of Cream Colored Cups, $22

Trio of Fish candle holder in Teal, $30

Monkia has a Fine Arts Degree from Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, so she's accredited and has apparently devoted her life to art. Who can fault that?

Her "Bio" on Etsy states that "creating is what she does & who she is." That's refreshing to hear these days as more and more artists are creating solely for the purpose of gaining riches or fame. It's like a teacher stating that they teach so that they can help others grow & learn. Heart warming, isn't it?

Emburr's selection is currently limited, unlike many larger Etsy shops. I think that's a good thing. When artisans create for pleasure that's normally what you find, a limited selection, lovingly made. If you want cookie-cutter and huge stock - go to Walmart...

Hurry over and snatch something up before I buy all of the goodies! At prices like these, how can you resist?

Photographic rights belong to Emburr.

Have sticks, will travel...

Did you know that in the Middle Ages people would knit while walking? Yep. It's true. Above, you can see a few examples of sheaths that were used to assist with this task. One needle was held fast in the sheath, which would've been attached to a belt or sewn into an apron or dress. The sheath enabled them to knit faster & with more defined detail, while maintaining an open hand for other things.

Did you happen to notice I said people vs. women? Men used to knit MORE than women. Can you believe that? It's thought that they learned to assist in making fishing nets and other utilitarian items.

In the evenings, after a hard days work around the home, the family would gather for conversations after dinner. To make the most of their time, this family time would also be utilized for sewing and fabric making. The entire family could participate in the making of clothes & cloth for their needs. Makes me think of "Little House on the Prairie", when the mother would always mend things by the fire after dinner...

Ok. That's your history lesson for today. Time for recess class!