Sharon's Life - Cats and Crafts

Scarves for Special Olympians

2011-11-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested, the Special Olympics is looking for donations of scarves for all the Olympians. There is no set pattern - knit or crochet, with a blue and white colour theme with a bit of red.

There is a ravelry group here
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/special-olympic-scarf-cana...

And you can find more information here:
http://www.stalbert2012.ca/news/fullstory/view/63

I am willing to collect these. I am hoping there will be a pickup location in Saskatoon though, but if not, I can collect and mail out (a few dollars donated to the cost of mail would be greatly appreciated but not required)

Fall is Coming

2011-08-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

With fall coming, many of us get back to the routines that were abandoned earlier. I find it rather interesting how the lives of so many revolve around school even if we do not have children.

However, with that said, my fall this year does have some bearing on school as I am returning to night classes this fall. I decided back in the spring that it was time to return to school and am working on my business certificate/diploma/I am not 100% sure. The school I go to has a variety of different programs which are all connected which is why I am not exactly sure where I will end up.

I will be taking two classes this fall – one of which is a night class and the other is an online class. I do not expect either one to be too difficult as they are introductory classes. Most of the difficult classes have been completed as part of my accounting certificate but I know I have one or two math classes to take.

Fall also means a return to my craft group which I am looking forward to. While I have been crafting this summer with some different groups, it will be nice to return to this group as well. This will bring my crafting time to two times a week and possible a bit more if my twitter group gets together and I am able to attend.

Another thing that I appreciate about fall is the cooler temperatures, although, I am not a fan of the cold temperatures that will come later. But for now, I will continue to ignore them and not think about them.

My Kindle Review

2011-08-03T03:44:00.000-07:00

I purchased the $114 Kindle from Amazon – it has Wi-Fi and some ads to help justify the lower price.

This Kindle is said to hold approx 3,500 books. While I was downloading a lot of books before it arrived, I have nowhere near that amount to put on it. You can sync the kindle to your online Amazon account which is also what you use to organize your books, as they can be hard to find on the Kindle, but I have not been able to play with this yet as I have had issues getting it to connect to my Wi-Fi.

Reading with the Kindle is very easy. It is approximately the same size as a paperback book but much thinner. The buttons to turn the pages forward and back are in a comfortable location and you barely even notice it happening when you are reading. The screen is dull which helps with keeping your eyes from getting so tired like they would with a computer screen. I thought that the screen was backlit for reading in the dark, but I read wrong and it is not.

The Kindle comes with a good battery life. They say you can go a month without charging it even when it is left on. I don’t tend to leave it on though unless I know I will be coming back to it shortly so I tend to shut it off completely. As of the time of writing, I’ve had it almost a month and there is lots of battery left.

As with any technology, they are constantly upgrading. I have heard rumors that there is going to be a colour Kindle coming out later this year. I don’t foresee me having much need for that as I am just reading standard books although if I were to load a craft book, that may be handy to have colour for.

Likes:
* The ability to carry multiple books with you and it does not take up a lot of space

* I can borrow books from my local library and put them on the Kindle.
* The ability to get books for free from Amazon and other sites for the Kindle. * Long battery life
* Ads – The ads on my Kindle are not at all intrusive. They are more like a non-moving screen saver as they come up when you have set the book aside for a while. I saved $25 over the same version with no ads.

Dislikes:
* Lack of light – That was just me not reading the listing properly and I found a book light cheap at a local store
* Without having the Wi-Fi working, organizing the books is difficult
* The functions are not as intuitive as I would like, but I’m sure as I play more, I will get better.

Note: As of the time of writing, I have read 3 Kindle books and probably 4 paper books.

My Name is Sharon and I have a Yarn Addiction

2011-07-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

One of my co-workers, who is a crafter, is cleaning house. She asked me if I would be interested in some
wool. I don’t use wool, yet, but I said I was sure I could find a home for it between my various crafting
groups. I expected a grocery bag or two of yarn.

Come in to work, and my chair was covered with two sweater bags full of yarn! I was shocked to say the
very least! And looking at it, it appears it is all acrylic, which is perfect for the various charity projects
that I am working on. I hauled it home on the bus and set it aside to sort it out somehow.

Then, I ended up at Walmart to get litter for the cats, and my cart seemed to drift over to the craft area.
Seeing as I have been reading on Ravelry that some Walmarts are getting rid of their yarn, I thought I
would see if there were any good deals. I ended up getting 4 balls of yarn at half off (2 of them are eco-
yarn from Red Heart that I was curious about; the other 2 I liked the colour). I also ended up with 3 bags
of mill ends – but these have 4 to 5 balls in them for 7 bucks, so that’s still less than 2 bucks a ball, which
is still cheaper than buying them separate. I do plan to use these in combination with the donated yarn
for my charity crafting.

But as you can see, I have a problem. At least it isn’t anything dangerous or illegal, but it is still a
problem. Now I must get crocheting!

PS - Did I mention the yarn I got half price last week? Yah, I have a problem.

Looking for: Yarn!

2011-07-13T19:36:00.001-07:00

I am looking for yarn to use for Charity projects. It can be gaudy, it can be half a ball, and it can be whatever you can and are willing to donate. Acrylic is lovely and wonderful!

I am currently working on blankets to donate to the animal shelters. I know SCAT accepts donations and I will likely look into the SPCA as well. I have made 2 blankets so far and would like to make a whole lot more. For those yarns that I have less of, I am hoping to make cat toys that the shelters can also sell.

And when the yarn gets to be too little for that, there is a lady in my craft guild who donates the itty bitty bits to a church who uses them to make dolls for packing dental supplies for a third world countries. So many places will benefit! Last time, I had a grocery bag worth of little scraps just from my own projects, and I already have a quarter of a grocery bag!

I ordered a Kindle!

2011-05-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Whee! I can't wait for it to get here, but it is going to be taking a bit of a long route due to the extra fees that Amaon.ca charges. That said, I have already ordered a case and screen protectors for it and I am looking at a skin to make it look pretty. :)

This one does have ads on it, but I hear they are unobtrusive and easy to ignore. There are also some other freebies that come with it but I cannot recall what all at the moment.

I have a tonne of books already downloaded for it, free from Amazon, and my library has a program where you can borrow books to read on it. :)

One of my favourite features is the backlit screen for reading in bed. It is designed to be a low light unlike my blackberry which is bright.

Saskatoon Craft Guild Tea - April 13 & 14

2011-04-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Saskatoon Craft Guild is proud to present our 70^th Annual Display and Tea on Wednesday, April 13 and Thursday, April 14, 2011 from 1:00 pm to 9 pm. The Tea will be held at the Masonic Temple located at 1021 Saskatchewan Crescent (formerly Herman Avenue).

Admission is $3 and includes entry to the Display, the Tea Room and door prize draws. Feature crafts include: Quilting, Smocking, Crochet, Knitting, Needlepoint, Creative Stitchery, Hardanger and Rug Making.

Please come out, have some tea and dainties, and check out all the wonderful work that our members have done and enter the door prize. You may win some of these wonderful homemade crafts!

If you are not into crafts, but you know someone who is, please forward this to them!

You can see some of the gorgeous items from last year here.

http://allaboutme-sharon.blogspot.com/2010/06/saskatoon-craft-guild-tea-april-2010_13.html

http://allaboutme-sharon.blogspot.com/2010/06/saskatoon-craft-guild-tea-april-2010_17.html

http://allaboutme-sharon.blogspot.com/2010/06/saskatoon-craft-guild-tea-april-2010_19.html

I won! I won! A crochet book!

2011-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Recently I started reading the blog at "Canadian Living" (http://www.canadianliving.com/blogs/crafts/) Since I started reading, she has given away several books. All you need to do is post a comment on whatever topic she asks about and wait.

Today, I got an emailing telling me I won the most recent giveaway! What a great start to a monday! I should be receiving this book soon!

Crafting with Cat Hair Continued

2011-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

Did you want to order the book about crafting with your cat's hair? It is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

Making Crochet Hooks more Comfortable

2011-03-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

When I get crocheting for more than an hour or so, I find that my wrists start to get sore. This is likely due to tendonitis. While it is not flared up right now, after about two hours my wrists get sore and I have to quit. As a result, I decided to do a search on Ravelry for some ideas about finding something more comfortable.

I found several ideas, and this one is pretty cool, easy to re-use and economical. May not be the prettiest, but that isn't always important.

Making a Hook Friendly

Making Crafts with Cat Hair?

2011-03-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

I know my cats loose quite a bit of hair, I just need to look at my comforter for confirmation of that! But I'm not sure about using that hair to make crafts. But if you want to try, you may want to purchase this book from Etsy.

How to Make Crafts with Cat Hair

You will also need to be able to speak Japanese.

An interesting concept, but do we really need to be that frugal?

Time for New Projects!

2011-01-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

So I managed to finish off my knitting projects, and its time to start some new ones. I did attempt to start some socks the other night but didn't get too far, I just ripped it out several times. I will try again another day.

I also have started a new crochet project - a granny square blanket. I am using blue and pink together and will be donating it to the Crisis Nursery along with all the scarves I have made. I did notice night that I have a scarf that I haven't finished in crochet, but I think I only have a row or two left (long rows) so I can finish it without too much effort.

I will have pictures in a few days. :)

The Forever Afghan is done!

2011-01-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

My goal was actually to finish this in 2010, so I figure the 16th of January isn't that bad.

I finished the actual blanket sometime last year, but had to cut the thread off and tuck in the ends, which I was dreading. But tonight I was feeling restless so felt this would be a good task. I got about 20 rows done and was surprised to find I had done most of the ends previously so I was done!

And the blanket

And a closeup. Its a very simple pattern, I could pick it up after a year and have no issues.

Looking Forward to 2011

2011-01-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Many people like to use this time to evaluate the past year, but 2010 was not the greatest year for me, so I prefer to look forward and talk about what I hope to accomplish this year.

Day job – This is one of those bad things, so I hope 2011 sees me in a happy place, seeing as a person spends many hours at their job.

Candles – My Gold Canyon business picked up as the year went on, and I hope to see it continue and grow. No complaints here.

Online Work – I was hoping to hit 2k, and I made just over 2,100. I hope to increase this to at least 3k this year and maybe even 4k. I plan to expand where I have been working and what I have been doing.

Blogging – I plan to continue my Candle blog (http://www.thescentsationals.com/), I have started a new blog which I will post here when I am ready to start promoting it, and I will continue this blog. I need to decide if my WAH blog is going to survive, as it has been greatly neglected.

Crafting – I want to get more adventurous and try new things. I already have a few things in my queue on Ravelry that I want to try. I am still in the craft guilt, in the knitting area, but have decided crochet is where I prefer to be. I still want to tackle a knitted sock too.

Cats – Continue loving on them and harassing them. As much as some days I want to adopt a new one, I know that is not a good decision for a variety of reasons. I may look into doing some volunteer work with the cat shelters in town.

Travel – I am hoping to go on a holiday in 2012, so continue to plan for this and save the funds up to go.

My Pretties!

2010-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

I made myself a scarf with Pomp-a-doodle yarn. The colour is called African Violet. I used 2 balls to make it the length I wanted.

Some of the yarn I picked up on Boxing Day at Michaels.

Boxing Day Shopping Made Easy

2010-12-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

I am not a Boxing Day shopper; I am not a shopper at the best of times. But, I received my flyers and went through them to see if there was anything worth my time and money. And I did find one thing.

Michaels Flyer

As you may know, I recently learnt how to knit, and I have picked up my crochet needles again. And while I have not gotten through much of my stash, a girl can never have too much yarn stash, can she? (I think some of the threads on Ravelry are getting to me!).

Michael’s was kind enough to have several different types of yarn on sales, and generously included a coupon that was good for 25% off everything you purchased, including those items that were already on sale! This coupon cinched the deal for me, and I headed out at 11:30 this morning to go shopping.

I got some great deals; at least, I think they were, as much of the yarn I bought was 50% off, and then another 25% off. I ultimately spent 100 bucks; although, I did buy a hook for 10 dollars, a photo box for 2 bucks and probably about 10 dollars worth of scrap booking materials. The great thing is, I already have projects in mind for some of the yarn, and as a result, I had to buy 4 or 5 skeins of most yarns to make sure if I changed which yarn I was going to use, I would still have enough. :)

PC Kindle Program

2010-12-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Now you can read free kindle books on your PC!

Download here

Different Storage Option

2010-12-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

Well, i decided that the cedar chest just is not going to work for me. But, in the meantime, I have received a dresser which I am now able to use to store my clothing in my bedroom, instead of in the spare room. Therefore, the yarn can now live in the dresser and I can sort it in some sort of method. Now, I have to decide on a good method to store it. Now I can use the cedar cabinet for its proper purpose, to store quilts and blankets. :)

Not sure about this Yarn Storage Option

2010-12-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

Dad called me today to say he had claimed the cedar chest from my grandma's home (it was sold), and he was bringing it to me after work. I immediately imagined it as a place for my yarn to live-in instead of in various boxes.

Cedar chest, the room isn't truly that yellow though

Once I got the chest in place, I went to put yarn in it and immediately decided this plan would not work.

It is just one large box, so the yarn would have to live on top of itself to get it all in there. As a result, it would be impossible to sort it or to dig in and get the exact ball you want. So I think the filing cabinet may still be the solution.

Was I Productive?

2010-12-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

My to do list had 2 things on it today:

Order a fruit tray
Cook a Turkey

Both of these got finished. The turkey was cooked, pulled apart, and put away.

I managed a little bit more too
Crochet headband - learnt a new stitch too
Much reading on Ravelry

While it still doesn't sound that productive, I am proud of myself. It was my first time cooking a turkey and I learnt a new crochet stitch.

I also started on some research for a new blog that I am looking at creating. It will be utilized more than this one, but I am also going to try to post here more too.

I think I figured it out

2010-11-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

Lately I just have not been inspired to work on knitting. I go to a group every week, and the project I picked out wasn't thrilled me so I have continued with the two scarves I have on the needles.

I figured it out. Knitting is not my thing, so it doesn't thrill me.

So I have a plan... I am going to tackle knitted socks, as they still entice me. But, I am going to do other projects I want to do in crochet. For instance, I want to change my blue pillows to brown, and I already bought yarn for it. So I am going to make covers with crochet. :)

I am feeling excited again!

I'm going on a Holiday!

2010-11-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

but I'm not sure when.. :)

Airmiles sent me an email recently telling me that I was coming close to meeting Gold Collector. I didn't think much of it until I decided to look up what this actually gets me. And it gets me 25% off the flight points required! Next, I decided to see if that would give me enough points to get me to one of the two destinations that I want to get to. And it does!

I have done the math, and I can easily make the last points I need before the end of the year, so I am starting to think about my holiday. But it is a long ways off, as I need to save some cash too and find a time that works for me to take 2 to 3 weeks off work, as it is a long haul destination.

An Update of my Life

2010-10-24T21:48:00.001-07:00

I know, I haven’t been updating. I think I start out all my posts like this. But then, no one complains, which means likely no one is reading, so the lack of updates don’t really matter.

So here is what is going on in my life:

Work

We are coming up on our yearend, so life is about to get hectic. While my job doesn’t have a lot of extra duties associated with it at yearend, there is prep work to be done as things that have been ignored for a while have to be dealt with. I foresee overtime in my future, which is okay by me as the brakes in my car need to be dealt with.

Candles

Tis the season that people start to buy candles and things are starting to pick up in that regard for me. Of course, some of my bookings are corresponding with my busy time at work, so I foresee a bit of a crazy and busy two weeks in November. Hopefully it will be worth it!

Reading

I’ve been spending a lot of time reading and then writing reviews on my friend’s book blog at http://amasgetbooked.blogspot.com/ so come check it out!

Knitting

I re-joined my wednesday night group and have started working with double pointed needles. I am getting close to ready to attempt a pair of socks!

Travelling Differences

2010-10-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

I recently travelled to Ontario to meet up with my great friend Amanda. She is actually from Ohio, but we decided to meet up in Southern Ontario.

It’s funny how little things you don’t even notice jump out at others when you are travelling. For instance, Amanda likes to drink iced tea but here is it sweetened, whereas in the States is it not. We made a stop at Costco and she had to check out all the different types of candy that we have here that she can’t get in the States. I made her try poutine and wanted to feed her ketchup chips, but apparently they don’t make Old Dutch out east.

I enjoyed the fact that I was actually travelling in my own country and I did not have to change money, go through customs, or any of the other hassles of going to another country.

That being said, my next trip will likely be out of country.

Life is Interesting

2010-09-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Life can be very interesting. I am kind of in a crossroads in my life, not sure what I want to do, not sure if I am happy, just coasting along with the status quo.

But a friend recently asked me if I was interested in going into business with her. It has its pluses and minuses, just like anything else in life. One of the biggest of these would be moving and leaving Saskatoon. This could be a good or a bad thing, as I do not have a lot going on in Toon Town, and maybe in a new place, this could be remedied.

This being said, I have a lot of thinking to do.

You are Invited - Saskatoon Craft Guild

2010-09-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

The craft guild gets back together this Wednesday, September 15.

If you are looking to get out once a week to work on your craft, you may want to consider checking out the group. There is knitting, crochet, needlepoint, quilting, smocking, hardanger and a few others that I cannot recall.

Details:
September 15. 2010
7 to 9 pm
1021 Sask Cres W Masonic Temple

I will not be there this wednesday, but if you choose to attend, you can say that Sharon from Knitting invited you. If you decide you like the group, there is a yearly fee and the group goes until April. The fee is $50, which covers the rental cost and other expenses for the group.

Kitty Cuddles

2010-09-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while a kitty decides that it is cuddle time. Of course, with the right incentives (petting) they will stick around a bit longer. I always try to get a picture, and this time I actually got a decent one. :)

Crafting for Charity

2010-09-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

When it comes to crafting, sometimes there are things you make that you just have no use for, or you choose to make them due to odds and ends you have. These are great to donate to a charity near you.

Every Christmas, different departments at my work make donations to a variety of charities. One of the departments adopts a family, where they collect food and gifts for a family that is in need. I asked them last year if they would be interested in some scarves, as I have many single balls of yarn, and they are not good for many projects as one ball cannot go very far. They said they would love them, so I created half a dozen or so crocheted scarves for them to give away.

I have continued this year as I still have much yarn that has no real good use other than a scrap blanket or for making scarves. With the way the temperatures get up here, everyone could use a nice scarf to keep their ears warm. I may branch out and try to make a hat or two as well, if I can find a pattern that does not look too difficult, but it feels great to get rid of this yarn, and to give something that can be truly appreciated. I must say, it is amazing the appreciation I get just from my co-workers for these scarves that only take an hour or two to whip up.

Of course, if you want to craft for charity, there are a lot of great places that you can craft and donate to. Many of them are right in your backyard and you may not even be aware of it. Hospitals appreciate donations of little hats and booties for babies (my girl friend got a set of these when her baby was born, which she was able to take home) or you can Google for charities around home and contact them to see if they need any items donated.

Kitty's Favorite Place

2010-08-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the kitties, I can almost guarantee I will find them in one specific place, my bed.

Willow is always at the head by the pillow, but Rosco does move around. Sometimes at the head, sometimes at the foot, wherever is comfortable. And he stretches out, and Willow curls up in a ball

So very true!

2010-08-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

My Crafting History

2010-08-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Crafting is something that I have always done, but I tend to go more in bursts and spurts with it. I learnt how to do needlepoint when I was young from my grandpa, I did china painting with my grandma, and mom taught me how to crochet. As I got older, I did not work on the crafts my grandparents taught me, but would occasionally pick up some crocheting to work on, but never tended to complete anything.

Back in 2000, I learnt how to scrapbook. I went gungho with that for a few years, but then ran out of pictures and did not really have much to work on. The group that I would scrapbook with also did not meet as much due to various family commitments, and my scrapbooking fell to the side.

Knitting is something I always wanted to learn. My mom tried to teach me once, but because it was not a craft that she favoured, she really was not able to, and I forgot about. I heard about a craft group through a co-worker and decided this would be a great idea to join and learn how to knit. I actually did figure out the knit stitch in advance, but did learn from the group how to purl, and due to the group I spent some time every week working on a knit project.

Stemming from this, I decided to get back into crochet, which I much prefer for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it goes quicker than knitting does, at least for me. I likely will try some other crafts as well, as there are some I still want to try out, but first I need to find some more time in the day!

Matching Hat

2010-08-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I made a hat to match the blanket, but due to some pattern changes, it ended up being too large. But, that said, it should fit him when winter arrives, which should be great! :)

Crocheting a Blanket

2010-08-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

Before finding out my girl friend was pregnant, I had decided to start knitting a baby blanket, knowing it would take me a while to finish it, and this way I knew I would have it done before baby arrived. Unfortunately, this first blanket did not turn out in a way that made me happy, but it only took me three months to do it.

I embarked on a second quest to create a different pattern, but it was taking me way too long to do it. I had already been working on it a month and had only completed about 4 inches. Time was ticking away, so I needed to find something else.

In searching Ravelry, I found this great blanket that was a single crochet, but with a larger needle. With a modification of using a smaller needle, I made this blanket over the course of a week. It ended up heavier than I would have liked, so I ended up making a fourth blanket, and gave my friend both once her baby was born. This fourth blanket turned out perfectly, as it was lighter due to only using 3 strands instead of 2, and because I used a larger needle than the other. My friend assured me she would use both, and she was thrilled with the gift.

Winding Yarn

2010-08-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Lately I have gone on a bit of a yarn buying spree through Ebay. All this yarn has come in lovely hanks or in the round, which is not very conducive to knitting or crocheting with. So I have endeavored to turn these into balls which can be worked with more easily.

The first hank, well, I didn’t pre-think how to do it, I just dove in. That is a huge mess which I may just end up tossing. Thankfully I didn’t spend a lot of money on it, but I still hate the thought of tossing something out.

After the first failed experiment, I decided to do a little bit of reading to find a better way to accomplish this task. Here is how I started it out, as the suggestion was to put it around a chair or something else, but my chairs were not wide enough.

Once I got down to about ¼ left, it kept falling off and I missed catching it the one time and it completely tangled. It took me 3 hours to sort that tangle out. :( I still need to improve my methods, but at least I got it wound.

Earn Money for Sharing Opinions!

2010-08-07T13:36:00.001-07:00

For those of you in Saskatchewan, you can earn money by completing some survey's. All it takes is 100 points, and you earn $10, and you can request a cheque. I have already received $13.50 and have deposited it into my account.

Sign up here:
http://surveys.insightrix.com/wix/p125557301.aspx?ref=39901

(Note: I do make money when you signup)

Crochet Projects that are Interesting

2010-08-05T18:53:00.001-07:00

Some very interesting crochet designs here.

http://www.foundshit.com/tag/crochet/

Organizing Your Stash

2010-07-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

I read a great article the other day, but apparently I deleted it. It was about how to organize your stash of yarn. Come on, you can't deny that you have one, but is it well organized so that if you need something you can easily find it?

This article suggested putting all like colours together within a ziploc bag. It was recommended to use the largest bags you can find and put them all in there. So all the greens in one bag, all the purples in another, etc. That way, when you need that colour, it will be easy for you to locate.

If you are someone that likes to keep your scraps and then make something with them, the scraps could easily be sorted into its own bag to be kept for embellishments on other projects, or for a multi-colour scrap blanket or other project.

Book Review - My Guest Post

2010-07-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend invited me to post a book review on her book blog. Come check it out here!

The Immortal Highlander - Karen Marie Moning

Swagbucks!

2010-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Earn money searching the web! :) You can search using Swagbucks, earn points, and redeem them for a variety of things. I seem to be earning approx $10 a month to use on Amazon. There are other places to redeem as well. If you want to earn free stuff for searching, please sign up through my link (I earn up to 1000 points from your searching)

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/chattersharon

Recycling T-Shirts Into Yarn

2010-07-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Recycling T-Shirts into Yarn

As recycling and upcycling become increasingly relevant in our daily lives, it's only natural that we would look around to see if our favorite material -- yarn -- could be made from cast-offs. Designers have made yarn from plastic bags, old newspapers, scrap fabrics, the inner tubes of tires and more!
One of the most usable recycled yarns can be made from T-shirts. The resulting yarn is generally quite soft and a bit heavier than worsted weight. Here's how to make T-shirt yarn:

Here are some very good tutorials for making T-shirt yarn.
T-shirt yarn tutorial
T-shirt yarn video

http://www.crochetmagazine.com/newsletters.php?mode=issue&issue_id=153&department_id=5

Projects, Posting and Time!

2010-07-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

I see I'm a bit behind in posting. And I know it.

Due to a change in my work schedule, my evenings have become busier, and I am not finding the time I used to have. As a result, some of my blogs are a bit behind, this being one. I have finished a few projects, and taken pictures, but need to get them posted.

I need to start scheduling my life again. Anyone who wants to come clean or cook for me would be greatly appreciated! :)

Help Canadians Stay Warm with Knitting

2010-07-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.knittingforcharity.org/knitting_charities_keep_canadians_warm.html

A charity to donate squares or full blankets to help Canadians stay warm. Goodness knows those who live in Saskatchewan can use it!

Of course, there are lots of charities at home that would appreciate the donations if you don't want to send them away.

The hospitals take little bonnets and shoes for babies (my gf got a set for her little guy, so small and cute!). These go home with the babies as the hospitals are not able to wash them due to them being yarn, and they are a cute momento.

Do you knit/crochet and donate your finished products somewhere? Please share!

Rosco and the Yarn

2010-06-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Rosco likes to help me with my yarn. :)

Saskatoon Craft Guild Tea - April 2010 Continued

2010-06-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

And the Quilts!

I wanted to take this one home, but it was a wedding present

Saskatoon Craft Guild Tea - April 2010 Continued

2010-06-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Crocheted edge on a blanket

Crochet Display

Saskatoon Craft Guild Tea - April 2010 Continued

2010-06-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Our greeters, never ones to put down their crafting

Hardanger

Saskatoon Craft Guild Tea - April 2010

2010-06-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

This blog is sorely neglected. I will be putting some posts up in the next few days, so pay attention! :)

First of all, some of you may know that I joined a craft guild last fall. I joined the knitting group and learnt how to knit. In April, they put on a tea, and all the crafters share what they did. The public is invited to come and check it out, and they can enter to win prizes made by the various craft groups. Here are some pictures from the event this year.

And time for a Kitty Picture

2010-06-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

As this blog is Cats and Crafts, here is a kitty picture that combines both.

Willow hanging out on my scrapbooking tote. I have caught Rosco there too, just have not taken his picture.

Another 3 strand blanket

2010-06-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

Due to the enjoyment I had crocheting the 3 strand baby blanket, I decided to make it again, different yarns, and different size needle. This time I found a 15.00 mm needle from Zellers. The pattern actually calls for a 19.00 needle, but things can easily be adjusted.

I decided to try the yucky yarn that I took under my care back in the fall, and I quite like how it is turning out. Unfortunately, I will run out of Yucky Yarn

Baby Blanket Has Been Completed

2010-06-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

And a completed baby blanket. It measures 23" x 36". It was crocheted with 3 strands of baby sport yarn, on an 8 mm crochet needle. I have not decided if I will give it to the intended recipient though due to weight.

My newest project

2010-05-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is my newest project. I haven't decided if it will be a gift or if I will donate it, due to weight. The pattern called for a much larger hook, which I did not have, and I still used the three strands that it called for. It is a pretty solid blanket, but for a July baby, it may be too heavy. Granted, it can still be used in the winter.

It is currently 22 inches by 28 inches, and I would like to get it to 36 inches. It is in crochet

My latest Craft Project

2010-05-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

After my first knit baby blanket did not turn out so well, I decided to create a second one. I am only about 6 inches into it, and the baby is due in just over 70 days. Last night I took a look to see if it is going well, or if it needs to be frogged, and well, it needs to be frogged. I managed to turn the pattern around, which isn't that huge of a deal, and I see that the pattern is leaning a bit.

I am going to switch to a crochet blanket. I have already found a nice simple pattern that I should be able to get done in a relatively short time.

Totally Slacking

2010-05-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

I've been busy working on writing work and my Gold Canyon business, not to mention my day job, that I just keep forgetting to come post here! Also doesn't help that I have been out two evenings this week, a union meeting and a birthday supper for my dad.

First, I must say happy 1 year Adoption Anniversary to Willow! I can't imagine life without her!

I need to get to updating more on here, so if you come by here and don't see any recent posts, write a comment and let me know!

Kitty Love

2010-05-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is an older picture, as you can tell by how little Rosco is. It was approximately in July 2009. I haven't caught them cuddling together for quite a while.

Oops!

2010-05-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

I create this blog, and promptly ignore it! My apologies!

How about a picture of some cute kitty cats?

This is Rosco, he is the trouble maker of the house. If you ever hear me complaining about one of the cats, it is likely him. He is just over a year old, and I have had him since he was approximately 2.5 months old.

This is Willow. She is the Queen of the house. She is approximately 2.5 years old, and she was about a year and a half when I adopted her. She is a sweet heart and a lap cat, and is starting to cuddle at bedtime.

Welcome!

2010-04-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

I decided to split up my one blog into two, so this is the beginning of this one. I likely will move the posts from the other one over here.

This blog is more about my life, which seems to revolve around my cats and some of the crafts that I like to work on. Along the side you will see a few links - WAH Sharon is about my quest to earn money online and The Scentsationals is about my Gold Canyon Candles business.

Sharon