Socky Goodness

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Heather

I am not a big fan of summer. The heat is often just too much for me, and just does me in. And that, unfortunately, means I’ve been doing more reading than stitching or knitting. However, I have managed to finish up two pairs of socks.

The first are Super Simple Short Socks. They are based a pattern I found on Ravelry (you can find it here), but I changed the cast on to the Channel Island cast on (which I learned at the Lucy Neatby class I took this past winter). I like how the Channel Island cast on gives a bumpy little top that looks like picots. The only thing I don’t like about these socks is the square heel. (I started these in March… it took me a little while to get around to finishing them.)

The yarn for these is Berroco’s Comfort Baby in colour Multi Baby. This is the same yarn as Berroco’s Comfort Sock, but just in more baby appropriate colours.

Super Simple Short Socks

The second pair is Leyburn by Minty Fresh. If you read the Yarn Harlot’s blog, you’ve heard about these socks before. Mine were knit until the Neptune colourway of Crystal Palace Maizy (the same company that makes my favourite Panda Cotton). This yarn is actually 82% corn fibre, and the remainder is elastic nylon for stretch and strength.

Layburn from MintyFresh

In stitching news, Erica of Erica’s Places has drawn the name for the next member of the Lizzie*Kate travelling pattern Stitcherhood. Life’s a Stitch is heading over to Joy at My New Perspective. I can’t wait to see how your version turns out, Joy!

Also, Lynn B. of Happiness is Cross Stitching is having yet another giveaway. (I can’t think of a more generous stitcher!) This time she is celebrating her blog’s third anniversary. Check out all the details on her blog here. Below is a picture of what you could win.

Lynn's 3rd Anniversary Giveaway

And in news that only really involves me, I’m very nearly done with stitching Royalty ABC. I hope to have some pictures to share in a few days!

Happy stitching, and keep out of the heat!

1 Comment | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , ,

Ornament of the Month – July 2011

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Heather

Given that this month was supposed to be “Christmas in July”, it is a bit surprising that I didn’t finish up this month’s ornament until sometime early this morning.

Hardanger Ornament from Nordic Needle

This is Hardanger Ornament by Nordic Needle, from the 1999 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. It is stitch on 28 count white something (lugana?). I substituted DMC perle cotton #8 for the Rainbow Gallery Elegance, and I used DMC instead of Rainbow Gallery Splendour. Also, instead of doing lazy daisy flowers beneath the green stitching, I substituted some small Indian red Swarovski bicones. I think they add a lovely sparkle to the design. (You can’t tell though, since I took this picture in the evening. The nights really are starting to get noticeably longer.)

Next month’s ornament will be Home for Christmas by Julia Lucas Designs, and I won’t be leaving it until the last minute. I already have the fabric cut, and I will pull the floss for it in a couple of days.

4 Comments | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged , , ,

Lizzie*Kate Pattern Looking for a New Home

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Heather

Just posting a quick update to let you know that the Life’s a Stitch Lizzie*Kate pattern is looking for a new home again. Erica posted her finish yesterday, and it is fabulous. Head over to her blog to leave a comment for your chance to be the next stitcher of this travelling pattern.

Here’s my finish:

Life's a Stitch from Lizzie*Kate

1 Comment | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged , ,

TUSAL – July 2011 Part 2

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Heather

It’s time for another Totally Useless Stitch Along (TUSAL) post! July has two new moons, which means two TUSAL posts.

TUSAL - July 2011 (2)

I also thought I would share a quick little project that I finished up the other day. It is the free gift kit from issue 82 of the UK knitting magazine Simply Knitting. (I adore this magazine, partly because of the free gifts, partly because it often has Alan Dart patterns, and partly because I just love the chatty style of UK craft magazines.).

Rose Pin from Simply Knitting

Big knitting needles + bulky yarn = quick project

1 Comment | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , , ,

DIY iPhone 4 Case Review

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Heather

A few weeks ago a cross stitch-able iPhone 4 case was making the rounds of the Internet. Having recently received a very gently used iPhone 4 from my husband (who in turn got a brand new one from his work), I was on the hunt for a new case (more about my old case below). Sadly, said husband veto my choices, which included this and this. But, he happily agreed to the Leesedesign DIY iPhone 4 Case.

DIY iPhone 4 Case from Leese Designs

The case currently on my phone is a Speck Fitted Case for iPhone 4. It is actually the second Speck case we have had, since the first one was replaced under warranty after it cracked. The Speck case is nice, but far from perfect. The back fits tightly (maybe too tight, which is why the first one cracked), but the front is a little loose. All the ports and buttons and such line up perfectly, which means the case doesn’t need to be removed for syncing or charging. However, the overall quality leaves a little to be desired. The fabric backing on my current case is fraying at the edge, making it look quite untidy. And given that my phone spends more time sitting on the table than anywhere else, I’m very disappointed.

Why start with a review of a Speck case you may be wondering. Well, Speck cases are well respected, so they provide a good comparison for this DIY case from what is essentially an unknown source in Korea. So, let’s get started on the review.

The DIY iPhone 4 case is a soft case for, what else, the iPhone 4. It looks like it should fit all models, but is shown on a Virgin Mobile handset in these pictures (note that the Verizon model is slightly different than other iPhone 4 handsets, but this case seems to be able to accommodate them). It fits the iPhone snugly, but is still easy to remove.

DIY iPhone 4 Case - on phone

The thing that makes this case special is the back: it features an evenweave-like surface, perfect for cross stitching. The back is 33 stitches by 69 stitches, with a small section cut out for the rear-facing camera and flash. It works out to about 16 stitches an inch.

DIY iPhone 4 Case - back detail

The package comes with the case, three bobbins of floss (pink, blue and gray), a needle, and a small booklet with six designs. The designs range from an all over heart pattern to a sports car. Something for everyone. The colour numbers given for the designs appear to be a combination of DMC numbers (e.g. 310 is black) and some other floss system. The non-DMC numbers do correspond to the three colours of floss included with the case. (Additional designs can be found here.)

DIY iPhone 4 Case - floss and needle

The user manual also includes basic cross stitch instructions, as well as some, umm, interesting English flubs. (What is an “emotional cross stitch pattern”?)

DIY iPhone 4 Case - user manual

The case feels well made and, as I said before, fits the iPhone well. All the ports and buttons are clear and easy to access.

DIY iPhone Case - button and port openings

So far, the only problem I see with the case is two manufacturing flaws along the right hand side. They appear at both the top and bottom and look like they are caused by the mould.

DIY iPhone 4 Case - manufacturing flaw

Although I have yet to begin stitching on the case, I expect it won’t be terribly difficult. The case is made from flexible polyurethane and all of the holes are well formed and clear of any debris. None of the included designs tickle my fancy, so I wish that the user manual had included an empty graph. Still, with some graph paper or a cross stitching graphing program, it will be easy to design something more to my tastes (or more likely, I’ll end up trying to adapt a design to fit the space). Since the case is plastic, designs can only be whole stitches.

Do I like the case better than my hard, two piece Speck case? Yes, very much so. I like that I can easily remove the DIY case, and the fact that it is only one piece. I also like that the DIY case costs less, and that I can stitch whatever I like on the back, rather than having to pick from a small range of fabric choices provided by Speck.

The DIY iPhone 4 case comes in six different colours and is available for sale here for US$18 and here for 18,000원.

And if you’d like to see how my stitched version turned out, check out this post.

DIY iPhone 4 Case with User Manual

4 Comments | Posted in Crafts, Reviews | Tagged ,

No Home for My Hooks

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Heather

My camera and I are officially no longer on speaking terms. In fact, it has been packed up in a lonely little box and sent two cities over to get repaired. (At least, I hope it will be repaired.) And, not a moment too soon, since the warranty runs out on August 1st!

Pictures of my last finished project, a lovely crochet case (link to pattern on etsy), are trapped on my memory card. I have a card reader somewhere, but darned if I can find it. So, imagine my case looking a lot like the pictures, but with a dark teal interior. I’m very happy with how it turned out, except for the fact that it doesn’t fit my Soft Touch handle crochet hooks. And that is exactly what I wanted it for. On the bright side, all the tiny steel and regular-size aluminum hooks I never use have a beautiful new home.

Of course, that leaves me without a home for the hooks I use all the time. Clover sells this case for US$11, so I might just buy it. I mean, I’ve spent about that much already making a case that didn’t work, so why waste more money? (Of course, they only ship to the US, so I might just be out of luck. Argh!

In other news, my cross stitch-able iPhone 4 case arrived today. I’ll have pictures and a short review of it tomorrow (assuming I can get my husband’s camera to talk to my computer.) Stay tuned!

1 Comment | Posted in Crochet | Tagged ,

Getting Ready for the Festival

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Heather

Yesterday was the first day of general registration for the CreativFestival, which is a big craft show here in Toronto. It features vendors and classes in all sorts of crafts, from knitting to glass bead making and nearly everything in between. Sadly, though, the amount of needlework classes has been steadily falling, and at last year’s show there were about three or four needlework vendors. And, you’d think that would mean that there aren’t many classes for me to take. Well, thankfully, there are lots of things I’d like to learn how to do. 🙂

This year I actually registered for the largest package even though I was fully expecting to register for a much smaller package. But, I was so tempted by a full day course in learning to use my serger to make clothing that I knew I needed to take it. (And, if I took private lessons to learn the same thing, it would have ended up costing much more.) I’ve also signed up for a class about using different serger feet, and some seminars on choosing the correct sewing machine needles and basic machine maintenance.

Knitting is also important to me, as I’m sure you know. So, I signed up for a class with Fiona Ellis called Factured Fair Isles. Sound interesting, doesn’t it? I’ve also signed up for an intarsia class with Charles Voth, yet another technique I’ve been wanting to learn.

Lastly, and most importantly, are the needlework classes. Firstly, I’ll be taking a biscornu class with Lorene Salt. And then, I’ll be taking five classes and one seminar with Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams. That, friends, is the highlight of the Festival for me and the main reason I am going.

Now all I have to do is gather my supplies and wait patiently for October. There’s a lot happening between now and then (maybe a trip to the zoo, a short vacation in Las Vegas, another family event, birthdays and anniversaries), so I’m sure the time will speed by. But, still, I wish it was happening tomorrow. 😉

2 Comments | Posted in Crafts |