Hobbies and Passions in the Mid Atlantic forum: Concrete, Mosaics and Knitting!
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It's been so long since I posted any of my projects that I don't remember what I might have already shown you?   I did a quick search of the Projects threads and Magpie Chatter and can't find anything so here's my attempt to bring you up to date....Since my period of "disability" started with knitting while I was forced off my feet I'll show you what kept me busy with knit items for my grandson.  I keep encouraging my daughter to send me ideas for things she likes and she sent me this pic of a football hat from Etsy.  I just happened to have some leftover brown yarn and got started immediately! It was ready to send in the first box with Chase's first sweater and hat set. "Next" time I try one I'll use a pattern instead of just winging it! Poor little guy is going to look like a conehead!   I also shipped a small photo frame for Chase's room. Didn't turn out exactly like the vision I had in my head - what was supposed to be a mosaic alligator to match the room decor ended up looking more like a lizard! Oh well, at least the colors matched his room!   In the same box I was finally able to finish the mailbox I had promised my son-in-law for over a year!  He probably would have preferred a "Red Sox" theme but my original idea was to paint all the wildflowers Emily and I spotted in the woods behind our home when she was a child.   First box shipped to Maine in August!  |
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It had been about six years since I had done any knitting and I forgot how much I enjoyed it! I was even able to finish the sweater I started six years ago in between getting more knitting done for Chase! Well shoot, I guess I didn't take any pictures of the two blankets I knit? I knit a small crib blanket with a variegated yarn that had a teddy bear pattern in it. Unfortunately the pattern really didn't show with the variegated yarn and I guess since I was disappointed with it I didn't take any pictures? Also didn't get a pic of the car seat blanket I made! Again, not very large, just enough to cover Chase on those chilly mornings in Maine. I designed it with a large "buttonhole" for the car seat straps to thread through but evidently it's too much of hassle? Emily has reported however that it quickly became Chase's favorite blankie. So these are the next two sweaters - one made with the leftover variegated yarn from the crib blanket and a sweater and hat with the leftover blue yarn from the car seat blanket.  Chase was wearing the darker blue sweater when they picked me up at the airport over the holidays - wish I had a picture, it's a great color on him with those rosy little cheeks! Looking for more projects to knit I found some leftover yarn from a vest I made myself a long time ago - another sweater/hat set for Chase! The color is really bad in this photo but it's a nice "boyish" navy blue and green variegated yarn.  With cooler nights arriving in Maine an emergency request was received for mittens! I actually made three pairs but only have this photo of two pair with a quick scarf I made for Emily, again with leftover yarn from previous projects.  So by this time Emily's already thinking ahead to Christmas and reminded me that Chase was going to need a Christmas stocking! My grandmother knit stockings for all my children so I had to keep up the tradition. Looking for ideas for the stocking I decided to make Chase a festive hat for the holidays as well!   It fit perfectly and see how cute he looked at the tree lighting ceremony...and he was wearing one of his new sweaters too!  |
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So I'm still a knitting fool and can't stop! I had seen this cute pattern in a book a friend let me borrow and was anxious to try it! It was a bear to get the pattern right, oops, maybe that should be...I had a "dog" of a time getting it right!  The pattern was designed for a lighter weight yarn but I wanted to make it with heavier yarn and also wanted it a hooded sweater so it took several ??? tries to get this one right!  Since Chase had enough sweaters to keep him warm for the first winter I made this one to fit him next winter.  I told Emily I was working on something "special" but had to wait until the buttons arrived and then let it slip that they were dogbones! Regardless she still didn't know what it was and when it arrived she said it was her most favorite of everything I made and she was SO anxious for Chase to be able to wear it!  Even with the cute buttons the front was a little plain so I grabbed the dark brown yarn and added some "tracks"! When Matt saw them he questioned why they were "brown" when the dog was black and white? Silly man, they're "muddy" dog tracks!  |
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| I've got one more "goodie" that was sent in the second box to Maine but I'm running out of time this morning to post! I'll try to get more pics posted tomorrow but in the meantime I'll leave you with this one. Most of you have seen the Sock Monkey I made Chase for Christmas but wanted to share this one with you. Just hanging out with my bud.....  |
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| OMG, Deb those are just beautiful. I love that sock monkey. Really you should sell some of those in a nice shop. I bet you could get BIG$$ for that Woof sweater set. It is adorable Life is Great! Holly Please visit me and learn more about My Life on the Water a Personal Journey Thread in the MidAtlanticMusings Cubit. http://cubits.org/MidAtlanticMusings/thread/view/5752/ |
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 You would make a killing on Ebay, you should really think about it. I like the dog sweater too. My niece knitted a "Flyers" hat for my grandson to be and my son was crazy over it, the football hat is adorable! Love the monkey it would be something I would purchase for sure It happens in a flash, but the memory of it last forever. It can not be borrowed or stolen, and it is of no earthly good until it is given away. So if in your hurry you meet someone who is too weary to smile, leave him one of yours, for no one needs a smile quite as much as he who has none to give... |
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Wow, wow, wow!  I'd seen some of your finished projects, but I had no idea how many you've done. Deb, they are FANTASTIC. What a GREAT idea on the doggy hooded sweater, love the bones as buttons, and the muddy paw prints are the perfect finishing touch. I loved the sock monkey when I saw it, but had no idea of the size! What a great gift. One again, examples of your talent AND imagination together are just so amazing! You could definitely have your own Etsy shop or sell them on eBay! Gosh, if you ever do run out of knitting projects, I could give you some for a little girl... Breathe in, Breathe out...Move on - Jimmy Buffett |
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 "If you bring joy and enthusiasm to everything you do, people will think you're crazy" W. Haelfeli, New Yorker cartoon |
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DaylilyDiva219 wrote:Gosh, if you ever do run out of knitting projects, I could give you some for a little girl... Just say the word! Gosh, there are so many cute "little girl" ideas I'd definitely be a knitting fool if I had a granddaughter. Thank you all for the compliments - believe me it's not the first time I've heard - "You should be selling these things". It's been satisfying to be making everything as gifts or for myself but I have been tossing the idea around to make something to sell. I've actually been doing A LOT of research to see what's popular and realistic prices I could charge. Not a lot of profit for all the work I put into everything but I haven't given up on the idea yet! I've got something to show you that has prompted an inquiry ($$$) but probably won't get it posted until tomorrow. Not much time this morning but I did want to show you the last item that went into the second box sent to Emily. Every year I either make or buy her something for Christmas decorations for her home. I had already picked something up at a craft fair but I wanted to make her something special this year. After experimenting with mosaics for a few months I decided to make her a Christmas vase! I knew I wanted a particular size glass vase but had a hard time finding the right size or not too expensive. I found a perfect one at Michael's, had my 50% off coupon but when I went to check out, they told me those vases were supposed to be removed from the shelf because they were prone to shattering and they wouldn't sell it!!! Not to worry, a chance visit to the Goodwill store proved successful and MUCH cheaper - $3.00!!! This was my first "glass on glass" project and took me a week to complete.  I was scared to death to ship it but it arrived safely and Emily loved it! It's a little difficult to see but if you enlarge the photo "J- O -Y" is on the front with almost transparent glass so it shows up with the candle inside.  |
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| Deb they are spectacular It happens in a flash, but the memory of it last forever. It can not be borrowed or stolen, and it is of no earthly good until it is given away. So if in your hurry you meet someone who is too weary to smile, leave him one of yours, for no one needs a smile quite as much as he who has none to give... |
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| Fab Deb!! I hear you  on the profit margin on making crafts. Goodwill can be a huge help for raw materials at times. Quantity buying and making probably help too. "If you bring joy and enthusiasm to everything you do, people will think you're crazy" W. Haelfeli, New Yorker cartoon |
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luvsgrtdanes wrote:  Thank you! Actually "they" are "one" - I combined the photos of all four sides. I'm getting ready to take photos of the things I've finished in the last few months so figured I'd better get a few of the things posted I made for Christmas gifts! I had just finished making a mosaic birdhouse for the gardens and after my mother-in-law saw it she hinted she'd like one of her own! This is the one I completed last fall, all four sides ....   And this is my mother-in-law's Christmas gift. I used their lakehouse in Michigan for the "theme" and tried a different technique with the tiles on the roof to look like shingles!  We have the most beautiful photos of the sun setting on the lake in Michigan so I decided to use one for the mosaic I made for one of Rick's brothers! I combined the "before/after" photos to show what a difference it makes with a little more effort. Even though I've used different grout colors on a few things it's much easier to just paint after it's grouted to blend the colors. I even used rocks we collected on the beach there!  Rick's other brother received a new address sign for his house. Another "experiment" using some of the small cement leaves I made last fall.  Rick's sister shares my love of dragonflies and takes tons of photos so I added mosaics, a dragonfly and another rock from Michigan to the photo cube I made for her.   The last mosaic gift was for my mother. When she saw this photo of my daughter and grandson she said she wished someone could "paint" it for her. Although I don't have the skills for a painting I was able to squeeze in one last mosaic before leaving to spend the holidays in Maine. I made her a special frame for the photo with a theme.... "The Key to my Heart".  I'm off to get photos of my latest mosaic creations and will post them soon...more birdhouses! |
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| Oh my GOSH Deb, those are all absolutely spectacular - I really am running out of adjectives that do justice to your projects. What wonderful, thoughtful and meaningful gifts for everyone. I just have one question... how do I get on your gift list??? Breathe in, Breathe out...Move on - Jimmy Buffett |
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| OMG Deb they are truly beautiful. You really have a wonderful gift and are a true artist. If you decide to sell them in the future don't go cheap. They are real high end items and should sell in art studios and high end gift shops. Life is Great! Holly Please visit me and learn more about My Life on the Water a Personal Journey Thread in the MidAtlanticMusings Cubit. http://cubits.org/MidAtlanticMusings/thread/view/5752/ |
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| Breathe in, Breathe out...Move on - Jimmy Buffett |
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Quoting: I really am running out of adjectives that do justice to your projects I so LOVE them all!! It happens in a flash, but the memory of it last forever. It can not be borrowed or stolen, and it is of no earthly good until it is given away. So if in your hurry you meet someone who is too weary to smile, leave him one of yours, for no one needs a smile quite as much as he who has none to give... |
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DaylilyDiva219 wrote: "If you bring joy and enthusiasm to everything you do, people will think you're crazy" W. Haelfeli, New Yorker cartoon |
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DaylilyDiva219 wrote:I just have one question... how do I get on your gift list??? If I'm ever successful with applying mosaics to that bowling ball you gave me I might have time to tackle another one - just sayin'. I wasn't able to get ALL the photos of projects I've completed in the last few months but I've got a few more to show you. I was expanding a sunny border last summer and decided it was perfect for what I plan to call my "Birdhouse Alley". I've completed a few that are waiting for their posts along the border. The first one was inspired with the purchase of some china from Goodwill - maybe I'll call it "Broken Fences" or "Greener Pastures"? I nipped the cows from the centers of the china and they broke through the fence heading for greener pastures! Even Lucky made an appearance on this one - he regularly keeps an eye on the fields searching for his next prey from the top of a hay bale! The little church in the mountains where we were married inspired this one....  I have one more birdhouse completed but no photos yet. In the meantime this was probably one of my easier projects. I had given this metal vine to a friend for Christmas and after she showed me the mosaics she added I ordered another one for myself and made a similar version! I'm planning to hang some of the concrete leaves I made last fall on it, once I find the time to get a few painted.  Last one for this morning....you know how I like to "embellish" garden objects? I found the perfect object for embellishing! I'd been admiring this owl on one of my favorite sites for cheap garden art and when it was reduced 50% I grabbed it! He was cute 'without'.....  ...but look how much cuter he is now!  |
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| Oh Deb your metal vine just gave me a great idea. I have a metal project that I have been wanting Ric to make for me and now I know just what to do and how to do it. Plus I have a good bit of stained glass upstairs left over from a few projects. Thanks for the inspiration. Life is Great! Holly Please visit me and learn more about My Life on the Water a Personal Journey Thread in the MidAtlanticMusings Cubit. http://cubits.org/MidAtlanticMusings/thread/view/5752/ |
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| Deb, they're just incredible. I don't know how you do it but YOU DO IT!!! "If you bring joy and enthusiasm to everything you do, people will think you're crazy" W. Haelfeli, New Yorker cartoon |
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