Topic: QC Craft Circle (Read 16666 times)

Lines · « **on:** 24 Nov 2012, 09:30 »

Hey everyone! Trying to revive the sharing of all things handmade, since the Knitting/Crochet and Sewing threads are pretty much dead, so I wanted to start a thread that is dedicated to any and all crafts! I know we've got a lot of crafty people on this forum, so if you are a fan of the handmade, share your goods here! This includes knitting/crochet, sewing, embroidery, jewelry, soap, clothing, carving, and so on. So stop in, have a cuppa, and share what you've been making recently! And if you need advice, maybe you can find someone here who can help!

I'll start us off with two projects I've finished recently. I've been working on Christmas presents, so I have a knit neck scarf for one of my friends in a wool/bamboo blend as well as an owl puff that is a test run of some catnip cat toys I want to make. One of my kitties, Hobbes, seems to enjoy it ok without the catnip, so I'm sure he and the rest of the kitties I'm planning on making things for will enjoy the toy. I think if I have time, I may make a few extras and donate them to a local shelter and put bells in them if they don't want catnip toys.

Sorry for the phone pics, but I can't find my camera cable, so these will have to do for now.

Papersatan · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Nov 2012, 16:06 »

I really like the look of that scarf. It is not too bulky, but fills the top of the coat gap nicely. Though since I don't wear hats I usually go for big wrapped around my whole head scarves. But that one looks like it would be nice for autumn days and even for under a big wrapping scarf on very cold days.

Lines · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Nov 2012, 17:39 »

Yeah, the reason I made this one for my friend is because it looks like something that could be a cozy accessory that she could wear in the office when it's cold and is not too bulky to wear under a scarf. Also it's a super easy knit and if you know how to knit, I highly recommend it!

Papersatan · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Nov 2012, 20:25 »

Alas, I am not a knitter. I technically know how, but I never gained the proficiency to do it with any speed. I can crochet though, and sew. It seems like a similar style could be sewn pretty easily. I might attempt that.

Right now I need to do some embroidery. I decided to make a little thing for a friend for Christmas, but I am having trouble deciding what to do. I wanted something witty, and irreverent. I came up with a great idea, but not for her. I need to think of a thing she would actually put on her wall.

Lines · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Nov 2012, 08:53 »

Browse etsy for inspiration if you haven't already. So much fun, witty embroidery. I lurves it. Also I need to finish my "Hufflepuff don't give a shit" embroidery already. It's been on hiatus since spring. (That's what I get for deciding to make the entire background yellow.)

Also here's another recently completed project! The Pedestrian Crossing Cowl. (That links to the PDF. Hooray for free patterns!)

It's wool, but it's a superwash merino, so not only is it super soft, it's also machine washable! Huzzah! (Should be easier for the recipient to take care of, since she's 18 and probably doesn't know much about handwashing clothing yet.)

bainidhe_dub · « **Reply #5 on:** 09 Jan 2013, 20:04 »

I finally sat down and finished that box I started like a month ago! It's for storing nail polish in, because I have way too much nail polish.

Lines · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Jan 2013, 13:55 »

That's really cute! Did you find a tutorial somewhere?

Barmymoo · « **Reply #7 on:** 28 Jan 2013, 10:02 »

I am aiming to do more knitting - my jumper which I've been knitting for literally years is still only a few inches of one piece. It's one of the goals I'll be adding to my project next month (I'm taking five goals a month and aiming to form habits out of them; at the moment it's basic life stuff like "sleep" and "eat meals").

bainidhe_dub · « **Reply #8 on:** 28 Jan 2013, 19:14 »

Linds, I found a sort-of tutorial by The Beauty Dept on Pinterest and then picked that pattern based on the size of shoe boxes and scrapbook papers I could find.

Just now I finished a knitting project, which is the first one in, like 5 years. It's the Broadband earwarmer from Ravelry. It's meant to be done with bulky yarn but I wanted to use this bitty little alpaca yarn I had so I tripled it up. The cable and ribbing isn't quite as strong as in some of the photos done in bulky, but it will almost-match my scarf, which was the point.

Lines · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Jan 2013, 19:19 »

Ooo, alpaca. So soft... I love the colors!

May, do you keep it someplace visible? I keep my knitting in a basket near where I usually sit during downtime and having it in sight reminds me to keep my hands busy.

nekowafer · « **Reply #10 on:** 03 Feb 2013, 13:05 »

I don't know if this fits here, but I'm rather proud of it, so...

I purchased the dark wood organizer on Etsy, and it's awesome. Then I hung that and all the rest - ribbons and hooks - behind my bedroom door. On the back of the door is a mirror, so it's easy for me to see how stuff looks on me.

Papersatan · « **Reply #11 on:** 03 Feb 2013, 18:34 »

You have an adorable assortment of bows!

nekowafer · « **Reply #12 on:** 04 Feb 2013, 07:51 »

Thank you

I will hopefully be setting up my little sewing corner soon, so I will be able to show that off and maybe make some cool stuff too

CrowFairy · « **Reply #13 on:** 04 Feb 2013, 15:10 »

I randomly decided recently that I'm kinda interested in knitting. I always liked weaving projects in school, I picked up a cross-stitch pattern recently, and I'm pretty good at basic sewing (like stitching a straight line, hemming, and sewing on buttons), so I guess knitting is the next logical step.

So I have some questions, if anyone cares to answer them:

1. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being "super-hard; you will hate it and wish whoever invented it would have a nice long trip to visit Satan" and 1 being "You could learn this in your sleep"), how hard would you say it is to begin learning how to knit?

2. Where is the best place to learn how to knit? Online? IRL? YouTube specifically? I have no clue!

3. How expensive is knitting? How much do you ordinarily spend on materials (including knitting needles and patterns)?

4. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being rainbow-barfingly fun and 1 being total dulls-ville and/or really annoying and frustrating), how much fun would you say knitting is?

5. A fill-in-the-blank one: You might know if you're good at knitting (and/or will like it) if you like and/or are good at ______________.

6. How much research and learning does it take to really get into knitting?

7. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being that I will never stop knitting, not even when sleeping, and 1 being that I will do it once, get bored and/or frustrated and never return to it), how addictive would you say knitting is?

Thanks. <3

Papersatan · « **Reply #14 on:** 04 Feb 2013, 16:41 »

I am not a knitter. I have always been better at crochet, but even that I don't stick with, but I can still give you some starting points.

1. How hard it is an what the best way to learn is depends a lot on your skills. Your fine motor control, your spacial intelligence ad your patience. There are tons of videos and blogs and images and books explaining the basics, but some people have trouble mimicking what the see without someone in person to guide them. If you find that is the case your local JoAnns or Michaels probably have classes, and if there is a yarn store near by they are sure to as well.

3. It can be pretty inexpensive, or very expensive depending what you want to make and out of what sort of yarn. Your local craft store should have inexpensive needles and acrylic yarn. Acrylic yarn goes for around $4 a skein and you should be able to get a few sets of needles for ~$10. There are also patterns online for basic thing for free, and your library probably has a selection of books with more complex patterns when you get to that point.

4. This will also depend on you. You won't know until you try. I find it takes too much of my concentration to be mindlessly comforting, but not enough to be fun. Others disagree. My mother likes to knit while she watched TV and I know several people who do it while they socialize and even some who do it in lectures.

5. I think having some spacial talents and fine motor skills will help. When you did weaving could you "see" where the pattern was going? That sort of insite can be useful to understand how a pattern will fit together or to notice when a stitch is wrong before it becomes a problem.

6. You only need to know two stitches. Once you have them there are a ton of things you can make in a ton of patterns. If you find you like it you can have a lot of flexibility pretty quickly.

7. This depends on the person too. I didn't like it. But I know people who knit all the time.

CrowFairy · « **Reply #15 on:** 05 Feb 2013, 13:14 »

Thanks for the info.

I managed to find a single yarn store nearby, but the classes are pretty expensive. The local Michaels doesn't have any knitting this month, and the only Jo-Ann (That's how they formatted it on their website 0.o) I could go to is back home. >___< Is YouTube helpful?

It's been quite a while since I did any weaving, but I think I could "see" the pattern, as it were. I wish I could remember better. v.v

I've found some free patterns already and am saving up some links to online stores that look interesting. So if I do start knitting or crocheting, then I at least have this handy document to poke around and see what some of my options are.

henri bemis · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Feb 2013, 06:00 »

1. I found it hard (maybe a 6?) when I tried to pick it up from reading a book, but once I did my first few stitches correctly, it all kind of clicked into place and the basics became quite easy. It would have been easier for me had I been able to see each step demonstrated either by another person or on video, and I still refer to videos often because I'm really just a novice.

2. A combination, for me. Once I learned the basics, more complicated (but still relatively simple, like increasing and decreasing, cabling and the like) stitches were easier for me to understand through books alone, but I still do best with actual demonstrations.

4. I really love it, but I don't do it very often. I basically go through spurts of intense knitting, then get tired of it for awhile. But I do know I'll always go back to it. I don't like it as much when I get into stitches I need to pay much attention to, but I really enjoy mindlessly doing it while I watch TV or something. Which means I end up with a lot of scarves. But that's just me - if you have the patience to work on more complicated projects (like weaving and cross-stitching), you might enjoy knitting, too.

CrowFairy · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Feb 2013, 13:03 »

I've found some really good resources courtesy of yarn companies, including videos, so I think that might be a good place for me to start.

I don't know if I know anyone who lives close to me that knits, but I'll see if I can find someone, perhaps.

I'm honestly a bit worried about going overboard with it and not doing my schoolwork. XD I'm extremely persistent up to a point, so I worry about stuff like that.

And I wonder if I'll be like this.

Another question to anyone: What needle size is good to start off with? Like, if you, life or death, could only have one set of knitting needles, what size would you want? I've seen 8 a lot and some of the low numbers for people who like to do socks and such. I honestly don't particularly want to knit socks, but maybe that's just me.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #18 on:** 14 Feb 2013, 09:06 »

I'd definitely say use YouTube videos instead of paying for expensive classes - and see if you can find anyone locally (someone's grandmother might be a good start!) who would be prepared to give you some pointers if/when you get into an awful snarl. I still have to take my knitting to my mother/Edith to say "why has my jumper turned into a tangled mess?" because I can't troubleshoot my own mistakes. Also, the friendly woman in the independent wool shop in my mum's town offered to take a look at my knitting if I got stuck ever. I didn't take her up on it because I don't live there any more, but you might find that a person in a local shop would do the same for you if you shopped there regularly.

Linds, my knitting lives in the top of my wardrobe behind the airbeds. Which explains why it never gets done. Sadly my room is so small and cluttered that there just isn't space to leave it out anywhere. Every singe surface is already in use, mostly fulfilling a purpose rather than just being messy.

CrowFairy · « **Reply #19 on:** 14 Feb 2013, 17:15 »

I asked one of my friends who sews if she knows how to knit, and she says it's something she'd like to learn, so we may do some learning together.

I'm sure there's a plethora of videos to go through.

There's only one crafty store in the area, and there is a Michaels, but they don't seem too big on knitting. I was wanting to stop by the craft store on Monday, but the friend I was going to go with had papers to grade and stuff. v.v So I'm still trying just to get to the store in the first place. XD

Papersatan · « **Reply #20 on:** 16 Feb 2013, 22:25 »

Today while watching a movie I dug out a skill from my past to keep my hands busy. My muscle memory for this is not what it used to be so it was slow going.

Here's what I have so far (with a bonus shot of my mardi gras nails):

CrowFairy · « **Reply #21 on:** 28 Feb 2013, 18:17 »

Any suggestions for getting the hang of casting on consistently? It keeps ending up a bungled mess somewhere along the line. :/

henri bemis · « **Reply #22 on:** 01 Mar 2013, 20:41 »

papersatan - omg I remember that! I couldn't for the life of me replicate that pattern now, but I had the whole opaqueish box full of colored thread and made so many bracelets it's ridiculous. That one, and the one that looks like a spiral staircase were my favorite, I think. I was just talking about that with a friend the other day, and I kind of want to get into it again. Because why not?

LoliBot - I'm not sure what problem you're having, but when I first started learning, it was a few months before I realized I was just casting on entirely wrong (the knitting would work, but I had an ever expanding useless length of yarn between the needles, which made it difficult to keep everything neat).

I usually do it like this - casting on - but a lot of getting the tension right is just practice. Cheap, simple yarns are really good to practice with.

Lines · « **Reply #23 on:** 30 Mar 2013, 08:33 »

This is old, but I'm an experienced knitter, so advice I can give!

1. For me, it was like a 2, however, I learned the absolute basics from a friend, like casting on and how to make a knit stitch. The rest I learned from watching videos online and reading in books/online.

2. Seriously, the internet is a fantastic tool for learning how to do things - there are videos and step-by-step directions everywhere. I am a visual learner, so videos and pictures make things so much easier for me than descriptions, but once you get the hang of what abbreviations mean, it gets easier.

3. It depends on how much you want to spend. Honestly, if you're a beginner, getting stuff cheap at places like Michael's, JoAnn Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby is easy because of sales and they tend to stock mostly affordable products. However, if you start to really get into knitting, it can become quite expensive, but that's because the materials aren't mass produced. You can buy perfectly nice yarn and pretty decent needles at craft stores. I also recommend the website KnitPicks, because I LOVE their needles (I some wooden and metal ones) and they do have some yarns that are more cost effective than some craft stores.

4. I wouldn't say knitting is "fun", I'd say it's simultaneously relaxing and challenging. It's fun when you get a few people together and knit while chatting, but usually when I knit, it's while I'm watching a movie or something at home. I really enjoy it, though, don't get me wrong. I'm kind of obsessed.

5. I would say you know you're good at knitting if you actually enjoy it and can master one technique and still want to learn more. Say you master the knit stitch and make a garter stitch scarf, then it's time to master the purl stitch and learn things like stockinette stitch, moss stitch, and ribbing. Ok, you've mastered scarves, how about trying a hat in the round? (These terms may not all make sense, but they're really easy to look up.) Basically if you keep challenging yourself to master a technique and then progress forwards, you're good.

6. Define "really get into knitting"... It depends on what you want to be able to make. If you're happy with simple things like scarves, hats, and fingerless gloves and the like, then I'd say not much. If you want to get into things like socks and sweaters that actually focus more on having the perfect fit, then I'd say a lot, because you need to not only know about how to knit, but also how to knit to specific measurements. I've been knitting for over 10 years and I'm still working out the kinks on that. (But that's because math is not my greatest strength. Also I haven't been a consistent size, which makes things more challenging for me personally.)

7. For me, it's a 9-10.

Ravelry, a social network for knitters/crocheters/spinners/weavers/etc., definitely made things more addictive because there are patterns everywhere and tons of people to talk to about knitting. I strongly encourage you to check it out!

Also another good resource is Knitty, because not only do they offer all sorts of free patterns, there's also a lot of descriptions on how to do things.

CrowFairy · « **Reply #24 on:** 01 Apr 2013, 17:11 »

Thanks for all of that. I've picked up a knitting-for-beginners kit and several skeins. And about 150 patterns (OCD is a butt at times). XD

My mom showed me the easiest method for casting on, so now I need to figure out the knit and purl stitches in the singular sense so I can make this dishcloth I'm attempting.

I haven't tried much lately, but I think I'll try again soon.

It was pretty fun to cast on once I understood how.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #25 on:** 01 Sep 2013, 12:17 »

My new village has a wool shop and they have a knit and natter evening once a month, plus an SOS surgery on Saturday mornings if you get into a snarl with your knitting! I'm excited about going along to the group, although I will have to wait til the end of September, boo. I'm slowly coming on with my jumper since it's lying out on the table being visible - eventually I will clear the table and then it'll have to go somewhere else, but hopefully having a regular group will spur me on.

Lines · « **Reply #26 on:** 05 Sep 2013, 18:00 »

Nice! I wish I lived closer to a local yarn store, but most are a 30min drive to the other side of town, so I don't venture to them often.

But! I did find out that there is going to be a fiber fair in a arts & craftsy kind of town about an hour away from here in two weeks and I'm gonna go! I've been wanting to learn more about spinning my own yarn and they'll have lots of demos for that, so I'm excited.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #27 on:** 26 Apr 2014, 14:10 »

This seems the most appropriate thread for this so I hope it's acceptable. I'm starting the process of upcycling old bicycle, cassettes, cogs and chainrings into useful things.

This is where I'm making moulds from some master templates so that I can cast cogs into resin to make coasters.

It feels a bit like crafting through science, which makes me pretty happy.

More pictures to follow as I move on through the process.

Lines · « **Reply #28 on:** 26 Apr 2014, 16:49 »

That sounds pretty cool! (And thanks for reviving this thread. Seriously.) I've only done casting with plaster and either ceramic or wax, but I really enjoyed what I did. What material are you using for the molds? Silicone?

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #29 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 00:30 »

Yes, it's a silicone based mould.

It's my first time doing this so I'm not going to tun it out until the 24h mark. However I have it a quick prod at 3h and it seems to be good.

I'm going to order up the resin now and get ready to start casting the coasters soon.

Mlle Germain · « **Reply #30 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 06:26 »

I've actually thought about reviving this thread several times myself, but I somehow never did - I guess I wasn't sure enough that people would be interested.
TSK, what kind of coasters are you going to make?

My own craft is crochet, by the way. I make stuffed animals; right now I'm on an armadillo. I also want to learn to knit at some point.

Lines · « **Reply #31 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 06:39 »

Ooo, I hope you share some pictures.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #32 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 07:57 »

Mlle Germain - I'm taking the worn out cassettes (block of cogs that fits on the back wheel of bicycles) and breaking them down into their component cogs. These will then be cleaned and polished and cast in the resin. I may put some felt feet on the bottom, I haven't decided yet.

Chainings (the big cogs that are attached to the pedal crank arms) are going to be turned into trivets. I need to resolve a heat resistant paint issue for this.

Any cogs or chainrings that aren't appropriate for either coasters or trivets are going to be reserved for something else creative. I haven't decided what yet.

pwhodges · « **Reply #33 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 09:09 »

Quote from: The Seldom Killer on 27 Apr 2014, 07:57

I need to resolve a heat resistant paint issue for this.

Radiator paint?

Lines · « **Reply #34 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 09:14 »

Would resin be an ok material for a trivet, even with heat resistant paint? I'm only asking because I've only seen metal and ceramic ones.

Mlle Germain · « **Reply #35 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 09:32 »

TSK, that sounds like a really cool idea! I'm also not sure how heat resistant resin is - but I guess you probably looked that up.

I really need to go and find pictures of some of my older crochet projects and maybe take some of my newer ones, but the main problem is that I haven't yet figured out how to post images in this forum...
One of my ongoing projects (although I haven't worked on it for a while because it's so fiddly) is to make my own pattern for a crochet Gordon, the spider AnthroPC in the comic. When I finish that, I'll definitely show my version of Gordon to the forum.

pwhodges · « **Reply #36 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 09:44 »

I presumed the trivets would be basically plain metal - painted rather than polished - and just have feet put on (maybe rubber feet).

Mlle Germain · « **Reply #37 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 10:24 »

Ah yes, that makes sense...

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #38 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 10:59 »

pwhodges - radiators only get up to about 60oC, The base heat for a pan coming off the hob could theoretically be as high as 200oC. My best options here are stove paint, BBQ paint or engine paint. The trouble there is that they should really be cooked off before use to release the fumes that are generated with heat and I don't have anywhere to do that at the moment. I'm going to see if I can find someone with a BBQ that I can use. For the feet I'm using chainring bolts (the bolts used to attach them to the cranks, spaced out with some general washers.

Most of the chainrings are aluminium and anodized so I won't bother with painting them as they'll be more attractive without, retaining their brand markings. Some will be a bit more tatty and need to be touched up in some way so painting will make them look a bit more like quirky kitchen equipment and less like a cyclists obsession.

Linds/Mlle Germain - Definitely not resin for the trivets. Heat resistance aside, the casting for something that size would likely be pretty difficult.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #39 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 11:01 »

Quote from: Mlle Germain on 27 Apr 2014, 09:32

but the main problem is that I haven't yet figured out how to post images in this forum...

I'm pretty lazy, I just tweet my pictures, open the image in twitter, right click to copy image url and paste in using the image button above the reply box.

Lines · « **Reply #40 on:** 27 Apr 2014, 11:16 »

Oooooooooooh you're not casting the trivets, just casting coasters. That makes a lot more sense! Der.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #41 on:** 31 May 2014, 05:47 »

So after a rather busy time I'm finally getting to the casting point. Getting a bit nervous as it seems to be going slower than the intructions suggest. Patience and finger crossing to be deployed now.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #42 on:** 01 Jun 2014, 04:06 »

And here is it.

A bit of a learning curve on the casting process and this is not as good as I would like but pleasingly acceptable for a first effort.

Mlle Germain · « **Reply #43 on:** 01 Jun 2014, 09:04 »

I think it looks cool!
Is it hard not to get any air bubbles in it?

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #44 on:** 01 Jun 2014, 11:05 »

It's a bit tricky. The resin has a high viscosity so any measuring mixing and pouring tends to lead to air bubbles being formed. You have to be fairly careful and patient with each action to keep them out. These are not my strong points.

Lines · « **Reply #45 on:** 01 Jun 2014, 17:09 »

I think after sanding down the edges, it'll look really good!

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #46 on:** 01 Jun 2014, 22:57 »

I'll be on to that once they've cured for about five days. What doesn't show up in the picture is some rippling in the open surface. Might take to casting the sprockets upside down so that I can sand off the bottom without worrying too much about the finish.

Mlle Germain · « **Reply #47 on:** 02 Jun 2014, 13:56 »

Won't it look scratched and opaque instead of transparent if you sand it, though? Although if you manage to do it evenly, that could add a nice effect.

Lines · « **Reply #48 on:** 04 Jun 2014, 11:51 »

Depends on how fine of a grit is used.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #49 on:** 07 Jun 2014, 03:41 »

Yep, will be using 80 grit, 120 and then possibly as fine as 240.

In other news, I put some finished chainring trivets up for sale in my local bike shop.

Now nervously waiting so see if anyone wants to buy one.

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Author Topic: QC Craft Circle (Read 16666 times)