Pattern Followed! A Sweater Jacket for Little H.

Grocery shopping is serious business. Lots of people to see.

Doesn't she look cozy?

While I was away, I was still crafting. I found this great pattern for an easy to make kimono wrap baby sweater. H. is too small for the coats in most stores and we got tired of layering her up with little jackets when all she really needed was a thick sweater.

I whipped this up in four lengthy nighttime tv watching.

I changed the pattern up by adding a stripe on the sleeves and a contrasting cuff, but all the stitch directions are the same. I used a thick worsted weight yarn and that modification came out okay because the pattern writer (lovely woman) made the gauge discussion simple and I was able to adjust really easily.

The work in progress.

I hadn't ever made a garment in crochet (I don't count shawls, because they don't require shaping).  It was good fun and a challenge to a non-pattern reader like me. I made the sweater a few sizes too big and she should be able to wear it in the Fall.

I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I was done and I'm glad that when she gets older I can show her these photos and teach her all about handmade!

If you want to do the pattern, go on over to Crochet Me.


The GCRU Link Up is still looking for submissions and I'm happy to report that I'll be one of many participating in the Annual Knit and Crochet Blog Week March 28-April 3. See here.
I'll be posting about why I chose to blog along tomorrow!




Peas and Carrots,
~ Dee

Great Crafter, Relatively Unknown 3/20-4/3 Edition

Welcome to the First Great Crafter, Relatively Unknown (GCRU) Link Up.  Notice that I've changed the dates of the Link Up to give time for (hopefully) a good response.

If you're not sure what this is all about see the explanation here.

It's like the popular Linky Parties (I even use the same widget), with a few exceptions. This is a link up for craft bloggers with 100 or less subscribers. I hope that we can all get a chance to find new and interesting blogs that are under read. The big crafters have great sites, but there are a lot of lesser known blogs and bloggers out there that are making cool stuff. This linky is for them.

If you want to be a part of the GCRU, you have to play by the rules.

To post a link to the GCRU, you have to meet the following criteria:

1.       The blog you link to must primarily be about crafting, sewing, or DIY and have less than 100 subscribers. This is the most important criteria. Blogs not meeting this one will be removed.

2.       The link you leave should be to a particular blog post that you feel most represents your craft-itude (yep, that’s craft and attitude made into one word). It can be an about me post or a tutorial. A post where you write about why you craft or who inspires you. It should be a post that makes the reader want to keep coming back.

3.       YOU SHOULD NOT POST A LINK TO A SHOP. You, of course, can have a blog that features your for sale creations, but the point of this party is to get exposure for under read blogs about crafting – not for your Etsy shop. (Although as this blog grows bigger, that might happen.) 

4.       For each bi-weekly GCRU, I’ll pick one to three Bloggers of Distinction (BOD). By submitting a link you are indicating that you are willing to be featured as a  GCRU BOD in a review post that I do here on Craftfro.blogspot.com after the GCRU post date closes. I will wax poetic about how great your blog is and tell my craftfriends that they should all go and subscribe. I’ll even give you a button for your site that boosts that I chose you and when.

And that’s it. Participants can take a GCRU button (see below), if you want, but you don’t have to. You don’t even have to link back here if you don’t want. It’s all about you. 

Pass on the link to the link up and  help me make it a success!

 Peas and Carrots,

~Dee

After you Link Up, get the button:

Add the link to your representative post by clicking the link below. Make sure to include a thumbnail to attract attention!

The NEW GCRU: A Way to Keep a Promise!

I've been playing kissy-kissy with my little baby.

A Preamble Ramble

Long time, no blog. But now that I’ve finally seem to have my work load sorted out, I’m happy to be back! I’ve been crafting – there are posts to come. But first things first! When I left in January I made a promise. I was going to set out to find 15 new blogs to read and to post about so that I could rightfully accept the Stylish Blogger award so undeservedly given to me by DaPerfectMix (check out her awesome blog here). And for about a week after I made that promise I searched the net and looked up new blogs. But then the speed of the world outside of the interwebs caught up to me and I couldn’t devote the amount of time and energy I needed to to find the types of blogs I was looking for--- and then an idea started to form.

Maybe, I had the wrong approach. 

Swimming through the net and trying to find crafty blogs with small readerships but that were delivering great content wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. The search engines all point you to the big sites with the huge followings. But what I wanted to find were those gems that were being overlooked and under-clicked.

Become part of the GCRU or say See Here, CraftFro

SO, I think I’ve come up with a way to get more people on the prowl for good under-viewed blogs for me (and for others)  and for me to fulfill my promise, but hopefully in a bigger way over time. 

I’d like to introduce my first recurring blog event. There will be two parts.

Part 1:  Great Crafter, Relatively Unknown Link Up (GCRU)

Are you a great crafter (or craft blogger) but still relatively unknown on the internet? Never fear, a link up for you is here!

As most of you know,  lots of the former linky parties are going the way of the Dodo. The popular linky site was free and is now by paid subscription. I’ve decided to go ahead and pay for a subscription, so that I can make this as easy as possible. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. But back to our link up...

To post a link to the GCRU, you have to meet the following criteria:

1.       The blog you link to must primarily be about crafting, sewing, or DIY and have less than 100 subscribers. This is the most important criteria. Blogs not meeting this one will be removed.

2.       The link you leave should be to a particular blog post that you feel most represents your craft-itude (yep, that’s craft and attitude made into one word). It can be an about me post or a tutorial. A post where you write about why you craft or who inspires you. It should be a post that makes the reader want to keep coming back.

3.       YOU SHOULD NOT POST A LINK TO A SHOP. You, of course, can have a blog that features your for sale creations, but the point of this party is to get exposure for under read blogs about crafting – not for your Etsy shop. (Although as this blog grows bigger, that might happen.)  

4.       For each bi-weekly GCRU, I’ll pick one to three Bloggers of Distinction (BOD). By submitting a link you are indicating that you are willing to be featured as a  GCRU BOD in a review post that I do here on Craftfro.blogspot.com after the GCRU post date closes. I will wax poetic about how great your blog is and tell my craftfriends that they should all go and subscribe. I’ll even give you a button for your site that boosts that I chose you and when.

And that’s it. Participants can take a GCRU button, if they want, but they don’t have to. You don’t even have to link back here if you don’t want. It’s all about you.

I’ve posted a blog right after this one as the first GCRU. I will leave it open for links until 3/27/11.

Please help me make it a success!

Part Two:  See Here, Craftfro  (SHC) Bi-Weekly Post

As I mentioned above, I’m going to feature a few bloggers from my GCRU party but I also want to give people the opportunity to nominate blogs that they subscribe to and enjoy for me to go take a look at.  The bloggers in question wouldn’t have to submit to the GCRU party.  I would love for you to send me links to blogs that you read often and adore.  I’ll go and check them out, send a few questions to the blogger and then write up a post about them. 

The rules are simple:

1.       The blog you nominate must be a crafty blog with less than 200 subscribers and not primarily be a store.  You can even nominate your own blog. There’s no shame in it. Plus, if you have more than 100 readers and you can’t participate in the GCRU,  I still want to see what you’re making

2.       You should leave your nomination as a comment to the static post I’ve created under the SHC link at the top of my blog.  Give me the address of the blog and maybe write a few lines about why you like the blog you’re nominating.

Every other week, I’ll feature one blog nominated on the SHC post. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to go through the archives and I’ll try to consider all posts, so you don’t have to post your favorite read again!

Okay, that’s all the logistics. Let’s see what happens! I am so excited. I really do love the online craft world and I like blogging. Hopefully, you can help me find some new hidden gems and let CraftFro be a place where they can shine....

Oh and a random, just in case note, I'm not trolling for people's sites, I really do love to blog and craft and want to see what is out there that I'm missing. I think that there are a lot of people who are on blogger and wordpress who have been posting great stuff but that I don't get to and I'm sure other folks feel the same way. The whole point of both of these exercises is both personal (I wanna see new stuff) and social (wouldn't it be great if those cool blogs had more visits?).

Peas and carrots,

~Dee

An Undeserved Award: A Promise to Keep

I've been on a vacation. Doctor ordered, much needed. I go back to work full time next Tuesday and I was probably doing waaayyyyy more than I should have been. But all is well and I'm almost back to 100%.

I was super surprised and happy to recieve a Stylish Blogger Award nomination from DaPerfectMix from the great blog Mixing It Up with DaPerfectMix.  Go visit her blog! She's a wonderful crochet artist and often posts pictures of her great designs. I am especially partial to her hats. If only one day I could make a hat that will fit the 'Fro!

To accept the award, the nominee must tell the reader 7 things that they might not know about them and then pass the award along to 15 other bloggers.

Here's where the promise comes in.

I looked through my blog roll and I realized I spend a lot of my blog reading time on sites that have lots of followers (and for good reason. I have nothing against the top blogs. I heart most of them.) and less time on smaller, less established blogs. There are a few notable exceptions, but for the most part, I've just skimmed the top of the blog pile and haven't sought out lesser known inspiration. While I could pass the award along to people who don't need the readership, who've probably had it before, I've decided to put off accepting the award and instead, have a promise to keep.

I promise that I'm going to dedicate the rest of my January blog reading time to find blogs with smaller readerships and to add my name to their follower's lists. Plenty of people are out there working hard and sharing great information and I'm missing it because I haven't made the effort to find them. For my friends who I already follow, don't worry, you're on my list.

So I'm on the hunt for stylish bloggers before I do my requiste post to accept the award I was so graciously given by DaPerfectMix. And at the beginning of next month, I will post links to those blogs old and new that I think deserve it!

If you know of a blog that I'm not following, that I should, please comment and let me know.

Peas and carrots,
Dee

Crafting for Charity: An Exemplar

I have been thinking a lot about how to use my crafting for a greater cause other than my procrastination. Deciding to make a few dollars through starting a business is almost necessary to keep up with the price of the materials. I don't think that I can make much of a profit, at least not with the dolls yet. But I know that having the gift of craft and a bit of leisure time (even if most of it's time I should be spending writing for work) makes me more fortunate than most.

So, I'm resolved to make something for charity this year. Will I make dolls? Beanies for preemies? Will I join one of the many craft drives on the net? I haven't quite worked it out. I think I'll talk it over with some of my craft friends and we'll see what we come up with.

Looking for inspiration I came across this blogger's awesome idea for charity crafting in 2011 - http://minimalistknitter.typepad.com/mk/2010/12/2011-the-year-of-the-vest.html

What a great way to give your craft to those in need! What appeals to me most about her goal is that she has reached out to an existing charity organization that is in touch with the needs of the community that they serve and she has joined in their efforts. All to often I think people try to strike out and reinvent the wheel when doing things from charity. Having worked with charities and non-profits for work, one of the things I know to be true is that joining with existing efforts and focusing on who you serve always does more good.


Alas, a thick crochet vest would probably take me weeks.  And I'm not sure a farmer of any gender would want a the hippie vests I know how to make with  hook. Maybe something like this would be better:



http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/ccusa-denimVest.html?noImages=0

 I usually don't have any desire to knit, I'm a crocheter at heart, but the prospect of joining in the Minimalist Knitter's Year of the Vest has me reconsidering the two sticks.




Until next time,
~Dee

Craft Inspiration: Ndebele Dolls from South Africa

Image from http://www.indigoarts.com/gallery_africanart_ndebel1.html

Aren't they wonderfully beautiful?

The Ndebele and Zulu women of South Africa traditionally made these beautiful dolls to give young woman at the time of marriage. In recent years these dolls have become one of the many handmade crafts sold to tourists in order to support the economies of women in South Africa. I bought several of these dolls a few years ago when I was fortunate enough to visit Capetown.

I bought many handmade things on that trip. A set of totebags weaved out of recycled tee shirts, a traditional rug and a set of bowls. Each of these items holds a prominant place in my office at work. In the years since the trip, they have become integrated in my daily routines and I hardly remark upon them unless someone  asks me where I got them because they aren't your usual midwestern handiwork.

But the dolls are different from my other purchases. I look at them all the time. In hindsight, I think they may be one of the major reasons I started making dolls. I initially bought them because they were aesthetically pleasing and featured beadwork. I started my crafting as a beader and the beadcraft of South African women is remarkable. Since the dolls ended up in my life, I have been more and more interested in the passing of dolls from woman to woman and I even started making my own. I think I was inspired by the fact that the dolls were made not as toys but to teach and as gifts from older women to younger with the hope for abundant living sewn into each one. Each time I look at my own pair of Ndebele dolls I feel the community of women behind them. I like that feeling.

I am deeply indebted to the makers of these traditional handmade dolls and can only dream of making things as beautiful and desirable as these.

Next time,

~Dee

4 Days of Christmas? Hey, What happened? :The Good, The Gooder and the Goodest

I looked back through my scheduled posts over the holiday and realized that only 4 of the scheduled 6 posts posted.

I was completely bummed. But then, before I could write about how bummed I was, I realized what had gone wrong and it was actually quite comical.  I had set the posts to post in 2011! Wha???? I was apparently thinking the new year had already begun. And in some ways for me, it already had.  2010 was a life changing year with lots of firsts - first baby, first house. I think that once baby H got here, I completely shifted gears and in my head, the year had already changed.  Then I spent all my free time over the last few weeks creating prototypes for the dolls I want to start selling and researching the best way to do this on the net. I think by the time I got around to setting up the blog, I was already 5 or so weeks ahead of myself.

So, what's the Good, the Gooder and the Goodest? (I'm being cheeky, in case you've stumbled on this blog and think I really use those non-words.)

Well, here's the Good. In a short span of time I've come to quite a few revelations about  how I should go about crafting this life of mine. I have a doable plan to get back into the swing of things at work after my maternity leave and now I'm more certain than ever that I want to make my hobbies work for me. Like most people, I'm really hard on myself. I have exceedingly high expectations for even the smallest things and when things don't turn out as I planned, I tend to beat myself up over it. This blog is supposed to be a release, a fun way to connect to the crafts I love, not a chore. I have to keep that in mind.

The Gooder - I have a husband who is the most supportive partner in the world. I'd like to think I knew this about him when I chose him, but I know that there is no way I could have known the depth of his support and kindness. He's even getting in on the act and helping me redesign the blog and set up the online shop. With his help, I know that I won't have to wory about the blog getting behind or about making errors of design and development for my web presence.

And the Goodest - Well, there's only one Goodest Thing in the World to me and that's this not quite 4 month old baby. She's a joy and a revelation in her own right. She inspires me to do more and to do better.

Happy Holidays and I'll be back soon!
~Dee