Another day another gnome

Here is a great shot of my lovely craft assistant who helped me assemble the 2nd gnome. He's in a heavier gauge of yarn, more worsted "checkheaton" and curly bearded. Using the same needles he's larger than the first. Yarn does make a difference.

My assistant slumbers in the tray I've been using to keep all of the body parts in. She looked at the tray, then me and I took all of the parts out just for her comfort. One eye kept track of the entire sewing of the gnome and she even stayed for the glam shot. She's a hard cat to get a good picture of. She's the best craft assistant though.

Dish cloth #2 is completed in record time. The third one of the set (in green) is already on the needles.

Another gnome in the works

It's like CSI:Gnomes up in my craft workshop. The 2nd gnome is getting assembled and here is what he looks like as of today. The beard is a fuzzy curly black silky 'firenze' yarn that I got as a markdown. It's going to look great on him. I took the instructions and printed them out on index cards, one body section to a card. The card is on a ring so I can just pull out the set, follow the directions and I don't mess us my nice book the pattern is from. Also the index cards are smaller and fit in the project bag much better.

After a wonderful time at the Machine Quilting Expo today I just had to balance it out with some knitting time. I cast on and finished this dish cloth tonite. It was my favorite pattern from the new Mason Dixon book and uses Knitpicks Comfy yarn. I love this cotton yarn. It's soft, knits up really nice and will was wonderfully as all dishcloths need to. I've got enough yarn to do two other dishcloths and 3 more vintage brown buttons to use as the fastener.

The machine quilting expo was a fun event and different from your normal quilt show. There were the quilts and the vendors and the attendees but there were tons of long arm quilting machines and the tools that go with them. It was a show about the equipment needed to quilt all of those tops we love to sew but don't have the time to hand quilt. Lots of fun tools, rulers, patterns, kits and thread abounded and I supported the quilt shops by purchasing a few fun items. Just the quilt show alone was worth the trip. I don't think I'd go again next year but it's fun trying out a new show and seeing all of the gadgets and goodies that are out there.

Meet the Royals

I've been spending the last couple of nights putting together and customizing the Royal Family. Here is the princess of the family. I couldn't give her braids, it just ruined her looks. She loves her crown though.

The queen mom had a cape that has a snap under the gold rosette, so she can remove it when needed. She likes her decorated skirt and golden belt.

The king has gold embroidery on his tunic and a elf woven cape with a snap under the golden rosette. He came out especially nice.

I did some changes in the patterns for the crowns and didn't sew on the royal capes as called for in the pattern. They all have chenille stems in their arms so they can be posed or hold items.

So here is the royal family all assembled and ready to rule their realm. Now I just have to wait for the next issue of Simply Knitting for the remainder of the villagers. Not to worry, I have tons of other projects that need crafting.

Gnome

Since I didn't have a chance to get to the craft store for some white chenille stems until today I had to keep on knitting. I was having trouble decided what royal robes the king and queen would wear. In my yarn stash tub two balls of red and white yarn floated up to the top. I had purchased these in September intending to make a holiday gnome or two. I found the 'alan dart' pattern and he knitted up really fast. Seated he is 10 inches tall, just perfect for a mantle or shelf. Extremly knittable in lots of colors he will not be one of a kind in this house. Tomorrow I'll make a decision on the royal family in the daylight. Yarn looks different at night even with an ott light.

Medieval Royal Family

The royal mouse family is being born, one stitch at a time. The little princess is starting to take shape but needs her arms attached. I have to get some more white chenille stems. I have other colors but they show through the white in her tiny paws. It's better to wait until I get the correct part.

The prince in his chain mail armor looks great and he carries his knitted sword proudly.

Crafting for Jesus

I finished this little farmer mouse on Saturday. I'm getting quite good at making mice now in anticipation of the medieval and star trek mice to come. I didn't like her bonnet being sewn in place so ripped, knitted and ripped again until the hat band had ear openings in the correct position and size for her. Very cute and a nice mouse with good character.

Thursday I had a consultation with the christian ed director at my church. She needed prayer flags and thought I would have a rotary cutter and mat to accomplish this task. I volunteered my time and after cleaning the house after church on Sunday I went at it. This morning I finished the total of 75 prayer flags. They have rolled hems on three sides and a casing at the top for the rope hanger to go through. Lots of work but the kids on good friday will have a lot of fun decorating them. I wanted them nice because they intend to leave them up in the church vestry for a while.

This is for my mom. I made one for her a few years back but when she went on a missionary trip to chile she brought it as an example and then ended up giving it away as a present. She always liked it so I bought enough fabric last week to do it again. I finished it this morning and it came out quite lovely. A nice addition to her table cover collection. She'll get it for mother's day.

Some late nite crafting

Last week I finished up another doll sweater. It came out really nice and I enjoyed the broken rib pattern a lot.

This baby quilt I finished yesterday and after it 'glam shot' wrapped it up. Today the new mother-to-be loved it and liked how soft and texturey it was. That baby will be loved a lot when it arrives.

Tonite I wanted to work on knitting but instead I cut out and sewed this jumbo size pincushion with a hole in center for your tools. I don't think I really looked at picture from the 'craftzine' download or I would have realized that it was going to be big. But it came out way bigger than I thought. The inside hole is 3.5 inches in diameter. The pattern left a little to be desired in the way of completion. It says to use a thick interfacing for the center tube. Mine wasn't sturdy enough to stand up straight so I cut a piece of cardboard and inserted it inside and then stuffed the pincushion through one seam left open. Once I was sure it was going to work, fit and stand upright, I stapled the cardboard together into a tube, finished the stuffing and then sewed the seam shut by hand. The bottom has a round of heavy cardboard covered in fabric and then sewn on again by hand. A lot of work but in the end worth it. I don't think I'll be making another one soon though. There is an adorable hedgehog pincushion that needs making up.