Well I just barely made good on that promise, but I did it! They're all finished and listed and ready to find new homes. :)
Guess what I'll be doing this weekend? More of the same! The holiday season has officially begun in my world. Has it hit your world yet?
I didn't mean to. Forgive me?
I've had a bit of tunnel vision going on here lately as I have been working on a big, huge order the past few weeks (mixed in with being sick). I'm finished now. Can I get a "Woo-hoo!"?!
Right now I'm busily working on getting some new bendy dolls finished so my shop isn't so empty. They'll be up sometime today (I'll update the blog!).
Just in case you need a reason to spend the day curled up on the couch, here's my favorite scrubby cleaning cloth pattern.
It's similar to my favorite dishcloth, except it's smaller and thicker. I've actually taken to calling them "half-doubles" because they're half the size and double the thickness of the standard dishcloths we use. They're a bit too thick for washing dishes, I think. But they're perfect for cleaning the bathroom or washing the floor when it gets done the old fashioned way, with a bucket and on your hands and knees.
And, the beauty of it is, it works up super fast. As in, I could make several in an afternoon spent on the couch watching movies. :-)
It's a great pattern for using up those little bits of cotton yarn that are leftover from other projects.
Using kitchen cotton yarn, holding 2 strands together throughout, and a size J hook (feel free to size up or down to suit your needs)
The finished cleaning cloth is about 6" square.
Chain 18
Make 2 DC in 3rd ch from hook. Skip 2 ch, then SC in next ch. *Skip 2 ch, 4 DC in next ch, skip 2 ch, SC in next ch* Repeat ** until end of row. Ch2, turn.
2 DC in first st (last sc of the last row). SC in the center of the 4DC-cluster (insert hook between the 2nd and 3rd DC). *4DC in next SC. SC in center of the next 4DC-cluster* Repeat ** until end of row. Ch2, turn.
Continue in this pattern until you have completed 10 rows.
At the end of the 10th row, ch 1, turn.
next row: sc in each stitch to corner (14sc). Ch 1. Make 14 sc along each of the remaining 3 sides with one ch in each corner. Then connect to the first sc with a sl st. Ch1, turn.
NOTE: The bottom edge where the beginning foundation chain is contains a couple extra stitches. Just skip a few for a total of 14 sts.
Picot edge:
Sc in first st. Ch 3, sl st in the same sp as the sc you just made. *SC in the next 3 sts. Ch 3, sl st in the sam sp as the last sc.* Repeat ** until you've covered all 4 sides. Connect last st to first sc with a sl st. Bind off.
NOTE: You could skip the picot edge and just do a few rows of SC all the way around (remember to add one chain stitch in each corner).
Weave in loose ends.
You know that kind of day where you know it's not worth even thinking about getting dressed? It's one of those days here.
The first big total-household round of sickness for the season has hit. Though I can't complain too much. I did sleep really well last night thanks to a combination of behind-the-counter NyQuil and Afrin nasal spray (I really hate that stuff but it works so well!).
While I was out picking up cold medicine I also bought the makings of a big pot of chicken noodle soup. I've also got some bananas that are begging to made into bread. Sounds like a plan. Good food for sickies.
So other than doing that bit of cooking, I can guarantee I'll be curled up on the couch, in my jammies, piled with quilts, watching movies and stitching and stuffing animals for the order I'm working on.
I really hope my new round of Netflix movies arrive today so I'm not stuck with whatever movies they have on tv. This is totally one of those times I wish we had cable tv!
Oh, and hey! Thanks to those who voted in the poll!!
I've had a few people tell me they voted for "no faces" but then found they liked the ones with faces once they saw them. You know what? The same happened to me!
The poll has convinced me to start offering bendy dolls with faces as well as faceless dolls. I've been crazy busy working on a super giant order but I manage to eek out a few new dolls to add to the shop ( http://www.Dannielle.Etsy.com ), including some cuties with faces. More (both sorts) will be trickling in over the next couple of weeks but the trickle will be slow until I finish this order.
I've been working on my photography a bit too. I've been doing that boring stuff like reading the manual that came with my camera and trying to get a little more creative with my pictures. Photography is not my strong suit and I'm totally willing to admit it. But I also know that shopping online is just not the same as shopping when you get to handle the items. So I'm working on it. Do you notice any difference? Improvement?
Do you make this big of a mess when crafting? I am still dreaming of a crafting studio. I think I've mentioned that we have one in the works for me. It's part of our basement finishing project. Which is the most slowly progressing home improvement project ever! So until the time comes that I have a dedicated space in which to work, I make messes like this. All over the ottoman in the living room.
Hey, see that thread rack with all the little bundles of thread? That is the best idea ever! I don't remember on which brilliant crafter's blog I gleaned that lovely idea, but it's truly inspired!
I almost always stitch with 2 strands of embroidery floss. For the longest time those remaining 4 strands got cast aside until they banded together and formed this massive thread tangle. It was such a mangled mess that it wasn't useable. But it was also such a big ball that it was obviously a huge waste to just toss it in the trash. And then I saw the idea to use a thread rack.
So any leftover threads get quickly wrapped around two fingers and placed on the rack. When I'm stitching I look there first for the color I need. So if you are dealing with a tangled thread ball, I highly reccommend using a thread rack to store leftovers.
