SpaceCase Crafts

As you may remember, a few weeks ago I bought a sewing machine and attempted to re-learn how to sew after not having touched a sewing machine in well (well) over a decade.

Once I figured out that I don’t need to pull the fabric from the back, but instead just walk my fingers in front of and to the left of the needle, it’s gotten a little easier.  A couple of weeks ago, I made my most “complicated” project, a cute little credit card holder:

I was quite pleased with myself, I must admit.

Next up, I really wanted to tackle something that I’d never done before.  At my family reunion in July, my sister brought along her beading supplies.  She let me pick out the beads to make some earrings.  With a few turns of her wrist, I had a beautiful pair of silver beaded earrings. 

“Wow,” I thought.  “I’d like to learn how to do that.”

As luck would have it, there’s a bead store right next to my stop on the el.  So I signed up for the “Beginning Wire Working” class, and went this weekend.  For $20, it’s an hour of instruction plus the materials to make 2 pairs of earrings – a steal!

So after an hour, I walked out of the store with these earrings, made with my own little hands:

In anticipation of the class, I had picked up a few beads and other supplies in the last few weeks, here and there on trips to Joanns.  So when I got home from the class on Saturday, I sat down, and experimented.

“SpaceCase,” I said, “I bet making stitchmarkers would be pretty simple, now that you know how to make earrings.”

I was right:

I sat down and made myself a set of 4 stitchmarkers without any trouble at all. 

Where’s the 4th one, you’re asking?  Right here:

It’s already in use on my most recent Work in Progress.  For those keeping score at home, my number of WIPs is still 10, because I finished my Noro Scarf over the weekend (more details to follow after it’s washed and blocked). 

The pattern is Susan Lawrence’s “Live Dangerously, Don’t Swatch Hat” using Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Merlot Heather.  When I ordered the yarn, I thought it was going to be more reddish than brownish.  I’m still not sure about the color, we’ll see when it’s completed.  Here’s the work to date:

I should be finished with it this weekend, when we’ll have the final verdict on the color and style.   It may be my autumn hat, or it may be meant for charity.  We shall see.

You know, I’ve never really thought of myself as particularly crafty.  But I absolutely love making things myself, with my own hands.  It’s just a great feeling to look at something that’s pretty and well made and think, “I made that.”  It’s a little addictive!