Thank You, Diane Gilleland!

My calendar tells me it is International Thank You Day.  So I had already decided to write about thanks today.  But then I read this post by my long-time crafty icon, Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod, and I had to say

.

10x10x10 = 1000 Craft Links!

It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Yo! Yo! Yo! Yo!

Collage based on photos by Leo Reynolds at flickr.com

It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Yo! Yo! Yo! Yo!

Hey, everybody!  I just wanted to check in on today, and share a project with you that I have been working on for a long time.

Way back in the day, I listened to a podcast by Sister Diane at Craftypod.  (Well, actually I did that a bunch of times, but anyway) In her podcast, she encouraged her listeners to consider using an online bookmark sharing device like delicious.com to help organize our crafty links.  Well, I took her advice and began tagging all of the crafty things I came across.  I don't even remember when I started this, but now I have over 1,000 craft links!  

You can browse the links freely on my delicious page.   I've linked you to my "craft" tag, but delicious allows users to label bookmarks with multiple tags, so you can search with "craft"+"crochet" for -you guessed it- crochet-related links.  

10-10-10 is a magical day of power, so scoot on over to my delicious page to browse over "10 cubed" craft links, and enhance your power of creation.

Enjoy!

{Edit 5-10-11} I just learned how to import my 100 most recent craft bookmarks right here to my blog.  You don't even have to leave Art, Like Bread to marvel in the crafty wonderland that is my delicious page.  (That is, unless you want to see the 1300+ additional craft links that I have stored there.)  


Enjoy!

Anatomy of a Swap

Hey there, everyone. I've always wanted to participate in a swap, and I finally signed up for real in Ravelry's Lion Brand Swaps group (free login required to access link). It's been a ton of fun putting my partner's package together, and it's also been fun seeing what everyone else has been getting.

The packages (valued at $20.00 USD) needed to include: a handmade item from at least one (1) skein of Lion Brand yarn and/or using a Lion Brand pattern, and any random summertime patterns, yarn, books, local items, etc.

Here's the thing- $20.00 USD can buy you a LOT more stuff here in Mexico than it can in the US, if you know where to shop. My swap partner said she liked bold colors and bright pastels, would like local yarn, and would enjoy any kind of useful crafty items, especially Tunisian hooks.
Strategy: 1. Attack the handmade item first. Since Lion Brand isn't so easy to come by here, I decided on a Lion Brand Pattern. On my third try, I ended up with the Greenmarket Lunch Tote (modified version). But I had a ball with my other tries!

2. Find the yarn next. I went to La Rueca, a local yarn store, and selected a yarn from Spain, in what I would consider to be a bright pastel.

3. Use up the remaining $20.00 at Telas Parisina. In case you are not familiar, Telas Parisina is a nation-wide fabric retailer in Mexico. They have all kinds of stuff at great prices. Sister Diane of Craftypod did a great review of the store on her blog. I had about 60 pesos to spend, and that goes a LONG way in notions at Parisina.

4. Provide suggestions for what to do with this random stuff! The package does look a little bit like a hodge-podge, but I'm proud of it. I'm sending some project suggestions, just in case!

The final swap package looked like this!

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my package!

Learning to Knit

Big needles for beginners.

If you read my blog back in 2008, you may recall my review of Vickie Howell's Knit Aid book. I was able to knit after reading it, but, in comparison to crochet, I was slow and unskilled. After listening to this podcast by Sister Diane of craftypod, I made the resolution to learn all that I could about crochet. I read countless books, blogs, and patterns, and learned all kinds of stitches. I crocheted many, many things. Now I feel like an expert crocheter!

In the fiber arts world, crochet is considered by many to be the under-appreciated yarn craft. There are countless conversations about promoting crochet, supporting crochet designers, and advancing the craft. I am completely supportive of such efforts, and prided myself in my crochet-only skill set. Yet, I could hear knitting calling my name, and I knew that I would eventually give in.

Using both Knit Aid and Debbie Stoller's Stitch N Bitch as my guides, I picked up the needles and started to knit. My goal was to read slowly and complete projects until I felt really comfortable with the technique. I think I already knew how to cast on, but Vickie's instructions for the knit cast-on were super-helpful. My first challenge was the garter stitch, English-style, which I found to be fun, but slooooow as I was knitting my cotton dishcloth. I couldn't figure out how to make it faster. I had heard that knitting continental is a lot faster, so I figured I should switch my method. Even with both of my books, I couldn't get it to work for me.

Then something clicked. At night, before I went to bed, I tried to visualize my hands making the movements, and I realized that knitting continental could be almost exactly like crochet for me. I picked up the needles and tried the technique holding my yarn in the way I saw in my mind. It was only later that I realized that I was, in fact, knitting Eastern European. Here's a video by elsteffo of youtube that shows exactly how I knit.

With this new technique, I increased my knitting speed quite a lot. I finished the dishcloth, a kerchief, and a felted bag.

The felted garter stitch bag.

After considering being a garter-stitch-only knitter, I decided I should try to tackle stockinette, which involves the infamous purl stitch. I had the same speed problem with the purl stitch, and my method of continental was not very fast, felt awkward, and produced a stitch that looked different. (In case you are interested, I found a video of the same method on youtube.) However, the stitch it produced looked very pretty. But I was looking for speed here.

The pretty stitch with "weird" purling.

And, after a youtube search, I found the Eastern European method, which was the answer! It's quick, it makes sense, and (this is the best part) you don't have to move your yarn from back to front! I assume that I will begin patterns & ribbing soon, and I could not imagine trying them before learning this method. I just don't have that kind of patience. Watch this video to purl Eastern European style. Thanks, elseffo!!

Right now I'm working on another felted bag, inspired by the bag my best friend made for me.

Pre-felted & pretty.

All still images property of artlikebread

More Good News!

Three of my favorite crafty icons were featured in the Sunday New York Times today! The article is about Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica, while Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, and the CraftyPod were mentioned! How exciting. :o) Congrats, ladies!

Obsessing

I am getting on a yarn kick. Seriously. I never had any strong affinity to yarn, knit, or crochet before the supreme enabler, Sister Diane of Craftypod, got me interested in crochet through her fabulous podcast (which I dearly miss). So, I joined Ravelry, and on the day I got my invitation, I figured I had to post something, so I picked up a book and started to crochet.

Because I'm never without my ipod in my ears, and because I feel like I never listen to music anymore, I've been cruising through my podcasts, and even decided to subscribe to some more. This leads me to... the YARN THING! All I can say is that this podcaster, Marly, is the absolute bomb and she loooves knitting and crochet. It's serious. If you have even a passing interest in fiber arts, I highly recommend this podcast. She is so funny, enthusiastic, and nice. I love that she is unafraid to be herself and shares her insecurities as well as the good things going on in her life. She's also really supportive of other fiber artists and podcasters out there trying to make a contribution. Marly has definitely contributed to my obsession with fiber stuff and BOOKS. She loves books. It's just great to see someone out there who is exuberant and passionate about knowledge and crafts. Those are two qualities that I like to think I have, too. :o)

My Ravelrous Creations

Have you heard of Ravelry? You can tell by the smile on my face that I have! :o)

Ravelry is a social networking site for fiber artists, focusing specifically on knitting and crocheting. The site is AWESOME, perhaps the best social networking site I've ever been to, because it's focused around this specific interest.

It's in its beta phase now, so the "powers that be" are keeping the membership small and manageable. I believe that the ultimate goal is to open the site publicly, but they're taking their time with that.

In order to gain access to this amazing fibrous world, you need to go to the Ravelry website, and request an invitation. I put in my request, and I think I was lucky, because about four weeks later, I received an invitation to join. That made me think that I'd better start to crochet! :o)

Since then, I've been listening to fiber podcasts like SSK, Unwound, and CraftBorg. I have to tell ya, knitting is the shit and crochet is da bomb, y'all!

So here are picks of my ravelrous creations. I've been posting on Ravelry, so I kinda feel like I've been neglecting my own blog!

Chunky Scarf (as seen above) a la Craftivity.

Coffee sleeve (with the word "cafe" topstiched across it)

My fabulous mom with her fabulous coffee sleeve (My sister got one, too.)

<3 - shaped keychain.

Crafty Grammar!

On the subject of holidays, March 4 is National Grammar Day! How cool is that?

Something has been bothering me for quite a while. I was thinking of writing to Grammar Girl, and maybe I still will, but I have a couple of grammatical pet peeves to share when it comes to the crafting world.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not believe that I am a grammar diva. However, I do enjoy grammar. I know the language pretty well, and if I am using it incorrectly, I'm usually aware of it. Perhaps the folks who are irking me are aware of their mistakes as well. But they still irk me!

1. What does this say?

Do you see a "ge" at the end of the first word? Then why does everyone, including Rosie O'Donnell (as seen in an "On Demand" Martha Stewart segment), call it Modge Podge? I don't get it. Someone please help me. Explain this!

For some great decoupage ideas, check out Sister Diane's podcast about it!

2. Artist Trading Cards Cards?

I've just seen too many people adding the word "cards" to the end of the abbreviation "ATC", which already stands for "Artist Trading Cards". It's just annoying!

Check out my rad ATCs in my inaugural posting! If anyone wants to trade, let me know!

~End Rant~

Now that I've let my inner snob show, I hope you won't hate me. And if you ever want to pick apart my grammar, I probably deserve it. Happy National Grammar Day! :o)

A Single Chain

I have a new word to say: crochet. Crochet is a noun, and also a verb.^1 Crochet is my new obsession.

When it comes to fiber crafts, I consider myself a novice. During my childhood, my girlfriends and I would constantly make those cute knotted bracelets. I had quite the stash of embroidery floss. (In fact, I still have a lot of that floss.) Were those cool friendship bracelets considered crochet?

When I was a tween, (before they were called "tweens") I remember one of my mom's friends cast some bubble gum pink yarn onto a huge hook and taught me how to crochet a square. She didn't teach me how to change yarns, start a project, or to stop. Perhaps that's why I had a single, gawdy square of bright pink yarn stuff sticking around my room for such a long while, but no further projects.

Then, finally, after college, I started a knitting circle at my place of work, which also happened to be my place of residence. (It also happened to be a prestigious women's college in western Mass.) Things went well for a little while, but before long it fell apart. Maybe it was my poor knitting skills, maybe it was their busy student schedules, or maybe the chemistry just wasn't right. But it was in that group that I first saw the potential of crochet. One member of the circle participated with a single hook & vibrant yarn and by the end of the session had a cute little project nearly completed!

My interest in crochet was reignited just a little while ago when I heard an awesome podcast by Sister Diane of Craftypod. Her podcast is about beautiful, handcrafted hats crocheted by Afya Ibomu of Nattral.com. This made me want to run out and grab a hook and some yarn. Imagine: hats of many colors! Ahhhh.

This all leads me to yesterday. I bought a little hook and borrowed a little book. I had some fuzzy yarn on hand. I'm such a beginner, and this book was great about the baaasics, like how to hold the hook, how to cast on, and rudimentary stitches. In spite of my enthusiasm, I was stitching just before bed, and was only able to learn how to make a single chain. I added a sparkled button and called it a bracelet.

it's so cute!

Footnotes
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1. Dictionary.com offers the following entry as the second definition of crochet, transitive verb form: "make a piece of needlework by interlocking and looping thread with a hooked needle; "She sat there crocheting all day." I just liked the sentence. Sounds blissful.