plain janes

So I finished my plain janes! I really liked this pattern. Besides the end product being really cute, I used some of my leftover stash & I learned a few new techniques along the way:
1. This was my first time turning a heel. Easy as pie!
2. I finally tried the technique where you slip the first stitch of each row so your ends come out straighter. Heather is always telling me to do it, but I always forget. (I'm a creature of habit) But I really liked how neat the edges came out, so I'll have to get in the habit of doing that.
3. I learned the "three needle bind off". Crazy Aunt Purl has a really good tutorial for it.

Knowing these techniques will make my zapatista doll a hell of a lot easier. Oh, and I used these duck buttons I've had lying around for quite some time too.
I couldn't get a good picture of them. I'm not sure if it's my camera that sucks, or my photography skills. But hopefully this is something that this blog will inspire me to improve.

Speaking of things that I've had lying around for some time...I'm trying to be good & not buy crafting materials unless I have a specific project in mind for the product. I find cute & beautiful things, and they accumulate in my house. This is why I have an entire drawer full of fabric that I have to find ways to use. Who am I kidding? I have drawers (plural) full of a lot of stuff that I need to start inventing uses for. I got a wake up call on this when I cleaned out my crafting stuff. And my partner keeps yelling at me for stealing all of our bowls, which I place all over the house full to the brim with parts of my yarn stash. Apparantly, these bowls are intended for cooking or some such nonsense.

April & I have had talk of doing a "craft supply swap" in the near future. I think that would be a hell of a good time. Also, there is talk of a garment construction class at Year of the Goat which I am pretty pumped about. (And by the way, if that class sounds like something you'd be down for, let me know or stop by the shop & talk to Melissa)