Welcome to Hook Sticks & Stitches! Over the next few days I will be setting things up to my liking and updating the look of this blog. After that I am hoping to blog about crafting, knitting and crocheting at least once a week, if not more often.
So check back often for updates, and sign up to follow us via email down on the right hand side of the page at the bottom! I’ll be posting new patterns, yarn reviews, pattern reviews and about all the cool pretty things I make!
Happy Crafting!
-Jen
I think one of my favorite things to make are Hand Painted Wine Glasses! Each one is different, but matches the rest of the glasses in the set, whether it’s a set of 2 or 4. It’s definitely a fun “craft” to do, and since the options are endless, it’s always fun seeing what my customers would like me to make for them. Some customers ask for the same design but to make each glass a different color so it’s easier for guests to distinguish their glass from somebody else’s, while others order sets of 4 with all the same design.
When I started painting these wine glasses I was using a smaller 12 ounce stemless glass. I’ve since switched to a 15 ounce stemless glass so they can be used for more than just wine and more of a tumbler as well. And I always give the warning of “Pour carefully, each one holds 15 ounces!” I also started wearing gloves while working on anything glass now, whereas when I started painting I didn’t. I hated the fingerprint smudges that I would work so hard to get off, only to have them on the other side again! So now every wine glass, wine bottle and glass Christmas ornament is made wearing vinyl/medical gloves!
These are so fun and easy to make that my 7 year old son is currently working on a glass of his own – of course his won’t be used for wine anytime soon! He’s definitely a crafty little guy, he asked me if he could have an arts and crafts themed birthday party this year – he’s definitely giving me enough time to plan since his (and his sister’s) birthday isn’t until late May!
Below are a few examples of glasses I’ve painted for customers. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed making them!
Are there any crafts that you do that look complicated once completed but are really easy to do?
Wow! This was quite the challenge but totally worth every single stitch!
Blue Doggy LOVED wearing it because its got his favorite color in it!
Of course I couldn’t leave Cookie out of the photo shoot!
This pic shows everything off the best though. I love how the “spine” is kind of wavy!
Some more pics of Cookie wearing B’s new shawl/triangle-scarf-thingy.
One thing this shawl taught me was blocking is unbelievably necessary when it comes to knitting shawls. It really opens up the design as well as blooms the yarn in such a way you would never see without blocking it.
I was originally going to add a button for B to fasten this around her neck, but the more I look at it, the more I realize that she’s faaar too mature and old for such a baby-like feature at her ripe old age of 10.
In general, I wouldn’t recommend this pattern to a beginner, but would absolutely say an intermediate knitter could handle this without getting discouraged.
I will post a link to the pattern on Ravelry once the designer has released it for all that would like to make one!
I can’t wait to see how this looks on my not-so-little diva! And we all know I won’t be able to make it until Christmas to give it to her!!!!
Have you ever tested a pattern for a designer with the intention of giving the finished object away as a gift?
So I’ve started testing patterns for designers on Ravelry.com. I really enjoy trying new things, and I’ve found that testing provides me with opportunities to try knitting & crocheting things I don’t usually make.
For instance, right now I am working on what is to be called the “Infinity Shawl”. It is a knit shawl, whereas I generally crochet shawls, that has presented me with a few challenges. At first I totally had my heart set on using this gorgeous JL Salvia fingering yarn that is light blue, light pink and light tan that I had claimed in a Ravelry swap (which also came with a Kinder Schokolade treat that I tried not devouring and failed!)
As I started knitting, I really didn’t like the way the yarn looked in the stitch pattern for the first section of the shawl. It absolutely wasn’t a good fit for this project at all! But then I received another yarn that I had claimed in a swap, it was this Lady Dye Yarns Superwash Merino fingering weight yarn in the Candy Rain colorway.
The way the bright blue and bright pink contrast with each other in the knit fabric is just out of this world!! I adore the way they go from striping to pooling then back to striping. Since I’m planning on giving this to my daughter, who is the Queen of all things obnoxiously bright & beautiful, I can’t wait to see the final result of how these two colors play out through the rest of this shawl (or as the kiddo calls it: her triangle-bandana-looking-scarf-thingy!)
I couldn’t wait to get started working on the pattern test once I got the Candy Rain balled up. I cast on and sailed through the first pattern repeat in no time. There weren’t any hiccups since somebody else that is testing posted a correction prior to my receiving the pattern via email.
I must admit, the second section is a bit more labor intensive than the first. I wasn’t expecting it to take as much time as it does to complete each even row. I actually look forward to purling the odd row since it goes so much faster. In all fairness I have to add that the even rows do go by a bit quicker, and smoother, once you get into a nice rhythm, but they are still quite labor intensive regardless.
One thing I have suggested to the designer is to include what the stitch count should be at the end of each section repeat. There are two sizes to this shawl, small & large. I am testing the small size, so I don’t have as many repeats to do, but I did create a row by row stitch counting guide on a piece of graph paper. I offered to scan it in & email it to the original designer so she could create one for the final pattern based off of my notes, although I’ve yet to hear back from her on that. I wouldn’t mind creating a blank worksheet guide like the one I have made for myself to use, but I don’t want to step on any toes.
I can’t wait to get this completed, it is a great pattern, easily memorized once you get going and perfect for a knit night. You can chat away while working on this (so long as you keep track of how many rows you have worked.)
I’ll be sure to post when I’ve completed knitting, blocked the shawl out & take pics of my darling daughter wearing her new “triangle-bandana-looking-scarf-thingy”!
Are you working on any new projects? If you are, is it something easy peasy or does it challenge you?
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