My Hobbies: Episode One - Crafting
Um, Actually...
I don’t really have any hobbies, I have passions! And one of them is crafting. About a year ago, my husband turned his workshop, in the back of the garage, into a family room and craft room, but I refer to it as my studio because it makes me feel fancy. (The family room has since become the grow room, that I refer to as the lab, because that makes me feel fancy too. I’ve got names for all the rooms. Fancy names.) It’s simple, but with salvaged lumber, a salvaged sink, a salvaged shop light and Adam’s skills, we did the whole room for less than $200, sheetrock, paint, flooring and a door.
I have three work stations, so several of us can work in there at the same time. That’s really handy around the holidays when we’re all making gifts for friends and family.
Some of My Recent Projects
Crochet
If I crocheted as much as I want to, I’d lose feeling in my hands for the rest of my life, so I have to limit it to about an hour and a half a day. But I love it and I’m always on the look out for an excellent new project.
Messy Bun Beanies
My girls and I have a lot of hair, and a regular beanie won’t stay on our heads. It’ll just slide off. We love these messy bun beanies. I use two yarns at a time to make the hat thicker and warmer. I also like the way the mixed colors look.
By the time my first child turned 5, I hated all battery powered toys. They’re noisy, offer no opportunity for imagination, and no matter what they say on the package, they are not educational. But it’s really hard to find simple toys that allow children to imagine and learn through play. So I hopped down to the library and grabed some books, and got to work on some homemade toys. Here are a couple I’ve made recently.
The Turtle
People either love or hate this turtle. If you love it, wonderful. If you don’t, well, then you just don’t, and that’s okay. :)
She’s about a foot long.
:) Peas
These peas were fun. A quick, easy project.
Beading
Here’s a Peyote stitch Spock. A gift for my son that took way longer than it should have. But it was fun, so I’m making another!
I’m still practicing getting it smooth. Maybe the next one will be better.
Jewelry
I love wrap bracelets. They’re a good way to use up beads left over from other projects.
Necklaces
The one in the middle has a floater from a Galileo thermometer that got broken.
I really love bees. :)
These are kind of random. On the left is a cross stitched Scrump face. The rock, paper, scissors one is one of my favorites. The one on the right is all about Alice in Wonderland. I’m a little obsessed with Alice.
Trees of Life
I’m just learning to do these. They’re a lot of fun, even if they don’t turn out quite right. Practice makes perfect though, right!
Some of these things might end up on #steembay. If you haven’t checked @steembay out yet, I urge you to pop in and take a look. It’s pretty cool!
Well, I hope you enjoyed a peek into my life. Thanks for sticking with it to the end! :)
Have a super wonderful weekend!
i saw your other post with the steembay auction - been thinking about it as well. it's nice to have bots that do the work for you. are you happy with how it's been going so far?
was there any sort of signup payment? or a precentage taken out? i could go read more, but i like when people mix their opinions, thoughts & impressions in!
This is my first experience with it. But from what I understand, the only payment @steembay gets is from the upvotes they get on their replies and the posts on their page.
Here's a tutorial and some info on it.
Right now, it doesn't look like there's too much traffic. Not a lot of eyes seeing the auctions. I think it's cool though and I thought I might try to post something there once a week or so.
thank you for the tutorial link - and once a week is a good plan. we're here often enough, posting and commenting, so it's easy to whip something up and let 'er go!
I'd really like to see it gain some traction. I think having a place to utilize SBD without cashing out, and keeping it the system, exchanging it for goods. I think it could be a real sweet deal.
this is amazing. i had a thing for crochet, so i tried learning the skills, which didn't really go so well.
would be nice if you could create like a tutorial post. thank you
meanwhile. following....
The hats are way super easy, so I thought about putting a tutorial up for one. Since there's already some interest, I'll go ahead and do that. I've been looking for a good reason to male a video anyway, It'll be my first! ☺
Hey, thanks for the comment!
Awesome post!!
My girlfriend is just starting to learn crochet!! She only knows the basic stitch now, but I wan't her to get good so she can make me little figures of my favorite comic characters! I'm going to show her your post for inspiration! :D
I plan to start video lessons on things like that. Teach pattern reading. It's all basic stitch, just knowing where to put them! I'm hoping to have a couple beginners' how-to videos in thhe next couple weeks.
What characters are you wanting her to make?
That sounds amazing! You will have at the very least two viewers, haha! :D
I would really like her to make a Batgirl, or Porg from the new star wars movie!
Well, you'll have to take it easy on me. It will be the first video I'll have ever made!
Only compliments and constructive criticism here! :D
OMGosh!! I just got the first of three videos of a how to for crocheting amigurumi up. I promise it won’t take 28 days to get the second one up! LOL! Here’s a link! Enjoy!
All of these things look so cool, people can make some great thing with their hands. The beanie that you can put your hair through is cool. It would be a good present 🎁
Well, I’ve already given 3 of them away. Two ladies at a gas station liked mine and said that they had been looking for them, so I ran home and grabbed two and took them back to them. They acted like no one had ever given anything to them before!
I love seeing what other peope make. I’m impressed with the makers on Steemit everyday. Do you make something?
Haha that’s an awesome story and yea people can make some unbelievable thins. I like to do ceramics but haven’t done them in a while. I like music and I paint too
Well, next time you create something post it! We’d all love to see it!
Loving your studio! Its so important to have a work space where we know exactly where every little thing is stowed. Just moved to Cali from NY and still struggling to get my space set up. Ill be borrowing a few of your ideas! :) check out my first post, I am a cement pot maker all started off a DIY video. Curious...what do you have growing in your lab?
I just did a mini update on it. Mostly herbs right now. Rosemary, parsley, toothache plant, a couple different varieties of echinacea, thyme, ashwaganda, lavender, chives, feverfew, basil, dill, motherwort and onion. I’ve got green onion roots that are regrowing in a little pot, sweet potatoes putting out slips and a ginger rhizome putting off eyes. I think that’s about it. I’ll be starting things almost daily from here on out. Spring is coming!!!
Hello @powellx5. Great post ! I looked at your photos and thought 'oh, paradise'... place with all your crafty things to just make stuff ... I've also got tonnes of things but it's all in different places (mainly boxes...).
I will check @steembay now. Thank you!
Hi, @cryptocariad! Thanks for stopping by. My stuff was all over the place for a long, long time. It is so nice to have one place to keep it all, and a good place to work.
@steembay is pretty cool. I'd like to see the tutorial get spread around. It's an excellent way for everyone to sell and earn, and it's an opportunity to use SBD with out powering down and cashing out, keeping it in the system and on the platform.
Have a wonderful weekend!
I love crocheting. I'm thinking of posting a pic of my last project for the latest homestead photography contest.
So jealous of your bead loom. I wanted one of them for years, but now I wouldn't have the time anyway. I made a small one up for my daughter recently, but she lost interest. I used to love making jewellery too. A bit different to your style though.
My obsession was always Winnie the Pooh, particularly gloomy eeyore! I get compared to Tigger though because of my red hair. I wish I had that kind of energy...
I'm pretty fast with loom, but ot still takes me a while to complete a project because I have so much to get done every day.
I'll be watching for your conest entry. If you end up not using it for the contest, you should post the picture here. I love seeing what other crafters are working on. ☺
This is awesome! I salute you my fellow craft'er! I wish I'd be that advanced as you are though.
You have some really beautiful pieces :)
Hey, thanks for the compliment! What kind of things do you craft?
Everything really, what is on my mind at that moment. But usually it is small projects like post cards, origami flowers, various decorations, small gifts, candles etc. sadly I don't really have time for more advanced and beautiful things like yours. :)
I don’t really have time either, I just work for small amouts of time. A few minutes here and a few minutes there.
You should post some of your work sometime. :)
Thank you for the encouragement, I'll try :)
And I really think that you deserve more upvotes so resteem it is!
Hey, thanks!
I'll be watching for a post with some of your work. 😉
Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing. I too crochet among other crafts! Can’t wait to see some more of your art!
I’ll be watching for some more from you also!