Scarf Holder

A la this project that I saw on Apartment Therapy, I made a scarf holder from excess fabric from our yet-to-be-hung IKEA curtains:

The instructions at the above link are much better than anything I could produce, so instead I’ll just give you photos and witty anecdotes.

This ended up being about 28″ in length, and the loops are scraps of ribbon that I saved (because I do that sort of thing). The loops are about 8″ from the top of the fabric, and are stitched across the front and back to reinforce them. If I were to make another one, I’d probably use shorter ribbon loops – however they nicely accomodate our scarves:

I attached the scarf holder to the back of the closet door with a couple of little nails since there’s no internal structure to support it. Other options could include putting a strip of wood or metal to provide backing – or just use nails. It’s totally easier.

(Oh, I promised witty anecdotes.  The best I can do is stories about the scarves.  From left – the multi-colored wool one was a gift from my friend Oday, given to me when I visited him in Poitiers.  It’s warm and fabulous.  The second one is Shane’s, provenance unknown.  Third from the left was a Christmas present from Shane’s aunt Corinne – blue and soft and fabulous.  The last was a gift from my friend Karla on the occasion of my departure from GSLIS last year.  I feel terribly sophisticated whenever I wear it.  I also have a super fuzzy red scarf that was a gift from Eva – she said it was very David Bowie, a beautiful soft pink scarf from Sarah from last Christmas, a silky one that Heidi sent me from Morocco, and at least one scarf that I made myself.  The good thing is that I have a lot of options.  The bad thing is that since I can’t really make anything other than scarves, I need to either diversify my knitting, or befriend more people with cold necks.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s going to be a very crafty Christmas, and I’m just getting started!)

Stitch-y

The other week’s helpful interlude may have clued you into the fact that I’ve started cross-stitching.  Don’t ask me why cos I’m really not sure.  Up until a few weeks ago, cross-stitching for me existed entirely in the realm of junior high visits with my aunt.  We would work together on a craft during my visit – sometimes cross-stitch, sometimes sewing – and I’m quite confident that the last time I picked up an embroidery hoop was circa 1993.  So what possessed me to buy not one but TWO cross-stitching kits at Mount Vernon a couple of weeks ago?  No clue.

Anyway, over the course of the last 2 1/2 weeks, I’ve completed the above little sampler and also a few small Christmas present-y items.  Since Sonya has previously alluded to my pineapple cross-stitching skills (on her Twitter, not here), I bring you the pineapple stocking:

I think one of the problems we’ll run into the next few months is not spoiling Christmas surprises by posting about exciting craftiness.  If you’re the recipient of this here pineapple, please act surprised.  For my sake.

A Helpful Interlude

So last night I said to Shane something along the lines of:

“Remember back when we first started dating, how I would get all dressed up in red vinyl and go dancing all the time?  Did you ever imagine, three years ago, that one day in the not so distant future, we’d be sitting in our apartment and you’d be watching football and I’d be cross-stitching?”

He laughed at me.  Mina just kneaded my belly with her helpful paws.

Desperate times call for desperate knitting

I flew home yesterday. Both airports and debates make me a tad antsy, so I unraveled the lace hat I had started (which WOULD NOT stay on the needles), and went full-force towards something easier I could space out while working on.

Arm warmers

I love knitting on DPNs, and I usually knit socks. I require a pattern (for the heel turn at least), so being patternless, I went for the ultimate in knitted tube + buttonhole: arm warmers.

This is Cascade 220 worsted weight, and I cast on 30 stitches (10 on each DPN). I’m doing a k2,p2 ribbing, and when I get it 5 inches from the top, I’ll add a button hole (which acts as the thumb escape hatch).

My plan is to keep on knitting them tonight (while catching up on True Blood), and finishing one of them before the evening’s out. 

I usually knit armwarmers out of smaller gauge yarn (like sock yarn), so these are going to be on the chunky side, but I think they’ll be a cheerful addition to my leaving-the-house outfit. (Working from home, I really only have one.)