Past Couple Weeks Crafting: 5.28.23

/ Deirdre K. Bentley / 2 Comments

Here is a round up of the things I have been working on!

Great Great Aunt Edna’s Blanket

My aunt came up to visit and brought this blanket made by my great, great aunt Edna. Edna made it for her younger sister sometime in the 1930’s. The blanket itself is in amazing condition and I immediately set about trying to figure out how to replicate the pattern. It is made up up a series of hexagons all sewn together to create this dynamic patterns. I was able to reverse engineer the pattern and have plans to slowly build up hexagons to make another blanket of the same style.

Sew as you go Quilted Project Bag

I took a class on making little hand sewn quilts through the Making App and thought I’d take the process a few steps further. The class was taught by Amanda Nadig, a textile artist base near Chicago Illinois. I made a little mug rug and had a blast. And then I looked through my sewing scrap basket and realized I have A LOT of scraps so wanted to see what it would be like to make something a bit bigger. I initially wanted to make a purse, but failed to think through the measurements and it ended up being better suited as a project bag. Good lessons learned!

Abstract Stamp

I made a stamp while watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie. It was a good time 🙂

Oiled Spoons

I wanted to get some new spoons to use only for vegetable and other vegan foods. I found a set for less that $5 at a local store and they were, needless to say, lackluster. SO I used some cutting board oil and soaked them for a while. They turned out pretty nicely, I think. I will need to go back in and do some sanding and re-soaking I think as they are still pretty rough. But I have a good start.

Custom Tank Top

I was thinking of joining a crochet along (CAL) that involves making “your favorite summer tee or tank” and got lost in the myriad of patterns out there that look amazing to make. I then suffered sever decision paralysis and the CAL starts on Friday and I am nowhere near ready. So I decided I will just make my own tank top and work on it with the rest of the CAL when it gets started. The pattern works up pretty quickly even using a fingering weight yarn so I might actually start a whole new one by the time the CAL actually starts!

And that’s me for the crafting these past couple weeks. I would love to see what you all have been up to!

Be Well,

Deirdre

Bullet Points: Crochet Pattern Components

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Introduction

  • Title of the item
  • The designers name and business name (if applicable)
  • The story of why you designed the item
    • Should be short and sweet
    • Should capture attention of the maker
    • Also known as “Romance Paragraph”
  • A clear picture of the item
  • Copy right information
    • Include statement of permissions
      • i.e. if the maker can or cannot sell what they make

Materials

  • A list of what is needed to produce the item
    • Yarn
    • Hook or hooks
    • Notions
      • Things such as buttons or other objects attached to the finished item
      • Small tools needed during the production of the item such as scissors or yarn needles

Special Stitches and Instructions

  • Gauge
    • The number of stitches and rows needed to produce the item in the size intended
    • Can and should be adjusted based upon how the individual maker works with hook and yarn
  • List of all stitches and abbreviations used in the pattern
    • Should only include appreciations used in the pattern rather than an exhaustive list
  • Step by step explanation of any complex stitches
  • Notes section
    • Explanation of the making process
    • Include any complex stems in the process
    • Include finishing information
      • Blocking
      • Seaming
      • Adding notions
      • Etc.

The Pattern

  • Written instructions that a maker can follow to produce the item
  • Clear sections for each part of the pattern
  • Clear starting point for each part of the pattern
  • Consistently written to support ease of use

Past Couple Weeks Crafting: 5.14.23

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Full disclosure, I was recovering from surgery the first week of May so spent most of that week sleeping and watching the Stanley Cup Playoff games and catching up on random Netflix shows I have had zero time for. Most of my crafting has been crochet since it involves a lot of holding still.

Beyond Cardigan Completed!

The Beyond Cardigan by Hanna Gough of Germander Cottage Crafts is a very comfortable and cozy sweater that can be easily worked while binge watching. That seems to be my standard of skill assessment 🙂 But really, since it is worked in 5 pieces then sewn together, you get a happy hit of completion for each piece that keeps you motivated throughout the project. Hanna will be running a crochet along (CAL) in June for anyone interested in making this wonderful sweater and you can find the details here.

Candy Mountain Tee

Another easy to watch things and make piece is this Candy Mountain Tee by Lindsey Roe of Off the Beaten Hook. This was a paid pattern I believe I got off her Etsy shop. The construction is side to side creating a loose and boxy top that is great for layering. I added a couple extra stripes to mine from the original pattern. This was a great “I have to hold still and don’t want to be bored” project.

Temperature Snake

I got caught up on my Temperature Snake through April. The CAL can be found here for anyone interested. It is such a great temperature project as each round is only 20 stitches so even if you get behind (I literally had to do all 30 days of April!) it works up really quickly. I highly recommend 🙂

Dandelion Honey

In non crochet crafting I did get to make some dandelion honey. Dandelion has always been my favorite flower and it has a lot of health promoting properties as well. I sourced the dandelions from my front yard. The process was quite simple, just boiling the heads with some lemon and letting it infuse overnight. I then measured out equal parts sugar to the liquid and simmered it until thickened. I plan to do some more experimenting with roasting dandelion rout for tea soon.

And that is about it for the last couple weeks. I have healed well and hope to get to some more projects over the next couple weeks.

Wishing you well!

Bullet Points: Tech Editing Basics

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What tech editing is:

  • A review of your pattern from top to bottom
    • Spelling and grammar
      • I read your written sections out loud to make sure everything sounds right
      • I also mark any typos
    • Numbers
      • I plug your numbers into an Excel sheet and make sure there is a number for every size (if applicable)
      • I check counts and make sure they add up
      • I make sure that if there needs to be a number, there is one
    • Consistency
      • I make sure that formatting is the same throughout the pattern
      • I check that abbreviations are the same throughout the pattern
      • I check to make sure that when instructions for the same step are provided, they are stated in the same way
    • Clarity
      • I review for any redundancies that could be eliminated
      • I identify additions that could help make instructions more clear

  • Suggestions as to how to make your pattern the best it can be
    • Corrections to be made
      • We can decide how you would like this to be done, but I typically do not actually make changes to your pattern
      • I use the suggestion feature to identify potential changes
        • I only make suggestions rather than actual edits to avoid introducing potential errors to your hard work
    • Clarification to add in
      • Usually this is in the form of suggesting addition of pictures to illustrate features such as:
        • Pattern texture
        • Changes in shaping
        • Special techniques
    • Pieces of the whole that may be missing
      • Section titles
      • Designer name
      • Pattern notes

Once the edit is completed, I send you my work and you then integrate as much or as little as you like into your pattern. We can go back and forth as many times as you want in order to be confident in sending your pattern out for testing or publishing. Tech editing is one of the best ways to ensure success of your pattern.

Motivation Monday: 5.1.23

/ Deirdre K. Bentley / 2 Comments

As I take my baby steps towards defining a business I want to grow and thrive in, I took some time to think about what really matters to me in life. See, I don’t see the point in cramming yourself into a work box and a home box. I don’t see the point in being different people in different circumstances. That is just way too complicated and becomes chaotic too quickly. So here are some guiding principles that have become important to me over the years, and I think are important to share.

Get off work on time. Say no when you can’t or don’t want to do something. Boundaries are the only thing between you and overwhelm. Set them and hold them.

Do what you say you will do. And provide updates while you are doing. Integrity is what will earn you trust, and communication is what will keep that trust.

There is no such thing as perfect. Excellence is the goal but embracing flaws is the thing will feed your soul.

Sometimes it just sucks. Fighting the suck makes it worse. Hopefully the suck will stop but if it doesn’t, it wasn’t for you. Let it go.

I live my life how I see fit. No one gets to tell me how to live my life. I get to tell no one how to live theirs. Everyone has the right to live in their authenticity.

What are some of your guiding principles and how do they show up in your life?