New Kitty!

Meet Dinah (aka mittens) She's got an extra digit on all paws, cute eh?

Homemade cat tree house

This is kinda ugly, but the kitties love it and it was fun to make, so who cares....right?



I literally went into the back yard and found sticks and logs, grabbed a hammer and nails and just went to town. It was so fun and the kitties both really like it :)

Soulful Hues Yarn FAQ

FAQ

What process does the yarn go through?
Soulful Hues Yarns go through a very labor intensive process. First, the sweater’s pattern pieces get taken apart, get dyed, they get a nice wash and dry, then the sweater pieces get unraveled straight onto a spinning wheel while being respun, then two or more colors get plied together. The finished skein gets wrapped, soaked and hung to dry, then it’s off to it’s destination, a local yarn shop.



Why use perfectly good sweaters someone can use to make yarn?
I try my very best to find sweaters that have stains or holes that other people would not want to buy to wear.

Why use recycled yarn?
Recycled yarn continues the cycle of cradle to cradle manufacturing. Because the artist begins with existing yarn, the process uses less energy and natural resources than "virgin" yarn. It also supports small/local businesses in two ways. Most projects start with a sweater or other product purchased from a thrift store, depending on where the sweater was purchased, part of the proceeds may be used within the community. Second, using recycled yarn benefits the artist who salvaged and dyed the yarn into the beautiful skein you see before you. Using recycled yarn also makes us think twice before tossing something out ... maybe it could be reused, reworked. And, going along with my love of cotton….who said sheep want to be shaved anyway?

Stocking My Etsy Shop With Yarn and Vintage Items

Come take a look, I'm getting all ready to go full force with my Etsy shop, there is some super fresh recycled yarn and some really cool vintage items up for sale right now!

Etsy Buy Handmade soulfulhues

Big Scary Step!

So, I'm going through some life changes and HAVE to start making some regular income. I'm hoping to keep unschooling my kids while getting creative in ways to make that money. I decided to take my yarn to a new level...a local level. I creating this little presentation to bring to my local yarn shops. I went to three yesterday and it went really well. I didn't get anyone who wanted to order right away but I left them with a skein and and info brochure after telling them about my yarn and my process. I'm hoping to go to more shops tomorrow after getting some smaller, sample size skeins together tonight. Wish me luck guys!

Another Doll Shirt

The thing I love most about designing doll clothes, is that it's just a super quick way to create a pattern that can then be knit in all different sizes.

I'm loving this new top I made for a friends cabbage patch doll. I'm sure one of my own girls will order it soon for one of their dolls. Actually I really hope that they order one for themselves, because I've already got the modifications planned out in my head, and if they don't order one soon, I'll make one anyway LOL



Here's the easy peesy pattern:

Gauge: 4st/in on US size 8 needles in stockinette stitch

Needles: 24" US size 8 circs, and 24" US size 6 circs (were working magic loop, but this could be done on dpns of course

Yarn: I used my own recycled, respun cotton, but any worsted weight should do, just match the gauge.

Extra tools: darning needle, 2 stitch holders

Body

CO 44 st on size 6's, join and K 2x2 rib for for 8 rounds

K1 yo as you switch to size 8 needles, repeat to end of round

K22 stitches on a stitch holder, k 22, K 22 onto holder, k 22 (these are the arm holes)

Kfb every stitch, joining the front to the back as you go

K stockinette stitch for desired length (about 4/5 inches in the example)

K garder st for 6 rows (garder st in the round is K one round, P the next...)

BO

Ruffled Sleeves:

Slide live stitches from one arm hole onto size 8 circs

K 2 rounds

KF&B every stitch for 2 rows (88st)

BO

Do this twice, weave in ends and you're done!


This pattern is for personal use, please email at shelleefloyd@gmail.com if you'd like to sell your finished objects.

American Girl Knitted Halter Top and Shrug With Pattern

I did a knitting for sewing trade recently and knitted a halter top for an American Girl doll. I didn't know that AG doll's torsos are cloth and their arms are plastic, so once I got my hands on one and found out, I was a bit bummed. It just didn't look super good to me with the cloth/plastic contrast, so, what to do? Knit a shrug of course!

I'll list both patterns. The halter will fit an AG size doll, and probably more, who knows. And the shrug would look great over any AG shirt or dress.

Halter top:




I used the magic loop method, but DPNs would work
Needles: 3 & 5 24" circs
Gauge: 5 st/in in st st on 5's

CO 55 st using the long tail CO method

Join and knit stockinette st for 4 inches

Switch to size 3 needles

K2P2 rib for 5 rows

CO 27 st in rib fashion with size 5 needles

K back and forth continuing the rib pattern while decreasing one st at the end of each row. Do this for 9 rows

K rib back and forth without the dec for 4 rows

at the beginning of next row, place two st on a stitch holder, bind off in rib fashion with size 5's to within two sts to the end of row.

K icord with those two st for x in.

Bo icord

pick up the other two live st and knit another icord just as long as the last one.

BO icord, weave in all ends

Shrug:






Needles: size 3 & 5 24" circs
Gauge: 5st/in in st st on size 3's

CO 96 st on size 5 needles

Join and ssk every stitch for 2 rows on size 3 needles, you should now have 24 stitches on the needles.

k st st for 3.5 in

k garder st for 6 rows

kf&b 12 st (you now have 24 st on one needle and 12 on the other)

k 4 rows

BO 12 st (off the needle with only 12 on it) with size 5 needles

knit garder st back and forth for 4 in

CO 12 st in front of st on full left needle using the backward loop CO method

(arrange st on the needles so that the 12 CO sts are on one needle and the 24 other st are on the other)

knit and join

k st st for 4 rows

ssn 12 times on the needle with 24 st (opposite the new CO edge)

K garder st for 6 rows

K st st for 3.5 inches

Kf&b every stitch for 2 rows (increasing up to 96 st total)

BO with size 5 needles

Weave in CO and BO ends


This pattern is for personal use only. I charge a small fee for selling finished objects from my patterns. Email me at: shelleefloyd@gmail.com for more info....thanks :)

New Adventure......er, obsession?

I was perusing the free section on craigslist the other day and I found a listing for a dollhouse, the listing said it needed a new paint job....my ass, it needs a hell of a lot more then that, but that's cool, it was free and with spring coming I'll need a nice outdoor project. Here's the condition I got it in....




After having the kids to a trial run with it, I started to form a plan.....there was one room that was completely blocked in, you couldn't access it without putting your body inside the bottom level. some of the windows were missing the glass, the carpet smelled like cat pee, half of the roof was missing (the hinges are still there though). It's missing a bunch of walls etc... My hub seems to think that it was never intended as a dollhouse, but more of a project for some college design student. Regardless, I'm going to have a whole lot of fun fixing it up.


So far I've ripped up the carpet, ripped up most the wood trim on the outside and inside, and cut a hole in each side to make the kitchen and the front bedroom more accessible. I can't get the pics of the holes I cut off my phone so those will have to wait for another day.




I've never attempted anything like this. I hope I can make it groovy for my girls. Wish me luck!