Soulful Hues Hobbies & Random Thoughts

New Sweater For The Middle Kid

2011-01-23T16:24:00.000-06:00

Or, an example of what happens when I run out of yarn:

Notice how the stripes on the sleeves are so totally off? Yeah, I ran out of yarn and I even ran out of scrap yarn, which is the reason for my latest dying and spinning adventure.

Cute sweater huh? I really just wanted to show off my baby.

I AM BACK!!!

2011-01-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

I haven't had a home computer since like August of last year. My computer took a shit and it just took a long time to get off my ass get it fixed. I not only got it fixed, but it was in such bad shape that they junked it and gave me a brand spankin new one....don't ask me anything about it cuz I just don't know squat about computers. All I know is that it works and it's shiny clean (but knowing me, it won't be shiny for long). Anyway, so I've been up to knitting and jewelry making and parenting and socializing. Over all having a good life but happy to be back online,

So here are some things I've been up to:

A fancy sweater I made for my littlest. Of course I just knitted it willy-nilly and didn't write down the pattern notes so I don't have the pattern put together yet. Stupid STUPID!

Here's a bulky scoop neck sweater I made for my oldest and I DID write down the notes this time so this pattern will be arriving in my my Etsy shop soon.

I haven't spun yarn in about two years but it's like riding a bike and I hopped on and rode for miles. I rediscovered how wonderful it is to spin and I'll be doing it more often and maybe even selling a bit from time to time so watch out for that to pop up in my shop.

Here's some worsted weight hand dyed recycled, respun cotton yarn for your viewing pleasure.

Well, that's it for now, I'll come back soon and share pics of my jewelry and other things happening.

New Pattern! Getting ready for fall.

2010-07-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

This is my latest pattern. It"s a one piece pullover, knit back and forth, then in the round from the top down. My patterns are very portable since they are all knit in one piece rather than several pieces that need to be sewn together. I've had lots of ladies tell me they take my patterns on road trips or airplane trips and are very pleased at the ease of transport. Anyway, back to the pull over pattern, I knit this in cotton (I don't use animal fibers ever, not that I have a problem actually using it, I just don't like the feel of it on my skin and neither do my kids) but I don't see any reason why you couldn't use whatever fiber you prefer, just wash according to the label.

Materials needed:
US size 6 & 8 circular needles, 32 " long
400 (500)(600) yards of worsted weight cotton yarn
Darning needle
2 stitch holders (or two spare sets of smaller circular needles)

You can purchase this pattern for a mere $5.50 in my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/44496247/girls-pullover-knitting-pattern

Barbie Dress with pattern

2010-07-15T08:56:00.000-05:00

I was fairly bored the other day so I whipped up a couple dresses for my girls naked Barbies...yes, my kids play with Barbies, so sue me, judge me, whatever, bla bla bla.

Lucky for you guys I was bored, and in a good mood, because you get the pattern for free!

Granted, this is a pretty rough pattern, so if you have questions, feel free to ask and I can try to help. This is not really for beginning knitters, although it is pretty easy. I use the magic loop, so if you don't know how, learn it, then come back here and it'll be easy peasy.

Here we go:

Materials:
US size 3 circs
Light worsted, or DK weight yarn

Pattern:
CO 32 sts using longtail CO method
K 2 rnds
K1YO every st for 1 rnd (64 st)
K16, bind off 16, K16, bo 16 (32 st)
join and knit 4 rnds
k2p2 for 6 rnds
k one rnd
K1 M1 every st for one rnd (64st)
Knit to length
K 6 rnds of garder st
BO on a Purl rnd
Weave in ends and you're done!

2010-07-08T10:37:00.001-05:00

Is this thing on?

Another new pattern!

2010-03-12T08:51:00.000-06:00

I'm on a roll, so you all better get knittin'!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42558410

New Knitting Pattern For Sale!

2010-02-27T08:16:00.000-06:00

I know it's been for-EVER since I released a new knitting pattern, but I promise to not leave you guys empty handed for that long again. I just released a this new summer dress/shirt pattern and I've got a seamless pullover in the works, so keep your eyes peeled ;)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41597992

New Doll Dress!

2010-02-12T12:56:00.000-06:00

I've been knitting like the dickins for my kids dolls. This is a super cute new dress that I made for my youngest kids doll. It's so sweet and soft.

Time for some new earrings!

2009-12-25T16:17:00.003-06:00

Dainty Earrings

These are the four designs that are the best selling so far. The designs I call "dainty" can rarely ever be duplicated exactly, but the single and double tine fork earrings I could make millions of pairs LOL

Dainty Earrings

Single Tine

Double Tine

My Silverware Jewelry Is Looking Good!

2009-10-17T10:09:00.003-05:00

Hammered Egg Shape Spoon Pendant Necklace

If I do say so myself ;)

I constantly have ideas flowing in my head of new jewelry designs, made out of vintage silverware no less! When I see them come to life, I'm just amazed at what I created.

Here are a few of my favorite latest creations:

Beautiful Dainty Silverware Hoop Earrings

Hammered Leaf Shape Spoon Pendant Necklace

Silverware Handle Pendant Necklace

Silverware Earrings

I thought these were so cool that I made some for myself.

Thanks for looking at my work and following me in my adventures.

New Obsession.....Silverware Art!

2009-09-21T19:42:00.004-05:00

So I've been busy making necklaces and earrings with silverware. Fun fun stuff. I've made some wind chimes too, but they're a little outta season, so I'll pick those back up in a couple months. I've already has one actual store pick up my stuff...A STORE....A STORE has my stuff in it! Can you even believe it? I'm so excited that I'm shooting for higher end shops in the city. I've been playing around with displays and I think I've got it going pretty well. Once I saw the pics though I realized that I need a logo and some decor on the top to make it stand out a bit better. I'm so excited.....I'd be working a lot harder though if I could take my nose out of the Twilight books though ;)

So I've been busy making necklaces and earrings with silverware. Fun fun stuff. I've made some wind chimes too, but they're a little outta season, so I'll pick those back up in a couple months. I've already has one actual store pick up my stuff...A STORE....A STORE has my stuff in it! Can you even believe it? I'm so excited that I'm shooting for higher end shops in the city. I've been playing around with displays and I think I've got it going pretty well. Once I saw the pics though I realized that I need a logo and some decor on the top to make it stand out a bit better. I'm so excited.....I'd be working a lot harder though if I could take my nose out of the Twilight books though ;)

FREE STUFF!

2009-07-27T18:44:00.002-05:00

I'm a sucker for free things. I totally dig not paying a dime for quality things, hell, I'll even take non-quality things for free!

Here are some things I've found for free lately:

Free Hallmark card printable coupon

Free Redbox movies. I use my debit to get one movie, then use my credit card to get another. So two free movies per code :)

Free McCafe coffee Monday through 8/1

Free Facial Treatment be sure to print that page as your coupon.

More to come later :)

Girl's Cap Sleeve Spring Shirt Now In Multiple Sizes and For Sale!!

2009-07-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

My cap sleeved spring shirt pattern has been edited for improvement AND multiple sizes, going up to a child's 8-10!

Click on the picture above to get to the listing at my etsy store!

Swagbucks

2009-07-24T20:43:00.002-05:00

I've been on a saving money and free stuff kick lately, it's amazing how many things out there are free and how much money you can save at the grocery store...more on that later...I joined swagbucks today. It's just another search and earn and redeem site, but hay, I'm going to search on the internet anyway ya know, I might as well get my just desserts ;)

My snuggle bugs!

2009-07-24T20:37:00.003-05:00

I found the little cats today sleeping in a funny position...one on top of each other LOL. The youngest one woke up while I was snapping pics, then went back to sleep. What sweeties, huh?

New Hobby!

2009-07-19T10:03:00.003-05:00

I've rediscovered the art of Henna and I am absolutely LOVING it. I'm hoping to get really good and start going to some festivals or something. Here's some pics of things I've done:

New Kitty!

2009-06-21T08:45:00.003-05:00

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

Homemade cat tree house

2009-06-21T08:35:00.003-05:00

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

2009-05-24T11:07:00.002-05:00

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

2009-05-23T10:11:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-05-15T16:59:00.004-05:00

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

2009-04-08T08:02:00.004-05:00

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

You can buy the pattern here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28657934

American Girl Knitted Halter Top and Shrug With Pattern

2009-04-04T09:48:00.008-05:00

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 sell both.

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

Shrug:

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

You can buy the shrug patter in my etsy sore here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28513198

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

2009-03-31T09:32:00.002-05:00

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!

Meet Dystructo the Dinosaur

2009-03-30T10:21:00.004-05:00

My daughters really wanted knitted dinosaurs (thanks to super mario 2.....insert rolling eyeballs here), I tried and tried to com up with my own pattern but there comes a time when I just have to give in and use a pattern. In this case, I bought a pattern because I could not find a free one written in the round (that's one thing I just cannot cave on). I looked on etsy and found Dystructo the Dino.

It was the PERFECT pattern and was the PERFECT price. The seller hasn't restocked the pattern but I bet she would if asked.

Anyway, this pattern was well written and very easy to follow. I was able to knit them both in two days and I have the happiest girls in the world.

I used my own recycled cotton for the pink one (she requested that it match her shirt) and some rainbow yarn from a stash my mother-in-law gave me. I stuffed them with recycled cotton as well.

The Little One Gets Pants For Her Doll

2009-03-26T09:40:00.004-05:00

For a gal that knows how to knit and sew, we sure do have lots of naked dolls around the house, so for Olivia, my youngest, I knit her baby doll, Foofee, a pair of drawstring pants. She loves them and I'm hoping she'll let me do a top for next time.

Vintage Mothering Mags

2009-03-25T09:34:00.003-05:00

The other day I picked up a box full of old Mothering magazines from the 80's and early 90's . My little one picked one out and "read" it all day and even brought it to bed and fell asleep with it. She just fell in love with the cute babe on the cover.

I'm totally digging looking through the articles and ads. Nothing much has changed in the world of natural parenting and that just renews the faith I have in myself that I've chosen the right path to rear my children.

We got a new kitty! Meet Daisy

2009-03-24T09:07:00.005-05:00

I was at local coffee shop yesterday....I have never stepped foot in this coffee shop even though it's been there a year and it's my town's only indie coffee shop, I always go to Caribou (I know, so sue me) but I felt a desire to go in and check it out.....as I was looking around at the art on the walls and enjoying the fish living in the vintage tv, the community bulletin board caught my eye. I saw ads for house cleaning....computer repair etc.....then I spotted a FREE KITTIES sign! I grabbed the number and thought about it all day. We already have 2 cats and a dog, 5 humans and a fish living in a 2 bedroom house.....did we really need a new cat? Well, the big cats and dog pretty much stay away from each other, and the big cats never leave my bedroom because of the dog. The dog seems bored and yadda yadd yadda.....I thought that a kitty might bring some animal love to the house. The big cats are due to expire soon, they might as well die with a young kitten who loves them, ya know? I also thought that the new kitty could become a playmate for the dog. Boy was I spot on with that one. They played together all night! I'm confident once the arrogant big cats get used to her they'll love her just as much as the dog does.

She the sweetest little thing that has come into our house in a long time. There's just nothing like new kitty love. I carried her around in my hoodie when the kids went to bed since she was was crawling on their heads and bugging them while they were trying to sleep LOL.

And you know we have a new family member when they get something knitted by me LOL I made her this little ball with strings and bells. I'm sure it'll be torn apart in a few days, but it's not like I'll ever run out of yarn ;)

Welcome to our family Daisy!

The Middle One Gets a Halter Top

2009-03-23T09:09:00.005-05:00

I've decided to just keep going in order and ask each kid what they want me to knit when it's their turn, then I'll post my FO's here.

Ok, so hot off the needles...well, hot last night anyway, is a cute spring halter style top with a one button adjustable closure. She loves it! It was so simple that it's really just plain scary. I love simple knitting :)

Ok, here's the pattern:

Cast on 100 sts on size 3 circs, with the long tail cast on method, join and knit 1x1 rib for a couple/few inches

Change to size 5 circs and knit stockinette st (I tossed in some random stripes as I went, no rhyme or reason) for 7-8 inches give or take an inch or two to fit your desired recipiant.

Change back to size 3's and knit about 1.5 inches of 1x1 rib.

Cast off in rib fashion on size 5's

Grab the tail yarn from your cast on, and pick up 10 sts for the strap.

Knit garder stitch for about 12 inches, then add a button hole...starting at the beginning of a row, K5, BO2, K3, next row, cast on those 2 sts that you bound off and viola you have a button hole (you may need to make a button hold bigger then 2 sts, mine was actually a bead).

K2 rows, add button hole, k 2 more rows, add another button hole, K 2 more rows, then cast off, weave in end, attach button and put it on your kid and revel in your talent :)

This pattern is for personal use only. I charge a small fee for the right to sell your finished product. Please email me at : shelleefloyd@gmail.com for more info. Thanks :)

New Spring Shirt!

2009-03-20T15:05:00.003-05:00

I'm getting the knitting bug with Spring arriving and, well, all the new hits help ;) I made my eldest gal a nice new pink spring shirt based on my cap sleep pattern. She loves it!

She's not one for posing, hence the crazy eyes ;)

I did make some increases along the way that are not in the original pattern, and she wanted ribbed sleeves instead of rolled.

Lazy is as lazy does

2009-03-19T09:13:00.004-05:00

You all know how much I LOVE to recycle yarn. It's pretty much the only yarn I knit with. I sometimes use my respun yarn, like if I'm selling the item, I sometimes dye my yarn, and I sometimes straighten my yarn, or any combination of the above.

I've got three kids that I unschool, so I'm a fairly busy gal with kids around me all day to entertain, micromanage (I'm working on that one) and keep fed and healthy, so I REALLY like efficient knitting. That's why I knit using the magic loop...no seams to sew up....no pieces to put together bla bla bla....well, I think I've found the ultimate in frugal, efficient knitting......

Yes, that's right folks, I'm knitting directly from my sweater stash. All I did to prepare my yarn was take the sweater apart (well I dyed it too, but thrifted sweaters come in a variety of colors so you don't need to know how to dye). It would take 15 minutes with a seam ripper and you're ready to knit! no rolling it into balls, no respinning, no setting the twist etc...who cares if the yarn's a bit curly? " Not I", said the lazy...er...efficiant knitter ;)

Now, this would not be practical of course with a huge piece of thrifted sweater (especially if you want to take it with you to knit on the go), this was just a cuff, I had already prepared the rest of the arm into balls for knitting, but I got bored with where I was on my piece so I decided to work on another part but I didn't want to break my yarn to work from the ball, so I grabbed the cuff and went right at it! Brilliant if I do say so myself ;)

Happy lazy knitting!

A New Scarf

2008-11-08T17:36:00.004-06:00

So I've been feeling a little unfashionable lately since I don't have a super cute, skinny, floppy scarf to wrap around my neck a gazillion times. So I made one. A couple relativity new things happened while I was thinking about making one. A) I'd have to knit it flat. That's like blasphemy in my world...I mean, flat knitting, that's so 1909 ya know? But, there was just no way around it, to get the flat item I desired, I'd just have to suck it up and knit flat. I did NOT however, use straight needles, that has been deemed as highly inapproprite and is against my knitting religion and would get me one pass straight to hell. So, I grabbed my biggest circs and went right at it. B) I knit the whole dang thing in the knit stitch, or the garder stitch. That is an absolute first for me, well, not a first first but I stopped knitting garder stitched projects mere weeks into my knitting career. I love simple, easy on the eyes projects and I also love lace projects but not too lacy, so I thought that if I knit in garder stitch with huge needles and with my unspun, or flat, recycled yarn, the stitches would be open and loose enough to pass for lace in my eyes. I was right, it's obvious to even the most inexperienced knitter that this is garder stitch, I'm not denying that fact, but it's knit loose enough that it pleases me and it is my scarf after all, and I love it!

It's roughly 5 feet long.

I used about 200 yards of light sport weight, recycled, unspun, hand dyed cotton yarn from my own stash. I used US size 11 needles and cast on 25 stitches, knitting every row until the yarn was gone.

And now I feel very fashionable and can keep up with the average Miss Jones ;)

Except for my big ass nose that is.

Sneak Attack on Etsy TONIGHT!

2008-11-03T12:31:00.004-06:00

I've just fallen head over heals for the Etsy Sneak Attack thought up by the people behind The Handmade Movement. It a wonderful event that happens several times a week. A sponsor chooses an Etsy store with little or no sales and we all "sneak" up on them and buy a bunch of items. Even if just 10 people participate, that's ten sales in ONE DAY for someone who probably doesn't have any sales. What a wonderful feeling that would be.

Come join us for discussion about today's Sneak Attack in the Etsy forums: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5889402

See you there tonight at 7PM SHARP (est).

Tis The Season For Beer Cozies!

2008-11-02T20:21:00.003-06:00

I gave away all the beer cozies I made last year except for the prototype so I thought I deserved my very own new one. This is the one I made today.

The pattern is my own and it can be found here

It's a very quick knit and would make a great present this holiday season for that special beer drinker in your life :)

I used my very own recycled, respun, hand dyed yarn and I just LOVE the color!

Now, the yarn itself, wasn't really "complete". I hadn't "set the twist" yet, so you can see in the pic that the finished item itself, twists a bit to the left. It's mine, so it's just no biggie.

The Handmade Movement's Sneak Attack!

2008-10-31T11:33:00.002-05:00

This is SUCH a cool thing...check it out...a sponsor picks a store on Etsy that has little or no sales and organizes a "sneak attack". A bunch of other Estians buy from that store at a certain time on a certain day and bombard them with sales. How stinkin' cool!

Today's sneak attack starts at 2pm est I will be participating for the second time in a row. You can read more about the sneak attack and about the Handmade Movement here: http://www.handmademovement.com/

This is what I got last time:

From Herban Lifestyle

So if you're on Esty, join us today for the sneak attack! Here's the thread where we are all gathering: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5884477

Happy shopping!

Getting the new store stocked AND A SALE!

2008-10-23T19:10:00.003-05:00

Hand Dyed, Recycled, Respun Cotton Yarn, WORSTED Weight, 96 Yards No. 002

Alright folks, it's Sale time at A Hook & Two Needles

We are celebrating me getting a new spinning wheel and me finally getting some things listed. It's rather tough having three shops to manage, but I'm sure once I get things leveled out, it'll all run smoothly and I'll fall into a nice 4 day work week routine (like my Mr. ).

Ok, so sale details...I'll take an cool 30% off your entire order (less shipping of course) at A Hook & Two Needles

Please just convo me via etsy or email at shellee@endlesstoys.net prior to your purchase telling me which item(s) you'd like to purchase and I'll revise the listing promptly so you can follow through with your check out. If you're new to Etsy and have any questions, just let me know and I can help guide you through the check out process.

I think this is a great opportunity to get a great deal on my new line of yarn to test out so you can see how wonderful it is, or to get a head start on holiday shopping for lucious, handmade gifts

So, get shopping and remember, just email me at shellee@endlesstoys.net or convo me via Etsy!

A Hook & Two Needles

Funny sign I found on flickr

2008-10-17T11:46:00.001-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18227381@N00/2948885717/

New Hair!

2008-10-16T10:22:00.004-05:00

I haven't mentioned it here, simply because I don't know how many people actually read my blog, but I announced my pregnancy a month or so ago, and now I'm needing to and I'm ready to unannounce it. I miscarried for ten or so days, then went to the hospital and had a d&c because things just were not passing fast enough for me. That was last Thursday, one week ago today and I'm feeling MUCH better. Better than I've felt in a long time actually. I had a wonderful bunch of mama friends supporting me and lifting me up, virtually and IRL. May dad and step mom came into town to watch the kids for two days, my mom and MIL and SIL really chipped in to care for me and the kids and I tell you, I've just never felt so loved in my life. My wonderful husband basically took on the mom and dad role for two weeks while I was laid up. Thank you all for your love, help and support. I love you all.

Ok, now to get to the title of my post.....It's a tradition (sad, but true) that I dye my hair after miscarriage. Last time I went blonde (totally didn't work btw) and this time I went black. I though maybe I'd feel sexy with my pale skin and black hair over the winter, and maybe it'll help me to loose a bit of weight? Anyway, here we go...

We take a bottle of Loreal Feria shimmering black or something like that:

Add in some natural roots (I've got pretty dark hair in the first place as you can see so I'm expecting this to go over pretty well) and a long overdue redish-pinkish-orangish BAD home dye job:

Let it set for 25 minutes:

The result? A nice deep, dark, semi-metallic black that makes me look hot as hell LOL:

The End.

New Toy Shop!

2008-10-12T09:50:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, another one of my hobbies is buying and selling toys. I've got 3 kids and a tiny home, so, especially in the winter, we really need a constant influx of new toys coming in to keep our boredom at bay. I've been selling locally on craigslist for about a year now, also holding sales in my yard, I've branched out recently by getting a website specifically to hold my toys for sale. You can check it out here: Endless Toys. I'll be holding sales as such on that site just like I do on Esty so if you'd like to be on my mailing list, just give me a shout and I'll tack you on! shellee@endlesstoys.net

Loom Knitting

2008-09-30T12:55:00.004-05:00

So, as you probably already know, I get bored doing the same thing over and over again, so I branch out to different hobbies or different techniques. This time I trying loom knitting. It's super easy, just loose. I got the Knifty Knitter at a thrift store and on all four round looms, the pegs are just too far apart for my taste. They make great fall or spring hats but I can't imagine making a nice, tight, warm winter hat. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though. Here's some random pics from my loom adventure :

This hat was made with UNspun recycled cotton. The stitches are perfect, way more perfect than UNspun can be knit up on regular needles, so that's a plus for the good ol knifty knitter.

Now, the yarn for I used for this hat was REspun recycled cotton, but the twist had not been set. I actually like how it turned out, how it kind of has a spiral action to it. Coolio if you ask me :)

Girl's Knitted Dress

2008-09-30T12:39:00.004-05:00

This to me AGES to complete. Not because it's hard, just because I was busy doing other things like shopping for old stuff or playing with toys LOL. So here it is:

I used this pattern that I created awhile ago, and I just increased the stitches about mid chest. I think I increased every one to two stitches but it's been so long that I just totally forget.

So there you have it. A cute little knit dress for virtually all seasons. It's going to look great with tights and a long sleeve undershirt.

New Etsy Shop!

2008-09-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

I've been selling on Etsy for well over a year now, but I opened another shop to house my knitted goods and My MIL's crocheted goods.

Here's a blurb about us:

A Hook & Two Needles is a collaborative effort of a Mother-in-law (Chris)and her daughter-in-law (Shellee). I (Shellee) run the Etsy shop, work with two needles and sometimes a spinning wheel and Chris works with the hook and roams the world in her motor home....

I'll offer a 10% discount on anything I've got listed, just convo me what listing(s) you'd like adjusted and I'll adjust them and you'll be well on your way to own some very nice crocheted or knitted goods!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6259848

Thanks for checking us out!

Quick Weekend Toy Sale

2008-09-11T23:46:00.005-05:00

Quick Weekend Sale!

All my toys are on sale this weekend. 20% off, just convo me your order and I'll adjust the listing. Here's where my toys are located: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5165141&section_id=5416916

Now is the time to start buying things to put away for the upcoming holiday season, the last thing you wanna do is wait til the last minute and have to go to target for a brand new, authentic vintage replica fisher price toy made in China by underpaid workers, or, maybe you do. I'm non judgmental, I'll still take your money so here's a few things that would make great gifts for that special toddler in your life:

Very cool cardboard Disney nesting blocks in Excellent Condition.

Here's a nice puzzle for you favorite future ROCK STAR.

Stacking rings for fine motor skills development, fashion party bracelets, or Polly pocket beach party tubes.

And of course, a nice vintage scary ass doll to scare the crap out the your favorite little monster.

No, she's not really that scary, see:

That's All Folks....Have fun shopping and have a great weekend :)

Some Cool Vintage Things I've Found Lately

2008-09-11T10:30:00.004-05:00

Long time no blog about my vintage passion. I've been out shopping a lot lately and here's a few things I've found:

This is a super cool, SUPER comfy crushed velvet armchair that is now residing in out reading room. I love it. The back actually tilts to suit your comfort level!

This highchair had me at first site. She was pretty dirty when I found her which must be the reason no one snatched her up before me. She was like a shiny diamond hiding in a lump of coal. Or maybe I've just got one-of-a-kind taste and other people think it's ugly...nah, that's absurd!

I've got some kind of a "thing" for old coffee decanters, this baby I fell head over heels for right away!

Can you say "groovy"? You can't? Oh no! Stick with me and I'll teach you how to be groovy. This photo album SCREAMS groovy, just think of how many people would say when they saw it...what the hell it that?? or, hay, 1976 called and they want their photo album back!

Ok everybody, repeat after me, I can be groovy, people want me to be groovy, and I'm not afraid to be groovy, I like me....

A couple more shirts

2008-09-10T22:48:00.005-05:00

Ok, I think I'm done for a bit now, or at least done showing off LOL

This next Shirt, I followed my tute, skipping the elastic and some of the measurements, I just eyeballed everything. Bother items came from my closet, a short sleeved V neck tee and a twirly dress. I actually have enough to do two more out of that dress, one from the muslin lining and another from the groovy bottom panel as shown here:

I also like non baggy shirts, to show off my belly from time to time. I love my pink v neck tee but it's just SO SHORT as I grow. I wore it all day today and kept pulling it down, so I grabbed that scrap from yesterday's shirt and sewed it onto the bottom.

First I cut of the bottom hem:

Then I pinned the right sides together...I never pin things cuz ... either I'm really so good of a seamstress, that I'm above that, or I'm so stinkin' lazy that even picking up a pin that's lighter than a feather wears me the eff out. You decide. Anyway, I pinned them because tee shirt material rolls like a mofo, so it just made it a tad bit easier to sew together.

The finished product:

I swear I'm not that freakin grumpy.

The End

Easy Repurposed Maternity Shirt

2008-09-09T17:46:00.011-05:00

Ok, so I haven't mentioned it here yet, but I'm pregnant. Yay me! We are so excited. This will be our fourth babe and things seem to be shifting around in there already so it's time to get creative and make some maternity shirts since all the ones in the thrift stores are UGLY and SUCK! I know this is mostly a vintage blog, but if I started a new blog every time I got into something new, started a new hobby or had a new thought, I'd go crazy, and believe me, you do NOT want to see me go crazy! Anyway, so I made a shirt, and it's super duper easy, but modifiable enough that any level of pregnant seamstress would enjoy herself. I'm going to attempt to explain my steps the best I can, but I suck at tutes sometimes so if you have any questions, feel free to ask :)

Here goes!

Grab a shirt that fits you well in the bust and arms from your closet or from a thrift store (this one came from my closet), plop it on, grab a marker and mark a few inches below your bust, or where your baby belly kinda starts..

Lay out your shirt and neatly line up the edges, grab a straight edge and make a nice line to cut on...

Now, slice that baby off!

So far, so good!

Now, grab your sewing machine that has been sitting on the shelf for the last 10 years, see it back there with a red cover on it? Yeah, that one. Grab it, dust it off and thread it.

Now for the sewing...turn your shirt inside out and fold the bottom over about half inch to make a casing for your elastic. Tee shirt material doesn't fray so just use a straight stitch. Make sure to leave about an inch open to feed the elastic through.

Now stretch some elastic above your belly to "measure" how much elastic you'll need, cut it to length.

Now you'll need to feed the elastic through the casing. I usually use a safety pin, but I didn't have one so I improvised with a paper clip. Feed it all the way through, sew the two ends of the elastic together, then close up the hole in the casing. If you're on track with me, your shirt should look like this:

Now try it on for giggles.

Yep, it falls just where I wanted it to. rock on

Now, grab some fabric from your stash, if you have no stash get thee to your local thrift store, I got this on a 50% off day for a dollar something. It's textured, light cotton fabric. It was a curtain panel from Target....(and here is where we think positive thoughts for the poor folks who got underpaid for making this curtain in the first place). Measure your self around. I measured 40 inches under my bust/above my belly. I decided to make the back panel 20 " and the front 30". That should give me plenty of room, it may not take me to the end, but I really need something now. I also measured how long I wanted my shirt to be so I measured from under my bust and let the tape measure fall and decided 20" looked good. I added on a couple inches on both these measurements for seem allowance.

Front and back panels.

Next, I gathered the top of the front panel, I did about 10 gathers at about an inch each. I totally eyeballed it. I'm sewing on the right side of the fabric right now.

Back and front panels.
Now sew these together on the sides, right sides together. I used my machine's over edge stitch since I'm serger illiterate...

Ok, here is what we have. The top and the bottom need to be sewn together. I racked my brain as to how to do this for some reason. I'm not a complete dummy when it comes to sewing, but I don't do it often and this is one of the things I get stuck on often....like fractions in math, ya know? Anyway, sew them, right sides together with the top inside the bottom upside down. I'm unsure as to why I didn't get a pic of that. Next time I will and I'll add it in this tute. In any case, if you mess up...

...like me and turn your shirt right side out and your ugly seam is on the outside, you can fix it with a french seam.

Seam on the outside (wrong)

This is me working. My daughter took it. Aren't I hot in the morning?

I added some expanders on the sides (yes, that it a scientific sewing term, look it up). Just cut a slit (I actually cut a whole chunk out of the fabric, it looks ugly to me, so I'll just cut a slit next time)up the sides about 3-4 inches:

I stopped the slit from freying with a short zig zag stitch which I went over two times to make it look better.

All done.

Side View.

Front.

It's a little lower cut than I'd like, but that was the result of the french seam that I hadn't planned on. Still I think it's cute and it'll be even cuter the bigger I get. I'm not much of a white gal, so I'll go for more color next time since I've got the basic construction laid out in front of me.

That's that. Let me know what you think or if I need to explain something better for you :)

I knew I had an eye for classic toys (read: GAG ME!)

2008-08-02T10:29:00.003-05:00

So, I was shopping at Target yesterday (I swear I only go there like 3 times a year, I promise), and I wandered into the toy section, and all of a sudden, what do my eyes see? They see two classic toys that I just sold, only these are brand new! Yuck, yuck, yuck. I really don't know why this chaps my hide so much, maybe because Fisher Price might take some of my business away? Maybe because they are consuming a lot of energy to create something that's already been created?

Let's compare, shall we?

Here is a 1966 Fisher Price Giant Screen TV Music Box:

Here is a new, 2008 Fisher Price Giant Screen TV Music Box:

Here is a 1967 Vintage Fisher Price Music Box Teaching Clock:

Here is a new, 2008 Vintage Fisher Price Music Box Teaching Clock:

Now, of course the new ones look nice and all, and no wonder people are attracted to the classic look, but what fun are they? They have no "character", no "history", no energy from the past. They haven't seen changes in US society as the "real" old ones have, they haven't seen the rise and fall of the economy, they haven't seen the polar ice caps change our global environment for crying out loud!

Ugh, I'll stick with old toys with worn away stickers and crayon marks from those oh-so-special children who played with them decades ago thankyouverymuch.

Feature Vintage Artist Charmings Collectibles

2008-07-22T10:15:00.004-05:00

I've recently decided to feature some of my fellow vintage sellers on Etsy. Etsy features handmade artists a couple times a week, which totally rocks, it's great to get a peek into the life of a handmade artist. It's fun to see the different styles and processes of the artists. Etsy has yet to feature a vintage artist though (I still like to call us artists seeing as we all have different tastes and styles of collecting things). My first feature is Karen of Charmings Collectibles.

After her interview she has giving us a really cool slide show of a day in her life of vintaging. Be sure to check that out!

Your shop is named "Charmings Collectibles" How did you acquire that name?
The original company name was Charming Endeavors and it evolved from there. At first, I was selling handmade items, bookmarks, wine charms, things like that and the packaging read Charming’s Bookmarks. I have to credit my craft show customers for shortening my DBA name to Charmings, as that’s how I’m known at the shows. Adding Collectibles was a natural progression once I discovered the joys of treasure hunting!

How long have you been collecting and selling vintage items?
I started buying and selling vintage items a little over two years ago, although I have always been somewhat of a scavenger. My mom says that I come by that honestly, but that’s a whole story in itself!

What’s your favorite thing to collect for yourself?
I buy more for the fun of the hunt and the pleasure of handling and learning about something beautiful than for myself. It’s also very satisfying to match a neglected item with someone who has been searching for just that wonderful thing! There are a few pieces I can't part with and, like my shop, I have an eclectic collection including EAPG, Gilner pixies and some small pieces of Fenton’s amber glass.

Any advice for the vintage seller who is just starting out?
One of the most important things I learned as a new vintage dealer was to trust my “eye.” I often find that I’m drawn to an item and maybe I don’t know exactly what it is but I’m pretty sure it’s something good! Of course, this can also lead to collecting a lot of garage sale items, but it facilitated my learning about glass. The first thing I do when I get home with my new “something” is to start researching and I’ve learned a lot that way, even from my mistakes. Another bit of advice I wish someone had given me is Know Your Market. Just because something is old or has a listed BV doesn’t mean that it’s actually saleable, it could just be more items for your garage sale. Ouch, that was a painful lesson for me!

****

Please click on the following picture to start Charmings slide show of how she goes about vintaging:

Karen has offered to give a 10% discount on your first purchase, just mention my blog.

If you you are a vintage artist (aka seller) on Etsy and would like to be featured here on my blog, please put together a slide show and convo me via my etsy shop.

Weekend Sale! 40% Vintage Finds, Hand Knit Items and Recycled Yarn

2008-07-19T10:27:00.002-05:00

WEEKEND SALE!

Everything is 40% off in my entire shop until the 20th of July! Sale prices do not effect shipping prices. Items in my shop that are already marked "sale" are priced as is, no further discount.

Please put the items in your cart, mention "weekend sale" at checkout (in the message to seller field) and wait for a revised invoice to complete your purchase. Happy shopping!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5165141

Why Handmade?

2008-07-15T23:22:00.004-05:00

Along with protesting society as I do by using and selling vintage or second hand things. I also am quite resourceful in making things I need for my family rather then buying new... diapers, clothing, art, napkins, etc... If I can't make it, or simply don't have the desire to, I buy it handmade. If I buy from a stranger, I like to visualize them working in their studio (also known to many as a kitchen, a living room couch, a dining room table, a garage, etc...), doing what they do best. Doing what they love to do, create. I get a certain satisfaction in knowing that they had a damn good time making my particular item, and if they didn't have a good time, chances are they learned something new in the process. Add to that, the satisfaction of knowing that I alone kept one less bar of soap from being manufactured in a huge factory who's workers may be treated poorly (to say the very least) and who's energy consumption is why too high, and I'm a very happy camper thankyouverymuch.

I ran across the following animation from Crankbunny on goshdarnknit's blog and felt the urge to share. You can read the full article in the storque.

I leave you now with this bight gal's clever opinion on "why handmade":

Vintage Dolls

2008-07-15T16:43:00.004-05:00

I love vintage dolls, well, anything toy related really, but there's something very special about a doll that several children might have loved to their utmost. Now, porcelain dolls are nice too, but they are more for decoration then to play with. I like plastic or cloth dolls, I like brushing the hair of a doll that a child has loved, I like changing her clothes, and I love when my children grow a fondness toward the doll. Just imagine who might have played with these dolls in the past, imagine the tea parties they've attended, imagine the clothes they've worn, the secrets they've kept, the love they hold, the comfort they've brought. The children who loved these dolls may have grown up, but their dolls are still here, holding all the memories, as happy or as unhappy as some of those memories may be.

Vintage Housewife Part One

2008-07-14T19:34:00.006-05:00

I ran into this article while perusing the internet on subject of "how to treat your man". The tips come straight from a 1950 home economic book. There's a lot of tips so I'm going to take them day by day or so for awhile. I figure that I love kitchy, cool, vintage crap so much I might as well do a little research on how a vintage housewife lived (or was told/expected to live anyway)

Have dinner ready:
Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself:
Take fifteen minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives home. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter:
Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your man arrives, gathering up school books, toys, papers, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order and it will give you a lift too.

Melamine Anyone?

2008-07-13T17:07:00.001-05:00

I'm just in LOVE with the stuff! Even before I started reselling my finds, my house was full of it. Little plates and cups for the kids, bowls for dips and cereal.

They make excellent play kitchen items too since they are so durable. I don't run into much melamine that's cracked or chipped. My favorites are Melmac and Texasware of course.

My Favorite Chair

2008-07-11T19:25:00.001-05:00

Now, it's not the most comfy chair in the world, but I think it's one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever found. As soon as I saw it, the sky opened up and starting singing to me LOL I bought it about 30 seconds after I first laid eyes on it.

I found the little table and the cup and saucer today. The dictionary is a Webster's from 1932. It;s a good read ;)

Comming Soon...Vintage Girls Dresses!

2008-07-10T15:52:00.000-05:00

I had my babe try these on to make sure I had the sizing right...about 2-3T. I just need to hand wash and iron them. They should be ready in a few days, so keep your eyes open!

Goin' On a Picnic...

2008-07-10T14:44:00.001-05:00

..leavin' right away, if it doesn't rain we'll stay all day! (raffi song)

Alright folks, let's go on a hodge podge vintage picnic. What do we need? A basket...

Some non breakable place settings..

Something to carry our cake in...

Well need some salt and pepper..

And something to keep our lemonade cool of course...

Oooo, how fun! Let's go!

You can find all these things and so much more in my shop!

Join my email list to recieve info on upcoming sales and events!

2008-07-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

If you would like to be on the Soulful Hues Knits & Knacks email list to be notified of upcoming sales and events, please convo me via my etsy shop or email me directly at: shelleefloyd[@]gmail[dot]com.

Vintage Toys Are So FUN!

2008-07-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

This is just part of my personal and for sale of vintage toys. My kids love 'em, I love 'em! They are SO fun!!

A Day In The Life Of a Hobby At Home Mom

2008-07-05T15:24:00.000-05:00

I recently participated in a "day in the life" photo assignment with some friends of mine from my favorite message board, after realizing that I did housework, played with the kids and did "work, work", I thought I'd share it with everyone here. I often hear the question, "how do you balance it all", well, my answer is that I do everything in little chunks, never spending more then 15-30 mins doing any one thing. On days like this, it worked out well. My husband works full time as a bartender, and I stay home with the kids and work on my hobby. I sell groovy vintage items and occasionally I recycle, respin and hand dye cotton.

Take a peek into my life. There LOTS of pic, some with long captions, so after you click play, your best best is to click pause, and use the arrows to flip through the pics.

Enjoy!

Sale On Vintage Luggage and Toys!

2008-07-04T20:21:00.001-05:00

SALE! NOW THROUGH JULY 6TH!!!!!!

Take 20% off you purchase of vintage luggage and vintage children's items (less shipping)! Just convo me with your order and I'll revise and reserve the listing for you!

Luggage: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5165141&section_id=5453559

Toys/Children Items:http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5165141&section_id=5416916

A Vintage Passion of Mine

2008-06-05T17:53:00.001-05:00

I have found so much vintage luggage that I;m just in love with! I can't wait to take my next trip. Check out these groovy pieces:

Crafty Kitchy Kitchen Curtains

2008-05-31T11:29:00.000-05:00

I just have to share this! I brought home a couple vintage aprons a few weeks ago and had a great idea to turn them into kitchen curtains! I just cut the straps/ties folded the waist just enough to fit my curtain rod in, sewed it up and POP! I've got some groovy new kitchen curtains!

Of course, the other two I brought home that day I just couldn't bring myself to cutting up:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12105727

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12105552

Introducing Soulful Hues Knits and Knacks!

2008-05-30T14:34:00.000-05:00

Long time no blog I know, but I've been so busy falling in love with my vintage items! I know it's weird to have a knitting blog and a vintage blog together, but I'm seriously not organized enough to have two separate blogs, so here I am :)

I started selling vintage items in my ETSY shop.

I started about a month or so ago, and it's going really, really well. I'll give you a peek at what has sold well:

I'm going to be sticking mainly with housewares, but I'm a huge sucker for vintage luggage too, so be on the lookout for that! If you, my readers, ever want me to be on the lookout for something special while I'm out shopping, just give me a holler!

I finally knitted something!

2008-04-21T19:33:00.000-05:00

It's been forever since I focused on a knitting project. I've been getting totally lost in selling toys locally and stocking my etsy store with vintage items. I'm truly having fun with that.

I finished this shirt this morning for my 2 year old daughter.

Update, and yarn on the way!

2008-04-10T18:06:00.000-05:00

So I had that big sale then I sat here not prepping more LOL. I've got some raspberry and deep purple yarn dyeing today, not sure if I'll spin them solid, or together, or both, but be on the look out in the next few days for these to pop up in my shop.

One reason I've been neglecting my knitting blog and yarn and all that is because, well, I've been cheating....really! I've been collecting and reselling toys. I'm so bad! No, really, it's been REALLY fun, and I've run into some very cool vintage toys which I'm going to start listing in my Etsy shop. I'm thinking about renaming myself, how's "Soulful Hues Knits and Bits"? Nah, that's bad. I want it to reflect knitting/yarn/vintage toys and other vintage things. Or just knitting/yarn/vintage things, as I'll be finding cool vintage things other then toys to list I'm SURE.

I'd love to hear all your ideas as I'm so NOT creative when it comes to naming things.

So be on the look out for fresh yarn and cool vintage toys in my etsy shop SOON!

Remembering My Knitting Grandma...

2008-03-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

My Grandmother passed away last Tuesday. I hit the road Wednesday with my three kids, three of her great-grandchildren, to see her off into the world she really wanted to be in, Heaven. Sadly, I don't have any pics of her finished objects, I may find some later today as we go through some of her stuff. Slippers are what stick out in my mind the most. Cool, acrylic slippers with big pom poms on the toes. I think my grandma is the person who planted my knitting passion into my DNA and she would be just so proud of my knitting and yarn work. I rarely knit and not think of her, and now, I'm sure I will always think of her whenever I pick up my needles. I love her dearly and will miss her. She had 93 very good years full of family and love and was more then peaceful as she passed from the world we know to the world we don't know. I'll leave you with a picture of her and my Grandpa on their wedding day in 1930 something...

Testing my new homemade light box

2008-03-01T20:24:00.000-06:00

Today I took 15 minutes to make a light box to snap pics of my yarn. My current method does not filter the light, it is direct light, let's take a look at a before and after...

Before and after:

Huh, quite a bit better in my opinion.

I modeled my box after the this one.

I grabbed the best box I could find, which happened to be a 12 pk corona box, not very big, but it's all I had to work with. I cut out the top and sides, just leaving a long strip for all four corners. I then taped some white computer paper the the outside of the top and sides, laid a sheet on the back and bent it into the bottom and that's it. It's totally not sturdy, but it'll do until I get a better box and some poster board.

Girls Cap Sleeved Spring Top With Pattern

2008-02-29T08:12:00.004-06:00

Paid pattern in multiple sizes coming soon!!

DIY lazy kate!

2008-02-28T15:09:00.001-06:00

I got lots of ideas on how to make my lazy kate from this thread on ravelry.

I grabbed a shoe sized box, grabbed a couple straight needles (see, their good for something) and poked them through the box. I wound yarn onto the removable handles from my niddy noddy and slid them over the needles, voila!

After I plied my yarn, I slid it off the spindle, popped a straw in the middle and popped it back on the lazy kate to skien it.

Meet my kitchenaid ball winder!

2008-02-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

Ain't she a bute?

This is NOT my original idea, but I forget which blog I saw it on. If you do a google search for mixer ball winder you'll get plenty of ideas on how to make your own. I made mine with a squirt bottle cap, and an empty flash light and, of course, my kitchenaid stand mixer.

I propped the mixer up, put the bottle cap on where an attachment would go then shoved the flashlight on really tight. I tied the yarn on, put her back down, and turned her on. I went very slow at first, but I think I got up to the 5th speed. I wound the ball straight from the sweater, then slid it of the flashlight and put a straw through it, then put it on my DIY lazy kate and it's ready to ply!

Another new Etsy Shop!

2008-02-27T11:03:00.000-06:00

I'm so glad I have so many creative friends. This is another friend who will sell various crafty items. Her shop is here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5652990

I bought this shirt this morning for my older two kids to share.

Slowly But Surely

2008-02-26T08:21:00.000-06:00

I've started listing a bit of yarn, just a bit mind you. I'll get up to stocking a full store slowly but surely. Here are some pics to get your mouth watering.

Setting the twist

2008-02-24T15:57:00.000-06:00

This is a very important step in plying recycled yarn. The same concept is applied when putting curlers in your hair. You wet your hair, roll it up in the curlers, and when your hair air dries and you unroll it, it's curly. Here I've wet my freshly plied yarn, weighted it down a bit with heavy sweaters and am letting it air dry. When it's dry, the twist will be set and it will not twist upon itself when knitting. Unfortunately, it may be a few days until it's completely dry. Drying time in the summer should be significantly shorter ;)

New Etsy Shop!

2008-02-24T07:39:00.000-06:00

My very good friend just unveiled her Etsy shop. She makes very funky, unique items. She's a great person and I love her dearly. Go check her out! BohemiAnna.

Her Blog is here: http://bohemi-anna.blogspot.com/

It won't be long now.

2008-02-23T20:49:00.000-06:00

I'm having an awesome time with my wheel. I hope to start listing things by next Friday. Cross your fingers for me!

And this is what she spins folks

2008-02-21T07:20:00.000-06:00

So this is how I'm using my spinning wheel. I'm plying my recycled yarn together and giving it a twist. Pretty simple and VERY pretty.

Here are two balls of unspun cotton recycled hand dyed yarn

This is a bit of those two yarns spun together:

That's the spindle storing the yarn

This is the finished product. very pretty huh?

She spins folks, she spins!

2008-02-20T20:46:00.000-06:00

Yes folks, she works! Hub made her and then we tweaked her. I was about to go insane when I grabbed my glue gun, some wooden blocks and a couple tinker toys. I'd already done enough damage to the poor thing (I may go into more detail some day, when I get sick of spinning) so I just went at it armed and ready and she works! She needs a much bigger wheel, the spindle is a bit wobbly, but she does exactly what I need her to do.

I'm going to let my kids go at her with some watercolors soon and she'll be the grooviest little wheel on the block! Most likely the only wheel on the block but groovy nonetheless.

Easy Yarn Doll

2008-02-08T23:11:00.000-06:00

I made this in about 20 minutes and I feel an obsession coming on. I got the instructions here.

Now go make some yarn dolls!!

Finished Object Friday!

2008-02-07T08:38:00.000-06:00

This was finished long ago, but I never posted it or the pattern. It's a hat based on my one day hat pattern, but it took longer then one day ;)

This is how I did it:

CO 80 stitches of worsted weight yarn on size 5 circs, knit 1x1 rib for four or so inches, then I placed markers every 10 stitches and decreased every other row with a ssk 2 sts before the marker. I worked until there were about s sts on the needle then pulled the yarn through them all to finish it off. Voilia, a really cool ribbed hat!

WIP Wednesday!

2008-02-06T08:32:00.000-06:00

My only legitimate WIP is the shirt I've been blogging about. Here's where I'm at as of this morn:

You can read more about it here .

My first official review!

2008-02-01T07:02:00.000-06:00

Smiles and Sunshine gave me my first official review on her blog, then she even sent it into We Love Etsy, an Etsy shops directory and review site. You can see the review right here.

Watch me knit a shirt.

2008-01-30T07:33:00.000-06:00

Here's the finished product:

I'm using my own pattern, based on this one.

For some reason, I feel compelled to post my progress each day. Here's yesterday's (day one) progress:

Stay tuned for day two!

Ok, so day two came and went and even though I knit like a maniac ALL DAY, I have no progress to show. I had to frog my work TWICE! that's ok though, I learned a bit along the way. I've been knitting a bit today and that's all I've got planned to do after the kids go to sleep tonight, so tomorrow morning I hope to have a nice progress pic!

Day three:

I made a lot of progress on day 3, I'm hoping to break off the arms today!

Day four:

Not too much progress went on yesterday, but some good parenting happened ;) A few more rows and I'll BO the arm holes.

The pics in the mirror are taken without the flash, this next pic was taken with the flash and the actual color of the yarn is in right in between. I just love looking at (and knitting) regular ol' stockinette stitch :)

day five:

lookin' like a shirt now!

Day six:

I'm a sucker for trial and error. This was what my shirt looked like at the end of day six:

I tried it on for giggles and it looked pretty bad. I made no room for my boobs so I frogged it back up past the arms and am going to add short rows for my boobs, then some ribbing under them then do some inc so that it's drapy and flared. I'm also going to do ribbing on the short sleeves rather then the rolled sleeve. Whew, back to knitting...

day seven:

ok, boobs are in and if all goes well, i'll be done frogging. i've added 30ish stitches after the ribbing and am doing a k1, yo, k1, bo1 pattern for the bottom. i'll take the needle up to 11 i think in a few inches :)

What day am I on? Day eight?

I really like the pattern I'm doing on the bottom. I'm up to a size 10 now and will switch to 11's around my belly button I think. The neckline isn't the most flattering, but that's the price I pay for flying by the seat of my needles ;)

Day eight:

i put my work down for a day, i'll pick it back up after the kids go to bed tonight. i did figure out how to fix the neckline to my liking thanks to my friends at ravelry!

day nine and ten have passed, maybe even day eleven, and i've only done a couple rows a day, nothing worth posting pics, I promise. I've lost a bit of my knitting mojo, but I'm confident it'll be back soon!

Found it! MY mojo, that is. I've totally lost count of what day I'm on but I'll be working hard on this today because I'd so darn excited! It's really looking good. I haven't come to a final decision about the neckline so any and all feedback is welcome :)

I've totally lost track of days, but I'm done! I'm going to wear it a bit before I decide what to do with the neckline.

Enough's enough already!

2008-01-29T08:56:00.000-06:00

I just got stuck knitting all these shirts. The pattern is quick, easy, therapeutic, addictive and, above all else, mindless!

The basic pattern I started with is my original design and can be found here .

It's a totally basic pattern, imo, that can be modified to no end!

Kids strappy shirt, size 5-7 with pattern

2008-01-25T09:35:00.002-06:00

Materials needed:

A bunch of sportweight cotton yarn (I never measured my amount, I'm sorry. I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say at least 400 yards)

US Size 3 long circs
US Size 5 long circs

Let's go!

Using the long tail CO method, and your sz 3 circs, CO 100 sts. Join and knit 1x1 ribbing for 3-4 inches.
K one round to end
switch to size 5's and K1M1 to end (I used an invisible method by making one on the yarn between two sts) (200sts)
K for two inches

Start texture....

rd 1, k2tog yo repeat to end
rd2, 3 and 4, k
rd 5 yo, k2tog
rd 6, 7 and 8, k

repeat these 8 rnds until you've reached your desired length

Add a few rows of garter st to prevent curling (or skip this is you like a curly look)

BO LOOSELY

Straps, pick up 6 st along CO edge, knit a 6inch long icord, attach to the back, do this twice for both straps. I just eyed where I thought the straps should go.

Weave those ends in and you're done!

This pattern is for personal use only. I charge a small fee for the right to sell your finished product. Please email me at : shelleefloyd@gmail.com for more info. Thanks :)

Shirts for sale!

2008-01-25T07:58:00.000-06:00

In my shop

I've been very busy knitting and will have more shirts for sale soon. I plan on posting the pattern for the strappy shirt soon, but the cap sleeve I'm going to keep to myself for awhile ;)

Needless to say, I'm back online with a brand-spanking-new computer. My new line of yarn is not ready yet, I need to spin and test some more, but that just means more free patterns for you, so check back often, I'll upload them as I have time.

Coffee and computers don't mix!

2008-01-11T10:55:00.000-06:00

I did it again and I'm out of a computer :( I spilled coffee all over it and I'm letting it dry for a few days before taking it to the shop. My sale is still going on as there are a few skeins left and I get those orders in my email via my phone, so don't fret, you can still get my yarn in a timely manner :)

Also, if you've got a question about my yarn, or knitting/dyeing in general, just toss me an email to shelleefloyd@gmail.com and I can converse with you that way.

WIP Wednesday!

2008-01-09T09:58:00.000-06:00

I'm joining the TONS of knitters who do a WIP wednesday. I'll try to do this every Wednesday, It should be no problem seeing as I've nearly ALWAYS got something on my needles.

Here's a sneak peek of another kid's seamless shirt. It'll stay short sleeved since I'm preparing for spring (call me crazy, but I've got spring fever already!). It's being worked top down as you can see, with nice lightweight cotton and if all goes as planned, it will be fairly long with a wonderful flare. I'm so excited to finish it! I love the little beads I added around the neckline :)

How to knit using the magic loop method, and let's knit a doll shirt while we're at it!

2008-01-07T12:40:00.000-06:00

Let's face it. I'm a magic loop (ML) snob, I fully admit this. I don't knit many things that don't use this method, and if I come across something that I need that isn't knit with ML, I find a way to alter the construction method to suit my desire.

It occurred to me that I push and push ML but I've yet to share my ultimate wisdom on the subject, so, without further ado, here my lame attempt at a pictorial on the ML method, and while were at it, let's knit a shirt for a baby doll. I'm not much for meaningless swatching/knitting (we've got the best dressed dolls in town)

---

Ok, we're using really long (29 or 32 inches, I forget) US sz 8 circular needle, with worsted weight leftover yarn from our stash.

We CO 35 sts using the long tail CO method and pull all the sts down to the middle of the cable:

Then we pull the cable through to split up the sts (half and half is ideal, but perfection is not my best quality):

Then put the sts on the actual needles to make sure that we have no twisting (the MOST important part of working in the round. Notice how all my sts are facing each other):

Then we hold the sts firmly with our fingers, and gently pull the right needle up so that the sts are now on the cable instead of the needle, be careful not to twist those sts!

Now we just start knitting:

I forgot to take a pic of when we finish working the stitches on the left needle but you set it up the same way as we did in the beginning. All sts on two needles, pull the right one through and knit.

Ok, we're working 1x1 rib, so do that for 6 rounds. then make sure it fits your intended doll:

Hay, I said we've got the best dressed, not the best looking baby dolls. This is actually not my intended recipient. My intended recipient was sleeping snuggled up to my youngest when I started this project.

Ok, so it fits, yay!

Next round: knit all sts
Inc rnd: K1 M1 (by picking up and knitting the yarn between two sts) (69 sts)
K 6 rnds

Arms: BO 17 (with US sz 10 needle to make it nice and loose) K17 BO 17 K17
Rejoin and knit 18sts, rejoin and knit 18 sts

Now, I noticed at my second rejoin, that I had a really long strand of yarn between the two sts, so I just made a loop and put it on my needle to close up that hole a bit:

Knit a few rows, try it on baby:

Looks great!

Knit to length, BO. weave in CO and BO tails and you're done. I made this in one night after the kids went to bed.

I wanted to keep knitting and knitting to make it a dress so that my lazy bum doesn't have to knit pants, but I ran out of yarn :(

In the light of day:

Alright class, let's see your doll shirts!

Like my yarn?

2008-01-05T08:16:00.000-06:00

If you've been with me awhile, you know I sell hand dyed, (mostly cotton) recycled yarn. If you love my yarn, you're about to love it even more! I'm learning to respin it! I'm learning to re ply it so that it looks, feels and acts more like brand new yarn, still with the eco-friendly, Earth loving reality to it. I've been busy spinning and knitting to test my yarn before I release it for sale. My hub is busy making me a respinning wheel so I can crank out the respun yarn like nobody's business! Until then, I'm marking all previously listed yarn down 50% in an effort to clear some space for my new yarn stock.

As I said, I've been spinning and knitting to test my new yarn and since I'm a wannabe designer, I should have plenty of free knitting patterns here on my blog by the time I release my new line of respun yarn.

Thanks for you patience and thanks for your continued support in my yarn adventure.

Shellee

Kid's Seamless Sweater

2008-01-03T12:50:00.001-06:00

This is what I've had envisioned in my head since last summer. I can't believe I finally came up with how I want to do the sleeves. This was my 4th try at the sweater and I believe I've perfected it this time around. I'm sharing the pattern notes because I LOVE to share my learnings. I write my patterns very loosely, so if you've got any questions, please let me know and I can try to walk you through it.

My model wears a size 2-3t

I used the magic loop method on 32 in size 8 circs. The yarn was respun worsted weight, hand dyed cotton. I prepped 226 yards and didn't use all of it. 200 should do you just fine.

Gauge is 4 sts per inch in stockinette st.

neck:

co 60 sts
pm, join and work 1x1 rib for 2 inches
k one round
work one inc round, k2m1 (I pick up and k the yarn between two stitches as to be less noticeable)
k 5-7 rounds (remember, you're working with magic loop, so you can try the sweater on your kid!)
work one inc round.
k 8ish rounds, remember try it on to see if you're ready to start the arm holes yet.

At this point I've got 132 st on my needle. I have a feeling that I may have zoned out during the inc rounds so you may have a tad more or less then I do. that's no problem. This pattern is forgiving.

I'm going to explain the arm holes using my 132 sts, but if you have more/less, just know that each arm hole has 1/4 of the total stitches.

arm holes: starting at your marker, k16, place next 33 st on waste yarn, k33, place 33 on waste yarn, k to end of round

next round: k round rejoining at arm holes as if nothing weird is happening

k to desired length
work 5 rows garder st, bind off using a stretchy bo method

arms: (if you just pick up the stitches and start knitting, you'll need to sew up the hole in the pits afterward. I'm much too lazy for that. I do NOT like "finishing". So my trick was to sew up that little hole with 3 or 4 stitches with my darning needle BEFORE I even placed my sts back on my needle from the waste yarn. And another trick is to sew it from the pit down, that way your working yarn is already there for you)

Sew up pit hole (weave in end of yarn), place live sts back on your circs, join and work 1x1 rib for 10 rows, BO using a stretchy BO and do the same on the other arm.

Weave in the co and bo tail yarns and put this baby on your kid and admire your work!

This pattern is for personal use only. I charge a small fee for the right to sell your finished product. Please email me at : shelleefloyd@gmail.com for more info. Thanks :)

Cigar gloves from Knitty

2008-01-01T18:42:00.000-06:00

I just cannot work from a pattern, but now that I've knit these gloves I can make up the next pair as I go.

Here's the pattern for cigar gloves.

Here's my fo:

They're not nearly as nice as the designer's version, but my hub loves them and that's all that matters :)

How to wind a center pull ball of yarn

2007-12-26T12:32:00.000-06:00

I wind my yarn around one of the detachable crossbar arms from my niddy noddy. You can use anything that is tubular and will let the wound yarn slip right off, a thick marker, a paper towel tube, a round skinny bottle etc...

I leave about a 4-6 inch tail of yarn that will be the beginning of my working yarn.

I start by holding down the yarn with my thumb, and wrapping the yarn at an angle.

After I've wrapped the yarn at an angle a bit, then I turn the tube that I'm winding onto about a 1/4 of a turn and continue winding at the same angle as before.

Then I simply repeat this process until it's all wound up.

If you're lucky, the ball will start to move on it's own and you can stop manually rotating it the 1/4 turn.

Now, slide the ball right off and voila! You've got a beautifully rolled center pull ball of yarn ready to use.

Plying with a drop spindle

2007-12-26T11:21:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, my honey made me a CD drop spindle. We did modify it a bit. We added a hook to the top to make it easier from me to use. We added another CD to make it heavier since I'll be working with fairly large quantities and we made the dowel a bit longer then suggested to give me more space on the shaft to store the yarn.

I took two skeins of my beautiful, recycled, cotton, LWI dyed yarn,

wound them into center pulls

then started plying them together.

It took me awhile to figure out how to use the spindle. I thought it would be one continuous motion, rather then spinning a length of yarn, winding it around the spindle shaft and repeating for hours and hours.

I fell in love almost immediately. I never realized how much better it would make my yarn.

Each skein was approximately 200 yards, and I grabbed the yarn from each end of the balls, so I was plying 4 strands together, to get a total of 100 yards

Now, ideally, I'd skein it, wet it, hang and weigh it down to set the twist and to take out the recycled curliness, but I just couldn't wait, so one lucky dolly (Karen) got a nice new sweater!

The difference in the plied recycled yarn vs. non plied is truly amazing. I think I could have even put more twist on it and it would have been even nicer, but, alas, it was my first try.

I don't think I'll be selling the plied yarn until I get a wheel though simply because working in the quantities I do, and using a spindle, it would take me forever and a day and cost my customers a fortune.

Low water immersion dyeing of recycled cotton yarn

2007-12-26T08:13:00.000-06:00

I felt so adventurous the last few days even though it was a holiday. We celebrated with love and peace and presents on the first day of winter so my 24th and 25th of December were left wide open for relaxing, playing and crafting. And my honey was able to catch up on his "honey do" list. One thing on that list was making me a drop spindle, but we'll get to that a bit later. First lets look at my low water immersion (lwi) dyeing of yarn. I've done this process with clothing before but not with yarn. I've been thinking lately that I'd really like a daytime way of dyeing, a way that's not very messy, has little set up and break down, something I can do with the kids around, so I figured that lwi was the way to go.

First I dismantled and skeined a sweater, and shoved each skein into a glass jar:

This is 200 yards short of a whole sweater, I just couldn't for the life of me find one more jar in the house.

Then I poured my fiber reactive dye (since I'm working with plant fiber (cotton)) right on top of the dry yarn. I used a funnel at first then quickly ditched it since it really was serving no purpose:

I used only two colors: marine violet and medium blue procion dyes. You most certainly can put more then one color in the same jar, it would look super groovy, but I was on a simple experimental mission, so I used one color per skein/jar. I filled the jars with dye, made sure I could see no white, shook it up if I needed to, then I poured off the excess dye so that I had room to pour in some soda ash solution. Soda ash is a fiber reactive dye fixer, it keeps the dye colorfast for years. You cannot expect to get good results without it. So I mixed some up (directions are on the label) and poured as much as I could into the jars, put the caps on and shook it gently a few times. Then I let them sit and cure for a couple hours while I did other stuff.

Then when I felt they has cured enough, I filled up one basin of my kitchen sink with cool water, opened up the jars, poured out the excess dye/soda ash solution into the empty sink, and dunked the yarn into the cool water and squeezed/rung them out well. I then plopped them into a mesh laundry bag and washed them in the machine on cool and dried them on cool.

They were a bit tangled when I took them out of the bag, but I'm not afraid of a few knots, so I took them out, untangled them, then threw them back into the dryer out of the bag to finish drying.

They turned out so beautiful!

His and her's beer cozies

2007-12-20T17:41:00.002-06:00

Ok, I know they're cheesy, but they are also functional, really, I swear. It keeps your hands nice and toasty warm (and dry I might add) while you're sipping your favorite cold beer during the cold winter months.

Ok, let's get to the good stuff Here's the pattern: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28939677

I'm listed in the eco friendly gift guide at Etsy!!

2007-12-19T09:40:00.000-06:00

I'm pleased to announce that one of my awesome yarns is featured in Etsy's Environmentally Friendly Gift guide! The gift guide is hand picked by Etsy staff so I take this as a major compliment. Yay for recognition!

Can you find me?

How to use a nitty noddy

2007-12-15T08:05:00.000-06:00

First you need to get your hands on one. My hub made mine and it cost us 1.95 including tax. We followed these directions.

After we got it done, it took me literally WEEKS to figure out how to use it properly. I was bummed that I had such a useful tool and I didn't even know how to use it. I couldn't find any instructions that my brain could interpret properly so I'm going to try to write up a tutorial that is easy to follow and hopefully it will help some of you to take a leap in your hobby.

Now let's get winding, shall we?

Disclaimer, I'm holding the noddy in my LEFT hand and winding the yarn with my right. My wrist is going to twist and turn which is hard to show in pics, so when I say "right" or "left" side of the crossbar, in pics it always looks like the right side, but it is in fact on the proper side of my HAND in the position that I started in. Make sense? I hope so!

I've put pink squares on the photos of where you should wrap your yarn. I hope that helps rather then hinders.

first you need to twist the top of your noddy so that it's at an angle like this:

Then pick it up and hold it so the top crossbar is pointing toward you, I should have got a pic of that.

Then hold it like this, grab your yarn (holding it down with your thumb and wrap your yarn around the right side of the top crossbar like this:

Then you're going to bring the yarn down around the right side of the bottom crossbar like this:

Then come back up and wrap around the left side of the top crossbar:

Now bring the yarn down around the left side of the bottom crossbar:

Now back up to meet where you started on the top right crossbar:

Now you've got one complete wrap (2 yards), just continue following the wraps, being careful not to cross it over anywhere. Take it slow in the beginning, there's no rush.

Here's a whole skein wrapped and ready to dye. To take it off, just slide one end off the edge of the niddy noddy and you'll have a skein like this:

I hope this helps and or inspires others to take that next leap in their knitting hobby. Please let me know if the tute helps or doesn't make sense at all.

Happy yarn winding!

My own One Day Hat

2007-12-15T07:28:00.000-06:00

After i made my hub his hat
I just had to have one of my own, so I whipped one up out of a very unique colorway. I took a sweater, dyed it whole, and when I took it apart, It changed from orange to chocolate brown, so I rolled one center pull, and one ball

then skeined them together, I started one ball on the chocolate and one ball on the orange and came up with this super groovy speckled yarn.

Check out how nice it looks with my winter coat:

It took me officially more then one day, because I was also parenting three wonderfully goofy kids. I love it and it keeps my head so very warm. I used the same pattern as I did for my hubs hat except I ssk instead of K2tog. How does it look on me?

One Day Hat

2007-12-11T21:59:00.000-06:00

I'm ashamed to admit this, but I've been knitting for three years and this is the first item my hub has received. Yes, I'm typing this with a bag on my head.

The hat is simple I know, but I made it in one day. Thanksgiving Day to be exact. There's not much to the pattern at but I'll spill it because, who knows, you may be looking for some of my piddly knowledge .

This hat, of course, is knit using the magic loop method.

Grab your Soulful Hues recycled, hand dyed cotton yarn, nice and bulky. Grab your 32 in size 8 circs and CO 80 stitches. Knit 1x1 ribbing for a couple of inches, then switch to stockinette and just knit, knit, knit this bad boy until it measures about 5 inches from CO edge. Then place markers after every tenth stitch. Now K2tog before ever marker, on every other row until you have 6ish stitches total, cut the yarn and pull it through those last few stitches. Weave in the ends and you're done! Well, unless your target recipient has a cool patch they want sewn on.

My middle daughter's work

2007-12-10T12:53:00.000-06:00

My kids are so awesome. My little girl (almost 4) took it upon herself the other day to "dye" some yarn, then came running to show me. She dipped and stirred it in water colors. I think she's got a great eye for color.