http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog Useless craft Mon, 31 May 2010 23:10:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Paper Platypus is having a giveaway until midnight tonight on her beautiful paper flowers. I hope I win! These mums would just brighten up the place settings so nicely, don't ya think? Otherwise, I might send a few kits to various friends and have them make 25 flowers each, since ... http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=203 My friend and fellow crafter just bought me the book 'Printing by Hand' by Lena Corwin. Her timing with this gift was perfect as I'm trying to find more activities that don't involve sitting hunched over a glowing computer screen. So, here's my first print, which was inspired by the ... http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=195 [caption id="attachment_188" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Gauyabera Apron"][/caption] A couple of months ago I woke up one Sunday and decided I had to spend the day rummaging through bins of vintage mens' shirts and then make aprons out of them. I have no idea where I got the idea - maybe I was ... http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=186 This pattern is so fun to make and not as hard as it looks. I picked up the pattern at Twisted in Portland, OR a couple months ago, but just started it a couple weeks ago. At first I was so confused how to do the dropped-stitch knitting, but found ... http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=182 This is my first hat with a foam insert. If I just keep my head turned a little bit it doesn't look so bad. But head on, it's a little wonky. I followed this Two Way Beanie pattern on ravelry.com http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=173 This sweater started in Boston and ended in San Francisco. It's my first baby sweater and is for an expecting friend of mine in Colorado. The yarn is the Organic Simply Cotton yarn from KnitPicks. The pattern is free from f.pea http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=160 This was the culinary marvel that emerged when we combined camping, beer-drinking, expertly whittled skewers, fire, bacon, cheese, hot dogs and turning thirty. We submitted it to thisiswhyyourefat.com, but it didn't make the cut. http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=154 I'm about halfway through my first sweater. This is a pattern by Zephyr Style. It's a great pattern for a first sweater, because it's fast and not too monotonous. The woman who sold it to me at Twisted in Portland, OR, told me that the sizes ran big, so ... http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=152 One $2 box of fudge brownies + 1/2 an apple from the bottom of the fridge = LOVE! http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=149 I love this yarn - so many shades of brown. This is from Blue Moon, hand-dyed 100% merino. I tried to get away with not having double-pointed needles in the size I needed and knit it flat on straight needles, which led to a messy seam up the outer edge. ... http://www.melindaswenson.com/blog/?p=147