Another use for DPNs!

I was cleaning up my crafting space a bit last night when some alligator clips caught my eye.  I decided it would be fun to make some bows for my daughter's hair. I had seen some in the mall the other day that I liked, being sold for about  6 USD a pair! That seems crazy expensive to me. I don't know who is able to afford to buy such hair clips for their child, and even if I could I find it hard to justify spending nearly twice the amount a day labourer might make in India working all day on a pair of silly hair clips!

I've been wanted to make korkers, you know those fun little pipe curls made out of ribbons, to add to my bows. Directions I find all over the web say that you need wooden dowels and wooden clothes pins.. things I have not seen in Delhi. (I'm sure you could find them somewhere if you made it your personal mission to find them, I just have not. ) However, I had a light bulb moment and grabbed a set of DPNs ( that's double pointed needles to those of you who do not knit.) and some metal binder clips I had in my stash, and I was all set to make my own little curly ribbons.

In case you don't know they are super simple to make, just attach the ribbon to one end of the DPN and wrap around tightly till you reach the end and fasten with another clip. 'Bake' in the oven (about 135 degrees Celsius) for about 25 min. Cool them, remove from needle and enjoy the curly goodness! I found that the grosgrain ribbon worked the best. The satin ribbons had mixed results, the better quality ones did better. (the navy blue was really cheap)

Here is what I made: total cost for these was less than a dollar!

Anaiah of Green Cables

I got it done! (Well, ok if I am honest it is not blocked yet.) I'm really pleased with how it turned out! I think it will be a great addition to her winter wardrobe assuming that is we ever get a real winter here. As you see from the picture she is still wearing shorts! :) 

Anaiah of Green Cables! 

A sweet little goofball! 

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Wednesday Work in Progress

I'm almost done with my Anaiah of Green Cables cardigan!  Just one sleeve and the button loops remain. (and of course all the weaving in of the ends) It feel so good to think that I might have this project finished BEFORE the weekend!  I think it might end up being a tad big on her but I think that is probably a good thing! 

This was on October 5th: 

 This is today:

What are you working on?

Now go check out what other knitters are working on here! 

My sewing machine has been buzzing!

It's done!  The costume is finished.  Let me just say making it was a pain at times, all those layers of slippery fabric and satin. I had to change my sewing machine needle twice because of that black dotted fabric. But it was all worth it to see her buzzing about this afternoon.  Can't wait till Halloween!

 It's was not a difficult dress to make other than dealing with the slipperiness of all those fabrics.  It's a half circle bubble dress made of satin with a cotton lining underneath a synthetic sheer fabric with the tulle/dots sewn on in stripes. The wings are the same material as the outer layer of the dress with a little trim around the edges. The bodice is 2 layers of cotton broadcloth with a layer of the tulle/dots on top.  Mask is made of felt. 

What I did all Sunday afternoon.

This morning I checked my mail as I usually do and found that my mom wanted me to make her a photobook. She had printed a bunch of photos at Target and discovered that she had a coupon code for a free photobook. She is not very computer savy so the job was left to me. I've spent all afternoon and a little of the evening making this book. I really hope she'll like it. Because I work so hard on it I wanted to share it with everyone. So, here is a glimpse of Anaiah's summer. 

Click here to view this photo book larger

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Hope you've had a great Sunday!

Time to dust of the sewing machine!

It's been months since I touched my sewing machine. Truth be told I just kinda dumped the bags of yarn that I had bought in the US on my sewing table and have yet to clear it off. I bought so much yarn that I just don't know where to put it all! :)  

I had asked Anaiah if she wanted to dress up this year for Halloween. She has done so every year so far with costumes that I had purchased in the states. She decided that yes, she did want to dress up this year, not that she has any real idea about what Halloween actually is. So I have an excuse to dust off that machine and get busy! She has decided on what she wants to be and I'm hoping to make a costume that fits the bill but probably a little stylized rather then going for real life accuracy. I want it to be pretty and re-usable(if possible) too! 

Here is a picture of some of the supplies I've bought today. I bet you can figure out what Anaiah is going to be for Halloween!

Are you sewing any costumes this year? What are your kids dressing up as?

The start of something wonderful! (hopefully)

Pineapple! Oh, how I love thee! I get so excited when I start seeing more pineapples around. I love them. They have that citrus flavor mixed with juicy sweetness that I just cannot get enough of. Personally I think they taste best fresh. Made even sweeter if they come with strawberries on the side. However,  I have learned the hard way that in India the season comes and goes sometimes very fast so I want to make use of it while I can. 

I didn't really have a recipe for pineapple jam and the recipes I did find were for people who have loads of them and I just had one. So I kinda made up a recipe, added some pectin and sugar and then there was jam. Next time I'll cut out a bit of the sugar though, because it turned out really sweet.  Thankfully this little jam jar was small enough that it could be processed in a large pot because I'm still trying to get my hands on a bigger stock pot to use as a water bath canner. Hopefully this little jar represents the start of a great season of pineapple and Canning! 

Oh, and if anyone knows where to get canning jars in India I'd love to know!