Got to be birds flying higher

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I bought a punch needle kit on sale from a most unusual place--a drug store! The kit is by Kikkerland, purveyor of quirky goods and crafts. It was the perfect thing to take on vacation. I made some mistakes, had trouble telling the front from the back, but overall I would try it again! It was a few hours worth of fun considering I paid $9.99 for the kit. It was just the perfect take a long for my recent trip too.

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Hubs is a lucky guy--here's the second sweater I made for him on my Ultimate Sweater Machine. I avoided the mistakes I made in my first sweater, but also made some new ones, doh! I have to adjust the length of the arms and then it will be done done.

The yarn is Premier Anti-Pilling yarn in spruce and pine. The yarn looked more "green" on the website, but it turned out to accidentally match our couch.

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A day late, but better late than never! I was downtown on Friday and snapped a pic of various handmade poppies that adorn the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The knit and crochet poppies--some with buttons for centres and in a hue of reds--were created in 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of armistice. 7000+ poppies make up the display and were contributed by parishoners and people worldwide. Here's a more in-depth story about the poppies.

x-posted to crafty and book_love

I added two new books to my craft bookshelf this month, Amazing Circular Weaving and Weaving On A Little Loom.

Buying craft books can be a little iffy, so I'm happy to recommend them. Both have good, clear photos, and instructions not only for the projects, but for those new to weaving. You'll be able to get up and running with successful results in no time.

Although I took a class at art college on weaving with a four harness loom, I couldn't master it at all and it left me feeling like I'd never weave again. Turns out I have a lot of enthusiasm for little looms. TBH, anything can become a loom as long as you have something to hold the warp threads. It could be a tissue box, a piece of cardboard or a scrap of wood :-)

I can't resist new craft things and bought a Zoom Loom by Schact Spindle. It is made in the USA and is a pin loom. Pin looms let you make tiny projects and they are just kind of fun. So far I have made a few samples with different yarns.

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I actually went to a scrapbook carnival yesterday and it was pretty fun! Naturally I spent too much, but it was fun to just shop and I also spent time with some friends too. I kinda wish I saw this video before I went though.

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Well, this is an amazing way to ring in the new year. 1000 Etsy sales! I was hoping that the last sale would trickle in before the year ended and it took a lot of patient waiting. My 1000th sale will be receiving a thank you card and a magnet in the mail.

I started my shop in 2005, but things only took off once digital downloads did. I use to email the annual mini calendar back in the day, which seems very 2008. I needed technology to catch up. Etsy is such a long game, though. It's easy to give up, but you have to constantly be updating your listings, creating new content and improving your SEO to be found. It's thrilling to know my work is out there in the world 1000 times over :-)

This is the first of two posts about crochet and cockatiels and both kind of happened at the same time. I just happened to be across from a vendor named Jubblier and she had crochet budgies and a cockatiel. You can bet I bought one of each! They are as just as cute as they are on their Etsy listing.

My real tiel wasn't so sure about the imposter :-D

I was cleaning up the craft room and found this old project. I can't say what made me create it as it was a long time ago when I first got a Knifty Knitter. It was so exciting to have the Knifty Knitter as knitting was always beyond my comprehension or skill level. The bag was made from two strands of sport or baby weight yarn on the pink long loom and the handles were made on the blue round loom. I knitted a few rows and crocheted it into a circle. It's being finished up today to be donated to a thrift store. Unfortunately I don't have any littles in my life to give this to.

I bought myself an Ultra Punch Needle for my birthday and even then I only bought it because my husband was dragging me along everywhere last weekend to find a very specific kitchen timer. I ended up ordering it on Amazon when the spectre of Wal-Mart was raised.

"Nooooo, my time is worth more than going to the Marlborough Wal-Mart!" I declared and whipped out my phone. The timer didn't cost enough to earn free shipping, so I tacked the punch needle on to it. I'm not even sure where I got the idea for such a thing - probably Pinterest!

Now, I don't need another hobby or craft. I have plenty! But I was curious as to how it worked and if it was a dud, I would just find a new home for it. It's just a plastic tube with a spring and a needle, kind of like a clicky pen.

I found some old evenweave fabric and an embroidery hoop (I need to get a smaller one) and practiced the mantra that the instruction manual preached - punch, lift, slide. If this sounds suspiciously easy...it is. It did take me a few tries to get the hang of it though. I had better results when I went slow because I kept turning the needle the wrong way. Holding it incorrectly affects the way stitches are made and I found it took a bit of concentration for me. Maybe this weekend I can trace out a pattern and actually make something worth showing off!