Crafts to start the year off right
By nancygibson
@nancygibson (3736)
France
January 5, 2009 1:21pm CST
Most of us like trying new crafts, and I wondered if anyone was trying anything new to get the year off to a good creative start?
I'm currently washing a batch of fleece from last year and I'm going to natural dye it before its spun to give me a big batch of random dyed yarn, not sure what I'mm make with it yet though.
What are you planning on trying your hand at this year?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I have a couple of things in mind for the crafting new year. I have been going through a difficult time lately (my husband walked out on me) and my friends have been outstanding in their support. I want to handmake a gift for each of them to show how much I appreciate them. I hope to make a bookmark for a couple of them and perhaps another display piece for the girl that doesn't read much.
I have just started crocheting and I want to try my hand at crocheting an afghan for my dad. And maybe start a baby blanket as my brother is hoping to have a little one soon.
@busyB4 (874)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Aurone,
I am so sorry to hear about your husband. I think your crafting will be really good therapy for you though. It sure is for me, a stress reliever.
There are tons of free patterns online so I have quite a collection. I am hoping to take the time to learn a Tuscanian crochet stitch. It just looks interesting to me, more like knitted than crocheted. I've bought the needle for it but that is as far as I have gotten so far!
Also, I am currently trying a new afghan pattern. I found some very large skeins of yarn at Micheals last weekend on sale, so I think I can complete a whole afghan with one skein. Since I crochet for charity, I try to keep simplier less time consuming patterns that I can do more in volume than spending too much time on one thing. I like variety though not just the same thing over and over.
Good luck to all in your projects!
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Thanks. I read an article once in a cross stitching magazine where the were researching the therapeutic value of cross stitching. They found it actually could be used to fight depression and I am sure the same goes for crocheting and knitting. Good luck with your new stitch.
@creationsbyrobin (3071)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I'm trying to expand my sea glass jewelry creations. I've begun wire wrapping my pieces for necklaces, rather than drilling holes into them and I'm hoping to improve my wrapping skills to where I can wrap piece for earrings.
I'm trying out a couple of new sites, so I need to increase my numbers and that's not always very easy because only about 5% of the sea glass I find is even close to jewelry quality (and to find "like" pieces to make earrings or bracelets can sometimes take a year or more)
I'm also hoping to get back to designing my polymer pendants rather than hand stamping them. I found that customers were far more impressed with a piece that I etched and hand painted than those that were hand stamped (tho they liked the stamped pieces also)
I'd also like to get back to knitting again. There isn't much return on investment trying to sell hand-knitted items, but knitting is very therapeutic for me after a long day at work and I'd like to get back to knitting just for the enjoyment.
I've got quite a full plate, don't I? 
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I am going to try to make two Christmas quilts for my daughters. I did make a small quilt for my granddaughter for christmas...and she loved it. My kids each have a quilt I made for them but my oldest daughter lost hers in a move. It was the only box missing from the moving van....I have had some of the material for a long time and now it needs to get used up.
