eknittingneedles.com review

Well,  I didn't get around to ordering my new knitting needles yet, but several of my friends have.  The shipping was very fast and the needles arrived as described by eknittingneedles.com

My friend Mary Lou got the 6 inch dpns and 9 inch straight needles and loves them.  My friend Holly ordered a set of dpns, straights, and circulars.  She ordered them Friday morning and by Friday night they were shipped.  I expect she will receive them any day now and will post her review ASAP.  My friend Susan ordered the 6 inch dpns and just decided they weren't exactly what she likes.  There was nothing wrong with the needles she just prefers the Clover Takumi needles.  I own some of these and they are lovely needles, but I have a lot of projects going at once and often need multiples of a size and that gets expensive.  So I offered to take her dpns off her hands.

I went to Mary Lou's house to help her with a thrummed mitten project  she is working on.  As a new knitter I applaud her for jumping into this project.  Knitting in the round and adding the fibers and following a pattern.  Way to go Mary Lou!  After inspecting her dpns and 9 inch straight needles, and comparing the straight needles side by side with the Clover needles, I can't wait to get my own set! 

I paid Susan for her set of dpns and need to make a needle case for them now.  The needles seem well made and sturdy.  I compared the size 1's I just bought with the pair I am knitting with and the differences are minimal.  The ones I already had were 7 inches long, they are the Clover Takumi needles.  They are bending just a bit as I knit with them, but that doesn't bother me.  I can't accurately review the new needles until I use them, but the size is etched on to the needles and they feel smooth.  The may be slightly less pointy, but it is a barely noticeable difference.  Having knit with metal, plastic and wood dpns, I like the feel of the wooden ones and the slight give.  If I am knitting with a tight tension the metal ones allow for more slip, but for a small circumference project like socks the wooden ones seem to help me not drop stitches.  So I would recommend you try these needles for the price!

Here are picture of the dpns.  They are individually packaged and shipped in a padded envelope:

Freezer Paper and Paint OH MY!!

Well, I became intrigued by a blog post about freezer paper stencils on shirts yesterday. The Artful Parent Blog gave me the starting point and I joined a group on Flickr that shows what other people have made.

I got interested in possibly screen printing some items after seeing the YUDU at my local Michaels craft store. After looking at more information on line I still liked the idea of the machine, but the costs just seemed too high for me to buy a machine and make one or two shirts at home. So I then researched doing screen printing the old fashioned way and still felt it was more than I really wanted to take on. So I was greatly surprised to see a link on my Facebook page from the By Hand forum that was about freezer paper stencils on clothing. So I read the Artful Parent Blog and then read a bunch of others...followed some links...looked at stencils and artwork and images...well you know how it is. I did some painting on fabric back in the 80's and always enjoyed it. I still wear a jean jacket I painted and embellished and get comments (positive ones...not WOW is she stuck in a time warp ones) about it. So since I had a basic knowledge of how it works I figured what the heck...I think I can do this.

So on my way home from work I stopped at the local Walmart and bought the freezer paper. It was a good deal...150 sq. feet for about $5.50, a $5 t shirt, and some of those small acrylic paint bottles with a bottle of fabric medium. I looked at a lot of designs before deciding on a leaf and vine one. I wanted a grown up shirt....not a kid one. I am always on the lookout for interesting shirts because I have to wear black and white to work everyday. After dinner I set up on the table and cut out my design, ironed it on the shirt and got ready to paint. I thought about just using black, but I also had copper and aqua. Both would look beautiful, but I went with the copper and aqua. I mixed them with the medium on a paper plate and used sponge brushes to apply them to the shirt. I waited as long as I could before removing the paper......and I LOVED my shirt! I can't wait to wear it to work tomorrow.

Great show!

Here is a picture of my table at the Revenge of the Recessionistas event at the Argentine Bean Crestview Hills , KY. The event went great! We had close to 100 attend and feedback is that everyone had a wonderful time. The restaurant was packed as ladies began arriving at 5:30 and a steady stream came in all evening. Gift bags were given to the first 60 containing coupons and skin care items. We raffled off a variety of gift certificates and gift bags with cheers going up as people heard their name announced! I sold jewelry as fast as I could! At one point people were 5 deep around my table. The down side...one bracelet grew legs, but considering how busy I was that isn't too bad. Next time I'll take some help as I know I would have sold more if someone could have just taken the money!
So today I am very tired, but would do this again in a minute. Just give me a month to recouperate and make more jewelry. I did very well and am already invited back for Sangria Fest in June. The Argentine Bean closes part of the road off and has music, dancing, food, wine and now ME! This is located in an upscale outdoor shopping center with stores like Ann Taylor, J Jill, Dillards, Black House/White Market, so the customer base is a good one for hand made and unique items. I got a lot of inquires as to what stores carried my jewelry, or where they could make purchases in the future...so I said to go to my webpage and Artfire studio. Gave out a lot of cards. I already have orders from people who were there, and got an e mail this morning for someone who wants a set she saw and didn't buy, so that goes in the mail once I get her payment!
I will be posting some more pictures of the event soon as my friends Todd Provenzano took pictures all evening.

Blue Sky Bracelet $35.00

This beautiful bracelet was created using blue quartz beads, swarovski crystals and silver spacers. It measures 8 inches long, but fits a 7 - 7 1/2 inch wrist. If you need it longer...just ask, I will adjust it at no additional charge. These blue beads vary in color from light to medium blue and reminded me of the sky in spring.

$35.00 s/h $3.00 (international buyers contact me for shipping)