Sunday, October 12, 2008

Hemp for the Gold!

I'm an active lurker on the community website ravelry.com, but recently I participated in the ravelympics. What is ravelympics? Here is the official description:
"The First International Ravelympics Summer 2008 are open to any knitter or crocheter on Ravelry ready to challenge themselves to complete a project (or projects) within 17 days during the Summer Olympics."
I joined Team Chicago and I signed up for the Home-stuff Hammerthrow. I had been planning on making some hemp washcloths and this was the perfect opportunity to get me to actually do it. They turned out great:

I used 100% hemp yarn called allhemp6. It was the first time knitting with hemp for me and I really liked it. I got three washcloths out of one 12-dollar skein, which is a lot cheaper than buying uglier ones online already made. I think next time I can get four out of a skein if I do the math right. I also bought a bunch of raw-looking natural hemp yarn and I'm making more washcloths out of that. It's not nearly as nice to knit with, but the end result produces a lovely organic cloth that will perform up to Olympic standards in the kitchen.

The reason I used hemp is because hemp has natural anti-bacterial properties and will not mildew. Hemp fabric also gets softer the worse it's treated so it is a real work horse of a cloth that takes no special care.

I'm a hemp lover now!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Crafting around the house

I recently moved into a new apartment, not to mention a new state and city. Most people look at me like I'm crazy when they find out I left the Sunshine State for the Windy City, but I know they're secretly thinking to themselves, "Why wouldn't she move here? It's Chicago!"

Chicago is a major place to be. It's hip. It's cool. It's young and old. People who live here care. There's more to life here than golf and hospitals. Even though sometimes it is odorous and cold, I love being in this city.

I also love having a place to decorate. I have made plans upon plans to beautify my space, but I've only finished a few of them.

The first project that was finished first was a new dog bed cover for my little buddy, Basil, a yorkshire terrier.


He doesn't use it because he sleeps on our bed instead.

Next, the bathroom got a dressed up dresser and an extra large shower curtain.



They were made from an Ikea duvet set. I love them.

The living room windows were treated with some screens.


My cousin made these for her place and I loved the idea so much I made some for my place.

I'm also reupholstering three antique chairs.


I have one of them almost done and a second halfway almost done.

I made one of two kitchen curtains, but I made it wrong so I still need to re-sew it.

I have plans to make some type of light and airy living room window curtains to bring some color up onto the walls, but I haven't found the right fabric yet.

After these projects, I hope to get back into dyeing and crafting for a living. Even though I do have a full-time job, I am thinking I may be able to pull off crafting enough stuff to have a booth at one of the many craft fairs this area has. I've been to three so far and I've only been living here four months!