Crafters rising: chain mail and handwoven scarves

Brian and I have been busy and not-busy, in a way. Brian has been developing new chain mail products without actually making many new pieces to actually sell. We do have these new glow-in-the-dark chain mail bracelets in the Etsy shop, which would make great Halloween jewelry and are pretty even when the glow stick stops glowing:




But he's also been working on other chain mail accessories, like this cool wrapped bottle (which someone at Dragon*Con called a "poison bottle"):


We don't have any of those in the shop yet, but soon ... soon.

For my part, I've been weaving stash scarves (meaning, I've been trying to use up the random bits and pieces of stuff in my yarn stash). I finished this scarf at the Florida Fiber-In:







The warp is Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Stripes, and the weft is the same plus some Lion Brand Homespun.

Then I started this scarf at the Fiber-In, and finished it today:





The warp is Lion Brand Microspun, and the weft is some worsted-weight cotton/rayon blend that was separated from its ball band, plus shots of two types of eyelash yarns and some more Microspun.

Both scarves were made on my Cricket loom. Weaving is awesome because it's fast and easy to make attractive fabric, but it's actually kinda inefficient for destashing: I still have leftovers of every single one of those yarns. Oh, well. I'll just have to weave some more scarves. ;)

I also have a Cunning Plan in the works. If all goes according to it, I should be crafting a lot more in the coming months, and doing a few craft shows. I'm finally tired of waiting. It's for-real crafter time.

New project: Alan's scarf

Started today for the package of stuff going to Chicago:

Scarves From the Heart needs donations

They just donated their last batch of scarves at an event, and they have an event coming up in October. Anyone with scarves sitting around, on the needles, or in their heads waiting to be knit up lickety-split can go here for more information.

More UFObusting

I've re-picked up Branching Out, and have done two lace pattern repeats so far. Woo. I really am going crazy on the UFObusting lately. ;) It's just as well, since I have a couple of Uberlate Swaps that need to go out in the next month, that being my Personal Challenge on 43things.com. UFObusting is in the same spirit as finally finishing and sending those swaps, and hey, some of my UFOs are for Uberlate Swaps. ;D

Knitknitknitknitknitknitknitknitknitknitknitknit...

Superfringe!

That's the second hairpin lace scarf, which is getting sent today for the "Anything you can do..." swap. More crazy crafting yet to come!

Quicksilvery

I started another hairpin lace scarf yesterday in Blue Heather Wool-Ease, and finished it today. Woohoo! It came out pretty much the way I wanted it to, too. And I plied, skeined, and washed 30 yards of brown alpaca yesterday for knitting into a necklace I-cord today. I even worked a few inches of my second Mystery Skein Swap item, and plan on doing some more tonight.

So I also just gave in and bought Stitch Diva's Lotus Smock Dress and Camisole hairpin lace pattern (perversely neglecting the skirt pattern I've been ogling for months because it looks easier to figure out on my own -- and this is maybe a hint of the Can't Do Anything Easy rule kicking in again). I may have to go and buy some yarn for this one with my nonexistent money, since it requires double-knit weight yarn, of which I do have five skeins or so ... in different fibers and completely unmatching colors. ;) But I want to learn some more advanced hairpin lace techniques, and the patterns available on the Internet are pretty slim pickings.

Anyway, more spastic crafting today seems likely. I have a few swaps that are slightly overdue thanks to the energy sink that is FLaRF, with its Three-Day Weekends of Doom, and I Will Catch Up, thanks to my darling hairpin lace loom and a fit of general mild quicksilveriness.

Picture bonanza

Things I made for the Slacker Homemade Gift swap:







The red thingie is my first bit of hairpin lace ever, and it's a scarf. Yayyyy. ;) I need to get a good photo of the scarfage, itself, so I can feel safe sending away my firstborn. ;D

This is my Things with Wings matchbox, too, which was sent a bit ago, but I didn't post photos immediately:







I also received my own Things with Wings matchbox a couple days ago from Australia, and should be a good swapper and post photos, shouldn't I?

Speaking of swaps ... I wonder where my Spin to Knit handspun swap is? ;) My partner did say she procrastinates, but I hope she doesn't procrastinate herself completely out of sending me my skeins. ;) (I seem to have this problem acquiring handspun from other people...) I also need to finish and send my own skein for this month, actually. This FLaRF thing is kicking my butt in terms of time to craft 'n' swap.