Update: The afternoon of writing the last post Jak was diagnosed with late stage luekemia. It completely took us all by surprise, but actually made a lot of sense with all the issues we’ve had since his adoption. Lethargic, anorexia, nausea.  Because its one of those generalized chronic issues, it’s really hard to figure out. And he’s just always had it since we adopted him. His sick self was his normal self. We were told most likely 2-3 months to live, but that if we did treatments maybe 6 months to a year a year.

Before we could even make a decision on the treatment, he started to decline. By Thursday morning the vet, oncologist, and Jason and I all came to the conclusion that no amount of treatment would help, he was really suffering big time, and we had to let him go. He was a sweetheart to the end, wearing his sweater to keep his cold old bones warm while in the hospital on that last night.

We miss him so much and I can’t really explain the gap it’s left in our hearts and lives. It was so sudden and so unexpected.

The last project I had to finish for the zine were just a few stitches on and final photos of antlers for Jak, I just can’t do it. I’m changing things up and filling the rest of the pages with non-dog related things and a single page paying tribute to Jak. It will be printed and sent out asap. Thank you for your compassion and patients as we go through this time of grieving.

Kristin

ps – this is the last super depressing post in a long long time. I’m really looking forward to throwing myself head long into crafting and working therapy.

This month has been one little twist after another and it seems extremely fitting, that the issue that has Jak on the cover is also the issue to which he caused delay.

I was planning on telling you the story of Jak’s illness and recovery and announcing the newest issue of the Craft Leftovers Zine in the shop this morning. But things have taken a turn for the worse and our poor greyhound is really really sick. We’ve been working with the vet since getting home from Renegade – trying meds and light walks and special diets and different tests – and this morning hit the critical point of rushing him in for emergency care.

After this morning’s bout, I have a lot of clean up to do before I can get back to work on the zine. I hate puke. Jak’s in good hands and I’m sure he’s getting lots of pets (and pokes) as we speak.

The scary thing is that they just don’t know what it is. So while we wait. And I’ll be working on final layout and edits and I hope to get the last file sent off to the printer today. But I know I won’t make that last “ship by” time to get it there for Christmas. If you have a subscription, I’ll send you a digital edition to print off. I’m so close to being done that even with Jak being sick I’ll have everything in the mail tomorrow.

Keep my pup in your thoughts today. He’s such a sweet guy. We’ve only had him in our family for 9 months, we are fighting hard for him. We really want him to stick around for another 9 years.

Kristin

The Hurricane Hat is finished! On and off the needles in just 5 days!

This week I tried something completely new, and a little random, and quite a bit off-the-cuff: the first ever Craft Leftovers Make-A-Long quicky! Why did I opt for a fast paced make-a-long? Well, I have a lot of super involved projects already on the needles and I really wanted a new hat to keep my head warm and match the November Craft Leftovers Monthly Zine Scarf.

So the CL MAL Quicky was born. I’m super happy with the response I’ve gotten and will definitely do another one next month. Maybe you all aren’t clambering for flickr group membership, but I have gotten quite a few tweets, likes, and comments saying you like the concept of it and want to do one in the future (just maybe not the week leading up to christmas week)(maybe with a little more notice).

Personally, it really kicked my needles into gear to get this hat finished. I wonder if I would have gotten past the cast on this month if there wasn’t that 5 day deadline.

I was surprised that it took only a few hours of knitting to go from yarn ball….

to sweet finished hat.

And how much I enjoyed a late night knitting session.

Part of the enjoyment could have been the pattern itself. It’s so lovingly easy, yet more than just a basic round and round we go stockinette hat. I really enjoyed her use of the M1 after finishing the rib to get the spiral to be a one row pattern repeat. And how she got rid of that joining in the round gap that seems to always show up.

Now I have about 100+ yards of this lovely dyed-by-me yarn in my “craft leftovers” pile and it’s taunting me to write a pattern for some matching mittens with dashes of orange to make up the rest of the yardage. Hmmmm.

I suppose that’s the third reason I opted for a MAL Quicky, I’m just about out of yarn leftovers, I have just mostly stash yarn left! Which is good, but what am I going to write patterns for y’all with!

I hope you enjoyed knitting this project with me as I have. It’s been fun connecting via twitter and facebook through our joint making efforts!

Happy Knitting!
Kristin Roach

to see the rest of the MAL Quicky series, visit: December MAL Quicky Part 1 and Part 2.

Last year I signed up for the Sketchbook Project – and only started three drawings, and didn’t finish a single one. I felt like an epic failure. Me, I draw all the time (or so I thought), not able to finish filling out my sketchbook. I fill a sketchbook no problem like every 2 months just by doodling and writing random things. What happened?

1. Intimidation – yeah, I got scared.

The idea of putting my sketchbook into the line up with amateurs and greats alike scared the heck out of me. Would anyone think it’s worth looking at? Would anyone seek it out? Was what I had to say with my visual language worthwhile?

2. Too Personal – I picked the theme “nightmares”.

Which was good for me because I have loads of them. Heck, between the ones I can remember and the ones I have on just about a nightly basis, I should have had no problem filling that little book – or so I thought. But it turns out having enough subject matter wasn’t the issue, dipping into the imagery kind of scared the crap out of myself. While all drawings tend to have a personal autobiographical nature, the idea of exposing all that twisted sludge in my head turned out to be a valley I really didn’t want to hike into. I’ve long thought about illustrating my nightmares. But, sadly, no. I was not ready for that challenge.

Honestly I think those were the two big things that held me back. The personal thing more than the intimidation one now that I write it out.

I love the idea of archiving my drawing in the Brooklyn Art Library. I love the idea of collecting up sketchbooks from around the world, what an asset to historians of the future (having studied art history enthusiastically myself, I know how important this kind of thing can be). So yeah, I want to toss my hat into that ring.

So, knowing that, when I received an email about signing up for the 2012 Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol. 1 today, I opted to jump into it and try again. But this time picking the theme “How to Spell and Other Things to Learn”. In a spark, 20 pages of drawings and collages ideas came to mind, a very good sign.

When I signed up they sent me a coupon code to share with my buddies, which I consider all of you. My crafty blog buddies. I know some of you must be like me and enjoy drawing too. Or collage Or painting Or fabric art. You get the idea.

Use the coupon code: ADDAFRIEND to receive $2 off. It costs $25 to participate.

I hope you’ll join me in filling a sketchbook for the project which in turn helps to fill the sketchbook archive.

Happy Sketching!

Kristin Roach

Alright, by a 4-1 vote the Hurricane Hat has it! I’ve snapped up a skein of yarn, wound it, and have even dropped the details into my Ravelry Notebook. The official CastOn has begun. Ready. Set. Knit!

Now to spice thing up, if you finish your hat by Friday night AND post a picture of it to the MAL Quicky Flickr Group, you’ll be entered to win a digital edition copy of Craft Leftovers Monthly!

Become a member of the Flickr Group here. You can post up to three pictures per a month - your yarn, a wip photo, and the finished hat.

*****swiiiiiiifffffft*****

Clearly I was inspired by the blue hat pictured above. I’m using a self dyed worsted weight merino. I’m concerned it’s a little too thin for the pattern gauge so I’m have a back up lace weight yarn I may wind into it. Since I want the hat to be warm (and I want to use up stash), I’d rather add in more yarn thickness than work with a larger needle size.

On to an evening of crafting!

Happy Knitting and thanks for joining me on this Make-A-Long adventure!
Kristin

Okay, I need a hat. I have trashed out, shrunk, or given-away all my handmade hats. I have one, and it’s cute, but not warm. I need warm. I already have Craft Leftovers Monthly Issues 3:6 and 4:1 planned out and in the works, I don’t need to make a pattern right now, I just want to knit one. I also want to learn how to do a hat on the diagonal. Want to knit a hat with me this week? Record time MAL. One week. One hat. One warm head. One pile of my Craft Leftovers used up.

Today, we pick a pattern. Tomorrow we pick a yarn and cast on and knit. Wednesday and Thursday we knit some more. Friday we have a hat + a pattern review + Craft Leftovers first finished Make-A-Long.

I’m going to knit an awesome hat with the following specs:

• Warm
• Daily fair – can wear with anything
• Interesting but not complicated
• Fast – nothing lower than dk. Worsted preferred.
• No bulky yarn… because I say so.
• swirly. because that’s how I’m feeling

Here are three patterns I love and would love to knit, which one do you want to knit with me – or is there a more awesome pattern you love that I should love too?. Leave a comment saying which one or a link to a better one:

Kilkanna

• by Woolly Wormhead
• Yarns suggested The Little Knitting Company Tebe 100% Extra Fine Merino
• Yarn weight: DK / 8 ply (11 wpi)
• Needle size US 6 – 4.0 mm

short-rows wavy hat

• Yarn weight: Aran / 10 ply (8 wpi)
• Gauge: 4 stitches and 6 rows = 1 inch
• Needle size: US 10½ – 6.5 mm
• Yardage: 90 – 100 yards (82 – 91 m)

Hurricane Hat

• by Andrea Goutier
• Yarns suggested: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted
• Yarn weight: Aran / 10 ply (8 wpi)
• Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
• Needle size: US 7 – 4.5 mm
• Yardage: 100 – 140 yards (91 – 128 m)
• Sizes available: med-large

Okay, so if you are feeling cold and want a new swirly hat OR you could always be less selfish than me and make it as a gift for a family member or a friend who would love a handmade goodie. Leave a comment saying which hat you want to make. The hat that gets the most votes is the one I’ll make too! I know. Just two weeks before Christmas. But commmmmonnnnnne, we all need to knit a little something something for ourselves (or as a gift). It’s for a good cause. Keeping my head warm. And your’s too.

Happy Knitting!
Kristin

Hi all! If you’re stopping by the blog for the first time after seeing the booth at Renegade, I just wanted to say “hello” and show you around a bit.

I know there was a lot to check out at Renegade and you most like did what I do in that kind of situation, just grab a card and check it out later. I know I’m having some serious Renegade fatigue and I wasn’t even walking around and being visually/inspiration overloaded like all of you were. So if you’ve made it here, thanks for taking the time to check it out.

Here’s a pretty good visual of where everything can be found, click on it to make it bigger:

To summerize: Check out the Pattern and Tutorial Archive, follow the blog, twitter, and facebook feeds, sign up for the monthly eNews (sidebar), Read the About Page for the back story of Craft Leftovers, Read the About the Zine for the back story on the zine, and (of course) make sure to check out the shop for zines, kits, and other leftover things. The sponsors in the sidebar always like it when you check out their current deal/website listing in the sidebar too!

Happy Crafting!
Kristin

Ah the late fall, the early winter. Always love the changing of the seasons. This issue I’m cleaning out my garden, making apple sauce, and knitting a great scarf for a friend (who will remain nameless until after Christmas).

Get the single issue in the Shop or on Etsy! Get the E-to-P version as a pdf here!

In this issue:

• Craft Leftovers Comic – The Biggest Radish 
• Squirrely Adventure in Embroidered Stitching 
• Leveling up my sewing skills with Rolled Hems and Leaf Printing 
• Find the Words – a Crafty Word find 
• Apple Sauce – Delicious & homemade 
• Making Scarves for Friends 
• Boxelder Scarf – Diagonal Knitting 

Get the single issue in the Shop or on Etsy! Get the E-to-P version as a pdf here!

The Craft Leftovers Monthly Zine is printed on 100% recycled paper at my local print shop. It’s designed, written, laid out and hand assembled by your’s truly. It’s 24 pages of crafty goodness in a quarter page size. Perfect for pockets, purses, and pouches. Get inspired, inspire your friends.

Enjoy and Happy Crafting!
Kristin Roach