The Whip this WIP Challenge was a success because I’m now finished with my scarf that has been on the needles for far too long!
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*imagine devo playing in the background*

We all have projects laying around the house that could easily be finished in a week or so if we would just dedicate ourselves to them. I know I have a whole box!

I’m challenging myself and YOU to go grab your unfinished thing-a-ma-jig, be it sewn, stitched, crocheted, knit, or whatever. You know the project. And finish it! You want to see it done but are having motivational issues. Go grab and get to work. We have two weeks. Here’s what I’m setting my sights on. Scroll to the bottom of the post for details on the Prize!

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One of the things i love most about the MAL quicky is that it doesn’t give me enough time to procrastinate, though there was some putting off until tomorrow happening because of the zine coming out last week, and then I finished it about 2am on Monday/Tuesday, took pictures Tuesday afternoon, and then literally forgot to finish my post yesterday. It wasn’t the brilliant timing I had planned on, but look here, second handmade clothing item finished!

At first I was a little intimidated by The Fickle Sense Circle Skirts pattern because the last time I tried to make a circle skirt in a similar way it was a huge failure and I threw the whole thing in the scrap bin. Well, this time the math worked out no problem. The instructions for developing the pattern pieces are really well written and illustrated. The pattern pieces came together really quickly, in fact, I had the skirt mostly made in just one hour. It actually fits, so I’m saving my pattern pieces. It will be a great template to make many more circle skirts. I’d like to try the 3/4 and 1/2  versions too.

But my brain took a rain check when it came to adding a liner. I still don’t know what I was thinking when I added it in. I’m pretty sure there was a method to my maddness, but looking back I’m not sure how exactly I thought it was going to work out. And then I got frustrated and went to rip out the waist to try again and, well, ripped the liner fabric in half. Woops. Somehow my brain was wrapped the wrong way around the zipper.

Anyway, so I said to hell with it all and removed the liner completely, I’ll wear a freaking slip. Or leggings.

I quickly moved on to the pockets which I stitched in by hand (I like the way the prick stitch looks). It was good to unwind with some good ol’ fashioned tv watching, then finished it up with the lace hem tape around the bottom.

Because of all my liner issues I opted to just forego the piping at the waist seam and “get ‘er done” because I started to really be concerned this cute skirt would end up in the forever “wip” pile that my last circle skirt retired to.

I’m glad I did too because even though I was up sewing until 2am after a super long day of work, I love it! I love the pockets and the little splash of blue in the hemline. And the pockets (I know I’m getting hung up on those) are just at the right place so I can shove my hands in them and still have room to hide away a cell phone, wallet and maybe even my knitting. Okay, so maybe they aren’t big enough for my knitting, but they are nice and roomy.

If you want to see more photos of me running around in the yard, flip through the slideshow at the top of the post.

I hope you enjoyed my quick dash to make a project. Thanks again for helping me pick out which pattern to make. I’m not sure about you, but these Quicky Make-a-longs have been super helpful in getting me to make a project someone else has designed. For me, it’s great continuing education seeing how other’s write their patterns and it is really busting up my stash – this skirt used up like 3+ yards of fabric!

Happy Crafting!

Kristin Roach

After taking into account comments, twitter, and facebook The Fickle Sense Circle Skirt has it! When this was picked I was a little worried I wouldn’t have a good fabric on hand to make what I had in my head. But, I did! Ha. More on that in a second.

So, same rules as last time. Pick out your fabric, get sewing, post your pictures in the Flickr Group by Friday Midnight (I don’t know about you, but I needed the weekend. Sunday Midnight!) – 3 max. I suggest materials, a wip, and finished shot. Oh and it would be super awesome if you happen to post about it if you leave a link to your post in the commets. Winner by random selection will get a copy of the digital edition of Issue 1 of Volume 4 of the Craft Leftovers Zine (due out Wednesday).

MAL Quicky 2.2: Fickle Sense Circle Skirt WIP

Well, and that’s the best thing about doing Craft Leftovers. I was thinking, “I don’t have anything on hand that will work for a flow-e circle skirt”. But when I took a look through my stash I found this pile of beautiful vintage fabric. I had completely forgotten about the pile of vintage fabrics my bestie Jill gave me for Christmas!

I knew the pink fabric wouldn’t be enough though, so I filled in the vision with my head with this cut of yellow floral cotton, some hem tape, and a little bias tape. Pockets. There needs to be pockets. Which means I’ll need to add in some side seams. I’m not sure how that will turn out, but I think it’s definitely worth the risk. I love pockets.

This is pretty much what I’m shooting for, so I’m going to try the full circle option. What’s your plan for the skirt? What kind of fabric will you be using? Are you going to go for a flow-y look or something a bit more straight and narrow?

Happy Crafting!
Kristin

After the last (and first) Make-a-long Quicky challenge, many readers said they would have loved to participate if only they had known it was happening. So this time around I’m giving you a full week’s notice and a full week to vote on which pattern to make. And this MAL Quicky focus is going to be sewing skirts! So just to recap what a MAL Quicky is: One week. One skirt. One pile of leftovers used up. I’m making something, make it with me. Join in or sit back and live vicariously though my craft leftovers adventure.

MAL Quicky 2.0

I’m announcing it this week, weigh in on what you’d like this MAL Quicky pattern to be, whatever gets the most votes is what we’ll make together, and you can vote by leaving a comment, tweeting @craftleftovers, or posting it on the Craft Leftovers facebook page. I’ll announce the winner and we’ll start sewing on Monday (1 week from today) and we will post all our finished project photos on Friday. You have until Friday midnight to post your pic in the flickr group to be entered to win a copy of the Craft Leftovers zine (due out this Friday). I’ll add the winner announcement to the Friday post so check back on Saturday for that announcement. capisce?

The skirts!

I was looking around and thinking, what do I wish I had that I don’t. A new skirt! I’ve had this idea for a skirt in my mind for quite some time now. A skirt that I’ll want to make over and over again to suit my every whim. A skirt that makes me look super cute but is also casual. A skirt that has huge pockets! A skirt that can be made on a whim to suit my every whim.

Okay, you get the idea. Basic things I took into consideration:

• Easy
• Fast
• Pockets (or can add pockets)
• Cute, but casual – not to fancy and not movement restricting. Can wear with heels as well as running shoes.

Option 1: Fickle Sense Circle Skirt on Burda Style (check out the Fickle Sense Blog too) – love how versatile this pattern is and that it will be made to my size.

Option 2: Amy Karol’s *5 Minute Skirt over on Angry Chicken – it’s fast, it’s cute, and trying something on the serger could be fun since it’s been awhile since I’ve dusted it off.

Option 3: Ruffles and Stuff’s Jersey Skirt (with pockets!) - it’s fast, cute, and has huge pockets! And it might help me to finally use up the last of that pale blue jersey knit fabric.

Okay, so that’s all for today. Leave a comment, reply on twitter, or post your vote to the facebook page.

Happy Crafting!

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.

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