Steek Tank- Done!

Just in case my recent posts have convinced you that I've gone Etsy crazy and stopped knitting altogether, dear reader, I have an FO to show you!
Presenting....the Teva Durham Loop-D-Loop Yarn-Over Steek Vest!


I had to throw in the view with mack sitting in the window staring out. He looks evil...and that's because he is. But I adore him anyway.
The stats:
Yarn: Moda Dea Ticker Tape in Pink Passion (about 4.5 balls)
Needles: Denise #15 circulars
Pattern modifications: I added an extra 1" to the bottom ribbing band, and inserted an extra K and P row even after Row 1 and row 4 of the neck/shoulder shaping (4 extra rows, total, on each side). This basically made the tank longer and thus fit my torso a bit better (I'm sick of finding after I've finished that I made myself a belly shirt.)
I've been wanting to make this tank top ever since I first laid eyes on it. I just had to get the right yarn for it, and the Ticker Tape was on sale for $3 a ball. Despite my recent projects, I rather dislike yarn with colorways in it. I know, I'm a bad bad yarn snob in that I don't like yarn that self-stripes itself in every color of the rainbow, but I just don't care to wear rainbow-colored sweaters. And it's not because I'm anti-pride or anything like that, so don't even go there. Oh, where was I? The tank top.
I love how quickly this knit up, what with the #15 needles. Like most big-yarn knits, it's very bulky, but since it's a sleeveless tank top and is missing essentially a slice down the front, it doesn't look too bad.
And...an action shot (pardon the armpit and what looks like a double chin) with lots of little ends hanging off...I subsequently wove the ends in and wore it on the town for a hot date involving pizza, stromboli, and shopping for used CDs. Sweet.

Food Earrings

It was suggested to me on one of the craftster boards that I do something with my mini foods other than stitch markers, since not everyone knits. I figured that this was a good point and so I made some earrings--it wasn't hard, I just replaced the nickel steel jump rings with sterling silver chain and hooks, and look, I'm in business!
Basically, I figured these were the foods that translated best into earrings--I thought the t-bone steaks (my personal favorite) were a little weird, but I don't know why eggs are ok. No one's bought them yet, I wonder if I should just use regular ol' base metal findings and sell them for less (sterling is expensive, yo!)



So, I finally got around to using the TLS to make gravies/sauces/jams. I'm loving how the peanut butter and jelly look with it!

Poppy Pins!

I've been a busy bee. It's my spring break this week and since I was too lazy to make plans ahead of time, I've been spending this entire time crafting! Yay!
I made two versions of the same poppy pin here:

One with grosgrain threads in the middle for stamens/pistils,
and one with a button in the middle:

I think they look much better in person, but I may be biased. The button one is on sale at the Etsy shop. If there's one thing the etsy marketplace is saturated with, it's flower pins. (If there are two, it's jewelry...but that's the next post...) But hey, it's only a dime to list items, why not?!

Sheep Knitting Tin

Speaking of Craftster swaps, I noticed that I'd forgotten to post a picture of the One Tiny Thing that I made for the lovely knitter who made me my One Tiny Knitting Brooch. I covered an altoid tin with swirl canes to look sheep-like (she'd mentioned she was born in the year of the sheep and collected sheep stuff, so I put two and two together and here it is) and put a sheep on the front. The tail is supposed to be getting unraveled into a ball of yarn in the corner.

I decoupaged a knitting needle/crochet hook size conversion chart to the inside of the lid (I figured an experienced knitter like her didn't need an abbreviations chart.) and filled the tin with some knitting accessories--tape measure, scissors, tapestry needle, row counter, and stitch markers (made with glass beads that I tried to match to the outside of the tin).
All in all I was pretty happy with the way it turned out--it was funny how great minds think alike, though--another crafter (a seamstress paired with a knitter) made One Tiny Knitting Kit as well--though hers was a cool fabric roll-up kit. It was totally sweet.

Sushi + Knitting = LOVE

So remember my mysterious purple project? It was a plum-colored Cleo with lace modifications for Craftster's knit/sew/crochet swap, in which sewing-impaired knitters (like myself) get paired up with knitting-impaired sewers, and vice versa. I didn't end up getting a very good shot of it before I sent out (and have since deleted the shots, silly me), but the very talented recipient said she liked it (yay!) and sent me all this delightfulness in return:
A knitting tote, needle roll, and coin pouch, all done in this absolutely to-die-for sushi fabric that she went out of her way to get for little ol'me. *blushes*

Inside of the tote--there are two pockets in the side for goodies

Knitting needle roll in action
Action Shot
I absolutely love Craftster for this...not only do I get to craft for people, but I also get awesome awesome stuff in return...le happiness!

Tins A' Plenty

Good lord. I need to stop with this polymer clay thing. I've LITERALLY been sitting in class thinking about the things I'm going to craft as soon as I get home. yesterday I made two little tiny covered tins. I made an easter-y one with a bunny and big carrots on top. I put it on sale at the Etsy store. I mean, it is sort of almost easter, right?

Is it sort of sad that I found these little tins in the store and immediately thought: "these would be perfect to cover with polymer clay!"?
Ok, it sort of is, huh?

A ruler to get a sense of the size.

And the second tin:

Delicious. The toast and bacon are basically made of the same components as my breakfast stitch markers, and I mixed up some scrambled eggs because I'd rather have scrambled eggs than sunny-side-up ones. (But the scrambled eggs don't translate as well to stitch markers!)

Sushi Stitch Markers

The finished sushi - Clockwise from top: Shrimp (Ebi), Tuna (Maguro), Egg (Tamago), Eel (Unagi), and Salmon Roe (Ikura)
These were a custom Alchemy order on Etsy.com --basically, Alchemy is a place where people can post items they'd like to be crafted, and folks can bid on projects they'd like to do. You can also ask for custom orders from a particular shop/artist, which is how it happened here. I was so flattered--this customer had bought my meaty stitch markers and I'm so happy that she liked them.

I think they came out pretty darn cute, if I may say so myself--my favorite has got to be the salmon roe-it took a little extra time rolling each of those little guys individually, but I think the result is just somehow really precious.

I'm flashing it...

I can't wait to share my stash with the whole wide world...
Umm, even if it contains a high percentage acrylic.
It'll be THAT MUCH SHINIER!

One Tiny Knit!

I got a package from Canada today! It was my One Tiny Thing from the eponymous craftster swap!

My fellow asia knits weblogger made me a sweet orange mini-knitting pin! I've been wanting one of these since I first saw them, and now I can parade around town with it, yay! She also included a nice chocolate note and some keyboard magnets which I also have been wanting since I first saw them!
A close-up of the pin. Unfortunately for some reason the orange didn't want to photograph right. I would beat it into submission but it's too cute!
A shot of the keyboard key magnets in action. I love these, and they're going to be perfect since I have two big magnetic noteboards above my desk that I put EVERYTHING on. So. Cute.
I love swaps.

DIY Kit Goodness

From this:
DIY Kits
To these:
Felted Soap
Votive

I received two lovely craft kits from a Craftster a little while ago and just now am getting around to posting about them...I got a felted soap kit and a mosaic votive kit.
The felted soap smells like delicious delicious almond, and the votive is my first attempt, made with some picture marbles I had lying around and some marbles that were included in her kit. I love how it came out--I need to work on my mosaic technique somewhat, I suspect, but I think it's cute!

School Lunch!

So I made these new stitch markers. I swear, I am the cheesiest Mofo ever--check out my little description under them for the Etsy shop:
"Do you ever get nostalgic for the school lunches your mom would pack for you every morning? That brown bag with your name in magic marker on the outside, handed to you as you ran out the door (late for the school bus, as always) with a kiss and a pat on the head?
Well, maybe, like me, you never got that sort of thing. But hey--it's never too late to relive that imaginary childhood--especially while you're knitting!"
Yes, I am ridiculous.