Inspiration for the Holidays

I have been working feverishly on getting my goods ready for the RAC Holiday Craft Fair. I was working up till the very last minute on stuff last year, so this year I want to get it done as soon as I can so I will have some time to relax. I have already completed the first half of all the things I have left to finish - you know me, I can never seem to finish one thing without jumping to the next. I am hoping I can get it to the point where I only have two projects going at the same time so I can jump around but still finish things. Speaking of finishing things, I was taking a look at my list and my basket of UFOs last night and really it does not seem as daunting as it did a couple months ago, even though my deadline is fast approaching. I am still committed to finishing all of them before I am allowed to start anything new even if the deadline passes, which is absolute torture because I keep finding wonderful inspiration and tutorials for Christmas gifts I want to make for everyone. I think, depending on my situation, that next year will be an all-handmade Christmas, what fun! But since I cannot do any of these cool things this year I will share the tutorials here for you guys to drool over instead! (Incidentally, this list also helped me clean out my favorites folder and it acts a bit like a to-do list for my future self!)

General Holiday Goodness:

http://www.bakeitpretty.com/blog/2009/12/holiday-how-to-retro-cupcake-ornaments/

http://blog.giddygiddy.com/giddygiddy/2009/11/diy_diorama_holiday_ornaments.html

http://www.dudecraft.com/2009/12/how-to-mini-lp-record-gift-tags.html

Gifts For Fashionable Friends:

http://alittleredribbon.blogspot.com/2009/11/linen-drawstring-giftbag-tutorial.html

http://www.chubbyhobby.com/make-and-create/market-tote-tutorial/

http://verypurpleperson.com/2010/04/fabric-button-necklaces.html

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/09/poppy-boutonniere-tutorial-and-giveaway.html

http://www.oneflewover-oneflewover.com/2009/11/linen-scarf-tutorial.html

http://pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2009/11/messenger-bag-tutorial.html

http://littlejennywren.blogspot.com/2009/10/pinwheel-bobby-pin-tutorial.html

http://verypurpleperson.com/2010/04/making-reversible-bag.html

http://www.purlbee.com/ribbed-hand-warmers/

http://www.ikatbag.com/2010/04/strawberry-bag.html

http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html

http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-puffy-pouch.html

http://mairuru.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-make-origami-drawstring-bag.html

Gifts For Crafty Friends:

http://fredashive.blogspot.com/2010/01/string-spool-tutorial.html

http://myfantastictoys.blogspot.com/2010/09/mushroom-pin-cushion-tutorial.html

http://debrascreativeramblings.blogspot.com/2009/09/making-sewing-kit.html

http://embroideroo.blogspot.com/2009/10/strawberry-pincushion-tutorial.html

http://justsomethingimade.com/2009/08/pennant-rubber-stamp-roller/

http://sometimescrafter.blogspot.com/2008/12/tutorial-rachels-crochet-hook-case.html

Gifts For Little Friends:

http://mellyandme.typepad.com/melly_me/2009/08/freebie-time.html

http://www.ctpubblog.com/2010/03/22/happy-feet-felt-baby-booties/

http://chezbeeperbebe.blogspot.com/2010/03/tutorial-and-pattern-recycled-mooshy.html

Gifts For Foodie Friends:

http://www.giverslog.com/?p=2484

http://www.howdoesshe.com/mothers-day-gift-ideas2

http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/photos/reusable_snack_bag_tutori/img_9245.html

http://fortysixthatgrace.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-shortbread-buttons_8809.html

http://lolanovablog.blogspot.com/2010/01/easy-peasy-pot-holders-and-wallet.html

Gifts For Domestic Friends:

http://allysonhill.typepad.com/photos/tissue_bin/index.html

http://bkids.typepad.com/bookhoucraftprojects/2009/11/project-43-apple-placemats.html

http://resurrectionfern.typepad.com/resurrection_fern/2009/12/how-to-make-a-reversible-felt-basket.html

http://salihan.com/patterns/free/apple-dishcloth/

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/05/sewing-101-making-a-pouf.html

http://www.craftypod.com/2010/01/26/how-to-make-a-simple-v-day-sachet/

http://vlijtig.blogspot.com/2008/11/here-it-is.html

And just because it's cold out, a million hats:

http://store.tangleonline.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=916

http://www.stitchnationyarn.com/Patterns/free-pattern-all-day-beret.html

http://stephanieknits.blogspot.com/2007/03/keeping-boyfriends-ears-warm-since-2006.html

http://aprildraven.blogspot.com/2009/11/cable-fae-slouch-hat-free-crochet.html

http://i-like-lemons.blogspot.com/2008/01/button-tab-hat-pattern.html

http://strandinthehandpatterns.blogspot.com/2007/02/noro-kureyon-one-ball-wavy-gravy-hat.html

http://thinkcraftythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/01/panda-bear-hat.html

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATKSmadge.html

http://carissaknits.blogspot.com/2007/06/r2d2-beanie.html

http://leftinstitches.blogspot.com/2005/12/dobby-hat.html

*All images are copyrights of their respective owners!

The Craft Fair Is Officially On!

2540 Barrett Avenue

Richmond, CA 94804

Friday, December 3rd from 3-7 p.m.

Saturday, December 4th from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Jill, Sylvia, and I will be sharing a booth,

come support local artists!

Good enough to eat.

I am getting ready to list one more new thing in the shop! I finished this quite a while ago in my stitch & bitch group but I never got around to taking pictures of it:

Looks almost real, right? Kind of making me hungry actually. Here's all the layers individually:

The pattern is from one of the many Japanese craft books from my collection. It's called "Tomoko Fujita Knit Room", ISBN4-86191-201-6.

It took me a long time to do the buns but the other pieces went pretty quickly. Although the pattern in the book had an egg instead of an onion slice (must be how they do burgers up in Japan), so I made an onion up by myself by just doing a standard flat round in the back loop only to get the spiraled ridges. Also I could not for the life of me figure out what the pattern for the patty was. I'm usually pretty good at deciphering these things but it had some kind of loop pattern that I have never seen before and I could not get it to turn out right. So I just did a flat round, did 2 even rows in the back loop, then flipped it over and decreased back to the center to make it thick enough. And the cheese was a knitted square and I just didn't feel like knitting it so I crocheted it instead.

It is meant to be a coaster set but I think it would be great just as play food for a little kid. Am I crazy for spending so much time making an uber realistic crocheted cheeseburger? Meh, why not? Hehe.