Am I a Knit-holic??

Oh...needle, I need you!

   I had a craft show at a local middle school today.   I was busy making Amigurumi animals and some other stuff for this show during the past week.  I was feeling tired physically after all the work...but the thing that I was doing at today's show was knitting!  ( I was going to take a rest while I was at the show.)  I found out that if I don't have the time of holding my knitting needle/crochet hook, I feel like that I am missing something ....something that I really need to calm myself with.  They are just a pair of knitting needles...they are just a crochet hook.  But I am able to feel very comfortable when I am holding them and working with them. They are a kind of magical tool for me.  They look very simple but they create many kind of complicated items by being moved this way and that way.  I've been knitting/crocheting for years almost everyday.  So, I think doing this activity has become a part of my life.  I may be a knit-holic, but being a knit-holic is a harmless!  (Nobody is hurt!)  I will knit tomorrow, too!

Holiday show season is in!

   November is the busiest month for crafters.  There are a lot of shows every weekends.  These shows attract people who are looking for special gifts for Christmas.  I am one of the busy crafters.   

   I have sent some of my items for a craft show at a local art center this year.  This is the second year for me to join this show.  I usually like to be at a show location and I enjoy talking to people who come to my booth.  But this 4-weeks show at this art center allow me to work in other locations while my items are exhibited in their place.  At first, I felt a little sad because I had to send my children (my amigurumi animals!) to a distant place where I couldn't see them.  However, thanks to some good feedbacks from my customers, I decided to join this show again!  I made 28 items for this show this year.  If you are interested in this show, come to visit North Hills Art Center!  My amigurumi animals are looking forward to seeing you!   I will be in a craft show of Independence Middle School  this weekend!  

(IMS Holiday Show -2807 Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102, November 28, Saturday.  Hours 9:00 - 3:00)

Winter Wonderland Holiday Shop
(North Hills Art Center - 3432 Babcock Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237)

Open beginning November 14 thru December 12

Closed November 26 & 27

Mondays thru Saturdays 10:00am-3:00pm

Free Admission & Free Parking

What are you going to do with left over sock yarn?

   I have a lot of left over sock yarn in my yarn box.  Each sock yarn has different colors and textures.  I know that I should throw away small balls of yarn that is under 1- inch diameter, but I always make excuse like this; "I may need them for some projects later."  Then, my wee little yarns are accumulating endlessly.  
   One day, when I saw my mini yarn balls in a plastic bag, I really felt sorry for them --- without being used, they were just left alone for a long time!  Their colors were still nice, and I decided to make eggs!  Self-striping yarn creates beautiful stream of colors by just knitting, but solid color of yarn needs some help from some contrasted colors to give it a kick.  I drew some design pictures, think this and that...and, I ended up making a pattern for knitted eggs to use left over yarns!  (It is available at my Etsy store )  It is always good to see yarn is not wasted and becomes "something."  I sometimes bring these eggs to craft shows, and I learned how people use them.  Some people think the knitted eggs would be a good toy for their pets and some people use it as a finger exercise ball!  Anyway, I am happy to know my knitted eggs are considered as useful things!  

Amigurumi tool - a pencil with eraser

Pencil eraser has a nice grip!

   Stuffing fiber fill is fun part of Amigurumi making -- no special technique is required!  Just right amount of fiber fill makes your yarn animal nice and round 3D animals.  When I put fiber fill from a big opening of animal parts, it is not difficult.  However, when I make a small Amigurumi, the opening for filling tend to be small.  I have a stick which came with a bag of fiber filling, but it does not have a good traction to pull the fiber inside of Amigurumi.  I started looking for a substitute tool to make this stuffing job easier.  After testing several things, I found a very simple and effective tool. It is a pencil with an eraser!  Eraser is a rubber, so it naturally has a nice grip!  I tested this pencil eraser to fill the fiber filling.  It worked very well!  When I was using a stick to fill the fiber filling, I needed to move it many times.  But with this pencil eraser, it was so much easier for me to fill fiber!