KISS Triangle Shawlette - Free Pattern!

I am publishing this free pattern today! The KISS (Keep It Simply Satisfying) Triangle Shawlette can be made in any size with any yarn you wish. It's more of a recipe style pattern in that regard. I have made 3 so far in 3 sizes and started a RED one today that will be a full-size shawl.

The link for downloading a PDF in Ravelry is in the sidebar.

Be sure to get the free KISS Row Counter Page.pdf! This sheet was made specifically for this pattern - but can also be used to count anything with 10 rows or less. It's link is in the sidebar. Do a right-click and save as (for pc). See the post before this one for how to use it.

Yarn: fingering wt yarn (sock yarn, etc…) -
blue model uses: (blue/purple) Araucania Ranco Multy #304, - 1 skn= (375 yds)#5 US (3.75mm)
Teal model: Colinette Jitterbug “Jay” #85 - 1 skn (320 yds); #7 Addi Turbo circular
Kerchief size model: Koigu Mori (50% silk/50% wool) 1 skn (185 yds); #3 (3.25mm) Addi circ
 (adjust needles to yarn and personal preference as to drape)




    Teal model was my beta. LOVE this colorway!














Kerchief - you can really see how easy the crocheted edging would make blocking - using wires was soooo easy to do! And fast! Waiting for it to dry on the other hand.....



 Soooo- hop on over and grab the pattern. Enjoy!

KISS Triangle Shawlette - Row Counter Page

Be sure to get the free KISS Row Counter Page.pdf! This sheet was made specifically for the KISS Triangle Shawlette pattern (free - see sidebar for link) - but can also be used to count anything with 10 rows or less. Download the pdf for the Shawlette pattern Row Counter - it’s in the sidebar.

How to USE the Row Counter Page:
When you see the pattern, you will understand how to use this page! It's logical!

The 'G' and 'S' row that you see across the top of the numbers stand for 'Garter' and 'Stockinette'. The numbers doing down vertically represent the rows of garter and stockinette in each 10-row section. The grayed circles represent the eyelet rows in the stockinette section.

All you have to do is mark through each number as you complete a row. Easy! The pattern is easy to memorize, too. KISS means Keep It Simply Satisfying!

Grungy Monday Challenge #1

The Lovely Linda Ledbetter has granted wishes and continues to host Challenges on her web site! This round is called Grungy Monday - where every Monday she will post that week's challenge.

This is my first entry "Time to Begin". Our challenge is from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2008, Tag #10. I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink with gold pearls (mixed in a Mini Mister as instructed). Whoa! That is such a cool technique! I love how it shimmers! The mask is a TH - the large clock face. I followed all Tim's steps for this and then over stamped the whole tag in sepia Archival ink with the large text stamp from his new Papillon set.

Next thing was to stamp, emboss on grunge board and cut out the clock face. I stamped each word with letter stamps onto some old paper I had from 1975! It was kind of crackily so I had to be careful with it - especially inking the edges. Added some metal embellies and and lens from my stash. Used my Tiny Attacher to add the ribbon at the top behind the Prima flowers and a brad from my stash.

What fun! I didn't think I was going to make it - busy, weird week - but here it is!

Sock-a-versary!

My Sock-a-versary is March - so I started a new pair! Pomatomus by CookieA. Photos are kind of hard today - it's very dark outside. No rain yet but it's supposed to. Anyway, had to use the flash so you could see the patterning.
Toe up
Magic loop on #0 Addi Turbo circular
Shibui Knits Sock - colorway 323




Fun pattern! Oh - the lifeline is the white string across the toe. It just makes frogging easier (should I need to - who me? LOL!) The little dangle is my marker when I was doing toe increases. I'll be doing a PGR short-row heel (my fav).

Handspun!

This is a small skein of yarn. Yes, but an important small skein of yarn.
This is my first supported spindle handspun, fine, Navajo plied yarn in years! And if it's partner spindle-full is at least this ok, I might knit socks out of it! Short socks, but socks!

CCC #35

I decided to make an ATC for the last challenge! It just sort of happened. I started getting out "stuff" and - voila! I was in the zone.

Mostly Tim Holtz supplies - spinner and sticker, grunge board rectangles, Adirondack spray inks (eggplant and cranberry), phrase stamp, background paper (layer in the back). First layer of background is some paper I made and photocopied (it's kind of lumpy). The metal pieces with words I've had for a while.
 

This was fun! I hadn't made an ATC in a while and now I think I'm on a roll....

Art Journals Ready to Travel!

Just finished painting/spraying the backgrounds on these 2 art journals. I made both - the one on the right is ala Teesha Moore - from 1 sheet of watercolor paper. The link is to her video tutorials.

The journal on the left I made a bunch of a while back (after a class) and haven't used them all yet. This one has a polymer clay medallion on the cover and a leather sewn binding. Also with watercolor paper pages.

I used Adirondack Color Wash (Ranger) sprays. I finally got the nozzles to work - these are the old bottles. I have six colors. I plan to get more after this! The sprays and stencil technique is great! I didn't want to stop once I got started but - had to let pages dry every once in a while!

This page is from the alaTeesha journal. Oh, that's a Tim Holtz clock mask. I also used some stencils (templates) from Crafter's Workshop.

These three pics above are also from the alaTeesha journal. If you watch her videos, you'll see her design has flaps. Not sure I will do this one again. Not crazy about the flaps. But it was quick and in an emergency (yes, artists' have emergencies!) it would be great knowledge to have. So, it goes in my art box of ideas.

This page is from the leather journal. I've already started some stamping.

Two of the above pages have a little problem I'll have to work out - blobbing in the center. It's from too much ink/paint and not waiting for things to dry....uhm..hmmm. Patience is virtue.... And the center one's pages stuck together (again - patience is...). I'll fix it when I'm journaling.

Well, I can't show you ALL the pages but you get the idea. I'm being influenced by Teesha Moore's style, Dyan Reaveley's style of working and also by Dina Wakley.
Feels great to be ready to stamp and keep going. They can travel with me now! Can't wait to pack them into my Tim Holtz messenger bag (see a previous post!) and take a road trip!

CCC #34 and The Martins Return

We've had a Martin House for several years now and this morning, I heard a familiar song as I went out to check the mail. In the backyard, there was Mr. B (for Beardsley) sitting in front of his usual opening - that wasn't open. You see, in the winter we close the house to keep out the sparrows.

He asked (singing sweetly) for me to open up! After saying hello, I said "I can fix that if you..." and he flew off. 3 martins circled overhead while I took down the house, opened all the holes and put the house back up. Then they flew low over my head - singing what I hope was "thank you" and proceeded to fly away toward the creek where I hope they had a nice lunch.

So, in honor of the Martin clan returning from Brazil for the year, I made this tag.

This covers the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #34 - the Dimensional Collage Fragment technique from page 63 of the book. I used Tim Holtz paper and cut a tag using TH tag die and my Vagabond (love this thing!) Used TH stickers, flying bird (Ideology) and some older pieces from TH - "distressables and doo-dads" that was put out by Design Originals. Yes, I've been hoarding TH stuff!

The paper in back of the fragment was from an old dictionary, rubber stamped with a small bird in silhouette. I was stuck on this challenge until this morning when I heard my Martin friends! Now, I hope the rest of the clan arrives here safely, too.

My Tim Holtz Twitter Prize and CCC #33

I was awarded one of 4 Tim Holtz Limited Edition CHA 2011 Messenger bags in a Twitter giveaway by Mario just before they left for the UK! I'm reading along on Twitter when I had to back up - wait - that's - - ME!!! Pretty Cool!          
                                      (to enlarge photos, right-click and open in a new window)

The shoulder strap was so long, the bag hung down past my knees! Well, me being me, I had to do something.

Some folds and quick cross stitches took up the strap and left a loop for my large, old split ring (from my Dad's stash) which holds the key from my first car (Ford Pinto!); a piece of old hardware on antique silver ball chain (don't know WHAT this thing is - but it has it's own green patina and threads on one end - also from my Dad's stash - thanks again Dad!); a TH "Journey" Philosophy tag on a large jump ring; a TH gear and timepiece on copper ball chain. All of these things have meaning for me and I will enjoy hearing them jingle.

The 4 and the 7 (lucky and significant numbers for me) are TH metal numbers and I used the CCC #33 challenge of Altered Metal Alcohol Inks on page 56 of the book on them. Colors used: Butterscotch, Caramel and Rust. Kind of sounds like a weird ice cream topping!

I even know how I'm going to use the bag. Yes, I am going to USE it! Why have it sitting in a box or a drawer?? It's a lovely bag and it wants to be used. I fell in love with Dyan Reaveley's Art Journal style when I saw some of the CHA videos of her demos. I have done altered books and I love the feel of the pages after they've been decorated - all thick and substantial and all. It's been a while since I've done any and now I can't wait to start a new book trying some of her techniques!
So - this means that I will carry the art journal-in-progress and the box of tools/materials in my TH Bag.
 
When I layed the bag on my work counter, my Vagabond tried to get in it! I caught it just in time.

Once again, Thank you Tim! Thank you Mario!

Romantique Valentine Box

My "Romantique Valentine Box" is finally done! The glue dried enough to take it outside for last light photos. It was a bit windy, but I managed.

The box wanted to be shades of white. I had some papers from years ago by Hot Off The Press and they were perfect! I edged it with Tim Holtz tissue tape, punched the corner papers from parchment, and hunted for a knob for almost a week before deciding to make my own!

I edged the box with my own tatting and added a tatted butterfly, stamped metal heart, copper-colored veined leaves, metal corner charms (aged with Pitch Black dabber and wiped off), Prima/Petaloo-stacked flower in shades of snow white to ivory and a glittery bling brad center to the top.

The knob has a story. I painted the little wood knob white, aged it, then was stuck. I was standing there thinking and playing with a piece of TH tissue tape when I looked down and a word jumped out at  me! Dream. Then another word and another until I had a 4 word phrase!

Mind - Dream - Idea - a Creation.

All from scraps of tissue tape! I sealed the knob with Diamond Glaze (would have used Glossy Accents - but don't have any right now) and as it dried, I played with it until it looked OLD. Like I remember some knobs in my Grandmother's house used to look. I even remember how they felt!

Hanging from the knob is a butterfly charm on ribbon, satin and organza. The front metal piece has a stone heart. This came off of a hair clip! Knew I saved it for a good reason.

The inside of the box has a bird. There are "Love notes" postcards and a Mini Album that will go inside. More on those later.

I almost put wood feet on the box, but these Tim Holtz feet were perfect after all! I really enjoyed making this and I'm sure will make more.


The design for this box is by Paper Engineer Extraordinaire Laura Denison. She does Ustream classes and sells kits and patterns. Laura is a genius! She has received high praise from the Guru of Grunge himself, Tim Holtz. Go to her blog to see what she made for his Ideology booth at Winter CHA 2011. Awesome artwork!