May 23, 2013

Jellyfish Wind Chime

My Leviathan Craft Book Club Craft is this wind chime:

Leviathan inspired huxley/jellyfish wind chime

This jellyfish looking wind chime was inspired by the Huxley airships in Scott Westerfield's Leviathan (probably a baby huxley because it doesn't have a basket).

Here is a tiny bit of background on the book because if you haven't read it you are probably thinking, "What? A flying jellyfish?": Leviathan is an alternate-history book based around World War I. The British Allies were called "Darwinists" and were able to extract DNA and combine various sequences to fabricate animals. One such fabricated animal (the first airship) was the Huxley, a Portuguese man o' war (which isn't technically a jellyfish) with a hydrogen filled gas bladder that allowed it to ascend.

To make my wind chime I bought a glass bowl from a thrift shop, drilled a hole in the bottom, and hung the chiming part of a wind chime and some beads from the center. The clear plastic beads are strung on wire so they easily twist and hold their shape. This project turned out great! I am happy to have it hang in my yard and chime with the wind.

Our next book is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame!

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Exciting News: Today I have photos of other peoples (my mother's) Craft Book Club projects!
This first project was made by my lovely mother for me after reading Huck Finn. This little spider fellow is an emery pincushion and is helping keep my pins and needles sharp!

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The second project was also made by my mother. Her cloche hat was made after reading The Great Gatsby;  I love the buttons! If you are interested in making a cloche hat too I made a sewing pattern: Cloche Hat Free Sewing Pattern.

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If you make any Craft Book Club projects I would love you see and share your photos!

May 21, 2013

Melty Beads

When I was in Portland I went to Ikea (of course) and bought some fusible plastic beads (perler/hama-type). I have been sorting them by color to make my pixel projects slightly less time consuming.

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So far I have hardly made a dent in the container, but decided to make something. Here is a gnome:

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This gnome is based off of a cross stitch pattern from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. He is 'May' in their 2013 Woodland Sampler Club. I think I need more bead colors because this gnome is a little jaundice (the reason I haven't fused him), but should probably just use what I have.

May 16, 2013

Knit Rose Brooch

While I was in the airport waiting for my flight to Kansas I knit a Blooming Rose following Veronica O'Neil's pattern.

Knit Rose Brooch
Knit Rose Brooch

The rose was made using leftover yarn from my too small vintage toque and knit up quickly. I decided to skip the leaves since I didn't have any complementary green yarn and stitched a small brooch pin to the back.