Where did March GO??

Busy ~ Busy ~ BUSY!!  I've been knitting up several storms lately.   All to do with my YardSellr sales.  Such fun, great folks, and I'm getting more sales on there with HandCrafted than I have in the past 6 months on either Bonanza or Etsy!  Amazing.

These larger Diagonal Tuck Stitch dual drawstring bags have been so popular with folks wanting soft carry-alls for their Kindle or Nook readers.  Some are acrylic, some are all cotton.  They knit up very quickly on my Brother 890 punchcard machine (love that old workhorse of mine!)  I've been using Card #11 from a Toyota set of punchcards. Quite popular.  They're also great as a soft lunch bag.  Tons of different uses!  Great gift bags, too. 



These little Soap Sliver Saver Sacks zip right out the door!  These are quick to knit on a standard gauge knitting machine.  I like to use various fibers rather than all cottons.  Some are blends, some are a roving wrap, some all acrylic.  I was only making all cotton until I got requests for acrylics & blended yarns!  Another use for this lacy little bag is to put a sachet of potpourri (in fine netting) inside and hang it over a hanger hook in your closet, or use it in a drawer.  I like potpourri in my dresser, but never did like just having it in the netting.  So I started using these little lacy sacks to diffuse the scent a bit.  Sometimes, those scents are a bit overpowering!! LOL

The soap sacks usually get shipped out along with a set of my Facial Scrubbies.  The ones here are all cotton, but I have had requests every now and then for acrylics.  Maybe they have a cotton allergy?  Dunno.  I put finger loops on mine, some do, some don't.  I have arthritis and boy, that loop sure comes in handy when you're trying to hold on to a slippery wet scrubbie!   :)  I've had folks tell me they use them for washing up delicate china, too.  
That's what's happening with me and my knitting & crochet. :)  Leave a comment and let me know what crafting you've been doing lately.


Keep on crafting and SMILE!!
Marge

Machine Knit Items NOT Handcrafted?? I don't THINK so!!!!!

Time for me to get on my high horse or soapbox or whatever one calls it these day.

MACHINE KNIT ITEMS >> ARE << HANDCRAFTED!!!!!

What has caused me to start waving the flag of HANDCRAFTED??  There are two sites online where you need to have your items designated as handcrafted or made by you.  I am soooo tired of the infighting on one of those two sites; they natter at anyone who DARES to put up an item that is machine knit and put it in their handmade/handcrafted areas.

Well, let me tell you ... it takes a LOT of work to create a machine knit item.  You don't just stick the yarn on the machine and then VOILA ... it comes off completely done.  Doesn't work that way, folks.

You decide on a pattern. Either one you create your self or one that is available commercially.  Then, you need to choose your yarn and any of your patterning to the knit fabric you will be creating.

So you thread the yarn onto your machine.  Cast the stitches on over the required number of needles.  Set all the parameters to knit that lovely item you chose.

You begin knitting, moving the carriage back and forth.  It's a nice rhythm and you enjoy your craft. Maybe, you're adding eyelets or cables or another stitch technique as you go along.  You've reached the end of your pattern and your FABRIC that YOU created is done.  Finally, you have to cast off your work, even if you're using waste  yarn.  

Then, you have to put your precious item together.  There may be more than one piece that you've had to knit or maybe it's a single piece item.  Doesn't really matter.  It still needs to be stitched up!!  Put together!!  Whatever. 

THAT is HANDCRAFTING!!

Would you tell a person who does a lot of sewing that theirs is not hand crafted?  They CHOOSE a pattern. They BUY the fabric (ahem ... I'm MAKING MY OWN FABRIC - neener-neener) , they CUT it out, they SEW it up.  They complete the project.

Isn't that what *I* just did????  Using my KNITTING machine to MAKE the fabric???  How is this different???  I just don't see it.

I've removed all my handcrafted items from one site and am seriously considering doing the same on the other.  It'll only take ONE more comment / email / forum posting for me to yank my HANDCRAFTED items from that site as well.

I don't tell folks it is HAND MADE, I tell them it's HAND CRAFTED.  And it is.

Okay, stepping down off my soap box / rock / horse now.

Marge