Merf's Turf

Magazines for Nursing Home Patients

2011-01-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

I've got great news that I'd love to share with you, and if you can help in any way, that would be wonderful! The nursing home that my grandmother (94) lives in is attempting to create a library for their patients. Apparently they do not have much reading material for the patients, and I think this is a great thing for the center to be doing for them. I will be collecting materials for the library, and I'm super excited about adding to their library. I'm not sure what kind of books they might like, and they'd probably have to be large print, so right now I think I'll focus on collecting magazines for their library, since that seems to be what the patients like to read anyway.*

Do you have any magazines you can donate to a good cause? Please drop them off at my house any time you can, or email me and I'll send you my address. My email address is mzel@bellsouth.net. Thank you so much for considering donating to this cause!

***UPDATE (1/30/11): We are now collecting books as well as magazines! Please send in your unwanted books and magazines.. they are going to a good home filled with people who need them.***

Meridith

My New Baby

2010-12-28T03:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so, no, I did not have a baby, but I did get the best Christmas present ever, a Kindle! I'm so excited. I still need the learn the ins and outs of it, but so far I have downloaded about 5 books, some of them free or only $5, so I'm getting the hang of it. I wasted no time in knitting a case for it, because I plan to carry it in my purse and I don't want it to get scratched or anything, and why buy a case when you can make one yourself? Fun! I first made a black one, but it didn't work out so well because I had been drinking a lot of beer and, consequently, made a couple obvious mistakes. So then yesterday I knit a pretty lime green one, which is shown in the picture. And I have to say sorry about the pics... they were just taken at 5am so I had no good lighting and they look terrible. The case is not actually that color. It is more of a light lime green.

Since I don't usually follow patterns, I can't really share anything spectacular with you. You may be disappointed to know that I really just knit a big rectangle and sewed up the sides :) I used a double strand to make it a bit thicker, used size 9 needles, and started with 16 stitches. Then I just knit in stockinette stitch until it was long enough to fit the kindle when doubled over. Sew up the sides and you're done!

This holiday season, I also had fun making the rag wreaths shown in the previous post. Here is a picture of our mantle with three of them. They are quite addictive. It is so fun picking out the different fabrics. I ended up having a craft party at my house a couple weeks ago and we all made these wreaths. I have no pictures of that night, regrettably.

Happy Holidays!!

Beautiful Christmas Rag Wreath Project

2010-12-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was looking around for a good craft to make for a Christmas present for my friend, and I saw some pictures of rag wreaths. I thought it would be a fun project and a great gift, so I tried it out and absolutely loved the result! And, it was quick and super easy, yet impressive-looking, as if you spent hours on it.. tee hee. Here is how I made it:

I started out by purchasing two fabrics, 1 1/2 yards of each, as pictured. I wanted a vibrant red and green, as it was to be a Christmas wreath, but you can use any fabric you wish to make a wreath for any time of the year, such as Easter, Halloween, etc. Also, since this project is meant to be a quick, easy, and cheap craft, you can use any fabric you have laying around the house. It does not have to be only two types.

I also purchased a round, styrofoam wreath form, found in the flowers section of JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, or any other craft store. I also needed very strong glue (I used Amazing Goop craft glue) and some pretty ribbon, both of which are also available at a craft store. The only other item I used was a bamboo skewer, but you could use a screwdriver or something else instead, I would think. I cut the very tip off of the skewer to it wasn't too sharp, so as not to puncture the fabric, although I'm not sure that would even matter.

Next, I cut up the fabric into strips that were roughly 2 inches x 6 inches. I did not measure anything. It is not important to get it measured exactly right, and frayed edges don't matter either.

Then (you're not going to believe how simple this is), I simply popped each piece of fabric into place by stabbing them in the middle and into the styrofoam with the skewer. Make sure the vibrant side of the fabric faces up as you do it. The skewer comes out, but the fabric stays in. I placed each piece of fabric very close to the next to assure a dense placement of the pieces, so the styrofoam wouldn't show at all. I covered the whole front of the wreath, the sides, and the inside. The inside is the hardest part and can be a tiny bit tricky, but all-in-all, this is one of the easiest and prettiest projects I've ever made. It took about one hour, start to finish. In fact, I loved it so much, I turned around and made another the next day :) Don't worry about covering the back, since it will not show at all anyway.

The only other thing to do is simply glue a ribbon on for hanging, and, voila, you're done! If you make this project, I want to see pictures!

Happy Holidays!

Atlanta Twitter Knitters

2010-07-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, a group of us Atlanta Twitter Knitters (and crocheters and spinners) met at my house for some knitting, spinning, crocheting, eating, and great conversation. Here are some pics that were taken.

Above, you see Cathy (@cathycarter), Kellie (@futterwackan), and Claire (@sk8rknitr).

Below, you see Nicole (@nalmaraz) and Lia (@liaknits79) demonstrating spinning while Kellie observes.

Here you see Cathy, Nicole, and Lia again and below, you see Kellie and myself (@merfz). I forgot to hold my knitting in that pic :)

We had fun! Let's do it again soon!

My New Etsy Shop

2010-06-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

Introducing... my new Etsy shop! I have been thinking about re-opening my shop for about a year now and finally did it. I had a shop a couple years ago, but it had my paintings in it and didn't do so great. This time I am featuring mostly my knit items. I will list some paintings later, but for now I am only listing my knit things. Since I'm celebrating my grand re-opening, I am offering FREE shipping on all items for the first 2 weeks. Come check it out my new Etsy shop!

Knit-A-Year Project

2010-05-24T02:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of my Knit-A-Year project thus far. It is getting bigger! I can't imagine how long it is going to be when April, 2011 rolls around. I'm on day 49 today. I love the reflection that this project affords. It really requires you to slow down and think for a few minutes each day and reflect those thoughts with yarn. I have to admit, I do skip some days because of being too busy, but I always catch up when I can. I need to do better at knitting on it each and every day. I do have the time, I just struggle sometimes with what kind of a mood I'm in and what color I should use to represent it.

For an invitation to our Knit-A-Year group, just send me your email and I'll send you the invitation.

New Orleans Trip

2010-05-14T08:40:00.001-07:00

So we just returned from a trip from my second home, New Orleans. My husband was born and raised there and it was pretty much my second home too when I was attending LSU in Baton Rouge back in the 90s. My husband, David, and I met at LSU. I don't know how many of you know this, but David's family lost their home to Katrina. It was one of the ones that was totally under water for weeks and David's parents and brother lived with us for three months. My Mother-In-Law lives here in Atlanta, right near us, and my Father-In-Law has rebuilt their home in New Orleans, visiting here when he can.

Anyway, we visit New Orleans about once a year, but this time was extra special because my Brother-In-Law, Edgar, graduated Xavier as a DOCTOR of pharmacy. A doctor! Through all the adversity this family has been through over the years, we are so immensely proud of Edgar and his achievements - it was not easy for him.

In this picture, you see my three kiddos, me in the black-and-white dress, my husband next to me, Doctor Ed next to him, my Mother-In-Law by me, my Father-In-Law near the other end, and David's 2 cousins from Honduras. Honduras is where David's parents are originally from.

Here is Andrew having fun with some crawfish.

The other pics are of my babies, Sierra(12), Stephen(9), and Andrew(6).

I took tons of pictures on this trip, but of course I can't include them all. Our days consisted of many beignets from Cafe Du Monde, muffalettas from Cafe Maspero in the Quarter, hurricanes from Pat O'Briens, and many strolls around the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, which reminded me of my old college days. Keep in mind, we did NOT take the kids to Bourbon, just so ya know, but we did see some kids there, which really disturbed me.

Thanks for visiting Merf's Turf!

Talk To Me!

2010-05-13T05:19:00.001-07:00

Because I am interested in improving my blog, I'm about to inundate you with questions galore in the hopes of getting some feedback. Bear with me and let's hear from ya!

What do you like about this blog? What don't you like? What do you look for in a blog.. what can I do better? Do you like a lot of pics? Do you like a lot of personal information, or do you like it when people stick to the knitting and creativity stuff? Do you like giveaways?

Anything else you would like to comment on?

Thanks in advance for your feedback, and have a wonderful day!! If Blogger won't let you comment, for some reason, email me at mzel@bellsouth.net or Twitter me: @merfz

Dishcloths for the Moms

2010-05-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

I just finished knitting kitchen discloths for my mother and mother-in-law for Mother's Day. I found the super easy free pattern on Knitting Pattern Central. They were fun to knit, and, like I said, perfectly easy and great for beginner knitters. I hope they like them!

Ladybug

2010-05-03T04:32:00.000-07:00

Here is my finished knit amigurumi ladybug by Amy Gaines. Her's always look better than mine, but I love it nonetheless. We haven't given him/her a name yet... any suggestions? I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this one yet. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it, give it to the kids, or sell it in a craft fair, which Amy says is fine to do. Thanks again, Amy, for your fabulous patterns!

Revisiting a Past FO - knitcroblo6

2010-05-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

I love to knit all kinds of things, from scarves and hats to dishcloths and purses, but one of my favorite things to knit is amigurumi, so I thought with this post I'd include my very first amigurumi project. This adorable owl is by Amy Gaines and was knit, as opposed to crocheted. My son (pictured) absolutely loves it, but I think he's forgotten Jorge (that's what we named him) by now because Jorge sits on my craft table, untouched. I prefer to keep him that way because he is somewhat fragile. Since he was my first amigurumi, he has a few mistakes, and my sewing isn't great so things look a bit worn around the edges. I love how his eyes look all worried, as if he thinks he's about to get squeezed to death :) Ah Jorge, we love you so.

Location, Location, Location - knitcroblo5

2010-04-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

I love to knit pretty much anywhere! My favorite place to knit is on my couch in my living room or the comfy greenish chair, also in the living room, usually while watching a movie. I also LOVE to knit in the car on a long road trip, when I'm the passenger, of course. I just bring my knitting everywhere in case I have an opportunity to sit for awhile. The baseball field is another spot where I can be caught knitting, only during practices though.. I love to actually watch the games. And another great spot? Doctors' waiting rooms!

Where do YOU knit?

MANY New Skills! - knitcroblog4

2010-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

(It's my birthday today!!)

Wow. WOW. I'm supposed to write about ONE new skill I'd like to learn? How about several? This is going to take a while :)

Firstly, as previously mentioned, I really need to learn to knit with double pointed needles! It seems everyone and their brother can and that I'm the only one who can't. I have gone as far as casting on and knitting a few rounds on them, but I have failed to practice and develop the skill. It seems that everything I want to knit calls for DPNs, so I really need to bite the bullet and learn already.

I also want to learn the Magic Loop Method, just in case the DPN thing doesn't work out. I have heard it is way easier that using DPNs, and I already know how to use circulars, so maybe this would be easier.

I need to learn how to fix mistakes! I usually just frog a few rows and start over, even when it is just a dropped stitch, which I hear is easy to fix. I just don't know what I'm looking at, so I don't know what the mistake is, let alone how to fix it.

I would LOVE to learn to crochet! I basically want to know how to crochet or knit anything I want.. I have a lot to learn :)

One Great Knitter! - knitcroblo3

2010-04-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

Well it didn't take me long to figure out who this post was going to be about! I have knit several of this person's patterns, mostly for my kids. This knitter/crocheter is none other than Amy Gaines. I simply adore her amigurumis and find them so fun to knit. I don't crochet yet, so I haven't tried her crochet toys, but I think I appreciate her so much because she provides knit amigurumi, which are more difficult to find than crocheted amigurumi, and she also writes the patterns for 2 straight needles. I love this because I cannot use DPNs yet. Her patterns are so simple that even a novice knitter like myself can follow them. I admire the tenacity she must have to sit down and work out these patterns. As I sit and knit these adorable creatures, I have no idea how she does it. Lots and lots of practice, I would assume. Thank you, Amy Gaines, for your awesome patterns and for providing me with tons of toys for my kids.. they put smiles on the kids faces, especially when they realize I took the time to knit the toys for them.

An Inspirational Pattern - knitcroblo2

2010-04-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you might be thinking, "Just fingerless mitts? That is inspirational?". Well, to me, a self-proclaimed novice knitter, yes, I do aspire to knit fingerless mitts. I love the cables running up and down these beautifully blue mitts. I recently taught myself to knit a cable via YouTube, but that is all I know how to do: knit a cable! I have no idea how to knit something with a cable in it, aka: I can't follow a pattern to save my life. And to boot, I have not yet mastered knitting with double pointed needles. I can knit with circulars, maybe I need to learn the magic loop method?

These "Blue Monday" fingerless mitts are from D'Oh!Mestic and if you click on this link, you can find the free pattern for them that I found on Knitting Pattern Central's Free Pattern Directory... I love that place.

My Knitting Roots

2010-04-26T04:39:00.000-07:00

And so begins Knit & Crochet Blog Week! Today's topic is: How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting?

Looking back, I learned to knit about 7 years ago because of my grandmother, pictured with me on the right. In this picture, she is holding up an afghan that she had just finished and I believe if you click on it it will enlarge so you can see the detail. My grandmother is currently 94 years old and still knits, although not as much as she did in the past.

One day, about 7 years ago, I started thinking that it would be sad for her craft to not live on when she passes away. I started expressing an interest in knitting and ended up getting a "Learn To Knit" kit for Christmas that year. I didn't do anything with it at first, maybe because it intimidated me a bit, but a few months later I picked it up and taught myself to knit. I started out with scarves and knit dozens of them, selling many in a local craft fair that I participate in every year.

I eventually branched out to knitting hats, and because I love to knit them and because I also love giving to others, I started a charity called Knits For Needs. I am super proud of this wonderful charity and the people who comprise it. We donated 634 knit/crocheted items to people in need throughout the United States in 2009 and this year's goal is 900 items!

Today I love to knit amigurumi, hats, scarves, purses, afghans, and cell phone cozies. I am not advanced, so I'm sort of stuck on a beginner/intermediate level, which I'm not very happy about. I know how to use circulars, but I have not yet mastered DPNs, which is on my agenda. I do not really know how to follow patterns unless they are amigurumi patterns by Amy Gaines, who writes super easy patterns for us beginner folks. I recently taught myself to knit cables using YouTube videos, but I don't know how to knit anything with cables just yet, I just know how to make a cable.. does that make sense? I love to teach myself new knitting techniques, I just need to make the time to foster those skills and learn how to knit actual patterns. Tips would be appreciated!

A year or so ago I wrote a blog post similar to this one that dove more into my Grandmother, my roots in knitting, and also teaching others to knit entitled "Spreadin the Knittin Love" that I hope you check out as well. Thanks for visiting Merf's Turf!

Knit & Crochet Blog Week

2010-04-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about participating in Knit & Crochet Blog Week next week! This is a great idea thought up by Eskimim i, and I'm totally loving her for it because I think it is brilliant. All bloggers who'd like to participate simply write blog posts on the same topic, which changes by day. Here are the topics, and the strange code you see after the topics is the tagging system we are using so you will be able to find these posts if you search for them:

1) Monday, April 26: How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? (knitcroblo1)
2) Tuesday, April 27: An Inspirational Pattern (knitcroblo2)
3) Wednesday, April 28: One Great Knitter (knitcroblo3)
4) Thursday, April 29 (my birthday!): A New Skill (knitcroblo4)
5) Friday, April 30: Location, Location, Location (knitcroblo5)
6) Saturday, May 1: Revisit a Past FO (knitcroblo6)
7) Sunday, May 2: What a Yarn (knitcroblo7)
Wild Card (I think you can use this in lieu of a topic above): All Tooled Up

Please check back with this blog and others next week to read more! For more information, see the hyperlinks above and feel free to leave comments and questions on this blog. Can't wait to hear from you, and I hope you all will also participate in Knit & Crochet Blog Week.

Knit A Year Project

2010-04-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here is the most recent picture of my Knit A Year project taken a few minutes ago. The black was knit on a very dark and depressing day for me. As mentioned in my bio, I have Bipolar Disorder and this project is really helping me see just how darn moody I really am, which is not all bad, and it helps me document those moods, which I'm supposed to be doing every day anyway. I like the reflection and awareness this project allows for. I think I learn something new about myself every day and I would encourage everyone to try their hand at the Knit A Year project for these reasons. (if you would like an invitation to our Knit A Year group on Ling, please email me your email address: mzel@bellsouth.net) The light, fluffy green color I knit yesterday signifies the calmness and inner reflection that seemed to engulf me yesterday. My mood has gradually improved a bit since that black day, and I look forward to coming out of this depression soon.

Explorations In Creativity

2010-04-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

So here is my Knit A Year project thus far. For more information about Knit A Year, see my previous blog post or click on the clickable link in this sentence. The days are represented as follows:

Day 1: Light pink for Easter
Day 2: Brown because I felt like doo doo that day.
Day 3: Brown and white to represent my favorite part of our zoo trip that day: the giraffes.
Day 4: Yellow stands for my excellent mood, the sun-shiny day, and the yellow pine pollen is everywhere here in Atlanta.
Day 5: Rainbow colors to represent my great mood and happiness that I taught my son to knit that day (yesterday). Here is a picture of him taken just a few minutes ago. He's doing well with that knitting!

I can't wait to see where this project takes me. I heard that they will be on display somewhere when we are finished with them. To be invited to our Knit A Year group on Ling, please email me your email address: mzel@bellsouth.net.

In other creativity news, my daughter has asked us to keep all the lids from the flavored waters we drink because she is going to make something with them. She is thinking of making a huge fish. I love that she is creative and that she is doing a green project! Here are pictures of her collection hanging off of our cupboards. I think the note is cute! I'm going to show her this website that suggests all kinds of ideas for creating things with bottle caps: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/bottlecapsartscraftstideasprojects.html

I love that my family is so creative! By far the most creative one in the family is Stephen, my 9-year-old son pictured knitting above. He is constantly making things, writing stories, reading, and drawing, and I mean constantly. He is so excited to add knitting to his repertoire... too cute! (I just heard him tell his brother, "I'm going to knit all day today!"

Knit A Year

2010-04-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

I just started a Knit A Year project a few days ago. Knit A Year is a project in which you knit according to your mood every day for one whole year. You simply cast on 10 stitches on size 6 needles and knit at least 3 rows. I am using stockinette stitch because it looks really cool when it curls up. Every day you knit a few rows in a color that represents your mood or something about that day. The first day I knit in light pink because it was Easter, the next day I knit in brown with colored flecks because I felt like doo-doo... hence the doo-doo brown, and yesterday I knit in brown and white because we went to the zoo and my favorite animals were the giraffes. I will post a picture of this project soon. To learn more, click on the hyperlinks above, and if you'd like an invitation to our Knit A Year group on Ling, please let me know. We would LOVE for you to join us!

Woodland Cuteness

2010-04-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

I had the best time knitting these amigurumi woodland animals by Amy Gaines! These will be given to my boys in their Easter baskets this year. My favorites are the hedgehog and the owl.. too cute!

Pea Green

2010-03-30T08:49:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of a simple hat I knit today. I knit it with sock yarn paired with a beautiful pea green wool. Nothing fancy, since I'm not experienced enough to do fancy, just a simple baby hat. I simply LOVE the color pea-green, and to prove it, I've included a picture of my car :)

Hats and Fairies

2010-03-25T05:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, I need to take some Blogger lessons or something because I have the worst time getting my pictures in here right! The one with the hats is sideways, for some reason it uploaded that way on Blogger and I can't fix it.

Anyway, I've been busy knitting, as usual. I take time every day to knit because I love it so much and I need the few minutes of relaxation. I do not work during the day anymore so I have much more time to put into my knitting. The first pictures you see here are hats I have knit, mostly for Knits For Needs. I will keep and attempt to sell the bright colored ones in a craft fair I do every year, and the purple and gold one is MINE, all MINE :) Can you guess what school I went to and follow? That one is for fall when we're having our football parties and cookouts. The pinkish one on the bottom, or actually on the left since my picture is crooked and I can't fix it, is felted. It turned out pretty cute. I personally love all the square topped ones I knit. As you can see from the picture of my youngest son, they look very cute on kids!

The other pictures you see here are of an amigurumi fairy doll I knit for my daughter for Easter. It is an Amy Gaines pattern, seen here, although hers looks much better than mine! I had trouble with the eyes and improvised a bit, but other than that I think it turned out pretty cute. I am working on some forest critters for the boys for Easter and will post those pics when I'm finished with them. I just finished the squirrel yesterday and I'm working on the owl currently.

In other news, my daughter (12) and I went to a meeting of Twitter knitters at Rare Purls in Duluth, GA on Sunday. We met up with a couple people I have met before and I also got to meet some people I know from our online conversations. I did not do a good job taking pics, in fact I took none, but Melissa, the Knifty Knitter, did take pictures that can be seen on her blog. There is a picture of me and my daughter sitting next to eachother as well as the other people we met with. I had fun and was so glad we set up that meeting! My daughter is a novice knitter and is currently knitting a hat for Knits For Needs as a service project for the Junior Beta Club at school.

Thanks for stopping by Merf's Turf, and have a wonderful day!

A Plethora of Miscellaneous-ness

2010-02-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

As you're about to find out, this post is aptly-named :)

Firstly, I'd like to mention I finally finished my very first afghan! As you know, I am pretty much still a novice knitter, not because I have been knitting for a short time, but because I'm not great at learning new things. Also because I am quite content hanging out in the "novice" phase. I am not good at following patterns, and like I've mentioned before, I knit like I cook.. just throw it together. So, for my afghan, I simply knit, in garter stitch, about 15 13in x 13in squares and sewed them together. I was so very proud of this afghan that was 2 months in the making, all the way up until it got a hole in it. I have no idea how it happened since the hole was smack dab in the middle of a square, but I managed to sew up the hole. It is quite an obvious patch-up-job that I'm a little upset about, but I'll get over it. You live and you learn, right? Currently I am working on another afghan similar to this one, but in different colors. The new one will be a pretty sage color, a darkish blue, and a light blue.

Another project I just finished, this one a small one, is a tiny baby hat that I knit for Knits For Needs using some yarn donated by one of our members. Please click on that link to view our latest blog post. For some reason, this particular hat got twisted the first time around. I guess I managed to do that when I was joining in the round, although I really have no idea how it happened. I posted "Help!" on Twitter and everyone told me I'd have to frog it and start over. So I did, and when I did it didn't even unravel well. It was somehow all tangled up. The first picture here shows when I was trying to unravel it. Then you can see that I started over, this time perfectly successfully, and finished the hat. I love the square shape and the pom-poms!

Next I'm going to share some things unrelated to my knitting endeavors, the first of which is our rats. We got two rats for the kids for Christmas. Two of our kids are allergic to cats and dogs, so we collect miscellaneous animals, like fish, hermit crabs, and, now, rats. I did some research before getting these new additions... "Should we get a hamster? Mice? Rats?".. and I found out that rats are actually great pets for small children since they don't bite and they are highly intelligent, well, at least compared to their other furry cousins. You can actually train them, which I was surprised to find out. Ours already know their names and come to you when called. They are named Juniper and Jules. The one in the pictures is the most social one, Juniper. The other is a bit darker and likes to hide from us a lot, hence, I do not have pictures of her. Here you see a terrible picture of me hanging out with Juniper and my awesome, and now favorite, sweatshirt. The other picture shows my daughter Sierra with Juniper.

Next amongst the plethora of miscellaneous-ness is my new haircut. This first picture is me and the hubby on New Year's Eve and, as you can see, I had long hair. The next picture is my new haircut, which I love because it is so much easier to deal with.

Thanks for hanging out in Merf's Turf for awhile! Come back soon :)

I'm Still Alive

2009-11-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, I haven't posted in awhile. Yes, I am still alive. I just haven't had much to say, I guess, and I've spent most of my blogging time updating the Knits For Needs blog. Also, I have been terrible about taking pictures of my knitting, unless it is for Knits For Needs, in which case those pics go on the KFN site.

I just started working on my first ever blanket/afghan!! Since I'm not great at following a pattern, unless it is amigurumi, I am just knitting 15 inch x 15 inch squares and sewing them together. I knit like I cook: no recipes needed, just throw it together :) Before I sew, or is it knit(?), them together, I need to do some research about how this is done. I did watch one YouTube video this morning and I think I found out how I'm going to attempt it. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3rvJx3-9Xs The method I think I'll use is called "Weaving". It looks simple enough.

I recently did a craft fair at my kids' school and it did not go so well. I displayed about 15 hats, 15 scarves, and a multitude of cell phone cozies, purses, and coinpurses. To see a pic of these items, scroll down to the previous post.. they're all pictured there. In previous years, I have done well at this craft fair, but this year I think, with all of the economic hardship people are having to deal with, people just did not want to part with their money. I think they were looking for cheap trinkets, and that is not what I specialize in. Oh well, there is always next year. I really should look for other craft fairs in which to participate, but I'm not sure what holds me back. I mean, I've got a bin full of beautiful items.. I should sell them. Should I open an Etsy shop? Food for thought.

Another item on my needles is an amigurumi monkey. I found it at this site that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE: http://knittedtoybox.blogspot.com/ Another GREAT shop for knit amigurumi is Jelly Bums.

My husband has this week off for Thanksgiving, so do the kids, and I happen to have today off so we're all piling into the car in a few minutes to eat at IHOP... Yum!! I think I'll go see if everyone is ready...

Butterflies and Trees

2009-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty random posting, but I'd like to share a couple pictures. The first one is of a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail butterfly I took yesterday in my backyard. Isn't it pretty? It took a couple shots because it kept moving around (expletives did escape my mouth more than once), but I finally got this perfect shot. My husband is pretty knowledgeable about different flora and has landscaped our entire yard with his bare hands. Apparently many of the plants and flowers growing in our yard attract butterflies because they are all over the place... these gorgeous Tiger Swallowtails as well as the black version of them, which I will attempt to capture a picture of as well.

The second picture I'm sharing is a painting that I painted with acrylic paints on canvas a couple years ago. I love the starkness of the black and white, and, for me, it sort of signifies my struggle with Bipolar Disorder, the black and whites being the polar opposites of one another, just like the highs and lows that I experience. This painting hangs in our dining room and matches perfectly. The whole dining room is black and white, very simplistic and modern. I love to paint and I am blessed with periods of extreme creative energy. I didn't say I was any good :), just that I love painting and that it is such a great expression of who I am as a person. I will share more of my paintings soon.

Fiber Arts Friday

2009-08-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

Please visit and read Fiber Arts Friday on Alpacafarmgirl's blog... Merf's Turf and Knits For Needs are listed there today! http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/

Knitting Fun

2009-08-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

I've been up to lots of knitting, but barely any blogging, so I have lots to post today! I recently went on a girl's trip with my three best buds from high school. Three of us drove up to St. Louis to visit the fourth of our high school gang. Just to give you an idea of how long ago that was, we graduated from Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA in 1991. Time flies! Here is a picture of us, all grown up :) That's me, Merf, all the way to the left, the one blinding you with her shiny chin.

As a souvenier of our 2009 girl's trip, which was a big deal to me because I have been married for 11 years (Aug 8!) and NEVER been on a girl's only trip, to the horror of my friends, I knit cell phone cozies for each of us. None of my friends knit, so they probably don't appreciate them as much as I do, but I think these cozies are pretty cool. I have made a couple for my new blackberry, which I also love so much I've given it a gender and a name. Her name is Pippy. (I'm half joking, ok? I'm not crazy :))

So I'm about to post pictures of all the things I've been knitting over the past few months, for all of you wondering if I ever get off Twitter long enough to do anything else, and you will probably wonder how I manage to raise three kids, manage a knitting charity as well as knit a lot of items for the charity, and still manage to knit all these things for an upcoming craft fair. The answer is, I have no idea. I always wish there was more time in a day so I can do more, and knit more, but when I dragged out all the items I've finished to take pictures, I realized I HAVE knit quite a bit! I should open up an Etsy shop. I am seriously thinking of it. What do you think? Someone wants to profile me on their blog, so I thought maybe I should have a shop in place when that is published. Hhhmm.. food for thought.

Meet Mr. Bean! My son loved him so much he sleeps with him, which is the ultimate compliment to a crafter, of course. I am currently working on another Mr. Bean for my other son, who insists on having one. I think I'll make one ear blue on this second rendition so we can tell the two apart, although that probably is not necessary since I made one small boo boo and there is a tiny hole in this one. As I've mentioned before, I'm still a novice so I don't know how to fix mistakes in knitting! I just try not to make them. Mr. Bean comes from a pattern by the great Amy Gaines. Here is her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=38931

I have a craft fair coming up in November. It is at the kids' school and I love to participate in it every year. I have knit about 15 scarves, mostly long, fluffy ones, for it so far. By November I will have about 20 to display. The pic of the scarves really does not do the scarves justice at all... they are much prettier in person :) I need one of those dress forms or something so I can display them better. Where can I get one?

I have knit many purses, small coinpurses, and cell phone sock/cozies as well. Some of these are knit with wool that I obtained from frogging sweaters from Goodwill, which I LOVE to do and can't wait till the sweaters come back this Fall so I can frog to my heart's content. I also used jute for one of the purses. Can you guess which one? It is the orange/brown one on the bottom. I used jute and beautiful orange wool to knit that particular purse. It appears reddish in the pic, but it is actually more orange in person.

Also, I have knit some hats, some of which have a matching scarf.

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading about the knitting I've been up to! Comments/questions/suggestions/etc. welcomed!
**Please note that all donations for Knits For Needs are used for the charity only. I use my personal yarn for everything non-charity related**

Amigurumi Fun - Jelly Bean

2009-06-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

I finished my second amigurumi, Jelly Bean, and feel like I think this is something I'm really going to enjoy doing. It is a bit tedious, but there is a lot of fun within the tediousness :) It is pretty cool to see some ordinary looking yarn turn into something so cute, especially knowing that I'm the one who did it.

The pattern for Jelly Bean is by Amy Gaines:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25573866

2009-05-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here is my very first knit amigurumi!! I'm not actually sure what the definition of amigurumi is, so I'm not sure if this is one or just a knit toy, but whatever it is, I'm so proud of it! I didn't think I'd be able to knit something like this because I'm a novice knitter and have always stuck to hats and scarves, but I did it! It is a bit rough around the edges, as you can see, but not bad for a first try.

It is a bit bigger than I thought it would be, which is good. I took a pic of my youngest son holding it to demonstrate the size.

I'm so proud of this cute owl that I have named him... his name is Jorje - ha!

Here is the original pattern by Amy Gaines:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25269282

Tea Cup Candles

2009-05-13T06:51:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day gifts, I decided I'd use a great "green" idea I saw in a Martha Stewart "

Green Crafts" link. The idea was to use old tea cups and fill them with candles. I started by sifting through old teacups at Goodwill and other thrift stores and ended up with these cups and one adorable teapot.

Then I melted old wax from unused or partially used candles lying around the house, and I also used some new votives that I bought and took the wick out of before melting. I melted the wax within a smaller pan that was submerged in hot water. The directions said to use a wax or candy thermometer but I did not to this, and we will consider that decision in a bit. So, I melted the wax completely and, meanwhile, I set up my teacups. I cut wicking and put them through the small metal wick stabilizers.... all available at any craft store. I used plyers to close the metal hole of the stabilizers onto the wicks. Then I used bamboo skewers to tie the wick onto so that the wick would stay centered within the cup.

Then, just pour the wax in! You'll want to leave a little space at the top so you'll have a wick. Don't fill it all the way to the top. I made sure the wick was centered before leaving it to dry. Most of the candles dried very well, but the ones in the white teacups dried strangely, very bumpy, and I'm wondering if this is because I did not have the wax at the correct temperature. I just figured melted wax is melted wax, ya know?

Here is a finished pic of some of them, for some reason I can't find the pics of the other ones completed. These green ones dried great, but the other ones dried bumpy and I think you can catch a glimpse of that on the above pics.

Needless to say, Grandma, Mom, and Mother-in-Law loved their Mother's Day gifts!

2009-05-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Look at our beautiful azaleas! The pictures don't do them justice. They are simply stunning this year.

Adventures With Old Jeans

2009-04-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've been saving the kids' old jeans for awhile, waiting to be inspired to make something with them, and the other day I got it in my head that I was going to cut them into strips and knit with the denim. I didn't know what I was going to make just yet, but once I get it in my head that I'm going to do something, I have to follow through with it right then, which is a bit tricky because I have three kids and I take care of my friend's baby. Don't ask me how I find the time, because I will not have an answer for you.

So I immediately drug out the old jeans and started cutting. I cut them into strips about 1/2 - 1/4 inch wide... varying widths because I just wanted to mix things up a bit. I knotted the strips together and ended up leaving the ends hanging out, thinking that this might make the object look kinda shaggy and unique-looking. Here is a pic of the beginnings of what would turn into a bag/purse. It was a bit tough knitting with the denim strips, especially since they had knots throughout them, but it was fun, nonetheless. I did not know what size needles to use, so I started with 11s, which ended up being way to small. Then I started over with 17s, which ended up being too big. So I ended up with 15s, which were perfect! This project was also a little messy. I'm still finding denim lint and strands everywhere.

So all I did was knit a rectangle and stitch up the sides. I stitched the sides with denim, which was a real pain, again because of the knots, but I didn't want to use yarn or thread, just because I wanted it to be completely made of denim.

For the strap, I just braided three strands of denim together and sewed them to the purse, again with denim.

When I finished with the bag, I found that I could do something useful with the pockets of the jeans, and I had heard about people making "pocket purses" with pockets. So my daughter and I started making a purse for her. She braided some strips like I had done for my purse and we are going to sew a flower onto it with embroidery floss.. I just need to find the time to do that, hopefully today and then I'll add the final picture.

I still have lots of denim scraps, which I plan on using to decorate other crafts, such as some felt things I like to make, like drink coozies and coinpurses. If anyone has further ideas on what to do with old jeans, I'd love to hear them! I did find this link awhile back and found it interesting: 13 things you can do with old jeans: http://www.blisstree.com/thriftymommy/13-things-you-can-make-out-of-your-old-blue-jeans/ I plan on doing some of these projects pronto, but I think I will scavenge some thrift stores for MEN'S jeans instead of kid's jeans :)

2009-04-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday I took a break from charity knitting and knit up this cute little coinpurse. It is knit from 100% wool I acquired from a sweater I frogged, so I guess it is a green purse, in more ways than one :) (I suppose you can't really tell from the pic, but it is a greenish-grayish-brownish color)

Spreadin the Knittin Love

2009-04-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

I began knitting because of my grandmother, who is now 92 and has been knitting for about 50 years. This is a picture of me with her today... we're holding up an afghan she just finished after spending months on it. It is made up of 20 squares, each a different pattern. She is quite proud of it! Over what she guesses is the last 50 years, she has knitted sweaters, tons of afghans, lap robes, socks, slippers, dish clothes, and doll clothes for my mom's dolls when she was little. My grandmother, who has 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, says she taught herself to both knit and crochet by using a book. She says she's just like me... she just can't sit and do nothing!

One day about 5 years ago, I was saddened by the thought of, when she passes away, her knowledge and love of knitting will not be passed on because my mother never learned to knit. I mentioned in passing that I might want to learn to knit and ended up getting a "Learn to Knit" book for Christmas. So shortly after that I sat down and, although it seemed pretty overwhelming, I gave it a go and right away knit a long, skinny, and pretty plain looking scarf (that my son still wears!).

Here is that first scarf I attempted. Not bad for a first try, right ?

For years, about 5, I knit and knit and knit scarf after scarf after scarf, because I quickly learned that knitting is addicting and yarn is like delicious candy. Since I first learned, I've always made time to knit. I started doing a craft fair at my kids' school every November and I usually sell about 13 scarves, out of about 30 that I usually have on display. I give the others as Christmas gifts to the kids' teachers and coaches.

In January of this year, 2009, I found a super easy pattern for a hat (just knit a rectangle, cinch up the top, and sew down one side) and then began making tons of hats. I've probably made over 80 since January. All but about 3 of those have gone to charity.

I love to knit easy, quick things because I lack the patience for anything that takes too long or requires thinking :) I see patterns all the time that I wish I could make, but I just say to myself "maybe later" or "I can't knit that. No way!". I'm hoping one day soon I'll bite the bullet and sit down, read a bunch more about more advanced knitting techniques, and practice with needles and yarn until I can knit anything I want! I'd LOVE to knit stuffed animals - imagine how happy that would make kids in a hospital or a homeless shelter! Until I do bite the bullet, though, I am perfectly content with what I'm doing now. I absolutely LOVE to knit, whatever it may be, and especially if it is for someone else.

I am pretty much always knitting when I'm sitting at my daughter's swim practice. She swims every night because she's on a swim team. Sometimes I drop her off because I have two younger boys that have a hard time sitting for an hour and a half every day :). But, about 3 days a week, we sit and watch her and I knit. People watch me all the time and seem to be in awe that I can actually make something. They find it fascinating. One day a little girl watched me make a hat in utter disbelief and, when I was done, I stuck it on her head and said, "Here ya go!" Her smile went on for miles :) And here's the exciting part: I've actually caused two people to learn to knit!! One has made several hats for Knits For Needs, and one lady came in yesterday with needles and yarn and was excited to see me, saying, "I taught myself to knit!". I helped her with her cast on because, apparently, she was doing it incorrectly.

I have also taught my 11-yr-old daughter to knit, and, every now and then we go hang out with Grandma and knit with her. My daughter has been working on the same scarf for over a year.. hey, she's busy with school and swimming, ok? I plan to teach her my easy hats and maybe she'll like to make some for herself, her friends, and others. We'll see.

Passing on the art of knitting is something that I feel good about doing and I hope others take the time to do it. Being "caught" in public, doctor's offices, ERs (yes, I knit for two hours the other night in the ER when my son was getting stitches. Don't worry, I put it down to hold his hand as the stitches were actually happening), swimming, libraries, coffee shops, book stores, the car (when parked!), and all the other places you find yourself in, really reminds people that knitting is making a comeback and that knitting is NOT just for old farts (sorry Grandma)! Take the time to learn or teach someone knitting today!

I just found this Pledge Bank where you can promise you'll teach someone to knit: http://www.pledgebank.com/teachknitting

Here are some tips on teaching someone to knit:
http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingcommunity/qt/teaching_knit.htm

2009-04-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I love this cute little coinpurse I knit a couple weeks ago. I'll save it and many others for the craft fair I do at my kids' school in November. The flash sure did make that button shiny, though, didn't it? It is sort of an orangy button. I love making things like this because they are fast and I can knit them up in an hour or so. I love things that are fast.. not much patience for things that take too long. If it is on the needles for more than a couple days, it will probably just stay on the needles and never be completed. Guess I won't start a sweater any time soon!

2009-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a not-so-great pic that my 5-yr-old took of me knitting yesterday. Obviously not trying to win any fashion contests here.. and that hair.. geez... dark roots and everything! Ha!

So Excited About the Charity

2009-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been really busy lately with Knits for Needs. It is really growing and the interest is amazing. I get emails and messages every day about "Where can I send my yarn?" and "What project are you working on now? What do you need?". I am very excited and happy about this project that seems to be taking over my life.. love it! I feel a new sense of purpose and importance and I love the feeling of helping others. I have always been like that, and now I feel like I really found what I'm supposed to be doing. I look forward to also getting monetary donations to help with the costs, too, such as shipping costs and such. Also, I have a ton of yarn from donations and I'd like to get it out to people knitting for charity, but I can't afford all that shipping yet! But.. its growing and I think donations will be coming in soon. I just got a PO Box for us yesterday. Also, I was interviewed about Knits for Needs!! By Loose Thread Stitchers. I can't wait till that is published. That was exciting! I've never been interviewed before.. kinda feel important :) Go Knits for Needs!

Welcome to Merf's Turf

2009-04-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

Merf's Turf is brand new! Still working on it. I started the blog for my charity, Knits for Needs, and few days ago and found that blogging can be quite addictive! I look forward to being more personal in this one and letting out my creative and passionate spirit a bit more than I do in my regular life :) This blog will probably mostly be about my knitting and crafting, but I don't want to limit it to just that, so I think other aspects of my life will also make an appearance from time to time. Thank you for visiting my space and I look forward to sharing it with you!