Sunday, August 29, 2010

Could anybody use some of my scraps?


Free + the cost of shipping to anyone that can use them! I use my scraps normally, but they are building up on me fast! Most are not very big, they are all felted, and there are wool & wool blends mixed together. They are great for stuffing things and embellishments. A quart sized bag stuffed with scraps is about 4 oz. I have about 2 lbs of scraps to give away. Please let me know how much you'd like when responding & leave an email address to get ahold of you. If you are not sure of postal prices, you can check here:

http://postcalc.usps.gov/

They will be coming from 60134. Anything under 13 oz can go first class. The flat rate boxes/envelopes will not be cheaper... the scraps are very lightweight.

You can add some scraps to any Resweater order as well, and just pay the shipping difference, if there is any (free shipping on the scraps too, if you reach your shipping max in sweaters).

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Recycled wool log carrier/ log rack liner


I had a custom order placed a few weeks ago... by my husband ;) Apparently, the log carrier that I got in the free box at a rummage sale 5 years ago has had it. What do you think?


I decided to make a new one :) Since wool is the only naturally fire retardant material, there was no other choice in my mind. Sweaters, even felted, are a bit too stretchy, so I used a couple of wool skirts (suit material). Since the old one is out of commission, I used it as a pattern, and reused the handles. Had I not had them, thick dowel rods would have worked as well. Since I didn't have enough from one skirt to do the whole thing, I used 2 different skirts, and I actually like how that looks better. It looks a bit wonky in the pics, but it really isn't.


Great for carrying logs...


and a great liner for your log rack too!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

When are you open?


I am still on vacation, but I thought you might enjoy this. I went to a thrift store, but they were not open. I looked for their hours, so I could find out when to come back, but after reading it, i'm still not sure, lol. This was their sign (if you can't read it, just click on the picture to enlarge it).

Friday, August 13, 2010

Resweater is on vacation!


I will be on a well deserved family vacation, so any orders placed in my shop will not be sent out until I return. There will be no Sweater Sunday post this Sunday, but hopefully i'll have some to blog about the following Sunday! I will have my computer with, so feel free to ask any questions... I just won't have my sweaters with me ;)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I've been feeling sheepish...






Sometimes I feel a bit piggish too, and sometimes like a real monster!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tutorial Tuesday - Fun, felted, & funky hat!


It's been a while since i've done a tutorial! I bought a hat at a garage sale that I loved, so I created a pattern loosely based off of the design (don't worry, I didn't copy it... it is my own). I don't know how to make online patterns to scale (i'll have to give that a try one day when I have some extra time), so pictures & loose measurements will have to do! Below are the pieces you will need. With the headband, you have 3 ways to make it... 2 pieces sewn at either end then folded over (what I did in this tutorial), one long piece sewn & folded over, or the ribbing from a sweater. You will also need some seams (seams from the sweater/sweaters) for the tassels (sorry, forgot to add the seams in the first picture).


Take half of your seam pieces & place them in the center of one side piece and fold it in half, "wrong" side out. I suggest leaving the seams long... you can always cut them shorter when you are done.


Now fold your middle piece in half, wrong side out, and see where the top of the fold meets with the side. Sew up from where the fold meets (on mine that is the top of the green stripe, where I put the safety pin).


Now you can sew the open part of the side to the middle piece (where it is pinned in the picture below).


Repeat that with the other side, and it should look like the picture below. Now you are ready to put your headband on. I sewed the 2 pieces of headband together & flipped it inside out, so it is ready to sew on the hat.


Now fold your headband in half (unless you are using ribbing with a finished edge & don't need to), so the right side is out (no seams showing) and the edges are together. Place the headband on the inside of the hat (should still be inside out), and sew the 3 unfinished edges (2 if you have a finished edge) together. If you have a smaller head, or are making this for an older child, you can make a smaller band and just stretch it evenly as you sew it onto the hat. It will pucker a little when laying flat, if you do this, but will look fine once it's on the child's head.


Flip your hat right side out, and voila! Cute hat!


I liked making these so much, that i'll be selling them at my next show, Fiber in the Park, and i've already made a bunch.

As most of you know, I am not photogenic, but I wanted to show some things you can do with the hats (they are so much cuter in person!). As is...


... tie the 2 ends together to make a ski cap like hat with tassels (I know.. I should have taken a picture of the back!), or tie the tassels into little "buns" for a cute look...


Let me know if you make one & how it turned out! Please feel free to post pictures on my Facebook page (link in sidebar). I love seeing your finished recycled wool projects!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

It's Sweater Sunday! ... and some Resweater updates

My thrift stores are starting to carry sweaters again!!! That combined with a city wide garage sale this weekend, and my stock is booming again! I will be listing some mystery lots shortly. What are mystery lots? I offer lots of sweaters in my shop, that I choose, in a similar theme or fiber, for a discounted price. For example, I might have a cloth diapering mystery lot with all soft 100% wools, or a lot of just lambswool. It depends on what I have a lot of at the moment. Why do I do this? It saves me oodles of time to not have to take pictures & list the individual sweaters, while saving you oodles of money! You are more than welcome to make requests, but I only have what I have, so please understand that it is not a totally custom lot.

Whew, it has been, and still is, a busy summer! So sorry I have been neglecting my blog here, but my son will be starting school in 2 1/2 weeks, and I will be blogging full force again soon.

I have created a new winter hat that I love, and will be posting a tutorial for that soon. I have also created a few more designs for my diaper covers that I hope to post soon too.

On with the sweaters! Here's the wool & wool blends...


the merinos...


the cashmere...


some stripes...


a couple of fair isles...


a merino argyle, a embroidered merino, and a pretty floral lambswool blend.