Origami

This one made by my middle daughter

My oldest daughter loves origami.  Over the years I have jumped over many little pieces of folded paper.  In the last 1 1/2 to 2 years the other daughters have started to love origami and kirigami.  Which means more little pieces of paper to jump over.

Two smaller balls made by my oldest daughter

This weekend there big thing they made with little pieces of paper took lots of little pieces.  These are the end results of their work.

Yoyo Crochet Tutorial in book form

My popular yo-yo crochet tutorial has now been made into a book so you can take it with you when you go places and keep it with your project.  Annie's Attic has made it available for those who have asked when can they buy a hard copy the time is approaching. 

There are the old ways as well as a few new ways of manipulating the yoyos such as :Hexagon yo-yo, zig-zag yo-yo, granny square yo-yo, straight lines yo-yo and yo-yos in a chevron formation.  The techniques are discussed in the projects so you can learn to manipulate this very versatile stitch all the more and create some of your own unique projects as well as the ones in the book.

• You can be put on a waiting email list so when the book is available to pre-order you will receive and email for it.  That area is in the link above in the box that reads "notify me". 

I am so excited about this it is so weird to see my name in print on a book cover that can be purchased all over the world by a major distributor.  This is something I wanted to do for a while I hope to be able to do more things in the future.

Projects include

1. baby blanket
2. hex lap afghan( which has the hexagon pattern and how to join them in it)
3. hex pillow
4. trivet
5. place-mat set
6. matching hot plate for place-mat set
7. shawl
8. hat to match shawl (2 versions of hat one short and one longer)
9. scarf 

• Then there is the tutorial itself  which covers row construction, granny construction, joining has more info for different techniques than the one on my blog did

Bonus explanations of how to use tutorial in the joining area of the book's how to there is ideas how to make 3 more items

1. granny square yoyo scarf
2. giant yo-yo granny square baby car seat afghan
3. granny squares (like my afghan in thread) with starting chain counts

To clear up some confusion that may arise from the sites references.
Annie's site reads 8 projects and the cover reads 9 but there are 12 if you count the three explained at the end of the joining tutorial and then there is the tutorial itself.  I am not counting the second version of the hat as a separate pattern but if you did then add one more to the list.

Lace beadwork

This first piece is actually a necklace to fit a 10 month old baby.  Yes a little impractical.  But it was for my first daughter to wear at her first Halloween she was dressed as a flapper and I made her a hat and all.  The next child that wore the necklace broke it so the third never got the chance to wear it.  It is broken between the second and third bleeding heart on the top left side of this photo. I don't know it you can tell in the photo that it is busted because I lade it out so that it didn't look to bad in the photo.  Some day I should really get around to fixing this thing.  As I still own some of the hematite beads from this and it would would be ever so easy to fix.  Just one of those things I have not gotten around to.  I actually made a few of these that year  I gave some to my sister-in-laws as birthday or Christmas presents it has been to long ago for me to remember which.  I don't know if any of them have them anymore.

This next item was something I started about 10 years ago. I had this grand idea that I was going to make a lace short sleeve shirt out of beads well that never happened only the cuff of one sleeve did. Now days when I look at it I see the top of a small velvet evening bad that should be lined with silk. Someday it will happen, the purse not the shirt.  But till that happens I will just continue to keep them in their little tin box safe and sound.  But thought it would be nice to share such items with you.  I am sure most crafters have little things like this.  Things that they made that are sentimental and need to be fixed but that hasn''t happened or projects they started but never finished because the concept was either to grand or impractical.  But you know it would make a lovely evening bag with nice beaded tassel at the bottom and a beaded mess sides with a real dark rich burgundy or dark blue velvet showing through the black beads with an equally rich color inside.  It should also have silk cords to draw it closed.  When this was going to be a shirt this was the end of a short sleeve the part on the bottom of this photo was the edging to the sleeve.  If it becomes a purse that part will be the top of the purse.

CSN stores and a give away

CSN Stores is a lather large chain on the internet if you haven't heard of them by now check out their site.   They have a wide array of items from entertainment centers, kitchen stuff and sewing machines and to much to list here! I was surprised with how much they offer and the variety of items. I like that I could look from home in my PJ's. CSN Stores has over 200 different stores! They sell a lot well known brands.

I will be having a give away in the near future on my blog here and CSN will be hosting the prize.  I got to pick the item I wanted to review  that took a little bit of time to get all the logistics worked out but should be fun to see if it will do what I think it can.  I will then test the item then give one away in the color of your choice.  Watch for it in the next few weeks.  It maybe as far out as 6 weeks depends when the item arrives hopefully sooner.

Just so you know I have not been paid to do this I was asked to do a giveaway.  I was offered to be able to keep one but I want it to be an honest with the test.  So here is what  we will do

• CSN will mail one out to the first winner in winners choice of color.  
• I will give away the one I get to test to a second place winner that one will not have a color choice it will be the one I was sent for me to keep.  But I am not going to keep it.  I will also enclose a  special gift from me since you did not get to pick your color.

Like I said I want my opinion to be honest so I will not keep the item. But I didn't want to do a giveaway unless the item I picked would do what I thought so this is the outcome.  The people at CSN have been very nice and friendly with me.