Craft Goodies #2

Is it possible to be both good and bad? So April will be the first month in, well, months that I haven't added to my stash. That doesn't mean I haven't looked but I haven't bought anything yarny. I did buy some crafting goodies and since my last post on crafting goodies was back in September I think that' not too bad. 

First up we have a blocking board that I have been trying to get my hands on for months. I thought this would be an ideal way to block all of those little squares that I have. The board is by Daisy Boo Creations. The reason they are so hard to come acrosss is that they are extremely well made and they are done by hand. As you all know these things take time to create and they have quite the reputation so everyone is wanting one. It was first come first served but now you can join a waiting list so long as you are willing to wait and happy to pay a deposit up front. I was more than happy to do this and my patience paid off cause look what I now have. It made for a very pretty parcel too which you can see on my instagram feed if you are interested. Now I just need for my wrist to get better so that I can crochet all those squares together.

I have long been an admirer of needle minders ever since I saw one from my old knitting group with one. I have since seen them about Instagram and I have always meant to purchase one for myself. I then came across Arty Moments and I could no longer resist. She has a whole host of different needle minders but it was the scrabble tiles that appealed to my not so inner geek. I then spotted the dominos tile and the next thing I knew there were two winging their way to me (oops).

These are fab for stitchers. I am very guilty of threading the needle through my fabric when I'm not using it. Other stitchers will tell you that this is not good for the fabric. These little minders will hold onto the needle without fear of distorting your fabric. It's also a good way of holding onto extra needles if you have a lot of colour changes. Saves you from constantly rethreading your needle. I will warn you that the magnets are strong so you should always keep them seperated otherwise you might separate the magnet from the front piece. Something that the lovely Stacey warns you of if you are ordering from Arty Moments. And did I start a new project just so that I could show these off? Don't be silly, pfft!

Lastly I treated myself to some washi tape because I really don't have enough! Moving on. I got these tapes from etsy too. These are by Unwrap Colour who do a whole host of lovely washi tapes. It was actually a challenge not to go mad. I even bought one with little cats for my sister. For myself I stuck with little houses, biscuits, hot air balloons and little pineapples.

I'm going to be honest. The houses are my favourite. I can't wait to use it.

All of these pages have been added to my craft shopping page as well as linked here. If anyone has any new crafting toys I would love to hear about them.

Christmas Countdown Week 5 - Gifts for Crafters

This weeks Christmas countdown is some gift ideas for your fellow crafters. Us crafters like to receive items that other made. We appreciate the time and effort that has went into them because we have done it ourselves. Even better we love a gift where we get to create something ourselves. I would like to point out that none of these images are mine. I hope the owners don't mind and realise I just like to showcase others talents.

First up is one that I have coveted. These are yarn bowls and are created by the talented V's Pottery Shed. The design above isn't her only one. She has many beautiful and colourful designs. I am sure I have mentioned her before. She's also not limited to yarn bowls. She also creates wine glasses, travel mugs and at the moment her tree decorations are flying out.

Next up is for those stitchers out there. I came across this talented lady through instagram. Dandelyne is famous for her mini hoops. She creates kits which will allow you to wear a piece of your own hand stitching. I love them. If you follow her on Instagram you will also see that she likes to showcase those who design their own centre pieces for her hoops.  I personally think this would be something fun to do with my sister.

I am a huge fan of Nikki McWilliams. I love her biscuit designs. Brilliant if you love a bit of nostalgia. I have actually bought one of her cushions for my sister. Now she has come up with these little pin cushion kits. So you can have your very own biscuit pin cushion. This is another one that I am thinking of getting for my sister.

I also need to highlight my friend here. Not just because, well, I always do. Also because this would be the most amazing gift EVER! Lisa of For the Love of Yarn has a sign up for a new year long project (although you don't have to join in every month). At the end of the year, thanks to the boxed kits you will have made yourself a stole. A little different from the blanket club (of which there will also be a new one next year). Oh, and you don't need to be able to crochet as a knitting pattern will be provided for those who wish that option. I dare you to find me a yarn enthusiast who wouldn't love this.

Last of all we have a book which I would very much love. It's another of the What Delilah Did books (I have an earlier one which I reviewed here). This one is all about Christmas (all there in the title). So many beautifully stitched projects. It would keep anyone busy. And it's for stitchers of all kinds this time.

The reason I post this now rather than later is that a lot of these crafter businesses will be closing their order books soon so that they can get everyones order out on time. So if you want to treat yourself or someone else I would start ordering now.

Crafting Goodies

This week I thought I would show you some of the crafting goodies I have treated myself to over the last few months. These are all items which are both pretty and handy. First off, how cute are these pin cushions. I have pin cushions. Some of which were stitched for me by some good friends. I couldn't resist these when I saw them and it's from an etsy/folksy seller Stitch Galore. I liked them so much I bought one for my sister too who loved it. You can find Stitch Galore's shop here and you can find her blog here. You'll also find the links in my blog list and shopping list.

Around the same time I was on pinterest (nothing new there) and spotted these little darning needle holders from Knit Affair.  The have lots of colourful knitting needles and cute accessories. Christmas is not long away and if you have a knitter in the family then take a look. Or if you want to treat yourself (as I did) then take a look.

I of course couldn't have a page of crafting goodies without mentioning my good friend. A lot of these came with the Blanket Club. We always get some goodies each month but if you fancy them yourself then you can purchase them individually from Lisa from For the Love of Yarn.  I love these blocking pins and they have come in handy when making those squares for my blanket. They are also pretty. The little stitch marker is also made by Lisa. I have a few of them and they always come in handy. You can never have too many of them.

I have also collected a few hooks thanks to various yarn clubs organised by Lisa. These hooks are part of her glitterati range. I love working with her hooks. They are so comfortable to use. She also makes hooks to custom order with different designs. She can also custom make them to help those with arthritis who have trouble with their hands. She is busy with Yarndale just now and has made a fair few to take with her. So if you want to see just how good these are (and how scrummy her yarn is) and you are going to yarndale make sure you pop by and say hello.

These are more useful than pretty. I have been sock knitting for 7 years now and I have been meaning to buy blocking tools for them. I finally did that thanks to Doodlestop. What put me off was that you had to buy blocking tools for each sock size. When you have a family with tiny feet to middling feet that isn't financially possible. These though can be adapted to size. I haven't used them yet and they look a little large but looking forward to giving them a go.

While there I also spotted some blocking pins and stitch markers. I have plenty of both but when I saw the granny square design I couldn't resist them. I am a sucker for anything with a granny square.

Anyone have any crafting purchases they want to share?