Slippers

I'm always on the hunt for new guest slippers. Although we don't have an official "no shoes" policy, we always take our shoes off when we enter, and guests usually follow our lead. We have need, therefore, of many extra pairs of slippers (since it's not nice to encourage your guests to take off their shoes in the dead of Buffalo's winter and then not offer them something cozy to slip into).

Imagine my delight, then, when I found these never-worn handmade knitted slippers at a garage sale for 10 cents (there seems to be a 10 cent theme to my precious handmade garage sale finds). I think they're an adorable example of old-school knitting (which Debbie Stoller defines as "those who use only antiquated patterns, aluminum needles, and orange, green, and brown acrylics"-- a little too harsh, in my humble opinion), and I'm thinking about trying my hand at some as a result. I may choose to use a more updated pattern though, such as this one.

Ode to Quilters Everywhere

I think quilting encapsulates some of what I like best about crafting: it often utilizes scraps or leftover fabrics; it has a long and storied tradition (for an example of this, see Faith Ringgold's great book, Tar Beach); and the end-product is a perfect blend of beauty and utility.

This is a trivet that I got at the same rummage sale I posted about elsewhere; like my pincushion, it was only 10 cents. Look at all the handiwork that went into this! I'm glad it found a home with me because I can really appreciate its true value.

More Pincushions

My current obsession is with pincushions. I grew interested in them last week Saturday, when my mom and I went to a rummage sale at the church we went to while I was growing up. While rummaging through boxes of glass figurines and such, I found a small blue handmade pincushion. It was made from the metal rims of two canning jars, and my mom told me that she used to make them in school. The one I found was simply a pincushion, but apparently you could also put a tape measure in the middle for extra utility. I bought it for a whopping 10 cents, but am unable to show you a picture yet as I've lent out my camera.

So here, instead, are photos of some beautiful pincushions that others have made:






(The pincushion above is sort of an ode to a Texas Donut...)

Hitting the Crafting Mother Lode

This morning I stopped by an estate sale. As I've written elsewhere, garage and estate sale shopping is something I enjoy for reasons both personal and political. This morning there was a fabric extravaganza at the sale I went to! Check out the awesome vintage fabrics I picked up. Not only did I get a great deal on this fabric ($2 a cut), I also got a LOT of it. Each piece is between 1 and 4 yards... all for $20. I foresee a lot of retro fabric knitting cases in my future...

Baby Stuff!

I'm a big fan of garage sales. Apart from the political implications of reusing rather than purchasing new (which is super important to me), I also just really, really enjoy finding good crafting supplies. Like a bag full of wool yarn that someone's brought back from a trip to Ireland, has never found the time to utilize, and is now selling for $3. But lots and lots of garage sales are filled to overflowing with baby stuff.



Stuff that makes my head spin and makes me ruminate on who, what, and where we are as a culture. In my vocabulary, "baby stuff" has become synonymous with "a garage sale that has nothing I will purchase." So, for example, when we pass a garage sale and are deciding whether or not to stop in, if I say "baby stuff" to my mom, sister, husband, father or uncle (whomever has tagged/been dragged along for the morning), it's code for "Just keep walking, I don't want to stop at this one."

But when referring to recently handcrafted items for new babies, BABY STUFF takes on another, much more innocuous, meaning. It just means fun items I've made for babies that are on the way. So here is a photo of the kind of baby stuff I think is worthing stopping for-- a knitted sweater I recently made for a dear friend who is going to be a kick-ass momma:



I also sewed a fleece blanket and matching hat for the little critter. Notice the spiral design-- I did not intend to evoke Uzumaki, though I guess I may have!