Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween and the end of Socktoberfest
We ran the Monster Dash last year too, it's fun because you get to see everyone in costume while you're running, it makes the run go by super quick. I was very proud of myself for running the whole race and not having to walk or stop, we weren't trained as well as last year so I was worried I would suck. But I ran the whole way, whoo hoo!
I also finished another pair of socks last night:
The first sock of this pair was knit in two days while on vacation (almost 5 hours in the car makes for lots of knitting time). The second sock took quite a bit longer, life is rude and gets in the way of knitting time! The yarn is Panda Cotton again in the Fall Herbs colorway. So I ended up knitting 2 pairs of socks for Socktoberfest, not bad!
So what fun are you guys up to this weekend?
-kala
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Another FO: Ghibli Hat
This cabled cutie was a test knit from Christabel of Herbivore Knits. The pattern is called Ghibli and it's available on Ravelry -I totally recommend the pattern, it's an easy knit and the cables are gorgeous! This hat will be for my dad for Christmas, he wears the hats I knit him to death, so I'm more than happy to keep up the supply :) Oh, and the yarn is Vanna's Choice in Terracotta that I had in my stash.
-kala
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Socktoberfest FO: Mummy Socks
I love how they came out, and I still think they look like mummy wrappings :) The pattern is a heavily modified version of Destin and the yarn is Panda Cotton in the Sahara colorway.
I actually got a shocking amount of knitting done while on vacation, what usually happens is that I bring tons of projects and then knit about one row on a scarf the whole time we're there. But this time, the goal was to relax as much as possible so that made for lots of knitting time. I finished one plain vanilla sock in 2 days! I'm hoping to get the other one done by the end of the month, I'll take pictures when I finished pair. I also tried out magic loop for the very first time:
So far, I'm not impressed. There just seems to be a lot of moving things around and fiddling to get to the next round, and I know it's my first try, but it's waaaay slower than dpn sock knitting. Also, the cords get in the way and makes me want to stab them.
So what's your favorite method for knitting socks? Dpns? Magic Loop? Two circs?
-kala
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Free Pattern: Devil Horns!
After a quick decision to run an upcoming Halloween 5K in a devil costume, I went on a hunt for devil horns. But the ones I found in stores were shoddy and expensive so I decided to make my own! Shockingly, I couldn't find a pattern so I ended up designing my own :) And because I love to spread the Halloween love, the Devil Horns is a free pattern! Here's the Ravelry link so you can download it there. For those not on Ravelry, here's the pattern, enjoy!
Devil Horns
By Kala Hotakainen of Vegancraftastic
Need a quick costume idea? Look no further! I cooked up this easy to crochet devil horned headband with last minute costumers in mind - because there’s nothing scarier than missing out on Halloween fun!
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red - less than one skein
Supplies: Small amount of fiberfill, yarn needle
Hook: US size G (4.5mm)
Gauge: Gauge is not crucial for this project, but I got 3.5 stitches to the inch working half double crochet flat.
Abbreviations Used: Ch - chain, HDC - half double crochet, Inc - increase (work two sc in one stitch), Sc - single crochet.
Headband:
Ch 10
HDC in each chain
Ch 2, turn, work hdc across row
Work the last row until the headband measures 21 inches or desired length. Be sure to try on the headband as you work, as your head size will most likely differ from mine.
When desired length is reached, cut yarn and leave a long tail (at least 12 inches) for seaming. Seam the short ends of the headband using whip stitch. Weave in all ends.
Horns:
Ch 2
Work 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook
Inc in every stitch - 8 sts
Sc in every stitch
Sc in every stitch
Inc in the first two stitches, sc to end of round - 10 sts
Sc in every stitch
Inc in the first two stitches, sc to end of round - 12 sts
Sc in every stitch
Inc in the first two stitches, sc to end of round - 14 sts
Sc in every stitch
Inc in the first two stitches, sc to end of round - 16 sts
Finish off and leave a long tail (at least 12 inches) for seaming.
Repeat for second horn.
Putting it all together:
Stuff horns lightly and sew one horn to headband, if you have someone to help it makes it easier to position the horns. Otherwise, put the headband on and use a mirror to help decide where you want your horns. Sew second horn to headband. For pointy horns, you are done and only have to weave in your ends. If you want your horns to curve in a bit, use the yarn tail from seaming the horns to the band and poke it through the side of the horn. Pinch the horn together a bit and use small stitches to shape the horn. Don’t worry about perfection here, just sew it until it looks right to you. Weave in all ends and admire your devilish handiwork!
Kala Hotakainen of http://www.vegancraftastic.blogspot.com/ . This pattern is for personal use only, you may not sell this pattern or items made from it, thanks!
-kala
Sunday, October 24, 2010
DIY Halloween Series - Part 6 - Skulls!
La Calaverita:
Las Calacas Danzantes Socks:
Pop Art Skulls Pillow:
Little Skulls Newborn Baby Set:
Which one is your favorite? Oh, and all of the links go to Ravelry pages, so if you aren't on Ravelry, here's a link to Erssie's site :)
-kala
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Halloween Clearance Sale!
Last Ride Project or Treat Bag:
Halloween Mischief Notebook:
Candy Corn Pin:
Pumpkin Patch Project or Treat Bag:
And there's tons more in the shop, it's a great time to get some Spooky goodies at a great great price :)
-kala
Monday, October 18, 2010
DIY Halloween Series - Part 5 - Movies to Craft By
Idle Hands (this is a really underrated fun little movie, and it has a nice bit of knitting mayhem too!)
Ernest Scared Stupid (Super silly and one of my faves to watch while carving pumpkins with the family)
Halloween (the original)
Trick 'r Treat (a collection of intertwining short stories, and it has Anna Paquin!)
So what are some of your favorite movies to crafty by?
-kala
Thursday, October 14, 2010
DIY Halloween Series - Part 4 - Get Witchy!
Today's post idea and pictures comes from Amanda Steves of Amanda's Happy Hearth, thanks so much to Amanda for sharing! Halloween is creeping up on us, but it's not too late to knit or crochet some cute accessories for a costume or just for fun. Here are some of Amanda's fun and festive designs:
Witch Warmers:
Pumpkin Warmers:
Witchy Tube Top (Free Pattern):
Fun, right? I love stripes, there's something so fun and Halloween-ish about them, especially if you use black as one of the colors.
Are you knitting or crocheting part of your costume this year?
-kala
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
DIY Halloween Series - Part 3 - Pumpkin Spice Muffins!
Today's post idea and pictures are from Julia from JF Illustrations on Etsy, thanks Julia! Julia was kind enough to share a great recipe for pumpkin spice muffins that she's tried and this adorable picture of the finished goodies:
Cute, right? She used this recipe from Choose Veg and baked the muffins in a silicone cupcake pan shaped like jack o lanterns. She's tried the recipe using both canned pumpkin and fresh pumpkin, and both turned out great! What do you guys prefer, canned or fresh? I have to go with canned, it's just not worth all the extra work for me :)
-kala
Monday, October 11, 2010
DIY Halloween Series - Part 2 - Fun with Picnik!
Has everyone heard of Picnik? It's a fun (and free for most features) online photo editing program that does all sorts of cool things! I use it a fair amount for my Etsy pics, but I also had some fun yesterday making some spooky Halloween pictures :) Once you ghoulify yourself, you can use the pictures to make Halloween cards or just use the pics for online profiles like Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, here's my current profile pic that I created on Picnik:
Cute, right? It's my happy go lucky zombie look ;) The best part about Picnik is that it's dead easy and super user friendly, even if you think you can't use fancy photo imaging software, just try it, you'll be glad you did! Here's the same image made into a collage, something like this would be great for making Halloween cards!
Here's one with a bit more gore:
Here's my zombie husband:
Can you tell I'm a big time horror fan? ;)
-kala
Saturday, October 09, 2010
DIY Halloween Series - Part 1!
I'm excited to announce the beginning of a fun new series of posts here on my blog, all about DIY Halloween projects and recipes! As you may or may not know, Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday and I want to share some spooky fun with all of you guys! All through the month of October, I'll be posting crafty tutorials, resources, and fun recipes here on the blog.
I'm also hoping to feature projects and recipes from you guys too! If you have a fun crafty how to (with pictures) or a vegan recipe (with a picture or two) that you'd like to share here on the blog, please e-mail me at craftytofu at yahoo, I think it would be loads of fun to see what you guys come up with! And if you do a guest post, I'll be sure to include links to your blog, or Etsy shop, or whatever else you'd like :)
Ok, on with the show! Today's post is all about patterns and printables available from independent artists on Etsy. Etsy isn't just a great place to find ready-made crafty goodness, it's also a wonderland of crafty supplies and patterns for the diy-er :) Here are some of my faves:
Fun Fleece Animal Hat pattern collection from Tie Dye Diva:
PDF Sewing Pattern - Patchwork Pumpkins by Retro Mama:
Ghost Halloween Party Invite PDF from Pretty Star Designs:
Crochet Pattern: Potato the Squirrel Dressed for Halloween:
Pumpkin Head Knitting Pattern from Natty Knits:
Which one is your favorite?
-kala
Friday, October 08, 2010
Your Vote is Needed (ok, more like wanted)!
It would be super awesome if you could vote for my bag over at the EtsyVeg blog! Thanks in advance guys! :)
-kala
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Chocolate PB and J Cupcakes!
Cupcake success! I used my standard chocolate cupcake and peanut butter frosting recipes (one day I'll get around to putting together the recipe zine I keep thinking about, and those recipes will be in there for sure). I also used thick and chunky strawberry preserves, yum! Has anyone baked anything delicious lately?
-kala
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
New Stuff!
Harvest Owls Project Bag (also great for candy stashes!):
Last Ride Project Bag:
Modern Leaf Zippered Pouch:
Black Cat Project Bag:
Dia De Los Muertos Project Bag:
Sleepy Hedgehog Keychain:
Witchy Delight Project Bag:
Halloween Mischief Notebook:
Lots and lots more in my Etsy shop!
-kala
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Knitty - Deep Fall
Brambles by Amanda Muscha:
Nemesis by Susan Dittrich:
Hmm, both are cabled projects, it's been a while since I've done any cabling, maybe it's more of a cold weather, cozy kind of thing. So what do you like from the new issue?
-kala
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