Craft Enabled, Domestically Disabled

Project pondering. Or not.

Okay, so here's the thing: Y'all know I love iPod holders, right? That I have a lot of them, right? That hell, I want to figure out how to make my own iPod jewelry, even?

And yet, I am still not satisfied.

Here's the thing: lately, I am obsessively going to the gym. I always bring my iPod (of course) and my Palm (to write down how much time/calories I did on each machine, plus for reading while on certain machines). I don't have any problems with carrying them around if (a) I wear sweatpants with pockets (which not all of mine have, plus some days I wear dance pants, which don't either) and (b) I don't go to a dance/aerobics/abs class, all of which make you roll around on the floor on your side and necessitate the removal of your electronic gadgetry from your pants.

So, a good portion of the time, I'm trying to figure out where the hell to put my gadgets on the machine, or carrying them around with other stuff like water, or carrying around a sweatshirt jacket with pockets that I'm way too hot to wear, just to have something to hide the iPod/Palm in when they're stashed in a cubby in the dance rooms.

Now normally, my iPod necklace holder would be perfect for say, walking around with the iPod on. Unfortunately, it's not so great when um, heavy exercise and bouncing boobies and certain machinery is involved (i.e. ow). The armband might work, or not- but I can't find it in the wreck that is my apartment to test it. And either way, what I'm thinking is that I need some kind of purse or holder that'll hold both of them in an easily accessible way, something that'll strap on and off, something that covers up what's in it while it's stored in a cubby, yet lets me go mess with the buttons on the iPod.

In short, this means...*sigh*... the dreaded not-real-cool-looking fanny pack. Though these are pretty cool...

(And why on earth can't this be called a "waist pack"? I've never seen someone strap it on facing their ass. You can't even GET to your stuff if you did that.)

Actually, this free patternmaker for bags (which calls it a "waist wallet") looks promising. The only problem is, my sewing machine is busted, my sewing stuff is God knows where, my fabric stash got ruined in the flood, and I won't be making it to a sewing store any time soon since my crafting buddy is moving. Well, I could borrow a machine where I volunteer, but finding fabric and notions would be a bitch. So I need some sort of pattern for a "waist wallet" that involves knitting or crocheting or just...you know, not sewing.

So far, I'm coming up with bupkis.

Well, I suppose I could design my own pouch, though I'm not sure what I'd do for a closure (buttons, I guess). And how I'd attach the thing, I really don't know- putting a belt buckle or clips or something wouldn't happen because I can't get anywhere to get such notions. Maybe I'd have to make a tie-on.

Or maybe I'll just go to the "Travel 'N Tails" store or the school bookstore and see what they have in fanny packs. Who knows.

Edited to say that I have checked both stores, and come up with...well, a big heaping not much.

Progress report on another project

As previously mentioned, the sweater is just too big to carry around to work on during my lunch hour any more. But I was still bored and wanting something to do with my hands during (most of) lunch. So I decided to do a quickie-ish small project that I could keep in my desk and work on. I decided to go with these cute Mary Jane slippers from the sidebar wish list.

I am happy to report that I am almost done with one slipper! I just need a tapestry needle (which I have not been keeping at work, but in my sweater-knitting bag) in order to sew up the top and side, and then one's done. But for right now, I'm on to the other foot.

I am also looking around for knit/crochet flowers a la this pic to add on to the top when I get done. Here's some of the top contenders.

• Round roses.
• Nice knitted flower.
• Simple five-petaled open center flower.
• Cute crochet flower.
• Really nice rosettes.
• And down below, another pattern, reprinted because I don't have a direct link to it.

This is fun! I was surprised to have hit 8 inches on the thing today.

Learned a new skill over the weekend.

I took a class called "Intro to Glass Fusing" this weekend, and it rocked.

Now, I've really liked working with lampwork beads and stained glass, but the problem is that both arts are ones I just can't manage All By Myself. I can't put the foil on the stained glass by myself correctly for all the tea in China, no matter how hard I try, and my friend who knows how is moving away, so I doubt I'll ever do stained glass again. My hands are just too damn weak to shove it on right, apparently. Also in the weak-hands category, I can't manage to get my glass beads off the mandrel by myself either. So I don't really do these things outside of class because I need a babysitter *sigh*.

But glass fusing? I can do it All By Myself, Mommy! Just get the right kind of glass, layer it on each other, cut it if you want to, or not, stick it in the kiln, and (eventually) voila! You have finished glasswork!

I have two pendants done (not photographed yet though, sorry)- a clear heart with colored pieces on top and a mini-aquarium pendant that didn't come out quite as clear. I also have a whopping twelve pieces in the kiln right now- two hangers and ten more little pendants.

Whee!

Another iPod decoration idea

So, I found my DLO Action Jacket case from everythingipod.com last night. I think it'll be decoratable, though I may end up cutting off the plastic covering on the case. Or not.

Anyway, I just had a weird idea that's probably not feasible, but...wouldn't it be cool if I could make it into some sort of hair ornament, like a barrette? It's got backpack-like straps to hold it on...Thing is, reasonably, I think it'd work as a barrette if only I didn't ever put the iPod inside the case. With the iPod in, it might be too heavy to stay in hair for very long. Ditto a pin, but even worse, since it'd be hard to find that sturdy of a back pin. And a hairband that doesn't hurt the head by itself would be hard to find, much less one that can hold an entire iPod.

I suppose another thing could be to try to make it into a fancy bracelet, but again, I don't know what would make something fancy (that isn't a decorated armband) that would also hold up strength-wise.

Or I could just make another fancy necklace-type holder. Someone at bead class was telling me I should do another kooky mixed-bead spiral rope the way I did here, and maybe that could work to dress it up. Though I am unsure what would work best as a holder around the neck, in that case. Maybe make a wire wrap cage?

Ideas, ideas.

In other project news...

I have no photos of it (and don't know if I'll come up with any, since my official photographer bloke has now moved to Santa Ana, never to return to these parts), but I made a really lovely bracelet in beading class last night. It's a mix of cool lavender and "hotter" pinky-purple shades. It's kind of like this, but with side trimmings of crystals and size 15 beads on the sides too. I was originally going for the former in a color combination, as I got a new lavender outfit that I wanted to have a bracelet for (well, I have one, but it says Piss Off, so...), but given the requirements of the bead sizes for the project and the color selections available, it got a little merged.

Everyone in class (and my boss, for that matter) seemed to like it quite a lot, though, so what the heck :) It is dazzling, if I do say so myself.

I'm going to try to design a bracelet of my own with this style, but using size 10 black faceted beads instead of regular 11's and hematite hearts as the center beads. I'll either call it my Joan Jett and the Blackhearts tribute bracelet or my "Fuck Valentine's Day" bracelet, depending on time of year. It's going...interestingly...so far. I had to enlarge the circles a bit, and either I had to choose to make them slightly too small or slightly too big. I went with the former, and the hearts mostly fit tightly INSIDE each circle, giving it a nice flat look. Or at least, it does when the hearts are locked it. I'm not too sure how great it is if/when they pop out, though....

Project idea!!!!

Turn your iPod shuffle into exotic, classy jewelry! Suddenly, I want a shuffle, JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE ONLY. What did she do, just twist a whole lot of wire around it?

No, I know, I'll just redecorate one of my 3G iPod cases or something. Somehow... This could be fun. Muahahahah.

Actually, I know which one. I've got this Action Jacket in red that I got for the armband, but the armband is way too big for me to wear and I don't use it much with the band. I could probably get a needle through it and sew beads on to it or something pretty easily... Too bad it's red, so that kind of limits the color options that'll look good with it, but considering my other cases are (a) leather, (b) knitted, (c) crocheted, or (d) an Evo, which I already use as my "winter" case and at any rate, I don't think I could do much with it beyond glue things to it, given what the surface of it is like, my options are limited for case decoration.

I'm printing out this pic and taking it to my shift at the Craft Center tonight. It seems likely that one or two folks around might find this inspiring...

In which I dearly hope I can finish this sweater before, oh, April.

I had to start over the top pattern completely.

I had finished the first row of flowers and was about halfway through the second when I noticed it: the sweater was suspiciously bumpy where the pattern wasn't. I thought I had left the strings in between loose enough for this not to be a problem. Evidently not.

I tried on the sweater. Nope, didn't look any better on. In addition to that, the second row of flowers just looked...crowded.

So, I had to yank it all out Monday. Took a damned long time to untangle 4 balls of yarn.

Next time I redo it, I'm only putting one row of flowers, and the rest is purple.

And the womb is done.

Boy, does this thing look freaking bizarre.

Womb with a view, round 2

It's done. Photo will be forthcoming whenever I get to my laptop to download it.

Womb with a view.

You'll notice that I have a long wish list of projects I would like to finish once the sweater is done.

You'll perhaps notice (once I tell you this, hee) that my sweater is not done yet. I'm still doing the Fair Isle, and trying to figure out why my count is off, but it's getting less done on it between (a) the project being too large to carry out of my bedroom any more, with all the yarn balls attached, and (b) me going to the gym for hours a night and being tired.

And yet, I am doing another project. Even weirder, it's a project that when it first came out, I found it to be downright disturbing. I've continued to be horrified and fascinated by the idea anyway, somehow. But still, I was all, "Dude, I am a childfree woman, I don't use the one I already came with, I don't feel any need to immortalize and treasure a womb, I am not making this thing EVER."

And then a few days ago, I saw this idea. And suddenly, there was a Purpose for making a womb. A protest, even. I could get behind that.

So now, I am making a womb. I'm almost done with the body bit, out of hot pink/medium pink/white striped yarn. It's easier than it looks. When it's done, I may attach a photo of myself to it with a sign saying, "Don't think of me as nothing but this", or something like that.