DU needleworkers and fiber artists, check in.

[Ellen Forradalom]

I've been knitting for over 20 years. I also spin, crochet and sew. I've kept angora rabbits for the fiber. I did embroidery as a child. I studied fiber arts for two years.

I moved to a neighborhood where I can walk to the grocery store and I HATE those plastic bags, so I've been designing shopping bags using various twines from the hardware store. The most successful has been a bag crocheted from white nylon twine, which is strong, pearlescent and shows stitch detail.

I've also got a pair of socks in progress.

So tell us what you do and what you're up to.

[kayob1]

1. Love the Christmas Card

I am knitting an afghan right now - Rambling Rows. Kind of got burned out on socks and I'm cold. Also working on two sampler quilts, one square at a time, hand quilted. I might even finish them someday. :) I'd like to hear about your socks, though.

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Oooh nice

Check out Afghans for Aghans (http://www.afghansforafghans.org), a project that takes handknit and crocheted blankets and garments to Afghanistan.

I knit mostly wool socks. They're the most practical. The pair I'm working on right now are grey and black striped with a yarn-over lace pattern.

I tried quilting but never did finish one. I may need some instruction on it.

[MaineDem]

12. Welcome to DU, kayob1

:hi:

[amandae]

2. I love your sign!

Just finished my school semester today, going to start on making my Christmas cards this weekend, using a scanned picture of my children and lotsa card stock and velum (sp?). I'm also thinking of finally using that sewing machine I received last Christmas to make some play costume clothes for my children. That may have to wait until after Christmas though.

Baking next week ... cookies for my daughter's school and to give to family, pies to give to friends and some biscotti so that my neighbor, cousin and I have something to go with our coffee in the morning while getting the kids ready for school :-)

:hi:

[pansypoo53219]

4. well

i mainly knit now. makin a heavy cardigan-no pattern for me.

i made a very large embroidery of my own design and took off and on 7 years, so fuck that shit.

so now it's just knitting and i mean knitting. I knit elaborate kaffe fassetish afgans, cause 1 yarn knitting is boring. they look like quilts, so its quafgans.

[Ellen Forradalom]

5. Yeah 7 years is a little extreme.

1 yarn knitting can be interesting, it all depends on the design. I once knit a white blanket in cotton chenille in a steps-and-stairs alternating rib and garter stitch for a deep texture. Foo, that took me two months of sitting in front of the TV with my boyfriend, but it was very therapeutic.

[Kool Kitty]

6. I crochet and knit.

I'm working on a scarf for my sis, I just finished a scarf for me, and I have a tablecloth in progress. I've been crocheting for about 40 years (holy shit-I'm old!) and I just started knitting. I was real put off by knitting because I like having to just use the hook and I was wary of using two needles. Dumb, I know. I just couldn't get my mind around the concept. So, I bought one of those "(fill in the blank) for Idiots books and taught myself. It was so easy I don't know why I waited so long.

[Ellen Forradalom]

15. Hey, exactly my story in reverse.

I took up knitting first as I liked the look of knitting better. After many years and several unsuccessful attempts at crocheting, I finally thought, "This is lame." I bought myself a book, "Teach Yourself to Crochet in a Day," and I sat down and taught myself to crochet in a day. I also found that once I got the hang of it there was nothing to it.

[Lindsay]

7. I like your card, too.

My mother started to teach me to crochet when I was 7 or 8. I taught myself more from a pamphlet when I was 10. Then I taught myself how to knit. I also sew, and have tried my hand at needlepoint, crewel, cross stitch and weaving. I pretty much like anything having to do with fiber. (I'm allergic to angora, though, so no rabbits for me! I did try spinning my cat's spare hair, but that was an experiment that failed. Too bad, 'cause he's got LOTS of spare hair! :crazy: )

My most recent project was three stripper costumes for a local production of GYPSY. I'm not working on anything at the moment...trying to think of a gift I can make for a friend who really likes handmade things, but it will probably be something in polymer clay.

After Christmas I want to make some clothes for my three-year-old great niece, who's a real little cutie. I love little girl clothes!

[area51]

8. crafts

I make afghans for the children's charity Project Linus, and also crochet rectangles for a local animal shelter so cats will have something soft to lie on in their cages.

[kodi]

9. batiks, marbling on silk fabrics, tie dyes

a number of evil duers have my work.... gave away a bunch at a '02 atlanta du gathering.

[Don_G]

10. Chicks With Sticks?

:kick:

[MaineDem]

11. EGA member checking in

Embroiders' Guild of America

I do all sorts of embroidery - mostly counted cross stitch and hardanger/pulled thread work. I have hundreds of finished pieces I need to get framed.

This year I've rediscovered knitting. I've made 4 sweaters since last Christmas and I'm working on another now.

I also crochet but I haven't done much with that lately.

[peacefreak]

13. Needle in one hand

scissors in the other. I do counted cross stitch. Better than Xanax!

[NicoleM]

14. Knitter.

I finished the Moebius scarf I was making for my friend, and I liked it so much I'm making one for another Christmas present. Still have to finish DH's Christmas stocking, too.