Special Offer!

Like Smile Creations Crafts on Facebook for an exclusive holiday offer, now through December 3rd.

FO (not the same as a UFO) and new items for sale in my internet storefront

First things first, I'm so excited to show off my most recent Finished Object (hence, "FO"), a tiny green woolen baby sweater. Not just any sweater, it's knit from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky (for those of you non-knitters, just read that as "Really Nice Soft and Super Thick Wool") :) in a pretty sage green. It's a combination of moss stitch on the arms, shoulders, and upper chest, and stockinette stitch on the bottom. The pairing of highly textured stitches with smooth ones makes this sweater interesting to knit and results in an adorable piece for baby.

Now, I did promise a glimpse of some new items up on Etsy. So.... May I present Jayden Bear!

And two new warm and toasty scarves, the first in looking festive and Christmas-y!

A Quick Stocking - How To

I wanted some small festive stockings to send to my adopted soldier and his unit, but I didn't want to spend a lot since they most likely don't have space to save them for next year. So I went to a local store and bought 4 velvet placemats in festive holiday colors. From them I was able to make 8 tiny stockings. Here is my tutorial; an early holiday gift from me to you. :)

1. Fold placemat (inside out) in half width-wise (short ways)

2. Trace the outline of a stocking on the placemat. The top of the stocking should be on the finished edge of the placemat and the toe should be against the folded edge, so you don't have to sew two extra seams.

3. Sew along the traced lines, then trim off the excess fabric no more than 1/8" from the seam.

4. Turn the stocking right-side out.

5. Cut a strip of ribbon or lace about 3.5" long. Fold it in half and pin to the inside of the stocking opening, making sure the loop is hanging out. Sew to the top of the stocking, stitching in the ditch of the existing edging seam.

6. Voila! You have a stocking! Decorate the outside as you wish; get creative with lace edging, fabric paint, even beads!

All linked up

Just a quick note to all that I've finally woken up and gotten with the tech program. :) What I mean, is that my Facebook page (Smile Creations Crafts) is finally linked to my Etsy shopfront (). Now you can 'Like' my business, and turn around and make a purchase, too!

Occupy what?

So... I'll be honest. While I've seen some posts mentioning Occupy Wall Street, and I saw a crazy picture of tents on an Oakland freeway, I really don't know what exactly that means. However, a couple days ago, I came across the above image on Facebook ... And I really like it. Even without understanding completely the Occupy Wall Street part, I support the sentiment.

There are so many awesome Mom & Pop stores out there, with fantastic customer service, and just as good a selection of products. Of course, there are the hand crafters like myself too. It's worth a little effort to support the little guy.... Remember our country was built on it.

As I learn about cool hand craft gatherings, or stand-out Mom & Pop shops, I'll blog about them.

Thanks for doing your part!