Loose Ends...

November 17, 2014

Before I start today’s post, I need to let you know to be on the look out for two new “pages” on my blog.  (Those are the tabs at the top of the blog…currently I just have the “Home” page that contains the blog posts and the “Gluten-Free Recipes” page.)  I am in the process of setting up a “Things I Love” page as well as a “Knitting Patterns” page.  The Things I Love page will include reviews of items that I have purchased  and whether or not they live up to their advertisements…like kitchen appliances, small appliances, or other things that make my life easier/better.  The Knitting Patterns page is where I will post simple knitting patterns.  The patterns will be easy and the yarn readily available at Walmart, Michaels Craft Stores, or JoAnn Fabrics.  I’m gearing this page towards the novice knitter because I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy knitting, without investing a lot of money into the knitting supplies.  Although I appreciate spinning my own yarn and occasionally purchasing the really nice stuff at yarn shops; I also know that the pricey stuff can be a deterrent to many who are just learning to knit.  Along the lines of a “chicken in every pot” (as suggested in Herbert Hoover’s 1928 political campaign for President), I believe there should be knitting projects in every American household.  In my opinion, it’s much cheaper and more productive than psychotherapy!

In my October 27 post, I gave details on a shawl I was knitting.  I’m happy to report that the shawl was completed within just a few days and turned out well.  I’ve worn it a couple of times around the house and once while I was walking the dog.  I find that the shawl is comfy, cozy, and feels soft against my skin.  It’s perfect when I curl up in my armchair to knit or watch TV with Charming.  One of our cats also seems to be very fond of it as I’ve found him snuggled down in it a couple of times.  (Thank goodness he’s black…nothing worse than having to pick white cat hair out of a knitted item.)

Once the shawl was finished, I decided to make a shawl pin to wear with it.  The pin holds the shawl’s front ends together so that they’re not dangling loosely when my hands are occupied.  The shawl pin that I made is made of polymer clay.  There are many brands of polymer clay including Sculpey, Fimo, and CraftSmart.  I bought a multi-pack of CraftSmart that contained about six or eight colors. 

Polymer clay is nice because all you have to do is come up with a really cool idea for a project then you just shape the clay by hand (or use cutting tools) and bake it in your oven at about 275 degrees for 15 minutes for every quarter-inch of the project’s thickness.  If everything turns out well you end up with a really nice gift for yourself or someone close to you.  If everything doesn’t turn out well…well then you’ve got something that you can donate to your local Goodwill store.  (Remember, one girl’s trash is another girl’s treasure!)  Either way, working with polymer clay is fun and it enables you to get in touch with your creative side!

The shawl pin and stick.  I rolled several 6-inch strips of different colors
of polymer clay and pressed them together as one 6-inch log.  Then I cut the
log into half-inch slices.  I laid these slices together, with the cut sides up
so I could see the colors, and rolled the piece until it was a quarter-inch
thick.  After shaping into a circle and rolling more thin strips to form the
braided border, I baked it in a 275-degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Before baking, I pressed the shawl stick into the clay for form a dent
line that makes the pin lay flatter.  I made the stick from a small-diameter
dowel that I purchased from Lowe's.  One dowel will make about 6 shawl sticks.
Then you just plop some clay on one end of it to make it a bit prettier.  The stick can
be sharpened in a pencil sharpener, sanded with sandpaper, and stained
so that it goes smoothly through the shawl.  After baking, you'll want to
spray all sides of the pin and stick with a clear acrylic spray (get this in a spray
can in the paint section at any Walmart and do your spraying outside).

I've always dreamed of being a "Big Girl Model" so here I am in all my glory!
I asked Charming what he thought of my new accessories.  He said, "They're
fine if you like that Flintstone look."  Gotta love the man who gives you
honest and useful feedback.

A bonus...the hole that you cut in the middle of the shawl pin leaves a piece that can be
stretched into an oval to form a hair barrette.  Just use the shawl stick to poke two holes
close to the (opposite) edges of the oval.  This can be baked at the same time you
bake the shawl pin and stick.