Stitching Away

I have this pretty zodiac birth sampler cross stitch that my mom made for me way back whenever.

I have always loved it and decided that I should make them for my daughters as well. So I hunted down the book and bought some supplies.



They came in the mail Saturday and I spent way too much time on Sunday stitching. I have some pretty flowers now though!

This first one is for Aubrey, and I haven't decided what I am going to put in the middle yet. I figured I would just start with the border and go from there. I am stitching it on 32 count linen 2 over 2 (the same as 16 count aida). I think it looks really nice so far. When finished it should fit nicely in an 11x14 frame.

2012 Blanket

I was supposed to be knitting a blanket for 2012 with the Mystery Blanket Knit-a-Long group. However, after two attempts at the January block with two different yarns, I was just not happy. At all. So I scrapped it and decided to do a pretty flowery hexagon blanket that I have had my eye on for a while instead. 

So far I am VERY happy with the results. I am doing it in a dark red and since it makes the flowers look like poinsettias (to me anyway) it is going to be a Christmas blanket.

I did some knitting math, and decided I need to knit two hexagons every month if I save December knitting for the border. This shouldn't be a problem at all seeing how each of the hexagons only takes me a couple hours. In fact I am already done with my two for January!

  I had to include this picture to show the magic that is blocking. The bottom one is straight off the needles, the top has had a quick steam bath to even things out.

 

No matter how much I do it, and the fact that I know exactly how it works, I still think it is magic. 

Aubrey also requested that I make her a chameleon. I let her pick out what yarn she wanted and she decided on this pretty aqua blue yarn that I rescued from a thrift store sweater.

Berry Skirt

We went to the thrift store yesterday and I found this beautiful bandana/handkerchief thing.

Just $.50! I decided that it would be a cute skirt for Aubrey.
It was super easy, but I figured I would make a little mini-tutorial anyway. I'm sure that I didn't do a lot of stuff the "right"way. But hey, I was just making it up as I went!

January Cottage

I actually stitched this last month, but just got it finished and framed yesterday. Just in time for the new year!

I didn't finish it too fancy. Just ironed it out, and then pressed the excess fabric under.

And added a piece of fusible interfacing on the back.

I will be interchanging each month out in the same frame on this shelf.  (please excuse the crappy picture, the lighting in my living room needs some serious help. Not to mention the forest green wall, ugh)

This is my first year really doing any seasonal decor other than Christmas. I will be adding more "January" things as the month goes on. Right now all my shelf holds is some bird nests I found on the ground at the last place we lived. I am undecided as to if they will stay there or not. But it is all I have for now.

Welcome!

Welcome to the little corner of the crafting universe that is Quirky Platypus. And it is just that, literally a little corner in my house.

Complete with a trusty helper cat. He pretty much just lives there on the back of my chair.

I have tried (and failed) at this blogging thing a couple several times before. I think my usual problem is that I try to make my blogs too focused on one thing. So this blog will just be a catch all for whatever I am thinking and doing at the time. Including family and "mommy blog" stuff.

I have three major crafts I like to do (knitting, cross stitch, and sewing) and have a tendency to jump from one to another and forget the others for months, or even years, at a time. I am going to try to keep up with all of them better this year. I also cook, A LOT, so that will probably be making appearances, along with an occasional crochet project.

Monthly Craft Goals for 2012:

• Monthly Cottage Cross Stitch Series
• Monthly Mystery Blanket Knit-A-Long
• Sew something every month

Other Craft Goals for 2012

• Quilt for Aubrey's Birthday
• Tree Skirt (I am thinking sewn and some sort of design cross stitched on it)
• Get Etsy shop opened with patterns and objects for sale
• Do more crafts with my kids

Doesn't look like much, but with two small kids (4 years old, and 1 year old) to keep up with it should be plenty to keep me busy.