Braided rug from t-shirt yarn

I started working on this braided rug about 3 weeks ago; it's taking me much longer than I expected, but I want it done, so I've been working on it feverishly!

It's a big spiral of braided t-shirt yarn (t-shirts cut into strips [tutorial]), sewn together with red thread.

It makes me feel a connection with women/families of long ago who made things out of necessity, before the days of store-bought rugs (and everything else)...all my meticulously saved fabric scraps are being put to use.  

I also hate the sight of my apartment's old, ugly carpet, so I wanna make this thing as big as possible to cover it!

(I found this old framed embroidery and stitched on some extra creepiness; 

it's hanging above our bed now.)

Turban + All-Seeing Eye

I made this turban for a new friend of mine; he requested an all-seeing eye.  I think it looks sick!  The brown fabric was bleached by me; the yarn is 100% cotton.

 

don't push your luck

So I haven't actually watched this video but did y'all see this: 

Is that GISM white-out-ed onto her jacket?  And Dystopia at the bottom?  I did some "serious research" (first result on Google) and found this explanation.  Apparently the director of the video was an early member of Bathory...that explains it.  WOMP WOMP

Mass-produced vs. ethical shopping

BBC's Blood, Sweat, & T-shirts is a series of short videos uncovering some of the inhumane working conditions found in sweatshops in India. Anyone who buys new mass-produced clothing should watch these short clips.

Their description: "This BBC Three series from May 2008 saw six young fashion addicts swap shopping on the high street with working in India‘s cotton fields and clothes factories. Find out whether they could handle a sewing machine and meet the target of two garments a minute. And whether their experience changed their throwaway attitude to clothes shopping."

Solution? Thrift stores, clothing swaps with friends, and of course, buy handmade from etsy! :D

(A skirt I recently made from all recycled fabrics; at my etsy now!)

Found via Off The Rack, the ReadyMade fashion blog.

TURBAN TIME

Been knitting turbans! (I can make you one in any color you desire...)

Summer shrugs

2 little sweaters I made last weekend:

Cream/fuschia is: raw wool, mohair, and cotton.

Chartreuse/teal is: alpaca, wool, mohair/wool, and my very first handspun wool!

They're both small summer sweaters for layering. I can make them in any color; which one do you like better?

A LOVE LETTER FOR YOU

Y'all. I love these!! Imagine driving through your city and seeing love poems on the walls! I live in a place where public art isn't really appreciated/tolerated, and the grey blandness is so UNinspiring...

By ESPO, in Philly.

++his blog++

++the entire love letter++

interessante!

Come funziona una macchina da cucire? How does a sewing machine work?



I slaved away on mine all day today; productive Thursday! My machine is pretty temperamental but keeping this in mind, I just reload the bobbin whenever it's actin' cruzy.

Levitation

by Sofia Ajram (flickr)

Vegan yarn, fake fur, man-made fibers

I read a well-worded post at Outsapop Trashion about real vs. fake fur; how do you feel about it? Whether you're vegan or just against killing animals for their fur, lots of peepz are not into wearing real fur, and choose fake.

But... DID U KNOW: fake fur is made from petroleum/oil! So are acrylic yarns and most other non-natural fibers. I did a little internet searching and apparently acrylic fibers can take between 500 and 1,000 years to decompose.

SOLUTION? Recycled/used/secondhand! Only recycled fibers actually reduce waste. This is why I take the time to unravel sweaters, dudes!

Read the original post here.

These leggings!!

Sick. I wish I had time to make everything I want to make. Someday.

Via Knitkicks (endless inspiration).

Tidbitz

Dying and drying vintage slips for the Roulette Valentine's Day party!

My favorite winter witch boots (thrift score).

Insane orange/yellow/green/brown/white yarn (so weird; I love it)

My toes; ouchhh; I let Marco pick the font (Mexicali).

My first knitted baby blanket, for a friend's newborn bambino.

gennaio - ispirazione

Thinking about knitting capes, cocoons, cloaks.

WHAT!?

Cruzy-ass knitwear (more inspiration brought to you by Outsapop Trashion; she's tha bomb)





Cooler than a polar bear's toenailz.

By Von Sono.

GUARDA LA LUNA, LA BELLA LUNA

I realized that fully half of the photos in my "inspiration" folder of my new computer are moon-related; the girl cyan help it.

When I was bout 10, I was a moonbeam for Halloween? (Default, constantly repeated costume: witch.)
The title phrase of this post contains another tidbit: it's the first phrase I ever learned in Italian come bambina (as a child).

MAGIKOOPA

My favorite Super Mario character, immortalized in crochet! By EnemyAirship on etsy.



I love her space background; it's perfect for the bespectacled mage.



She has lots of other video-game-inspired amigurumi for sale as well!

Have y'all played the new Super Mario for Wii?? I can't waiiiiiiiit.

A queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” - Martha Graham

More fantastic etsy finds.

Can you believe this shirt is handknit?! I couldn't; it turns out there was some machine knitting involved but we all know that can be really time and labor-intensive as well. F-f-f-fantastic!



Isobelandcleo's etsy shop is full of other inspired knits; I really want to make myself some tights like this!

isobel and cleo at etsy

Don't be sore at me; I'm entitled to one mistake (Hey!)

Where do you get cutouts of your most beloved characters like the one below? Where do you acquire a lush red carpet for your pitifully carpeted stairway?


It's been busy, you know? 3 craft shows in 3 weeks and no time for loungin'.

This has been my dream Halloween costume since I started knitting. Collective unconscious?

I'm planning to knit myself a glorious CAPE; I have so many ideas and not enough time; there's never! any! time!!