Recent batch from the dyed pot. Handdyed wool that looks just like clown hair.

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Really, what else can you even call that??? The best part is that it didn’t get dyed in that stripe pattern, that happened as I rinsed it. It was dyed in clusters of color. I’ve had my dye pot going constantly for the last few weeks. I pretty much start a batch in the evening, turn it off to cool in the morning, then rinse and dump in the evening and refill it. I have about 15 pounds of my own stash to dye, PLUS the homeschool center got some amazing donations. Since we have limited time at the center I’m trying to dye someRead More →

Plastic Canvas Garland made from a kit

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I’m not sure if I mentioned over the summer what our school year would be like. In June we (my son and I) attended an open house for a new homeschool center. It was a dream come true, the same idea I have been wanting to build for years. I jumped on board the same day as a founder and facilitator. So in September, we opened for the school year and my son and I spend Monday and Tuesday with about 20+ kids and 3 other facilitators doing all kinds of fun stuff! This post contains affiliate links. If you follow them and make aRead More →

Two Rows down, many many left to do.

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I was a crafty child, I’ve mentioned that before. I remember doing some things successfully and some things poorly, and I remember a LOT of giving up and unfinished projects. A LOT. One project/craft I remember trying and quitting was latch hook. The idea of a handmade rug for my room was of course to tempting to ignore, and I feel fairly certain there was one with cats on it which ended up in my hands. I do not have a latch hook cat rug. I remember it being SO fiddly and giving up. I also remember giving up on more than one knit scarf,Read More →

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Every year my son and I volunteer at a local booksale and acquire some new items. Usually books obviously, the occasional game, and this year, he got this! AND, he didn’t say “Mom, can you make these for me?” What he did say was “Mom! Can you teach me to crochet so I can make these?!?!” Of course I said yes. I’ve tried for many years to get him to learn a craft, mostly because I think it’s useful, but also to try and help some of his anxiety. So far it is slow going. I taught him to chain and this has been created.Read More →

Finished Owl from a Diamond Embroidery kit

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Almost every issue of The Workbasket features some variety of send away craft kit. Send away and get this or that or the other. So recently I decided to “send away” (in reality, order online at like 1:02 am) a craft kit for 5D embroidery. I had originally heard of it when I was in a huge cross stitch phase (doesn’t everyone have one of those) and some of my groups mentioned them, or they’d come up while searching. The idea is that you glue a tiny rhinestone in a spot, similar to how you’d stitch an X and create a picture. The big differenceRead More →

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When I saw the ad on the back of the January 1967 issue I became infatuated with the Snack Hound. The National Handcraft Society,  aka The Fad of the Month Club, was a long running craft club that has lots of advertisements in the Workbasket over the years. What I found interesting is that there were also membership pins! If you remained a member for one year you got a little gold pin. So cool. You can still find the kits on ebay, and other second hand sources like thrift stores and yard sales.  I decided to try to track down a Snack Hound, soRead More →