Twist and Twirl Ruffly Scarf

Do I have enough scarves yet?  No!  Nevahhhhhhhhhh!  Well, OK, yeah, maybe I do, but I couldn't resist picking up this super cool yarn while I was at the Creativ Festival a few weeks ago so I had to add another scarf to my collection.  I had absolutely no choice in the matter.

Check it out, I have two kinds that are basically the same idea, just different versions from different companies:

Here's a close up of the Patons version:

And here's the Bernat version:

This is basically knitting for non-knitters.

Each company has how to instructions on their websites but if you're a non-knitter they're not that easy to follow.  So, I'm going to share a couple of videos with you.  This first one is from the fellows at The Crochet Crowd .  They're going to show you how to cast on and knit the Pirouette yarn.

       

And for some crazy reason no one else out there shows you how to cast off, so I did a video to show you how to finish off your scarf:

        


You can also go here to see a similar video on the Twist and Twirl yarn.

So there you go, just one more step to keeping cozy and stylish all winter long.

Don't forget to enter to win the Big Plaid Giveaway , it's a great prize for any one who loves to craft!

Have a great week everyone~

BIG Plaid Giveaway!!!

Plaid and Etcetorize want to help you get ready for a very crafty holiday this year!  How would you like to win all of this?!?!?!

One lucky Etcetorize follower will win a Plaid prize pack that includes 4 FolkArt holiday colors, 4 FolkArt Extreme Glitter Holiday Colors, Sparkle Mod Podge, and a Value Pack of 25 brushes!  Wow!  I'm super jealous!

This should get you set to make all kinds of fun Christmas crafts or even to give to your favourite crafter as a present.

This is a such a great prize that I'm going to give you lots of ways to win.  Make sure to leave a separate comment below for each entry:

1 mandatory entry:

Be or become a follower of Etcetorize through Google Friend Connect.

  (Just hit that button on the right-hand sidebar)
Leave a comment letting me know if you've done this.

Additional Entries:

(+1) Leave a comment telling me what you'll do with all of these fun prizes

(+1) Spread the word by blogging about this giveaway

(+1) Spread the word by tweeting about this giveaway

(+1) Spread the word by mentioning this giveaway on Facebook

This Giveaway is now closed. 
Thank you to everyone who participated~

That's five chances to win! Contest will close midnight Wednesday, Novermber 23rd.  I'll choose a random winner from all of your comments and announce the lucky comment the very next day so get your entry in on time and make sure I have way to reach you!  (you only need to leave your email address if you have your contact info set as 'noreply'.  To leave your email address please write it out like this to avoid spammers: etcetorize (at) yahoo (dot) ca )

And here's one more way that Plaid wants you to win!  They are also running a separate Crafty Christmas Contest over at Plaidonline.  You can read all of the details here .  There loads of great prizes to be won with prize baskets worth $50 and $100!

Good luck!

Disclosure Statement: Items for this giveaway will be sent to you directly from Plaid.  I have not recieved any compensation or product to make this opportunity available to you.  Any opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

Show and Tell: The Best Fitting Dress I've Ever Made

Before I got my sewing mannequin there were a few sewing mishaps, mostly because I was just too lazy to try things on as I was sewing them.  It's all  a bit of a pain in the butt, especially in the winter time when you're all cozy in your fleece.  The last thing you want to do is strip down to try on a dress, pin it, and then wrap up again in all your winter gear.

So, when I got my dressform I decided to really use it.  I'm pretty sure this dress was the first thing I made on it because I've never made anything that fits me as well as this dress does.

Here's a close up so you can see the fit.  It's actually a little too good fitting.  I think I must've been having a skinny day when I made it.

I used this beautiful printed rayon fabric that I had been saving for something special:



And this is vintage pattern that I used.  It's from 1973.

I dream of being as stylish as that woman in View A! Such a cool pattern~

Make it Great Monday!

I'm still playing around with what works best with this fun little party we have going on here.  This week I'm throwing the features and the link-up together, we'll just see what happens.

So, features first....did you check out these fun projects last week?

I love the colour of Olive Green so I instantly fell in love with this cute wipes case make over from Tonia over at The Gunny Sack :

And I've finally managed to convince my good friend Gen to start up her own blog (Cabin Fevered Gem ) so it's only fair that I feature her great raggy Halloween wreath and cute spider web:

Featured button is in the sidebar ladies~

Now let's get to this week's fun creations!  What have you been up to?  Link up below, you can share any family friendly craft, sewing, or cooking projects that you've made yourself.  PLEASE NO GIVE- AWAYS OR SHOPS. (Sorry for yelling but it's the only way people notice that tidbit of info).

You don't have to follow Etcetorize but it sure would make my day if you do.  I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though.  That way others can come over and join in the fun and check out all of your amazing creativity!






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Let's party!

Hallway Make-over

I love redoing really small spaces that are little more than thoroughfares.  I think it gives them purpose and maybe even slows people down a bit to appreciate all of the parts of a house, not just the rooms themselves.

I'm still working on my hallway but I  really wanted to show you what I've done so far.

This is the front hallway that you enter into from the front porch.  I felt like it was pretty lacklustre.

 

I took out the two little stools, which really only my cats use to drive me crazy by scratching them and added a few new pieces of furniture.

I got this old shelving unit from the thrift store for about $15.  It was pretty ugly.

I was so excited to paint it I almost forgot to take a before shot.  In the pic below you can get a better view of the 'lovely' wood grain veneer.

So, I primed and then painted it the same colour as the wall behind it and added some gel stain to give it some character.

I just painted it on with a scrubby brush and wiped it off with paper towel to get the effect I wanted.

Then I just loaded it up with books and knick knacks.

I'm actually pretty surprised at how well it turned out.  It fits perfectly and it's a great place for me to put all of the crafty things I make.

I also gave this thrift store coat rack a few coats of peachy paint and stuck it in the corner to hold my many, many coats.

                 

  

And here's the thing that I think really makes it warm and cozy.  My mother thinks I'm a little weird for putting drapes somewhere other than on a window but I love the look of fabric around doorways.  (Remember Karen Blixen's house in Out of Africa?  She had curtains on every door, probably for more practical reasons, but I still love the look.)

Remember when I hung new drapes in living room and I gave the advice to never try to hang drapes on your own?  Well, here's another piece of advice...you should always follow your own advice!  I'm so glad these ended up looking so nice because it took me forever to hang the rod...by myself~


Another awesome thrift store find!

So that's my new hallway.  It's a work in progress but it's getting better with each piece I add.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.  Just ignore the lighting though, it's a little off in this small space.

Have a crafty week everyone!

Inspiration Shot: House of Fifty

Something a little different today for your inspiration shot....

Have you heard the news?  The new Holiday edition of House of Fifty is online!

There are so many great ideas inside on everything from fashion, to crafts, to interiors, to cooking. And the best thing of all...it's absolutely FREE!

Head on over there and check it out.  It's 186 pages, so make sure to set more than a couple of minutes aside, you won't regret it~

(I'm especially loving the photo on page 37!)