Whovian Photoshoot #3

This past saturday was our third annual Doctor Who photoshoot in Chicago. It was tons of fun, I pulled out my Ten and Eleven costumes. We're lucky enough to have a friend who is a professional photographer and does these photoshoots for us. Here's just a few quick pics from my camera:


It's always loads of fun and I can't wait to see Nick's pictures, they're always bloody fantastic!

♥ Freckled Crafter

Meta Mittens

My knitting group (hey crafty ladies!!!!) has been doing a knit along for a lovely pattern on of our own members created. It's been so cool to see everyone's progress and choices in colors. I just reached the half way point and thought I'd share mitten number one!



Aren't they so cute?! Check out the Metta Mitten pattern on Ravelry as well as Beth's new blog Cotton Gin and Tonic. She's a fantastic new designer with some really unique and interesting ideas. Her patterns are also written EXCEPTIONALLY well, I've never before worked from such a detailed easy to understand pattern as her's. She even takes the time to explain stranded knitting!

If you couldn't tell I chose the German flag as my color inspiration. There's a lot of German blood in me as well as I'm currently learning the language, Ich bin zwar noch nicht so gut.

Viel Liebe und ein schönes Wochenende.
♥ Freckled Crafts

Autumn Photos: Part 1

I've been taking photos lately of this lovely autumn weather and the changing leaves. I thought I'd share them in batches just for a little fall inspiration. Also this is my last year at University so I'd like to capture my school during my favorite season!




♥ Freckled Crafter

Just a bit of crafting history...

Today I thought I'd just share a passage from a book I'm reading for class right now. I'm taking a Women in American History class and reading a book about Irish Immigration called Erin's Daughters in America I've been dragging my feet about reading it but now that I've gotten past the part about statistics and the potato famine it's gotten interesting.

"Contractors paid women cash for knitting, weaving, lacemaking, and sewing for several decades after the Famine. From the 1870s to the 1890s in places like Donegal (which sent a large portion of it's residents to the United States) these kinds of activities for women throve. One American visitor noticed that at "land meetings it was common to see in the crowd women intent on the speaker's words while their needles flashed in the sunlight"
(Diner pg 26)

With my interest in Women's history and art I've read my fair share about women throughout history and fiber arts and I always find it fascinating! When I come across passages like this I'm going to try to start writing them down, after all, this is the history of our craft and considering how many people have relatives who came from Ireland this is a piece of their history.

♥ Freckled Crafts

Study Mitts

When I'm super stressed with school I tend to find myself knitting in every spare moment. It eases my mind and give my hands something to do for a bit, all the frustration going out through my fingers. So with midterms in full force I picked up some yarn my friend gave me recently (my SnB is awesome!) and started knitting. All I knew was I wanted something small and easy so I started swatching. Three days later and I had these:

Details can be found here!

Sometimes my favorite thing to knit is something quick, simple, and straight from my mind.

♥ Freckled Crafts

In honor of my favorite season I thought I'd update my banner. Then I thought I'd try a new layout to match! When I want anything past a simple ms paint touch up I always use picnik.com. It's free and makes banners and the such super easy!

What's your favorite part of Autumn? Mine are scarves, pumpkins, Halloween, and cinnamon.

♥ Freckled Crafter

Tyrolean Stockings

These have been on the needles for AGES! At least a year, probably more. They're full of mistakes and far from perfect but I think they're perfect! I like when my handmade items aren't absolutely perfect, then you can tell they were made with someone's own hands and my hands are far from perfect.

My friend Kathy from SnB actually has recorded on her blog a photo of me from September 27th, 2009. I believe I was just a few inches in so it was sometime around there.


Pattern: Tyrolean Stockings from Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Yarn: Good old Fisherman's Wool, some say they dislike it but I think it's a great basic wool for an even better price.
Modifications: Casting on more stitches, working the leg longer, thus almost knee high.

(Disclaimer: I threw on the skirt for the photos, no I didn't think wearing that shirt with that skirt would work, it just happens to be peaking out in this pic)

I finished them in perfect time for fall, although they're so warm they are probably better suited for winter. How bout them boots and that skirt? Both are thrifted, an issue I keep meaning to blog about.

♥ Freckled Crafts