Recently Made: Warm and Fuzzy

Recently I've made some things with a bulky weight alpaca nylon yarn called "Wonderfluff", with which I'm having a love affair. The projects were super quick and the results were super rewarding. They certainly made for some warm and fuzzy projects. 

Perhaps my greatest accomplishment was this bear trophy head from the book Animal Heads: Trophy Heads to Crochet. The crochet charts were bonkers and the written instructions were even crazier. It was by far the most difficult thing I've ever crocheted, but I love him. He hangs in our bedroom, in the eve of our wooden roof, with pride. I'm tempted to do another animal from the book, but I just don't know if I have the guts (or the yarn) to complete it.

I've been making lots of these little vests lately. It's the perfect weekend project, so quick to complete with great details, too. I love the finished edges, the pompoms or buttonhole. I'm stock piling them for upcoming birthdays of kids I know. I think they're a great Fall layer. The pattern is Lil Shepherd by Julie Partie, and my Ravelry link is HERE.

Finally, I knitted myself a sweater! Though, this is not me wearing my sweater, of course. My friend Hannah generously modeled it for me. The pattern is "Walking on the Moon" by Heidi Kirrimaier (Ravelry link HERE) and I completed it in two weeks, on size 15 needles. It was a revelation. Who can beat bulky yarn for a quick fix? A large gauge sweater is the way to go, I've learned. Done and done.

Lately, I've been back to the sewing machine, though what I have left of this bulky weight yarn is still calling my name (as is my long to-do list of so many uncrafty related things). Boo!

P.S. I've finally decided to get a little social. I've joined Instagram! I'm @hollyunfurled. Come over and say hi. I'd love hear from you!

WTF Crafting: Wild Animal Knits

Remember how I said I loved intarsia knitting? Well, sometimes it can be taken to another level, as evidenced by this book "Wild Animal Knits" that I could not resist picking up at the thrift store. I hate animal prints, period. I will never wear a leopard print anything, let alone knit something in an animal print. But if you're going to go all out, this book shows you how, and the prop styling (get ready for the bad wild animal pun) is off the chain!!

It's an amazing cover. But wait, what is that smaller image on the left? Oh, a girl in a monkey sweater, standing next to the worst monkey suit ever! What's with his face, what is he wearing on top of his head, and why is he leaning on an inflatable banana? If I would have seen this gorilla as a child, I would have been screaming my head off.

Then there is the "Culture Vulture", because everyone needs a vulture sweater, especially men living on the cutting edge of 80s culture. These men STACK THEIR PIZZA ON FORKS to eat it. Is this a West Village look, or a character out of the Cosby Show's final season?

I guess someone might want to knit a sweater that depicts turtles turning, in front of fences. To me, it just looks like someone walked their dog by these fences and didn't bring their (ahem) doggie bag.

"Eye of the Tiger" sweater must have been a big hit, as was anything with this name back then, was it not? I love how the woman is acting vaguely sexual with her stuffed animal prop.

A behavior which continues, throughout the book:

Tell me what you imagine the stuffed seal is thinking, if you dare. I think he's merely muttering, "WTF?"

More episodes of WTF crafting here.

WTF Crafting II: Great Pantyhose Crafts

What happened to pantyhose crafts? If you were a kid in the 80s, like me, you saw them often at church bazaars and old peoples' houses. I remember making so many dolls out of my mom's old hose, trying my hardest to make them look like Cabbage Patch Kids, when they would only turn out to be floppy messes with runs where I sewed the details. This book is written by men (Steven Baldwin, this is what you get up to!) who obviously have a lot of pantyhose they don't know what to do with around the house. It contains TONS of projects, and here are just my favorite few.


Do you like plants, especially succulents, because you don't have to water them often? Try a pantyhose cactus! It's the ultimate in synthetic plant life.


I don't know what to say about this footstool. If you have an old pair of Air Jordans hanging around, I think they would make amazing furniture.


Like in our first edition of WTF Crafting, this craft is focused on weight loss. You're supposed to make this pig, wrap it in a tape measure, and put it on your fridge to keep you from eating. Uhh...huh.


These are life-size dolls. But wait, is "Shady Lady" supposed to be a prostitute? And is she just having a friendly chat with Granny? At least they acknowledge that they might scare away visitors.


This one I would make. I would love to give someone a pantyhose self portrait of themselves, or be terrified to receive one. And I like the hat, absolving you from implanting any hair into those stuffed pantyhose. Christmas calls!

If you would like this beautiful book for your collection, please email and I'll put it in the mail to you, free of charge. All I can say is, WTF??

WTF Crafting: Stitch Yourself Thin, Giveaway!

I'm introducing a new segment to my blog called "WTF Crafting". You all know I collect craft books, mostly from thrift stores and used book stores. Well, sometimes I come upon craft books and pamphlets that I can't believe exist. They're somehow so great, and so horrifying, that I have to purchase them. Our first one is "Low Calorie Stitchery" from Sabra Publishing, 1980:


I mean, who in their right mind would spend time stitching tapestries of dieting slogans. Would you? (Ok, I might...)


Where are you going to put these things? Stitched in frames in your kitchen? In your living room, for guests to see you referring to yourself as a pig?


I love, and hate the whole idea: that you might take up stitching to forget about food, then spend your time stitching diet slogans! It's as wacky as the idea of dieting itself, I'd say.


If you'd like this pamphlet, for whatever reason, leave a comment below. I'll pick a winner by the end of July, and send it you, where ever you are. I really wouldn't be surprised if there were no comments, but I'm not one to talk. I couldn't resist buying it for $.99, afterall...


Good luck with the contest everyone, and good luck with the dietary crafting! I mean, WTF??