Furry Scarf in the Making

Guess what I have?

Faux fur from the remnants bin of Fabricland ($8.25) and crochet cotton from Salvation Army ($0.50) will become this:

For more info, check out:

When Yarn and Fur Combine

and

Further Notions on Furry Scarves

DIY Distraction: Further Notions On Furry Scarves

So, you want your own Danier-style furry scarf, but you don't crochet? No problem, if you knit!

Step 1: Choose a knitted lattice pattern.

Ribbon Scarf Pattern on The Shiz-Knit!

Lattice Pattern on Knit Wiki

Step 2: Choose a trim design!

A Scalloped Edging by Judy Gibson

You could use just the edge of a lace design.

Summer Fancy Work on Knitting-And

Scallops aren't strictly necessary. This is YOUR scarf, after all!

Mama's Lace Pattern on The Tattered Pickle

Step 3: Choose your trim! You could use the aforementioned fur, faux fur or feather trim. Or you could use something else entirely, like a bulky boucle:

Be Sweet Boucle Mohair Yarn on Jimmy Beans Wool

Or hand-dyed pencil roving:

Coral Reef by SpinKnitLove on Etsy

Ooooh, or even handspun super-bulky yarn!!!

HUGE 7oz skein Handspun Mohair by PheonixFarmFiber on Etsy

So many possibilities!!!

DIY Distraction: When Yarn and Fur Combine!

I receive the Elle Canada newsletter specifically to view their "TRENDS" slideshows. It's so much more convenient to click a link in my inbox than to hunt down the info myself. Every week, I have at least one slideshow to view, and one of this week's treats was The 10 Best Scarves for Fall.

Thank you, Elle Canada, for you have alerted me to the existence of this amazing scarf from Danier Leather:

As seen on Killer Kurves

URK. That's the image used by Elle Canada, which you'll notice is not the image on the Danier Leather website:

As seen on Danier Leather

While this beautiful scarf is a reasonable $79.00 CAD, I believe something has gone awry here. The Danier scarf is not the scarf being attributed to them by Elle Canada. The fur is sparser on the Danier scarf, and the scallops are different. This makes me wonder who really owns the Elle-featured scarf...

BUT WHO CARES!

Crafty chicas everywhere rejoice, because YOU can own this scarf for far less than $79!!!

Step 1: Find a crochet lattice pattern. CHECK!

New York Noro Plaid on Make it Messy

Pamela's Lattice Prayer Shawl on Mariel's Magic

Step 2: Locate some pretty fan-based trim patterns. CHECK!

Crochet ARC LACE Edging #1 on Moira Crochets

Edging #3022 on MyPicot.com

Step 3: Buy some fur or faux fur or feather trim. TRIPLE CHECK!

Rabbit fur trim on eBay

Wrights Trim - 10 yard reel of 1" faux fur trim from Joann.com

Wrights Trim - 10 yard reel of feather boa trim from Joann.com

Potentially, this costs as little as $10 for 100g of fingering weight yarn and $15 for a reel of faux fur trim. And you'll have the satisfaction of making it to your exact specifications :D

Craftster: Portal to Knowledge (the tale of a sweater not yet made)

I am a woman with far too many hobbies. You name it, I've at the very least heard of it, read about it, or perhaps even tried it. Which is why Craftster is one of my favourite places on the internet. Being a crafting forum, just about conceivable hand-crafting activity is represented, from interior decorating to knocking off $$$$$$ clothing designs.

Today's topic: persistence in the quest for knowledge. Last August, I posted some amazing yarny goodies that I found to be beautiful and/or inspiring. Among them was this gem in the Etsy store "fuzzybazooke:"

DROOL! A seemingly simple raglan sweater with a cunning shaping device for the waistline. So elegant and pretty, this sweet top has remained in my yarny consciousness for over a year. I've been slowly increasing my knitting skills, but I could not for the life of me find a pattern for that strange braiding.

Wouldn't you know it, Craftster member elderflower has come to my rescue! She posted an absolutely gorgeous sweater made with hand-dyed, hand-balled bamboo yarn:

Not only does she have totally 1337 pattern making skillz, but she pointed me to the knitting website of my dreams! Knitting Fool doesn't just have three different pattern generators, but they also have a comprehensive visual stitch library! Now I have a customisable raglan pattern at my fingertips:

AND!!!! I finally found it!!! It's called Basket Cable!!!!

SQUEE!!!!

DIY Distraction: Awesome Yarn Things - Crochet and Other Stuff

Do you crochet, or macrame? Perhaps tatting is your thing? Check this stuff out!

Polyvore: Isabel Marant Striped Sweater DIY

Isabel Marant Striped Sweater DIY by alexus1325 on polyvore.com

DIY Distraction: Awesome Yarn Things - Knitting Edition

If you knit, or like knitted stuff, you just might like this stuff!

I knit socks. Lately, I knit lots of socks. When I discovered Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel, I just about died!!! A triple-mitered heel that sits much more smoothly than a regular wrap and turn mitered heel, this heel design is the basis of her new eBook. You can also view her free video tutorial.

Do you love ombre/gradient fashions? Now you can knit up your own Chrysanthemum Hat with custom ombre-dyed yarn you can make at home! Xandy shows us her ball-in-KoolAid method.

Broomstick lace is so pretty, but crocheting it is such a pain in the wrists! Which is exactly why wrist-strain-prone Karlie Robinson developed a knitted version.

"Deadbeat" for Contributing Editor by Ben Morris, on Models.com

Paris street fashion on Real Men Cry

Isabel Marant's jumbo-knit sweaters have been on my to-do list for awhile! I love super-bulky sweaters, I love colourful stuff, and I can knit! But where do I get yarn this big?

Easy! You make yarn out of old t-shirts! If you want to dye your yarn, Dmariemart of Imagine Mechanix suggests dying the trimmed shirts before turning them into yarn.

Martin Margiela AW 2008 silk sleeve top on 1stdibs.com

And for the truly unconventional, thank you Mr. Margiela! Yet another WIN from your crazy, crazy mind! It's so tempting to go to Salvation Army on the next $5 bag day just to get a whole bunch of long sleeve shirts! A knock-off could conceivably be knitted from tubes of fabric, using up some of our copious stash fabrics, right?

DIY Distraction: Pearls with Chains and Ribbons and Lace!

If you're like me, you just might be enamored with the ways pearls have been used in jewelry lately. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, even embellishments on clothing! With some basic tools and supplies, you can create your own one-of-a-kind piece:

Satin Rosette and Pearls Necklace Tutorial - Vibrant Designs

DIY Distraction: Tiny Hats

I've always been a hat person. The retro and steampunk trends have led to a resurgence in the wearing of adorable hats, which is something we fashionistas should take advantage of!

If you happen to be even half-way crafty, you can totally make your own cute little hat using one of the many excellent tutorials that fellow hat enthusiasts have put on the web. It can be as easy as a cereal box, some fabric and white glue, and as complicated as a leather full-size chapeau!

See all the yummy tutes after the jump!

DIY Distraction: Leather Lunch Bags

I love multi-functional things, and I love things that look like other things! Case in point are these delicious leather bags made to look like simple lunch sacs. I will DEFINITELY make myself one!

Anve - Saco del papel grande - black

See more inspirational pieces, plus the tutorials after the break!

DIY Distraction: Sheer & Mesh & Lace, Oh My!

If there's one thing I love about the sheer/mesh/lace trend, it's when these materials are used as accents. Even better when you can see through to the luscious skin beneath! A sewing machine goes a long way towards facilitating all your DIY dreams, but as long as you own scissors and can hand-sew,  your dreams are within reach!

Laia of GeometricSleep doesn't know who owns this photo, but  it's a great example!

DIY Distraction: Cut It Out!

The trick with baring skin is knowing when to stop. A glimpse of some sensual curve is a classy way to showcase your femininity. From there, you can go in a LOT of different directions! Heck, you don't even have to bare SKIN, just something underneath the outer layer, like an onion with a window in it. Effective layering (for fashion, not warmth!) relies on the ability to see the progressive layers, and cutouts are a great way to achieve this effect. Today's DIY compilation-of-inspiration:

The Shoulder Cut-Out

DIY Cutout Shoulder Shirt - A Pair and a Spare

DIY Distraction: Skull Cut-Out Tee

In an endeavor to blog daily, here's a cool and easy DIY that just takes patience and a boring old shirt!

Pleasure Principle - Laser Cut Skull - $115

Assemblage; Statement Necklaces on the Cheap

After discovering arm parties and twisted multi-strand assemblage necklaces earlier this year, I stewed about the aesthetic for quite some time. Well, I finally did it! I've been wearing arm parties on a regular basis for almost 2 months (check out the arm parties on Bloggers Do It Better!), but here are the two (in my opinion) fabulous assemblage necklaces I've worn so far (and an arm party!), made from jewellery I already own. No tools or special jewellery-making stuff required!

Big red bead necklace (thrifted, '80s)

Black w/ red and gold paint splatter necklace (thrifted, '80s)

Chili pepper charm on twisted-link chain (thrifted, pre-'95)

Double-strand faux pearl necklace with rose-motif clasp (thrifted, '50s)

Four-strand faux pearls on "antique bronze" chain necklace (Ardene, <$5)

Sterling and ceramic Victorian-revival brooch (thrifted, provenance unknown)

Mexican brass open bangle, tourist piece (thrifted, provenance unknown)

Double-strand faux pearl open bangle (thrifted, provenance unknown)

Brass bangle made in China (<$5)

See what I meant by cheap? Each assemblage necklace cost less than $15! I was at the Hobby Shoppe downtown today and noticed that the lovely proprietress, Judy, carries strands of faux pearls! It's tempting to get some jewellery supplies (like crimp beads and clasps) and make a few proper assemblage necklaces.

I took a bunch of tutorial photos that turned out like crap, so without further ado, here's some tutorials from around the web:

Assemblage; "How to Build a Better Necklace"

The art of assemblage has seen a major resurgence over the last decade or so, particularly in the "crafty" community. If you frequent Craftster, you have surely seen some amazing multimedia work, particularly in the Papercrafts and More Art, Less Craft categories. My favourite iteration of this art style is definitely in jewellery! Specifically, necklaces. This style has been a mainstream trend since 2009, but I notice that the "affordable" versions from such vendors as Forever21 and Target are made of cheap, potentially toxic materials, and are actually pretty boring as far as assemblages go.

That's not to say that I don't own cheap, mass-produced, slightly-interesting neckwear. These cheap pieces have a place in my wardrobe, but it's so much more interesting to combine jewellery in unexpected ways! I've already shared the Monoxious tutorial for a Tom Binns style safety pin necklace, but here I'm going to focus more on how random elements put together can be chic and fresh, AND how to do a simple version on the cheap.

These are commercially available, inexpensive, and not particularly interesting iterations:

After the End-Times: Dirty Chic

The Apocalyptic Fashion Swap is in full swing, and everyone is crafting like mad! It is because of this swap that I discovered an amazing new tool. Whoever invented the online pinboard is a GENIUS! Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to create a fabulous collection of Apocalyptic fashions from ALLLL over the interwebz :D Here's a few beautiful pieces I've collected so far:

DIY Distraction: Safety Pin Couture (& A Wee Little Rant)

I know I promised my next post would be all about apocalyptic fashion, but Pinterest refuses to send me an invite. I love the functionality of pinboards, so I've been trying to get on it since last Thursday. I finally tried a different email address, and hopefully they'll actually let me create an account. That, however, is NOT my rant of the day. (Skip to the bottom for the DIY stuff)

THIS IS.

NYFW DIY #1: Vena Cava Safety Pin DIY at Dirty Hems

No, no, not the DIY awesomeness brought to us by Katy of Dirty Hems. No, indeed. Gather 'round and let me tell you a story...

Hallowe'en 2011 - Uni-Horn for My Unicorn (And What Should I Put on My Feet???)

Guess what I'm finally blogging about! A few weeks ago, I messaged Metal Water Studio if I could share their AMAZING Uni-Horn. K Firor said no problemo, and would I like to order it the first week of June? :P

I LOVE how realistic this looks! You can see a slight translucency from the latex shell, and the person who painted it did a GREAT job! I'm pretty firm on wanting a gold colour scheme, I think, and this is already close to what I want. A little brighter and more metallic, but that's about it!

Let's talk about SHOES!

DIY Distraction: New Life for Old Pants

I've been wandering around Cut Out & Keep lately, mainly because I want to share tutorials and get some exposure for my webshop, Binary Catfish Meta-Fashion. Sloooooow going on that front! On topic, I happen to have a pile of jeans from both my hunny and his brother. I'd been keeping them to someday recycle them into a big denim quilt, BUT! Wouldn't it be waaaay more fun to refashion them into something wearable and cool???

Like a cropped jacket!

Or a dress!