More than a decade ago… whoa. I started a blog called Craft Leftovers to fill a need in my life. I needed some outside accountability in busting my stash. I had my own pile of yarn and fabric as well as all the craft supplies I inherited from my grandma. […]
crochet - journal - patterns & tutorials
The Perfect Size for a Crocheted Dishcloth
Coming up on Christmas – just 10 days of crafting/baking left – I thought it was the perfect time to give you all some ideas for some last minute gifts. This weekend I’ve spent some time on a hand full of things like scarves, hats, and bootwarmers (will shoot pictures […]
Christmas - journal - little woods homestead - thrift kitchen
Crafting Teas: Blending Herbs and Cheering up the Holidays
You may or may not know about my side project called Little Woods Herbal. Through a weird turn of ebay sales while I was destashing last summer before Lucy was born, I found I could make some extra money selling medicinal herbs on ebay. Go figure. A little over a […]
journal
Studio Tour
Last weekend I opened up our house to be one of 20+ artists participating in a city-wide studio tour. The whole idea was that the general public could tour from studio to studio and see the behind the scenes of some of their favorite artists. Since you all couldn’t make […]
journal
DIY Instruments Zine
This weekend Ames, Iowa is host to one of the most epic of Midwest music festivals, the Maximum Ames Music Festival. They use traditional and non traditional music venues and organize the hosting of local, national, and international music. It’s amazing. This year a local artist and curator lyndsay Nissen […]
journal - knitting - patterns & tutorials
Knit Top Notch Simple Socks
At any given time I have a brainless knitting project going, something to work on while I’m watching Lucy play, or chatting with a friend, or just taking a brain break. Knitting that is easy to not mess up AND easy to fix if I do. This is my favorite […]
crochet - destash - journal - patterns & tutorials
This is the biggest milestone project of my crafting life!
What a mouth full. But it’s true. Have you wondered why all my writing, sparse though it’s been, has been about cooking and gardening? Well, because I haven’t finished crafting anything in FOREVER. Well, about two years. Whoa. To write it out like that makes it feel real. And surreal. […]
journal - little woods homestead
Gardening Gains
It’s been a long time coming, but I think this year, maybe just maybe I finally have it. I created a bed just for the strawberries and plopped the strawberry tower of power in the center. I planted strawberries all around it in the hopes that the runners would propagate […]
journal - little woods homestead
Home, home on the range…
I wrote this musing on gardening back in May, then completely failed publish it. As it happens, I have the first results of gardening this year documented and written up. Read this, then on Monday next week (I had to go out of town for fam stuff), I’ll post that. La la […]
book review - journal
The White Whale of Foraging for Morels
When I was a kid my dad and I would go foraging for morels every spring. We had a “spot”. I had no idea what a treasure it was. What a family heirloom. Since moving away to college, those elusive morels are no longer a part of my spring diet. […]
journal
so long Job. hello leftovers.
Being a mom has been wonderful. I like Lucy more than I thought I could ever like any kid – even my own. But post birth has been hard on me. I wrote awhile ago about getting my gallbladder out. Well that was unfortunately not the end of it. After […]
journal - knitting - patterns & tutorials
Free Pattern: Elda’s Knit Pin Cushion
A common problem when working from the stash, is having only a small amount of each type of fiber left. How can you successfully combine cotton and wool in the same project? How can you combine acrylic with silk? Should you? Would you? Could you dare? (Yes, I totally stole […]
journal - thrift kitchen
Meal Plan: Mapping out a week of delish
Sunday nights find me nestled between stacks of my favorite cooking magazines and books. Pen and paper ready I delve through to find that just so perfect dish to try. Some weeks I’m ambitious and try out a new recipe for every meal. Other weeks find me a bit more […]
journal
Finally, crafting!
It’s taken months. Potentially a whole year. I finally finished a craft project: I started these convertible mittens well over a year ago. And nearly had them finished. And then I got pregnant. One would think that a nesting urge might set in and I would get super crafty. Not […]
journal - patterns & tutorials - stitching school
Stitching School: The Knit Stitch!
It really made me happy all the nice comment you gave me on the Cable Cast On How To, so I decided to follow up a little ahead of schedule with why it’s so great to use, especially when just learning. Like I said, the cable cast on is such […]
journal
And again and again… Surgery and Pain killers
What a ride. So much for “getting back on track with writing for Craft Leftovers”. I was really hoping my next post would be harolding that elusive next issue of the Craft Leftovers zine. Not to be so. Instead, I’ve got a crazy story to tell you of how I’ve […]
journal
Oh Baby: Meet Lucille Lynn Shaw
I’ve been trying to figure out what to post about as my first post back from my birth experience and I keep stalling out. So I’m going to just post a picture of the little lady and get moving. So many fun projects in the mix. Where’s my camera! […]
journal
Studio Manager
Molly has advised me to wait to post until later this week when I have better photos of my newest project. Until Next Time! Kristin
journal - wips
Weaving in the Winter
Winter is always the season of weaving for me. With my overly large floor room, it’s the only time of year that I’m okay being tucked into my basement studio for hours shuttling back and forth. I turn on the space heater, bring down a pot of tea and put […]