Prince was particularly upset when this bed got shipped out. He had grown quite fond of it. His purple crocheted bed was actually supposed to go to my sister but by the time I found a box big enough to ship it in he had done considerable damage to it already. Bad little muffin. 

This is the first pattern I've written, so let me know if you give it a try and if there are any issues! It displays my fine skills with MS Paint so if nothing else, check it out for the illustrations. ( ; Tag me on Instagram @ashweather_fibre_arts if you make one! I'd love to see your kitty enjoying his or her new nest! 

Downloadable pattern available HERE ↓

^^^Happy Crocheting!^^^

​-Ashley 

I'll be mentioning them often so you should be formally introduced!

 This precious princess is Moonunit, the blog and my Etsy store's namesake. 

These sweet, spoiled house cats may love us but they despise each other. Moonunit can't be trifled with by Princes enthusiasm. They often get into (lazy) fights and you'd be hard pressed to even find them sleeping on the same couch cushion. I like to think, deep down, that they enjoy each others company, I've even caught them snuggling once or twice in the middle of the night! 

I'll likely be posting more kitty cat photos here and there, as they are my constant companions. There might even be a silly video or two in the future. Get pumped! 

Thanks for stopping by to meet my silly kitties! 

-Ashley

I got little baby Moonunit when I first started out on my own. she's been my bff for eleven years! She has always had some attitude issues and has, for years, let all of my friends and family know that she merely tolerates their presence and wishes they would go away. She's very suspicious of all people who aren't me, including my boyfriend, whom she has known for almost her entire life. Her favorite hobby is collecting socks and mittens and carrying them around the house in her mouth yowling. She is sneaky, and way too smart for her own good. She's essentially just a tiny, cranky little old lady. 

She's sweet as pie with me, of course, treats me like gold. (;



This monster muffin is Prince. I got him in 2007 on a camping trip, there was a little girl with a box of kittens! How could I resist!? He is part Maine Coon which means he is a giant beastie, weighing in at around 20 pounds. He is a bundle of nerves! He generally acts like he's had one too many cups of coffee. He's aggressively friendly and needs lots of attention from every available person at all times. Lately he's decided that in addition to needing head bonks and scritches from Everyone, he also needs to yell until he gets them. Princes favorite hobby is tearing around the apartment like he's the star of an action movie. He's not the brightest crayon in the box but he is super duper loving and affectionate. And he loves belly pets, which is an added bonus. 

You'll want to make sure to open the link by twisting it, not pulling it apart. I will show you my sweet, sweet Paint skillz to clarify what I mean; 

First of all, you're going to need to round up your tools. You will need;

-Chain
-Beading Pliers (I used flat nose pliers and chain nose pliers)
-Open Jump Rings (I used 5mm so you can see them better, but you should find a size that compliments your chain)
-Lobster or Spring Ring Clasp
-Tag (the doohicky that the clasp will be clasping onto)
-Measuring tape
-A magical charm to complete your necklace! 

Let's get started! 

First you'll want to measure out your necklace chain to the length that you prefer. Some standard necklace lengths are; 16" 18" 20" 24" 28" etc. You should try your chain on and make sure it sits at a comfortable place for you. 

Today I'm going to show you how to take a chunk of chain and turn it into a functioning piece of jewelry! 

To remove your chain link from the spool you'll need to take your beading pliers and twist the link so it opens up.

Jewelry findings. (Ps, your jump rings do not need to be this large!)

Twisting the link ensures it will fit back together correctly. Pulling the link apart destroys the shape of the metal, it also weakens the link.

Next you will close the link that you just removed from the chain spool and slide your charm onto the chain. You'll want to do this now because your charm might not fit over the clasp later. 

Now we can start attaching the clasp and tag to turn this lonely chain into a beautiful piece of jewelry! Using your pliers, open your jump rings the same way you opened your chain to remove it from the spool. Twist!

Now, slide your clasp on one jump ring and slide your tag onto the other, leaving both jump rings open. 

Grab your chain and attach the ends to opposing jump rings.

The best way to close the jump rings without all your findings falling off is to hold your jump ring with the opening facing upwards and the chain and clasp on the bottom. This way you can grab the ring on each side with the pliers without anything getting away. Close your jump rings by twisting them back into place.

You've just turned a chain into a real, live piece of jewelry! 

Congratulations, you've done it! 

Here is the tutorial for making the cute, little Dino monster if you need to make your own. 

This is a basic technique but a valuable skill to have in your crafty arsenal. I will be posting more DIY basics for small finishing techniques and simple technical skills. I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you create something amazing! 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Ashley 

If you're an intermediate knitter anxious about trying a lace pattern for the first time, you should give this one a shot. It has the written lace pattern and also the lace chart so you can figure out which method works best for you. 

Here is a link to the pattern if you'd like to check it out http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/positive-thoughts-1

Thanks for visiting!

-Ashley 



*This is not a paid advertisement, I just love this yarn and this pattern! 

This was a quick, fun project. I’ve been knitting for ages but somehow never managed to make one of these puppies. It was a surprisingly fast knit! I was confused about how to do a loose enough bind off that would still be pretty and compliment the lace pattern so I messaged the pattern creator directly and she got right back to me with suggestions! Another reason to love Raverly! I ended up using this tutorial for the bind off and it turned out nice and stretchy; http://knitfreedom.com/bind-offs/best-bind-off-for-lace-f.... I’ll definitely be making one for myself in the large size eventually. I'm also considering making one for my Etsy site, but I think I'll have to make it in orange or some other color I don't get along with so I'm not tempted to keep it...

The yarn I used was Shaggy Bear Farms Merino with Superwash and Tussah Silk Yarn (50%/50%) Sock Weight. The yarn was just fantastic. I’m not one to go spending $31.50 on one skein of yarn but this stuff was calling my name and I’m glad I went for it. It’s super soft, lightweight and easy to work with. Also, you can tell that It's hand dyed because of the subtle variations in the color. Dreamy. I would definitely recommend this stuff. 

Today I wanted to share and review this lovely pattern, Positive Thoughts, by Connie, aka "yellowcosmo" on Ravelry.com. (Which, for those of you who are not familiar, is a knitting and crocheting web site full of patterns and all sorts of yarny resources.) 

Thanks for stopping by! 

I'm super pumped to welcome you to my home of crafty stuff and tasty food. I'll mostly be posting knitting pattern reviews and projects at first but, believe you me, there will be fun DIY stuff here soon. I also already have a magical selection of recipes waiting to meet you including my famous tuna noodle casserole, hummus and honey mustard salmon. 

I am no photographer but I'm gonna do my best to take bright, beautiful photos. Don't judge too hard! Everybody's gotta start somewhere! 

Anywho, feel free to leave comments, suggestions or requests, or you can contact me through one of the links on my Contact page. And check out my Etsy if you'd like to get a better idea of the type of projects you can expect to find here in the future. 

Thanks again for the visit! See you soon! 

-Ashley