The Paper Fox Craft Studio & Gallery » Nifty Stuff I Found

A Plethora of Knitting Needles

paperfox — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:58:03 +0000

El Guapo: Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?

Jefe: A what?

El Guapo: A plethora.

Jefe: Oh yes, El Guapo. You have a plethora.

El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?

Jefe: Why, El Guapo?

El Guapo: Well, you just told me that I had a plethora, and I would just like to know if you know what it means to have a plethora. I would not like to think that someone would tell someone else he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has no idea what it means to have a plethora.

So that’s a quote from the movie “The Three Amigos” in case you didn’t know – funny flick and a family classic in our house – Martin Short, Chevy Chase, and Steve Martin.

I now have a plethora of knitting needles. I became frustrated last month that I didn’t have a set of 10 1/2 double pointed needles… and realized I only had 1 pair of double pointed needles period (because WalMart only carries size 3 double pointed needles. Period. What is up with that?). So anyway… the only 10 1/2’s I could find on line were like $8 and if I was going to pay that plus shipping then I’d drive my happy rear to either Evansville or Russelville and give the not-so-local-yarn-shop my money.

Frustrated, I did a search for Huge Knitting Needle Lot – and lo’ found one with a 120+ needles – most of which were double pointed! So I bid, and I won, and for about $35 got roughly 40 sets of needles – plus a vintage canister needle case, a set of cable needles, and a set of stitch holders.

FABU!

Vintage Knitting Needle Cannister

Vintage Knitting Needle Cannister - With Needles

Completely unimportant – but when you move the cannister around it sounds like a rain stick!

Knitting Needle Bag

Vintage Straight Knitting Needles

Vintage Double-Pointed Needles

Vintage Circular Needles

Vintage Cable Needles and Stitch Holders

With all these needles I needed a way to figure out what I had… so I downloaded an nifty little app onto my ITouch called Ewe Stash. It’s $2.99 (most I’ve spend on an app) but so far it’s really handy! You can inventory your knitting needles, your crochet hooks, and your yarn. So far I’ve only entered the knitting needles but I inputted 51 sets of needles in about an hour.

Ewe Stash App

51 sets of needles!

And that dosen’t include the many pairs of rogue needles that are doing ninja impressions in various parts of the house.

Anyway – nifty app – very user friendly – I haven’t found a needle yet that I couldn’t input. It forms a quick pick list once you enter a few brand names and material types… and if you mispell something it stays on list which is kind of annoying for my control freak self – instead of Boye needles I put Boyle… and Boyle still shows up in the list… argh. It makes me twitch.

Auction Score and Moms Rock!

paperfox — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:28:56 +0000

So most of you know I love to Auction… but this weekend’s pickings were slim and I had so much to do (none of which got done… but that’s another story); so I abstained from the block.

Really the one local auction was for a local lady who was a pillar of the community who had passed away and I was betting people would go crazy over her things. To be blunt, as I so often told I am, I figured the prices would be stupid and I wasn’t going to waste my time – after all, half of the art of Auctioning is picking the right Auction!

Well the 2nd art of the Auction is Waiting… and Mom did… and filled her Subaru Outback to the roof, twice, for all of $20. Can you believe it? I’ve gotten close to that kind of haul once or twice, but it’s been a while. The best deal I’ve gotten was my $1200 worth of Rosenthal China for $30 (that was so awesome!) – but this is Mom’s Kudos! So… Kudos! With a ‘Dang’ thrown in there for good measure. And of course the icing on the cake was that Mom passed a ton of it on to me! Much to the disgruntlement of My Man – and the smugness of Her Man.

So lots and lots of cool vintage stuff!

29 balls of 100% Alpaca! SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!

29 Balls of 100% Alpaca!

10 balls of 100% Mohair.

10 Balls 100% Mohair

Penny's Mohair Yarn Label

Enough Tapestry Wool to pack a 64 quart plastic tote (not sure what I’ll do with that).

Auction Tapestry Wool - 1st Layer

Auction Tapestry Wool - 2nd Layer

Auction Tapestry Wool - 3rd Layer

Auction Tapestry Wool - 4th Layer

Auction Tapestry Wool - 5th Layer

Check out these 2 sweater kits that came with coordinating material for skirts! So cool! (Course the yarn is 100% Virgin Wool…).

Vintage Sweater Kit # 1

Vintage Sweater Kit #2Mail Order Skirt Making Service!

5 balls of 100% Virgin Wool in olive drab.

100% Virgin Wool Yarn

This lovely lady apparently loved to cut out the material for sewing patterns because I’ve got 2 boxes of dresses ready to be sewn – they’re in the cutest vintage fabrics! (Well some are cute… some qualify for a ‘whoa’.)

Then there’s these neat tie making kits – those fabrics are gorgeous! I could use them as the focal point in a skirt… I need to hit Paula D up for some sewing!

Tie Making Kit # 1

Tie Makers Kit # 2

Tie Makers Kit # 3

Tie Makers Kit #4

Tie Makers Kit #5

Tie Makers Kit # 6 & # 7

There was also a partially completed crochet afghan – ah for the days of Avacado Green and Harvest Gold! Any Crocheters out there feeling like finishing this bad boy? From what I can tell all the yarn is there and I’ve got the instructions! Heck I think the hook is still in there!

70's Crochet Afghan Kit

70's Crochet Afghan Blocks

Auctions are so frickin’ cool!!!

1978 VW Bus!

paperfox — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:50:30 +0000

We went and bought us a 1978 Volkswagen Type 2 Van (also known as a Hippie Bus) – oh yes we did! Check her out! As if I needed another project – as if Hubby needed another project! We got her mostly to get us back and forth to the Farmer’s Market (just call her the Harvest Hauler!) – so we wouldn’t have to tie up the Honda… of course it will be a while before she’s useable for that – probably next year at least. Hubby’s thinking this is a 3 year project depending on what needs done. The engine is good – got it to turn over but the fuel pump is bad (we think) so it won’t stay lit. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Now she just needs a name…

1978 VW Bus Driver's Side

1978 VW Bus Passenger Side

1978 VW Bus Rear

Tacky Gold Birds!

paperfox — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:46:54 +0000

Found these beauties at the Goodwill - and my husband wanted me to leave them there! But for $2 – I couldn’t leave that tacky goodness behind! I think I’m going to spray paint them Lime Green… or White… I haven’t decided yet. What do you think?

Royal Typewriter

paperfox — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:09:22 +0000

Found this Royal Typewriter at an estate auction a couple of years ago - paid a whole $1 for it.

I LOVE AUCTIONS!

No date on it – I’m pretty sure it’s missing a metal base plate from the bottom but it’s nothing that would affect it mechanically. All the buttons work. Beautiful machine… and $1!

I’m thinking of using it as a prop in some photo still-life’s. I can just see it all gothed out. Squee!

Macrame Hoops & Beads

paperfox — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:24:35 +0000

Found a butt load of these acrylic macrame hoops at the Salvation Army – so many colors and different sizes. There were a few more beads but I didn’t care for them – the ones I got tho’ are totally cool. Spent $8 which was a little steep in my opinion but the lady running the register looked to be a bit irritated… maybe I snitched her find? Either way, take a look! I’ve considered doing a bit of macrame, I’ve got some patterns, but these would also make great purse handles!

The Mushroom Bead and the Big Green Butterfly Bead are marked Duncan’s Ceramic Products.