How to Dye Yarn With KoolAid

I've always wanted to try dying yarn this way & I finally tried it the other day when I came across a couple skeins of yarn a friend of mine had spun & gifted to me last winter.
It was easy as pie! I used 3 packets of koolaid in different 'red' flavors. I had a bucket that ice cream had been packaged in & thought it was a good size for the amount of yarn I had to be completely submerged. I filled the bucket halfway with water...mixed in the koolaid very well & then took a wisk to push the yarn down into the dye until everything was saturated. After about 15-20 minutes of soaking, the water around the yarn is clear!

The yarn is a gorgeous poppy red which smells like cherries! How fun!
To best set the dye, I dumped out the bucket & wrung out the yarn a little & then put it back into the bucket...filling it halfway again with cold water & half a bottle of white vinegar.
I didn't mean for it to soak so long, but after an hour of being distracted by my kids, I came back & rinsed it well, washed it with mild detergent to get rid of the vinegar smell & hung it up on the towel rack in the bathroom to dry.
Now I just have to decide what I'm going to knit with it.

Note that if you would like to do this, the yarn needs to be mainly a natural fiber such as wool, bamboo, etc...not polyester, as it won't take the dye.

Getting Ready For the Holidays - Making Resin Glitter Heart Jewelry Galore!

I've been crafting, crafting, crafting... getting ready for the upcoming holidays from Thanksgiving through New Years Eve & have some really neat one of a kind resin glitter hearts to show you!
First, there is this whimsical Tom Turkey pin that makes me giggle every time I look at it. The pin back is embedded right into the resin so it won't come apart from the handcast heart. I love the fall colors in the background too. I don't make pins often, but if there is much of an interest, I'll create them more often. I don't wear them much, but do like to pin a few on this retro funky wool purse I have in the winter time.

Both of these Christmas Santa heart necklaces are a relatively new size I've been working in. They're quite dainty & petite ...looking so cute & measure under one inch across.
If you don't like big in-your-face glitter hearts, then you may find these smaller size pendants quite charming! This size looks really great on my little girl & I made her her very own Christmas tree glitter heart necklace to match her green velvet holiday dress. She gave me a big hug around my neck & said I was the best mommy ever! You can't beat that for appreciation of one's work!

This red and green Santa Claus glitter heart has already gone to a new home, but I have similar looking Santa pieces which I will be listing very soon, so stay tuned!

If you're looking for a great statement piece to wear to a New Year's Eve party, then you may be interested in this one of a kind elegant modern snowflake glitter heart in black & silver. It's simply stunning & a piece I'm really proud of.

In addition to all the holiday theme pieces, I've been hand casting new glitter designs in heart shapes like this tie dye look glitter heart where all the rainbow colors run together! Isn't that fun? It would be a great everyday jewelry piece. When the winter is cold & dark & drags on for months on end, who couldn't use a little color & sparkle to put them in a good mood?

Anyhow, that's a sampling of what isewcute is up to as far as resin crafting goes.
Other things on my crafts to do list are knitting socks, crocheting a beard for my Santa-crazed 7 year old, & making soap.
I'll talk more about those crafts in my next post!

Stay crafty!

Looking for a Birthstone Gift? isewcute is making hand cast resin glitter monthly birthstone color rings & more!

I'm very excited about these rings I've made in my own unique glitter mixes to represent each month of the year! They are so BIG!!! and Sparkly!!! ...and SHINY!!!
I have necklaces coming soon as well in unique heart shapes & of course I could cast any shape with birthstone colors which I already offer in the shop.

I'm the only one making these on etsy ...so you know you'll be getting something really special that you can't find anywhere else! Wouldn't they make a great holiday or birthday gift? I think so!

I'm so giddy... I just had to gush! It's awesome when crafting can put you over the moon with joy like this!

...and the Countdown Begins... How Many Shopping Days 'Till Christmas?

I was so surprised when I turned on the car radio the other day... to hear the jingle of sleigh bells & Gene Autry crooning "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" ...I wondered if Thanksgiving is going to get skipped this year altogether.

If you have been bitten by the Christmas bug early & want to listen online, here's a link to the station: 94.5 lite fm on iheartradio.

Honestly, I could listen to Christmas music all year long, because I'm weird like that & I admit I've already started Christmas shopping.
I just want to make this holiday as stress-free as possible & be able to stop & enjoy it rather than being caught up in a whirlwind of chaos.

My kids are starting to count down the days & I sort of wish we had a bigger advent calendar so they could keep better track of the days & stop asking me about it. Maybe I'll just have to go ahead & craft one for them!