NEEDLE FELT VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

I bought this book called "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" at a thrift store for one Euro, and the Kiddo LOVES it. It's not a book I grew up with, but I've been enjoying it too. The caterpillar eats it way through various items of food and the book has holes in it for little fingers to poke through. Although, the Finnish version is for some reason translated from German (it's an American book I believe) and it's a bit weird at points (that's clearly a muffin, not cake).

But anyway! I thought the Kiddo might get a kick out of a very hungry caterpillar ornament. Ornament since these needle felting projects are really too fragile to play with.

 You take close ups and realize how fuzzy everything is. Yikes. 

Those tiny feet were a pain to make.

And if you have never read the book, this is what it's supposed to look. I think it's a pretty good likeness?

NEEDLE FELT CACTUS

Happy Easter! I needle felted a cactus. Nothing to do with Easter, but that's what I was inspired to do.

 Also, this too is going on my Christmas tree. So there.

But Christmas doesn't have to be all about snow and evergreens. It's celebrated in the dessert too!

That flower was so difficult to do. You wouldn't think looking at it, but it was definitely the hardest part.

Anyway, Happy Easter!

TWEEDY STRIPEY

 These pictures are sort of embarrassing, but let's just go with it. I knit a sweater!

I read a book called Overdressed: the Shockingly High Cost of cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline as recommended by Elise on her post about making her own clothes. I love a book that kicks me into action and I was about half way through this book when I started knitting this sweater.

What really motivated me wasn't the knowledge of sweatshops, I knew about those and buy a lot of my clothes second hand and try only buy new what I must. But as I was reading this book I realized the things I was buying in thrift stores weren't vintage, they were H&M. As the book points out, the quality of most clothes today is bad and I'd have to keep buying new (or new to me) clothes that would only hold up a few washes. That's waste too.

And secondly, most clothes today are plastic. I try to avoid plastic in my home, yet I'm walking around wearing it?

So, now my new year's resolution too (I think it's OK to make resolutions all year long) is to make clothes for myself. I don't know what I'll make or how many or how they'll turn out, but I'll try! I'm thinking a few more sweaters, a couple of tops and t-shirts for the summer (I'm not making my own jeans.)

The pattern is Tweedy Stripey by Leslie Weber. It was great for a first time clothing maker! Very straight forward and easy to follow. Although, I did completely mess up the stripe pattern. Still, I'm very fond of my sweater. It's loose and long enough to wear with leggings. It's wool and very warm, but the short sleeves are very practically since it seems I'm constantly washing hands, faces and butts.