Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 1 - Intro
This my 6th year participating in a project I call Shawl Every Day where I wear a different shawl or cowl every day until I run out. In previous years, I have posted along with a theme such as mental health or featuring local businesses. This year I will be sharing various tips, tricks and knowledge about all things crafting and making, along with sharing some of my favorite makers out there. If there’s anything you want to learn about, feel free to let me know!
World Mental Health Day 2021
I have been writing about and advocating for mental health for at least 3 years. It used to be a topic that very few people talked about. Therapy was shameful, breakdowns were kept hidden, medication was scary, and self care wasn't encouraged.
Five For Friday 4/9/21
I had bought this yarn for a different project, but it didn’t work out, so it’s been sitting in my stash for a long time. I finally decided to try out a mandala pattern and I think it turned out pretty cool!
Five For Friday 4/2/21
I spent a day putting pockets in all my favorite dresses because more things need pockets. This also lets me have my insulin pump in the pocket without needing to wear shorts underneath the dress. I lined the purple dress and the patterned dress with black fabric from a tank top that no longer fit. The black dress pictured plus another black dress got pockets made with taco fabric. :D
Five For Friday 3/26/21
I had been trying to figure out a good way to store all my quilting rulers and finally a friend came up with a great idea to do pegboard on the back of my door. Space is at a premium in my studio, so this was a great idea!
Five For Friday 3/19/21
I currently call this blanket “the blob” because it sure doesn’t look like a star at the moment. I had a couple projects I bought yarn for that I didn’t like knitting, so I frogged them. I was able to combine the yarn from those projects plus a couple additional skeins to have enough for this blanket. I’m super enjoying knitting it so far, but we’ll see how it goes once I get further out towards the edge.
Five For Friday 3/12/21
I saw this Daily Mindful Lettering book from Hand Lettered Design as an ad on Facebook, and bought it on a whim. I’ve dabbled in some hand lettering in the past, and at the very least, I love me some good typography. What caught my eye is that each day has its own mantra and by writing it multiple times really helps you believe it.
Five For Friday 3/5/21
Angela Walters from Quilting is my Therapy is running a cool block of the month club called Build a Quilt. I went with the colorway “Inked” and this is block #4. The way she did this club is really cool.
Five For Friday 2/26/21
My Sandhill Sling bag is coming along nicely. I love this pattern and I am feeling good about my progress so far. Nothing too crazy yet, but it feels like there are a lot of nice touches that make this feel really professional. And of course, I am a huge fan of the gray and yellow combo.
Five For Friday 2/19/21
This month I decided to label my precut pieces, and it has made a world of difference. No more figuring out if it is the 1 1/2” wide block or the 1 3/4” wide block. I just look for the block with the right letter on it! So obvious, but I can’t believe I didn’t do this on the first block.
Five For Friday 2/12/21
This is the first post in my new series called Five For Friday, where every Friday I share 5 things that I think are interesting or things that are going on in the Loops of Gray world. It’s going to cover a variety of topics including knitting, quilting, crochet, design, mental health, food, and probably a good dose of hockey as well. Hope you check out some of the things and let me know what you think!
Combination Taco Bell/Pizza Hut Ornament
This is easily one of the craziest commission requests I've gotten and the most out of my comfort zone skill-wise. I was asked to turn an image of a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut on Jamaica Ave into a Christmas ornament.
3D printed wood table sign holder
One of the projects I'm most proud of last year was a set of 3D printed wood table decorations for a small wedding. It was my first big custom design and my first time printing with wood filament.
Soul Box Project
My work gives us 1 paid day a year to do volunteer work in the community. Last week I chose to fold boxes for The Soul Box Project . They are collecting and exhibiting origami boxes to raise awareness of the US gunfire epidemic. Each Soul Box holds space for one life lost or injured by gun violence, defense, accident or suicide. The St. Louis Arts Chamber of Commerce has set a goal of 6,000 boxes to represent those in the STL area who have died or been injured by gunfire.
MtMW 2020 - Shop Small
Shopping at a small business supports a maker directly. The money I get from selling my hats, cowls, shawls, and other goodies goes directly back into the economy when I use it to by groceries, more knitting patterns (supporting yet another small business!), pet supplies, etc. I get so much joy in sharing my work with other people and I love to hear how they use the item or see pictures of them wearing it. You don't give that joy to people when you buy from a big box store.
MtMW 2020 - Community Over Competition
The maker community is incredible! I love learning new things from other makers and being inspired by what they make. There are a ton of badass ladies out there, but here are a few that especially kick ass.
MtMW 2020 - Silver Linings
One of the silver linings about 2020 is that in our new house, I got expanded studio space. I'm able to fit 2 extra bookshelves, a record player stand, a cat tower, plus I have the whole closet to hang my shawls and store my stash of handknits.
Meet the Maker Week 2020 - Say Hello
Hello there! Loops of Gray is a single-woman shop run by me - Melissa! I am based in St. Louis, MO and have lived there my entire life. I make all sorts of things, but my specialties are handknit shawls, quilts, and 3D printed stuff. I can also crochet, embroider, cross-stitch, and do some general sewing.
8-Bit Sweater - Finished!
The 8-bit sweater is also done!!!! I feel like I knit this thing twice with all the adjustments I had to make, but the finished product fits perfectly. This will definitely make an appearance in the super cold days of winter. Huge thanks to Lattes & Llamas for putting this mystery knit-along together and for helping me get the results I wanted. #knitting #geekalong #8bitsweater #8bitGAL #mkal #lattesandllamas