DIY Crystal Chandelier and a Lacy Leaf Baby Sweater

Our 'Crystal' Chandelier

I LOVE Chandeliers - especially vintage crystal chandeliers - they are gorgeous!  I would have them hanging in every room if I could get away with it (Alas, yes, I live with a Man :) 

Anyway, in one of my favorite home decor catalogs, Ballard Designs, www.ballarddesigns.com
they sell magnetic chandelier crystals.  Yep, just stick them on, take them off.  They have different ones for different seasons etc.  That sparked an idea, for me, which I'm pretty sure that tons of people have already thought of: why can't I make those?  Especially since the ones they sell are very expensive.

Chandelier Tutorial

I went to my local craft store and purchased small super-strong magnets.  They come in a shiny silver color.  Wish they were smaller, I think you can buy tiny ones online that are really small and would not be as noticeable.  Then I purchased some acrylic strands of sparkly stuff in the after-christmas clearance!  We played with it for awhile to get the drape right, but anywhere you've got metal on your strand it will stick.

This was very fun, VERY inexpensive, and if we tire of it, it is easily removed.  Think of the implications here, you could do this to lamps, candlesticks, sconces - Bling it ON, BABY!!! 

Lace and Leaf Sweater

And here's the lastest to come off my knitting needles, the Lace and Leaf Sweater.  I hate ordering yarn online, since you can't really see it and touch it, and I've made a lot of mistakes there, but I LOVE the yarn that came from Knit Picks called Comfy.  Pima cotton blend, really soft, very washable, and heavenly to work with.  Was supposed to be cream-colored, but I liked the beige even better.

Link to the pattern for Ravelry users is here.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leaf-pattern-set-2

 

On the Needles

I loved this sweater so much that I decided to make another one.  I tried the new Martha Stewart yarn and so far I'm pretty impressed, mostly by the color selection.  It is really, really, hard to find 1950's pale vintage pink yarn!!  Her sense of color is fabulous, and it's nice to see those Martha pastels in knitting yarns!!

Capturing a Moment

I couldn't help but smile as I walked into the Living Room and saw Daniel teaching Charlotte how to dance.  Love those moments!!

Yes, I promised more remodeling before and afters, so stay tuned................