Times are achanging and, like all craft projects, new beginnings are rife. As proud Editor of Crafty Crafty I am sad to announce that this handmade craft blog is going into hibernation at the end August. All will be silent on the crafty front while changes are made behind the scenes and I will be leaving Crafty and heading off to spread my love of the handmade elsewhere.
I've been writing for Crafty Crafty since I first joined the team back in 2007 and it's been a glitter-glue covered and wild woolly ride.
As of my last day today I have written over 1200 craft posts. Here are some of my favourite posts from the last five years of Crafty Crafty creating:
Handmade Ryan Gosling interview
My favourite post of all time. I got to strip down the man who makes the ladies of the crafty world swoon, with questions of course, and it was good. Oh yes.
I came up with far too many boob puns and found a bra that looked like Pokemon balls. Nuff said.
Crafty feminist heroes for International Women's Day
Inspiring folks to make the world a better place is an amazing thing to do with your craft. It was my pleasure to choose six ladies who do just that is handmade spadeloads: Rachel Matthews, Louise Harries, Betsy Greer, Sarah P Corbett, Debbie Stoller and The Quilters of Gee's Bend all featured in my feminist heroes post.
How to use Instagram: the essentials
I fell in love with Instagram this year and wrote an epic three-post series on how to make the most of the awesome little photo app, tips and tricks to make your pics popular, and how to get in with the brilliant Instacommunity.
Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. You can find me on Instagram as @deadlyknitshade.
Squid craft FTW!
I can't choose a squid post as a favourite as I did so many but the stand out cephalopod craft moments would be Anne Perry's Kitschies Tentacle how to, the petrifying Giant Knitted Squid attack London's Natural History Museum, and this selection of squid hats.
Launching the Stitch London book
I wrote my first knitting pattern book, Stitch London: 20 kooky way to knit the city and more, in 2010 and Crafty Crafty was right there with me. We featured an exclusive gallery of all the little city knits. Wheeee!
Geek Craft!
Again there is so much geek craft it's hard to pick. The best of the best includes Knit Your Own Death Star, the Game of Thrones Gallery (featuring a very cute amigurumi Jon Snow), and cosmic Dr Who nesting dolls.
Street Art splendour
My love for street art turned crafty knows no bounds. Highlights from the high street were Japan's slightly icky Taxidermy Pikachu Rats, Hottea's yarny art with a difference, woolly love above London with Knit the City's Hubbub of Hearts, and Miss Cross Stitch's street embroidery.
Launching the UK's first graffiti book
Crafty helped launch the UK's very first knitting graffiti book, Knit the City by Deadly Knitshade. We were very proud.
Lego Love
As you can probably tell I'm a massive fan of the little plastic brick. Lego love was at its most passionate in posts about a graffiti Lego Bridge, a Lego HP Lovecraft house, a loveable Lego Totoro, and one of my first ever posts Giant Lego Man found in sea.
As I hang up my Crafty Crafty hat I'd like to say a huge thank you to the Crafty Crafty team who are also off to other crafty climes: Ellen, Emma and Kaja Marie for digging up amazing crafty finds. Also thanks to the team at Aigua for allowing us to share the crafty love.
Find Ellen at Little White Bird
Find Emma at Tofty Makes
Find Kaja Marie on her Ravelry designer page
And a HUGE handmade thank you to all of you Crafty Crafters for commenting, liking and joining in the handmade fun. It's been a blast!
What's next?
Fear not! I'll still be writing all about craft in loads of other places and I'd love you to stalk me on them:
Whodunnknit: Whodunnknit is my home online where I share my crafty madness and fill the world full of kooky little knits. You're all very welcome to join me there are www.whodunnknit.com
Stitch London: Stitch London is the UK's largest craft community and is pegged to be the next big UK craft news site and, lucky me, I'll be moving over there as Editor. Find it at www.stitchLDN.com
Twitter:
Stalk me on Twitter
@deadlyknitshade - I tweet about craft and other madness all day, every day
Stitch London - crafty goodness and London love
Knit the City - street art galore
Facebook:
Whodunnknit - purled pigeon patterns and all kinds of woolly fun
Knit the City - street art from around the world
Stitch London - craft love
Instagram and Pinterest look for @deadlyknitshade.
It's been an absolute pleasure writing for and wrangling this corner of the online craft world. May your glitter glue bottles be bottomless and your needles stay pointy, Crafty Crafters!
