Author Archives: mooflyfoof

Favorite winter hat

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Browsing the mounds of gorgeous yarn at Article Pract, I fell in love with Berroco Jasper, a luxuriously soft single ply merino that came in deliciously rich jewel tones (sadly, many of which have been discontinued). I bought it in raspberry, ocean blue, and a deep warm grey.

With the raspberry, I decided to make myself a cozy winter hat. The pattern I chose was Karabella Rib Hat and Scarf, having seen an internet friend knit the same pattern and really liking the results.

Raspberry hat :)

Though I knit this hat nearly 5 years ago, I still find myself going to it first for cold outdoor activities. It’s super warm (even when wet), a fantastic color, and — being a natural fiber — is safe around fiery activities (a concern for a burner like me). My only gripe is that my head is slightly too big for it, so it ends up sliding up my head and looking pointed on top, like a kewpie doll.

My favorite part of this pattern is the way the decreases make a spiral star pattern to the top of the head.

Top!

Bamboo jersey crochet throw pillow

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A friend of mine was getting rid of some old sheets. They were made of the softest material on the planet, a divine bamboo jersey. I was loathe to see that much wonderful material end up in the dumpster so, despite their slightly pilled and holey state, I took them under my care.

The material sat in my fabric stash for a couple of years till I came across a tutorial for making “yarn” out of large swaths of fabric. I don’t remember the site I found it on, but it went something like this. Once I learned I could make “yarn” from fabric, I decided to turn these sheets into something lovely and textured for our home: I would crochet the yarn into a chunky throw pillow.

Evening tableau

I have to be honest: I can’t crochet for crap. That being the case, I winged it (wung it?) and surprisingly it turned out pretty well! I sewed pillow casing out of some heavy, nubby cotton upholstery fabric I had in my stash, then sewed the crocheted circle over the top. I love how textured this piece is!

Crocheted pillow

Crocheted pillow

Crocheted pillow

A hat for Ed

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When my husband and I started dating, one of my first gifts to him was a hand-knit hat.

I made it out of a super-soft alpaca/merino blend yarn from Lang Yarns called “Naima”. I got it at Article Pract in Oakland. If you’ve never been to Article Pract, I highly recommend it: their staff is wonderful and their yarns are luxurious.

The pattern is called “Hot Head”, from Stitch ‘n’ Bitch. I made a few modifications to account for gauge difference.

Hat I knitted for Ed for his birthday

Here’s me, taking it for a spin:

Day 012: A hat for the Rabbit.

The final product is very light as it has a fairly loose knit, but because it’s alpaca/merino it’s still incredibly warm.

Rodrigo

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Do you like sea creatures? Does the golden ratio appeal to you? Do you place a high importance on the cuteness of the objects around you? If you’re anything like me, these statements will apply to you. What better way to pay tribute to the beauty of nature than by knitting an adorable nautilus! When I saw the Nautie pattern on knitty.com I knew immediately that I had to make it.

partway complete-- the shell

Nautie was surprisingly easy to knit, despite a “tangy” rating. It was extremely satisfying watching a spiral tube form, like magic.

I named him Rodrigo. Rodrigo is a little cock-eyed.

meet rodrigo!

he's my new boyfriend

but fiona is pretty happy with him

Best thing I've made myself

Sparkly vinyl pouches

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I needed a case for my computer. Not content with the boring cases on the market, I set out to make myself a sparkly red vinyl case. Many a broken needle and outraged curse later, I ended up with something passable.

Sparkly red laptop case

Black and white striped interior!

As you can see, I wasn’t a fantastic sewist at the time (and I still am not). Many things went wrong. For one, I got a separating zipper instead of a closed end zipper, meaning I have to line up the teeth every time I want to close it (like you do with a jacket). The fabric, being exceedingly “sticky” friction-wise wreaked havoc on the sewing machine I had borrowed from a friend. It was enough to put me in tears! But I persevered and ended up with an eye-catching, albeit flawed, computer case.

But that wasn’t enough! I decided I wanted a matching mini pouch to carry small things in my purse. I started the task but rapidly became frustrated with the process. The half-completed pouch sat in my sewing box for (I kid you not) 5 years! Finally, a few months ago I pulled it out and finished it up.

I finally finished up this thinger, which has been clogging up my notions box for over four years

Welcome!

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mooflyfoof - Photo by Ed Hunsinger
Photo by Ed Hunsinger

Hi! I’m Heather Hunsinger, dabbler extraordinaire. I go by mooflyfoof most places on the internet.

Here you’ll find all manner of things made by me. It’ll mostly be sewing and knitting projects, but I enjoy making things with my hands so who knows what the future will hold…

I also run mooflyfood.com. If you’re into food, check it out!