I Made it Monday/De-Stashing Month: two projects

Sometimes making the effort to use only what's in your stash can lead to some ugly stuff (see sweater). I was sure it would be nasty when I wanted to knit a washcloth, and had only these two colors in cotton. Fortunately,it's growing on me. It reminds me of cherry limeade. I could really go for a cherry limeade right now... Anyway, if I hate it eventually, I'm only using it to clean with. This is my first time working up this ballband dishcloth pattern. I really like it. Much easier than it looks, it becomes very rythmic and is a great project to do while watching a kid play in the yard.

Now, here we have the project where I spent some money. It's all out of the change box, still, and that box is still heavy with coins. I spent $2.50 on the seashell buttons for these cards, a gift for my new sister-in-law. I also spent $3.30 on some good quality glue for the buttons, but that's a crafting must-have and the bottle is huge enough to last forever. I've already used it on another project!

One gift-giving thought: Thank-you notes are a great bridal shower gift, and the one I usually give. When I received a set, I was so grateful for the thoughtful person who put postage on all of the envelopes for me. It's nice to have one less thing to thing about while you're setting up a home and adjusting to married life.

What are you creating (crafty or otherwise) this week?