See Jain Chain

Once Again, I Am Not Dead.

2012-01-27T15:09:00.002-06:00

I suppose this is common amongst bloggers but for some reason I always feel apologetic when I've gone several months without a post. I feel the need to write an explanatory post about why I haven't posted. This explanatory post usually turns out to be a mountainous wall of text that no one reads I'm sure. So this time let me just say it this way...

I went through a lot of stuff.
I moved.
I have time to blog again and hope to do it regularly (again) (but I probably won't) (again).

And finally, you are going to see several posts that are dated today - these are the projects I wanted to blog about but haven't been able to until now. No I did not make my Halloween bat in January but knowing me I am not surprised that you asked. I've got a couple of things that I can't blog about until I give them out because I don't want the recipient coming across it and ruining the surprise.

All that aside... I usually like to end the apologetic explanatory post with a list of my current WIPs. These are the things you can look forward to me not having time to blog about in the future. I am currently working on my third Dead Cat Hat as well as the beautiful Amsterdam Coat by Doris Chan which I am making with camouflage yarn and am suuuuper excited about. Once I get the correct yarn I will be working on a Megaman hat for my boyfriend and I have several other project ideas in mind but once I finish these things it really all depends on what shiny new pattern shows up in my Ravelry pattern search.

Ethiopian Flag Scarf

2012-01-27T15:05:00.004-06:00

My long time friend James requested that I make him a scarf using some yarn he'd picked out. He wanted 8 inch wide by 3 foot long panels of the colors of the Ethiopian flag. It was quite a bit of fun to churn out rows of double crochet at lightening speed. It's always good to have a mindless project you can do while you're watching tv. Although at times it seemed this scarf would go on forever. And it kinda does... he's very tall and wanted it to be long and draping.

Christmas Wine Bottle Cover

2012-01-27T15:02:00.001-06:00

I whipped up this wine bottle cover for a bottle of wine that I got my grandmother for Christmas. As simple as it is, it got so many compliments at the Christmas party.

Little Halloween Bat

2012-01-27T14:58:00.003-06:00

My mother loved Halloween. She passed away in October a few years ago so I always visit her grave in October and I usually like to bring along a crocheted Halloween accessory to hang with the flowers. This time I chose a bat. This adorable little bat pattern by Shala was the perfect thing.

Dead Cat Hat #2

2012-01-27T14:53:00.002-06:00

My friend's son liked the Dead Cat Hat so much that he asked me to make him one. Apparently this pattern is pretty popular because I am at this very moment working on yet a third Dead Cat Hat for my boyfriend's mother.... and strongly considering making another one for myself! They're just too cute!

We met at a restaurant for me to give him this hat and he immediately put it on. Not five minutes later our waiter commented on how awesome it was. This hat gets a lot of attention - and rightly so.

Dead Cat Hat #1

2012-01-27T14:47:00.002-06:00

I almost died laughing when I came across this pattern at Witchy Wiche. It's absolutely adorable and has a sick twist that I love. I knew I had to make one for myself immediately. I made the eyes into X's and also added a little felt tongue to make him seem more dead.

It's surprisingly comfortable and keeps your ears warm.

It's even cute when it's just sitting around!

Super Grover Hat!

2012-01-27T14:40:00.005-06:00

My friend came across a Grover hat that she loved but it was crazy expensive. She wanted it for her daughter JM and asked if I could make something similar. I love making hats so I jumped on it.

Here is my son Gibson modeling the hat for me before I shipped it out.

Evelyn Evelyn

2012-01-27T14:07:00.005-06:00

When I came across this pattern by Helen Apocalypse of The AntiCraft I knew I had to make it right away. Not only is it adorable with a shocking twist (my favorite!!) but I knew several people that would love to get this as a gift. I set to work on it straight away.

I cannot tell you how satisfying it is to make an ami with two heads. I'd never done it before but it's just FUN!

The body begins to come together...

And now the arms and legs are done...

One sister with her wig...

And now we're all done!

Detail of the flower hairpin...

Back view...

And the front...

I absolutely loved making this. I'd love to make another one someday. There are so many possibilities for decorating and color combinations. I just used what I had around the house but I'm sure if I went out and purchased supplies specifically for this project I could come up with a spectacular looking set of twins.

Gibson's Alarm Clock

2011-08-06T15:56:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a while since I last blogged. I'm going to be crocheting a lot in the near future and thought I would try to get back into blogging regularly.

The other day my son, who really loves clocks, requested that I make him an orange and white alarm clock. I looked through patterns online but the ones I liked weren't free so I just made my own up as I went along.

Halloween Costumes

2010-10-21T21:07:00.004-05:00

Wow it's been almost a year since I have posted on this blog! I haven't done much crocheting in the last year. Made a few Christmas / birthday gifts for people, that's about it. I just picked up some yarn a couple days ago to make a seat belt cover for my son who just outgrew his car seat and had to get a new booster car seat.

I've recently moved from Texas to Arkansas so that has been what's keeping me busy for the last few weeks. Packing, moving, unpacking, dividing things up to go in the house / garage / storage unit. I've been here two weeks and I am still not done. But I did take a few days off to work on our Halloween costumes.

This year I decided to let my son pick what costumes we would wear and he chose for us all to be cats. For him I got a tail and ears on a headband from the Halloween store and for myself and my boyfriend I made the ears and tail from scratch. I hit my *new* local JoAnn store and made a b line for the remnants because I am completely addicted to them. I hoped I'd find some furry fabric but I really didn't expect that I would. This store has only been open about a month so I wasn't even sure if they'd had time to build up much of a remnants section at all. To my surprise there was a giant chunk of beautiful black fur fabric in the remnants section AND it was half off! I also found some really cute wrist cuffs already made with fur and feathers and I just had to have them.

I already had some nice slightly furry pink fabric to use for the inside of the ears so when I got home I simply gathered my supplies and followed the Loveless Ritsuka Ear Tutorial by exailious that I found on DeviantArt. I spent a few days looking for ear making tutorials and this one I thought was really excellent. It's quite easy to follow and there is plenty of room for personalization. I especially like that these ears are not attached to a headband. I want them to blend into my hair and look as natural as possible at the same time leaving me free to do whatever hair style I choose without having a headband in the way. He uses large bobby pins to attach his ears but I am going to first try some large metal clips - you know the old school kind that you bend in half to open and they always hurt when they snap down on your head? I found some really big ones today at WalMart and tomorrow I will attempt to hot glue them to the ears and see how it works.

I also made some furry boot covers using this tutorial from SewMee.com. I have always wanted a pair of furry boot covers and after trying on the finished product I have to guess that I will be wearing these on occassions other than Halloween. They are just too cute!

With what was left of the fur i took one very long strip and cut it in half to make two tails of equal length. I sewed the edges together to form a tube and folded the end into a slight point. I considered stuffing the tails with cotton but after a short search for my batting I gave up, thinking it must have been put into storage or lost in the garage during the move. But after seeing the finished product I think I like the tail unstuffed and floppy. I haven't yet decided if I will string invisible thread or fishing line through the tail to allow for movement.

I spent many days scouring the internet for ideas on how to do my makeup. I didn't want full faced all out Cats The Musical type of cat makeup although I did find this video on YouTube by geosfera extremely enjoyable to watch. I don't think I will take the time to do this beautiful makeup idea by stephbusta but I do love the way she did the nose and I wanted to include a link to this video because her makeup is absolutely gorgeous and she has many other great videos about makeup styles.

Now if you happen to know me you know that I do not wear makeup. I am not very girly and I don't have anything more than the basics as far as makeup in concerned. I really only wear it about twice a year. But during my makeup tip search I came across Michelle Phan's YouTube channel and I swear this woman is a goddess. I must have spent 3 hours watching her videos and I don't even like makeup! She makes me want to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on brushes and eye shadows and start wearing makeup every day. She has tons of amazing tutorials not only for Halloween type makeup but also for every day styles, special occasions, glam, clubbing, parties, you name it.

So I have my ears, tail, cuffs, boot covers, and some really great ideas on how to do my makeup. The last step was to hit WalMart again and pick up a corset, petticoat, frilly boy shorts, and long sparkly eyelashes. It just occurs to me now as I type this that I do not have any nail polish so I may pick some up. From BigLots I got a large collar and from JoAnn's I got a large jingle bell. I think I'm pretty much set! I can't wait to put all of this together! I'll post some pics when it's finished.

2009-12-18T12:25:00.003-06:00

No, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth. I know it's been quite some time since my last post. Two reasons for that. Number one: my son has somehow "misplaced" my camera so there's no way to show you what I've been working on. I plan to look for it everywhere today because I will need it for Christmas as well. And number two: I am addicted to an MMO called Shaiya and any time that I'm not spending making Christmas presents I spend playing this game.

So a brief list of things I've been working on and hopefully soon I will have pictures so I can make an actual post about each.

I've almost finished another little bear using the Strawbeary pattern from Elizabeth Doherty.

I've finished one scarf and need to make another for two of the younger girls on my list. Thank goodness scarves are in this year!

I"m almost halfway done with a really nice warm fuzzy white blanket for one of the other younger girls.

I've made a few of the snowman bags from the December 2009 issue of Crochet World magazine. Also from this issue I am making the stuffed train toy. This one will warrant an entire post to explain.

I'm making a few Barbie Snuggies by request from my cousin's daughter.

I"m making another one of Alice's wonderful Starling Handbags. They are so much fun to make and can be customized in all kinds of ways. You can find the pattern in her downloads section at Future Girl.

As usual I have so many people to crochet for and I just looked up and Christmas is right around the corner. So I've kicked my crochet production into high gear. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to finish everything I have in mind but I'll do as much as I can. Goals for today are to finish another skein on the blanket and possibly start another snowman bag. Or I might just put the feet on the bear and have that project done. Oh and of course, find my camera!

Short 'N Sweet

2009-09-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

Another thing I've had my eye on for a while is the Short 'N Sweet Bolero from the Stitch 'N Bitch book. I don't wear boleros but for some reason I have wanted to make this ever since I saw it. I thought I could give it to someone for Christmas but I'm not sure who yet because it turned out a bit too small for the person I had in mind. I used Caron Simply Soft Eco in Wine Country and an H hook.

This pattern was really fun and easy to do but it seemed to me that there might have been a simpler way to write it. Maybe I'm just spoiled on Doris Chan patterns but finishing off and adding another piece of yarn just to chain 3 and finish off again seems a bit retarded to me. Other than the few odd instructions it was a nice little project. It still needs to be blocked but it looks very cute on.

Hook and Weave Shrug

2009-09-16T16:37:00.001-05:00

I have wanted a shrug for a while and have had intentions of making this one ever since I got this issue of Interweave Crochet way back in the Fall of 2007. Last month I finally pulled off the sticky note bookmark labeled "shrug" and got to work. The pattern is called Hook and Weave Shrug by Jennifer Orr. In the pattern you make the shrug a solid color and then weave a contrasting color through to make cute little stripes, hence the name "Hook and Weave", but I decided to make mine with stripes and get rid of some small balls of yarn I had lying around. I used Caron Simply Soft in Grey Heather and Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black and Wine Country with an I hook.

The pattern is great, it's simple and fun and really easy to adjust for size. You could make a 2x or a toddler size, whatever you want by simply taking a measurement of the arm spread and adding a little extra for the cuffs to fold over. I will probably make a couple more of these for Christmas gifts.

I will try to get some pictures of me wearing it pretty soon but here are a couple I snapped this morning.

Cat Ear Hats and Scarf

2009-09-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

I have been looking a long time for a good cat ear hat crochet pattern. I've tried several and they've never turned out to be what I wanted. This pattern is the closest I've ever come to finding what I want. It's still not exactly what I was looking for but it's definitely the cutest finished product. The pattern is called Holy Julie Newmar Batman! and is available for free at Gege Crochet.

I made this one using some Vanna's Choice yarn that I frogged from my Ridge Swing Cardigan that I gave up on after running out of yarn and never finding the same colors again. The colors are Taupe and Dusty Blue and I used a K hook for this one. After showing this picture to a friend he asked if I would make one for his son who is a skateboarder. Seems like a great hat for skateboarding to me. So I made a second hat using Caron Simply Soft in Grey Heather and Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black and an I hook. I really liked the color combination so I made a scarf for myself using the same pattern. I still haven't mailed this to him but I promise I will before it gets cold enough to use it!

Dinosaur Hoodie

2009-07-25T01:08:00.002-05:00

I spent the last couple weeks working on the Dinosaur Hoodie in the June 2009 issue of Crochet World magazine. I used Vanna's Choice in Taupe and Dusty Blue and a J hook. This will be a birthday present for my cousin's son. The party is tomorrow and it's a water gun party so it should be a really great time. Here are a couple of pictures of my son wearing it.

Amsterdam Coat - Update 1

2009-06-10T22:11:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday I started the Amsterdam Coat by Doris Chan. This is a free pattern available through NaturallyCaron.com. I'm using some Red Heart yarn - I know, I know. But the color (Earth and Sky) was just too awesome and I had to try it. I bet it will soften up with a wash or two.

This jacket is just flying off the hook. The pattern is very simple and quick to work up. In just four days I am almost ready to add sleeves and be done! I love all of Doris Chan's patterns but I think if you are looking for a good one to start with, this might be it. It seems to be the easiest of the four Doris Chan jackets I have made so far. (By the way, next on my list is the Lacy Duster I've had my eye on forever)

Here is a picture of the neck shaping.

Sorry about the burst of sunlight down the middle, I took a million pictures trying to get the light right but as you know this is a perpetual problem for me.

I don't know how I can have a light on, a lamp on, a flash on my camera and still end up with dark pictures like this but this is a picture taken just after making the band and starting the "skirt".

As of right now I have used three skeins of yarn and I'm almost finished with the skirt section - about four more rows unless I want to add some length. I also added two rows to the body but I didn't want to add too much because it will gain a lot in blocking.

I'm taking a break from it tonight to work on an old hibernating project and give my hands a change of scenery but it should be finished quickly.

Outta Chocolate Complete!

2009-06-10T21:48:00.002-05:00

I finished my Outta Sight jacket a while back. I was waiting to get some pictures of me wearing it before I posted this but it doesn't look like that will happen soon so I'll just add them here later when I get them.

I'm really happy with how this turned out and can't wait until the Fall to wear it. I love the color. It's Caron Simply Soft Eco in Chocolate and I had two skeins left over so I can make something else, possibly one of the tanks made from the same pattern in the book. I didn't make the string that laces the front together, I may do that later or I may just get a few clips next time I visit the craft store.

Here are some pictures of the blocking. It gained a lot of length with the blocking and I love long jackets. I think it's going to look really cute with some jeans and a tank.

Beaded Jewelry

2009-06-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

My grandmother's birthday is this weekend so a few days ago I started to work on a broomstick lace shawl for her. Despite my testing the initial base sc chain twice, after the first row of lace it was apparent that it was going to be a little small. I kept going, hoping that with blocking I could make it work and then as a last resort I could make another panel and add it on at the top to widen it at the shoulders. But after four days of working on it and becomming continually more discouraged I gave up and went back to the pattern books to find something else.

I came across a page of crocheted wire jewelry and that's been something I've wanted to try for a while. So I got out a hook, wire, beads, and findings and started to figure something out. I started stringing beads and wrapping wire and before I knew it I had made half a bracelet and never even used the hook! But I was accomplishing the goal which was to have a gift for my grandmother so I was still happy although it wasn't what I'd set out to do in the first (or second) place. It felt odd to be making a crafty gift that wasn't crocheted. But for now crocheted wire is still on my to do list and here are some pics of the finished products. A bracelet and earring set in blue.

Outta Chocolate - Sleeve 1

2009-05-23T19:26:00.001-05:00

I've finished the body of my Outta Sight jacket and started the sleeves. I had my boyfriend take some pictures of me wearing it. Unfortunately he just began snapping away and mostly at my clevage. So here in these salvagable images you'll just have to ignore my goofy face - look at the jacket and only the jacket! And especially do not notice the drip of sloppy joe on my shirt. I cannot help it, the sloppiness was overwhelming.

Futuregirl Handbag

2009-05-17T19:27:00.001-05:00

This month I got the opportunity to do something really fun... test a handbag pattern for Alice of Futuregirl.com! I have gotten the RSS feed from her blog for a long time and everything she does is gorgeous. So when I saw her post asking for pattern testers I went immediately to leave a comment. I just knew I would be too late to meet the five person cut off but, lo and behold, I was the second person! Yay!

I would have loved to do it in cotton but I didn't have enough so I used my Red Heart Super Saver Fleck in Sky Blue. I absolutely loved the pattern and I'm sure I'll be using it a lot in the future. I made the large and it's a perfect size for most of the women in my family. My grandmother carries a purse more the size of a small apartment complex but this will definitely be great for my cousins (and for me). I love the flat bottom and the way the handles are made - much better than the way I made them before. She'll be publishing the pattern for free on her blog so keep an eye out and you can make one too!

I've got to pick some fabric and make a lining for it now. More pictures to come.

Gibson's Granny Square Blanket

2009-05-17T18:49:00.001-05:00

I finished the granny square blanket for my son today. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. It's a great size for him and the colors are really calming, which can't hurt! I probably could have added another round or two but I didn't want to run out of yarn while putting on the shell edging so I played it safe. I'm not the biggest fan of the shell edging, it's okay, but I really wasn't sure what else to do on a granny square base. I need to brush up on my edgings I suppose. But I think it looks great and Gibson certainly likes it.

Outta Chocolate Progress

2009-05-15T01:47:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to show you the progress I've made on my Outta Sight by Doris Chan. I'm really loving the way it's turning out and I think it's going to fit great. I've got quite a while to continue in the pattern before I reach the right length and then I'll just need sleeves and the edging. And I've already got my next Doris Chan pattern picked out!

Mother's Day Gifts

2009-05-15T01:28:00.003-05:00

For Mother's Day this year I got the moms in my life some beautiful hand made soaps and lotions from Homestead Ranch. (I got some for myself too, and I love them!) To go along with I made some cotton washcloths. I made most of them out of I Love This Cotton which is so incredibly soft that I can't imagine why I ever bought another kind of cotton. Unfortunately I was in a rush to package them and forgot to take pictures of them. But here are some of the ones I made with the last of my Bernat Handicrafters Cotton.

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

WIP Update - April

2009-04-28T04:29:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I haven't blogged in quite some time so I decided to give you a little update on my current WIPs, except for two projects which warrant their own posts, the bathing suit cover up and the Outta Sight.

I've made a little progress on my socks since last I posted about them. I reached the heel and made the turn but it seems I need to add a few stitches for it to be the right girth for that part of my foot. This will require a little froging and some alteration to the pattern which I hope I can remember/recreate on the second sock. There will be some trial and error and ripping out of rows so I've put it aside for now until I feel like dealing with it. I am SOOO loving the yarn though.

My granny square blanket is coming along nicely. I've got one more skein of aran and then I think I will end it. It's not quite big enough yet to be a throw (maybe by the time I'm finished?) but it's the perfect size for my son who has pretty much claimed it as his own from the beginning anyway.

I'm still searching for a good pattern to use with the yarn I got for my birthday. It's some very fuzzy purple yarn (and white as well) and you know how I feel about the fuzzy novelty yarns. I really love the finished product but working with them is a pain in the ass. I could easily make a blanket and be done with it but I've really got my heart set on some kind of wearable like a little toddler dress or cardigan. I'm pretty sure I will be using this yarn for my cousin's daughter. Hopefully I will find a good pattern soon. I've got my eye on a couple of things but I'm not sure if I will be able to see the stitches well enough to get through it with the fuzzy yarn. Maybe I will just buy some other yarn and make the dress I"m looking at. But the dilema of the purple fuzzy yarn use remains.

Still looking for glasses for my MC Frontalot doll as well as thinking of props to make for him. Haven't picked him up in a while but he should be finished by the end of this year, in time for Front's birthday. Am I a creepy stalker fan or what?

My scrap ripple is still coming along. I add every little bit of yarn that I have at the end of a project. I'm really excited about how this is going to look when it's finished and it will be very special to me because every color of yarn is going to bring up a memory of the project I did and the person I made that project for. It will be the first and only afghan I've made for myself. But I must admit, I have been considering making some afghans for my grandmothers and I do have some gift cards to Joann's from my birthday so some big projects could be in my near future.

I've got a couple more near-future projects in mind but I won't speak of those just yet.

Outta Chocolate

2009-04-28T04:20:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I started the Outta Sight by Doris Chan from the book Everyday Crochet. When I hit row two of this project I messed up and had to put it away for a while because my son was completely distracting me. But I sat down to tackle it again today and got all the way down past the join at the armpit and it was all easy going. I will be working in the pattern repeat for most of the rest of the jacket, with an increase here and there. I really love the way Doris Chan's patterns are written. Once you have done a few rows you just "get" what she's doing and the rest just flies by. And her top down seamless construction is a total godsend to me because I also hate seaming with a passion. I would say that I can already see myself making this jacket again but there are so many other wonderful Doris Chan patterns out there on my to do list that I will be realistic and say it will be a while before I get around to doing this in fading shades of green as I originally planned.

I've wanted to make this for some time and I planned to do it in shades like the one in the book. But I was at the store and picked up a few skeins of Caron Simply Soft Eco in Chocolate. I completely forgot to get shades of green or blue like I had planned for this project all along. But when I got home I decided to go ahead and make it with the brown because that would match more of my clothes anyway and I couldn't wait to start it to be quite honest. I'm really excited about the way it's turning out! I plan to make it long sleeved and possibly add a hood.

The picture below is how far I got with my first skein...

I'm having to use a K hook to obtain gauge and that's a little upsetting to me. I know it shouldn't matter but it just seems like too big a hook to use with the yarn I'm using. It hasn't been as upsetting to work with as I expected at first but I still sometimes wish my gauge wasn't always smaller than the pattern. I guess I just crochet tight and have to get used to it. In any event, it's turning out wonderfully and I think once it's done and blocked and put against a solid color shirt it will look wonderful. I really like this yarn, wish it came in more colors.

Beach, Here I Come

2009-04-28T03:17:00.003-05:00

I finished my bathing suit cover up a few days ago. Haven't had time to post about it until now. It ended up being just a tiny bit tight across the back and shoulders but I think it will stretch enough to compensate for that. Other that the little mistake I pointed out in the original blog post, it all went off without a hitch. I really like the length and I used the entire cone of cotton so it was a happy destashing moment. This was made using one cone of Peaches & Creme cotton in White and a J hook. Yes, eventually I suppose there will be pictures of me wearing this with a bathing suit but for right now I'm holding off on that, haha.

Bathing Suit Cover Up

2009-04-10T17:41:00.003-05:00

I'm really making progress on my bathing suit cover up. The pattern is Long Crocheted Cardigan from DROPS Design. I've got the entire back piece finished and have started one side. This picture is from this morning when the back was almost complete.

Now let's play spot the error. Yes, I've already messed up. But I noticed it too late (just after taking this picture) and didn't want to frog seven rows back to fix it. You see the two rows of open squares just below the top section of chain loops? There should only be one row of open squares, like the first two pattern repeats below. I accidentally repeated the squares section befeore going on to the chain loops. But this is a happy mistake! When I finished the back it turns out that this mistake was exactly in the middle so everything is still symetrical AND it adds a little length which is always good in my book. I just have to remember to add that little mistake into the two side panels as I'm making them and everything will be fine and no one will ever know. Except you guys.

Granny Square Blankets

2009-04-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

I have always steered clear of granny squares. Sure, it was one of the first things I ever learned to crochet and you can make anything with a granny square. Blankets, slippers, shirts, purses, pillows. But for a long time the granny square meant old, tired, cliched crochet to me and I was determined to do anything but. One of the main complaints I had against granny squares was the memory of cuddling up in an afghan that my grandmother made, being so warm and comfy until my big toe popped out of one of the many holes. And being a sufferer of OCPD I simply could not stand that. I much prefer a full, flat fabric of crochet with no holes, especialy when it comes to things that will be near my toes.

Once in a while I would come across a pattern using granny squares that I thought I might like to make but it was never enough to really spark me into action. Until I saw a really pretty blanket made with shades of colors radiating out from the center. I can't find the link to it now but I really had the urge to make one as soon as I saw it. I happened to be finishing up my Horrendously Green Jacket at the time and I had four shades of green yarn leftover that would be perfect for a blanket like this.

The truth is, when I saw this blanket I got the itch to make one and make one fast. My in-laws were visiting about the time I saw this and they brought me two skeins of Lion Brand Homespun yarn in "Disco" which is black, purple, and teal. I wasn't quite finished with my Horrendously Green Jacket and I couldn't wait to start this project so I started it with the Disco Homespun. Two skeins of this yarn should be just enough to make a little blanket for my son who has practically claimed it as his own once he saw me making it. So the Disco blanket will be for my son. I am almost halfway through with the yarn I have. Here is a picture of that one, sorry it's so dark.

Once I finished my Horrendously Green Jacket, I began another granny square blanket using the leftover yarn from that. I started with a small ball of black Red Heart Super Saver that I had from a long time ago. Next I added the remains of the Red Heart in Dark Sage, Med Thyme, Light Sage, and Frosty Green. I've run out of yarn now so I'll be going to the store soon to get more because it's not very big.

I am enjoying making these blankets and I think they will have many happy years of use. But I also think that once I've finished these, I will probably have had my fill of granny squares for a while.

What Is This Hill You Speak Of?

2009-04-05T01:00:00.001-05:00

Well, this is it. I am officially 30 years old today. Time to break out the black balloons and novelty walking cane with mirror and horn. I really don't feel as bad about it as I thought I would. I've been 29 for a year and 28 for the year before that and I always just rounded up to 30 when thinking about myself and my goals in life anyway. I mean, what's the difference really between 29 and 31? Not much.

I think I have gone through more in the last three years than I have ever before in my life. Hell, I may have gone through more in the last three years than a lot of people will ever go through. There's been birth, there's been death, there's been stresses placed on careers, relationships, living situations. It has not been an easy three years, I will promise you that. But the important thing is that I have survived and I'm still hanging on, even if for no other reason than I belive I am owed some good to happen in my life and I'll be damned if I'm going to give up before I get it!

In all seriousness, the last six months have been very uplifting for me. It seems that things are finally turning around for me and I am positive about the future. I am welcoming 30 with open arms. When I think about this milestone, I am reminded of my mother who turned 28, then turned 29, then turned 28 again and continued to be 28 for the rest of her birthdays. Every year she would say she was 28 and no one would disagree. I wish she had the opportunity to fool us many more times. But because of her and how strong and beautiful and perfect she was, I am strong enough to face 30 with a smile on my face and be proud of what I have done and optimistic about my future. I am 30 years old today and my life is only beginning.

Summer Troubles

2009-04-04T18:27:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I am at a birthday party talking to my cousin. She tells me of the fun she had with her children at Surf N Swim last year and invites me to come along with her once the weather heats up. My son is two years old and has never been in a pool so this year would be a great time to introduce him to the water. I tell her I will come along and just like that my thoughts have turned to summer. I am now in a panic - I have to start getting ready! I haven't been in a bathing suit in about three years. I am, and have always been, pale as a blank sheet of paper. Since the last time I put on a bathing suit I have both given birth to a child and began a love affair with beer. Not to mention the fact that tomorrow I turn 30! Needless to say my tummy is not the flat little thing it used to be.

I have inherrited several bathing suits from my mother and simultaneously I became her exact size so I am pretty sure I will have a suit to wear. What I will look like in that suit is anyone's guess. I'm pretty sure as soon as my birthday celebratory drinking is over, it will be time for me to cut back and maybe start doing some sit ups. I refuse to spend money on a tanning machine so everyone at Surf N Swim will just have to avert their eyes to my awesome paleness but I will at least attempt to do something about my beer belly.

As an act of precaution I have decided to crochet myself a bathing suit cover up. I bought a cone of white cotton yarn last night and picked out a really cute pattern. I am forcing myself to finish another project before I begin this one but I have had an acute case of startitis lately and cannot guarantee that I won't give in and just start it. Besides, it's almost my birthday and I'm working on two blankets (winter much?) versus a bathing suit cover up. What would be more likely to be used and needed at present? You see how I'm rationalizing this to myself? You know this means I will probably start it tonight and forget the blankets. It's ok, things get done eventually around here.

As far as the pattern goes, I think it will work well in white cotton. It has a knitted button band but I was planning on dropping that part off even before I saw it was knitted (and I can't knit). I will probably do a few rows of single crochet instead and I'm not sure yet whether I will be adding buttons or just let it hang open. I'll have to look through my vintage button box and see if anything fits the bill. I'm excited. It's so much fun to find a project that looks like fun to make and will also be useful. Living in Texas I don't get much opportunity to use the shawls, scarves, and fingerless gloves that I find so much fun to make but a bathing suit cover up will be a practical way to show off my skills and have a garment that is unique, not to mention distracting people from my beer belly! Pictures to come soon. Of the started project, not the beer belly.

Hello Kitty Purse

2009-04-04T17:51:00.004-05:00

I finished the Hello Kitty Purse for my cousin's daughter. I think it turned out well although I wish I had left room at the top for a flap to close the purse. I got rid of a couple balls of pink hand me down yarn during this project and I always enjoy charted intarsia. I hand sewed the lining instead of using my sewing machine since it wasn't that big and I totally fail at sewing machine use anyway. The only matching fabric I had was a very fuzzy pink novelty fabric that seemed to shed a lot while I was putting it together. Maybe not the best lining for a little girl who likes to keep chicken nuggets in her purse but hey, I had to use what I had on hand.

It's Knot a Crochet Project But...

2009-03-25T01:32:00.003-05:00

After stopping by Stormdrane's Blog I knew I needed to give knotting a try. He makes some of the most awesome stuff and once I saw those paracord bracelets I realized I finally had a shot at making something handmade for the boys and men on my Christmas list. It's so hard to crochet for men, especially men who live in Texas and don't need scarves or gloves for more than three days a year. So when my grandmother offered to buy me some yarn I asked if she would pick up a bit of cord as well. I knew she wouldn't be able to find the really cool paracord at the store she was going to but I just needed something to test it out with anyway. She brought back some tan craft cord that was a bit smaller than I was expecting but still ended up working out.

I took a clasp and keyring off a lanyard I had never used (I have a few Jagermeister lanyards that I got back in Jason's touring days and they're still wrapped even - perfect!) and set to work figuring out the lanyard knot. Then I gave up on the lanyard knot and moved on! I think it was a combination of tiny cord and really long ends to deal with versus the short piece of cord in the tutorial video. I just could not make it look right although I know I was close.

So I skipped the lanyard knot and moved on to the cobra stitch. I had a little trouble with my first two attempts but once I found this video I got it down in a flash. It was surprisingly enjoyable and I felt pretty proud of myself for figuring it out. I know that I should have been a bit more careful of my placement when going back over it to make the king cobra stitch part but the cord was so small that I really had a hard time telling where it should have gone anyway. So I just knotted along until I had this:

Here my background was too dark but I think you can see the stitches better and it's closer to the true color.

Both my brother and dad have birthdays coming up (and me too!) and this color of cord should go well with my brother's Army uniform. I plan to make him a keychain as well but I'll need to figure out a way to cover some of the extra space at the clasp end. I'm sure I will end up buying some paracord before Christmas and make stuff for all the boys.

Orange Socks

2009-03-25T00:48:00.002-05:00

I started my first pair of socks not long ago and I am really enjoying the experience of using sock yarn. I wish I could afford more of it! But I do have a great green ball to use when these are done. I think they are turning out nicely and I can't wait to wear them.

Here they are the first day that I started them:

And here they are as of today:

I'm almost ready to start the heel. I'm using this pattern for toe up socks by Mary Rhodes. I looked for a while for crocheted sock patterns and found several really nice ones which are now in my Ravelry queue but this pair seemed the least thick and bulky and uses a plain stitch pattern that will really show off the colors of this yarn. The yarn is Chrysalis Fibers Silky Merino Hand-Dyed sock yarn in "Citrus Squeeze" and I'm using an E hook.

Ugly Green Yarn Chronicles Continued

2009-03-25T00:36:00.002-05:00

I've done quite a bit of work on the Horrendously Green Jacket. As of this writing, all I lack are the sleeves and I'm very excited about the way it's turned out so far. Here it is layed out on my floor.

That top portion is the hood and the two U shaped cut outs are the arm hole shaping. You can see them better in this side view.

Here is a close up of the hood.

And here are the two sides.

By the way, check out my cool new socks in the corner of that last picture, haha.

Ugly Green Yarn Chronicles

2009-03-13T02:38:00.002-05:00

A while back on the 2009 Stashbusting CAL at Crochetville, a very nice woman named Marzee got some "ugly green yarn" in an eBay lot and offered to send it to anyone crazy enough to enjoy pea and avocado greens. I almost broke my finger replying to her post as quickly as I could and that speed paid off because she sent it to me! I was so excited to get yarn, not only free but in these hideously beautiful colors that for some reason I love so much. She sent me two skeins and seven balls which I combined with a few skeins of various greens I already had and then sat down to decide what to make. The first thing that came to mind was a jacket since I can never get enough of those. It needed to be something funky, from the 70's or something. Ripples came to mind. Then I remembered in my Ravelry queue the really cool striped hooded jacket.

I was really surprised once I looked at the pattern and realized the unusual way this jacket comes together. I mean how many jacket patterns begin with "chain 298"? It's basically made in rectangular sections beginning with a long strip that goes up one side, over your head for the hood, and back down the other side. Think about hanging a scarf over the top of your head and that's what the first 20 rows looks like. From there you work the sides around to meet in the back and seam up the middle. Pretty awesome and it works up really fast. I started this on Tuesday and I have a two year old to keep up with!

It was too long to fit in a picture all flattened out but the long scarf looking strip you see folded below is the hood and the other side of the jacket that I haven't started yet. The big rectangle is the side, the U shaped hole is the arm hole shaping, and the very top is the beginning of the back.

As you can see here, I started out with some Caron One Pound in Taupe. It's really brown but it looked a little green as well. That is until I put it up against the rest of the greens. But it still looks cool in there and I'll probably buy more and carry it through the rest of the jacket. I will definitely need to buy more yarn to finish this.

I also added some greens that, once again, looked more green until I put them against the other greens and then they looked more blue green. They look pretty blue in this picture but I just can't seem to get good lighting in this house and it rained all day so no sunlight. The true color is not quite so blue but still a bit of a shock to the system if you will.

I still think they all go together pretty well and I bet once it's finished it won't look half bad. If you like weird 70's thrift store type junky fashion, which I do. Once in a while you just need to wear something funky! I think I may add a zipper to the front instead of the belt tie because I never use those and don't really like how they look. Or I may possibly add some of my vintage buttons. I am thoroughly enjoying this project and can seriously see myself making more of these jackets, the pattern is so easy and fun. Hopefully the fit will agree with me.

Thanks so much to Marzee (who is probably rubbing her eyes in horror) without whom this horrendously green jacket would not be possible.

Seraphina

2009-03-13T02:35:00.002-05:00

I attempted the Seraphina Shawl a few months ago and was hopelessly confused. Even with the images to help I still couldn't get it for some reason. Then I stumbled across this thread at Crochetville and decided to give it another shot. Suddenly everything was clear and I was on my way to making one of the most beautiful shawl patterns I have ever seen. I love looking through the completed Seraphinas on Ravelry (Rav link) because there are so many beautiful colors and patterns of pooling.

I'm making mine with some Jo-Ann Sensations Rainbow Boucle Patterns yarn (what a long name) in pink, grey, and black with a size N hook. For the first five rows or so I absolutely hated this yarn. I don't know why I bought it. I have just always preferred a smooth yarn, I hate working with things like this and Red Heart Kooky because you have a little tiny thread and you're going along and then the yarn just pukes up a hairball that you have to work around. Not so much with the boucle but you know what I mean. I don't know, it's probably my ocpd.

But after a while I did get used to this boucle and got going pretty fast. I still don't enjoy it per se but at least it's turning out nicely. I looked at this skein of boucle the size of my car and thought, I've got to figure out the Seraphina pattern because it would be perfect for that. And so far it is looking great. I'm getting some really cool stripey pooling.

I'm going to make this shawl really big and I'm doing it fairly loose, especially compared to my usual tension. I wanted it to be light and airy and really wanting to get rid of this blasted yarn is helping me remember to keep it loose. Use as much yarn as possible per stitch! I know I'll have some left over and I won't want to make anything else with it. Maybe I will gift it to someone.

Scrap Ripple Afghan Continued

2009-03-13T02:32:00.002-05:00

I've made a lot of progress on my scrap ripple afghan since the last post. Added an entire skein of a pinkish variegated yarn that I didn't expect to be able to use on anything else. Ever. It's pretty odd. But it's perfect for this hodge podge blanket. I've only got a couple more balls of scrap in mind for this blanket and then it will be put on the shelf for a while until I get more scraps. I really can't wait to be able to curl up under this and know it was my first full size afghan and I made it just for me!

Hello Kitty Purse

2009-03-13T02:27:00.002-05:00

Also this month is my cousin's daughter's birthday so I am making her a little Hello Kitty purse. This is the front panel with Hello Kitty's face.

The back panel is solid pink and the sides, bottom, and strap are in one big piece that I will sew together some time next week. Then I'll stitch the eyes and nose on and make a little bow for her ear. I used an I hook and some pink and white stash yarn that had no labels. I washed it in conditioner to soften it up and although it didn't soften as much as I would have liked it certainly smells nice.

I'm not sure what fabric to line this with yet but I have a couple of cute choices including some fuzzy pink fabric that I have been dying to use. But she has been known to keep important things like chicken nuggets in her purse so maybe fuzzy isn't the best idea? I'll have to decide later.

Firecracker Gloves #3

2009-03-13T02:25:00.001-05:00

I just can't stop making these Firecracker Gloves! I love this pattern. This pair is for my cousin-in-law whose birthday is this month. I'm also thinking I will have to make myself a pair just because. Made these with Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black and Wine Country with an H hook.

I'm hopimg to get some better pictures of them once it stops raining and I can get some sunlight.

Charity Baby Hats

2009-03-13T02:22:00.002-05:00

Save the Children was running a campaign called Survive to 5 to help babies in countries like Ethiopia, Nepal, and El Salvador survive the first years of life. They were accepting donations of knitted and crocheted hats and I had planned to send them a box full but it appears that the campaign is now over. However, these little hats can still help someone and I plan to finish off the baby yarn, fill the box, and donate them to a hospital near my home. I hope they aren't too small. I made them the size that was called for by the Save the Children instructions but they seem awfully small. Maybe it's just been a while since I saw a newborn.

I made a couple of sizes using an H and an I hook and the yarn is Jiffy Baby and Red Heart Kooky for the one on the right.

WIP List

2009-03-02T18:54:00.002-06:00

Once in a while I like to make a post about my WIPs. It helps me keep things straight in my mind - what I need to work on, what I need to buy, what I'd like to start soon. So here is my WIP list. Items marked with an * need to be completed soon because they've been on the list too long.

Current Projects

Hello Kitty Purse - almost done, due March 29
Dragonfly Shawl - barely started but not in a rush
Men's Vest* - about halfway done
Seraphina Shawl* - about 2/3rds done
Lattice Hat - ran out of yarn, have to get back to the store
Save the Children Hats* - going to fill the box before I mail them out
Ridge Swing Cardigan - ran out of yarn, have to get back to the store
Scrap Ripple Afghan - this one will be around a while
MC Frontalot Amigurumi - just adding details now but going to take my time with it
Rag Rug* - think I have the right hook now but I haven't even looked at this in a while
Half Moon Shawl - pretty sure I'm going to frog this
Armies* - I've got one glove done, just finish the other one already!
Sweet Pea Shawl - don't know whether to frog this or just forget it, it's so boring

Future Projects

? - birthday gift for my cousin, due March 29
Flames Purse - gotta get red, orange, yellow yarn
Socks - probably make a test pair before using my nice yarn
Purse - for my new black handles

Dragonfly Shawl

2009-03-02T18:05:00.001-06:00

Remember the yummy yarn I bought and had no idea what to make with it?

Well I think I'm going to make the Dragonfly Shawl from Interweave. But with this being a pretty advanced looking pattern, I thought I would do a practice run with some crazy purple thread that I have around. It's been smooth sailing so far but of course I'm only on Row 6. I have never done Soloman's Knot before and I heard it takes practice to get them even so maybe after making this one I'll have it down for the grey one. That is, if I get through the first one without giving up or messing up and if I can stand to make a second one! Usually I can't but this is just such an awesome looking pattern and it's a project that I plan to have around for a while anyway, doing a little at a time.

Here's what I've got so far:

Two Tone Lattice Hat

2009-02-28T02:25:00.003-06:00

As soon as I saw the pattern for this Lattice Hat I fell in love with it. I started one with Caron Simply Soft yarn in Plum Wine but unfortunately I ran out of yarn. I was having so much fun making it that I went ahead and started another one, this time using two yarns so that the lattice part stands out a bit more. For this hat I used Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black and Wine Country with an I hook.

I intended this hat to be for me but as I progressed it was apparent that it would be too small. No, I didn't check my guage. I really only check my gauge on clothing pieces and things that I make for someone else. Otherwise I just go along and adjust accordingly. However, I had no idea how to adjust this pattern so I decided this could be for my son. I would like to make another one for myself, maybe I will use a larger hook. I tend to crochet a little tighter and usually need to go up a hook size to obtain gauge.

I really like how the two color thing turned out. The lattice work pops out of the black background and my color changes are not that noticable at all. It was easy to do, if you're familiar with color changing it should be no problem. Maybe I'll make one in black and grey for myself.

A Couple More Bath Items

2009-02-28T02:07:00.002-06:00

I made this back scrubber as part of a birthday present which it looks like I may be late to deliver, disappointingly enough. I made a simple double crochet, chain one mesh and then joined it longways with a whip stitch. Then I made decreasing rows of half double crochet on each end and some chains joined with a small loop for the handles. It's like a mesh tube so, if you wanted, before you closed off the ends you could insert a long piece of sponge. I wanted to but I didn't have one.

Then to finish off the last of the skein I made this hyperbolic scrubby. I tested out my tawashi the other day and, although I liked the size and feel of it, it didn't produce as much lather as I would have liked so I decided to give this a try. I thought the extra rufflyness would help. Is rufflyness a word? It is now.

Both made using Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in Desert Cactus and an I hook.

Show You My Oh Face

2009-02-23T23:07:00.003-06:00

I made another dildo yesterday. This one is a birthday gift for someone who got quite a kick out of the other dildos I made. I really like the color of this one, it looks like the cheap, cheesy dildos you see in the shops. (Not that I have ever been in those shops - wink) I used Caron Simply Soft in Limelight, Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black, and a G hook. I deviated from my pattern a bit at the knob and instead of making ridges I just made it flat. And he's a little shorter. Or should I say stubbier? I meant for his mouth to be like "ooh" but after I finished it reminded me more of a ski mask wearing criminal. That's ok, he's not really dangerous.

Attack of the Washcloths!

2009-02-23T15:08:00.004-06:00

I spent a few days making simple washcloths out of my Bernat Handicrafters Cotton in Desert Cactus. I'm almost done with the skein so I think I might just finish it off with washcloths and put them away for this Christmas. I also made a couple of tawashis which I think are usually for kitchen use but I thought I'd like to have a couple in the shower. I'm going to try one out tonight!

Simple double crochet with no border:

Star stitch - came out a little wonky but fun to do:

Double crochet mesh:

Hexagon (free pattern here):

Round:

And the two tawashis with little straps.
One with ruffle:

One without:

Arch Scarf Breathes a Sigh of Relief

2009-02-15T02:05:00.000-06:00

Remember the Arch Scarf that I started way back in July and almost immediately grew tired of working on? Well the 2009 Stashbusting CAL on Crochetville had me looking at it in a different light last week. If I could just finish off that skein I'd get two points! And that's exactly what I did. I ended up not going around the edges with single crochet like I'd planned for two reasons: I wasn't sure I'd have enough yarn and the scarf was a little short as it is AND I just didn't want to. I looked at all those holes and thought "where would I hook in and how will it look?" and decided I'd probably make it look worse instead of better. It's not a bad edge as it is, it just needs to be stretched into shape a little. So, after six months of sitting on a shelf, my super happy Arch Scarf is complete and ready to go... right back on the shelf! It'll be waiting for a birthday or some other event or person to come along and have a use for it. I used Caron Simply Soft in Off White and an I hook.

More Firecrackers

2009-02-15T01:47:00.001-06:00

After seeing the fingerless gloves I just finished, my boyfriend's step mom mentioned that she would like a pair to wear at the office. I immediately thought of the Firecracker Gloves. I started a pair with Caron Simply Soft Eco in Wine Country but soon realized I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish them and they were a little big anyway. So I used that yarn to make the PDQ in the last post and started the gloves over using Caron Simply Soft in Plum Wine. (What's with the wine colors? She loves wine, too. I just noticed that. Yes, I'm easily amused.) I used an I hook and started with foundation single crochet for greater stretch at the wrist.

I really love this herringbone half double crochet stitch. It's fun and fast and makes a beautiful fabric. I also love that I can whip up a pair of gloves in a day and the finishing is pretty quick. Just a couple of ends to weave in. I'm pretty sure I will be making more of these.

The PDQ

2009-02-10T20:16:00.003-06:00

Every time I make a hat for someone my son tries it on and gets all interested in hats for a few days. So I made this one for him last night. It's from the Stitch 'N Bitch book and it's called the PDQ. And PDQ it was! It took me just a couple of hours to make. I used Caron Simply Soft Eco in Wine Country (another color I just love), an I hook, and two blue buttons that my mom bought me from a thrift store a couple of months before she passed away. I thought the buttons looked great. They either clash with the yarn just enough to be really cool or I have bad taste and you (and my son) will just have to deal.

I think I might make a couple more of these. I have a ton of really great buttons that I need to use up.

Gloves and a Hat

2009-02-10T19:39:00.007-06:00

My boyfriend's brother wanted a pair of fingerless gloves and after searching for a pattern that wasn't too bulky or too girly (there are a lot of those out there!) I came across a great pattern from Julia V on Crochet Me. They have some texture but they're not bulky and they are great for a man or a woman. For these gloves I used Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black and an I hook. My boyfriend and his brother have similar hand sizes so I tried them on my boyfriend as I went along. Because they are worked in the round and each made exactly the same, there was a little discrepency on the palm area conscerning how far the end of the glove came down past the palm. So I went one more half row to make them even and then stitched a little "L" in the left one and an "R" in the right. I'll be mailing them out with a Valentine's Day package, hopefully tomorrow.

My boyfriend was kind enough to stop recording long enough to model these for me - thanks for all your help in making these honey!

Also in this Valentine package will be a hat for his girlfriend who likes bears even though they are the number one threat to this great nation!! I started out working from a pattern but I didn't have enough yarn for it so I started over and made this one up. The hardest part is getting the ears sewn on evenly. I also found my foam head today so once I get it painted you won't have to look at my hat modeling faces anymore! Woo hoo! This was made using Caron Simply Soft Eco in Ocean and an I hook. I really love this color.

Valentine's Day Shawls

2009-02-01T17:15:00.003-06:00

About a week ago it dawned on me that Valentine's Day was right around the corner. I had seven skeins of Paton's Brilliant in Radiant Red and, although I had been saving it to make a Short 'N Sweet from the Stitch 'N Bitch book, I just couldn't deny that this is the most perfectly Valentiney yarn in my stash if not in the world! And having just aquired the ever so awesome book Amazing Crochet Lace by Doris Chan, I had a couple of patterns burning a hole in my pocket so to speak.

So I started to work on the Blue Curacao Shawl and finished it in one day! The pattern was fun and easy to follow as all Doris Chan patterns are to me. I see a lot of people commenting that her patterns are difficult but I rarely have a problem with them. (I would have said "never" instead of "rarely" except for one little thing which you will read about next) I really wish I'd made this a little bigger though. I guess my tension is a little tighter than most because I always end up with a little bit smaller finished product. I wish I had added another row or two of pineapples but I wasn't sure how much bigger it would get when blocked. Not enough, really. But it is big enough to go over my shoulders so I'm sure my grandma will love it just the same. I did change the border to a basic shell because I didn't like the way the original border looked.

The Curacao Shawl only took two skeins of yarn so I still had five left and I've had this yarn for so long, I just wanted to get rid of it. So I picked another pattern from the book - the Chrysanthemum Tea Shawl. Once again, this shawl turned out much smaller than it needed to be but it's much bigger than the Curacao Shawl and it does still fit over shoulders so not too big a deal. I had a lot of fun making this one and I really want to try it again with a better yarn and a bigger hook to see if I can't reach gauge.

Now about that "rarely" instead of "never" thing... the way this pattern says to join rounds was incredibly confusing to me for some reason. I did the middle section all the way to the base of the leaves and then realized I had two extra leaves so I frogged it all back and started over. This time I just joined rounds the way I usually did and all the numbers came out right, it just has a little bit of an odd swirl where the join is.

I know this would look better if I blocked it but I don't have a piece of cardboard big enough, I can't do it with just a towel, and I can't see convincing the others in the house to let me put pins all in the carpet. Besides, I have a two year old so nothing can sit around with pins for very long unless it can be put high out of reach. Nevertheless I'm sure my boyfriend's mom is going to enjoy it. Now to make sure I get it packed and mailed in time for Valentine's Day!

Japanese Red Maple Experiment - Day One

2009-01-26T16:25:00.002-06:00

A group of people in my neighborhood planted a Japanese Red Maple last year but it died when a well meaning resident pruned it to death. Luckily, someone saved a ton of seeds from it and has kept them in refrigeration until now. A few residents, including me, have volunteered to try to get some seedlings out of them. When I first heard of this project I volunteered because I tend to be pretty good (or just lucky) with plants and I couldn't pass up the possibility of getting enough seedlings that I could keep one for myself!

When my package of seeds and soil arrived, the accompanying instructions seemed simple enough. Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours and then plant the ones that sink about a half inch deep in the soil. I soaked my seeds and after 24 hours I had just one sinker - the smallest seed. I went ahead and planted them all because, why not? So I divided up all my seeds between my three pots, labeled them "Sink" and "Float", and placed them in the windowsil with the rest of my plants.

Now this is an effort by a group of people who do not claim to be plant experts so the instructions also contained the suggestion to look it up online and follow whatever growing instructions we thought would work best. So look it up I did. Apparently there are over 1,000 varieties of Japanese Maple trees and it seems that each one has distinct needs. I'm going to try to find out from someone more specifically what kind of seeds these are but since they are already planted I think I'm just going to continue with my plan and hope for good luck. I believe I have them at a good temperature and I have plastic wrap over them to keep the moisture up until they sprout. But at the same time I've read that they like to dry out between waterings so I am wondering whether to take that plastic wrap off. I want them to soften up so the cover of the seed is easy to break through but I don't want them to mold. I'll see how they look tomorrow and just wing it.

Here are two of the three pots on the windowsil.

Over to the left you can see one of the three plants that I kept from my mother's funeral last year. All three of those are still going strong. I have no idea what they are called but two are ivies and one is a two foot tall bushy plant. So I guess we will see soon enough if these seeds will sprout. I'll do an update post every so often.

Child's Shawl

2009-01-23T20:24:00.004-06:00

My niece turns three tomorrow so I made this little shawl for her. It has a tie in the front to keep it on and lots of little ruffles to spin around in. I just made this up as I went along but I do know what I did and plan to write the pattern up soon. Her birthday is at Chuck E Cheese's so that should be a lot of fun. It will be my son's first time there. Hopefully I can get some pictures of her wearing it tomorrow but with all the animatronic musical animals, arcade games and ball pits she may not have time to deal with trying on shawls, haha.

I used Bernat Softee Baby yarn in "Soft Lilac" and "Pink Parade" and a 4.5mm G hook. I worked until I ran out of both yarns and gained myself 4 points on the Stashbusting 2009 CAL! Yay!

Earth Tones Purse

2009-01-23T20:19:00.002-06:00

I finished sewing the lining into the second bag this morning. This one also needs some flowers attached. I plan to do that tonight. I made this using an I hook and the following yarns: Caron One Pound in "Taupe", Caron Wintuk in "Nutmeg", Vanna's Choice in "Olive", and Vanna's Choice in "Dusty Green". I really love the fabric I used to line this and luckily I have a lot left so I can use it on another project. Wish I could get better at sewing so that I could add pockets. Maybe one day.

I brought out my lamp to take some of these pictures and they still turned out dark. I guess it's time to Google lighting for photography and learn a little.

Yummy New Yarn

2009-01-23T02:16:00.003-06:00

Last week my boyfriend surprised me by handing me his credit card and saying I could buy some really nice yarn for the first time in my life. My eyes glazed over at the thought of what could be gliding across my hook. Before he'd even realized the card had left his hand, I was on Etsy narrowing down my choices. Four hours later (yes, I narrowed for four hours) I had decided on my three precious skeins of awesomeness.

I felt bad about the prices. I got great deals, don't get me wrong. But, before this, the most expensive yarn I'd ever bought was Bernat Satin at around three and a half dollars a pop. These yarns were in the double digits! But they were great prices compared to what most people were charging for similar stuff and, after the last two years I've had, I thought I deserved a little treat. Once my packages arrived and I opened up the boxes, I did not feel bad any more!

Yummy Yarn Number One:
Gossamer Silk Lace from The Fiber Denn
Color: Hematite

This is the most gorgeous color in the world. It's much smaller than I realized it would be. The day after I bought it, they put up a picture of it next to a coin for size reference and I had a bit of a d'oh moment but that's ok, it was my first time buying this stuff. I am still quite happy with my purchase, just completely at a loss as to what to make with it just yet. But it can just sit there and look pretty until I find the perfect pattern.

Yummy Yarn Number Two:
Hand Dyed Merino/Silk Blend Sock Yarn from Chrysalis Fibers
Color: Citrus Squeeze

I got some orange purse handles for Christmas and my first thought was to make a purse with this but I'm not sure there is enough there. Just as well, I can always make some socks or fingerless gloves or something. It's just so pretty I can't decide whether to start making something right now or just stare at it for a while!

Yummy Yarn Number Three:
Hand Dyed Peruvian Highland Wool also from Chrysalis Fibers
Color: Lilypad

This is definitely my favorite. If I thought I could do it without getting hair on my tongue, I would eat this yarn. Look at those colors! Don't you just want to touch it? You do, I can tell. I'm pretty sure I'll be making socks out of this. The only thing I'm not sure about is the fuzziness on my toes. I'll have to rub my feet on it and see what I think. As far as I'm concerned this yarn can be whatever it wants to be and I may have to wait a while for it to tell me and that's just fine. As long as I can fight off the urge to just unravel it and roll around in it. It makes me want to be some kind of small animal so I can nest in it. Do I have problems? Nah.

Ridge Swing Pillow

2009-01-23T01:38:00.002-06:00

While working on my Ridge Swing Cardigan, I realized I needed a birthday gift for my boyfriend's step-mom. I decided to make her a pillow but after looking through patterns for a while the only one I really liked was the Basketweave Pillow but I didn't think I'd have time to make it. Then it occurred to me, why not use the ridge pattern from the cardigan? She likes bright colors so I got out a ton of yarn and worked the ridge pattern changing colors every row.

I intended the pillow to be square but I made a mistake. I increased to the size I wanted and then decreased back down the other side. This made it a bit more rectangular than square. I should have (and will in the future) gone with two triangles joined to make a square. But I'd already done all that color change work! So I just made the back the same way - increased up and decreased back down. Then I realized that, while I'd made them both the same, they needed to face opposite directions to be a front and back. So they wouldn't line up! Ugh! It was too late to do anything about it so I just kept going, hoping I could hide some of the mistake in the way I stuffed or flattened it.

I had a couple of pillows lying around that I'd been meaning to throw away so I cut one open and used the stuffing from it, which was really soft. My son enjoyed helping me during this part. If I'd had more time I would have added a lining (and again, in the future I will) but the stuffing can't be seen and doesn't seem to be coming out. All the sides lined up perfectly but there was a huge bulge in the middle of each side (and going different directions) that caused the pillow to twist in a way that could not be hidden by any amount stuffing or flattening.

So oh well, I learned a lot making this project and despite its wonkiness it still came out really cute. It was fun to make and I plan to do more pillows now that I know what I did wrong. I'd like to make her another one to replace it because it really is a little silly but I'm not looking forward to that much color striping again any time soon. I may make her another colorful pillow using a different design, possibly yoyos with a white lining. She said it had character and she loved it. It was definitely a learning experience.

I used an I hook and the back is made with Caron One Pounder in "Taupe". The front, obviously, is every worsted weight yarn I could find.

Front:

Back:

Firey Handbag

2009-01-23T00:43:00.003-06:00

Tonight I finished a handbag for my aunt. Well, to be honest it's not quite finished. She requested a handbag with some crocheted flowers attached to it so I still have to make those flowers but that shouldn't take long at all. The really hard part is over - the lining. I just suck continuously on a sewing machine for some reason but I got it done* and it's not half bad I think. She liked the fabric I used on my bag and I didn't have any of that left but I had something similar.

I used Red Heart Super Saver Fleck in "Spa Blue Fleck" (redundant much?) and an I hook. The second picture is the truest color. I've got to do something about the lighting in my room.

* I actually made two linings tonight! I will sew the other one in tomorrow. I need these both done by Saturday so I can give them to her because I don't know when I'll see her again.

Scrap Ripple Afghan Progress

2009-01-11T23:45:00.003-06:00

Here is a picture of the progress I have made on my scrap ripple afghan. I'm using the ripple pattern from Project Linus except instead of single crochet I am doing half double crochet. I've added a couple more rows since I took that picture and may work on it some more tonight. This project is helping me out a lot with the Stashbusting CAL at Crochetville. I've actually broken even in points today but I will be in the negative again when my special yarn arrives. But it was worth it!

Firecracker Gloves

2009-01-11T23:44:00.002-06:00

Last week I went to stay a few days with my dad and while I was there I whipped up these cute fingerless gloves. They are the Firecracker Gloves by Ria Saakshi. This pattern is simple and perfect. They work up quickly and they fit my hand exactly. I am sure I will be making more in the coming year and hopefully getting some pics of me wearing them so you can see how they fit. I used Caron Simply Soft in Baby Brights Ombre and Red Heart Super Savers in White with a G hook.

Ridge Swing Cardigan

2009-01-11T23:31:00.001-06:00

A couple of days ago I started the Ridge Swing Cardigan by Robyn Chachula. The pattern is available in the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine. I am making it two tone using blue and brown. The pattern is worked in panels starting with the back. I started with one of the front panels so that I could measure where I wanted my stripe of brown to be. Somewhere along the way I messed up and got off on my stitch count but I still figured out about where I wanted the stripe so I frogged that panel and started on the back panel as the pattern is written. I think I messed up because the turning chain is counted as a stitch. I don't know why but I just hate that, it always screws with me. So I added an actual stitch to the beginning of each row and I have been right on track so far. I finished the back panel yesterday and the front right panel today. Tomorrow I will start on the front left panel and then I'll just lack sleeves. I'm excited about how it's going to turn out. I think it looks great so far. I don't have any pictures yet but it should be finished soon enough.

I ordered some really nice yarn yesterday for the first time. I've never had expensive yarn before so my boyfriend treated me and I shopped on Etsy for hours until I picked out the coolest yarn I could find/afford. I got three skeins: a green sock yarn, an orange sock yarn, and a silvery grey silk yarn. Just wait until you see pictures of these, they are amazing. I will probably keep them forever because no pattern will be perfect enough for them. I know I'm going to use the orange to make a purse to go with the orange purse handles I got for Christmas. Assuming they match.

I am still putting off adding the linings to those purses. I have really got to do that in the next few days before my boyfriend goes out of town and there's no one to watch my son who is deathly afraid of the noise my sewing machine makes. I also need to finish up that cross stitch project soon. And in about a week my boyfriend's step mom has a birthday so I need to pick something to make for her. I have a hat in mind that's been in my Ravelry queue for a while. That's about it on the to do list for now.

And The Rush Abates

2009-01-03T15:34:00.004-06:00

Whew! The holidays are over and everything went well. Everyone enjoyed the gifts I made and I managed to finish all but one - the gift for my boyfriend's dad. This is not a crochet project, it's cross stitch so it's taking a long time. I won't go into detail about it yet because I have plans to make a tutorial on it, assuming it turns out well. I also have two handbags to finish. One has been crocheted and only lacks a lining and a little flower. The other was just started last night but shouldn't take long to complete. So I'll get a little more practice with linings here in the next day or so. Wish me luck on that.

Once I finish these three items, I will be free to crochet whatever I want and it feels great! There are so many things on my to do list - patterns I've had my eye on forever and yarns I don't know what to do with. It will feel so good to pick out and make something without the pressure of a deadline or the looming expectations of the recipient. I've been searching for the perfect project with which to celebrate my temporary freedom but I haven't settled on anything yet. I joined the Stashbusting CAL 2009 on Crochetville, it looks like a lot of fun.

I've got a decent amount done on my scrap ripple afghan. I'll probably post an update on it next week. I'm also excited to get back to work on my MC Frontalot amigurumi once the handbags are complete. I ordered Front's new cd yesterday along with a t-shirt so that I can spread the joy of nerdcore wherever I go. Now that I've missed sending him the doll for Christmas I figure I may as well take my sweet time with finishing it. After all, the thing that makes an amigurumi stand out is detail detail detail! I've got tons of ideas for him and the fun part is: they're all tiny! So they should be quick to work up and that is ever so satisfying (and helpful in the Stashbusting CAL too). The only problem I can forsee at the moment is how to make his glasses. I was going to spray paint some Mr. Potatohead glasses black but they were just a tad too small. Too bad, they would have been perfect. But I'll keep my eyes open for something.

So with the start of the new year my hook is basically liberated until March when I have two birthdays to crochet for. I'm off to browse patterns and find something to work on!

Ketjusilmukkahuivi

2008-12-28T23:10:00.002-06:00

Today I finished the Ketjusilmukkahuivi. This is a Finnish pattern but luckily I was able to find an English translation for it on Ravelry. The moment I saw this pattern I thought it would be great for my boyfriend's step-mom and I thought of her as soon as I saw this yarn as well. She loves bright, rainbowy colors and I thought the dark brown would match a lot of things while still giving her little splashes of color. The yarn is Red Heart Super Saver Fleck in "Coffee Fleck" and I used an I hook.

This worked up really fast and was fun to make except for the bazillion ends to weave in and I really have trouble hiding an end in nothing but chain stitch. But the bumpiness of the color flecks in the yarn help to conceal any little end bits that might pop out.

I couldn't get the true color of this yarn in the pictures I took today. This is the closest I got...

And here's a couple of shots but they're a bit dark. I've really got to hook up that lamp I got for Christmas!

V-Stitch Scarf

2008-12-27T00:47:00.002-06:00

After making the Love Scarf, I decided to make a similar scarf with the V-Stitch for my boyfriend's mom. This worked up really quick and was fun to make. I made it red and white so it has dual purpose: it has Arkansas Razorbacks colors as well as being the colors of the school where she works. I used Red Heart Super Savers in White and Cherry Red with an I hook.

Sorry about the odd coloring of the photos, it was cloudy that day and the lighting in my room sucks. But I did get a lamp for Christmas! Have to hook that up tomorrow.

Longcat Is Loooong

2008-12-27T00:44:00.002-06:00

Finished the Longcat Scarf tonight. I think out of the 42 projects on Ravelry, mine is the only one that isn't knitted. But I think it turned out really cute. This project seemed to take forever since it was single crochet the whole way through. Took me less than a skein of each color though, I was expecting to use more yarn. I used Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black and Wine Country with an H hook.

Cable Scarf

2008-12-27T00:31:00.001-06:00

I finished the Crochet Cable Scarf that I started a while back. It's for my boyfriend's brother and he likes his scarves to be long, as do I. When I ran out of the first skein of yarn it looked to be about half as long as I wanted it and I thought that two skeins would be perfect. I just worked the pattern until I ran out of yarn. When I looked up, this scarf was a monstrous 88 inches long! If you wrap it around your neck it looks just fine but when it's just hanging in your hands it seems huge. I can easily shorten it if he wants, we'll see what he thinks when I see him on Monday.

I did enjoy the pattern and will probably make more in the future. I'd love to make one where the diamonds and stripes are a different color, maybe pink and grey. I used Caron Simply Soft Eco in Forest Floor and an I hook.

After the first skein...

This is finished but folded in half!

And a couple of close ups...

Williamsburg Doily Failed

2008-12-26T23:55:00.003-06:00

Somewhere along the way the Williamsburg Doily started to not make any sense to me. I have no idea where I went wrong, but as time went on it became apparent that I would never finish this in time to give away at Christmas. So I simply finished off right where I was and started another doily of my own creation.

Here is the Williamsburg just after blocking...

And here is the doily I just made up as I went along.

The Race To Christmas: Part One

2008-12-15T18:32:00.007-06:00

Unfortunately, the money I was counting on to buy everyone's Christmas gifts this year doesn't look like it's going to be making its way into my pocket at all, much less in time to take care of the 20+ people on my list. I only found this out a week ago so that gave me two weeks to hand make a gift for every person. I have crocheted my hands off during every waking second of the last week and will continue, I'm sure, to crochet right up until the car ride to my grandmother's house for Christmas festivities.

I did this last year as well. I made every single gift that I gave last year and I did it all in one month. This will not happen next year. I can't be this stressed out again. As a matter of fact, my New Year's resolution will be to make gifts for people all year long in anticipation of still being as poor as I am right now. One good thing I can take from this is that I can be sure that each person on my list receives a one of a kind item that no one else will have. And for the second year in a row, I get to say that I took the handmade pledge!

Williamsburg Doily

2008-12-13T18:58:00.004-06:00

I started the Williamsburg Doily today. It's working up much faster than I expected which is good because I have a ton of things to make for Christmas! Is it weird that I'm actually looking forward to blocking this? Yeah, it probably is. I'm using Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Cotton size 10 in Natural and a 2.55 mm steel hook.

This is only the second doily I've made, the first being the Pinwheel Doily I made for my grandmother last year.

Rebel Alliance Scarf

2008-12-13T18:52:00.005-06:00

I made this scarf for my Star Wars obsessed cousin. I got the Rebel Alliance chart from Leah Fenton. I used Red Heart Super Saver Solids in Cherry Red and Caron Simply Soft Eco in Black with an H hook. I have a lot of ideas for more projects using these great charts once the Christmas rush is over!

Love Scarf in hdc

2008-12-13T18:45:00.003-06:00

I wanted to make a scarf in Arkansas Razorbacks colors for my boyfriend's dad and I really liked this pattern for the Love Scarf. The only yarn I could find that my boyfriend approved of the color was Red Heart which is not the softest yarn in the world. So instead of single crochet I used half double crochet to make the fabric of the scarf a bit less stiff. I may also try giving it a wash before I give it to him to see if it will soften up a bit. I made it extra long because he's a tall guy. I used Red Heart Super Saver Solids in White and Cherry Red and an I hook.

Pink Camo Purse- Sans Lining

2008-12-13T18:41:00.002-06:00

I've finished the pink camo purse for my niece. I still need to put a lining in it but I'm not sure what fabric to use yet. I would have made the strap longer but I ran out of yarn. I think I will also add a couple of buttons to keep it closed.

Blue Bear Hat

2008-12-07T22:08:00.002-06:00

Also today I finished a little blue hat with bear ears and pom poms. It will be a Christmas gift. I think I will make another one for my son because he seems to really like it, despite his face in the second picture, lol.

Kooky Ski Cap

2008-12-07T21:47:00.003-06:00

This morning I finished another Christmas gift, a hat for one of the boys. I modified the Crochet Cap pattern a bit to make it more suitable for a child's head. It's a little big on my son but it should fit its intended recipient.

Pom Pom Hat

2008-12-05T19:12:00.001-06:00

My cousin said her daughter would like a red hat for Christmas so I made this one today. I used a pattern called His and Hers Hats and an H hook. I used Red Heart yarn in Cherry Red for the hat and then lined it with Fun Fur. For the pom poms I used three different red yarns including one that I had practiced knitting with so it gave the top pom pom a little bit of a curly flair. I truly hate making pom poms, I've got to get a pom pom maker. But I think the hat came out pretty cute. I hope she likes it.

Pink Camo Purse

2008-12-04T23:57:00.002-06:00

Started a pink camo purse for my niece whose father is in the Army. I bought this yarn months ago with her in mind and was never sure what to make with it. I need to get by the store and find a matching fabric to line it with. I'm going to add a flap and a really long strap.

MC Frontalot Almost Ready For Mic

2008-12-04T23:39:00.003-06:00

Just a little update on my MC Frontalot amigurumi who now has two legs albeit one substantially short pants leg. Aww, you can see his little socks! Once I finish that pants leg, I will close up his feet and begin his props and details.

Alphabet Pillows

2008-12-04T23:23:00.003-06:00

I started another of the alphabet pillows last week, a letter B for Brianna. I'm making five pillows for Christmas presents and this is the third. I'm either going to run out of this yarn or cut it very close. I may have to finish the back of the pillow in white or something. We'll see. I love the yarn though, it's very soft and fuzzy. I'm using Lion Brand Jiffy and a 4.5mm G hook.

Here are the two I've finished... a pink K for Kaliegh using Lion Brand Jiffy and a 4.5mm G hook and sewn together with Red Heart Foxy.

And a blue K for Kaden made with two colors of Red Heart Super Saver and the 4.5mm G hook, also sewn together with Red Heart Foxy.

Scrap Ripple Afghan

2008-12-04T23:12:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I realized that after all these projects I finally have enough scrap yarn to start a scrap project. I decided to make a scrap ripple afghan. I'm using a 4.5mm G hook and this pattern with any and every yarn I have leftover from other projects as well as a couple of really old skeins I would never use for anything else - like the powder blue Creslan yarn you see in the picture. I'm using half double crochet instead of single crochet.

I'm excited about how this could turn out. Normally I don't like rainbowy multicolored things but I think this is going to be fun. I am enjoying making the ripples and it seems to be working up quickly. I have an old pattern book from the 70's with a ripple jacket in it and I really look forward to making that one day. Not in multicolor though!

Darla's Handbag

2008-12-01T15:37:00.001-06:00

My aunt requested that I make a handbag for her sister for Christmas this year. I started the handbag about a week ago and finished the crocheting this morning. Her favorite color is green so I have incorporated some green stripes and I'm supposed to add a rose on there somewhere. I'm going to make a removable rose pin.

I had the most beautiful fabric remnant in mind for the lining of this project. It's green with gold designs and it's very soft and shiny.

But when I unfolded the roll I got a few surprises! First, I realized that I had more than enough fabric to line the bag and make a pocket or two - a good surprise. Then I realized that the fabric was not only green with gold designs but it also faded to black and had a beautiful band design across each edge...

This is just gorgeous but doesn't go well with my handbag at all. And as another surprise I noticed that the back of the fabric is a beautiful gold with black.

So... I'm not sure whether to use this fabric on the handbag or save it for something else and try to find another matching fabric for the bag. This is why I love to buy fabric remnants. You really never know what you're going to get!

I'm going to try to make another trip to the craft store before Christmas so for now I am putting this project on hold until I can get there and see what kinds of fabric choices I have.

Homemade Play Dough

2008-11-28T16:02:00.005-06:00

Today is a cold, rainy day here in Texas - perfect for doing some indoor crafts. My son has never played with play dough before so I made some using simple ingredients from our kitchen.
(It is recommended that children be two years old or older to play with this dough and of course they should be supervised at all times.)

What You'll Need:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
food coloring
wax paper

How I Did It:
Dump the flour, salt, and cream of tartar into a pot and mix well.
Now add the oil and then begin stirring in the water a little at a time.
Cook over medium heat and continue to stir.
The dough will begin to thicken and form a ball.
Keep cooking until the dough doesn't seem sticky then dump it out onto some wax paper to cool a bit.
Divide the dough into four lumps (or however many colors you'd like to make) and knead some drops of food coloring into each. I used about four drops per ball but you can add more or less to get the colors you like.

I taped newspaper over the table and set him loose. The color never came off on anything and it didn't really have a smell. Keep the dough in an air tight container or plastic bag. I'll let you know how long ours lasts.

This was a lot of fun to make. Maybe I'll make more for the kids for Christmas and include some cookie cutters and things to go with.

A Nerdcore Tribute

2008-11-25T14:17:00.004-06:00

Since the moment I heard of MC Frontalot, I have been bopping around the house rapping about spam, old video games, and Star Wars conventions. Finding Nerdcore has truly been a revival for my interest in music, which wanes frequently because of the nature of my home - a home I share with a musician and a radio exec among others. We run a radio station out of our home for goodness sake! So music is always playing. Most people listen to music to relax, my relaxing means getting away from music for a while. But I just don't get tired of "I Hate Your Blog" or "Yellow Lasers". So, at the suggestion of my friend Scott, I have begun my newest project... an amigurumi Front.

I have tons of ideas for props to make for him. He will definitely have a microphone. I'm not sure yet how I'll fashion his glasses but most likely they will be felt. I've made much progress since these pictures were taken. He's got a body, waist, and half a leg now.

Here are the arms and the beginning of the head...

And here is the head...

As you can see in the photo, I am adapting the pattern "Punk Bunny" from the book "Amigurumi! Super Happy Crochet Cute" by Elisabeth Doherty. I'm considering sending the finished product to MC Frontalot along with a letter of my appreciation of his music. I don't know what he would do with a doll of himself but whatever he does with it will probably be better than what I might do with it if I were to keep it for myself!!

EDIT: Here's the progress I've made today. As you can see, he even has little socks! I'm going to lengthen his pants of course. They're just a little short because the grey yarn is thinner than the others.

Handbag Complete... Well Mostly

2008-11-14T13:58:00.005-06:00

I finished my purse yesterday, except for one little detail. I still want to embroider a little skull on the front. I'm going out to dinner tomorrow so I'll try to do it before then. I made a few mistakes and learned a lot while making this purse. Luckily, the mistakes I made were ones that affect the appearance only and shouldn't be problems structurally. That won't matter much since I'm keeping this one for myself but now I know a few things to pay attention to when I make one for someone else. Here's how it turned out!

As you can see, all my stuff fits perfectly which is good because the lack of extra room will keep me from amassing more and more stuff as I go along! The red zippered bag holds a diaper, wipes, powder, and a brush for my son. Then I have my wallet, cell phone, sunglasses, a ton of pictures, two sets of keys (OCD dictates that they be separated by frequency of use), my Buffy the Vampire Slayer pocket mirror, some Aquafina lip balm, a hair clip and hair bands, a picture my son drew to give to my dad tomorrow, tissues, a few important papers, guitar pick, Visene, two pens because for some reason I always end up with more than one, and some Hot Wheels cars to keep my son busy at restaurants. How did I get all that stuff in there?

EDIT: I found another picture that shows the lining better.

Handbag Just For Me

2008-11-09T23:35:00.000-06:00

This afternoon I started a handbag for myself. I'm using an I hook and some Red Heart yarn that long ago lost their labels. The colors are black and grey. I was inspired by this beautiful purse by Futuregirl. I've made the flat bottom already and lined it with my ultra cute skull and flames fabric. Then I'm going to make the rest of the purse in a tube shape so I can easily get my hand in to line the bottom of the sides. Then I'll connect the tube to the bottom and add the handles. This probably won't make much sense to you until you see the pictures. I know this is an unusual way to do a lining but I'm not so great with my sewing machine yet and I'm pretty sure it will be functional so I'm giving it a try.

Here you can see the begining of the striped bag, the black bottom piece, the lining fabric, the handles, and my hook...

And here you can see the flat bottom piece already lined...

If you look at the corner you will notice the word "Designed" which is a part of the fabric you're not supposed to use, haha, but this is part of a fabric remnant that is just barely big enough to use so I am not wasting a thing. But it won't be noticable way down at the bottom of my cluttered purse, trust me!

Flower Center Slouch Hat

2008-11-09T22:24:00.002-06:00

A couple of days ago I made the Flower Center Slouch Hat (warning: this link opens a PDF file). For some reason, every time I've ever made a "slouch" hat, it doesn't end up slouching very much. I think I crochet too tightly to get good slouch. But I still like this hat and I think it will match my blue scarf I made last year. I used a J hook and Caron Simply Soft Eco in Ocean. I stopped a couple rows early in the pattern and just did a couple rows of double crochet at the end.

Wheel Lattice Lapghan Complete

2008-11-09T22:09:00.006-06:00

I finished the Wheel Lattice Lapghan a couple of days ago. I decided a simple squarish double crochet border would look best on it. I can't wait to give it to my grandmother for Christmas!

Armies, Half Way Finished!

2008-11-09T22:03:00.004-06:00

I finished one of my Armies yesterday. I think it looks great and it's really comfortable. It looks like I have used about half the skein of yarn which is perfect. One more to go!

Half Moon Shawl Progress

2008-11-09T22:01:00.004-06:00

I've made a bit of progress here and there on my Half Moon Shawl. I'm out of yarn now so when I work on it next I will have to frog the Candy Apple Shrug to get at the last skein of grey yarn. I've got about three rows left before finishing the pattern but it's going to be much too short yet so I'll have to repeat some rows.

Wheel Lattice Lapghan Progress

2008-11-05T00:03:00.003-06:00

Today I picked up an old project that has been hibernating for a few months. I started an afghan for my grandmother back in January using the Wheel Lattice Square. I used an H hook and stopped it at 8 inches instead of the full 12 because I just thought it looked better. At least it started out to be an afghan but my lack of funds kinda coerced me into making it a lapghan instead. In other words, I ran out of yarn! But I think it's big enough, it's like a throw. For the blocks I'm using Vana's Choice in Taupe (which does NOT look taupe to me - it's the darkest one!) and Wool-Ease in Mushroom, and I'm using Caron One Pound in Taupe for the joins and border.

Here are some close ups of the squares...

And here's my progress as of this afternoon...

I finished up that last join and started a double crochet border after dinner. It should be done in a few more days.

Visit From the Frog of Sadness

2008-11-02T18:05:00.004-06:00

Unfortunately I had to frog the Chakra Purse. I thought I could correct the mistake I made and I did a couple more rows expecting to keep going but when I did a stitch count I was off by like 15 stitches. Have no idea how that happened but I don't have time to be trying to figure this pattern out just yet. I need a purse and a million other things by Christmas. But I do plan on trying it again some day, I really like this purse. Until then, I'm off to find another pattern. Wish me luck!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T23:38:00.002-05:00

Our Halloween turned out to be really great. When I first put Gibson in his costume a few weeks ago, he was very unhappy with it. It had a hat, which he was not having any part of wearing, and it had little footies built in, which he hated, and it had long sleeves, which he has decided are the antichrist. I didn't think I would get to dress him up at all this year. But then the crafty mama inside took over and I thought "Why let this perfectly good costume sit in my closet untouched when I could cut it up and get some use out of it?" So last night I grabbed my trusty scissors and got to work cutting off the feet and shortening the sleeves. This morning I tried it on him and he seemed to really like it!

He went right to work at his tool bench and hardly even noticed he had a tail!

My dad came over after work and took us to my grandmother's house where we ate hot dogs and the kids played tether ball in the backyard until it got dark enough to go trick or treating. Here's Gibson with his cousin Hally who dressed as a cat.

We also had Buzz Lightyear...

a cheerleader...

a witch and a pirate...

and even Kirby!

All the kids had a great time being all hopped up on sugar even though their trick or treating run returned only one house with a porch light on at all. Bunch of Halloween wussies! But that's ok, my grandmother had plenty of goody bags ready. Gibson did a lot of running...

...and ended up tripping over a curb and knocking a good sized knot on his eyebrow. But a couple of kisses and some Junior Mints cleared that right up. We came home and ate a little more candy and then he ran through the house for thirty minutes screaming "Yay yay yay yay YAAAAAAAAY!" at the top of his lungs. Then promptly passed out. Nothing turned out the way I expected but it was really a wonderful Halloween. Hope you all had a great time as well!

Skull Baby Blanket

2008-10-30T13:01:00.003-05:00

One of my best friends from high school, JoAnn, is expecting a baby girl soon. She works in the hospital. I'm not sure what her job title is exactly but she takes x-rays. She likes skulls and skeletons and stuff like that. As do I. So when it came time for me to make baby Jocelyn a blanket, I knew I could not just make any old baby blanket. This blanket had to be special and really, really coooooool. I knew I wanted to incorporate the skull idea somehow and a quick Google search will provide you with tons of skull charts (and other awesomeness) but I ended up using a chart that I proudly bought and paid for in the Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker book. The pattern is called "Skullholders" and they are potholders with a two tone skull on each side. Making them with my smaller yarn and hook made them the perfect size for blanket blocks, besides the fact that they were a little wider than they were tall which is okay.

I whipped up four skull blocks and then decided what else to add. I didn't want it to be all skulls unless they were different colors. I decided to add some stars next. Now if you Google for "star charts" you will end up with something very different, but worthy of bookmarking anyway because that's another extremely cool hobby. However, this is not what I need at the moment. I did a search for star crochet/knit charts (I always include the word knit in my search for charts because you find more and can use them for crochet as well) and turned up crap. So I did another search for star clip art and then I just made my own chart using a nice star image I found in that search.

To make the chart, I opened my star clip art picture in Photoshop. Then I took my handy Doane paper PDF and cut out the amount of blocks I would need using MWSnap which is a screen capture program I have used for years and love love love it! I layered the two images together in Photoshop and filled in the blocks that were touched by the star. Simple! You can get the Doane paper in JPG or PDF format from their website. Just click on Free Downloads. It comes in handy for tons of stuff, too. Four hours later I had two star blocks for the blanket.

At this point I began to lay the blocks out and decide how I'd like to arrange them. With the final placement I chose, I only needed two star blocks. All that was left now was to fill in the gaps with simple single crochet blocks in a variegated yarn.

After finishing all the blocks, I joined them with single crochet and began a double crochet border of four rows. The skull and star blocks took about two hours each to make and the variegated blocks took about an hour. The border probably took me... oh... maybe three hours? So this was almost a 24 hour project. Of course, I have a two year old so this 24 hours was done an hour here and an hour there. I started this project on August 26th! I made some of the blocks while on camping trips. But I couldn't blog about it until JoAnn got it because I didn't want her to see it. Now that she's got it, I can show it to you.

I used a 4mm "G" hook (because I have three different sized "G" hooks, what is up with that? lol) and three colors of Bernat Softee Baby yarn: White, Soft Lilac, and Pink Parade. These are the same colors that I used to make a star baby blanket for my - I always want to call her a cousin but she's not actually my cousin, she's my great aunt's grand daughter so I have no idea what she is to me - Alicia who had a baby girl named Harley just a few months ago.

Rag Rug

2008-10-30T01:19:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I asked my grandmother to keep an eye out for old sheets she didn't want anymore. I've never done any crocheting with other materials such as cloth or plastic bags, etc. and I thought a rag rug would be the perfect addition to my dad's RV. Last Saturday my grandmother delivered the goods (three sheets she no longer needed) and tonight I set about cutting one of them into one inch strips and winding it into a ball.

The cutting went much faster than I expected but I still only managed to get two-thirds of it cut before my neck and back needed a break. Now I have to get my hands on a "Q" hook, find the pattern I saw that inspired me in the first place, and finish cutting up my sheet. I'm hoping I can have it ready for our next camping trip which will be some time in November.

I've also got four spools of streamer ribbon I've been dying to try out but I have no idea what to make with something that will end up being so stiff. If you have any suggestions please leave me a comment.

Chakra Purse Started

2008-10-30T00:59:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday, my aunt mentioned that she would like to have a crocheted purse. So of course, I set out to find a good pattern to make her one for Christmas. This was the idea behind the Fat Bottom Bag I made a couple of days ago. But it turned out to be way too small so I decided to give the Chakra Purse a try. I've had my eye on this pattern for quite some time. But I've run into a slight problem. It's lopsided. I'm pretty sure I know what I did wrong but that doesn't much help me now. If you look in the picture you will notice a distinct slant at the top right of the piece. The problem is, there is supposed to be a slant at the top left as well! But my left side is quite straight. Sigh.

The stitch pattern is... not difficult... but let's say intricate. It took me two hours to do that little piece you see there. So I do NOT want to have to rip it back out. I'm hoping I can hide the mistake as I go on, since this is the back of the purse and I will later add sides and gusset. I'm pretty sure I can hide it when I add the sides. Or if not, I'm hoping it won't be that noticable. Because I am not going to frog it and I'm not ready to give up.

I'm using Caron Simply Soft yarn in Plum Wine and a "G" hook. The pattern calls for a "D" hook but I laughed hysterically at that. Not that you shouldn't use a "D" but with the way I crochet combined with this super splitty yarn... I don't think so. I tried at first with an "F" and it was completely not working but now with the "G" it's much better. And looks like it might be a better size for my needs as well.

Bath Sets Continued

2008-10-30T00:52:00.005-05:00

I'm making some bath sets for Christmas gifts, as you saw a few days ago, and along with the wash cloths I have made some soap savers. These were really quick to whip up and they're very pretty. ~~You can find the free pattern here: Five Piece Bath Set~~. (Edit: apparently the website is gone now) I'm strongly considering making the back scrubber from that page as well but I'm deciding between two patterns. (Edit: guess I'm not anymore!) More on that in a few days.

I used an "H" hook and Bernat Handicrafters Cotton yarn in Tumbleweed. Now all I've got to do is drop in the individually wrapped bars of soap and tie it in a pretty little bow. And probably include a note to unwrap the soap before use, just in case! haha I think I'm going to make myself one of these in the Desert Cactus color. Even though I don't use bar soap, I think it would be fun to try it out. Making these made me want to get some tulle and make some sachets. Mmmm girly smell good stuff.

Fat Bottom Girls...

2008-10-30T00:39:00.002-05:00

I made my first Fat Bottom Bag yesterday. This pattern comes from the book Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. I used an "I" hook, Bernat Handicrafters Cotton yarn in Desert Cactus, and some bamboo D-ring handles. I really liked this pattern, it was quick and easy to make. But if I make another one I'm going to make it a bit bigger. However, I do need Christmas presents for three little girls in my family so I might make a couple more this size. The only problem I have now is trying to make a lining. I can't remember if the book offers instructions on making a lining or not, for some reason I think it does. So I'll have to check that out but not tonight. Too many other projects to work on right now.

I really love the feel of a finished product made with cotton yarn. I've got to get some more in solid colors!

Bathroom Sets Started

2008-10-22T19:14:00.003-05:00

I've decided to make a few bathroom sets as Christmas gifts. I figure I'll include some washcloths, soap savers, back scrubbers, and whatever else I can find to go with. So far I have made a washcloth and a half. The washcloths are made in Tunisian with a simple single crochet border. I used a size J Tunisian hook for the main body and a size H hook for the border and I'm using Bernat Handicrafters Cotton yarn in Tumbleweed. I also have this yarn in Desert Cactus and I will probably make a set or two in that color as well.

Goodbye Apple, Hello Moon!

2008-10-20T01:25:00.008-05:00

I've decided to give up on my Candy Apple Shrug. It was turning out very thick and I would probably never wear it. I can't find the blue yarn I need to finish it anywhere. And it was getting to be mind numbingly boring to make. So I've decided to frog it and use that beautiful grey yarn in a project all by itself and really show off the color.

So a couple of days ago I started a new project: the Half Moon Shawl using Bernat Satin Solids in Grey Mist Heather. I'm using an "I" hook instead of the "N" called for because I just can't see using an "N" hook on a yarn this small. I like my crochet to be neat and tight and not full of gappy holes, although this may cause some thickening as far as my drape is concerned. I still think once it wears a little it will be better than being all loose looking in the begining. I don't know, blame it on OCD.

In any event, here is what I've done so far. I'm sure because of the smaller hook I will end up having to do some extra repeats of the pattern to get the length I need but I think it's looking nice so far. Can't decide if I should keep this for myself or give it as a Christmas gift.

Halloween Pumpkin

2008-10-20T01:07:00.001-05:00

One year ago today my world changed forever when my mother passed away. Halloween was always her (and my) favorite holiday so I decided to make this cute little pumpkin for her. I ran a floral stem up through the bottom of it and I'm going to place it at her headstone with the rest of the flowers. The pattern is from Planet June and it's really quick and easy. I used the same yarn that I used to make Jason's hat in the previous post: Caron Simply Soft in Mango and Vanna's Choice in Olive.

Jason's Hat

2008-10-19T18:07:00.001-05:00

After seeing the hat I made for our son, my boyfriend requested that I make him one in "the most hideous orange" yarn I could find, which turned out to be Caron Simply Soft in Mango. I used the same little boy's pattern and just started out a bit longer and added some repeats of the pattern sections. Well, several repeats actually because his head is huge, lol. It still turned out a little short so I added a brim in Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Olive. Stitching the hat up at the top left a little hole which I covered with a dot of green. He picked both the colors and I think they look great together.

Bucket Hat

2008-10-09T23:40:00.001-05:00

Today I whipped up a little hat for myself. I have had my eye on this pattern for about a week now - John's Favorite Bucket Hat from The Purl Bee. Aside from being adorable it was also a great excuse to use my N hook which I've never used before! I didn't have any yarn big enough for the N so I held together two strands of Lion Brand Wool-Ease that I've had lying around forever, just waiting for the perfect project. The color is called Wheat. I've got enough left over to make a matching purse!