Recently Completed Projects Update

I have been a busy bee lately and not all due to the fun times of working on crochet projects.  However, I have finally managed to squeeze out some time to post pictures of the projects that I've completed.

The first two are baby blankets for my sisters-in-law.  Both of them became pregnant around the same time and delivered just a month apart.  So I had to whip something up.

This one is one of my favorites.  My sister-in-law obviously had a girl and she loves dragonflies.  She is such a girly-girl that I thought to spring for the fur trim to make it look that much more special.  I think it turned out great and I actually had a lot of fun working with the fur for the first time.  I might try it again on a scarf or hat next time.

The next is for my other sister-in-law who had her second boy.  She's more simple and classic so I thought this pattern would look great for her with a little bit of shine to make it special.

Now the only problem is trying to find the time and money to mail these off to Australia.  :P

This next blanket is another baby blanket and it's the semi-finished result of my first attempt at the Jacquar practice of inserting color into a pattern. I say semi-finished because the downside of this effect is that you have all these strings in the back.  I weaved the ends in but there's still dragged strings from the work itself.  So I added about a half an inch of sc to the edge of the blanked and I'm going to try to sew some fabric around the border so that the back is covered.  Since the only time I've ever attempted to use a sewing machine was in high school home ec class when I had to make a flour baby out of a t-shirt and a sack of flour then I decided to wait until my mom came to visit next week before attempting to finish this one.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  :)

My last project was actually a commissioned project.  One of my mom friends is about to deliver and she was asking around about whether anyone would be able to make a hat she saw on Etsy but for cheaper.  I told her I could do it and would do it for $5 less than the listing price.  Below is what I came up with.  And the great thing about this is that one of her friends saw it and asked that I make her a girl version with a flower as well.  So I'm currently working on this one and will provide pictures....eventually.  :)

I hope you enjoyed the peek into my life as the crochet guru.  :)

Sneak Peak on New Techniques

I've recently decided to really up the ante in some of the projects that I have been doing.  I know I already make some really technical pieces but I kept feeling like it wouldn't hurt to try even more complex patterns.  To manage this I went to the best place on Earth.  My local library.

As you can see I went a little bit crazy once I found out that I could have 75 books checked out at once.  With all these great resources at my disposal I read as much as I could about some of the techniques that I've seen but never had the guts to try.  I also found out tips to make afghans that I have completed in the past better.  One of those being what is referred to as color blocking. 

There are two different ways to color block.  One is called the Jacquard process and the other is called the Intarsia process.  The Jacquard process is worked more when you're doing a checkerboard type of pattern and you crochet over the yarn you are not currently working.  The Intarsia process is used when you are trying to design a specific picture so you only work with the yarn when it is needed.  This usually causes multiple strings to be in use on your work at one time.

After learning this information I finally decided to try it on a pattern that I have wanted to do for years but didn't think I could do it.  It's actually one that I have shown in the past on here only with the twist that I have been DYING to try out.  Since I'm so excited that this is turning out so well I just have to show you what I have now even though I'm not even close to being finished.

TADA!!!!!

It looks so cool, right?!?!  

I'm using the Intarsia approach to this baby blanket and because of that I'll probably need to do a complete sc blanket to attach to the wrong side of this piece so that it hides the crossing of the strings in the back of the work. 

I'm so excited and can't wait to finish this to show you all.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Christmas Ornament Pattern

by Kelly

Sorry for the brief hiatus - it's been a very busy week here. But I did find time to  make some cookie ornaments.

These are super easy and very durable. So durable they might even be pet proof, although pets will certainly try to eat them. I used this easy recipe from allrecipes, which is my goto online recipe book. If you'd like to make these cookies water proof for outdoor use, I'd suggest spraying or painting them with some kind of polycrylic sealer (the kind you find at the hardware store). Speaking from experience, they do tend to dissolve easily if they get wet (for example, if you happen to knock over your morning beverage on the counter where they are lying), and there's nothing sadder than a soggy cookie ornament.

And if you don't have time to make your own, they're available in our shop for a limited time.

I also crocheted some cute Mickey and Minnie Mouse ornaments for the tree.  These are very simple and take about three minutes each, so they're perfect if you need a last minute stocking stuffer.

This is a free pattern, and if you wish to make these for your own use please feel free. You can not reproduce this pattern in any part for profit, or claim it as your own.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Christmas Ornaments

Materials:

Black worsted weight yarn

size G crochet hook

optional: 1" wide fabric ribbon (I used red with white dots) and red sewing thread.

Gauge isn't super critical for these. You can easily adjust the size by using different yarn or hooks. Mine came in at about 5" (measured across both ears).

Pattern:

Main head (make one)

1. Make a magic ring and sc 6 into the center.  Pull tight and mark your first stitch (I use a paper clip). Ch 1.

2. Work 2 sc into each stitch around to your marker and join with a slip stitch. Ch 1.

3. *Sc into first stitch, work 2 sc in next stitch. Repeat from * around to your marker and join. Ch 1.

4. *Sc in first two stitches, work 2 sc in next stitch. Repeat from * around to your marker and join. Cut yarn end and fasten off.

Ears (make two)

1. Make a magic ring and sc 6 into the center. Pull tight to join and mark your first stitch. Ch 1.

2. Work 2 sc into each stitch around to end. Join with a slip stitch, cut yarn end and fasten off.

Sew ears to head (with yarn or black sewing thread) through two or three stitches only. This will help your ornament look like Mickey or Minnie, and not a teddy bear.

Optional: Make Minnie's hair bow.

Cut about a 5" length of ribbon. Fold a flat bow with your ribbon and sew it to Minnie's head with red sewing thread. You could use black thread, but I found it showed up against the red ribbon, while red thread disappeared into the black yarn. For a great tutorial on how to fold flat ribbon bows, check out this YouTube video.

That's it, you're done! Add a hanger of some kind and add it to your Christmas tree to proudly show your love of all things Mickey and Minnie.

Only eight days 'till Christmas. But who's counting?

Oh, Snap! Eyes for Amigurumi

by Kelly

Snaps make pretty good eyes for amigurumi :

I ran out of black embroidery thread, so I couldn't sew eyes for this one. I tried button eyes, but that gave the bear what I think of as 'creepy doll syndrome', so I cut them off. It was while I was putting the buttons back in the jar that I ran across a snap and thought I'd give it a try. Of course then I had to pour all those buttons out onto the table again and try to find another matching snap for the other eye, because these are buttons after all, and organizing my collection of loose buttons has never been high on my priority list.

I was surprised that the jar contained so many snaps. I inherited this jar from my mom when I moved out into my very first apartment. I guess she thought that I would do my own sewing after I was out on my own, but, ha, that wasn't what happened after all. In fact, I still have never sewed a snap on anything (until now, that is) although I have replaced the occasional button. I never realized that snaps came in so many different varieties - I guess they're almost like heirloom tomatoes.

Oh, and the bear is available in the shop  if you would like to adopt him. There will be a small rehoming charge, of course.

Also, that funky, old fashioned yarn that the bear is made with came from my aunt's partial de-stashing. Here's a picture of what she gave me:

So what do you call it when you are gifted with someone's de-stash? Is there a word for that? Re-stash, maybe?

Crochet Edging Books

by Kelly

While trying to make a pretty edging for my 3D heart ornaments, I stumbled across a must-have crochet book. I know, I know, all books are 'must-haves' for me, but really, take a look at this one.

I think the exact title is Crochet Edging and Braid - 100 Patterns. Since the book is Japanese, and I don't read kanji, I'm not completely sure about that. I found this on Susie Can Stitch, which you can visit to see more beautiful pictures of the books contents. And take a peek at her Hello Kitty crochet project here. Too cute!

Okay, they had me at '100 patterns', but those images are mind blowing. Two problems, though- the book is in Japanese, but fortunately there's no language barrier, because the patterns are given in charts. One more problem, however, is that it's out of print. Oh, but here's another, similar book on Amazon. Oh, wait...that's also out of print. Sigh. Time to contact the library and see if they can get hold of a copy.

The Story of the Crochet Dragon

by Kelly

Long ago, in a small white house by a sinister woodland, there was a little girl who was reading The Hobbit. She spent much time lost in this book, wandering through a world full of adventure and magic and dragons.

One day, the little girl's talented and crafty aunt, who lived not far away at all, came for a visit. When she heard what the little girl was reading (for they talked often, in that house, of the books they were reading) she offered to make the girl a dragon of her very own.

The girl was startled at first, for she hadn't imagined that such a thing was possible. Then she broke into a smile and, jumping up and down a little, said, "Yes, please!"

A few months later, after many misadventures at the dragon factory, the elegant, emerald creature was ready for delivery. And one day the little girl woke up to find a fine crochet dragon waiting for her on the coffee table in the living room of the small white house.

They have never been separated since.

The end.

Well, not quite.

Meet Smaug. I named him after the dragon in Tolkien, of course.

Although he has never laid waste to anything that I know of, and, sadly, has never acquired a golden hoard to sleep on, he does have an irrepressible, goofy quality that is very endearing.

Recently, my aunt asked if I could knit something for her. I haven't seen the pattern yet, and I have the impression that this is some kind of actual garment, which will probably prove to be beyond me, but I told her that I would be happy to try.

She offered to buy the yarn, and when I said that wouldn't be necessary, she offered to pay me. I told her no, again. When she protested, I said, "Do you remember the green dragon that you made for me when I was little?"

She had no idea what I was talking about. So I asked my husband to take a picture of me and Smaug, so that I could print up a copy to give my aunt.

He humored me, of course. Love is like that.

Oh, and by the way, the kid in the story above was reading an adapted version of The Hobbit, specially edited for children. In all honesty, the full version of any Tolkien book is a bit of a slog until you get the hang of his writing style. I just mention this so that you don't hand off a copy to your little angel and expect them to thank you for it, because then you'll both be disappointed. And sorry, no, I have no idea what version I read as a child. That was a long time ago, after all!

Singing the Blues Flower Hexagon Afghan - Finished!

by Kelly

I made half-hexagons and finished off the latest afghan. It's now for sale in our shop here.

Quick tip for anyone else who might be working on a hexagon project - make sure all your ends are sewed in before you wash it. Trust me on this one.


 And a sneak peak of another project...

This is the one that needs the homemade decoupage glue.  I'm really happy with how this one turned out - even though I had to hunt down more embroidery floss in the store.

What are you working on?

Show and Tell - Crochet Hexagons and Dreamcatchers

by Kelly

Crochet hexagon blanket finished!

At least, I think it is. It's standard afghan size, but it's got these bevelled side edges that I'm not sold on...

 

But for now, it's done. We're going to have a free stall at a local flea market, so this will be up for sale. If no one buys it, I'll bring it home and make sixteen half hexagons to clean up the edges. I should have just enough yarn left to do that. 

Meanwhile, my talented husband has also been crafting things to sell, with grapevine harvested from our now overgrown property.

Remember dreamcatchers?

My favorites, though, are the 'all natural' ones below. Ironically, if you click the one with the blue jay feather, you'll see a real spider web behind it.

The big stick was my idea. I wanted to show people that we aren't just reselling the dream catchers, but that my husband actually made them, so if someone wanted a custom order they would know to ask. I found that branch in the yard after the windstorm and dragged it up to the porch. My husband looked a little doubtful about the whole thing, probably because the stick is like six feet tall and HEAVY, but he humoured me and wound a web on it. And now he's in love with the idea, and decided to hang all the dreamcatchers on it, which is quite clever as it makes an awesome display and also solves the problem of how to hang them up. Let's hope it draws people in!

The acorns and oak leaves were my idea too. I guess I'm just a Druid at heart. And when we went to Stonehenge (of course we've been to Stonehenge, hasn't everyone??) I did feel this deep, spiritual connection kind of thing. But then we went to the giftshop (of course there was a giftshop, this is the modern day) and bought some worthless stuff that we no longer have, and the deep spiritual connection thing turned into sticker shock.

But even though we don't have the trinkets anymore, we still have our memories, and a picture, despite the prohibition against taking pictures without express written permission. As the locals say, "Poor Stonehenge."

Anyway, wish us luck at the market!

SInging the Blues Crochet Hexagon Blanket

by Kelly

Work continues on the hexagon flower blanket...

I really like how this one is turning out. And I've put it together in such a way that I can make it longer or wider easily, if I'm not happy with the end result.
All I have to do is add more rows of hexagons, and that also means that I can use this blanket as a stash buster - provided I can find a blue yarn to make a border on the new hexagons.

Summer Flowers

by Kelly

Flowers are blooming here...

Now the fun part...sewing them all together. (*Sigh*)

Show and Tell

by Kelly

A new sea green shawl and about twenty more crochet hexagons. This hexagon blanket won't be too small, unlike the first one I made.


I have a pair of jeans that I've never been very happy with, so I decided to turn them into jean shorts. Luckily, my sewing skills have improved greatly since the first pair I ever made, when I was 13, and I'm fairly confident that I can do it now. In fact, I made a pair last year that I've been wearing constantly.

So, of course, I've set my sights really high, and decided to try something new....

via ievos pievos

Jean shorts with lacy crochet trim! How crazy cool is that? Am I the only one who thinks these are awesome? I don't care if I am...I'm making myself a pair anyway. Or at least, I'm going to try to. If you'd like a pair too, visit ievos pievos and check out her tutorial first.

Knee Deep in Crochet Hexagons

by Kelly

Just wanted to stop in and show you the depth of my obsession with crochet hexagons...

Well, that doesn't look like too many, does it? Ah ha, but here's another shot.

 

Oh....well, that's a different story. Notice the tiny remnant balls of yarn in the foreground? Don't worry - there's more yarn where that came from.

(Thanks, Donna!)

Show and Tell - Embroidery and Crochet Hexagons

by Kelly

A short post today, because I'm busy pricing things for an upcoming garage sale.

Bookmarks I've made for the sale, that take about two minutes to make...

And since I had the embroidery floss out anyway, I tried out a project I've been thinking of for a while now - embroidery on denim. The red hearts looked the best, but I'm still playing around with ideas for those.

And of course, more super simple crochet hexagons from One Loop Short, just because they're pretty and addictive. Or is that pretty addictive?

FInished Shawl

by Kelly

Here's the finished shawl from a previous post...

This was really fun and easy until the last ten rows, which really dragged. But I did this continuously over a two day span, so maybe I was just burned out.

Show and Tell - Baby Blankets and Shawl

by Kelly

New projects - baby blankets to sell.

The bottom blanket is supposed to have ribbon threaded through those eyelets and then tied in a bow. Now if only I had some ribbon.

Also, I've been experimenting with edgings and came up with my very own lace pattern (yay!).

I originally made it up when I was trying to make an edging for another baby blanket that I haven't finished yet, but I don't think this trim is going to work for that. I'd always be afraid of little fingers and toes getting caught in all the lacy holes.

It curls up like that because it's basically a lace ruffle. When stretched out flat it looks even curvier.

I'm selling the edging in the shop here.

And here's the latest project - a shawl that's been a quick crochet so far...

The free pattern for this shawl (called Iris) is at WEBS if you're interested.
The best part is that it's only a two row pattern, which for lace is really amazing. No need for a lifeline here.

Crochet Hexagons Continued

by Kelly

Work continues on my hexagon flower blanket. The free pattern that I'm using can be found at One Loop Short.

Please forgive the backdrop of 1970's orange shag carpeting. We're renting.

I scammed that lovely yarn from Donna's stash. She didn't seem to mind, as she was just gifted three large plastic bags full of yarn from Stephanie. So really, I guess I actually scammed it from Steph. So confusing.

On another note, our camera is back from the repair shop and works much better than it has in quite a while. Yay! I'm so happy to have a camera again! Here's a gratuitous shot of one of our neighbors, just because.

We call this little guy 'the weathervane' because he sometimes goes up to the very peak of the shed and sits there for quite a while, looking around...first to the left...then to the right...

Ruffles, Ruffles, and more Ruffles

I've finally managed to post one of my current projects in the store. It's a ruffled scarf that I just think is so cute. I made a thicker one for myself too. :) And to model these works of art....my little work of art. :)

I actually made two different versions because I was playing around with a few different ideas. I have one that is just the two solid colors and then another that has the two colors and then an edging of the opposite color. I kind of like them both.

I'm thinking of my next one being just one color all together for both sides.

Also, upcoming.....baby hats. I actually came up with my own design that has these hats coming out to look like little tulips or roses. (I know those are probably totally different but I'm not a flower person. :P ) I have some hats with a stem and without. I'm also thinking up some ideas on how to add leaves to it.

I Could Do That - Crochet in Stores

by Kelly

Have you ever come across something in a store and think to yourself, "Well, I could do that." ? Well, Uncommon Goods has embraced crochet items in a big way...

via Kid Crave via Must Have Cute

Panda Rug Only $65.00. But hey, it's handmade.


Also see Black Cat Headphones and  The Isle of St. Marie Tote. 
at Uncommon Goods. Also things that I could make myself...

Crochet Risqué?

by Kelly

Crochet has lately made great strides back into the fashion industry, after languishing unloved in thrift stores since the '70's.  I've seen crochet bags in Eddie Bauer stores, cardigans in the teen store Forever 21, and shorts, swimsuits and full blown dresses in Victoria's Secret.

And while it's great that crochet designers are shattering the granny stereotype, some of the items that I've seen are a little too daring for me to actually wear. Check out this halter top, for sale at Craft Is Art...

or this erm...skirt for sale at Tags.com...

The skirt is available only in size XS, which lets me out anyway, even aside from the price, which is a 'gosh price' if ever I saw one.  Would I wear this even if I had the build of the model in the picture? Ahhh...no.

 But the most risqué item I've seen by far isn't actually for sale in stores...it is however, available as a free pattern at Knitty.com. This is a knit pattern using red liquorice ropes which is quite ingenious, actually and...well, you'll just have to see for yourself here. I'm not sharing the picture, but there's nothing especially offensive about it...it's on Knitty, after all. I just don't want to ruin the surprise.

I'm wondering what future generations will think of crochet, when they have these items to look back on...

Broomstick Lace Shawl

by Kelly

I fell in love with Broomstick Lace a while ago, but I wanted to do something unique, not just a run of the mill afghan or scarf. Unfortunately, there just aren't that many patterns available for Broomstick Lace items, so I put off learning how to do it. But then I saw this Hourglass Jacket over on Stitch Diva Studios, and my fate was sealed.

The pattern is available at her site, but much as I would love to make this, I'm not quite up to fitted garments yet.  So I decided to take the new ideas she brings to this and make something simpler...like a shawl.

One of the things that really struck me about the jacket was how the different sizes of 'peacock eyes' helped to define the areas - smaller eyes for the waist, and larger eyes for the rest. I also loved the shaping. She did this with increases and decreases of the Broomstick Lace, something that's not supposed to be possible. Check out her YouTube videos here and here to find out how easy it really is.

I had two Broomstick lace needles from an Ebay auction that I won ages ago - a size 50 and a size 17. So I took the plunge, and made a sample swatch using both needles. Then I fooled around a little more, did a quick Google search for shawl patterns, bought some yarn (*sigh*) and voila, here's the finished project:

 Here's another pic, out in the sunshine:

I've listed it in our shop here under the name 'Spring Blossom shawl'. It was lots of fun to make, especially the blossom rows. The only part I wasn't fond of was sewing in all those ends. Oh, and I learned how to make the blossoms from the book 'Hawaiian Lei in Crochet' by Roberta Wong.

Since the pattern is my own, all I need now is a few helpers to test knit the pattern. Anyone want to learn how to crochet Broomstick Lace?