I moved recently, and soon after I moved a Michael's opened up less than a mile away from my house. It's a dangerous place, but it is also magical. When I went into the yarn section, I found myself imagining all sorts of different projects. I've never seen so much yarn together outside of a specialty store. It was beautiful. I couldn't wait to get started on my next crochet project. Now I need to actually get the yarn for the projects I'm planning.
My next few projects are all holiday gifts. They include the Crochet Me Jazzy Java Jacket, these ripple socks, and these legwarmers. I'm not sure what else I want to make, though I know there are a few people I'd like to give crocheted gifts to that I haven't found exactly what I want to make for them yet.
My poor hook case that I made just can't stand up to the kind of use my crocheting involves, so I think I'd like to get a nice storebought one for Christmas. I need to put that on my list.
Stay tuned for updates on those gift projects as they happen!
October 31, 2005
Sherrie's Hat
I finished Sherrie's hat a long time ago but am only just getting a picture of it up now.
I used Lion Brand Homespun in Baroque, and this pattern. It was fun to make, and I love the yarn. The crown is a bit short, so next time I use the pattern I think I'll add a few rows to it.
I used Lion Brand Homespun in Baroque, and this pattern. It was fun to make, and I love the yarn. The crown is a bit short, so next time I use the pattern I think I'll add a few rows to it.
August 11, 2005
She's a mite twitchy.
Hi there! The life of me crocheting has been slow lately, as I've been occupied with other things and not feeling up to spending money on supplies (I'm living on savings right now). I did make this vest as part of my River costume for a preview screening of Serenity. I used this pattern and Peaches & Cream Ecru yarn. I was going for the look of this costume from the Firefly episodes "Jaynestown" and "Objects in Space."
I've also finished Sherrie's hat, but I'm holding off on pictures of it until I can get a ribbon in it.
Next up, I think stripey socks for Alana.
I've also finished Sherrie's hat, but I'm holding off on pictures of it until I can get a ribbon in it.
Next up, I think stripey socks for Alana.
June 27, 2005
Crochet A-go-go
I haven't posted in a long time, but I have been crocheting . If you look over to the right you'll see that since I last posted I've completed a bath pouf, soap savers, and a vest. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of the bath pouf or the soap savers before giving them to their intended recipients. The vest was for myself, though, so I'll have pictures of that up, eventually. There's not much to say in the world of my crochet right now, but I did want to update, so there you are.
May 04, 2005
My First Afghan
I have a headache right now, so my writing will not be its most coherent. I have worked somewhere between 35 and 50 hours on this afghan. It was made with Mainstays Dark Sage yarn and a pattern that came with it, called Diamond Trellis. It is a gift for my boyfriend's birthday. I sure hope he likes it. If not, I may cry. Because - 35 to 50 hours!
Unfortunately, I am me, so I am not satisfied with it. I thought I would be, but it turns out one end is much wider than the other. I folded it and it seemed all right, so I'm not going to worry about it. After all, he certainly couldn't crochet any better. It will just be one of those things that nags me. As I was on the last set of rows when I realized this difference, I thought it would be stupid to go frogging it. Far too much work. Better to have one that's not perfect than to work that hard and have nothing at all, especially since the boyf's birthday is tomorrow.
So, here you are:
And there you have it. My First Afghan.
Unfortunately, I am me, so I am not satisfied with it. I thought I would be, but it turns out one end is much wider than the other. I folded it and it seemed all right, so I'm not going to worry about it. After all, he certainly couldn't crochet any better. It will just be one of those things that nags me. As I was on the last set of rows when I realized this difference, I thought it would be stupid to go frogging it. Far too much work. Better to have one that's not perfect than to work that hard and have nothing at all, especially since the boyf's birthday is tomorrow.
So, here you are:
And there you have it. My First Afghan.
April 22, 2005
Oops!
Today I went to the local yarn store. I had never been there before. It was truly a thing of beauty. The walls were lined with yarn, and I was in awe. My intention had been to run in, find some cotton yarn, buy it, and bolt, but of course that didn't happen. Instead I wandered about, admiring everything and whimpering internally that I just couldn't bring myself to spend $13 on a skein of yarn. I was there to buy yarn for the rose bath pouf from this month's issue of Crochet Me, which I intend to give my mother for mother's day, but like a fool I got thread instead of yarn. It looked like yarn when it was all in a twist, and I was feeling too stuffy in my head and too eager to get lunch and get back to work to pay close attention to it once it was wound.
It turns out I bought some lovely, 100% mercerized cotton crochet thread. I bought it in salmon and rust colors. This is good and bad. The good that comes of this is now I have some lively thread to use for the sachets I want to make for my aunt's wedding, instead of the white I thought I would pick up. The bad is, now I still need to go pick up yarn for my mom's bath pouf. I will pick up some Peaches 'N' Cream at Wal-Mart tomorrow evening when I take my brother out to dinner, as he wants Taco Bell and Taco Bell is in the same shopping center as Wal-Mart. I also need to get a steel hook or two then, as well.
Maybe I should start tracking how much of my income goes towards crochet products. I'm a bit afraid of the answer.
It turns out I bought some lovely, 100% mercerized cotton crochet thread. I bought it in salmon and rust colors. This is good and bad. The good that comes of this is now I have some lively thread to use for the sachets I want to make for my aunt's wedding, instead of the white I thought I would pick up. The bad is, now I still need to go pick up yarn for my mom's bath pouf. I will pick up some Peaches 'N' Cream at Wal-Mart tomorrow evening when I take my brother out to dinner, as he wants Taco Bell and Taco Bell is in the same shopping center as Wal-Mart. I also need to get a steel hook or two then, as well.
Maybe I should start tracking how much of my income goes towards crochet products. I'm a bit afraid of the answer.
April 13, 2005
Crochet Hook Case
I really wanted a place to keep my hooks because I am in the very bad habit of losing them, so I decided to crochet one. (Isn't that fabulously meta?) After many initial mishaps, I finally settled on this pattern, with mixed results.
On the good side, this crochet hook case has much more room to store non-hook items such as scissors, measuring tape, and needles than the other patterns I considered did. On the bad side, it is softer and thus looks slightly sloppier. I really like the way I closed it with ribbons. I think the edge of the ribbons hanging off the bottom is very cute. I don't like how sloppy it looks, but I obviously liked it enough that I didn't destroy it and start over, which is an achievement for me (perfectionism is a disease).
I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn, though I don't know the name of this color. I call it variegated rainbow. I used an H hook, just as the pattern requires. The ribbon is Offray 1/8" 100% polyester.
The hardest part was definitely sewing in the pocket. The pattern calls for 12 inches of yarn to sew in the flap, but I recommend using more. I don't think I'll be using this pattern again, simply because assembling the various pieces was frustrating as there were no diagrams. The more I look at it, the more I like it, though, and that's a good thing. I am thinking about adding a star to the center of the top flap as well.
On the good side, this crochet hook case has much more room to store non-hook items such as scissors, measuring tape, and needles than the other patterns I considered did. On the bad side, it is softer and thus looks slightly sloppier. I really like the way I closed it with ribbons. I think the edge of the ribbons hanging off the bottom is very cute. I don't like how sloppy it looks, but I obviously liked it enough that I didn't destroy it and start over, which is an achievement for me (perfectionism is a disease).
I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn, though I don't know the name of this color. I call it variegated rainbow. I used an H hook, just as the pattern requires. The ribbon is Offray 1/8" 100% polyester.
The hardest part was definitely sewing in the pocket. The pattern calls for 12 inches of yarn to sew in the flap, but I recommend using more. I don't think I'll be using this pattern again, simply because assembling the various pieces was frustrating as there were no diagrams. The more I look at it, the more I like it, though, and that's a good thing. I am thinking about adding a star to the center of the top flap as well.
April 10, 2005
This could get dangerous.
I looked at yarn on ebay. That could be so bad. I could easily see myself hoarding yarn. The prices on there are, of course, much better than store prices.
I bought more crochet supplies today, and organized the ones I already have. I have a headache (combined sinus/migraine) and crocheting actually makes it better. It gives me something to do, but I can do it sitting perfectly still. I decided I would make an afghan for my boyfriend for his birthday. You can never have too many blankets/comforters/afghans/bedspreads, and I think he'll appreciate it much more than the scarf I made him (which is, sadly, doomed to stay in his closet even in winter, I fear). I bought Mainstays Dark Sage yarn at Wal-Mart. It was on sale, $1.50 for 8 oz. A very good deal, and it came with an afghan pattern on it that looked both pretty and simple. Plus it took only 32 oz of yarn, which is the least I've seen any afghan pattern require.
You may have noticed that my "Current Projects" has changed and my docket grown much larger. I have a terrible tendency to lose my hooks, so I'm hoping that with a case (made in Red Heart Super Saver variegated rainbow yarn) that will happen less frequently. Then I'll only have to worry about losing my needles (I have probably lost more yarn needles than most people have ever owned). I feel like the Supreme Court of crochet, calling my planned projects a docket. I'm such a nerd.
In the world of yarn stores, I feel a need to mention Yarns, Etc. Last spring I was on my way home from work and wanted to buy an H hook so I could begin work on a hat I was planning to make for my sister's best friend (it only took me 3 tries to get it right!). Normally I buy hooks at Wal-Mart or Michael's, aluminum hooks for $2 or less each. On this particular day I didn't feel like driving to Wal-Mart as it was well out of my way. I was sure I had seen a yarn store in Carrboro somewhere so I kept an eye out for the sign and it was indeed directly on my way home from work. I ran in and admired their hooks briefly (I think possibly I had a headache then, too - it happens a lot). They were all quite pricey. I settled for the cheapest one I could find, a $6 bamboo hook. I was mentally kicking myself for paying so much for a crochet hook, thinking it was the most frivolous expense I'd ever had (this from a woman who has been known to drop hundreds of dollars on trading card games). I got that sucker home and I used it -
and it is my favorite hook.
BAMBOO. So beautiful. It works much more smoothly than the aluminum ones. It is nicer to hold. And it doesn't get cold.
Anyway, my point is, Yarns, Etc. is, as far as I can tell, a great store.
All of this was actually just an introduction so I could show off the yarn my friend Caitlyn bought there and gave to me a couple weeks ago:
Isn't it beautiful? It is multiple strands, so I'm not really skilled enough to work with it yet, but I can't wait until I am. I have no idea what I'll make from it, but whatever it is, it's destined to be gorgeous.
I believe that is all the crochet news for me today, so I'm off to continue working on my crochet hook case rather than writing lesson plans for the classes I'm teaching tomorrow. Lesson plans don't help the migraine nearly as much as the crochet does.
I bought more crochet supplies today, and organized the ones I already have. I have a headache (combined sinus/migraine) and crocheting actually makes it better. It gives me something to do, but I can do it sitting perfectly still. I decided I would make an afghan for my boyfriend for his birthday. You can never have too many blankets/comforters/afghans/bedspreads, and I think he'll appreciate it much more than the scarf I made him (which is, sadly, doomed to stay in his closet even in winter, I fear). I bought Mainstays Dark Sage yarn at Wal-Mart. It was on sale, $1.50 for 8 oz. A very good deal, and it came with an afghan pattern on it that looked both pretty and simple. Plus it took only 32 oz of yarn, which is the least I've seen any afghan pattern require.
You may have noticed that my "Current Projects" has changed and my docket grown much larger. I have a terrible tendency to lose my hooks, so I'm hoping that with a case (made in Red Heart Super Saver variegated rainbow yarn) that will happen less frequently. Then I'll only have to worry about losing my needles (I have probably lost more yarn needles than most people have ever owned). I feel like the Supreme Court of crochet, calling my planned projects a docket. I'm such a nerd.
In the world of yarn stores, I feel a need to mention Yarns, Etc. Last spring I was on my way home from work and wanted to buy an H hook so I could begin work on a hat I was planning to make for my sister's best friend (it only took me 3 tries to get it right!). Normally I buy hooks at Wal-Mart or Michael's, aluminum hooks for $2 or less each. On this particular day I didn't feel like driving to Wal-Mart as it was well out of my way. I was sure I had seen a yarn store in Carrboro somewhere so I kept an eye out for the sign and it was indeed directly on my way home from work. I ran in and admired their hooks briefly (I think possibly I had a headache then, too - it happens a lot). They were all quite pricey. I settled for the cheapest one I could find, a $6 bamboo hook. I was mentally kicking myself for paying so much for a crochet hook, thinking it was the most frivolous expense I'd ever had (this from a woman who has been known to drop hundreds of dollars on trading card games). I got that sucker home and I used it -
and it is my favorite hook.
BAMBOO. So beautiful. It works much more smoothly than the aluminum ones. It is nicer to hold. And it doesn't get cold.
Anyway, my point is, Yarns, Etc. is, as far as I can tell, a great store.
All of this was actually just an introduction so I could show off the yarn my friend Caitlyn bought there and gave to me a couple weeks ago:
Isn't it beautiful? It is multiple strands, so I'm not really skilled enough to work with it yet, but I can't wait until I am. I have no idea what I'll make from it, but whatever it is, it's destined to be gorgeous.
I believe that is all the crochet news for me today, so I'm off to continue working on my crochet hook case rather than writing lesson plans for the classes I'm teaching tomorrow. Lesson plans don't help the migraine nearly as much as the crochet does.
April 09, 2005
Yay!
I live in a very small town. Population of less than 4,000. I have frequently moaned about having to get my crochet supplies at Wal-Mart, and how there aren't any yarn stores. Well, how little I knew! I knew there had to be a yarn store somewhere nearby, because I'd heard knitters at work discussing it. I didn't realize it was so VERY close, though. I may have to drive by tomorrow. It probably won't be open, but it'll be worth looking in. Maybe then I could get the yarn for Sherrie's hat.
Legwarmers
Here are some photographs of the legwarmers I made. I used this pattern, Lion Brand Wool Ease Black yarn, and aluminum hooks sizes I and K. The pattern includes single and half-double crochet. It goes pretty quickly - I could complete about one row per commercial break as I was watching Alias. I messed up on the first legwarmer, so now I have a lovely muff to match my legwarmers.
The model is me. I hope you can forgive me for having such pale legs and bizarrely-shaped feet.
I love this yarn. It's lamb's wool mixed with acrylic. It is the easiest I've ever used and sooooo soft. Yay!
The model is me. I hope you can forgive me for having such pale legs and bizarrely-shaped feet.
I love this yarn. It's lamb's wool mixed with acrylic. It is the easiest I've ever used and sooooo soft. Yay!
Welcome!
This is my new crochet blog. There's not much here right now, but soon I will have thoughts, musings, links, and pictures of my projects. Is there anything else you think belongs in a crochet blog? Leave a comment if you'd like to let me know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
