row counter ring and a summer update

Have you seen the beautiful row counter rings handmade by Kristan MacIntyre?  I ordered one and received it in the mail yesterday:

row counter ring

How cool is that?  It’s made from sterling silver and can be made in your specific size.  Mine is the stamped version in size 5 but you can get the numbers hand engraved and you can also get rubies added.

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There’s a little notch that you can’t see in these pictures because the ring is rotated on my finger, but the notch indicates where you are, so you align your current numbers with it.  I like to keep that notch on the side of my finger so that I can see it really easily when I’m knitting/crocheting.

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Isn’t is pretty?  One of my favorite things about this ring is that it is an actual piece of jewelry, not just some brightly colored piece of plastic that you wouldn’t want to wear out in public.

Price range depends on whether you get the stamped or hand engraved version and whether or not you choose to get the rubies added.  You can head over to Kristan’s website here to view the options for yourself, and check out her other knitting related jewelry! She has some beautiful shawl pins, a really cool needle sizing pendant, and more! I’m eyeing that pendant…

So, for the summer update bit.  I’m happily enjoying this whole week off of work for the 4th of July holiday. I was getting a bit burned out at work, to tell the truth, so this was a great time for a little vacation! My boyfriend Chris is working all week, so we can’t actually go anywhere, but I don’t mind staying at home one bit. It’s great just spending time with him and the dog and doing lots of eating and sleeping and movie watching (and not much else)!

And speaking of home, I have some flowers on my front stoop now that my parents got for me:

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Aren’t they pretty?  That last one is actually a citronella plant to keep mosquitos away (after all we do live in a very humid climate and our location is right by a river). There’s actually a 4th plant, too, but it’s looking very sad. I think it got too much sun so I moved it to the shade, but it might be too late. Well, with my horrible gardening skills, I’m actually pretty pleased that only one plant is looking bad and not more!

You can see our dog Zero in the second picture there, looking across the road at our neighbors’ dog and wanting to play.  Poor Zero — I haven’t been able to walk her as much lately because it’s been so hot!  I don’t want her little paws to burn on the pavement and she starts panting so quickly, so we just go early in the morning on days I have off.  This week should be good for her!

Well, I guess that’s all for now.  I’m off to go eat dinner with my parents and my aunt, who is visiting from Arkansas.  Hopefully I’ll post a crafty update with some knitting or crocheting soon — I HAVE been working on things… a bit…  🙂  Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

4 squares

That Granny Square app by Simply Crochet mentioned in my last post has put out 4 more squares since last I posted. Here are my versions:

simply crochet square 3

simply crochet square 4

simply crochet square 5

simply crochet square 6

They are fun to make, especially since each one is different, and it’s giving me something to do in between bigger crochet projects. I am actually knitting a blanket right now — photos of that are coming soon — but the crochet front has been pretty quiet.

A lot has been happening in my life lately (both good and bad) but the short version is that I’m enjoying my job despite some drama with coworkers, my boyfriend and I are doing well despite a bit of a rocky patch we’ve just gotten through, and I’m making new friends despite my tendencies to be shy and quiet.

It’s also getting pretty hot here in Columbia SC — it’s already been upwards of 90 degrees F (over 32 C). What have you been doing to stay cool so far this summer? I need some fresh ideas; I’ll try anything to keep sweat from showing through my clothes (gross, perhaps, but that’s what happens to everyone here). And do you even find it possible to wear any crocheted or knitted items past March? I just can’t do it… Sitting in my cool house with my knitting on my lap as I work on it is almost too hot!

Has anyone seen the new Disney movie “Maleficent?” I saw it the other day in theaters and I really liked it because, for one thing, it gave much more depth to the characters from the animated version of “Sleeping Beauty.” I won’t give away more but if you liked the original I’d recommend seeing this new version of the story!

I guess that’s everything for now. Hopefully you’ll visit again soon, and thanks for stopping by!

first two granny squares

In my last post I wrote about the Granny Square app by Simply Crochet, in which they are publishing a free granny square pattern each week. The second one came out, so I’ve got pictures of #1 and #2!

Here’s the first week’s square:

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And here’s week #2’s square:

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As you can see, the first square is just a classic granny square. The second is a variation of the alternative granny instructions I made a while back. The difference is the chains in the corners — I typically use 2 but this pattern calls for 4, so that’s what I did.

The two squares do not have the same number of stitches on each side, nor are they quite the same size, so there will be no joining as I go, but that’s OK. I’m enjoying the squares so far — it’s nice not to be rushed.

Well that’s all for today. I have most of another project finished but I have the finishing touches to make and add on before I share. Thanks for stopping by!

a new project

I do believe I’m starting something new, thanks to Simply Crochet’s new app for iPhone/iPad (they might have it for other platforms too, but I’m not sure).

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That’s a screenshot from my iPad and as you can see, there is already a basic pattern up. Every week there will be a new granny square pattern (not sure for how many weeks) and it includes a list of materials, the pattern, and a nice big chart for your crocheting convenience. Oh and did I mention it’s free? I think I’m going to do this and connect the squares as I go to make a blanket/throw… or maybe I should connect them all at the end since we don’t know how many there will be…
I am in no way sponsored to say these things to promote the app — I just thought it’s pretty cool! And since there’s just one pattern up so far there’s still time to hop on board if you want to!
Thanks for stopping by!

big Totoro plushie complete!

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The crochet project I hinted at in my last post (where I only showed the yarn) is complete. It is a large stuffed animal/plushie of Totoro, the main character from Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro.” If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it, even if you’re not into anime. It’s just a simple sweet and fantastical story that is appropriate for anyone and just makes you feel good.

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He is about 20 inches tall (about 51cm) from the bottom to the top of his ears, and he took quite a bit of yarn! I used 6 skeins of KnitPicks Brava Bulky in the gray color alone, and there was NONE to spare. The original pattern found here makes a 9 inch plushie, but I wanted one that is more cuddly and pillow-like. The original also has arms and a tail, but like I said, the yarn ran out (and I think he looks fine without them, really).

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I used a size K hook with 2 strands of bulky yarn at once to make him as big as I wanted, except for the eyes, which I had to make less thick so that the safety eyes would go on. I also changed the pattern for the tummy piece so that it would fit a little better. All alterations are listed in the notes on the finished product’s Ravelry page.

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The leaf on top of his head is removable — I’m just attaching it with a safety pin. In the movie, Totoro doesn’t originally own an umbrella and uses a leaf to attempt to keep his head dry. I think the pop of color finishes him off nicely.
Well, that’s what I’ve been up to. It’s been nice to crochet again, even though it took me a while to finish this guy, and hopefully I’ll be at it more often now. I’m stumped for what to try next, although I’ve been eyeing some blankets… we’ll see.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’re all doing well! See you soon!