new (to me) yarn shops to try!

May 30, 2016 by 11 Comments

Don’t you love it when you find an online store with gorgeous yarns that you just have to try?  I’ve got a few on my list to try, have you purchased from any of these?  If so, what do you think of the yarn?

  • Lily Neige – the gradients in particular are lovely!
  • We Love Knitting – the shop is updated frequently because the yarns almost always sell out!  I’ve purchased their 100% Extra Fine Merino 4-Ply Fingering base in the colorway Strawberries and Cream:
Strawberries and Cream yarn from We Love Knitting -- and they sent a free tote bag with my order!

Strawberries and Cream yarn from We Love Knitting — and they sent a free tote bag with my order!

  • Norah George – no, I don’t just love this brand because of all the Harry Potter themed yarn colorways (although that doesn’t hurt)!  I want to try the Molly Weasley colorway.
  • Miss Babs – OK so this isn’t quite new but I’ve only tried one yarn and I’d love to try more!  I used 1 skein of Keira in the colorway Blooming Pansies for my Snapdragon Stitch Cowl (free pattern)!
Snapdragon Stitch Cowl - Not Your Average Crochet

Snapdragon Stitch Cowl

  • Gregoria Fibers – this is another shop that updates regularly due to selling out quickly, and it’s not hard to see why!
  • Hedgehog Fibres – the linked website is just one seller of this brand.  I really love the speckled & variegated colorways!
  • Julie Asselin – these gorgeous yarns are nice — I’ve purchased their Leizu DK yarn in Shiitake from one of Skeincocaine’s weekly Instagram auctions:
Leizu DK

Julie Asselin Leizu DK in Shiitake

So what yarn shops have you recently discovered?  I’d love to visit them and discover new favorites, just leave a comment below!

I’ve got some project updates coming up soon, so stay tuned!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

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pattern woes & pretty hooks

May 15, 2016 by 5 Comments

The crochet Kippen cardigan I started came to an abrupt halt after row 1; I think the pattern has incorrect foundation chain numbers for both the XS and S versions.  I messaged the publisher about 2 weeks ago and have gotten no reply.  Looking at the written pattern, I thought at first that I should chain the stated # and go on with the different stitch count, but now I’m thinking I should probably chain the required amount to meet the correct stitch count after row 1.  *sigh*  This was unexpectedly disappointing (especially after paying about $15 USD for the pattern), but I’ll probably start on it soon and we’ll just see how it goes!

In other crochet news, I have an old set of steel crochet hooks that were my great grandmother’s, but they’re so uncomfortable to use because they have no good place to grip.  I therefore took advantage of a KnitPicks sale & bought the Clover Amour steel hook set:

Clover Amour crochet hook set

Aren’t they pretty?  They came with caps to protect the steel ends (or perhaps to protect humans from the sharp tiny tips), as you can see.  I’m going to use them for some Christmas ornaments.  They didn’t come with a good case though, just the plastic packaging, so I’ll probably get a pencil case to keep them in.

Speaking of pretty and ergonomic crochet hooks, have you seen Furls crochet hooks?  I prefer inline hooks and this is the only brand outside of Susan Bates that I know of that makes them (if you know of more brands, please tell me in the comments)!  You can get beautiful wooden ones for about $75 USD each, PolyResin ones for about $50 USD each, or their more affordable metal tipped ones for about $30 USD each.  I really want the candy colored PolyResin ones but those will have to be saved for special treats!

In my knitting world I still have 3 of 4 straps to finish on my Split Back Tank but that shouldn’t take long, and then I’ll wash it and share!  I’m also diligently working on my Maeve shrug:

maeve shrug

It’s not really as bright or as coral-y in real life, which I prefer, but I’ve had trouble getting any photos that accurately portray the colors.

Speaking of accurately portraying colors (or not), check out this gorgeous yarn:

Leizu DK

It’s a little more pink in real life, testifying to my newfound obsession with all shades pink (which is also evidenced by the Maeve shrug & Kippen cardigan & one more project I’ll share soon).  It’s Leizu DK yarn from Julie Asselin (90% merino, 10% silk) in the colorway Shiitake. I’m planning for this to be a lovely wearable item, I’m just not sure 100% what yet; I’ve got so many options that it’s hard to decide.

Well, that’s all for now; I’ve gotta go to Michael’s before they close to get some things framed for my office at work.  Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!

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Fino Circle Scarf: ta-da & Kippen Cardigan: begin!

May 5, 2016 by 4 Comments

Here’s a knitted FO; I busted through the last bit just because I’m so eager to start the crochet Kippen Cardigan and I’ve limited my # of WIPs.

IMG_5899

This Fino Circle Scarf took 980 yds of my Malabrigo Yarn Sock in colorway 121 – Marte (about 2.3 skeins), and it also took a little over 6 months to complete.  I jokingly used the hashtag #milesofstockinette on Instagram but it really is over half a mile of yarn!  I was so glad to be done that I didn’t even bother blocking it; the edges might curl but I can block it later if it bothers me too much.

This yarn is really gorgeous even if all the colors don’t show through on camera — it’s got purples, browns, reds, oranges, blues, teals, lavenders, & greys in it when you look closely.  I love it!

So now on to the crochet Kippen Cardigan!  The 11 Scheepjes Stone Washed balls in Rose Quartz arrived today:

scheepjes stone washed

I cannot WAIT to get started!  It’ll be the first crochet sweater/cardigan I’ve ever made (at least, that I’ll actually wear — I made a crochet Filigree Cardigan in 2012 but I used Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool and it was too scratchy and didn’t quite fit right, anyway, so I never wore it).  The yarn is soft and shouldn’t be too hot for living in the south since it’s cotton & acrylic.

Well that’s all for now.  Can’t wait to share crochet progress with you, but it’s midnight now and I’ve got to go to bed.  Aww, I still have to shower…  See you next time!

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post-giveaway expectations

May 2, 2016 by 4 Comments

I’ve been putting off posting about anything for the past few days, even though I’ve got stuff to share, because I’ve been worried that my new lovely subscribers won’t want to see knitting, and that’s what I’ve been doing lately.  Ya’ll got me all nervous and wanting to make a good first impression!  Guess I shouldn’t make assumptions though, and there will be crochet stuff  quite soon so I might as well go ahead and share the knitting stuff.

 

split back tank

My split back tank is over halfway done!  I swear though, I don’t know how all you knitters fly through those drapey lace cardigans with tiny needles.  Even with 5.5mm needles (US 9) this seems to be slow (although maybe I’m just excited to finish, so it seems slower than it really is).  Again I’m using Lindy Chain in Hollyberry for this, because I just had enough of this color lying around.  Since I plan on using it as a swimsuit coverup and my swimsuit is blue, it’ll be fine, even though I would have preferred a lighter color.  I’ll pair it with light denim cutoffs and it’ll be cute!

My Berroco Vintage in Macaron arrived a few days ago from WEBS, and it’s even better than I expected!  This is probably one of my favorite yarns and this colorway is just gorgeous:

berroco vintage macaron

berroco vintage macaron

I guess my camera’s not quite good enough to clearly show the different colors in the yarn, but you can tell it’s heather-y.  I can’t wait to make this amazing yarn into the Maeve shrug (but I’m not starting until I finish a current WIP)!

Actually I did order some yarn for a crocheted sweater, too…

907411e8b6e6075f0766171b742416ea

It’s Scheepjes Stone Washed from Wool Warehouse in 820 – Rose Quartz.  I’ve been wanting to try it for ages!  If you’ve tried it before, can you give me some advice?  According to Craft Yarn Council it lies somewhere between sock weight & sport weight, and on different websites I’ve seen it called either one.  I got enough to crochet the Kippen Cardigan, which calls for sock weight yarn; do you think it will be OK?  Have you used this yarn for patterns that call for sock or sport weight?  If so, please let me know in the comments below, it would be very helpful!

I know the shrug and the cardigan are for the cooler seasons, but the tank will be my first-ever warm-weather item.  Are you making any summer garments now?  If so, what are your favorite designs?  If the split back tank is not too hot I might want to make some more summery clothes!

Well, that’s all for now, thanks for stopping by!  Hopefully next time my yarn for the crochet cardi will be here and I will have finished a WIP so I can get started!  See you soon!

 

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giveaway winner announced!

April 25, 2016 by 7 Comments

The giveaway is now closed and a winner has been successfully drawn, and it’s time to announce who it is!

The winner of all this stuff is…

Debbie R.!

Congratulations Debbie, you’ve won a ton of awesome stuff and I hope you love it!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway, and for all those who didn’t win let me assure you that there will be more giveaways here on Not Your Average Crochet in the future.  🙂  I hope you stick around for those as well as other awesome things I post about, such as reviews on yarn & knitting/crochet notions, info on my current projects, tips & tricks, free patterns (there are more of those in the future as well), and more!

That’s all for today!  Ya’ll come back now, y’hear?  😉

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