not your average crochet

I made a second blooming flower cushion (pattern here):

And I did a better job on the zipper this time — it’s neater:

And I’ve been feeling much better, thanks everyone for the kind words and encouragement, it really made me feel happier!  I’m totally over it.

My exit exam was today, so that was intense.  I felt better learning that you can make under 70% and still pass, and if you just fail one or two sections on the exam you can re-take them.  All is not lost.  It was a really sucky test though — lots of stuff on there that our teachers never covered and I never read in any of our books.  Pretty rough.  I don’t even know when the results will be available, so it’ll be an anxious time for my classmates and me until we learn if we pass or not.

I’m just unwinding at home now, staring at my lovely cushions side by side:

Yay!  And I’ve STILL got yarn left!  I’ve only run out of 2 colors, so I can make a few more little things.  I AM running out of Chris’ T-shirts…

Well, thanks for stopping by, and thanks again for your support and thoughtfulness!  You guys are the best!

Ta-da!  I finished my cushion (pattern here)!  I did end up using 5 of Chris’ T-shirts to stuff it — I was too antsy to wait for an actual pillow form in the mail.  It turned out great — it’s nice and firm and only a little lumpy, but you can kinda just mush it into shape and it’s lovely and supportive!  Here’s the back:

I used the same color sequence as the front because it would have bothered me if it was different.  I used all 17 colors from the Deramores Lucy Pack leftovers (from this blanket), and I still have enough yarn to probably make another cushion!  Next time I get this pack I will not skimp on blanket size — one pack is probably enough to cover a double bed!

About dem feelins.  I’m definitely down today.  I’m consoling myself with the fact that I’ve made a couple of new friends lately and of course I’ve got my best friend and boyfriend, Chris.  He always makes me feel better when I’m down, and I’m very thankful for him.  I also made a list of 10 things that make me happy:

1. reading
2. knitting/crocheting
3. Dr. Pepper
4. my boyfriend
5. my dog
6. my family/my boyfriend’s family
7. the friends that I do have
8. comfy pajamas
9. good music/TV shows
10. pretty things in nature, i.e. flowers, ocean, fields

I can keep going, but 10 is enough to make me smile.

Thanks for stopping by, I’ll be more positive next time! 🙂

It’s amazing how much crafting one can get done when there is something massively important looming closer and closer that you don’t want to prepare for.  Like studying for my school exit exam.  Look what I made today:

It’s the front for the blooming flower cushion from Attic24.  I know, I know, I copy her stuff a lot.  Well, I had the leftover Stylecraft Special DK yarn from my last blanket, and it’s a cute fun pattern, so why not?  It’s been in my Ravelry queue forever, and I was reminded of the pattern by Rachel’s recent post on her own lovely finished cushion.

I’m dissatisfied with the picture — it looks so dark — but our apartment windows let in minimal light and it’s nighttime anyway.  I was just too excited with this project to wait until tomorrow.  Plus, tomorrow, I may have the back done and the whole thing sewn together to show you.  We’ll have to see… I REALLY need to study more.  I also need to find something to fill the cushion with.  Our Hobby Lobby doesn’t have round pillow forms and my LYS doesn’t carry them either.  Maybe old T-shirts, if the T-shirt colors don’t show through the yarn.  Or maybe a square pillow just stuffed in.

Also, does anybody have any ideas about how I could easily make this cushion cover removable?  The pattern instructs for it to be completely stitched up around the pillow form, and that might not be best since I have a boyfriend and a dog (meaning I have to wash things a lot).  Adding buttons unobtrusively might be difficult though, I just don’t know.  Or instead, do you just throw your cushions and covers alike into the washer?  If I could throw it into the washer whole, it wouldn’t matter.  What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!