summer crochet

June 30, 2016 by 6 Comments

The Maeve shrug is still coming along — only about 4 more inches of the band to go and I can bind off.  Unfortunately for productivity the shrug is big, wool, & warm, so I wanted to start some smaller, quicker, cooler projects.

Say hello to my little barrel cactus!

not your average crochet - barrel cactus

Isn’t he cute?  The free crochet pattern is here (although I doubled the stitches per row and the number of rows), and the free crochet pattern for the pink flower I put on top is here.

not your average crochet - barrel cactus

I want to name him something adorable.  There’s also a mini agave plant and a mini saguaro cactus in the works; the trio will help decorate my sad window-less office and make it sorta-kinda seem like there are living things in there… sorta.

not your average crochet - barrel cactus

Speaking of decorating my office, I’ve also started a doily for my very large wooden desk!  The crochet pattern is called “Debbie” and it can be found for $3.99 USD here.

not your average crochet - Debbie doily

It’s worth noting that I’m using my new Clover Amour hooks and I swear I couldn’t get so much done at once if it wasn’t for those awesome handles.  However, I DID have to do the first bit 3 times before getting even close to gauge with different hooks; it calls for a steel 1.75 mm hook but I’m using a 2.75 mm hook instead.  I wonder if the author had a problem with their gauge (which is not very likely), if I have a problem with mine, or if the tapered hooks (instead of my usual inline) are making a difference.  I’ll have to remember to do gauge swatches when using these hooks in the future, just in case.  It’s a fun pattern so far anyhow, with interesting stitches but nothing too hard (at least not yet).

As far as other life stuff goes, I dyed my hair purple & got a side cut, which I love.  Work has been crazy busy but we just passed inspection for the renewal of our accreditation so I’m hoping things will get a bit easier, at least for a little bit.  I think we all need a break, because we’ve all got a bunch of other life junk going on too and we need to practice some self care.

Well, that’s all for today I suppose.  I’ll update with more cacti soon, hopefully, and progress on the doily and the Maeve!  Thanks so much for stopping by, see you soon!

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recuerdos de infancia crochet shawl: ta-da!

September 12, 2015 by 10 Comments

Using 691 yards of Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lace Paints (colorway 9989) and a US E hook, my Recuerdos de Infancia shawl is complete!

recuerdos de infancia crochet shawl

recuerdos de infancia crochet shawl

recuerdos de infancia crochet shawl

recuerdos de infancia crochet shawl

This was a fun shawl to make, just like the first one I made years ago in sock weight yarn.  I’m really happy with this, and this yarn is SO SOFT.  Like, so soft it was hard to tie off the ends because the knots were so silky.  I’m impressed, but this is 100% Alpaca.

Can’t wait until it starts to get cooler so I can actually wear this, but it’s still averaging 90 degrees (F) every day (although I must say after the weeks of 100+ this almost feels nice).

Well that’s all for today, thanks for stopping by!

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recuerdos de infancia #2

September 8, 2015 by 12 Comments

This crochet pattern worked up pretty quickly, despite using Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lace Paints (colorway 9989) and an E hook.  The pattern costs but is worth it.  It’s blocking now:

recuerdos de infancia crochet shawl

I’ll measure the wingspan once it’s unpinned from the blocking foam and I’ll post pictures wearing it, but in the meantime here are some closeups:

recuerdos de infancia shawl

recuerdos de infancia shawl

I’ll try to update soon, especially since I’ve got lots of projects going, but the wedding planning is really picking up steam and so I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to post between now and then.  Hopefully a regular amount!

Thanks for stopping by!

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sugarfrost: begin!

August 1, 2015 by 7 Comments

I thought I was a good knitter.  Boy howdy do I feel meek now.  Just started the GORGEOUS Sugarfrost pattern (I’m gonna make the scarf version), and it is tricky!

Firstly, my yarn is LACE.  I’ve never made a whole project in lace before and I have a feeling this is going to take a long time.  Thank goodness it’s beautiful soft yarn from Welthase (Lace Merinosilk in Coral):

Welthase yarn

It’s worth mentioning another time that there are NO KNOTS in this thing, it’s amazing, and SUPER soft!  For realsies, check out the Welthase store on Etsy.

Secondly, I got the setup row complete and then got stuck.  Yes, that soon into the pattern, I was stuck.  Had to message the pattern author (who promptly messaged me back, clearing up my confusion) and it turns out my brain was just trying to make things extra complicated for me.  Thanks brain!

Thirdly, I’m learning new stitches.  Actually this is a cool one — I’m learning to make nupps:

Sugarfrost scarf begin

 

You can kinda see one there toward the bottom of the photo, and there are 2 more that are out of focus.  They’re kinda slow but really satisfying to make!

I’m using my stitch counters from Ruth Plus Two’s Etsy store to keep track of my pattern repeats, but even so I’ll definitely be using lifelines all through this thing.

Well, that’s all for today.  Soon I’ll share an app with you that is making this pattern MUCH easier for me to follow, and I promised some crochet soon — it’s coming, don’t worry!  Thanks for stopping by!

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Gentille cowl ta-da!

February 25, 2015 by 16 Comments

My busy hands have completed a new project: the Gentille cowl!  Available for about $5.74 on Ravelry (click here), this pattern makes a great one-skein wonder!

"Gentille" cowl - a wearable knitted piece with great drape!

The yarn used was awfully hard to photograph properly, even in natural light, but if you’re wanting a pretty accurate representation of color, check the source: KnitPicks Hawthorne in Ladd’s Addition.  It’s essentially a blend of dark blues and purples with a pop of hot pink that has a tail end of bright orange.  Less brown than in my pictures here.  I think it’s gorgeous, but that’s not the only thing about this yarn I love: it may be 80% wool but it’s not scratchy at all, even after a whole day’s wear; it blocked beautifully; the drape is perfect.  This is my favorite yarn of the year so far, for sure.

Gentille cowl draped on a chairAs you can sort of see, there are two “sections” to this pattern: a garter stitch section and a lacy chevron section.  That constitutes 1 pattern repeat, and my 357 yd skein was perfect for 4 repeats total.  Here are closeups of the two “sections:”

Gentille cowl - garter stitch sectionGentille cowl - lacy chevron sectionI like the way the bright pinks/oranges make a sort of zig/zag pattern throughout.  This is called “pooling,” right?  Well, I really like the way it pooled here (I know sometimes it can be a mess)!

In conclusion, even though the pattern was pretty easy to remember, I don’t regret paying for it — I’m sure I’ll use it again someday.  This pattern mixed the mindless garter stitch with interesting [but not difficult] chevrons, and it looks more complicated than it actually was!  This is the sort of pattern you could churn out in a week for a gift, and I think anybody would love to receive one, don’t you?

Well, that’s all for today, but this isn’t the last you’ll see of the Gentille cowl!  Look out for a special knitting tip coming up soon!  As always, thanks for stopping by!

 

 

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