Crochet update

In this post last year, I talked about my local yarn store's work-in-progress event. Where you basically dig through your stash of unfinished projects, register them, and have a deadline to get them finished. It's a great way to clear out the craft room, get stuff off the needles, and rediscover those projects that looked like such a good idea way back when. It's also an opportunity to throw a few more things into the queue and have a defined time to get them done. So far I have registered:

• A knit cabled cape for my mom
• A knitted winter hat for J
• A crocheted fish for S
• A knitted dress for S (more on that in a bit)
• Another knitted dress for S (this one for the summer)
• A pair of gloves for me
• A crocheted sweater that I've ripped back more than once (it's a tricky pattern)
• A baby sweater that has been on needles for 4 years
• A baby sweater for a friend who had a baby in November

I've also started a few projects I need to register:

• The beautiful cowl I talked about a few days ago
• A Valentine's Day sweater for S for next year
• A cupcake hat for my niece's birthday

Now, the crocheted fish for S is part of a pair, described as a daddy and little fish in my amigurumi crochet book. I made the Daddy Lish (that's what we call fish around here) sometime last year. Baby Lish was sitting on the hook for while yet, until the other night:

They turned out so, adorably, cute. I love them, and S does too. She throws them around the living room.

More to come...

Frustrating crafty update

I attended my sit n knit at my local yarn store last night. I was stoked, because one of the crochet experts was there, and I needed help on a new stitch.

We spent essentially the entire 2 hours getting my pattern to work for me. I know I ripped it out to the beginning when I first got there, and did it again during my time there.

I thought I was on the right track, but I got home, did another row, and found I was still screwing up.

I ripped it out again, and will come back to it when I'm in a better frame of mind. Frustrated is not a good state to be in when doing any kind of craft.

Colorful crafty update

Not long ago, I posted a crafy update, including a really cute newborn Santa-style hat and a floral scarf in a rainbow of colors. I may have mentioned I wanted to repeat the hat, but in a blue and white stripe.


Done!

I also mentioned I was working on a hat to go with the scarf, again in a rainbow of colors.


And...done! I love this hat. It came out the perfect size (which is a miracle, because I typically crochet big and have to majorly alter things to get it to work out right). It's also some of the softest wool I've played with in a while. It's successes like this that makes me pine for colder weather.


Here it is on my head in a close-up so you can see the stripes in living color.

Of course, this has freed me up to add more projects to my queue. I've been meaning to start some mittens for S, and I have a hat I started for J that needs some work, and I found a great pattern to go with the sky blue alpaca I bought last weekend.

Thank God my child naps.

Crafty update

Welcome to Dr L's Craft Time!

My friend Amy had her baby girl Elsie last month. She and her family were waiting until Elsie's arrival to find out the gender, so I held off on making her something until I had a color in mind. As soon as I heard "girl", I found this beautiful wine-colored washable wool, and a pattern for the 5-hour sweater. It took me a bit longer than 5 hours (don't ask), but not much, and I love how it turned out. So did Amy. I hope it's nice and warm for Elsie this winter.



While we were at our photo shoot last weekend, our friend Jen complimented me on S's pumpkin hat, and asked if I had any patterns in mind for a newborn Santa-style hat for her Christmas sessions. I cast about and found a great munchkin hat pattern. I used the same wonderful washable wool in wine, along with some white stripes, to knit what turned out to be an adorable hat. I may try this again in blue and white to have in my stash.



In the meantime, my crochet bug caught up with me, especially with a new book and yarn I talked about here. I made the first project that caught my eye, a scarf of interlinked flowers.




I was originally going to make this for my sister in law (and they can fight over which one it was ;), but I loved it so much I decided it's staying in my house.



That's OK, I have enough yarn to make 1 or 2 more, so maybe both sisters in law will have a cool homemade Christmas present from me. Maybe...

Stay tuned. There's a striped hat in similar colors to the floral scarf that's on my hook, and a few more projects kicking about. And I'm going to my knitting circle Tuesday night :)

Gonna talk crochet for a bit

When I'm waxing philosophical about yarn crafts, I'm usually talking knitting. Which is funny, because I just learned to knit a few years ago, and I've been crocheting off and on since I was 7. In some ways crochet is still better in my mind. It goes faster, there are some super fun projects, and I can kick back and go wild.

So while we were on our New England road trip (just scroll down, you'll see the highlights), I sat in the back with S and crocheted a neck warmer. It looked lovely and lacy, it called for alpaca (and I had some), and it looked doable in a few days on the road.

I love alpaca. Even lighter weights are super warm, and I have some I got straight off an alpaca farm. I could basically look at the source in the shop's back yard while I made my purchase.

It turns out that, despite thinking they were all the same shade, my alpaca skeins were slightly different. So my neck warmer ended up two-toned.


Don't see it? Don't worry, I have a better picture:


I decided it didn't matter, and it sort of added to the charm of the piece. It's going to be all squished around someone's neck anyway, so having tonal shades mixing with each other might look kind of cool.


Behold me modeling my creation. Nice, no?

I also finished a knitted tank top this week. The picture is just a bit more revealing than I planned, so I'll post when I make it a bit more sedate ;)

More craftiness

I've decided that I knit to relax, so I must be stressed! I finished yet more projects this weekend:



This toddler sweater is with some yummy yarn that I got at a yarn store near my work. I've been working on bits and pieces of this forever, so it's nice to finally get it put together. J says he thinks it's the neatest sweater I've done so far!


I crocheted bootie I did today. This worked up really quickly. We'll see how long it takes to get the second one done!

Food in its many forms

I have really been enjoying the farmer's market of late. Strawberry season went long this year, and they last forever. I don't know if I can ever go back to store-bought strawberries.

We used them along with the blueberries from our backyard to make sauces for waffles. We used my brother's waffle recipe:



They turned out great!



In the meantime, I got a new book of crochet patterns, making toy food. I did most of this during our daytrip to visit wineries today.


A slice of pumpkin pie. I'm going to mix it up a little and do a cherry version soon.


My little (actually, kind of big) strawberry


J decided to try it out

A little peanut!

And a big red tomato!

I'm still working on the chocolate chip cookies

I'm famous! (sorta)

A gal I know on one of the many internet chat rooms I frequent started a crochet blog with how-tos, patterns, crochet-a-longs, and the like. She's looking for an interactive blog experience, so I offered to show off some left handed versions of the things she does (yes, I"m a leftie).

So check out her blog. Maybe get some patterns, and see my hand (my famous hand ;) showing off my yellow granny square!

Something for little feet

My latest creations :)

The buttons are little white cats with pink faces. I love these!