New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year Everyone! I can't believe another year has come and gone. Time has a funny way of getting away from you and before you know it, a whole year has gone by. This is why I really enjoy making New Year's Resolutions and then trying to stick with them throughout the year.  This year one of my resolutions was to try to blog at least once a month. I figured once a month is a piece of cake.  Yet, here we are, January 30th, and I've yet to post on my blog. Not to mention the fact that the last time I posted was FEBRUARY 2013!!! This is unacceptable to me. If you know me, you know I like to do what I say and I don't like to leave things unfinished. If I start something, I like to make sure I complete it. I'll even read a bad book just because I started it and can't live with myself if I don't finish it. It doesn't feel good. So here it is: my resolution is to post at least once a month on this blog. I figure if I do that, I might be inspired to post more often. Either way, I hope you enjoy reading and that you are inspired to be creative in whatever craft you practice. Remember that it's not necessarily the finished product that counts but the PROCESS along the way! Enjoy the time you spend making and doing something with your hands. In this day and age, that's becoming more and more rare. So here's to a very creative and productive 2014. Much love fellow crafty friends!! Muah!

Here are a few of the projects I completed in 2013:

My first foray into Lace. The Multnomah Shawlette. The pattern is available on Ravelry for free!

My brother wanted me to replicate the Gears War (a video game) emblem and I came up with this. 

I made this Keyhole Loop scarf for my friend's daughter. I was told she wore it all day and finally took it off before going to bed. =)

This is a Curly Cue Crocheted scarf.  This was also a birthday gift. I love the colors in this yarn but I don't really like the yarn itself. I've become a bit of a yarn snob and the next time I make this, I'd like to use a softer, higher quality yarn.

These are Mini Mitts.  They were really fun to make and are really pretty. Plus, it only takes one small skein of yarn.  I used Koigu yarn and my LYS carries tons of beautiful color variations that I want to make them over and over. Next pair is for me!! 

I saw this pattern at the Montpelier Fiber Festival last fall and instantly wanted to make it. It's called The Double Leaf Scarf and can be found on Ravelry for free.  I'm currently working on another one as a shop model for my LYS. This one was made with a Cotton Bamboo yarn that drapes wonderfully. Only downfall is the yarn bled like crazy when I went to block it.

I'm still working on my crocheted bedspread and hope to have that completed by summer. Which brings me to some of my other New Year's Resolutions: knit/crochet at least one project per month, read one book a month (January is done!), start a new hobby (I'll be making my own stitch markers), continue to work on my fitness goals, and to enjoy my precious free time. May 2014 bring you all lots of great things because you deserve them! Till February!

Yarn Spinning: My Newest Hobby?

A few months ago, I met a girl at one of my knitting groups who brought in the yarn she had recently spun on a spinning wheel. It was BEAUTIFUL. I didn't even know you could spin your own yarn! I had heard of people dyeing their own yarn but never actually spinning it from fiber. Then and there, I resolved to one day do the same thing. So when my LYS (Local Yarn Store) advertised a yarn spinning class, I signed right up.

Now, here's the thing, as those of you who know me, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and it's very hard for me to be creative since I constantly need things to be perfect. I have a hard time being patient enough to cultivate a certain skill needed for a particular craft. I want to learn it and be able to do it well ASAP! I figured because of this, I would become impatient and frustrated very quickly and early on in the yarn spinning spinning class and sure enough, I was right.

First of all, the class was for Drop Spindle Yarn Spinning. This means we'd be using a drop spindle, not a wheel. Already, this makes a huge difference in the look of the finished product. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I was very intrigued with the idea of going full circle with a knitting project. The concept of spinning my own yarn from fiber and then knitting it up into something wearable/usable really excited me. The teacher was very knowledgeable and more importantly, passionate about this craft. She taught us a few different methods of how to spin the yarn and then how to ply it together. But of course, I was not happy with my efforts and with the resulting yarn. I quickly surmised it would take a lot of persistence and dedication to get this method down. Not that I'm not capable. I'm just not feeling the passion and desire to dedicate the time to the whole process. I'm currently obsessed with knitting and crocheting using beautiful yarn that has already been spun to look and feel amazing. In the end, I decided I don't need another expensive hobby. At the moment I'd rather spend my money on gorgeous yarn. And so, I've decided to put this hobby on the back burner for the moment. But one day I know I will get the bug to spin my own yarn again. So stay tuned...

An Early Spring!!

Being a huge fan of the movie, Groundhog Day with the comedic genius, Bill Murray, I've always had a thing for that obscure holiday on February 2nd. So on Saturday morning, I'd set my alarm as I usually do (even when I lived in France) to watch the live coverage of the biggest Groundhog Day celebration which takes place in Punxsutawney, PA hoping Phil the groundhog would NOT see his shadow and predict an early spring. And guess what? He did!! Or didn't. That's to say, he DIDN'T see his shadow which means he DID predict an early spring. Got it? Good!

Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow when coming out of his burrow, he'll go back to sleep since there's to be six more weeks of winter. But if he doesn't see his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. Once the announcement had been made we were to expect an early spring, I began to really hope it would be a reality. I'd had a bad last couple of weeks since I'd been sick, had had a falling out with a friend, and basically had a case of the winter blues. So I decided to take a cue from Phil and call for an early spring, mentally! I would figuratively clear out the cobwebs, draw the drapes to let the light in, and throw open the doors and windows to air out the musty moldy smell of winter. And what better way to get a jump start on this fresh new perspective/outlook? Why, with a spring crochet/knitting project, of course!!

I decided I'd crochet a bedspread for my bed in a bunch of bright bold colors. I chose this project since it's to be a bunch of squares that I will then sew together which means I am able to work on other projects at the same time. I can crochet a square in about a half hour and can do that at any time, wherever I may be, especially since I am easily able to memorize the square patterns. I plan on choosing about 5 different motifs and each square will be crocheted in one solid color for efficiency and because let's face it, I hate constant color changes, not to mention the weaving in of the ends at the end!! Once all the squares have been completed, I will be using a black yarn to sew them all together so that the colors will pop even more. For some reason, I keep thinking "Mexican Fiesta" when I think about the color scheme. I think with the black and the bright colors, I think of the colorful colors from Dia de los muertos (the Day of the Dead). So far, I have 11 different colors I've chosen that were inspired by a hank of yarn I recently purchased from my LYS (Local Yarn Store) and I will be getting a few more today. Since this is a pretty big project, I've chosen a commercial and inexpensive yarn that is acrylic based so that I may wash it without worrying about the colors fading or the yarn fraying or felting. For these kinds of projects, I really like using Simply Soft by Caron and Soft Yarn by Red Heart which come in many different colors and are only about $4 a skein or less. Sometimes, like at the moment, you can find this yarn on sale for 2 skeins for $5. The yarn also has a beautiful sheen to it and a great definition that really displays the artwork of your chosen stitch pattern. It's perfect for the different squares I've chosen to make and with a size K hook, the squares measure 9"x9" which means they are pretty big and therefore, you don't have to make a ton of them.

I hope to complete this project by early May but with the way I've been crocheting up the squares, I wouldn't be surprised if my bedspread is done and on my bed by April, instead! Stay tuned for some more pictures of the different square motifs I've chosen as well as the progress of the bedspread. In the meantime, I hope all of you are inspired to do some early spring cleaning, creating, and or clearing of the mental winter cobwebs!! Oh, and a special thanks to Phil, the groundhog: Phil, you've made my year, so far, with your wonderful prediction! Although I'm still predicting March 21st as the start of spring. =D

My Inspiration Yarn

My current colors. I still need some deeper pinks. And this picture doesn't capture the richness of the color scheme. They really do match the colors from my inspiration yarn. 

Blocking the squares. One of the ladies at my knit group suggested the kid's foam mats for this  purpose and so far I gotta say I'm loving them. I can use as little or as many foam squares as I need at any given time. 

Motif 1

Motif 2

Motif 3

Spa Booties!

I saw this pattern entitled, Peekaboo in a knitted socks pattern book called, The Joy of Sox by Linda Kopp, and instantly wanted them for myself. My feet get hot in socks sometimes and therefore, I'm very intrigued by toeless socks. Plus, I liked the idea of wearing these socks when giving myself a much deserved pedicure!

I purposely made the socks to not match and I like the contrast of the two color schemes. The pattern was relatively easy to follow and quick to make. I did have to go down a few sizes in needles since my feet are on the smaller side nowadays! I'm only now realizing just how important making a gauge swatch is. There's nothing worse than laboring to make something only to find that it's too big or too small. Check your gauge, people! 

There is a strip between the big toe and middle toe to help keep the socks in place. 

The Maggie Mat

This past summer I let a friend borrow my netbook while I was on vacation and I gave it to him in a crocheted case I made a few years ago. I had used Lion Brand's Suede yarn in Turquoise and it's very soft to the touch. A few days after I left the computer at my friend's house, he sent me a text of this picture of Maggie, his female cat. The text said something like, "I came home from work and this is where I found Maggie! I promise to get all the cat hair off before I return your bag!".  I thought the picture was so cute I couldn't even get mad. I responded by saying how cute the picture was and promising to crochet Maggie her own little mat. This past December, I finally did. Luckily, I had a bunch of skeins of the same yarn I'd used for the computer bag left in my old yarn stash. I think I got them on sale at Walmart or somewhere, if I remember correctly. I looked online for a pattern for a pet bed and I found this one: http://crochet-with-cris.blogspot.com/2012/02/1-skein-pet-bed-pattern.html

This pattern was really easy, fun, and quick to make. I did end up making two circles to put together. It made it more cushioned and prettier since both sides were right sides. My friend has since washed the mat and I'm happy to say the yarn washes well. All the cat hair comes off and it only needs to be air dried flat. You can use any worsted yarn, really. I do recommend doubling up the yarn if it's a bit thin as well as making two circles. I'm very happy to say Maggie loves her new little mat and uses it often!

Maggie on the original computer bag.

The finished Maggie Mat!

The queen of her new throne!

WIP (Work in Progress)

It's been a few weeks since I started my latest project, the Through the Woods Hooded Neck Warmer, I'm making for my sister.  So far, everything is going as planned. There was a touch and go moment where I thought I had gone wrong somewhere since the piece I had knitted was looking a bit off. But once I took it to my knitting group and showed it to a few of the ladies there, I was assured it was ok and it was just me and my perfectionism/critical eye. Phew! This Sunday, I will be closing up the seam and if all goes well, I should meet the deadline my sister and decided on, mid-December!

This is the hood on the day I casted on, November 18th. And no, there won't be orange in it, that's a different color yarn I used for the provisional cast on. (You cast on a chain of stitches so that you have live stitches to use later.)

Pretty cables! 

Tackling That Yarn Stash!

As most knitters and crocheters know (or deny), we all have a yarn stash that continues to grow and grow, despite our best intentions. There's always that yarn skein we "simply MUST have!" and when we find a pattern we want to make, we never have the right yarn to make it in. Soooo, we HAVE to buy new yarn!

For the last few years, I somehow managed not to buy very much yarn. Living in France and not really have a stable home where I could safely store my yarn stash, I decided I would try to limit my projects to the stash I already owned or only buy yarn when I had a specific pattern in mind. I even took a bag of yarn with me to France and justified the added weight and space used in my luggage by vowing to use it all up during my two year stint in Rouen. Did I succeed? If you're a fellow knitter/crocheter, you already know the answer to this question. A big fat NOPE! Not even close, bud! I did do a lot of knitting and crocheting in France. Only, I always bought new yarn for the project I wanted to make. Last year when I came home, again I decided to only bring one big bag full of yarn to Virginia. And once again, I vowed to use up the whole stash. Well, this time I have been a bit better and have used a lot of the yarn I brought with me. But if I'm being completely honest, it's been about half and half. Half old, half new. And recently, I've made a few new purchases. Still, my goal hasn't changed. I plan on using up the yarn in my stash, dangnabbit! This I vow!

Some of the items I've made with my original yarn stash include: a blanket (still in progress), two dog sweaters, Make that three dog sweaters since I remade one that didn't quite fit the first time around. I've also made two neck warmers (recipients still pending), a bracelet (pictured in my previous post), a coaster (this morning I needed one for my Diet Coke can, so I made one up), a headband (picture forthcoming), and the swatches I donated to the Yarn Bombing. Not bad, if you ask me. Actually, I think I deserve a reward for using up all that "old" yarn. Don't you? How about some new yarn, you say? What a great idea! I think I just might go out and get some!!