two-for-the-road

(Oh, I am sosososo slack in posting - it's been in the draft folder a good six weeks or so -shame on me....)

However, here it at last, and I won't even tell you (yet) of the things I have forgotten to take pictures of or simply have not had a chance to post with the craziness of my life....

I made this scarf for my mom’s birthday. She’d seen the red yarn in my stash which I had no plans for, mentioning that she loved the color and would enjoy a scarf. I got so excited, and looked for a good one that wasn’t too bulky at her request. I gave it to her for her birthday and she loves it.

This is a fabulous scarf that turned out beautifully. It’s the right weight, it’s easy to put under a coat, use without a coat, and fold up for a small space. I’m pleased and proud.

However - I am happy to be done with this scarf because I found the lacy grit stitch horribly tedious and annoying. I procrastinated on account of that square every time, and was immensely glad when it was finished. The rest of it was a breeze and fun to make. :)

I wonder what it would take to make her a brimmed hat to match (NOT using the lacy grit, of course).

I found the pattern, Two-For-The-Road at Lion Brand's website and used their yarn, Wool-Ease....I think this one is called Red Sprinkles.

Christmas ornaments

I knit mini-stocking ornaments last year as gifts, and my plan is to knit a different one every year. This is my choice for 2009. The left is knit with chenille yarn, and the left is knit with cotton yarn - I think I prefer the chenille. The pattern says it will fit a 4" Styrofoam ball, but mine fit a 3" Styrofoam ball which I prefer since 4" is really too large for a Christmas ornament.

Baby booties

I am in search of the perfect baby booties pattern. I have not tried these on an actual baby, so I don't know if they fit well yet. So far I have tried at least 4 different patterns, none to my liking. (Most of them kept falling off the baby's feet, though the ribbon on these should prevent that.) If anybody has a great baby booties pattern, I'd like it.

Ear warmer for the cold weather

I made this one for my mom for Christmas. It is a super easy pattern and I plan on making a few more for other presents for this Christmas. I used the yarn the pattern calls for, but I'm sure it'd be fine with a variety of yarns.

bat

Since earlier this summer when she first watched the child's movie, Stellaluna, my daughter has been in love with all things batty to the point of running through the house with a blanket around her saying, "LOOK! I'm a BAT!" So, when I saw this pattern, which I found through Ravelry, I had to make it. I used Vanna's Choice yarn in Chocolate, though I wish I'd had a bit of black for it's eyes (maybe I'll pull out the Sharpie!).

(Don't you just love how many links I used in this post??)

best bunny

A couple weeks ago, I pulled out the Best Bunny I'd begun crocheting early in my learning this summer. At long last, I finished it. I can tell that the body is a better stitch than the head which was done as I first learned to crochet in the round. (I added the scarf to disguise a cater-wonky "neck" where I stitched the head and body together...heh!) I used Caron Simply Soft for this, but think that I want to try it again with a different yarn as I just didn't enjoy working with this one. The little bunny has so much personality and strikes me as a great gift idea for various people. I need to experiment some and see what I like. I'm kind of thinking along the lines of regular worsted weight (Vanna's Choice) as the pattern shows, or some of my randomly stashed super soft fuzzy stuff. Oh, the choices that are before me. Now, for some time. :)

Tiger scarf

My son is all about tigers lately so here is the Tiger scarf I made to accompany his Tiger slippers.


I used two strands of yarn at a time so it's super soft and super warm (I used Whisper and Merino 5).

ravelry!

I put in for an invitation which came over the weekend and now I'm "hooked"!

Ravelry is the most addictive yarn-lovin' site I could have dreamed up. I have a log of my yarn stash, my hook collection, my finished and in-progress projects (well, some of the finished ones), and a queue of projects I haven't started yet! There are thousands of pictures, projects, patterns, yarns and everything you can think of that goes with it--usually linkable to what you want to find. Beautifully organized, too!

I can't really describe this amazing place to do it justice.
You'll have to just get yourself invited and find out for yourself.
And if you're on there, you can find me as "cjoy"--as usual.

(Oh, and I've linked this blog to it; if you're one of the authors and you join, please do the same since we're all part of it!)

sippin' sleeves

I've seen some variations of these done in a long piece then stitched together with fur for trim (and various names). I've decided to try doing a few in the round, changing up the stitches (and I'm working at more variety there) and maybe if I'm lucky I'll sell some at a local coffee shop during the holidays.

The two in green I made for the class basket to be auctioned off at our school's Fall Festival this week. I had suggested a basket with "green" items which was adopted then duly dubbed "It's Easy Being Green"...and of course, this seemed a good time to try out my new sippin' sleeves. I was going to make a mesh bag, but I didn't like the way the first one I made carried and neither was I able to find quite enough time or desire to repeat that right away. So, I skipped it.

Thoughts and suggestions are more than welcome!

Tired of plain jane scarves?

After knitting a few scarves, it gets a little boring. This is still a super easy pattern but adds a little variety to a scarf. I used size 4 needles with this yarn in Green Fields. I think this yarn would make fun and comfy socks. Perhaps my next project?

scarf & mitt

My very first ever official crocheted item was a light blue scarf in Red Heart's super saver yarn--all single crochet, with a fringe. Certainly not exciting. It was for my daughter, because, well, it had to have some purpose and I was growing bored this simple project and wanted to make is smaller, not longer. But my crochet world expanded rapidly after that and I became aware of the many other options available to me. Suddenly, it was not good enough!

So, in my ever-increasing list of projects I want to get done, I added "Scarf for Miss C" into it. And I let her choose a yarn. A light blue, of course. I hesitated for a while since it was a more of a chunky chenille style that intimidated me. I got it for 99 cents (well, $2.97--I indulged in three!) since it's discontinued (Patons Be Mine).


Then, she fell in love with Lion Brand's Wool-Ease in a white with a shimmery ribbon running through it. I really don't know why she's always shopping in the yarn department; I should make her stop! I only bought one of them since there was no grand 99 cent sale and I had no grand plans, either.


My mind worked around this over and over, contemplating what to do and finally I decided she'd get her scarf -- with both yarns run together. She scored a hand-warming mitt, too. I ran out of the white in the last 2 stitches, but that was just funny to me, since you can't tell. I also made the super thick scarf to short and wide and therefore, my one day project became two as I unravelled the entire thing and redid it a bit narrower, allowing for more length.


I created it myself, but it's certainly not a novel idea since I'm sure a thousand patterns follow this same stitching--2 double crochets in one stitch, skip a stitch, 2 dc in one st, etc...the rest of the rows use the space between the dc's as the spot for your 2 dc's.


The mitt is shorter and wider and stitched together to give it the roundness...that's it.


And Miss C kindly posed with her lollipop in her mouth, watching tv...

preemie things

I, too, wanted to make a hat for Laurel's friend with the newborn preemie. My first attempt did not seem to be quite what I expected from the directions and gauge (though that could just as easily be my own fault), so I tried again with bigger yarn and found a nice pattern for booties as well.

I have two pictures to share. The first is a baby doll around our house--the really small kind--trying the hat and booties on for sizing purposes.

The second is both hats and the booties with an 8.5 oz water bottle that shows the smallness of everything. ON the water bottle cap was that first, too-small attempt. Next to it you will see the matching hat and booties that will go to Henry. As I was at the pediatrician's this past week, I asked which hat would work best. Since the bigger one was not too stretchy, that one was the better choice. But the smaller one might not have been too far off--and would probably fit a 400 gram baby, I was told. Which says maybe the pattern wasn't as off as I thought.

Now I need to mail it off before he's too big...

So-Soft Baby Hat

Quick and Easy Bootie

Tapestry Crochet

Has done a probject using tapestry crochet or something similar? I am trying to do an afghan with one background color and a design in a contrasting color. The pattern isn't too hard to read, and I have figured out carrying the contrasting yarn under the main color but am wondering how to make the changes of color "neat". I have a bleed-over problem when I pick up and drop off the design color. It's only about 1/2 of a stitch, but it's driving me crazy (unless it's supposed to do that, in which case, I'm doing really well). I found an online video through You Tube, but her design is so small and it's not an up close video, so I can't tell if her stitches are doing that. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas.

Getting ready for Christmas

If you want to make handmade things for the holidays, it is not too early to start preparing. If you started a stocking now, you should have plenty of time to finish one for December 25th. Here are the four I have knitted for our family.

Snowman Pattern
(I bought this as a kit from my local yarn store so I didn't have to pick out my own yarn. It is wool so it needs to be stored properly in the summertime. It would be so sad to find a moth hole come Christmastime.)

Cabin Pattern

This pattern was found in a book from my local library. It was my first stocking and is also the easiest pattern. The snowman and snowballs are not part of the stocking but were knit afterward separately and just sewed on. It also is the only stocking that was not knit in the round (either with double pointed needles or circular needles). But it was knit flat and the seam was sewed up the side. Easier for a beginner.

Snowman Pattern

I must confess that they do not hold heavy items well, so in our house Santa takes them off the mantle and puts them on the couch or somewhere nearby the mantle after he fills them. If I try to put heavy items in (like fruit), it sags way down. I do not think this is because of something I did wrong but just a limitation of a hand knit stocking. Oh well, nobody seems to mind on Christmas morning!

Too early birthday preemie hat

My friend Nikki's son Henry Paul decided to make his appearance 14 weeks early. Now, I would supremely preferred if he could have held on for a few more weeks. But we're still glad to meet him, and his little head needs a hat even more than a full-term baby. Here's the Too Early Birthday hat pattern I followed for this hat, using Bunny hop yarn. (However, I used size 6 needles rather than the size 7 specified in the pattern since Henry is so very tiny.) The second picture is for scale with my husband's cell phone.


I really enjoyed knitting this hat for Henry because I feel so powerless to help him. I was glad to at least feel productive in making him something. When I have more time, I can see mass-producing hats like this for all those tiny infants in the NICUs who need any extra love they can receive.

teething star

I had a tiny whim on my over stretched budget one day--I wanted to buy a bit of the glow-in-the-dark yarn by Bernat for my kids. I decided if it was pricey, they'd each get to choose a color and I'd do something fun. That is exactly how it turned out, and I made small animals that were blurry in their pictures--a dragon and a "melon ball" kitty. Then, I was perusing the Bernat site looking at patterns which is a desparate addiction for me--ahem--and I found a star pattern using that yarn. Of course, I got to thinking about it and changed it up. Rather than using the glowy yarn, I used their Cottontots (something I bought that same day since I wanted to experiment with some different yarns for upcoming baby gifts).

I've decided this makes a most perfect teething toy when not stuffed. My baby boy finds it so easy to hold and chew on versus the hard platic toys or bulky washcloths or whatever else there is. I can also easily add enough yarn length to attach it to strollers or car seats--safely.

Baby blanket

Here is the baby blanket I knit for my second son.

I knit it before I knew he was a boy - we were surprised at birth - so I picked colors and a design that would work for a girl or boy. I used this lovely yarn. I don't have a link to the pattern - I found it in a library book. By the way, the library is a great source for free patterns. Yes, I'm cheap but I have yet to pay money to buy a pattern. Of course it helps that my aunt and uncle own this shop and are very generous. :)

Slippers

Here are two different patterns of slippers I knit last month.

Number one (made for my older son) was super easy. I did a tiger design because he requested it. You can do whatever color scheme you want.



Number two (made for my younger son) was harder but not too difficult for those who know how to use double pointed needles (a skill relatively new to me).

Here he is modeling them. I love that my kids are still young enough to think handmade things are the best. Hopefully they'll keep that appreciation for years to come!

Hello from the knitter

Hi. My name is Laurel. And the picture above is of one of my favorite things to shop for - yarn. I am not normally someone who enjoys shopping (I know, I'm one of the rare women and my husband is glad for it!)

I guess I'm the odd one out here. I do not know how to crochet but love knitting. I began about 4 years ago and haven't looked back since.

When someone wants to begin to learn knitting, the best beginning project is a scarf because you can do a simple garter scarf that looks good but is very easy. I made at least 5 scarfs for my first projects. I now have ventured out little by little and enjoy the challenge of learning new stitches. The web is full of very helpful videos for new stitches or techniques. For me, I must see something new before I can learn to do it myself.

Baby Gear

I have been blessed to have many friends recently who have had babies. Since I'm not fortunate yet to have any of my own, my friends' kids are definite bright spots in my life. When you visit my house, you will find a fridge so covered in photos that it can be hard to tell the actual color of the fridge unless you look at the bottom. I love stitching something soft for the new blessings that join our group. I just finished a few more for a baby girl due in October.





This blanket is from a Vanna's Choice Baby pattern I found on the "freebie" pattern pad at Michaels. You can get a lot of really great patterns for free at craft stores and Wal Mart. While they are always "conveniently" next to the yarn you'll need for the project, you can usually find fairly good substitutes.









The bib, burp cloths and wash cloths are from Lily's Cream n' Sugar patterns I found online at www.lily.com. They're all made with cotton yarn so they wash easy.

The blanket, of course, took the longest. But, I've discovered that if you do all the centers, then the middles, then the outside, it goes a lot faster. I've also learned you should always stitch the squares and strips together on the WRONG side to avoid the bumpy lines that show up otherwise. If you have a suggestion for avoiding bumpy seams altogether, please let me know. The others stitch up fairly quick as they are flat with the same stitch repeated for the pattern. The bib required some improvisation because I have a hard time stitching right to left for the left side neck hole. But, they make easy, quick, last minute gifts if needed. Enjoy.

Introducing Bluehose

I'm Bluehose, the other half of Cjoy's creative side. Yes, I know what a bluehose is (you can find out at www.presby.edu) and am very proud to have been one since 1994. Cjoy invited me to share in this blog about crocheting as it's a love of mine. I started four years ago while my husband was on active duty with the Navy. I decided I needed a hobby and should teach myself how to do something. Both my mom and grandmother knit, and while I understand the concept, my fingers have never quite mastered 2 needles. A single hook, I can do. I started with a great beginner book that promised to teach me to crochet in 10 minutes a day and even had a few simple patterns in it. No pun intended, but I got hooked pretty quickly. Over time, I've learned how to read the pattern and It's easy enough that I can do it while watching TV, yet produces beautiful gifts for loved ones. Over time, I've gotten brave enough to venture away from single stitch afghans to multi-yarn blankets, burp cloths & bibs, hats & gloves & scarves, coasters & placements, napkin rings, and prayer shawls. Although it's become an expensive addiction, and my husband now rolls his eyes when he hears I'm going to the craft store, I love to help others pick up this great hobby. I love it when they discover what they can make and look forward to the next project. I'm excited to join you and Cjoy on this fun adventure.

September's Charity

Each month, we want to try to "sponsor" a charity. This is a goal, and may not be a complete reality, but we will try.

Our intent is to encourage our readers (and ourselves) to make something for somebody else. If you choose to make something and give it to a different charity or someone you know in need, you've still met that goal. You will hopefully find a growing list of charities we especially like in the sidebar if you would like to do this but for a different cause.

This month, I'm especially drawn to the idea of making scarves for participants in the Special Olympics. I appreciate the simplicity of the requirements and the heart behind it. The following are some basic instructions, but you can read more about it here.

No special patterns or skills are required to create a scarf. Beginners,
schools, scout troops and other local groups are actively encouraged to
participate. "Our only rule," says Blizzard, "is that the scarves are knitted or
crocheted by hand using delft blue (885) and white (311) Red Heart Super Saver
yarn, because these colors perfectly match the Special Olympics logo and were
chosen specifically by the World Winter Games organizers."

Coats is providing a knitted pattern and a crochet pattern but any pattern
from basic stitches to complicated colorwork and stitch patterns may be
used. Personal notes from knitters and crocheters who want to send their
best wishes to the athletes are encouraged and should be firmly attached to the
scarves, which will be handed out before the Opening Ceremony.

Completed scarves must arrive by January 15, 2009, and should be sent
to:
2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Scarf Project
3150 West Main Street
Boise, Idaho 83702

how i got my start

When I was pregnant with my firstborn, I had a deep desire to make something for the baby. I was thinking a crocheted blanket ought to be nice, so I found some pretty yarn, some free pattern leaflets and couple hooks and thought, "It can't really be that hard, now can it?" Since I was absolutely in the dark and didn't know the greek language so profound in the pattern, I reluctantly set these things aside in favor of some other still-unfinished craft. I finally concluded that my job was just to grow the child within and worry about this making of stuff another time.

Nearly eight years later, and now having given birth to three sweet rascally children, I at last sat down and figured out the truly simple art of crochet. Ironically, each of my babies received a crocheted blanket--my daughter scored two of them--and they are each from different recipients. My youngest son not only got a gorgeous, soft blanket but a free-hand array of cotton burp cloths as well. That did it. They were so simple and so fun, I just knew I could figure this out. If all the fancy pretty stuff escaped me forever, well, so be it. Surely I could just learn to do the most simple, basic type of crochet at the very least.

One day, I happened upon a learning tutorial at a blog I so enjoy, The Handmade Dress (whose work is far beyond my imagination and well worth looking at!), and suddenly the foundation chain I'd made for decades and never knew what to do with--well, it became a row of single crochet and then another row and another. At last, it all connected so clearly for me. I was elated and found myself checking out crochet books from the library in embarrassingly large quantities to learn all I could. One book that took me through the various stitches was all I needed to fall madly in love with my new hobby.

The past few months find me crocheting instead of doing dishes or laundry, and even instead of reading--very little can turn me from a good book, I assure you! I have tried my hand at many a small project and found a passion worth persuing. My sister-in-law's preemie got two matching sets of hat and booties, I've been making burp cloths for friends expecting babies, I've got a toy bunny (in the works), a toy hampster on my older son's shelf, a scarf, some granny squares, and now a mesh bag that's in progress. I have many grand dreams of what I want my next project to be: patchwork poncho for my daughter, a school-colored scarf for my son, a baby toy, a pair of slippers and baby blankets, hats and booties. I cannot seem to help myself; I want to try one of everything and just keep going. I know there is still a lot to learn.

I will post my favorite links in the sidebar (nicely arranged) of great free patterns, places to buy yarn, and charities that grab me. I will post pictures of what I finish and tell you where I found the patterns--be it book or website. I also intend to link books I especially like.

I have asked my good friend, "bluehose", (whose burp cloths made me realize I could surely do this thing called crochet!) to co-host this blog with me. We want to share our work, encourage, answer questions, and learn together. I'm no expert, but I love to dig for answers. I want to expand my ability and knowledge of this fine art.

Together, we invite you to join us in the land of yarn. Share your latest project, make something for a charity, ask a question or teach us something new!

Welcome.