Saturday, December 22, 2012

Merry Christmas, Cat and Lizard


The Kitty Couch is finished!  I decided not to make a coordinating afghan like the original pattern has, and instead use fabric and make a mini cheater quilt.  It actually looks like a real quilt, because this block pattern has been around for eons.  I know it as Melon Patch, but I think it has many different names.  Added some toss pillows for fun.

Here's a picture of Duck the cat checking it out.  I'm nervous the thing is too small for catnaps!  Duck isn't exactly small.



Yesterday I also cleaned out Emily the lizards terrarium.  It had been awhile, and unlike Duck, she doesn't try to keep things neat and tidy by always doing her business in a designated spot.  After the scrubbing, it occurred to me that she might enjoy some Holiday spirit as well.  So I took the Christmas wreath from my daughters dollhouse and hung it on her treehouse.  :-)

Her treehouse is built from a set of knock-off wood blocks, like Lincoln Logs but square.

Why yes, that IS a crocheted rug!  Feels so much more cozy, don't you think?  She's in her warming spot there, on the roof.  In her little world that makes her close to the sun.
Emily, lounging on her lizard ladder
(photo take through the mesh top)



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A blizzard is coming!

And it's about time!  After the non-winter last year, I'm ready for a Real Winter Storm.  Just in time for Christmas, too.

Lots of snow also means lots of hats!  I do love hat making.  It's about as close to instant gratification you can get in the world of handmade.  A simple hat can be completed in the time it takes to watch a movie with the family.  (Well...they watch.  I crochet.  And glance up at the screen from time to time and try not to miss any important parts.)

Recently my husband found this picture somewhere on the Interwebs.

It just oozes awesomeness.

And he jokingly said," I want one of these!"  At least I think he was joking.  Not sure on that.  Either way, the take home message here is Never Ever Joke About Goofy Crochet Projects with a Crocheter, because you never know what they might do when left alone with hooks, yarn, and a 2-hour block of time.

Yeah, that's my husband.
Absolutely it's hinged and functional!

And, he actually wears it.  In public.  Like, to stores and stuff.  He's a good man.  (on a related note, today is our 14-year anniversary.  Go us!)

I have no idea who the original designer of this Knight Hat is, but whoever you are, thanks for the inspiration!

My daughter also got a new hat this season, because I had some hot pink and white sparkly yarn hanging around that matched her coat.  I made this one weeks ago but I kept forgetting to snap a photo when she's home to model it.

So, I asked the cat to model it instead.
Hey lady, I don't recall signing a modeling contract.

Teddy Bear is more cooperative.  He refused to smile though.
Simple staggered shell stitch pattern

Love the big flower and button detail.

My daughter is also a crafter in her own right.  This weekend, after listening to hours of the "I'm soooo boooorred!" wailing, she made an owl from some fabric scraps.  I cut the pieces; she stitched it together and stuffed it.  This is a pattern I found at a delightful quilt shop in Wichita, KS.  The designer has a blog, here, and she has other stuffed creature designs.  They're really easy and fun to make.

Meet Olive the Owl


Between now and Christmas, I'm going to try and finish the Kitty Couch (just about done!) and a last minute sweater for me.  Because I'm always cold.  More to come soon!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Cornbread Cutouts

The Holidays are here!  Hooray!  This is the best time of year.  Everybody is nicer (most of the time).  The weather is colder, and I get to enjoy wearing a hand crocheted something almost every day.  And it's ok to publicly embrace my love of glitter and sparkles.

The kids are loving the Holiday themed dishes that emerge this time of year.  Really, though, this treat can be enjoyed any time, any season.

Cornbread Cutouts
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wisk all this together in a bowl.

1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. corn meal
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1 egg

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray and pour the batter in.  Smooth it out evenly.  Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until it starts to look brown and smell delicious.

Then the fun part begins.

Let it cool about 5 minutes in the pan.

Put a cutting board on top...

...and flip the whole thing over.

Put another cutting board on and flip it again, so it's right side up.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
There won't be much waste if you cut carefully.

So cute!

Cornbread cutouts with homemade white chicken and corn chili...Yum!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Taa-Daa!

The front edges DO line up.  I was standing crooked.
Finished up the non smoking jacket.  It doesn't look exactly like what it set out to be, but it's a keeper anyway.  :-)  The post stitches give it some 3D texture, and I love the vertical stripe effect.


It was supposed to have a shawl collar and belt.  But I didn't like the belt, and I didn't like how the collar hung open more than I wanted it to.  So I added 6 buttons and made it a double-breasted jacket instead.


And the good news is I actually WROTE DOWN THE PATTERN this time!  Sort of.  It's in my own crochet shorthand and partially charted, but at least I can make it again sometime.

In other news, you may have heard about a recent small event called Hurricane Sandy.  Well, one of my fellow Ravelers lives in a part of New York that was impacted, and she is collecting hand knit and crocheted items to distribute.  I quickly whipped up a baby afghan to pop in the mail.



This pattern is a freebie, called Cerulean Harmony Throw, designed by Carrie Carpenter.  If you're new to changing colors in crochet without cutting the yarn, this is an excellent pattern to learn the technique.   I modified her pattern an eensy bit, and only did two rows of each color instead of three, like the pattern states.  

Close up of the color changes.  Work 4 double-crochets, then drop the yarn and switch to the other color.  The unused yarn is carried along inside the stitch.  Very clever.

So I made this afghan, and I like it very much.  So much, that I decided to swap it with the one I made months ago for my BFF's baby girl, due this Friday.  I had made her a rainbow stripe afghan because at the time, she didn't know the gender.  Now that she knows she is having a girl, it makes more practical sense to give her this girly pink and purple sparkly thing, and to mail the gender-neutral rainbow stripe one to New York.  It will find an appropriate home there, no doubt.  

Rainbow Ripple baby afghan, for a Hurricane Sandy baby.

It's also germ-central around here.  Both of my kids have been sick, and they have different ailments no less. So there isn't one icky bug in here, but two!  I made an emergency trip to Walgreen's for antibacterial wipes and we're spraying down everything with Lysol.  I do NOT want to spend Thanksgiving in bed with a bucket, thank you very much.

In between the fevers and chills, my son read a couple of the Ugly Guide books, based on the Ugly Dolls.  Then he drew pictures of two of the critters from the books and asked if I could make him some new cuddly creatures.  We rooted through the craft bucket for some fleece scraps and buttons, and whipped out these guys.  


The yellow guy supposedly has 3 brains; one in each piece of his head.

The drawings that inspired the creatures.
There's nothing like new cuddle friends to make you feel better.  I guess Tylenol works too, though.

Friday, October 26, 2012

What Every Cat Needs.

Last night I was once again sucked into the depths of Ravelry, browsing the latest and greatest creations of my fellow crocheters, and I stumbled upon Kitty Couches!

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Each one is about 12" long, just the right size for a cat-nap.  The miniature afghans and cushions make them all the more realistic. Awwww.   Given that my Duck (who is actually a cat, not a duck) thinks that All The Things made from yarn are for him personally, then this would make the best Christmas present ever!

So I showed my husband.

He said, and I quote, "That's the stupidest thing ever."  And I said, "No way, this is totally awesome!  I'm soooo going to make one for Duck.  But ours will be in colors that match our living room so it'll look like a big-person couch but super tiny!"  He responded with that unique look of his, where one eyebrow is up and the other is down, and I know in his head he is asking himself if it's time to medicate me yet.

Each one is a separate pattern and I don't want to buy all three, so I have to make a decision.  I think #1 the cutest, because I like the separate cushions and the tiny granny square afghan.   But I could still be swayed.

In other news, the cardigan I'm designing is coming right along.  It's going to be longer, and belted, with a large rolled collar, based on the old smoking jackets men used to wear.   But since nobody really smokes anymore I'm calling it the Non-Smoking Jacket.  Plus it's gray.

Front

Back
I finished the sleeves last night, figuring out how to modify the stitch pattern to taper them.  Fits really well! It's very rumply now, but once it's done and washed and blocked, it should look fabulous.

I really, really wanted to write this pattern down in a way that others could understand it and make one for their own, but I've learned in this design process that writing crochet patterns is like writing a book for toddlers.  You have to write each and every step, even the ones that are glaringly obvious to anyone who knows crochet basics.  Oh-my-bob talk about tedious!  My respect for crochet designers who actually write this stuff down has reached epic proportions.

I'm just not that diligent, so I gave up and I'm writing the pattern MY way, graphically. To heck with crochet shorthand.  Plus, since charts are universal, anybody around the world could make this without knowing a lick of English.

Charts rock.

Once the jacket is finished, I'll clean up these charts and post them as pdf files.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Surprise!

I luuurrrrvvveees surprises.  I love them even more when they're actual for-real surprises  not the kind where I have to pretend I don't know anything about it, but in reality I heard all the plans and ideas because my kids sometimes whisper with their Normal voice or forget that I'm in the next room while discussing what to get me for Christmas, or whenever.

Yesterday was a Real Surprise day.

Melissa, you rock.  :-)


My cousin ordered this book for me!  It's delightful.  Full of ideas for upcycling thrift-store finds.  Like mumu's.  And dresses with great fabric but ugly style.  And accessories!  I can't wait to dig through Goodwill racks in search of raw materials.

Earlier in the week I got a surprise from the mail man - a sharp crochet hook!



What a great invention. (sure would've been handy with the flannel blanket edging, eh?) I'll work up a couple new of projects with this and let you know how it goes.  Jessica from Sharp Crochet Hook is also sponsoring a givewaway, so one of you lovely readers just might get one too.  I'll do a special post about all the details when I've got some projects completed.

In project news, I've been working on my cardigan design.  Got a lot done, too. But then today I had a significant amount of drive time and decided I might be going about this all wrong.  Maybe this would be more comfortable without seams, worked from the top down.  So....I'm debating starting all over.

All this work might get unravelled.  Crap.

On the positive side, I used up leftover yarn from my Pink Lattice sweater to make Spirals top for my daughter.  Didn't have enough for long sleeves, but it'll still be cute layered with a t-shirt I think.





Sunday, October 14, 2012

Reinventing the Wheel

Hubby thinks I'm cold-blooded like our pet lizard because I'm pretty much shivering for October through May.  Since cranking the heat isn't best option for either the environment or my bank account, the only choice is to layer sweaters instead. 

I stumbled upon this beauty at the end of last season: The Copenhagen Jacket.  It's a free pattern from the the Caron yarn company.   I think what appeals to me most is the texture.  3D is all the rage right now, after all.  But, the stitch pattern has a lot going on.  Almost too much.  So this afternoon I decided to use the same basic construction method used in this jacket, but go with a totally different stitch.


I've spent the last two hours studying my favorite stitch guide and making sample swatches. The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs is my go-to guide.  This thing is ridiculously full of design inspiration.

My photography skills suck.

Criteria:
  1. Simple, yet look complicated.
  2. Something with a long, vertical layout
  3. Textural and dimensional, containing post stitches
  4. Will look good both right side up, and upside down, since this will be constructed in 3 long panels.

These stitch patterns met the above criteria  so I quickly worked them up.  Sometimes the picture in the book doesn't look at all the same as the finished product, because I tend to crochet much more loosely than the book author.

I have no idea why we have a Prison Industries ruler at our house.  




I also have no idea how to flip these photos right side up.
After wasting 15 minutes trying to flip the photos so they're all the same way, I'm giving up.  It's something between the way I held my iPhone when I took the picture, combined with the way it downloaded to my computer.  Blogger doesn't have a "rotate picture" option that I can find.  Whatever.  But hey!  This way I can see how the stitch pattern looks upside-down, which is criteria #4.  So it's all good.

Whaddya think?

I keep studying these, and I seem to like the evenly spaced ones best.  So #443 and #431.  But, I also really like #439, perhaps with a modification so the raised stitches occur in groups of three like they are now, and add a single line in between each group.  That should be easy enough to create. 

Hmmm.....such difficult decisions I'm tasked with making.   :-)

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Arctic

Isn't is odd how 55 degrees in October feels very different from 55 degrees in March?

If it were March, we'd be shedding clothes right and left, and parading around in t-shirts and flip-flops, proclaiming the virtues of such a wonderful spring day!

But it's October and the sky is dreary and dull.  The leaves are almost past their colorful beauty, and I'm cold.  Oh so cold.  I swear the older I get the harder it is to keep warm.  Last week (before caving to the chill and turning on the furnace) I wore mittens and socks to bed.  Husband thinks I'm nuts.

And there's nothing like a good cold wind to make a person crochet faster.  After holding your frigid fingers under hot water so they have feeling again, that is.  Must. Make. Sweaters.


I finished up this sweater a couple of days ago, and while I wasn't sure about it at first, it's grown on me.  Originally I had planned to make this into a lighter, airier layering piece.  But the gray yarn wouldn't have it, and it demanded to become a thick and cozy sweater, sweatshirt style.

The pattern is not mine.  It's called No Sweat by Doris Chan, and it's from her Everyday Crochet book.   Her designs are fast too.  This one took about five days, working just a few hours each evening.

The yarn does that subtle stripy stuff all by itself (open bag, let out cat) making this look much more difficult than it really is.  Unfortunately, the yarn was discontinued a few years ago.  I was lucky and won 8 skeins of it on ebay.  That's the only place to find it these days and it doesn't come up very often.  If you want to start stalking the auctions, it's called Caron Simply Soft Shadows, and they made it in lots of different colors.  Just don't bid against me. :-)


Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Great Stashdown

I have 20 different yarns in my stash right now.

I know, some of you are reacting with "Bah!  That's nothing!  I have 247 yarns with plans to acquire more!"  Really.  Some of the stashes from Ravelry members are insane.

However, my compulsive need to Actually Have a Plan for each item in my stash is resulting in some anxiety, I'm fondly referring to as The Great Stashdown.  I want to use up a bunch of this stuff before buying more.  So, I sorted the yarn by quantity, and the ones that have enough for a sweater got pulled out into a special display.  It's like my own teeny tiny yarn store.  :-)

Here's my tiny yarn display tucked into the corner of my sewing/crafting area.



I've got enough for 8 adult size sweaters, and 1 smaller one for my daughter.

All those blue tags are my sons doing.  Looks like a yarn store, feels like a yarn store, so it should be priced like a yarn store.  Makes perfect sense when you're 7.

Interestingly, the one yarn I dislike the most is the one he priced highest.
Good!  I don't want to "buy" that one again anyway!
The FREE black yarn is a delicious bamboo blend.
Clearly his pricing system is skewed.

So I asked my son, "Do I have to pay you money to use my own yarn stash?"  He said, "Of course!  But you don't have to give me Real Money.  Or I'll just give it back to you later."

That's my boy.