Mock me no more!

Several months ago I discovered the wonderful, long-striping colors of Boutique Unforgettable yarn.  I bought six skeins; three in brights and three in muted shades.  The brights were loads of fun to play with. Remember this?  And this?

Yeah, well that shawl tried so hard to be loved.   I wore it precisely twice, and both times I felt like some weird middle-aged woman who got lost in the fashion sense of yore.  I see shawls everywhere in magazines and websites and they are often displayed beautifully on the 20-ish model.  The shawls looks young and trendy. Alas, somewhere things take a seriously wrong turn once draped over my shoulders.

Every morning, as I'd ponder the offerings of my wardrobe, that shawl would call to me from the shelf.  "Why won't you wear me?  I'm beautiful with soft shades of plum and orchid!"  And I would pretend I couldn't hear it's cries because I'm not a shawl person.

Last week I'd had enough of its guilt-infused ways, so I ripped out all it's stitches and rolled it back into balls. Seven days later, this pullover was born.

It's perfect.

Because it's been so dang cold this month, my husband has started wearing scarves again.  He pulled out one I made eons ago when I was first learning to crochet and wore it to a meeting where apparently, it was coveted by others.  He asked me to make two more for gifts, pretty please and thank you.  While I'm at it, I figured the pattern was worth writing out and making available to others.  And so, I'm pleased to present my second "official" design, the Chill Chaser Scarf.   Someday maybe I'll type out all the unofficial designs and make a book or something.

Chill Chaser Scarf

Click the Chill Chaser Scarf over there in the right side panel to get the pdf pattern. ---------------->

Anyone have a Space Bag?

I have two planned trips this summer and the first is coming up quickly.  It's still far enough out that I'm unsure exactly what the weather forecast will be, but the internet is full of helpful information like "temps fluctuate wildly," "often breezy," "average temp between 50 and 90 degrees."

How does one pack for that, exactly?

50 degrees means jeans and long sleeves.  90 degrees means dresses and sandals.  In between could be a crazy hodge-podge of layering.  Oh, and did I mention that I'm trying to do this with only my carry-on bag?   So far my must-take list includes 3 pair jeans, 3 dresses, 4 pair shoes, assorted short-sleeved tops, and then long sleeved things to layer over everything else.

I made this cardigan special for the trip.  Hope it's not too granny.  I wanted something warm that can be worn with both jeans and sundresses, because we're just climbing out of the Longest Winter Ever and I don't want to wear anything that resembles a coat, jacket, or windbreaker again until at least October.
 

Why is packing the hardest part of travel?  Gah!  The next trip should be easier.  Because Texas is always warm, isn't it?

I smell like a princess.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there.  I hope today you were given the appreciation you deserve.  I've been showered with love and it's truly been a wonderful day.

The kids let me sleep in until 9 am, and then they gave me presents.  Presents!  I love presents.

One of those gifts was a sampler of Vera Wang's Princess perfumes: original, Night Princess, and Preppy Princess.  Delightful!  I love them all.  Plus the kids scored big because there were TWO gift-with-purchase promos going on.  Buy Vera Wang and get a tote bag, plus spend X amount of dollars on fragrance and get a purse.  Woohoo!

This is huge, and will make an excellent pool bag this summer.

The purse is a beautiful shade of teal blue.  I don't have a blue purse so I was excited to get one, but unfortunately it's too large to be used as an official purse.   However, it's just the right size for a crochet project bag!  See...I've already moved in.

A whole afghan project will fit in this thing!

My son wrote a lovely poem for me and framed it.  Here goes:

Makes good food
Our best mom ever
Told many stories
Hugs and kisses for me
Eight years with you
Roses for you

Awww....

My family also took me out for lunch to a fabulous local mexican place.  I snarfed down my enchilada combo before thinking to take a photo.  Splurged on a delicious mango margarita - very similar to the ones we enjoyed in Cancun a few years ago.

In somewhat disappointing news, one of my most favorite yarns ever is being discontinued.  Caron Spa, a lovely soft bamboo yarn, will soon be no more.  Luckily I found out about this before it becomes really scarce, and I ordered myself 6 sweaters' worth.  Yeah, I may have gone an eensy weensy bit overboard there, but I figure I can always resell what I don't end up using myself.

Joy!

 Later this evening I'm going to start a cardigan project with that light stone colored yarn in the lower left corner.  I want something light that will look good with jeans and t-shirts as well as layered over a sundress.

Next post I'll do a show n tell of the Most Versatile Pattern I've Ever Found.  Stay tuned!

Reflections

Looking back on recent posts, it's hard to believe those beautiful sunny days were so recent.  Spring must have taken that wrong turn at Albuquerque because it's nowhere to be found today.

Poor plants.  It's a confusing time.

As I was sorting laundry to be put away, I reflected on the odd mix of seasonal clothing we've worn the past four days.  In the baskets were thick flannel pj's - the kind that button all the way up to your chin to keep the winter out.  Right next to them were eensy little shorts and tank tops because there were a few days when it was so unbearably hot we could barely stand to wear our own skin.  It's hard to put one season's clothes away and pull out the next when we keep wearing All The Clothes from Every Season.

Mr. Weatherman assures me it will be somewhat stable next week.

The weather also creates havoc with my crafting.  I started this lovely reversible afghan for our newly decorated bedroom, but then I set it aside because I was SURE spring was coming and I wanted to make a spring dress.  Now I have both projects going at once.  On the hot days I can't stand to have a heavy blanket on my lap, so I work on the dress.  If it's below 60 degrees, the afghan gets a few new rows.  Makes slow progress doing two things at once.

Reminds me of eyelet fabric.  

The original design is done in a horrid color.  Looks like she is wearing a doily.  Ick.
I'm trying to modernize it a bit by going pink and adding contrast.

I also want to prepare for Summer, so I dug through the fabric stash to see what treasure was buried there.  I found this delightful gauzy white fabric with dots.  Matched it up with a sundress pattern.  This one will be so, so pretty and light!  If this pattern fits well I want to try it with knits too.  It's super simple and should only take an hour or two.

Lastly, my Nook bit the dust.  Fortunately I had purchased the extended warranty, so I was able to replace it with the Nook Tablet HD.  Such a fancy gadget!  The cover for the old one is about 2" too big, so I'm going to use the e-reader sleeve tutorial and make a new one, with upgrades!  Instead of the button closure, I'm going to do wrap-around elastic.  It'll slip into my purse easier that way because the button won't catch on things.

This fabric reminds me of that segment on Sesame Street from the 70's.  There were no words, just music, and a colored ball that went through rainbow tracks.  It was like being inside a pinball machine.  Anybody remember that?

Summer Sunshine

There has been no trace of summer and very little sunshine so far this April, but I call this piece Summer Sunshine anyway. The color reminds me of everything summery: white-hot sun, flowers, bumblees...

The yarn is vintage.  Picked it up for $5 from a person who was de-stashing her yarn collection.  The yarn label has a pattern on it for a Disco Bag (which I may make, just for the fun kitschy-ness of it).  Based on that label pattern and the gold color, the yarn is probably from the 60's.  It washed up just as soft as ever!

They've re-issued this yarn in a modern color palette, and I couldn't resist getting some in hot pink.  I've started on a summer dress with that stuff.  I'll have a show n tell in a couple of days, once I get the bodice together.

Steppin' it up

Today I published my first pattern.  Moving from Crazy Crochet Lady to Designer has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I've attempted so far.  Much like having kids.  I just kind of created the thing, tossed it out there to the world, and am hoping for the best.  Although unlike having kids, this pattern went through testing for accuracy and coherency before being released to the wild.

Meet Carousel, the easiest, most adjustable sweater pattern you'll ever find.  

Something Fishy

Last week I received a commission for a fish hat.

No joke.  The guy wanted a custom fish hat for his wife's birthday. People ask for the strangest things.

Halfway through creating this hat, I found out the intended recipient was expecting her first baby.   I couldn't resist using the leftover yarn to make a wee baby fish.

No pattern.  Made it up on the fly, loosely guided by some Google pictures.  I have a friend who calls this kind of made-up crochet McGuyvering*.    I like that.

*No bubble gum or duct tape was utilized in the creation of this project.**

**Unlike in sewing.  Day before yesterday I realized that clear tape can be used to hold the dang button in place while sewing it on with the machine.  Eureka!  No more swearing!  No more shifty buttons!  Why didn't I figure this out years ago?

Decisions, Decisions

In just a few short days it will be March.  MARCH!   Wasn't it just two weeks ago we were putting the Christmas decorations back in the closet?  Feels like it.

Anyhow.

It's almost March, which means I need to shift gears away from heavy bulky winter wear and into lightweight, layerable spring stuff.  I've been stockpiling ideas for a couple of weeks now and I've paired up some stash yarns with patterns.  Here's what I'm thinking:

Vintage gold yarn would make this lightweight summer top stunning.
So cute with capri's and wedge sandals!

Picture this dress in hot pink, about 6" shorter.      

This is 100% bamboo yarn which is light and perfect for summer.
Imagine this white top, but with shorter sleeves and longer body - about tunic length.  That's what I'm going for.

I like the idea of this top, but I'm not wild about the bell sleeves.  Who can wash dishes with sleeves like that?  This might stay in the idea bin until fall, and them maybe do a sweater dress to wear with leggings and boots.  Plum-colored yarn with a hint of silver would work, and it would go wonderfully with charcoal leggings and tall black boots.

I love the shape of this, but not so much how it looks like a giant red heart at the top.
I have some beautiful apple green yarn in the stash that might be just the thing (esp. paired with  cute leather sandals)

By the time I get these done, it'll be time to haul the decorations back out again!

I'm also planning some quilted pillow shams to match our new bedding.  The fabric I want is no longer available at the quilt shop (go figure) so I need to track it down online.  I'm also felting some 100% wool sweaters, which I'll chop up and make into decorative pillows.  Our new bedroom will be beautiful!

My daughter is excited about her new room too.  On Saturday we took her old bedskirt, cut it in half, and made it into two window valances.  In about a month we should have everything assembled and the sewing projects done, and then I'll post before/after pics.

Show N Tell

I am so excited to share this new design!  It's called Recipe for a Sweater, because the instructions are written as a base and intended for the creator to customize it for their unique size and shape.

Recipe for a Sweater V2.0

I made the second one as a pattern test along with seven lovely volunteers from Ravelry who are also testing this for me.  They're testing it in different sizes from baby all the way up to mens.  It will be interesting to see how the formula works for such large differences in scale.  So far so good!  I'll keep you all posted.

A Chicken Walks Into a Bar...

The other day my neighbor friend called and suggested we leave the children with our spouses and go out for an evening of margaritas and drunken clearance shoe shopping at Von Maur.  Obviously, I was all over that plan.  We had a fabulous time not only trying on shoes, but also sampling ridiculously-priced perfumes and later stalking the clearance end-caps of Target.  What can I say...we are who we are.

She also took me to her her favorite little vintage resale shop, where I found the most fabulous treasure.

At $5.99, who could resist?

I had never seen such a thing, but it was love at first sight.  No idea why.  Up until that day I would have told you chickens are not my thing.  But one look into his beady little black eyes and I was a goner.

I brought him home and gave him a little chicken-makeover, and now he is perched happily on my desk.

Meet Crochet Chicken!

He makes a fabulous crochet caddy.  My most favorite hook sizes fit perfectly in the tail slots, along with some fun scissors   The front pouch is just right for stitch markers.  We were meant to be together.

A quick internet search tells me these kitchen chickens were all the rage in the 1950's, and the little pocket in front is a ring holder!   So clever.  I have no idea why the measuring spoons he came with are classic 1970's-era.  I wonder if he originally had a set of spoons, or if these were sold for you to add your own.  Not that it matters because he's much cuter this way anyhow.

Gettin' in on the Sweater Action

Recently my dear sweet son, while patiently following me up and down the aisle at Jo Ann's while I petted all the yarns, tossed out this little gem.

"When are you going to make ME a sweater mom?"

Ruh-Roh Shaggy.

My youngest offspring has realized the crochet imbalance that exists in our household.

I tried to explain that crochet stitches, by nature, look girly and lacy.  No 7-year-old boy wants to wear a girl sweater to school. right? What if I spent hours and hours on this thing and he was ridiculed on the playground?

"Nope!  That won't happen", he calmly said.  His friends were good friends, he assured me, and they would think it was neat that his mom made him a sweater.

Really?  I doubted the authenticity of that.  But if my boy wanted his Momma to make him a sweater, I was gonna go forth and crochet it.  It was like I'd been double-dog dared.

My son selected a shade of blue, super-soft baby yarn, and tossed it into my basket.

Once I arrived at home, though, reality set in.  Nearly every crochet sweater pattern out there is for a girl.  Out of the hundreds and hundreds I studied, only four weren't ridiculously feminine.  A bigger problem ensued when my son didn't like any of them.  He wanted something simple, with vertical stripes.  "And the edges should be orange!" he proudly declared.

Well, ok.  The Raglan Boys Pullover was born this past weekend during a weekend marathon of watching the Transformers Trilogy.  Good thing those movies are long.

 I didn't really write this pattern down, but I did take cryptic notes.  Attempt at your own risk.  :-)

Boy's Raglan Pullover

I measured a raglan-style shirt from his closet to get the piece shapes and dimensions in the photo.

Next, I crocheted the pieces vertically, alternating each row with hdc blo and hdc flo, working increases and decreases as necessary to make the shape work.

On the slanted edges, I added 3 rows of sl st for a bit of style.

Whipstitch the seams together.

Work sc evenly around neck edge, sleeve edges, and bottom band.

With alternate color, work ribbing in hdc blo, connecting with 3 sl st at each pass. Neck and sleeve ribbing is 6 sc tall; bottom band is 12 sc tall.

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!

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.