Flower Scarf Photo

Yay!  I got a pretty decent photo of my new scarf!  Here it is:

I had a hard time getting Stuart and Annie off of it–they both wanted to stand right in the middle of it, silly dogs!

I’m going to post this as my February clothing craft-along project.  I will probably be posting some things late and that’s okay so who says I can’t work ahead, too?

More Crochet Books

I’m sick in the head.  My other two books (Crochet Bouquet and Positively Crochet!)  from Overstock.com haven’t even arrived yet, and I’ve already bought three more!  This time I bought Amigurumi World, Beyond the Square, and Crochet Inspiration.  All three got 4-1/2+ stars on Amazon.com. 

The Amigurumi World book got 5 stars.  It has patterns to make little crocheted toys out of scrap yarn.  Funny thing is:  I don’t have children to crochet toys for, and I don’t even have scrap yarn–I’ll have to BUY yarn to make them, but I convinced myself I can’t live without this book!  The little toys look so cute.  One is a hedgehog that I can’t wait to make–or at least I HOPE I can make it.  I’m still so new to crochet, and I hope I can read the patterns and be successful at it.

The other two books got 4-1/2 stars each, and both appear to be wonderful books that offer alot of inspiration (which is why one of them is called “Crochet Inspiration!”).  Again, I hope I can read the patterns and be successful at crocheting the projects.  Funny thing:  one of the reasons I bought the Beyond the Square book is because it has a spiral binding (and I LOVE spiral bindings on books!).

This time, I bought the books from Amazon.com so I hope they get here quickly.  I was surprised to find that they were actually cheaper on Amazon than at Overstock even with the tax that they added (but I also got free shipping).

Flower Scarf

I’m so excited!  Last week, I made a bunch of crocheted flowers to turn into a scarf.  It’s partially inspired by the “Garden Scarf” in The Happy Hooker book, but I used flowers from 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas.  Actually, I used PARTIAL flowers from that book.  They’re supposed to have a frame around them, but I opted not to put the border on them.  This particular flower is the middle design on the book’s cover (blogged about previously).

Funny thing:  one of the flowers only has 7 petals, and another has 9 (they’re supposed to have 8)!  I don’t know how I managed to do that, and why I didn’t notice while I was making them that I was messing up!

Anyway, I got all of the flowers finished, and I used a tapestry needle to sew all of them together (which took for-ever).  I ended up taking four of the flowers off because the scarf was too long. 

I wore it out to dinner on Saturday night because I was so proud of it, and all the girls were so complimentary of it.  They couldn’t believe I made it!  That makes me happy that they noticed because I spent alot of time making it (it took me about 30 minutes to make each flower; I’m not sure how many flowers are on it, but I know it’s more than 14 because I made more than 2 of each color–but not 21, I don’t think).

There’s no way I could sell a crocheted scarf.  They take me too long to make, and I probably could only get $20 for one.

I’ll have to figure out how to take a picture of the scarf so I can post it.

Green Dreamcatcher Square

I made an off-white “filler” square for the crochet-along on Craftster.org.  I already blogged about it.  Here, though, is my second one that’s done in green this time.  The pattern is called “Dreamcatcher” and I LOVE it!  The borders are rather wavy, but I’ve been assured that they’ll straighten out when the block is sewn to others.  I still can’t believe I read the pattern and the square turned out right!  I think it’s very pretty.

I used a “J” hook and TLC Essentials acrylic yarn, and the square turned out to be 12″.  I’ve opted for an all-acrylic blanket because the dogs will be using this, and it’ll be washed alot.

So… here’s my green Dreamcatcher square:

Crochet Obsession

Okay… I do this about EVERYTHING!  When I decide to do something, I end up going out and spending alot of money on it.  Some things (like quilting) “stick” and others don’t (like I don’t even know what because whatever those things are just didn’t “stick”). 

So, if you can’t figure it out, my newest obsession is crochet.  I’ve already bought several skeins of yarn (with no projects in mind), 6 new books, joined a crochet-along on Craftster.org, and made myself a crochet hook roll for holding all my hooks!

So… I read in The Happy Hooker book (by Debbie Stoller) that there are two types of crochet hooks:  sharp and blunt.  The sharp ones slide through stitches easier, and she likes them better than the blunt ones which she likens to cutting fabric with dull scissors:  not fun.  So, I checked out my hooks, and every single one of them is blunt!  Hmmm…  I need to fix that.

Also, I’d like some wooden crochet hooks.  Hmmm… will also have to fix that.

So, what did I do yesterday?  I searched for “wood crochet hooks” on Google, and came up with hundreds of sites.  There are some wooden hooks that are $30 a piece!  But they look so cool, I might just have to buy one or two of them (and if nothing else, that’s a great birthday or Christmas gift I can ask for).  Anyway, like I NEED them or something,  I bought a set of 12 bamboo crochet hooks from eKnittingNeedles.com.  They range in size from 3mm to 10mm.  It’s kind of hard to tell in the pictures if the hooks are sharp or blunt, but I have my fingers crossed that they’re the sharp kind.  But if they’re not, I’ll still like them anyway because I don’t know any differently.

The only bad thing about these hooks, is that I think they only have the size hook printed on them, and not the corresponding letter.  Most patterns I’ve seen just say “H” hook and not 9mm (or whatever the right size is for that letter).  But, oh, well…  I’ll just need to learn the sizes, and I’ll be fine.

Anyway, the set was $29.99 with free shipping (and you KNOW how much I like free shipping–that’s just the icing on the cake).  The hooks are $4 or $5 each so that would be around $50 if I’d bought them individually.

Now I need to make another crochet hook roll!  That’ll be fun!

New Crochet Books

All of my new crochet books from Overstock.com have arrived, and I can’t rave enough about them!

The first book is Stitch and Bitch:  The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller (4-1/2 stars on Amazon.com).  It has a WONDERFUL, very interesting history of crochet and several great projects I’d like to make.  There are a couple of scarves and bags that I really like.  And a couple of tank tops, too.  But, really, I don’t think I’ll EVER crochet a bikini!

The next book is 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas by Melody Griffiths which got 5 stars on Amazon.com, and I can see why!  Because it’s a GREAT book!  I especially like the flower and lace sections.  There are also chapters on the alphabet (cool, but I don’t know what I’d do with any crocheted letters???), shapes, pictures and geometrics.  Plus there’s a chapter with projects that is way cool.  One of the projects is the CUTEST little siamese cat mini bag.  Totally not my style, but it’s soooooo cute, I’d carry it anyway (even though it’s probably intended for a child!).  Also, there’s a belt made from a string of 2-colored swirls that is pretty nifty, and I’d like to try.

I started making four-inch flower motifs out of my new “Cotton Ease” yarn this morning (got three finished so far).  I’d like to make a scarf like the one in The Happy Hooker book.  I’m not sure why I’m not using that pattern, but I’m not.  BTW, the Cotton Ease yarn doesn’t hold it’s shape like acrylic, but who cares because it feels so WONDERFUL!

Next book is 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans by Jan Eaton (4-1/2 stars on Amazon).  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!  I bought this book because I wanted some other block choices for the afghan I’m making on the crocet-along on Craftster.org.  After I ordered it, I read a review that said the blocks were 8″ big.  I just figured I’d have to add several rows around the perimeter to get them up to 12″.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the blocks are 6″ blocks instead, and all I’ll have to do is sew 4 together to get 12″.  At least I HOPE that’s all I’ll have to do–as tight as I crochet, though, I may still have to add a row or two around the borders to get 12″

Anyway, the blocks are all listed with a number of hooks to indicated the skill level required to make them.  One hook = easy/beginner; two hooks = intermediate/medium; three hooks = difficult/advanced.  Most of the squares are 2 hooks.  I wonder if I can do any of them yet?

Also, I read another review that said to make sure and go to the Interweave Press website and download the corrections for the book.  There are 7 squares that have corrections.  I’m glad I read that review because I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

WA-HOOO! Simply Handmade!

I’m sooooooo excited!  This morning, I received an e-mail from Paige Evans from Northridge Media.  I submited a baby bib for publication consideration for the June/July 2009 issue, and it was selected!  How exciting is that?!

I have to fill out a form that tells, in detail, how I made my “creation” and what products I used to make it.  Then I have to sign a statement that it’s an original design, that it hasn’t been published before, and that I give Northridge Media permission to publish it!

Funny thing is…  I almost threw the silly thing away the other day.  I hadn’t heard back from them, and thought that maybe they didn’t like the idea.  I’m SOOO glad I kept it!

I have to package it up and mail it to them by the 21st, and it has to arrive to them by the 30th.  When they’re finished with it, they’ll return it back to me along with “scrapbooking products” (I wonder what that is…???  oh, who cares–I’ll love it, I’m sure!) and two copies of the book so I can share!

I’ve already put that little baby in a ziplock baggie so it won’t get dirty (I hadn’t worried about that until now, and now I’m scared to death I’m going to get something on it!). 

Anyway, I can’t blog a photo of it until August 1, but I’ll scan the pages and post those as soon as I get my hands on a copy of the book!

Crochet Hook Roll

I forgot to post this the other day when I made it.  This is a crochet hook roll that I made for myself for the Craftster.org 2009 De-stash-along (one of January’s themes is “for yourself”).  I just need to figure out how to add ribbon closures, but otherwise it’s finished!  I pretty proud of it.  I made it from two cloth napkins I bought at Target (or Walmart?) several months ago.

Anyway, I had a little zippered case to put my hooks in, but one half of it only holds 5 or 6 hooks in the sizes I have and the other side holds about 10 TINY, TINY, TINY hooks that I don’t even have.  So, all of my extra hooks were just rattling around in the bottom of the case.  This little roll holds ALL of my hooks and has two extra pockets.

January “Filler” Square

I finished a second crochet square for my 2009 CAL afghan.  This one is called “Dream Catcher“ which was the January 2008 block.  I used the recommended “I” hook, and it came out to EXACTLY 12″!!!!  Good for me!

Anyway, I had a few minor problems with this block.  There was a dc/1-ch combo that isn’t hard to do at all, I just couldn’t remember to throw in that 1-ch!  So, I had to fudge around the borders in a couple of spaces.

I’ve started on a second square, this time in green.  Because the green yarn feels thinner than the off-white shown above, I moved on up to a “J” hook to compensate for the size difference, and I’m trying very, very hard to loosen up, and not make my stitches so tight.

Lace Cap for Craft-along!

Yesterday, I finished making the lace cap I was working on for the New Year’s Resolution Clothing Craft-along on Craftster.org!  I can’t believe I actually made this little cap, and all of the holes ended up where they were supposed to!  I had a couple of little hiccups (like during the last 3 rounds, I discovered I should have been doing 2-ch instead of 3-ch to make the holes so my holes are a little bigger than they should be), but overall, it turned out well.

It’s NOTHING that I will ever wear, but it’s finshed, and I like it!