Hats are finished...

As of yesterday, at least temporarily, I have turned out the lights and closed the door of my hat making studio.  Finished hats are handed over, and, as happy as I was to make them for a hat giveaway in a few weeks, I'm feeling exceedingly happy to let myself move on to other projects.

It's funny how when I commit myself to one project for a period of time, all the other things start looking intensely interesting. Nevermind that before my one-project commitment, I wasn't really doing any of those other things.

Such is my life. Maybe you relate?  I am seriously looking forward to working on a different project this week, but I'm not going to say what it is.  The interest I feel for it at the moment will fly right out the window the moment I say aloud what it is. Does anyone at all relate to that?!?  

But before I move on to new things, here's my final update.  I knit three more hats this past week following the Benefaction Knit Hat pattern, using a helix knitting pattern on two, and substituting a 1x1 ribbing for the suggested 2x2 ribbing.  And, finally, I added yarny poms to three especially girly hats.

Here's the most recent lineup:

Since hand made pom poms may not fare well in the laundry, I decided to fasten the poms on the above hats using buttons to tie them on with.  Like so:

I threaded the yarn through two diagonally opposite large holes of the button, then wrapped the two ends of the yarn two different directions under the button and tied the ends into a tight bow.

In retrospect, not being sure that someone will actually notice the button inside the crowns of these hats, I'm now thinking it might have been a good idea to add a tag to these hats, explaining that the pom is removable, and mention fiber content, and that these are machine washable.

Thinking that other handmade hats will likely not have care tags on them, and knowing these are all machine wash and dryable, I'm not feeling too badly about it, but it's a thought for the future.

Things I've learned:

1)  I decided it's best to get started on this kind of multi-project project earlier.  Spread the work throughout the year when there is plenty of time to experiment with different patterns.  And when I'm not in the mood to learn a new pattern, or just want an easy knit, a simple hat pattern can be made more special and fun just knitting colorful stripes or blocks of different colors.

2) I learned how to make jogless joins when changing colors, working wide stripes in the round, and making skinny stripes using helical knitting.

3)  I rediscovered how fun helical knitting is.

4) I learned how to knit a double brim.  It's a nice finish, though it tends to increase the time it takes to knit a hat by about a third.  That's significant when working under a time constraint.

5)  It doesn't take much yarn to knit a hat.  As an occasional knitter, who is an avid crocheter, I was shocked to rediscover this.  My realization:  I could make a hundred hats, and it would hardly make a dent in my huge yarn stash.  Fortunately, my favorite thing to make with yarn is blankets.  And have recently learned how nice a shawl is around my shoulders and arms - and so much easier to put on and whip off than a sweater is. I'm now happily anticipating cooler weather soon and once again enjoying crocheting these cozy things.

Squares and more squares...

This past week I finished the first four squares in the Last Dance Blanket:

And I came up with this color scheme and layout (using stash yarn):

The color representations aren't completely accurate (e.g. it's hard to convey "dusty" and "clear" in the colors that are those), but I think this graphic is a fair approximation of the colors I'm planning on using.  And I kind of like it so far.  Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind about any of the colors as I go.  I've already learned that two of the colors I have yet to crochet squares for are discontinued, so right out of the gate I'm adapting my plans.

If you'd like to join a current CAL for this blanket, we're working on it together in Our Happy CAL Group on Ravelry.  We just started the second week (second square) today and the CAL will go through the end of December.

Each pattern is worked 4 times, so at the end of each week we should have four squares completed, and at the end of 12 weeks (which will be the end of December), we should have 48 squares!   And then a couple of weeks in January will be dedicated to joining and crocheting the border.  Wish me well!  And come join me, if you like!

~~~~~

As if that wasn't enough of a project to start this past week, I was inspired to try a square from the Stardust Melodies Blanket by gifted crochet designer, Polly Plum.  And after I crocheted that square I was so impressed by the video tutorial and how perfect and nice the square turned out, I decided to consider making a small blanket of some of the squares in this collection.

The first square I tried is called Don't Fence Me In:

I followed Polly's video tutorial (which is available at the link above) and I must say she is thorough and her instructions are easy to follow.  I look forward to making more of her designs.

Note:  Polly has published an e-book that has many more patterns (and accompanying video tutorials) for a large Stardust Melodies blanket, so check it out if you think you might be interested and want more than the 12 free patterns Polly generously provides on her website

~~~~~

And finally, I decided to pull out a long-languishing project.  Okay, I know some of you have projects that have languished a lot longer than this one, but I hadn't worked on this Fairly Isleish sweater since trying to block out the seriously crooked center-front edges (that was in June, I think).

What used to look like this:

Now has a straight button band on one side and a button-hole band on the other side of the center-front:

And the beginning of a toddler-sized long sleeve:

I'm going to try to get this finished!  If not by the end of this week, then by the next.  There might be a little person out there who'd be warmed by this cute little sweater and it will soon be turning chilly here.

And that's it here in my little corner of the crochet world.  The coming week promises to be busy and if I think to take some pictures, I may have something new and interesting to show and tell about next week.

Hmmm...  aren't you curious now?!?  😉

To see what other YOPPERs are up to, visit our group on Ravelry.

Angel Wings Pinafore

Short and sweet would describe both my project and my post this week.  :)

Last week the Angel Wings Pinafore was a CAL (Crochet-A-Long) project in the Our Happy CAL Place.  I finished mine today - just in time for my weekly YOP post.

While the pattern was easy and it worked up super quick for a sweet pinafore, I have to be honest that I'm not real crazy about the yarn I chose.  It's an acrylic, and while I like using easy care acrylic for baby blankets and the one baby sweater I've made, I think something like this begs for a yarn that has...  I don't know... more substance? Cotton seems, to me, to be the obvious choice, but it would have to be an airy cotton so it wouldn't get too heavy.  Probably a cotton and synthetic blend would be best.  

I have some choices of cotton-blend yarn in my stash and I look forward to making this again - most likely in a larger size.  I think this would look adorable as young girl's pinafore top worn over a long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of jeans.  Or even just a summer top by itself over a pair of jeans or shorts.

The yarn I used is Lion Brand's Jamie (DK weight, or size 3).  It's an awfully splitty yarn and I personally don't care for it now that I've actually used it.  Since I have a bit left, I think it will work well enough in a blanket (mixed with other yarns), but this Jamie yarn did not score any points with me.  And I would not purchase it again.  Fortunately, I only bought 3 small skeins of it on clearance once upon a time.

This was probably a good project to give the yarn a go with, though.  I consider that I've made a quick and cute prototype, and now that I know how one of these pinafores is made I can adapt it to a larger size fairly easily I think.

To see what other Yoppers are up to, visit our group on Ravelry.

Loopy Love Baby Sweater

No Mandala Madness picture this week.  I'm nearly done with Part 12, but as the sun began to set on Friday evening, I knew I wasn't going to manage to get it done in time to get a picture to post today. And knew we'd be up and out too early to snap a picture in the morning light (hubs is working the computer at church and I'm running the sound board this morning).

And with it being Father's Day today and our kids coming over for a grill-out after church, I knew I wouldn't be working on it today before I wanted to post, so tune in next week!  I think it will be the grand finale.  :)

But I do have pictures!  :)  This week I crocheted a cute little Loopy Love Sweater as a baby shower gift for a young friend who's having her first baby this August.  It went over well yesterday - so well, people started clapping when they found out I made it.  And I wanted to melt into the floor.   Yes I have some wonderfully encouraging, if embarrassing friends.   This and a sweet blanket her grandmother crocheted were the only hand-made gifts she received yesterday (that I recall).  How different from the last baby shower I attended where the mother-to-be received no less than 5 hand-made baby blankets (the 5th being mine - another embarrassing moment, but for completely different reasons).

I don't know what size this really is (nor have any idea how big or small the new baby will be), but I'm confident it's not newborn size and expect it will be used in the autumn, or possibly even winter - so the dark rich colors will be more fitting than they seem here in June.

I wish you could reach through the screen and feel this yarn.  It's soooo soft.  And it machine washes and dries really nicely.  Two big pluses for a new mommy.

This was a super easy pattern.  Only made a little difficult by the varying spin of the colorful Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable yarn.   The unevenness of the yarn made it difficult to always get straight edges, but I'm choosing to see it as making the sweater look more unique.  Authentically handcrafted. It looks a little "boho" to me, so I bought a little pair of baby yoga pant "jeans" to gift with it.  :)

By the way...  that curling bottom corner blocked out nicely with a little steam (and stayed out after washing and drying) - what a relief.

I had no idea how (relatively) easy it is to crochet a little sweater.  I'm looking forward to making more.  Crochet lends itself to making a pretty little "lacey" girly sweater, but I'm hoping to also find a little boy's sweater pattern that looks nice crocheted up.

~~~~

When I was trying to figure out how big to make my Loopy Love Sweater,  I pulled out some sweaters from my (now adult) boys' "baby boxes".  This little mint-green sweater is actually one my husband wore over 60 years ago, and each of my three boys wore it as infants:

I was sure I was told (once upon a time) that this is a sweater his grandmother made and thinking that she only crocheted, I thought for years that this was a crocheted sweater.   But as I looked at it again this week (with eyes that have been seeing a lot of crochet in recent years) I'm thinking it's actually knit.

I feel a little silly doubting my own eyes, but after originally thinking this was crocheted, I think I'm just having trouble accepting the truth.  Look close, knitting friends...   Is this knit?

Our Year of Projects year ends next week - I cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by! Check out our group on Ravelry and consider yourself invited to join along as we begin a new year on July 3rd!

Conquering some WIPs...

This week saw two finishes - yay me!

My first finish was a linen stitch scarf I intended for Greg for Christmas.  It was all done except for a couple dozen (at least) ends that needed weaving in.  It helped that the day I committed to finishing it (last Sunday) an out-of-state friend called and I could mindlessly and painlessly get that job done while enjoying a long chat.   Greg wore it the next day (and every day since).

The bottom there is a little messy because I hadn't take a picture before Greg wore it all day on Monday.   So that messy bottom part is witness to some scarf love.  :^)


And then later in the week I finished the child-sized pink! Tides of Change blanket:

I love this thing!  It's bright and cheery, and I can just see a little girl snuggling under it enjoying the total unabashed girlie-ness of it.

Some other things have been worked on as well, but I'll save them for next time.  My other WIPs from last weekend will wait a little longer as I enjoy some new crochet infusions.  I've concluded some new projects will be good for my creative soul, and good for helping to tame the yarn stash I've amassed over the last year.

'Till next time... come visit the Year of Project thread on Ravelry to see what other Yoppers are up to.

Feeling pinkish...

As I've continued crocheting the Tides of Change blanket I have finally decided I'm feeling kind of ambivalent about the pattern.  The designer is unconventional at times when it comes to writing out pattern instructions, but fortunately, with the help of fellow Ravelers who are doing this as part of a CAL, and thanks to many, many progress pictures posted on Ravelry by others who've already crocheted this blanket, mine is coming along... 

And in spite of occasional frustrations, as I complete more and more, I'm finding myself drawn to it and am enjoying watching the blanket grow.  In fact, I'm thinking of making another one in different colors.  So I'm taking good notes on my Ravelry project page.  And hopefully the next one will be a piece o' cake.

One of the big plusses about this blanket is you could stop just about anywhere (just about) and call it done.   I'm going for a baby blanket size this time, so just a few more rounds and it ought to be finished. 

 I feel like I should name this one Proud to be Pink! 

Now that winter is full-on here I'm finding myself content to work on blankets - which is slow business, and that means there are not a lot of exciting pictures to show for my time.  BUT... I'm planning on being a fill-in hostess on the 2016 Weekly & Dishcloth CAL on Ravelry every few weeks or so, so I'll probably have some smaller, fun projects to show here soon. I've already got some ideas simmering...   :^)

To see what other Year of Project participants are doing, check out this week's thread on Ravelry! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Curlicue love...

Last week I showed a picture of my first Curlicue Hat and said it wasn't the last I was making.   These hats are fun and easy to make so it's a little hard to resist the pull of making more.  Here's a link to the pattern for anyone who might be feeling the pull to give it a try.  ;^)

Fortunately for me I thought of some young girls I could make some for.  So I finished three more this week.  They are going to sisters, and I wanted them similar to each other, but not identical, so I chose three different colors of the same yarn.

After trying out several different yarns that I either had on hand, or could buy locally, I found Red Heart Gumdrop yarn to produce the most satisfying results for the young ages these are made for.  The colors are bright and fun and the variegation is short and scattered enough that pops of color appear pretty randomly, as opposed to pooling or creating odd or irregular stripes in the finished project.  I don't think I could be more pleased with how these turned out.


Here is the first hat, done in the color Apple (the green is more vivid than it appears in this picture):

And then came Grape (this color, too, is a bit more vivid than it appears here):

And finally...Cherry (this is pretty true to color - though I think the picture could have been crisper):

As a yarn review, I want to say I love how this yarn crochets up in terms of the proliferation of pops of colors, and absence of pooling or irregular striping.  Being completely honest, I like it better crocheted than knitted (having looked at various knitting projects created with this yarn).  The pops of color just seem to beg for larger stitches to show them off.

Now then... as much as I like how these hats turned out, I need to also say I'm not sure I'm a fan of the yarn itself.  And that hurts my heart.  A lot.  It hurts because it's soft and pretty perfect for baby and children's items, but it is terribly splitty when working with it.  And of course, frogging and reworking it just makes it more splitty.   I disliked this splitting tendency so much that I ended up returning the extra skeins that I had purchased when I was first enamored by the various fun colors.  Well, that and I was enamored at the sale price and an additional coupon discount I was able to use where I bought it.

The texture of this yarn when working with it is reminiscent (to me) of Caron Simply Soft.  But it's also similar to Red Heart Soft yarn.  I've used both, and I while I prefer working with RH Soft over Caron SS, neither of these yarns are my favorite to work with.  Having said that, the items I've made with RH Soft and Caron SS are beautiful.  You'd never know looking at the finished projects that I struggled with the yarns.   The reality is this Gumdrop yarn is somewhere between these two yarns in terms of softness, spin, and feel of the finished project.   For anyone unfamiliar with the above two yarns this paragraph may be useless, but if you either love or dislike the above yarns, this may be helpful.  And keep in mind... I'm just reporting what my personal experience and opinion is.

I'm not saying I wouldn't buy it again, but if I do buy it in the future, I will be selective and only buy for a specific project.  I know me  - if I buy it at a great price to stash it, it will nag me as a difficult yarn and I'll likely resist using it.  If I buy a small amount for a specific project, I'm much more likely to work it up because I'll be so eager to see what it looks like again.  

Having just explained that splitting is a problem with this yarn, I will say different colors seem to split differently.  Cherry was, by far, the least splitty and Apple the most (of the three colors used here).   Happily, that works for me because Cherry is my favorite color.  :^)   I do think I want to try out all the other colors, though. I'm really wishing I had picked up a skein each of Smoothie and Orange as well.  Having seen some finished projects using those colors, I've got a feeling they may be among my favorites too. 

In short, if you're in the market for easy care acrylic for children's items I recommend the yarn for its pleasing palette of colors.  And it finishes up nice and soft.  But be forewarned that it may split as you work it, so know your tolerance for that and buy (or not) with that in mind.

To see what other YOPers are up to, visit this week's thread on Ravelry.  There's always something interesting in the works.

Curlicue Hat

Another busy week with only a hat to show for my crocheting efforts.  But what a cute hat it is! 

My first Delaney Hat:

I say "first" 'cuz  it's definitely not my last.  I'm just showing you the top because that's what's so cute about this hat.  The pattern is super simple, but there's a trick to getting tight curly curlicues.  You need to crochet under just one strand of yarn.  It's easy once you figure that out, but I started this thing several times with unsatisfactory curlicues before I finally went looking for a YouTube video demonstrating how to make them.  It was a lightbulb moment, and the hat was simple and fast after that.  Another thing is, if you want a cuff on the bottom, I'm pretty sure this needs to be made a little longer than following the pattern will give you.   This first one I made looks fine as is, but I think the next ones I make will be a tad longer so a cuff is an option.  I hope to make some more of these for little girl gifts.  This one is made with Vanna's Choice in Rose Mist.  I have some Red Heart Gumdrop yarn waiting in the wings for my next ones. 

To see what other Year of Projects participants are up to, check out this week's thread on Ravelry.