Quite a week...

The last seven days has been quite the week!   

Monday, hubs had the day free so we went looking at furniture.  Our family room has never had furniture that was picked out for it, and the time seemed right to consider it.  We found some things we liked, but we decided to hold off and wait for maybe a better sale closer to Labor Day.

And then Monday and Tuesday happened...

My clothes dryer broke on Monday night, and after work on Tuesday I went out and bought a new one.  The broken one was too old and beyond its warranty - and I'd been feeling like the thermostat on it wasn't accurate, anyway... so while I hadn't exactly been contemplating replacing it (and it was painful to spend half the money on a dryer that I was contemplating spending on a sofa), in the end it felt much better to replace it than spend money diagnosing it and hopefully fixing it. 

Then Tuesday night my 20 year-old vacuum broke and after finding a deal on Wednesday where I could get a $300 discount off a new one by trading in my nearly vintage and now broken one...   well, let's just say I didn't need any convincing.  So Wednesday I went out and dropped the rest of my sofa money on a bright, shiny new vacuum - that might just live longer than me, I'm suddenly realizing.  It will surely live longer than a new sofa.

Anyway, Friday I became convinced that vacuuming stairs, hard wood floors, and high up places would be much easier with an extension hose, so I went back to get the accessory kit that includes a 12 ft hose and a brush floor attachment.  Oh my - that made a huge difference.  Why did I never consider getting these things before for my old vacuum???  Anyway, the second half of the week, I've been a cleaning machine.  A woman on a mission to find every lazy cobweb and stray dust bunny.   It's amazing how motivating new (and well-working) tools can be.

Saturday, I put down the vacuum cleaner hose and we traveled north to meet our new great-niece.  She is 5 weeks old, so it was high time to meet her. Allow me to introduce you to my (presently) youngest great niece, Hannah:

There were four adults there (not counting the new parents), and if you can just imagine... we all just sat (and sometimes hovered over whoever was holding her) mostly staring at baby Hannah - for over three hours.  It was as if we suddenly came under a spell.  We were entranced.  Definitely enchanted.  I'd forgotten how mesmerizing a new baby can be.  She just lay there doing nothing but breathe, sleep, and occasionally smile. Truly fascinating stuff.

It was a perfect ending to the week.  Nevermind that I want to hold a baby again, already...

~~~~~

As you can imagine, I didn't give my yarn stash much any love this week.  But I did finish the third doily I was working on - Summer Splendor:

The yarn used is Artiste Cotton Thread (available at Hobby Lobby) in the colorway, Ginger

And that's all there is to tell.  It was an expensive week, but not as traumatic as some we've had, and far more wonderful (at its close) than most.

All three doilies in Artiste Cotton Thread in the colors, Ginger, Boysenberry, and Glacier Ice

To see  what other YOPpers are up to, visit our group on Ravelry!

Always learning...

You may remember that last week I attempted this snowflake design (which is one of the designs in the set of Christmas Gift Bags) and I wasn't happy with my first attempt:

Edges were all jagged and it appeared that I had made some mistakes.  

So I tried crocheting it in the round, thinking the problem was the back and forth (front and back) crocheting that was creating the uneven edges.  But when I crocheted in the round, I noticed that the design was slanted:

If you can't see the slant, just believe me.  The snowflake is slanting.  To the right.  And the edges are messier still.

Sigh...

Now, I've done crochet colorwork before and I know the edges of the design aren't going to be what anyone would call smooth,  but I don't recall it looking this messy.  Ella (of Un-Becoming Me) suggested trying this project with a different yarn.  As I thought about that, it occurred to me that in using smooth mercerized cotton thread, the edges of the design (which aren't smooth to begin with) were going to look even more messy contrasted with the fine yarn.

Thank you, Ella!  You got my head in a better place about this project.

Oh, and let's be honest... trying do colorwork with doubled strands of yarn (of each color) was kind of crazy.  That just complicated the whole thing.

So I gave up the double-stranded smooth thread and fished out some sport weight cotton/acrylic yarn I had in my stash, and decided to give the pattern one more try crocheting it as a flat piece of fabric (back and forth) - the way the designer intended:

Oh my...   this is so much better.   It's not that the edges are any smoother, but using a yarn with even just a bit of fluff to it, the ragged edges become part of the homespun design.  I'm not sure if it's possible to get a totally smooth line when crocheting colorwork, (though this article makes me want to try) but for now I think I'll just forgo trying to combine such casual designs with smooth thread.  Thread that is meant to produce a finer finish than the casual design would suggest.

I was so pleased with the results, I'm making all three designs in the set:

The Christmas Tree is, by far, the easiest design. 

I suggest starting with this one.  And then the next two will be a breeze.  

And soon I'll have the reindeer bag finished:

Using Scheepjes Stone Washed sportweight yarn in cotton/acrylic, I intend to make one or two more of these little bags before I call this whole project finished.   At the moment I have a plan to use these bags as part of something Christmas related.  I'm not giving away my secrets just yet, but if I manage to get this larger project done, I'll be sure to post about it when the timing is right to do so.  Probably after Christmas (which will be here before we know it!)

Having had success now, I definitely recommend the pattern.  Look at the designer's projects and follow her lead regarding yarn.  A yarn with a bit of fuzziness, and small amount of variation in the colors will serve this little project well.

~~~~~

While I was cooling my heels a bit between these little bags, I whipped out another market bag:

I'm not even following a pattern at this point.  Once one gets the bottom a good size, it's just a matter of crocheting UP!

I made the body of this bag a little shorter, and the strap not as long as most, the whole while imagining that I may just eventually perfect the humble crocheted market bag.  Stretch is the thing with these bags.  Too large a bag with too much stretch and it's hard to feel confident in its holding power (that, and they're just awkward to carry).  Too small, though, and they don't hold much.   I'm (sort of) feeling the challenge to find the perfect size and stretch quotients for such a bag.  Goodness knows I have enough cotton yarn to make dozens more in my quest for the perfect market bag.  Until I tire of experimenting, that is...  😉

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

2018 Yarn Stash-Down:  31.22/100 Skeins

Celebrating Christmas...

Popping in on Christmas evening to report a very happy holiday weekend celebrating Christmas. Two wonderful services at church this weekend, and then family celebrations -  Christmas Eve with just our boys, and Christmas Day with some of our extended family.

I was able to finish all of the linen-stitch scarves I planned to make as Christmas gifts, and all I can say is I'm really glad I got some still shots of just the scarves (before I wrapped them):

Because... this is what I got when I tried to take a picture of the scarves being modeled:

"Seriously, guys...  Can I not get a good picture of you modeling your new scarves?"

Apparently, not.

Though they did humor me (I guess) for just a minute when I asked for a serious pose:

Sigh.


I'm happy to report that the scarves were a hit.  While these three can be real goobs at times, they are also pretty terrific sons.  :)

Wishes for happiness to you and yours during this Christmas season.  

Merry Christmas!  

And peace to all. 

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!

Round Ripple Baby Blanket Finished!

I finished the latest Round Ripple Baby Blanket late last night - and good thing, too, as it was a gift for a baby shower this afternoon.

For anyone interested in making one of these, I strongly encourage checking out samples that Ravelry member, AFwifeCrochetNut, has come up.  Note:  AFwifeCrochetNut isn't the designer of the pattern, but rather she came up with the way to make a "ripple effect" in this blanket.  The link I provided takes you to one of these blankets she made, and in her project notes she gives instructions for how to lay out the pattern of rows so that they look like they're rippling outward from the center.  Don't be daunted if the written directions for this don't seem clear.  They weren't to me at first.  Read her explanation and study a close-up of the blanket and you'll see the pattern and her written instructions will begin to make sense once you work a sequence of rows that creates a ripple.  That's how it worked for me.  Now that I've finished this blanket I can say that how she created this cool effect is actually super simple. I don't even have to think about it now.

For the sake of transparency regarding my design process, I'm going to admit that this blanket was a bit of an experiment.  I started out with the colors Bright Green, Teal, 2 shades of Gray, and White.  Actually, I didn't start out with White, but I decided these colors needed the contrast of white to lighten up the whole thing and bring definition to the colors.  Okay, good enough...   I started somewhat daringly with that small circle of green in the center thinking I'd repeat it later in the blanket, but I found that following AFwifeCrochetNut's directions I would have a mammoth blanket if I ended up using the green and teal a second time in later rows.

It was a last minute decision, but I ditched (make that, frogged) the second repeat of green after giving it a try.   Then I tried just a single row of green, but even that didn't make me happy.  In the end, I decided to just go with a that green center as the only touch of green in the whole thing.  And act like it was intentional all along.  :^)

And then, I don't know...  it kind of grew on me.  Truth be told, I think I'd like that green center better if it was a tad larger (like maybe just one more row).  Ah well...live and learn.  I have a feeling every one of these blankets I make will end up being an experiment, so I best get comfortable with that. 

In the end, it was very favorably received at the baby shower today.  That said, it was the fifth crocheted baby blanket opened, so I think I may come up with another gift idea for the next shower I attend.  I loved using baby blankets when I had babies, and I was happy to have several, so I don't know that multiple gifts of baby blankets is a bad thing.  But it is a little embarrassing to be the giver of the fifth, and final one opened.  lol

To see what other Year Of Projects participants are up to this week check out our thread on Ravelry.

Another Rounded Ripple Baby Blanket

I know, I know...I'm not finished with the baby blanket I started last week, but I decided I wanted to try another color scheme and am thinking this one will be for a gift for an upcoming baby shower.  It's one thing to be a little unsure of something I'm randomly making (as was the case of the blanket I showed on Sunday), but it's quite another thing to be questioning a gift for a specific someone.   So the following blanket is being made with more intention, but my color choice and placement is still a bit of an experiment.  I'll be finishing it with some rounds of white followed by green and teal.  I'm really hoping the finished effect is nice and has a bit of "style". 

Pictured is my non-rainbow version of the Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket

And autumn being my cozy mystery reading season, I'm almost finished with another one.  All Sales Final by Josie Belle is a fun and light read.  Maggie, a consignment shop owner and her fiancé, Sam Collins, find themselves with a haunted house they've just bought.  It's really not spooky, but kind of entertaining as they uncover some interesting secrets the house has been holding for many, many years.

Check out other yarnie goodness at Ginny Sheller's Yarn Along this week!

Rounded Ripple Baby Blanket

This past week I was inspired to try crocheting a rounded ripple baby blanket.  The pattern name is actually called Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket, but the most beautiful I've seen aren't rainbow-hued at all.  For my first one I opted to go bold and bright.  I didn't have to think too hard about color that way.  As long as the colors complimented each other in some way, I figured it would work.

I like how crisp the colors I'm using look together, but I confess...  I'm a little unsure over whether it's too much - maybe a little too bold for a baby blanket?  I'm thinking as I'm working on this that while I love colorful things, my eye is also very drawn to neutrals and more subtle color shifts.  Now that I know how easy this pattern is to do, I'm looking forward to trying to make a gradient one soon.

I do love the pastel rainbow ones for a newborn, and I've "favorited" so many various ones on Ravelry I could spend the rest of my days making these and never run out of new ideas for color and color-placement.   It is a rather addicting pattern.  Well written and very easy to do. 

Another project I finished this past week was this hat:

This is another well-written crochet pattern and very easy to do.  And interestingly...I found out (when I turned it inside out to weave in the yarn ends) the hat looks great on that side too.  I don't know if the pictures show it well, but on the outside the pattern makes rows of bobbles, but on the inside, it appears there are subtle ridges.  As long as the yarn ends are woven in carefully, this hat is totally reversible.  While it's the same color inside and out, it's still kind of cool to have two patterns that could work as the outside.  Below is a picture of the hat turned inside out, showing the ridges:

And I can't resist posting one last picture this year of my fuschia plant.  We've had such a wonderfully mild autumn so far I still have some blooms left.   I haven't even really protected this plant from the frosts we've had (maybe I pulled it close to the house a few times, but that was all), and it's just kept on blooming.  I don't know when cold weather will overtake it, but for now I'm still enjoying my pretty purple and red "dancing ladies".

Speaking of how nice the weather has been...   today it's in the mid-60's (in central Indiana) and I decided to trim up my potted mums to see if I can't coax some more blooms out of them in time for Thanksgiving. 

To see what other Year of Projects participants are working on this week, check out our 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.

Crocheted Linen Stitch Scarf

Yep, I've finished another scarf.  And the colors on this one make my heart happy.

I just love watching this Linen Stitch scarf grow - especially when using different colors of yarn.  One can combine various yarns in a seemingly infinite number of ways to get a unique scarf every single time.

This time I used Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable yarn in the colorways Meadow and Sunrise.  Together these two unlikely companions made a fun, cheery scarf - perfect for a crisp autumn day, or for brightening up a blustery winter day.


How to style it:

My preference for wearing a scarf is for warmth - simply wrapped around my neck, with the ends looped through the folded end of the scarf and tucked into my coat or jacket:

It's a non-fussy look for a non-fussy sort of gal.

But this one could be temporarily (or permanently) fastened at the ends to create a pretty cowl:

I like that look, too.

While I'm really tickled with this color combination, truth be told the colors probably aren't the best for me.  I crocheted this as a total experiment with no idea how it would be used.  Being as happy with it as I am this will likely be a gift for someone - either a friend, or an unknown someone - it doesn't matter.  I just hope it makes some else smile, too.  :^)

To see what other participants in Ravelry's Year Of Projects group are up to this week, visit this week's thread.

Crocheted Cowboy Booties

I had a little secret.  A couple months ago I crocheted a baby gift for a young friend, but since her baby shower wasn't until this month I wasn't able to show what I was making until now.    Here's what I was working on back in February:

I used this pattern from Crochet Crowd, but eliminated the little "heel".  For styling these, I want to give credit to Kim at The Little Red Farmhouse for originally creating these booties with all the details, but she has removed the post where she featured these.  I do see elsewhere on her blog that finished booties are available for purchase, though. 

The details were a bit fiddly and having no pattern available I had to figure everything out (everything but the booties themselves).  The strap was easy enough, but I found a star pattern online and adapted it for the stars on the sides and the half-spur.   Did I say these were a bit fiddly?  They were fiddly to the extreme - oh my - but it was satisfying to figure out.  And I was really pleased with the end result. 

The baby shower was in another state so I wasn't able to attend easily.  I packaged them up with some pretty pink burp cloths, tied up the girly box with a luscious pink ribbon, and off they went.

I know it looks like a simple gift, but every stitch was made imagining the mother-to-be's delight.  And I heard they were a hit.  I don't suppose it gets much better than that.  ;^)