11 posts tagged “crochet”
After coming home from seeing Ratatouille yesterday with the family (cute, cute, cute movie! can't wait for DVD) I opened up my email to see my invitation to Ravelry from frecklegirl! Hoorah!
Oh, I have been patiently, patiently waiting to get into the fabulous wonderland that is Ravelry. I've been hearing about it on numerous podcasts, several of my Voxy neighbors have gotten in and raved about it, too many bloggers to count have been boasting about their entre into this beta world. Well, finally, I'm there!
I put in a few projects last night, and today is a sunny day, so I'll probably start uploading my stash. I love that I can see others' WIPs and FO of patterns that I'm currently working on, and also add to my queue of projects that I want to knit.
So if you're in already (which it feels like I'm the last one in), feel free to add me, I'm lulubird6 there too!
SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had started to write a post on Friday about whining wanting to get into Ravelry, but decided not to sound like a whiner! Yay for not whining!
This is the third time I've tried to write this post. It's quite annoying that my Firefox keeps crashing before I can remember to save the post. I've figured out that if I set the post to save as hidden, I can edit it as many times as I like until I'm ready to publish publicly. Kind of like a "save draft" function that Vox doesn't have. Try it! You'll like it!
Awhile back, I finally finished the Chanson en Crochet capelet from Interweave's Wrap Style. I kept forgetting to ask someone to take a pic of me, so I finally did it myself. I hate taking self-portaits. I really, really need to suck it up and buy a Gorillapod. Since the Iceman just handed me a $20 giftcard to Best Buy, you can be sure of what I'm going to be purchasing tomorrow!
I need to change out the closure because the button currently on it is a drop-style button and the metal post at the bottom keeps snagging on the capelet! I purchased these to change it to, but have not yet committed 100%, so that's why I haven't changed it yet. What do you think?
Overall, I'm pleased with the results. I did this one in TLC Baby in sky blue. I love that stuff! However, after seeing a Crafty Cohort's WIP today, I think I will probably make it up again in a nicer yarn. Her capelet in a pretty buttercup mohair was the bee's knees!
I'm trying hard to cultivate my inner yarn snob. I tend to do most things in acrylic because of pricing and I live within walking distance to one of those Joann superstores. Plus, I always think I'll make a mock-up in the cheapie yarn before committing to dropping the dough on something more expensive like the Tahki New Tweed used in the pattern. After all, what if I don't like the pattern when I'm done. Frog the whole thing? I don't think so! Let's do the math. Four skeins of the Tahki at $9US a skein = $36US. One skein of TLC Baby at $3US a skein on sale at Joann = well, $3US! TLC Baby wins!
So I went to the LYS the other day to try out some vegan yarns...bamboo, soy, milk, etc. I got a pattern for this really cute shawl pattern from Fiber Trends. I ended up with some Southwest Trading Company Bamboo in the Parrot colorway. Although it's a bit thin for gauge, I'm going to try to make it work, anyway. It's a shawl! Does gauge really matter too much if it's just a smidge too small? (spoken like a true newbie!)
Just wanted to remind everyone, in case they were interested. Signup ends tomorrow, May 25th! I'll be assigning partners on the 26th.
Here are some links for ideas. Go to my crochet and knitting links page if you want more links:
Knitting Pattern Central
Crochet Pattern Central
I've got this thing against bacteria. I know, I'm all about letting your immune system toughen itself up, but I cannot stand the thought of sponges and dishclothes being used for more than one day. What can I say, I'm a bit OCD that way. So I bought a giant cone of kitchen cotten and began making my own. I've had such fun with it, I've decided to host a swap for them.
I'm hosting my first swap over at Swapbot! I've been having so much fun over there, (so much so, that I've neglected blogging, sorry!) and wanted to host my own swap.
The swap will be for dishclothes, dishtowels, washclothes and scrubbies. Knitted, crocheted, sewn, whatever, they must be handcrafted.
Sign-up ends May 25th, just in time for some crafting over the long weekend. I'll try to assign partners ASAP so that you can get right on it while you're waiting for your brats and burgers to grill while the TV's blaring the Indy 500! Yay Hoosiers! Mail-out isn't until June 15th 30th, which gives you 3 5 weeks to craft your little heart out.
Anywhoo, here's the requirements:
I have recently become addicted to making and using hand-crocheted dish scrubbers, dishclothes and washclothes. I love all the fun patterns that are out there, lots of them are even for free. They can be crocheted, knitted, or even sew. But please, make sure that they can actually be used for their intended purpose. Who needs an extra-special mohair/angora scrubbie? Not me!
These items must be hand-crafted. Cotton and nylon are usually good choices, but I saw one where someone had put wool in the center of the scrubbie and it felted up nicely to clean really well. I leave it to your discretion with the exception of no fun fur! Please!
You will have two partners. You must make one set to send to each partner.
Sets will contain any combination of two items from the following list:
-one (1) dish scrubbie
-one (1) dishtowel
-one (1) dishcloth (at least 6" x 6")
-one (1) washcloth (at least 4" x 4")This swap is international as well. Please remember to give international senders adequate time for their packages to arrive, especially as this package will probably not be a flat envie.
Ratings of 4.5 or higher only. If you're a newbie, join one of the newbie swaps like Gram's Button Box's Fast Turnaround, Jessica Fancy!'s Weekend Newbie Swap #3, or Kimmie's Ratings Booster to get yourself some ratings. Newbies will need to have a FULLY filled out profile AND contact me to join. I'll be watching ratings closely and will ban those whose ratings drop close to the signup time.
Join in the fun! If you don't have an account over at swap-bot, get one, it's free!
UPDATED 6/04/2007 More links, some of which have been taken from the Happy Hookers discussion over at the flickr group.
Long, long ago, I promised my ever-so-voxy! neighbor, Simone, that I'd put up some of my frequently used links for crocheting. Of course, being the lazy slacker that I am, I have yet to do it (sorry Simone!) So I'm going to go ahead and post some links for her. This is by no means a complete list because I find new ones every day, but for sure, I like these for one reason or another. I threw in a couple of knitting ones because I figure, "what the hey, why not! I'm a knitter now too!" And like I said, this list is totally incomplete. When I remember more, I'll just update the list and move to the top, so don't forget to check back.
So enjoy! Oh, and use some of these to get some groovy dishcloth/scrubbie patterns and join my swap, why dontcha?! Sorry! Swap is now closed!
Crochet
Crochet Pattern Central - a ginormous collection of links to patterns
CrochetPoet - a huge compendium of links of patterns
CrochetMe Magazine - an online magazine devoted to crochet with some of the funnest free patterns around.
Diane Langan Designs - some very nice patterns for sale and even some free ones too!
Marnie MacLean Inspirations - really adorable free patterns for both knit and crochet
StitchDiva Studio - Jennifer Hansen is an inspired fiber goddess, er, I mean diva!
Fable Handmade Goods - I am obsessed with these patterns. They are all just too cute, and some of the best ones are even free!
Little Projects Crafts - cute purse patterns and a tutorial on how to make your own hairpin lace loom!
Alison Beth - wonderful crochet inspiration, she's a terrific accessories designer
Knotted Mind - another huge compendium of links! fun!
Crochet Crafts - large link collection, including links to charity crocheting organizations and other crochet groups
Free Crochet Library - a collection of free patterns, including many funky, groovy retro vintagey type numbers
NexStitch - totally talented designer with patterns and the very, best, most helpful crochet video tutorials I have ever used.
CGOA - The Crochet Guild of America's website. For when you're completely addicted. Also, their membership gives you discounts at lots of LYSs. Cool!
Annie's Attic - the printer of all those ubiquitous little pattern booklets. also, has terrific stitch guide and a free pattern of the day everyday (thanks for reminding me, quornflour!)
Granny-a-long - c'mon! show those grannies some love! you, too, can join the a-long, or just check out some grannie pr0n (not that kind, get your mind out of the icky, icky gutter!)
Happy Hookers - the flickr photo group, not the celebrated ex-New York madam
Monster Crochet - such fun! needle-felted eyeballs anyone?
Crochet Carnival - cool! a compendium of crochet bloggers!
Crafty Daisies Crochet Lessons - don't know how to crochet? well go over there because they'll teach you how!
Craftbits Crochet Patterns - crochet patterns from the craftbits forum.
GarnStudio/Drops Design - terrific website with many, many free crochet and knitting patterns (over 1800!) in many languages
Groovy Crochet - C'mon get happeeeee! Remember those funkadelic patterns from the 60's and 70's? Well the patterns are right here! Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! (thanks Happy Hookers!)
Katrina's Crochet Creations - cute amigurumi patterns, free but don't forget to click on her sponsors! (Happy Hookers again!)
Knitting
Knitty - great knitting online magazine
Knitting Pattern Central - compendium of links for patterns and techniques
Knitting Help - forums and ever-so-helpful videos to help you knit. I use this one ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME!
Glampyre Knits - terrific knitwear designer with wonderful patterns, for sale and even some for free.
Knitta, Please! - graffiti knitters, taking back the streets! terrific knitting inspiration. I'd love to see the Bean sporting some knitwear! That'd be awesome! (submitted by laura-u-buggin, thanks!)
Knit On the Net - another knitting online magazine. cute patterns! (totally cribbed from Phisch, thanks!)
For the Love of Yarn - a newish knitting online magazine
Mind of Winter - mega-massive-ginormous list of knitting links. including blogs, podcasts, zines, techniques and resources
Craftbits Knitting Patterns - knitting patterns from the craftbits forum
MagKnits - an online knitting magazine with super-cute free patterns (thanks again, Phisch!)
GarnStudio/Drops Design - terrific website with many, many free knitting and crochet patterns (over 1800!) in many languages
Ambulatory Knitting @Everything2.com - Everything you need to know about ambulatory knitting. no, not knitknitting on the way to the hospital, but knitting while you're on the go.
TinkKnit - Gorgeous patterns. I'll be able to knit these...in like 20 years.
Zephyr Patterns - Cute patterns and sassy stitch markers. Nice!
Fiber Blogs - so many blogs, so little time!
The Hook and I - Amy O'Neill Houck, knitwear designer of some renown
Mind of Winter - lovely, inspiring knitwear blog
CrochetbyFaye - terrific crochet designer's blog
Fiber Books that I have personally fondled and given the lulubird6 seal of approval
Stitch N' Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker - how could I not include Debbie Stoller somewhere in this list?
The Crochet Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask - cripes, I think the name says it all!
Loop-d-Loop Crochet - looks pretty dang good, but warning, this is art-crochet wearables. might be a little intimidating for beginners.
Scarf Style - yes, I only have eight gajillion scarfs, but still, one could always crochet or knit up another.
Knitting School: A Complete Course - currently on loan from library, making my knitting adventures much more manageable
Pretty much anything by Candi Jensen - because she freakin' rocks and her designs are so adorable. the baby stuff is just to-die-for...well, not really, one wouldn't want to get blood all over your precious yarn!
DomiKNITrix - whip your knitting into shape! ummm, saucy knits for the adventurous. Jennifer also has a book out.
KnitFix - good for beginning knitters, kind of a knitting 911
Fiber Podcasts and other Media
CastOn - Brenda Daynes is just wonderful. No other words necessary.
Unwound - terrific podcast, she's terrific, and I'm so very sad that she's ending her podcasting career. however, all 12 episodes that she did are absolutely wonderful and easy on the ears.
Lime and Violet - to say that these two wacky ladies are yarn-obsessed (their words, not mine) is a bit of an understatement, but great fun to listen to while crafting.
CraftSanity - okay, so this is more a general craft podcast, but Jennifer has a lot of fiber artists interviewed. very in-depth, very fun and there's lots to inspire
Uncommon Threads - DIY Network's fiberarts show. Lots of nice patterns and tips here.
Knitty Gritty - "the hip knitting show", although they also cover other fiber arts.
PixiePurls - ack, the name itself it just cuteness! anyway, a really fun podcast/blog about knitting. she has the cutest little badges your can swipe for your blog, too!
StashandBurn - A little too much fiber in your diet? Jenny and Nicole will help you burn through it. Or just listen as they try to burn through theirs.
Fiber Forums
Crochetville - a HUMONGOUS forum dedicated to crochet, but they also discuss other topics. the hookers that frequent this board are very, very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. they even have a podcast!
Craftster - OMG, this board is HUGE! scroll down to get to the fiber arts stuff: there's knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and on and on and on...go slowly because there's days and days worth of other crafty inspiration, ideas, craft-alongs, tutorials, FOs and other massively crafty goodness there for your perusal.
PixiePurls Spinning forum - because one must have spun yarn in order to do your fibercrafts! well, unless you felt, but I don't felt...yet! here's a forum for those questions. it's in beta now, but still, if you know of any other spinning boards besides this and craftster, LMK, because my spinning looks like a yak tried to eat a sheep and threw up on my spindle.
Spinning Stuff
Spindlicity - an online spinning magazine.
Windy City Handspinning Guild - meets once a month. I must attend the next meeting!
Spindle and Wheel - online spinning magazine. check out the cute pic on their latest issue
ISpindle.com - loads and loads of spinning videos. very helpful!
Spinderella's Handspun Yarn Chart - very useful wpi chart and ways to measure handspun yarns
Other Craft Sites That Have Fiber Goodness in Them
The AntiCraft - They have an antifest and everything! Fun patterns and tutes. I am strangely drawn to the knitted wire beaded areolas. Yes. You read that right.
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There's many, many more, but goodness, it takes a while to compile these things! I guess once I have them all compiled in one place, it'll be much easier. I have lots of links to specific patterns, but since my taste does not run to every one else's, I won't post those. In the meantime, have fun and keep on hooking/sticking/spinning. If you have any suggestions, feel free to put them in the comments and I will add them!
Do you like to get mail? No, not junk mail, bills or those other boring and/or environmentally unfriendly bits of paper that your friendly postal-person hand delivers into your mailbox? I do! So the idea of a modern penpal but with gifty stuff and changing partners seemed like great fun.
I am wary of swapping because I tend to get excited and sign up for way too many swaps, then freak out at all the work I have to do. I thought I learned my lesson so many years ago during my scrapbooking phase. But I could not resist the siren call of Swapbot. Clued in through the superfabuloso Sister Diane of the Portland flock of the Church of Craft and her most wondrous podcast, the Craftypod, I had been eyeballing the fun other bloggers seemed to be having showing off their new goodies brought to them by the good ole USPS. By the way, if you don't already listen to the Craftypod, but like crafting, talking about crafting, looking at crafts and craftbooks, or heck, have ever made a macrame owl at summer camp somewhere, then you so need to be listening to Sister Diane!
So I held my breath and signed up. Oh, the wonderful swaps going on! I immediately signed up for Lots of Mail: Cheap and Easy, a quick swap to get my feet wet. Then, I signed up for a goodie bottle swap. I had much fun doing my goodie bottle for my partner. Yes, I basically filled a pop bottle with fun stuff, stuck stamps on it and sent it on it's merry way. Here it is without it's mailing label.
Total fun! The Lots of Mail swap has is now going on in it's fourth incarnation. If you want to join, better hurry, sign-up closes on May 3rd. It was loads of fun doing round three, and so I went ahead and signed up for round four. Basically, there are 5 themes, and you get 5 partners to send envelopes. You send each partner a different theme but it should fit in a basic envie. It's international, so how fun to get mail from overseas! Here's what I sent!
If you're curious about the themes, click on the pic to see the notes over at flickr. I also joined a tea swap. How fun is that? I got three really great envelopes just jam-packed with tea, one all the way from Portugal. I really love it! Don't you wish you had some right now?
So have I recovered yet? Not completely, but I'm getting there. I still need to tidy up, finish packing the winter clothes, and get caught up on the 145 blogs that Bloglines says are updated with unread posts. See ya later!
At last! Someone understands and appreciates the beauty of threadword doilies! If you don't know about Danny Seo, (how can you not? he's on like every morning show all the time and is a big presence in the environmentalism/green movement, especially green decorating) author of the Simply Green series, go NOW to his terrific blog, Simply Green. Granny crochet/knit up some beautiful lace? Decorate with it and not on top of your dressers, either. How about if you had a colored wall, then mounted a few of these beauties in clear glass/acrylic, with the colored wall showing behind. Gorgeous! As a matter of fact, I think I'm gonna do it at my new pad, but more on that later.
So, while I, personally do not do threadwork, although I am attempting some bookmarks for a swap, I do appreciate the time and energy they take. Exhausting! Although not me stylistically, they really are just beautiful! So sad that people do not appreciate the hours and hours of arthritis-inducing, eyesight-destroying thread crochet.
It's out! Alicia released the tiramisu baby blanket pattern that I tested for her and blogged about last week! Yay! It's so easy, if you can single crochet, half-double crochet and double crochet, you, too, can be the lucky producer of this gorgeous blanket! And one of the best things...the pattern is absolutely free! Alicia is such a creative, generous person, if you don't follow her blog, you should cause it's just filled with yummy, pretty goodness!
And remember how I was going to make a matching hat? Well, one of my other favorite crochet designers has the very cutest little buttercup baby hat pattern. Here it is! Matching yarn is TLC Baby. Yes, I know that ties can be dangerous for babies, and ribbons too. Not to worry...when I send off the blanket and hat to the parents-to-be, I will be sure to put on my care instructions card a warning about ties and ribbons. (Never leave baby unattended with something tied round their head, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah) I still need to block it so that the waves and edging lie a bit better. I know, most peeps don't block acrylic, but it makes it look so much better. My hat as modeled by a ball of purple yarn. What do you think?
Don't you just love that little leaf at the top? Too cute! I did this in the car on the way down to my parents house for Easter. No, no embroidery got done, but when I get a chance, I'll share what else I was able to finish.
Well, I fell off the crafting face of the earth for the latter half of March, but that's not to say that I wasn't madly crafting away! I'd been working on a baby blanket for one of hubby's co-workers and finally, FINALLY, got it finished! It took me a while as single crochet never goes quite as quick as one would think. Regardless, I think it turned out too cute. The co-worker and spouse have elected not to find out the sex of their baby. This drives me absolutely bonkers. Being the type that can't keep secrets about gifts to save my life, the thought of going an entire nine months not knowing and preparing (and shopping!) would torture me beyond belief. And because of course, since I can't possibly wait that long, then no one else should, either! Especially if I am crafting/purchasing/contemplating gifts for the baby.
So here's the much bally-hooed blanket. I test-drove the tiramisu baby blanket crochet pattern for Alicia that I really should have done months and months ago. The pattern was easy-peasy and turned out so adorable, even with my choice of yarn. I used Bernat Satin as I wanted to make sure that blanket was easy-care and very, very warm as it is traveling to Minnesota where it is bitterly cold. I was unsure as I was making it, but after much stress about tension issues, it turned out rather cute!
More updates about my busy-ness later. It seems to be a pattern for me to not post then, update with a flurry and then slack off again. Oh well! Sorry!
Although I did sign up for the craft challenge, I have not been very good at keeping up, although I have been crafting pretty much everyday, a little bit here, a little bit there, so I thought I'd post some of my finished objects.
I'm totally addicted to embroidery. I used to do cross-stitch when I was younger, but something about the very precise nature of it left me a little cold. So now, I've taken up with embroidery. I started with a few things, like a couple of needle cases and as soon as I figured out french knots, boy, I was ready to have a good old time. This is the one I made for myself. It's already seen scads of action. I made another one for Jane of Art with a cute little skull and glittery red bow, but forgot to take a pic of it! I just love Jenny Hart's patterns, so kicky and cute! I ordered her Stitch-It Kit to get me started.
Next up, I finished up another Sweet Magnolia Scarflette. I just love these things. I've already made two and given them away as gifts for others. It's one of Jennifer's patterns from Fable Handmade Goods. She's freakin' brilliant! Have you seen her crocheted Marie Antoinette wig? Yes, it is crocheted! I also bought her poinsetta bunting pattern and she has some of the best free patterns. So cute and definitely not retro. I have my eye on the Might Oak Scarflette for autumn as my next purchase. I totally chintzed out and used Caron's Simply Soft for the neck part, and Bernat Softee Chunkee for the magnolia and some left-over Lion Brand Suede for the flower center.
I finally finished up that hobo bag I was working on. I hand-sewed the lining in, which was no small feat considering I have NEVER handsewed a thing in my life. It was a bit shaky, then I got into the groove, then when I hit the end, it just fell to pieces, but whatever, it's in there now! Here's a pic of it already stuffed to the gills. I used it yesterday to go on an all-day expedition to the Chicago Children's Museum, one of our favorite places to hang out. I like the way it's set up. Most of the exhibits are hands-on and in a room with only one entrance. So I could just plop myself down while the girls played...and played...and played for hours. FIVE to be precise, with breaks for crafting (them), snacks (rainbow popcorn anyone?) and lunch. The scarf tied on is because I'm always cold and sometimes like to supplement with some neckwear. You can really see the contrasting fabric. I love it! I had a little butterfly pin embellishing it, but the pin is overall just too small proportionally. I plan on either crocheting a flower or making one out of scrap fabric. and attaching. I'm not really very pleased with the handle, as I think it is too skinny and therefore looks all long and funny. I'll probably change that out at some point, but for now? I just want to use the dang thing.
The bag turned out pleasingly large, as I had wished it to be. It's 19" wide, 14" tall and there's a 13" drop from the handle. It can hold ALOT! Check it out! Yes, that is a giant cone of kitchen cotton. I knew we'd be there forever so I brought some crocheting to do while the girls were playing. I finished a dish scrubbie. My first. I forgot to include it in the pic. Also, two bags of popcorn that we were eating while watching the unicycle show at Navy Pier where the museum is located. We tooks some fun photo-booth pics at the museum together and my daughter had ballet, hence the little ballet tutu. But I'm just glad it's done. The handsewing was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. The bag was lots of fun to make. It was very, very easy and the hardest part was making the lining, which I've never done before.
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