Weekly Sew-a-long Challenge!

I belong to a discussion board for crafting/sewing, & this past week we decided we would do a weekly challenge or "sew-a-long". We'll be given 2 options each Monday to choose from & we should have our project completed by the following Sunday. I'm really excited, as this should get me sewing more.

This week our options are either a crochet hook case/roll or a sewing machine cover. I'll be doing the crochet hook case, as I was thinking of doing one anyway & I don't need a sewing machine cover. I haven't chosen if I'll follow a tutorial or just wing it, but if I do a tut, it will either be this one or this one.

Another fun note is that my friend Michelle is going to try & find some time for our Sewing Extravaganzas again! I really enjoy being able to sew with her, and it gives us some time to spend together. I can't wait until we can finalize the plans on this.

Also, I know I still owe you a Boyfriend's Hat, but I have to admit that it's going to be awhile longer. It's very time consuming & I'd like to give time to some of my other craft things. So, for now, it's on hold. On the upside, I was able to pick up some $2 picture frames from Target that were in need in saving. I also made my way back to Michael's for some more yarn, paint, and a $0.01 roll of ribbon (man I really wish I had grabbed a couple more when I had the chance, but I didn't know the price until I was at the register). More about this weekend's booty to come!

Where's the carpet, Smee?

In case you're confused, I've deemed myself akin to none other than the infamous Capt. Hook. Why, you ask? Well, because of my new hooks of course! Ok ok, you can stop laughing at my lameness now!

Let me tell you about these new hooks. First off, they are lovely! They're super smooth & have nice deep hooks. My yarn was constantly coming off of my plastic hooks, so I'm glad to have something which will hold the yarn better. I've done just a few practice things with them and so far, so good. I bought them here and you get 13 hooks for $25, which seems to be a pretty decent deal. On top of that, these hooks have amazing reviews, so I'm pretty happy about that too!

I received sizes: 2.75mm (C), 3.25mm (D), 3.5mm (E), 3.75mm (F), 4.0mm (G), 4.5mm (US 7), 5.00mm (H), 5.5mm (I), 6.00mm (J), 6.5mm (K), 8.00mm (L), 9.00mm (M), & 10.00mm (N)

Don't ask me why 4.75 doesn't have a letter, I don't know. Also, please don't ask me what happened to 7.00, as I don't know that either. The sizes above I took straight off the hooks & are metric. If you'd like to know how they relate to US sizes, I found this chart here. I will probably continue to refer to my hooks by their mm size, as that is what is printed on them & easiest for me.

Perfectly Pulchritudinous Plum

Most adorable picture of my cousin Chase

After about 10 coats of paint, I finally finished painting that picture frame! I'm new to a lot of this DIY/crafting stuff, so I didn't realize I should have sanded the frame prior to starting to paint. Needless to say, my first couple of coats mostly just got smeared around a lot. I started letting the frame dry and then would apply another coat, and eventually the frame actually looked decent. A few more coats after that, just to get the color I wanted and now the frame looks great! I half wish I had bought a clear coat to go on top to make the frame look glossy, but I also am kind of digging the matte/velvety finish.

Teeny tiny nail

Attaching the saw tooth hanger to the back is proving to be a bit more challenging. First of all, these nails are less than 1/2 inch tall. How the heck am I supposed to hold them in place while I hammer? Even if I had someone else holding or hammering, our fingers are larger than the nails, so the hammer would never even touch the nail head! I did manage to use some scotch tape to hold the saw tooth hanger & nail in place while I hammered, but for some reason the nail doesn't want to go into the frame. Le sigh. I'll keep at it & hopefully soon I'll have a perfect plum frame to hang on my wall!

P.s. I received my new hooks yesterday and have already given them a go. Will post more about them later. (also, boyfriend's hat is taking way longer than expected.)

Booty!

I convinced the hubs to drive me to Michael's today so I could pick up some yarn. Thank goodness he did too, because he was the one that noticed the $1 ribbon bin tucked under the eave before we even walked into the store! On top of that, he plunged his arm all the way down to the bottom of said ribbon bin and got me all the good stuff! I love my husband! The top 5 rolls are definitely older, but no clue how old. They're in great shape & are very classic, which is an even bigger score for $1/roll. The bottom 3 are definitely new/trendy, but super cute.

From the top:

• Brown satin w/white boxes on the trim
• Light mint green, ribbed
• Butter yellow, ribbed (thin)
• Green gingham
• Navy satin (wide)
• Light blue w/diamond pattern, ribbed
• Black w/white fleur patterns
• Brown w/multi color polka dots, ribbed

There were a ton more, including one which said "EASTER" all the way around, and another which said "FROM THE MR. AND THE MRS." Neither were my cup of tea, but I'm sure they'll make some lucky buyer just as excited as I am for my find (or the husband's, as the case may be)

As far as yarn goes, I could have done better. I probably should have hit up JoAnn's, but if I had, I wouldn't have found all that $1 ribbon! I suppose the trade-off was a less than stellar yarn-buying trip. I ended up with just a couple rolls, only 2 of which were the exact brand of yarn my pattern called for. The other rolls are just some similar weights that some of my patterns call for.

From left:

• 2 rolls of Lion's Brand Wool-Ease, Oxford Grey (per the Boyfriend's Hat pattern)
• Sugar & Spice 100% cotton worsted weight in Lime Stripes
• Sugar & Spice 100% cotton worsted weight in Yellow
• Naturallycaron.com bamboo blend Light worsted in Green Sheen

I also bought some craft paint to cover an old & slightly hideous picture frame I own. I realize now I should have taken a picture of the "before", but alas I was too excited to start painting it. I will show you an "after" picture when I've decided I'm happy with the final result. I also picked up some much needed sawtooth picture frame hangers - which will turn my tabletop frames into wall frames (which we desperately need because we don't have a lot of tabletops!)

Now that I've got my "official" Boyfriend's Hat yarn (which my husband would like me to note is, in fact, not for a boyfriend at all, but rather him: my husband), I hope I can finish off a real one tomorrow (or later today, as it were). Wish me luck!

New hooks!

I just ordered myself some new hooks. Thirteen of them, to be exact. They're bamboo & got great reviews on Amazon. They should be here by Tuesday & I'll come back and let you know how I like them. If they're spectacular, I'll post a link!!

Boyfriend's hat

I'm a little hesitant to start this piece, as the "finishing" part seems daunting. I know I don't have enough yarn to complete this, so I've just been practicing my "*hdc into back loop only*". It's actually pretty neat what happens when you do that. I'm thinking that would make for a cute scarf, or even just a cute embellishment on a hat or gloves (if I ever get that far) for just a couple rows. 

You'll notice that my starting row (bottom left) is curved inward. I think I picked up the wrong st when I finished off row 3, thus pulling rows 1 & 2 inward. For the record: you're going to (ch 2, turn. st 19, ch 2, turn, st 19). When you come back around & need to hdc st #19 into the one of the loops made by that 1st ch 2 - do so into the loop closest to the previous hdc. The same goes for all the following sts #19.

Also, when the pattern says that "each hdc and each turning ch 2 count as 1 st", it means that they each individually count as a single stitch, not together. I was confused about this at first, but made myself count stitches this time around. My ch 2 is st #1, and then I have 18 hdc, with st #19 hooking into the previous row's ch 2. (I do hope this makes sense, and if not, please let me know & I will try to explain it better)

I started this practice piece with 20 chains, followed by 19 sts (turning ch 2 & 18 hdc). I even checked my gauge this time around and you'll be glad to know that 18 sts is approx 4" (or 4.5", to be exact). I am using my 5.00 hook, per the pattern, so I probably need to make my sts a little smaller.

This is a Skill Level 2 (from CCK/Cozy Crochet Kit)
Stitches and techniques

Chain, half double crochet

Working into back loops only

Sewing seams

Materials

Lion Brand's Wool-Ease (worsted weight; 80% acrylic/20% wool; 3 oz/ 85 g; approx 197 yd/177 m), 2 balls Denim #114

Crochet hook, size H/8 (5.00 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge

In patt, 18 sts = 4"

Note

Each hdc and turning ch-2 counts as 1 st.

Finished size
Fits a man's head

Pattern

Ch 50.

Foundation Row (RS): Hdc into third ch from hook and into each ch across (49 sts). Ch 2, turn.

Patt Row: Skip first hdc, *hdc INTO BACK LOOK ONLY of next hdc. Repeat from * across, ending row with hdc into top of turning-ch-2. Ch 2, turn.

Repeat Patt Row until piece measures approx 22" from beg. Fasten off.

Finishing

Sew top of last row to bottom of foundation row. Weave yarn through sides of rows and pull tightly for top of hat.

Fold lower 3 1/2" for cuff.


Variations 
To make a matching woman's hat, ch 43. Work pattern as given above, having 42 sts every row, until piece measures approx 20: from beg. Fasten off. Follow the rest of the instructions for the man's version. Add a pom-pom to top, if desired.

Flower Motif Applique

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite pattern to date. It's quick, fairly simple, & uses a variety of stitches. You also don't have a lot of counting to do on this one, which makes it nice & far less nerve-wracking.

This is a Skill Level 2 pattern. (from the Cozy Crochet Kit)
Stitches and techniques used
Chain stitch, slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, triple crochet
Working into ring
Working in the round

Materials
Aurora Yarns/Garnstudio's Muskat (sport weight [note that sport weight is also referred to as Double Knit or DK]; 100% Egyptian cotton; each approx 1 3/4 oz/50 g and 100 yd/100 m), 1 ball Mango #51
Crochet hook, size F/5 (3.75 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge


Gauge
In pattern, after Rnd 1, motif measures approx 1" in diameter

Finished size
Approx 2 1/4" diameter

Pattern
Ch 8. Join with slip st to form ring.

Rnd 1 (RS): Ch 1, 15 sc into ring. Join with slip st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc into same st as last slip st, *ch 3, skip next 2 sc, sc into next sc. Repeat from * around, ending round with ch 3, slip st to first sc.

Rnd 3: Slip st into next ch-3 sp, *(sc, ch 2, dc, 3 tr, dc, ch 2, sc) into ch-3 sp. Repeat from * around, ending rnd with slip st to first sc. Fasten off.

Variation:     

For a more colorful flower, work Rnd 1 in a contrasting color. The samples shown in the photograph use combinations of Butter #30, Orange #47, and Mango #51.

 My first attempt left much to desire in the way of Flower Motif Appliques. I made the mistake of repeating the entire instruction for Rnd 3 instead of just the details between the asterisks. That basically means that each time I started a new petal, I would slip stitch the last petal to the space made by the Ch-3. Then I would proceed with my *sc, ch 2, etc.*

This is possibly why the FMA looks as sad as it does. The petals are not in the least uniform, which makes the entire piece wonky. Then at the end I've got a big jumbled mess of yarn connecting the last petal to the 1st (see: the area about where my hook is still connected to the piece).

After attempting this once, though, I definitely felt more confident in a second attempt. In fact, I even looked forward to it.

My second attempt is ages better. As you can see, the petals are all uniform in size. None of them are squished together or twisting this way and that. What's that? Why are there 6 petals on this FMA when there are clearly only 5 petals on both the pattern photograph and my first attempt?

Well, to be honest, I don't really know. I suppose I could wager a guess in that the top petal there isn't really attached to a ch-3 sp. In fact, that space is only a ch-2. I'm not sure how it got there, but if I had to guess, I'd say that is the spot where I was supposed to slip st the last sc to the first sc. I'm not positive though.

You should also note that I didn't complete this piece to the pattern. I apparently forgot that I was supposed to do 3 tr in the middle of the petals, and instead only did 1. I realized this as I typed the pattern here.

Ahhh, my 3rd attempt. My attempt which was supposed to blow away all other attempts. It's pretty, isn't it? I used my favorite yarn for this one, as I was sure it was going to be perfect and something I would cherish forever.

This yarn is fingering weight (I know it's really thin, that's about it). It also makes a cute little FMA. In fact, it's a bit smaller than it's supposed to be. I'd like to blame that on the yarn (and it definitely contributes to the FMAs small stature), but sadly I repeated my mistake all over again with this one. You'll notice this one only has 5 petals (hooray for lucking into that one), though it's missing those extra tr in the middle of each petal.

I'm starting to think that maybe I should have paid more attention to my counting.

Fourth time's a charm? Using the same fingering weight yarn as before, I managed to get all my tr chains into 5 petals for a most darling result. I'm sure if I used the recommended sport weight (DK), the flower would be a tad larger, though smaller flowers can also be useful. Looking at this FMA, I can imagine using some thread to attach this to just about anything for a cute flowery embellishment. Right now I'm wondering if I can find hair clips that are round and have a hole in the middle. I think this would make the cutest hair accessory. This might also be the perfect little flower to turn the Beary Cute Hat into a Beary Cute Hat for Girls. There seems to be a plethora of opportunity packed into this simple little flower.




Next up: Boyfriend's Hat

Soft Coaster, Take 2.

This is what I came up with when I tried my hand at the Soft Coaster for a second time. This one is much less wonky (read: more round) but I still have my issues with it. For one, it curls up on the edges. I'm sure this has something to do with my gauge (which I'll learn to check as I go along at some point). I used a 3.75 hook (though the pattern calls for a 4.00) and I still managed to get the coaster to be 4" in diameter, per the pattern. I think this works out because I tend to crochet larger stitches to make it easier for me to pass the hook through. You can also see that this coaster is missing the gaping holes the previous one had, which I'm proud of. I'd still like to try these again with proper yarn and a 4.00 hook and see what I come up with.

I came across one problem with this pattern, though it might just be me. The pattern gives you the number of stitches in each round. I did not manage to count that same amount of stitches in my coaster. Both round 3 & round 4 were 3 less stitches than I should have had. I'm not really sure how this happened, as I followed the directions precisely, and the coaster is the appropriate size. I wonder if my missing stitches are user error or pattern error. I also wonder if this is why my coaster curls up on the sides a bit. Sadly, I'll probably never know, as I can't seem to figure out where I would put those extra 3 stitches.

For now, I think I'll leave it be.

Next up: Flower Motif Applique

Weekends weren't made for crocheting.

Sorry I missed you over the long weekend. We ended up being a lot busier than I expected, so I wasn't able to get much crafting done.

I did, however, try my hand at those soft coasters. My first shot (done with my blue practice yarn) was a lot more difficult than I expected. I already understood how to crochet "in the round", so I really expected it to be a cinch.

You can see that it's a little wonky. It's not quite round and there are some large holes that shouldn't be in there. I'm not sure if those were made because I may have missed a stitch or two, or what, but I will be paying attention when I try it again. I'm sure the lack of roundness comes from me crocheting at different tautness (your guess is as good as mine to whether that's a real word or not). Basically, sometimes I crochet smaller stitches and other times larger stitches. I really need to work on making them more uniform.

Incidentally, I became so frustrated with this soft coaster I ended up not trying it a second time. Instead, I attempted a pattern for a Flower Motif Applique.

The pattern for this (which I will post later, when I decide to tackle it again) was harder to read than the soft coaster, however I feel like it was easier to actually execute (despite being a skill level 2). I still need to make a trip to the store for some more yarn (as what I have is not suitable for the projects I want to try). Until then, though, I will try my hand at the soft coaster again. I'm hoping it will fare better this time.

Soft Coasters

I purchased the Cozy Crochet Kit, which included this pattern, from Barnes and Noble a few years back for $23. I've attempted to find it online, in case you wanted to buy it, but for some reason people are trying to sell it for over $100. I even found one site which is charging over $200! I have no clue why, but don't buy it. It's so-called "simple instructions" are anything but, and it's barely worth the $23 I paid for it. If you want to learn to crochet, do yourself a favor and go buy a Crochet Magazine. Look in the back and make sure the edition you have has instructions for a Single Crochet and a Double Crochet (at the very least, it will get you started). That is what I did, and I wouldn't be crocheting today if I hadn't.

Now onto the soft coaster. This is what the coaster should look like (according the the picture which accompanied the pattern.)

This is a skill level 1 pattern.
Stitches and techniques used

Chain, double crochet, slip stitch

Increasing

Working in the round

Materials

Elmore-Pisgah's Peaches & Creme (worsted weight; 100% cotton; each approx 2 1/2 oz/71 g and 122 yd/112m), Williamsburg Blue #24 and Chocolate #121; 2 balls will make 4 coasters.

Crochet hook, size G/6 (4.00 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge

In pattern, Rounds 1 and 2 measure 2" in diameter.

Note

Each DC and ch-3 counts as 1 stitch.

Finished size
Approx 4" in diameter


Pattern

Ch 4.

Rnd 1 (RS): 11 dc into fourth ch from hook. Join with slip st to top of ch-3 (12 sts.)


Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc into same st as slip st, *2 dc into next dc. Repeat from * around, ending row with slip st to top of ch-3 (24 sts.)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc into same st ans alip st, *dc into next dc, 2 dc into each of next dc, dc into next dc, 2 dc into next dc. Repeat from * around, ending rnd with dc into next dc, 2 dc into each of the next 2 dc. Slip st to top of ch-3 (39 dc)

Rnd 4: Ch 3, dc into same st as slip st, *dc into next dc, 2 dc into next dc. Repeat from * around. Join with slip st to ch-3 (59 sts). Fasten off.

If you're confused, you're not alone. If I figure it out, you'll be the first to know! For the record, I won't be using the suggested yarn or the suggested crochet hook, because I have neither. Instead I'll be attempting it first with my blue practice yarn and either my 3.75 or my 5.00 hook (as that's the closest I have to 4.00). It looks like I might be going hook shopping this weekend!

Wish me luck!

A beary cute hat. Take two.

Success!

The new/original yarn definitely tested my patience. It's pretty fuzzy, which makes it difficult to see the loops in the chains. I did find out that this yarn is "worsted weight" and it's also "medium", so that's good. I finally figured it out and managed to whip up this cutey. It did take me a couple hours to make this (and really it should have only taken about an hour), but I'm still a beginner. The fact that I was able to get this done in less than a day is pretty impressive in my book. I did use a larger hook than the pattern called for, but that's because it's what worked best for me. The final piece ended up being 7"x7", so it might be a tad bigger than hoped for. Sadly, I don't have any newborns to try it on.

I attempted to wing the ears with an idea I had for them, but that failed. So I went back to the pattern and followed her directions for the ears. Once those were done, I sewed them on, wove in all my ends, and then sat back and smiled at my beary cute hat!

My previously mentioned friend Julie, told me about this pretty neat site with tons of free patterns. It's called Ravelry and I plan on tackling some of their patterns in the future. I also have the "Cozy Crochet Kit" I purchased when I first decided I wanted to learn to crochet. I've gone through the patterns that came with the kit and I'll be working through them one by one.

Next up: Soft Coaster.

I'm pretty sure newborns aren't this small.

My not-quite-completed hat

To begin with, this thing is tiny. Too tiny. I know newborns are small, but I've been around enough to know they're not this small. I'm sure my problem is that I used too thin of yarn & I think I might crochet small. My finished project should be 6 inches wide, when flat. My actual hat is 5 inches wide. That's actually a lot better than I thought. However, it should be 7 inches long, and is only 3.

I ended up using my 5.50 hook, as the 3.75 was beyond too small. I also ended up using a different yarn than I had originally planned. The blue yarn you see here is my practice yarn. It's quite scratchy, but easy to learn with. Sadly, I ran out of yarn, which explains why the hat is 4 inches too short and sans ears.

As a first go, I'm pretty proud of myself. Though the hat is unusable, I wouldn't be using this yarn anyway, so I'm ok with that. I plan on trying again with the original yarn and my 5.50 hook. I'm hoping I will have an easier time with this yarn now that I understand the pattern and what is expected of me from it. Luckily I have plenty of this other yarn, so I should have no problem completing one this time. I am also hoping this yarn is thicker, allowing for a larger final product. I will also be attempting to keep my chains larger, both to make a larger hat and to make it easier to maneuver all around.

Wish me luck.

A beary cute hat.

Yes, I am that cheesy.

My friend Julie crocheted the most adorable bear hat I have ever seen. Now, don't get your panties in a wad while you point out that I have not seen that many bear hats in my day. While it may be true, I stand by what I said. I don't know where she got her pattern, but the hat looks like this:

I scoured the internet (for about 1.5 seconds while I consulted Google) for a "crochet bear hat pattern." I was eventually led to a nice lady named Naida and her site here. She has the pattern listed and I didn't even notice her name for it until just now. That is how observant I am.

So I'll be starting this today. I don't have a 4.00 hook, so I'll be using my trusty 3.75. I have no clue what worsted yarn is, but I have some medium yarn I think I'll use. Lastly, I have no idea how to read a pattern, so I'll be referring to the Craft Yarn Council. No clue if I'll be able to figure it out, but you'll be the first to know if I do!

Wish me luck!

Here I am!

I'm a self-taught crafter. Though my family owned a craft store when I was young, for some reason no one ever thought to teach me how to craft. How I wish we still owned that store.

Right now I "specialize" in fiber arts (I'm so fancy). At the moment this means crochet and sewing. I hope to eventually add knitting to my repertoire. I truly enjoy using my hands to create something tangible. As it were, neither crochet, nor sewing, are too hard to pick up. I'm not extravagant in my creations and I've yet to learn to read a pattern, but I suppose all of that comes in time. Until then, I kind of like my wonky creations. 

I first picked up a crochet hook in 2007 when I decided to try my hand at an art that possibly needed less talent, but more heart. I received plenty of strange looks and questions about why I felt the need to perpetuate "woman's work". To me, I was just trying to find something that was distinctly me. I felt good with a hook in my hand and I took pride in the art I created.

I bought my sewing machine in 2009 for less than $100 at Target. My pockets were full of birthday cash and it happened to be on sale. It was as if the stars aligned to show me my calling. Ok, maybe that's a bit far, but sewing has become second nature to me. I find zen in the bobbing of that needle as it pierces the fabric I feed through it. I'm constantly buying fabric for projects I have no business making, and I own more sewing books than I know what to do with, but I figure I'll get there soon enough.

I've taken an extended break from both crochet & sewing, but I'm ready to get back in the swing of things. I've picked up my hook and am ready to tackle a pattern (my first). I'm going to document my trials and tribulations here, for you to see. I hope I can inspire you.