Crochet for Baby

Yes, it’s been awhile but there are valid reasons for my absence. Last year, my bf and I changed from renters to homeowners (yay!) and we found out we’re expecting (double yay!). A lot of responsibilities fell onto our laps in such a short amount of time that things have been quite overwhelming but we’re taking it day by day.

Between work and fixing up our home (it’s been a slow process), I’m trying to fit in as many baby-related crafts as I can. I’ve noticed that most of what I’m doing are crochet projects, and I think that I’ve gravitated to crochet because, for me, the whole process is so relaxing. This little animal blanket was a design I came up with (amiguri crossed with granny square). Once I found out that I would be having a girl, I added the bow and lace collar which gives it a sweet touch.

This short-sleeved cardigan I discovered on Pinterest. At first, I was a bit intimidated by the design but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to make. This free pattern is really easy to follow. I used  a linen/ cotton yarn blend in pistachio, butter, and coral colors.

I love wooden buttons over plastic buttons. They look so pretty and rustic!

These cardigans came from another easy-to-follow pattern that I purchased from monpetitviolon. I did make some slight changes like making the cardis short-sleeved (long sleeves in South Florida really doesn’t work!) and adding one button closure, but other than that I followed the pattern to a tee.

If you have any questions on any of these projects, let me know. I’m planning on posting more often from now on and keeping you updated on my other crafty projects, so stay in touch! Sue

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Impromptu Color block Infinity Scarf

If you watch Parks and Recreation, there’s an episode with Aziz Ansari where he dedicates a day to treating himself. My “treat yo’ self” moment came this past week in the form of making myself something I have always wanted – an infinity scarf. I was shocked to realize that my last “treat yo’self” was back in December 2012 (see here). Don’t get me wrong, I splurge now and again but making something for myself is quite rare since I’m always caught up in creating projects for either my shop or for family and friends.

I wanted to stitch up something quick and easy, and this tutorial was perfect. I was sure that a skein and a half of the sport weight yarn (poppy red!) would be enough but then I came up short, so I used a heathered mink yarn to complete the scarf and . . .

my color block scarf was born! At first I wasn’t sure I liked it but the color scheme grew on me.

Modifications: since I used sport yarns instead of super bulky, I did have to make some changes to the pattern (remember the yarn weight you use will effect the gauge or size of the stitch, the heavier the yarn, the larger the stitch). I chained 60 to make the scarf wide enough to my liking. Also, before stitching both ends together, my scarf measured 55″ long.

One of the main reasons I chose this lattice design was that I can wear this anytime of the year (except the summer months, Miami is scorching!). Since the scarf is breathable, I can stay warm during our winter without feeling too warm! Can’t wait for our cooler weather to come. Talk soon, Sue

 

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Make a Resolution: Learn to Crochet

I think the hardest thing about making resolutions is actually starting them. Three and a half years ago when I made the New Year’s resolution to learn how to crochet, I wasn’t sure where to begin. Thankfully, I found some great sites that helped me tremendously. With this in mind, I want to share some great links to get you stitching away!

I found that the easiest way to practice was by making granny squares which I later stitched together to make my 1st blanket. At the beginning, you’ll feel a bit awkward with the crochet hook but don’t get discouraged; you’ll start to notice that every square you stitch will look better than your last!

I’m very visual, so books have never worked for me. These first two sites have great pics and go step by step with creating granny squares:

Things to make and do

Carina’s Craftblog

The 3rd site is a youtube video that was helpful to me; it’s short but sweet!

Crochet Granny Square Video

This last site is amazing. The blog’s author created a series of how-to videos which is very detailed and easy to follow (I wish I had had this!).

Crafty Minx’s Crochet School

Now that you have the resources, don’t delay. “Make” your resolution come true! Sue

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Adventures in Slouchiness!

I had always wanted to make a slouchy hat, so I decided to take the plunge and make one as a Christmas gift for my niece. After doing much research on the internet and several disappointing attempts, I felt a bit flustered. How difficult is it to find a free pattern for a slouchy hat? It turned out harder than I thought, until I stumbled upon this site (thank you Pinterest!) and I was  hooked . . . literally! The pattern was very easy to follow and the end result was awesome! Not only did I make two for my niece (she loved them), but I also made one for myself.

I used worsted yarn from KnitPicks in Cobblestone Heather and Calypso Heather

Two things that I did change from the original pattern was instead of working only 2 rounds in Rounds 9-10, I worked 5 to 6 rounds so my hat would come out slouchier, and the final 4 rounds which make the band I didn’t work just 4 rounds but 6 rounds. Other than that, it’s a great pattern, so try it out!

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One Happy Granny!

It had been on my to-do list: make a colorful granny square. For my first granny blanket I had used a light grey yarn to join the squares, and eventhough, I was happy with it, I felt that the grey hue was a bit too serious. This time, I banned grey and stuck to bright and happy!

The worsted yarn came from Knit Picks, they have the best color selection that I’ve come across and at a reasonable cost. Some of my color choices: Ice Lake, Grass, Semolina, Papaya Heather, Hyacynth, Green Tea Heather, Calypso Heather . . . such pretty hues right? I also decided not to use acrylic, and chose Knit Pick’s 100% Peruvian wool yarn.

To join my squares, I used Patons Classic Wool in medium weight. The color is called Aran which looks like a buttermilk color. The blanket is made up of 48 squares – 6 colums by 8 rows. I used a single crochet stitch to join and made a border with double crochet (3x around). The overall measurements are 32″ wide x 42″ high; a perfect lap blanket or baby blanket.

I’m still debating whether to keep it or gift it . . . haaa, decisions! Talk soon, Sue

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Vintage Craft – A Garden in Your Kitchen

Ever since Danielle exposed me to the wonderful world of vintage craft magazines, I’ve enjoyed challenging myself with vintage-style projects. One I’ve finally got around to doing are these decorative flower dishcloths for my kitchen (I already have them hanging on my kitchen wall!). The pattern came from this tiny magazine from Coats & Clark’s Jiffy Gifts Book No.141. The pattern is at an intermediate level since it requires you to be familiar with half-double, treble, and double treble crochet stitches, but overall, if you feel fairly comfortable with theses stitches, they’re quite easy and fast to stitch up. I definitely recommend trying out this project if you’d like to spruce up your kitchen!

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Basic Borders: Single Crochet

I finally finished my chevron baby blanket! One main thing I noticed while making this style of blanket is that it takes a lot longer to stitch up compared to a granny square one (about twice the time), but in terms of difficulty, it’s very easy to make! I debated about the border. I thought a frilly border would take away from the chevron pattern, so I decided to single crochet twice around the whole blanket. I really like how it came out, clean and modern!

If you would like to crochet a chevron blanket, here’s a great site:  Easy Ripple Afghan

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WIP Wrap Up

This weekend, I finally got around to re-focusing on my stalled projects. The summer is always my most productive time because I’m no longer teaching and can dedicate myself whole heartedly to my projects.

As you can see, my chevron blanket has made some nice progress. I’m aiming to finish it in a week. A few weeks ago, I bought found some pretty wooden hearts and, today I painted them in some lovely pastels (Martha Stewart has the best color palette). I have in mind to make some cute hair pins with them. I also made an inventory of all my fabric . . . to my surprise, I’m way overstocked! From here on out, no more binge buying (cross my heart); I’m sewing only with what I have! Sue

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This Saturday

. . . was pretty much a lazy one. Seems that all it did was rain. The end of May always welcomes rain in these parts. I stayed most of the day in my pjs in my craft room working on a new chevron blanket and pretty satisfied with staying inside.  Busy or lazy, hope you’re day was great. Sue

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Colors in Crochet

Starting a new blanket always gets delayed because I’m constantly debating color schemes. I’m that girl you see in the yarn aisle, staring at skeins, picking up indecisively one skein after another. I mean, there are so many possibilities, but which are the best ones that suit my style?

Well, I figured out the answer and it was folded and stacked neatly in my craft room – my fabrics. You must be thinking, she just figured that out now? Yes, I can be a bit slow. Anyway, after taking a look at my prints, I discovered that I can definitely create pretty color schemes for my future blanket projects.

A great example is the apple print (see above pic), I’m loving the muted brights (oxymoron indeed!); more subtle hues like teal, raspberry, apple green, and carnation pink. How do you plan out your color schemes for your knitting/crochet projects?

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