Zentangle

Last night I took a Zentangle class by Emily Glasson.  The square in the bottom right is mine.  We also started working on a 2nd square during class, but I have not finished it yet.  This was a nice, relaxing night, and it was a great way to give my artistic side a boost.  This would be a great technique to use on artist trading cards.

WIP Wednesday: Soda Tab Purse

I have been working hard on my soda tab purse.  While at my knitting class yesterday I met a sales representative for Cascade Yarns (the same yarn that I'm using for this purse).  He loved it.  He took a picture of the piece on the right (and below).  He might be adding it to their facebook page.  I'm almost finished with the 2nd side.  I'll probably start crocheting the sides tonight.

WIP Round Soda Tab Purse

Friday night I started making another soda tab purse, but this time it is crochet in the round.  I've been following a 3 part video tutorial to make it.  I'm using an F hook and Cascade Pinwheel yarn (color #12).   So far I have used 186 tabs.  This is side one.  All I have left to do with this side is to slip stitch around for a half an inch, then I'll start making side 2.  I'm writing down pattern notes while making this, because it will be nice to not have to watch the video anytime / every time I want to work on this / make this bag.  I'll share my pattern notes and a link to all 3 videos when I'm finished with my bag.

Mickey Mouse Hexiflats

I took December off from making hexiflats, but I picked them back up this month.  Here are my Mickey Mouse inspired hexiflats.  The two Mickey heads came from this chart.  The other one was inspired by Mickey's pants.

Penguin Awareness Day

In celebration of Penguin Awareness Day I crochet this penguin applique.

I'm proud of myself, because I made this following a chart.  The chart was a little intimidating, but I did it!  Here is the pattern for it.

Chrysanthemum Hot Pads and a Coaster

I haven't made a chrysanthemum hot pad in a long time, so it was about time that I made some more.  These are the 24th and 25th ones that I have made, so it is pretty obvious that I really like this pattern.  I used Plymouth Yarn's jeannee chunky yarn in colors 30 and 31 and a size I hook.  This yarn feels really nice and works up quickly.  I made them and the coaster below in one day.  

I used the leftover yarn to crochet this coaster.  I didn't do the last round of the pattern, because it was big enough.

Crochet Ribbed Baby Hat

I just finished crocheting this baby hat using Plymouth Encore yarn and a size F hook.  I followed the pattern, and it ended up being a baby hat.  If I decide to make it again I will use a size G hook, chain more stitches, and crochet more rows.  

Its an interesting pattern, because it is a crochet ribbed hat.  It is crochet flat, single crochet through the back loops (for ribbing), then it is turned into a hat.

Block of the Month Square and Orbital Dishcloth

I am making two afghans at the same time from "101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings."  This is part of the block of the month class that I'm teaching at Aunt Margaret's Yarn & Gift Shop.  The first block starts with #48.  I'm using Plymouth Encore yarn color #235 and hooks G and H.  I like this yarn a lot more than the green one that I'm making.  It is also a smaller square than the green ones, even though I'm using the same hook sizes.

I just discovered Plymouth Yarn's jeannee chunky cotton yarn (color #30).  I am loving it.  It works up quickly and feels very nice.  I made this orbital dishcloth with it, although it is so large that it is more like a placemat or hot pad.  With worsted weight yarn it is suppose to be about 10.5" in diameter, but with the chunky yarn it is 14" in diameter (and I didn't even make the last round of the pattern).  I think that several of these would look great on a table as placemats.  This is a quick and easy project.

WIP Wednesday

Last Friday I started making a crochet ribbed hat.  It is a very easy pattern that I hand out to my students usually just after they learn how to crochet.  This one will be for display at my job (at my local yarn shop).   I think that it will be a child's sized hat.  I'm about half way through it.

Last Friday night I took a double knitting class taught by Judith Durant.  You might be familiar with some of her books, the one skein series.  After 2 hours I had 3 rows of the scarf finished.  Thankfully I was able to pick up the pace and really grasp it in the 3rd hour, and I had 8 rows finished by the end of class.  I haven't touched it since though, because I've been busy with other projects.  This is going to be a long term project.  I'm really happy that I took the class, because now I have a complicated knitting technique in my tool box.

Last Tuesday I started the Bee's Knees bag.  I've only worked on it during my Tuesday knitting class.  There is one noticeable mistake in it, but at least its at the bottom of the bag.  This pattern is made using magic loop, and it has cables along the front and back of it.  Here is the free pattern for it.

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I haven't really had time to work on my log cabin or 10 stitch afghans this week.  I want to, but other things need to be worked on first.  I am also working on a Valentine's crochet box with my Saturday class.  It's still in it's beginning stage, and I prefer not to share it at the moment.  I finished the first blue square of the crochet block of the month, and it is being blocked right now.

I feel incredibly busy these days between my classes, driving all over the place for my kids, helping my youngest son with his homework, trying to keep up with the housework, and my other responsibilities.  Basically when I get 1 hour of free time (or more), I really take advantage of it.  

Block of the Month and Illusion Cloths

Yesterday I made the next 2 blocks for an afghan that I'm working on with my crochet block of the month class.  These are my sample blocks for the class, but they will become an afghan to.  This is the book that we are working from.  Last night was my first crochet block of the month class, and it went well.  We worked on block #48 and went over #49.  The blocks start with #48.  There are 30 blocks in total.

One of the challenges in the Disney Adventures group this month is to do illusion crafting.  I've made a few knitted illusion cloths before, but I had not tried the crochet ones until this month.  I made this crochet illusion heart cloth in one day.  Crochet really is fast.  Here is the free ravelry downloadable pattern for it.

Then I couldn't resist knitting a Mickey Mouse illusion cloth.  The knitted illusion cloth is more hidden than the crochet one.   Here is the free pattern for it.  I thought that it was rather small, so I did a log cabin border in black around it.

WIPs

Here are the projects that I am currently working on.

On Tuesday I started knitting a cute cabled bag called the Bee's Knees Bag.  It is made using a long circular needle and the magic loop technique.  I'm using Plymouth Yarn Encore Chunky in a nice aqua color.

On January 1st I started another 10 stitch blanket (my other one is hibernating for a little while).   I'm using the leftover yarn from all of those man hats that I had made last year.  This is also helping me reach my goal of using up at least 50 skeins of yarn this year.  With the chunky yarn this project is knitting up quickly.   I'm using Loops & Threads Charisma yarn and size 10.5 needles. 

On Monday I start teaching a crochet block of the month class, so I started making samples of the squares that we will be making.  I'm using the book "101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings" by Connie Ellison.  It will be a 30 block afghan.  The first 4 blocks are very simple.  My first block is single crochet, and my 2nd block is half double crochet.  I'll be making green ones at home and blue ones in class, that way I will end up with 2 afghans.  I'm using sizes G and H crochet hooks, Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn (grass colorway), and Plymouth Yarn Encore (in an aqua color) for my 2 afghans.  

I'm also working on a tunisian crochet afghan.  I'm using a size K tunisian crochet hook, and chaining 30 to start them.  My squares are about 8 inches squared.  

It isn't a great pictures, but here us where I'm at with my log cabin afghan.  I started it in April of last year, then it hibernated for a little bit, and now I'm working on it again.  I'm using size 8 circular needles and Caron's Simply Soft yarn.  I'm sticking mainly with the blue colorways, but there is purple and gray yarn in there to.  One of the multicolored yarns has some green in it, and now I'm debating if I should add a very pale green to it.  The green is similar to one of the pale blues.  There are several different log cabin patterns out there.  I'm not following a pattern, because once you make one then you have it memorized.  Each section of color is 30 rows.  As I'm working on it, I count the ridges on the front side.  If I count 15 then I know I'm done with that color.  

Blue Bird Hat

This blue bird hat is also for the "For the Birds" Disney Adventures challenge.  It will fit a preschool aged child.  This is going in my charity pile.  I'm not sure which charity will get it just yet, but I'm sure one will be jump up at me.  If not, then it will go to my church's winter fair in December.  Here is the free pattern for it.  The patter says to use button eyes, but I crochet mine since I was worried about the buttons being a choking hazard.

Blue Bird "Fat Bag"

On the 3rd Disney Adventures (on ravelry) started a mini challenge (a 10 day crafting challenge).  We needed to make something inspired by Pixar's short film "For The Birds."  You can click on the link to watch the film.  I went through a bunch of patterns when I saw a free pattern for a fat bag.  I thought that the bag's pleats looked a little like feathers draping from a bird's chest.  I grabbed a large skein of blue cotton yarn from my stash and started making it right away.  I forgot to photograph it, but I also used some blue and white fabric from my stash to line it.  I lined it before I crochet the top ban and the handles (which is what the pattern recommends).  

Just to make sure that this bag screamed "For The Birds" in my submission I crochet 2 bird appliques.  I love that their wings are hearts, so I call them my blue love birds.  I then sewed one to each side of the bag.  They really finished the bag nicely.  Here is the free pattern for the birds.  

I used about 500 yards to make this bag (I'm guessing based on the amount of yarn leftover).   After making it, I now want to make one using softer yarn.  I wonder how it would look with bulky yarn.

Now I've earned my first badge of the year.  

Recycling Christmas Cards

I have been meaning to try this for a year now.  I took a card that I received this past Christmas and punched holes around it.  Then I trimmed up the edge so that the holes were a certain distance from it, and so that the corners were rounded.  Then about 2 feet into the yarn I did a blanket stitch around the card (through the punched holes).  I started at the top center of the card.  Using the side of the yarn attached to the ball (the opposite side of the yarn as my needle was on), I single crochet into the bars of the blanket stitch.  Around the corners I single crochet into the same bar two times, chained one, and then single crochet twice into the next bar. I joined my round with a slip stitch, then chained one, turned, and crochet around it for a 2nd time.  At the corners I single crochet into the corner's chain 2 times, chained 1, and single crochet into the same spot 2 more times.  Then I slipped stitched to finished the round.  Next I chained about 30 and then joined it with a slip stitch to form the loop (which is why I started the whole thing in the center top of the card in the first place).

This one is just one card, but you could hold 2 cards together (wrong sides together) when you make one.  That way there would be a picture on each side.  However with one card you could right a note on the back side and use it as a gift tag.  Then the person receiving it can put it on their tree.

I'm planning on making more of these soon.