Showing posts with label crochet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crochet. Show all posts

March 19, 2014

Yarn Along

I just started working on my striped area rug, so there really isn't much of that to post. I came across this adorable pattern for a kiwi potholder on the Garnstudio website, so I decided to give it a try. It really turned out cute!


I was hoping I would use up some of my Sugar 'n Cream skeins, but I still have quite a bit left over. I guess I'll just have to make a few more. :)


I've started a new writing book, Writing Active Settings by Mary Buckham. This is book 1 in a three book series about writing settings. I downloaded it to my Kindle for just $2.99! It is really interesting. I am looking forward to ordering the other two books, as well.

Linking to Yarn Along.

 

March 12, 2014

Yarn Along

I have so many DIY and handmade projects to do this year that I figured I'd better get a jump on some of them. If you saw my living room style board post yesterday, you know that I am crocheting my own area rug. This is a HUGE task, but I think I am up for the challenge.

Instead of doing a chevron rug, since my throw is grey and white chevron, I have decided to make yellow and white stripes. I found this rug somewhere on Pinterest and am using it as my inspiration.


The good news is I have a ton of yellow/mustard/gold yarn that I got several years ago from a family friend. 


I am so glad I can destash some of it. Yes, I have more than in this picture!

The white is actually more of a snow white than a bright white. Since I have a canvas couch, I thought the bright white would be too white.

I did a swatch last night to see how I liked the stripes.


At the time I did, but now I think I'm going to make the gold stripes a little larger and the white stripe smaller. I'm thinking 10-12 rows of yellow to 6 rows of white. Or maybe 8 rows of each. I'm still not sure, so I'll be doing another swatch tonight to see which works better.

As far as my reading, I picked up Writing the Fiction Series book at B&N. I've decided to make my book into a series, so I thought this book would really help me. While it offered some useful advice, it really wasn't that great. I am glad I used my B&N gift card on it and didn't waste my money.

Linking to Yarn Along.

 

February 26, 2014

Yarn Along

I am slowly but surely getting my craft juices flowing again. I am doing well with smaller projects, so I think I'll stick with them, for now. 

This little piggy is going to my cousin's new baby girl in Pittsburgh. Isn't she cute?! Once I add the tie to the top, it will be transformed into a bib and all ready to go!


I used the free piggy bib pattern from the Lion Brand Yarn website. I switched up the pattern a little and went with circular ears instead of pointy ones. I also decided to give her sleepy eyes and embroidered eyelashes, which instantly turned her into a girl pig.

It was a really simple pattern, which turned out super cute! I might have to make another one to use up the rest of my pink yarn.


I am currently reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I have had this book checked out from the library almost all winter. I don't know why, but I have been dragging my feet with reading it, until yesterday when I was notified that Cress, Book 3 of the series is ready for me to pick up. I've got to get Scarlet read before I can start Cress, and with 68 people on the waiting list at the library I can't take too long.

Linking to Yarn Along.

 

February 19, 2014

Yarn Along


It has been a wild few weeks here in the South. We've had snow, wind, and ice! You'd think with me being stuck in my house for days I would have gotten a bunch of crocheting done. Nope! I am really struggling with getting my crafty mojo back. I just haven't been in the mood to craft lately. I am hoping spring will bring some life back into my craft projects.

I did whip up a little crocheted cookie. I used the super cute amigurumi cookie pattern from amigurumifood.blogspot.com. Super simple pattern and really cute. I love making play food!

I really haven't been reading too much either, except for cookbooks and reference books. Not too exciting, but very useful.

On January 1 of this year, I decided (along with the advice from my doctor) to start a clean eating diet. I use the term "diet" even though it is more of a healthy eating lifestyle change. The Skinny Ms. Slow Cooker cookbook is the first clean eating cookbook I got, or actually won. It has really been a lifesaver for me. I really do not enjoy cooking, so being able to throw a few ingredients into a crockpot and letting it do the work is awesome!

I have been on the "diet" now for almost 2 months. I have learned plenty of things to do and things not to do, but I am still learning. I've had a lot of my friends ask me about clean eating. So, I thought I would post a little about what clean eating is all about, what is working for me and what is not, and some recipes that I have tried. I'm going to designate Mondays as "Clean Eating Mondays". I usually only cook on the weekends, so Mondays will be perfect to let you know what I cooked over the weekend and how it turned out. This Monday's post will explain clean eating and offer up a really quick and yummy recipe.

I have been using a lot of the recipes from the above book, so while I will tell you what I cooked I will not be able to give the entire recipe. If you are interested in clean eating and crockpot cooking, I definitely recommend picking up this book. It is really great!

Linking to Yarn Along.

 

January 21, 2014

14 in 2014 Stashbuster Challenge - 1 skein down, 13 to go!


I used up 1 whole skein of yarn on this cowl that I finished last night. Yippee! That makes 1 skein down and 13 to go in my 14 in 2014 Stashbuster Challenge!

I bought 3 skeins of neon pink yarn last year from AC Moore's value bin. Thanks to the terrible lighting last night, this picture doesn't show just how neon this cowl is. It is BRIGHT! I have no idea what kind of yarn it is other than it is acrylic. It is kind of thick and rough, though, so this isn't going to be a very soft cowl. But, I really like the way it hangs down, so it won't be tight like last week's cowl.

I still have 2 skeins left, so I'm thinking maybe a pair of matching gloves? Or an '80s hair bow? We'll see!

January 15, 2014

Yarn Along

I finished the first of many destashing projects for 2014. I had originally bought 5 skeins of Hometown USA yarn in Billings Brown to make a floor pouf, but ended up buying one instead. Now I have all of this leftover yarn and I have no idea what to do with it. Usually, when I have no idea what to make I crochet a scarf. So, that is what I did.

I actually made my first infinity scarf. I am really not great at crocheting in the round, so I crocheted one big, long strip and then whipstitched the ends together. It really turned out pretty nice, and it is super warm!


Unfortunately, I still have a little of the yarn left, so I can't add it to my destashing challenge. I need to find a small project to finish up the yarn, like a flower. 

I am still reading Coriolanus, although I am pretty close to the end. I got sidetracked watching The Hollow Crown, which was really, really good! Hopefully I can finish it this weekend. I have another book I want to start next week. 

Linking to Yarn Along.

 

December 18, 2013

Yarn Along




One of my goals in 2014 is to get back to reading the classics. I decided to get a jump on it a few weeks early, and who better to start with than William Shakespeare. 

I had read plenty of Shakespeare in college, but had never heard of this play until I read that Tom Hiddleston is starring as the lead in the London production. I was curious to see what it was about, so I headed to my local library and checked out The Pelican Shakespeare edition. I am enjoying it, so far, as it reminds me a lot of Julius Caesar, but I keep getting a little confused with some of the characters. This edition makes it easy to switch back and forth from the text to the cast of characters, which is really helpful. 

I am glad I started reading it now, so it will get me prepared for the National Theatre Live broadcast of Coriolanus. I treated myself to an early Christmas present by buying a ticket to the closest show. Many local theatres are simulcasting the live performance from London early next year. I think it is wonderful that those of us who are not local will now get the opportunity to see the performance. I was also happy to see the another live broadcast last week. While I wasn't fond of the choices for the lead characters in The Sound of Music, I really enjoyed the premise of a live musical. I hope this is the start of many more live Broadway and theatre shows on TV and in local venues!

I'm really excited and can't wait to start the new year off with a little Shakespeare and Tom Hiddleston. :) If you are interested in seeing if your local theatre is broadcasting the performance, click here.  

As far as crafting goes, it has been a quiet few months. I lost my crafting mojo for awhile, but it is slowly coming back. I figured it be best to start off with a few small projects, so I whipped up this little crocheted bow brooch.


It was a super simple project that took me about a half an hour to complete. I used Craftiness is not Optional's free pattern, Sugar 'n Cream yarn in country yellow, a little DMC thread, and a pin back.

It is going to make a very nice Christmas gift for somebody's winter coat. :)

Linking to Yarn Along.

 

December 13, 2013

14 in 2014 Stashbuster Challenge


Is your yarn stash getting out of control? Is it invading your home, covering every nook and cranny? Well, then I have a craft challenge for you! Starting the 1st of January and running until the 31st of December, we are going to work on thinning out our yarn stashes, one skein at a time. 

What is it?

The goal of the 14 in 2014 Stashbuster Challenge is to completely use up 14 skeins of yarn from your stash in 2014. Super simple! 

You can use any kind of yarn (wool, acrylic, cotton, etc.) and any weight. You can even use half used skeins of yarn. Anything goes! After all, the purpose is to thin out your yarn stash, and make room for more, right? :) 

Where do I sign up?

There is no formal sign up for the challenge. We will begin stashbusting on Wednesday, the 1st of January. Feel free to post your progress on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Grab a free badge for your blog or website too!


This Girl Creates
This Girl Creates

Next week, I'll be posting some awesome and totally free patterns to get you in the mood for the stashbuster challenge. That will give us all a few weeks to decide on a pattern or two and take a peek at our stashes to see what we want to use up. 

Now, let's get ready to do some busting!!!


July 19, 2013

Tutorial - hook size stitch markers

I came up with this project after realizing I had made a giant mistake with one of my crochet projects. After completing my fifth granny square for my afghan, several weeks after completing my first square, I realized that I had used the wrong hook. 

Oops! 

I knew I had to make a change in the way that I store my projects, especially if I am going to put them to the side for several weeks. So, I came up with a simple solution: hook size stitch markers. I thought I'd make a quick tutorial to show ya'll how I made them. They really are super simple!

Materials/Tools:

needle-nose pliers
wire cutter
round plastic alphabet beads
assorted colored beads
head pins or eye pins (eye pins have a little circle on the end)
S-hooks



Directions:

1. Slide one colored bead, an alphabet bead, and a second colored bead onto a head pin or eye pin. I used head pins for my stitch markers.


Cut the head pin, leaving about a half an inch at the top.

2. Using your needle-nose pliers, bend the top of the head pin to form a hook.


3. Slide the hook through the circle on the end of the S-hook.


4. Using your needle-nose pliers, squeeze the hook together, completely closing the hook and securing it onto the S-hook.


That is it! You are now ready to attach your hook size stitch marker to your project.


You can also make yourself some with numbers to keep track of what row you are on.


Or make words by using the entire length of the head or eye pin.


There you have it! Super simple, but also very useful.

Don't have enough time to make these stitch markers yourself? I will be adding have added a few sets of both letters and numbers to my Etsy shop. You can pick up a set of 10 (E, F, G, H, I, J, K, N, P, Q) or (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) for $8.00! Pretty sweet deal. :)

May 22, 2013

Crochet Sushi Roll Tutorial

I wanted to keep this project super simple, so everyone can give crochet a try! So, I came up with a basic beginner tutorial for a crocheted sushi roll.


The only stitch you will need to know is the single crochet (sc), which is the most basic crochet stitch. There are many places to learn how to single crochet, but I learned by watching the knit witch on YouTube. Lion Brand Yarn has helpful crochet lessons as well.

Here are the materials you will need :
US G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook
black, white, and red yarn
black embroidery thread
embroidery needle

Abbreviations: ch = chain; sc = single crochet; st = stitch


Using black yarn, ch 11.


Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (sc 10).


Row 2-22: ch.1, sc in each st.
Fasten off


Using white yarn, ch 11.
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (sc 10).
Row 2-20: ch 1, sc in each st.
Fasten off


Using red yarn, ch. 11.
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (sc 10).
Row 2-5: ch 1, sc in each st.
Fasten off


Roll red crocheted piece into a tube.


Roll white crocheted piece around red piece.


Roll black crocheted piece around white piece.
Using embroidery thread, sew black piece together.

Now you have your very own crocheted sushi roll! Enjoy!!!


Copyright © 2011-2013 Melissa/This Girl Creates. 
All rights reserved. No part of this pattern may be reproduced in any form. 
The written instructions, photograph, design, and pattern are intended for personal, non-commercial use only.

May 6, 2013

Bobble Bow

I got a little sidetracked this weekend. I was supposed to work on my bobble stitch sunglasses case, but instead stumbled across a pattern for a bobble bow. It was just too cute to pass up, so I gave it a try.


Sorry for the terrible picture. The camera on my phone is mediocre, at best. I think it is super cute, though.

The super cute and totally free pattern is available on Lululoves. She shows her bow as a hair clip, brooch, and even as a decoration for a pillow. That is how I am going to use mine. I'll be crocheting a granny square pillow and then attaching my pink bobble bow to the top. Can't wait!

September 13, 2012

Inspiration Workshop


This is the last Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop, so I thought I'd play along one final time.

Today's topic is favorite DIY. I have so many favorite DIY and craft projects that I couldn't pick my all time favorite one, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite festive projects to get you in the mood for fall!

This is for a DIY crocheted pumpkin. The pattern is from PlanetJune and is free! Yay for free patterns! If you are a crocheter and haven't checked out PlanetJune yet, you must! She has some of the cutest patterns on the web. :)

I actually made my little crocheted pumpkin last year, but he will be making an appearance again this year. He is so cute and small; I just love the way he turned out!


PlanetJune's pumpkin pattern is a very simple and quick pattern. I think my little guy took me an hour, at the most. All you need is a little orange yarn, stuffing, and green or brown yarn, if you want a different colored stem. That is it!

You'll also need to know how to single crochet and half double crochet, but those are pretty simple crochet stitches, even for a beginner.


In no time you'll have your very own crocheted pumpkin. Mine sure is happy sitting up there by my fall flowers. :)

Check out the other DIY projects at Gussy Sews.

Thanks Gussy Sews for hosting the inspiration workshop. It was fun!