Christmas Gifts

I have dedicated myself to making crocheted Christmas gifts (not starting today-a while back!). That would explain my lack of attention to this blog. Have no fear readers, I will return. I have much to report on!

Pictures of gifts to come...after Christmas of course!

The squares are together!

After sitting on the back of my couch for at least a month, the squares for my niece's blanket are finally together! At first, I couldn't figure out how to do it, so I was discouraged and left them sitting. But last night I sat down with my book, determined to master it. I know, putting them together is truly simple. I'm not afraid anymore!

I joined the square motifs with a slip stitch which requires the use of a crochet hook (as opposed to joining with stitching which requires the use of a crochet needle). By using the slip stitch it creates a firm ridge on one side of the blanket, as you can see in the photo.

Now, for the border and finishing touches... much less intimidating for me!)

Stitch 'n Bitch

The invitations are ready, I just need to deliver them!


Brenda's first...

"Stitch 'n Bitch"!

Date: October 23, 2011
Time: 2pm
Place: My house

I will report back on how it goes (and hopefully blog in between now and then!)

Weather Change = Crochet Time

I am so stinkin' excited that the weather is changing! I am one of those people from Washington that absolutely loves fall and winter, and now that I can call myself a crocheter, I am even more excited to be cooped up inside! I have so many projects that I want to get going on, and some that I want to get finished, but I absolutely do not want to miss out on any last minute summer weather. But, fall is here...hooray!

I have been thinking for a while that I wanted to get my family and friends together that crochet and knit on a more regular basis, so I have decided to try and start a monthly "Stitch 'n Bitch" - perhaps it will turn into something bigger later. I have picked up invitations (conveniently, my initials are B.S.) for the first session to get the word out and remind my friends and family and from there on we'll just see what develops! I'm thinking snacks, wine and good company; what could be better?

Crocheted By

I went to Jo-Ann Fabric today to pick up some yarn for my next project. I was quite pleased to discover that they got Garment Crochet Labels in! The last time I checked, they only had Garment Knit Labels, which was rather disappointing. So, now as I am making baby blankets for my many pregnant friends, I can attach a little tag that shows I made it! Yipee!

Note to self: check the online sales before going to the store (I could have saved a dollar per skein). Especially in the summer!

My first granny square

I am officially in love with the granny square. At first, I was a little intimidated by it. I started with a pattern that required a size N hook (massive!) and it just wasn't working out for me. So, I gave up on the idea of making something with granny squares for a while...

If you're an advanced crocheter, you are probably laughing at me. Granny squares are one of the most basic things! Agh. So this time I attempted with a smaller hook (K) and was able to get it to work. Once I got it going, I just kept going and going and found that it works up pretty quick. Quicker than the single crochet, double crochet and shell stitches that I have been doing! I opted to create a one square blanket, but I could have pieced together several squares to form one also.

Alas, I have conquered the granny square with this baby blanket that was modeled after my own blanket that was a gift from my stepmother, also to be known as my crochet teacher and inspiration! This blanket was also made for a friend of mine, and marks the second blanket that I have gifted. As you can see I have taken some time off from crocheting since my huge surge of interest earlier this year - I'm blaming it on the summer months being upon us. Baby showers are definitely motivating when it comes to crocheting though. Here's the final product:

Portland Craft Shopping

We went to Portland this past weekend and I did a little research so I could pick up a thing or two for my crocheting. It turns out there are quite a few knitting stores in Portland, and although I do not know how to knit (yet), those stores are still valuable to me since crocheting and knitting are often linked together. The first store that I had the pleasure of going to was actually the ever-so-famous Powell's Books. I have been there before, but the last time I went I paid no mind to the crochet section which happened to be much larger than I ever would have imagined! Of the many books I wanted to buy...I managed to limit myself to just two which seemed to me to be the most useful for my skill level, interests, etc. The first book was The Crochet Stitch Bible; this is going to be great when I start trying to create my own patterns or when I'm just winging a blanket and need to add a fancy edge or something. There is so much you can do with crochet! The second book I got was The Encyclopedia of Crochet Techniques; this one will be valuable in teaching me the basics and helping me get through patterns. There were some books that were more specialized and specific to certain types of crochet interests that I would have also loved to have picked up...maybe next time! Powell's was the first stop along my plotted out shopping trip even though I got some good deals on books, I still spent quite a bit! I happen to love books. I cannot go into a book store and not buy something.




Stop #2 was Knit Purl, which is conveniently on the tourist maps that the hotels pass out. This store, I could have spent hours in if it wasn't for the look on my boyfriend's face when I said I wanted to go in there. He was truly a champ though and went into all kinds of girly, crafty stores for me. He even bought me a few things that I myself was not willing to splurge on. One of those things was this BEAUTIFUL Pendleton knitting needle/crochet hook case:

I absolutely love the case and I was actually about to make myself one based off the Alli Crafts Free Star Hook Case Pattern (which I still may do) but now I have been officially spoiled by my man because this is truly a treat to have! Leaving Oregon with something Pendleton is also always a plus. Knit Purl had so many yarns that I honestly could not decide. I would have taken one of everything. They were so soft and better than the yarns that I had been working with. I couldn't even believe it. I decided to get two skeins of yarn by Debbie Bliss and after grabbing those two skeins there is no doubt in my mind that I will be ordering from their website in the near future. As for now, the plan for these two skeins of yarn is to make a hat of some sort. Not sure if the photo does the top one justice. It's color is Rialto Burgandy and it is just gorgeous. Definitely a color that I am drawn to, along with greens and browns. I have yet to work with the yarn, but I will be sure to report back. I can only imagine that it is amazing! They were $9.50/skein at Knit Purl.

The last stop on my craft shopping list was the Button Emporium & Ribbonry. I have been eying a certain pattern for "soccasins" that I want to try and I think buttons would be a great accessory to them when I do finally make them. Who knows, they may end up being something I truly enjoy making. Anyway, I bought the buttons in hopes that it would inspire me to get going on that wonderful pattern! I selected just a few unique buttons but there were so many to choose from and some like I had never seen before.

The whole trip was a success and it was great to be able to check out the knitting/crocheting/crafting community of an entirely different city while I was away. The three hour drive there and back also allowed me some time to work on my current project which is nearly 3/4 of the way done!

Pattern Digging

Ever since I discovered my interest in crochet I have been feverishly digging through patterns. I started with the well known yarn brand companies sites, and then gradually branched out and found some that I have grown to love. At some point I came across a picture of bumble bee table decoration of sorts, but the pattern was missing. If you know me, you know that I had to have the pattern. So I looked again at the notes and discovered that the pattern was featured in a magazine, Decorative Crochet. The only problem was that it was Edition 3, which was printed in 1988! That kind of threw a kink in my hopes to obtain the pattern, but I didn't give up. After searching and searching I finally found a site that sells old magazines and books and lo and behold they had the very magazine and edition that I needed. 

Here it is, straight out of 1988...the year my little sister was born. It just goes to show how timeless the art of crochet and it's patterns can be.

Since this site came through for me, I have compiled my current top five list of websites for crocheters (subject to change of course):

1. Ravelry Whatever you do, join this site. It's essentially a socially networking site for people that crochet and knit. You can store your projects, keep track of your yarn stash and search for patterns.
2. DROPS This site has patterns in English or Norwegian. I've found the patterns to be a little more hip and a little less Grandma's Sweater if you know what I mean.
3. Alli Crafts Alli is a very talented individual and she shares her patterns for free. She has been featured on many sites and I love what she has come up with.
4. Creative Crochet Kristine is also a featured crochet artist on many sites. Like Alli, she has children and has taken her talent to a new level by designing things for her children.
5. Buggs Books & Used Patterns My saving grace! This is where I found my Busy Bee's Pattern from 1988! If you come across a picture that is missing the pattern, try this!

I will keep a running list of great links on my sidebar and I'm sure that I will be posting them as well in the future.

The Spark

It's no wonder I have been "hooked" (pun intended) by crochet, the word itself is apparently French. No, I'm actually not French, well maybe a little, but mostly German...although, I did study French throughout high school and college and have always held a deep love for France, the French language and Paris. Back to the spark...

What truly sparked my interest, beyond my family's history with the craft of crocheting, was the hope to make something for a co-worker. This friend of mine is about to have a baby and I wanted to make something special for her and her new addition. I present to you, project number two:

The pattern came from a pattern book which can be bought at Joann Fabrics. The yarns that I chose were both Lion Brand, one being Pound of Love in Antique White and the other, Vanna's Choice Baby in Sweet Pea. The Pound of Love yarn is a bit thinner, stringier...and just altogether more difficult to work with. The pattern I used called for a G6 (4.00mm) hook, which was fine for the Vanna's Choice. I did however have to increase to an H8 (5.00mm) hook in order to keep the gauge with the Pound of Love.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out. Of course, there are a few spots that I can see and point out where I made mistakes...but that's just the perfectionist in me.

First Project

My first manageable project was a set of potholders. Nothing special, but it helped me to get a grasp on how I crochet. For starters, I learned how I like to hold the hook. I learned that I make really tight stitches. Luckily, I had a great teacher that told me from the beginning that everyone crochets different. Everyone holds the hook different; everyone has their own unique style...including me.

Dream Big

We were walking through Walmart one night and I decided that it was about time I learned from my step mom how to crochet. So, although that particular shopping trip's purpose was not to purchase yarn, it quickly became a huge part of it. I carefully selected from the Red Heart yarns available and we went on our way.

My step mom put it really well, when I do something, I do it big. Go for the gold, so to speak. Naturally, I picked a pattern that most beginners probably wouldn't even dream of attempting. I tried. I really did. But I quickly realized that I needed to go back to square one.

Passion

My step mother taught me the basics of crocheting about a month and a half ago, and since then, I have spent a majority of my free time and money on projects. You could say, I'm in love. So far, I have completed only two projects, but I'm dreaming rather big and have faith that this site will soon be full of completed projects made by yours truly.