Nothing to Sweat!

So, with class still growing time consuming and homework becoming a pile on my desk, I have just recently been able to start another project. I got this giant skein of yarn at Wal-Mart and decided it needed to be a sweater. Its nothing much, I'm just making it up as I go. The "yoke" is crocheted and then the sleeves and back and front are going to be knit (I hope).

The yarn is some kind of generic brand, I think its Wal-Mart's craft brand Mainstays. Its not that bad to work with, I think it has some sort of elastic in it and it gets really static-y when you pull it off. It is worsted weight with no dye lot, takes a hook size I and knitting needles 10.5. I got another skein in white, it doesn't have the elasticity of this multi-colored one and is so much softer and smooshier. I am just worried I will grow attached to the brand (there are so many colors for so cheap!!) but won't be able to find it any more.

I have finished my heating pad cover, I just need to sew it on!

I have found so many new patterns that I want to complete so bad but I have no time! Sometimes I wish my major was crafting and all I did was crochet!!!

Minor Details

Because class is starting to be class again and free time is a very rare occurrence these days, I have not been able to take pictures of anything. The fact that the camera I use is conveniently located in another dorm on campus and I rarely want to walk there and when I am there forget to have my friend bring it with her.

I miss my boyfriend incredibly, so I am starting a little doll dedicated to him. She is not finished yet, in fact she only has one leg, bright green bloomers, and one shoe. She is a little scrap doll made from a ball of random yarn following no pattern. Raggedy-Roo as I am going to call her, will have a backpack (also completed) and a few removable/changeable skirts. I am dedicating this to my bf calling her "Raggedy-Roo goes to School". I need to go get the polyfil on Friday, it's killing me not having the stuffing. I want to finish her so bad. I am (and I swear I am) going to put her on my etsy shop...when I get time to get it started!!! I will post pics when I get her finished.

I am also making a small make-up bag in the shape of a fish I saw on a blog that I followed a link from craftster to. (I will post the link with the pic!)

I am also très excited about my newly declared French minor!! My professor was very, very happy when I decided to declare that my minor!

Oven Mits!!

Sleeping in until 10:30am today didn't help me get productive but I did manage to finish everything but homework, including Oven Mitts!!! I made them because I was sick of using a hand towel to take my oodles-of-noodles out of our microwave (you know, standard healthy college diet!) The pattern was adapted from a pattern for child's mittens. I improvised making it wider and adding the thumb since I knew they were too small and I already had an idea for the thumb, so i really only followed the pattern for the first 3 or 4 rows.

I love the colors they are very, very vintage. I thought it was adorable to add the little hooks to hold it onto my dorm's fridge. I will add more stitches length wise next time. They are made out of Red Heart yarn and single crochet up and down the mitten instead of across. I thought that was a rather nifty idea!! When I realized they wouldn't even come to my wrist, I knew I needed to add the 4 rows of sc yellow so my wrists were safe from hot bowls of soup, noodles, and what ever else college kids manage to have me cook in my 'wave.
Also I put all my earrings into individual baggies so I can ship/sell them better. One day I am going to walk down town and see if any of the shops do consignment since I am still a little too chicken to fully set up my etsy shop. I do have a banner I made back during Christmas break, here it is below.The name I came up with is With Love, Crochet. I am just a little nervous about the selling part. I have enough stuff to get rid of but not enough confidence that I can handle it and school (even though I don't think etsy is going to be too demanding).

Hats, Hats, Hats!!

Because we are having such harsh winter weather and because the temperature is about 36 degrees outside, my friend and I have decided to stay in and crochet. Well really she modeled the hats, I only told her we'd crochet! (Don't worry it only took two minutes and then I let her). Walking to and from class gets your noggin a little chilly and I found a few hats I'd crocheted a while ago, I thought I should post them.

To the left is a small blue and white cloche type hat. the blue yarn is mohair from nobounderies (I think...its been a while). I loved this yarn when I got it but had absolutely no idea what to do with it. I just loved the feel and I would admire all of it's colors but I didn't know how to show them off. I didn't know what stitch to use or hook or how to make any thing from hit. Since I am a skilled crocheter who just loves to make simple hats to satisfy my attention span I decided I needed to use it. The outcome was a soft cloud-like hat! It is very warm but very heavy. It came out a little to small so it would probably be better worn on a child's head. The brim is just a part of the hat that folds over.

On the right is a pink beret crocheted recently from Red Heart yarn. It is made by alternating a round of single crochet and a round of the bobble stitch I believe it is called. This stitch is made by doing a single crochet in the first stitch and then (YO, draw up a loop, YO, draw up a loop, YO, draw up a loop, YO, draw hook through all seven loops on hook) in the next stitch. Increasing it was not as perfect as it started out to be. I started to do a (sc, bobble) in the same stitch for the first round of bobble, then alternate one sc then two sc in the same stitch, then sc, bobble, sc, (bobble, sc) in the next round of bobbles, and so on. In the middle of making the beret it started to look like a mushroom so i tried to fix the problem by alternating rows of sc and double crochet, increasing evenly on each row. It still looks like a mushroom! Oh well...its a cute mushroom. As I started to fix it and go back to the bobble stitch, my boyfriend kindly informed me that "berets are not that big."

This green one is made from a pattern I found on the Internet. I have made about 3 of these. The first one I made with a brim and then the other two without. I looked like a train conductor in the first one I made; it was denim blue. I also had a rough time figuring out how to do a front post double crochet. My friend first found the pattern and asked how she would do it. We both sat forever trying to figure out how to do the stitch. Finally we figured it out. I ended up with a really small denim colored train conductor's hat and she ended up with a really adorable right-sized purple brimmed hat. We then decided to keep making them because the were so cute. Since then I have changed the pattern slightly to make more "cables", wider, and by first attempt mistake without the twist in the cables. I liked it that way. I was very excited when I was able to alter the patten. It turned out nice.The pattern can be found here: http://members.aol.com/sbaycgoa/patberet.htm.

Finally (I promise) this hat was made before Christmas break to use up all the scrap yarn I had accumulated through the semester. It is made by holding two yarns together, or not, and using fuzzy yarn, thin yarn, crazy yarn and single and double crochet. I thought it was rather adorable...and it is so warm!!

And last but not least...Vera Bradley added new patterns!!

http://www.verabradley.com/

Post it Quick!

I found this website http://www.kissyourshadow.com/stripe_maker.php a while ago and totally forgot to post a link to it.

This link goes directly too its strip generator for scarfs either crocheted or knit long ways. The sight also has a few craft links and ideas. Why not give it a look, you never know until you try!

My blog is also posted on http://www.craftytips.com in the crochet section under crochet blogs. As of right now I am the only one there but check out the rest of the sight, it is a wonderful all around crafty place for inspiration.

First Day Back

My first day back at school has surprised me: classes do not start until Wednesday and a lot of students are back!

I am completely unpacked and ready for class I just have to pick up my books. I am going to try and find a job tomorrow, either at Kroger or the Bank of America.

As for crocheting I am completely jealous of my friend who wrote her first successful pattern for fingerless gloves over break. I taught her to crochet only 3 weeks into first semester! Green with envy I am! I also need to borrow her camera to take pics of new things I have made!



I know it is a little late but I made these stockings in November and here's the pattern:

I used a super chunky yarn and a (i think) N or P hook it was huge!

ch 3 join to form a ring and ch 1 turn if you have ever made a slipper from the toe up that's what this was like.
7 sc in loop join in top of first sc ch 1 turn.
2 sc in each sc around.
Increase for about 3 or 4 rows...its up to you how much you want to make the toe.

After the toe is finished, sc around join for a few more rows (5 or 6 until you get to where the ankle would be..change colors here if you want a different color like the white that I used) ch 1 turn until you get the length to cover up the heel of the foot.

ch 1 turn to start crocheting on the top where your ankle would be (change back to the main color at this point). sc around (one sc for every row) join to start crocheting in the round ch 1 turn. Continue up until you get the length you want (I think it was about 10 or 12 rows).

To make the little hanger, ch 7 do 2 rows sc fold over sew and sew to inside. The white flap is made by adding just 2 or three more rows to the top.

Sew up heel and presto stockings

Last but not Least

Today is my last day at home before I go back to school. I have so much I have to do:

1. Get an Internet cable that is longer than 13 feet so my roommate doesn't have to trip over it or pile crap on it.
2. Do my laundry and find a place to put all my new clothes from the holidays.
3. Cook dinner tonight for my family and bf.
4. Go see my grandmother who is recovering from surgery.
5. Love on my bf a little before I go and can't see him for about a month.
6. Spend up my gift cards since there is nothing but a Wal-Mart in my small school town.
7. Return a pair of jeans that don't fit my fat butt!
8. Figure out where to pack up all the things I want to sell on etsy when I get back.
9. Breathe!

I'm not quite sure if I'll get to the last one!

I did, however in all the bustle that has been the last few days, finish a nice new beret in a mustard yellow color on the way to my boyfriends post-appendix-removal-check-up! It is very neat and as soon as I have a pic I will post it along with the pattern.

Oh my!! Why am I even blogging if I have so much to do!!!