Aha!!

Found it!! The missing ball of yarn to complete my scarf project. Halfway done crocheting the piece.  Picture to follow. Baby blanket coming along well too. Will be planning Christmas projects in the coming weeks as September is my month where I start to make things. Studies are taking over my life right now so new posts may be few and far between. Stay tuned.....

What's that you say...more scarves?

Sam

Yup..and yup.  A few weeks ago I was browsing in a yarn shop (Mary Maxim) and fell in love with the Prism line of Mary Maxim yarns.  There was a gorgeous scarf hanging off to the side of the display that  had been crocheted using the Prism Rainbow yarn.  Tagged to the bottom of the scarf were these very important words - free scarf pattern with purchase of one ball of Prism.  Hook me up, I said. I'm buying. There are 10 shades in the Prism line and I walked out with one ball. Well, after whipping up the first scarf in no time, I was back at the shop and picked up another 4 balls...and then that followed with another 4 balls.  4+4+1=9...hmmm....I thought  I had purchased one of every colour however 9 is not 10 so I have one more to go. The pattern was created by one of the lovely ladies at the shop so I won't spill her secret. Let me tell you though, for someone who's just getting hooked on this great hobby, that scarf is a fabulous as a first quick and easy project. Have a look....

Count them..9 not 10.

Aren't they gorgeous? Let's face it...it's stinking hot outside so I'm not even sure anyone wants to hear about scarves right now. That little critter you see up above is my Sam.  He was doing all he could to get his paws on everything.  My motto is...you don't help...no yarn for you! Although he did hide another ball somewhere. He's a tricky one that Sam-a-lam.
Now to figure which shade I need to finish off this project. Next project is well under way (see blog background) and then it will be time to start thinking winter and Christmas and everything else between now and then. Ideas are popping around the old noggin like mad. Happy hooking everyone!

Really..really..really...need to be disciplined

Received my latest copy of Crochet magazine and it is taking all of my willpower to not sit down and pour over the patterns.  Had a quick look and know that if I start in on it I will not hit the books and put in the hours of studying scheduled for today. So many ideas are running through my brain for future projects. First...the books..nothing short of 4 hours doing schoolwork today before relaxing with my hook and yarn. See you all later.

At Long Last....

Slip Into Style

Today is the last day of my first summer vacation and the old bod was wide awake at 5:00 a.m.!!!!!  WHAT???? Gotta get busy and savour these last few days before heading back to the grind.  Putting studies aside to go out there in this incredible heat (that I do not particularly care for..ask anyone...really it's too darn hot) and meet up with friends to take advantage of patio season (that I do particularly care for) and have a frosty one or two. Seems odd that I would take this very hot day to post about a sweater -  makes me sweat just thinking about it. :-) Finally putting up pics and details of the first project I did after the scarves.  Yup...this gorgeous piece was crocheted a while back now..it seems like a long time ago.

This is another pattern found in Crochet Magazine's Winter 2011 edition.

It a little too hot these days to work on these kinds of projects but I keep looking at this baby and just want to whip it up again and again.  No need to tell you it was fun to make and is very good practice for the double-crochet.  Already have two other projects on the go with one anticipating colder weather (that I particularly care for) and the other is definitely baby-inspired (and that I particularly love!!). Off I go to enjoy this glorious day...sunglasses (check), sunscreen (check), water (check)...later all!

A Good Left Hook

I'm organizing my thoughts to update the blog with a couple of finished projects and got sidelined researching resources for left-handed crocheting.  This site has great pics (I'm a visual type) to help with  the basics - if you master those you are well on your way to enjoying a fun and creative hobby - http://www.planetjune.com/blog/amigurumi-help/crochet-basics-left-handed/.

I'll post more good resources as I come across them. More later today......

A little green goes a long way.....

I LOVE this sweater. Very pretty, very feminine, very fun and easy to crochet. Except for the sleeves. Yup they don't look difficult to make however looks can be deceiving. ;-)

This is another pattern I can see making time and again. There are so many different types of yarn I'd like to try it's making my head spin.  I had some old Red Heart yarn laying around and was looking for something fun to sink my teeth into one night and voilà. Cute sweater. One of these days I will be showing these using friends and family to model the pieces. Look at that edging...gorgeous!! I love that the sweaters have such great shapes to them. Again, this is a pattern from the Summer 2012 edition of Crochet Magazine.  This one took so little time to make except for the sleeves.  For some strange reason, the night I worked on them, the old brain could not get the count right.  And, let me tell you, it did not look like a sleeve when I was done with it. It certainly wasn't the pattern at fault. Some days are just like that and I must have unravelled the work four times before I finally got it right.  Sometimes you wonder if it's you or the universe. Trust me...it was all me. And the sleeves...they were especially easy to make.

Between the time this project was started and finished, I joined the Crochet Guild of America (http://www.crochet.org/) as there is no Crochet Guild of Canada.  Oh well same difference in my books as we all love the same thing. I hope to get more involved with a local chapter that's affiliated to the Guild and start doing some volunteering as a result. Again, that would mean time and I'm still waiting on the Big Guy to stretch a day beyond 24 hours. Hmmm...I could always give up sleep. Those who know me will pray it never comes to that.  Crabby is the word that comes to mind.

Where has the time gone?

Wow...seems like a long time since I've had a chance to log in and add anything new.  I keep asking the Big Guy upstairs for more hours in a day.  Like many others...I'm still waiting.  Working full-time and going to university part-time does not leave a lot of down time to devote to my most favourite hobby. So...today I am making the time to add details about two completed projects.  I thought it was going to be three however, I've just realized that I have not yet finished what really was the first sweater I made right after making the chip scarves. Those blasted ends will not weave themselves.  Nor will that button jump into place on the darn thing. While I'm looking for a  few minutes later today to finish that one off, there are two other sweaters that are ready to make their debut. I'll kick it off with two patterns from the Summer 2012 edition of Crochet Magazine.  I can't share either pattern as you really have to be a subscriber to the magazine.  It is well worth it! I've constantly have Christmas on the brain year round and am always looking for gift ideas.  This one was fun and easy to make and will be made again....and again.  I see colours and wrapping paper and bows and trees and many happy faces when they open and receive this gem.

The finishing edge on the armhole was so cool to make. It was worked left to right and looks amazing!!!  I'm certain to work that one into other projects.  I'll keep you posted on that. Okay...thank goodness for a the save feature on this blog software.  Don't know how I managed to accidentally close the browser before publishing this thing but that's exactly what I did and immediately thought -- cripes I have to start all over again. Smart cookie here saved and only lost the last few thoughts.  No biggee. And really they were not worth the $0.02 folks are often willing to pay.

So freaking beautiful!

This next project was fun and easy to make.  It is set to the intermediate level and I must concur with that selection.  The pattern is not free, however it is available at http://www.crochetmagazine.com where you may subscribe to their magazine.  This one is called "Shamrock Lace Sweater" and caught my eye immediately when I received my edition of Crochet Magazine. Here are photos of the finished front and back.

Front - guess the button gives that away!

Back - see no button!

The downside of this pattern is that it contained some mistakes and, although I checked the gauge carefully, the ladies medium ended up as a girls medium/large.  That being said, it is a stunning piece once completed and one that I will make again (...and again and again, maybe). When you have so many nieces...the count so far is 9 nieces and 9 great-nieces...even the pattern misses don't go to waste.

The bodice and body are worked as one piece and should look like this when completed. You can really whip through this piece and then move onto the sleeves that are easy to make. The photos below give you a good idea of what the edging looks like.  So freaking beautiful!!!

You can tell my love affair with variegated yarn continues.  The lovely shade is from Patons and wouldn't you know that I now cannot find the leftover ball of yarn to post the dye lot. Me thinks the furballs may have something to do with that. Will post when I come across it because no matter where the kitties hide "things" they always turn up in the end.

I'll close this post with a couple of pics of the sleeves.  Waiting for my sister and brother-in-law to pop by and put in the window air-conditioning unit.  Summer's not quite here yet but we had a couple of days of very warm weather. Need to keep cool inside so I can continue creating beautiful things over the summer months. 

Quick - left or right sleeve?

Top of sleeve.

What to do? What to do?

What to do? What to do? What would be the ideal project to ease myself back into this loving hobby? Whether it's knitting, tatting, knotting, embroidering or crocheting - a scarf!!!  Yup...that's it a scarf..or as it turned out scarves! A fun and easy way to spend a few hours watching something lovely being created in front of your eyes. Well...see for yourselves. These are called "Cascading Potato Chip Scarf" and are quick and easy to whip up. Not to mention quite fashionable these days. The two you see here were done following the pattern to the letter. Although I did use a 4mm hook finding the result of a too long scarf using the 5mm hook the pattern recommends.

This last one to the right has one extra row added.  Slipstitch in each stitch across.  It gives it a really nice finish.  My favourite scarf so far.

The pattern is available here http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Hats-Scarves-Gloves/Cascading-Potato-Chip-Scarf-from-Red-Heart-Yarn#. It calls for two different colours but I love the variegated yarns. You can wear any of these scarves with many, many outfits. Hmmm...what to do next?

A fun area to share....

Peanut

This is a fun area to share crochet projects I've been working on.  It's been a long while since I've taken a hook to hand and had forgotten how much I enjoyed creating things out of wool and yarn.  Pictures will be posted as projects are completed....maybe even posted while I'm working on projects.  None of the patterns are original and I'll duly give credit where it is due. However, the final product will have been produced by my fingers. The fellow to the left doesn't help any with the projects but he sure likes to hang around the yarn...A LOT!!  So happy hooking.