3 months later...

Apparently I just don't crochet enough in the summer! I have made a few things though, but I think the warm weather left the crochet maniac in me uninspired and melting every time I tried to make anything long-term. But it's almost Fall now, and I feel the tug of the yarn and thread lover in me, ready to get back into crocheting for hours on end.

I've started with a project that I've been meaning to make since I first started crocheting (still less than a year ago!). I finally made the victorian-inspired lace bracelet from crochetme.com (http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/112678.aspx).

I used a 1mm steel hook instead of the 1.65mm that the pattern calls for. I like my stitches, whether with thread or yarn, to look nice and tight, so I prefer the smaller hook with the crochet thread. I also used the coral Aunt Lydia's crochet thread, 100% viscose from bamboo; I LOVE this bamboo thread. So soft!

I've got teeny tiny wrists so the bracelet turned out okay for me, but if you're going to use a 1mm hook, it would probably be best to make 1 or 2 extra circles to add some length.

I really hate having to tie a bracelet on, I'm not patient enough to tie a bow with one hand while trying to hold the bracelet in place with the fingers on the hand that it's going to be on. So, I threaded some pretty ribbon through the circles as specified but I tied a bow at one end and sewed it so it wouldn't undo. Then I added a bit of chain and a clasp at the back. I also added a couple little clock hands charms by the bow for a little extra something. I love it. Then I spray starched and ironed it (with my hair straightener, since I don't own a real iron; it worked pretty well :P ), instead of my usual sugar water blocking, because I wanted to keep the softness of the thread.

I'm really happy with the finished product. It was a pretty fast project and really easy to do.

Et voila!

Crochet Hook Case

A friend of mine was making herself a crochet hook case at one of our crafts nights, and of course this made me want to finally make one for myself. She made hers with some beautiful fabric and sewed it together, but I found a crochet pattern for a case when I first started getting into it and knew I wanted to make it. Also, I just like the fact that I crocheted my crochet hook case :P
Here's the original pattern: http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/94812.aspx

And here's what I made :)

It looks pretty similar but I did change a couple of things. First, I didn't like the "line with holes in the fabric" part, it took up extra time and I didn't think it was necessary to slip stitch the little hook holders. I just made a solid piece of fabric and then sewed the little holders in. And second I didn't do the "Closure" or "Finishing" parts. I just left extra on the ends after sewing in the hook holders, tied some little charms on the ends and I wrap it around and tie a bow to keep it closed.

I do wish that I'd made the little pocket at the bottom a bit deeper, but it still works great.

And there it is, a crocheted crochet hook case (since crochet means "hook" in French, there's a lot of hook in that sentence...)

A Little Pear

I came across the pattern for this tiny pear charm ( http://speckless.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/crochet-pattern-tiny-pear-necklace-charm/ ) and knew I had to make one! So cute!!!!!

And it was perfect timing too, because it goes so well with my new sparkly strawberry!

Love, love, love!

Simple Single Crochet Camera Case

I got two new colours of yarn and was dying to make something with them, and I was also dying to make something to put a little bird applique on....so I made a camera case! The case design is all my own, but the bird is from http://damnitjanetletscrochet.blogspot.ca/2012/01/bird-applique.html - with the exception of my bird's wing. I substituted the heart wing for a more traditional one, inspired by the veined leaf pattern http://windrosefiberstudio.blogspot.ca/2011/08/veined-leaf-free-crochet-pattern.html but adjusted to be slightly smaller (and I'll state how below).

The case was made specifically to fit my camera (a Nikon Coolpix S630) but it could be easily adjusted to fit other sized cameras.

There's a hole in the flap of the case to slide the camera's wrist strap through.

Materials:

Red Heart Soft Yarn, Worsted (medium, [4]), 100% acrylic in Grape (for the body of the case) and Teal (for the bird)
4mm hook for the body of the case
3.25mm hook for the bird (the pattern calls for a 3.5 but I wanted my bird to be slightly smaller)
yarn needle

CASE:

Rnd 1: Ch 30. Join with sl. st.
Rnd 2 - 20: Ch 1, sc in each st. around. Join with sl. st.
Flap, Row 1: Turn the work. Ch 1, sc in each of the next 11 sts. (12 sts. total)
Flap, Rows 2 and 3: Repeat row 1
Flap, Row 4: Turn the work. Ch 1, sc in each of the next 4 sts. Ch 2, sk 2 sts, sc in each of the next 5 sts (the hole for the camera strap is now made - if you don't want this hole, just repeat row 1 again)
Flap, Rows 5-11: Repeat row 1.
Flap, Row 12: Turn the work. Ch 1, sc in each of the next 3 sts. Ch 4, skip next 4 sts, sc in each of the last 4 sts (the button hole is now made)
Flap, Rows 13 and 14: Repeat row 1. Finish off.
Bottom: I wanted the bottom to be flat, rather than just sewing the hole closed, so I improvised a bottom. It's not perfect, but it works; With the camera in the case to easily see the corners, sl st from on corner to another down the long side. Then, sc in the first st next to your sl st along the short side, turn and sc across. Repeat the sc in the next st along the short side, turn and sc across until the hole is closed. (if you have questions I can try and explain it differently...)

BIRD:

Follow the pattern from the link above, but use a 3.25mm hook for a slightly smaller bird.
For the wing:
Ch 7, 3 dc in the second ch from hook, dc in each of the next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, sl st in last ch. Ch 1 and sl st in same st (you can see this part explained if you follow the link above for the veined leaf). Use the chains on the other side, sl st in the next ch, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in each of the next 2 ch, 3 dc in next ch (the same one you did the first 3 dc in). Sl st to first dc. Finish off.

Then sew the wing on the bird and sew the bird on the case.
Sew on a button and voila! Camera case complete :)

Easter Basket and Eggs :)

With Easter last weekend I knew I needed to find a good pattern for some easter eggs, and I also stumbled across a great pattern for a basket too! 
(pattern from http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.ca/2011/03/free-easter-egg-crochet-pattern.html)

I was SO happy with my first little guy, I made a few more. And the basket to put them in of course! (basket pattern from http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L0136AD.html)

The blue and yellow one went to my boyfriend's mom since it's Ukrainian colours and she has a collection of painted Ukrainian eggs. The rest, and the basket, went to my mom. I got the nickname "the crochet monster" over Easter weekend from my brother. I think I like it :)

I had so much fun making these little eggs, I can't wait to make more next Easter.

Crochet and Metal Necklace: free pattern and instructions :)

I've finally created a crochet piece that's all my own! It's not complicated at all but it mixes my two favourite things; crochet and jewellery :) And I was just dying to use this yarn for something I would wear often, I love this colour.

And, because it was so simple to make, you can adapt it really easily by using different weight and/or colour yarn, making more or less chains or using different jewellery components :)

Materials (I'll list exactly what I used, but as I said, it's really easy to substitute or flat out change anything):

Bernat Craft 'n' More yarn in Ultra Peach (100% acrylic, Med [4], 50g/1.75 oz)
Size 3.75mm hook (US F/5)
Metal jewellery caps
2 moonstone beads
24 gauge copper wire
Pliers with a wire cutter (jewellery pliers are usually best because they don't make marks on the wire and having separate wire cutters makes things easier, but I don't have any of those so I used regular pliers with a cutter)
14.5" of metal chain
2 copper jump rings


1) Chain 70 and finish off (gives a chain of about 14" long), leave a tail of at least 3" - make 7

2) Gather the tails of all the chains at one end so that the ends of the chains are at the same spot.

2) Separate the chains into two even groups (mine made one group of three and one group of 4) and tie the groups together in a simple knot using the tails.

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the other ends, cut off the tails and then slightly twist the chains together (if you lose a but of twist as you work through the next steps, don't worry, you can add extra twist in the last step).

5) Cut about 2" of wire and slide it through the knot at one end.

6) Wrap one end of the wire around itself (I couldn't get a good picture of this one...). This wrap doesn't have to be pretty because the caps are going to cover this part in the end, but here's a great little tutorial on creating a wire-wrapped loop, which is essentially what this is http://www.artbeads.com/howtomawrlo.html

7) Slide the cap onto the wire, and then the bead and then make a wrapped loop; you'll want this one to be pretty :) Try to keep the cap as tight to the chains as possible and wrap the loop so it sits tight to the bead so that the cap and bead don't slide up the wire and reveal the not so pretty ends of the chains.  (Repeat steps 5-7 for the other end.)

8) Attach one jump ring to each copper loop, make sure you've got your chains twisted to your liking and then attach your chain to your jump rings. Et voila! One necklace :)

Crochet trance

I cannot sleep at this horribly early time (5:45am!) for some reason. So, blog it is!

After I made my bracelet I became even more obsessed with finding jewellery patterns, if that's even possible. I was constantly searching for patterns and also crocheting like a maniac. My boyfriend called my constant evenings of crochet being in a "crochet coma" but that's way too passive, it was more like I was in a crochet trance. I couldn't stop once I'd started, I'd just go for hours. I mistakenly got the idea that Mother's Day was coming up in March, so I decided I had to made something for his mom and my mom. And I came up with my first original piece! A necklace for my boyfriend's mom :) (the leaf is obviously not my own, it's that wonderful pointed leaf from my previous post.)

I really wish I had kept track of what I was doing so I could write down the pattern. I would read other blogs when searching for patterns with comments on the creations like "I just chained a bunch..." or "I tried to write out what I was doing but couldn't..." and would think, "jeez people! don't you know I'm dying to make what you made! how hard is it to write down what you did!?"...but now I know. I'll try and re-trace my steps to actually write the pattern, so I can contribute to this wonderful free pattern sharing world :)

I really like when I chain with a thin, soft yarn and it does this:

The first time it happened I was a little worried, I wanted a flat chain in the end, but it flattens itself out. I'm thinking the next time this happens I'm going to try and make two, sugar water them and have some twisty, dangly earrings.

For my mom's present I found a great pattern for a decoration http://glor-crochetgalore.blogspot.ca/2010/11/victorian-motif-free-pattern.html, one of the uses is as a window decoration and I think she'll love that.

So, as usual, I added some stitches somewhere, and it wasn't laying very flat. But, this was actually my first piece that I tried the sugar and water blocking on and it worked perfectly. I also dried this between two towels with heavy things on top, so the extra stitches sort of just curled over on themselves and made two pretty little curly lumps, which I'm more than happy with. For some reason the towels didn't stick to this one, it came out nice and rigid with no fluffs stuck all over it.

I wish this was done with a thicker thread and bigger hook so that I could just use smaller thread and a smaller hook to make a pendant. I love this pattern, but it's already a size 10 thread and a 1mm steel hook, so no smaller can it go. As it is it's roughly the size of the palm of my hand. Maybe I'll just wear one as a huge pendant :P
So, even though Mother's Day isn't actually until May, I've got the presents covered.

My jewellery obsession carried on with a necklace for myself using a similar chaining method to my first, but with three graduated strands and my favourite flower pattern, and some leaf earrings using the oh so wonderful pointed leaf pattern.

I also made a necklace from this wonderful pattern http://createbellacreate.blogspot.ca/2012/01/finally-i-am-back-to-writing-posts-for.html I used a size 10 thread and a 1mm steel hook so it made a much smaller version. This is just one way I've worn it:

This uses a pre-made ribbon necklace threaded through, with a piece of labradorite I wire-wrapped hanging from the middle. Another way was with a piece of cream coloured ribbon with a hanging little green quartz and sterling silver pendant I designed and helped make. I'll take a picture of that once I wear it that way again.

The weather was nice and sunny for a while so I did a lot of balcony crocheting, with my kitty to keep me company. She LOVES being on the balcony. And the natural light means I get some nice, clear pictures of her!

And I can also get come clear pictures of my crocheting :)

Making my favourite flower, with a little help from my tea light holder to hold the pattern down; it was a bit of a windy day. I also couldn't resist a self-photo what with the sunny day, crochet, and a new haircut :)

Not a bad February day at all.

I really wanted to make something with a chunky fuscia yarn I had, and a belt seemed like a good project, so after some searching and decision making, I chose this pattern

http://reliquaryarts.blogspot.com/2008/08/outfit-yourself.html

But, after trying it on for a while, I didn't like how the shells kept curling outwards. I felt like I was wearing a tutu or something. So, it has become a sort of neck decoration, not quite a scarf but also not quite a necklace.

Then, at the beginning of March, a friend of mine got me excited about making a pair of fingerless gloves for her, and of course I whipped a pair up for myself! I completely forgot to take a picture of hers, but I definitely didn't forget to take pictures of mine. I fell in love with this pretty pattern http://bethsco.blogspot.ca/2011/11/ripple-lace-fingerless-gloves.html
And used my favourite green yarn to make a  pair.

I made them go a little longer up my fingers, and added a thumb by single crocheting in a circle until it was long enough. I think the original, without the thumb, is prettier but practically I just knew my thumb knuckle would be cold without a little coverage. These are, after all, intended for wearing while crocheting on the balcony. They keep my hands warm on those not so hot days while keeping my fingers free :)

Then I wanted to make something quick and easy, so I made an apple cozy! I used the basic pattern from this site, but without the angry face http://vegancraftastic.blogspot.ca/2009/06/angry-apple-cozy.html I love the face, but the cozy is for my boyfriend who takes apples to work a lot, and he preferred it sans face. And I also added a little leaf, of course.

I used a number 4 worsted weight yarn, and the pattern used a DK so I figured I'd use a slightly smaller hook and end up at the same size...but I should have known. Whenever I make anything it's ALWAYS smaller than the pattern, unless I use a much chunkier yarn. So....

Now, this apple was also a monster of an apple, and the cozy did pretty much fit a more regular sized apple once we had one. But with a little stretching and a lot of insistance, this cozy went on this apple.

I finally got around to making a pair of earrings to match my bracelet after this.

And to meld the best of crochet and wire jewellery making, I dangled a couple of labradorite beads from the bottom :) I'm in love all over again.

I'd been meaning to get some white crochet thread for a while, to make a little edging for a shirt. A strange stain appeared after washing a white shirt a while ago, the stain was right under the edging just under the bust. And I was so excited when I started crocheting and realized I could probably crochet something to cover it up!

So, on another nice day, I set up on my balcony, with a kitty spectator of course, and began making a simple shell edging.
For most of the patterns I've found using size 10 crochet thread, they use Aunt Lydia's Bamboo crochet thread. And I thought to myself, "what's so special about this stuff?". Well, the store I went to had one colour of Aunt Lydia's, the first time I'd ever seen it in the store, and it was white, so I figured, why not? As soon as I picked it up, I knew why everyone loves it so much! It's SO SOFT!!!!!!!!!!!

It's such a shame it's a thin thread, I just want to make a blanket out of it and pet it!
So, I need to figure out what else I can make with it, but for now I have my edging :)

The same day I made a couple leaves out of a bit thicker thread, a size 3, with a 2.5mm hook and a couple of crochet cotton squares for a small blanket, or two, to sit on the kitty's favourite places so her hair doesn't become permanently stuck in them. This way, I can just wash the blankets and save my furniture. I may have felt a little artsy when taking pictures of my leaves and squares...

Now, what to do with those pretty little leaves? Make a bracelet? Okay!

And on a not so distant evening, I decided I needed to make a long, multi-strand crochet necklace with this thread. So I set about mindlessly chaining while watching The Mentalist, made a very long chain, and then got a little artsy with the photos again :P

So, the long chain is still just a long chain, this was only a few nights ago. I think I'm going to put a clasp on the ends, make up a bunch of my favourite lotus flowers in the thinner, darker green thread, and maybe some in this same thread, sew them on, wrap it around three times and have a necklace!

PHEW! I'm all caught up to myself now! No more marathon blog posts hopefully. The sun is now up, it's been two hours and it's only 7:57am and I'm probably going back to bed now.

More beginner adventures

It's the warmest evening March has ever seen and it's sunny, so it's a perfect chance to sit on my balcony and continue with my blog!
It feels too warm to reminisce about the hat I made in February but I'm still so proud of it, I'm going to reminisce anyway. I used the Berroco free pattern for the Phannie hat. It was my first try at a round...

I was excited to get a circle going, but I figured it should probably be flat so something must be wrong...

So I unraveled it (yes, it's easy to do but I still hate doing it) and started over. And in the end I made a hat!!! I used a medium worsted weight yarn instead of the DK that the pattern calls for, so it's not quite as slouchy as the pattern, but I'm still in love with it.

And, of course, it matches my scarf and jacket perfectly :)

At some point I realized I could probably crochet a heart...and I became obsessed with them! I made a few for valentines day, one of the patterns I used was from http://cornflowerbluestudio.blogspot.ca/2012/01/how-to-crochet-heart-photo-tutorial.html and the other, my favourite because of how bubbly it is, was from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5LUk8XOYEs&noredirect=1 (the ones in the picture are all the "easiest crochet heart" from the youtube video.)

I sent a bunch out in the mail to family and friends as a little valentine's day surprise and I made a door decoration with the leftovers. I love sewing little motifs together!!

Next I thought I'd try a square. I had a plan to crochet a large-ish square and then somehow crochet around it in a different colour to made a little netbook case/purse...but I should have known when my square didn't go as planned that I was not ready for this kind of improvisation...

It was supposed to be this square http://www.allcrafts.net/fjs.htm?url=web.archive.org/web/20040405131704/http://members.aol.com/cillcrochets/springsq.html but with a chunkier yarn...Somewhere along the line I added some stitches, as usual, and did not feel like ripping it apart to find out where. So, I went as far as I could with the extra stitches and then just single crocheted around to finish off. I still think it's pretty, it's not a square, but I like it. So I tried to continue with my plan, but I just had no idea how to really do it, so I quit. This was what I ended up with, my second or third try, before I tore the green out and quit.

I just couldn't figure out how to stitch the green into the purple nicely each time I came around, and no matter what I did it kept getting too big. I wanted a tight fit for my netbook, so I would chain until it was a tight chain around the computer, but then as soon as I did my double crochets into the chain, it was way too loose. I still haven't tried again, I'll wait until I feel like being frustrated...

Next I became obsessed with making some crocheted earrings, and this is what came of it...

I'm really happy with them. I used this pattern/video http://crochet-mania.blogspot.ca/2011/03/crochet-teardrop-earring.html and it was super easy. When I went to buy the crochet thread I was a little shocked at how thin the size 10 is. I was even more shocked when I saw how tiny a 1mm steel crochet hook is! I needed a ton of light to crochet with that tiny black thread and that tiny hook but it was worth it.

Then, as I am obsessed with leaves anyway, I figured I needed to find some leaf patterns. I tried two different patterns and I like the second better. This one is really pretty in the picture http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/95203.aspx but I think as just a leaf on its own it's not what I was looking for. This one is the one I'm still using constantly http://windrosefiberstudio.blogspot.ca/2011/08/veined-leaf-free-crochet-pattern.html

These are the comparisons of my first few leaves, the largest is from the first pattern and the other two are from the second, made with different sized hooks.



Next I wanted to make more jewellery with the tiny black thread and the tiny hook, and I found this beautiful bracelet pattern! http://www.crochetme.com/media/p/94629.aspx

I LOVE this flower! And I love the bracelet I made :)

I improvised a beaded toggle instead of the two buttons just because I didn't have two pretty little matching buttons. The bracelet sort of curled when I wore it a while, probably because of the toggle rather than the buttons, so I went about finding a decent homemade blocking solution because I don't own an iron or ironing board so starching won't work. I found a great site about different stiffening techniques http://www.crochetmemories.com/crochet8.php and I tried the equal parts sugar and water and it worked great for this bracelet. Caution though- I dried it between two towels with some heavy things on top so it would be nice and flat, but the towels were light in colour and the first time I did this I had to peel it off the towels and the fluff stuck to it. So I had to rinse it out and do it again, this time I just let it dry on some wax paper because it was pretty flat. And it turned out great. Also, instead of dipping the whole piece in the solution and trying to get as much liquid out without wringing, I just used a little silicone sauce brush to brush the solution all over both sides intil it was damp but not soaking. I like this better I think because I'd be really worried about not getting enough liquid out or stretching it trying to get the liquid out. This way I can just brush on enough that I'm comfortable with and that doesn't seem like it's too much liquid for the piece to hold.

Well, the sun's going down and it's getting too cool out here for my tank top and bare feet, so I'm going to call it a day on this blog update.