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.