Finally...a Tah Dah Moment!!

Its done...finally done.  The scarf I've been working on for over a month is ready to be sent.  My sister sent me a request to make her a scarf back in November - she picked out her yarn and the style of scarf she wanted, and one would think this would've been a fairly easy task to complete.  The yarn itself is wonderful, a wool and angora blend.  There is alot of give to it and with it being a tweed there are variations in the thickness throughout each skein.  I dunno if that had anything to do with my troubles, but as I worked it, the piece would go cattywompus on me.  So I pulled it out, asked for help on the 'ville, and started over with good advice.  Still the same thing was happening.  So, after about the 5th time frogging my work, going longways was the best way to get it done.  

And so here it is....Tah  Dah......

 

Done in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed, 3 skeins (50g ea), H (5.00mm) hook

Finished size:  5" x 72" excluding fringe

Pattern:  chain to length desired

2 rows HDC

1 row SC

1 row popcorns 

    (8 sc, 1 pop, 8 sc)

3 rows SC

1 row popcorns 

    (4 sc, 1 pop, 4 sc)

3 rows SC

1 row popcorns 

    (8 sc, 1 pop, 8 sc)

1 row SC

2 rows HDC

**For the fringe, I sc on each edge, then crocheted the fringe, each loop is 16 st 

Another Tah - Dah....

 

I have been so wanting to make a pair of fingerless gloves.  I just haven't had the courage to try them...they look a bit complicated. I'm not very good at decreasing, and most of the patterns I've seen for them have decreases to allow for the thumb hole.  After I got back from the post office (sending out the scarf) I was reading a post from Attic 24 (see my blog list over there on the right side) that Lucy posted today...and there they were.  Wrist warmers.  A simple pattern of sc in a rectangle shape.  I have this yarn I bought at a yarn shop down in Onancock last year and was holding on to it to make a Me-Something.  But couldn't find a Me-Something worthy of the yarn...until today.  Art watched a movie, and sat and crocheted my new pair of wrist warmers...

 

Don't you think they were yarn worthy??  I love them.  Just absolutely love them. As I was stitching them, I liked the pattern going the opposite way, so I added HDC to the cuff end to make them longer.  They will keep my hands very snuggly and warm on those cold golf cart rides!!  And...I have enough yarn to make a matching scarf, and hopefully an earwarmer.  (already got the scarf started...)

Link to pattern:  Attic 24 Wrist Warmers be cautious...Lucy's site is very addicting...she has such a beautiful way with her crochet and use of color throughout everything she does.

Yarn I used:  Plymouth Yarn/Encore Chunky  & Encore Colorspun Chunky

I used an H hook, and my starting chain was 28 stitches.  For the texture I sc 1 row in the front loop and the next row in the back loop.  I did 20 rows. 

I have some baby yarn in pretty colors, so I might try a striped pair in the lighter weight yarn.  Oh I think these will make some really nice gifts for next Christmas....so quick to make, and for all of us riding in the winter on golfcarts, they will be much appreciated!!

Christmas Eve Eve

Nope...I didn't stutter, today is the Eve of Christmas Eve.  The day you (almost) panic because you have only one more day before the actual Christmas Day.  One more day before the last day to do last minute shopping, gift wrapping, and baking. Yeppers, you guessed it...I've been busy in the kitchen making different cookie doughs that have to be chilled before you can roll them out and bake them into yummy cookies.  Sugar Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, Snickerdoodles, and then I baked up a batch Oatmeal Raisin.  

Tomorrow I will be mixing up a few batches of Chocolate Chip and then a batch (or two) of Peanut Butter Cookies.  Yep, its the holidays, and I live to bake cookies at Christmas time!!  And, will have some help getting those yummies baked and decorated.  Steph is coming by along with a friend's Little One.  Nothin like bakin goodies with youngens!
Oh, And this is not all...no no no...I have some yummies I baked up last week at my friend Liz's house.  

Biscotti !!  

Absolutely scrumptious with coffee in the mornings. Almond with dark chocolate drizzled all over, and Chocolate Almond with both milk chocolate and white chocolate drizzlies.  (Gotta have the chocolate melting in my coffee!!)    
 And her house smelled delicious with the scent of anise from her Pizelles and she also had previously made Anisette Biscotti. Also very yummy with chocolate drizzlies and dipped in the morning coffee!  
My baking venture at Liz's house was only just the beginning.  I was a bit under the weather last week, so not much got done except collecting the groceries for the big cookie bake-off, but on Monday of this week, I did manage to play in the chocolate.  

Chocolate-dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies are just a wonderful concoction that most of my friends wait patiently for.  And then with the extra melted chocolate, dipped pretzel rods with candy sprinkles. In case you hadn't guessed, chocolate is a staple for all things good in our house!!

Still a little dusting of snow left from this past Saturday night's snow sprinkle.  A little chilly for it to be only December.  And quite a bit early for the big snowstorm they had just a few miles north of us. Just wish we coulda had more snow here...I love love love to play out in it...snow sledding, snowman building, angel making, snowball throwing, and then the bestest part is warming up around a campfire with marshmallows and snugglin next to your lovies.  oooooo winter is for snugglin, definitely!


Hope you had a blessed Christmas Eve Eve!

Getting this week off on a good start...

Have you ever had a project "speak" to you?? (Its okay...I'm not a fruit loop)
Well, Steph has a friend she borrows books from alot, so as a thank-you to Mary, I thought making her a book cozie would be a nice idea. Well, I started it right after Christmas, didn't like the way it was working, so I frogged it, and started over...adding black popcorns to break up the varigated colors in the yarn. I got it to the point where it was time to sew up the sides, and, it just said..."I wanna be a purse". I had to agree...cuz you know, I have this purse & tote feddish. So, I added a strap, added an inside pocket, and below, is the "I-don't-wanna-be-a-book-cozie" purse!





I used RH Strata yarn (I just love the way it is variaged with so many colors) and RHSS black. I added crochet fringe to the flap to extend it further & give it a funky flair, and the strap I used 1 strand of Strata & 1 strand of black in sc.

This is a close-up with some purse stuff to give you an idea of the overall size.

Oh...and I had to add a matching sweater to my coffee cup!!

(free pattern from http://sukigirl74.blogspot.com/search/label/cozies)

So now, I have a purse and no book sock for Mary...so I pulled some more yarn outta the stash basket, and worked this up. I started it on Saturday at the Trails End Craft Meet, worked on it some Sunday, and finished it up today. I really like how all the different shades of gray & pink blended so well, and the textures of the different yarns.

I used a combination of Vanna's Choice Pink, some baby yarn in a softer, pale pink, RHSS dark gray (?), Lion Boucle in a mixed gray, and Jiffy in light gray. All yarns were already in a ball, except the Vanna Pink was a new skein. Only busted one ball & rolled the Vanna skein into a ball, so this project gave me a +2 for my stashbusting score - the purse gave me a +1 for the Strata yarn (it was already in a ball when I started it). I don't plan to go yarn shopping, so I should end the week with a positive score. The stashbusting is a CAL (crochet a long) on Crochetville. Check out the link over on the right...

I'm planning on working on one of the WIP afghans I started after Christmas, getting as far as I can with the yarn I have for it, and then once that yarn is used up, I'll start working on the Circles lapghan I started a couple weeks before Christmas.

Have a good week!!

Steph's Christmas Scarf

I finally got this done!!! I have been working on it for over 2 weeks now...I really struggled with the black yarn. Its so dark, and sometimes hard to see the stitches, plus there was so much of it that was just "plain". If I do another scarf in black, I will have to re-think the length or do a different stitch that works up faster. Most of this is in hdc - I started doing it in sc, but soon changed - I'd be next Christmas getting it done!

Here's a pattern I created for a book sock.

This is my first attempt at writing a pattern so please let me know if something doesn't make sense!!

Book Sock Pattern
Created by: Crissie Marine 11/13/2008
You are welcome to use this pattern as you wish, as long as you do not sell the pattern - however, you may sell your finished work from this pattern. Please do not post or publish this pattern on your blog or webpage, but instead, please link back to this page.

I used a G hook, and Sugar & Crème cotton yarn.

To get started: Measure book from front cover to back cover - if you want to create a flap that is crocheted in the same direction as the body of the book sock, then measure to allow for flap – I would allow at least 2 or 3 inches for the flap to overlap 

(Photo A)

If you want your flap to go in the opposite direction (like I did), then only measure the book itself (Photo B). This measurement will be the length of your foundation chain.

Photo B

Photo C

The measurement of your book height (Photo C) will be equivalent to the number of rows you make. The book I chose (pictured) is 10” x 16”. I did not allow the extra inches for the flap. 

I tend to crochet tight, so it will be best for you to make your foundation chain and stitch rows based on your measurements.

Instructions:

My foundation chain was 54 and I sc 44 rows.
Rows 1-10, 17-28 & 35-44 were self striping yarn
Rows 11-16 & 29-34 were variegated yarn

Finish off.

Crochet an edging on one short end, this will be the edging on the inside pouch. I did one row of sc.

Finish off

Fold edged end 1/3 up short way. Pin, and crochet sides together to form pouch.

Finish off.

Flap: If you chose to crochet flap with the body of the sock, then crochet an edge of your choice on the remaining short end, or follow row 16 below.Otherwise, you will now make your flap as follows.

Row 1: join yarn to remaining short end of crocheted piece and sc across to last st. Turn.
Row 2-15: ch 1, sc in next st, sc across to end. Turn.Row 16: ch 1, sc in next st. *hdc, 3 dc, hdc in next st, sc in next 3 st. Repeat from * to end of row, ending with 2 sc in last 2 st of row.

Add button to flap. Add crochet chain to outside of pouch near bottom to wrap around button for closure.

Update on Crochet Projects

Here are crochet projects I have completed in the past couple months:

Scarves & Hats

Bright Granny Scarf

& Matching Ear Warmer

Puff Stitch Scarf & Matching Hat

I did this scarf in the Puff Stitch Scarf CAL

and decided to make a matching hat!!

Granny Stitch Scarf (for my Mom)

with crocheted fringe

January Scarf

(12 Scarves of 2009 CAL)

I used the popcorn stitch to

resemble snowballs

This scarf was done in ModaDea Sassy Stripes

which is a self striping yarn. Its a lightweight

yarn (3) and is very soft to work with. This scarf

was a gift for my daughter's friend, Crystal, for

her December birthday.

This was a really fun scarf to work on!

It was for another of my daughter's friends,

Kaitlyn, for a Christmas gift.

I did this hat for Jailyn, who is

now 4 months old. This was my

first attempt at a hat, and also at

the popcorn stitch.