#2

It's such a mess outside right now - cold, snowy, icy rain, slushy foot-deep puddles. I need a dose of something cute, like these cat slippers. I love the embroidered bees and wasps and triangle trim. I believe they're of Chinese origin, photographed at work. Wish I had a pair for my wet feet.

I'll have to make do making a pot of tea in a hand-thrown pot made by a former coworker many years ago. The hot pad is a single crochet simple square motif of Habu cotton yarn.

#1

The first post of 2011.

Though really, I should say the first post in a good long time - since the summer. What can I say - I guess I was lazing on sunny afternoons. Then September came, working full-time and going to nursing school full-time kept me away more. Blog posting fell to the bottom of a long to-do list. I have a little time before school starts again. So, here I am; Happy New Year! Hope you've been well.

What other firsts do I have for the new year?
My first mitten, not only of 2011, but the first mitten I've ever knit.
Subway Mittens, designed by Colleen Michele Meagher. Berroco Ultra Alpaca, Lichen colorway.

Another first, a simple, single strand, crocheted, a January necklace. Habu merino lace, charcoal gray.

And the last first, the first blizzard of the new year. I can't claim making it, but I've enjoyed partaking in its beauty.

May your new year reach great heights.

Washing Winter Away

Isn't it nice to finally see and feel the first signs of Spring? I'm looking forward to the temperature climbing into the 50's this weekend. Just about time to do some spring cleaning. Since it's National Crochet Month, here's a washcloth crochet pattern I worked up for some gift-giving during the holidays. I wanted a pattern that wasn't too feminine, but also wasn't a plain Jane. This is what I ended up with-it uses an easy spike/relief stitch and a simple border all around. While I made it to use as a washcloth, it could fit right in in the kitchen too. I used sportweight yarns, but really any weight could be used.

Knit Picks Simply Cotton Organic Sportweight yarn, Malted Milk and Ginger. You could crochet 2-3 cloths with one skein.

Berroco NaturLin, Oat and Chocolate. One skein makes one cloth, with a good amount left over, but not enough for 2 (in the size I made them).

Pattern: Open Ridge Washcloth
Dimensions 8 ½ inches by 8 ½ inches
Hook: G/4.0 mm
Yarn: Sportweight cotton or linen, such as Knit Picks Simply Cotton or Berroco Naturlin

Notes:
If you tend to hook tightly you may want to use a larger size hook for your chain row.
Work the chain at the beginning of each row loosely.
Increase or decrease the beginning chain row by even numbers in order to change the size of the cloth.
Any weight yarn will work-adjust the hook size and number of chains accordingly.

Instructions:
Chain 36 loosely.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd chain from hook, and 1 sc in ea ch to end. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, skip first sc, * skip next sc, hdc in next st, 1 hdc in space between last 2 st., * repeat from *to *, ending with 1 hdc in last sc. Turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, 1 sc in back loop of ea st, end with sc in the ch 1. Turn.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until the cloth’s length is equal to its width, or to your desired size. End with row 3. Turn.

I added a simple edge of 2 rows of sc. Change it if you'd like!
Row 1: Ch 1, 1 sc in ea st across, 3 sc in the last stitch for a corner, sc evenly along each of the sides, continuing to place 3 sc in ea corner st. Sl st to first sc. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, 1 sc in first st of corner, place 3 sc in middle st of the corner, 1 sc in third st of corner, and continue 1sc in each st, and 3 sc in the middle st of each corner. Sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Weave in ends and block lightly if needed.

I'm using my initial swatches as coasters. These were made with Elesbeth Lavold Hempathy. They look spring-like to me!

(Off to Ravelry to add the pattern there)

a girl, a bird, a wurm, and a medal

Or, the early bird gets the wurm?

the bird: my winter pigeon

Doesn't he look tough? The pigeon was a bit challenging to train. Fingering weight wool yarns, C hook.

the pigeon's cute backside

the Wurm: a squishy knit with Cascade 220, 1 skein, US 7 & 8 circular needles

my wurm pile

the medal: Ravelympics 2010 Skelegurumi (for crocheting the pigeon)

...and the girl gets them all.

Loving the unlovable

What's not to love about a pigeon?

Winter Ravelympics has begun on Ravelry! I've entered the Skelegurumi event and hope to medal for Team Sennott by crocheting the lovable Alfred the Pigeon. My much more challenging event will be the Mitten Moguls. I'm still in training for that event.

bits & scraps

Winter Daisies Pillow:
Scraps of unfit (meaning too thin for rug hooking) wool fabric. A bit of crocheted daisy flowers, an abandoned scarf project (all those endless chains...). I used the incredibly easy envelope back pillow tutorial here.

Coral Strand Necklace:
A bit of Berroco Mica yarn to make a chained and slip stitched cord, with spare button and looped end. Some scrap yarn of Berroco Seduce yarn, leftover from my knit Baktus scarf. The jumping off point for the necklace is Coral, a free crochet pattern from Berroco. I wove the slipped cord through the holes of the Seduce Coral to make my Coral Strand. Depending on my mood, I can wear it spread out or scrunched up.

new boy in town

He sings, he's athletic, he looks good in red, he's

Homestar Runner!

Another brilliant design by Aleta Fera

Crochet for a Winter's Day

I've been crocheting a few different items as I try out my Habu mystery yarn samples. The doily pattern is from the Kyuuto! Lacy Crochet. I love the claw-like petal/leaves and its simple design. The Habu yarn is a laceweight linen so I used a small 1.75 mm hook. The yarn has a beautiful natural color and texture and draped nicely with blocking.
Sometimes it's very satisfying to complete something from start to finish in just a matter of a couple hours. The Habu yarn I used for this simple necklace appears to be a silk paper/ribbon yarn. It's bronze color seemed to be the perfect compliment for some peach seed beads I had left over from a scarf. I played around with several hook sizes before deciding on a 1.75 mm hook for smaller chains. The necklace is long enough that it can be worn in single strands or doubled up around the neck.

This motif reminds me of a passion flower. I'm not sure what this will become. I had just enough of this yarn to make two circle motifs. I may combine it with some linen or wool fabric to make a brooch. Plenty of winter days left to ponder its use.

Squeezing in one more 2009 post

Thanks to a new laptop, I can end 2009 with a quick (and not terribly exciting) note. Christmas was spent in Florida's warmth visiting my mom and brother, and his family. My traveling project was a crocheted shawl that perfectly fit the bill - it was pleasant and quick and just needed some blocking when I got back home.
Pattern: Blue Jeans Shawl by Knottie by Nature
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss Lace in Celery

My insect-loving nephew received a Rhinoceros Beetle, which spent a little time frolicking with some garden gnomes before being tagged and mounted.
Pattern: King of the Forest Rhinoceros Beetle

Happy New Year to You!

the (Habu) line up

Last week at Stitches East I couldn't resist getting some Habu yarn. I snagged two sample bags of unusual and interesting silks, linens and wools, some crinkled, some paper ribbons, some bound, and some with halos. Here they are all in a row - beautiful!

I also like arranging them like a specimen collection. I don't tire looking at them.

These three bundles were not part of the samples. Ideas are floating around in my head as to what they'll become.

But first, I've been crocheting one of the samples, a tsumugi silk, into circular motifs. Now to add another yarn to end up with a necklace.

little things on a rainy autumn day

A few small leaves, another sweet design from the Charming Crochet book.

The green leaf of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes kettle dyed worsted weight in Grasshopper.

The gold leaf of DMC perle cotton #5.

And the kitties? Found long ago amongst nails and screws in a "hardware store in a can" coffee can from my father.

Despite the chilly gray skies, my geranium continues to bloom bright pink . Its hot pink inspired me to pull out some Malabrigo Silky Merino I bought in the heat of the summer last year and begin to turn it into a flowery scarf.

Hempathy's Bounty

A skein of Hempathy is 153 yards. I've found it can go a long way, and that's even with yarn-eating crochet. After I made myself a Comet using the Tea Rose yarn, I still had alot left over. I added a crocheted edge to a gauze scarf. And I still had yarn left so I crocheted a necklace pouch to hold my eyeglasses or iPod Nano.

Even after that I had a bit of yarn left. I could have made a little flower or motif. Instead I crocheted this little bird from the Japanese book, Charming Crochet, that has no function other than hanging sweetly on my wall.