WIP Wednesday: Almost Wasn't

Today's work in progress project doesn't have a name... It came about because I had one skein of Martha Stewart Extra Soft Wool Blend yarn and I wanted to make something that would take up the whole thing. 

So I took to Ravelry and browsed what other people had made with one ball.  I came across a "Variation on a Basic Hat" by a user called Gmax4.  I started knitting the hat and quickly got frustrated by the stiffness and wonkiness of the cord and I kept saying, "I'm gonna rip this out..."  But as you can see I didn't.

The little lace pattern is from GmaX4's pattern, but the other mods are mine.  I did a 2x2 ribbing instead of 1x1 and my finished hat will have a total of 4 lace repeats instead of 3 as in the original hat.  I may even end up putting in more repeats because I want it to be slouchy enough to handle all my hair ^.^  Currently, I'm up to the point to add in the third lace repeat.

First lace repeat finished.

Second lace repeat and a bit of stockinette finished.

One thing I've really been aware of during working on this project is how much the type of needles affect the knitting.  I'm using some needles I picked up at Joann's for like $3 after my coupon.  Since I'm working the hat magic loop, I've been fighting the cable because it just wants to curl up on itself.   Then in the lace repeats I have to do k2tog (knit 2 together) and because the needle tips are so blunt, it is quite the struggle getting the needle behind two stitches at a time.  But I'm pressing through.  I'm assuming this hat will be finished within the coming week and I'll be able to add another item to my stack of hand-knits!

WIP Wednesday... on Thursday: Ravenclaw Socks!

Over the last couple months, I've gotten very much into watching knitting podcasts on youtube.  (I keep hoping that I'll stumble upon a crochet one soon, but it really might be up to me...)  Anywho, one of the podcasts that I've been enjoying quite a lot is Inside Number 23 hosted by Katie (click -here- for her Ravelry).  I like her vintage/handmade style, she's funny and she seems like she'd be fun to talk to or hang out with.  Towards the end of last month, she announced her first knit-a-long which would be Harry Potter themed (#23HarryPotterKAL)  Now, I'm not the biggest HP head, but I did enjoy reading the books when I was younger until my mom made me stop lest I try to become a wizard... lol!  So I decided to join in on her KAL.  And not only did I join a KAL, I decided to knit socks.  I chose to knit socks because I figured it would be a great challenge especially since the only thing I ever knitted was a very short scarf with super bulky yarn.  Bring on the teeny tiny needles!!! 

I cast the first sock on exactly 2 weeks ago and I finished the toe last night ^.^ I will also confess that I totally slept in the one sock because I was so proud of myself! So yeah, check out my progress pics!

1. The yarn I'm using is Patons Kroy - Cadet colors.  It's shades of navy with grey and I chose it because when I went to Universal for my birthday, I was sorted into Ravenclaw :)  This Patons Kroy colorway is perfect for Ravenclaw socks.
2. I did 2x2 ribbing, and that little half inch of rib took me like 2 hours to work!  Figuring out how to hold the yarn and knit was quite fiddly because I'm so use to crochet.
3. I got bored of the ribbing so I just went on to the leg after that half inch, lol.  In the future, I will def make my cuff considerably longer so it will actually fit to my leg.
4. More progress down the leg. I have learned that I knit continental and in the back loop which should be creating twisted stitches but for some reason doesn't.  I tried to follow a tutorial on youtube for continental knitting, but then my stitches started twisting... so I went back to what I was originally doing and it seems to work right.
5.  I TURNED A FLIPPING HEEL!!!!  This was the part of sock making that had me shaking in my boots! But I did it and I was so excited I wanted to do a victory dance around the room lol!
6. Working the gusset decreases.  This is the part where my funky knitting really made things hard.  I regularly knit into the back loop, but when you decrease you can't do it that way, so the decreases are a bit harder for me to do but I got it.  Also, I need to practice picking up stitches because I couldn't figure out how to do it with the needles, so I got my crochet hook out and used it.  Gotta make it work :)
7. Gusset done!  Progressing down the foot.  Round and round she goes!
8.  I did a wedge toe (??) I think that's what it's called.  It was def a good amount of practice on my decreases.  I decreased down to 12 stitches and when I finished stitching the sock closed, I realized I could've stopped decreasing at like 20... oh well, more practice.
9.  My first finished sock!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm excited to cast the next one on and wear them everywhere!  lol! 

Here's more shots of the finished sock.  The kitchener stitch for closing the toe was quite fiddly also.  But I think it being after midnight, poor lighting, and a dark section of the yarn contributed to the fiddly-ness.  As you can see, Miss Tootie approves of my work too ^.^

So yeah... I made a sock... that is just so cool!  I'm glad that Katie started the KAL and provided the idea for make these.  In all honesty though, all the way through this sock I wanted to frog it out and crochet instead.  I'm very proud of myself for sticking in there with the knitting.  Especially when my fingers got crampy and the stitches got frustrating.  Hopefully the next sock goes smoother.

WIP Wednesday: Cozies and a Cowl

I am currently languishing beneath these two crochet projects... I want them to be finished soo badly, but they're such slow going!  The first is a large order of Beauty & the Beast themed cup cozies.  I have five or so left to make and then on to sewing on the contrasting details.  They are really cute and all, but man oh man are they quite boring to crochet!  lol!

The pattern is very simple.  Just 12 rounds of single crochet with 30 stitches per round.  I decided to work in joined rounds instead of a spiral because sometimes I slip into auto pilot and would totally lose count while spiraling.  Originally, I was going to crochet a chain with the darker yellow and attach it around the cozy body, but I didn't like how it looked.  So after a bit of brainstorming, I decided to switch to two strands.  I think it looks much better.  Wish me speedy fingers as I need to get these finished this week!

The second project that is loooooming overhead is a hooded cowl with ears.  I started working on this a few weeks ago and got all the way through the cowl part and into the hood... only to realize that it was going to be too small.  So I had to frog the whole thing out and start over again.  Something about frogging and restarting a project really takes the wind outta your sails -___-  Anywho,  this is how far I've gotten in the reboot.

 
I'm working from an inspiration photo my friend sent me (-via Ravelry-).  I originally wanted to make the piece out of a super bulky yarn, but I couldn't find any in the right color.  So I'm holding 2 strands of red heart worsted together.  Even though the yarn is very thick, it still is slow going.  I just wish these projects would go faster so I can start on other things!

This experience has shown me that when I commit to projects like these I need to try my best to knock them out immediately.  Since they're been in progress so long I'm really losing my steam behind them, but I have to finish.  I need to get re-motivated.

I know that after I finish these pieces, I'm taking a nice break from crocheting anything for other people.  I've been doing more daydreaming and project planning for things I want to make myself.  I just need to get these done in order to start those new things.

WIP Wednesday: Baby Photography Props

Last week all the portrait studio district managers had a huge meeting.  One of the ladies made a bunch of crochet coffee cup cozies for the group and my manager's first response was 'hey Caleisha... you should make these and sell them.' Lol ^.^  Then she went on to tell the group about all the things I've crocheted for the studio.  (She's been super awesome at pushing me to actually make moves with my Etsy shop dreams.)  Anywho, a few of the managers asked me if I could make some baby props for their studios [insert kool-aid grin here] and of course my mind went zooming down the design/crafty road.

I've been eyeing this book at Joann's for a while for the basic diaper cover pattern and this developing interest in my work gave me the excuse reason to buy it.  My plan is to make a few costumes and price them for the studio managers.  So far I've been asked if I can make a cowboy costume, a monster, and a turtle.  I also started a board on Pinterest to collect photo prop ideas.  I'm so excited for this opportunity to share my crochet work with more people.  ^.^

It's such a blessing to have a manager that no only cares about me as a worker, but also as a person with ideas and dreams of my own outside of the job.  I'm so glad that I walked into the portrait studio 2+ years ago and that Liz thought it was a good idea to hire me :)

WIP Wednesday: Chevron Lace Cardigan

About a week and a half ago I finally started working on a crochet sweater! In my 30 before 30 list I have "crochet a shawl, a top, and a sweater" and I'm so excited to have my first sweater underway!

It took me a really long time to settle on a pattern, mostly because I wanted it to be simple enough to to not be frustrating at my first try, and also something I could wear in Florida.  I had spent days scrolling on Pinterest and Ravelry when I came across the Chevron Lace Cardigan.  It was very pretty in the pictures and I was pleased to see it was a free pattern ^.^ huzzah!  So I started working on it on August 9th and it's been as simple as I hoped.  Starting the sleeves has been the most fiddly part.

My plan is to finish it up in the next few days and wear it... Everywhere!  It's light enough to wear to church and hopefully warm enough to keep me comfy in the studio.  After this one is done I want to make another in white maybe, bolero length with cap sleeves.

One of my teacher friends has already asked if I can make her one for her classroom.  I love it when my friends like my work enough to ask me to make things! Plus as far as I'm concerned that's free advertising ^.^ 

 

WIP Wednesday (on a thursday): Leo Baby Blanket

A few months ago a past coworker of mine asked me to make a crochet blanket from her grandbaby coming in august.  She sent me this photo from pinterest with the colors she wanted and I decided on the pattern.

The pinterest pin

I've been working on this blanket on and off for a couple weeks now and I'm probably half way done.  I must say that the chevron pattern is kinda boring, lol. Its repetitive fashion is really peaceful but since every row is the same and the stripes are the same size, it tends to wear on me.  I find myself only wanting to working on it a little bit at a time.  Hopefully I'll be done with it within the next couple weeks.  It is a really pretty color combo and I'm sure I'll log the pattern away as an item to list in my etsy shop.  We'll see :)

 

I named this blanket Leo after the constellation since the baby is due within that astrological sign.  Leo is also one of the first constellations I was able to identify.   It also shows a juxtaposition of ideas... a soft vulnerable baby and a powerful lion.  As I'm typing this so many other ideas are running though my head stemming from the baby & lion image. Thoughts of protection and Heaven.

I hope you like this blanket & I cannot wait to finish it and get it to it's new home!

W.I.P. Wednesday: Bellatrix Baby Blanket

Hellooo there ^.^

I have started yet another baby blanket.  One of Lamar's friends is expecting a little girl in July and he asked me to make a blanket for her.  Of course I obliged :)  I love it whenever I'm asked to make something and I have just about all the necessary colors in my stash.  Or maybe my stash is too big... nah!

This is the color scheme. Monochromatic purple :)

After doodling a bunch of different pattern ideas, I decided to just use the same striped pattern from the gender neutral blanket I recently finished.

I'm loving how the colors are working together.

I've named the pattern Bellatrix and it is the first confirmed product that will be listed in my etsy shop. ^.^ huzzah!  I hope to be finished with it by next week.  Then it's back to the drawing board for new designs and ideas!

Baby Blanket Makin

A couple of our friends are expecting their first baby this coming May, so as is my custom, I decided to make them a gift.  First, I did a little sleuthing on their baby registry to see what colors they were fancying.  They don't know the gender of the baby yet, so the majority of the items were earth-toned.  Then, I hopped over to Biscuits & Jam to use their random stripes generator.  BTW that tool is stinkin' awesome!  I decided to go with a simple stitch to take a backseat to the stripe pattern.

Crocheting on the floor in the children's section of Barnes & Noble.

The colors I chose were green & brown, with a light and dark yarn in each.  I spent a few days working on the blanket, and when I finally got to the weaving in all the tails stage... people kept saying, "oh! are they having a boy?"  So that basically told me my color scheme was definitely NOT gender neutral... womp womp womp.  Back to the drawing board.

My next color scheme idea was to remove the dark brown and dark green and replace them.  I also wanted to add in white and grey.  These were the new options.  I posted this picture on instagram to poll which color scheme to do.  The consensus was to go with the white/grey/yellow/green option.

Left: white, grey, green, yellow
Right: white, grey, tan, yellow

So I have restarted the blanket.  I think the biggest change in the construction of this piece is my foundation row.  Normally to start a large piece like this, you chain a certain amount & then go back and stitch into the chains.  Instead of doing that, I decided to try using the chainless foundation technique.  SO. MUCH. BETTER!  I think it's fair to say, I'll be using that foundation method regularly.  :)  Wish me luck as I try to speed through this second version of this blanket.

Create A Set: Furniture Rehab pt. 1

One of the shows that Lamar and I like watching together is Flea Market Flip.  It's a show where two teams compete to buy/refinish/sell items from the flea market.  They are given an hour to shop and a list of 3 projects to complete.  The team that makes the most profit on their re-imagined and refinished pieces wins.  It's a fun show to watch and if you haven't seen it yet, check it out.  One of the projects is called "Create a Pair" where the teams have to find pieces that don't go together and make them into a matching set.  This was my inspiration for the following project.

Before multiple cans of spray paint.

I found the two metal folding chairs at my local thrift store for $2.99 each and since they were in good condition and a convenient size, I figured they would be great for outdoor use.  Since we currently have zilch on the outdoor furniture front, these got thumbs up all around.  The other part of my 'create a set' is a couple of ottomans I found out on the curb in the trash.  The metal bases were intact, but the cushions needed some TLC.  Side note, I'm always on the look out for cool pieces that other people are throwing away.  Most times, I find that they can be revived with some cleaning and imagination.

Babe even got in on the painting fun.  Although any drippy spots are totally his fault ^.^

Before and After of my ottoman bottoms.  I really like the cream color.  Nice and neutral.  Ready for a bright cushion!

So far I have cleaned and painted the chairs and ottomans.  It's really awesome to see how a couple coats of spray paint will change up the entire look of an item.  The next step is to get the supplies together to create the cushions.  I'm thinking a bold stripe fabric for a bit of fun... We'll see how it goes!

Nothing Like a Good Ol' Granny Square: WIP Wednesday

Hi!

Recently I've been doing a bunch of small crochet projects.  Little things like baby booties, beanies and teeny tiny flowers.  I realized the other day that I'm ready to tackle another big project.    So I decided to design a blanket and nothing says "come cuddle under me" like a crochet patchwork blanket! ^.^

This new blanket design started with me flipping through my 200 Crochet Squares book on the lookout for beautiful & simple patterns to build with.  I went over & over a few motifs before settling on two.  Only thing, once I actually started making them- I didn't like them so much.  So back to the drawing board I went.  Literally.  I took out my sketchbook, drew up a blanket & planned out the colors.  This approach definitely helped, and I went back to the pattern book to find blocks to highlight my color choices.  ...still no dice... -___-

What to do now?

I took it back to basics.  In my mind, there seems to be nothing quite like a good, traditional granny square ^.^  So I will hopefully have a new snuggle worthy granny patch blanket before June!  The colors I originally chose for it were white, grey, yellow & blue, but in the spirit of using up my yarn stash, I added black, green, and a darker blue.  It feels good to potentially use up quite a bit of yarn that's just been waiting to be used.

So far, I have all 61 of the white centers done and I've started working on the color rounds.  I actually used up a brand new skein of white yarn on them.  That was pretty cool. :)  The thing about granny squares that I love the most is their simplicity.  I can totally crochet them with my eyes closed... well everything after the first round.  What that means is, I can make them while watching YouTube or Netflix or while on lunch at the mall.  They're also super portable since I'm changing colors each couple rounds.  So I can easily carry a bunch of them in my bag with the necessary yarn color and work on them on the go.  

Why would I ever stray from the wondrous granny square!?!? *shrug*

Anywho, that's what's currently on my hook and I'm quite happy about it.  I can't wait until I start joining them together... I suppose I should decide what kind of join I want to use.  I'm leaning towards a single crochet join.  We'll see soon enough.  (BTW  I just spelled soon incorrectly twice o.O 'sune' then 'soone'... what the heck?!?  That's what I get for writing them up at 1 am. *sigh*)

Peace! I hope you're having a wonderful week :)

WIP Wednesday: The Metamorphosis of an Idea

(As usual I have fallen off the blogging bus... but in my defense... there has been quite a bit of wedding to do around here.  And I started a new job, nothing fancy, but it'll do.  I have been handwriting posts in my notebook, but sadly they take forever and a day to get to the computer. *shrug*  I really enjoy writing/keeping this blog, so I'm just going to have to figure a way to make myself do it...  Anywho, on to the actual post!)

So I find it really cool how some ideas seem to grow and develop rather organically.  I mean you start with a thought like this, "I'm gonna tie these thank you tags on with a ribbon.  Than some alphabet charms catch your eye and they get tossed into the mix.  So you sit down and try multiple times to tie a nice ribbon bow.  You know, one that will show off the charms, only to realize... It doesn't quite work.  So back in the bag they go.

Something doesn't click... What is it???
The next idea is to use a bit of chain to hang the charm just below the thank you tag.  Brilliant solution right?!

Not so much... GAH! What's missing?!?!  Back in the bag they go again.
The thing about creation is that sometimes the stars align and suddenly, while packing up beads to give to a friend, it hits you!  They're not suppose to be tied on with a silly bow!  These pieces are meant to be keychains!

Victory!!!
And then this happens.

 So yeah :) These key chains are a part of the gifts I'm creating for my bridesmaids.  I'll be posting a full look-see on the gifts soon.  Hopefully the girls will like them.  A lot.  Like really ^.^

WIP Wednesday: Cherry Red

'Ello there :)

I feel like it's been a while since I posted... Woo... it's been exactly a week o.O  My bad.  So here we are back at WIP Wednesday. I finished the top-down ribbed hat from last week, but as it turns out, I like the bottom-up version better. *shrug*  Things you don't find out til you try.

Anywho, I'm on to the next project.  Since this past Monday was veteran's day, lots of stores had special sales and coupons out. So I stopped by Michaels and Joann's for a few crafty bits.  I have recently started using the Vanna's choice worsted weight yarn and I love the cushiness of it.  What I do not love is the price.  It normally runs about $4 per ball.. which I cannot abide and neither can my wallet...  lucky me I recently thrifted a couple new balls to add to my stash.  But anyway, Michaels had them on sale for $2.29 and on top of that I had a 25% off total purchase coupon. I picked up 2 red and 2 yellow and with the 25% off it was pretty much buy 3 get 1 free :) I'll take it.  Then I went over to Joann's armed with 3 60% off coupons and got 3 balls of bulky weight yarn. Stash upgraded.

The first yarn I cracked into was the red Vanna's Choice.  I wanted to make a bow detailed ear warmer... (I'm in this ear warmer making phase evidently... *shrug*) So that is my current WIP. I finished the pieces for the bow detail today, but I decided it was scaled too large.  And like the grand blogger I am, I've forgotten to take pictures... >insert epic eyeroll here< 

Please forgive the shatty camera phone snapshot, but I wanted to show the scale issue.

That little band in the back is the beginning of the headband part, so you can see the gross scale difference between the bow.  Yeah... That bow is getting frogged asap...  I am loving the yarn tho. Glad I snagged it ^.^

Good night!

WIP Wednesday: Depression and Creation

If you read any of my last few posts, you'd know that I've been frittering about on the lower end of my emotional spectrum.  No fun.  Luckily it hasn't been a solid block of cloudy depression, but rather partially cloudy where I can still see the blue sky between.  Color me counting my blessings.

Anywho, I had a thought today about my brain and depression.  The first time I was seriously down logic became so clear.  I mean, I could look at a sudoku puzzle, regardless of difficulty, and the numbers would fall into place.  It was so odd that I remember my friends thinking I'd come up with some way of cheating the game.  It was the one thing that always made sense at a time where I had to remind myself what color the sky was and make sure the ribbon hiding the burns on my wrist was tied tightly.

Recently, my mind has been processing creatively much faster.  It's almost like the longer I stay down, the clearer designs become and the more I make.  For instance, I've been wanting to make a top-down ribbed hat where the ribbing actually starts in the crown of the hat.  The problem with that was, I couldn't figure out the mechanics or the count to make sure the ribs were evenly spaced.  That was until today.  The solution came like eyesignt upon waking. You know, foggy at first but then perfectly clear...

So I was thinking about the apparent link between depression and creation.  I don't know what the deal is with depression and clarity or selective clarity, but I am grateful that even when I feel crumbly and trampled emotionally, the melancholy still has a silver lining.  Does anyone else feel this way or find that depression can give way to awesome creations? Why is that? Can the creation be separated from the depression? Or are we artists really fated to juggle two...  Let me know what you think if you like.

Progress shot I shared on instagram <@nadiratani>

Anywho, you can't really see the ribbing because of the variegated yarn, but once I get it finished I'm going to recreate it with a solid color so you can fully experience the amazing-ness. :)


~Peace

WIP Wednesday: Look Ma, No Hook!

So a few days ago, I watched a video on youtube about arm knitting.  It was pretty cool, but of course as the non-knitter I am- I wanted to arm-crochet.  I've been brainstorming for a couple days to figure out how I would go about arm-crocheting, and I'm pleased to day I figured out a way!

I gave up trying to crochet the standard way and decided that working stitches in tunisian crochet would work.   I started off with 3 strands of worsted weight yarn and tried to crochet a foundation chain.

After struggling with the worsted weight yarn, I decided to raid my stash for some bulkier yarn to work with.

Success!  Basically I used my arm like a tunisian crochet hook and worked 5 tunisian simple stitches for this first crack at arm-crochet.  Since I'm new at tunisian crochet anyway, I'm pretty sure I messed up the stitches along the way, but it's not half bad for a first try.

I kept crocheting rows until what became a scarf was roughly 5 feet long.  The next time I try this again, I'll probably use something like t-shirt yarn or 6 strands of super bulky yarn together just to make a more solid piece.

It's light enough to be worn when ever fall gets around to making it's way down to Florida, and I really like the colors I was able to use.  It kinda reminds me of those skinny fashion scarves that were "in" a while ago... y'know??

Anywho,  here are some detail shots after I finished it off.

I suppose it has a lace-like quality to it since the spaces are so big... and I'm thinking about putting a fringe on it.  Haven't settled on that decision yet tho.

I'm so glad this idea didn't flop.  Maybe after more brainstorming, I can figure a way to arm-crochet in a way that isn't so messy looking.

Goodnight!

WIP Wednesday: Crocheting in Florida

Happy hump-day ^.^

As you can see by the post title, I've decided to change "What's On My Hook Wednesday" to "W.I.P. (work in progress) Wednesday" so that it's not so narrowed to crochet things.  I want to be able to share whatever crafty things I'm working on without my OCD mind getting all twisted up in the post title or label. 

So all that being said, I have a crochet piece to share with you guys.  Since moving to Florida, I've been trying different hat patterns to find one that's slouchy and big enough to hold my hair, but doesn't retain a lot of heat.  I did one hat with a small cluster stitch, but it was too dense.  Then I looked at a stitch called the V-stitch and figured that it would give me a semi-lace looking hat.

After a couple frogged attempts at sizing and shaping the hat, I finally got it right!  I'm so stinkin' excited about this pattern because I can wear it outside or at work and not have a heat stroke! Huzzah!  I actually went out and bought 2 new balls of yarn to make it in other colors.  I went with a medium grey yarn when I was free styling the hat originally, and then I remade it with a forest green to test the pattern.  Both colors are dark enough for me to wear at work, so that's pretty cool.  The two new colors I bought are navy blue and burgundy Vanna's Choice.  I hope to finish the two new hats by the weekend.  That'll be cool :)  Now without further ado, here are my "Florida Hats" (with a better name soon to come ^.^)



Ta-Da!!!

You can see how airy, but still contained the hat is ^.^

I really like this dark green color.  I'm pretty sure it's a Vanna's Choice color.

I just LOVE the fit and comfort of these hats! So exciting ^.^

You can see in the pictures that the green yarn is a teensy bit thicker than the grey scrap yarn I used for the first one.  I think that I'm going to continue using the Vanna's Choice for these.  I like that the yarn has a bit of stretch, is soft, but still an easy care acrylic.

What do you think!?