I'm coming up on the anniversary of starting the purple infinity scarf. Christmas is less than two months away. And, of course, my Etsy shop can always use new stock.
But am I working on any of that? Of course not. Nope. I just started a new project... for me.
Using birthday yarn (yarn gifted to me for my birthday back in July), I started a very simple infinity scarf...
The yarn is lace weight (read: very thin and fine), so of course this doesn't look like anything yet. If I have enough yarn to make this wide enough, it'll be a perfect scarf for SoCal "winter".
You can't tell from this picture, but this is a moebius. I saw on a TV show how easy it is to do moebius in crochet, and I had to try it.
I'll update when this looks like something more interesting. Although, hopefully now that I've got the cast on out of my system (that's the trick), I can get back to things I should be working on, like a custom order I just received.
In case you're curious (and I know some of you are crocheters or knitters), getting a moebius started is very simple. (This isn't the TV show I saw as unfortunately that's behind a paywall, but the technique is clearly illustrated.)
The other day I was in Dollar Tree. While looking around, I saw a donut keychain. And I thought, I can do that...
Long time readers will remember when I crocheted a donut. That donut was way too big for my purposes, but if I halved the pattern...
So, I set about to do that. In the back of my mind, I wasn't really thinking keychain, though. I was thinking bag charm. But they're basically the same thing. Same size, anyway.
I located my pattern. Instead of chaining 15 sts, I figured I'd start with 8. Then I followed the pattern as is. Which made the thing way too wide around. (I should have realized that at the time. I'll blame it on summer brain.)
Starting over...
This time, I made the bottom half 4 rounds and the top half 6. And that made it come out just right...
Because this doesn't give you a good indication of size, I posed with it also.
It's tiny. Only a couple inches across.
Now it's just a matter of attaching the hardware. I figure a chain. I'm debating whether to add a keychain ring or just a claw clasp. I guess it would depend on how one wanted to use it. What do you think?
As I was working on this, I realized that I'm right on time for my summer project. It seems that I've been making keychains every summer.
Last summer:
And the summer before:
(Yes, these are in my shop here. I also take special requests for colors and such. If you're curious, just message me, and we can work something out.)
Now that that's out of the way, I suppose I should start thinking about Halloween...
Last week, I previewed what the donut looks like after the form has been crocheted, but before it's been sewn together and stuffed...
I really thought there'd be more to it than crocheting a sphere with the ends cut off. *Shrug*
Good thing I looked it up on the internet.
Oh my. Seriously. Do this. Google "crochet donuts". Or look them up on Etsy. Pages. And pages. Wow.
So, yeah, I made a couple. They look like this...
Cute, huh? I used this pattern with a couple modifications. I used slightly bulkier yarn and an H hook. And I started with a chain of 20.
The "frosting" was added by starting a new color on round 7. The "sprinkles" are just a sort of running stitch using variegated yarn (before stuffing).
I did make one in the pattern's original size...
Size difference for comparison...
They're kind of cool. And weird.
Did you have any idea crocheted donuts were a thing? Would you want a crocheted donut?
I was back out at the farmers market a couple weeks ago. During the course of the day, one of the other vendors came over to ask me a question. Could I make...?
I had not seen such a thing before. But it appeared simple enough.
Upon getting home, I went to do some research. There are some people who can see a crocheted item and know exactly what to do to reproduce it. I liken these people to those who can play music by ear--they hear it once and can play it for you.
I, however, am like the musicians who need to have the sheet music in front of them. I can follow a crochet (or knitting) pattern easily. But reverse engineering a garment? I can do it, but it'll take me a while. And why should I, when a pattern can easily be found?
Besides, it turns out that what I had envisioned was way more complicated than the pattern turned out to be.
First, you get an object that looks like this...
And then with finishing...
Well, it turns into something more recognizable. And if I had lots of other knit and/or crochet projects to show off, I'd probably be writing about something else entirely today.
But this item fits C perfectly. So, rather than steal an A to Z post and scramble for a C post next Monday, I'm just going to tease you with this. Although, I bet some of you already know what this is going to turn out to be.
And now I think he looks like Toothless. But that's better than the creepy look he had before.
Per your suggestions, I tried using pipe cleaners for the legs for the twins. I rather like the way those turned out. Alas, I didn't have a chance to get pictures before I delivered them (I was down with a cold). However, when I gave the twins their spiders, the other two nephews requested spiders of their own.
The eldest nephew (HapkidoKid) asked that his be brown...
And the middle nephew (Rambo) requested purple but with pipe cleaner legs. Unfortunately, they only make pipe cleaners in one shade of purple which doesn't match the shade of purple I had in yarn...
Ah well. Just to get an idea of what the twins' spiders looked like, I did a little photo manipulation...
It's a bit fuzzy, but otherwise gives you a good idea of how those turned out. I think I might like the pipe cleaner version better. (Although, getting the pipe cleaners onto the body is just as difficult as getting the I-cord legs on.)
And now I'm done. Unless the nephews want eyes on theirs. (I've asked but gotten no answer.) I suppose now I should start thinking about Christmas projects. But it's been way too hot to think about Christmas.
No decision on the eye front. Thanks for all your suggestions. I like the rhinestone bead idea. Now I just have to figure out where to acquire some rhinestone beads.
(Since some of you have expressed a like of googly eyes, I may have to try that as well. There's no reason why I can't make several all with different types of eyes.)
This past week I made a spider in purple...
It was a request. I like how it turned out.
I delivered the spider to its recipient. (Yes, I am taking orders for these things.) That's when my 2-year-old twin nephews saw it.
When does one teach a 2-year-old the word "spider"? Because they knew what it was. And what to call it. And they wanted to get their hands on it.
Which would have been fine, except the legs have wires in them. To keep them positioned. And I'm not too sure that they would be safe for 2-year-olds.
For the next hour, I kept hearing the word "spider" followed by crying. *facepalm*
So, now I have two more to make. (Can't just bring the twins just one.) And no idea how to deal with the legs.
Well, at least the eye question is settled for them. No eyes. (I've seen what they've done with other things I've made for them. The eyes would be pulled off in no time.)
...and roughly half of you said he needed eyes while the other half said to leave as is. So, I've been contemplating how I could do eyes. I went to the craft store and found googly eyes, but I didn't think they'd work. Someone suggested painting eyes on...
This is step one. The paint is glow in the dark, which I thought would give it the right sort of look, but I don't think I like how this turned out. Perhaps I need to put some black over it, which will sort of look eye-y against the black body of the spider.
I did a little research, and most spider critters that are made for Halloween decor tend not to have visible eyes.
So, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. In the meantime, I'm still cranking out the critters...
At the moment, I'm in the awful position of not knowing what to knit next. The problem isn't a myriad of projects that I can't choose from. Nope. I'm out of ideas.
This is a bad, bad thing. I've gotten to the point where I can't sit still and watch TV. My hands have to be doing something. That's why I made the hat...
But I need something else. (Okay, those are crochet--all but the hat--which might be a big part of the problem.)
So, I came here to ask for help. What should I knit next? (Or crochet. What should I make next?) I'm desperate for ideas. Is there anything that you'd like to see me add to my shop?
The body worked up easily enough. And the legs, done in I-cords (although, I actually crocheted them, too), went easily enough. My troubles came later.
The instructions have you insert wires into the legs and then attach those legs to the body. But my legs were flopping around like crazy.
Turns out, the wires need to be attached to the legs somehow. If I hadn't wound in my ends before inserting the wire, I could have saved myself a world of grief by using those ends to tie down the wires.
Then, the legs need to be really attached to the body. Not just tacked down. Once I went back and sewed those legs all the way across the bottom, the legs bent and molded just the way I'd hoped they would.
So, mistakes made, but that means those mistakes won't be made on a second critter. Wish me luck.
Busy week ahead. I'm over at Unicorn Bell all week, talking about writing groups. Feel free to drop on by and tell us of your experiences.
I've been kind of between projects. I'm not sure what to work on, so I went in search of some Halloween patterns. I pulled out the pumpkin pattern as these got lost in the move...
And I went to try again the jack-o-lantern version...
Which still looks creepy. And not in a good-creepy way.
I guess I have to bite the bullet and figure out how to...gulp...embroider some eyes and mouth holes. Does anyone have any embroidery experience? Any ideas? Help...
Just recently I wanted to make some more. But somehow I had blanked out on the hardest part of the project.
After the body has been crocheted, the pattern calls for two buttons to be sewn on. The buttons look like on/off switches or toggle buttons. But I don't like buttons. And finding ones small enough seemed to be a waste of time.
Then the idea hit--why not embroider a couple buttons on? Easy enough, right?
I had seen the French Knot done. I had read the procedure. The instructions:
Pull yarn to front of project.
Wrap the yarn that's between the fabric and the needle around the needle a couple times.
With your other hand, push the needle through to the back of the project very close to where the yarn emerged.
So, I...
But I'm sure you can see the problem with this...
I could see this was going to happen. Yet, if I follow the instructions...
I can't tell you how many times I tried. Every time I got the above. Every time. I looked at pictures, but I could not figure out what I was doing wrong.
After failing for days a half hour, I finally found the picture that cleared everything up for me. Turns out, I was winding the yarn the wrong way. There's a part when the yarn should cross over thereby making the knot. (I knew the yarn had to cross over in some way, but the pictures were not clear on where that was.)
It's obvious when you know what you're doing, but when you're just looking at pictures and reading the instructions, it isn't. Anyway, I finally got a knot...
There's a reason YouTube how to videos are popular. Some of this stuff isn't obvious even though to someone who's been doing it a long time it is.
What's the last "easy" thing that had you flummoxed?
The suggestion was made to make it in a variegated yarn. So, since today is V day, I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to show you how those came out...
I think they turned out rather well.
Less than a week left. How are you keeping up with the A to Z Challenge? Ready for it to be over? Found any good blogs we should know about? Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...
Yes, V is available for the giveaway. Have you entered? It's open through the A to Z.
I got this idea in my head. I don't know where it came from. But was I was making another of my EOS Lip Balm Holders, it occurred to me that I could make one that looks like a Pokemon Pokeball.
I'm not a fan of Pokemon. I only am aware of its existence as I was working in the toy store when they first came out. But it was an idea that wouldn't let go.
So, I did a little math. Consulted pics online. Came up with a prototype. Was not satisfied with how it came out. Did a little plotting and planning. And let it sit for a couple months (at least).
Then, last Saturday I had an epiphany. Use a button. And the thing was complete.
And a picture for scale...
Have you ever had a strange idea that wouldn't let you go? Are you a fan of Pokemon? Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...
This letter available for the giveaway. Have you entered the giveaway? It's still open...
So easy that I've been meaning to make the pattern available for some time. But just haven't gotten around to it.
Well, today's the day.
First, the preliminaries...
This holder is crocheted using Caron Simply Soft Yarn on a size G hook. The other things you'll need are a lobster claw clasp (big enough to fit over the yarn), a tapestry needle, and a stitch marker. I'm not sure how much yarn this takes to make, but it isn't much at all, so I'd suggest you go into your stash for the yarn rather than buying new.
I'm using the usual abbreviations--sc=single crochet; sl st=slip stitch; ch=chain
Gauge: 17 sc and 18 rows over 4 inches This is one of those projects that is so small that making a gauge swatch is kind of silly. What I suggest is that you keep an EOS Egg Lip Balm on hand and plop it in at about round 6. If it won't fit, add a stitch to the first round. If it's very loose (there should be a little ease, but not so much that it'll fall out), subtract a stitch from the first round.
This is worked in a spiral, so make sure to mark the beginning of each round as you pass it. It's very easy to lose track if you don't mark it. (Not that I have any experience with that...)
The Pattern:
Ch 3. Sl st into the first chain, making a loop. Round 1: Work 9 sc into the ch 3 loop. Round 2: 2 sc in each sc from previous round (18 sc) Round 3: *2 sc in 1st sc, sc in next sc*, repeat these 3 sc all the way around (27 sc) Rounds 4-8: Continue working one sc into each sc (27 sc) Round 9*(also see note below): *Sc into each of the next 7 sc, sc 2 together*, repeat 2 more times (24 sc) Round 10: *Sc into each of the next 6 sc, sc 2 together*, repeat 2 more times (21 sc)
Finishing: Cut yarn. Draw the yarn all the way through the loop. Then put that yarn on the tapestry needle, and loop the yarn around the base of the next sc and up and through the top of the final sc. If you've never done this before, here's a great video I found showing exactly what I'm talking about:
Wind in ends. The cozy will need a little blocking at this point to make the top even, but once that it done, it's done
*On round 9, you'll also be attaching the claw clasp. It doesn't matter which stitch you attach it to (I usually attach it to the 4th stitch). Where you want to attach it, remove the hook from the piece, pull the loop out, slide the clasp (open part facing towards the piece) over the stitch, replace the hook, and continue crocheting. On the next round you'll need to push the clasp out of the way to work a stitch into that stitch, but then it's completely secure.
It's a pretty simple pattern. If you do make it, I'd love to see your results. You can comment here or tag me on Ravelry. (I'm ZiziRho, and you can find the pattern page here.) Let me know what you think.
...have been selling well. Very well. Surprisingly well.
One sold on Christmas Day. One sold on New Year's Day. And I keep making more to replace the colors sold.
When I first listed these, I only had one made of each color. I soon learned this was probably not the best idea. I marked "out of stock" as I sold colors and only put them back in stock once I replaced them.
The other day, I finally got around to replacing the "grass green" one. At least, I thought it was "grass green". (I think the yarn color is actually called "limelight".) I made it, changed the availability on the site, and a few days later it sold.
But something was nagging me. The color didn't look quite right.
Turns out I had two similar greens, and I had used the wrong one...
The one on the left (the one that was made) was actually a "sage". Ooops.
I quickly made it in the correct color and shipped it out. Although, now I have one in a color not listed. (And now I'm out of that yarn.)
They're close, but the difference is visible. At least to me.
So, the question is, do I get more of the "sage" yarn and add it to my stock? Or am I right? I already have too many greens.
And, what other colors should I add? I went to the yarn store to look for other colors, and I was flummoxed as to what to add. I have just about every shade. (I was planning on making an orange, but they were out of orange. Sigh.)
Christmas ended, and that's when I had to ramp up the crochet. You see, not only did I put off starting my Christmas knitting, I also put off a birthday present.
HapkidoKid's birthday is December 26th.
Bad timing on his part, really.
He got it on New Year's Eve...
I was worried it wouldn't fit. I was wrong. (The pattern I used is here. I ended up making it a bit smaller than was written.)
Then for Christmas I received a skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted Yarn. And because the skein was in orange, that meant I had to make something for myself...
Just in time for our cold snap. (Which might be over by the time this post goes live.) This pattern is called Calorimetry, and it was pretty easy to knit.
And now...
Now I've got time and I'm not sure what I'm going to make. I'm sure I'll come up with something.
I know I mentioned these before, but now that we're in full Christmas shopping mode (now that Halloween and Thanksgiving are over), I thought I'd put these out there again in hopes that I might entice you to do a little of your Christmas shopping with me...
And for you, my blogging buddies, I'm offering $2 off any purchase over $10 (which only excludes the EOS Lip Balm Holder, and only if you buy one). Use the coupon code GIFTCARDLOG.
So, how's your Christmas shopping going? Have you started? (I haven't...)
