Yay me!

                 Hurrah for me! I had a very productive night so much so I finished my second hat, yay for me! Plus I only had to undo the first three rows (bad count) and the last row I did twice (tension issue) but it went so much faster than the first one. I'm so happy with the hats, the embellishments didn't work out as well as I wished but I'm not undoing them now.

                 This is the pattern I used basically, I used a G,H,and I sized hook going from biggest to smallest. I on the crown, H on the body, and G on the last 2-3 rows. I didn't do the 2nd color or the pattern for it, after it was long enough I did a row of single crochet to get a good tension. I'm really happy with the hat. I wrote USN and USMC for my brothers and used some yarn and a needle to cover the inside so it wouldn't be scratchy. I feel like the cord I used made the letters look a little strange but oh well, c'est la vie.

This one is for my Big Bro who is in the Navy.

I made the same hat in scarlet with USMC on it for my Lil Bro in the Marines.

1 down

                    It so should not have taken me this long to finish that hat, I swear I had to undo and re do that thing 7-9 times. First it was too loose and looked like a girls hat, I undid it and tried again, still to loose, ok undo and try with a smaller hook, not good enough fine whatever, try again with doubling up the yarn, so the crown is fine but the body not so much, well at least that's progress, undo to where the body starts and redo with a smaller hook, GREAT but its not holding on well (my brothers are very active, I want it to be able to stay on their heads well) so undo the last couple of rows and do them with an even smaller hook, eh its a little long undo 3 rows redo 2 of them (with that smaller hook) and put a row of single crochet. That is where I called it quits and said that it looks just fine and tied it off. I here-by refuse to undo a single stitch on this hat, it had its time to be revised, that time has passed. Now I just have to weave in all the stray ends and a little embellishment and make one for the Lil bro. (sigh) Oh did I mention I have to do this by Sunday, and tomorrow corporate is coming down to work (such fun), and I'm packing for a move this weekend, and I'm helping my Mama K bake a wedding cake and a grooms cake for a wedding this Saturday (which is also the day of my old NJROTC unit is holding a drill meet that I'm supposed to help out with) joy.

Lego Scarf

         This one was really fun to make, I saw a picture of this on Pinterest but I never found a pattern so I made one up. Its really easy all you need to know how to do is a single crochet, double crochet and how to change colors. I made this for my sis-in-law for Christmas, its a great gift for boys and girls alike (really anyone who had a childhood full of legos would like it) I used Red Heart super saver yarn because its what I had (sadly I still have a lot, maybe I shall make another one or two) this is a very versatile pattern.

PATTERN

         Special stitches:

Bubble stitch - 5 double crochet together (5dctog)  yarn over (yo) insert your hook into the stitch, yo and  pull that through 2 loops on your hook, leave the rest on there don't complete that dc, yo again and put your hook into the same stitch as before, yo and pull through the first 2 loops, continue until you have made 5 dc like this (6 loops on the hook) yo and pull through all the loops left on the hook, and you have made a bubble crochet.

Row 1- Chain 19, chain 1 turn

Row 2,3,4- Single crochet (sc) into each chain, chain 1 turn 

Row 5- *sc in next 3 stitches, 5dctog* repeat from *-* 3 times ( should have 4 bubbles) sc next 3 stitches (your patterns should looks like 3 sc bubble 3 all the way along), chain 1 turn

Row 6,7- sc into each  stitch (19) chain 1 turn

Row 8-  *sc in next 3 stitches, 5dctog* repeat from *-* 3 times, sc next 3 stitches, chain 1 turn 

Row 9,10,11,12-  sc into each stitch (19)  ~Change colors here~ chain 1 turn 

Repeat for every color I used 9 different colors you can use more or less (I happened to have a rainbow of Red Heart super saver yarn that I wanted to use up)

~There are many ways to do change colors, this is just the one I learned and like.~

I hope that you enjoy making this and wearing it, send me pics so I can see your finished projects!

Queen of the undone

                   I do not claim to be a master at most any aspects of crochet, but I am claiming this. I am the Queen of unraveling. Its seems like a project isn't truly done by me unless it has been unraveled at least twice. I can't help myself, as soon as my not completely satisfied I feel the need to utterly undo everything I just managed to do. Of course after the first time as soon as I start to get this feeling I try to ignore it and just keep crocheting but after a while I am so unhappy I get the honor of taking apart my creation once again.
                  I was just thinking to myself that since I am not that slow of a crocheter I couldn't figure out why projects took so long to finish, but since it takes me forever to unravel something things never look done. If I would just work straight to the end of a pattern then I know it would take half the time it normally takes me. Yet even as I complain about this I know I'm not going to be able to change anything. Most of everything that I make are intended to be given away and I abhor the idea that something wouldn't measure up to my standards.
                 Oh well I guess its time for hat attempt #3 now, this time with a smaller hook. (sigh) Make the #4

Basic Baby Blanket

                Ahhhh I do love a job well done (who am I kidding, I love a job done period at this point) It was fun to work on and figure out what would work out best, I didn't want anything that would be to easy for baby to pull at or get caught in their mouth. That is why I used the half double, it works faster than the single crochet but it doesn't make the tall columns that the double or treble crochet makes. I am happy, once the border was put on it spruced up into a very beautiful and usable gift. 

Pattern:

   What you need:

• I used 3 balls of Baby Bees Sweet Delight Prints (gageboys') I held 2 yarns at the same time and crocheted them together as if they were one.
• Border: 1 ball of Caron Simply Soft (Blueberry) (also worked 2 together as 1)
• Size H hook (for both body and border)  

             And this is why I said there isn't much of a pattern, you see I just made as many foundation chains that would make it be a little wider then my lap and then Chained 2, turned, and put a half double crochet in every chain, chain 2 turn and repeat till I ran out of the first 2 balls then I split the 3rd ball in 2 and finished those out as well. 

             For the border I worked a single crochet all the way around (on the sides making sure that you get 2 per row to make sure everything is spaced the way they should be) in the corner space work 2 single crochet in the same space (to turn the corner) then once you're around slip stitch into your first one, than chain 1 then single crochet all the way around once more and slip stitch the row together, chain 3 this time, skip 2 stitches and make a single crochet in the next stitch ( should end up being: stitch space space stitch) *chain 3, skip 2 stitches, single crochet in next space* repeat until you're all the way around, in the corners I Chain 2 skip 1 single crochet in the next space then repeat once so I get around the corner better, slip stitch into your chain and tie off. 

             Weave in all your ends and Ta-Da you're done! What I love the most about things like this is that you can just keep playing around with it until you find something you like. You can make it wider, longer, technicolor, it doesn't matter. It can be done in any stitch with really any yarn, don't want a border (dont make one) want a bigger border (go for it). Have fun and figure out what works best for you, the yarn you're working with, and the craft you are trying to make. Now go to that baby shower (show off a little) and anyone who doesn't know better will be incredibly impressed and those of us who do are: 1 impressed that you FINISHED a beautiful creation (we are jealous) and, 2 admire that something so nice, soft, and practical came from something so simple and easy!

HOORAY!!!!

            Guess what I did! I finished something!
            Thats right me, I finished a project!
            The Lil Sis has a beautiful baby blanket in hand to give to her friend at work. It only took me forever to finally get it to her but hey the bun is still in the oven so it all works out right. Soon I am going to put up a pattern page and I will post the pictures of the blanket as well as the pattern I used (not much of a pattern but hey it worked for my needs).
            Now, if I can only get the rest of my projects done, maybe Christmas will happen on time this year after all (and then again maybe not, this world is full of many pretty things to distract me).

            Project to do list:

1. Finish In-laws Cuddly lap throw
2. Make 2 beanies for my brothers
3. Finish all other MN christmas gifts (yay)

Learn new things

                  I love talking to people who have been crocheting longer than I have. They fix things, answer questions and give me new ideas. I went to the ladies bible study at my church last night and sought out Mrs Cheryl, she is an older lady who creates beautiful things through crochet, I went with the intention of learning the easy way to put a border onto the Lil Sis's baby blanket and not only did she show me how but she fixed and tension issue I couldn't work around with my foundation chain in another piece. I've run into the issue before and have tried my best to do the beginning chains as loose as I could but it wasn't working and it was making the who project pull, she told me very matter of fact, "well that's your problem your using the same size hook to do the chain and the rest of the pattern" I did not know that most people use 1 hook size larger for their foundation chain to keep it from pulling, hmm you learn something new everyday. Needless to say I went home and undid everything, now it does look a whole lot better, I cant wait to see how it looks once I've finished!

For all the projects started....

                 Its the curse of most crafters is to have too much imagination. I live on Pinterest and other blogs finding new patterns, ideas and techniques. This also means that I do nothing but start new projects, and manage not to finish any of them. This means that I have at least 3 things going on at the same time even though I know I would be able to complete things more efficiently if I would just work on one thing till the end, but Lord knows my poor little ADHD hands will not cooperate.

                Alas there is no cure for this so I look to put the last touches on the lil sis's baby blanket tonight, as well as work on the early christmas hats for my brothers, a new shawl for my Mama Kendall (that I had no business started yet to be honest but I wouldnt help myself) I am also working on a prayer shawl for a friend of mine who is going through her second miscarriage. I should also mention that I have yet to start all the other gifts for my In-Laws (point for me, I'm 2/3'rds the way through with the cuddly lap throw) Oh well I suppose everything will happen in its own time.

Yarn shopping

                            I love yarn, the look of it yes but also the feel, I tend to drift towards the baby yarn because of how soft it is without it being too big don't get me wrong big is fine I just think that thinner yarn leaves a more polished look to a project. I have a weakness, I went for yarn to make hats for my two brothers as early Christmas presents, they are both in the military and will not be here in December but they The Big is here now till the end of the month and The Little will be here in a week for a 2 week stay, this will be the first time all four of us will be all in one place at the same time in a very long time and I cant wait!

                           So any way I went to the store for some Navy blue and Marine corps red for their hats and came home with two balls of yarn for a hat and scarf set for my cousin, three balls of yarn for a christmas present in the form of a baby blanket to a young family who goes to my church, as well as a big ball of neon green yarn (my moms favorite color) even though I already had something planned for her, I shall just use the yarn I had set aside for her for a different friend. I cant wait to start playing with it all!

                            I did finish the baby blanket I was working on for the Lil Sis I think it turned out well but I feel like I should do something to edge it but I just don't know what, right now its just tooooooooo plain I don't like plain, I like fun, and new so i guess its not really finished at all, oh well I shall have to find something to do.