Some Small Projects and a Free Pattern

Last time I shared some of the larger projects that I completed in the last year or so today I thought I would share some of the smaller things that I have also completed.

Last Halloween, I crocheted part of my youngest son's costume. He wanted to be a knight so I made him a 'chain mail' hood and sleeves. He loved it, and I think it turned out great.

My bff gave me a Star Wars character crochet kit for Christmas. The designer is Lucy Collin and the characters are completely adorable! I made the Chewbacca first, and I have plans to make R2-D2 and Boba Fett next.

I also made an owl hat for a friend's daughter who is turning 3 soon. The pattern is from Repeat Crafter Me. I made a few small changes, and I love the way it turned out! So did my friend and her daughter. :)

My new little great-niece got a sweet hat too.

I also have four other WIPs sitting in my little sweater basket (another gift from by bff). One is a beautiful yellow mesh scarf that I haven't worked on in ages. The other is my tunic. You can't see it but it's buried down there. :) It's actually finished but I need to block it and sew it together (the parts of a project I dread doing - haha).

The last two WIPs are both Sophie's Universe by Dedri Uys -- I'm making them both with Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable. I love how the color changes work so well with this pattern. The color pictured below is Sunrise. With just one skein, I made it almost all the way to the end of the 25th round (not bad!). I shouldn't refer to these as small projects, but they're small for now! :)

Speaking of small projects, I have this little shamrock pattern to share with you.

Shamrock Motif:

C hook
Green Cotton Crochet Thread

Using 2 strands of crochet thread held together, ch 4, sl st in 1st ch to join and make loop.
Round 1: Ch 1, 7 hdc in loop, sl st to 1st hdc to join.
Round 2: Ch 1, *(2 dc, hdc, 2 dc) in next st, sl st in next st, rep from * 2 more times, sl st in next st, ch 3 (this will make the stem), sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, sl st to connect stem to bottom of shamrock.
Finish off, leaving long tail for sewing if desired.

Please do not copy and redistribute my pattern as your own. Feel free to sell finished items -- please give me credit though for the original pattern by linking here. If you have any questions or problems with the patterns, please feel free to leave a comment here. Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

New Market Bags and a New Look

I recently added new market bags to my Etsy shop:

One of my goals this summer is to finish some of my UFOs and restock the shop. I have at least 3 more market bags that just need finishing and photographing.

I also plan on finishing this chevron scarf (true confession - I started it in 2011 - yikes!):

And I'm still working on the secret project. And I haven't touched my tunic project in weeks. Sigh.

The shop also had a new look, courtesy of my son's friend who is a talented digital graphic artist. She created a new shop banner and avatar for me. I figured a change was due after 7 years! I have also commissioned a portrait of my sons -- cannot wait to share that with you!

One Reveal

Finally, after crocheting for a month while trying to keep this project under wraps, I am able to reveal the big secret (well, one of them anyway):

Chevrons!

This blanket was made for my best friend's daughter, who is graduating from high school this week and has been accepted to the University of Texas at San Antonio! I used Loops and Threads Impeccable yarn in navy, pumpkin, and white (UTSA's school colors), and I adapted the chevron pattern from Mamachee (wider and longer and different color changes). Yay, Jaclynn!

And speaking of graduations, my oldest is also graduating from high school this week. I made a wreath to celebrate this milestone:

His high school colors are red and white, and he will be attending the University of Houston in the fall. Luckily I'll be able to 'recycle' this wreath in 4 years since UH has the same school colors!

Congrats to Morgan and Jaclynn and all the other seniors in the class of 2014!
Go out and make your mark!

Making Progress

My tunic project is sloooooowly coming along. I always end up putting projects for me aside as I work on something else for someone else.

I did start a brand-new, very colorful project that for now, must remain secret. Stay tuned. I hope to share it within the next couple of months. But in the meantime, just know that it involves this box of yarn:

One thing I can share is a pattern for a shawl that I'm crocheting for a dear friend who is ill. I ripped it out three times before I was finally satisfied with it. Here's the beginning of the shawl (Red Heart Soft yarn in Watercolors):

My big news is that I finished the second blanket for my great-niece! She will make her appearance in July, so I am way ahead of schedule on my projects for her. Yay!

A Project Just For Me

Every once in awhile (about once a year), I have an itching to crochet something just for me. When I saw the cover of the Spring 2014 issue of Interweave Crochet, I knew the top shown was going to be this year's project. I literally could not stop thinking about it!

The Convergence Top pattern calls for Noro Taiyo Sock yarn, a yarn I have never worked with before. It is a blend of cotton, wool, polyamide, and silk. Because it is pricey (around $20 per skein) and the pattern calls for 3 skeins, I shopped around until I found a shop that offered about 25% off and free shipping. Yay!

The yarn arrived, and I almost panicked that they had sent the wrong colors! The skeins all look so different! But I checked the labels, and all 3 skeins are the same color mix (color #39) and the same lot number.

I'm trying to adjust to the weight of the yarn. I usually work with worsted weight, and this sock yarn is rather fine. I have had to adjust the hook size from the pattern (which concerns me greatly) because the piece I'm working seems big. BUT it does match the gauge I'm supposed to use, so cross your fingers! The colors are gorgeous, and the more I crochet, the more shades of beige and green appear.

I can't wait to finish this and wear it! Stay tuned! :)

Blue and More Blue

My Doris Chan tunic project is sloooooowly coming along...

I love the way the pattern makes a slight change for the fitted waist. It's so subtle that it doesn't look like it changes at all. The sign of a great design. :)

Here's a color inspiration from a recent trip to the zoo. Love the turquoise and royal blue and brown together! (Hey, that's almost the same royal blue as the tunic!!)

"Are you lookin' at me?"

Spring Break

Spring Break! Yay! Sleeping in, hanging out with the boys, and not being on anyone else's schedule --- heaven!

Haven't done quite as much crocheting as I had hoped, what with cleaning out closets and rooms. But I did manage to start a new project that's just for me:

It's a Doris Chan design (you know, one of my faves) from the City Crochet book by Tahki Stacy Charles.

I've already pulled out rows and had to make an adjustment due to fit, but I sure do like how it's turning out. Can't wait to wear it (and show you the finished project)!

Post #101

Today it was so cold here in south Texas -- I spent most of the day working on projects and photographing some new items (it was surprisingly sunny, despite the cold and wind.)

Here's one of the new items I photographed today in 2 different colors:

They are super-soft cuffs or wristlets. They're perfect year 'round because they give a little extra warmth in the winter, and they also look great as bracelets in spring and summer. I used Spa yarn from Caron -- it's a bamboo blend that feels so nice. They'll be listed this week at The Lavender Lizard. (They can be made longer and in other colors, so if you're interested in a custom order, please leave a comment here or click on Request Item at my shop.

Another project I've been working on is FRINGE, which I dread doing and usually put off until the veeeeeerrrrrrry last minute. I fringed these 3 scarves...

...and I still have 2 more to finish. sigh.

Another project is reworking this blanket. That means pulling out all of the stitches and starting over. It's wider now, plus I added the ivory color, which really balances out the bright variegated yarn. I'm much happier with the result:

I just wish I had started over before I had finished 45 rows. For some reason, it photographs better now too! Bonus!

I Made a Rug!

I've been thinking about this project for months, and I finally took a day to sit down and make it. Back in the spring, my DH painted our bathroom and redid the flooring. It turned out great! But the wall color didn't look so hot with our Texas flag shower curtain, which truthfully, after 8 years, I was getting tired of anyway.

I bought a new shower curtain with soothing stripes in aqua, blue, and purple. I love the way it looked with the soft blue walls. It brightened up the whole room! Then I realized why I loved the colors of the stripes so much -- I had a collection of yarn in the same colors!

So then I decided to crochet a striped rug for the bathroom. To make it nice and thick and durable, I used three strands held together of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn and a size P hook. The great thing about this technique is that your project will work up quickly (once your hands get used to holding this much yarn!). Then I chose three of the colors and combined them for the border.

Our bathroom is kind of long, so I'm thinking of making a second rug. Just gotta find a day to sit down and crochet it!

Finished One Project and Started Another....

I'm so glad I finally finished my sister's blanket! It turned out so nice:

And I started a new project right away, another blanket for the primos:

It's made of solid squares in aqua, ivory, and grey (a modern combination, to be sure). The squares are connected when you work the last row (no sewing! yay!). I love this pattern -- it works up so fast! After a week, I am about half-way done!

The pattern is free and available on redheart.com (search for the Square Upon Square Throw). I like this so much, I'm thinking of changing up the colors and making another one! (Turns out my other sister wants a blanket, too, so the second one just might end up being for her!)