A Blanket for Genesis

A Blanket for Genesis, originally uploaded by mamamarce

This project was a combination of right pattern, right yarn, right timing. How often does that happen??

Pattern: Around the Rosy baby blanket, free from Woodhill Designs
Yarn: Berroco Lullaby
Hook: J/10 (6.0mm)
Mods: I omitted the 5tr bobble rounds, added some simple striping to match the center motif, and I did some rounds without increasing the stitch count to avoid rippling (thanks Ravelry!)

Like many of you that are bi-crafty, I've often avoided certain crochet patterns because they don't offer the same movement and drape as most knitting. Not so with this gem - I was so pleased with the softness of the yarn in the ball, that I could only hope it would maintain that quality when stitched up.

My first go at this yarn was a knitted blanket pattern with simple lace, but the gauge was too dense and I frogged it. This second stab at it with the hook instead of needles was just what was called for. The yarn contains DuPont Tencel (I still find that sort of strange) and nylon. It feels like bunny fluff!! That's the only way I can describe it. I just love the way the petals of this "Rosy" lay out, and this is something I'd like to be wrapped in if I were a baby. Hmmm...I do have 4 balls of it left...

This pattern was blissfully repetitive, and surprisingly portable too. It is worked outward from the center, and even though the rounds got longer and longer as it grew, I still enjoyed every step. I even found myself relaxed enough to think some loving thoughts of the recipient. My niece is due to join her two little brothers (who I am just crazy about) later this summer.

Don't be surprised if you see another one of these posted out here before the year is out.

Bits and Bobs, Blankets and Babies

It feels good to be back to the fiber again. My back pain has prevented me from doing much stitching lately, but I'm combating that as much as I can with exercise, chiro visits, and sheer will. Here's a glimpse at what I'm working on...



Colorific crochet flowers - I intend to turn these into a "hippy" style belt, but for now I just find it very soothing to keep making them. My sister gifted me several of these gorgeous jewel tones of Caron Simply Soft; I'm happy to be able to finally use them.

And speaking of my sister - she's making this for me...

And I'm making this for her...

- a sooper soft blanket for the baby girl inside that belly. Click the photos for details...

I'm really enjoying having both of these projects on the go. I'm also looking forward to my knitting machine lesson coming up in 2 weeks - I hope to get rolling on that new path as soon as possible, the ideas that are brewing really make me smile...

Now Available in the Shop

I found this great crochet shawl while thrifting and I've put it up for sale over at my Etsy shop - Dreads & Curls.

Adachi and I had a great time doing this photo shoot.

Check the shop for this and some other great handmade accessories that would look FAB on you! ;)

Got My Answer

In my last post I asked for some advice on how to break this knitting slump... and I got some very good supportive answers in here and via email. But life is funny. "Ask and you shall receive" they say.

I just found out that my sister is MINUTES away from having my second nephew!
So how will I break this knitting slump?

I'm gonna do some crochet.

Altercraft

The sewing bug bit me SO HARD this morning it was downright scary. I'm not a seamstress by any stretch, but I do admire the usefulness of sewing and I have friends who are superb at it, and they always inspire me to at least give it a try.

My machine is from the 1940's and the only thing I know how to do right now is make straight lines of stitches. That was all I neededto make these next few projects though.

Oh! I'm on a recycling track lately too, not to mention that and I'm determined that all hand made productions from this household must be made with materials that already reside here (quite comfortably so and usually undisturbed).

(all photos enlarge when clicked)

A toddler sized skirt made with material from a queen sized (bed) skirt





Easy kid pants (for baby up to children's size 7 ) made with tutorials found here and here. I'm sad to say that these were actually too narrow for Mizan to wear - seems I didn't account for enough seam allowance when I traced out the pattern from a pair of her pants. These will either be donated to charity, or I may cut them down into shorts and make them a baby gift if my sister delivers me a neice in October.



One snuggle blanket for the Snuggles Project. I cut off the bottom half of a large crocheted coat that I bought at the thrift store for $3.49 last fall. My intention was to unravel and reuse the yarn as suggested here. Instead I just cut away this lower portion and machine stitched the edges together for a fluffy Snuggle. The other half of the coat became this:


A cropped shrug that I will likely give to my mom. I did a single crochet edge around the bottom to keep the stitches from unraveling. The single crochet border is done with some vaguely matching Encore wool/acrylic yarn. If she doesn't like it, I will donate this to charity as well.

Non-work related productivity feels rather good on a day off!

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm

This site was shared with me by a fellow co-worker who crochets...Click the link to see a really interesting article, and some very cool pictures of crocheted corals

Sea Geometry

I love that we can be so easily exposed to these mind-expanding type of things so easily, don't you?

Super Saturday (With Lily Chin Photos)

May I just say again, membership has it's privileges.

This past weekend was a memorable one for many reasons. The primary reason is that I'm finally home from the frozen north, and although the temperature here is nowhere near tropical, I'll take a 60 over a 6-degree day any old time. I continue my quest to have the company open a Florida office...I'll keep you posted.

First up Saturday morning was Library Story time - LOVE. THIS. SERVICE. Every Saturday, the girls and I head out to the Main library and spend an hour with Miss Amber (what a sweetie) listening to stories, singing and dancing, and doing a craft -all with the theme for that week. This week was Silly Stories, and there was even a movie, at which I was laughing right out loud. Yeah, I kinda get into it. Behold the girls in their Silly Hats!

Next up, a definite knitting journey highlight! I took a class on Saturday afternoon with Lily Chin, world's fastest crocheter and a super fab knitting designer/celebrity. She was visiting the LYS for 4 classes this weekend, and as an employee I was able to attend the Reversible Cables Class(Lily calls them "Ribbles"). I was SO thrilled and admittedly star struck! You can clearly see I lost all composure by the size of that foolish grin I'm wearing in the photo with her. I learned so much about the construction of cables, they are deceptively easy; and she also gave us some insight to how she plans out designs for using cables (there was graph paper and math and I didn't faint!). She has such an amazing energy and charisma, and her work speaks for itself. You can check out her collection here, and her tour schedule here. I highly recommend taking a class with her.

As if the class wasn't great enough, it was an extra treat to see some of her books and many of her designs hanging up around the room. I also got confirmation from her on the Chelsea yarn I have in my stash - it's going to be great for socks, just as I hoped. She showed me a nice mini cabled pair already knit up. It's all I can do not to cast on for them this very second. *Sigh* Good times.

More knit progress next time!