Baby Hat Experiment

This is a terrible cell phone picture of a hat I whipped up from Bernat Baby Jacquards just to see what it would end up as when you crocheted with it instead of knitted.

For ages and ages all I saw for this year was knitting patterns for this yarn, and finally a free crocheted hat pattern showed up on the label.  The yarn was on clearance at the time too, so I grabbed a ball for about $3. I should still have enough for another small hat out of it too!

5 Resolutions You Can Make: 2013 Edition

Last year my post about 5 Resolutions You Can Make was my most popular blog post, so I am back again with the 2013 edition.

Resolution #1: Use up your Stash
Based on the theme of this blog, obviously this is a continual resolution for me year after year. I did make a lot of progress during the Ravelympics this year, but more work is definitely needed, especially considering a lot of my yarn I have no plans for and it was just bought because it was cheap.

After a trip to Petsmart a couple months ago (where I always have to visit the kitties up for adoption while I am there), I noticed some hand made blankets in the cages with them. A very large portion of my yarn stash is a bunch of miscellaneous 1lb balls of yarn that I got for $1 each when Walmart was moving to the new store they built. For the longest time I've had no idea what to use it for other than various amigurumi projects, which would take a very long time to use up the yarn. Problem solved thanks to my love of cats.

If you have some yarn with no plans, I challenge you to find a cause close to your heart and find a way to use up some of your stash in 2013.

Easy Cat Cage Nubby Blanket

Resolution #2: Take a Vacation

This is another resolution I am working on this year. I am desperately trying to make sure I spend a week on a beach this February despite life's obligations not exactly wanting to cooperate to allow that to happen. 

If you have more free time than me, wouldn't this bag be great to whip up and take along with you for a beach vacation?

Hexagon Beach Bag

Resolution #3: Cut Back on Sugar

I'm not going to lie, as I type this post I am drinking a Vanilla Coke. It is not the first Vanilla Coke I've had today either. I try to cut back on sugary drinks especially, though it's not always easy. 

However, this cute tea pot cosy could make integrating more antioxidant rich green tea into my life a lot more fun perhaps. 

Daylily Tea Cosy

Resolution #4: Tidy Up

If only there was a way to crochet some magical floating bookshelves, a lot of my problems would be solved. However this is a great and cheap option for parents of little ones with lots of little friends hanging around the house that need to be tidied up.

Toy Hammock

Resolution #5: Prepare Early for the Holidays

Again if you're anything like me, December winds up being a very busy month. There's just too much to do and too many special touches that I want to include in the holiday season for those that I love. 

I didn't actually do too terribly at preparing early this year, but it helps to always have it in the back of your mind throughout the year and it's nice to spread your holiday crafting out throughout the year. Here's some quick and easy projects to get you started.

Candy Cane Reindeer

Christmas Wine Bottle Wrap

Christmas Candy Cane Dispenser

Emergency Stash Trashing

Yesterday I got placed in a very awkward position due to an unexpected and more-extravagant-than-necessary Christmas gift. I don't want to go into details, but basically everyone that I go to school with has been put in an uncomfortable gift situation by one person in our class and none of us really know what to do about it.

Fortunately though my yarn stash is hopefully saving me I think, or rather I hope.

I came home and dug around and found some nice Homespun yarn from a project I long ago abandoned that needed to be repurposed. After a quick search on Ravelry I found this pattern and was up and crocheting as soon as I got everything ripped out.

Mine was worked with 2 strands of yarn on a 10.0mm hook and I believe I did one extra row, but other than that I followed the pattern to the letter.

This holiday season I am thankful for my ever-providing stash, bulky yarn, and large hooks. What about you?

'Tis the Season....Already!

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Now that Halloween is over, it is time to turn my crocheting sights to the sometimes-despised, sometimes-beloved C holiday. Yes, we're barely into November and I'm talking Christmas already.

I've been busy helping Fat Shae work on her crochet projects for her new friend Bosco lately. She's very proud of her work:

All she has to do now is go out and pick up some cat treats, catnip, and mousies and she's got all her Christmas shopping done. Hopefully Bosco is surprised!

Some puppy friends are also getting a special surprise this Christmas. These will be packed up soon and sent off to Sarge and Roxie:

Has anyone else started getting prepared for the holidays yet?

Another One Bites the Dust

Another project completed! I have done this pattern before, but I definitely like how it came out this time a lot better. I made this baby blanket for one of my mom's coworkers, who is due in November. She doesn't know if she is having a boy or girl, so I went with a gender neutral theme. Turns out chocolate brown is a part of the nursery colours, so it worked out perfectly!

I found out a few days later that her husband absolutely loved it as well. She was apparently shocked at his reaction when she brought it home and showed it to him, so I have a feeling this blanket will definitely be cherished.

2012 Ravelympics: The Results

As you know, I started with this:

That massive pile (which it turns out wasn't all the cotton yarn I had by the way), has since turned into this:

Not quite my goal of abolishing every ball of cotton in the apartment, but very respectable considering what I started with and the minimal free time I had during the Olympics. At the end of the day I managed to use up almost 2 pounds worth of yarn I had sitting around, so I'm happy with the results. The rest of the yarn will hopefully be used up quickly as a nice commuting project when I start school next week.

And last but not least, for those that are interested, this is what nearly 2 pounds of dishcloths looks like:

Just Had to Share...