Stumped

June 30, 2015Leave a comment

One of the reasons I get sucked into buying so much yarn is I fantasize about all the potential things I could make with the yarn I am drooling over (and end up purchasing).

Logic tends to lock itself in the bathroom and I end up convincing myself I’m going to make THE most beautiful ________ with the threads in my shopping cart.

Case in point: I bought three different sets of color-changing yarn from Bonita Patterns. Like, months ago. I bought two different skeins of each, thinking I could always buy more if I started a large project.

Those beautiful skeins have sat on my shelf just waiting to be used. Last week, I decided to pull one out so I could attempt to start making something as a gift. I researched and researched (until my researcher was sore) until I thought I had figured out exactly what I wanted to make with this stuff:

I started a pretty butterfly shawl but wasn’t really feeling it for this particular yarn. (I think the shawl pattern is gorgeous but I believe it would do better with a less fuzzy yarn and something a bit shinier.) Then I tried a wavy scarf pattern but despite my best efforts with it, self-doubt kept creeping in and I decided not to waste anymore yarn and scrap it.

This yarn is a blend of angora and acrylic. It has a nice stiffness to it, so it will hold its shape well, but also has some nice fuzz from the angora.

At this point, I have returned the yarn to its position on the shelf and I am still ruminating on what to DO with it. I have researched patterns from a yarn perspective, yardage perspective, ease of making, you name it. At this point, I’ll need to have an epiphany in a dream. I. Am. Completely. STUMPED. If there is such a thing as Crocheter’s Block, I have it.

If anyone out there has a suggestion or two, send ’em my way!

Back to my crochet lair where I continue with my owl project….

Trashed: A Crochet-Fail Story

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015Leave a comment

Not too long ago, I wrote about how I was trying my hand at Tunisian crochet. Still loving it, although I had to shelve it for a little bit while I worked on other projects and orders.

One of those other projects that I have been undertaking is learning different joining methods for motifs. Specifically, I wanted to become completely comfortable with JAYGO, or join-as-you-go.

I came across the designer and blogger Heidi Bears, who puts together the most beautiful patterns and dolls using the African Flower motif, and knew I had to make one of her designs. I pored through her patterns until I found one that looked reasonable and which she deemed a good one for beginners. (For the record, it is this one.)

After much research and planning, I bought a bunch of colors of sock yarn and I got started making the motifs. I read through the entire pattern and the perused her joining tutorials. I felt ready.

While it definitely took me ~~hours~~ a little while to get the hang of it, including double checking what I was doing with a YouTube video here and there, I eventually and successfully made my first series of joins. I was on my way!

IMG_7286_zc

I carefully went through the pattern little by little, making the various required shapes and joining them. I found my groove and thought I would have this thing done before June was over, easily.

But my grandest project to date–my “Titanic,” if you will–struck a proverbial iceberg when I realized waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too late that I had joined one too many sides of a heptagon (7-sided shape).

Just keep joining, just keep joining….

I did my best to fix it; I thought I was being quite ingenious, even, for coming up with a workaround. Alas, it still wound up being a fail. I ended up with a lumpy body with the hole for the head being in the wrong place (not to mention having what looked like a dent sticking out of its backside).

The Iceberg

I tried cutting just the joined yarn and saving the motifs but it was not to be borne. I was going to have to redo all of my motifs and start again.

There are some valuable lessons to be had, here, but I’m not gonna lie: it reeeeeally sucked to know I would have to repeat all of the motifs I had spent hours on already.

The two quasi silver linings I managed to dig up were: 1) I’ll get to re-order the motifs more strategically the second time around so that half the owl’s body isn’t half dark, half light. 2) When I went back to study the JAYGO method again, I learned that I may have been doing something slightly off with my join method and there may be a way to make it even flatter than it was the first time around.

In any case, some life events have recently caused me to set aside my Owl Redo but I will get back to it and you shall absolutely see the end result when I have conquered this thing. (Maybe this should be called the FAYGO method: Fail-As-You-Go.)

If you have tried your hand at one of these designs or any JAYGO method, I’d love to hear any tips or tricks you may have. This is definitely a work-in-progress, considering I just crashed and burned with my first attempt.

Before I deflated it and started all over *Taps playing*

Weekend Showcase

June 15, 2015June 15, 20151 Comment

Usually weekends are a busy time for me, crochet wise. If I’m not making something, I’m researching what I want to make next, poring through patterns and ideas online with Pinterest, Ravelry, Etsy shops, crochet blogs, or going through my books for ideas.

By and large, the weekend is my time to be able to sit and quietly work on things without the stress of a work day looming.

My real accomplishment for this past weekend was this sweet little thing:

Lamb 3

The pattern for this lamb can be found on Etsy through a shop called Bowtykes. My previous lamb pattern yielded something very small, soft, and cute, but not quiiiiiite what I was looking for with the end result. Plus, I had to tweak it too much for my liking:

Kinda looks like a guinea pig with horns.

What I love about the Bowtykes pattern is that you can easily change the size of the animal by adjusting your hook size. In this case, I used worsted weight yarn and an E/3.5mm hook, yielding a solid stuffed animal that you can hold in one hand, but it’s not tiny. Perfect for cuddling if you’re a kid.

If I were to have used a 4mm or a 7 hook (4.5mm), it would have turned out even larger. Changing one’s hook doesn’t always easily make for a larger item but in this case, it does. Plus, the designer did a great job in writing out her pattern so that no matter what yarn you use, you’ll get the little fluffy clouds on the body that represent the wool.

I used an extra fluffy yarn in two colors. I could have brushed the body if I wanted it to be fluff on crack, but I opted to leave it alone since it looks cute without having to brush. I also used weighted filler to help steady the doll since otherwise the head can become too heavy and pull the body forward.

I tried putting in black plastic eyes instead of embroidering them, as the pattern suggests, but it really does look better with the “sleepy” eyes and sweet embroidered nose. And voila!

Lamb 2

I feel confident that this sweet amigurumi will make a perfect addition to a nursery or brighten someone’s day. It did for me when it was just sitting in my living room!

Wending My Way Through Tunisian Crochet

June 11, 20152 Comments

For the better part of two years, I have largely focused on amigurumi projects, with a few baby garments and the random accessory here and there. Then I received a terrific book with all kinds of different patterns in it, entitled Crochet One-Skein Wonders. Isn’t that cute?

In it, there are several patterns which refer to Tunisian crochet. I had no idea what an afghan hook was or how this differed from what I had been doing, but I was certainly intrigued, especially by the pictures of the thicker, woven texture of the end products.

My book notes: this book contains projects that are largely for advanced beginners and advanced intermediate crocheters, so they do presume you have a baseline skill set. They give both written and chart instructions where they can, which is also helpful. Lastly, they organize the book by yarn weight, going from lightest to densest, which spoke to my little organized soul. It boasts a nice index.

I began heavily researching Tunisian crochet to see if I wanted to invest more time and money into new hooks and new techniques. Short answer: yes. From what I could tell, this was a distinct twist on my crochet skills that I felt I must have in my repertoire. My basic desire was to be able to create more densely made items that weren’t as “loopy” as standard crochet. For whatever the reason, knitting just does not call to me. So being able to create “knitted” things with a twist on a crochet hook held a strong appeal.

Once I acquired some hooks, books, and even more different types of yarn (mainly cotton blends so I could make All the Washcloths and Pot Holders), I also sunk a little spending money into two Tunisian crochet classes on Craftsy when they were having one of their big sales on classes. If you haven’t checked out Craftsy yet, I strongly recommend it. They are a go-to for any kind of major creative craft medium out there and feature tons of classes, shops, patterns, etc.

After practicing a lot of the stitches on a swatch (some quite unsuccessfully), reading through stitches and patterns, watching YouTube videos, and following along with a number of lessons in one of my Craftsy classes, I finally began to grasp the concepts without flailing about awkwardly with these stranger crochet hooks and different stitch techniques. Because Tunisian crochet is a blend between crocheting and knitting, it takes a bit of practice to get to a baseline comfort level. Once I got the hang of it, though, I started wanting to make more and more items. I’m excited to go to the next level in my class, which creates a colorful shawl/tunic.

Let’s get to the fun stuff; time for some show and tell! These are all beginner projects, mind.

The first two things are washcloths that were part of my online class. They’re the same pattern but in different colors. They utilize three different kinds of stitches to form a lovely embedded square pattern. Here are those stitches up close:

Stitches

Simple Stitch is as easy as it gets. Honestly what is difficult with Tunisian crochet is getting the hang of your tension and making sure the sides even out. Another aspect of Tunisian crochet that I like is, generally speaking, the stitches are universally named. One doesn’t have to convert from UK terms to US terms, for example.

Tunisian Knit Stitch is probably one of the more popular stitches to use, at least from a beginner’s standpoint. It looks exactly like knitting and gives a nice tight weave and beautiful look to the project.

Here is a full shot of the white washcloth after it was steam blocked and left to dry. It still looks a little wavy and uneven but that’s just due to my novice hand. I made this with KnitPicks Shine Sport. It is super soft and I have used it on my own very sensitive skin. I will be making more with this yarn blend of pima cotton and bamboo, but I’ll try out other colors.

Next up is the tri-color washcloth. I made this with CotLin, a blend of cotton and linen, also from KnitPicks.

The challenge here was changing colors at the end of each forward pass, each reverse pass, and keeping the sides even.

Finished and steam blocked (no pins necessary, thankfully):

Once I conquered this thing, I wanted to go back to the book I mentioned before and try out the pot holder pattern I initially saw. Because it was entirely in Tunisian Simple Stitch and I wanted to create a slightly different look, I decided to wing it and make my own pot holder without any assistance from a pattern. I know, crazy talk! I have never just begun crocheting without a pattern. But I forged ahead.

I made two squares, same height and width, two different colors, with a third color for an accent color on the border when I crocheted the two sides together. Not too shabby!

Because I was using up the CotLin yarn, this is definitely more of a lightweight potholder, but I still think it will do the trick. I’ll have to experiment with bulkier yarns for heavy duty pot holders in the future.

I feel like I’m on my way and I’m looking forward to tackling more complex stitches and patterns that aren’t in simple shapes. I have heard tell that you can do Tunisian crochet in the round, something that intrigues me as an amigurumi maker (since I can now crochet in the round in my sleep). In the second class I purchased from Craftsy, the end project is a fitted sweater vest, which involves shaping, increasing, decreasing, and other scary sounding verbs. I’ll get there.

I absolutely recommend learning this form of crochet for anyone out there who is on the fence, doesn’t know what the heck it is, or has the same desire I did, which was to create less holey items and learn new kinds of stitches. It is seriously fun and interesting, if you geek out over this kind of thing as I do. And I do.

Until next time, friends.

Let’s Talk Yarn!

June 5, 2015June 5, 20152 Comments

Now that I have kind of eased my way in to this total dedication of a website to my craft, I’m going to dive right in and flesh out a post that has been percolating for quite some time.

Having had the better part of two years to re-stoke my passion for yarn, I started making a mental list of the kinds of fibers I enjoy working with and those I decidedly do not.

I have steadily built up a collection of a variety of yarns for the kinds of things I have been primarily making, those being amigurumi, baby wearables, and adult accessories like fingerless mittens, scarves, washcloths, and hats. I am slowly but surely expanding on my skills and I intend to continue challenging myself, even if it seems crap-your-pants intimidating.

I don’t believe that one must work with yarn in order to love it, to say nothing of fantasizing about all the things that can be made from it. There’s just something about browsing in yarn shops that transfixes you; it’s quite the meditative experience as you caress the skeins or hanks that come in a rainbow of colors and fibers, animal and synthetic alike.

Personally, I was not a little amazed at how quickly the yarn stores amassed in my home. As I type this out right now, one half of my L-shaped couch is taken up with a portion of my yarn stash, a project I put down and need to pick up again, my Yarn Drum holding more supplies and my hooks, Polyfil stuffing, several books, and other paraphernalia. (I have an incredibly patient and tolerant husband, whom you’ll probably hear me mention from time to time.) I usually cram myself in the elbow of the couch in order to work and leave DH some room. It’s safe to say that it is a mutual goal between me and my husband for me to have a craft room just for All the Yarn and anything related to it.

So: below is a shortlist of yarns I like and one or two I don’t–it is BY NO MEANS comprehensive. In fact, I have yarns in my stash that I haven’t even worked with yet and won’t have time to mention. But I bought them because I knew I’d want to try them out. Those untapped skeins still hold a lot of whimsy for me until I actually put them around a hook and get cracking.

*****

Vanna’s Choice: a lovely acrylic worsted weight craft yarn. There are an abundance of colors and my local JoAnn Fabric carries it, so it’s easy to find in person. However, some of the colors I can only find online, and at least two have been discontinued, much to my consternation, e.g. Soft Pink and Duckie. It has some good spring to it but is also soft enough to the touch. I prefer to make amigurumi with this yarn, first and foremost. It’s also not bad for the occasional hat. Who knew the letter-turning lady from Wheel of Fortune was a yarn junkie, too?

Red Heart Super Saver: Another acrylic worsted weight yarn. I have read from many a crocheter that RHSS is great for blankets because it washes well and becomes soft. I remain unconvinced I’ll ever make a blanket with it. It is quite stiff and scratchy, especially the more colorful variegated skeins. However, it is very good for amigurumi. I began a Christmas stocking following a Red Heart pattern but I bit off more than I could chew and I need to start over. I was too inexperienced when I began it–file it under Crochet Fail. Pro: this yarn comes in a TON of colors and is available in many brick-and-mortar stores and websites.

Made with “Coffee” – great for amigirumi like this “chocolate” bunny!

Red Heart Boutique: there are different variations of Boutique but I have tried Unforgettable and Treasure for various projects. For acrylic yarns, they do a nice job of making them soft and in a ton of gorgeous color-changing yarns.

This blanket was made with Unforgettable in Candied.

The hat on the right was made with Treasure.

Conversely, Red Heart With Love is one yarn I am not thrilled with. That is not to say that it isn’t a good craft yarn, for those who like working with larger, chunkier (acrylic) yarns. I bought a skein of it on a whim and made one granny square and was done. I am confident others can and do make very nice blankets out of it. It’s just not for me.

Bernat Softee Baby: this is a terrific acrylic baby yarn! It works up well for tons of things for baby, including blankets, hats, booties, etc. I have found it is limited in colors but what is available is lovely. Will keep using, for sure.

This went to a friend and it is working out wonderfully as a car-seat blanket!

Caron Simply Soft: I’ve had mixed results with this acrylic yarn. The pros are that it is, as it boasts, quite soft, has a sheen to it, and comes in some stunning colors, including and particularly jewel tones. I find it makes better garments or blankets than amigurumi. It has what experienced crocheters call “drape.” It’s taken me a few times of hearing or reading this word for me to pick up contextually that it means it takes to a shape nicely. No bunching. That said, it can be quite splitty when working with it. I believe one must use a larger hook, have looser tension, and/or use a hook set like Clover if you don’t want to pull your hair out when working with this yarn. My sharper Susan Bates hooks did not like Caron Simply Soft.

Main body color, mane, and tail are Caron Simply Soft.

Purple Peacock Hat 9-12 months | Crochet

This is a gorgeous purple that turned out a “peacock” hat. Let’s call it Grape Drape.

Knit Picks: oh my goodness, where do I start with Knit Picks? This is a soup-to-nuts yarn company that offers terrific yarns from acrylic to silk at reasonable prices for what you get. For example, I was previously only using Lily Sugar ‘n Cream cotton yarn for washcloths and dish cloths, but I will continue to buy cotton yarn from Knit Picks. CotLin is quite nice and I have Dishie on my wishlist. I have also made a gorgeous baby blanket from the Shine Sport yarn, which is a blend of Pima cotton and bamboo. I’m now working with the Comfy line in fingering weight on one of my New Crochet Challenges–it is ultra soft and comes in gorgeous bright colors! I have also made amigurumi from Knit Picks’ Brava acrylic line, fingerless mittens in Chroma, and have Galileo waiting for me in a few shades. I could and probably will do a separate post on Knit Picks later on. I just lurve this brand!

Chroma

CotLin

Brava

Shine Sport

A few other brands I have used and quite like are: Deborah Norville (limited to JoAnn Fabric stores but Amazon carries a lot of it), Lion Brand, Universal Yarn, Cascade, and Berroco. Side note: some people may be wondering why I haven’t mentioned Michael’s. While Michael’s has long been a favorite craft store of mine, at least in my local store, the yarn selection leaves something to be desired. So, while I still have love for Michael’s, and can roam around in there for far too long, it is not my yarn store.

Lastly, there are quite a few specialty yarn brands out there I have not yet ordered from but will someday, including Jimmy Bean’s Wool and Nerd Girl Yarns. I need to give a shoutout to LoveKnitting here because I have ordered several of the brands I’ve mentioned from them and they not only have loads of brands, terrific customer service, fast shipping, and frequent sales, but your order arrives in an organza bag. It’s those little touches, you know?

Anybody relatively experienced knows that I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg and I’ve written an exhaustive post already. As I mentioned above, I will likely dedicate further blog posts to particular brands, especially as I branch out from mostly synthetic fibers. I do have some merino wool blends, a couple of worsted wool skeins, one alpaca/silk hank that I’m figuring out what to do with, and some angora blend skeins that I’m ruminating on what to make; I’ll update as soon as I have figured out just the right projects for those.

In the meantime, my hope is that I have helped out a few other novices or even advanced beginners like myself who want to “talk shop” and get a yarn dialogue going, or just shed some light to those who need some recommendations on where to start for a particular project. I geek out just a tad with all this stuff.

Until next time!

On Making and Selling: A Repost

June 4, 2015June 4, 2015Leave a comment

Because the last few posts I wrote about having an Etsy shop were created on Zoe Says, I thought it would behoove my few/new readers to bring at least one of those posts over here in order to relay a better history on how I got where I am at present with making my little crocheted things–and also selling them.

Please note: the sale I was having back in February is no longer taking place but there will be more promotions–cross my heart!

On Making and Selling.

The Beginning

June 2, 2015June 8, 20152 Comments

Well, folks. Here I am. I got to the point where I needed to have a website solely dedicated to the craft of crochet. My personal blog just wasn’t going to cut it any longer.

I intend for this site to be a little of this and a little of that; I’ll be spinning yarns (sorry, had to) on what I’m learning, what I’m making, and what I’m selling. And I’ll infuse it all with some humor along the way.

My name is Zoe and I love crochet–welcome!

Giraffe Straight Chillin Gemstone Blanket