YARN LESSON..."SUPERWASH"

So in my beanie baby pattern I rambled a bit about the yarn I was using and that I hoped it was washable because it says "Superwash".  Today I googled this "superwash" and GOOD NEWS!!!  Superwash wool is a process used to treat wool (much more detail about the process can be found here: http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingglossary/g/superwash_wool.htm) but in short, it makes it so that you can in fact wash the wool without worrying about it shrinking.  You do not have to feel guily about giving a gift to a new mother that has to be handwashed...Yay!!

NIECES, NEPHEW, AND HATS (of course)!

How very fun to see my hats on some of my most favorite people in the whole world!  These are my brothers three children who live in Dillinham, a small town in Western Alaska where they mush dogs, raise chickens and turkeys, put up loads of wild salmon for the winter and enjoy life to the fullest!

BABY BEANIE PATTERN--free



BEGINNER CROCHET BABY BEANIE PATTERN

OK here goes my first attempt at publishing a pattern, it's just a simple beanie so there are many patterns like it out there.  It is a beginners dream!!  Perhaps the difference in mine is that I am recommending a much larger hook than would normally be used with this weight of yarn...but maybe that's nothing new.  Anyhow I'm hoping that this will help you beginners get the fever I got when I found a simple pattern that made a great hat...

GIRLY-GIRL SUMMER HATS

Rikki and Olivia in the hats I promised long ago and finally delivered on, they seem to be enjoying them :)  I think they look great, it's so fun to finally see some of my work actually being worn!!

SUPERSIZE IT...DAISY HEADBAND

Sometimes it IS ok to Supersize it!!!

I made this super-sized daisy by following the oh so cute daisy pattern linked to here:

http://annemarieshaakblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/monday-pattern-day-daisy-pattern.html but with the following changes:

I used a SUPER heavy yarn and I doubled the number of chains used to make each petal. 
I can't wait to send it to my sister for her granddaughters, it will make a great photo prop I think!  My 13yo agreed to model it for me here only if she didn't have to show her face (she being FAR to cool for a giant daisy ;)  I just love my crazy teeny bopper!!

I LOVE HATS!!!

These are three simple little hats.  I made the smaller two infant beanies just to use up some yarn that I didn't have enough to make my frilly Curlycue Hats with.  I learned with those two that if I use a bigger hook on this smaller yarn I get a more stretchy and comfortable beanie for the little guys.  I just LOVE this yarn, (see my post with the pattern for yarn details) I get it at our local yarn store "A Flying Skein", she has a wonderful selection, and always a 10-15% discount if I remember my 'purple bag' :).  http://www.aflyinskein.com/

This evening I will write instructions for the simple little beanie on top center after I stop at A Flyin' Skein and get the yarn details. 

KINDLE CASE

This case was soooo easy to make, I just double crocheted for the body and single crochet for handle.
I used a very heavy yarn to provide padding for the kindle so it went super fast.  My favorite yarn store had these little bits of colored yarn for use in embellishing, they added some fun color to the case (even my picky 13yo approved and wants one in orange for her iPad).  When I make the case for her iPad I will write down the details and blog a free pattern...

SUMMER HAT PHOTO

More of the same...

SUMMER HATS

SUMMER HATS

These are also made somewhat based on the same pattern used for Erin's Slouchy Summer Hat (see previous post) except that for most of the hat I make the chain portion 2 instead of 1 because I am using a finer yarn.

These are for a friends two little girls, please excuse the terrible lighting in the picture, will try to get a better one tomorrow!



Summer Hats





SLOUCHY SUMMER HAT

Erin's Slouchy 'Summer Hat'

My daughter loves the slouchy hat look so I adapted a pattern (http://www.get-hooked.net/free-patterns/peek-a-boo-flower-hat/) to suit her by just adding several rows and making it too wide then decreasing at the band.   I'm not allowed to put flowers on her hats like in the pattern :(.

Slouchy Summer Hat

CURLYCUE HAT

I've been kind of uncomfortable posting my crocheted creations on facebook knowing that not all my friends on facebook are interested.  So I decided the thing to do is create a blog just for my crochet projects so that those who are interested can take a look if they so choose.  I will be sharing my finished projects and maybe some of the trials along the way.  Whenever I use someone elses pattern I will share a link to it.
Below I will post my first ever original creation, that's not to say there is no other like it on the web but just that I didn't deliberately copy anyone else's or use a pattern:

 This is the Curlycue Classic, my first "original" design.

 The Curlycue Pastel

...and the Curlycue Rosy