Today the secret January pattern is revealed!

But first, a little information. The pattern was created by Audra Brown from Stitches and Fluff
www.stitchesandfluff.com

This was what the pattern was for, a cute little monster. However because I don't really have much of a need for a little monster, I decided to make a little mascot for my beautiful sister's YouTube channel. So without further ado, here is the little Heather's Talents doll!

Isn't it cute? And a little creepy.... All in all I actually really like how it turned out. It took me four and a half hours to crochet it and the skirt and little hat. The HT stands for Heather's Talents. If you want to check out her YouTube channel where she does toy reviews, here's the link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCWD0R9XdsnNkerdKAG8wg

So, tomorrow is the first day of February. And the first project I have is a baby cardigan.

As you can sorta see, it takes me to Feb. 7. So I have a week to complete this project, which I am very glad of since it's going to be a little more complicated than what I've done so far for this blog. I have made children's sweaters before, and I've struggled with them. I hope that I do better on this one! I'm not sure what yarn I'll be using yet. I have a couple of nice baby yarns that would look good with it, but I'll decide tomorrow. It'll be great though.

Okay, so based on the feedback I got from yesterday's post, I decided to go with just the single edging. I also forgot to say that the pattern I used was designed by Marleen and Byron Manley at EdgeryDoo Emerson
http://www.edgerydoo.com/

I used some of the leftovers from the granny waves blanket, and the burp cloth is done. So it ended up taking me just over one and a half hours to complete, and here it is.

The project for today and tomorrow is Daniel's Little Car Motif, designed by Mette Buchreitze from Italy.
http://www.maestramette.it/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/knittingmette

I'm making it purple because that's what yarn I have. I don't remember what brand it is, I think it's a red heart brand but I'm nor sure. Anyway, I have already completed the little car motif! It took me 36 minutes.

I changed a little bit of the design to give it a slightly different look, and I really like how it turned out. I think if I made enough of these I could probably create some sort of blanket. Actually, I think if I could make it into a granny square that would work best. Or some sort of road/town backdrop with the little cars driving on them. So I'll file that in the list of things I'd like to do in the future too! Maybe a backdrop of green using the ice chip mitts textured technique with some grey squiggles on it for roads. Hmmm. It could work!

Anyway, that's that. All of the January projects except the bonus one (which will still remain a secret for now) are finished. It's really fun, and I'm really happy to have kept up to date with my blog for so long, and I look forward to continuing! Happiness to everybody!

Which do you like better?

So I finished the first round of edging on the burpcloth, as seen here:

 

And I think I like it just the way it is. The blanket might need more because it's bigger, but I think that the larger edging for something so small is actually too overwhelming. What do you think?

 

Let me know what you think in the comment section below!

Ughukkktadbasjdbfakjsdfj. Tired. It has been a very, very long day. I maybe didn't do as much as I should have as soon as I should have, but it has just felt quite crowded. It's quarter to ten now and I'm still not done everything. I hope that I'll be able to get finished here soon so I can actually relax before bedtime. Being busy sucks. It really does.

Anyway, about the project. I started the burp cloth, and I've put in a total of 17 minutes right now. Here is what I have done at this point right now.

So this is going to take a LOT longer than I thought it would... I'm very glad that I decided to go with the burp cloth instead of the blanket. Hopefully I'll have tomorrow to catch up on things... we'll see... on another note, does anybody know anybody who is having a baby and would like baby gifts?

Okay, so nothing new to report today. The bonus project remains a secret, but tomorrow starts a new project, so here we go.

So the next project here is a fleece blanket edging, but since I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it, I'm putting an edging on a pre-made burp cloth that I got really cheap. The yarn I have featured here is a lace-thread yarn, I lost the label so I don't know the brand off hand, but it's something I bought last year to make a tablecloth (still unfinished...). I'm also going to be using a super small hook for it. I'm not sure that this lace yarn is going to work for it, as it might be too light. I'll probably give it a go with the last of the baby soft yarn before I try to use this. Anyway, it's late and I'm tired, so that's all folks. Goodnight and stay happy.

Oval basket finished! So this took me just under 1.5 hours to complete start to finish, and is 8 inches long, 6 inches wide and 3.5 inches deep. And here it is.

 

Now you can see the apples there lined up neatly. Well, because crochet is so stretchable (but not elastic, meaning it can lose its shape quickly if not cared for properly) more apples can actually fit inside of it, but it didn't look as good. I really like how it turned out, and it was so quick it's probably something I'll make again for gifts. A friend of mine also suggested that it would make a cute Easter basket, and I agree.

 

So, tomorrow was a day that the calendar allotted to this basket again, but I'll probably work on the secret project, or maybe make some ore dishclothes. In any case I'll keep you updated! Goodnight everybody.

Today is the Oval Basket, designed to be decorative and functional by Mimi Alelis in Coats Manila Bay Inc.
https://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.ca/

I used the same yarn that I made my Garden Blood Dishcloth on January 14. It's Bernat Handicraft 100% USA grown cotton. It's machine washable and dryable (cool water, gentle cycle), but no ironing, bleach or dry cleaning. It'll make a good set with my wash clothes when I've gotten the done.

Anyway, here's what today's update looks like:

This is at 10 out of 13 rounds. The pictures don't really show it all that great, but it is looking really nice. It's been quicker to make than I expected. It's really fun, though. The calendar gives me 3 days to complete it, but I'll definitely be done before that, which will mean I'll have to decide what to fill my time with. I've still got my 'secret' January Bonus project, and some previous projects that I really ought to work on... Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow!

So today I decided that, instead of acting like a rational person and working on projects that have yet to be completed, I would go ahead and start a bit of the Jan 25 pattern and the January bonus pattern. However, I will be putting my own spin to it which will be end up with a very different result than what the pattern shows, so I am going to keep the whole thing a secret until the Grand Reveal. Super excited about that, and I hope I'll have it done by the end of the month to show off. Because I am a show off...

Anyway, not much of an update today. Just that and a preview of the next project. Oval basket, pictured here with the cotton yarn I'll be using to make it. In the first pic you can see a little of the start I've gotten on it in the corner.

I'm using the same Bernay handicraft yarn that I made the dishcloth out of, and I'm using a size 'G' hook.

 

I really love the color combinations of this yarn. And hopefully once I'm done this little basket, I'll still have enough left over to make more washcloths out of! We'll see about that, though... anyway, updates on the basket tomorrow! Have a great night everybody.

 

(PS, the alpaca yarn I bought should be here within the next eight days! I'm super excited about that and I can't wait to work with it)

I am officially ahead of schedule! Today the baby blanket has been finished. It's 9.5 inches by 11 inches and took a grand total of three hours to complete. And here it is.

Isn't it cute? I really like it. It's soft and cozy too, even though it's really small. I actually think it would make a really cute clutch if I sew it up right. I'd need to put some sort of cloth lining in it to keep it from stretching all out of shape. Here's something what it might look like if I did that.

I think it would work.

But anyway, that's done and the next project starts on January 25, so I don't really know what I'm going to do tomorrow. I'm either going to start one of the bigger projects for February, work on one of my older projects that I haven't completed, or the January bonus project. But I'll decide that tomorrow. :) For the rest of today I'm just going to enjoy my completed work and watch Supergirl.

Goodnight and good times to everybody!

January 22, and I'm well on my way on being completely caught up! Or rather, I am caught up as far as things go. I'm right around the halfway mark on this project, and I know I'll easily be able to finish it up in the 2 days that I have left. So here we go.

This is the Baby Doll Puff Shell Afghan, designed by Maggie Weldon at Maggie's Crochet
http://www.maggiescrochet.com/
http://www.bestfreecrochet.com/

I'm using the Baby Luv that I used with the granny waves blanket, 100% acrylic. And here is what I have so far.

This is a great pattern. I love the way it looks, and I definitely want to make a full-sized baby blanket with this stich pattern someday. It's quite simple, considering the effect that it creates. The pattern calls for a couple of rows of another color, but I decided to make the base white and then make the border blue.

Well, that's it for this project. But I've got a bunch of stuff on eBay for sale that you can find in the "For Sale" page over to the right. Check it out and let me know what you think.

So I think I'm having trouble with the comments section here. I know at least one person who left a comment on yesterday's post and it's not showing up for me. So if you left a comment and I haven't replied, I'm sorry. I am trying to figure how what's happening, but I'm not a techy person so I don't know how well I'll do.

Anyway, I got the granny waves blanket done!! After a total of twenty-one hours from start to finish. That's almost a full day of work right there. Is it worth it? I think so! Take a look and judge for yourself.

I didn't measure it again, but it wont' be much bigger. So something like 38 inches square with it a little longer than it is wide. But I think it turned out to be very cute. Plus it's super soft and I love it! This is one of the best things about crochet, is because you put in all this work and time, and in the end when it's done, it's awesome seeing what you've accomplished. It makes me proud of myself.

So tomorrow will be the doll blanket. I'm interested in seeing how that will turn out. In any case, that's tomorrow and today is done. Loves of smiles and happiness to all!

I've put in some more time on the granny waves blanket, and the edging is taking longer than I anticipated but that's okay. I did get all the ends done on the stash-busting tote, though. I'm happy to have that one done! In the end the bag took me four and a half hours to complete start to finish. So I'm adding that to the set with the toque, necklet and mitts. And here's Maggie with them!

And here is the tote alone, stuffed with a blanket and a couple of pillows. It's big, right?

So that is that project done! I'm going to get that put up for sale sometime soon, but if you're interested, just leave a comment below and we can work something out. Now, as for my next project, it's a doll blanket. I'll be making it out of the same yarn as the granny waves blanket.
 Provided that I have enough of the blue left over when I'm done, that is.

So the calendar gives me four days to complete the doll blanket, and I will thus be finishing the granny waves blanket tomorrow. Hopefully at least. Life is very busy right now and I don't have as much time to dedicate to things as I would like. But I hope I'll be able to get it done. In the meantime, please feel free to leave a comment below! Thank you and goodnight.

January 19 - Infinity cowl completed!

Well, the cowl is completed. It's so nice! Cozy and warm. And so soft!! I love it. So it took me a total of four hours to complete from start to finish. And yesterday I forgot to say that the color is Dark Country Blu, no dye lot. I also made it from a medium weight yarn. So, for this pattern I added two extra rows just so that it would be a little wider. Final dimensions are approximately 52 inch circumference and 5.25 inch width. And here is Maggie to model it.

Maggie has the infinity cowl here, paired with a toque I made a few months ago from my own pattern. It's made of Caron Simply Soft, and the colour is Country Blue. It didn't take quite a full skein to make the cowl, and I am really pleased with how it has turned out. I've decided that I am going to try to sell it as a set. $20 for both of them, free shipping. Check out the 'For Sale' page to the right to learn more!

And yes, that is a Christmas tree in the back. Haven't taken it down yet.

Today is the day for the Sydney Infinity Cowl!

 

I'm about half done what the pattern calls for, and right now I'm really liking how it looks. It's thinner than I would like for a scarf, but as this isn't a scarf, I think it makes a difference. It's super soft and quite cuddly. I think I might just end up keeping this one for myself! I also have a toque that will go well with it. Although most of my clothes are blue, and I'm trying to break free from that a little...

Anyway, the pattern was designed by Jennifer E. Johnson at http://journeyincrochet.blogspot.ca/

The pattern called for Lion Brand Superwash Merino Cashmere, which is a blend of merino wool, nylon and cashmere, but I went for good ol' 100% acrylic Caron Simply Soft. I did this for a couple of reasons. One, the Caron Simply Soft is quite cozy and soft in itself. Two, I already had it on hand. Three, Lion Brand stuff is more expensive. I've never worked with it before, which is something I'd like to do, but at this point in time I've hit my Yarn Quota for the month, and I have to use the stuff I already have. I wish I had more money to spend on better yarns, but unless I sell some stuff, I have to stick with what I've got now (btw, I have slippers for sale on Ebay! $26 CAN per pair, free shipping. You can check them out in my "for sale" page to the right).

Ahem. Back to the infinity cowl. I've gotten 7 of 11 rows done, but I think I'm going to add a 12th row to it just for a little extra thickness. But there is the edging after that to think about, so we'll see what we end up with! It's really cozy, though, and I am certain I'll be able to finish it tomorrow. And since the calendar gives me until the 20th to do this, I'm hopeful that I'll be able to finish off the granny waves blanket and tote on the 20th. Hopefully, anyway!

So, here's the pics of it so far.

It's like a cozy, crocheted snake. I love it!

January 17th

The bag is (almost) done! I still have to weave in most of the ends, but I'm so tired tonight I'm not finishing it tonight. It looks great, though. Much bigger than I expected, but still really cool. It'd make a great sort of storage bag or an oversized purse kind of deal. Anyway, here's the pics.

I really enjoyed making this bag. I think I'll probably make another one for myself at some point as a beach bag or something. It was really fun to make. And I ran out of the yellow yarn, so that's that done. It's been 3.8 hours on this project, and I think by the time I get the weaving done it'll be a full 4 hours.

Speaking of yarn... I went through all my yarn today, and I realized that I have a lot of odds and ends, and I'm not sure that I have enough of these odds and ends to make any sort of cohesive project when the time comes with a pattern for odds and ends. And I'm watching a really weird NCIS episode where Gibbs is hallucinating or dying or something. It's a little strange. But then I guess everything is strange sometimes. Especially in life... life can be very strange.

But anyway, the project starting tomorrow is an infinity cowl. I'll be using Caron simply soft, dark blue. I like the Simply Soft because it's (drumroll) really soft.

So I think this ought to be a one-skein project, and it'll be great. Well, I'm signing off now. Goodnight and stay happy!

January 16, first day on the Stash-Buster Tote. So I'm using the yellow and blank again, so it's 100% acrylic, worsted weight. The pattern is designed by Sue Usiatynski at Turtles TLC. It's worked holding two strands together, so it's quite thick. I've put in a little over an hour and a half on it and I'm a little over half done.

Here's the pics!

This makes it look like it's white and black, but it is yellow. As you can see in the second pic, it's got enough body to it so that the sides pretty much stand on their own. It will be good for storage, I think. It would be good for holding yarn and projects and stuff. Anyway, it's working up pretty good, and I'm pleased with the progress I've made so far!

Okay so it's January 15 and I have finished weaving the ends of the Granny Waves Blanket! I've also started on the edging. I'm not quite halfway done that yet, but I think it's looking really good. I've finished the edge where I wove in ends, and it looks loads better.

So the next time I have a good amount of time to work on this, I should be able to get it done! This project has taken a lot more time than I thought it would, but it's worth it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand!

My next project is a bag/tote that I'll be making in the bumblebee colors to put with the set.

I've got a lot of this yellow left. So the craftsmart value yarn has a lot of yarn in the skeins, although I don't think that the quality is as good as the more expensive yarns. But quality is definitely something that you pay for in yarn. Which reminds me... I ordered some 100% alpaca yarn off the internet! It'll arrive between Jan 24 and Feb 1, so I'm excited to get that and see how it lives up to expectations.

Well, this is a short and slightly boring update, so thank you for reading! I'll keep you posted on the alpaca stuff, and I hope all of you are super happy!