W.I.P. Wednesday: Cowl

I've been way to sick to blog for more than a week but thankfully I'm feeling a little better today!  

So today's w.i.p. isn't so much a work in progress as it is finished, I just finished it last night.  But since it's the only thing I've been working on that I can show, I'm showing it.  (There's something else I've been constantly working on but I can't post it yet, it's for someone that reads my blog and I don't wanna ruin the surprise!)

I crocheted this cowl with Lion Brand homespun.

So what are you working on right now?  And how was everyone's Christmas?  Did you give or get anything handmade?  Did you get something you're really excited about?  Let me know!

♥♥♥

W.I.P. Wednesday

I enjoy giving out pins to the ladies at work and for Christmas I'm going to hand out some gingerbread men pins.  Almost there, they just need to be cleaned up of all their little tail pieces and decorated!  I used the pattern from Miss Twinkie Chan's wonderful book, except I did not use the recommended yarn because I wanted to make them smaller. 

This was the first one I did, my "tester."  I used yarn scraps which is why it's funny colors, but I discovered I really like these colors together.  I'm gonna have to make something else utilizing these colors together!

What are you working on right now?

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Mini Santa Hat

I wanted to make my skulls a little more festive so I made them all little Santa hats!.... Yeah.... That's not creepy, right?.... Yes?  Oh well! :)

Supplies:  Red Heart Holiday yarn,  its red with a metallic strand twisted in it!  Lion Brand Jiffy yarn in white.  U.S. size 8 dpns - knit in round

C.O. 36 sts - white

Round 1:  Knit

Round 2: Purl 

Repeat for 10 rows

The white brim is going to be extra long but that's ok, we're going to fix that later.

Change to red and decrease one stitch every row until there are three stitched left and bind off.

Fold the white part in half, upward, so your folding it outward.  Sew the edge of it to the top where it goes from white to red.  This ads a little bit of extra thickness for that puffy look.  

Another idea is if you use fun fur yarn combined with the white yarn, then you could skip the folding part and only knit 5 rows of white instead of 10 rows.

Create a poof ball and sew it to the tip of the hat and you done!  Easy enough right? :)

Happy Knitting!

♥

First Project of December: Christmas Jingle Hat!

I have a few fun projects lined up for December the first being this Christmas jingle hat!

I used red Sumptuous yarn by Sensations and a size P hook to crochet the hat then used white Lion Brand Fun Fur and white chunky yarn (I don't remember which one I lost the wrapper, but I think it was Red Heart) for the trim and the puff ball.  I love the puff ball! :)

I then sewed on jingle bells around the puff ball and also sewed on some snowflake buttons and a cute little gingerbread man button.

I hot glued on all the little green sparkly balls... Hmmm, should I stop there?  Or should I keep adding more stuff to it? Lol :)

I'm no professional crochet pattern writer but this is basically what I did, bare with me:

Chain 4, create loop.

11 Double crochet into the loop.

2 double crochet into each of the first 11 sts.

In the next round do 1 double crochet in the first stitch then 2 in the second stitch and repeat all the way around.  

In the next round just do a single double crochet into each stitch and repeat for about 3 rows then switch to the white yarn for the last two rows.

If something doesn't make sense leave me a message here and I'll try to explain it better. :)

So, what are you making for the holidays?

See ya!

♥

W.I.P.

Works in progress :)

A scarf for my dad I'm crocheting.  Lion Brand Homespun yarn!  Of course, my fave.

A sneak peak at some of the new pouches I'm making for my shop.

See ya!

♥

Blaine's Hats

I made these hats for my nephew Blaine.  He is going to be one year old on Thursday!  I crocheted them and they whipped up really fast.  I love how they all turned out especially the acorn one but he looked the cutest in the frog one.  The eyes really stuck out when he had it on, I couldn't help laughing, Blaine is the cutest!!!  I wish I had had my camera with me, I never think ahead.

He let me try them all on him without removing them.  He is so adorable!♥

See ya!

♥

Ribbed Hat With Bow Pattern

Materials: Brava bulky yarn in cornflower for the hat and Brava worsted yarn in tidepool for the bow

Size 10 circular needles and dpns for hat

Size 8 dpns for bow

Hat

C.O. 72 sts join in the round

Rib knit for the first 3 inches: Knit 2, Purl 2 each row.

After the ribbing is done just knit until the entire piece measures 7 inches then you will start to decrease.

Decreasing rows:

Row1: Knit 4, Knit 2 together, repeat to end of row

Row2: Knit

Row3: k3, k2tog, repeat 

Row4: Knit (switching to your dpns)

Row5: k2, k2tog, repeat

Row6: knit

Row7: k1, k2 tog, repeat

Row8: knit

Row9: k2 together, repeat

You should now have 12 sts left.  Cut your yarn leaving a long enough tail to weave the sts onto your yarn and pull the hole shut, secure the yarn and tie off.

Bow

Create a bow with a simple 4 stitch i-cord and embellish with a button.  Sew the bow onto the hat giving it a nice shape as you go along.

Happy Knitting!

♥ ♥ ♥ 

My first crocheted hat!

This is my first crocheted hat!  I wanted something "holey" but didn't have a pattern so I just winged it.

I used Lion Brand Homespun yarn and a size K hook.  I ♥ LBH yarn.  Have I mentioned this before?  I think I have. :)

Very "holey" also nice and slouchy!

Most of the hat is in double crochet except for the rim which is just a few rows of single crochet.

See ya!

♥ 

Recycled Wind Chimes

My dad made wind chimes out of plastic bottles and leftovers from damaged chimes!

*    *    *

Way to go dad! :)

See ya!

♥ 

Yarn Love!

I went to Hobby Lobby for the first time the other day!  There isn't one around where I live so it was a little bit of a drive.  I got some cool new yarns, which I already started making something with!  I also got these awesome knitting needles, they have a pretty swirl going though the inside of them! :)

*Needle close up*

*Yarn close up*

Also, my Knit Picks order came!  I got Brava bulky in Cornflower and Tranquil and Brava worsted in Tidepool and Brindle.  I was able to get one for free while they were running the special offer, I love free yarn!! :)

See ya!

♥

Enter to win!

EDIT:  Giveaway is over, congratulations to the winners!

All the prizes in the giveaway have been revealed on Bits of the Pasts blog for the launch of the new site!

Wanna win a nesting doll pouch I created?

Or one of these other awesome prizes?  Enter now!  You have until the 8th of June to enter to win one of these great prizes.  Go to Bits of the Past's blog to find out more about these fabulous prizes and to find out what you need to do to be entered.  It's quick and easy.  Go for it!!! :)

I have to admit this is the first giveaway I have been apart of and I'm super excited about it!

I hope everyone participates!

♥

Giveaway!

Bits of the past giveaway!

Bits of the past is hosting a giveaway on June 1st!  I have contributed one of my knitted items and on June 1st all of the prizes will be revealed so be sure to check it out for a chance to win some awesome stuff!!!

♥

W.I.P.

Work in progress:

I am currently working on knitting a scarf, crocheting a hat, that blue rag bag needs a lining (and I have to start on a grey one for a special order) and that dark pink bag needs a closure.  I just made that pink one last night on my new sewing machine!  I just got it yesterday. :) 

It's so nice to sew on a machine that doesn't make me wanna throw it across the room! 

* * *

See ya later!

♥♥♥

Trashy Planting

Tomorrow is Earth Day!  Here are some items that instead of throwing out I've been putting to good use:

Plastic bottles.  I cut them in half and use both the top and bottom halves as little green house domes for the newly started plants.

(banana peppers)

Ice-cream containers for the plants I plan on transferring outside later. I poke holes in the bottom for water drainage and there tops actually catch the water very well.  I haven't had one leak yet!

(cucumbers... I think)

This one was my dads doing!  It's a strawberry carton.  He added foil to keep the dirt from falling out of the holes.

And as always scrap fabric yarn!  Great for Earth Day projects!  Have I mentioned how creating alternative yarns is one of my favorite projects?  Hmm, I believe I have!  

Plarn

Scrap bracelets

Denim

T-shirts

See ya later!

♥♥♥

Simple Capelet, Thick & Quick

I knit this capelet using three balls of Lion Brand, Wool-Ease, Thick & Quick yarn, in mesquite.  Size 13 needles.

C.O. 72 sts

Knit in round.

Row 1 - 5: K4, P4

Row 6: K all sts, increasing once every 10 sts. (You should now have 79 sts)

Row 7 & 8: Knit

Row 9: Knit all sts, increase once every 8 sts. (88 sts)

Row 10 & 11: Knit

Row 12: Knit all sts, increase once every 6 sts. (102 sts)

Row 13 & 14: Knit

Row 15: Knit all sts, increase once every 4 sts. (127 sts)

Continue knitting until the whole piece measures 11 inches long, from the top.

For the last 5 rows K4, P4 and bind off.

When it's finished it should measure 13 inches long and have a top width of 32 inches and a bottom width of 54 inches.

Happy Knitting!

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Scrap Fabric Knit Bracelets

Here's a fun idea for using up pieces of scrap fabric!  For both of these bracelets I used knit fabric, one was an orange and black striped knit and the other was a purple camo knit. 

I cut one inch width strips of fabric then cut a small hole on each of the ends to slip on strip through the other in order to connect them. 

I used U.S. Size 10 knitting needles and C.O. of 6 sts.  I knit for about 6 inches, till it wrapped around my wrist, then made a crochet chain for the loop at the end.

Happy knitting!

♥ 

Octopus Cowl

My latest creation: The Octopus Cowl!

This cowl was surprisingly easy to get done, I thought I would have a hard time when it came to the tentacles.  I knit the cowl part in the round on circular needles then knit the tentacles on dpns.

I used Wool-Ease Thick & quick yarn in claret.  It's super bulky weight and so warm and cozy!  I don't know why but I am really into octopuses right now.  Yes I said octopuses watch the video and don't judge me. Lol.

I Googled the plural for octopus and found that video... lol, ignorant slob, so funny. :p

But anyway, as I was saying, into octopuses... I'm going to try making an octopus coffee cozy too.  Also, I've been into making fabric appliques for t-shirts recently and I plan to make an octopus one as well.

By the way, Coffee says hi!

See ya later!

♥

Treasured

My Mint Chocolate Coffee Cozy is one of my most selected items to be featured in the Etsy treasuries.  It has been a part of a bunch of very beautiful collections created by some awesome Etsians, to whom I would like to say once again, thank you so much for including my cozy!

"Minty Wonderland" by quotesandnotes.

Sweet Valentines Day gifts

Mint Chocolate Chip

Chocolate Mint 

Mint Green Holiday

Mint Chocolate Chip

~Choco Mint~

Minty Fresh

Mmm, lovely mint chocolate goodness.

See ya later!

♥♥♥