And I do mean instant. From start to finish, this project took me half an hour, and was easy enough that I was able to crochet the second one from memory. I’d make more of them, but have no idea what to do with them. I have the one shown above on my keyring now, but for some reason, the husband doesn’t want to use the other one :P

• Pattern: Chapstick/Lip Balm Holder by Kristy Ashmore
• Yarn: Lily’s Sugar ‘n Cream Ombre
• Colorway: leftover Potpourri Ombre (top photo) and Twilight Ombre (bottom photo)
• Hook: 3.75mm
• Mods: I didn’t do the version with the button enclosure. Instead, I stopped a row or two shy of the top of the lip balm cap. I chained 4 and attached the chain with a sl st to form the loop for the keyring.

After I finished Hydrate and yet another string bag (which I still haven’t photographed), I was looking through Ravelry at the crochet patterns. Nearly half of them are doilies, it seems, but a few of them look really spiffy. On a whim, I decided, “Eh, why not?” - figuring I’d at least not get bored with it. Aside from having to start it over because of a counting mistake that I couldn’t fudge because I further screwed it up at worship practice one night, I really had no problems with it. Funny thing is, I found out later through various Ravelry boards and other websites that doilies are supposed to be some sort of challenging crochet object. This is why I don’t tell people that things are “too hard”. Too many people are afraid of trying something new just because somebody else had a hard time with it or didn’t like doing it. It’s just yarn… how difficult can it really be?

• Pattern: Petite Pineapple Doily by Priscilla Hewitt
• Yarn: Aunt Lydia’s Classic Crochet size 10
• Colorway: Shades of Purple (I think… I can’t find the ball band)
• Hook: 1.5mm
• Mods: None. I could have blocked it a little better, but I ran out of pins :P

It’s pretty bad when not only are you a month behind in posting finishes, but you’re also a month behind in taking pictures of said finishes. At least I’ll have something to blog about for the next couple of days to make up for the drought :P

That crochet thing? We’re getting along just fine (the husband is thrilled). I got tired of my little practice swatch, so I switched over to actually making something. Chosen project? Crocheted water bottle carrier. I like it better than the one I knit, plus it worked up a LOT faster (um, a day and a half, I think).

• Pattern: Hydrate! by Patti Gonsalves
• Yarn: Plymouth Wildflower D.K.
• Colorway: 164 (how original… it’s blue)
• Hook Size: F
• Mods: None.

I should know better by know. Really. I should be able to recognize when a new craft bug has infested my brain and learn to walk away from it. Have I learned this? Absolutely not. That’s why my knitting needle case now also holds crochet hooks. It’s also why I haven’t been able to stay away from the crochet books at any bookstore I’ve stepped foot in for the past, oh… month. It’s why I sat down last night with a hook, some leftover yarn and some fairly well written instructions. An hour later, I pretty much had it down. I get the concept, but, well, it’s sort of akin to a child learning how to write. It ain’t pretty yet, but it resembles what it’s supposed to look like.

Not that I needed any other distractions to keep me from working on the other projects I’ve got going on…

…I’d be a month late. Everything on the needles right now is red, with the exception of Little Man’s blanket.

Look, I remembered to take a picture of it before I felted it this time! I started this Thursday evening before we left for the cabin at Knit Night (got a whopping 4 rows done there) and finished it yesterday afternoon. That should give you an idea as to how simple this pattern is. It’s a good thing the bag is felted, too, because I wasn’t paying attention when I picked up the stitches and ended up flipping the bag inside out. I need to get a button and sew it on for the closure, but other than that, she’s all done!

• Pattern: Amanda’s Squatty Sidekick by Amanda Berka
• Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers
• Colorway: 2427 (it’s Temple University red)
• Needles: US10.5
• Mods: None

I saw this on Stitchywitch’s blog and I’m bored so…
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Eons ago (okay, more like six months ago), somebody gave me a drop spindle and some roving as a subtle hint to learn to spin. I’ve watched a few people spin now, and it’s fascinating to watch. This morning, I finally sat down with my birthday gift and watched video after video, read countless tutorials, and scoured Ravelry for info.

It’s official.

I have no idea what the heck I’m doing :P

I wouldn’t have figured me for the type of person to knit a project more than once, let alone three times, but I guess I’ve proven myself wrong. This particular blanket wasn’t done for anybody in particular; my intent is to donate it to the church. As usual, it was a mindless knit - perfect for TV knitting. With the yarn held doubled, it didn’t quite have the drape that I wanted, but it’s not like it’s stiff as a board, either.

• Pattern: Pinwheel Baby Blanket by Genia Planck
• Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
• Colorway: 1 skein Mint and 1 skein His Jeans
• Needles: US10.5
• Mods: None. Border was done using two rounds garter stitch, an eyelet row, and then two more rounds garter stitch. Bind off is a decrease bind off.

The French Market Bag deserved it’s own FO post, even if it is over two weeks late. The first time I started this, I started it in the round. Then in the midst of traveling and just generally being distracted, I screwed up something and started over using the alternate (much more boring) method. I’d like to do another bag with the round bottom and possibly with doubled yarn to make the bag firmer. It’s great for tossing a bunch of stuff into, though, and it holds more than you’d think. In the picture, it’s holding HCF Baby Blanket Part Deux, two skeins of yarn, my wallet, cell phone, keys, chapstick, iPod, and my journal.

• Pattern: French Market Bag by Polly Outhwaite
• Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
• Colorway: Dark Grey Mix
• Needles: US7
• Mods: None

I used to be much more diligent about taking pictures of my projects. Not so much, these days, so here’s a text-only update:

french market bag
Finished a couple of weeks ago (see, bad with the pictures). I love how well Paton’s Classic Wool felts, especially since I know it’ll work just fine in my front-loading washer with no danger of over or under felting. The downside of this bag? It seemed to take forEVER. And maybe I’m just demented, but I want to make another one using the round bottom instead of the knit flat and pick up version.

HCF blanket part deux
After I finished and dropped off the first baby blanket for church, I got the idea in my head to do another one. Why not? There’s always a need for baby blankets, and they’re easy. This one is decidedly for a baby boy, as it’s being done double stranded with one ball of baby green and one ball of variegated white/blue/green. And yes, it’s another pinwheel one because, well, I like them.

Little Man’s bliss blanket
The name of the pattern is Bliss Blanket, but that sounds way too girly for my favorite four year old munchkin. I’ll have to come up with another name for it (probably something as creative as “Little Man’s Blanket”). More blues and greens, to be backed with some sort of soft, cuddly fabric. What makes this one fun? It’s an entrelac piece.

nutkins
Right… those socks that I started over a month ago. I turned the heel (first short row heel, yay!), and then put it down in favor of finishing the French Market Bag. My intent was to finish the bag so I’d have something to put the Nutkins in for portable knitting. Then I got distracted by other things, and well, we know how that goes.