Taking a Leap...Golden Girl Bags Available on Etsy

People have been telling me how good my bags are, but it's taken me a while to get with the program.  Today I finally listed two different sizes of the Golden Girls bag on Etsy:

Small  Project Bag is approximately 11 inches wide by 7 inches tall with a two inch flat bottom.
SmallPlus Project Bag is approximately 11 inches wide by 9 inches tall with a two inch faux leather inset bottom.

Both bags are available now on Etsy; however, I've limited my initial offering to make sure everyone gets their bag in a timely manner.

So go grab your Golden Girl bag before they're gone!!!

PS: Makes a girl feel good when her first sale is under five minutes from posting! Thank you, Amy!

Hooks and Needles: Fringe Benefits Poncho

I knew the moment I saw this project in Simply Crochet Magazine that it must be done...how could it not?

And that Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Cotton in Aloe that I had purchased the week before from Ewe and You would be perfect as the overall color!

Pros:
- Easy pattern to follow.  The only thing I really needed to concentrate on was the difference in terms, as Simply Crochet Magazine is an English magazine....treble crochet was actually a double crochet.
- Loved working with the Blue Sky Alpaca in Worsted Cotton...lots of color and so soft!  It will definitely keep me warm when I need it to.
- Goes together fairly quickly!

Cons:
- Colorwork: I love color, but I'm one of those people who need to have all my colors play together properly.  I frogged the poncho twice to get the colors I wanted...but that's just me.

I'm still struggling with the fringe...six inches of fringe...and I'm under five feet tall!  But I'm embracing my friend Beth's comment: Just because we're short doesn't mean we have to skimp on the fringe!!!

Hooks and Needles: Crocheted Purple Shawl

Project: Schultertuch/Dreieckstuck by Orchideeflower (Ravelry)

Yarn: Spark Yarn in Purple

Guess what?

You know all those giveaways on Instagram?

I actually won!!!

Spark Yarn actually sent me a bundle of yarn that included this purple awesomeness!

But I needed something equally amazing to create with it to show off the beauty of this yarn...so I began to search Ravelry for a pattern.

A simple shawl...very easy to do...and once I finished the first hank I decided it needed to be bigger and ordered another hank and turned it into this beauty of a wrap that's perfect for summer night dinners on the patio at the Cantina, don't you think?

And stay tuned... I might have done something equally awesome with the other yarn!

Sewing: Crochet Hook Case

 It's not perfect, but it is done...and I'm so happy!

Finally something to carry all my crochet hooks and tools together instead of plastic baggies...and prevent a certain dog from chewing my hooks!

And see that crochet motif on the front? I did that...yes, I really did it myself!

 It has covers for all the areas so I won't have things dropping out.  And bright pink buttons to hold everything down...because you just need a bit of pink in every project!

I have a pocket for each hook...and a few extra just in case my collection grows.  Plus, some of the pockets on the right are larger for things like your scissors which need more space.

Oops! Forgot to take a picture of the two outside pockets holding my stitch markers, measuring tape, and other such needed things I've been told are needed for crochet....and I even used my pretty Daiso zippers, the brown polka-dot ones.

I'm a happy camper...now moving on to a few sock sacks and project bags to keep everything in order.
If you can think of anything else I need, let me know....

Hook and Needles: No More "That Girl" with the Plastic Bags

I brought my yarn and crochet hook in the plastic bag the yarn store put it in when I purchased it.

Walking in the room for Crochet School I noticed...
   I was the only one there with their yarn and hook....
   In a PLASTIC BAG!

I was so embarrassed!  Everyone had these nice, fancy bags....
 Granted they were seasoned knitters...
 And had been using yarn for quite a while.

I vowed I would have a nice bag the next time I walked into that room...and that will be this Friday.

Not only did I complete a bag with lots of pockets, even one with a zipper... but I also crocheted a purse!
  Basic brown with a beautiful pink floral lining...so pretty!

Just need to do a crochet hook carrier before Friday...a pretty, fancy one...brown too!  But no more pretty pink floral fabric...I'll just have to use something else.

Stay tuned!

Hooks and Needles: Off to Crochet School

I learned to crochet from my Gramma...
   First learning how to chain...
  And then me how to do a granny square..
  Many, many years ago.

The rest of it's from books and videos...never, ever any formal instruction.

So I decided to take a few actual crochet classes....
   Hopefully learning new things...
   And helping control those stitches.

Four classes...
  Today was the first...
  Just a practice square...
  To introduce you to some stitches...
  And to make sure you were comfortable with your needle and yarn.

What I learned:
  Skein vs. Hank vs. Ball:
    Really? Not all bundles of yarn are skeins?  Tells you what I know.
    A ball of yarn is a "conglomeration" of yarn where you can pull yarn from the inside or
       outside to use.
    A skein of yarn is the same as a ball, just in an oblong shape.
    Now a hank...that's a new one...a hank is is yarn that is loosely wound into a large ring
       And then twisted onto itself...
       Usually rolled into a ball or cake before use.  Yes, there is cake in crocheting!!!
  Turning Stitch(es):
    Those little chain stitches you do at the end of a row before you turn...
     That's what you call them!
  Stitch Marker:
    Not just for knitting...use to mark your top turning stitch so you can see where to put
       your last stitch on the following row.
 Tension Matters
   If you pull your stitches too tight, you can't get your needle through them.

And, most importantly,
   Give yourself permission to RIP it all out if it's not working for you...
   It's just yarn...you can restitch it after all.

Needless to say, I need to spend some time finishing my homework square...and I might just rip it again...see how the sides don't line up?  Hmmm.....
 
 

Hooks and Needles: Hunting the Elusive Crocheted Elephant

Close your eyes...that's right I said close your eyes!

Are they shut? Tight?

Think of the jungle...
  humid...
  hot...
  and lots of green.

Animals...snakes, monkeys, spiders...

WAIT!

Is that the elusive Crochet Elephant I see?

 Ohh...it is! Be very quiet, and perhaps we'll get a better shot!

 There he is...hiding in the grass....isn't he just the cutest thing?

He hasn't spotted us yet...he's coming closer....look at all his marvelous color!

 Magnificent beast isn't he!  We're lucky to see him!

Ack! I told you to be quiet...you spooked him! See if I take you hunting again!
  PS: Love that cute heart tattoo and curling tail!

Pattern:
   Crochet Elephant adapted from JamMade pattern.
Yarn: 
   Madeline Tosh Technicolor Dreams from Jimmy Beans Wool
Notes:
  This is the first animal I've ever made, and he turned out so cute! He will be the perfect addition to The Momma's Easter basket.

Hook and Needles: There's a YARN TRUCK!!!

Photo courtesy of the LA Times
because I forgot my iPhone at home....duh moment!

I've heard of mobile libraries...
    Blood mobiles....
    And food trucks.

But a truck with yarn?

YES!!!

May I introduce you to the Yarnover Truck, carrying lots of luscious yarns to locations all around Southern California?

Today it was in Irvine...
  Which is close to my house...
   And I got to touch all these beautiful yarns!

Photo courtesy of LA Times

This yarn came home with me....
  Because it was the color I needed....

And the label is just too cute, don't you think?

Hook and Needles: Crochet Mood Blanket Update

Admitting you don't like your throw is tough...and actually getting to the point where you can rip it apart is even harder.

Originally I had started setting these squares in a variegated yarn....
   All eighty...
   Eight rows of ten per row.

But then I stopped...
   And stared at it...
   And stared at it...
   For over two weeks before deciding I really didn't like the variegated yarn.

I have a new plan involving just the original Mandala blocks edged in white.

It took me under two hours to remove all the variegated yarn from the completed throw...
  And two evenings to join it all together without the variegated yarn.

Now I have 80 blocks joined together that make me happy...
  another 15 or so blocks in a bag waiting to be joined together...
  and lots of yarn to make new blocks, especially pink ones.

Doesn't it look great?

Hooks and Needles: Send Yarn!

Sorry it's not square...I was rushing to get the morning light before running errands.

Are you doing the 2014 Crochet Mood Blanket?

I am...and I pulled out my Mandala blocks to finish for this project...
  There were just two...
  So beautiful they deserved to be in an afghan.

My progress to date:
  82 blocks completed to the white yarn
  31 blocks completed with the variegated yarn, ready to join
  18 blocks joined together

But I have an unexpected problem...being a newbie to this art, I don't know how to estimate yard needed.
  I've run out of yarn...
  Both the white and the variegated...
  And the yarn shop doesn't have any more in stock, but it should be in soon.

So I'm at a complete standstill...unless you can tell me where I can get Encore yarn.  There are no more yarn shops locally in my area, and the big chain stores don't carry it.  I've searched the internet with no success...so where do I get it? Do you have any you could spare?
 

Hooks and Needles: Simulated Braid Join

I've been stalking Pinterest for a way to join my granny squares together.
   And when I found a picture of the Simulated Braid Join, I knew I had to do it!

Problem was the link didn't work....
   And then when I found it...
   You had to refer to another link to do the first part....
   And then go back to the first link to finish it up...
   Totally a mess!

But I persevered.

First I needed to go to the yarn store...
   To find a great variegated yarn to set off the colors in my square...
   And besides, do you really need an excuse to go to the yarn store?

Pros:
 - Easy-peasy
 - Accentuates the colors in the granny square.
 - Squares up the granny square.

Cons:
 - More yarn used.
 - More time involved.

And you want the low-down on how to do it?  Let me break it down for you:

Step 1:
Edge stitch two blocks by (single crochet, chain three) in each chain-3 space, (single crochet, chain 3, single crochet, chain 3) in each corner.

Step 2:
Hold the two squares right sides together matching up the corners.  Working through both thicknesses, single crochet in the first corner, chain 3 - single crochet - chain 3 across ending with a single crochet in the corner.

Easy peasy, right?

Hook and Needles: Granny Squares

There are some days when my body wants to relax and just hang out on the couch.

For me this especially happens when it's cold and raining outside...and windy, can't forget that windy part of the equation.  The rain just seams to come down sideways.

Most times I don't listen to my body, as I've got a list a mile long of things to get done...just like most of you.

Just so happens that I went to the laundromat the day before to wash up those big rugs in the kitchen after Thanksgiving...and there is a yarn store in the same complex.

Color...glorious color...but it's yarn instead of fabric!

Many moons ago one of my Aunts taught me how to crochet, and I made a basic potholder....but nothing since.

The ladies at the yarn store were very helpful and encouraging. Did you know it now tells you what size of a crochet hook goes best with the yarn on the label?  Did you know the yarn shop also has a lot of free patterns and they gladly share?

Yeah...I bought some yarn and a needle to make one of their free patterns.

And last week when it was cold and raining outside, I took out the yarn bag with its yarn, needle and pattern...and made these!  

Two down...about 80 more to go!