Projects

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Baby goes west


Well, actually we have gone east, spending the last week with our wonderful family and friends of west Michigan. But I brought a little project from the west.


I found this fantastic pattern here. It does cost $5.95 but it uses only the littlest-bit of yarn and makes wonderful baby gifts. These particular ones are for a very special unborn baby I will be meeting this summer.

It took less than a half of skein of Cotton Ease yarn, about 4 hours and medium skills. Do you have a special baby coming? Check out this pattern.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

baby leg warmers

A free crochet pattern!

I made these leg warmers shortly before Eden was born. At that time I wasn't sure how big babies legs were so I estimated a size that would hopefully work for several months. This pattern I came up with should work for a baby 3-9 months, but I won't know for certain for another 6 months.
Materials:

Less than 1 skein each of color 1 (brown) and color 2 (white) Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn
USH8/5.00 mm crochet hook
USE4/3.5 mm crochet hook
yarn needle
scissors

Abbreviations
Ch: chain
Sc: single crochet
Ss: slip stitch
St(s): stitch(es)

Baby Leg Warmer (make 2)
with crochet hook H8
Starting with color 1 chain 30. Join with Ss to join into a circle.
Round 1. Sc into second Ch from hook. Sc into each of the next 28 chains. Join on top of first stitch with Ss. Chain 1. Turn.
Round 2. Sc is 2nd chain from hook. Sc 28. Join with Ss. Chain 1. Turn.
Round 3. Repeat round 2

Change yarn to colors 2

Round 4 - 19. Repeat round 2.

Change yarn back to color 1

Round 20. Sc in second Ch from hook. Sc 28. Join on top of first stitch with Sc.
Round 21: Ss 28 . Join.

With a yarn needle weave in all the loose ends.


Crochet Rings
With crochet hook E4
In Color 1 make 6 rings total.
Small (make 2): chain 6. Work 12 Sc into circle. Join with Ss.
Medium (make 22): chain 8. Work 16 Sc in circle. Join with Ss.
Large (make 2): chain 10. Work 20 Sc in circle. Join with Ss.
Weave in the ends.

Arrange onto leg warmer however you desire and attach with a yarn needle.

Many thanks to baby Eden for modeling her new leg warmers.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

a gift for me

In the rare moments when both hands are free I have created
a little space for creativity. Among my different crafting boards on Pinterest,
I pulled up this 'someday' project:

I would place the pattern on an intermediate skill level.
The project is fast, versatile, and for five dollars you can buy the pattern here.

I currently have a goal to finish all my yarn before buying anything new,
so I am crocheting with Rowan Cotton Glace, 4 ply.


The whole cowl/scarf can be done with two skeins of this yarn.

Uninterrupted this project could be done during a two night "Breaking Bad" marathon or one rainy day. With infant child, it takes longer. I still have a few rows to crochet before I put on the finishing touches. At this point I feel pretty good about my gift to myself.


I am only one more Blazers loss away from completion.

Monday, February 20, 2012

9 weekend craft projects

I'm always looking for quick weekend projects during the rainy winter months in Portland. With the busyness of life I too often find myself short on time and among stacks of unfinished crafts. And therefore these days I work mostly within weekend-sized ambition.

1. Flower Headband. This project is ridiculously easy and satisfying and hardly DIY. I bought the flower and the lace separately at Michaels and assembled with a few simple stitches.

2. Slouch Hat. This quick and fun crochet hat pattern is free here. The hat can be made in several hours with less only one skein of yarn.

3. Window Frame Wall Art. I am always looking for cheap and original art to fill the space on my walls. This project was inspired during a renovation project that left us with a couple of old windows. Behind the window is a piece of painted plywood.

4. Triangle Cowl. The pattern for this crochet cowl is here for only 5 dollars. Give me two skeins of yarn and a rainy Saturday and I will be showing off this versatile scarf.

5. Knit Sweater. An adapted version of this Baby Eskimo Sweater pattern, this thick-yarn sweater is fast and extremely impressive.

6.Baby Beanie with flowers. Following a pattern from the crochet book "The Happy Hooker", and adapting it to fit a child's head, this became Eden's first gift from her Mama. The flower pattern is from "Essential Crochet".

7. Reversible napkins and placemats. This great pattern is from Amy Buttler's "In Stitches". It doesn't take much sewing skill and they make a great wedding or housewarming gift

8. Mason Jar Candles. I can't justify the cost for nice decorative candles so instead I buy nice cheap candles, place them inside various mason jars (I'm always picking up canning jars at Goodwill - there are endless uses), add some lentils, split peas or small stones and I quickly some nice candle decor.

9. Felted Wallet. A friend found this wallet at a craft fair. It could easily be replicated by felting a sweater, cutting out the desired shape and sewing together. Sweater crafts are so fast and cheap. Click here for some more great recycled sweater projects.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

crafting in the nursery - part 2

From a previous curtain fiasco I found myself with two yards of fantastic fabric from Bolt on Alberta street (www.boltfabricboutique.com). Trying to figure out how to put it to the nearly unusable fabric to use I began googling nursery room projects leading me to this image from spool (www.spoolsewing.com). The tutorial is amazing. It includes a downloadable bird pattern and a demonstration for assembly.

I realize now that this image is all over the web as many people have created similar bird mobiles for their nurserys, craft rooms, general pleasure. People are quite obsessed with birds these days, and despite last years Portlandia's sketch "Put a Bird on it" I shamelessly admit that I am one of them.

Following the pattern, I put together nine birds out of my salvaged fabric. I started off by sewing them on the machine, but found it too difficult to maneuver because of the small size and sharp curves. I moved on to handsewing and despite the work, found it a very enjoyable activity during my then very limited mobility. They look a little more ragged than those on spool's website, but I've been recently encouraged to embrace the handmade, ragged, and imperfect look of so many of my projects.




Of course this is one of my many unfinished projects that I was hoping to complete in the two weeks of pre-baby maternity leave, but my babe had other plans and arrived early so she will be getting her finished mobile late.

crafting in the nursery - part 1

Monday, January 30, 2012

Knitting and crocheting

I attempted my first sweater several years ago for my friend Eva's first baby girl. Since then I have crocheted three more following this pattern found here on Drops Design:

When I decided to make one for my own daughter I translated the pattern into knit. I prefer the look of knit and had limited yarn to work with (knitting always uses much less yarn than crocheting) so by following the measurements from the pattern, I was able to create this sweater.

I finished the edges with several rows of crochet around the sleeves, bottom and inside flaps and completed the look by attaching varying sizes of crocheted circles.

Now I just have to wait until Eden fits.

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