Trip Report: Mint Chip Hat

While procrastinating about working on my knitted socks (I decided 5 inches of ankle ribbing is enough, and am working on the heel now!) I decided to start working on another hat. I didn’t really know what kind of hat I wanted to make, so I just looked around for a simple pattern I could play with and try out my new yarns.

The Pattern: 

For the basic shape of the hat I followed the Anarchy Irony Hat by Tera Avila, which I found in Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. I omitted the anarchy symbol, and added the stripes and a pom-pom. The pattern is really basic and simple, and ultimately I probably didn't need to use it at all. The top for this hat is crocheted open, and then sewed closed afterwards; I think I would have preferred just crocheting it in the round the whole way. 

The Yarn: 

For this I used Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes Superwash in Fjord Heather and Bittersweet Heather. The colours are amazing, especially the fjord, and I am thrilled that it is a superwash. It is however a touch scratchier than I was hoping, so hopefully it doesn't make my head itchy after wearing it a while. I did find it very easy and pleasant to work with though.

The Experience:

I enjoyed making the hat, and it took me no time at all to complete. This was the first time I make a pom-pom and I am totally in love with this one. It is hard to keep from squeezing it!

The Product:

I LOVE this hat. This is something I am definitely going to keep for myself, and I expect to get a lot of wear out of it this coming winter. It is already 0 degrees Celsius here this morning!

Trip Report: Cupcake Hat

I finally got a usable picture of my cupcake hat taken, so at long last, I present to you, the Cupcake Hat Trip Report

 The Pattern: Chocolate Cupcake Hat with Blue Frosting from Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies: 20 Yummy Treats to Wear 
 This pattern was a lot of fun and very easy to read. Very beginner friendly.

The Yarn: I used Phentex Merit Solid in Burgundy and Pale Plum, and some random red yarn for the cherry. The yarn was very cheap (Dollarama!) and I got what I paid for. It was very squeaky to work with, and looks cheap, ultimately. However, I just wanted to mess around with a fun pattern, and it did the trick. In the future though, I would only use this yarn for amigurumi bits.

The Experience: I really liked doing all the ribbing, which while still very simple, added variety to the project. It did however involve a lot of attaching things together, which I hate. I prefer to do work in the round and avoid piecing things together when I can. That may not have been possible with the ribbing and the swirling on the cupcake top, but if I were to do this pattern again, I would at least attempt to do the “cake” portion in the round. I think I was done all the crocheting for this hat in like a day, but it took me weeks to get around to doing all the finishing, which really wasn’t all that excessive but like I said, I hate this part. Initially I was waiting to go get some little pom poms to make the sprinkles, but then remembered I had beads and used those instead.

The Product: Meh. It is a fun looking hat, but it isn’t something I would wear. 1. Because the pattern in general isn’t my style 2. Because I chose really cheap materials, and 3. I could have measured it better, but I was fed up and just wanted it over, given that I had no plans to wear it anyway. 

So basically, what I am saying is that if I don't like the product, it is my own fault and not the pattern's. I do think that if I used nicer wool it could be a super adorable gift for someone who is a touch more whimsical than I. Definitely something I would recommend to someone starting out with crochet who is bored of scarves and other standard beginner projects.

General Update and Yarn Haul

You may have assumed that I haven’t posted recently because I had nothing to report, but it is quite the opposite. I have been crafting like a fiend, and simply haven’t had the time to write about it. I have also been to waiting to get some good photos of my finished items and the new yarn I got in. In any case, I will break up my news into multiple posts for easier digestion :) 

I am still hard at work on the sock (4 inches now!) but was distracted by a couple of hats, and am now working on a poncho for a friend. I have since received another order of yarn from Knit Picks though, and I thought I would share that here. 

 Read on for a bunch of yarn pictures!

Sock Continues (Slowly) and Book Buying

 From the simple, single-hook brisk pace of crocheting to...

So it turns out that knitting a pair of socks takes roughly 4oo years. I know this because after hours and hours, I have about 3 inches of sock cuff under my belt. I am having fun doing it, but it is largely for the challenge at this point.

What I like about crochet is that if I screw up, I can just quickly undo it and easily fix my mistakes and I don't lose all that much time. Hell, I crocheted an entire poncho, realized it was too big, undid it completely and redid it in like 3 days. This means that
a) I'm not super stressed about making mistakes;
b) It goes faster, as I am not being crazy cautious;
c) Since fixing thins is not such a big deal, I am more willing to experiment and go outside the box, because I know I haven't ruined anything.

However with the knitting mistakes are such a slow thing to fix that I am terrified of making any, and when I DO make some, fixing them is too big an undertaking, so I just have to deal with them (Other than dropped stitches; those give me a heart attack every time it happens even for a Milli-second). For example with this sock:

While doing the K2 P2 ribbing, I got confused and switched their order around, causing all the ribbing to shift over. Were this crocheting I would never let such a mistake stand, especially one so early in the project, but I am not prepared to spend hours undoing the work, and more hours re-doing it.
I think maybe this just means that the lessons I take away from crocheting and knitting are different from one another: from crocheting I learn to focus and aim for perfection, whereas from knitting I learn that it is OK to make mistakes..

When I bought the sock yarn I had visions of me making everyone cozy handmade socks for Christmas. HA! HA! HA! I think deciding whether or not to make socks for someone is probably a commitment to be considered as seriously as a marriage proposal.

Anyway, I thought I would go check out some sock knitting books for the next time around (which will be on circular needles, that's for sure.) I saw one about doing 2 at a time with circular needles regular style, and another by the same author about doing 2 at a time with circular needles toe-up. I was totally paralyzed with indecision, so I bought a crochet book instead. It'll be months before I am ready for another pair of socks, right? I picked up Fashion Crochet: 30 crochet projects inspired by the catwalk by Claire Montgomerie which looks like it has a lot of really cool patterns in it. I also grabbed the Fall issue of Interweave Crochet which seems beautiful as well.

Trip Report: Sweet Pea Shawl

The shawl is all dry!

I am very pleased with how it looks post-blocking, it really does make all the difference in the world.

Final Sweet Pea Shawl Verdict:

I had a lot of fun doing this pattern. it was simple enough to memorize quickly, but varied enough to keep it from getting routine. Despite not really being a shawl person, I really want to make another one now, as I love how the rows keep getting shorter, which is really encouraging. I do feel like I would prefer something with a little more variety next time.

I think my stitching was even and it looks consistent. I think I would have liked it better in a different yarn, though.  Something thinner, and maybe in a lighter colour. I think for my next one, I will do something in a light grey/silver tone and in fingering weight or lighter.

I am also very thankful that no cats went to sleep on it while it was drying.

 Sage stayed on the couch

And Oreo slept in progressively smaller boxes.

Sock, Block, and Roll

Busy day in the world of knitting and crocheting over here!

I finally began the socks! Let me tell you, going from 1 hook to 4 needles is not a smooth transition. However, after a few hours of fussing and swearing (and adding a bunch of crochet sock patterns to my Ravelry queue as if to threaten the Gods of Knitting into bending to my will, lest I be forever lost to the accursed hook) I have Begun To Knit A Sock. Exciting! I am also trying out my new needle tip protectors, yay! The yarn is really great too.  I'm using the Knit Picks Stroll Tweed in Indigo Heather and it is really gorgeous and soft. I am following this pattern which is really more of a tutorial, and exactly what I wanted. No left handedness issues, just knit purl whatever.

As for the shawl,  I added the fringe and blocked it earlier today.  I used a very fancy and glamorous method to do this.

I rolled it in a beach towel, threw it in the tub and stomped all over it. it is currently laid out on the dining room table. All that's left now it to wait for it to dry, and pray a cat doesn't go sleep on it.

Mission Accomplished!

I finished crocheting the shawl! I still need to weave in all the ends, and attach tassels, and block it... but still, finished crocheting it!

This was a fun project, but I am really excited to move on to trying socks. I have decided to try this tutorial, with the 4 DPNs. Hopefully it doesn't go too slowly, or I will be discouraged. I haven't mentioned it before, but I am extremely left-handed. For crocheting, this isn't really an issue, as I just mirror the moves, but knitting is another story. You see, I knit continental style, AND left-handed. So, to many people, backwards backwards. This means that whenever I learn a new knitting style or technique, I need to spend a long time just figuring out how to interpret the instructions in such a way that they are consistent with my method.Anyway, I am looking forward to the challenge, but I want to finish this shawl and the cupcake hat soon as well.


Aside from that, I also harvested and transplanted some bromeliad pups from the plant Erin gave me last Spring for feeding her cats. They are the two plants on right in the photo below. I am not sure my grow shelf will be the ideal lighting conditions for them, but I have them parked there for now. In the foreground of the photo are some cacti I grew from seed that are going through a growth spurt.

Cheers!