Completed Project!

This project was not on my list of many WIPs. Instead I decided to hook up a quick beanie since the one I use everyday has become pretty loose and baggy.

This is a tried and true pattern. It is the Ginger Slouchy Hat by Kristina Olson. The only modifications I made were adding a pom pom and working up the brim differently. I did a ribbed brim compared to how she worked hers up. I did the brim separate and then joined it to the hat.

I used Cascade 220 Superwash sport yarn in colorways of natural, summer sky heather and doe skin heather. I love the pop of blue. I do need to purchase a true pom pom maker. I ended up using up almost a whole skein of the summer sky heather just in making the pom pom. It still isn't the best one I have ever made either. 

I was able to complete this project in one afternoon. It was nice to begin and finish a project in one day.

I have also started another project. I know I should have finished an old one, but this is an afghan throw using all those bright bold colored yarn my husband got me for Christmas.

I had written about finding a pattern that has some great textural stitches. Well I found it in the pattern by Rebecca Langford from Yarn + Chai called Henry's Baby Blanket.

This is pretty much the pattern throughout the blanket. I am loving the pattern and how easy it is, yet looks so intricate with great texture and detail.

The yarn I am using is Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca. It is a 3.5 ounce yarn weight that is 90% acrylic and 10% alpaca. So it is hooking up pretty thick and fluffy. I am planning on making my throw a lot longer than the pattern since I'm not making a baby blanket.

The Malia Shoulder Bag CAL has begun. First week is just hooking up the base and that to me is the most tedious part of any shoulder bag pattern. Lots of rows of single crochet. I am really looking forward to the second week set of instructions!! Once again Rebecca Langford of Yarn + Chai has curated a wonderful CAL. So glad I came across her post on Facebook.

I am going to finish sipping on my cup of coffee and then take my rambunctious little pup on a walk. We received a nice dusting of snow last night and they are calling for a total of 10 inches in the next 24 hours. Rango is biting at the bits to go and romp in the snow. I guess that is what I should expect from a Siberian Husky!!

Life Update!!

My poor blog has been so neglected!! Yet it isn't the only thing that has been neglected. I have not touched my crochet hooks in months!!! I have been in such a non-creative mood lately. But the other week I was cleaning out my spare bedroom in order to make it my office/yarn room. In the process of moving all my yarn stash into the bedroom I came across about 4 boxes from craftsy of yarn I had yet to spin into balls, plus some that were just regular skeins and I had forgotten I had ordered them.

No idea why I ordered these, but I'm sure they will work into something lovely. It could have been yarn brands I have never used and since they were at such a good sales price I decided to grab a couple to test them out.

This box of colorful joy was a Christmas gift from my husband. I plan on working up an afghan with these. I think it will be a gorgeous color accent to my living room!! I'm still researching what pattern I would like to use, but I am thinking something with some cool texture stitches.

So I have plenty of extra yarn added to my stash from just the two boxes I uncovered. Then I came across a few more boxes full of hanks that needed to be spun into workable skeins.

I found about 4 hanks of the pumpkin spice color needed to finish up a cowl plus just odd ones that I guess again were from me wanting to test if I like a certain brand that was at too good of a sales price to pass up.

It took almost 2 hours to make all those hanks into workable balls of yarn!!

I still have a lot of organizing and setting up my spare bedroom. I had to put it on hold because my sister and her husband are coming out next week and I needed to keep the bed up for them. After they are gone I will be rearranging everything and probably will need to buy some shelving units. 

On another note, I do have a CAL I will be doing beginning on the 13th! It is a CAL coordinated by Rebecca from Little Monkey's Crochet. I so do love her patterns. This CAL will be a cute beach bag called The Mailia Shoulder Bag. I have chosen tangerine and white as my colors and I am so excited to work this bag up!! The last bag CAL I did was with Rebecca a few years bag when I worked up the Wildflower Bag!! So I know her instructions are so easy to follow and she is so helpful. I will post the finish product once complete!!

courtesy of Rebecca of Little Monkey's Crochet

Completed CAL - Wildflower Shoulder Bag

Rebecca Langford over at Little Monkeys Crochet did an outstanding job with this CAL. She had over 4000 in her group and she kept the group fun and very respectful of one another. That is a feat of itself. I so enjoyed this CAL. There are so many talented fellow crocheters and I think my like button on Facebook has broken. My home feed was and still is filled with such beautiful and creative pictures of this great shoulder bag.

The first week of the CAL was making the flower squares and I must say I finished them up very quickly and was anxious for the next part to be published. We had to hook up 6 total. I used some really cute bicycle buttons for my centers. This picture shows a mess up, I guess I was so excited that I did a hdc (half double crochet) row for the last row instead of sc (single crochet). I had to frog the last rows on all 6 squares and correct this problem.

Week two was the joining of the squares and making the top portion of the bag. As well as attaching the slip rings for the bag strap. Many other members of the CAL really showed their creativity at this point. Some did different color stripes. Just the color combos were so amazing to see. I stuck with a taupe and seaspray blue color scheme.

Part three was the toughest part for me. You had to make the bottom of the bag and the strap. I kept coming up with the wrong count in stitches. It might had to do with me watching Hell on Wheels while doing this part. I was distracted by Anston Mount and his character Bohaneen. But I got it done and worked up the strap.

I can say that I am totally in love with this bag. I am now using it as my project bag. 

And what is inside this project bag you may ask? Well I have begun another bag but making it slightly smaller by only using 4 squares. I started on it yesterday!

My very first CAL and my very first crocheted bag was a great experience. I hope Rebecca at Little Monkeys Crochet plans another one in the future. This was such a positive and supportive group of crocheters. If someone had a question there was always many others that could answer it. And again seeing all the varieties of color combos, bag straps and embellishments was so inspiring.

4th of July and a CAL

We have had some really hot weather lately! Yep we went from rainy and cold to no rain and crazy hot!! Oh how I can't wait for Fall & Winter!! But the 4th of July festivities are wonderful here in the Wasatch Mountains and we are lucky enough to either sit in our drive or make the short walk across the street to the resort and watch the wonderful fireworks display.

I have decided to do a Crochet Along project!! I have always looked at different CALs but just never made the commitment. I found this CAL on facebook and joined the group the moment I saw it! She has over 2000 members now from all over the world. I think it will be fun plus I have never crocheted a bag before.

Picture courtesy of littlemonkeyscrochet. 

My linen stitch afghan has gone into hibernation these past couple of weeks. It is just too hot to crochet with wool right now. Once the weather begins to cool down again I will get back to it.

Other than biking and hiking the trails around town, it has been a rather relaxing summer. Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July here in America.