What I've been making lately

Time for some blurry cell phone photos! Sorry about the poor quality.

Here's a scarf (yet another Snuggly Scarf) I'm making for a friend. Needed something easy to work on at Stitch & Bitch. This picture is terrible. The yarn is really a little darker and more of a gray-blue color.

I still really, really, really want to start making some sort of a sweater/top for myself. My husband is still working on untangling the fabulous yarn my in-laws got me, but it seems like it may be a lost cause. (I don't know...he is stubborn. He just hasn't had much time to work on it.)

Instead of starting the Sera, maybe I will start the Jewel top from "Everyday Crochet" by Doris Chan. I have some yarn I've been meaning to make that with for quite some time. Trouble is, it also needs to be wound, and I've lost much of my confidence in my winding ability. I'm hoping that if I put it around 2 chairs and try really hard not to let it get twisted, it'll work. However, I don't seem to be very good at that whole keeping it from getting twisted thing. *gulp*

On a different note, since this post is about making things, I made cookies!

They are gluten free chocolate chip cookies. I used a mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen. They are so good! I'd never used the mix before, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I made these for my office's holiday party and for my S&B ladies.

The holiday party was today, and it was great. My coworker and his wife made latkes. *drool* They made them without flour just because I'd told him I couldn't have regular flour! I appreciated that so much. I think I ate about half the latkes, and there were a lot. There was a lot of other food, too, but since I can't have wheat or soy, I have to be pretty careful. I mostly ate latkes and the cookies I'd made, and a little fruit. Tomorrow, I am going to start paying attention to my Weight Watchers online tracking tool again! Really I am!

I made some new stitch markers the other day. They are little tulips made with Czech flower beads. One of my S&B friends thought they were martini glasses! Heehee...That'd be cute, too! I'll post a picture (and list them in my Etsy store) as soon as I can.

A good friend went to IKEA recently and picked up a lamp for me that I can use to light up the top of my light box (so far, I've only been working with 2 desk lamps, one on either side of the box). I needed one that was tall enough to curve above the top of the box and light it up without burning the tissue paper! Mission accomplished--hooray! With any luck, I will soon have brighter pictures. (Except for my cell phone pics, which will still be kind of bad. Sorry.) ;)

Plum Gulf Shores hat

Plum Gulf Shores hat
Originally uploaded by saintlex

Here's my latest creation, in Caron Simply Soft Brites yarn in Rose Violet. This one looks pretty good on me, though maybe I should've gone up a hook size.

Also, this hat goes with my fall-weight and winter coats, and with my Snuggly Scarf. Yay! I will definitely be wearing it when the weather gets chilly.

I am not even going to show this one to my mother. :P Not unless she sees me wearing it in the fall, anyway. And by then, it will be too late for her to discourage me. Muahahahaa.

Still workin' on the Moldy Cupcake. ;) It's coming along slowly, since I have been distracted by the hat and by other things I've had to do.

I've ordered some Caron Spa yarn, which is 25% bamboo, with the intention of crocheting myself a Somnambulista (the cute little nightie in Doris Chan's "Everyday Crochet"). That will be a big project for me. The pattern is done in some very expensive 100% bamboo yarn...I don't have that kind of a budget. In fact, I am pretty firm with myself about not spending more to make a crocheted garment than I would spend to buy that article of clothing, and I buy pretty inexpensive clothing. I spent roughly $25 on the yarn (ordered from Joann.com), and that was about right for me.

The other plus about Caron Spa is that it's machine washable. Much as I would love 100% bamboo yarn, I'd probably have to hand wash it, or at least not throw it in the drier.

Abydos progress, and more

I have now finished the top back part and the straps of the Abydos vest, and am getting close to the Joining Row. I am really excited about this, since it looks like I may actually be able to finish this project without losing patience!

Also, I crocheted a swatch in the yarn I'm using, and handwashed it. I was nervous about things I'd heard/read about MCY yarns. The yarn I'm currently using, however, did not bleed dye AT ALL. Even I wasn't expecting it to be quite that good. YAY! I have other yarns from MCY that may turn out to be problematic, but it looks like I'm safe with this one. What a relief.

I am really glad to be getting such a warm welcome back from my crochet blogger friends. I felt bad for being away for so long, but I guess it's not too unusual for real life to interfere for a while now and then. :) I am glad to be back in Crochet Blog Land.

I've also been spending quite a bit of time on Ravelry. Too much fun. I may join a CAL (Crochet-Along, for readers who may not know the terminology) on there for a cute camisole--I think the pattern is called "Sweetie"? I'm blanking on the author's name at the moment. Anyway, the author made it with Bernat Cool Crochet. I'm thinking I may pick up a few skeins of it as a treat for myself, since it's not expensive and I only need 4 skeins for my size. Anyway, I'm not sure what other yarn I would use for this project, out of the yarns I already have.

I've been thinking a lot about things I want to crochet. There are so many! I hope I don't get myself completely overwhelmed! One thing I'd really like to make is Doris Chan's "Somnambulista." It's a little nightie from her second book, Everyday Crochet. It is so cute...and my goal is to make it in a cream color, for my wedding night. *blush* ;) I have time, though. The wedding is November 2.

Check it out: my first stitch markers! :)



If you feel so inclined, please click on them to visit the etsy listing, and take a moment to let me know if there's anything else you think I should add to the listing. I'm not the greatest at advertising, and sometimes I leave out important details!

Anyway, I am really happy with them. They are cute and cheerful. Gonna make a set for myself when I get home from work.

I have a gazillion projects to work on as gifts, and yet my thoughts keep straying to that little Mei-Mei jacket in Everyday Crochet, and I keep imagining myself a new navy blue handbag (never mind that I don't even have navy blue yarn). I want a Mei-Mei for me-me! LOL. I'm such an impatient little bugger.

I've also got to work on my Anisette Vest for my cousin's wedding, to go over my little black dress. I am a little nervous about the blocking that I'll have to do on that one. I am probably going to spread it out on some towels on my bed, pin it, and spray it with water. I've read that I can do it that way. I hope it works all right. Anyway, I've got a while to go before I get to that point!

"Everyday Crochet" by Doris Chan, and keeping track of my stash

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan. I'm a big fan of Chan's designs, and this book had been calling me since before it was released, but I had been trying to restrain myself due to lack of funds. Yesterday, my will power gave out. (D'oh!)

Oh my goodness. This book is a work of genius. I'd been a little bit worried because others had complained about a lack of variety in the patterns, since they all use shells. I need not have doubted Ms. Chan--she explains exactly why that is in the Introduction! The gist of it is that she has created patterns that build off one another. They are similar in order to make it easy for the crocheter to adjust the patterns to her liking. YAY! Designing my own clothing patterns would be far out of my reach at this point, but with these patterns, I can learn to adjust sleeves, add ribbing, change necklines, etc. Also, she mentions that she's chosen to use shells specifically because they are a very forgiving stitch. They can stretch horizontally or drape nicely, making them pretty much universally flattering.

I've been somewhat afraid to take on larger projects because I've worried that what I make won't fit me (the waist could be too tight, the hips could be too tight, etc.--it's not easy to tell from bust measurement alone). I can make the clothing in Everyday Crochet without worrying, as long as I've gotten the gauge right. No clingy waistlines, and she's made it very clear how to adjust patterns for your own proportions; plus, I can rest assured that the shell patterns will be flattering.

My only complaint is that a lot of the yarns used are wool, which I can't use due to allergies. However, in the Introduction, the author encourages the reader to substitute yarn; and if the "Eve's Rib Tunic" is any indication, some of these patterns will still be fabulous in acrylic (it's made with Simply Soft Shadows!).

My favorite patterns:

-"Mei-Mei," the little jacket on the front cover, which I wasn't sure I liked at first. It totally grew on me. Cropped vests tend to look nice on me because they elongate my torso a little (and my torso needs it!). ;) The more I try to picture it on me, the more I like it.

-"Somnambulista," a beautiful little nightgown made with bamboo yarn. I plan to ask for that particular yarn for my birthday, so I can make myself one. I love the texture of bamboo yarns, but I can't afford them.

-"Jewel," a little sweater that's shown with 3/4 sleeves, which I plan to make long-sleeved if I have enough yarn.

-"Insight," a beautiful long vest.

There are also some belt patterns toward the end of the book. I may wind up making one or two of those -- they would look great with the longer sweaters, or with some of my other Fall tops.


OK, that's the end of my little book review. I've been up since some crazy hour of the morning because I couldn't get back to sleep, so I've been entering info about my stash on Ravelry. I've realized that it's a good way for me to keep track of all my yarrrrrn! I am pretty disorganized, but now I can keep track of the yarns I have without having to make my own spreadsheet or do anything equally dreary. Hooray for Ravelry! :)