Sweater Envy & Shopping My Stash

Why is it that i can knit or crochet any baby sweater pattern that I find, but I cannot make a sweater for myself that I like when it is finished?  I am so envious of knitters who have lovely sweaters that they knit for themselves and actually wear those sweaters.  I'm envious for several reasons, such as:

• That you are skinny, so you can afford really nice yarn for your sweater, as it only requires 2 skeins when I need 10 skeins, so I settle for yarn that will not make me happy.
• That you are skinny, so you can knit a sweater in a week, while I need a year to complete my size.  (Are you sensing a theme here?)
• That the pattern fits your skinny body, just as it is written, but I must alter every pattern for my super-size, lumpy-bumpy, extra curvy body. (Theme continuation)
• That you can seemingly wear your sweaters all year round, while I need it to be sub-zero so that I don't perspire to the point of becoming a felted wool puddle.

I'll stop with just those points, simply because I don't like myself for even thinking these negative thoughts to list them, but truthfully, I do get so frustrated that those thoughts run through my mind.  The "theme" seems peevish and I realize that it sounds like I don't accept any accountability for why I need 10 skeins.  I am very well aware that I am responsible for how obese I am.

Unfortunately, this week I let my frustration spill out in a Ravelry forum asking why designers don't take x, y, and z into consideration when writing a pattern?  Essentially, I was selfishly asking why don't the designers write all of their pattern specifically for ME?  I was couching my questions in the guise of "all of us plus-sized people", but in retrospect, it was all about me.  I am so very sorry.

Fortunately, the responses were not mean.  Instead I was educated.  A lot of what they posted, I knew, but apparently needed a kind reminder.  Some posted from the designers perspective and some as knitters.  I am grateful to them all.  

I did know that it is impossible to write a pattern that will work perfectly for every body, but at that moment, I needed to be reminded.  What I didn't realize is that rarely is a pattern perfect for even most of the knitters.  Almost everyone needs to learn how to customize a pattern for individual body specifics and preferences.  I need to learn how to customize patterns for my body specifics and my fit preferences JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.   Can you say wake-up call?  Yeah.  

I have decided to make this year my year of sweaters.  I am hoping to learn and grow in my understanding of the construction and customization of sweaters to fit me personally.  By the end of the year I would like to design a sweater specifically for me.  My first step is to take the Craftsy class, Fit Your Knits. The forum responses also recommended that I check out a couple of other resources that I want follow up on and to share:

• Ravelry Group & Pattern: The Tailored Sweater 
• Ravelry Group:  Fit to Flatter 
• Book:  Little Red in the City 
• Website:  Custom Fit

The first sweater I am casting on is the Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig.  I chose this sweater because one of my reasons listed above for not liking a pattern is that I need it to be extremely cold before I can wear it or I get overheated.  I will be using lace weight yarn for the Featherweight cardigan so I am hoping that it will address that issue.   

I was also put off by how much it costs for me to make a sweater in my size.  I decided to try to find enough yarn in my stash, even if I had to use several different yarns by striping it.  What I found was a yarn I had forgotten I owned, Elegant Yarns Athena in the 202 pink colorway.  I have 4 skeins which equal 3200 yards, more than enough to do the largest size of the sweater.  Best of all, I purchased the yarn at Marden's Discount for only $2.50 per skein.  My sweater will cost $10.  Shopping my stash FTW!

In an effort to not get too distracted from this mission (SQUIRREL!!!) I have cast on for the Featherweight cardigan.  Since this pattern is miles of stockinette, I figured that I wouldn't have to try learning fitting techniques while trying to maintain a stitch pattern.

All of this is speculation on my part since this will be a learning process.  I will TRY to blog about this journey.  If you have been to this blog before or taken a quick look back at prior posts, then you know that I am not a consistent blogger, so I will not make any promises that I am not sure that I can keep.  Thank you for stopping by and if you have any advice or comments, please leave them below for me.

I hope you stay yarn crazy!

Vlog 2: Charity Projects

Hats knit for:   The Charlotte White Center

1st 2 hats:  Chenille Glam Roll Brim Hat

3rd hat:  Beanie Brim Cap

4th hat:  Harlequin Hoodie

5th hat:  Just a Basic Hat

6th hat:  5 Hour Hat & Gaiter

The Red Scarf Project information.  

I Dislike Blocking...

But I really like what it does for a shawl!  Watching the details open up and bloom before my eyes is a wondrous, yet back breaking, event.  Don't skip blocking your work, the effort is worth the end result.

This is the Bobble Shawl by Pia Linden.  I crocheted it in a cotton blend or unknown origins.  Pink is not my color, so I wonder who will get this?

Happy Creativitiy to you All!

Beads!

Recently I have been having a blast with beads!  I have been making spiral crochet bead necklaces and bracelets and loving it.  It takes me quite a while to string all the beads so that I can make them, but it is so satisfying to create.

I think I will have to invest in a bead spinner to speed up the bead stringing process.  Also, I need to get some better display props for taking the photos of the pieces for this blog, Ravelry, and my Etsy shop.

Once I became proficient at this technique, I started looking for more beading challenges.  I found an ebook on Amazon that demonstrated a wonderful beading method for making rings:  Simple Seed Bead Rings You Can Make by Janis Websdale.  It is very easy to follow with good photos and it only cost $3.99 to download to my Kindle Cloud Reader (this is a free Kindle app from Amazon).  This pearl and blue ring is my first attempt at a project from the ebook.

Now, just in case you wonder where the yarn went in my life, have no fear.  I have several WIPs of yarny goodness in progress, so stay tuned for more.

Happy Creativity to you all!

Busy Needles and Hooks

I know I haven't been posting everyday, but I assure you that I have been very busy with my yarn projects.  Here are some of what has been completed in the past week.

The first project that I completed this week is the Cotton Candy Haze Scarf/Wrap is knit with Berroco Mohair Classic.  I started this a couple years ago and it has been just sitting in a project bag.


It isn't from a pattern.  I just cast on 40 stitches on size 9 needle.  Knit 4 rows of garter stitch. Row 1: Slip 1st stitch purl wise, *yo, k2tog, k1, repeat from * to end of row. Repeat that row 1 until the scarf is as long as you desire. End with 4 rows of garter stitch and bind off loosely.


I like it worn as a wrap or folded in half lengthwise and worn as a scarf.  The mohair and wool makes it super warm.

The next photo is of a Spiral Scrubbie, crocheted in Peaches & Creme stripes Sail Away colorway, and pattern written by Judith Prindle.  It is a very quick crochet and works like a charm and I see many of these in my future :)

Next I made dishcloths from the pattern Dish Cloth on the Edge, written by Rita Maria.  I did change many things in the pattern, so I guess it is more inspired by the pattern.  Essentially, it is a mitered square that is crocheted in the back loop.  I have made several already and love them.  This one was made with the same skein that the Spiral Scrubbie, pictured above, used.







Finally, Ihave been crocheting some little pals!   This guy is so cute and fun to make (Pattern by Kj Hay).  I found him because I decided to start using more of the pattern resources that I already have on hand, so I did a pattern search of my library on Ravelry and he was in one of my Crochet! magazines.  You only need to know how to ch, sc, sl st, and work a magic ring, in order to be able to make one of these cute creatures.  


In the photo I don't have the ends of his hands finished off because it calls for a magnet to be placed inside so he can clasp the hands in a hug and I don't have the magnets at the moment.  I have decided to use hook & loop instead so that he will be more baby friendly.  I like him so much that I am already working on a buddy for him!  


I do have a few more finished objects to share, but they will be saved for another post.  Happy Creativity to you all!  

A Rose By Any Other Name...

This beautiful crocheted rose was delivered to me yesterday.  My Aunt Connie made it and sent it to me.  I am waiting (impatiently) for the pattern, so that I can make some too.  I think it is brilliant.  She is making them to sell as a fund raiser to benefit a local organization against domestic abuse.  My Aunt and my Grandmother were my crafting inspirations when I was a child and my Aunt still amazes me with the beautiful creations she makes.

Baby Booties

I love patterns that use up my little bits of leftover yarn.  These crocheted baby booties used very little sock weight yarn and worked up super fast.  The pattern is by Karen Gilson and is called Granny's Love Booties.  There are several ways to combine little bits of different colored yarn to achieve many different looks.

Super Quick Project

This Bobble Necklace pattern is free from Lion Brand.  It is a very quick crochet project.  I sewed on glass beads as an after thought and I think that if I make it again, I will add them as I work.  I think that the necklace needs a little weight at the bottom.

This is a great beginner project and wonderful for kids.  It doesn't take much yarn so it is a wonderful way to use up those leftovers in your stash.  Make them in several colors!  Have them on hand for the little ones "dress-up"

Julie's Tat Covers

 Recently, I had to spend some time in a nursing home rehabbing from hip replacement surgery. I can't say enough about the amazing, caring staff who got me through my recovery. I was there for 3 weeks after the first surgery and 4 weeks after the 2nd surgery and I was just a bit cranky towards the end.

One of the staff members, has a gorgeous butterfly tattoo on her forearm and the facility policy is that she has to cover it at all times. This just seemed so wrong to me, so I decided to make her some pretty covers for her tattoo.

1. The upper left corner picture is Pine Forest Wrist Warmers by Maria Thorgren-Hansson.   
2. The upper right corner picture is  Sparkle Flower Wristlets by Carrie
3. The lower left corner picture is  Spokes Cuff Bracelet by Mercedes
4. The lower right 2 pictures are Julie Cuff by Robyn Chachula

Spiral Bead Crochet

I recently received a wonderful new book in the mail, Tapestry Bead Crochet by Ann Benson.  It is full of incredibly lovely projects and I chose what I perceived to be the most simple to do, spiral bead crochet.

If you look closely at the full picture of the bracelet you can see the difficulty that I had in the beginning, but once I established a rhythm, the project was easy and very fulfilling when completed.  I have also made a necklace to match but I need to get a clasp for it. 

I look forward to wearing this set on many occasions.  I can see how this will not only make beautiful jewelry, but I will be using this technique in the future to make purse handles.  

2 WIPs

My last post told you that I am working on a giant pair of socks for my apartment managers husband. I have only been doing a couple rows per day of the endless leg ribbing. I am just winging a basic sock pattern to make this, so I don't have a link for you. My pictures for this post are bad, because I was lazy and just snapped them on my laptop in my lap.
To alleviate the boredom of ribbing, I have started working on a cowl for myself. It is comprised of 7 crochet motifs attached in a circle which then have stitches picked up and knitted in ribbing. Yes, more ribbing. The yarn is Aegean from my friend Loribird's etsy shop, The Wool Room. The pattern is Amiga. Here is the first completed motif.I will keep you posted on my progress. What are you working on?

Coffee Mug Cozy???

I love coffee. I feel it is vital to my ability to function. However, in my relationship with coffee, I have never once thought, "I wish I had a cozy for my coffee mug".

Why am I sharing this? Well, I enjoy helping new designers get their patterns off the ground by volunteering to test their patterns for them. Recently, I volunteered to test crochet a pattern, the CLF Coffee Cozie, for new designer, Candi Oldfield. Testing this pattern, does not mean that I need a cozy, just that I want to help. As I crocheted I wondered to myself, "why would anyone make one?". It seemed to me to be a frivolous item.

I completed the test crochet of the pattern and then put it on one of my mugs to photograph it for the designer. After I took the picture I filled the mug up with coffee and discovered the usefulness of a mug cozy. I could hold my coffee mug in a couple of different ways without being burned. I usually feel the hot mug on my knuckles as I carry it to my chair and can't set it down fast enough. Not any more! I think this designer is a genius. I present to you, The CLF Coffee Cozie.

Front of the CLF Coffee Cozie

Back of the CLF Coffee Cozie

By the way, CLF stands for Crochet Liberation Front and if you want to learn more about them you can check out their web site at http://www.crochetliberationfront.com/. The pattern for the CLF Coffee Cozie is in their first book, which is available on the website.

I have finally finished my Sweet Sweater #2 . This is not how I envisioned it when I started it, but I think it turned out okay. It was made with size 5 thread in cream and lilac (brand unknown) on a 3.25 mm steel hook. The Sweet Sweater Pattern is designed to be a custom fit, so I would estimate this top to be about a 4X. It took me about a month to complete while I was simultaneously working on a couple of pair of socks of which I previously posted pics.

Below is a picture of the neckline detail.

The picture below shows the bottom edging.

Now I have to complete my bear and the bear's doll for the 2008 ThreadTeds Challenge.

Knit & Crochet community addiction...ugh.

I haven't got much to post about my projects because I haven't gotten much done on them lately. This is because I am online far too much in the knitting and crocheting communities, forums and websites. How I loath to admit it.

Until February of 2008, I didn't know that they existed online and I felt all alone in my yarn obsessions. I don't know why I never before thought to search the net for knitting and crocheting resources. Then I found Ravelry....YIPEE! I love everything about Ravelry and I am grateful it exits. For those of you not familiar with Ravelry, it is a community for knitters, crocheters, spinners and anyone associated with those things. It has provided me with organization of my projects, craft books and future projects. There I can find many patterns and people who understand my interests. The sub-groups are too numerous to list and encompass a wide variety of peoples personalities and interests. (i.e. knitters and crocheters who like Mike Rowe)

But...and this is a big but...finding Ravelry led to me discovering so many other forums which tempt and distract me. This has me online for longer than I ever intend to be and way past my physical comfort zone, as I am in chronic pain. Also, if I am on the net, I am not holding any yarn in my hands!!! This is not a good thing. I pledge that I am going to cut back on my internet time...really, I am, I think...hmmmmm.

From the depths of my stash...

Last night I was going through my craft closet, trying desperately to find another spool of cream size 5 thread to use on my Sweet Sweater. Uh-huh...no such luck, but I did come across some granny squares that I made several years ago and which have been patiently waiting for a purpose. So, I hauled them out and stitched what there were of them together to make a lapghan. I will donate this to the nursing home that my mother works at. So, instead of sitting in a dark closet, they will hopefully provide some comfort to a wheel chair confined resident. That done, it does not solve my thread problem. It looks like I will be frogging the last set of incomplete motifs (incomplete because I ran out of thread *sniff*) and then changing color and pattern stitch to complete the last of the Sweet Sweater. I will use this new color to do the finishing trim on the arms and neckline as well, to tie it all together. Keep your fingers crossed for me, as this is not the outcome that I desired.

Computer hiccups

I haven't been online for a little while because my computer decided it needs a vacation. I don't know what is wrong with it, but hopefully one of my ever so talented and kind brothers will take a look at it and see if it is salvagable. Until then, my very generous mother has lent me a cpu that she had in storage and I am getting by with that. I miss my bookmarks!!!!

With all the down time I had, I was able to get some crocheting done. The Sweet Sweater that I have been working on is almost finished, except.....I have run out of the thread I was using. I need about another 4" of crochet to make it long enough for me to be comfortable with the coverage. Since this is not a retail fiber, I will not be able to purchase more. I am in a quandry as to how to proceed from here. This will take some thought.

While I was pondering the previous problem, I made Pam Gillette's "Hot Pink Bracelet Purse". This is such a handy little thing. It holds my license, debit card and keys, while leaving my hands free to shop or whatever.

Now I am whip stitching together some granny squares that I made several years ago and left in my craft closet. There are enough for a lapghan that I will donate to the nursing home that my mother works in. I should have that completed tonight.

I have decided that I am not allowed to start another project until I finish my sister-in-laws afghan, which I promised to her ages ago. She is recuperating from surgery on some disks in her neck and I wish I could be there to cheer her up. I keep stalling on this project because I am afraid that the cross-stitch motifs that I have designed won't be good enough, so all the hard work and hundreds of hours will be for nothing. I have to stop letting the fear of failure keep me from trying. I have done that all my life and I guess this is going to be a life lesson for me. I just don't want to disappoint my sister-in-law.

Well, that is all for now. If this computer is willing I will post again tomorrow.

Ravelry Sweet Sweater CAL

I recently completed a CAL in the yahoo group Plussize Crochet that involved the Sweet Sweater . I wasn't convinced that I was finally going to be able to make a garment that would actually fit me for the first time in my life, so I wasn't willing to invest in a nice yarn. Instead I used Caron Pounders in Azure and Cape Cod Blue that I had on hand from afghans I had previously made. Suprise! It fits and I wish I had invested in a better yarn for apparel. (pictured to the right) I love this pattern because it is more of a formula for customizing the garment to the person it is intended for, no matter what size they are! Amazing, huh?

Well, because of this I have joined another CAL for the same pattern in Ravelry's Crochet A Plus group. This time around, I am using a cotton blend, size 5 thread of unknown origin and a 3.25 mm steel hook. When I first started it I was using a much smaller hook and found that the increases where not turning the corners for the raglan sleeves properly and I ended up frogging several hours of work only to start over again with the 3.25 mm hook. It was immediately apparent that this was going to make all the difference in the outcome. To the left is a picture of it in progress after the correction and you can see how the V neck will come together. This should be a much lighter weight top for summer. I plan to do some open work on the bottom half of the top to be worn with a tank top or cami. When I complete it I will post a picture. Now I need to check my groups and then get back to the yarn.

Scarves From the Heart

Recently, I stumbled upon Scarves From the Heart and I decided that this is something that I can contribute to. I am on disability, so my funds are extremely limited and I primarily make things for my family as inexpensive, yet loving gifts. Scarves are one of those wonderful things that you can put together from left over bits and pieces from other projects. The more different things they come from, the more colorful and cheerful they will be. So for the past week I have been working on making some scarves to send in and here they are. (As you will see, it has been a rather productive week for scarves)

#1. A scrap scarf, crocheted of 2 worsted weight acrylics from different baby afghans I had made years ago. I just chained 100 and single crocheted in the back loop only for a ribbed effect.

#2 & #3. These scarves are the Spring Scarf pattern by Pam Gillette. The green scarf is crocheted of acrylic yarn that I received in a box from Ray's mom. The blue scarf is crocheted from acrylic yarn left over from one of my nephews afghans.

#4 & #5. The first Spiral Scarf is crocheted of the same blue yarn in the Spring Scarf above. The second one is crocheted of a red/black twist acrylic yarn that I recycled from a sweater that my mother used to own. (sorry the lighting is bad)

#6 & #7. These two scarves I hung side by side because they are knitted in the same yarn and needle, but one is done side-to-side and the other lengthways with Fun Fur Stripes in Mexicali and I find it interesting how different they look.

#8 & #9. These two scarves are crocheted in Fun Fur, but the labels were gone so I do not know the specific color or type of fun fur. I got them from a liquidator for only $1 per skein, so the price was right!