Off the Hook

Finished the knitting & now ‘off the hook’ with the crocheted border complete

All this needs now, is a little bit of ribbon, to weave through the eyelet design.  Tried to find a dusty, cornflower blue, but there was nothing even close.  So, pale blue it is.  This is the same design as this one.  Can’t seem to get more than one of these in the shop.  They are so lightweight, they work with car seats and strollers, and pretty enough to work well for baby pictures and christenings.

As soon as the ribbon gets here, this blanket will be ready for pictures and then it’s all ready to head to a new home.

Boutonnieres’ All the Rage

I have been getting inquiries about my little flowers……like these, for a couple months now.  And, not all the requests have been for formal occasions like weddings & proms.  Apparently, it is the ‘thing’ to dress up & that includes pocket squares and bits of color on ones lapel.  That I don’t know this, is not a surprise, as I’m not exactly ‘in the know’ when it comes to gentlemens’ fashion. Nor, do I live in what could be called a fashion capitol.  HA.  The pacific northwest is known for people wearing socks with their Birkenstocks to pretty much any & all occasions!

So, this new bit of flowers or shapes, or something in ones lapel…….is a new one for me.  I have been making tiny little flowers, hearts and circles to add to the shop as well as to fill custom orders that have been coming in.  This past week, the studio had flowers all over the place!  Pretty little bits of yarn & odd bits as the centers.  Fun to make & fun to imagine them being worn!

Puffy little blossoms

5 tiny flowers in clients colors, with silver bead centers

Tweed yarn, silver button center, has a Scandinavian look to me.

Luxury Silk Yarn makes up this tiny flower.

April showers DID bring May flowers, at least at Stitchknit!  See my entire collection here in my Etsy shop.

 

 

 

Listings and the Unfortunate Baby Hat

I’ve been busy knitting and crocheting since I “lost” my voice.  I can’t answer the phone……..and I didn’t want to have clients here when I couldn’t communicate, so knitting it was!  I played with yarn and then some more yarn!

 

Here’s 3 new little scarves for the toddler set.  Bright colors, great textures and the perfect size for those tiny fashionistas!  I have them listed here in my kids & baby section.

 

 

Here is what is supposed to be a baby hat.  It is so big it would fit OVER a football helmet.  Easily.  I was so in love with the way the stitch pattern turned a right angle, I had to finish it.  But, it is coming out.  Soon.

The area where the needle still is…….is the back seam of the hat.  Which makes the bottom portion the neckband area of the hat.  The picture with the pattern looked SO cute.  This??  A long ways from cute!

 

A few of my other projects are not quite at the picture stage.

-A lovely pale blue & creme baby blanket, done on the diagonal….just waiting for a crocheted border.

-A lavender, pink, yellow baby blanket…..not quite big enough yet to finish off

-Off white silk crocheted Goddess Shawl.  Ends to weave in and a picture to figure out.  I should learn not to create things out of white, as I’m at a loss when it comes to how to get a decent picture.

 

 

 

Copy Cat Crochet

I’ve finished with the custom order for a Christmas Stocking……   This little Santa was added on to the original and this is my in progress shot of my attempt to copy, not only the stocking, but the Santa.  I am pleased with the result, but not so much with my picture taking.  Nor, the new changes here on WordPress re; the pictures.  I can only manage so many changes and I’m apparently over my limit for the week!

Here’s the sample sock, on the right, and my copy on the left.  (the one on the right has no Santa, but the new sock was supposed to have one)

I was pleased to work on this project.  And, I’m thrilled to have it completed.  Packaging and shipping it tomorrow……as soon as I make up a little gift to send along with the stocking.

I so enjoy matching someone elses work.  This one had no pattern, but I did get to have a sample to work from.  Sort of like working a puzzle backwards!

Have you ever copied someones crocheting or knitting?  How did  it go?

 

Work in Progress Wednesdays

Making progress. The new squares are pinned on top of the sock I’m copying for a client.

Was going to include the picture of the Santa motif that goes on the top band of this sock…………but the computer & I are not compatible tonight it seems.  I’m much handier with a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles!

Hoping to have this project complete & ready to ship this weekend……or at least by Monday.

Back to work!

 

 

Bright Baby Blanket

Finally caught up enough to get back to a project I started ……….oh, let’s say last spring.  Could have been earlier, but it’s done now, so who’s counting the months.

not your typical baby pastels!

 

I saw this on Pinterest and started gathering up yarn from “the stash” right away.  Even though stripes aren’t something I normally do, this just started calling my name!  I started in and loved it in spite of all the ends that were accumulating!

I’d love to see other color combinations if anyone has completed one of these.  I’m thinking I’d like to do another, but keep the colors in the same family……….  Of course, I’d like to see pink to burgundy, with maybe some lavenders thrown in.  What do you think for colors on this one?

One drawback to the project, at least for me, is that it’s a stay at home sort of event.  With so many skeins of yarn in my project bag, this one does not travel.

 

Autumn Inspiration

Autumn is my favorite season…..for all kinds of reasons.  I love the lead up to the holidays; Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I also love the return to the schedule fall seems to bring.  Daylight savings time goes away, and that seems more normal to me than daylight savings time.  Meals seem to return to a more organized schedule than summer suppers & sandwiches.  Soup, baking bread and getting to the canning that will fill the shelves of the pantry all fill the house with delicious aromas.

And, without gardening chores, it seems like there are hours and hours of time that appears, just waiting for some yarn!

Fall also brings a surprise of color around every corner here.

Here’s a display of Japanese Lantern plants that caught my eye last week.  Spring and summer colors just don’t have the fiery look this does.  Not that I’m going to rush right out and pick up some orange and green yarn for the next project!

This is the piece I just finished……….a crocheted cowl using a variegated yarn with some fall colors that are a bit more muted!

 

 

I love how this one turned out.  I have just listed it in the Etsy shop, you can see other pictures here.  There’s no pattern, I just start with a chain, and crocheted in this case, until I used up the yarn!  I alternated with 2 rows of half doubles, and then 2 rows of double crochets.    I put this together with one twist, so it lays around a neckline with some natural, easy folds.

Next up here at Stitchknit:  Finishing a crocheted shawl.  I must, I must finish this thing!

Finishing a crocheted baby blanket, using the Blackberry salad pattern.  Love this!

And, finishing sock #2, in a hot pink yarn……………for ME!

 

 

 

Crochet 911

 

This was delivered to my house this week end.  Two vintage ………..no, probably certifiably antique at this point………granny square afghans made by an aunt of mine.  When she died, these two went to one of her sons, and since he just died………..they are now going to her daughter.  No one in the immediate family was willing to work on either of these…………so, here they are!

Two afghans in need of some TLC

I didn’t get a close up of the areas that had disintegrated, but trust me, there are places where there is just no blanket there!  Trickiest piece to fix is going to be the black bordered one on the right. Some of the yarn used on this piece was wool………..and over the years it has felted………….and felted WELL.  I know my cousin isn’t going to fuss over those types of details, but I do want this to be repaired so that I’m happy with it.

 

First thing on the list is to start assembling the necessary yarn.  I think I have plenty of black, but some of the other colors I’m going to have to pick up.

Next, I think I’ll copy the squares so I can just ‘paste’ them into the straight forward problem areas.

Then………….I don’t know.  The plan only goes so far!

 

I’m open to any and all advice you might have.  If you’ve pulled a granny square piece back from the brink, please share!

 

 

 

Listed…………and SOLD!

Wow, before I had a blog post written about this piece, I got an email saying it had SOLD!  So, here it is, just before being packaged up for shipping to Alberta, Canada.

 

This turned out to be a soft, easy to wear cowl. Crocheted this time, in an open double crochet stitch pattern.

 

Back to work…………      I’ve got 3 pieces almost finished.  One needing some grafting……….and 2 needing a few more rows, then the ends woven in.   Not claiming to be a math whiz here, (my brain cells start to smoke if I ask them to do anything math related!) but, even I can tell I’m a couple pieces short for my 30/30 Challenge for September.  Will be looking towards the sewing machine this afternoon………….I have 2 fabric sorts of pieces in my imagination, that may well make their debut here this week.  That would finish off my month, with 30 Scarves in 30 Days!

Then, I am going to get started on something that is NOT a scarf! 

 

 

How Behind Can I Get In 30 Days?

The calendar tells me it is Day 6 of my 30/30 challenge & already I’m behind.  I’m NO good at math of any kind and can’t even remember phone numbers without help, but I can see I’m less than a week in on this challenge of mine and ……………….I’m playing catch up already!

Doing a quick post.  A two for one here today.  There are so many new scarves and cowls here in the studio, it is possible I could also get confused before I get through the last day of September.  I’m also fairly certain there is some master mind, behind the scenes, who has cranked up the Speed of Time.  Never seen a month that went quite this fast.

My scarf for yesterday………..a frothy bit of pink.  This one reminds me of the colors of cotton candy, the ones hanging upside down in the plastic bags at the fair.  (I’m old enough to remember cotton candy on paper cones, only in pink, and not in plastic bags. )    This is knit, with regular rows of yarn overs & K2tog.  No pattern, just a repeat of some basic stitches.  Plenty going on with this combo of yarn.

And here is the scarf for today………..

White cotton, crocheted lengthwise, which makes it lay and hang well.  The yarn has a tiny metallic silver thread running throughout, so there is a bit of glitz to it.  Snowy sparkle perhaps?

Head to the Etsy shop for more pictures, and the specifics about each of these.    I have to hurry and get my TO DO list done for today, before it is tomorrow and I’m further behind!