Category Archives: crocheting

A crafty and organizational post

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Though I’ve been busy this past week, I did find some time to squeeze in some crafts. I’m really getting into my crocheting, and having some fun making new things. I made a purple yarn bag for my sister, and need to start one for my mom. But before I started her’s, I needed to make something else real quick. I’m not much of a coupon person, but I do like my craft coupons. I had started collecting coupons from about 3 different stores and needed a small coupon holder for my purse. At first the thought went through my mind, “Oh, I need to go buy me something.” Then I thought, wait, I’ll just search for a pattern online and make one. :D I found one and it whipped up pretty quick. There are a couple of things I’ll do different next time, but for my first one, I liked it.

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I guess I tend to crochet too tight, and the corners of my projects curl. This one was no exception, which has really bummed me out. I did find a new technique that might help, well new to me. I know everyone says use a bigger hook, but that hasn’t helped me in the past. I just read about using a bigger hook for the chain and then using the right size hook for the rest of the pattern. I’m definitely going to try it on my next project. Plus, I need to do something different with the button hole, or maybe choose another way to close it. But still, I like how this first try turned out.

Since I’ve been working on so many crocheting projects I realized I really need to get my craft cabinet more organized, well at least all my yarn anyway. So the other night I pulled out all my yarn, rearranged the shelves a bit, and put the yarn back in much neater. At least now I know what kind and color of yarn I have. The cabinet could still use some more organizing, but for now it works. I’m glad I finally got it done.

Before
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After
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Crocheting frustration

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I am thoroughly frustrated with crocheting right this moment, all over a very simple project. I’m trying to crochet a scarf for my husband. That doesn’t sound too hard does it? You would think a scarf would be simple, but no, not for me. :(

My husband likes very simple patterns. Nothing fancy or bright. We picked out the yarn together and I showed him some of the scarf patterns I have here in the house. He didn’t really like any of them, so I started searching online. I found one he liked that a friend of mine made, but I just couldn’t figure out the pattern, so I modified it a little. But as I was working on the scarf, the corners started to curl. :( I know, that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I know my husband, and it’s something that would bother him (and me ;) ). It just doesn’t look ‘right’ if the corners are constantly curling. So I unraveled what I had crocheted and started looking again.

I found a very simple pattern that hubby really liked, it was all single crochets. I started that one, and truthfully the corners were curling a little, but mainly it was just too plain. I really liked the look of what my friend had done, making a single row of alternating double and single crochets. It makes a cut little bubble effect, and a very simple pattern. So I thought I would make a different modified version of my friends pattern, again, unraveling all I had done.

I decided to start with 4 rows of sc, then 6 rows of a single row of dc, sc alternating, doing that all throughout the pattern. I figured it would give it a cute look. I could never start and end with a sc, ever. No matter how many chains I did, so the edges don’t look right. But to top it off, it’s curling again! :cry:

You can see all four corners are curling.
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What am I doing wrong? Am I crocheting too tight? Should I not use my unraveled yarn (though I would hate to wast all of that)? I’ve never even tried making my own pattern, and obviously I’m not that good at it. I was thinking of unraveling all of this and not starting with 4 rows of sc, just starting with the 6 rows of dc/sc, do you think that would help the curling? Alll of you crocheters out there I could really use your help. For the amount of time it’s taking me to figure this out, I should have 4 scarves done. Please help.

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Trying to be creative

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I’ve been busy with multiple things right now, but the ones I’m enjoying the most is crocheting and photography. I’ve been working on some Christmas coasters for our house. They whip up pretty easy. I made some last year, but all I had was a variegated red and white cotton yarn. I like this yarn much better with the green in it. I think it goes with our Christmas decorations much better. I’ve made 5 of them so far, I need to make one or two more. I’ll be working on them later today.

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This is the yarn for my next few projects. I know what I’m making with the tan yarn and with the variegated yarn I’m making something for Sarah’s hope chest, the dark pink I’m just not sure yet. I just really liked the color so I got some. I’ll have to look through my crocheting books and see if there is something that jumps out that I want to make.

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The other creative things I’ve been working on is my photography. I tried taking a picture of our Christmas tree the other night. I like the night shots better because I like trying to show how lit up it is. But I still can’t get it to look to well. Any suggestions from you photographers out there?

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I worked on this one for a while today. After I got it uploaded and on here I noticed the branch on top. :(

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So I tried it again and got this picture. I think it turned out ok. After I was all done I realized I should have used my tripod to take this picture. Ahhh, so much to learn.

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I’m trying it as my background too. I like the idea of having a Christmas background, just not sure I like the way it is laid out. I think I need to see it for a while to decide if I like it. :)

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Some projects and pictures

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I decided I wanted to make another scarf, a different size than the one I gave Sarah. I made it pretty quickly, in the same color yarn, but then decided I really needed a black scarf. I know, why would I pick the color black? I wear lots of black and neutral color pants, with colored tops and the pink and brown scarf just didn’t go with my clothes well enough. So I decided to whip up a black scarf. I really like this pattern, it’s such a pretty and quickly done project.

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Not quite sure my face looks so shiny. ;)
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This is the smaller scarf sitting on top of Sarah’s bigger scarf. I’m glad she likes the big scarf because I really like the small one. :)
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I’m making some more ornaments to give to the ladies at the bible study I go to. I still have to make the chain for the hanging hook, but I’m trying to get all the ornaments done first then I’ll add the chains later.
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I’m also going to crochet some Christmas coasters for around our living room. I finally found some yarn I like. The tan one is the coasters we have in our living room now. I wanted to make some Thanksgiving/harvest coasters but couldn’t find the yarn I liked unless I ordered it online. I knew by the time I ordered it and got them made, I would be changing over our Thanksgiving decorations for Christmas decorations, so I didn’t do them. I’ll just work on the Christmas ones and I’ll have them done in 2 weeks, just in time for when we decorate for Christmas. :)

This last picture is one I took last week. It was after our first snow fall, and after the time change. I looked up and saw the whole sky was this beautiful pink hue. By the time I got my camera there was yellow mixed in with it. I wish I could have gotten one without the houses, but I still think it’s pretty.
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52 Weeks of Photo Fun – Week 43

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I’ve lost track of how many weeks I’ve actually done my 52 Weeks of Photo Fun, so I just counted this one as week 43 since this is the 43 week of the year. ;)

My nephews son.
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Some of my craft stash.
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My new thing, listening to audio books while doing crafts. I got this bunch from the library, wasn’t sure which one I wanted, so I got all of them. :)
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I put a cd player by the couch so I can listen to audio books and crochet at the same time.
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The trees in our back yard before all the leaves fell off.
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My crochet projects

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Well, it’s that time of year again when I really want to start crocheting.  It seems with the change of season, curling up with a cup of tea, crocheting and having football on (yes, I like football) is what I really want to do.  I will say, even though Friday was the first day of Autumn, we have been experiencing summer like weather, so it doesn’t feel real fallish during the day.  But our nights get quite cool so I still feel like pulling out all my crafts and start working on them more.  :)

 

I do like cross stitching too, and I have a project I am working on, but I’ve also started a couple of fall projects.  My mom bought me a book last year called 101 Fun to Crochet Projects.  It has some cute things in there and one of them that I am doing is called a pretzel magnet.  It’s a cute thing to make, and real easy.  I haven’t added the ‘salt’ yet, but this is my finished pretzel so far.  I think I might make a few of these to give as a gift topper or something like that.
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Also in that book is a pattern for a Cornucopia Centerpiece.  It’s really the reason that I got the book.  I never tried to make it last year, but I’m going to try this year.  My mom and I went yarn shopping on Friday and now I have all the yarn I need to make it.  I’m little nervous about trying to make the actual cornucopia.  The fruit and veggies don’t look that hard, but the cornucopia looks a little intimidating.  So I’m going to start on the fruit and vegetables first.  That way if I start getting discouraged with the cornucopia, I can remind myself I already have the fruit and veggies done and need a place to put them.  :D

 It’s not the best picture, but this is what it will look like when it’s done.
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So those are the crochet projects I’m working on right now.  I hope to be able to show some pictures of the fruit as I get some done.  But right now I’m enjoying the pretzels, so I will probably make more of them first.

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Crocheting

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I really like crocheting.  I have tried knitting, but I never really took to it.  I’ve thought of trying the English way, or is it the continental way.  Anyway, the opposite way of how I knit now, but I don’t really understand how to do it, even after watching videos online.  Part of the problem is I hurt my shoulder years ago, and the repetitious motion when I knit hurts my shoulder.  Which is why I was trying to knit a different way.  But even before that I’ve really always been more drawn to crocheting.

All that being said I’ve been working on some new crocheting projects.  I’ve tried a different coaster pattern than I’ve done in the past.  I really like this one, the coasters get made up in about 30 minutes.  I’m working on a headband for my daughter.  That one is taking a bit more time but I think it will look cute when it’s done.

But one of the main things I was working on recently is a belt for me.  I don’t like thick leather like belts that aren’t flexible.  But I haven’t found many cloth or similar style belts for sale so I decided to crochet one.  I looked and found a very simple pattern I liked.  It was mainly just the chain stitches over and over, and it came together pretty quick.  I like it a lot, what do you think?

This is an up close so you can see the stitching.

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