I made a super scarf! And I love how it turned out. Click through to watch me vlog my progress and grab the free pattern.
Read MoreFO Friday: Striped Baby Stocking Hat
Finished Object Friday
A few days ago all I had was this scribbled plan in my design binder. After one false start, a bit of frogging and lots of hemming and hawing and staring at the inspiration picture, I finally finished my baby beanie!
Click through the slide show below to see the process of my beanie creation. :)
My pre-crochet plan
I really hope this ends up fitting like it's supposed to! I'm not completely sure it's the right size for a newborn. But, I'm going to give it to my photographer friend and she can let me know if it needs to be bigger or smaller. Sometimes I get it right the first time, but not always!
It's so much fun to create a new design and then crochet it and bring it to life. :) Creative satisfaction!
What about you? What have you finished crocheting lately? Post links to pics so I can see! :)
WIP Wednesday: Striped Baby Stocking Hat
A photographer friend of mine asked me to design a hat for her to use as a prop in her photo shoots. She sent me this picture and said that she wanted something similar.
Looking at the picture, I'm pretty sure that this cap was made with double crochets, so I'm going to create my own version with single crochets.
I realized that I needed to add the pom pom to the end before the tube got too long. Otherwise, it would have been a big struggle to tie the pom pom on.
TIP: I used a Clover pom pom maker to create this perfect pom pom. I highly recommend them!
Photo by Flower Tree Photography
When I went yarn shopping for this project, I realized that there is no baby yarn in these neutral colors. Almost all yarn that is super soft and specifically made for babies is pastel pink, blue, green or yellow. There was some white, but no cream or gray. So, I decided to just use my favorite worsted weight yarn.
I started out the top of the hat with a small point and then created a striped tube.
After attaching the pom pom, I kept crocheting the stripes and started increasing rounds in order to grow the bottom of the hat to fit a baby's head.
Since I don't have a live human baby of my own to try this on, I won't be completely sure that it's the right size until I finish it and give it to my photographer friend. I'm hoping I get it right the first time! But, if not, I took good notes on what I did with this design, so I can start again if I'm way off!
What about you? What's on your hook right now? Tell me about it, post links to pics, brag, and share in the comments below! :)
Why I love amigurumi!
Amigurumi is my summer obsession! Basically, it's a fancy name for crocheting stuffed animals. And it is so much fun!
I think everyone should try it, and this is why. Last summer I crocheted a baby toy for my sister-in-law's baby shower. It's a ring toy where the middle post is a snake and each ring is a different insect: a bee, a ladybug and a dragonfly. I was really proud of how it turned out and it inspired many other future creations.
My nephew Andrew was born in November and I got to visit him when he was a couple of weeks old. My brother and his family live in Pittsburgh, so seeing the new baby was a very special occasion.
When I went to Pittsburgh, I saw Andrew's room and my amigurumi ring toy was sitting on the shelf. I was glad it was on display, but I wondered if he would ever play with it.
Then, a couple weeks ago I got this picture from my brother.
My nephew Andrew with his amigurumi ring toy
The feeling I got when I saw this adorable picture of my nephew playing with the toy that I crocheted for him... there's nothing like it. I love seeing pictures of people wearing my beanies, but this was a whole new level of love, pride and fulfillment.
So, I want to share the amigurumi love. I've been creating lots of boards on Pinterest, so click here for some free patterns and amigurumi inspiration. And, this week I've been working on designing my own patterns, which is loads of fun and I'll be sharing those very soon!
Peace, love and amigurumi!
My favorite crochet class...ever!
Craftsy, one of my favorite crafting sites, just celebrated it's 3 year birthday. As a birthday gift for Craftsy, I decided to write about my favorite Craftsy class. Really, it's my favorite crochet class that I've ever taken.
If you didn't know before, amigurumi is a term for crocheting stuffed animals. I have always loved stuffed animals, so when I found out that I could crochet them, I was ecstatic!
Aside from my love of stuffed animals and all things crochet, I really especially like this class for the following reasons.
1. Stacey Trock is the instructor. Stacey makes amazing amigurumi designs and has a fun, bubbly personality. I subscribe to her blog and follow her on Pinterest.
2. In this class, Stacey totally nerds out on crochet and talks about the pluses and minuses of various techniques and stitches. She answers questions that I've been wondering about for years but never knew who to ask! Is it better to crochet under the back loop only or both loops? How do I measure my yarn in yards? and How do I write my pattern as I go so I remember what I did?
3. Even though this class is about designing amigurumi monsters, I have found it incredibly helpful with designing beanies. I learned a lot about how to shape my crochet projects and how to plan them out from start to finish.
Pssst...This class is not for total beginners. If you're new to crochet or to amigurumi you can watch the Amigurumi: Woodland Animals class on Craftsy first.
Crocheting amigurumi projects and beanies are very similar techniques. You use a magic circle, single crochet and increase, just like beanies! Watching one or both of these classes on Craftsy will help you make adorable amigurumi animals and crochet better beanies!