suncatcher ~ pattern

no 10 cotton thread yarn in pink and ocean
1.15mm crochet hook
6 inch metal ring

suncatcher pattern
round 1: chain 2, 6 single crochet in second chain from hook, join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

this is the right side of the suncatcher.  leave the tail hanging out on the back side to mark the back.

round 2: chain 6, double crochet in the same stitch, chain 3 *(double crochet, chain 3, double crochet) in the next single crochet, chain 3; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the third chain  of  the beginning chain 6.

round 3: slip stitch in the first chain 3 space, chain 1, single crochet in the same space, chain 3, *single crochet in the next chain 3 space, chain 3; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

round 4: chain 1, single crochet in the same stitch, chain 5, *single crochet in the next single crochet, chain 5; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

round 5: chain 1, single crochet in the same stitch, chain 7, *single crochet in the next single crochet, chain 7; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

round 6: chain 1, single crochet in the same stitch, chain 9, *single crochet in the next single crochet, chain 9; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

round 7: chain 14, * double crochet in the next single crochet, chain 11; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the third chain of the beginning chain 14.

round 8: (change color) chain 1, single crochet in the same stitch, *3 single crochet, 3 half-double crochet, 3 double crochet, 3 half-double crochet, 3 single crochet in the chain 11 loop, single crochet in the double crochet; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

round 9: (switch back to the first color) chain 7, treble crochet in the same stitch, *chain 5 single crochet in the second double crochet from the previous row,  chain 5, treble crochet, chain 3, treble crochet in the next single crochet; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the fourth chain of the beginning chain 7.

round 10: slip stitch in the first chain 3 space, 3 single crochet in the same chain 3 space, 5 single crochet in the next chain 5 loop, single crochet in the next single crochet, 5 single crochet in the next chain 5 loop, *3 single crochet in the next chain 3 loop, 5 single crochet in the chain 5 loop, single crochet in the next single crochet, 5 single crochet in the next chain 5 loop; repeat from * around and join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning single crochet.

 round 11: (change color) chain 3, double crochet in the next single crochet and in each single crochet around, slip stitch into the top of the beginning chain 3.

 round 12: chain 1, single crochet (back loop only) in the same stitch, single crochet in each double crochet (back loop only) around, slip stitch into the first single crochet.

round 13: chain one, (crocheting around the ring and working in the back loop only) 2 single crochet in the same stitch, 2 single crochet around the ring in each single crochet around, slip stitch into the first single crochet.

round 14: chain 5, skip the next 3 single crochet, single crochet in the next single crochet, * chain 3, skip 3 single crochet, single crochet in the next single crochet; repeat from *around and join with a slip stitch into the second stitch of the beginning chain 5.

round 15: slip stitch in the chain 3 space, chain 1, * single crochet, half-double crochet, chain 3, slip stitch in the back of the first chain, single crochet in the same chain 3 space; repeat from * around, chain 140 (or the length you want for hanging) slip stitch to the beginning single crochet, finish off.  tuck in all loose ends.

if y'all would like to see more fibers on friday projects head on over to Beth's place visions of sugar plums.

suncatchers

i've been playing around with crocheting suncatchers.  these were made with pattons grace: snow, aquifer, cardinal, blush, ginger, sky, and clay. the ring is  5 inches and  metal.   i haven't decided if i want to put an edging on them or leave them as they are.  the more i look at them in the picture; they need an edging.

i made this one using a 6 inch metal ring and no. 10 cotton crochet thread in lemon and gray.  i tied a evil eye bead from turkey onto the hanging chain.

hanging in the sun...

fibers on friday ~ flowers

I've been playing around with making crochet flower pins to add the the baby hats I made last week.

This flower is almost as big as the hat. It will look so cute on a newborn!

I made a couple flowers with a sports weight yarn to show the flowers more clearly.

All three of these flowers are basically the same.  I chained 32 for the yellow, 48 for the blue, and 66 for the pink to start.  After you get the chain done, double crochet in the 3rd chain from the hook, double crochet in each chain to the end.  Chain 1 turn and single crochet in the 1st double crochet, *5 double crochets in the next double crochet, single crochet in the next double crochet, repeat from * to the end. Single crochet into the 2nd stitch of the chain 3 from the previous row.  Finish off and cut the yarn leaving a  long tail (about 14 inches.)Follow the natural curl; arrange and stitch to hold in place.  Sew the pin hardware to the back of the flower.

(I chained 60 for the big girl hat flower.)

stash busting ~ a bit of this and that

This is what I've been working on this week.

I finished up some flannel wash cloths that have been half finished for over a month and crocheted an edge on the wash cloths from last week.

I found 6 skeins of Patons Be Mine in Fuzzy Yellow, 2 skeins of Red Heart Hunny in Sunny, and Bernat Softee Baby in White stashed away and decided it was going to be my next stash busting project.  Three skeins of Be Mine were from the same dye lot so I decided to make a simple knitted baby blanket.  I cast on 60 using 10mm needles and knit every row until it was 40inches long.  Then using a K hook, put a single crochet edge on it.  The blanket turned out so soft and fluffy.

I'm working on baby hats with the yarn that doesn't match up in dye lots. 

This was the favorite pattern of the week at my house and a request went out for one that would fit my girlie.  She also asked if I would make her a bumble beehive hat in black and yellow.  That's what she is calling it...the bumble beehive hat.

child size bumble beehive hat

Using 5 8mm dpn needles cast on 80; 20 stitches on 4 needles using Bernat Softee Baby White. Use a place marker to mark the beginning of the row. Pearl the first row, knit the next 4 rows.  Switching to Pattons Be Mine Fuzzy Yellow pearl the next 2 rows. Knit the next 5 rows with white, pearl the next 2 rows with yellow. Repeat the knit 5 rows, pearl 2 rows  pattern until it measures about 7 inches ending on the pearl 2 rows part of the pattern.

Decrease: Knit rows are with white, pearl rows are with yellow.  Knit 6, knit 2 together around. Knit the next 2 rows. Knit 5, knit 2 together around. Knit 1 row. Pearl 1 row. Pearl 4, pearl 2 together around.  Knit the next 2 rows. Knit 3, knit 2 together around. Knit 2 rows.  Pearl 2, pearl 2 together around. Pearl 1 row.  Knit 1, knit 2 together around..  Knit 2 together around.  Cut leaving a long tail. Using a tapestry needle sew through the loops and finish off.

I'm thinking of making some booties to match the little hats to keep up with the stash busting.

Ohhh, maybe little flowers to attach to the hats too?

stash busting ~ washcloths

Nothing cute about this project.  Though the yarn is amazingly soft.  It is wonderful for baby items and washcloths.  And baby items and washcloths are good stash busters.  Stash busting is good for making room for more great yarn finds.

I find great deals on yarn that I can't pass by.  I got this yarn about 8 years ago in the clearance bin for 50 cents a skein.  For that price it all came home with me; 20 skeins of various colors.   This is how my stash has been growing out of control.  Last year I put a hold on buying new yarn and I did better with it than I thought I would. Except for the great deal withdrawals.  There is something exciting and addicting about great deals!  I need to come up with a new plan soon because I saw a gorgeous bamboo silk blend the other day.  It was an amazing deal and now I'm kicking myself for passing it by.

bunny slippers for two

We've been seeing cute baby bunny slippers a lot lately.  I know...of course...spring time...Easter, right.  My Girlies asked for a pair.  So winging the whole thing I made a simple ballet slipper with a strap.  Then added ears, pom-pom tail, ribbons, and face.  I don't think any of the slippers or ears were done the same way.  But they turned out and my Girlies are happy with them; that's what counts!

somebunny

decided it was time to make a post. 

I made this little bunny the other day with some leftover yarn from the baby blueberries hats I made last year.  This has been my favorite spring bunny to make for about 10 years.  It is all about how you fold and sew it.  Because to make it you knit a square, ears and make a pompom tail.  The bunny pattern can be found here.

hello my name...

...is Jess and I'm a yarn addict.  I use to buy yarn when I had a project and then stash away the leftovers Then I started to get yarn for near future projects... and stash it away.  I progressed onto getting yarn for projects I wanted to do someday... and would stash it away.  For years now I've been getting yarn without any project in mind... and stashing it away.

A few years ago I started thinking that I need to stop buying yarn and get some of those "someday" projects done... I didn't notice my stash getting smaller.  See I was getting some of those projects done but still stashing away lovely new yarn that I just had to have.  So the next year came with a phrase/question to ask myself when I was looking at new yarn... "don't you have something like that at home?"  I even taught it to my Littles and asked them to parrot it back to me when I was looking at yarn.  That became the year that my stash of interesting/unusual yarn grew...I didn't already have it at home.

Last year I decided to I wouldn't get yarn unless it was for a specific project. Now I did do a lot of projects from my stash but I still found reasons to get more yarn... that specific project clause. 

This year I told myself I am not going to get any new yarn at all.  I told my Hubby and  Littles... they laughed at me.  That made me more determined to make it happen... a reward should keep me on track.  If I manage to stick to not getting new yarn all year in January I can indulge in new yarn.  I thought it would be difficult but it wasn't I've managed to not add to my stash... until last week.

I started making hats with some leftovers.

See the hat that doesn't have noodles on top yet?  And that bit of green on the band?  I didn't realize it was the last of the green.  I thought I had some more and cast on this hat next....

Yep, you notice how it has a green stem and leafs... I looked for something from my stash...I really did... a different shade of green... another color... type of yarn.  Nope, it wasn't going to work.  I really wanted that particular green.  I thought of waiting to finish it until next year.  NOWAY! I'm not going to procrastinate.  I don't want another unfinished project in my life.  I'm going to finish it now.  I broke down and got my first skein of yarn this year with  less then 4 months to go on my year of not getting new yarn. 

So here is my thought... If I keep this yarn on my needles and use it all up on projects for others before the end of the year it's like I never got it...right?

eyes on the horizon

We went to the beach today and kept our eyes on the horizon. 

 looking to catch the first glimps

of the USS Enterprise returning to port from deployment

Now to wait for the call from my Love saying, "I can leave the ship."

Good thing we have the beach to help distract us from our wait.

and a little distraction knitting.

blue, purple and green....oh my

I questioned one of my little's fiber choices when asked to make this hat.  Now I'm thinking of keeping borrowing it; which is kinda odd because I've never felt the urge to wear this shade of green or color combo before.

prism merino mia alpine and katia ingenua 15

alchemy al kozmos scarf

baby blueberries

yummi 'gurumi ~ nigiri

I have made about half a dozen pieces of sushi and my girlies are having fun playing with them.  Here is the "snack" they brought me this afternoon.

In the larger compartment: salmon, egg, crabstick, eel, tuna and clam.

In the smaller compartment: shrimp and octopus.

Time to move onto rolled sushi and dim sum.

purple bamboo blend

I cast on another purple bamboo blend hat that I hope to finish this weekend.

fibers on friday on monday

I finished the set and found my pashmina shawl. 

I'm definitely going to use bamboo blended yarn again.  In fact I've already started another hat with the same yarn and color.  Senior Chief asked me to make one for his Mom when I showed him the set; purple is her favorite color.

echinacea

I found a beautiful bamboo, wool, and angora blended yarn in echinacea.  So, my sushi is now on hold while I knit up a hat and fingerless mitt set.  The hat is done and I'm almost finished with the first fingerless mitt.  I think it's time for me to take a break from knitting and dig through my closet in search of a lost pashmina shawl that might match the set.

sushi ~ tuna nigiri

I found this book and had to get it and get started right away.  See, I have a few sushi lovers in my family.  And one of them won't be able to get a hold of sushi anytime soon.  So I am going to crochet him up some and mail it to him.  Of course I will have to make a second batch of sushi for my girlies; along with some cakes, fruit salad, and veggies...

The patterns are written for worst weight yarn, but I like my crochet foods in miniature (see here and here.) So this will be itty bitty tiny sushi made with number 10 crochet thread and a size 7 (1.65mm) hook.

My tiny Tuna Nigiri, Yummi' Gurumi is finished.

 Now to make some Salmon Nigiri, yum!

third time around...

... with a wool, mohair, and silk blend.

I definitely like this blend and see a couple of hats being made with it for winter. 



fibers on friday ~ two more...

...projects are finished up. 

My girlies fingerless gloves to match her ponytail hat.

I started a head scarf inspired by this; which didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to. I tried a new yarn which is really stretchy. So stretchy that it is being used as a belt right now.

I am casting on another one tonight and hope I get it right this time.

catching up ~ six

I finished off some more knitting projects that were collecting dust. 

Including the scratchy scrubby.