What's in My Yarn Bag

Above are some fun pictures of things I currently carry in my yarn bag (compared to my post last year). I currently carry:

Snip-its (blades are protected and don't stab me when I look for them. LOVE THESE)
Cat tape-measure
Stitch holders & Stitch markers of various sizes
Yarn Notebook for inspiration

All these things easily fit into that cute Lantern Moon pouch that allows me to transport my notions to different project bags with no hassle. So great!

What do you currently carry in your yarn bag?

Crocheted Rope Clutch

So like I said in this post, I ended up making a clutch out of the rope. Unusual, right? ;) I'm into novelty, and my brain thought this project was the perfect way to explore unconventional yarn. 

Some other stuff:

US P hook

2 skeins of 100 Ft. X 3/16 In. Clothesline

1 skein of 100 Ft. X 1/4 In. Glow In The Dark Polypropylene Rope

Yeah, that neon rope is GLOW IN THE FRIGGIN DARK! Haha! I have another skein of clothesline (bought 3 skeins and only needed 2) that I can use for a wall hanging or something. I could even use it as a bag handle for a nautical themed bag that I either crochet or sew or something! Who knows?! What would you make with clothesline? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Lisa

Thinking About: Crocheting with Clothesline

If you're like me, then you love to play around with different kinds of yarn or things can can be used as yarn. I recently discovered a small chain hardware store called Harbor Freight Tools, a true SoCal hidden gem. I happened to pass by the rope and twine section and couldn't help myself.  I LOVE creating new textures and the thought about the effect of using different material with my crochet hook influenced me to buy a few things (skeins?) of clothesline. 

LOTS of potential here for future projects, that's for sure! I'll show you what I ended up making in an upcoming post, so stay tuned!

Have you tried using an unusual kind of yarn for one of your projects? What did you use?

Lisa

My Homespun Boot Socks

Finished these babies a few weeks ago and am just getting to posting pictures now!

More info on my project page. I made these socks with Madelinetosh Tosh Merino in Thunderstorm. I love the way this yarn looks in natural light, plus this yarn feels so soft and smooth on my feet. I have enough yarn left over to make another pair and will most definitely do so since the socks in the pic were gifted.

My Nifty Collapsible Yarn Swift

When you buy yarn from your LYS, most of the yarn will come in the form of a hank. There are two different things you need to wind your yarn into a useable form, because trust me, just trying to unwind your yarn from the hank will result in the most knottiest of knots.

So what do you need to wind your yarn? A yarn swift AND a yarn ball winder. Most people don't know that you need a swift to easily hold your yarn as you wind it into a ball. Below is my collapsible yarn swift that works great, can be taken apart and put together easily, and doesn't take up that much room in storage. LOVE it.

I bought mine from Amazon, found here.

Texture ideas

I'm using Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Dk in Tart and Habu Wrapped Merino in Red. 

Lots of potential here! I'm making a cowl out of this cool yarn combo, spoilers.

Cat Owner Problems

Oh, you know. 

I didn't want to wear my hat or crochet with my black yarn anyway. 

And of course I buy yarn so my cat can play with it. Of course.  

Current projects: October 2013

I love to knit and crochet, but sometimes I get distracted and easily excited by multiple projects. I have 4 current projects (although only 1 is "active"). I still have high hopes of finishing all my projects, whenever that may be. Sometime soon, sometime later, it doesn't matter as long as it gets done. I think the best part about knitting and crocheting is when I do finally finish and get to use and show off my piece!

Here are my current "back burner" projects:

1. Woven bag

I'm making many of these squares and will eventually sew them together to make a handbag or a weekend tote. I started this project over a year ago ;)

2. Fingerless mitts

(Please excuse exploded yarn ball. My cat tried playing with it when I wasn't looking.) I started this project attempting to try something new and different, which at the time meant knitting with needles smaller than a US 6 and yarn that knits up a smaller gauge than worsted weight. I got stuck trying to make the thumb, got distracted, and reverted back to the safe cowls and hats that I love to so dearly make. Since it's getting colder outside, I will most likely finish this project within the next month. I started this project 8ish months ago. 

3. Horizontal sweater

I got distracted with this project because new yarn came in at work and I was way WAY more excited to knit with the super soft Worsted Twist. The yarn in this sweater is made out of acrylic (buhhhhhhh) and wool. It doesn't feel THAT soft and I'm all about the feels, hence the immediate transition to my chevron hat. I started this project 2ish months ago. 

Can't wait to show you my progress on my Noro scarf. My cat loves it. I laid my scarf down to take a picture and my cat promptly claimed the scarf as his own. I mean, seriously, look at this cat:

Pretty sure my cat likes the feel of mohair, since this scarf is 45% kid mohair. I'll probably make him some kind of wool mat in the future that he can use for insulation during the cold months to come! 

That's all for now friends. Time to get back to knitting my scarf!

Quick knit: Chevron Hat

It looks cute but this hat (unfortunately) is way too small to fit my head!

I used this chevron hat pattern (followed it exactly) and Purl Soho's lovely new worsted weight yarn.

Couple of notes:
The ribbing is too short
          -I will make the ribbing longer for my next hat
The top of the hat decreases too much too soon, making the hat look all weird and square
         -I will modify this to make more of a smoother, less square look
I want thicker chevrons
         -I will make 6 row repeats instead of 2 row repeats

I still have plenty of yarn left over to make another hat and will surely make the necessary modifications so I can wear it during the upcoming cold season.

Lovely update picture coming soon!

My Current Yarn Stash

I stash my yarn in my hallway closet. It will humbly reside there, well out of reach of pablo and natural light, for only a short while longer. I am going to relocate from a two bedroom apartment that I shared with two other roommates into a one bedroom apartment on the 15th. This will be the first time I will be living by myself (and of course pablo). I am pretty dang excited to have my own place and I ESPECIALLY can't wait to decorate it! I anticipate cool apartment DIY posts in the near future. Anyway, back on topic:

TA DA!

Would you believe me if I told you my stash has considerably shrank in the last few months? No? Well yes, I am aware that right there is quite a bit of yarn. Fortunately (yes, fortunately), I expect the stash to grow over time (totally serious. the thought excites me. greatly.). Having a nice selection of yarn is key to creating a perfectly unique piece of fiber art.

I am going to have to figure out a new place to store all of my craft supplies at my new place. Maybe I will do something like this:


Found this gem on pinterest, posted here. I'll keep you updated!

That's all for now, friends!

Intarsia Experiment

I was scouting my yarn stash in the hopes that I would look at skeins of yarn and an idea for a project would just come to me. Interestingly enough, this process worked. I decided to try my hand at intarsia knitting and I am starting out on a trial run headband. This is what I have so far:


I plan on using silver and grey to make some sort of ribbed design. Curious to see how that will turn out.

The yarn on my lap desk is for this cutoff sweater which I plan on starting after my intarsia experiment. Depending on how well the sweater turns out, I might make another using Madelinetosh yarn.

That's all I have planned for now, friends!

Crafty Yarn Robot

I briefly mentioned my crafty birthday card that I made for my friend in this post. I put a bunch of random things in his card including this adorable picture:
This was a successful project due to having a nice selection of yarn in my stash. I only spent a couple of hours making this robot and I reallllly like the way yarnbot came out. It looks like the front is legitimately illuminated by yarnbot's belly furnace and that yarnbot is actually looking down at the mouse. I am pretty dang proud of myself.

I was inspired by his drawing:

Mental note: make more yarn pictures. this activity is too fun haha.

Madelinetosh Yarn

Madelinetosh yarn is a wonderful brand of hand-dyed yarns. There are some gorgeous colorways available. I had to take a picture when the warehouse got in the most recent shipment. Enjoy! :]




My favorite skeins are the rich blue and green skeins.

Have you used madelinetosh yarn in any of your projects? What colors did you use?

Toodles!

Staying organized

If you like knitting and crocheting as much as I do, then you probably have a BUNCH of different sized needles and hooks. This is how I keep my tools organized:

CROCHET

I crocheted for myself a crochet hook case! The red stripes use hdc white the blue stripes are simply made of sc. The extra loop in the hdc is what holds the hook into place.


My favorite part is the nifty little pocket in the middle of the case. I use it to stash my stitch markers.




KNIT

I know what you're thinking. Pirouline cookies are absolutely delicious. Fun fact: the can also makes a great knitting needle holder! However, I think I should at least knit a can cover. I feel like knitted decoration is much more appropriate than exposing the tasty-looking cookies on the can label.

I am planning on knitting a needle case for my straight needles whenever I find a good pattern. Storing circular needles can be a bit tricky. One solution is buying this addi click needle set.



YARN BAG TOOLS
Scissors, small crochet hook, yarn needle, and stitch holders. All necessities for a useful bag of tools. I use the crochet hook the most for my dropped knitted stitches. The hook is a real time saver!


And that about does it!

How do you keep your needles, hooks, and other tools organized?

Toodles, friends.

Vacation Plans: May 4th-11th

I am heading home for the week, spending time taking care of my parents house while they are vacationing in Hawaii. Spending the week at home will be a nice relaxing vacation for me. I will get to hang out with my parents before they leave and I will get to see my favorite dog in the whole world, Bear. He is a 13 year old lab and the sweetest, humblest, most empathetic being I have ever interacted with. I mean, Pablo (my kitty) is cool and all, but he is no dog. Speaking of which, I will be bringing my kitty to hang out with Bear and me while my parents are away. It will be quite the party!


I am planning on stretching, doing plenty of yoga, and meditating. I have not been treating my body well lately, and taking the time to tend to my muscles and my mind is a necessary step to keep me healthy and happy.

I am bringing my cello with me, too. Currently, I am learning the notes to the song Gerudo Valley from Zelda OOT and will eventually write sheet music for that, since cello sheet music for that song does not exist on the internet anywhere. I am also hoping to jam with some friends while I am home.

I will be starting my scarf from the Purl bee. I am most excited about this project because I am using exquisite yarn made out of cashmere and linen. I seriously cannot wait to finish this project!!

Above my needles is my project notebook. It is quite the find! I will talk more about my notebook in a later post.

That's all for now, friends!

Counterpoint Scarf

One of the things I am making my sister for her birthday is a counterpoint scarf. She loves playing the piano so I figured she would love this scarf!

I am using Cascade 220 yarn, made out of 100% wool, and US 6 needles (the pattern calls for a tighter knit so the pattern stands out).


Time to get started!

New Projects for the End of April

Along with plans to make a second Cassandra Cowl, I have started two new projects that I can't wait to finish!

The first:
This is a cowl I am making for mom. This is Angel Hair Stripes yarn made of acrylic, nylon, and wool and was found at Michaels. It's a soft cheap yarn used to make comfy winter accessories and gives rise to cool textured stripes in this pattern: knit 4 rows, purl 4 rows.

The second:
This is a wonderful knit using fabulous Debbie Bliss Andes yarn. It is a baby alpaca and silk blend, giving the piece a gorgeous sheen as well as a soft and luxurious feel. I am making a checkered texture using this pattern:  (K5 P5 for five rows, then P5 K5 for five rows).

These projects will be done soon, as they are both really easy knits. Then I plan on making two unique pieces for my sister's birthday that just recently passed. Details on that tomorrow, when I actually buy my yarn!

And now I shall leave you with a sleepy pablo, sleeping wherever his sleepy heart desires, like right on top of my yarn bag.

Beautiful Monday Morning

There is nothing more domestically serene than morning crochet complete with coconut ginger rooibos tea and a Meet Me in Tahiti candle from Bath and Body Works. Off to make more headbands, friends. A fundraiser update is soon to come!

St. Patrick's Day Crochet!

What a fun excuse to crochet something cute and green! Today I am crocheting a beanie for my peace frog.

Lol.

I used the magic ring to start. I like this method better than ch stitches connected with sl st. I used this left-handed tutorial to help me start my magic ring.

This is what I have so far:


I'm crocheting without a pattern so I'm interested to see how this beanie turns out.

Quidditch Headband Fundraiser Update

Alright everyone. Get ready because I just bought 3.5 pounds of yarn from Michaels. World Cup is a month and a half away and my goal is to make infinity headbands. My body is ready.


The random tomato is an attempt to provide some kind of visual gauge. Basically, the 1 lb skeins are over a foot long.

LET'S GET STARTED