That's a Wrap

When my close friend's birthday was on the horizon, I scrambled, trying to think of the perfect gift.  Boy was it hard!  She has a daughter who crochets (she's awesome!) so it was challenging coming up with something that I could make that my friend wouldn't already have.  Sure, I could have just run out to the store, easy!   But I wanted to give her something that would remind her, when she looked at it, that I spent hours crafting it, pouring in all of my affection for her as a small token of thanks for her friendship.  That's a tall order for one handmade birthday gift!  Then I remembered how she's always rocking beautiful scarves and wraps at church.  Lightbulb!  Enter two skeins of Caron's Simply Soft in that beautiful (often used by me) peacock blue and this Sage One Skein Wrap pattern.

I can't wait to see her wearing it!  If she's loves it even half as much as I love her we're good to go!

Perfecting the Perfect Slouchy Hat

A while back I proclaimed that I made myself the perfect slouchy hat.  I still stand by that =) but I made some tweaks that, in my opinion, make it even more...perfect!  I kept the same basic shape but used an open stitch (dc + ch 1 in the place of one dc).  I first tried a super slouchy version using Bernat Softee Chunky yarn.

I've used a soft, thick yarn for a warmer winter hat

but I think my favorite version is made with Caron Simply Soft and a K hook.  

It's very soft and lightweight, a great addition to any wardrobe.

Cup Cozies

These cup cozies have all the criteria for a perfect weekend project: quick, easy, no pattern necessary and endless options for customization!  

If you want to make one yourself, simply make a chain long enough to fight tightly around a travel mug then connect it with a slip stitch.  Single crochet around, making as many rows as you like.  I used small circles for eyes and did two colors to make owls but the possibilities are endless!

Crocodile Stitch Collar

I LOVE the crocodile stitch!  LOVE it.  The flair!  The drama!  The texture!  I swoon...

image from Yarn Muse 
If you're interested in learning this stitch I found her blog and tutorial videos very helpful!

I've been wanting to make something using this stitch for a while now but knew it couldn't be just any ol' thing.  It needed to be special.  And then I finished  my baby sister's birthday gift.  This wasn't a standard gift; these were a little dramatic and, well, special.  And my other sister had a birthday coming up...eureka!  Living in Colorado, I didn't know how practical wristwarmers would be.  If she was out and about, she'd probably want her fingers to be just as warm as everything else.  I settled on a collar/neckwarmer--maximum warmth, room for heightened drama, and not so long (like a scarf) that I grew weary of the project way before it was finished.  Perfect!

I am so happy with the results!  There really isn't a pattern here, I just did a chain in multiples of 3, measuring it against my neck until I found a width I was happy with.  And then I started crocodile stitchin'!  About halfway through I decided I really wanted the scales to face down on both sides so I actually made one half, crocheted the other side a few rows longer, and then connected the two pieces with a seam in the back.  Then I added some black ribbon to tie and mailed it off!  I can't wait to see pictures of my gorgeous sister wearing this!

Wrist warmers

My baby sister's birthday was at the beginning of December, when I was in the throes of panicked gift crocheting.  She was super understanding when I asked if I could move her gift to the end of my queue and finish it up after the holidays.  (Isn't she great?!)  Aside from not liking giving a gift that late, I hated to put it off because I was so excited about it!  I saw a picture on pinterest that really got my crochet juices flowing: wrist warmers (or gauntlets or long cuffs or fingerless gloves).  No matter what you call them, I had this picture in my head of how awesome they would be and my sister is definitely cool enough to pull them off.  After much debating, I settled on a peacock blue/green.  I used Caron's Simply Soft--I love this yarn!  After searching through free patterns online I realized that nothing was quite what I wanted and the only issue was making sure they weren't too small and having the right number of stitches for the shells.  Easy!  

I absolutely love how these turned out!  My eldest daughter was immediately smitten and has requested a pair of her own, in blue.  I think I may need a pair too...

Oma Slippers

A sweet gal in Indiana gave me the opportunity to make slippers for the first time!  I have another pattern I've been anxious to try out, as soon as I finish up with orders, and these whetted my appetite for more slippers!

I used this pattern for Oma House Slippers by Mamachee.  This was my first time using one of her patterns and I would definitely recommend them!  It was well written, easy to understand and even with (many) distractions I was able to finish one slipper in a couple of hours.  As a note, I used one of my favorite yarns, Caron Simply Soft and did not check my gauge (let's be honest, I'm lazy and I never do that step).  My first completed slipper, made with the size K hook for women's size 9-10 came out too small for me (I wear an 8 1/2 or 9).  Instead of adjusting my gauge I decided to use an L hook and use the largest pattern size and they came out perfectly!  I also used puff paint on the soles to help make their naturally slippery bottoms slightly more non-skid.

The Owls Have It

By far my most requested design is the owl earflap.   I've made them for babies up to adults, with heavy yarn, glittered yarn and everything in between, with open eyes and sleepy eyes . . . and my pattern is still evolving!

At this point I decided I hated the stupid tab ear things that were from the first pattern I tried before making my own.  And I started adding a contrasting trim.

And I like the eyes closer together.

Then I started doing a little widow's peak at the bottom.

I like the peak, but think it looks better if it starts in the bottom row and not in the trim.

But my favorite so far is made with the shell-stitch to resemble feathers!