I (heart) Etsy

Hi y'all.

Just a short note to mention what I'm doing today. I'm starting my Christmas shopping! Yup. Right here from home. I thought maybe you should start too.

Up front: I do not sell anything on Etsy, but I do love it. I love the stuff and I love the idea. Giving money directly to the people who make the product. I 100% believe that a handmade gift is the best gift.

If you handmake it, fab. But if you can't, something someone else made is pretty cool too.

Enter, etsy.

Go buy someone something super cute! I bet you they'll love it. Off I go to do just that.

Puff Hat

Last week I had a fun guest post by Steph, who as I mentioned is in some ways my twin. We like so many of the same things! So it was sort of funny when she sent her post over that she'd made a puff slouch hat, cause not that long ago I made one too. Different pattern, but very similar.

I didn't post about this hat before because I wasn't overjoyed by the outcome. It's okay, but not fabulous.

This was made for a friend from my soccer team for her birthday. Pink is her colour. She has pink on her cleats. If she can she wears pink soccer socks. She just loves pink. It seems that way doesn't it. Pink is one of those colours that people either love or hate.

I got the pattern from here and it was pretty easy to make. The puff stitch was totally new to me so I had to watch the video. But I've said it once and I will say it again, youtube has been the best thing ever for my knitting. Anything I need to learn it can teach me.

When you can't decide

Sometimes things have a hard time keeping my attention...

...

Wait. What was I saying?

Right. Attention.

Yeah. Sometimes I'm really good staying on task. Sometimes I have great focus and I will work at something for hours or days or months whole heartedly, just because I really want to finish it. And then there are times when nothing can keep my attention - not books (I'm reading 5 right now...), nor movies (I didn't finish the last 3 I started...), not even knitting projects.

Above is the knitting project I've been working on the longest - a pair of chevalier mittens. I got the pattern on ravelry, but I think you can get the pattern from this blog.

It's a fun pattern, and I really like the cables along the front of the mitten. They make it an interesting thing to knit. So you'd think I'd be done both by now.

Nope.

Just as I was finishing up the first mitten, I realized I'd made a mistake. The pattern is really easy to read (if you don't try to read the Finnish that is). It has a nice chart to help you along, and I definitely love charts. Yet somehow I ended up with the wrong number of stitches at the top and I wasn't willing to undo rows upon rows of work to fix it. So I fudged the decreases at the top. The mitts look okay, but the hands of the girl who I intended to give these to are definitely too small for them.

Oh well.

I just need to find someone else to gift them to, right?

Still it was a little discouraging. So I set them aside and started another project. And then another. And when I didn't want to finish that one, I started another. And then another. And you get the point.

Hopefully soon I will have a finished project to show you. Until then maybe I'll go look for another new pattern to start...

Puff Striped Slouch Hat by stephchows

Being born and raised in Canada, I've seen the Anne of Green Gables movies about 25 times (and read the books a few times too). I love them! And not just cause Anne has red hair.

In the books/movies Anne longs for to find a 'kindred spirit'. Just like Anne who finds Diana, I've been lucky enough to find a few friend's I would describe as a kindred spirit throughout my lifetime, and somehow, but some lucky fluke, the internet found me another.

I did a cookie exchange last Christmas and sent biscotti to Steph at stephchows. I started reading her fabulous food blog at that time, but it wasn't until later that I realized just how alike we are! Now not a week goes by that I read something on her blog and think - "I think/feel/love/hate the same thing!" Seriously. Sometimes I think it's like we were separated at birth we are so alike! And not just cause we have the same birthday. (Sadly, I am 1 yr older.)

Anyways, awhile back I suggested we do guest posts since I made a batch of pumpkin ginger granola I wanted to share.

In return this is Steph's crafting post back.

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No matter if you like it or not... autumn weather... and even traces of frost and ice are creeping into the area! But don't fret, I have just the thing to keep you warm.

This is the perfect project to use up some random skeins of yarn you have laying around. It's also perfect for a nice quick project, just grab a K sized crochet hook, some worsted weight yarn, and plop yourself in front of some bad tv and go to town. By the end of a few shows (project runway, top chef, girls next door! oh DVR how I love you! no commercials for me!) you will have yourself a nice new hat to wear to work in the morning! (ok don't judge me on my shows... girls next door is very ummm educational... yes, that's it...lord why do I like that show!? I'd like to see your DVR list... I bet there are some doosies in there!)

I started making this hat with some leftover blue and a multicolor yarn... I got 4 rounds into it and knew it was an utter disaster. WOW, how on earth did I think that would look good??

Oh well, it was just practicing for the real thing right? I went back to my yarn stash and found a nice grey and a mellow white... ok much better, no clashing, or barf inducing color combination here!

If you'd like to be oh so stylish and cool, you can find the pattern here for free!

And if you are craving something tasty... stop on by my blog for a treat :)

C+

I designed another hat! But unlike my last design attempt (that was so horrible it deserved a T. ... for Troll), I think this one turned out okay. In fact, I think it deserves a solid C+.

It's not perfect, so it doesn't deserve an A. (Well, unless the A stands for Acceptable.) I'll be the first to admit that it has some problems. Still, I'm satisfied with it. I won't feel bad giving it as a birthday gift (which is why I made this one). But I know that there is still some room for improvement.

Good things about this hat:

1) The cables worked out nicely.

2) It's pretty simple, so it was easy to knit up.

3) It's the right size! It isn't too short or to small or too big.

Bad things:

1) The cables aren't as obvious as I would like them to be. I think that is partially because of the yarn. But still it could have been done better.

2) Okay. I admit it. While it's not too short or to small or too big, it is a little long. But if you do the cute flip up of the brim, it's an okay length. And I think the hat looks cute like that.

So there it is. My hat design attempt. I think I may try making this design again, but with different yarn and see if I can make the length and diamond design work better. If I can, I'll post the instructions. Ooh. Wouldn't that be exciting?! My first design!

Either way, I hope the gift is well liked. We'll see...

Scarf

Greetings fall. Hi autumn. I'm so glad you are here! I love you October. You herald in the days of squash, soups and sweaters. And although California falls are far from being the autumns of my youth, the days are chillier here too. I finally, for real, get to wear all of the things I've been making this year! This is reason to celebrate.

In that honour, and to go with my new green jacket from last year, I made this cute scarf.

I got the pattern here. And I think this scarf looks pretty good! I'm happy with the yarn and the outcome.
The pattern was really well written. The descriptions of the "treble" and "double treble" were easy to follow. I didn't even have to watch a youtube video. And I watch youtube videos for almost every new technique that is knitting/crochet related.
Now whether the scarf will be warm or not... that is yet to be seen. Even if it isn't, I love it! And I love you too October. I think I'm going to go make some fingerless mittens.

Just cause I can.

Durango

OMG. It's me with straight hair!

It is possible! Who knew?

Well... It's possible, but not easy. I can't do it. Actually, some professionals can't do it. Seriously. One time when I was getting my hair done for a wedding the stylist couldn't straighten it. She quit half way through and decided to go for a curly look. No joke.

So when I had straight hair last weekend I knew I had to take advantage of it. Luckily I had just finished this cute hat and had a reason to model it!

This hat is called a Durango and I got the pattern from here.

This hat also gave me a good way to use up some buttons. The green ones are from my February Lady sweater. (I've since swapped the buttons because I didn't like the green on green.) And the white button is from my stash of gift buttons. I love finding ways to use those buttons. :)

The pattern is pretty easy to follow. I think I'm getting better at reading and implementing crochet patterns!! Yay! Well... for some reason I did have to add three more rows of DCs to make the hat long enough. Not sure what's up with that. Otherwise I followed the pattern.

Close enough?