Mood Pillow

I often wish I had access to the yarn store 24 hours a day.  Sometimes, inspiration strikes and yarn is needed immediately, but unfortunately, my life doesn't allow for instant yarn gratification.  In fact, even when I have time set aside for such adventures, it's far from the hours of meandering that I long for.  Usually I know I have 10 minutes before the kids lose their cool and every single trip I have to scold them for unraveling the yarn in the cart.  Ah, the joys of motherhood.  

But sometimes, I pick myself up by my bootstraps and realize that my own home is practically a small version of a yarn shop and I'm able to move forward with projects as they come to me.  Recently, I noticed small amounts of several shades of gray (all Lion Brand Vanna's Choice) in one of my yarn hoarding baskets.  Ombre starting with black and fading to white seemed to be the obvious choice so off I started crocheting a simple square, not knowing exactly where it might lead me. It came out dark and moody, and I realized how it matched my own mood on that particular day.  But I wasn't exactly thrilled about my mood and imagined a sunnier, happier contrast.  So I made one.  It was a rainbow square. (All but one of the colors is Lion Brand Vanna's Choice.)

Turns out, those bad boys were destined to become something grand--a mood pillow.  One side is stormy and ominous; the other is cheerful, bright, and practically perfect in every way.

My little man is never too far out of reach. He likes to keep an eye on his weirdo mom who, while clothed in a pool towel, drags dining room chairs out to the backyard and starts snapping photos.  It must be a confusing scene for such a logical pup.  Not to mention, he says that both sides look identical to him.  Is it really true that dogs are colorblind?  For his sake, I hope not.

I can knit! (Okay, well, sort of.)

A few years ago I referred to taking my first knitting class.  And it obviously didn't make much of an impact on my life considering it's almost 2.5 years later and I'm only now getting around to writing about knitting.

It's not that I didn't love knitting.  I think it's awesome.  I like that it uses less yarn than crochet and I think the stockinette stitch looks amazing. It's a bit classier and more refined than crochet in my opinion.

But I LOVE crochet.  Truth be told I feel a bit unfaithful to my craft when I pick up the knitting needles.  But last year I did it anyhow and knitted an afghan for my husband.

I crocheted the Lion Brand 5 1/2 Hour afghan for my mother-in-law two Christmases ago and my husband loved it so much that he declared that he needed one of his own.

I kind of thought it was the Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn that drew him in because it's so rich and luxurious and cozy.  So I thought I'd one-up the previous years' afghan by making the Lion Brand Plush Throw--a knitted afghan that uses the same yarn.

It took a month of stolen moments and knitting marathons, but I finally finished the knitted afghan.  It's rich and luxurious and cozy--but it's also WAY too heavy for Floridians.  There are like 3 days a year in which this afghan would be called upon for use.  So, my one-upping really did no good.

There's no denying that it's a simple and gorgeous blanket, made with awesome yarn and love.  I'm also happy to have conquered a large knitting project.

But guys, it's just not crochet.  I'll leave you with a shirt that I totally need...

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Crocheters and knitters--are you a switch hitter?  Do you do both or do you have a strong preference for one over the other?  Perhaps if I lived in a cooler climate then knitting might be more appealing for the sake of the awesome sweaters and socks, but here and now, crochet has my heart.

Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too

A while back, as in before Bennett was born, I borrowed Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too from the library and actually made some projects!  (Don't worry, I returned the book.  I took these photos about two years ago and never shared!). It has seriously been so long since I've completed an amigurumi project, I now wonder how I ever spent my time on cute little things like these. Maybe one day when I'm eighty I can finally do it again. And maybe even get more than five hours of sleep, too.

He's so so so super-cute.  The author actually includes a pattern for a large momma turtle that these little babies (and some egg shells) can nest into.  Cool, right?  Yeah, I never made the momma.  My attention span just didn't allow for it.

It was a cute book and the author created very clear and concise patterns.  I just love amigurumi.  The counting is soothing and it's nice to be challenged occasionally by actually having to pay attention to a pattern.

I'm thinking about using this little toadstool in some yarnbombing.  Like this:

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That'd be awesome to see on a park bench, right?!

Much love! 

Tristin

 (And if you want some yarnbombing inspiration, check out my Yarnbombing Pinterest Board.)

{Gray & Rainbow} Granny Poncho

With as much creating as I do (seriously, my hands always stay busy with something) you'd think I'd be better about sharing what I've done.  I don't always think my projects are worthy of being shared or perhaps the effort of documenting is more than I'm willing to put forth at the time.  This granny poncho, however, is one worth sharing.  Almost anywhere it goes, it receives attention and granny-love.  There's something about muted grays and vibrant rainbow stripes that is just oh-so-appealing!

The method of making this poncho came entirely from Le Monde de Sucrette. Don't let the name intimidate you; it's a blog that's written in plain English.  Does anyone else ever feel like the majority of the awesome free patterns you find on Pinterest are written in another language?  Oh, the huge problems we face.  ; )  With the "pattern" you can make a poncho of any size to suit any age.  Pretty dern awesome.

I used yarn entirely from my stash.  The colors are all Lion Brand Vanna's Choice (it's my go-to budget  friendly yarn) and the gray is almost an entire skein of Red Heart Super Saver (one of my least favorite yarns, purchased a few years ago when I was just a wee grasshopper, learning the ancient ways of crochet).  Unlike the first poncho I made for Elliott several years ago, she LOVES this one.

And now I kinda want one, too.

-Tristin

5 1/2 Hour Throw

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know that I love to pin crochet ideas.  The problem with all of the lovely crochet inspiration I pin  is that often each afghan you're looking at takes like 8 months of stolen moments, and though I'd love to make it happen, I tend to gravitate toward projects that are achievable in a weekend or two at most.  There's just something about having kids and their need to eat and have attention and such...

Enter the 5 1/2 hour throw from Lion Brand.  Yeah, it takes a lot of yarn.  A lot of expensive (yet super-awesome chunky-textured) yarn...but it's totally doable in a weekend.  Have you worked with Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn yet?  I'm telling you, it's so satisfying and smooth and buttery... Luxurious might be a good word.  And they don't even pay me to say that!

This 5 1/2  hour throw took me like 4 months to make.  Funny right?  Granted, I started it right after I had Bennett--so--you know, the whole newborn thing can be a real crochet-killer (and sleep-killer--but pretty awesome in every other aspect, right?).  I made it as a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law last Christmas (and I'm just now getting around to sharing it with you) and I'll be honest, I'd love to make one for myself one day--so yeah, it's awesome. 

If you're looking for some doable DIYs for Christmas gifting, this may be a fun one to try!  Maybe I'll make another this year!

Oh, and in the time it took me to make this throw and post it... my kiddos have.grown.so.much.  Elliott is in preschool now and Bennett (who we pretty much only call Benji) is walking around like a pro.

Doesn't time just fly?

Rosette Embellishments

Sometimes it's all about the details, isn't it?  Especially if like me, you take the easy way out and make a simple hat for new baby gift-giving.

It's no secret that I love to crochet hats, but a plain beanie for a baby is just too boring.  So embellishing is FUN!

I used this pattern to create the rosette that I attached to a simple baby beanie that I made.  Then I made a million more rosettes, just for fun.  I have hot glued them to alligator clips to make simple hair embellishments for Elliott.  They'd also make some cute headbands.

 

And just in case you're wondering, none of these rosettes are being worn by the new baby gal because she's still hanging out in the uterus (we're 5 days "over" so far).  I joke to my husband that it must be like a 5 star resort in there, because neither of my gals has been in a hurry to come out.  Whatever.  All I know this time around is that I don't mind an "overdue" baby--they're a lot easier to manage while they're still nestled inside than they are when they come out. Right?!  Let's just hope she's not growing too much...  

Tristin

Angel Wings Pinafore

My little Bennett Mae is due in July, so naturally I'm nesting.  Not so much in the cleaning my house like a madwoman kind of way (though it's highly needed) but more in the crafting until all hours of the night kind of way.  I wish I had more time to blog but there are SO many projects that I want to do that I don't even post about the majority them (obviously, since I so rarely post these days).  It may take only an hour to complete a project, but by the time you document with photos, edit your crappy photos (in my case) and blog and edit for spelling and grammar (occasionally) you've wasted TONS of valuable crafting time.

All the while, you should have been cleaning your messy house.  (Or is that just me?)

Messy house aside, I found a sweet pattern via Pinterest called the Angel Wings Pinafore.  I repinned it immediately.  And then I grabbed some yarn and about 2.5 hours later, I had a newborn-sized pinafore completed.

I used Martha Stewart Crafts Lion Brand Yarn Collection- specifically the Extra Soft Wool Blend in Buttermilk.  What a gorgeous name for the color I used--Buttermilk.  Oh Martha, you never cease to amaze me.  I love this particular yarn.  Another great option for this pinafore would be Lion Brand Cotton Ease.  I have become a Lion Brand devotee, can you tell?  Cotton Ease is a nice cotton to work with, washes up well, and it's affordable.  Win, win, win.  The Martha yarns are a bit more expensive than the other craft store yarns, but so far they've proven themselves to be worth the extra cost in my opinion.

I used pearly buttons for the back.  So precious, and a great adornment considering babies are often thrown over the shoulder--why shouldn't the back have beautiful details?

To add just a bit of color. I wove ribbon into the yoke and stitched it in on the back to keep it in place.  I think Martha Stewart would have liked my ribbon color choice--a calm celery green.

I bought leggings at Gap Kids before purchasing the coordinating ribbon.  Gap Kids really has great style and awesome colors.  I looked in a few cheaper places for newborn leggings and was pretty disappointed with the offerings (primarily hot pink and black)--but Gap had so many fantastic babyish colors that it was hard to decide.  One particular store tried their best to sell me on their infant "Jeggings" (jean-looking leggings, for those of you who don't know) and I don't think I held back my look of horror at the suggestion.  Let's just say this sweet little pinafore was not intended to be worn with Jeggings. 

Jeggings.  Ha.  What a funny word. 

Oh, and wish me luck.  I'm going to my first kitting class tonight.  My goal for the night is not necessarily to learn to knit, it's more along the lines of not poking anyone's eyes out with my knitting needles when I inevitably get frustrated and lose my temper.

The Birth of a Granny Square Afghan

I finished a major project folks--you have no idea how huge that is for a distracted crafter like me!  The project only took a little over a year to finish. 

It's my very first granny square afghan!  This afghan is a true representation of what the granny square is meant to be--a scrap buster.  Not one skein of yarn (other than the binding color) was purchased with this project in mind.  It's made strictly from pieces of yarn left over from other various projects and some yarn that I inherited from others.

It all started like this...

Here are my stacks upon stacks of squares, millions of ends just waiting to be woven in.

Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE weaving ends in?  Well, I do.  Hate.  Ughh.  But one at a time, I got it done.

Here's some proof:

I edged all of the squares in a turquoise color (Pound of Love by Lion Brand--only $4.00 with an awesome coupon deal!).

It seems like it took forever. 

You know you're spending too much time crocheting when this is the only way your dog can get your attention...

I spent some time laying them out to evenly distribute the colors.

I used Attic 24's guide to joining granny squares...

It came together beautifully (keeping in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder).  I realize not everyone shares my love of granny squares, bold colors, and funkiness in general.  If you leave a comment telling me how ugly this is, I will delete it so please don't waste your time.  Granny love only, please.  I know there will be some haters.  Keep it to yourself and go and comment on something you do like.  Even if it's elsewhere.  This is how you should handle all of your blog comments. Thanks. (Whoa, someone just got a little soapboxy!  Yeah, you don't want to mess with me today. Or any day for that matter.)

And here she is, in all her crazy glory:

I'm in love!

Crocheted Mary Janes

These Mary Janes have been on my to-craft list since I received the patterns several months ago.

So when I found out I was having a gal, I got on it.  And then I got to thinking...

Umm, I practically NEVER put shoes on Elliott before she started walking.  Well, my sister-in-law bought some of the cutest shoes ever (mostly from Old Navy) and those made it onto the kid.  But for the most part, shoes were totally overrated for her skinny little tootsies, especially given the fact that she was born in the summer in Florida (just like baby # 2 will be).
 

So, I sent these to a friend who's having a baby girl in a few weeks. You know her as Jessica of Sew Homegrown. (Yes, Jessica, they were originally intended for my kiddo--I'm admitting it!)

I mean, why keep something I'm probably not going to put on my kid?  Maybe, just maybe, someone else will use them. Or not.  And that's obviously fine, too.

As for the pattern, it was extremely well-written and even included pictures to help explain things.  As tedious as these little buggers were to make, they were pretty simple because of the good instructions.  Will I be making more?  Sure!  The pattern came from Crochet Dreamz.  I won the pattern as part of the Maybe Matilda Crochet-Along a few short months ago.

I learned some lessons in blocking shaped crochet items with these Mary Janes.  Here are some good tips on "blocking"  if you're interested in making your crochet items just a bit more crisp and professional.  I used a crumpled plastic bag for shaping these teeny shoes.

Blocking turned out to make these go from looking very homemade to looking very crisp--like handmade stuff from an expensive kids boutique.  So, yeah, worth the little bit of extra effort.

-Tristin

Darn this Yarn! (A yarn organization idea)

I'm guessing I'm not the only one here with a serious yarn problem.  I mean serious.  I'm talking avalanches and un-natural disasters happening in my closet.  The closet that I share with my patient and extremely organized husband... (Poor guy.)

I thought baskets would be a good solution.  Yeah, right.

You know what has been working for me?  Shoe organizers. 

For about $7, you can pick up an over-the-door shoe organizer with pockets. Those pockets just happen to be the right size for...you've got it... YARN!

For convenient storage, just roll up the organizers and cinch them in your preferred manner.  I used an old belt.

It doesn't take up any more room than a basket would, but I have found this method to be much more forgiving and toddler-proof.  It's hard to unravel skein after skein of yarn when it's neatly tucked away.  If the bundle falls over, your yarn stays in place--unlike yarn in a pesky basket.

One organizational battle down... 23 million to go. 

P.S.  I think I may now have almost every color of Lion Brand Vanna's Choice.  It's totally my fave, if you haven't caught onto that yet.  You know what I am now loving, though?  The Lion Brand Martha Stewart collection.  Be still my heart!
P.P.S.  Gender reveal will be very soon.  Well, I'll just say it--it's a girl!