Freebie Friday -Unique Egg Apron

Ok, so not everyone needs an egg apron (admittedly I don’t either) but kudos for originality! I saw this on Pinterest and had to share. Maybe it’s just me but I’ve never seen anything like it. So maybe I don’t need it to collect eggs but an apron with pockets like that does open up other possible uses. I kept looking at it, loving it, and automatically trying to think up other uses for it. I couldn’t think of anything concrete but the possibilities of possibilities was infinite! Hmm…maybe I could adapt the pattern to have bigger pockets to hold yarn and other yarny supplies. That way,  I could walk while I crochet. I can’t even think straight to other possible uses but I know there ARE other uses. Surely, others will have ideas of their own. I have to go give this some more thought. All I know is that I love it!

 

 

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Ugly Crochet Slippers

Yes, my new slippers are ugly. Yes, they are square, like the ones I made before. Maybe that’s what makes them ugly. Or, maybe, it’s all the hodgepodge yarn I used. Doesn’t matter, I like them. They are comfy and warm and fit my feet really well.

Speaking of my old crochet slippers,I’ve been wearing the heck out of them. They are way too big for my feet and I go slip sliding around in them. Yeah, those. But I love them anyway. However, I wanted to make another pair. A pair that would actually fit, you know, my feet.

So I rummaged through my stash looking for something warm and comfy and found this thick, chunky yarn in a variegated brownish color. I grabbed a matching Tunisian crochet hook (size L) that looked good for the yarn size and I was set.

This is what was left after the soles and tops were done.

Progress on Crochet Sweaters

Now that the frenzy of Christmas is over, I can go back to finishing my projects languishing in craft bags all over my house. My number one priority at home is to finish my two sweaters. I profess that I will not start anything new until I’m done with at least one. I proclaim that I will wear one of those sweaters before winter ends. (Don’t hold me to any of that!!!)

My granny square sweater will NOT be worn this winter. Those plugs are taking for ever!!! I get discouraged more quickly so it gets put down more often. Instead, I’m working on a new sweater that actually has a chance of seeing the light of a cold day.

I’m working this new sweater in a beautiful star stitch with alternating and complementary colors from my yarn stash (I didn’t want to buy anymore yarn). As usual, I jumped in head first, armed with an idea and a plan. I arranged my colors and got to work. I thought I knew what I was doing. I’ve done the star stitch a million times (it’s one of my favorite stitches). I went for it measuring along my body and deciding lengths and widths that way.

As I was crocheting along, after row upon row of star stitches, I noticed a slight lean to my garment. I was supposed to be getting rectangular panels that I would sew together later but I was getting a parallelogram instead! When I first noticed the lean, I didn’t believe it. I convinced myself it was my imagination so I kept working. By the time I noticed it again, it was too late!

Those are some shifty rows there.

Freebie Friday – Crochet Skirts

I have been crocheting for a long time but I hardly ever make clothing. I’ve made many hats and scarves…that I hardly ever wear, except my holiday hats I pull out once a year. I even made mittens once as a request item but just the once. I mostly give the hats and scarves away. I’ve recently embarked in trying to finish two sweater coats (more posts on the way) that I’m loving but that’s about it. Oh, once I followed a pattern for a lacy top that I wore once and then gave away. But that’s really it! I guess I should count the costumes. I made two mermaid skirts and a dragon cloak. But again, costumes! Not real clothing. Clothing was just never my thing. I like making toys, costumes, whimsical things for the holidays and such.

But…one thing I think about often is making a crochet skirt.I’ve been wanting to make myself a crochet skirt for a long time now. It’s something that bounces around in my brain but hasn’t actually come out. Lately though, the itch to make it has become stronger. I’ve been puttering around the internet more often salivating at dresses and skirts. And now, I feel I’m ready to give a skirt a try. Not sure yet if I’ll make one up or if I’ll copy one already out there but here are some that looked easy to make (so that I might actually try it) and was something pretty that I would actually wear.

I love stripes and this one has the feel of stripes with a nice twist.

More stripes but chevrons make it different, right?  You have to register for this one but it’s free and it’s cute so I think it’s worth it.

 

Have to have a black skirt in the bunch.

This one doesn’t have a pattern and I wouldn’t wear it out in public but this would be great for the Renaissance Fair. I couldn’t resist a costume! I think I can make something similar without a pattern.

 

I am not affiliated with any websites nor do I make any money from these sites. They are simply patterns I like or would like to try myself. 

Plugging Gaps

Been working on plugging up those holes in my sweater. I dread doing it. I get home so tired from work that I  look at my bag with the sweater peaking out of it and all I can think is that I’ll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow is so elusive. It never comes. Then one day I feel inspired. I grab and start plugging away. Yay! I finished a square. Now just 74 more to go! Yeah, then I ignore it again but at least now I have six squares finished. There are moments I think of undoing the plugs I already did and just leaving the sweater as is or finding a different way of lining it. But, alas, I like the purple splash of color. It’s taking so long to complete but I’m actually loving the result. Sooooo, I will plug away until it’s done, even if I won’t be wearing it until next winter.

In case anyone was wondering why I’m being such a whiner, here are some of the plugs I’ve made so far.

 

 

Does it look like a massive blob of yarn? Yeah, to me too. That’s why I keep ignoring it.

 

I’ve bundled them in groups of 8 to convince myself to grab a bundle and finish one square. It works sometimes. 🙂

I give myself credit for making and bundling all those plugs. I take that same credit away since now I have an overwhelming pile that’s being ignored (mostly :-)). And that’s not even all of them! I need to make more.

But here’s how it’s turning out. I am insane for doing this but it will be well worth it in the end.

Yes, those cascading squares on the side haven’t been plugged yet. There are so many!

Freebie Friday – Jersey Mitts

 

The instructions seem very detailed.

Now that the weather is turning warm, a nice set of cozy mitts might come in handy. The patterns offer full fingered gloves as well fingerless gloves. I have made mittens and full gloves before but I honestly can’t remember if I’ve ever made fingerless gloves. Might be time to give them a try.

I am not affiliated with any websites nor do I make any money from these sites. They are simply patterns I like or would like to try myself.

 

Freebie Friday – Halloween Hat

This hat is super cute. It would make a fabulous addition to a Halloween outfit. Haven’t made one yet (mainly because I keep falling asleep when I get home from work) but I like looking at it and thinking about whether I would copy it as is or fiddle with it. Probably fiddle with it. I fiddle with everything.

Halloween Top Hat: Pattern from Red Heart

 

Crochet Sweater Alteration

I don’t have any pending projects in the works and the weather is starting to cool (just a fraction but we are finally dipping below the 90’s on occasion), and I thought it was an excellent time to plug the holes on my granny square sweater. Hubby was wondering why I wanted to do this since there are about a gazillion holes that would need to be plugged up but the sweater is too ‘holey’ for winter and too thick for the rest of the year so I need to convert into something that might actually keep me warm (or my sis if she steals it from me).

The sweater is grey and black and I can’t decide if I want to go with a different shade of grey or if I want to go with a completely different color. I pulled out this deep purple yarn I have and it looks pretty with the grey and black.

I played around with the best plug that wouldn’t detract from the beauty of the square design. I think I came up with something that worked. I’m going to try out the purple color on one square to see if I like it. I don’t want to commit until I know for sure it will work because it’s going to be a lot of work. I plan on doing a few squares a night and hopefully that means it will get finished sometime before winter is over. LOL We’ll see.

Reading Glasses Clip

My eyes are getting old. I need reading glasses. I hate to admit it. I don’t want to believe it. But alas, there it is. Pulling things I need to focus on further and further from my face isn’t working anymore. I look ridiculous scrunching my eyes while simultaneously holding the offending object I am trying to read in my outstretched hand as far as it will extend…and still not being able to focus. If my son is at hand, say we’re shopping and I need to read the ingredients list of something, he’s gotten very used to me handing him something and saying, “Read that to me. Is there any wheat in that?”

But then, I don a pair of reading glasses and it’s all crystal clear. It makes me feel better that the magnification I need is still relatively low. That means my eyes aren’t that bad, right? I don’t need glasses for seeing in the distance so that’s good too, right? Anybody with me? I used to be able to get away with all that arm stretching but now I’m resolved to stashing reading glasses all over the place (my sisters do too so at least I’m in good company :-)). Oh lovely reading glasses, let me count the ways: the bathroom, the kitchen, my bedroom, my purse, my office, at work, and my crochet bag. I even have one of those large magnifying glasses that my kids loved to play with as children. It sits right next to my computer and I use it when I don’t want to put on the glasses. The family always pauses to look at me when I’m looking at something through the thing. No, I don’t look silly at all trying to avoid putting on the glasses.

Saddest of all, having all these strategically placed glasses in every nook and cranny is no longer good enough. Before, when I needed a little extra seeing help, I could reach for a pair. Now, I need that little push more often. I need a more permanent solution to keep a set ON me. I attempted to crochet a cute cord/necklace thing to do just that but I didn’t like it. I found myself looking for a better solution. I went internet browsing and came across some cute solutions.

I discovered magnetic eyeglasses clips/holders.

Freebie Friday – Fresh Mesh Top

What a cool top this is! Looks like a winner to me. Found it over at Yarnspirations. They have many nice patterns to choose from. I don’t like the colors to their Fresh Mesh Top but I do like the look of it. I might go with a royal purple and black instead of that green.

I am not affiliated with any websites nor do I make any money from these sites. They are simply patterns I like or would like to try myself.