Craft in Style

2009 Craft Resolutions

Even though it feels like we are already well into the new year, I decided that I should make some craft resolutions anyway. I made a list of general resolutions, but I feel that my crafts deserve some extra attention this year. I could write a million things I want to do, but I’ll try to edit and select the few that I must do before the year’s end. Hopefully sharing with all of you will help me carry these through and all of them will be checked off by the end of the year.

Knitting

1. Learn to knit my first sweater or cardigan by hand. I have already started knitting a summer cardigan for my mother, but I want to make one for myself that fits perfectly, and in time to use during this winter season.
2. Learn to knit a hat. It seems pretty simple, but I want to make a hat that I love that I will actually wear around without having to worry that it’s so tight that it will ruin my hair and give me hat head. I want to make a cute warm hat that is soft and loose.
3. Knit a sweater and scarf using my new knitting machine. I read the reviews and it looks like it takes a lot of time to learn how to use this thing and a lot of patience to make it work well, so I need to devote some time to this endeavor so that it will save me lots of time in the long run. Hopefully this will help me finish making all the gifts I’ve promised all my family members.
4. Knit baby booties for gifts. I’ve created a couple of baby booties, but none that are soft and cute enough to make as gifts. I’d like to find my go-to pattern for baby booties that would make the perfect baby shower gift. I might need to add mittens and a hat to that, or a baby sweater. If I find a good pattern that I can use on my knitting machine, it would save me a lot of time, but might cost me a lot of yarn. The goal is to find the perfect baby present for a boy and a girl.
5. Meet some knitters at a local knitting group. I’ve found a group through Ravelry that I just need to make time to attend. It’s good to meet fellow crafters out there!

Crochet

1. Learn to crochet. I have many patterns picked out. I want to crochet a beautiful scarf pattern that I have already picked out.
2. Crochet a cardigan. I have a very easy pattern and yarn all ready to make once I’m done with my knitting projects.
3. Crochet baby booties. I found very cute girl baby booties that I want to make. And if I have extra time, a pair of cute slippers to keep my feet warm during the winter.

Sewing

1. Sew a dress for myself that I love and can wear to an event this year. This one is already in the works since I’m taking a sewing class and have the pattern already picked out. If I can finish this by the end of February, then I have an charity event in March that I can wear it to. That would be exciting!
2. Sew pants for myself. Finding those perfect pair of pants are not easy, but I have a couple that have been altered to fit me. I would love to find a pattern that I can alter or create a pair of pants by making a pattern from an existing pair.
3. Learn to drape on a sewing dummy and create a new outfit for myself without using a pattern. I bought a dummy online that should be coming soon. I just need to buy or borrow a book on draping to educate myself and find an outfit I want to make.
4. Sew a dressy blazer/jacket that I can wear on top of dresses.

Photo Albums

1. Organize photo albums. What a mess. There are so many albums, unused and old ones that need to be consolidated.
2. Create an updated photo album or scrapbook. I don’t think I’ve created an album since before I started dating my husband, so I’d like to create one just for my husband and I.
3. Order wedding albums. This one is 3.5 years past due, so hopefully I (or my husband) can get this one done this year!
4. Digitize photos. Going electronic means less baggage we have to carry every time we move.
5. Create a family photo book. I found a cool site called www.blurb.com that can publish books. I would like to create family photo books along with descriptions for both my family and my husband’s family.

I think these are enough resolutions to keep me busy this year. Basically I want to learn to knit, crochet, and sew to an intermediate level. These are all brand new hobbies for me, so it’s going to be one very exciting year! The resolution about the photo albums are there because it’s one of those projects that have just been sitting on the back-burner year after year that I just need to get done this year. I’d like to hear your resolutions if you have posted.

My First Hand Warmer

I am so happy to have finally created an item for myself that isn’t a scarf! It’s warm and fuzzy and is very useful when I’m driving. Here’s my very first hand warmer.

I used the pattern named Fetching, using size 5 needles instead of 7 since I have smaller than average hands. Everything was going well until I needed to bind off. It required a Picot Bind Off, which I never heard of. After a few minutes of searching, I found a video to help me out. If you plan on making this hand warmer and have never done a Picot Bind off, this video should help you finish the project. She knits continental, so it was a little confusing at first for me to watch, but after some trial and error, I figured it out. Really, all it was was casting on an extra stitch before binding off to create a little extra decorative edge every 5 or 6 stitches in this pattern.

Designer Spotlight: Norah Gaughan

Being new to the world of knitting, I decided to purchase a couple of knitting magazines see what knitters out there are reading. While flipping through Interweave Knits Magazine, I found an article with beautiful knitted sweaters by Norah Gaughan.

Norah Gaughan
Norah is a famous knitting pattern designer that works for Berroco. I had no idea that there were professions out there where people could actually knit and design knitting patterns for a living. I knew knitting was a fun hobby to learn, but I was truly excited to see that there are possible career opportunities out there that support the art of knitting full-time! Not that I would be ready for something like that for myself. I’m just getting started, after all. But perhaps I could entertain the idea of having my own knitting designs published in knitting magazines and books in the future. That expands the possibilities of my future in knitting. Maybe my hobby can grow into something bigger where I can contribute to my fellow knitters out there by providing beautiful patterns. For now, I’m going to learn to knit a multitude of patterns and stitches to get on that path. See what’s in my queue. I love Norah’s sweaters. They are simple, elegant, and have just enough interest with unique pattern that make them truly special. I definitely plan on making some of her designs once I get through my current projects. I have to purchase her books to get my hands on some of her patterns. My first Norah project is her Aida scarf. I’m starting with something more simple than a sweater to test my skills first.

You can get this pattern for free on Berroco’s site: Aida scarf pattern. I decided to use a thicker yarn than what was called for on the pattern. The pattern calls for Berroco Ultra Fine Alpaca yarn, but I’m using Suri Merino from Blue Sky Alpaca because it was the only yarn in the store that was remotely similar to the color I was looking for that my mother-in-law likes, since I’m trying to knit this one for her. It’s a light green, and although it’s a bit fuzzier than I wanted, it seems to be the right color for her. I may reconsider my yarn choice if I can find a different brand yarn that is thinner, less fuzzy, and just the right color. I’ve already run into a part of the pattern that doesn’t make sense to me, so I will be taking it to Nina, where I purchased the yarn, to get some help. Everyone else on Ravelry seems to think this is an easy pattern, but I’ve had to rip it out at least 5 times already because I couldn’t get past row 20, which seems to be hanging me up. You can see the part that is giving me some hanups on the left side. I’ve also reduced this scarf pattern’s width by one multiple since the yarn is thicker than the one on the pattern.

I’ve recently discovered that Norah has her own Ravelry page! Now I can add my favorite sweaters from her designs into my favorites and queue. You can also see her posts on the Berroco blog.

Here are some of her designs that I really like and plan on making, some of which were featured in the article:

Loppem
Link to Loppem on Ravelry. This pattern is available in the pamphlet Norah Gaughan Vol. 3, which can be purchased from your local yarn store.

Lacy Waves Top
Link to Lacey Waves Top on Ravelry. This pattern is available in the book Lace Style.

Eastlake
Link to Eastlake on Ravelry and on Berroco. This pattern is available in the pamphlet Norah Gaughan Vol. 3, which can be purchased from your local yarn store.

Chantal
Link to Chantal on Ravelry and on Berroco.

This is the first knitting designer that I have featured in this blog, but I will be featuring more designers whose designs I like and plan on making. Stay tuned!

Baby Blanket Project

I have a lot of projects I’m working on concurrently, and just to add to the mix, I’ve started making a baby blanket. I want to keep this one even though I don’t have a baby because of all the work and yarn that goes into it. So far it’s looking pretty good, but it’s probably too early to tell. I’ve seen other baby blanket patterns, but this one was so soft! I saw a sample at Nina and decided to buy the pattern by Mac & Me and make it. I’m using Suri Merino yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas. It’s a wonderfully soft yarn that I’m using for many current and future projects. Here is what the blanket looks like so far.

Cable Scarf Finished!

I finished this scarf several days ago, but didn't get a chance to post the final images until now. I made this for a friend of mine for her birthday, so hopefully she'll like it! This is the Palindrome Reversible Cable Scarf.

   

Next time I make this scarf, I think I will try to make it out of baby alpaca or wool. I used acrylic for this one and it really was hard on my hands trying to twist the cables in the pattern. I really like the color of the scarf, though! It'll match any colored coat.

While I was knitting this scarf in Brazil (family vacation), I also enjoyed some cappucino. What a way to enjoy the afternoon.

Cable Scarf Update

It turned out the Irish Hiking Scarf is not reversible. The wrong side looks very strange, so I've decided to abandon that project and start an identical scarf that is reversible. It is called the Palindrome: A Reversible Scarf. The pattern is free, so you can join along too!

Next Project: The Cable Scarf

I'm learning to create cables through the Irish Hiking Reversible Cable Scarf. This is the beginning of the new scarf.

It looks like there's an Irish Hiking Scarf Knit Along. It's always fun to see what others' projects look like. There's a whole bunch on Ravelry too.

This pattern is truly gorgeous. The blue knit scarf on the pattern does not do it justice. I don't know if I really would have tried this one if it weren't for my co-worker wearing the one she made. That's how I discovered this pattern. I hope you like it too. If you complete an Irish Hiking Scarf, please share your pictures or posts by leaving a link in the comments.

Finished Lace Scarf and Baby Booties!

The lace scarf is finished! It turned out really nicely and is a very easy project for anyone interested in learning how to knit lace. Here's the original pattern and final scarf.

I also finished the Cute-as-can-be baby booties from the Knit Knack Kit. 

This is what the original pattern looks like.

And here are the final baby booties! The yarn is a bit scratchy, so I'll probably make a new pair before giving it away as a gift to an expecting mommy.

My First Lace Scarf

The first lace scarf I attempted to do was a free Feather and Fan Lace scarf pattern I received from the knitting store, Nina. I saw it on display there and it looked so nice that I purchased the exact same yarn to make it. The yarn is Suri Merino from Blue Sky Alpacas in the Fog 413 color. It's very soft. The pattern was very easy, even though the final result looks more complicated.

Here is the beginning of the Lace Scarf. It looks much better live than it does in this picture. I ran out of yarn about 2/3 of the way, so I'll have to purchase another ball to finish it.

Baby Booties!!

The instructions for baby booties were long, and I thought I might get stuck with no one to help me, but surprisingly the instructions were pretty straightforward. For someone who's never read a pattern before, this was quite an accomplishment for me to have finished a bootie! And, I actually made two different ones! Here is my work in progress:

I-Cord Boogie Baby Bootie:

Cute-as-Can-Be Baby Booties from the book, Knit Knack Kit: