So, it's time to bring you up to speed!! I was pretty productive these last couple of weeks i must say...specially since i finally finished the sweater!! It's a little bigger than i'd like, but that just teaches me that swatching is essential(i've heard that here and there). I can deal with the slightly bigger sweater, not to mention i also made quite a few other mistakes, yet it's my first and i'm just glad i got through it!
For those not familiar, if you're making something where size is important(anything you would wear for example since it has to fit you) it's suggested to make a
gauge swatch(aka a small piece of fabric using the needles/hook and yarn you'll be usin
g for this project) which is used to measure the stitches per inch which in turn lets you adjust accordingly depending on the size you're going for.
I got a couple of hats done as well; my favorite is inspired by the character Pascal from Animal Crossing(once again lol)! He's a sea otter that trades you furniture for a scallop(in New Leaf)... <3 The other hat i did didn't end up looking quite like the pattern's pictures. Perhaps it was that i didn't block it and/or shaped it and i skipped adding the tassel...somehow i was not impressed. It did help me realize that i hate garter stitch and that i'm not the biggest fan of short rows.
You guys remember the gorgeous hand-spun from
shespins.com? Well i finally casted on and i'm about 80% done with this project. I wanted something where i could use up all the yarn and something that would showcase the colors. Didn't quite find what i wanted anywhere so i opted to make up a pattern for a simple... doily? Place-mat? Table runner? Not sure what the correct term for it is, but it will sit on my table or nightstand probably under my misc trinkets and such. It's a very simple knit, maybe i'll write up a pattern in the near future. Love it!
Talking about patterns, i've yet to make any tutorials from Lion Brand's free list. Just haven't found the time! But, i think i know what my first one would be, hence this little cute(and quick) crochet envelope. I may even do a knit version since the concept is so simple....we'll see!
I've also spent quite a few hours working on my website which you can view right now!
Check it out here - malonsshop.com. As i've mentioned before i'm a real newbie and editing while learning takes me a long time! Lol. There's still a lot of tweaking to do as far as the content and plugins/feeds, not to mention the lack of pictures and the like(it's a little boring right now). But, at least i got both shops linked in and it's on it's way.
This week i worked on some cute envelopes that i'm in the process of making a vid tutorial for. This is a free Lion Brand pattern(available on their website). I made some knitted versions as well, which i may or may not throw in there someplace(or make a separate one? hm...). I also started working on a crochet shirt which i totally frogged....BUT, instead of ripping it away i made it into a bag. Not only did it take time to crochet that piece, but it was also the result of my wonky calculations and wanted to avoid even further shame(lol). It's not lined yet nor did i finish the bows but i think it will be one cute bag once done. I'm also playing around with the idea of adding a zipper, and perhaps even pockets.
I also started on another baby blanket inspired by Nintendo's mushroom. No pictures yet since it's
That shirt which gave birth to the bag.....i'm actually still making that. Due to the hick-up it's not as far along as it should be, but there's no rush. It's an easy enough pattern from the book Contemporary Crochet: 37 European Designs
. Wish me luck! I'm not sure if i'll be cheating and counting this as my 2nd sweater(one of my yearly goals was to make 2), but who knows, maybe i'll get lazy starting on another actual sweater and make it happen.
