Update Time!

It feels like it's been quiet a while since my last update!! It's been about a month i think. I finished the cute baby cardigan i was working on, which used up most of my yarn pick for the month of May. I didn't have enough to do the sleeves still, adorable nonetheless. I also whipped up a Poppy hat, one of my favorite patterns ever.. which i paired with with one of my favorite Red Heart SS colorways, 'Peruvian Print', the outcome was awesome and random all at once. I'm going to try to squeeze another one out with the yarn i have left(not sure if i'll make it, but i'll try!).

I've been spinning and working on some WIPs(works in progress) as well, however i decided to cut down on yarn time due to discomfort. Crochet used to cause this quite a lot, with the new ergonomic hooks i got a while ago it hasn't though, and i haven't been doing all that much crochet lately. This time around it has to be either the knitting or spinning, unfortunately even gaming, it seems like i'm working with my hands nonstop all day. I've been looking up other hobbies and/or looking for other ways i could do things in order to give my hands a rest; reading(an actual book as opposed to audio books) is a great way, as is any video game where you can play it via the Kinect, PS' Move controller or even some Wii/Wii U games that use the wand. It has me a little sad, but i think everything will work itself out in time.

Knitting wise i'm still working on my sweater as well as the cat themed cowl and a new project, a wedge shawl. Crochet wise i'm still working on my Nintendo Inspired blanket as well as a needle holder i can  hang on my wall. I don't have all the details yet, but i'll be updating on my Rav as i'm making progress. There is some spinning that's still waiting to be washed and i'm working on some awesome fiber i turned to rolags recently. I love this stuff! In my video update i also share my yarn pick for the month of June which is pretty awesome; i'm looking fwd to work on it!

Last but not least, my New York trip is coming up!! I plan to visit the Lion Brand Studio for sure and have a few other smaller yarn places on my list. I'll be staying in the Manhattan area for the week and am really looking fwd to it. Being a couple of blocks away from Nintendo World will be amazing, not to mention very close to Time's Square. I'll try to take some pictures and/or have an update for you guys. I will be taking some projects to work on, specially during the drive (it's about a 4-5hr drive from where i'm at) and of course, will be taking some gaming stuff as well.

Talking about gaming... i totally forgot to mention the ones i beat recently. DuckTales Remastered was pretty awesome, it really brought some memories from back in the day. I plan to make a Tunisian crochet pillow for this one, inspired by the 8bit version from the NES day. I also recently finished LoZ: Majora's Mask. I played this back in the day of N64 and i had forgotten how much there is to do, a lot of side quests and all of that. I thoroughly  enjoyed it(probably more than the first time). For this one i was thinking of making an amigurumi, but i still have to brainstorm a little to see what it is i would really want to make. Check out my video for more blurbs.

Yarn & Fiber Haul!

My first purchase was some amazing fiber from Expertly Dyed (check out her etsy shop here). I purchased from her before and always love her stuff; i also suggest checking out Jennifer's YouTube channel specially if you're into spinning dying and/or learning more about fiber in general. 

These 4 batts were purchased with the idea of spinning two of them together, as each are around 2oz each. I got two of the green batts (really did remind me of grass, i'm thinking if i should spin these next) in the 'Textured Grass Block' colorway. The other two have already been spun and are getting a few days of rest before plying; these will become a transitional 2-ply yarn. The yellow color was 'Banana Glama' while the orangy red is 'Harris & Donegal'. All these batts are a mix of many fibers, too many to list here but if you want more details check out my handspun project page on Rav here. These have really inspired me while making batts or rolags on my blending board. 

My other purchase from Etsy was a cute project bag from Southpaw Creations featuring some woodland animal. I didn't take a picture of it but do check out the cuteness in my video below. Erin also has a YouTube channel i suggest checking out if you like to see other's finished projects and/or if you're inspired by such(i know i am). I've also purchased from this shop before... i can only say good things. She's recently put up a couple of new styles as well. 

Last but not least, my yarn haul from Discontinued Brand Name Yarn... so much for being on a yarn freeze, lol. I stocked up on a sweater's quantity of Lamb's Pride Superwash in the 'Turf Green' colorway, 8 skeins in total. I have really been into green lately and am craving to make a sweater out of this sort of color, i just have to find the perfect one! I stocked up on a couple of yarns which i have purchased last time as well, these are the Cherry Tree Hill Yarn Supersock Select in the 'Bark' and 'Apricot' colorways, i got 2 skeins of each. They also had some Cherry Tree Hill Yarn that i had to get my hands on, the Broad Band Supersock. These have large color blocks in the most interesting palettes, i got 5 in total (African Gray, Cherry Blossom, Old Rose, Birches and Spring Frost). I plan to choose one of those to gift to a lucky person when my 1k YouTube subscriber giveaway happens as well so keep an eye out for that! 

Project Updates & Fiber Spinning

I got a couple of projects completed this time around; among those is the Kimono-belt inspired cowl based on a character's costume from one of my recently completed games; Bravely Default on 3DS. You can check out my project page for more info here. I love it actually, and think the bow is such a cute embellishment(it covered the jog too!). Talking about games, i have also recently finished DuckTales: Remastered. This was a remake of the original NES game from back in the day; I can really say it was thoroughly enjoyed. What has this inspired? Hm, i'm torn between something via tunisian crochet or a knitted colorwork project. I should have something in the works by next time for sure so stay tuned for that!

I finished another Poppy hat using my yarn of the month pick, I Love This Yarn in a blue tweed colorway. I'm working on a baby sweater that will hopefully take care of the rest of the skein, since my aim is to use all or as much of it as I can. Some progress has also been made with one of my KALs, which is the INFINICATS cowl(project page here). I still have some ways to go, but so far I love the colors and the charts are so fun to work. Last but not least, I started on a sweater, it will be my first bottom-up and the first where I'm using 100% wool (rather than my usual synthetics). This is a Knit Picks Bulky yarn in a very gorgeous blue hue called Bluebird; you can view my project page on Rav here. I barely started on this project but there's no rush, as the hot weather has just started in my neck of the woods. 

Spinning has taken a lot of my time these last couple of weeks, not to mention my blending board has finally arrived. I finished spinning a couple of fiber batts(and rolags) that will be resting a few days before plying. The blending board is amazing and so much fun to play with. I made two batts and spun those in the same yarn in order to make a transitioning color yarn(ideally, will have to see the results after plying). I have plenty of fiber to play around still... If I could go back and forth between spinning, making batts and knitting/crocheting all day everyday I totally would! The other fiber I spun was some I picked up at the recent MD Sheep and a Wool festival. The colors are a little more muted than I would have liked after being spun, yet the fiber was a dream to work with and spun very smoothly. Eventually I would like to take inspiration from the colors in this fiber to make a yarn with bigger color sections. That's pretty much it, as usual check out the vid for more blurbs!

Yarn Haul, Earings & an Alpaca

This was another purchase from Ebay; a cute Alpaca plush! I take from the label that his(or her) name is Alpacasso; and this specific one features a cute little blue hat and a bow(this is the 'Love Hat' version). This one is 7" and i actually forgot i had bid on this until it was over and i discovered i won! So cute and a little over $3(including shipping), she(or he) is totally worth it. I'm going to plant this next to my black Alpaca which came to me from Arizona via swap. Don't they look cute together?



These sheep stud earnings came from Asia, however i ordered them via Amazon(check them out here). They were a find at under $4(including shipping), and they're adorable. When i purchased them they weren't eligible for Prime shipping so it was no surprise that it took a couple of weeks to arrive. I was excited to receive them before MD Sheep and Wool so i could wear them; however when the day came i totally forgot about these! Still, i love them!

Last but not least; i have made another order from Discontinued Brand Name Yarn. This also took place before MD Sheep and Wool, i really think the last fiber haul set off all the yarn/fiber purchasing. Regardless of what i purchased at the festival, i did really try to limit this haul to the skeins that i felt like i couldn't do without. This does include a skein of self striping yarn i'll be giving as a prize once i hit 1000 subscribers on my YouTube channel(check it out here). I'm quite pleased with this haul; details below. As always, check out my video(at the end of this post) for more blurbs :).




Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Fingerpaints Supersock Silk Self Striping
80% Low Micron Superwash Merino Wool / 20% Silk
420 yds / 4 oz
Colorway: Rasta Man







Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Supersock Select Fingering Colorways
100% Superwash Merino Wool
420 yds / 4 oz
Colorway: Java








Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Supersock Select Fingering Colorways
100% Superwash Merino Wool
420 yds / 4 oz
Colorway: Beach






Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Supersock Select Fingering Colorway Solids
100% Superwash Merino Wool
420 yds / 4 oz
Colorway: Apricot







Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Supersock Select Fingering Colorways Solids
100% Superwash Merino Wool
420 yds / 4 oz
Colorway: Bark

Henry's Attic Yarn - Superwash Baby
100% Superwash Merino
436 yds / 100 grams
Colorway: Firestarter






DBNY Yarn - Sock - Dip Dyes
100% Superwash Merino
420 yds / 4oz
Colorway: Melon

900 YouTube Subscriber Giveaway! CLOSED

And the winners are..... Congratulations guys!!




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Hey guys, this is amazing! We now have over 900 subscribers on my YouTube channel(check it out here). To thank you guys I have 4 prizes for you this time. This giveaway is open internationally and will run for one week starting today; May 9 - May 16, 2015. The requirements are below.


1. Be a subscriber to my channel
2. Share this specific video OR my YT channel via one(1) social media outlet of your choice.
3. Leave a comment on the video which reads: 'I am a _____________'(you fill in the blank) and sharing where you have shared the video or my YT channel.

That's it guys, good luck everyone!!

Project Update & MDSW Haul

This has been a pretty full. MD Sheep and Wool was this weekend, and i have to say it was an awesome time...i made it home with some amazing yarn and fiber and managed not to break the bank(mini-haul!). It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors and i got to meet another fellow knitter(and crocheter); Dalequan from the SheSpins on YouTube. Unfortunately i didn't bump into anyone else i recognized this time around, but next time i will plan this out!

I made it out with a smallish yarn haul; including a yarn for you guys(i'm already planning ahead for the 1k YouTube subscriber giveaway)! I got a skein of Merino in an orangy/peachy/grayish colorway called Fire Opal, and picked up the Berry Delight colorway for you guys; this is an awesome pink/purple/green/brown blend. A skein of Old Mill Yarn also made it to my stash, i just loved all the different shades of brown(i should have picked up more of this, i would love a sweater quantity). Last but not least(yarnwise) i picked up a huge mega skein of Blue Moon yarn of BFL Sport in the H2OH YEAH! colorway; which has amazing blues and green shades throughout.  I did purchase two fiber braids; a Wool and Silk blend in the 'Seamist' colorway as well as a natural braid of Blueface Swirl by Gale's Art. I found this one specifically gorgeous since it's a combination of natural colors; it's a cream with grays and browns, no dye needed.

I finished the Sloan Shawl on the way to MDSW and was so excited that i used most of my yarn pick for April(save a couple of yards). I love everything about this shawl; the yarn, the texture, the colors, the look, i would definitely make this again(and recommend it to others). I also picked out my yarn pick for this month which is some I Love This Yarn in the Seablue Tweed colorway; i'm thinking baby clothes or something similar for this yarn. For more blurbs check out the video as usual :)

Malon's Shop Update ~ 5/6/2015

It's been a couple of weeks since sharing my shop updates; however here they are! The following have been updated to my amigurumi shop, malonb.etsy.com.




Made with vintage yarn in hues of yellow, orange and gray; finished with embroidered features and button eyes. Stands at 6"; ready to ship!

Check out the listing here.






This amigurumi is inspired by Animal Crossing's dog character 'Biskit'.
Check out the listing here.







Cute decorative knit pillow which is ideal to double as a pin/needle cushion. Embellished with felt roses and crochet leafs in a dainty rose-bush motif. Stands at 5" x 5", backed with red felt. Ready to ship!!
Check out the listing here.







Made in fall colors with green and yellow felt details. Stands at 4" x 3"; ready to ship!
Check out the listing here.







Stands at 3.5" x 4". Sampler piece on up-cycled raw burlap with red and black details. Ready to ship!
Check out the listing here.







These acorn pots are quite cute and are quite handy to store anything from jewelry to buttons to small surprises...whatever you wish. They come in a pair and are ready to ship.
Check out the listing here.

Inspired by the Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, Tetra(aka Zelda) is a pretty large amigurumi. Made via crochet with felt details and button eyes. 
Check out the listing here. 









Made in brown with an embroidered felt muzzle and button eyes. Stands at 6", ready to ship!
Check out the listing here. 






This set of 2 features two cute little trees in a warm brownish red and golden yellow. 
Check out the listing here. 







Made in black and white stripes with embroidered features and button eyes. 
Check out the listing here.

My yarn shop, malonsshop.etsy.com has been updated with the following in the last couple of weeks.


This is a happy mix of reds/greens/yellows with a touch of blue. Reminds me of a festival indeed! :) Each hank is 100 grams/190 yards of bulky weight wool. This is a bulky yarn and size 9-11 needles are recommended.
Check out the listing 





I love this colorway. Both skeins were dyed together, with a soft country blue and a dash of yellow. This is a dk weight yarn and a size 6 needle is recommended.
Check out the listing.





This is a natural skein, ready to dye. Each hank is 100 grams/190 yards of bulky weight wool. This is a bulky yarn and size 9-11 needles are recommended.
Check out the listing.

This one is reminiscent of olives(hence the name). From gray to brown with hints of green and nude, it covers quite the range i think. This is a dk weight yarn and a size 6 needle is recommended.
Check out the listing.




Per Skein:
Yardage 187 yds.
Weight 50g
Fiber Content Nylon, Metallic
Gauge (st. /4 in.) 20
Needle Size(s) 8 US (5mm)
Color 007
Check out the listing. 


Per Skein:
59% Acrylic, 41% Nylon
200 grams
540 yards 
Machine Wash gentle, tumble dry low
Color: 0005 (white)
Check out the listing.





Hand-painted with a gradient effect in peach/appricot, it shows various ranges of peach with some natural wool peaking through. This is a dk weight yarn and a size 6 needle is recommended.
Check out the listing here. 

Fiber Haul, Crochet Hooks and a Project Bag

Mail Time: 4~19~2015

I share the prizes for my 900 subscriber giveaway in this video; in case you missed it they are very cute, adorable and quite useful. I found these sticky notes featuring llamas and alpacas(i'm not sure which exactly, lol) on ebay.... such a dangerous place for the wallet! I will be having 4 winners; keep an eye out for my Giveaway Video in the near future!

Mail Time: 4~26~2015

I recently purchased a set of Clover Soft Grip Crochet hooks via Amazon which i am pleasantly surprised with. Crocheting for long periods of time would leave me with some aches and pains when i used my usual(metal crochet hooks) so decided to look for something which was not so bothersome. Looking at the reviews and going by a few fellow youtubers comments, i decided to try them out. They work great, and definitely lessen my discomfort. I would recommend these for sure. 

This adorable Elephant Project bag has also been added to my collection; i specially like the strap which will make it so much more versatile in my book(or wardrobe). It's so roomy too, i may be taking this one to MD Sheep and Wool with me, all though i'm not sure if i'll have enough time to actually sit down and work on any project. Love the zipper, love the print, love it in general. I also purchased a set of knitting stitch markers which i also happen to love; simple yet beautiful is a win in my book. These came from Cozy Crafting on Etsy. Abby(the one behind this shop) also has a podcast under the same name, check out Cozy Crafting on YouTube. 

As if you didn't know, i have a major fiber haul to share with you guys this time around as well. I purchased this haul from discontinuedbrandnamedyarn.com which does tend to have pretty fair prices and daily sales on top of that. Check out my Mail Time video below!





Louet Shetland Sliver(carded)
8 oz total in the 'Holiday' Colorway









Louet Romney Roving
8oz total in the 'Evergreen Heather' Colorway









Louet Blue Face Leicester - BFL
8 oz total in the 'Emu' Colorway










Louet Blue Face Leicester - BFL
8 oz total in the 'Crested Guan' Colorway









Louet Blue Face Leicester - BFL
16 oz total in the 'Cruel Summer' Colorway









Louet Blue Face Leicester - BFL
16 oz total in the 'Don't Stop Beleiving' Colorway









Louet Blue Face Leicester - BFL
16 oz total in the 'Squash' Colorway