Surprise; Update Time!

How long has it been since i've done an update on my finished projects and what i'm working on? I'm not quite sure; i don't recall the last things i've shared either(and i don't plan to go and find out, lol). I grabbed what i remembered making and all though i don't have a few of these items to show anymore, i think i got most of them.

I've finished a number of things, including a cowl for my Secret Santa Rav swap(all thought i don't have a pic of the completed cowl; it was sewn together of course- find the pattern here) as well as a headband and an item that was already in use(a crochet container for small misc items on my bath counter). I also finished my gift cat hat(at last!). I was iffy about this one 'cause there is a (very noticeable?) seam in the front of the hat and i wasn't sure if it required an embellishment(or not). What do you think? This is a very cute free pattern you can find here.

Now let's talk about(more) cowls. I finally finished one that has actually been done for some time, but i was rather unhappy with the color of the yarn. I decided to over-dye this project and ta-da! Love how it turned out(and it may be a future pattern in the works). I also finished a crochet cowl(great free pattern by Nina, find it here) which is just up my alley. I love close-to-the-neck cowls and this totally fits the bill; i also really like the neutral color i chose for this pattern. It would be amazing in any color really(and i do plan to make some more).

My one huge thing was my sweater - I'm so glad it's complete(this is a free patter you can find here)! I finished it last week actually, but i've yet to wash/dry before i let myself wear it out. It fits pretty well and i love the colors that i chose. This pattern would also make a great cardigan/open sweater so am looking to alter the pattern and make it again w/ that purpose. I decided against duplicate stitching something on it, as i thought it  would take away from the stripes.

The Animal Crossing game series inspired the amigurumi cake i worked up which i will be posting a pattern for(eventually, haha). It's not exactly to scale so may tweak it a little(and/or offer both sizes, we'll see!). I am also participating in another Secret Santa(not Rav related) which is the funnest one yet. This has more of a geeky approach; the person i'm gifting is into games as i am and by coincidence also happens to knit! This is amazing; to share the love of yarn i dyed her a custom skein of Superwash Merino/230 yds in various hues of green(her fave color). I'm also working on a Piranha Plant decorative pillow(reminiscent of the Super Mario Brothers games) and am waiting for a couple of items i ordered to arrive before sending out her package. Soo excited!

My works in progress consist of a ribbed knit sushi scarf(if you guys recall my crochet version you can check out here, i will similarly write up a recipe/pattern for) as well as a purple shawl i've started quite some time ago and um, anything else mentioned above.


Recently i have also made quite a few purchases due to the black friday/cyber monday sales and i've got a few of them already. I made a video sharing my yarn haul from Knit Picks, and if you guys have seen my current videos know i have purchased a spinning wheel(and that it has arrived!). I'm still waiting for a couple of other fiber purchases; once i have received them i will be posting up a general black friday/cyber monday haul blog where i talk about all my purchases during this time. I also have a video on how i put my spinning wheel together, it's more to share the experience rather than a how-to video, and will be posting a blog with pictures and commentary eventually. All in all, it's hasn't been a bad 3-4 weeks!

Amigurumi Power-Up Mushroom - Free Pattern

Amigurumi Power-Up Mushrooms
by Malon Bruce

This pattern is worked in the round. It’s rather simple since it only uses the basic single stitch(st), slip stitch(sl), increase(inc) and decrease(dec) stitches. I also like to use the ‘magic circle’ technique to start off but it’s not necessary. You could simply chain 2 and work row 1 in the 2nd stitch from hook.

Materials:

• Red/Blue/Green/Purple yarn(depending on which mushroom you are working on)
• White yarn for the bottom portion
• Felt for the spot details
• Fabric paint/needle and thread to sew/glue on spots
• Black yarn/crochet thread for the eyes
• Embroidery needle
• Fiberfill (or you filling of choice)
• H hook (use your preferred size to make a fabric tight enough so the stuffing doesn't show through) 
• Stitch markers/something to mark your rows with(I used scrap piece of yarn)

Top:
1. 6 in magic circle =6
2. increase all =12
3. increase all =24
4. *1st, 1 increase* repeat =36
5.-11. sc st for 7 rows =36
12. *1sc, 1 decrease* repeat =24
13. *2sc, 1 decrease* repeat =1814. Finish off and leave a long tail to sew to the bottom.

**At this point make sure to COUNT the number of stitches you have. I have ended up with less/more plenty of times due to unknown increase/decreasing. The exact number does not matter as much as knowing how many there are so you know how to adjust the bottom part of the mushroom. This will make the sewing go ever so smoothly and will let you match up stitch per stitch.

Bottom:
1. 6 in magic circle =6
2. Increase all =12
3. *6 st, 1 increase* repeat (this is where you would inc/dec in order to match the number of stitches you ended up with on the top) =18
4. Sc all =18
5. Turn work around and st 9 creating ‘tab’ =9
6. Slip stitch and finish off.

** The ‘tab’ here will be the face of the mushroom and give the top a slanted look. Make sure you only sew the actual stitches together and don’t count the side of the tab as a stitch.

Putting it all together:
Now you put both pieced together and sew away! The matching number of stitches makes it easy; and don’t forget to stuff before you close up your work. Keep in mind the ‘tab’ on the bottom part of the mushroom will serve as the face, so I usually like to have the finished off end of the top centered on the back for a more clean and finished look.

Eyes: I used black crochet thread, but any yarn/embroidery thread will do. You can also use felt, fiber paint, buttons, it's up to you. Position eyes about 2 stitches apart (use pictures as a guideline).

**I glued on the felt spots and embroidered around them for reinforcement. It’s not necessary, you could do one or the other.

Spots: For the red/blue/green mushrooms I made my spots out of felt and about1 ½ inches(or 4mm) in diameter. You will need 5 spots per mushroom. Center one on the top and put the other 4 around in a uniform fashion.

For the poison mushroom i used felt for the skull and crochet thread to embroider the ‘teeth’. I also painted on the eyes/nose with 3d fabric paint before gluing and embroidering on but you can definitely sew them on use felt.


This is an original pattern by Monica Jeriah (August 2009). Please do not claim this pattern as your own,
make copies of or publish on any CD, collection, publication or website without permission. Buying this
pattern gives you the right to use it for your own personal use but you may not sell or distribute it, or sell
any items made from this pattern. Photos are also property of Monica Jeriah.

Amigurumi Princess Ornament- Free Pattern

This cute ornament emerged from a fairy-tale swap i participated on recently. One of my partner's favorite fairy tale characters was Snow White(the Disney princess version...i guess there is such a thing!). This swap being so close to the holiday season, well that's how the whole 'ornament' idea came about. :)

It's quite a simple pattern that can be altered to your needs/taste. I used a 2" styrofoam ball for this one but you can stuff it with fiberfill(etc) as well. I used ribbon and yarn for the bows but again, it's up to you how you choose to style the hair(or not). My ornaments have their face embroidered on(the cheeks and lips) except for the eyes, which i used two tiny dots of fabric paint for. 

I chose not to explain every little thing in the tutorial since learning the real basics(ie what is an 'increase'?) can be easily found/learned via other tutorials and so forth.  Enjoy!

Face

1. 6 sc in magic circle - 6
2. Inc all stitches - 12
3. (1sc, 1 increase)* (repeat for the whole row) - 18
4. (2sc, 1 increase)* - 24
5. (3sc, 1 increase)* - 30
6. Sc in all stitches - 30
7. Sc in all stitches - 30
8. (3sc, 1 decrease)* - 24

Finish off, no tail needed

Hair

1. 6 sc in magic circle - 6
2. Inc all stitches - 12
3. (1sc, 1 increase)* (repeat for the whole row) - 18
4. (2sc, 1 increase)* - 24
5. (3sc, 1 increase)* - 30
6. Sc in all stitches - 30
7. 3 sc, (2hdc, 4dc, 2hdc, 2sc)x2, 7 sc - 30

Finish off, leave a long tail for sewing to face

Sewing Together 

Fit the hair and face over the styrofoam ball so the ends overlap. Position the hair to your liking and sew to the face. Add a bow and embroider the face. Done!

*I show some bonus footage at the end of the video on how i add the loop on the ornament.

Cat Hats & Unreachable Gauge!

This couple of weeks i have realized my knitting gauge is a nightmare. I've worked on two hats where i was unable to make gauge so had to rework both patterns to fit my unmovable one. I also swatched for a sweater(a free pattern via Rav - $5 in Paris)where the problem persisted, and so altering that pattern is also in the future.

I was looking for a hat pattern to possibly gift around the holidays and i found a couple of cute free ones via Rav. My first was the Simple Kitty Hat which has adorable earflaps - this turned out to be my favorite of the two. The other similar hat was the Future of Forestry Hat which has a folded ribbed rim of 1x1 ribbing...i'm surprised i actually made this one. 1x1 rib is my most hated rib combination, and this pattern called for 8" of it. Never again!! If i happen to make it again i'll be doing 2x2.

A baby hat was also completed which turned out pretty cute as well. This is also a free pattern which comes with 2 different hat patterns called Two Lace Baby Hats, check it out in Rav. The goat pillow is also finally complete!! I got to it just in time for Smells Like Yarn group's giveaway. So psyched it's complete, if i do say so myself it turned out pretty adorable :).

 I finished spinning the red/pink stripped yarn as well and have skeined it, however i have not washed it to set the twist yet. During my last update i was in the process of spinning it i believe.... I'm looking fwd to caking this one as well since the color transitions should really show up this way. Something else is on my drop spindles as a WIP, and this type of fiber (superwash merino) is amazing. It really spins like butter - this is my favorite fiber to work with to date. Once i use up some of my fiber stash, i know what i'll be going for.

A tutorial is also in the works, based off the cute ornament i made for my partner during the last swap. If anyone is interested in testing the pattern, do let me know! This will be a free published pattern and i'll be posting a tutorial vid as well. I used a 2" styrofoam ball inside this one, but it could easily be filled with fiberfill or the like. It's pretty adaptable too, so many ways to customize. I'll try to have it up ASAP! Whenever i have the time to edit and have it up that is... :)

Pikmin, Ni No Kuni and FO's

I've finished A LOT this time around. Some FO(finished object)s are great, while some are a little iffy. I've divided it up into sections(as you can see lol).

Amigurumi

Epona from the Legend of Zelda game series. I have done a Version 1 quite some time ago and recently added the 'nose holes' aka nostrils. The head was rather large and my colorwork was not the best, in response to that i have Version 2. The color scheme was changed up a little, i skipped a few rows in the pattern when making the head overall getting something more proportioned. The colorwork is an improvement i think, and the nostrils look a lot better on this version. Will i add the saddle? I think yes... The pattern came from this awesome book, check it out! - Amigurumi Toy Box by Ana Paula Rimoli.

I've also decided to make something based on a game i have beat(completed) whenever the occasion arises. In this case, Ni No Kuni just happened to be it. Did i love it? Actually yes, very much so. I chose to make 'Mite' since he's the first familiar/creature the main character gets to join his party on his way to defeat evil. This pattern was made up on the fly. It's not perfect but i did take notes, so will revise and have it available in the future. 

Cowls, Hats & Misc

My first cowl came from a hat that was just too big and i wasn't ready to rip out all my work. By now i know my gauge is pretty off being such a loose knitter and all... this just confirmed it. So, i did some seed stitch, some 3x3 ribbing and some more seed stitch. The hat pattern it was meant to be - Seed Slouch Hat - is a free pattern i found via Rav(elry). I did end up knitting the actual pattern with smaller needles and a thinner yarn which gave me a wearable item.

The baby hat was also from a free set of patterns also found on Rav - Two Lace Baby Hats. Too adorable, love the results and it was a pretty quick knit. With that, i'll pair the baby blanket which is a simple granny square stripe made with some I Love This Yarn and Mid Green and Gray Mist. It's pretty small as it's preemie size, it will be going to Kim in a few weeks.

The two other cowls are pretty similar. The first i made was to use up some scrap yarn and is also a tight cowl which should fit snugly around your neck(my neck, 'cause i'm keeping this one). It's simple ribbing with a few cable twists thrown in. The second cowl was made with the super-wash i dyed in green and black. I'm still trying to decide if i like this color or i'll be over-dying it....probably the lather. It's a similar ribbing with a few cables, and yes, i'm also keeping this one. It's the softest to date and actually my first time making something with my hand-dyed.

The purple vest is also finally complete! I had to order some more yarn but it was well worth it... It will be getting much use this fall/winter for sure; It's an awesome layering piece. The pattern came from Contemporary Crochet. To date that's my most used book of patterns, and still have a handful i want to make. My top was a little short so opted to add a ribbed border at the bottom until it was my preferred length...worked like a charm. 

Spinning

I finished spinning the green/brown/black fiber which came
out to be 74 yards/1.8 oz with the weight falling somewhere between an aran & chunky. The purple/yellow fiber i dyed earlier on was 4 oz and gave me 273 yards of a dk/fingering weight. It's not all that evenly spun so if have worsted or even chunky bits in there, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm now working on some red/pink fiber which is really a WIP(work in progress)...

WIPS

Pikmin tunisian crochet pillow...i'm so close to being done with this. It falls under my finished/completed games this year(Pikmin 3) which was a pretty quick yet fun game. I think next time i use this chart, i will have a different color pallet. 

The only other project is a rectangle shawl, also a free pattern all though this one's from the Michael's website. It was written for their Loops and Threads Impeccable yarn which i happen to be using in a purple hue. I'm treating this one as a long term project to sort of tie me over in between other projects...lol.

Project Updates!

I've been lagging behind on writing blogs recently, so this kind of update was inevitable. This blog is born from laziness! Sooner or later it was time, and so here it is.

My last Cast-Off update was on Sept. 3, and since then i've decided to update every 2 weeks or so. Around every 15th and at the end/beginning of the next month sounds about right. So, only missed 2 updates here, not too shabby. No pics for this one either, since i didn't take any when i made the vids, i'm not going to try and collect all this stuff to snap a few so long after the fact. Live and learn. 

Cast-Off #69 - 9/15

FO's(finished objects):

• I completed the baby vest from the Noro Kids book. I would not make it again, too many ends to seam in for such a tiny thing. Not worth it imo...sorry babies. 
• I dyed some yarn in a long transitioning colorway. I plan to use it/make something and re-dye it once complete as i wasn't all too happy with the colors. 
• Finished spinning up the 4oz of fiber i had dyed..finally...phew! 
• The project for my swap was completed, which was a cute Snow White (tree)ornament. Unfortunately i only had a pic since i had to ship out this project. 

WIP's(works in progress):

• Purple top/vest from Contemporary Crochet book. So close to being done.
• Blue & White shawl, a free pattern via Ravelry - the Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief.

Cast-Off #70 ~ 9/30

FO's:

• I got the chance to test out the pattern for a pretty cute crochet hat, which i made 2 of. My first was a fail(my gauge and yarn choice probably, wasn't correct). It's a free pattern, find the link in my video description! 
• 2 Baby blankets! Awesome stash buster.
• Blue & White shawl, finally complete! Info in the previous vid update above.
• Tunisian Crochet Goat panel is done...and sooo cute! Although the project is not officially 'complete' (i still have to put the pillow together), the crochet part totally is so i'm letting this one slip by :P. This is for a knit/crochet along by SmellGreatGuy, find more info in my vid description.
• The 4oz fiber i spun last time has been plied!! Took too long for my liking, but it's done. And it's awesome. 

WIP's:

• Spinning some green/black/brown fiber on my giant spindle(which i made myself, heh). It's made with a clock face!
• Working on a cowl with that long-transitioning colorway yarn. 

 

AC Mice & Nintendo Panel Complete!

Hey all, another two weeks worth of items. It hasn't been my most productive but I've worked on a few things. My completed objects this time around are one Linus shawl(free pattern in vid description), as well as a couple of amigurumi mice inspired by Animal Crossing(video game), and finally my long overdue Nintendo panel.

I have thought about turning this into a cover for my sewing machine but due to the simple fact that i made a garter border, the panel itself is a little wonky. I think it would serve a better purpose if it was a pillow, which it's actually destined to become. Overall i'm pretty happy with it, however i do need plenty of pr
actice with my color-work/intarsia...which i plan to get in future projects. Love it nonetheless <3. It features the iconic mushroom, a boo(aka ghost) and the goomba, one of my fave baddies of all time. Stay tuned for next week's video when i should have the pillow complete! :)

As far as my wips, i've been working on that cute baby item from the NORO Kids booklet. Almost done with it too!! Yet i feel there's too many tails to sew in for such a tiny item. I don't like tails and don't like to sew them in either....lol does anyone? The only thing i would do differently is taking the stripes into consideration when deciding to whether or not make it in the round. I'm also not 100% sure my gauge is correct, regardless if my gauge swatch was correct(or not...and it was). In that sense, total disappointment :\. I do love the yarn though, if i may say so myself. This is Berocco Comfort DK/Sport Weight.

There's a few other misc WIPs here and there, to find out more details feel free to check out the video below. I have also started spinning some fiber that i dyed not too long ago. I'm really enjoying myself this time, trying not to get in the hype of wanting it complete sooner than later. This isn't the best or softest fiber(coopworth), yet it's the first i've ever bought for myself and at the moment the only fiber i have. So...i'm working with what i got!! Not to say i don't have more fiber coming my way... >.> shh....

 I also do want to remind you guys about my 500 Subscriber Giveway that's going on at this time(check out the video and enter here!). I'm talking about my YouTube channel, i'm thrilled and excited about the support - you guys are awesome!! It's open until the 6th(midnight eastern time) and i will pull for winners on the 7th/Sunday. I have an update video as well(check it out here) which is a short about the prizes...which are pretty great i think. Good luck!!

Mail Time & Yarn Addiction Mash-Up!

This could be about nothing else but stash enhancements(aka more/new yarn).  I got mine via mail, hence the theme mash-up. Was i on a yarn diet? Yes... but that's ok. I'm back on the horse until November.

What did my yarn haul consist of? Other than a couple of Red Heart skeins for one of my current WIPS, this enhancement came from Ron Strong's De-Stash(check out his YT channel, in vid description box). He has some awesome yarn i must say, let me list it for you...

• Rowan Felted Tweed in Red Brown
• Rowan Felted Tweed in Pine
• Rowan Felted Tweed in Brown
• Rowan Felted Tweed in Taupe
• Berroco Vintage DK in Purple
• Berroco Vintage DK in Olive Green
• Berroco Vintage DK in Taupe
• Berroco Weekend DK in Pink
• Rowan Creative Linen in White
• Rowan Creative Linen in Yellow
• Cascade Yarn Ultra Pima in White
• Misc. Skein in Variegated Yellow

Now that's what you call yarn enhancement, right? Are all the colorway names correct in my list? Of course not, since(if you watched my vid) none of these actually had the colorway name on their lables, just the number. So i made those up lol... but they fit the bill for my purposes ;).

Also, if you guys haven't heard yet i'm currently running my 500 Subscriber Giveaway(click for vid) and it's open until Sept. 6. If you haven't done so already go check it out and submit your entry. I do have an update for that this coming weekend as well, so stay tuned!

Epona(LoZ), WIPs & Updates

Hey guys, i only have 1 completed project this time around. I finally finished Epona, a horse amigurumi inspired by the Legend of Zelda character, aka Link's horse. It turned out pretty cute, right? I still have at least one more version to try, and this time i may use all Red Heart as opposed to Loops and Threads(or a lighter worsted weight). I also have to figure out the colorwork and/or if i want to include it in the next one. I'll probably just play around with it until i'm satisfied lol. The pattern is from 'Amigurumi Toy Box', a book full of really cute amigurumi. I checked it out from the library and decided to purchase it after, i enjoyed it that much!

My one almost complete project was another Linus shawl. I really love this pattern, and it's free(link in vid. description)! It's too easy and makes a pretty awesome shawl/scarf, i couldn't help myself. I used up a skein of Red Heart Unforgettable in the Echo colorway. I still have to measure if it's long enough or if i want it longer. If so, i may just have to add another color(i'm not sure if i have more of this colorway). Find out what happens with this on my next update! ;D

My WIPs(works in progress) consisted of the Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief which is also a free pattern(link in vid. description) and a simple half double crochet baby blanket which i decided to make in purple Loops and Threads. I also did forget to show you guys my progress on that cute baby vest from the Noro Kids book. It's probably one of my fave projects to date! I'm making it in the round(as opposed to separate front and back panels via the pattern) so wish me luck for when i get to the upper parts and start on the decreases and so forth. I'm also not sure what color(s) i want to do the ribbing with, i have to dig through my stash and see what complimentary colors i have in this weight of yarn that will work. I do love this yarn though, which i got from my last swap. I had no idea it was self stripping when i received it, it would make great finger-less mitts!

Vacation updates! I got to visit a yarn shop near San Deigo which was pretty awesome. It had a large selection of Berroco yarns and was located in Chula Vista. You can find them online at http://yarnsatborderleather.com, i would totally recommend visiting if you're in the area. I wish i would have taken pics but unfortunately didn't. I wasn't able to shop for as long as i could have either lol, but did come out of it with 3 awesome skeins... some James C. Brett Marble included. Seeing that yarn upclose made me realize what the buzz was all about, that's some gorgeous yarn. I also got to meet up with Zee(aka Zelda or zeldanrj3 on youtube) which was definitely one of my week's highlights. We browsed the Hollywood area and sat down to lunch and dinner. Did i mention she brought Tink along? If you're subscribed to her channel(if you like yarn you should be) then you know who i'm talking about. She's too cute, so glad we got to meet her as well. Zee taped a short vid of our time together which you can find here. It was a pretty fun time ;D.

Crafty Goals - July 2014 Update

Hey all, this month has been a little more productive than last. I'm pretty pleased with how things turned out. It seems kind'a short however, don't you think? Next time i will have my list in hand lol. Let me break it down. If  you would like to see my completed projects for the month check out my Cast-Off Crew vids uploaded in July(2 this month) and/or browse my past blogs.

Big Project This Month:
- Mushroom Baby Blanket/Lapghan(reversible)

Sweaters(make 2 this year)
- One sweater is complete
- Plans for the second are in the works!

Etsy Store Listings
- Yes! I have started to re-post those sad listings which have been expired for quite a while and i was a little too uh, laid back to re-post in a timely manner. This goes for both of my shops! Check them out at malonsshop.etsy.com & malonb.etsy.com.

Website Updates
- I've been working on my website, all though it's still under construction. Feedback is appreciated! malonsshop.com

Video Updates and Tutorials
- I had a number of video updates this month, including my stash videos(which had various parts). Check them out on my YouTube channel! I also have a number of blog updates corresponding.

- Posted one tutorial!
Lion Brand's Envelope Flatware Flatware Tutorial
Check out the related blog as well

New Stitches & Techniques
- I have lined a crochet bag
- I have learned how to add a zipper as well! :)

Patterns from my Library
- I made a number of projects using patterns found on Ravelry.
- I made at least 1 project from my book/mag library as well.

Yarn Dying & Spinning
- Yes! I actually gave spinning another try and have dyed specifically for this purpose. I have completed a skein of white/navy blue candy stripped handspun.

Use Your Stash!
- This month i've decided to go on a yarn diet. However, i already have a smallish yarn haul to show you guys(oops)...and a pretty awesome swap package. However i've been pretty good on using my stash yarn specially after my organization phase(since i actually got a chance to see the magnitude of what it has become).