Crochet Tutorial Video 2 - Swatches

Here is the second of many tutorials to come.



What is a swatch, how to measure it, and what to do if it doesn't match your intended gauge.

Crochet Tutorial Video 1 - How to read a yarn label

Here is my first video in my crochet tutorial series. Watch out for more in the weeks to come.



This video shows crocheters how to read a yarn label and interpret it when it only contains knit information. It also tells you how to substitute yarn for projects.

It's Official

After way too many years, I am now a college graduate. Just finished my last class this past week and will receive my diploma in another couple of weeks. Been super busy with the pregnancy and my excellerated summer class, I have been neglecting my blog. But now I am working on a whole set of crochet tutorial videos and have about ten finished projects that I need to write up the patterns for (many baby patterns).

Can't wait to start posting the new stuff. Just bear with me and soon you will see this blog picking up again. :)

Pattern of the Week

This is just one of the super free cute amigurumi patterns Fiber Doodles has on her blog. It was hard to choose which one to feature, but this is cute and easy for any level of crocheter. Be sure to head over to her blog not only for this pattern, but also her other free and super cute patterns to buy. Click here to head over now. Happy hooking!

Been Busy

So, I haven't been around for a little bit, but I  have a great excuse.... I'm pregnant.

Yes, another kid is on the way and I'm just getting over the morning sickness hump and can function again. Baby is due 10-15-10, so no clue if it is a boy or girl yet. But be prepared to see some new baby patterns from me.

Other big news is that I have been chosen to be a reporter for the hugely popular webiste Craft Critique.

This website takes all types of crafty items and reviews them for its readers. I have learned about so many new and cool craft items just from reading it. I highly recommend you click on the link and follow the blog and sign up for the daily emails, they are informative and they give free stuff away every now and again.

Also, you should be seeing some of my articles very soon.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I have finally added a new pattern!!! I have been working on a new format for all of my old patterns (still not finished yet) and haven't had time to write up all the patterns I have finished. Well today, I said enough was enough and got at least one done. This cute little newsboy hat is sized from baby to adult male so you can make it for anyone. Check it out in my shop for more info.

Significantly Lacking

I am loving this book I got to see where all of my knitting problems are going wrong, but it is lacking one very important part that I didn't realize until I finished my first scarf (see pic below). How do I keep the edges of my work neat? Knit fix seems to be geared towards knitted garments (i.e. things that will have sewn seams) and doesn't give any advice on neat edgings on things like scarfs (please feel free to yell at me if I glanced over this section and it actually does exist).

Anywhoo, I went a googling to see what advice others have for neat scarf edges and found a super simple fix. So I will share it with all who have not heard this so you too will have neat edges.

TIP: No matter what the stitch calls for on any given row, always knit the first stitch of the row, and purl the last stitch of the row.

I am working on a 1x1 rib scarf now and so far so good. I will post some pics once it is done.

Here it is!

                Well, I'll say this much about the scarf. It was good practice for all my stitches. It ended up taking only one skein to finish it. It is the perfect size for my daughter and she actually likes it, so it is now hers. Time to move on to the next project, because as we all know ~ Practice makes perfect, or in my case, practice makes less ugly.                                                                                                 

Update on First Knit Scarf

So I am about half way through my very first knit scarf and I think it is going well. As I said yesterday, the horrific book of introduction to knitting did have cute patterns and it is a sampler pattern I am making this scarf from. It's great it has ribbing, checkerboard, keyholes, intro to knit,  and intro to purl. I did pick up another skein of yarn today because I don't think one will be enough, plus I don't like short scarfs so I will probably add in some more of the patterns that I already made. Once I am done I will post a pic and then you all can make fun of me :) Happy hooking forever!!

Arrrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!

Ok, if you read a few posts back, you would know that I am beginning to knit. I will go into detail about the likes and dislikes with comparison to crochet in the days ahead, but first a vent and warning to anyone else that will attempt this craft.

I bought a little kit that has a book and yarn included to knit up a cute little scarf. Thankfully I bought other books including the wonderful Knit Fix by Lisa Kartus and do not have to rely on this horrid book in the kit for knitting instruction. Lack of pictures, clear instructions, and too many confusing written visuals make this book worthless for learning to knit in my opinion. It also doesn't include the continental method of knit, which, because I am a crocheter find it an easier way to hold my yarn (it is held in the left hand just like crochet). I mostly got the kit because it had a few cute patterns in the book that I would like to try.

So moving on to my first scarf using the yarn provided in the kit...

Let me stop here and stress to anyone who is learning to knit. DO NOT USE ONE PLY YARN TO LEARN TO KNIT!!! One ply, for anyone who is not familiar, is a super loose looking yarn (almost like roving or wool that has not been spun yet). Guess what was in my kit? 4 super small skeins of one ply variegated blue yarn. I didn't think about it being one ply before starting the project. With crochet, I can handle one ply easily without splitting the yarn at all. Not quite the same outcome with knitting.

Since you have to insert a pointy needle in between a loop of untwisted yarn, it is extremely difficult to get in there without splitting the yarn and ending up with a lopsided loop that won't give because your yarn is stuck on itself .

Needless to say, I got into the third row and gave up. I feel sorry for any one who is using this kit to learn to knit for the first time. They will inevitably give up and never try again, because that is exactly what I would do had I not received hands on teaching. I have tinked (frogged for us crocheters, tink is knit spelled backwards and means the same thing) the yarn and rewound it to use at a later day in either a crochet project or once I learn the nuaunces of knitting with one ply. Now I am off to try the scarf with a skein of Bernat Alpaca. I'll take a picture if I make it throught. Wish me luck.

Oh and for any of you crocheters who want to give knitting a try, the difficult kit is by Astor Tsang and is called Introduction to Knitting ~ A Simple-to-Use Guide to Creating Hip Knits. I recommend the book for the cute patterns and the yarn is actually quite nice, but be warned, don't combine the yarn with the knit instructions or tears and cursing will ensue.