Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bags, Vests, and Curly Q

Well, hello, beautiful people!  How busy are you now that it's officially the Christmas holiday season?  Are you crafting away like I am?  I have had less time due to work, but I have managed to start a few WIP's and finish none.  Oops!  Big oops!  I have an afghan that I took over work on from a fellow crafter that is unable to do so.  I am really hoping to send it back before Christmas.  There are the items for the two swaps that I'm participating in.  Paula, my former swap partner from Down Under, and I have begun a purse/bag CAL.  We have survived two Saturdays (her Sunday), and we've achieved some progress!  I am making Kim Guzman's Crescent Bag and even have the magnetic clasps and lining picked out for it.  I may use a handle I purchased instead of crocheting it.  I haven't decided yet.  

Here's a picture of what I have completed so far:




Remember that granny square bag that I made out of the squares from the Round Robin?  I finally lined it.  The fabric was too short to line the bag all the way to the top.  Instead of stitching it where it ended, I added the peaks with crocheted sections.  Otherwise, the stitching would have shown through the squares' designs.  I think it looks great.  It now holds the almost-finished projects that are missing a booty here, woven ends there... they're not exactly WIP's, but they're not FO's either.  


Here is a picture of the lining:






I have a few other baby sets I've made.  The patterns are not public yet.  I'll post pictures when they are.  I wish I could show you the other things I'm working on, but I don't want to risk my current swap partners reading about it and seeing the pictures.  I doubt that will happen, lol, but it's better to be safe than sorry.


Have you heard or seen Red Heart's new Curly Q yarn?  It is fabulous!  There's a learning curve because it is stretchy and you have to make sure you don't crochet or knit while you're pulling on it.  You have to keep the yarn relaxed.  I found it at Hobby Lobby yesterday, all the way at the bottom of an aisle.  I had missed it on two trips down that aisle while looking for it.  I chose the Allspice colorway.  It's gorgeous, and the yarn is bulky, stretchy, soft, and just yummy! I chose to make the Drop Stitch Scarf on RH's web site.  I know that the name of it is actually Drop Stitch Tassel Scarf, but I don't like all the tassels.  I'll add them only at the short ends.


Here's a picture of the first few rows:














It doesn't look like much, but the flash distorted the colors.  It's dark outside or I'd use natural lighting instead.  Red Heart has a video on youtube with tips for using the yarn.  Watch it and see if it's something you'd like to try [disclaimer:  I am not being paid by anyone for any endorsement whatsoever].  It works up very quickly too.


It doesn't seem like much, but that's what I have been up to lately.  Have you ever seen the Soccasins by Megan Mills?  I made them maybe two years ago.  Or was it one?  I can't remember.  No, it was two years ago.  Last year, Ms. Mills gave me permission to make a video tutorial.  A few people had contacted me with questions when they saw pictures I had posted of the ones I made.  At that time, it seemed those were the questions asked most when I was contacted for help.  Immediately after getting permission, my aunt was killed.  Needless to say, I was not in a tutorial frame of mind.  I am planning to make another pair; so I'll videotape my progress and then edit it to show how to make the soccasins.  It will be anywhere between January and February.


Oh!  Today I scored a free little organizer.  No pictures because it's going to be part of a swap, but it was nice to get something free!  I went to the Yarn Garden in Whittier, CA after my job today almost across the street from there.  I promised my oldest niece that I'd make her the Heather Hoodie Vest.  I have had the pattern for a while.  Today I went for the yarn.  It was not on special, but a few other things I purchased were either BOGO free or BOGO 50% off.  That organizer was a total surprise.  Apparently a customer took them in and left them for whomever wanted them.  How nice is that?!  Yep, yet another project to add to the queue.  I'm really expanding my knitting repertoire.  I'll finally be working with cables.  Let's hope I don't pull my hair out!


So that's all, folks!  If I try, I know I'll remember some other projects I'm working on, but then I'll never make it to the grocery store.  Have a wonderful week :)