Another Finished Piece!

I know...I know...it's been like, forever...OK maybe a week or so...but still...yeah I HAVE been busy...working on the baby blanket that is NOW FINISHED!!

*the crowd cheers*

I bet you want to see it, right?

*more cheering and "yes, yes!" heard from all sides*

OK, here we go!

 

TA-DA!! Me, personally? I think it's one of my best works so far.  I love the colors. I love the waves, even though I don't think the original pattern intended it, the way I made it, that's how it came out.  and I LOVE it!

I showed my cousin the outcome and she was so happy with it.  I am so glad!  I can't wait to put her box together.  Only one more thing, and it will take a few days, and is a surprise.  So I won't post pictures until I know she's gotten the package once I send it out.

OTHER NEWS:

FGG - For the past 2 years, in the Spring, I have attended a Pagan festival here in Northern Virginia.  It's called Fertile Ground Gathering, and it's a fantastic experience.  I have been staff since I started attending, and will be again this year, my third year.  Not only will I be working in the Children's Tent, but this year, I am taking another bold step:  teaching crochet.  Well, I'm going to try.  I am in the middle of writing up a proposal to teach a "weaving with intent" class.  I hope it is accepted and I can do it, because it would be great to share my skill and love of this craft with others who want to learn!  Keep your fingers crossed!

Craft Exchange -  Some Facebook friends and I are doing a craft exchange.  I've been trying to figure out what projects to do for those I am sending things to, and I think I know what to make.  Obviously it will be crocheted, but there are so many possibilities out there!  Thank the Gods for Pinterest!  It's been a good inspiration for me! :)

That's it for now, I think.  Battling a cold and this Polar Vortex that has cancelled school all this week so far.  Crocheting and the internet are keeping me sane, along with lots of tea!

I'll post again soon.

Happy Weaving!

~Moxie

 P.S.  If you are interested in the pattern for the baby blanket, I got it HERE but I would like to add that I used  a size I (5.5 mm) hook to achieve the gauge of the squares called for in the pattern.  I'm not sure where they came up with G (4 mm) for that, but no way was a G ever going to make that unless extra rows were added...anyway, pattern linked if you want to give it a go!  ~M

Neat Graphic

Something I found on Facebook...I thought it was a kinda cool little teaser graphic...

As Time Goes By...

It's been a productive week.  I am now officially over 50% done with the baby blanket.  I expect to begin putting it together by the end of the week, possibly sooner than that.

Oooh, look at all the pink!

Since I've devoted most of my spare time into this blanket, I've decided to put everything else I'd been working on on hold until it is completed. What can I say?  I really am excited about this, my first baby blanket.

The sad thing is, I will lay in bed and think about when I get to the construction part, and which way I am going to join the squares.  Odd I know, but I am just that dang excited.  I never claimed to be normal.  Normal is boring.

Alright, enough from me about what I'm going to do, time to do it!

Happy Weaving!

~Moxie

Updates on Projects and Life

So it's been quiet here, I know.  That's because in addition to crocheting, I've also been working on The Great Purge with the family, and doing things with family and friends.  But I've always brought my crochet bag  whenever possible!

The baby blanket is making headway. I've got 5 squares of the first color I am working on - yay!

But I thought I would share the picture of the hat I finished the other day. it's so freakin' adorable, how can I not?

TA-DA!  Adorable, right?  Not the first hat I've ever made, but the first of this kind.  I got the pattern HERE, and let me tell you, it was super easy!  I can't wait to see the pictures planned with the little girl who will be getting it!

I also decided, that in addition to the blanket, hats and booties, I am going to do a special gift for her.  But I definitely can't give it away until it's done and delivered, because I want my husband's cousin to be surprised too!  Needless to say, I was majorly surprised when my husband started giving his opinion while I was searching for a pattern.  But I am pleased to know he wanted to contribute to the cause in some way.  What a guy!  Somedays, I tell ya, I'm not sure how I managed to get such a  good man.

Now, I am sure you have been wondering about that Mystery Project I started that I had written the pattern to.  Unfortunately, Attempt 2 was very much like Attempt 1 - floppy and needed a glue wash.  It came out OK, but I had gone and ordered a different kind of material to do a third attempt with as I worked on Attempt 2.  It's thicker, stiffer, and I can only do a little at a time before my hands and wrists start hurting...so alas, you all will have to wait for pictures a little bit longer.  And the pattern too, because I have to write it down for the modified "yarn" I am using.

So, that's it for me.  Hope you all are keeping warm during the "Polar Vortex"!  I know I am, thanks to flannel sheets and the husband!

Happy Weaving!

~Moxie

Progress and Non-Progress in the New Year

It's 2014, and I've already completed one project! YAY!

Last night I finished a request hat for the cousin's baby.  And I started on the blanket.  I love the way the hat came out, so freaking adorable!

The blanket, however, has been a bit of a pill.  The pattern I found calls for  G (4 mm) hook.  Ok, fair
enough, that I can do.  I made a mistake and had to pull it out and start again, no big dea, it happens...luckily I was only in the 3rd round. So I make the first square nice and perfect, and measure for gauge. It's off by two inches!  Bugger.  I take it all out and start over with an H (5 mm) hook and redo....nope, still not big enough!

Now imagine me using all sorts of fantastically British cuss words as I unravel a third time. Then I start off with an I (5.5 mm) hook.  Still. Not. Big. Enough.  So I said screw it, added another row, and voila;  Finally the right gauge!  In the time I had redone ONE square, I could have had nearly 1/4 of the required squares in that color done.  Frustrations abound...

But today is a snow day here in Northern Virginia, so I am content to sit in my warm apartment, curled up in a Snuggie on my couch and crochet the day away....And hopefully I will actually get more than one square done today!

Well, I'm off to my hook and yarn and a movie.  If you are anywhere that ot hit with snow, stay warm and have a good one.

Happy Weaving!

~Moxie

Pattern Links Per Request - Booties and Hat

I recieved some Facebook comments and emails asking for the patterns for my hat and booties.

The booties can be found here:  Posh Crochet Baby Booties. There is also video tutorial for this on the page!  That made it very helpful for me, since I am a visual learner. The booties took about 1/2 hour each to complete before I did the flowers.

The hat pattern is here: Free Baby Hat and Booties. It's fairly simple and took me about an hour to finish before adding the flowers.

The flower accents for the hat and booties are here:  Crochet Flowers. I used the pattern entitled "Easy Crochet flowers Pattern" - the picture has the two flowers on top connected with a button.  For the booties I simply made two of the smaller flowers from this pattern and attached them to the booties.

I've started working on the requested hat for my cousin's baby and should finish today.  Then I will start on the blanket. YAY!

Random cool thing that happened:  going to the craft store on Tuesday, I discovered the brand of yarn I needed for the blanket was on sale!  And I had a coupon for 50% off one item, so I ended up spending less than I anticipated on these two next projects.  That made me pretty psyched.  I love it when things you need are on sale and you don't realize it til you are at the register!

Happy Weaving!

~Moxie