Lining and Cheating

Hey y'all! Perhaps one day I will blog about this week's adventures and tell you how much fun it isn't to have a mile-wide tornado headed straight for your neighborhood, but not today.

I won't have time to offer you a proper blog post, so instead I will round out the Windmill Bag series with a link to a fabulous tutorial I found for making a lining for your bag. I plan to use this one myself if I can find just the right fabric. (Call THAT a great excuse to visit my favorite Wal-Mart on the other side of town.*)

I can't tell you how deeply I've fallen in love with this bag. My version, the original that inspired it, and all the many incarnations shown in the project pages on Ravelry. (Confession: sometimes I visit the project page of that one just to ogle the various ideas Ravelers have come up with.)

I guarantee, if you are a Handbag Queen, like I am, you will be making more than one whether it's mine, or a version of the original, or a concoction of your own.

So, here's that link and a sneak peek (check out the pic below) at what you might see when I release this series in the Kindle store!

Fun right? The yarn is Lily Peaches and Cream in Hot Blue and Hot Pink.

*Oklahoma City is such a huge land mass (according to the 2010 census, OKC covers 606.41 square miles) that there are at least ten Wal-Mart locations inside the city limits.

Happy Crocheting!

More Things I LOVE (the knit addendum)

We went through my top crochet items a couple of weeks ago. Most of those can be placed on my favorite knit items list as well. However, I must add a few things for that list to properly reflect both of my needlework passions. So here they are:

1.  My bamboo needles -- Yes, I could go on ad nauseum about how much I adore my bamboo needles. One major reason I like them so much is that I generally work on scarves because I'm still a newbie knitter. My bamboo set is 8" long which is the perfect length for scarves and the perfect length for my arms. I find 10" to be a bit less comfortable and 14" to be difficult to manage while lazing on the couch.

2.  My Boye/Simplicity accessories kit -- I picked up this kit for cheap at Michael's and it's been a sanity saver. It contains almost everything I need including a pouch that's big enough that I could add the accessories I already owned. Now everything is in one place and I'm less likely to lose my stuff.
Added 3/20/12:  I've gotten this question a couple of times now, so I thought I'd add the answer. What's in the kit and what did I add? Well, the pic shows everything in the kit, but I'll list them. You get locking stitch markers in two colors, a 60" tape measure, 2 pairs of point protectors (1 large, 1 small), 2 plastic darning needles, a small stitch counter, a stitch holder (which doubles as a shawl pin in a pinch), and a 3 in 1 tool that acts as a knit and needle gauge and converts for yardage. I added more point protectors, a couple more row counters (one that works on circulars and larger needles), and a cable needle.

3.  Knittinghelp.com's knitting abbreviations glossary -- Since I am a completely self-taught knitter with no IRL knitter friends, I continuously rely on this site for instruction and help. Their glossary features links to videos so I can learn techniques without searching all over youtube (which is wonderful, but not as good). AND I'm a Continental knitter, not an English knitter, so double their goodness because knittinghelp.com features virtually all of their videos in both methods.

4.  HULU -- I don't watch much TV. Pretty much whatever television programming I watch is on hulu.com and lately I'm kind of hooked on Grimm and Once upon a Time. I don't really watch when I'm crocheting because I'm usually also designing and need to pay close attention, take notes, etc. When I knit, I knit for me, and most of that involves following a repetitive pattern, so I can zone out, knit, and watch.

5.  Ravelry -- I know I've already mentioned them in this series, but this site has been instrumental in encouraging my knitterly tendencies. Because I can search patterns so many different ways and store them all in my favorites list, I'm never at a loss for that next project. It's as close as my laptop. Whether I want to learn a new technique, find a simple rectangle to keep my hands busy while I watch HULU, or just browse and fantasize that my knit abilities are further developed than they really are, I can do it on Ravelry. And I'll say it again:  The BEST thing about Ravelry is that they're based in the Boston area. Wicked Pissah.

There you have it! Five more things (okay 4 more, but who's counting?) to add to that favorites list. Is there anything I'm missing? Feel free to post in the comments.

Happy Knitting!

Ten Things I Love (crochet edition)

I thought I'd throw you all a curve this week and share some favorite things, partly because I was at a loss for a post subject, but mostly because I love them so much, so here you go. . .

Textured Stripes Dishcloth pattern by Kiel Lemon
free pattern found via Crochet Pattern Central
view my finished project on Ravelry
features reverse single crochet border
stitched with my Susan Bates Silvalume aluminum crochet hooks
photographed with my Canon Power Shot digital camera

1.   Susan Bates Silvalume aluminum crochet hooks
I posted recently about my search for the best knitting needles, but really didn't talk about crochet hooks except to tell you all that I like my bamboo needles so much that I bought a set of Tunisian bamboo hooks. I use the same hooks (not the actual same, the same model/brand) that my mother used when she taught me to crochet. I got very used to them. Mom can use pretty much any brand, but I'm such a creature of habit that I end up giving away just about any other hook I buy.

2.  Reverse single crochet
This really has become a favorite stitch of mine. I find it to be a soft, somewhat feminine but not too girly, way to edge my creations. I like it so much that my next big collection may feature rsc as the border. (I tease, but you love it.) For instructions, take a look at this youtube video:  RSC/aka Crab Stitch. Now, the video indicates that you should go up a hook size when you work the rsc. However, I find I need to go down at least one size, often two, because my stitches tend to be very tight except when I work the rsc. The best advice I can offer is that you practice on a swatch or dishcloth before you tackle a larger project.

3.  Ziploc Easy Zipper plastic storage bags
Granted, the zippers don't last as long on these bags as I wish they would, but they're a great way to store tools and projects. Plus, they're quicker and easier to close than regular zip top bags.

4.  Ravelry
When I tell people this, I sometimes get "Rav-a-who?" and a blank stare. If you crochet, or knit, or even spin, and you don't use ravelry.com, you are soooo missing out! I post my yarn stash, my hook and needle collection, my projects, and even sell every one of my patterns from there. Okay, one qualification: some of my patterns for sale can't be purchased directly from Ravelry due to contractual obligations, but they're still listed there for my customers to find. Plus, I find it's the best site on the web for finding patterns, both knit and crochet. And there's so much more to the site that I don't even use. Oh, and always a huge bonus in my eyes:  Ravelry is based in the Boston area. Chalk one up for the home team!

5.  Google Chalkboard Counter gadget
I heart gadgets. I also keep all of my patterns saved on my computer, so this app is right up my alley. It sits in my Google sidebar, right under my news feed, takes up little space, and it's always there when I need it. I use it as a row counter, sometimes as a stitch counter, and it interferes with nothing. If you've never seen it, it resembles a tiny chalkboard. All you have to do is click on it and it adds a hash mark. If you right click, it removes a hash mark.

6.  Crochet Pattern Central
My regular readers already know this, but Rachel over at Crochet Pattern Central is one of my favorite human beings. I owe about 100,000 page views to her. Most people who have found my blog have done so via her site. It's definitely the best resource I know for finding free crochet patterns. There's also Knitting Pattern Central, the sister site, which I fear because my pattern collection is embarrassingly large at this point. Plus, in writing this article, I just discovered there's also Tatting Pattern Central and Embroidery Pattern Central.

7.  Michael's Loops and Threads Cotton Club yarn
Maybe not the best yarn for scrubbies and washcloths because it's so soft, but boy is it soooooft. This yarn is a great basic worsted and an absolute pleasure to work with. The first time I used it, I couldn't stop touching it to my cheek. It would be great for baby blankets because of its cuddly softness. Did I mention it's soft?

8.  My Canon Power Shot digital camera
If not for my digital camera I wouldn't be able to photograph all of my gorgeous creations and share them here with you. It's crazy easy to use, offers great resolution, and it was relatively inexpensive. It's a great camera for snapshots and for those of us who don't really need more professional gear. Every photo in my upcoming book was shot using that camera.

9.  Vistaprint
Vistaprint.com is hands down my favorite place for professional looking business cards and other promotional materials. Sign up for their newsletter and see regular promotional emails for all sorts of free products and discounts. Oh yeah, and they are also based in the Boston area, so there's that.

10.   My Dell Inspiron laptop
Poor Pinkie. She's served me so well. She's taken a beating over the past few years that she's been with me, but she perseveres. This baby wasn't built for speed or power, she was built for convenience and specifically for crafting. I just hope she'll do me the honor of lasting another year.

Maybe next week, I'll do a knit version, or a knit addendum. Come back and see.

Happy Crocheting!

Tweet Me a Yarn

100 grammi pattern by Cristiana

It's your project. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how you want it to look. You choose the project. You choose the yarn. You choose needle or hook size. And together, the combination produces a finished product unique to you. But sometimes we need a bit of guidance to nudge us in one direction or another.

This is where I find Twitter so useful. "Huh?" I hear you thinking, "How is Twitter going to help you choose a project?" I doesn't HAVE to be Twitter. That just happens to be my social networking medium of choice. You see, I've got some great pals (tweeps) who help me make these decisions. Even if I don't take their advice about yarn choices for certain patterns, their opinions help me to refine my own idea of how I want a finished object to look.

Here's what happened: Not so long ago I stocked up on yarn including a few styles just for me. Most of what I buy is just worsted weight cotton that I use for pattern writing/samples, but I splurged just a little this time. One of the yarns I bought is Dazzling Diamonds by Elmore Pisgah, the original makers of Peaches & Creme. It is absolutely beautiful, but I had no idea what I'd use it for. I knew it wouldn't be crochet since these hands can't handle crocheting with such fine yarns, but exactly what did I want to knit? That's where Twitter came in. Last night I finished my latest knitting project (check it out) and I've been really wanting to find something for the Dazzling Diamonds. About the same time, my pal Melissa was playing online and tweeting and emailing her discoveries to me. Now Melissa doesn't knit, but she knows I do and she sent me a gorgeous shawl pattern which got my wheels turning. I sent her a tweet asking her to keep her eyes open for anything that might do the Dazzling Diamonds justice. She suggested I hit Ravelry and search the projects made with the yarn. (Now why didn't I think of that?) Although the search didn't turn up anything useful, it did begin a conversation. Melissa and I went back and forth for a bit and I tweeted a couple of links to her. While she didn't actually make the choice for me, having her eyes helped me to further refine my own idea for what I wanted for the two projects I ultimately chose.

Here they are: Claire by Lynn Anne Banks in Dazzling Diamonds pale pink and Flit 'n Float by Birdy Evans in Honeysuckle cotton (fingering) baby blue

I realised through all of this how reliant I've become on social media because of my craft. You see, I have exactly ZERO local friends who are needlecrafters, so when it comes to bouncing ideas off of other knitters or crocheters, I automatically take to Twitter where I can contact a bunch at once. We share projects, ideas, yarn sites. We offer opinions, encouragement, instruction. But most of all, we're friends. I'd love to have them all right here in Boston with me, but that would mean I'd have to get out of my pajamas to see them. I guess I'll stick with Twitter until the next best thing comes along.

Talk to me. . . When you need input, where do you turn?