October 12, 2012 is I Love Yarn Day

I Love Yarn Day!

(Sorry I can't get this any larger.  Click on it to enlarge).

And I do!

Autumn Red Soft Scarf & Hat

Otter found some yarn when we were shopping one day, and it's not a color I ever thought she would have any interest in.

It's red.

Redheads don't generally wear red, but this is a rust shade or red.  It's actually called Autmn Red and it is very pretty.

Otter requested a scarf and hat made with it.  I used my standard scarf pattern, although this one is 6 rows instead of the usual 5 because the yarn gauge (size) is smaller)

It's sitting on top of my washing machine since I wanted a white background.

Here's a close-up of the stitches.  It looks orange, but it is actually a dark red.

The scarf is triple stitch on a row of foundation chain, three rows done on one side and then three more rows on the opposite side.  It's a very soft yarn and feels very silky.  The color is actually much closer to the first picture, which is a little dark but is better than the close-up picture as far as color goes.

Crocheted Double Hug Shawl

The name of the pattern is Double Hug.  It comes from the fact that the start is a square, commonly referred to as a granny square - foundation row of chain stitches then each additional row is double stitches in groups of three with 2 chain stitches between each group, but after about 10 rows it's folded into a triangle - one corner to another corner.  Which took me a while to figure out for some reason, I kept trying to fold it into a square.

I eventually got it right, then the rest of it is a series of double crochet stitches in groups of 3 with 2 chain stitches between each group.  This is done only on the triangular sides - when it's folded properly, it looks like half of a triangle.  Each row is increased by two sets, which makes each row larger than the one previous.  The final row is a row of double stitches combined with single stitch, and it forms a ruffle edge.

The yarn I used is part of the yarn I purchased for the afghan which will eventually get finished - if we ever get an actual winter again, that is!  I realized that I bought twice the amount of yarn I needed for the afghan, but I knew I'd find a project for it.  It's a very soft yarn and was easy to work with.  I bought it in one-pound skeins, I don't normally like the big ones but it was the best choice since I wasn't sure when I started the afghan exactly how much I would need and it's always better to have too much than not enough.  It's not fun to run out of yarn shortly before the project is finished and then not be able to match it.  It took 14 oz. out of the 16 oz. skein.  It's a sort of seaform green color.  The pattern was actually for a much bigger shawl, but Virginia is not very tall.

This was a gift, my sister-from-another-mother Virginia's birthday is Friday.  I mailed it to her today, it should get there in time.  I used Otter for my stand-in, she's actually a little taller than Virginia but I needed to be able to try it on someone as I was working on.  Thanks, Otter!

This is the back.  The folded over part - the Double Hug - is visible at the top and looks slightly thicker.  It's called Double Hug because of the fold being thick and warm.

The front.  The ruffle row is visible.

I didn't measure it.  But here it is spread out on the floor.  Otter's feet are in the picture!

A close-up of the stitches and the ruffle row.

Yarn Bombing

Bartlesville is a town that is north of us, in fact it's almost on the Kansas border.  It's a nice place, we've been a few times and enjoyed it.

Today, they got bombed.  The fun kind:

Yarn Bombing!

I keep telling myself that I will get up the nerve to do this someday.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Bartlesville's experience was part of an annual event, so it was "sanctioned" although most yarn bombing is not.

It's still fun, though!

(It's both types of yarn addicts, knitters as well as crochet artists).

Otter's My Little Pony Refurbish Craft Project

I mentioned this on my main blog, but Otter loves to craft.  She's always working on something.  She didn't have a choice, seeing as she's the daughter of two crafters!  She's been working on My Little Pony refurbishment projects.  MLP's are very popular with as many adults as they are with kids, and guys and girls both like them.  Some of the refurbished ponies can sell for a lot, and some of them are real works of art.

Otter submitted one of hers to one of the MLP fan sites and they apparently liked it.  Because they featured it on their main page on Easter weekend.

Source # 4 Otter's Submission

(April 19:  Otter sold this one for $10.00!)

March is National Craft Month

So, what are you waiting for?  You have no excuses left - so GET CRAFTING!

Hippie Snake Crochet Scarf

Otter loves scarves, that is certainly no secret.  She also likes "different" animals, which is also no secret.  Let's just say that she's very much her mother's daughter in that respect!

Anyway.  I had some yarn left from a scarf/hat combo Otter gave to a friend for a birthday present and Otter really liked it.  It was sitting in the stash closet, awaiting an opportunity to be crocheted into something.  I found a really cute pattern for a snake scarf, and Otter (because she IS her mother's daughter!) immediately asked for one.  She originally wanted a Diamondback, but then she remembered the Red Heart Brand yarn known as "Bikini" and that's what she decided on.  The original pattern was for a green snake, which was cute, but let's face it - it was also boring!  So, Otter's got a new scarf and she decided that it's blog pattern name should be Hippie Snake.

So, here it is:

It's about 5" wide and 52" long.  It's all single stitch.  The head and tail ends are increase/decrease stitches and the tongue is a chain stitch.  Because every self-respecting snake has a tongue sticking out!

This is a closer picture of the head.  The tail is the same pattern, and I did offer to crochet a "rattle" for the snake but Otter decided against one.

Here's the eyes.  Because this was for Otter, they are what is known as "derpy."  :)  Also, because this is for Otter, there will be purple in there somewhere!  The centers are white.