Hat for Roz

Good evening everyone!  Watching Seinfeld tonight, which would be nice if the heater weren't so loud that I can't hear it really. Sometimes I try to crank up the volume so I can hear the TV over the heater, but that just results in headaches-ville. Don't really want to turn off the heat either, it sure is chilly tonight. Here is my most resent achievement in crochet: 

I made this for Roz, my friend from work, for her grandson. I think I am doing better with the masculine hats, you kinda have to change gears when you are used to making girly things. But I can really see the improvement from what I used to make. I started the Scott Pilgrim hat last week. Right now I am making a sort of mock up "first draft" version of the hat using regular acrylic yarn: Caron Simply Soft. I bought the pattern from Lulu Bee, but it is a knitting pattern and I am not so good at that, so I want to have a trial run. The pattern calls for Diamond Yarn Luxury Collection Fine Merino Superwash DK in Middle Brown and Blue Grey. This yarn is nearly impossible to find online. When I finally did find it, the seller didn't ship to the United States. Another site only sold the brown and not the blue. Unless I take a road trip to Canada, I really don't think I'm getting this yarn. Poor business strategy if you ask me. So I went even FARTHER and ordered a similar yarn from the UK, Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK in the colors Clipper and Fruitcake. It was actually kind of cool receiving a package with Royal Mail postage on it and a customs declaration. Yes, I am easily thrilled. I should order from overseas more often. I was really worried about the color difference, but I really think after looking at the yarn that it will work out alright. If you check out the link on Diamond yarn you can compare for yourself. 

My fancy European yarn. In two different poses...just in case you didn't quite get the full effect from the first one. Now I am just afraid of using it and messing it up. 

Hats for Twins

This week I finished a couple hats for a friend with 2 year old twin girls. I used a different brand of yarn than I usually do, Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand, which is a little thicker than my usual Caron's Simply Soft. Really the only reason for the switch is that I needed to find a really great burgundy. I personally think burgundy and pink look really cute together, although I have heard some objections. What do you think?

Usually I use a five petal flower with a yellow center, but this time went for something different: the Irish Rose, a pattern I got from Lion Brand Yarn. The Irish Rose was actually supposed to be one round bigger, but due to the thickness of the yarn and gauge, the flower was getting huge, so I stopped short. As for all hats for babies/kids, I just hope, hope, hope they fit. I threw in a hat for her older daughter too:

I have been watching the Scott Pilgrim movie this evening. I love it. I got it from Netflix and am kinda thinking about not returning...for a while at least. There is a hat Scott wears towards the beginning of the film, when he is picking up Knives Chau from school. I am thinking this will be an upcoming project; the original maker of the hat sells the pattern online. I sure hope Jo-Ann's has a similar yarn to what the pattern specifies. I am not too interested in special ordering expensive yarn from Canada.

Yay New Year!

So Christmas is over and my so is my crocheting/crafting marathon. I wouldn't say the whole thing was a total failure, but pretty close. The presents that I made weren't done in time for Christmas, but the people who I decided to buy presents for (due to time shortage) did get their presents on time. Thank you, online shopping! So about a week ago I finally made it to the post office and sent out the finished projects. I kind of hate the feeling of going to the post office now though. I go in there with these things that I care so much about and worked so hard on and leave empty handed. I know they should be getting where they are going, its just psychologically weird, paying someone to take your stuff. Anyway, here are a few things I whipped up for presents:

This is a bunny I crocheted for my niece, Alisen. I got the pattern from Lion Brand Yarn, and it is called Best Bunny. This is the first toy I've crocheted, if you don't count the D20 I made, which I don't really. D&D players are so serious about the game I think they would be insulted a bit if I said they are playing with toys. Speaking of a D20...

I made another D20 for my brother, who is also a player of the game. Tried a different color than Cory's. I actually liked the way this one turned out better than the first, I think I crochet it a little tighter. These two got sent, plus the blanket for Greyson, and for Selina I made a blue version of the purple hat I had made Myc'keeta. I also sent out some homemade place mats for my mom and a black knitted scarf for my dad, both of which I forgot to take pictures of. Oops. Now that Christmas presents are over and done, I can get to work on some custom orders for hats. I had been asked by a few people for specific things way back in November, but haven't had a chance to work on them with my own projects in the works!