Failure!

So...I have been working on a hat for 3 days. And...for some reason I didn't use the correct gauge hook and knitting needle...because for some reason I thought it wouldn't make a difference. Always follow hook size instructions! What was supposed to be a tam turned out like a beanie. I found the pattern online for free from The Strange Knitter. Great pattern, bad crocheter (me). Boooo!

It actually looks kind of cute...but the top is a bit tighter than the band...I don't know. Should I or should I not unravel it? It did take quite a while. I feel like I haven't been very productive in the past few days. I did, however, get around to dropping off the pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer at Bears Paw Fabrics up in Towson. It was neat checking out a new fabric store, but its main focus was quilting, which I know very little about. 

This hat is an addition to the long line of hats that I have attempted in an adult size that has failed. I think I will take  it out. Last thing I need is another hat that doesn't fit, and this color purple is too pretty to waste. I want to retry. I work in a deli where we wear baseball hats or hairnets. I think it would be cool if I could make my own hats for work this winter!

Pillowcases/Jayne Hat

Howdy! Are you excited to see how my pillowcases turned out? Pretty darn cute I think!

So the only thing left to do is to send them out! Either that, or I will bring them to a local fabric store that is listed on the website as a drop off location. That seems to be less direct than sending them to the coordinator, but it would be a good excuse to check out a fabric store I have never been to! As far as yarn projects, I finished an old project tonight I had set aside a few months ago. 

 This is actually knitted, not crocheted. It is a replica of the hat Jayne Cobb received from his mom on the TV show Firefly. This is my second attempt at this hat, my first was for my friend Cory, who is a fan of the show. This one is for me. I really wanted to finish it because this weekend is Baltimore Comic-con! I am not sure if I am going, but if I do, I want to wear my Jayne hat, just to see if anyone recognizes it. I was surprise, after getting so used to crocheting, knitting was HARD. I had to look up an instruction video just to remember how to make the basic stitches! Oh well, I'll get back to crocheting tomorrow. I have an idea for a new baby hat...

Craft Hope/Christmas Hat

This is something I have been wanting to do for a while. Craft Hope is an online organization that collects handmade goods for charity. Every few months they have a new project and this month is pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer. ConKerr Cancer is a volunteer group that makes fun, colorful pillowcases for sick children in the hospital. This is the first project I have tried with Craft hope and I am pretty excited!

These are the fabrics I picked out, enough for one boy pillowcase and one girl. I worked on this project a lot today, but I am not quite finished. I will have pictures of the finished products next post for sure. I am still getting moved into my new apartment, so I had to unpack my sewing machine and get my crafting area set up. 

Yes, that is an M&M alarm clock, which I found while unpacking! Hopefully it will help me keep track of the time when I am getting too involved in a project to remember to eat dinner! I also have a boom box, and had to check out the Baltimore radio stations today. After trying Christian Rock, Spanish music, and Heavy Metal, I found a Light Rock station, which was playing flashback to the 70's. I think I need to keep looking for the right station, but today it was the 70's. 

So Christmas is not for a while, and I am not one of those people who has their Christmas shopping done by September, but this is one idea I just had to try! Last year I spent WAY too much on gifts, and now with my new skills, I plan on making the gifts I give a little more personal, and a little more crocheted. I thought this design would be perfect for pictures of Bailey's first Christmas! Bear with me here, I am not a mom, nor do I have access to models or mannequins. I do, however, have my very own German collector doll, which I found at a thrift store. I call her Cordelia. She models my hats so that I have some idea if they would fit a child size head.

No, she does not have any clothes on. The dress that she came with is slightly horrendous and frilly. Perhaps that will be one of my future projects, a dress for Cordelia. Someday. Anyway, I think it turned out pretty great for my first attempt at a Santa hat! Maybe I will make one for me this year. Merry Christmas!

First Post!

Welcome to Kajsa's Crochet! I am a crafter living in Baltimore, MD. I focus mainly on sewing and crochet, but I tend to skip around. I love to make things that serve a purpose, and starting new projects that I have never tried before. This blog is about what I am currently working on, my life in Baltimore, and whatever else I am thinking about!

This is me in my new apartment. Just moved in this month and am loving the extra space to work on projects, and the bigger kitchen to bake things. I made my first banana bread  in years the other day, but I think my oven doesn't get hot enough. It took an hour and a half to get done...hm...maybe an oven thermometer would be a good investment.

I started crocheting when my sister, Joy, had her baby girl Bailey. She was looking at some crocheted hats on etsy, when my mom, Betty, said they looked like something I could do. I had never done ANY crocheting until about 6 months ago, but am so glad I did! I love the possibilities. Though I have been involved in crafts and art my whole life, I am still new at this. I have a lot more to learn, and I am excited to see what I can come up with. I should have a lot of projects coming up, especially with Christmas coming and a new nephew on the way!