I get Anxious

True story. 

About anything and (almost) everything. Crochet is one of the things I do to reduce the anxiety. The trouble with the blog though is if I don't have something to show off, I have no idea what to write about. Or if what I have in mind will be interesting. But then I go and look at my stats, and I'm re-encouraged by my steady stream (alright trickle) of readers. 

I don't have to worry about that today though! Because I have TWO finished projects to show you.

First is the afghan for my mom. For Christmas last year, I promised to make her an afghan, and let her help design it. Her birthday present this year (end of June) was the finished product. I spent about 3 months working on it (intermittently). It is super cozy, and made out of Charisma yarn by Loops & Threads. The stitch pattern is the Done in a Jiffy Blanket which I found on Ravelry. 

<sarcasm> Perfect for all this frosty weather we've been having! </sarcasm>

BIG blanket.

Close up.

My second project to show you is a golf club head cover I made for my dad's friend Ken. It's a canary!

The reason it's a canary, is that when Ken, my dad, and their friends play scrambles, Ken always shoots first so the rest of the team can use his shot to read the conditions. He's sort of their "canary in a coalmine". 

Next up on my to do list is a companion cube from Portal! I'm designing the pattern myself, as well as keeping track of it so I can put the pattern up on my Ravelry. I've got all the pieces figured out, I just need to finish making them all and piecing them together. It's going to be awesome though!

What are you working on this summer? 

Crochet for your Cat ~ That won't make him hate you.

We've all seen it, someone learns how to crochet clothing like items, and decides to take it out on their furry friend. There are pictures all over the internet of mad angry cats wearing sweaters, hoodies, and any number of hats. 

Way back in early 2012 I pointed out the oddity that yarn people are usually cat people. And this seems to be the natural progression for someone who loves to create with yarn, and loves their cat. BUT NOT TODAY. I'm here to tell you that you can create things your cat will LOVE, without putting him through public humiliation (or giving him a reason to hate you). 

First. Does your kitty wear a collar? (Like all good kitties should?)
Then you should spice up your kitty's style with a brand new Bowtie!!  It increases your cat's style points by 50 (because bowties are cool). It attatches directly to his existing collar which means it's not constricting any part of his body.

Gus Gus loves his!

Doesn't He look Dapper?

Second. Does your kitty like to get into your yarn stash? Does he have a favorite type of yarn? Why not grab some of that and make him something that's okay to play with! I'm talking about this adorable Mouse Toy. I realise that this isn't something your cat can wear, but it is a constructive way for you to release your creative yarn energy into love for your cat. This is also a great pattern if you want to try out a super easy amigurumi project. 

It's even kitty approved!

I haven't even gotten to the best part yet! If you purchace both these patterns together in my Ravelry store before May 1, you'll recieve an automatic $2 off!

Monkey Business

Hello again!

It's been a couple weeks since I've talked to you! Last week was Spring Break here, so I was spending some time with my Mister. He introduced me to Minecraft, so I have to admit I've been a bit distracted. Maybe I'll turn that into something constructive and come up with a few Minecrafty projects in the future. Hmmmm....we'll see. 

I didn't spend all my time playing though! This past weekend I buckled down and finished my latest project, and here he is!

You can find the pattern here!

I've made a couple other monkeys in the past few years, but I like this one best. I tweaked how I attach the arms and legs a bit, and I really like how it came out. It's crazy how much you can learn about crochet just by keeping a variety of projects on your to-do list. And I have to say, making things up as I go along is the most fun. I love the challenge of figuring out what shapes and sizes I need to use to get it exactly how I want, as well as the freedom to do it! 

If you like the Mischievous Monkey, you can buy the pattern on Ravelry, and don't forget to check out my other patterns too!

If you want to know what I'm up to between blog posts, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram. 

Are there any amigurumi animals you'd like me to write a pattern for? I've got a couple ideas, but I'd love to hear from you! Just let me know in the comments or on Twitter.

My New Model

As fun as designing patterns is, when it comes to hats and other clothing that isn't one size fits all, it's also stressful. I'm not great spatially, so if I don't have the person I'm making something for right next to me as I'm crocheting....there's a good chance it won't always fit. 

Then, no matter what size I've made, there's the fact that not everyone who reads my pattern is going to be the same size. But I don't really know what size I've made, and trying to figure out how to "adjust" patterns to fit others is overwhelming. 

Yes, I realize most patterns are not going to have sizes for absolutely everyone, but I'm a bit OCD, and if I'm going to consciously try and include people of more than one size, I'm going to feel bad about not making it do-able for everyone. Even if this is completely outrageous expectation.

So! In order to fight the OCD anxiety of making something that will fit everyone, I had the genius idea of switching my model to someone that is always available for fittings, as well as the same size as many crochet-wearers across the world. 

Her name is Addy, and she is my American Girl doll. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. First, I made her a matching hat & scarf. (If you're interested, the pattern is available here.) I also just finished an afghan for her bed.

Hat & Scarf

All ready for bed.

Zzzzz....

Not So Ugly Duckling ~ Free Pattern

Download Free Pattern Here!

For anyone who wants to try their hand at amigurumi this little duckling is for you! He's small and completely adorable.

This is the first amigurumi pattern I've written so I'd love to hear from anyone who uses it, or even see pictures of your little ducklings! If you're having trouble, keep in mind that it's all in the details. Amigurumi is an art, and no two pieces are going to be exactly the same. Where and how you stitch pieces together can change the entire personality of the piece. 

Look at that little tail! It's my favorite part.

Little ducky feet, and also the tail again!

This is the last in my series of my free patterns, but that means I can put even more detail and time into my future work. I've got a few ideas for future projects, but are there any patterns you'd like me to try? I'm always open to suggestions! (Bonus! If I decide to sell a pattern from your suggestion, you can have it for free!)

For the Beginners

This is for all those beginner crochet artists out there!
I've got two (that's right, TWO) free patterns for you today. They're both super easy, and don't require anything more difficult than a dc stitch. The best part? These are awesome projects that look and work great (without making you look like a noob). 

The first pattern is one you may recognize if you've read my old posts from 2012. It first appeared last January in Baby it's Cold Outside. Here is an example and a close up of the stitch.

Example from 2012

Close up of Kelsey's Shell Scarf

It's mainly just a super simple shell stitch, but if you need help starting & finishing for a scarf you can just check out my Shell Scarf pattern! My biggest tip for anyone doing a project with shells is to always end with a half shell. If you do it this way, every row will be exactly the same (instead of having to go back and forth between two kinds of rows), AND all your turns will only be ch 1 which (in my opinion) makes the sides of the scarf look a lot better. 

The second pattern I have for you today is a dish cloth, and it's not just any dishcloth, it's an Epic Dishcloth. 

Epic Dishcloth (Folded)

I call it epic because it has a great texture for hand washing dishes and it's also easy to make. It's the perfect combination, don't you think? The best yarn to use for dishcloths is definitely Sugar'n Cream. If you choose not to use it, just make sure your yarn is 100% cotton. Why? Cotton absorbs up to 27 times it's weight in water. If you need an idea for what to do with the rest of your cotton yarn, I highly recommend one of these lovely scrubbies!

Happy Hooking!