WOOHOO Hi Followers!

Thank you followers! What fun! Thanks for joining the ranks!

Buttons! and Giveaway coming

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Glenda found this awesome box of buttons! What fun! What fun shapes and colors! Everyone should have a button box, don't you think?

Thanks to all my "Followers" especially those who just became "Followers". Which reminds me of a book that Chickee used to love called, "Lucie Anna and the Finders". Anyway, Thank you! Please join us!

Also, A Giveaway is coming tomorrow!

Design Journey: CAL tote

Yep, it's me in my jammies. (Chickee snuck up on me with the camera).

I'm working on it! Hear me out... I'm making my prototype really big, (this is the base above 23" long) with a big hook in wool, because I'm going to felt it so that it won't show as many mistakes. Then, after I have used the felted prototype to help me work out the bugs, I'll remake the bag in another yarn (likely a cotton or cotton/acrylic blend like Lion Cotton-Ease) with a much smaller hook, to make a denser fabric, and hopefully the bag will still be bigger than a purse. This is my plan. Then, I will write the pattern and give the hooks needed to do either the felted version or the non-felted version. This way, I get my felting fix, I get to "practice" on a prototype before making the non-felted pattern that the majority of you would prefer.

On another note, Thank you to O Fil de lo for "tagging" my blog as one that she likes. I checked out her crochet blog and it is very elegant, go check her out at: O fil de lo

Also, become a GoCrochet Follower! On the right side of this blog page are my current "Followers" (Hi Followers!, I'm thrilled to see you here!). Click on "become a follower" to be a fan of the blog. Please make your following "Public" so I can see you!

Baby Blues Revealed

I don't think I ever did a sneak peek of this one? But it's revealed now. In the new issue of Crochet Today March/April 2009.

Blue Raglan Cardigan version

And here's a cardigan version of the same sweater. Chief took the photo!

Weekend Pullover Revealed

The Weekend Pullover, now in the new issue of Crochet Today magazine (Mar/Apr 2009).
And this was the sneak peek....
And here's the finished green one for the magazine...
And the red one for me! I also made this in a cardigan, I'll show you tomorrow!

Making Valentines

Grandma Glenda and Grandpa Dave came over for the day. Grandma Glenda is the expert greeting card maker and agreed to help Chickee and Chief make handmade Valentines. It was fun! Thank you Grandma Glenda!

Hey all! Please take the survey in yesterday's post. Tomorrow might be a reveal....

Please help indie designers

Please Help Indie Designers: Survey

Click
Here to take survey
When you have a moment, please add your comments to a survey created by Mary Beth Temple. It's short--it took me 2 or 3 minutes--and at the end you can also enter her contest on her next Getting Loopy podcast. The lucky winner receives a cone of the new LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel yarn in a pretty color.

Thank you! And now, back to my task at hand: rounding up years of my WIP's, PIG's, and FO's* to photograph and post on Ravelry. (Or, frog and recycle.)

*WIP (work in progress), PIG (project in grocery bag), FO (finished object), frog (to "rip-it" out).

PS, I stole this post from Vashti, please go visit her here

Design Journey: Chickee's Dress

The front is plain, and the buttons will go in the back. I made the front first (photo above). On the Wrong Side of the Front, I planned out where the buttons should space out so that when I crochet the two backs, I'll know which rows to put the buttons and buttonholes. I marked the spots with the stitch markers, and moved them up and down a few times until I got them spaced the way I wanted. Then I wrote the pattern, and made the two backs, and sewed on the buttons.
...making progress!

Last year's snow creature...

Here's Alvin from Alvin and the chimpmunks, snow creature 2008.

Snow Creature 2009

As you may or may not know, every year Captain sculpts for the kids a snow creature. Last year was Alvin and the Chimpmunks, the year before that was a dragon... This year was a puppy modeled after Chickee's Gold Retriever Webkin. Anyway, the sculpting was complicated by the bright warm sun yesterday melting the sculpture as they were making it. Also, Chief wanted his Webkin Manatee modeled in snow, so Captain did that too.

I might get to a crochet post later today, we'll see. :) I made good progress on Chickee's Dress this week.

Design Journey: CAL purse

I've been observing shapes of bags lately. I started some sketching with some goals. On my sketch, I have notes: What kind of base do I want? What shape base? How do I introduce color and texture? Overlays? What do I want the tote to hold? A project? is it to be a day-trip bag? I'd like to do some color work. Should the colors reflect the season? I think I want to keep the handles option open. I can both design a crocheted handle and also place it so that I can purchase handles.

I need to work out closure ideas. It would be cool if I could work out some kind of magnet, strong magnets, long skinny bar magnets, that could go into that top band and hold shut. Does anyone know where I could get something like that? I guess I could do a zipper, but if it's a tote for yarn, I don't want yarn to get caught in a zipper... snaps? I like Snaps, but for a big bag, we would need a couple... flap and clasp? I've done that several times before... tie closure... done that, not sure I want to do it again on this project.... buttons? Hmm, it would have to be the right buttons. Toggle buttons? I'll have to keep thinking and thinking how it would go with the design.

Have you ever heard of Bag-e-bottoms? It's a store that makes these acrylic plates that go in the bottom of purses to help them stay flat. Do I want to design the base to fit one of these? Maybe the size "D" which is 5.5" x 11"?

Next step? Start stitching and see what I come up with. It will be interesting to see how much the finished product looks like the sketch and how much it has evolved.

This Knit Sweater

I would LOVE to make this sweater. Gorgeous. It's by Stefanie Japel, author of Fitted Knits. Oh, to find the time! (The irony is not lost on me, that if I spent less time on the computer, I might have more time to do some of the things I want to do!)

Design Journey: Chickee's Dress

I'm re-thinking the skirt design that I had swatched up for Chickee's First Communion Dress. I re-took her measurements to make sure that they hadn't changed dramatically from the first time I took them a couple of months ago.

I bought a full slip for her and she tried it on. I figure it is easier to find the slip and get the dress to fit over it, than to design a dress and try and find a slip (for a 7 yo, who will only wear it once) that will match this custom-made dress.

Even though I'm re-thinking the skirt, I want the bodice to be pretty plain, and I'm more nervous about getting the bodice right than the skirt, so I will start with the bodice in a plain stitch because the skirt will be more ornate. I'm thinking that the bodice will need buttons up the back, because it is cotton and will not likely stretch much for her to pull it over her head. Also, it will be fairly fitted, with not much ease, again, hard to pull it over the head. So, it will be like a cardigan only turned the other way so that it buttons up the back. It will be a front, and two backs. Also, it needs to be a fairly conservative neckline, again, the buttons will help. I already bought the buttons. I have six 1/2" buttons in white. While I would have preferred shank buttons so that I could crochet them in, I couldn't find white shank buttons, so these have 2 eye holes and I will likely sew them on with thread opposite the buttonholes and I won't have to worry so much about the design part making corresponding placement for the buttons opposite the holes.

I already did my math based on my swatch. Still, I'm going to make a paper pattern on graph paper, the exact finished size that I am trying for. This is so that I can double check that my gauge is matching the finished measurements, and if it's not, I can make the dress fit and then re-do the math later and change the gauge.

A sketch for the Design Journey: CAL Purse is coming on 1/31. check back and see!

Snow Ice Cream

Clean snow, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and cocoa to make it chocolate. Yum.

Ann Scarf

I just finished this scarf for my Mother in Law. (Sorry it's late, Mom). Anyway, it will be waiting for her when she gets off the plane from Florida returning to this cold, snowy weather. Two more gifts on my to-do Gift list. Two hats for dear friends. Hopefully I will get to them before next winter.... I'm trying!

Breaking News.... It's Snowing!

The weather forecasters around here are so crazy about snow, they just turn everything into an emergency, making people rush to the grocery store for milk, eggs and salt. We, on the other hand, are just hanging out at home. The world can wait. Now, to get the brownies out of the oven and find that recipe for snow ice-cream.

To Do Lists

When I get flooded with ideas, I usually write to-do lists. This time, I'm going to do it a little different so that I don't overwhelm myself further and I put everything in perspective.

I'm breaking my list into:

Have-to-do (I'm already committed)
Want-to-do (this is the plan...)
It would be nice if I could-do (If I can find time, this is important to me)

Have To-Do:
Finish the projects I'm contracted to do.
Make Chickee's First Communion Dress
Do the CAL

Want To-Do: (This is not to say that I don't also want to do the have-to-do items. Have I confused you? LOL)
Make a booklet proposal
Design a sweater that's been rolling around in my head.
Design something to wear to TNNA in Columbus in June, or a few things to wear...

It Would be nice if I could-do:
Multiple design proposals ready for TNNA

Design something for a specific yarn company that I like.
Design something in knit and crochet together. (that would be FUN!)

There are many other ongoing goals, but for some reason, these have been bouncing around in my head so much that I felt if I wrote them down they would seem less daunting... and they do!

BY the Way! I want to start the CAL as soon as possible! As you know, I need to design it, and we need to conceptualize it more first. Then I need to write the pattern, and show you what it is and give you time to get the yarn ready. I'm hoping we will all start stitching by March 1. Stay posted!

Purse CAL and Design Journey

WooHoo! The first CAL is about to get underway! We have some planning to do!

Your comments are critical here!

This is where I start a design... brainstorming....

What kind of bag do we want? I tend to go more for the casual everyday bag rather than an evening purse or clutch. Does that mean I should try something different?

I love tote bags, but even more, I love bags that I can carry as a purse. Which are you interested in doing? If I made a tote bag... what would it's function be? to carry WIPs? To take to the library? To take to the pool?

I'm feeling somewhat inspired by COLOR right now. So, likely, I'll want to incorporate tapestry crochet or color work in some way.

We could either go with a structured (stiff) bag or a more slouchy bag. I love backpacks, but I don't know if I want to do a backpack this time...

I love felted bags, but I'm thinking that not all of you might like a felted bag. If I designed something that could be either felted or not, that might please more people.

How do you feel about straps/handles? I like something that I can throw over my shoulder, however, maybe something with a short handle would be a nice change. Also, I have on hand a leather shoulder purse strap that I bought at theLeisureboutique that it might be good to use... Oh! use the leather strap with a felted colorwork bag.... with pockets! It's gotta have pockets. If it's felted, then it will be more like something to carry in the fall and winter. Would I rather have something I can carry right away into Spring and Summer?

Everyone interested in the Purse CAL, please comment. Do not worry about hurting my feelings, because when it all comes down to it, I won't be able to please everyone and I'll likely have to go with what inspires me.

Steaming Linen

Here's me steaming some linen. This one happens to be Louet Euroflax, Wetspun Linen. I find linen to be very... "crunchy". I opened the hank, left them tied, then hovered the steam iron over them, spreading the fibers out as much as possible. This gets a little bit of the "crunch" out of the yarn so that it is more pleasant to work with. After this, I put it on the swift, untied it, and wound it into usable balls. I made my two swatches, measured them, steamed them and noted the different in sizes, the difference in how they feel. Then I actually ironed one of them to see if I could and if it made any difference. I think the ironed one is noticeably softer.