Give Away

It is time for another give away game! Do you remember this little sweater I crocheted for my little man?

The pattern is ready and needs a name. And guess what I need your help again! So leave a comment between now and Thursday May 16th, 10 pm eastern standard time, and with the help of a random number generator, I will pick a lucky winner. The winner will receive enough yarn and of course the pattern to crochet the sweater.
I can hardly wait to read your suggestions!

Rug Hooking

Did I ever mention that I loved to hook rugs? This is a craft I have practiced on and off over the years. once again, I have reconnected with it.

I started this project about a year ago. I created the theme for the design, dyed the woolens, cut them by hand, and started hooking. I put the project aside for no particular reason, but yesterday, brought it back up,and fell in love all over again.

In craft, I am  somewhat of a philanderer!

So here is a glimpse at my new found again love.

Once upon a time, there was one little hen roosting in a bleeding heart bush, and then a second one came... These were the thoughts that came to my mind this morning, as I was photographing of my rug in progress.

Last week, my first little hen sat there all lonely, but this weekend, a new little hen joined her. When I first started working on the second hen, I thought she would be a twin of the first one, but then, she, the little hen, took control. She decided she would be redder, and plumper, making her own unique contribution to this rug.

I think, this is one of the things I love so much about rug hooking. When you relax into it, the elements of a rug take on a life of their own, surprising you and guiding you. As I hook the night sky background of the rug, it is as if the sky was talking to me, telling me, make me a little bluer, make me a little darker!

Hand-hooked rugs are as beautiful as the world we live in, bursting with life, unique, diverse, and beautifully imperfect.

The Mod Case Free Crochet Pattern

I called my new i-phone case the Mod Case! I hope you like the name.
I am offering this pattern as a free pattern. The case is super simple to crochet, requires very little yarn, you can use your scraps for it, and is crocheted in the blink of an eye. Perfect for a last minute gift! Just click on the link to download the pattern.
Happy crocheting everyone!

download now

And the Winner is...

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I loved so many of them, I am going to have a little bit of a hard time picking.

The random number generator has spoken. Comment number 11 is the lucky winner of the 3 balls of Rowan Handknit cotton. Sierrapelona you can send a note to carolinehegwer on Ravelry, with your address, and I will mail the yarns to you.

Congratulations!

Name a new pattern give-away!

I need your help in naming my new i-phone case pattern. It would be so nice if you left a comment with your suggestion for a name.
I will pick one of the comments with a random number generator. The winner will receive 3 balls of Rowan Handknit Cotton, in the three colors I used for the case!
I will announce a winner by Friday 04/26/13 at 10 p.m eastern standard time.
Happy naming!

Filet Crochet

Today, I am sharing a couple pictures of a project I have been working on for the last few days. It is a filet crochet top that I plan to wear over a tank top.

I am using Elizabeth Lavold's Silky Wool.
A luscious yarn, a simple, addictive stitch... I am in crochet heaven.

New i-phone crochet case

Here is the latest i-phone case I crocheted. The case uses single crochet through the back loop only in the round.

I had fun with the overlay stitch design.

 I am very fond of the colors and the design. A touch 60's.

All I have to do now is write the pattern for you.

I love projects that are finished in the blink of an eye!

For Boston

After a difficult week in Boston, hope...

Another Blink of an Eye Project

I have another quick project in mind, a " blink of an eye" project, another phone case with an edge.
I plan on using more left over cotton yarns, this time Rowan Handknit Cotton, in cream, orange and sage green.

More in this later!

Shabby I-phone Case Free Crochet Pattern

Remember a few days ago, I told you about an inspirational little design on an envelope, and how I had gathered remnants of yarn to make a little mother's day gift. Well, here it is, the Shabby I-phone case.  It is full of shabby, vintage charm. The best part is that it is such a quick project. You will have a finished gift in the blink of an eye using only left over yarn! I am offering the pattern as a free Ravelry Download. Click the link to download directly to your computer.

download now

The case fits a standard i-phone, and other phones similar in size. The case is crocheted in the round, in a spiral, with only one seam at the bottom.

The flowers are crocheted individually and secured to the case.

Very basic embroidery adds the final touch. Enjoy!

In our Hearts

My thoughts go to the victims of yesterday's attack on the Boston marathon, and their families.

Weekend Down Memory Lane

21 years ago, my husband and I got married in my dorm, at Smith College. This year, to celebrate, we decided to go back to Northampton, bringing our youngest son with us. We had an amazing time, walking through the streets, taking pictures, meeting with old friends, adding colors, and images to the mosaic of our lives together.

My dorm house at Smith College, where we got married 21 years ago.

Beautiful, colorful containers. They really caught my eye.

My loves sitting on Market Street, waiting for our friend.

Little L. and I.

In an alley.

Drinking his favorite drink, Coco Lola!

With our dear friend, A.

A window display that made me stay, "how pretty."

Tired after a long day.

Mother's Day Crochet Project

After working on the sweater for little L., and while working on writing the pattern, I decided to work on a little crochet project for Mother's Day.
The whole inspiration behind the project was a old envelope with the cutest little flower design.

I gathered some left over cotton to match the hues in the card, and started working on an i-phone phone cover for my mother. All the yarns are odds and ends of cotton in different weights from fingering to DK. I will leave with this for now. Aren't the colors beautiful?

Finished!

The sweater for little L. is finished. I was not sure this morning that neither the weather nor little L. would cooperate for a little photoshoot, but the stars must have been smiling on me! It did not rain, and my adorable little man was in the mood to explore our still wintery back yard.

The sweater, which by the way he loves,  fits like a glove. I know for sure he loves it because right after we put it on, he rubbed his belly, and said "it's beau", mixing French and English as he often does, and beau of course meaning beautiful. It is fitted enough to be be modern, while still having enough ease, for easy play.

The neckline is big enough for the head to go through, and for the sweater to sit on the shoulders perfectly. There are no buttons as I wanted the whole sweater to be crocheted in the round. Who does not like a seamless project?!

I am really fond of the overlay work with the stripes and the diagonal  lines on the raglans. These diagonal lines really add definition to the raglans, highlighting the shaping by looking like a faux seam, and framing the oatmeal stripes.

I kept the back simple, without a yoke design, only highlighting the raglan shaping with some overlay lines. I really like this sweater, and the fact that it is not girly, making it perfect for little boys, though I am sure it would look equally nice on a little girl. I am thinking of offering it as a pattern? What do you think?

Overlay Crochet Stripes

So, yesterday I told you I was excited because I was going to make the stripes for little L.'s sweater. What I did not tell you was that I had a plan for the stripes. I had decided to do the stripes using the overlay crochet technique. Instead of crocheting the stripes as you go, and getting a join when you switch colors, I decided to crochet the entire yoke with the blue single crotchets through the back loops. Once the sweater was finished, I went back and slipped stitched my oatmeal stripes securing them on the single crochet posts. This technique allowed me to make the stripes thin, with a texture contrasting with the background, and only on the front of the sweater. I love the overlay technique!

I finished the overlay work, and the weaving in of the ends just before writing this post. I will take pictures of the finished sweater tomorrow. Hopefully little L. will be willing to model for us!

Joined!

The sleeves and the body of little L.'s sweater are joined! I placed markers at the four intersections of the sleeves and body to mark the spots for my decreases. I forgot to say that I opted for a raglan sweater. My decreases are paired on each sides of the markers.

I plan on crocheting for about an inch before putting oatmeal stripes in my design.
I have almost an inch, and I can hardly wait to stripe! I will be using the same Misti Alpaca Cotton Silk mix in a lovely tone on tone oatmeal.

Sleeves

I made a little more progress on the sweater for little L. I finished one sleeve and am almost done with the other.
As I did for the body of the sweater, I am crocheting the sleeves in the round. I placed the paired increases on the underside of the arm, evenly spaced a few stitches apart, and at regular intervals. I love the way the increases are there without being there.

Little discrete pearly bumps going up the arm, adding structure, and smoothly enlarging the sleeve to fit cute chubby arms.

I am more and more in love with the yarn (Misti Alpaca cotton silk) and the stitch pattern (single crotchets through the back loops in the round) as well as the round, seamless construction. This is going to be such a comfy, soft, light summer sweater for the slightly chilly walks we will take in the evening, after a long day at the beach this summer.

I tried the sleeve on my little L. The perfect fit! I am not sure he was as excited about the sleeve as I was. After examining the loose threads, he quickly decided to take the sleeve off. I hope he will be more impressed with the finished sweater!

Pretty Granny

I took a little break from my gardening projects this weekend to take pictures of the little adorable granny squares I have been crocheting.

They are possibly the simplest pattern you could think of for a granny square. Just 3 sectins per square. I have been using only 5 colors from Brown ship cotton fleece. I have been debating adding other colors but each time I try, I return to my 2 original squares, one with a red center, coral and oatmeal, and the other with a turquoise, a light celadon and oatmeal.

Notice the lovely crochet hook I am using? I just bought a Clover Amour hook, and it is truly love at first stitch! This hook is so comfortable, it makes crocheting a breeze. I find myself crocheting for hours without my hand getting tired. I also really love the colors of the hooks.

The squares are destined to become a throw for my room. Maybe, it will be ready for winter! It would make me so happy to sit in my room, warm, and cheered by the flowery, summery colors.

The Perfect Crochet Stitch

I have crocheted on and off over the last few years making mostly blankets, and a few baby sweaters when I was expected little L. But a few months ago, while browsing Ravelry, and the crochet magazines at the bookstore in particular the lovely Inside Crochet , I found myself dreaming about all the things I could do with crochet.

In my rediscovery process, I fell in love with a fabulous, yet very simple crochet stitch, the single crochet through the back look while crocheting in the round. By having each single crochet go through the back loop only, the front loop creates little horizontal bars on the front of the work, breaking the traditionally vertical appearance of the crochet posts. The posts as a matter of fact almost seem to disappear. The fabric is soft and flexible and best of all it is perfect for either girl or boy garments.

The sample I am showing you here is knit in Misti Alpaca Cotton silk. It is a sport weight, and I am using an F hook.

This little sample is actually the body of a seamless crochet sweater I am designing for little L. But more on that later.

Spring

Happy Spring!

Spinning So Blue

Another spindle spun yarn. Delicious merino silk. I love the blue color. So watery. The yarn is a 2 ply sport weight, destined to become a slouchy hat, that will match my son's beautiful blue eyes.

I spun this yarn on a simple ashford top whorl spindle. It was so relaxing. I spun a little bit here and a little bit there. That is the beauty of spindles, anywhere you go they can go, discretely tucked away in your purse, so light you almost could forget they are there. But of course who could forget about the gorgeous fiber waiting to be spun!

Spindle Fun

It has been a lot of fun to spindle spin some merino silk blend in a lovely sage green color.
I spun the singles on my Ashford spindle and then made a 2-ply with the singles.
The result was enough worsted weight delicious yarn to make a slouchy hat for my youngest daughter.

I found spinning this yarn so easy and relaxing, I wanted the knitting to be as effortless. I knit a simple roll brim hat with a slouch. I knit and knit until the hat was long enough to have a slouch, and then decreased drastically.

I am so glad this has become my daughter's favorite hat.