Friday, October 21, 2011

FO Friday: Cabled Fingerless Mitts

Is it Friday all ready? Yes! Today I have a finished object to share with you and they are cabled fingerless mitts!



It is starting to cool off in good ol' New England and my hands are always the first thing to feel the chill. Every year I scour Ravelry for fingerless mitt patterns, but for some reason I always talk myself out of making them! Which is a shame, because my hands get really cold. These were great though- the cables kept them very interesting and the construction is really smart. Also, they are nice and stretchy which is important for a good pair of mitts.


These took a whole two days to make. Phew! Talk about commitment, eh? Really though. I finished one in a sitting and the next day I sat down and cranked out another one. This pattern was pretty easy, though I would say it does require some crochet knowledge. It was my first go at crocheted cables and I really liked how they turned out.



 Cabled Fingerless Mitts
Pattern: Cabled Mitts, Crochet Today! Nov/Dec 2010
Yarn: Knit Picks Elegance in Ash, 1 skein
Hook: size E
Mods: I went down a "yarn size" (from worsted to DK) and down a few hook sizes to an E because I have very small hands. I also added one row of sc blo before seaming up.
You can pop on over here to see my Ravlery Project Page if you would like.



So Happy Friday, everyone! Tonight Andrew and I will be on our way to Connecticut for the weekend to visit some good friends. My friend Sue and I will also be going to STICHES east! Yes, that's right....remember my yarn diet? I did it! I went four months without buying yarn, patterns, and needles. Needless to say I think it will be a fun weekend. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Living Vicariously

Sometimes when you have three tests on one Friday and three projects due on the next Friday, and you're starting a new (and exciting!) job on the Monday in between, and you've got plans to visit friends out of state on the Saturday after, and a room to clean, and a car, and spouse to love, and...well I think you're beginning to sense a pattern here if I'm not wrong. Sometimes life gets just plum busy. During those times it is sometimes necesary to live vicariously through the lives of your fellow Crafty Bloggers.

So here are some Lovely Online Things that have been keeping me afloat, inspired, and living vicariously for the past few weeks.

#1 (as in currently most inspiring) Lucy from Attic24 and her Ripply Blanket Journey

#2 (as in slightly, but not much, less inspiring) Simply amazing, bet you didn't even know you could do this with crochet.

#3 (you get it) Next Project? But I'm thinking with some stashed Malabrigo, three buttons, and fringe. Someone, please, let me know if this is not as cute as I am envisioning it (it has been known to happen).

I hope to have more for you soon, when my academic rigors slow for a bit and I am a little more settled into my new job and schedule.

Until Next Time

Saturday, October 8, 2011

She's Back**

Every now and then we all need something to remind us why we love the things we love. As a Knitter and Crocheter it is easy to get caught up in the latest patterns, the beautiful yarns, the newest magazine. Even selecting a  project can become taxing- the right size, the perfect color, the exact gauge, the functionality, the wearability, the durability.


Sometimes we crafters just need to make something. To feel the yarn glide through our fingers, to relish the feeling of creating.

Sometimes we need to be spontaneous. To let our creative spirits guide us. Remember when you first started? Everything inspired you. All you wanted to do was cast on, start a foundation chain.

Every now and again it is good for us to throw care aside. To momentarily neglect the ever-growing pile of works-in-progress and unfinished objects. To dive into our stash, pull out something, and begin.


I have to thank Jennifer Ackermann-Haywood her quarterly magazine CraftSanity for the opportunity to do just that. The moment I saw this post I was exceptionally inspired. I'm not sure if was the color, the way she wears this blanket as a shawl, or the quintessential modern-granniness of it. Whatever the reason, I was head over heals in love. I was feeling inspired and did not allow myself to dampen my inspiration with excuses of too many projects, too much to do.



I finished my lovely Willow Doily Blanket in just about a week, and I am ecstatic over it. I love snuggling under it in the chilly mornings with my coffee and during the chilly evenings with my book or another project.

As kind of an aside- go check out CraftSanity, it really is great. You can purchase a paper copy or a digital download. There is something very fresh about it, something that seems to get back to the roots of why we do it all in the first place.