It isn’t a secret that I love crocheting these eggs. It also isn’t a secret that I love succulents and cacti! A few weeks ago, when the eggs started appearing at my local Target, I thought–why not combine the these two loves of mine? What resulted was this adorable cactus egg! I added a little flower to the top because those are my favorites. As always, you are able to fill these with treats for your little (or big) Easter egg hunters.

Do you wanna make one? There’s only a few days left til Easter, but I bet you can grow a little cactus egg collection by then!

Check out the pattern VIDEO I made, below. I learned how to make a stop motion video for this! Huzzah!

Supplies
-Yarns: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Grass and Tangerine, Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Linen, Lion Brand Modern Baby in Pink, and Lion Brand Modern Baby in Orange
-Hooks: 6.0 mm (US J) and 5.0 mm (US H) The ones in the video are Furls Odyssey hooks my husband gave me for my birthday!
-scissors
-yarn needle
-glue gun & sticks
-plastic Easter egg (I use the “large” from Spritz brand, available at Target in packs of 3)

Stitch abbreviations & skills used
SC – single crochet
DC – double crochet
slst – slip stitch
ch- chain
st- stitch
magic loop
working in the round with and without joining rounds
picot – chain 2 size

The pattern is almost identical to the Bunny Food eggs pattern I shared, last year. The only difference is I did not work into the back loops only, so I had to adjust the height. The baby saguaro that makes an appearance at the end is made with two strands of worsted weight yarn and the pattern was adjusted accordingly. I added his little arms by working tubes that ended with some short rows, so they pointed upward when sewn on. I had to break out my Dremel to make holes in my egg for the plastic safety eyes. Labor of love, for sure!

Things to remember:
-Sew all pieces on before gluing!
-The crochet fabric is attached after with hot glue. I suggest starting at the top, then working slowly as you go down, stretching the fabric over the egg, until it completely (and evenly!) covered.
-When gluing, try not to let any fabric get stuck over the edge of the egg. If you have a glue mishap, let it cool, then pick it off with a needle.

Sometime in 2015, a friend of my aunt’s asked if I could make her a “lacy sweater thing that looks like a rainbow.” She showed me a photo of a circular vest and my mind went, “ohhhhhh” and my mouth went, “YES!” I had known for a little while that I wanted to convert one of my doily blanket patterns into a wearable accessory.

For this version, I decided to use Anya and Red Heart’s Unforgettable yarn. I made some notes about my adjustments and prayed it would fit. I didn’t really have any sizes to go by, just estimations. When I gave it to her, she immediately put it on and…it fit! I was so relieved.

I had plans to edit my pattern and include the adjustments, so folks could make a vest if they wanted to. Maybe include instructions for making different sizes, because ‘Anya’ is mostly concentric circles and it was easy to place the armholes wherever I needed them.

Fast forward two years and my cousin asks if I could make a circular vest for her daughter to use as a swim coverup. I think about the one I made in 2015 and realize I never transcribed my notes. Actually, where IS that notebook? WHAT NOTEBOOK DID I EVEN USE?! You can probably imagine me tearing through every notebook I’ve used in the past few years. I.could.not.find.my.notes. I had to start from scratch.

I asked my cousin for size examples (so I can google size charts! I love that brands have their size charts online) and favorite colors. She said teal, pink, and purple were favorites and I spent the weekend looking up yarn choices. After checking out Unforgettable again, I realized it would be a little heavy for summer time use. Plus, I made an adult size vest, last time, and I needed one to fit an eight year old.

I ended up coming back to Lion Brand’s Shawl in a Ball a lot. I bought two different colors from Craftsy: Restful Rainbow and Lotus Blossom. The latter was almost exactly the same colors my cousin specified. I was so happy when they arrived!

I sat down to make the vest and realized I wanted to use Willow instead of Anya, this time. I used a 6.0 mm (US J/10) hook and started. Since my son is only a few months older than my cousin’s daughter, I decided to use a t-shirt of his to estimate when/where I would need to place the armholes. I simply laid my work on the shirt, the center of the circle a little below the center of the chest. I wanted the armholes to be on the top half of the doily, not right at the center, so the diameter of the circle needed to be bigger than the width of the chest.

When I got to the size I needed, I figured out where in the round I wanted to put the armholes. I decided that the beginning of the round should be in the bottom half, so I worked a small part of the round, then made a long chain and skipped a good amount of the repeats, then started again. I worked the pattern until I got to where I wanted the second armhole. I made another chain, skipped repeats, then finished the round. Armholes! I had armholes. I lined it up with my t-shirt and it was a pretty good match, so I moved on to the next round.

This round was a lot easier than I thought it would be. When I got to the chains, I just worked them like they were regular stitches. However many repeats I skipped in the row below, I just made that many repeats in the armholes. After the round, I counted the stitches (stitch counts are listed at the end of every round) and it matched up. Wheeeeewww!

I finished the rest of the pattern. I didn’t add any extra rounds, but I DID decrease the number of DC stitches in the scallops of the last round. I went from 12 to 8! I had only a few yards of yarn left, so this was a good adjustment! Plus, the round worked up far more quickly. I’m happy to report the vest fit, not only my son, but my cousin’s daughter, as well!

Restful Rainbow


Lotus Blossom

I’ve added these adjustments to the pattern on Ravelry (willow-web-alt.pdf), putting in the specific directions I used. I would LOVE to have other sizes, but I haven’t been able to find the time to try and work them out, plus I don’t know if it would be possible with this yarn, since it feels more lightweight than worsted. The diameter of the doily, laid flat, is 32″. The bottom of the armholes are about 16″ apart. The tops are 9.5″ apart. Maybe a larger hook would make a larger doily? If someone has a teen they want to make this for, try a 6.5 mm hook! If you want to make it for an adult, you may need to find a thicker yarn and use a 6.5mm or a 7.0mm hook. I would love to see any vests you make!

Hi, guys. Remember me? I want to talk about this shawl and soothing crochet in general.

Stitch patterns like the one in Fortune’s Shawlette create an environment for your mind to relax. After the first few repetitions, you don’t really have to think about it anymore; your hands know what to do. That’s what makes a good comfort shawl pattern–a stitch pattern you don’t have to think about, so you can pray for/about healing. Each stitch is free to transform from an “over, through, over, through” in your mind to a “thank you, God” or any other thought/prayer you need to put out there. I don’t think this was necessarily meant to be a prayer shawl, but it certainly was a great pattern to use as one.

Crochet is such a pwoerful tool to use to bring comfort and healing to yourself and others.

Pattern: Rainbow Ripply Baby Blanket
Size: 33 rounds, plus one round of crab stitch
Hook: 5.5mm (US I/9)
Yarns: Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn!” in four shades of blue, completely replicated from the wonderful AFwifeCrochetNut, who hit it out of the park, again. Here’s her blanket: Little Boy Blue. I only changed the darkest color. I found a more…greenish(?) teal for that.

 

Do you remember my Study in Pink blanket from last year? Well, I loved it so much I HAD to make it in blue. We were blessed to have a cousin expecting a baby and I knew it’d be the perfect blanket. By the way, she delivered a beautiful baby boy, last month! I think he’s grandma’s tenth or eleventh great grandson. Can you believe that out of thirteen or so great grands, only two are girls? Bananas! I don’t complain because I love love love blue.

Have you made any baby blankets, lately? Do you find yourself gravitating to the same patterns over and over?

I started and finished this blanket for my cousin’s new baby, waaaaaay back in March. That’s over 4 months ago! If you couldn’t tell, I’ve been on hiatus for a while. How the heck are you?! Any cool projects I should check out? I haven’t had a chance to hit up my blog reader in a while. Is anyone still out there? Say hello in the comments! I would love to get back to sharing my crochet and knitting projects, so I figured this would be a good start.

This blanket started with the yarn. I chose 3 shades of pink, 2 shades of blue, a yellow, and white. I used Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn!” because they have a ton of colors in store and it’s pretty dang soft. After I had my colors in front of me, I used the nifty granny square generator at granny-square-colors.com to get a completely random granny blanket. I kept refreshing until I saw one that I LOVED. I took a screen shot of my result, so I could keep it handy while I worked.

Each square was three rows of each of the six colors, minus white. I used white to make a final round on the squares, employing my favorite granny square join (between the chains, pretty much) until all four were connected. If there is an official name for this join, let me know. You aren’t crocheting into the other square so much as THROUGH it.

Here’s how it went:

You continue the final white round, connecting in the chain spaces as needed. When you get to your third square, you have to connect the corner in two squares, but it isn’t that much more difficult than connecting to one. My granny squares have a “Ch 2” corner, but I still chained 1 before taking the hook out for my first join. I brought the chain through one of the squares, chained 1 again, then brought that chain through the other square and chained 1 a final time. This makes it a “Ch 3 corner” but that’s OK for the final rounds.

Attaching the fourth square is just as easy; attach the corner to the square on the right and the square above.

After joining all four squares, I made a round of SC and then a round of 5-DC scallops. This blanket was perfect for people like me who have problems completing projects with a lot of parts, like regular granny square blankets. Four big squares with different color patterns keeps things interesting and is finished before you know it.

Pattern: Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February) from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac
Yarn: KnitPicks Hawthorne Kettle Dye in “turkish delight”
Needle: 3.5 mm (US-4) circular

I started this sweater in February, on my way to Las Vegas. I worked on it a few times while I was there–in the mornings with coffee, or when my husband had to work–and nearly finished the yoke by the time I left. I finished the body at home and immediately started the sleeves, because I am prone to putting projects aside, halfway finished, and never ever picking them back up again. So, two sleeves were done in two days and then…it sat. March rolled around and I finally got around to blocking this baby and sewing in the most perfect little vintage buttons. I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Do you have any Spring projects on your needles? Let me have a look!

Last Easter, I made a fluffle of amigurumi bunny eggs for my favorite kiddos. This year, I’m branching out into bunny food–carrots and strawberries! They’re little amigurumi crocheted and glued onto Easter eggs. You can fill them with whatever treats your tiny humans might want.

The perfect eggs for these amigurumi are from Target. The plastic feels a little thicker, so I feel like they’ll last longer, and they’re a great size! They’re large Spritz brand eggs and come in a pack of three. I may have a bag full of them under my desk, right now.

My favorite orange for carrots are bulky yarns from Lion Brand, specifically Hometown USA in “Syracuse Orange” and Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in “pumpkin”. For the strawberry, I used Wool-Ease T&Q in “cranberry”. My hook for both was a 6 mm (US J). The green tops on both is worsted weight cotton held double. Use your favorite shade!

The “body” of the egg for both is pretty much the same. Start with a magic loop and do NOT connect at the end of the rounds. Place the cover on the egg part as you go, to ensure the fit. Add a stitch or two, if it’s too small. If it’s too big, skip an increase. Remember you will be gluing, at the end, so it doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be able to cover the egg with minimal stretch or scrunch. Here’s the pattern I use:

Work in the back loops only for the carrot.
Egg Top
Round 1: 6 SC into ring
Round 2: 2 SC into each st (12 SC)
Round 3: [SC into 3, 2 SC into next] 3 times (15 SC)
Round 4: [SC into 2, 2 SC into next] 5 times (20 SC)
Round 5: [SC into 4, 2 SC into next] 4 times (24 SC)
Round 6: [SC into 3, 2 SC into next] 6 times (30 SC)
Round 7-9: SC into each st (30 SC)
Round 10: slst into each st (30 slst)
Fasten off.
If working the strawberry, you may need to make round 10 SC instead of slst.

Egg Bottom
Round 1: 6 SC into ring
Round 2: 2 SC into each st (12 SC)
Round 3: [SC into next, 2 SC into next] 6 times (18 SC)
Round 4: SC into each st (18 SC)
Round 5: [SC into 2, 2 SC into next] 6 times (24 SC)
Round 6: [SC into 3, 2 SC into next] 6 times (30 SC)
Round 7-8: SC into each st (30 SC)

Fruit tops
Using 2 strands of worsted, or a single of bulky
Round 1: Ch 1, 8 HDC into ring, slst to top of first HDC
Round 2: [Ch 8, slst into third ch from hook, Ch 4, slst into same HDC], *slst into next HDC, rep from [ to ]; repeat from * for 8 chain loops total, slst to first st. Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing.

If making a carrot top, weave tail through the loops, and cinch it together, so the loops stand up. Sew onto egg bottom. For strawberry, sew the solid hdc circle onto egg bottom, leaving leaves free.

Use the green yarn to embroider strawberry seeds all over, before gluing.

Use hot glue to attach your pieces to your eggs. Start with the tips and work your way around and down. Be careful and don’t sacrifice any finger tips for perfection!

Fill eggs to your heart’s desire.

If you want to make a bunny with this thicker yarn, use the same pattern for the strawberry body and then add some ears. Mine were super simple, start with 5 SC in a ring, increase to 10, then to 15 and work for however long you like. Fasten off, leaving a longish tail to sew onto your egg top. Sew the ears and embroider the face before you glue! Let me know if you make any!

Disclaimer: Haven for Hands sent me a set of hooks to review. All opinions are my own. This post include Amazon affiliate links.

A few months ago, I was contacted by Haven for Hands to ask if I was interested in reviewing a new set of crochet hooks. OF COURSE I WAS! I love to crochet and having an extra set of my favorite sizes is super handy.

This is the Haven for Hands Ergonomic Crochet Hook set, now available on Amazon at a GREAT price!

The set comes with nine hooks that have a super comfy grip. The sizes included are from 2.0 – 6.0 mm in 0.5 mm increments. You’ll notice 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm (US B, C, and D) are actually different from regular conversion charts, but that didn’t bother me because now I have sizes that fit between my others. It broadens my crochet reach.

The set also includes a retractable tape measure, a pair of folding scissors with serrated edges, and 10 plastic stitch markers. Everything fits nicely in a roll-up cloth carrying case. There are two colors options to choose from on Amazon! It is perfect for throwing in your purse, when you know you’re going to start a project away from home.

I’ve had these for a few months, so I feel like I can give you a fully-formed opinion.

First up, the handles are GREAT! They have just the right amount of squish for a grip. The part closest to the hook is firm enough for my style of crochet hold, while the bottom tip is flexible for resting in my palm.

Second, The metal hooks are super smooth and glide beautifully through yarn. The hook is pointy without being overly stabby, which is what I like!

Look at those colors! The engraved sizes are a great detail. You don’t ever have to worry about smudging the text.

Overall, these hooks work really well and are a great addition to my collection. I’ve already lost and found a few in my couch. I consider that a rite of passage for all my craft tools.

Check out Haven for Hands around the web:
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter
HavenForHands.com

Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate links within.

Are you there, Fall? It’s me, Lisa! I am crocheting and knitting all of the things for you, so please visit as soon as possible. I enjoy the cool mornings when I walk my kiddo to school, but I want you to BITE!

This super simple cowl is the perfect accompaniment to the wrist warmer pattern I shared, last year: Rube. It’s made with the same woven stitch and you alternate colors every row to get sweet sweet vertical stripes! I used Lion Brand Amazing for an extra special color changing treat.

Size
Fits average adult.
Measures 10″ tall by 10.5″ wide, flat & un-stretched.

Gauge
7 sts x 16 rounds = 4″ in woven stitch

Abbreviations (US terminology)

Ch: chain
Slst: slip stitch
SC: single crochet
sk: skip
st: stitch
sp: space
rep: repeat

Materials

Pattern
With color A, Ch 80, join with a slst into first ch, being careful not two twist.

Round 1: Ch 1, SC in same sp, Ch 1, sk 1 ch, *SC in next ch, Ch 1, sk 1 ch; rep from * around, slst to first sc.
Round 2: Slst into first ch-1 sp, switching to next color, Ch 1, SC in same sp, Ch 1, *SC in next ch-1 sp, Ch 1; rep from * around, slst to first sc.

Repeat round 2 to desired height. I stopped at approximately 9″, ending with color A, fasten off color B.

Top picot edge: Still working with color A, Slst into first ch-1 sp, Ch 1, SC in same sp, Ch 3, slst into first ch, SC in next ch-1 sp, Ch 1, *SC in next ch-1 sp, Ch 3, slst into first ch, SC in next ch-1 sp, Ch 1; rep from * around, slst into first SC. Fasten off.

Attach color A into a ch-sp made by the foundation chain, Ch 1, then work like top picot edge, starting with the “SC in same sp…”

Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Me, when I first crocheted it, back in FEBRUARY!

There will be a visible “seam” where the rounds end and new color is joined. It looks more visible in photos than it does in person!

If you want a downloadable PDF of the pattern, check it out on Instructables!. Click “vote” at the top right corner of the page to help me out. :)

Pattern: Rainbow Ripply Baby Blanket
Size: 35 rounds, including the border, approximately 46-48″ from one corner to the other
Hook: 5mm (US H/8)
Yarns: You can find the exact measurements I used on my Ravelry project page, but from the center out they are as follows:
–Plymouth Encore Worsted in “0029 Pink”
–Vanna’s Choice solids in “Pink”
–LB’s Heartland in “Denali”
–Caron Simply Soft in “Watermelon”
–LB’s Heartland in “Biscayne” (c/o Lion Brand Yarn)
–Red Heart Soft in “Berry” and “Black”

In the next two months, I’ll be going to TWO baby showers, both for baby GIRLS! I am preeeetty excited about it. I am mostly excited for all the newborn baby snuggles I am expecting come Christmas day. Like SO EXCITED. I’m not being very coherent. I just want to cuddle a baby.

The first blanket I made is a Rainbow Ripple blanket in pinks. I looked to my stash for the yarn and was so happy with my selection. I feel like I got a good mix of shades. The color pattern is one that is mentioned in many of the projects, called the “Rule of 5” and inspired directly by THIS beautiful peony blanket. Mama likes pink and black, so I reversed the pattern and went light to dark.

The border starts after Round 33 and is a simple lace round–just V-stitch every third stitch–and a scallop round–alternating SC and scallop into every V-stitch.

Round 34: Slst into next st, Ch 3, sk 2, [(DC, Ch 2, DC) into next st, sk 2] 6 times, (DC, Ch 2, TR, Ch 2, DC) into corner, sk 2, rep between [ ] 6 times, DC in next st, sk 2, *DC in next st, rep between [ ] 6 times, (DC, Ch 2, TR, Ch 2, DC) in corner, sk 2, rep between [ ] 6 times, DC in next st, sk 2; Rep from * around, slst to top of beg ch-3.

Round 35: Slst to first ch-2 sp, Ch 3, 5 DC into same sp, SC in next ch-2 sp, [7 DC in next ch-2 sp, SC in next Ch-2 sp] twice, 6 DC into each of the next ch-2 sp, [SC in next ch-2 sp, 7 DC in next ch-2 sp] twice, 6 DC in next ch-2 sp, SC between next two DC, *6 DC in next ch-2 sp, [7 DC in next ch-2 sp, SC in next Ch-2 sp] twice, 6 DC into each of the next ch-2 sp, [SC in next ch-2 sp, 7 DC in next ch-2 sp] twice, 6 DC in next ch-2 sp, SC between next two DC; Rep from * around, slst to top of beg ch-3.

Hey! I seem to have abandoned you, all summer. I share a lot on Instagram and Facebook, if you miss me. I wanted to pop in and share two back-to-school projects I just finished up for my boys.

My oldest son got a Kindle for his birthday and he can take it to school, so I made a little cover for it. You might remember my first kindle cover from my tutorial on working crochet on to leather. He likes black and more black, so I used up some leftover Sheepaca from my Wool and the Gang Project, way back in February. It’s the perfect shade of gray that looks “cool” but not just straight up black. I paired it with a piece of vinyl I had in my stash (big hoooray for the remnants bins at Jo-Ann) and finished it off with a wooden button. He liked it!

Next up, I covered my youngest son’s earbuds. I find this helps immensely with tangles! This was going to be the start of an actual tutorial, but it’s so easy, I didn’t think it would be necessary. You simply single crochet around the wire of your earbuds. That’s it! No special stitches or anything like that. I would get about 4 little skeins of DMC embroidery floss in your choice of color(s). I used a 2mm steel hook.

I would have a photo of the completed set, but I’m just not that coordinated. Actually, I completely forgot! I whipped this up the day before school started and put them directly into his backpack.

Nathan is finishing up his second week of fifth grade (that’s middle school here!) and Andrew is finishing up his first week of second grade. Can you tell how each of them feel about it? Nathan LOVES his new school and Andrew wants to drop out (ha!). I feel like they should be having the opposite opinions. Big sigh. Nathan was an easy student, but Andrew has been a tough cookie. He likes to read, but strongly dislikes writing. He’s a lefty (his brother is, too!), so it’s really hard for me to help him get things neat. We go through a lot of erasers around here.

Are your kids back in school? Did you knit or crochet any special projects for them or their teachers?

Disclaimer: This post contains a review for a kit I received from Wool and the Gang. All opinions are my own.

Hello, friends. I cannot believe it’s been over a month since I touched base with you guys. While summer is upon us and wool is the last thing we want to think about, crochet and knitting are still activities I do on a daily basis. When the weather isn’t quite appropriate for woolly accessories, I turn my focus to other fibers and types of accessories, like lace shawls, cotton yarn, and housewares. The latter is something I’ve drifted away from, the past few years. When we first bought our house, I went a little nuts making pillows, weaving doilies, crocheting blankets, ottomans, etc. I kind of missed it, so I was thrilled to hear about the new line of crochet patterns for the home from Wool and the Gang.

If you remember, I reviewed one of WATG’s knitting kits, way back in February (see here). I loved the presentation of the kits, from the way they are packaged, to the way the patterns are explained. The same goes for the crochet kit I received a few weeks ago. The Bestitched Box Crochet Kit contained 4 cones of their Jersey Be Good yarn, yarn needles for finishing, a pattern booklet, and (the optional) crochet hook. It’s everything you need to complete your project. You only have to decide what colors to use and what to put in it when you’re done.

I must admit: I had never used jersey yarn! I had heard about it, I have jersey sheets I want to turn into it, and I love projects made from it…but I had never tried it! My first impression of the cones of yarn were they were softer than I had imagined. That’s weird because I wear t-shirts all the time, so of course it would be soft! It felt a lot stronger, too. I guess I imagined it to be super stretchy and kind of cumbersome to use, but it wasn’t at all. I enjoyed crocheting with it very much. My basket feels quite sturdy and I can see it lasting for years.

The Bestitched Box pattern comes with directions for two sizes of boxes and includes photos plus information for pretty much every step. The details say it is recommended for intermediate crocheters, but I believe a beginner would be able to make it. It is made entirely in single crochet, so as long as you know how to change colors (for the stripes), you should be able to complete the box. I made the small one and it is an approximately 8″ square.

The colors I received are “golden compass” and “white noise.” The white is very bright and the yellow leans more toward a buttercup yellow than a golden yellow. It’s still lovely! Also, isn’t my Made Unique pin the best? Sigh. I want to put it on EVERYTHING, but it might end up on a tote this summer.

I loved the photo on the kit of a mix of succulents in the box, so I used this as an excuse to buy more plants. I chose four different ones, including a sedum, pachyveria, jade (gollum), and echeveria. I think they’ll stay small enough to live in the box for a little while, then I’ll have to be more!

What do you think? Have you ever crocheted with jersey yarn? Check out all twenty five (25!!) colors from Wool and the Gang, here! I think I need a hot pink pouf for my living room, right? I already made a blue one that my kids loved to death. I think the jersey yarn might last (a lot) longer!

Thank you to Wool and the Gang for sending me this cool kit to crochet and share with you. Show them some love on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

I realize it’s been a few weeks since Easter, but I couldn’t let the month of April finish without sharing my crochet bunny egg photos.

I made these using various shaded of Lion Brand’s Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Homespun, and combinations of worsted weight scraps. I found the perfect 3.5″ Easter egg, which is a little bit bigger than the normal jumbo eggs, but smaller than the mega eggs. I was able to fit quite a bit of loot in each one. I made 10 different ones for my kids and my cousin’s kids. Pretty much all of the kids I saw on Easter got a bunny egg.

Next year, I’m making carrots!

ETA 2016 HERE IS THE BUNNY FOOD!

This post contains an Amazon.com affiliate link.

I’m taking a break from packing my husband and son up for a camping trip to blog about this amazing hat.

My grandpa turns 80 the day before Easter, so my aunt is throwing him a party the week before. That means tomorrow! Unfortunately, we have a camping trip with our cub scout pack planned for the same weekend, so half my little family will be missing it. I’d be disowned if I did, so despite the weather being BEAUTIFUL and my body practically ACHING to get out more, I’m a little happy to get to spend some time with my extended family.

I spent about 3 hours, last night, baking at least 13 dozen pan de polvo and I still have a chunk of dough in my fridge. It’s a recipe he gave me himself, so I felt like it was a nice tribute. I made the cookies for the whole party, so it’s only fitting to have something just for him, right?

Enter Morgan by Anne Kuo Lukito, from the Fall 2008 Knitty. A few weeks ago, my grandpa was wearing a flat cap and my husband said he looked “really cool” in it, so I thought this would be a great present! Did I mention I didn’t think of this until last Sunday? Yeeeeahhh!

I immediately went into panic mode. What yarn will I use?! What color?! What size?! Since it was Sunday, the yarn shop where I could get the actual yarn this pattern calls for was closed. AND it would be closed on Monday, too! MORE PANIC!

What’s a girl to do?! I took a trip to Jo-Ann. I had browsed the completed projects on Ravelry for at least an hour, looking at alternative yarns and saw Lion Brand’s Wool-Ease mentioned a few times. I liked that it’d be an easy-care yarn, so I checked out the colors at the store and brought home a ball of their “blue heather.”

I’m gonna be honest, guys: I didn’t swatch. I KNOW. It could break my project if my gauge were off! I had no time to spare, so I SHOULD have swatched, but I’m lucky I didn’t because I might have ran out of yarn. I used almost the entire ball!

I am SO happy with this. The hat is made in ONE PIECE. ONE. You start at the center of the top and make some intense increases to form a circle. I say intense because they’re spaced differently every single round, so you can’t see any increase lines. Genius! Once the circle is big enough, you start working short rows to turn the circle into more of an oval. After that is a ridge row, then more short rows, then you cut the yarn, pick it up somewhere else, and work more short rows, say a prayer, throw some fairy dust, work more short rows, ribbing, binding off, sewing, blocking, more sewing, and one last block, a final wave of your wand, and oh yeah, a few more sewing stitches. IT’S A HAT AND IT’s FUCKING BEAUTIFUL.

I started Sunday afternoon, at my mother in law’s house. I worked it on the way home, then put my kids to bed, knit for 4 hours straight while watching a Bates Motel marathon, fell asleep TOO late, woke up 6 hours later, got my kids ready for school, sent them off, knit the whole day. I was done that evening and then the epic finishing began. It was actually FUN, guys. I wholeheartedly recommend the pattern.

Pattern: Morgan by Anne Kuo Lukito, from the Fall 2008 Knitty
Yarn: one ball of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in “blue heather”
Needle: one 4mm (US 6) 40″ circular. I used the magic loop method. It wasn’t too difficult to adapt from the two-circulars pattern.

Have you ever gone crazy for a project that you felt you HAD to complete RIGHT AWAY? I really wanted to make sure this got done and looked great, so I did things real quick. I’m lucky I didn’t encounter (many) snags. I did have to re-stitch the bottom hem, but it looked ridic and now it’s perfect, so it was worth it! Tell me about your epic knitting/crochet marathons.

It’s been raining all morning, so I’m spending my Saturday hiding out from my kiddos (daddy is around, so they aren’t being neglected–video game day!) and crocheting. Easter is in two weeks, so I’m working on some eggs. Not quite as big as the lamb I shared earlier this week, but still pretty darn cute.

While I am between eggs, I wanted to share some photos of this yarn I treated myself to, for my birthday. I actually bought it a week before my birthday, but it didn’t arrive until a week after. I had already forgotten about it, so I was SO happy to open it up. It helps that these blues are GORGEOUS.

Two skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in “cousteau” for a project that has yet to be determined. I may even try to design something brand new!

One skein of Madelinetosh Prairie in “baltic,” a shade of blue so bright and lovely. I really want a lace project for the summer and can’t wait to whip something up.

The day before my little package of yarn arrived, my cousin gave me my first Jamberry manicure!

I ordered the “Stitched Away” design and REALLY wish I had bought some extras, as this design is now discontinued! It’s so Spring-y and the tiny stitches are incredibly cute. Tell me, have you tried nail wraps? Do you like them?! I’ve had mine for about a week and I’m finally used to them! Granted, I’m very new to this “don’t bite your nails” thing, after habitually doing so pretty much my entire life.

Hey there! I got locked out of my own darn dashboard and had to wait til my IT guy (aka husband) got around to resolving some server issues. All is well, so I’m here today to share my favorite (okay, ONLY) amigurumi of 2015.

He’s a variation of the Bunny Egg Amigurumi I shared a few years ago. Those were cute as heck, but I saw MEGA Easter eggs at the store and KNEW I needed to crochet them into adorable little animals. A few days later, I had my first egg of lamb.

First off, I used thicker yarn and a larger hook. I suggest something more textured, like Lion Brand’s Homespun Thick & Quick, or what I used: Loops & Threads Country Loom (“warm white” from Michael’s). I used a 6 mm (US 10/J) hook. It’s bigger than we normally use for amigurumi, but smaller than what is called for these yarns. You still want tighter stitches for the amigurumis! Less than one skein of Country Loom made the little lamb.

For the face and ears, I used a 4.5 mm (US 6/G) hook and worsted weight yarn from my scrap bucket, so I’m not sure the brand.

My egg is 8″ in diameter, so there were some adjustments to the pattern. Below, I have listed my stitch counts per round. My increases were made evenly, without joining, using a stitch marker to keep track. I suggest starting each piece with a magic loop.

EGG BOTTOM
Round 1: 6 SC
R 2: 12
R 3: 18
R 4: 24
R 5: 30
R 6: 30
R 7: 36
R 8: 42
R 9-12: 42
R 13: 48
R 14: 48
R 15: slst 48, fasten off and weave in ends.

EGG TOP
Round 1: 6 SC
R 2: 12
R 3: 18
R 4: 24
R 5: 24
R 6: 30
R 7-8: 30
R 9: 36
R 10: 42
R 11-13: 42
R 14: 48
R 15-16: 48
R 17: slst 48, fasten off and weave in ends.

LAMB EARS (make 2)
Round 1: 5 SC
R 2: 10
R 3: 15
R 4-9: 15, fasten off, leaving at least 18″ of tail. Flatten ear and fold bottom in half when sewing in place.

LAMB FACE
His little face is a simple circle made to 54 stitches. I started with 6 in a magic loop and increased by 6 for 9 rounds. I moved the increases around a bit, so it was more circular instead of a hexagon.

I stitched the face onto the circle, then sewed the circle and his ears onto the top piece before hot gluing it onto my egg. I lined up the top of my crochet piece with the top of the egg and glued it first. I then slowly added bits of glue down to the edge and firmly attached the crochet. Keep the egg pieces separate while gluing, so you don’t accidentally glue them together! You wanna fill it with goodies, right?

You can fill your egg with yarn! Give it to a fellow yarny friend. You can also fit WHOLE candy bars into it, if that’s your style. What would you put in yours??

P.S. The MEGA eggs come in three sizes, 8″, 12″, and 16″. I was curious to see what the 16″ looked like, so I made a mama:

It’s cute, but it’s difficult to open and close, so…pretty much useless. It works as a wonderful decoration, though! You could fit a lot of yarn in there, hmm?

Last month, the fine folks at Cleckheaton sent over one of their beanie kits for review. After reading their story, I was pretty curious just how soft the yarn would be. It comes from specially selected sheep and is milled right there in Victoria. Australia’s finest is right here in south Texas! I wondered if THIS would finally be the wool my kids would not complain about.

This photo is straight from my Instagram. I got so excited after it came that I took the photo and cast on immediately, without taking out my camera for a proper photo. The kit has two balls of Australian Superfine Merino and a two-colour beanie pattern, which you can find for free here, along with a good assortment of other patterns. Those baby sweaters are making me swoon! My cousins and sisters are refusing to procreate for me! I just want a baby to knit for, take photos of, cuddle, and send back. Is that too much to ask?*

Anyway…the colors are gorgeous! This gray is called “iceberg” and it is the perfect name. Icy cold with subtle hints of blue when you look at it a certain way. The orange is simply called “burnt orange” and it the warmest compliment to the gray. It’s a deep, rich pumpkin color and makes me miss fall.

So, what was the verdict? VERRRRY SOFT! We like. I don’t think he even knows it’s wool. I generally shove beanies on my kids’ heads and if they complain, I tell them to just deal with it until we get inside or get to the car. My youngest is the loudest complainer, but this guy tends to be more prone to allergy-like reactions. He’s mildly allergic to cats (proven with an allergy test), so most animal fibers are just meh to him. He doesn’t break out or have trouble breathing, thank God, but wool sweaters and hats aren’t his favorites. He liked this one, though! It’s got a good slouch and the pom pom is awesome.

The yarn definitely feels more silky smooth than other wools. It hasn’t shed or pilled at all in the past week or so that we’ve had it in rotation. The pattern was great, though I adjusted it to work in the round. I could not see myself working that much stockinette stitch flat! Luckily, it was easy to adapt the crown decreases and whatnot. I had a good time mindless knitting that stockinette in the round. The kit comes in an itty bitty project bag that was great to tote the beanie-in-progress around. I knit in a taqueria!

I can really see myself using this yarn for other projects. There are so many colors to choose from! I want to get my hands on some of that mustard ASAP. Yellow is the color of my Spring and my heart is begging for a yellow lacey cardigan.

*My oldest turns TEN (10!) in exactly 3 months. I think he looks so grown up in that last photo! This has turned on something in my brain that makes me absolutely gooey over babies. Yes, I have the fever. The baby fever! If you have a baby and you see me, just let me carry them, ok? I’ll smooch their wittle face and hand them right back. Or I’ll put them in my knitting bag and take them home. I’m not 100% certain which flavor of baby-crazy I am, this week.

Click here if you want to try one of their Knit-it-Yourself beanie kits!

I get extremely flattered when someone asks me to make them something specific. My mom’s friend recently commissioned a Christening blanket for her new granddaughter. It’s such an important piece of a family’s history! I felt a little intimidated by the significance this might have, but she calmed me down and set me down a simple path: white and square-ish. That’s IT.

Naturally, I scoured the web for Christening blanket patterns and inspiration, but I ended up just using my favorite stitch pattern. The offset shell stitch has been made into many blankets for babies in my family (check out those posts here), so it felt like a good choice.

I used Bernat’s Softee Baby and a 5mm (US 8/H) hook. My beginning chain was 148 and I worked until it was just about a square. I’m not sure how many rows exactly. I made a single crochet border around the whole thing, then searched for a lacy border to add. I found about a bajillion charts of lace edges on Pinterest and ended up here where I found the lovely border I ended up choosing.

After figuring out the number of stitches in the pattern, I made another round of single crochet to adjust my stitch count. Luckily I wasn’t off by too much!

I think it came out lovely. It’s big and squishy and machine washable. It should last a really long time. Who knows, maybe this grandbaby will still have the blanket when she has grandbabies of her own.

Happy Saturday, folks! For the first time in several weeks–probably since before Christmas–I have NO commitments, today. It’s so exciting to be doing nothing, so I’m here blogging. I really wanted to tell you guys about this sweet sweet kit Wool and the Gang sent me to review.

They contacted me to knit something for my Valentine. I checked out their selection of Men’s Accessories and chose the Mr. Tosh beanie and the “Shacklewell Grey” colorway. I knew the gray would be what my husband preferred. Tip: know your love’s accessory preference!

The kit came with all the amazing things you see above: yarn, pattern booklet (it contains tips for things like casting on and seaming!), knitting AND finishing needles, and a nice #shareyourknits sticker.

The Sheepaca yarn is 50% alpaca and 50% merino wool, so it is crazy soft! I kind of wished I were knitting a cowl, but my husband doesn’t wear cowls. I’ll probably offer to cuddle carry his hat when we go out. You can snag some Sheepaca alone, too. Check out the colors available here.

The pattern calls for straight knitting. I was a little hesitant to cast on the straight needles, but I really wanted to try out the rosewood needles. I am SO glad I did! These are so unlike the aluminum or bamboo needles I learned to knit on (and had such a hard time with!). They’re hefty, but not too heavy. The wood is smooth and my stitches glided effortlessly. It was a treat to knit with them. I didn’t once wish I had cast on a circular needle. Seaming at the end wasn’t bad, either! It’s always nice to freshen up a skill you hardly use and I was actually quite proud of my seam (see below)!

The pattern itself was very easy to follow. The booklet was helpful and I think new knitters would really like it. There are instructions for casting on (they suggest longtail, my favorite!), beginning, the stitch pattern, finishing, seaming, etc. It’s detailed, but not overwhelming.

My seam is directly to the right of the heart in the last photo. You can hardly see it! I was so proud. Tip: try out your old skills on something new, every once in a while!

The hat fit great. It matches my husband’s black jacket well and he got to wear it when the temps dropped (again), last week. Yes, I gave it to him early for the sake of the blog. Plus, he’s leaving to Vegas on the 15th, so I wanted to SEE him wear it a bit.

I’m pretty much in love with Wool and the Gang, now. The sweaters, the cowl, the purses…ah! Why don’t you knit something for your sweetie, this Valentine’s Day?