Squared Afghan

I finally finished a crochet project!  Most of my crocheting hibernates in the summer because it's too hot out.  But I busting out this blanket for my aunt because it was pieced together rather than worked in one piece.  I enjoy the pattern (found HERE) and I especially love the color scheme.  The only bummer is that blanket doesn't exactly lay flat because the squares are a bit wonky.  Here's the finished project:

 This photo shows the colors more accurately:

Thanks for letting me share.  I have done lots of scrapbooking and hopefully I'll get the chance to share some of my layouts soon!

Wedding Shrug

A friend of mine got married over the weekend.  It was a perfect day for a wedding (i.e. not 95* out like our wedding day).  About 10 days before the wedding, she asked how quickly I could whip up a shrug for her to wear later in the evening.  Mind you the forecast for the weekend before her wedding was 85* and sunny, I was doubtful she would really need one.  However, I knew it wouldn't take much time and that I could make it in a color other than white so she could wear it again. 

I was able to score some super nice yarn at my local yarn shop, which is going out of business (waaahhh!!), at a great price.  I used THIS pattern I found on Ravelry as my starting point.  I toned the collar down a bit and added a gentle wave pattern to the bottom of the shrug in the back.  I think it turned out pretty well, although it was too big.  She's so tiny that I tried to guesstimate how small she is, but I still didn't go small enough.

The only pictures I have to share of it so far are ones I took from Facebook because I was silly and didn't take any pictures before I gave it to her and I didn't really take any pictures at the wedding.
Here's a view of the back:

And a side view:

Well, that's all I've got for now!  Congrats to the newlyweds and happy crafting to you all!

Chevron Lace Cardigan

Yikes!  It's been almost 2 months since my last post!  I've been busy with things like defending my thesis, graduating, job hunting, and moving back to NH.  It's certainly been a whirlwind.  But now that the dust is settling, I have some time to catch up on sharing crafty things with you all.  And hopefully I'll have some more free time to craft this summer.

One project that I finished about a month ago was the Chevron Lace Cardigan.  I am really loving how this came out.  I used Rowan Tweed, a wool yarn that I bought from my local yarn shop.  Isn't it pretty?

I used this clip to secure the top of the cardigan, which I almost love more than the sweater:

I actually gave the sweater to my mom.  As much as I love it, I really think it's more her style than mine.  It looks really nice on her, although I haven't cornered her for an action shot yet.  I may make another one for me in a different color.

I highly recommend the pattern.  It was easy to follow and it's easily adjustable to any length or sleeve length.  It make a very hip custom sweater that's sure to fit.

I'm hoping this week that I'll be able to recap some cards I made as well as the travel scrapbook I finished.  How's everyone else doing with their crafts?  What's on your to-do list?

Crochet Shrug

With some of the yarn I bought from my local yarn shop, I made a shrug.  THIS shrug to be exact.  It's originally supposed to be made from Lion Brand Homespun, but I decided to use something else.  Well, I had a bulky weight yarn in my hand at the yarn shop, but the lady told me that it wouldn't be the right stitch count.  So I listened to her.  I wish I had bought the yarn I originally chose because I ended up have to use the yarn I bought in a double strand, which means I had to go back and buy more when I ran out.  And I couldn't just exchange the stuff I bought because it was on sale.  That was sort of aggrivating.

But anyway, in the end it looks ok.  It's comfortable, but it's pretty heavy.  As you can see, I ditched the ruffle.  It was just too much for my taste.  I think if  I make it again, I'll just make it in Homespun and do the ruffle.  I opted for an even double crochet all the way around.  I do love the color and the yarn, which I would use again, but not for this type of project.

Who knows, I may frog this and make something else out of the yarn when I get sick of it.  And that is the beauty of homemade garments.  I will say that the pattern was very easy, as was the construction (which is why I have no qualms about ripping it out).  It really works up very quickly.  I'm still working on the other sweater, which I will be sure to share when I'm done.

Local Yarn Shops

Over spring break, I ventured to my local yarn shop for the first time.  It's called Ewe'll Love It!.  And really, I did love it.  I spent most of the time walking around and feeling all the yarns.  Everything was so soft!  I could have easily spend a fortune there, but I tried to behave myself.  I went in with three different sweater patterns and planned to pick a pattern based on the yarn I found.  In the end, I bought yarn to make two sweaters.  I picked THIS shrug and THIS cardigan.

I spent more than I normally would have on a crochet project, but I figured that if I was going to make a piece of clothing it would be worth it to splurge a little.  That and I felt good about supporting a local business.  I even learned about yarns made in my hometown and yarn that's made from recycled cashmere sweaters.  There were really so many neat options.  I really enjoyed chatting with the nice lady in charge of the store.

I found that we also have a local yarn shop here in Maine called Fiberphilia, which I plan on checking out sometime soon.  Do you have a local yarn shop near you?  Have you visited yet?  Careful though, it can be dangerous!  I have finished the shrug and will share it soon!

Catching Up - Part 3

I got really sidetracked on my scrapbooks before the wedding.  Really sidetracked.  We got married in July of 2010.  I had pictures from February of 2009.  Oops.  Now that I'm done my wedding book and I've gotten my honeymoon scrapped, I've gotten all caught up!  This is part 3 of 3 to show you what I've been working on.
The layouts in this post are in an 12x12 album.
This first spread is of our first (and current) apartment.

This spread is from a friend's wedding we went to in October.

I think my next scrapbooking project is going to be a book of all the traveling I've done without Patrick.  I don't usually scrap those trips because Patrick wasn't there with me, but I now have enough pictures to do a whole book, so I think I'm going to tackle that!

Catching Up -Part 2

I got really sidetracked on my scrapbooks before the wedding.  Really sidetracked.  We got married in July of 2010.  I had pictures from February of 2009.  Oops.  Now that I'm done my wedding book and I've gotten my honeymoon scrapped, I've gotten all caught up!  This is part 2 of 3 to show you what I've been working on.
The layouts in this post are in an 8x8 album.
This first layout is from my birthday in 2010.  My parents came up to Maine to visit and we went bowling.

 These next two are from Patrick's final concerts at UMaine.  So handsome!

 These two are from our trip to Bar Harbor in April 2009 to celebrate 4 years of dating:

Caching Up - Part 1

I got really sidetracked on my scrapbooks before the wedding.  Really sidetracked.  We got married in July of 2010.  I had pictures from February of 2009.  Oops.  Now that I'm done my wedding book and I've gotten my honeymoon scrapped, I've gotten all caught up!  This is part 1 of 3 to show you what I've been working on.
The layouts in this post are in an 8x8 album.
This layout is from a race in 2009:

 A friend's wedding in June of 2009.  I was the Maid of Honor.

 Our vacation to Indianapolis to visit some of the hubs family in July of 2009.

 This spread is from a day trip to Boston in the summer of 2009.

 And finally, a layout from my first triathlon.

 Up next: 2010 pre-wedding layouts!

Nothing Like Some Snail Mail

I am a huge fan of getting mail (other than bills of course!).  I also enjoy sending mail to others in the hopes that it might brighten their day.  I have a box of stationary that I always keep stocked with thank you notes and other cards so I'm always ready if I need to send a note.  I also think that making cards can be fun too.  As an added bonus, it helps use up leftover scraps of paper or random stickers.  So, in honor of some birthdays, an anniversary, and Valentine's Day, I got crafty.

I made these both for friends who recently had birthdays:

I mad this one for my best bud for Valentine's Day to let her know I was thinking of her:

And I made this one for my parents, who celebrated 24 years of marriage on Valentine's Day:

It was fun to use up some leftovers from other projects.  How do you bust your stash?

My New Crafting Space

A couple weekends ago, the hubs and I happened on a folding card table on sale at Staples for $9.50.  We  looked at each other and I could tell that we were thinking the same thing: what could we use this for?  Then it hit me.  I could use it as a crafting table.  So it came home with us.  I had some coupons, so I think I spent about $4 total on it.  Total score.

It is so nice to have a place where I can leave out my supplies.  I'm so much more motivated to get things done!  The added bonus is that we can fold it away when we have company.  I can't wait to have a house with more space to craft, but I'm pretty happy with this setup for now. 

Do you have a dedicated craft space?

Slipper Socks

A friend of mine saw some baby booties I made for a neighbor and commented how his grandma used to make him knit slippers for Christmas every year that he loved.  Apparently she doesn't make them any more and he's pretty much worn through his last pair.  I joked that I could make him some new ones.  I don't think he actually thought that I'd make them.  But I did.  Here they are:

They're kind of goofy looking when they're not on someone's feet.  My husband laughed so hard when he saw them.  He couldn't believe that I was actually giving them to someone.  And you know what?  My friend loved them.  He said that the were even better than the ones his grandma used to make.  And that is the best thing about making stuff for other people.

Sneak Peak

I thought I'd share a sneak peak at the blanket I'm currently working on:

 I'm just about half way done and for the most part, I'm loving it.  I did realize about 1/3 of the way through that I wasn't doing the cables quite right, but it looks close enough that I didn't feel like ripping it out and fixing it (although deep down inside it is KILLING me knowing that it's wrong).  I'd like to finish it by the end of the month because I promised my aunt I'd make her a blanket for her bedroom.  We're buying the yarn for her blanket the first week of March.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to showing off and enjoying the finished product.  Oh, and this one is for me.  I've made three blankets and given them all away.  Not this time baby!

What are you working on?

A Sweet Baby Set

I posted about the pinafore I made before, but I'm bringing it up again because this weekend I added buttons to close it and then made a hat and booties to go with it.  I'm really happy with the product and I'm hoping my mom's neighbor likes it.  Here's the set:

You can see close ups of the pinafore HERE.

To go with it I made a shell stitch cloche.  I used this pattern because I thought it matched the style of the pinafore nicely. I'm also digging the sweet little flower.  I think the button adds some extra cuteness.

I wanted to make some baby shoes to go with the set, but didn't want to make the same ones that I made before.  I really wanted to make some Mary Jane style ones, but none of the patterns on Ravelry for those are free and I'm too cheap to pay for a pattern.  So I modified the ones I made before by making them into little shoes that remind me of ballet slippers.  I think they are sweet.

Honeymoon Layouts

Last weekend I finally got around to scrapbooking our honeymoon.  It was a nice change from all the pink I used in our wedding album.  Lots of blue and shells this time!  We spent a week in Cozumel, Mexico relaxing and exploring the island.  Here are some of my favorite layouts from the trip:

 I'm looking forward to catching up on my album with pictures from before the wedding.  If I can get that done, I'll be all caught up with my scrapbooking!  Any one else crafting this weekend?

Baby Booties

I made a couple pairs of these sweet baby booties to go with the baby hats I made.  The pattern was very easy and they work up so fast.  And seriously, they are so precious!  Pattern HERE.

Wedding Album

We got married in July (6 months ago this past Monday!) and I knew from the get-go that I wanted to do a wedding scrapbook.  I actually busted it out in 1 week.  That's right.  One week.  I had gotten myself organized in August and the start of the semester was fast approaching in September.  I started off by attending a 12 hours crop on a Saturday  and then I worked on it every day that week for at least 3 hours to get it done.  As much work as it was, it was totally worth it.  Here are some of my favorite pages from the album:

Hats!

I'm going to back-track a bit and share some of the hats I made for various folks for Christmas.  We live in New England and in New England, you need a hat!  If you are "friends" with me on Ravelry, all these projects are uploaded and my note on any modifications are there as well.  Feel free to add me (cmm71710)!

I made two of these precious baby hats for friends that are having babies.  So cute!  I really love the flower on this one.  Pattern HERE and on Ravelry.

I also made a hat for our little neighbor.  She loves butterflies, so I figured she'd like a butterfly on her hat.  And she looks adorable in it.  Pattern for the hat HERE and the butterfly HERE.

I also mad the hubs a hat.  It's hard to get him to wear anything I make, but I think he likes this way.  Besides, it's his favorite color.  This pattern is found from the Cozy Crochet Kit and is linked on Ravelry HERE.

Finally, I made this hat for myself.  And then I made about 10 more.  I think they're pretty stylish as far as homemade things go and everyone seems to like them.  Plus you can change the flower and the the colors to make each one different.  Pattern HERE or on Ravelry.