Easy One Skein Afghan

So not only did I make my brother an afghan for Christmas, I made an afghan for each of the ladies in a group of friends.  One of the ones I made was THIS easy one skein (well, one big skein) afghan.  It worked up quickly and made a nice product.  I was very pleased with how this turned out.

It made this nice open work pattern:

It's essentially a lap blanket size.  However, the friend I made it for is petite so it will be bigger on her.  :-)

Stay tuned for the other 4 blankets that I made!

Herringbone Afghan

So I have completed yet another all homemade Christmas and phew! am I exhausted.  But now I finally have something to blog about again.  It will probably take me the better part of January to get through everything I've made.  Let's start with the project that took me the longest:

This was the blanket I made for my brother.  He just finished his first semester of college (with a 4.0 I might add!) and he likes to sit around and watch TV with a blanket wrapped around him.  So I made him on in his school's colors. 

I used the Herringbone Afghan pattern by Bernat found HERE on Ravelry.  I liked the pattern because you alternate the stitch you do by the row so it kept it interesting.  However, it required a rather small hook so it took forever to make it this big!  I ended up starting this and then going to work on other project and then coming back to it.

And I think my brother likes it.  He can be hard to read...
Here are some more shots of the finished product:

Happy New Year!  Stay tuned for more!

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!