Baby Trio

This is by far the largest project I have been commissioned to make and completed. As I said in the previous post, the request came from a friend of a friend. I thought it was just going to be a blanket, but once the lady emailed me, she was asking for a blanket with a ribbon border and booties and toque to match. I agreed and it took me a little longer than I had anticipated due to a teething, fussy baby.

The hat was easy enough to make, but I could not find a pattern using lightweight yarn like I was using for the blanket. Finally found this one at Tampa Bay Crochet.

I made these cuties for the booties. It took me a while to decide on the size as the infant seemed too small, but following the larger pattern seemed much too big. I decided to size down my hook and they turned out a good size. I hope they fit. I wanted them to be big enough to fit for at least 6 months. If the baby's feet are anything like my son's, they will be lucky to fit for 3 months.

And now for the blanket. I knew the pattern already as I used it when making my son's blanket. I like how gentle it is compared to the traditional chevron look. I used Loops&Threads Snuggly Wuggly Silly Sprite. It is a beautiful and unique colour and I like it. I filled in the valleys on border so as to make the border a straight line. I thought this would make sewing on the ribbon when the time came.

When the time came to choose the ribbon, I found out the woman had had a baby boy and so the customer requested a blue ribbon if I could find one that matched. If I couldn't, she was leaving the colour to my expertise. I found a dark navy bias that seemed to look nice with the green. I bought it, ironed a centre crease, and began sewing it on.

The sewing machine was a huge challenge. More than it should have been. My sister allowed me to borrow hers. I had to look up how to create the bobbin and the way to do the zigzag stitch I wanted. Then I did a test strip. The bobbin thread kept bunching and breaking off. After probably a good 30 minutes of frustration, I turned to my husband. He came and sat down beside me while holding our son and I showed him what I was doing. He then took the piece from me, looked at it once, and figured out that I wasn't pushing it in far enough for it to lock in like I thought I was. Oops. I did a couple test strips for the stitch and then began on the actual blanket and border.

Since this was my first time sewing a border, let alone a border on a crochet blanket, I'd say it turned out pretty well. The front looks good, but the back isn't as even. I'm hoping that it is normal, or at the very least alright because it is on the back. I do like how it looks with a border and would like to try more borders some time, but I would like my own sewing machine first.

I do have the other mermaid blanket to work on, but I think I can safely take a break until next week.

~Em

The Ocean In My House

Mermaid tails and a shark were swimming over the floor of my tiny basement. They turned out beautifully, as I knew they would. Both mothers who ordered for their children said they might have to have one made for themselves. One also has put in an order for her niece.

The little boy who received the shark didn't quite get how the blanket worked. He crawled in head first and tried to walk around. He thought he was going to BE the shark, not just wear it. Oh, the logic of kids.

Right before Christmas, a mother from a Facebook group messaged me saying her old coworker was looking for someone to crochet a baby blanket and if she could pass on my contact information. I agreed and soon was in for more than just a blanket. The lady wanted booties and a toque as well, but that is a separate post.

~Em

Om nom nom.

Current Projects

The Ariel-esque mermaid tail is finished! It turned out pretty close to what her tail would probably look like with the sun shining on it through the water. It has already arrived at it's destination and the customer and the recipient of the gift are both pleased with it. It makes me happy when people are satisfied with their purchase and my work. It fuels my love for crochet.

I love this pattern and Country Loom yarn. There are a few colours I wish I could buy and have in my yarn collection, but alas, yarn is too expensive to purchase and just to have it lay around. I already have too much just sitting around, waiting for the right projects to pop up.

My husband's birthday was at the beginning of November. He said I didn't need to get him a gift, so I didn't. I made him one instead. He did not have a toque for winter so I quickly whipped one up with the yarn I had sitting around. I'm not sure how warm it is as the weather is still fairly nice for Canada in December.

I have made another a Paw Patrol hat for a mother for her son for Christmas. It took me only a couple days to make.

These slipper boots by MJ's Off the Hook Designs work up so quickly. I made a pair for a mother who had been in the hospital with her 3-month-old baby and I thought she would appreciate a bit of comfort during their stay, but by the time I finished them, she was back home. I have also made another pair as a Christmas gift for someone. I do not have a photo of the ones I have made but I will get one up as soon as possible.

I have been asked to make three more mermaid blankets and one shark blanket. The shark blanket is also written by MJ's Off the Hook Designs. I haven't made one yet, but judging from her other projects which I have tried, it should be pretty easy to follow and figure out. The mermaid tails will be purple, dark purple, and turquoise. The shark will either be grey or dark blue, depending on if I can find the right colours in the right brand of yarn.

In between commissions, I've been working on my retro circle squares for the blanket I hope to piece together. The yarn will be Loops&Threads Impeccable in colours Pumpkin and Teal with an off white border. I would like to make it large enough to fit a double size bed or a couch throw. Perhaps I'll put it up for sale when it's finished.

That's it for current projects. What are you working on?

~Em

Yarn, Yarn, Yarn

I love yarn. I could spend hours upon hours in the yarn section at Michaels, dreaming up projects and ogling the beautiful colours, shades, and combinations. Sales and coupons are the bane of my existence as a crafter. I used to pick up a new colour every time I would go. As a result, I have several balls of yarn just sitting around, waiting for me to pick them up and make something from the long strings.

Adele, the author of 3 Beans in a Pod provided links to some sites where she purchases her yarn. I have just spent a good 45 minutes perusing the stock and wishing I won the lottery and could buy the site out of stock. I am not sure if the price is comparable with Michaels prices (with use of a coupon), but I will be looking into it more and considering purchasing yarn from Deramores for my next baby blanket project. The site has more colour and style options than Michaels does. Plus, I could just order the yarn and have it shipped straight to my house! No more bundling up my baby and carting him around to the craft store. A dream come true.

Now you know one of my obsessions. What is one of yours?

~Em

Mermaid Tail Blanket

I finished the mermaid blanket for my niece last Sunday. The pattern written by MJ's Off the Hook Designs was easy to follow and quick to crochet. It took me a few days to fully complete the blanket, but if I had worked on it continuously, the blanket would have been finished in a single day. The yarn - Loops&Threads Country Loom - for the tail is so soft and thick making it a warm blanket. I made the children's size and I fit into it so my niece will fit it for quite a few years down the road.

I posted my photo to Instagram and Facebook and I received a commission off of it. We're going with Ariel-esque colours. The customer asked that the fin be sparkly if possible. I'm still looking for a sparkly green that will go well with the tail colour. I may have found one, but the Michaels I was shopping at was out of Country Loom Solarium tail colour.

I need to pick up a few more balls of Solarium to finish the tail so when I go pick it up, I will compare the two and find the best match.

I also want to make a blanket like the one found here at 3 Beans In a Pod. I love the colours she uses in the blanket pictured in the tutorial and this one. Grey is a favourite colour of mine. After perusing the website further, I discovered she is the author of the same blog I followed to find the pattern when I made my harlequin blanket. Her colours were what drew me to the pattern. (The original pattern can be found on this website.) I'm looking forward to browsing this blog further as she seems to have many beautiful patterns.

That's it for now. Hope you all are having a fantastic Monday.

~Em

Paw Patrol Hats Completed

I finished the hats for my sister's children last week. Here are the finished products.

My next project is not a commission work. I found a pattern for a mermaid tail lapghan and know my niece would love her own so I decided to make her one for Christmas. The pattern can be found on here at MJ's Off the Hook Designs. I will be using Loops & Threads Country Loom Kiss Me for the leg portion and Loops & Threads Impeccable Cherry for the fin. 

~Em

Paw Patrol Hats

"No job is too big, no pup is too small!"

My niece and two nephews are in love with the Paw Patrol show. They talk about it often. My sister asked me if I would crochet each of them a paw patrol hat for the cool autumn weather and I said if she could find a pattern, I would give it a shot. She found this pattern by Briana K Crochet.

I am making a pink one for my niece, and a blue and a red hat for the boys. I still need to pick up the red yarn as it was the only one not currently on sale at Michaels. One hat takes about an hour and a half to work up. In the photo on Pinterest, it shows felt paw "badges" on the hats which I will attempt to make. That part might be the trickiest as they would need to be sewn on. I enjoy the challenges I face while crocheting though, so I'm excited to see how it will all work out and look in the end. For now, here are a couple pictures of what I've completed so far.

~Em