2010 Update

Time to dust off the old blog.  For one reason or another, I never fully committed to completing one crochet project per month in 2010.  I think it's mostly because I'm not in the mood to crochet when the weather starts getting a little warmer (also it may have been an overly ambitious goal to start with).

Oh well, c'est la vie.  I don't have any lofty goals set for the coming year, so for now I will just use this space to display current projects that I'm working on. 

I realize that I left you hanging with the March project - well I'm happy to report that it is finished (and has been for a very long time) as you can see in the pic below.  I also just finished a Mystery Crochet-Along project (courtesy of Bernat) that lasted about 3 months.   Participating in that project introduced me to Ravelry, a kind of crafty social community.  They have some great resources when it comes to cataloging your yarn stash or tracking and organizing your projects.  If you're into yarn crafts I would definitely check the site out.

Ramping Up the Brand

While browsing the shelves of Barnes & Noble this weekend I came across a display about crafting. It featured two books that explained how to create a brand for your homemade crafts and how to market them. I spent some time flipping through both Craft, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco and The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin. While they were both filled with great tips and relevant information, I decided on Chapin’s book. I ordered it last night through the B&N website (because it was a bit cheaper that way - $10.76 vs. the $14.95 cover price). I’m hoping that the book will inspire me to improve on my brand and give me some new ideas.  Visit the author's website here.

March Project Materials

Yarn:
Bernat Alpaca

Aqua

Hook:
Susan Bates US K10.5/6.5 mm

March Project

March's project will be another attempt at a cowl (new pattern this time).  The new Scalloped Cowl pattern I found on the Lion Brand website uses a thicker yarn which I think will solve the hook sizing issues I was having before.  I'm going to try starting this with one of the new colors of Bernat's Alpaca yarn, and if this doesn't work I'll stick with the recommended Lion Brand Jiffy yarn. 

Finished: February Scarf

It's the last day of the month and I barely made it.  I finished sewing in the ends of my February project earlier this morning.  The pattern called for a border around the edge of the scarf, but when I tried it out it made the scarf look too chunky.  I tried modifying the border a few times, but I still thought it looked out of place, so I decided against a border.  Here's the finished piece:

Progress: February Scarf

I've completed all eight squares and have sewn them all together in a long row using a whip stitch.  The only thing left on this project is to crochet a border all the way around the scarf.  Here's what it looks like now. (Side note: It's amazing - in a bad way - how much a camera flash can alter the colors.  The scarf colors look most like the bottom picture.)

First Look: February Scarf

The scarf for this project is made by connecting eight squares.  Four of the eight squares are complete.  Here's what they look like:

February Project Materials

Yarn:

Berroco Comfort DK:

Liquorice

Aunt Martha Green

Crypto Crystalline

Caron Spa:

Berry Frappe

Hook:

Susan Bates US I9/5.5 mm

February Project Take 2

The cowl I picked for my February project was not turning out as I had hoped.  For some reason the recommended hook size just wasn't working for me.  I tried using a larger hook, but then the detail of the stitches weren't coming out the way I wanted.  I decided to scrap the project and found a new one for February.  February's new project is the Mirror Lake Scarf (pattern here).  I'll be using the same yarn that I planned to use on the cowl.  Instead of making the scarf a solid color, I'm going to use four alternating colors.

Branding

Since my Etsy store is officially open for business I decided it was time to do some branding.  I wanted to make tags to put on all of my pieces, so I headed to the craft store for some materials.  My goal was a handmade eco-friendly look using earth tones.  After searching for a while, I finally found some cream colored cardstock that has the recycled look I had in mind.  I also bought some letter stamps and "lettuce" green and "espresso" brown ink pads.  To finish the tags I found a tiny bird shaped hole punch to place a piece of hemp twine into.


I spent some time experimenting with different tag layouts and sizes and found a look that I'm happy with.  If you'd like to see the tags on my pieces, visit the danae crochets store on Etsy.

Setting Up Shop

This weekend ended up being super productive for me.  For one, I got my new Etsy shop set up and open for business.  It only has two items (January's project) in it for now, but that will change soon enough.  Take a peek at the danae crochets shop here: danaecrochets.etsy.com. 

Saturday morning was spent browsing IKEA in search of some new bed linens.  Not only did I get a whole new duvet & sheet set on sale, I also stumbled upon color inspiration for an upcoming crochet project.  As I was walking past the kitchen section, I spotted a display of ceramic mugs out of the corner of my eye.  I had to stop and take a picture of the color arrangement because I thought it would make a great scarf pattern.  The colors included white, black, a mossy green and a deep purple.  I have to decide exactly what I'm going to make out of this color pattern, but when I do I'll be sure to post it. 

I also had a lot of time to work on an afghan that was started over a year ago.  I finished weaving in the last of the ends last night around 10.  It felt great to have completed an entire afghan (my largest project yet) especially since it's been laying around for so long.  When I figure out the best way to take a picture of it I will post the finished piece.

February Project

My January project is complete, so it's time to pick out February's project.  I wanted to try something that I've never made before, so I was looking for an infinity scarf/cowl.  The Cardiff Cowl on the Lion Brand website was exactly what I was looking for.

With my pattern all picked out I was on a quest for some yarn today.  I've passed by a craft shop called The Black Sheep several times and have always wanted to take a peek inside, and today I finally stopped in during my lunch break.  The quaint shop near downtown Orlando has a nice stock of high quality yarns that you can't find at the bigger craft stores.  I picked out three different colors from a brand called Berroco.  I'm super excited about starting the cowl.

I've got some time before I can start on my February project so in the meantime I'll continue to work on one of my unfinished afghans.  I'm also hoping to get my Etsy shop set up sometime this weekend.

Completed January Project

Here is a look at the completed set.  The scarf measures 73" long by 2 3/4" wide.  The opening of the beret is about 17 1/4".  Next on the to-do list is to open up a shop on Etsy and search for my February project.

Finished Beret

My January project is complete.  I finished the beret last night.  I ended up adding 10 additional rows in the middle of the hat to make it fit.

More Beret

Looks like I'm definitely going to have to add some more rows to make this fit. According to the pattern, I only have about 10 more rows to go. By the looks of it, I'm going to have to add at least double that.


On another note, I finally found a home for all the yarn that was stashed in the back of my closets. I got a large plastic storage box on sale at Target last weekend and actually organized all of my yarn, hooks and other crochet stuff. Now I just need to find a home for the box.

First Look: Beret

I sat down to start the beret and ended up finishing about 1/3 of it (according to the pattern). It looks like I'm going to have to add a few rows in the middle to make it big enough. I started with the plum yarn and am planning to add the grey as edging at the bottom.

Finished Scarf

The first part of my first project is complete. I was able to get the scarf done a lot faster than I thought. Here’s the finished piece.

First Look: Scarf

I decided to start this two part project with the scarf. I am planning on using the grey for the body of the scarf and the plum for the edging. Here’s a look at the beginning stages of the scarf.

January Project Materials

Yarn:
Patons Classic Wool

Plum Heather
Dark Grey Mix

Hooks:

Scarf: Susan Bates US K10.5/6.5 mm
Hat: Susan Bates US 7/4.5 mm