I decided last July to take a small break from blogging. I figured I’d be gone a couple of weeks, maybe a month, and then I’d be back to posting. Somehow time got away from me and the weeks turned into months. Nine months.
Yikes!
I’ve missed my blog. I’m not saying I plan to blog daily however you can look forward (hopefully) to reading about my knitting, looming, and crocheting exploits on a more regular basis.
The changes you see on my blog, dear reader, are only cosmetic. No content changes have been made. I just fell in love with this theme and had to make a switch as soon as I saw it.
As you were …
While I was doing some much needed housekeeping with my bookmarks today, I stumbled on a site I’d saved several months ago on making your own yarn out of recycled t-shirts.
When I originally saw this I remember thinking, “Wow! What a clever idea!” and then I quickly buried the page away in my bookmarks. Seeing it again reminded me that I had more than one t-shirt that could be made into yarn.
I quickly gathered my supplies and set to work on two shirts. The shirts were made into “tarn” in no time flat.
And because the colors coordinated with stripes on a hand towel I found recently I’ve decided to crotchet this into a granny square bath mat for our master bathroom.
I need to find shirts in yellow, orange, and lime green to finish this off. I’m going to make a trip Goodwill tomorrow after class in search of the perfect materials.
As you may or may not be aware my husband and I only recently moved to Memphis. I’ve had a difficult time find permanent work since we’ve been here and decided that 1) with the economy showing no signs of turning around and opening up tons of jobs any time soon and 2) since I never finished when I went the first time I should finally go back to school. And so in January I re-started my academic career.
Why am I bringing this up, you ask? So that I can give some kind of excuse for why this blog about my yarny exploits has been neglected. I have actually been looming, crocheting, and knitting but with classes and homework it’s become harder and harder to remember to post about my progress!
I’m working on better managing my down time so that I’m being more productive and one of the goals of managing this time is to work in time for blogging, even if it’s only 5 minutes a week because 5 minutes is 5 minutes more than I’ve been doing. Maybe then I won’t feel like I’m neglecting this blog? Not that most of my visitors will care but I care and I’m going to make an effort to post new content regularly.
Stay tuned!
I am still what I consider a new crocheter and an even newer knitter. I just began crocheting this past summer and I’m still trying to teach myself to knit and even though I’m a fast learner I’m still not really doing anything very advanced. Most of my work is made up of simple stitches and shapes. I can follow patterns and I have even written a couple of my own patterns for simple things. For the most part though I’m still in the advanced beginner stage.
My point? I’m still learning. I’ve been borrowing books from the library and reading blogs like they’re going out of style. I almost always find inspiration but I very rarely learn new techniques this way – from reading about it. What ends up happening is that I’ll read about something and then re-read and re-read it again, then work on a project and frog it several times in frustration. I know myself well enough to know that I’m a visual learner which means that hands-on training is perfect for me. Right now this is not very practical considering my budget and schedule. What’s a crafty girl eager to get some learnin’ in her head to do? Well, she heads to Youtube!
I can’t fathom that there’s anyone who hasn’t heard of Youtube so I’m not going to bother describing the site to you. But you might be surprised at the number of crochet, knitting, and looming videos you can find. Can’t figure out how to make a crochet magic ring? Find it on Youtube! How do you do cast on with a knitting loom? Find it on Youtube! How do I use circular knitting needles? Find it on Youtube!
Bottom line: If you’re like me and are a visual learner then I highly recommend running over to Youtube when you’re stumped on a technique. Chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for.
I know I haven’t posted much lately. With the gift-giving season fast approaching I have busied myself with making presents for my family. Although I’m not sure that anyone in my family reads this blog I’ve decided it’s better to be safe than sorry. Which means? I’m not going to reveal what I’m working on until after the first of the year. Suffice it to say that things are progressing smoothly and I think everyone will like what I’ve made for them.
Do you make gifts for your family and friends and if so what are you planning to give?
I have just changed, er, updated the name of this blog to reflect my newly cultivated crochet hobby. I have been crocheting a lot lately – more than I’ve been looming. That may have something to do with the fact that I don’t have ANY of my looming supplies with me while we’re in transitional housing (you can read about that story in my last post on my other blog).
Anywho, I was thinking that once hubs and I are settled into our new home then I’ll take some photos of things I’ve been working on and share them. I’ll also be able to pull out my looms again.
A member of one of the Yahoo Groups I belong shared this with me and now I feel compelled to post it here. This crocheter makes jewelry from tiny, tiny doilies and even though I personally am not a doily fan (what do you use them for anyway?) her work is pretty cool.
I haven’t posted in more than a month? Yikes! Sorry, readers! I have no good excuse except the one offered on my other blog I just posted about not having my own computer and our temporary living arrangements.
Hubs and I are living with my mother-in-law and I only brought one loom with me, my round, purple KK loom. I was working on a beanie when we moved and I’ve finished it however I haven’t had a chance to photograph anything. I used a mock-crochet stitch and ww acrylic yarn. I wanted something light for warmer weather but it’s been SOOOOOO hot and humid I can’t even begin to imagine wearing it right now!
In other news, I have discovered that I know how to crochet! LOL A few months before our move I borrowed some books from the library about knitting and crocheting with the hopes that I could teach myself how to do both. I gave up on both out of frustration with the photos and instructions. I’m a pretty hands-on person so I figured I needed to have personal instruction and was going to take a couple of classes at Hobby Lobby/Michaels/Joanns when I had time. Well, long story short … our funds are limited right now and my parent’s anniversary was coming up and I needed a gift for them. I sorted through the looming supplies I’d brought with me and saw my crochet hooks and decided to crochet a couple of cotton washcloths. Lo and behold, after I made a few chains and completed my foundation row, I suddenly realized I CAN CROCHET! I made a bunch of washcloths for both Mom & Dad and myself. I made some small, round face buds (similar to these Little Cotton Button Buds by leahstreasure’s that I found on Etsy). Now I’m working on a really cute purse (Crochet Summer Tote). Crochet is addictive and quick so I’m really having fun playing with yarns and hooks. 
More updates later. Stay tuned.
I know I haven’t posted many times to this blog but I wanted to let the few people who may be following my knitting know that I will be taking a temporary break while hubs and I are moving. During the next several weeks most of my knitting supplies are going to be packed away in boxes. *sigh*
The only thing I have been working on recently is getting works in progress completed to a point where I can stop working and easily pick back up again when our moving boxes are finally opened. Once we’re finally settled, I’m sure I’ll be posting completed projects at a fast and furious pace!
Meanwhile, to satisfy your GretchKal fix please visit my other blog at GretchKal’s Scrapbook and remember you can also follow me at Twitter.
Happy knitting!
