Crochethttp://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/en-US2012-02-11T22:22:18ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)The most recent crochet work...http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2011/6/5/the-most-recent-crochet-work.htmlCharlotte2011-06-06T03:16:07Zhas long since been finished and delivered (of course quite belatedly), but here are finally a couple of snaps of the wrap I made my sister in law for her birthday.

I probably should have blocked it, but in the interest of time, didn't.  It actually works up fairly quickly, once you've got the pattern in your head...for me the problem was just finding time to work on it :)

]]>it's happening!http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2011/4/6/its-happening.htmlCharlotte2011-04-07T05:30:53Zcrochet foundation single crochetI'm actually working on something! YAY!!  I can't say what it is right now, because it's a gift, so no pictures either until it's done and been given and received.  For the first time, however, I tried doing a foundation single crochet, instead starting with a bunch of chain stitches, turning, and sc across.  I didn't realize the pattern was written that way, but luckily I had just watched a video courtesy of futuregirl a few days ago about doing the fsc, so I was able to figure out the written instructions.  The pattern did include directions for doing it without an fsc, but I wanted to try it and am glad I did; I like the way it turned out.

The top stretch of it shows how it looks from the side, and the bottom shows more of the top of the stitches.

I managed to get about 1/4 of the project done, so that was a good dent! 

I have also one finished project I haven't shown yet, a blanket I made for Harry.  I finished it a few weeks ago already but I still haven't taken any pictures of it.  One of these days I'll get on that!

]]>a few gifts long in the workshttp://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2011/1/20/a-few-gifts-long-in-the-works.htmlCharlotte2011-01-21T06:48:58Z

 

]]>New toyshttp://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2011/1/2/new-toys.htmlCharlotte2011-01-03T06:18:01ZOne of my Christmas gifts from Jared was an OttLite lamp, which are advertised a lot in crochet magazines, and most likely other craft publications.  These lamps/bulbs are supposed to provide a more natural daylight-type of light, making reading and close work easier on the eyes.  I also just picked up some yarn on sale to finally make Harry a blanket, so I wanted to see if there was a difference in photographing it under the lamp over our kitchen table, or using the Ottlite.  I'm curious to see how this lamp could be used for photography, especially for macros in my light box.  In any event, here is the yarn, first under our regular light....

and under the Ottlite...

There is definitely a difference in the way colors show up!  It'll be nice to have that sort of light to work with when I do get back to crocheting.  I don't have a specific pattern chosen for the blanket, and I'll most likely make something up...so I hope I bought enough yarn! 

The other crocheting I have on the go are some small stuffed animals I originally started with the intention to give to my niece for Christmas, but as always I ran out of time...well, actually I finished the crocheting, I just didn't finish the detail work, like sewing the pieces together and sewing on the facial features.  So I'm hoping to finish those this week so she can have them as a gift for Ukrainian Christmas, which is just a few days away!  Eeeek!  Wish me luck!

]]>Oh yarn, how I miss thee!http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2010/10/31/oh-yarn-how-i-miss-thee.htmlCharlotte2010-11-01T05:53:47ZI am embarassed to say that despite all of my intentions of crocheting things for baby while I was pregnant, I didn't get around to much of that...and never even made him a baby blanket!  YIKES!  I don't think he minds, but I'd still like to do it.  Since he arrived I haven't had time to pick up any projects for more than a very few minutes here and there, but I'm getting the itch to do it...my mind is swirling with images of toys, small projects that could actually get finished!  Christmas will be here in no time, so maybe if I get those few minutes in here and there, I can get a few things completed.  Wish me luck!

]]>And the clock keeps ticking..http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2010/6/14/and-the-clock-keeps-ticking.htmlCharlotte2010-06-15T02:54:26Zand the crocheting keeps sitting!  I haven't touched anything in ages.  The yoshi stuffies I was going to make my nieces for Easter never got finished after I got frustrated with the feet and put them down to take a break from it.  I think the only thing I attempted since then were some thread flowers that I was going to glue magnets on so they could be used as fridge magnets, to give to my mom for mother's day, but after making 3 of them I changed my mind and they still sit half completed.  I thought I could finish the yoshis as end of the school year presents instead, but it dawned on me that means I have to have them finished in the next week or so.  Hmm.  Well, we'll see.  Lots of other stuff that needs to be done around here.  So that's where things stand for now, nothing exciting and no new projects to show off.  Oh well, someday soon I shall carry on...I hope!

]]>Finally done!http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2010/3/19/finally-done.htmlCharlotte2010-03-20T05:39:26ZThese took me WAY too long to finish due to sheer lack of motivation, because the pattern is soooo simple.  It's from Lion Brand Yarn.  I made both with the same colors but changed their order so the blankets are not exactly the same.

and a last minute idea...

And they are all finally in the mail! 

I had planned on finally making something that I wouldn't be giving away, but with Easter coming, I wanted to find something to make my nieces as part of their Easter goodies.  After discovering their uncle's old Nintendo 64 and some Mario Brothers games a few months ago, they are crazy about Yoshi!  As luck would have it, I found a pattern on Etsy.  So, up next, 2 Yoshi stuffies! I thought the pattern was a bit pricy, but it would save me a lot of time and probably frustration if I tried to make a pattern myself, so it's all good!  I bought the yarn, now I just have to get started.  But not tonight, it's late and I'm tired, so off to bed I go!

]]>Don't you hate it when...http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2010/3/17/dont-you-hate-it-when.htmlCharlotte2010-03-18T04:54:33Z...you're using up some of your yarn stash to make something instead of buying more yarn, but you run out when you're almost finished, and have to go buy another ball anyway?  Ugh!

I guess the good thing was that it was yarn I bought a few months ago and was still able to find without any problem.  Phew!  This is part of the project I was talking about in my last post, and yes, it took me forever to finish it.  I just have to take a few pics and then pack things up to get in the mail.  Hooray!

]]>Hello February!http://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2010/2/3/hello-february.htmlCharlotte2010-02-04T06:20:15ZWell, here we are in February already and I haven't picked up my hook very much in the last month.  I do have one project on the go that's almost finished...

After finishing a couple of gifts I was asked to make, I think I'll finally make something that will remain in my posession instead of being wrapped up and given away.  What, I'm not sure!  I have plenty of patterns to choose from, so who knows I'll decide on.  :)

]]>Remainder of the Christmas crochethttp://www.tangledyarns.ca/crochet/2010/1/4/remainder-of-the-christmas-crochet.htmlCharlotte2010-01-04T21:42:12ZNow that the holiday activities and travel are done, I finally have time to put up some pictures of the rest of the items I made for Christmas gifts.

This is a shawl I made for my mom.  I made it from bamboo yarn with a bit of silk in it, and it is super soft!!

The pattern is called Aphrodite Shawl and is available for free online.

I also made some stuffed animals for my nieces.  They each wanted a Snoopy...

A yellow lab puppy for Sophie...I bought the pattern on Etsy and unfortunately had problems making the legs.  I spent so much time frogging them and redoing them.  Then when I was down to the last leg I  discovered I made a mistake in the previous one and made it a few rows too short...by that point I was so frustrated and couldn't bear to redo it, so I just made the 2nd leg to match it.  It makes him more of a sitter than a stander, but I don't think Sophie really cares.  Phew.

Last but not least, Cheer Bear for Nicki, from a Care Bear pattern book I have...as with Grumpy Bear I made for her birthday, I cheated and made the tummy symbols, eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes and hearts from felt and hot glued them on.  I also didn't finish the feet the way they are in the book, giving them the look of having toes, but I didn't understand the instructions so I left them plain on both bears.

I also made a get well gift for my brother-in-law Dustin.  There is a bit of a back story to this...a few years ago while visiting Dustin & Kristelle, we watched Willy Wonka (the Johnny Depp version) and found ourselves singing a catchy little tune from the movie. It has remained something of a running joke, and we still sing it.  While Dustin was recently in the hospital with some health problems, I pondered what I could send as a get well gift.  While browsing Etsy one night, I came across a pattern for the Mad Hatter, and figured I could alter it to make it a Willy Wonka doll.  What would make it perfect would be if I could find a little music box to put in it that would play the Willy Wonka song when you squeezed it.  Good luck finding that!  As it happened, while I was checking out a craft supply website, I came across recordable boxes.  BING!  Problem solved.  I ordered the box, and the 10 seconds it allowed me to record was just perfect to record the part of the song we always sing.  Then I made up the doll, put the box inside, and voila, he was done.  We ended up going to visit over the Christmas holidays, so I was able to deliver him personally.  I didn't pose him very well, but you get the idea!

I took along some yarn and my hooks thinking I might work on some other things while we visited, but I didn't touch any of them.  I don't have my next project planned yet, but I'm sure it won't be long til I'm back at it!

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