A Very Yarn Related Christmas...

Merry Christmas to you :)

I wanted to quickly hop on to my blog and just post some of the yarn related things I got for Christmass because it was very clear where  my wish list was directed.

I have fisnished all  of my projects for the year and haven't wanted to start a new project that would carry into 2016.  I also didn't want to start a new crochet project becacuse I had completed so many in such a short amount of time I needed a small break from it.  So, I have been practicing knitting.

2016 one of my main goals is to become as skilled with knitting as I am in crochet.  And I am doing  pretty well.

One of the things that I have been wanting for about 2 years has been a yarn swift, but I knew I wouldn't use it, I just wanted it.  But now, in 2016 that baby is going to be used quite a lot!  So I picked it out (and ordered it) but it is a gift from Jason and Fiona.  I am so excited!  I did a good amount of research and chose the yarn swift from KnitPicks.  It is beautiful and I love that the keys have bumpers on the ends of them to protect the surface the swift becomes mounted to.  It is beautiful and I am very pleased with it and cannot wait to use it.  I also ordered a Try Me set from KnitPicks to see what type of interchangeable needle set I would like to get in the future.

To go with my yarn swift I ordered some yarn off of eBay.  It is beautiful and squishy!  I am in love with this yarn.

I also received a great present from my inlaws.  A perfect gift.  Vintage crochet hook set that I have never seen before in person or on the internet.  I am very happy to have it in my collection.  Knitted by tags and a needle holder.  They also had no clue I was commiting myself to knitting this year. They are good to me.

Lastly, is my stocking :)
I received a planner and some fun materials for my Etsy Shop.  Target had the cutest things this year!

That concludes the yarn related things I received for Christmas this year.  I have one more post before the new year beause I want to close out 2015 with a look at the projects I completed this year and my goals for 2016 and that is it!

I hope you are all having a fantastic Christmas and Holiday season.  I am very blessed.  Fiona is snuggled up right next to me as I type this.  Life is good.

Cheers!

Shop MadeTheFlowers on Etsy

Happy Small Business Saturday!

Did you know I have a stocked Etsy Shop?

MadeTheFlowers Etsy Shop

It has items for kids and adults that are both crocheted and sewn.

I hand make everything listed in the shop myself.

I am a one woman show.

I make it,

I model it.

I photograph it,

I list it.

I love it.  

I hope you decide to help support the small business community this giving season.

Cheers!

Fisherman's Wool Simple Fingerless Gloves

Hello there!  How is your day?  Does it feel like Thanksgiving is next week?  I did a lot of my grocery shopping this morning, trying to beat as much of the traffic as possible.  The weather has been all kinds of cray cray today.  It dropped 10 degrees in an hour this morning. had snow flurries, and a lot of wind.  Now we are most likely going to have snow tonight!  It definitely does feel like it will be Thanksgiving next week and I am excited because I love a good cooking marathon!

Anyways, I just wanted to pop in with an update on my Crohet Star Blanket progress.  Originally, I had said I wanted to finish the blanket by tomorrow.  That will definitely not happen!  I have made some headway on it but I got sidetracked by different projects.  Doesn't that always happen?  I have become quite the completionist this last year, but when your husband asks if you can make something you haven't made before, you jump on the opportunity right?

Last weekend we went to the mountains and on the way there he asked me if I could make him some Fingerless Gloves.  I said yea, of course.  I had been wanting to make mittens but hadnt jumped on the idea.  Last week we got our first snow where I am in Colorado.  So, now it is inevitable, you must carry gloves or mittens with you whenever you travel because Colorado this time of year is freaking unpredictable.

I looked for about half an hour on Ravelry but I didnt like how fancy they were until finally I found this awesomely delightful Simple Fingerless Glove pattern by ChassityOquendo .

I loved making Jason a pair so much that I was like, ok, Fiona needs some.

 And then I thought, ok, I need some too!

  And so now we all three have a matching pair of Fingerless Gloves,

Materials Used
Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in the color Oatmeal
Hook: Pattern calls for H/5.0mm -- I used a G/4.0mm Hook to achieve gauge
Time: 2 hours per pair on average.

Great and simple pattern!  I highly recommend it!  Cheers!

Work In Progress Crochet Star Blanket

Last Saturday I started a new crochet project.  Fiona was feeling sickly and didn't want to engage in any activity that didn't involve a show and snuggles on the couch.  Which, who can blame her?  I am the same way when I am sick.  So after a few hours of what started to feel like being trapped on the couch, I decided to dive into a large crochet project.

I bought this yarn from Joann's close to two months ago.  It was on triple clearance during the same time as a 20% off total purchase coupon.  After all discounts, each ball of yarn cost me about $1.40-$1.50, which is insane!  This yarn is Patons Classic Wool in the colors Plum Heather, Seafoam, and Moss Heather.  At first I didnt know what to make with it, I just thought Oh My Gosh I must by this...ITS ON SALE!

After putting it all together when I got home in a bin I knew I wanted to make Fiona a wool blanket for this Winter season.  Over the next two months I had severe commitment issues to what pattern I wanted to use.  I knew that because I had bought it on clearance I would need to be careful what I chose to do.  I really want to make a sharp Chevron blanket with eyelets but I was afraid I would run out of yarn and then have to resort to buying more yarn that I bought because it was on sale for more that original price on Ebay.  So two months went by.

Then last Saturday, I decided that was the day to start this project.  I opened up my book 100 Colorful Ripple Stitches to Crochet by Leonie Morgan.  I saw the Star Blanket and I knew this was would be the inspiration for this project.  It was a fun and youthful shape to balance our the darker colorway of the blanket. Lastly, I could make it as big as the amount of yarn I have will allow, so no stress.  I have never done a project like this before so it was indeed the perfect one.

Fiona saw it on Sunday and was really happy that it would be hers so it has gotten me working on it as much as my shoulders will let me.  My goal is to finish this blanket by Saturday, November 21st.

Fingers Crossed.  Cheers!