summer crafting + links

The warm days have me reaching for lighter weight yarn and thread. I've got a linen Hitofude cardigan on the needles right now. It is slowgoing work for me. I have to keep myself from looking at the pattern in its entirety or else I might throw my hands up in defeat. This one is going to take forever. At least the lace pattern is emerging now, instead of just looking like I spilled oatmeal on my knitting needles.

I've also been crocheting daisies when the urge strikes. I hope in a week or two I'll have enough for a delicate daisy chain to decorate my mantel. I found the pattern on Her Library Adventures (via Moose and Bird).

And I decided I've become a little too precious with my handknitted socks; I rarely wear them because I don't want to ruin them. That's just silly and not why I made them at all. I'm making an effort to wear them more (or I will, come fall). I figure they'll last longer if I have more socks in rotation, so I cast on a pair of after-thought heel socks. I really like how the solid blue toe and cuff (and eventually, heel) tone down the variegated yarn.

* * *

I hope your week is off to a great start. Here are some links to inspire more good days:

I want to make mini fudge popsicles for my boy and me.

I started saving avocado pits and skins as soon as I saw Liesl's amazing natural-dyed yarn. It seems like a fun project for a summer afternoon.

I wish I could smell Melody's latest blog post. I love the delicate scent of lilacs!

Joanna has me thinking about vacation. Where would you go? I've been dreaming of San Francisco and Yosemite.

If you're local, you should go to the Starlight Strawberry Festival this weekend. It's one of my favorite festivals of the year. Get there early for the best berries!

flower baby hat (and a little crochet pattern)

I promise, there really has been lots of knitting going on around these parts. I've been busy making Christmas gifts, but I can't share the progress here because I don't want to ruin the surprise.

This pink flower hat is a gift for my friend's newborn baby girl. I figured it's OK to show on the blog because it isn't likely that my friend has much time to read blogs these days.

This is my go-to newborn hat pattern. It's simple, quick, and so basic that it lends itself to many variations. Sometimes I make it with a fold-over brim or add embellishments (like this crocheted flower). It would look sweet in stripes, too.

Even though I always make this hat in cotton, it has plenty of stretch. I made one for my cousin's spring baby and he wore it as a newborn and all through the following winter.

Name: Flower Baby Hat

Pattern: Basic Newborn Hat

Crocheted Five-Petal Flower Embellishment

I improvised the flower but jotted down the pattern in case you're interested in making one yourself. Let me know if anything is unclear or if you have any questions. I haven't written any crochet patterns in a long time, so my skills are a little rusty.

I used DK-weight cotton yarn and a G (4 mm) hook.

Abbreviations

Ch: Chain

Sl st: Slip stitch

Dc: American double crochet

Sc: American single crochet

To begin, ch 5. Sl st into first chain to form a circle.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). 9 dc into ring. Sl st into top of ch 3.

Round 2: Ch 5. *Skip 1 dc and sl st into the next dc. Rep from * 4 times, ending with a sl st in the first dc (you'll sl st into the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 1st dc of the previous round).

Round 3: *Sc 5 into loop made by ch 5. Sl st into same dc you slip stitched into on the previous round. Rep from * 4 times. 

Weave in ends and sew on anything that could use a little spot of cheer.

thoughts on the f-word and a rainbow morning

* * * 

I quit Facebook two weeks ago. Not for some grand ideological reason. I quit mostly because every time I logged in, I felt my tension rise. The news feed seemed endless. Minute updates and political arguments annoyed me. So, I shut it down. 

Although I probably will be back again (it's the only contact I have with some friends), I'm enjoying the gains I've found these two weeks. I have more time out in the real world. I used to lose whole hours when I checked updates on my phone. Hours! Hours that I could have spent knitting! Or reading, walking, chatting, playing games, and gardening. I don't feel as stressed. I'm glad I don't have to hear everyone's opinion during this political season. Also, I've talked to a couple of friends on the phone, and it felt great to actually connect instead of reading general pronouncements about their day. And I've received emails. Those are few and far between these days, so I'm savoring them. 

But of course, there are losses, too. I quit on the spur of the moment, so I'm sure I left some friends in the lurch. Also, I know I'll get invited to fewer events because I'm out of touch. One of my friends quit Facebook more than a year ago and hasn't returned. She told me she's glad she did except that she doesn't like missing out on invites. 

Anyway, if we were Facebook friends, please know I didn't unfriend you. Of course we're friends (even if we never were Facebook friends!). Let's stay in touch. I'm only an email away!

* * *

A note about the photo: Lately we've had chilly mornings. Of course, I'm always ready for fall, so the other day I broke out my hand-knit socks and snuggled under my ripple blanket. When I finally looked at myself, I couldn't help but laugh. I was completely covered in rainbows! It was a great way to start the morning.

knitted bunny and top handmade baby gifts

I keep forgetting to share this sweet bunny with you. I made her during a knitting frenzy back in April for my sister's birthday. This bunny is pretty adorable if you ask me! She's the long-eared version of the Well-Dressed Bunny (you may remember the short-eared version I made).

This pattern doesn't take too long to knit, but does require keeping track of the pattern and pieces during the process. The worst part is sewing all (eight!) of the pieces together. I don't have much practice with finishing techniques (this book might help), and I don't think it's very fun. However, the resulting bunny is so adorable that I'll brave an hour of sewing.

Apparently I've hit the time in my life when everyone starts having babies. A few years ago everyone got married, and now my Facebook feed shows nonstop pregnancy and baby updates that make me sometimes wonder if people ever see their babies outside of the camera viewfinder. I try to counteract all the digital media these babies experience by always giving a handmade gift. 

This bunny makes the sweetest baby gift (at least in my knitterly opinion). I gave the short-eared bunny to a friend who recently had a baby and plan to get some superwash yarn and make more to give away. I actually never look at baby registries (is that terrible?). Instead, I just make something because all babies need something handmade. The friend I gave the bunny to told me she'd received 15 baby hats, but none of them were handmade. I was glad I hadn't made her baby a hat (that's my go-to baby gift) and glad that I had taken the time to make something!

Here are my favorite baby gifts to make:

Top Handmade Baby Gifts

• Well-Dressed Bunny
• Elf Hat (the bulky yarn would be so fast to knit, and no one else will give the baby a hat like this!)
• Beanie (crochet or knit versions)
• Felt lamb
• Socks (these look quick and cute)
• Blanket (granny square, ripple, or shell)

I also recently stocked up on Maiden Radio's Lullabies to give as last minute gifts or send to friends who live in warm places.

* * * 

What are the top handmade baby gifts you've made or received?

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good things lately

 Despite the recent storms, life has been full of some really good things lately. I thought I'd share.

{African flower hexagons}

Crocheting African flower hexagons outside is one of my new favorite things. I love having an outdoor space of my own now (except when the neighbor dog is out; she thinks I'm in her space and lets me know it).

{Our garden before the storm}

K made this raised bed with plans from The Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building Projects. It was his first solo woodworking project, and he did a wonderful job. The seats on each side of the bed make planting and weeding much easier. 

Also, even though the garden doesn't look as pretty after the hail storm, the plants are recovering well. I'm impressed by their resilience. We should have plenty of lettuce, chard, spinach, and kale in a few weeks.

{A new biscuit recipe}

We are breakfast-making people. Most weekends we'll make eggs or French toast or pancakes or biscuits. I usually make my tried-and-true biscuit recipe, but I just had to try out this drop biscuit recipe. The dough comes together quickly (great for bleary-eyed mornings) and produces light, slightly sweet biscuits. These biscuits are too delicate for our usual breakfast sandwiches, so we drizzled them with honey. Mmm... 

{A new mug. And a new class!}

I bought this mug at an art fair last weekend and love it so much that I signed up for one-on-one classes with the maker. I haven't been in a ceramics studio in six years! I'm so excited to get my hands in some clay.

{Game nights}

We have game nights several times each week. Sometimes it's just my husband and me, and sometimes we get together to play games with friends. Scrabble night doesn't happen often--we usually stick with newer strategy games. Our favorites right now are Dominion and Notre Dame.

* * * 

Also, today is the Kentucky Derby, which means drinking, gambling, and spending time with family. All good things.

What good things are going on in your life lately?

*

first flowers of spring

I've finally put my snow dreams to rest for the season. Instead I've turned my thoughts to spring--digging in the dirt, identifying the mysterious green shoots sprouting in my backyard, and crafting with colorful yarn.

Last weekend I went to the craft store to look for sewing and jewelry-making supplies to make a Scalloped Dresden bag and cross stitched jewelry. Unfortunately, I couldn't find all of the supplies for either project. Sometimes when I go to big craft stores, I get overwhelmed looking at all of the supplies and end up in the yarn aisle. The yarn aisle comforts me. I know what to do with yarn. So that's what happened last weekend. I came out of the store with a giant bag of yarn and no sewing or jewelry supplies. Again.

As soon as I got home, I broke out my crochet hook and dug into that bag of yarn. An indoor garden soon bloomed as these crocheted flowers flew off my hook. The African Flower Hexagon pattern is quick to learn and easy to memorize. This crocheted garden is a lot less work than the actual garden I'm planning!

* * * * *

What are you up to these days? I'm hoping to fill my Sunday with working in the yard, making cheese, baking bread, browsing at the thrift store, knitting socks, crocheting flowers, and cleaning up the house.  Even if I only check a couple of these things off the list, I'll be happy.

* * * * *

I also want to say that my thoughts are with the people affected by the strong tornadoes that ripped through the area this week. The scenes of destruction look unreal, and I can't fathom how much hard work and resilience it will take for the people and towns to recover. I'm so grateful Louisville did not get hit by the storms. I hope you are safe and happy wherever you are!

resolve

action: my word for 2012

I am a dreamer. I could happily spend my days thinking up places to go, crafts to make, and foods to bake. However, I'm resolving to make a year of action. I want to do things instead of just thinking about them. I want to be out in the world living.

Recently I've heard a number of people eschew resolutions. They don't like to set goals because they'll feel bad when they don't achieve those goals. Pshaw, people. Leave that negativity back in 2011 and move on. Resolutions are my favorite part of the new year, in part because I'm a list-maker anyway and also because I don't get worked up if my goals don't get checked off. There's always next year, right?

2012 To-do List

• Try out new crafts. Basket-weaving, spinning, and woodworking are all possibilities. 

• Knit like crazy. Experiment more with knitting and be unafraid to veer away from patterns.

• Try new crochet stitches. Write and share more patterns.

• Make cheese. This one I've already done, so I'll change it: Make more cheese.

• Submit writing for publication, online or in print.

• Get outside more. Walk, hike, play.

• Use time more wisely. Curtail computer use. 

• Send more snail mail. Hopefully this will result in receiving more mail. Yay!

• Design and create a lovely backyard garden.

• Travel somewhere I've never been. Maybe the Grand Canyon or Yosemite? I also want to go to Mammoth Cave and Gethsemani. 

As part of my plan, I'd like to curtail my computer use. I've written before that my job requires me to spend long hours in front of the computer. When I get home at night, my eyes feel strained and my body is tired, yet I continue to log evening hours online just for fun. There are so many blogs and websites that give me inspiration, but what use is that inspiration if I have no time or energy to create on my own? I absolutely want to continue crafting and writing here on Field Wonderful, so I need to carve out more space for myself to do that and be more mindful of how I use my time.

* * * * *

What are your resolutions for 2012? I'd love to hear.

* * * * *

Resolutions for 2010 and 2011. 

An article about quiet, stillness, and time away from electronics (via). 

craft year

Bingo!

A collage of my 2011 finished knitted and crocheted projects (plus one that is almost finished--can you spot it?).

3 adult-sized sweaters

1 baby sweater

5 adult hats

2 baby hats

1 pair of socks

1 pair of slippers

6 pairs of mittens/fingerless gloves

3 scarves

1 blanket

1 rug

4 crochet accessories

1 crochet block of my own design

(I'm pretty sure I forgot to show the finished version of this last one)

My hands kept busy this past year, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope to keep my hands even busier in 2012.

 Happy New Year! I hope you have a creative and productive year.

brown paper packages

a peek at the packages.

merry making!

free gift tags from hey look. 

crochet stars. 

free pattern from a foothill home companion.

* * * 

and just so you know, only hours before the gifts looked like this.

 knit mess.

More photos to come, of course.

crafting

Lately my mind is buzzing with projects that I want to make right now. Nevermind that I've got several Christmas projects that I haven't even started. No, now is the time to make myself some bunny slippers, knit myself a cardigan, and crochet stars for Christmas package decorations. I may end up with nothing to put in those packages, but rest assured that they'll be gorgeously decorated empty boxes.

I've been logging plenty of crafting hours, which means I get to spend lots of time in my upstairs craft room. It's so cozy up there! I've also been listening to a ton of podcasts and thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

Patient Zero - Radiolab Fascinating exploration of the history of HIV and SIV. This podcast episode made me long for my days as an anthropology major when my favorite professor deemed everything "fascinating." I think she'd like this.

Unintentional Spinners - Just One More Row Um, so, I have this urge to add another craft to my repertoire. It started when I watched women spinning yarn at the state fair. This podcast episode only added fuel to the fire. The hosts of this show, Brittany and Dana, always sound like they're having so much fun (and they have lovely twangy voices). I've promised myself not to start spinning until after Christmas.

[Every episode] - The Moth The Moth makes me happy. If you don't listen to it yet, you should start. It's real people telling true, unscripted stories, and it's always compelling.

* * * 

Are you a podcast listener? What are you favorites? 

I'm always looking for new ones to try!

Mitered Crochet Square Pattern

This weekend was filled with good things: a walk to the farmers' market, seeing the final Harry Potter movie, spending time with new friends, and working on a mitered crochet design. I've worked up a pattern for you. I hope you like it! I'm currently using a pile of mitered squares to make a dishcloth pattern. I'll post the dishcloth pattern here on the blog when it's ready. And no, I have not forgotten about my rope doily rug pattern. It's in the works still. 

Mitered Crochet Square

by Allison Lutes

Free pattern courtesy of fieldwonderful.blogspot.com

Supplies:

Worsted weight yarn in two colors (not much—this is a great project for scrap yarn)

US Size H (5 mm) hook

Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Stitches used:

ch—Chain stitch

sc—US single crochet (same as UK dc/double crochet)

sc2tog-- US single crochet two together (same as UK dc2tog)

How to sc2tog: Insert hook into next stitch. Yarn over and pull up loop (2 loops on hook). Insert hook into next stitch. Yarn over and pull up loop (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook. One decrease made.

Notes: This is a simple and hopefully straightforward pattern. To make a mitered square, you start with the largest side and gradually decrease with each row. I found that alternating a decrease of three stitches for one row and one stitch for the next row made a pretty even square. I've listed the stitch count at the end of each row so that you can easily keep track of the number of decreases.

I have tried to keep the instructions as simple as possible. For example, in the first row “12 sc” means one single crochet in each of the first twelve stitches. For this pattern, always crochet one single crochet per stitch except on the sc2tog, which have one single crochet per two stitches.

The turning chain does not count as the first stitch.

* * *

Let's begin, shall we?

To begin: With color A, ch 31.

Row 1: 12 sc, sc2tog 3 times, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (27 stitches)

Row 2: 13 sc, sc2tog, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (26 stitches)

Row 3: 10 sc, sc2tog 3 times, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (23 stitches)

Row 4: 11 sc, sc2tog, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (22 stitches)

Row 5: 8 sc, sc2tog 3 times, 7 sc. Sc one more time, switching to color B on last yarn over. Ch 1, turn. (19 stitches)

Row 6: 9 sc, sc2tog, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (18 stitches)

Row 7: 6 sc, sc2tog 3 times, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (15 stitches)

Row 8: 7 sc, sc2tog, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (14 stitches)

Row 9: 4 sc, sc2tog 3 times, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (11 stitches)

Row 10: 5 sc, sc2tog, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (10 stitches)

Row 11: 2 sc, sc2tog 3 times, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (7 stitches)

Row 12: 3 sc, sc2tog, sc to end. Ch 1, turn. (6 stitches)

Row 13: sc2tog 3 times. Ch 1, turn. (3 stitches)

Row 14: 1 sc, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (2 stitches)

Row 15: sc2tog. (1 stitch)

Cut yarn and weave in ends. Finished square measures approximately 4 in x 4 in (10 cm x 10 cm). Now make more and sew them together to make dishcloths, potholders, scarves, blankets, etc. Or simply add a border and you've got a cute coaster.


You can also find this pattern on Ravelry.

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Feel free to use this pattern for your own personal use or for sale. If using it for sale, please give me credit by including my blog name (fieldwonderful.blogspot.com) with your crocheted product. Spread the crochet love!

Pattern copyright 2011 by Allison Lutes

yarn along: knit + crochet experiment

yarn along today

I've been in awe of the wonderful mitered crosses I've seen recently, such as Andrea's and Andi's blankets. So I started experimenting with my own miters, adapting from other patterns and throwing in some trial and error. Once I started knitting one, I wondered if I could create a similar square in crochet. Turns out, I can. I'm still trying to get these the way I want them, but in the meantime I am enjoying my experiments. Sometimes it's fun just to see what my fingers can make. I am not normally a fan of projects that combine knitting and crochet, but these two squares are looking pretty happy together.

As for other yarns in my life, I've been flipping through A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life. It's got fantastic peeks into ordinary homes, clutter and all. It's good to see the flux of real living. I can't remember where I first came across this book, but I know lots of bloggers have been reading it. It'll keep you inspired with pretty, cozy homes and the interesting people who inhabit them.

yarn along: rope doily rug

{hip hip hooray, it's yarn along day}

I've got a rope doily rug in my home now. I knew I was missing something before, and now things feel just right in my life. It only took three trips to the hardware store and five packages of clothesline.

Crocheting this wasn't hard, but it wasn't relaxing either. The rope isn't as smooth or pliable as yarn, so I never did get into a rhythm as I made this. I used a combination of hook and fingers to make the stitches.  

I am so pleased with the results. This doily rug is going to be my bathmat because bare feet on rope feels so summery, like hanging out at the dock. I also think a doily rug would be a perfect welcome mat at the front door, and I'd love to use thicker rope and a larger hook (mine was 9 1/4 mm for this project) to make an area rug for the living room (inspired by this gorgeous one). I'm not so sure my husband would approve of all these doilies, but we'll take things one rug at a time. 

My sister stopped by for a visit yesterday and I convinced her to lend her lovely toes to give some perspective on the size of this rug. 

I'm working on writing up the pattern and tips for a tutorial, so if you're interested check back here in the next couple of weeks.

* * * * * 

For the other yarns: I spent many lunches and bedtimes this week poring over The Opinionated Knitter. I enjoy Elizabeth Zimmermann's descriptions of camping out in the woods as much as I love her knitting patterns. My favorite passage of this book describes how EZ used to secretly knit on the back of a motorcycle. She didn't want her husband to know she was knitting because he would (rightly) be upset with her, so she'd stash a small project in her pocket and knit away once they were on the road. That's passion. 

  

yarn along: little lace and big lace

yarn along today

I am still going strong on my Audrey cardigan. The Shetland lace turned out to be simple (and fun) to make. I knitted the lace section while K and I watched The Wire (season 3), and I didn't get nearly as much knitting done because I couldn't stop watching the show. Now I'm working on the back and wondering just how long sleeves are going to take me. I'm guessing longer than I'd like. 

I just started reading Lee Smith's latest collection of short stories Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-eyed Stranger. Smith's stories of people in the South make me appreciate the daily-ness of life and the incredible characters who live here. I read her writing when I lived abroad to feel closer to home (Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Barbara Kingsolver were also on my abroad reading list). 

* * * 

rope doily rug preview

Yesterday I stopped in at the hardware store and asked where the rope section was. "What do you need rope for?" the man behind the counter asked. "Oh, I'm just making a rug," I said. Hardware stores make me nervous because I never feel handy enough to be in them. The man showed me the rope section and pointed out cotton and sisal ones that might be good for rug-making. Maybe I'm not the first to come in about a rug. I didn't mention I was crocheting a doily rug, though. I ended up buying fifty feet of cotton clothesline, which you can see didn't get me very far. I'll get more today so that I can finish this rope doily rug. It's going to be my bathmat. I plan on making a tutorial for this when I'm through. 

crocheted stone from margie

I recently won a giveaway on Margie's blog, resurrection fern. Her crocheted stones have been inspiring me for years now, and lately she's been documenting her experiments with natural plant dyes. She has created some wonderful colored yarns and fabrics from materials she's gathered near her home.

I was so happy to receive my giveaway package from Margie. The bamboo "stone" feels so light and smooth. I'm amazed at the colors Margie has achieved--such stunning robin's egg blue and deep, dusty purple. This stone will definitely be treasured. 

Thank you, Margie!

hello, sunshine.

It's no secret that I love yellow. Canary, lemon, goldenrod, mustard, and butter are all shades that make me smile. So, I wanted to celebrate the sunshine and upcoming summer with a series of yellow vignettes around my apartment. 

The first vignette I created is on one of my living room end tables. It features a bowl of yarn, initial blocks, a mustard tin, a memory jar, a glove mold that is just the size of my hands (extra small), and Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." The memory jar, in case you're wondering, is the jar that I chuck all of my event tickets into--tickets from movies, plays, concerts, ballgames, etc. I'm a saver, but not a scrapbooker. This easy storage arrangement works for me because it keeps all my tickets together and on display, but requires no effort on my part. 

The second vignette is in my phone nook. Yellow books, a button jar, a crocheted stone, and scrabble letters. These are a few of my favorite things!

I couldn't resist posting another photo of the yellow yarn bowl. It holds so many wonderful possibilities...

* * * * *

What's making you happy today?

yarn along: sister stone

Today is my sister Julie's birthday. Happy Birthday! Julie always tells me that she's so glad I'm her sister. How sweet is that? Well, today I want to make sure that she knows the feeling is mutual. 

* * * * * 

Jules, 

 You are the sweetest sister, and I'm so glad you're mine. 

I couldn't imagine my life without you. 

Happy 22nd birthday!

 I love you, 

 A

* * * * * 

I whipped up a birthday stone for Julie over the weekend. I made some motifs of my own design a couple of months ago, so when Julie said she'd really like a crocheted stone, I pulled out a motif from my pile. I connected the tips of the motif with chain stitches and then continued chaining around and slip-stitching into the chains of the previous round to create a kind of netting. She seemed to really like it. 

When I first started giving crocheted stones as gifts, I often described them as paperweights. I thought people could understand paperweights better. However, lately I've been thinking of them as meditation stones. Meditation stones sounds much more appropriate.

This week I got to read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly for class. Jean Dominique Bauby narrates his life story, ending with the massive stroke that left him completely paralyzed except for one eye. I found it so interesting to learn the perspective of someone locked inside his own body. The writing process that produced this book astounded me: Bauby spent two months with a translator documenting each letter he signaled with a blink of his eye. At first I couldn't help but read this book very slowly, trying to take in and appreciate all of the time and effort that went into composing each letter. Soon, though, I found myself caught up in Bauby's story. I would definitely recommend this book (and the film).

* * * * 

Yarning along with Ginny today. 

I'm in awe of this recent post of hers. What a beautiful family of knitters!

weekend snippets: procrastination

Chocolate cupcakes with sugared violets

Whew. This is my last month of school. Like maybe ever. 

Days are busy. Tense. There's a lot of anxiety around here, folks. 

My head won't stop turning over all the papers I need to write, meetings I need to attend, and jobs I need to apply for. Ugh. 

I am longing for May. 

Strawberry jam testing

Lately I have fits of energy during which I clean or make cupcakes or crochet a few rows. Or, you know, begin making a pot of jam the moment I wake up.

Vacuuming is surprisingly satisfying. Cupcakes seem like such an accomplishment when everything else feels so hard. 

I like to think that I am a productive procrastinator. 

Bobble blanket

Not all my procrastination strategies are so productive, though. I will confess that the only time I read People of Walmart is when I have a paper due. It's not the best way to spend my time, but I can't help myself! 

* * * * * 

Are you a procrastinator? What do you do? 

gray day, green sock

yarning along for the first time

On this Wednesday morning I have...

...made a small pot of coffee just for me.

...finished the last paper due before spring break.

...listened to my favorite radio station. 

...knitted a heel all by myself (very magical! how'd this heel get here?).

...read a bit of Room, which is unsettling but consuming.

...gazed out the living room window at the gray rain that keeps falling.

...wished with all my might that the UPS truck would show up with my new rain boots before I leave for work. No dice so far.

* * * 

What have you been doing today?

* * * 

Some yarny things I want to share:

*Check out Jennifer's crocheted hats. Can you believe she just started crocheting a couple of weeks ago?

*Do you know a university student who knits or crochets? Tell them about this scholarship! I wish I had known about it last year.

*Sock knitting class is over. Sweater knitting class starts this week. I am super-pumped! 

The Julie Cuff

Hello! Wednesday already? This week is flying by for me. I hope it's treating you well.

I thought I'd pop in to show you a crocheted cuff I made for my sister. Last summer I let her look through Ravelry and mark her favorite patterns so that I could make her things she really liked. The Julie Cuff is one of the first things she came across. The girl likes cuffs. She has since emailed me two other bracelets she wants--a goddess cuff and a broomstick lace bracelet. Considering The Julie Cuff took me months to finish, I'm not making any promises about more bracelets.

The Julie Cuff was actually fast to crochet, but it took me ages to get motivated to sew on the buttons. Don't ask me why. I finally wanted this out of my in-progress basket so I bit the bullet and sewed those buttons. I got it to Julie in time for Valentine's Day. 

This is one of those things that looks better on. Off, you can see the odd edges that even extra slip stitching couldn't smooth out. On, those edges disappear around the curve of your wrist. 

The buttons that plagued and taunted me for six months? They're my favorite part. Tiny little champagne pearls from a downtown button shop that sadly closed a few years ago. 

Julie loves her namesake cuff. I mailed it to her at college (and then had to repeatedly remind her to check her mail--she never does because she never gets mail, she says). She opened her package to oohs and aahs at the cafeteria dinner table. That sure makes her crocheting sister happy! 

Details

Name: Julie's Julie Cuff

Pattern: The Julie Cuff (available for free)

Yarn: Vintage thread

Hook: Not sure anymore

Made for: Julie

* * * * * 

I also thought you might like to know that the crochet lessons I've been giving my friend Jennifer have been going great. Jennifer caught on quickly and now she's almost finished with her first hat! She shared her progress over on her blog. Check it out and show her some crochet love.