Variegated Chunky Yarn

My sister and I were talking about yarn yesterday. She bought a fun, variegated, chunky yarn to make a scarf for a friend. She has tried a few knitting patterns and cant seem to love any of them. I had this problem a few weeks ago when I wanted to knit a scarf with the yarn shown above. I had invested about $80 in this yarn and I wanted the scarf to look amazing. I tried knitting several different stitches, but it seemed like the stitches were so small that they took away from the beauty of the different colors. 

Finally I pulled out a crochet hook and just crocheted it length wise in a half-double-crochet (HDC or hdc). I was amazed it worked and it is lovely. I am trying to convince my sister to get a crochet hook and start crocheting again. See, back in high school we both used to crochet, but she was always so much better at it. She had a very even, consistent hand whereas mine was literally a mess. Ah, how the tables have turned. After a few years of practice, I mastered crocheting even and beautifully. Now to convince her to get back to it with her naturally beautiful crocheting skills...

a few hidden treasures.

Looking for yarn in the Little Apple? Look no further!

First and foremost we have the Wildflower Yarn and knitwear located at 300 Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan, Kansas. This shop is ran and owned by Kennita Tully who is a knowledgable and friendly woman that won't mind you standing and gawking at the yarn for an hour or more in my case. :) Her hours are pretty great. She is open from Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm and she is open until 8pm on Thursdays. 

Another fun place to visit is one I just learned about. The Wicked Stitch Yarn & Fiber is located in downtown Wamego, Kansas at 523 Lincoln Street. This lovely little shop is owned and ran by Jennifer Schermeerhorn. If you are interested in learning to spin your own yarn this shop is definitely the place to go. Her summer hours are Thursday-Saturday 11am-4pm. The first Wednesday of every month they have a social gathering at 7pm where knittings, crocheters, etc are invited and welcome to go hang out. If you are free go check in out this Wednesday evening at 7pm. Her website says 6-8pm, but I swore she told me 7 so I'm not entirely sure on that... great blogger huh?

no kids, nope

My two wonderful children are off to Gramma's house for the day and night. To be honest I am a little lonely without them, but I plan on taking full advantage of the solitude. Lunch with my sister for some Chinese I know I'll regret later and then I plan to hit up my favorite local yarn store, Wildflower Yarns on Poyntz.

Am I the only person who absolutely loves buttons? I love them enough that I decided to hot glue a pair of buttons to some earring studs. Cheap, easy, && so adorable. Unfortunately my sensitive ears will not allow me to wear them longer than a minute before the heat and itching sets in. I need to invest in empty gold studs so I can actually wear these little cuties. I mean- jeepers- I have no hair to block the view of these bad boys so I need to wear them before my hair grows back!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone and be safe this weekend!

Downtown Chicago

My doily is finished. I learned how to block a doily and although I'm by far no pro at it, it was fun and my doily actually lays flat! The little bowl above was found in downtown Naperville in Illinois. I have a thing for pottery, what can I say?

You don't see these types of busses everywhere, but I spied one in Chicago! This beauty was sitting right outside Sifu when we first parked.

This has been a very exciting weekend. I was able to visit downtown Chicago and get a feel for the area's vibe! I visited a few little shops and of course I had deep dish pizza and Chicago style hot dogs!

My favorite place in downtown Chicago is called Sifu Design Studio. This fun little shop was like walking into a needlework fantasy world. I found some great tatting thread which I will use to crochet something in micro-form. Check out Sifu for your needlework needs, they have a great website and Lisa offers classes all the time!

I also found a few different yarns to add to my stash until I decide what to do with them. The cute rings and vintage knitting needles were just an added bonus to this amazing little shop.

This little pie pan was found in another great little shop called "Roost" which was right up the road from Sifu. I cannot say enough good things about this little antique store, but they have an amazing assortment of collectible antiques. I happen to be a Mason jar obsessor and when I walked in my little eyes locked onto three of the biggest mason jars I have ever seen. Had I not be being mindful of my budget I may have purchased them. Now that I am home I wish I had gotten one!

one to-do turned to a to-done!

I officially can check off one of my to-do's! I finished knitting my kitchen curtain! I initially intended on it being longer, but with four kids under 5 running around my house this last few weeks, I'm afraid it'll get yanked from the needles again. 

Just envision this over the kitchen sink with a set of sheer white curtains hanging behind it, tied over to the sides.... beautiful!

If you are wondering about what yarn I used it is the Naturally Caron Spa Collection in Green Sheen as seen here. My picture makes it look like a louder color than it really is. I found it at my local Hobby Lobby on sale for $2.99 each! I used about 2.5 skeins of it and I plan on using the other 1.5 skeins to make either some towel toppers or possibly a doily for my dining table.... ideas ideas.

crochet dreams

I posted a while back about being inspired by the ocean. This little 3.5"x4" frame is a thrift store find simply painted and then filled with crocheted pieces.

Knit Purl Knit Purl

 

So, I'm addicted to anything yarn related these days. I think it's because it is the easiest hobby to take on the go! Portability for a mother is necessary- not only for out of the house, but for in the house too. My toddler loves to help momma with everything so there are times where I have to be able to pick up and move QUICKLY. This weekend I explored an old hobby- knitting. It all started with this.... DeVine Neck Warmer. I would love to someday turn that neck warmer into a table runner- only doubled in width. I tried about twenty times before I finally gave up, but I still regained an intense love for knitting. I decided since I'm a bit rusty- again another hobby I was never formally taught how to do- I'd better start with a simple stitch. The one pictured above is called the:

Seed Stitch II

Cast on an odd number of stitches.

Row 1: K1, *pl 1, k1, rep from * across row.

Row 2: P1, *k1, p1, rep from * across row.

Row 3: P1, *k1, p1, rep from * across row.

Row 4: K1, *pl, k1, rep from * across row.

Rep Rows 1-4 for pattern.

   -This pattern can be found in the Complete Photo Guide to Knitting

I plan on using that pattern to make a table runner. Once I get the base done I will add on a bunch of crocheted flowers and embroider on some vine-looking design. I'll definitely share pictures when I get it completed. This project is for my husband's aunt Julie for a nice Easter table runner. Super fun!

On another note, crocheting isn't to be forgotten. I am still working on a few things. The granny square blanket is still in progress and I stumbled across this neat pattern for a Trellis style number. I haven't broker down and bought the pattern yet, but when I run out of fun projects to do, you better believe I'll go there first! If any of you happen to buy it and complete it, POST SOME PICTURES! I'd love to see!

There seems to be a lot of debate as to whether crocheting is harder than knitting. I can do both, though I'm no expert. I started with crocheting and at first knitting took a little work. Had I started with knitting, I think crocheting would have seemed hard. There are advantages to each and knowing how to do both makes the possibilities and options unlimited. I love to crochet, but knitting is more peaceful and relaxing for me. Crocheting is faster for me, but sometimes when I do it I get so focused on going fast that I tense up. Haha maybe that is just me, but I don't tense up with knitting. BUUUUUUT I love both crocheting and knitting both!