I have an epic finished object! I started making the Windsor Lace Wrap back in July of 2012. Since then, this has been my no-brainer-got-nothing-else-to-work-on project. The pattern, which is free, is basically all double crochet and chain stitch, and there are three rows of this that you do over and over again until it is 87 inches long. Yes, 87! As in 8 - 7! This is why I call this epic because it is so long and took me so long to make.



I used Knit Pick Chroma yarn in the Fossil, and like most of the gradient Chromas, I love how the yarn changes colors. I am fairly pleased with how it turned out. For some reason, my gauged changed some from the beginning, which is wider on one end, than the end, but I don’t think it is that noticeable. More than likely, this will end up as my school office shawl because of the neutral colors that will go with just about anything I wear.

After Christmas, I made a resolution to pull back on the hand-made gifts for friends and family members. I had spent a huge amount of time making hats, fingerless gloves, and scarves for holiday gifts, and the feedback was minimal at best. At first, this kind of hurt my feelings, but then after thinking about it, I realized that there is no way anyone who does not knit or crochet would have a clue about how much time was spent on the gift, so I had to get over it. Plus, maybe the gift recipient didn’t really need what I had made for him/her, so a polite “thank you” is all it warranted.

In fact, this is one reason why I decided to become a 31 Gift independent consultant. I could get a double whammy because from now on anyone on my gift list is going to get a bag or organizing item from me, and this will help me keep my status with 31 active since you have to sell $200 every three months.

As a result, I can finally make some crocheted items for myself, and I have started to do not only that, but I have pulled out some high-end stash to boot. Yes, I’m using “the good stuff,” starting with much needed fingerless gloves using hand-dyed yarn Calico sock yarn  in the Waimea Bay colorway from Craft Me Happy. These are the All Season Wristers (a free Lion Brand pattern) that I’ve made a number of times (always for someone else). Now I’m making some for me, me, me!

I will admit that I still plan to make lots of charity crochet items, but at least for this summer (since I have a little more time than usual), I’m going to focus on a few projects, some of which are a tad involved, for me. And, unless I get a very specific and sincere “please make my x,y,z” from those on my gift list, I will be purchasing their gifts through my own 31 Gifts web site. I think this is a good compromise. I get to make some pretty things using fabulous yarn like baby alpaca for me, and they will get some very useful items like the large utility tote that they can use just about every day.

Knitfreedom.com is one of the few places I have found on-line (or off line for that matter) where I have been able to actually learn how to knit from using the video based instructions. I started out first with the free ebook and then moved on to purchase one of the intermediate level ebooks later. Luckily, Liat is still at it as far as developing new ebooks for those looking for some knitting help, and her latest covers the multitude of ways you can cast on.  Here is the press lease for more information:

KNITFreedom.com Announces the Release of

The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons

New Online Video Guide Teaches Knitters the Top 38 Cast-Ons Needed For Mastery

PALO ALTO, CA, May 9 - KNITFreedom today announced the release of The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons, the first online video resource to truly give knitters an easy and convenient way to master the art of the cast-on.

“In talking with knitters who look for tutorials online, one thing that became very clear was that they were in serious need of a resource that would make it easy for them to know which cast-ons they could use for which projects, and how to do them correctly,” said Liat Gat, founder of KNITFreedom.com. “That’s what The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons was designed to address.”

Most knitters aren’t aware that there are over 50 ways to cast on for a project, and that the cast-on you choose can mean the difference between a garment that fits perfectly and one that’s unwearable. Many knitters want to learn new cast-ons but get frustrated looking them up on YouTube.

“The initial response to The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons has been even better than I expected,” continued Gat. “I think what is happening here is that knitters are drawn to some of the other benefits as well.”

For example, Gat said that many knitters were finding the extra tips about choosing and perfecting each cast-on an important added plus — a feature not available in any other online video resource. “I thought it was important, when creating The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons, to give even more than what people were asking for,” said Gat. “That’s why I didn’t stop with just making video demos of every cast-on out there. I really tried to cover all the bases.”

With The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons, knitters will now be able to:

understand which cast-on to choose and why
stop casting on too tight
fix dropped cast-on stitches
never run out of tail, and
do any number of popular cast-ons quickly and easily.

The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons will be on sale starting this Friday, May 10th. Signing up for the free KNITFreedom newsletter gives customers 30% off the product price.

About KNITFreedom

The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons is just the latest video guide from KNITFreedom. The company has also produced Become a Knitting Superstar and Learn to Knit Toe-Up Two-at-a-Time Socks, two step-by-step video courses that teach knitters the easiest and fastest ways to master Magic Loop, Continental knitting, and other popular techniques. Liat Gat creates HD video tutorials and classes on a wide range of knitting techniques, with over 200 free videos at knitfreedom.com. Customers can order The KNITFreedom Video Guide to Cast-Ons by going to http://knitfreedom.com/classes/cast-ons.

Though I continue to make amigurumi toys for donating (currently working on a hippo), April brings with it a another charity crochet focus - wash cloths, lots and lots of wash cloths. Along with the toys I’m making on my own, I will also be delivering hand-made cotton wash cloths and soap donations. My craft club has been working on learning crochet and also making wash cloths, and I am coordinating the April 2013 donation drive for the Crochetlist Yahoo group as well, who is also going to donate wash cloths.

My craft club collects toiletry items on an on-going basis. For example, when you go on a trip and take those little soaps home but may or may not use them later, we ask staff and faculty to give them to us. Then we organize them in zip lock bags and put the wash cloths we make into the bags as well.

Since I am the one coordinating the wash cloth drive, I am also making them like crazy. Any time I’m in a meeting or sitting with a friend chatting for a few minutes, I pull out the wash cloth and crochet. I’ve actually made at least a half dozen wash cloths just by doing this alone. None of them are fancy. I usually just make about 30 chain stitches and do a mix of single crochet and/or double crochet until I get a square. Then I finish off the edges with single crochet. One wash cloth usually takes about an hour for me to make, and since I’m not following a pattern, I can multitask.

I gave a little look at this infinity scarf (housed in my Zipper Pouch Thirty-One bag) earlier this week. It was an alternative to a shawlette pattern that I just could not get the hang of. I have wanted to make a cowl or infinity scarf for awhile, so I decided to just wing it.

I know that a lot of these types of scarves are usually done with one long strand of chain stitch that is connected, but you have to really be careful about not twisting it when you go that route. I wanted something fast and easy, so instead of working it with a long connected chain, I worked from the shorter end and connected both ends when I finished. Here it is shown doubled around my neck.



It ended up being 4 inches wide and 36 inches long, and alpaca yarn tends to stretch, so there is plenty of room. I used a size J hook, and the yarn is Cascade Baby Alpaca in the 3030 colorway. Here is how I made it:

• Start with18 chain stitches,
• Stitch one row of single crochet, making sure to chain one at the end of the row.
• Stitch one row of single crochet, making sure to chain four at the end of the row. (This will work as your first triple crochet on the row that follows.)
• Stitch one row of triple crochet.
• Continue to alternate between two rows of single crochet and one row of triple crochet for a total of 27 repeats, making sure to end the last row with triple crochet.
• At this point, you have a regular scarf. Connect both ends of the scarf using slip stitch.
• Finish off both sides of the scarf with single crochet.
• Lightly block. (I put it on a towel and spritzed it with water and shaped it.)

Here it is flat. You can either wear it around your neck as one large loop or you can wrap it twice. If you wanted it longer, you would just need to repeat the single crochet and triple crochet pattern until you got the length that you wanted.

I have not weighed the leftover yarn, but I’d estimate that I used about half the skein on this. I probably have enough to make another one, or I might try making one but knitting it this time. I’m very happy with how it turned out. Alpaca yarn is super warm, but since I used a lot of triple crochet stitch in this, it should be light enough to use in Florida on the few occasions it’s cold or when my hubby insists on cranking up the air conditioner.

I decided to make something for myself for a change and dipped into my treasured stash of Cascade Baby Alpaca yarn (colorway no. 3030). At first, I was going to make a shawlette, but I was having trouble understanding the pattern. After frogging it about six times, I figured life is too short and decided to make a cowl or infinity scarf. I’m going to make this long enough to double around my neck, attach the ends, and then single crochet around the edges. Of course, this yarn is so soft and buttery. I love working with it.

I’m housing it in a new project bag I purchased when I hosted an on-line Thirty-One catalog party. It’s called simply the Zipper Pouch, and the pattern is Woodblock Floral.

As you can see, it’s got plenty of room. This is just about a full ball of yarn (about 200 yards), and I could easily fit more in there. The bag is 9 inches high by 12.25 inches wide, and 2.5 inches deep.



It has a little ribbon tag connected to the zipper, and the inside is lined with vinyl, making it easy to wipe clean if you used this for something other than yarn.



The bottom flattens, and the material is stiff enough so that it stands up. The Zipper Pouch also comes in other colors and patterns and retails for $15. You can find it in my Thirty-One Gift shop, item number 3045.

The infinity scarf is working up quickly. Fingers crossed, I’ll have it done in a few days and can put another new project in my new project bag.

I have been on the amigurumi kick lately. It started out with the idea that I wanted to give some toys to charity, but I have to admit that it just became addicting at some point. I have worked on other projects a little. I have a shawl that I need to crochet about another foot on and it will be finished. It’s all double crochet for the most part so tends to be my “no brainer” project. I have also started another shawl project, but that on requires paying attention to the pattern a lot. Still, the amigurumi just kept calling me back: “Don’t you want to make another teddy bear?”

Yesterday, however, I set down the bear and picked up some Sugar N Cream cotton yarn and started on some wash cloths for my mother. She is difficult to make anything for, so at Christmas, I gave her an IOU with a list of items she could check off. She picked wash cloths. I will be making a trip to visit her soon, and I needed to get these done.

I used a pattern from a nice little book from designer Drew Emborsky called All Washed Up (Leisure Arts #75272). It has 9 dish or wash cloth patterns in it. I made two using the Finished with a Flourish pattern. Because I was short on time, I opted not to do the trim in the pattern and just finished them off with single crochet around the edges.

I like the texture these have, and this is definitely a pattern that I could see becoming a staple for me because once you get going, it’s pretty fast. These were a nice break from amigurumi and gave me some instant gratification.

Before I get started, let me clarify that I have nothing against Red Heart Super Saver yarn. For many purposes, such as amigurumi toys, it works great. It washes up wonderfully, and it is just about indestructible. However, I am just plain old tired of it! I have been using it to make donated toys for months now. Some of it I purchases and some was donated to my craft club. I feel compelled to use it for all these reasons.

That said….I can tell such a difference when I use something other than RHSS, and my hands really appreciate the difference. So the other day when I straightening up my office and discovered some Lion Brand Baby Wool, I was giddy with excitement. Yeah! Donated yarn that is not RHSS.

I’m picturing a pink and a blue teddy bear. There might even be enough here for a few in each color. There was another bag with some purple and some yellow baby wool, so perhaps I can manage another giraffe.

When you get donated yarn this is clean and does not smell like smoke and your club is on a limited budget, you have to take it, and if you take it, that means you need to use it. I wish I just didn’t know the difference between RHSS, well, many other types of acrylic yarn!

I have another shawlette finished! I used a similar pattern to the gray shawlette I made awhile ago. They are in the same book: Totally Simple Crochet: Over 30 Easy Projects for the Home and to Wear. This pattern is called Chain Stitch Netting Shawl with Fan. It is like the first one I made but has intermittent fan sections throughout and a fan trim. I changed the trim a little, making the shells smaller than called for, but otherwise, I pretty much followed the pattern.

The first picture does not really have a good take on the color of the yarn, which I got from Craft Me Happy. It’s called Calico Sock Yarn, is fingering weight, 100 grams, and the colorway is called Waimea Bay. Here is a photo I took of it in my photo tent. It shows the color better though not the shawl since I have it folded up.

I wasn’t sure if I would get much use out of a shawlette, but after having a brief cold spell here last week, I give them the thumbs up. I wore it to school with a light jacket and sweater underneath. When I got inside, I took the jacket off but kept the shawlette on with the sweater, and it kept me warm but not too warm. Sometimes the buildings can get cold because it is rare for the heat to get run as it usually warms up by about noon. The shawlette kept the chill off my neck, and I think it was a little more fashionable than a scarf.

I have not weighed it, but I have a fair amount of the yarn left, so I’m trying to figure out what to do with it. I could easily get some fingerless gloves out it, or there might be enough to make another shawl and gift it.

With all the amigurumi I have been making, this means counting stitches a lot, and of course, this also means using stitch markers. While for larger areas of crochet, I prefer locking stitch markers; when making small items like limbs for a stuff animal, I find the locking markers to be a bit of a pain to take on and off constantly. I pulled out these little flexible stitch markers sent to me by Simplicity Creative Group. They are part of the Crochet Dude line of products they distribute. I definitely have to give these the “thumbs up” because they are perfect for small items like this and are very easy to slip on and off but stay when you need them to stay too. It’s a little thing, but the right stitch markers can make a huge difference in the end product as well as the experience.