Or maybe I'll dye after all...

I was reading the directions on Knitty, and it said you could brew the yarn in a ziplock bag like sun-tea. So, I fixed up a bath for the mystery yarn (which started out a light beige) before I left for work, and this is what I came home to.







Pretty good for a first try, I think. :) I used two packets of Flav-R-Aid in Kiwi Watermelon, and one packet of cherry. The yarn is unknown fiber, unknown amount, unknown weight, but it took dye like crazy. The color is losing intensity a little as it dries, and it took better in some spots than others, but I'm still happy with it.

Phew.

No dyed yarn yet. Probably won't be until next weekend. Why? Haytham's coming home for the week on Monday. Hooray! That means not a lot will be happening here on Slave to the Hook as he'll be getting all of my attention. ;) Don't worry, I'll be back.
As of now, I'm off to check on my Howrse horses. Anyone else wanna play? (Seriously, please, someone sign up. I get cool stuff if you do. Pretty please?)

Sweet...

Many many many thanks to Tanya of Starry Eyed for the blog's butt-kickin' new header graphic. :D I think it absolutely rocks.
Speaking of rock, I bought the stuff today to work on learning to dye yarn with Kool Aid. Even got two skeins of wool yarn. Yes, wool. I've noticed I can play with wool yarn now and not wind up with the reaction... I'm also thinking part of it was how Jojoland is processed. But either way, I'm going to see what happens when I throw Kool Aid at Louet Riverstone (and the mystery skein I got out of the scrap basket). And of course I'll post pics of whatever I get out of it. :D

ACK!

Sometimes, I think my yarn habit is taking over my life. I have yarn, hooks, knitting needles, pattern books, magazines, you name it, strewn all over our bedroom. My Ravelry queue has grown to seven pages worth of projects. I have more WIPs than household members (INCLUDING the animals). Have I completely and totally lost my mind?
Seriously and no joke, I need to:
1) STOP buying more yarn until I get the stuff I have used up.
2) STOP starting new projects until I finish ones already in progress.
3) START using the things I buy, and actually make buying them worthwhile.

As for the WIPs themselves, I'm not going to get anywhere close to finishing all the ones I set out for goals at the beginning of the month, but I did my best. I wish I could've gotten more done, and I'm not satisfied with my production, but maybe next month will be better.

Hopefully.

Oooooooo, pretty!

I'm not sure if this counts as striping or pooling, but I'm loving the spiral effect the yarn has going on so far. See?

I'm calling these my Strawberry Sundae Sox because the colors remind me of strawberry ice cream.
More tomorrow, maybe. ;)

Rock my socks...

Thanks to an incredibly lucky find in a destash style swap box, I have indeed been bitten by the sock bug.
Two, count 'em two, full skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock, in Flamingo Stripe...

Just begged to be turned into my very first pair of foot coverings. How could I resist?
I just started them tonight, and already I'm loving them. The yarn is striping so nicely (but will probably end up pooling later...don't care though ;) ), and I'm really liking the simple pattern I found (which you can get to here). We'll see what happens, but so far so good. (And that may mean Haytham gets a pair of brick red socks made with the Berocco Ultra Alpaca Fine I got a few days ago.)

I also finished another BAMCAL block tonight.

Sorry for the crudtastic picture, but that's the best I could manage tonight. It's a lot prettier in person, I swear. Done in RHSS Dark Orchid and Soft White (mostly because I'm trying to use up the last of the purple), and even though the flower is bulky as all get out, I like it. :)

Now, I'm going back to my SIP (socks in progress).

Today is made of win. Literally. :D

First, my pattern for the Cabaret! Men's Thong (at least, I'm assuming this as I got an email from the Fearless Leader of the CLF containing a permission form, and I've been asked to redo the photos) is going to be a part of All Growed Up: Lusty Loops and Toys for Adults! (That would be CLF's book #2, if you're behind.) Color me excited! Seriously. :D

Second, turns out I won the handmade tag game posted by my friend Tanya, and now it's my turn to offer up a giveaway.
It is now your opportunity to win one of three handmade items made by the Slave to the Hook herself. But first here are the rules:
Requirements:
1. You have to be crafty and willing to make three handmade gifts.
2. You must have a blog that you post to regularly.
Here's how it works:
I will randomly select three people to receive a handmade gift from me. They then have to post this game on their blog offering a handmade item(s) of their own to three people and so on.
Now, I'm going to play a little differently. Everyone else I've seen do this has given away sets of things, and told what they were giving. Not me. Three different items, three different surprises with no one getting the same thing. And you won't know what you've won until I announce the winners. ;) Evil genius? Yes I am.
So, you want to play? To enter, simply leave a comment on this post at the earliest saying you would like to play. Please include your first name and a link to your blog. I will randomly choose three people and announce them. Deadline to post is March 30th. :D Good luck!

Now, back to my halter top, which is coming along nicely. (I started making it when the yarn choice wasn't working out for Mama Nariman's shawl, and I had to do something with the yarn. And for your own reference, Bernat Baby Sport is not a good substitute for Classic Elite Flash. But if someone does know of a good substitute, please let me know because I need about 600 yards of the stuff.)

Art for art's sake...

Finished the Milkweed Project submission last night.



I can't capture it full length (about four feet, give or take) with the cell camera, but there are detail pictures on the Ravelry project page.

It seems kind of pitiful next to the other pieces she's already gotten (see them here), and someone else already did a piece with hairpin lace. Still, I like my little...whatever it is, and I hope the project director does, too. Keep your fingers crossed.

Ugh, must get motivated...

I'm falling behind on my crocheting for the month, mostly due to having to work so many hours as of late. But, I have two third shifts (tomorrow and Wednesday), and yes, I'm taking my yarn to work with me. It's either that or fall asleep. Hopefully, I'll be able to get something finished.
Hopefully.

BAMCAL on my mind...

Just finished the first of three blocks for March.



Done in RHSS in a light sage green color. Still have two more to go.

But, instead of jumping into another one tonight, I'm starting again on my design to submit to CLF's book 3. I won't tell you what it is, just know that it's pretty sweet. ;) (At least, I hope it will be. It looks sweet in my head.)

Woot woot, et wot?

So, yay! The bolero is done! Just finished it about twenty minutes ago. I love it already.


I still need to get crackin' on those afghan blocks, and one shawl (my mom said she didn't really want one, and would just prefer lessons on making granny squares). Oh, plus I gotta finish Ashley's hair tie. Yeeikes! So much to do, so little time.

Boleros are my new addiction.

So, I've made quite a bit of progress on the Knot Ugly Shrug (which, in truth, is a bolero), and I'm in love with it so far. I'm finished with the back and back halves of both sleeves, the top and front of one sleeve, and one of the front bits. I've even started seaming it (even though, in my eyes, seaming after crocheting is like the hangover after the party).



Sorry for the crappy picture quality. Bad lighting+cell phone camera=yeck. But, hopefully I'll finish either tomorrow or Tuesday and have a good picture of it by Wednesday.

Successfully finishing my babydoll tank and almost finishing my bolero (which will be finished within the next two days, dagnabbit!) has given me the confidence to try more clothing items. Just as soon as I can get ahold of enough yarn, the Violet Beauregard skirt will be mine! (Seriously. ;) ) Just be on the lookout for more clothing pieces to be popping up around here.

Now, as we all know, I'm half-arsed trying to learn to use pointy sticks. But, if I can get my hands on more patterns like these, well... maybe I might be more inspired. (Unless someone can point me in the direction of similar crochet patterns, hint hint.) Yes, I'm an underwear addict. Can't get enough. ;)

Is it just me?

Have you ever found a yarn so awesome that you just had to buy a skein or two, and once you got it home... you have no clue what to do with it? It sits in your stash, admired, petted, but unused. No pattern you can find or design seems just right. And it drives you insane?



Or does this just happen to me?

Today's adventure in crochet...

Led me to spend WAAYYYYYYYYYY too much time hanging out at Spin a Yarn (not like that's a bad thing ;) ), talking to Nancy and Deborah and watching them try to give Nique (the Angora bunny) a haircut...which, I'm sorry, was REALLY funny. While there, I picked up a skein of Tatamy Tweed to use to make a hat for my etsy shop (and yes, I have the designer's permission to make and sell up to a dozen of them, but I'm only planning on making one of each version in the pattern), and some more sunshiney Fantasy Naturale for Mom.
Came home, and put the latest square on the hook aside for a while so I get get started on my shrug. I decided to just use my dark purple RHSS for it because a) it's for me, so it doesn't have to be nice, and b) I already have a lot of it. I also did a little work on my freeform piece. Mine is pretty lame compared to everyone else's, but that's okay. (I'm particularly loving on the one by Tanya.) It's my work, and I love it. Ha!

NatCroMo is off to a decent start.

First, I finished that blasted popcorn hearts square.

I can't tell you how much I hated that pattern, and finished it only out of sheer determination. It ate up over half a skein of Red Heart Super Saver. Over 100 yards of yarn for one freakin' square. Yeegads. And if I never do another popcorn stitch it'll be too soon. But, I finished it, and it will be part of the bedspread o' love.
Second, I finished my Retro Rings Tam. Completely the opposite with this one. I loved the pattern, and I was absolutely right about using the 9mm hook with the Blue Sky Alpacas cotton. Came out perfectly, fit just right, and I absolutely love it. :D

And, just because I love it so much, I'll model it for you.

Now, off to start the first of three March squares and work on my freeform project for the IntNatCroMo party group. Yay! (Sometimes, one can accomplish much when one is sick in bed, yes no?)

Happy NatCroMo!

Yes, indeed, it is the first of March, and the beginning of National Crochet Month. Sweetness. I've got a ton of projects lined up to celebrate. (Hey, what else did you expect from me?) So... list time!
1. Start and finish 3 squares for my BAMCAL afghan. (This doesn't include the one I'm working on tonight, which is almost done, but was a part of February's patterns.)
2. Finish my submission for the Milkweed Project.
3. Retro Rings Tam (and this time not get so frustrated by the gauge problems I had last time I tried it).
4. Finish my design for CLF's book 3.
5. 2 Sweet Pea shawls from Stitch 'N' Bitch Crochet for my mom and Mama Nariman
6. Knot Ugly Shrug from Stitch 'N' Bitch Crochet for me
7. Some simple little things for the Etsy shop.
Man, my hooks will be flying this month, ha! I doubt I'll finish them all, but danged if I'm not going to give it a shot.
Now, off to finish the last 2.5 rows of the square, and maybe get started on that tam. (I think my Blue Sky Alpaca dyed cotton will work perfectly. :) )