Hats off to ya.

I present my latest FO, the Campus Field Cap from the latest Interweave Crochet (and designed by the lovely Jennifer of Jaybird Designs).

I love love love it. (And I just noticed, any hat I make for myself comes from one of her designs. Odd, but neat.) It was fairly easy, although working BPsc when one is using black yarn is a whole new kind of torture. I contemplated making the crocheted buttons called for in the pattern, but in the end laziness won out and I just grabbed some out of the button box.
I'm also working on a new knitting pattern (what, me?), and finishing up my first pair of knitted socks. Still have much to do for the holidays, but hopefully I'll get most of it done. Cross your fingers on that one for me.

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?)

Yay, more... um... stuff.

Since this past weekend was Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share this BAMCAL2009 filler block. I finished it today, and so far is my favorite of the four I've completed. It's done in my beloved Simply Soft Eco on my J hook.


This is a hat I finished for my friend/secret lover, Kitzen. Done in Lion Brand's Wool-Ease Thick 'N' Quick, and can you believe it's only six rounds big? Crazy stuff, that super bulky yarn. I luff it, though. I'll post the pattern, which is so simple a braindead monkey could've come up with it, in a seperate post.

Speaking of patterns, anyone know of a crocheted men's thong one? Haytham has dared me to crochet him some underwear, and I've decided to make him a banana hammock for our anniversary (which is Feb. 28th). HA! He'll love it, though. Heh. (I know, I'm a naughty girl.)

Of hats and selling patterns and joy!

First, last night I finished a hat for Haytham.

Made it from Caron Simply Soft Eco, and the blue stripes are Plymouth Fantasy Naturale cotton. He seems to be happy with it. See? :)


Second, I have officially started designing and selling patterns both on Ravelry and Etsy. First one listed is for this pretty little washcloth doohickey.

I'm all excited. If you'd like to get it on Ravelry, you can click the button below:

On Etsy, you can click on the image in the widget to your left. (Come on, it's only a measly buck. Please?)

That's all for today. :D

Well, that was not so fun.

Apparently, while it's not an actual allergy, I have a reaction to wool yarn. I try to work with it, and my eyes start to itch and burn and my throat gets a weird tickly sensation. Six bucks shot to heck. I'm actually leery of even frogging the hat as I don't want to deal with the consequences. I guess Mom gets another skein of yarn to play with. Feh.
As for the hat, I think I'm going to wait until Haytham gets home on Tuesday and let him pick the yarn, either from my (always growing) stash or out of Wal-Mart.
I'm also making my first foray into the world of amigurumi. I found the cutest little bat pattern and I'm making it for a friend's daughter (the friend and I are both old-school goths from waaaaaayyyyyyyyyy back in the day...she moreso than I, and neither of us are very much into the scene anymore, but still). I've got a whole bunch more queued up and waiting to be made into gifts for others and decor for me. :) May as well, as I bought an entire bag of fiberfill this afternoon.

I must be crazy.

Even though I'm happily working on my new top, I felt the need to start making a hat for my husband and hopefully finishing said hat (and maybe said top) before he gets home next week. He should feel special. I'm making it out of my only wool (and also most expensive) yarn, my Jojobrand. He'd better love me for it. :D
So far, the top is working up well. I've fallen in love with Caron SimplySoft Eco (this is my first time using any Caron yarn), and I can't help stopping every five minutes just to pet it. I know, I'm weird.
I've also got a small (10 or 20 yards) sample of handdyed sock yarn from Knit Fit Knitting to wait on in the mail. They're from the foothills of my beloved state, but I haven't got a clue where. Still, it'll be buying local if I buy some of their yarn (and it's so pretty, it's hard to resist). Oddly enough, it's also kind of buying local with Caron, as they're a North Carolina company, too. (Other end of the state completely, but still.)
Dang. I'm all yarn-y tonight. And, I'm already planning on getting more Caron tomorrow from Wal-Mart... may end up sneaking over to the LYS, too, just to pet the stock. :D

Tam It All to Heck!

Well, it's here. :) My first design has been tested, and now I unleash the pattern o' doom onto the masses.


Tam It All to Heck!

N/9.00mm hook or size needed for gauge
Worsted weight yarn (designed with red heart) 1 skein

gauge- 3 rnds=3.5" across without stretching

Notes- In rounds 9, 11, and 13, treat each ch in the ch2 as a stitch (work a st in them just as you would the st next to them). Also, no
blocking should be necessary to get it to look right... it's a slouchy tam thing, after all. :D

Special stitch: tr2tog- YO, insert hook, YO, draw loop through, YO, draw through 2 loops on hk, YO, insert hook, YO, draw loop through,
YO, draw through 2 loops on hk, YO, draw through all 3 loops on hk (decrease made)

Ch 5, join with slst to form ring

Rnd 1.- Ch 3, 9 dc in ring, join with slst to top of Ch 3 (10 dc)
Rnd 2.- Ch 3, 1 dc in same st as joining, 2 dc in each dc around, join with slst to top of Ch 3 (20 dc)
Rnd 3. (work in bk lps only)- ch 3, 1 dc in same st as joining, 1 dc in next st, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next st. Repeat from * around,
join with slst to top of Ch3 (30 dc)
Rnd 4. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 3, 1 dc in same st as joining, 1 dc in next 2 st, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 2 st. Repeat from * around,
join with slst to top of ch3 (40 dc)
Rnd 5. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 3, 1 dc in same st as joining, 1 dc in next 3 st, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 3 st. Repeat from * around,
join with slst to top of ch3 (50 dc)
Rnd 6. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 4, 1 tr in same st as joining, 1 tr in next 4 dc, *2 tr in next dc, 1 tr in next 4 dc. Repeat from * around,
join with slst to top of ch4 (60 tr)
Rnd 7. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 4, 1 tr in same st as joining, 1 tr in next 5 st, *2 tr in next st, 1 tr in next 5 dc. Repeat from * around,
join with a slst to top of ch4 (70 tr)
Rnd 8. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 4, 1 tr in next st and in next 4 st, (ch 2, sk 2 st, 1 tr in next 5 st) 9 times, ch 2, join with a sl st
to top of ch 4. (50 tr, 10 ch2 sp)
Rnd 9. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 4, 1 tr in same st as joining, 1 tr in next 6 st, *2 tr in next st, 1 tr in next 6 st. Repeat from * around,
join with slst to top of ch 4 (80 tr)
Rnd 10. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 4, 1 tr in next st and in next 5 st, (ch 2, sk 2 st, 1 tr in next 6 st) 9 times, ch 2, join with a sl st
to top of ch 4. (60 tr, 10 ch2 sp)
Rnd 11. (work in bk lps only)- ch 4, 1 tr in same st as joining, 1 tr in next 7 st, *2 tr in next st, 1 tr in next 7 st. Repeat from * around,
join with slst to top of ch 4 (90 tr)
Rnd 12. (work in bk lps only)- Ch 4, 1 tr in next st and in next 6 st, (ch 2, sk 2 st, 1 tr in next 7 st) 9 times, ch 2, join with a sl st
to top of ch 4. (70 tr, 10 ch2 sp)
Rnd 13. - Ch 4, 1 tr in next st and in next 2 st, tr2tog, *1 tr in next 4 st, tr2 tog. Repeat from * around, join with a slst to top of
ch 4. (75 tr)
Rnd 14. - Ch 4, 1 tr in next st, tr2tog, (1 tr in next 2 st, tr2 tog) 18 times, tr in next 3 st, join with a slst to top of ch 4 (57 tr)
Rnds 15 + 16. - Ch 2, hdc in next st and each st around, join with a slst to top of ch 2 (57 hdc each round)
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Much much love to Michelle of Michelle's Stitchwitchery for testing this out for me. I hope she doesn't mind me using this picture, but her little girl just looks so adorable in the finished product. :)

Thanks again, doll. You rock.

If you have any problems or questions, feel free to email me
This is a free pattern, and feel free to make as many as you want for yourself, your friends and family, to sell in your Etsy shop, whatever. Just don't steal the credit for the pattern, okay? :)