Button Spiderweb Scarf

Yeah, yeah, I know....it's suddenly the end of October and I haven't posted in weeks. Sorry about that. Been busy, all with stuff I can't show you.

Until now!



That's the new Button Spiderweb Scarf available on the Coats and Clark website. (Ravelry link here).

I'm so excited to have this pattern published by Coats and Clark. It has an interesting story, this scarf does. See, this scarf has been rejected two times before getting picked up by Coats and Clark. I took the swatch (which happened to be the same length as this little scarf) with me to Buffalo and showed it during the Meet and Greet. Coats picked it up for review and when they came back to me to pick it up, they decided on doing it as a smaller scarf. So my "swatch" was the perfect length to do this little scarflette.

I love this pattern and believed in it and refused to give up on it. And I actually like it better as the smaller buttoned scarf than as a full length scarf. In this size it uses one skein of Red Heart Soft yarn. It works up super quick and is a great last minute gift. Because it's short, it's perfect for those of us down here in the warmer climes to use for decoration or to keep just a bit of the chill off our necks (without feeling silly with a long scarf on).

I do hope you enjoy this pattern! If you make your own, please post them on Ravelry as I love seeing everyone's interpretations of my patterns. What? You're not on Ravelry? Well, if you crochet or knit and like to keep track of your projects, you should be! And there isn't a waiting list anymore, so come on in!

More stuff to come, there's another pattern of mine out in Crochet World, but I need to get pics off my camera first. :) I've been a bit lazy about that, sorry. Again with all the crazy busy work (which is great for paying bills, not so much for posting blog entries)!

Have a happy Halloween and see everyone in November!

Make your own blocking wires

I just finished my first large crocheted lace project that needed to be blocked. Since the edges needed to be straight, and I really wasn't in the mood to pin 10000 pins every 1/4", I needed blocking wires.

I saw a kit while in Buffalo at the CGOA show, but couldn't swing the cost or getting it home in my suitcase. I had no where near me I could go pick a kit up, and I needed it sooner than it would take to get shipped.

So what does a DIY person do? Make her own blocking wires.

And now you can, too.

I went to Lowe's (home improvement store) and first picked up a pack of marking flags. I found them in the tools section. There were different sets and sizes. I chose the 21" long ones so I'd have longer wires. Unfortunately, they were out of the smaller number in a set, so I ended up buying a bunch. A whole bunch. I may be decorating the lawn this Halloween with them. But I chose these because the wires are thin and flexible to allow for curved blocking later.

Anyway, I also got a can of Plastic Dip. This is the stuff used to make a plastic coating on tool handles. Found it in the paint section by the spray paint cans. Here's a pic of what I got:



Here's how I turned these two items into a set of blocking wires.

Step 1: Remove flags from wire

Now, you can either cut these off, or do as I did and pull them off. It takes a bit of work, but it's possible to pull it apart at the glue line and remove them.



Set the flags aside or throw them out. I have in mind a project to make later with the rolls of marking flag "tape" you can buy in the same aisle as the flags. But that's for later. :)


Step 2: Cleaning the wires

The wires are kinda grungy on their own, and where the flags attach it's really gummy. They need to be cleaned. I started by filling the sink with hot soapy water and dropping the wires in (flagged end down) after removing the flag.



I also used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on them. I just ran it up and down the wire, twisting the wire as I did, until it wiped clean. Then I laid them all out on a towel to dry.


Step 3: Protective plastic dip on ends

Now, this is optional, but I wanted the ends to be a bit more protected, so I chose to do the plastic tips. If you are careful, you can use them as is. But, if you want to use the plastic, here's how you go about it.

I went out to the garage. This stuff STINKS and needs to be done in a well ventilated area. I would not do this inside. I used a cardboard box turned upside down and punched 12 holes in the bottom of the box to place the wires in to dry. Following directions on the can, I dipped about 1" of the end of the wire into the plastic dip then let them sit in the cardboard box holes. They'll look a little bulbous when they first come out of the dip, but it does pull into itself as it dries.




Here's all of them drying:



I let them dry for a few hours, then went back into the garage and did the other end.

I only did one coat on each end. I might go back later and build up another coat or two, but I needed them a little faster than that. :)

Here's the before and after look of the wires:



And the wires in use (with a sneak peek of the lace project):




I hope this helps anyone who needs a set of blocking wires. They're not really long, but they work well. I was able to easily weave it in and out of the openings on my project and pull it evenly to stretch and block.

Since I don't have time to post...

...here's the link to Brianna's recap of the Fiber-In with pictures of me teaching my demo and learning to spin.

Thanks Brianna for posting and for taking the pics!

Florida Fiber-In by Brianna of The Crochet Side

Me? Drowning in yarn and trying to stay ahead of the deadlines. Two projects out the door, two more to do for October (one due mid month, the other due end of month), plus a submission proposal. Eek.

Guild meeting

(I know I owe a longer post, but that will have to wait. Still neck deep in deadlines and projects and am popping up to quickly post this).


South Hillsborough County Crochet guild will have their first meeting this Saturday at Barnes and Noble in Brandon, FL, from noon to 1:30pm. If you're in the area and have been longing for a CGOA local chapter, come on out! We'll be talking about our ideas for the chapter, filling out the official paperwork, and discussing a more permanent location.

If you need more info, we can be found on Ravelry and Yahoo Groups.




A real post with pictures will happen soon. I promise. I can't promise when, but soon. :)

Still alive, just busy

Ugh, it's already half way through September! When did that happen???

I'm still here and I have blog posts planned, but all require photos (yay!) and links and I've just been too busy to sit down and do that. But I haven't forgotten about you, dear readers.

What have I been busy with? Making samples for my amigurumi demo at the Sarasota Fiber In on Saturday, working on a new design I hope to release next month (if not, definitely by the end of the year), cranking out some designs for a second yarn company (that I'm super excited about and can't wait to show you), and doing my usual work for the first yarn company. And still coming up with ideas for other designs and trying to find time to swatch for those.

Whew.

I barely have time to breathe these days, let alone post, but I will do my best to get something up with pictures this week. I have a new pattern that was just released (well, a couple of weeks ago...I told you I was behind) and I want to show you that.

But I just wanted everyone to know that I'm still here, still going strong, and the best way to keep up with me is through my Twitter updates. You can follow me through the link on the side bar, or just come here to get the updates (over there, to the right).

Have a great week everyone!

Announcements!

Sorry for the lack of postings, I've been super busy with projects that I couldn't show you. Those are done and today I'm resting from crochet (but not from everything else). I can't wait to tell you about what I've been working on, but that will have to wait. Sorry. But y'all should be used to that by now. :)


Announcement #1

My big announcement is something that I've been thinking about for well over a year. I finally decided after coming home from Chain Link that I needed to just bite the bullet and do it.

I want to start a chapter for the Crochet Guild of America. So, to help get excitement building, I've started a Yahoo group and a Ravelry group for the South Hillsborough County Crochet guild. The name may change once we have our first meeting, but for now that seemed to work. I chose southern hillsborough county to be able to reach out to Pinellas and Manatee counties as well. Well, that and it's close to me and to at least get started, I need it nearby.

The first meeting will be Saturday, October 3rd from 12-1:30p. The location will be announced on both groups once it's confirmed. My goals for the chapter are to do local charity work, demos, and education (both within the group and to others).

So, if you're in the area, please join us! I look forward to meeting new people. :)

Announcement #2

I'll be teaching a demo in amigurumi at the Sarasota Fiber-In on Saturday, September 19. I'll be teaching from 10:30-11:30a. If you're in the area, come on out and help support crochet! There will be a lot of other demos as well as vendors. Check out the website for more info. I'm looking forward to being a part of it.


Okay, that's all from me for now. :) I hope to have more info to share with you soon.

Crochet Pattern Calendar 2010

My contributor copy of the Crochet Pattern Calendar 2010 came in the mail the other day. I've just been busy and haven't had a chance to post about it.



I am actually pleased with this year's calendar. There are less patterns, but they're better patterns. And the paper they're printed on is a bit sturdier and thicker. So it's still a good deal.

Oh, and I made the inner cover! My Striped Dishtowel is there. That was a nice little surprise.


(not sure why it's showing up sideways...it was saved regularly...weird)

There is a great blend of patterns in this one. Like I said, I really like the selection this year. Typically, I go through my calendars and pull out the patterns I actually like. This has usually resulted in a large stack of "don't want" patterns and a small stack of "gotta make" patterns. This year? I'm keeping the whole box. Sure, there are some things I likely won't make, but there's so many things I would that I'm going to be keeping it all together.

Here's my pages: I love seeing my name in print! :)




That's all for today. I have a few other things to post about, but that will come later. Right now I need to eat lunch and get to work. Have a great day!