Craft stores and craft departments for general shopping needs
When I was 12 and going to stores to buy beads, it was difficult for me to go find non-plastic beads in places other than stores dedicated to selling craft supplies. But since then, the interest in making jewellery has grown and many other people make jewellery too. Craft departments in department stores have some pretty good selections for seed beads. General crafts stores (like Michaels) do carry decent bead selections. I also like to check out the clearance sections – I’ve bought strands of glass beads marked down from $10 to $1.50. Good deals can be found, if you’re willing to search for them as well as using coupons (they can come in weekly fliers or online).

• Always check out the clearance section/aisle for more good deals
• Join the mailing list on the store’s website for coupons, if they have them available

Some of my favourite beads have been found at craft stores, especially after my local chain craft store was given a makeover. Now I purchase freshwater pearls and turquoise beads when they come up on sale. I never pay full price on the beads that I buy at the craft store, never. I even bought my pliers with 40% off coupons at the same store. It’s a great resource and there’s no excuse to be paying full price at chain craft stores.

Dollar stores for seed beads
A decent source, I’ve found, for seed beads. Some dollar stores also carry some scrapbooking supplies (if you’re into that sort of thing), as well as glass beads (however, I’ve found that they are generally more expensive at a dollar store than at crafts stores), some stringing material (fishing line – which I do not recommend, some wire) and metal charms. I mostly recommend shopping at dollar stores for seed beads – the vials are about the same size as the ones found in crafts stores and you can find glass seed beads. However, they will not have the same quality as Czech glass or Delicas, so they’re probably not the best for doing bead looming, but for other uses they work quite well.

• Buy colours that you know you will use – there’s no point in purchasing every colour under the sun if you really hate using everything except for blue
• Shop smart – compare prices for non-seed beads to those from crafts stores to make sure you are getting a good deal

Seed beads are one of my favourite things. They do come in different sizes and they can be just the right thing to have in a piece if your focal beads are fairly large. Consider making a bead spinner if you plan on stringing (not looming!) a lot of seed beads.

Finds at thrift stores
Most thrift stores will have a jewellery section and you can generally find some nice pieces. I’ve bought very ornate earrings with quality metal charms for the purpose of reconstructing, as well as long necklaces for the purpose of using the beads. I have never paid over $3 for a piece of jewellery at a thrift store and I like the things that I can find there. Some things include a long necklace with all glass beads and a beautiful clasp ($2) and a bag of earrings where some were singles – I reconstructed them for pendants for necklaces or connecting them together to make bracelets.

• Experiment with reconstructing jewellery – make something new from something old
• Anything can be taken apart if you want to use the components, be bold in your new creations

Storage options for beads
I like using plastic boxes to store my beads. I originally started out using film canisters (back when film cameras were used and when I didn’t have a lot of beads) and then graduated to using small plastic containers that were recycled. I eventually ended up getting small plastic containers for the sole purpose of holding onto my beads. You can use medication boxes (you can find them in dollar stores, pharmacies, etc.), I’ve also seen photos of people using tackle boxes for storing beads as well as screw-top plastic or glass containers. I’m a huge fan of using clear boxes – it makes it easier to know exactly what is in a container with just one look.

• Clear containers are the way to go, set them up in a way that you can easily access all of the boxes – there is no point in having them in easy-to-view boxes if you never see the one at the bottom of a box
• If you buy beads that come in a package or prestrung, leave them like that before you need to use them – these keep them neat and tidy until you need to use them and can put the leftovers into their own compartment

Consider buying a beading kit
When I first started beading, my parents bought me a plastic case full of plastic beads to get me started. It had a whole ten pounds of plastic beads which I painstakingly organized before I started to use them. You can find little beading kits nearly anywhere now – at craft stores, in department stores (sometimes in craft departments, sometimes in toy departments, in dollar stores. The great thing about beading kits is that they come with a nice selection of beads (generally in the same colour group), some basic instructions (good for beginners), as well as findings for making the projects that they have in mind. These can include jump rings, clasps, earring hooks and some form of stringing material. I do buy these from time to time – I find them on sale and purchase them for the contents to use in my pieces. I do substitute, sometimes, the stringing material but I like how once you’re done using the beads in the kit, you can use it to store other beads. These can be fairly good deals – especially if you’re buying one on sale or with the use of a coupon.

• Buy beading kits on sale or with a coupon, this makes it an even better deal
• Look for kits that have fresh water pearls or crystal beads
• If a kit comes with fishing line for stringing, consider buying wire instead for stringing the beads
• Once you’re done with the kit, reuse the box for your other beads

Some of my favourite pieces came from beads that were from beading kits. I would test the metal components that come with your beading kit though. I’ve purchased one that had some beautiful beads, but all of the metal components (earring hooks, clasps) rusted soon after the pieces were completed and had to be replaced.

Item #1: Flower hat! Modeled by Belarus. Side view:

Top view (yellow centre should have been made larger, but I ran out):

Item #2: Red and white gnome hat that clearly belongs in December, not Spring. Modeled by Eden.

Item #3: Bright purple scarf. Modeled by Belarus.

Item #4: Navy blue coat. Still needs snaps and buttons. Modeled by Sophie.

Group shot of everything.

Not pictured is a melted knitted sweater (the yarn labeled stated that it was 100% wool, but it was clearly not… It melted after I tried to steam block it with an iron from at least 3 inches away – it was acrylic). I’m still going to be sewing a dress for the swap and then I think my package will be complete. =)

• The hat was knitted – I’m far more competent with crochet than knitting and therefore would be spending far longer on a knitted hat that I would ever want to (for someone else other than myself or a gift of my choice).
• The yarn was, after inspection, was really nice – this person wanted an exact replica. The yarn was nice, a blend of wool, merino, alpaca and yak.
• The hat had colour-work. I barely do colour work for my own stuff (lol). Not because I don’t know how, it’s that I hate weaving in ends (although lately I’ve killing two birds with one stone and just working over the ends – if I can)
• The hat was nothing like I’d seen before – I probably would have had to make up the pattern myself. Did I mention that I’m more competent with crochet than knit? This applies to winging my own patterns.
• The store was selling the hat for $30. Cost of yarn alone would probably be upwards of the same price at retail cost, if I wanted the exact colours and fibre content.
• As the yarn would cost about $30 (estimate), and I’d be spending at least 5-6 hours alone on this one hat at $15/hour, the hat would suddenly cost around $105-$120.

Of course, this completely turned this person off from getting me to make the hat. “At that price, I might as well buy it!” Well good, buy it. It’d be far easier than for me to a) track down the yarn and b) figure out how to make it. This same person told me that there were hats (knitted and crocheted) for far lower prices on sites like etsy and Artfire. I mentioned that people were clearly underselling themselves.

I don’t understand how someone can knit a set of 3 dish towels (with really nice, intricate cables) and price it at $12. I don’t understand how someone can crochet a scarf that is 9 feet long and set the price at $25. I don’t understand how someone can make a beautiful pair of earrings that clearly have detailed wire work and gorgeous beads and then price it at $5 of all things.

Handcrafted and handmade are words that are not synonymous with cheap or low quality. Handcrafted and handmade means that there was a real person making something, not a machine. It means that someone put their time, their effort, their talent and their skill into something.

In December 2009, I had a total of 28,589 hits. In January 2010, I had a total of 69,717 hits. That’s more than double in one month alone and since revamping Chelle-Chelle.com into my crafts site, I’ve averaged 20,000 to 25,000 hits per month. And I would very much like to say thank you, thank you, thank you! For all the interest in this site and my work.

Part of the huge jump in visitors, I will admit, is due to the two free patterns that I have here (Crochet Ribbed Cowl, posted December 2009, and Ruse – A Cloche-Inspired Crochet Hat, posted January 2010). However, much to my pleasant surprise, some of my articles that I’ve written have also gotten their fair share of hits! Two of the frontrunners would be my articles on amigurumi and finding free patterns.

Despite my, ahem, lack of posts so far from mid-January to now, I’ve been busy with schoolwork as well as working on some projects which include a lace-work scarf (crochet) and a preemie hat (crochet, for donation). I also plan on getting a few preemie hat patterns (free!) to encourage others to make hats for donations to their local hospital as well.

I hope everyone’s been having a lovely February so far! Feel free to suggest article ideas or projects for me to try, I always like getting suggestions.

• DO pick up the balls/skeins of yarn to feel how the yarn feels against your skin. A great place to test is the back of your hand or wrist.
• DON’T pick up the balls/skeins of yarn and rub it against your cheek. Especially if you’re wearing cosmetics and get your makeup all over the yarn.
• DO look at those pads of free patterns hanging by the yarn – take one!
• DON’T look at those pads of free patterns and then rip several off for yourself, or rip them in half and leave the other half on the pad or on the floor.
• DO put the yarn back in the correct bin/box/shelf when you’ve decided that you don’t want to purchase it.
• DON’T leave the yarn on the ground or on a random shelf.
• DO choose enough yarn for your project – you never know if it’s going to be available the next time you go. Make sure you pick all from the same dye lot!
• DON’T buy yarn just because it is on sale/heavily discounted. Buy yarn that is in colours that you like, buy types of yarn that you will actually use and can see yourself using. If you hate working with anything thinner than worsted weight, why would you buy it just because it’s 50% off?
• DO substitute yarns for the ones that are called for in patterns. Could that brand of yarn be discontinued? Or maybe the pattern calls for something with 50% cashmere and the cost is too high? Look for appropriate substitutions. You’ll want something with the same weight and similar content (substituting cashmere-merino with acrylic fun fur will not get the same results as in the photos).
• DON’T juggle yarn balls in the middle of the store. I’ve seen this happen before and it ended badly as the yarn ended up on the store floor.
• DO go shopping with a budget in mind. Don’t spend more than you want to spend. Only want to spend $50 on yarn? Only spend $50 on yarn!
• DON’T go shopping with an open-budget or a credit card with plenty of space for a huge yarn purchase. I’ve witnessed my sister do this. Half an hour later, she dropped $80+ on yarn (beautiful yarn, but yarn that has stayed untouched for over a year).

Happy smart yarn shopping!

The Cloche originates from the 1920s and was made of felt for a form-fitting bell-shaped hat. While I was looking for a new hat pattern to try out, I couldn’t find one for a cloche that I particularly liked. They were either too bell-shaped or not bell-shaped enough, so I decided to try my hand at making a cloche-inspired hat with just a subtle bell-shape that I wouldn’t mind wearing.

I tried out, for the first time, Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash (50% merino, 50% wool). The yarn felt a little stiff when it was in the ball, but once it was crocheted up into the hat, it felt nice and soft. My only complaint about the yarn is that it splits easily when crocheting – this is a common issue with superwash yarns.

The pattern for this hat has been written up and has three different sizes available (21.25″, 22″ and 24″ for head circumference). The name of the pattern is Ruse, there’s no real story about where the name of the hat came from.

Want to make your own hat? The pattern is free! Click to download a PDF copy of the Ruse hat pattern.

Difficulty Level: Easy

100% alpaca yarn, like the yarn shown above, has washing instructions on the yarn label. For this yarn, it is handwashing only in cold water. Gentle handwashing versus the washing machine can mean the difference between a sweater that fits and one that is suddenly several sizes too small.

What happens when you toss a knitted or crocheted item into the washing machine?
It can be fulled (not felted) or it doesn’t – what makes this difference? The type of fibre makes a huge difference in what happens to the final product.

What is fulling?
If you take animal fibres (i.e. wool, which comes from sheep) and make it up into a fabric (i.e. crochet, knit or weave with it) and subject it to water, agitation and (sometimes) heat, you get a dense fabric.

For example, say you knit a pair of mittens for someone out of wool and then they toss those mittens into the washing machine. And then they come out roughly the size of an infant’s finger. The mittens will have shrank, the stitches are no longer visible and the fabric is dense.

How is that different from felting?
Felting is done with the same fibres, but you don’t make it up into a fabric first. You can buy premade felt made in natural fibres or acrylic-wool blends felt – you can buy sheets of felt at general craft stores or dollar stores.

Felt is a really useful material that can be used for making stuffies, as accents for amigurumis as well for making accessories like mp3 player sleeves.

Yarns that can be fulled consist of animal fibres
Some examples are wool, angora, mohair, alpaca. Animal fibres have scales (so does the hair on your head) and when there’s friction, the scales will bond together – that is why when you toss a sweater into the washing machine and it goes from a small to an extra, extra small, it can’t go back to being a small again.

What if you don’t want your project to be fulled?
You can use “superwash wool” – it’s a type of wool that’s been chemically treated so that it cannot be felted. You can also choose to use synthetic yarns (i.e. acrylic, nylon, etc.) or plant-based yarns (like cotton) or even some animal-based yarns (i.e. with a sufficient amount of acrylic in the blend or qiviut, which is the wool from muskox).

Always check the yarn label! If it says that it is not machine washable, it is likely going to full. If it says to only handwash, it is likely going to full. If the majority of the fibre is animal fibre – it is likely going to full (even some wool-acrylic blends will full a little bit, depending on the percentage of wool). Also, it is easier to control the amount of fulling when you do it by hand versus tossing it into the washing machine (you also produce, on average, less lint and can evenly full it so that all of it looks the way you want).

Here’s a selection of crafts that I’ve done in 2009, most of them are on this website.

Not pictured are approximately 30 pairs of earrings that I have not gotten around to photographing, maybe ~5 Blythe hats and another sweater, 2 scarves and the hat that I’m currently working on.

I wish everyone a happy new year and well wishes for 2010.

I used a mix of green beads and star charms to go along with the ‘antiqued’ earring hooks (stainless steel that has been chemically treated, they go well with the star charms). They measure about an inch in diameter, if memory serves.

Pattern: None used
Materials: Bernat Satin Sport in Jade
Length: ~5′5″ (without fringe)

The entire scarf, the fringe is actually even (it looks a bit uneven in this photo, probably because I didn’t arrange it very well on the carpet).

Close up of the pattern.

My mom wearing the scarf. The colour near the bottom is a lot brighter than the colour of the scarf actually is. The colour closest to her neck on the left side is the most true-to-life, in terms of colour.

Difficulty Level: Beginner

Materials:
Bulky yarn (~150g)
6.50mm hook (US K 10.5)
Yarn needle

Notes:
I used Red Heart Cozy Wool (70% acrylic, 30% wool) in Windsor Blue.
Any bulky-weight (5) yarn should work fine. To keep the stitch definition showing, I recommend not using a novelty or chenille yarn for this cowl and I do recommend using a wool blend.

Abbreviations:
Ch – chain
Tr – triple crochet

Notes:
Ch 3 at beginning of each row counts as 1 tr.
Number of stitches listed at end of row in the parentheses.

Directions:
1. Ch 25.
2. Tr in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across (22).
3. Ch 3, front post tr for each st across (22).
4. Ch 3, back post tr for each st across (22).
5. Repeat 3-4 until the length is the circumference of your head.
6. Hold ribbed sides together, slip stitch the two short ends together.
7. Fasten off, tuck in ends.

Click to download a PDF copy of the Crochet Ribbed Cowl – it’s printer friendly as it is text only.

This pattern is an original pattern by Michelle W. (December 2009). Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern but do not sell or distribute it on your site. Items made from this pattern may be sold with credit to Michelle and chelle-chelle.com.

What is amigurumi? Where did the word come from? How the %#*! do I pronounce it?

All very good questions!

Amigurumi is a Japanese word and encompasses knitted and crocheted toys – usually animals or human-like dolls. They generally have cute features (like big eyes), are made of yarn, stuffed with love (or polyester stuffing). Due to the nature of the stuffie (or amigurumi, I just find ’stuffie’ to be a lot easier, and quicker, to type out), it is generally recommended that you use a smaller size crochet hook or knitting needles when making them in order to ensure that you are making a tight fabric. This makes sure that when you stuff (with love!) that the stuffing does not show through.

There are no ’strict’ requirements for something to be an amigurumi project. I’ve seen so many different things made: human-like dolls, amigurumi animals (dogs, cats, birds, hedgehogs), inanimate objects (cars, cell phones, books, a pile of poop with eyes and a smile) and pretty much whatever you can think of. Some people say that amigurumi must be done in the round (that means, it is a continuous spiral) rather than joined rows (there is a ’seam’ and you do individual rows, join and then go the next row), but I have found that there has been many published patterns that call their projects amigurumi that have been done in the round and also in joined rows. However, it is pretty much agreed that they are knitted or crocheted toys.

Amigurumi: Ahh-me-guh-roo-me

Please note, I have never studied Japanese and I just go by how I have heard other people pronouncing it. How to get by without actually saying “amigurumi” out loud? Calling your new creation a ’stuffie’ or an ‘ami’ (ahh-me) is perfectly acceptable. Or if you get challenged on the pronunciation of ‘amigurumi’, just look the person in the eye and go “I just made THAT from a piece of string and some stuffing. I don’t have time to squabble with you over the pronunciation of a word with such a loose definition.”

Some tips for making amigurumi toys:

• To make a tighter fabric, use a smaller hook or needle size than recommended by the yarn company (it’s printed on the label). If it’s still too loose after doing a swatch, go down another hook size.
• Another way to make a tighter fabric is to crochet (or knit) with more than one strand of yarn at the same time. Like in my example (points up), the octopus was crocheted with two strands of yarn at the same one but I used the same hook size as recommended by the yarn company.
• Do not use cotton, beans or rice to put into a toy. Ever. If it gets wet, it can and will get mouldy.
• Also, do not use beans or rice in a toy that is meant for an infant or child. It’s a choking hazard.
• Avoid using buttons for eyes for a toy that is meant for an infant or child.
• If you want to use plastic pellets to weigh down the toy  (to make it stand up) or to make a ‘bean bag’ type toy, make a fabric bag and put the plastic pellets into that and sew it up before putting it into the toy.
• Stuff with love, and might, when using polyester filling. It’s generally inexpensive and very easy to find, so stuff away! If it’s for a child, you’ll probably want to refrain from stuffing it until the seams are nearly bursting (kids like the cuddly factor). But if it’s for yourself, or a decorative toy, stuffing it until it’s fairly firm is a good idea – this also helps it stand up!
• If your local general crafts store does not carry polyester filling, keep an eye out for steeply discounted pillows or cushions – last time I bought any polyester stuffing, it was $6 for 15lbs.

If you’re a resident of the US and you want some free yarn, all you need to do is send in 3 labels from the Caron Simply Soft lines and your address and you’ll get a free full-sized skein (not a sample size!) of NaturallyCaron.com Country yarn – you don’t need to send in shipping and handling.

Do note that you don’t get a choice in colour, but you do get a full-sized skein of the NaturallyCaron.com Country yarn.

Interested? Click here to go to the official Caron’s free sample page.

I pretty much threw all the simple stitches that I knew at this hat. There are single crochet, half-doubles, one row of triples, and a bunch of double crochets until the very end. There is also one row of back-loop only in single crochet and one row of front-post only in double crochet stitches.

Model: Belarus

I made up the pattern as I went along, I changed the way I did the arm holes from the grey sweater dress, these ones more resemble button holes.

Model: Sophie

This was my first time attempting to do arm holes, and they will never be doing it this way again (I basically left holes large enough for her entire arm to go through).

Model: Belarus

Pattern: Pixie Hat from Amanda at CreativeBlythe.com

Model: Tertiary Jane

Some differences between knitting and crocheting:

• For knitting, you generally use 2 (or more) needles that have at least one pointed end. For crocheting, you use a crochet hook (generally only one pointed end). Both use yarn (or other material that resembles string) and both can be used to make just about anything. Anyone who tells you that crochet is too bulky to make decent clothes is a liar.
• If you’re using the same type of yarn, knitting generally works up a thinner fabric compared to the crocheted equivalent, which is why people generally consider crochet to use up a lot more yarn than knitting does.
• While standing in a general bookstore, there are generally more knitting books available than crocheting. This concept also applies to public libraries as well as the magazine rack. There is just more knitting publications available. One of my local bookstores has a whole section labeled “Knitting” while the crocheting books are stuffed onto one of the shelves with other general “Needle Crafts & Hobbies” books.
• For knitting, you generally keep more than one stitch ‘live’ at a time (i.e. in use). For crochet, you (generally) keep only one stitch on the hook at any given time.
• Knitting has been around a lot longer, therefore it a more diverse history and also more patterns that are published online and in books.

Some pros to crocheting:

• You “only” ever need to get one hook! (If you only ever use the same weight of yarn…)
• You (generally) won’t need to try to pick up a million stitches back up
• If you’re mad into doilies, there are a lot of patterns out there for you (same with making toilet paper roll covers)

Some pros to knitting:

• Knitting is an old, old, old craft – there’s possibly millions patterns available
• There are technically only two stitches to learn: knit and purl
• People say that knitting uses less yarn that crochet does

Some cons to crocheting:

• People say that it uses (about) 3 times as much yarn as knitting does (however, I haven’t tested out this theory yet)
• It’s the black sheep of needle crafts – I’ve walked into more than one yarn store and got funny looks when I mentioned wanting to crochet something
• If you’re not mad into doilies, it is fairly difficult to find decent published pattern books. However, there are a lot of free resources online as well as crochet magazines and online communities that are constantly coming up with new material.

Some cons to knitting:

• It’s a pain when you drop a stitch. Or all your stitches (I’ve so had that happen to me on more than one occasion).
• I’m pretty sure that there is about a dozen ways to increase the number of stitches you have, as well as a dozen ways to decrease the number of stitches that you have. And they all look different. All of them.
• Double pointed needles. Circulars. It’s like a whole new world opens up after you’ve mastered the straight (regular-looking) knitting needles. DPNs make me want to break out into hives just looking at them (not really a con, but my sister finds my fear of knitting things in a circle to be quite… ‘humourous’).

But which one should I pick up?

Why not both (eventually)? I started off with knitting first and then branched out into crochet and I found that I liked crochet better because I “got” it better. For knitting I can cast-on no problem, and I can count my stitches and knit and purl and even manage some decreases and increases if I happen to have my laptop or a stitch dictionary handy (I can never remember how to increase or decrease) but I can never, ever, ever remember how to cast-off/bind-off. It’s just one of those things. I think it’s because I haven’t completed enough knitting projects just yet. For crochet, it clicked with me. I understood how to chain, single crochet and slip stitch quite quickly. And the half-doubles, doubles and triples just built on what I knew from the single crochet stitch, so it was easier for me to wrap my head around it. But for some things, I will knit – especially if I find a pattern that I happen to like or want to get something to look the way I want it to look. There’s no fool-proof way to make knitting look like it’s crochet or to make crochet look likes it was actually knit, at least for someone who knows the difference.

Some things to keep in mind before embarking on your crocheting and/or knitting adventures…

Both crafts do take money, not a whole lot when you’re first starting out, but it does involve some spending. When I started knitting, I got really lucky. My mom used to knit a lot so when my sister and I decided to start knitting, we ‘inherited’ her set of knitting needles (straights, DPNs and circulars) in all sorts of sizes, as well as a lot of yarn (gorgeous stuff, like wool, llama, and even camel wool from a now-defunct company). However, I know that not everyone can get that lucky with a mom or a relative who has a stash hidden away in a closet.

For starting supplies, you can hit up a local thrift store, they generally have some yarn and some needles and hooks available. Or you can go to a local yarn store and get some supplies there (yarn tends to be more expensive at local, independently owned yarn stores – just a head’s up) or a chain craft store, which will have all the basics that you will need as well as some decently priced yarn (hopefully in the clearance section so you don’t break the bank on the first shopping trip).

If you’re not sure that you’re going to really want to continue knitting/crocheting after your first attempt of a project… Don’t buy a book! Public libraries are awesome resources that your tax dollars already go towards, so go the library and find a beginners guide to crocheting and knitting. When I was first learning, I tended to go for the books geared towards teaching children how to crochet/knit because they had very clear instructions and illustrations (which helped a lot). Most knitting and crochet books do have the basics in the front portion of the books (how to start, how to increase/decrease and how to end the project) before the patterns, so it should be pretty easy to find a book that has decent instructions. And if (for some odd reason…) your public library doesn’t have a beginners knitting or crocheting book, make a request for the library to buy one.

Happy crocheting and knitting!

Stolen Pi Stole (crochet)
Worked on it on and off since August, still on-going though. I still have 10 more balls of yarn left for this (using the very much retired Moda Dea Dream yarn in Leaf Green), so I still have approximately 10 more numbers to add to my Stolen Pi Stole (original pattern). Intended recipient: myself.

In planning…
Goomba Amigurumi (crochet)
Not started (yet!), but I do have all the colours I need for it. Intended recipient: unmentioned.

Garter Stitch Elongated Stitch Scarf (knit)
Not started yet, light cream in colour (delicious!), 6 balls in total to work into the scarf. Intended recipient: unknown (but not myself, too many scarves for my neck).

Blythe-sized Cardigan (knit)
Not started yet, still need to find the colour of sock yarn that I’d like for the project (likely to be self-striping yarn). Intended recipients: the dolls.

Valentine Slouch Hat (crochet)
Not started yet, planning to be a dark pink. Unsure of when I’ll get a chance to make this one. Intended recipient: unknown.

Super Mario Piranha Plant Scarf (crochet)
Not started yet, still need to buy the yarn for it, but it should be a fairly quick project, looking at the pattern. Intended recipient: unmentioned.