I’m still trying to catch up on posting photos of finished objects. Unfortunately, because of focusing on school work, there weren’t that many that I needed to get caught up on! I finished this hooded cardigan over two days. Dolly crafting is generally good for short-term projects and good for gratification. It’s not quite instant, but it’s pretty close.

The yarn used was Patons Purple Heather in 0350. The ball band listed the date of manufacture as 26/11/1973. I got the yarn from my mom, it’s from when she used to knit. I knit it on 3mm (2½ US) needles.

The pattern is from McCall’s 7841, Hooded Cardigan E.

The entire cardigan has a seed stitch border, which I find really helps ‘connect’ the entire piece together in making it seem a lot like a human-sized cardigan.

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One of my summer job coworkers was expecting to have a baby soon (a boy! the baby was born after I had left to go back to school). On my last day of work, I gave him a little something for his future offspring. I didn’t know what the baby’s name was going to be, or else I probably would have done something fancy (or attempted to). Instead, I made a little crochet hat.

The hat was made in Bernat Super Saver in White (100% acrylic) and Red Heart Super Saver in Turquoise (100% acrylic).

The hat was a simple pattern that I made up as I went along (increase of 6 stitches evening throughout until I got to the size that I wanted). The hat was 14″ in circumference, so I’m hoping that it fit as I didn’t get a chance to ask after the baby was born.

I’m hoping to get the pattern up soon, I just need to write it up and crochet another hat to test the pattern out before putting it up here.

A while ago, I’m not even sure how long ago now, I knitted a hat. It wasn’t my first time knitting in the round, but I did this one entirely on double-pointed needles. It was my first ‘big’ circular knitting project that I did, besides little testing swatches to get used to it. I used all worsted weight yarn, all Lion Brand Wool-Ease (80% acrylic, 20% wool).

I used an acrylic blend because the hat was a gift and if I’m not entirely sure about someone’s laundry habits, I tend to gift acrylic or acrylic blends. It’s not because I’m selfish when it comes to the “good yarn” (well, maybe I am), but because it’s just good practice. I don’t want to make something for someone and then have them toss it into the wash and have it come out several sizes too small. That wouldn’t do me or the gift recipient any good if the hat was easily ruined, now would it?

I used a basic toque pattern and did it entirely in the base colour first. Goomba’s face was duplicate stitched on afterwards. I tried to make the inside as neat as possible, but not sure if I managed that at all. It was a pretty decent knit, the thing that I really needed to get into the habit was shuffling stitches on the dpns, I was not used to that at all.

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I’m a sucker for cute things. I really do enjoy crochet cute things with big eyes. Goomba was no exception. For Mario fans, you should recognize this little cutie. I made him for a gift a while back and never got around to posting photos of him. He was about 10cm (4″) in height. I used 5 different types of yarn (mostly Bernat Supersaver or Red Heart Supersaver; the feet were out of Bernat Satin).

I did not use a pattern (I made it up as I went along) and I will not be publishing a pattern for him (mostly because I don’t remember what I did and because Goomba is a trademarked character by Nintendo). I hope you like him.

So it’s been a while… School kept me pretty busy from September-December and then there were the holidays, so I didn’t have much crafting time. But the upcoming term should be better – I have 3 classes and only need to go to campus 2 days out of the week (slacker schedule is slack). So I do plan on getting more crafting time in during the times when I’m not working on things for school.

My 2012 resolutions for chelle-chelle.com are:

1. Blog more often! I’m aiming for once a week (minimum). Bonus points for more than once per week.
2. Opening the chelle-chelle.com Pattern Shop (still in the making, still have designs tucked away for that).
3. Just craft more, photograph projects in progress and finished and document them here (goes with #1).

Hopefully I can keep them!

Upcoming posts will be about:

• Baby bear hat (that was gifted)
• More doll clothes (knitted)
• Christmas presents(!)
• New needles (after they arrive)