Tag: yarn

Monthly Digest

Monthly Digest | November 2021

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Hello and welcome to a slightly late reflection on my experiences during the month of November. I had a lot of fun this month, but it was also SUPER busy. So, as some of you might have been able to tell, I only posted a few things. Sometimes real life just gets so chaotic you need to just focus on that. Anyway, I can’t wait to share some of what happened in November!

Reading

Crochet, Knitting and Crafting

Store front of yarn shop called Yarnia.

This month was a ton of fun when it has come to crocheting and knitting. I started off the month by going with a good friend of mine to a really lovely indie yarn shop. We spent easily an hour in this really lovely shop. They were so kind and helpful and had too many great options for my budget. I did a post earlier in the month showing what I picked up, you can find that here: Local Yarn Shop Haul. I even got to cast on one of the socks I was planning with the two blues and try my hand at color work for the first time!

On top of that I finished my last hand made Christmas present, I ended up crocheting the Avon Throw Blanket by Toni Lipsey. I ended up using a gray colored yarn and it was such a fun project and it really flew by. Following this, I ended up making the short version of the All Shawl by Doris Chan. I have not crocheted lace in a while and this detailed looking shawl was so much easier than I thought it would have been. I ended up finishing it in two days or so.

As of writing this I have four WIPs going, 2 are socks, 1 is a blanket, and 1 is a shawl. I am hoping to get two of these done before the year ends, but we shall see. I have really been loving making this the past few months.

Life

A tree lined walkway lit up with purple lights.

This month I did a lot of things between hanging out with a few of my friends, seeing my family later in the month for the holiday, which I loved and was so happy we were able to do this year. One thing that really stood out to me was a night time stroll my boyfriend and myself went on. This park that is a bit far from us was having an exhibit where the paths were all lit up and some of their statues. It was a really fun experience and thankfully we went when it was not too cold yet! It was so beautiful and it was great just to spend time in each other company and be out and about.

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Hauls & Unboxings · Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More

Local Yarn Shop Haul

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Image of hauled items

Hello and welcome to a little post sharing some of my more recent yarn related items. This past week I took a trip with a friend of mine to go to a little local yarn shop to stock up on some items that I can’t really get in the crafting stores in my area. I had such a great time not only spending it with my friend, but us also going through all of the amazing stuff and struggling to narrow down what we actually wanted to take home with us. Trust me, I wanted to take home more, but my wallet said I wasn’t allowed.

I am so excited to finish my final present project I have currently going so I can jump in and start using these products I picked up. I think with the Sly Fox dye I am going to attempt to knit a hat for the first time. I am planning on following the pattern Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure, which is free at the time of writing this. As for the Sharknado skeins I am planning to make a really nice and comfortable pair of socks using a pattern called Cafe Mocha by Twin Stitches Designs. I feel like it would look really cool in the colors I picked up.

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Monthly Digest

Monthly Digest | July 2021

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Hello and welcome to my monthly digest post where I talk about how the past month has gone in terms of reading, crafting, and random life events. This month was a really fun one. I did some reading I didn’t think I would get to and created quite a few things as well. I went on a few adventures, which was a great change of scenery since I have not really gone far from home over the last 15 months or so. Anyway, here is what happened over the past month!

Book stack of read books, current crochet project, and my D.I.Y. room spray.

Reading

  • Hauled The Domestic Life of the Jersey Devil by Bill Sprouse
  • Hauled Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yu
  • Read Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
  • Read Later by Stephen King LOVED
  • Hauled The Field House by Robin Clifford Wood
  • Hauled The House of Lobster Cove by Jane Goodrich
  • Hauled Writing on Stone by Christina Marsden Gillis
  • Hauled A Haunting Fog by Heidi Martin Washburn
  • Hauled Wild! Weird! Wonderful Maine! by Earl D. Brechlin
  • Read Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker
  • Read How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson LOVED
  • Read The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
  • Read Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy, and the Fear of Female Power by Sady Doyle LOVED
  • Hauled and Read a story I cannot share, but know that it was great!

Total TBR Count: 35, Last Month: 33

Crochet & Crafting

Over this month I crocheted quite a bit, I made at least 4 market bags and gifted them to family members. I really need to make myself one in the future. Now that we can start using our own bags again I think it would be great to use for produce instead of the plastic bags. I did also made a ton of progress on the  Macchiato Crochet Poncho created by BrianaKdesigns. I am about 1/3 of the way done with it, but sadly I did not have the time to dedicate to it like I thought I would this month. I am planning on continuing this pattern in the upcoming month. Another crafting this I did this month was restore an antique picnic basket to use for my larger crochet projects because I have a few blankets I need to be making in the near future. I resealed it and even sewed a liner, a first for me! It even had button holes! As for the goal of making a room spray I ended up making the Mood-Boosting Blend room spray by Hello Glow. It included mixing up orange, lemon, eucalyptus, and peppermint essential oils with a little bit of vodka and filtered water. If you want to make some for yourself, I suggest checking out their post. I really loved how mine ended up smelling. I keep using it and I plan on making it again!

Life

Yard when staying with family.

This month was filled with a ton of really memorable things. As I mentioned in the start of this post, I went on a few adventures. The first being an almost 2 hour trip (one way) with a friend to a indie yarn store called Yarnia. I went a little over the top with picking up yarn because there were so many beautiful options I don’t see normally. Also, can I just say the name of this place is just perfect! A pun involving reading and yarn, not easily topped. I also decided while I was here I would attempt to maybe learn how to knit…it isn’t going so well. I am a crocheter and to be honest, I think it is going to be hard to break away from that.

Another thing I did was finally visit with family I have not seen in nearly 2 years. We got to spend a week together in the middle of the woods. It was so peaceful and calming. It was just great to spend quality time with them once again and also not have to deal with all of the people and congestion that goes on in my daily life. I ended up doing a lot of reading, relaxing, and just spending time outside. Spending time outside and in nature really is something I treasure because it also grounds me no matter what is going on in my life. I really wish I made it more of a priority because it makes such a difference. I will for sure need to work on that going forward.

I hope you had a wonderful July and have a few great memories to dwell upon in the future. I would love it if you shared something you tried or did over the past month. I also hope you have a wonderful month ahead!

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Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More · Lists & Recommendations

My Favorite Crochet and Yarn Arts Channels

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Mr Bobvin, Crochet With Kaye, More KopyKali

These three sisters are close knit, but love to crochet! They each have their own style, but I love each and every one of them. They have podcasts, tutorials, original patters, and organizational videos that I can just watch and chill out to while I am working on my WIP. I also really love that they all mainly work with natural fibers, which is something I really want to be exploring more personally so I love watching them trying out new yarns and seeing their thoughts to see. I can seriously say that these three have pushed me outside my comfort zone and I have started to make more wearable items.

Anna Kallajian

I found Anna though her Harry Styles sweater video which was a huge thing in 2020. I really enjoyed her vlogs and just hanging out with her viewers. I think she is the first crochet youtuber I saw that was not just tutorials. Tutorials truly have their place, I use them all the time, but I can’t crochet and watch a tutorial for something else. Also, her humor is just great!

Justine Isabelle

I love her stuff because she is learning and just trying new stuff. On top of that she is not afraid to show her messing up. Her humor and honesty are great. I hate to say this, but I just love her vibe. She is very down to earth and I can just chill with her.

TL Yarn Crafts

If you want to learn tunisian crochet her tutorials are where you go. They are clear, simple, and all around VERY helpful. On top of that, she is just a ball of sunshine with a great sense of humor. Even when I am learning something and really concentrating on her tutorials I still find myself laughing here and there and honestly. If I am learning and having a good time, there is no toping that!

Yarn as a Second Language

This channel is two friends chatting about crochet and knitting. I love that these two friends have such a great dynamic and don’t take themselves seriously and just have a good time. They have fun challenges from time to time and share their viewers work as well in between their podcast. I often laugh while watching them and every video I know I am going to love!

Tiffany Liew

While I am not a knitter, I love watching her stuff. I really enjoy her positive attitude while taking part in challenges, trying new patterns, and hauling some yarn. She honestly makes me want to learn knitting, maybe in the future. Her ability to see a sweater or something she likes and just recreate it is just something I am very envious of.

Knitty Natty

This is another knitting channel I have followed for quite some times. I mainly started to follow her stuff from her declutters and yarn organization videos. She has a podcast, random yarn related videos like yarn shop tours, as well as vlogs and sock challenges! Her attitude and personality keep me coming back even though I don’t knit.

Who are your favorite yarn arts channels or bloggers?

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Monthly Intent

Monthly Intent | July 2021

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Hello and welcome to “new” kind of post here on my blog. In the past I just did monthly TBRs and didn’t really talk about my goals outside of this or share the things I wanted to try to get to during the month. Well, I decided to change that and post a monthly intent post to share what I intend to do over the course of the month book wise and beyond!

Reading Plans

This upcoming month I really want to read a few books, but the two I want to prioritize this month are How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson and Later by Stephen King. When it comes to How to Think Like a Roman Emperor I am curious to continue looking into philosophy. I took a class when I was in school and really enjoyed it, but I have not really explored it more since. I am really hoping to chance that. As for King’s book, I really loved the last two books he wrote for hard case crime, so I am hoping that this is another great mystery penned by King.

Crochet Plans

This month I want to finally tackle a project I have been putting off. I have all the yarn for the project and everything, I just have been so intimidated by it that I keep picking up other projects first. The pattern in question is the Macchiato Crochet Poncho created by BrianaKdesigns. It is a beautiful sweater/poncho that I really want to have done for the fall months so I can wear it out and about. I have been dabaling in creating wearables this year outside of scarfs and hats and I already notice an improvement in my abilities. I am hoping I have gotten good enough to create this beautiful pattern. I ended up picking up Brava Bulky Weight Yarn in the color Sienna.

Random Goals

Something different I would love to do this month is create a room spray. I normally just buy some from the store and call it a day, but I think it would be a ton of fun to try and make one myself and really tailor it to my tastes. This is not to say that the store bought ones or bad, I tend to like most of the ones I have picked up. I just think it would be fun to mix my own or follow a guide to create a scent I really adore.

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Hauls & Unboxings

Haul | Lion Brand Yarn Mystery Box

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Hello and welcome to a bit of a yarn haul! I recently got an email from Lion Brand announcing that they had mystery boxes for sale and you got to pick which weight you wanted. I, loving yarn, had to say gimme gimme. I ended up placing and order for weight 5 yarn and here are the goodies I got!

The first thing I noticed and LOVED about these mystery boxes of yarn was the fact that all 9 of the balls of yarn were not different. You are given 3 balls of each type so you actually have enough to create something. This was my biggest worry, but I am so happy it was unfounded.

Lion Brand® Homespun® Stripes Yarn in the color Mango Chutney, 98% Acrylic, 2% Other. In the past I have used Homespun yarn before, but never the stripes version. I do really like the neutral color schemes of these cakes. I can really see me turning this into a scarf or another winter accessory because it is so fluffy and it seems like it can hold in the heat a bit.

Lion Brand® Rewind Yarn in the color Valerian, 70% Polyester, 30% Viscose. I honestly had no idea what to do with this yarn, but it took a bit of googling and I was able to find a few patterns or people making summer shirts and hat with, as well as a few bags. I am learning towards using this yarn to turn it into a shirt called the Openwork Cover-Up.

Lion Brand® Twisted Cotton Blend Yarn in the color Coral/Ecru, 69% Cotton, 31% Acrylic. This yarn was surprisingly soft, I have a market bag pattern from the chain Michael’s I have had for sometime and I am thinking I might use this yarn for that. I so love the pop of color for this, it isn’t too bright, but not dull and plain either.

Overall, I am really happy with these acquisitions! All of them are great colors and I was able to pretty much come up with a plan for each to use all of the yarn so it isn’t wasted or anything like that. I am honestly really pleasantly surprised.

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Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More

Crochet Talk | January – March 2021

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Hello and welcome to another crochet check in! The past few months I have taken on quite a few new projects and challenges when it comes to crochet and I wanted to take a moment to share the outcomes of these adventures. I know a bit ago I did a post detailing my crochet plans called, Crochet Talk | Upcoming Projects, I figured I should share an update!

The Projects

The first project I finished was a Crochet Kobo Cover. I used a pattern inspired by Melanie Ham called Easy Crochet Kindle Cover. I used Lion Brand Comfy Cotton Blend in the color Chai Latte with a 6.0 mm hook. I added a the optional strap and button as well as a fabric lining, the first time I have done either. It was a bit of a challenge doing the lining, but I think the next time I try it will be better.

The next few projects I made were Drawstring Pom Pom Bags designed by Knit Crochet Addict called Crochet Drawstring Pom Pom Bag, I left the pom poms off, not really my style, but it is cute! I used Wool Ease by Lion Brand in quite a few different colors because I made two for me a few for friends of mine. When making this I used the recommended hook size on the yarn to complete the project.


This next project was a basket called the Jessie Stash Basket by Toni Lipsey. To complete the project I used Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick Color Fisherman doubled up and used a 9.0 mm hook. I really loved how this book came out so much in this cream color! I even placed it on my nightstand to hold my current read and current crochet projects. It is very durable too because the yarn was doubled up. I really love Toni’s patterns and videos.

Next, I created a Highlander Twisted Shawl which was designed by Lilian for a friend of mine. I decided to use Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick in the color Galaxy, which is a bit hard to see in the picture, but is a deep purple with sparkles here and there. I ended up using a 9.0 mm hook. On a great note, my friend loved it!

Following the shawl, I made another gift, but this one was a Snoopy Amigurumi plush by Amigurinos softies. I ended up using Big Twist Value Worsted Yarn in black and white and used the size down from recommended hook size for the yarn. What I loved about Amigurumi is you can change up the yarn size and hook size to make a larger or smaller plush. I am happy with how this one comes out and I really hope the person it is meant for will love it.


This month I made a lot of gifts for others, this time around I made an Outlander Cowl by Jamey from Dabbles & Babbles. I used Big Twist Sincerely Solids in the color Oatmeal Heather. I doubled up on the yarn and ended up using a size 10.0 mm hook. I really loved the texture of this scarf and really love how this came out. The person I made it for ended up wearing it all day when I gifted it to them.

This next project is for me, I ended up making myself the Crochet The Claire Shawl From Outlander by Selina Veronique
using Stylecraft Special Aran in Khaki (1) and Camel (4). I ended up using a size 6.0 mm (J) hook. I decided to use yellow and a green color instead of the green and black used in the show because I wanted to make it more spring-y.

The last project I finished in March was Beginner Felici Crochet Socks by Briana K Designs. I ended up using
Patons North America Kroy Socks yarn doubled up, I actually mixed the colors brown rose marl and
gray brown marl together and used a 4.5 mm hook. This was a project I was very much intimidated by, but so happy that I tried. Plus, I am really happy with how they came out.

What hobbies have you been filling your time with?

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Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More

Crochet Talk | Upcoming Projects

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Hello and welcome to this crochet talk post. I was planning on sharing some recently finished projects, but I am in the middle of two big ones that might take some time. So, I wanted to share some projects I plan on working on in the next month or two and the supplies I plan on using. I promise, the next post will be book related, but I love sharing all of my interests here.

Yarn in a basket and antique scissors, discussed below.

Toe Up Socks by Patons

A friend of mine who knits mentioned that she was making socks and then I realized I have never crocheted a pair of socks yet and I wanted to give it a try. I actually went onto youtube and looked up some tutorials and came across The Crochet Crowd who had a blog post and a video following Patons’ pattern. So, I picked up a few supplies to give this project a try. I picked up hopefully enough for 2 pairs, one a gift and one for myself. We shall see how it goes.

  • 2 skeins Patons Kroy Socks in Gray Brown Marl
  • 2 skeins Patons Kroy Socks in Brown Rose Marl
  • Clover Soft Touch 3.25-mm Crochet Hook, never used a hook this small befor.

Drawstring Pom Pom Bags by Wannipa Yunker

A bit ago my bag I keep my dice in broke and I realized I needed a new one. I also recently made myself something that needs a bag as a home so when I was at the yarn store I googled drawstring bag crochet and came across this pattern by Wannipa Yunker on KNITCROADDICT. I loved it right away and bought enough yarn to make it a few times, there was a sale on top of it so it worked out perfectly.

  • 1 skein Lion Brand Yarns Wool Ease in Gold
  • 1 skein Lion Brand Yarns Wool Ease in Denim
  • 1 skein Lion Brand Yarns Wool Ease in Wheat

Snoopy by Amigurinos softies

I have been meaning to make another stuffed animal as of late and I decided to make a snoopy for my mother as a gift. I am looking forward to giving it a go. I did end up buying yarn a heavier weight than called for hopefully making it a little bigger than the dimensions listed. Fingers crossed, but either way I think it will be adorable.

  • 1 skein Big Twist Soft in Black
  • 2 skeins Bg Twist Soft in White

So, there are the next few crochet projects I am planning on working on soon. I am hoping that I can finish all of these in a month or two, but we shall see.

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Knitting, Crochet, Crafting, Art & More

Crochet Talk | October – December 2020

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Hello and welcome to a bit of a round up of my most recent crochet projects. I have quite a few to share today because I didn’t want to post any gifts for anyone so I didn’t ruin a surprise so be warned, there are quite a few projects today. Anyway, on to the projects!

The Projects

I used Patons North America Shetland Chunky in Deep Moss to make this Cowl. I used one of the patterns in the post called 4 Fun Stitches for Chunky Crochet Cowls by Daisy Farm Crafts that uses a front two loop half double crochet. I made this cowl for myself because I needed a new scarf for the winter because last year mine started to fall apart. I thankfully beat the cold weather!

I also made another cowl from 4 Fun Stitches for Chunky Crochet Cowls by Daisy Farm Crafts post. In this one I used the Crumpled Griddle Stitch. I don’t remember the yarn I used, but it colors changed from a dark brown to tan to green. I really liked how this one came out, it was the first time that I used a color changing yarn.

Next I made another cowl, but I made this one out of Bernat Crushed Velvet in Deep Gray. I followed another Daisy Farm Crafts pattern, this one is called Crochet Velvet Infinity Scarf. This yarn is so soft I ended up buying more of it to make some other projects. The pattern took advantage of working around posts in the stitches, which was fun and gave a ridged pattern. This is is another pattern that I ended up using a few times because it was so textural and has more dimension.

Next I made a tic-tac-toe game for a family member. I didn’t follow a written pattern, but I did follow a video Crochet Tic Tac Toe Game | Truc Nguyen Handmade. I used a few shades of blue to differentiate the different pieces, but still tied together. I thought it would also be helpful for my family member to teach shades of color etc. I also like how textural this pattern is with the yarn crocheted through the other parts to create writing of sorts. It was a challenge to complete, but I am really happy with how it came out.

I then got very excited to get my roller skates and decided to crochet a skate leash. I followed the pattern called, Crochet Roller Skate Leash by Crafting Callie. I used a gray cotton and I really loved how it came out. It also looks like a yoga mat strap. I can’t wait to use it when I get my skate in a few weeks.

My most recent project was a snake that I made with Bernat Crushed Velvet in a green color. I followed a pattern by  @niyazova_toys on instagram, but also off of this website called https://amigurum.com/. It was a lot of fun to make a stuffed animal and it is so soft because it is made from this velvet yarn. It also gave it a scaly look as well! I made this one for myself since it was something new and I don’t like to give someone my first attempt at something new. Happily, it came out near perfect.

What have you be doing to pass the time as of late?

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Hauls & Unboxings

Crochet Haul | The Hook Nook

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Hello and welcome to a crochet centered post. I recently ordered from a crochet and knitting company that I have never heard of before called The Hook Nook which was founded by Jessica Carey. I will openly admit this, I am envious of her vibe and I have more outfit inspiration than I thought I could ever have found on her social media. Of course this led me to her website and I ordered quite a few things.

THN Iridescent Ends Weaver – Currently $10

Last year I made a beautiful temperature blanket and I really loved the process. That is until I have to weave in the ends of 366 ends thanks to leap year. Turns out there is a nifty little tool that can help with this process and I cannot wait to give it a try.

THN Skein Savers – Acrylic (Gold and Silver) – Currently $8

I don’t know about other crocheters, but I always end up with an open skein of yarn that I barely used in a current project. I try to put the wrapper back on, but the size is too different and the ends come loose and end up making a huge mess. This is the meant to help with that. It is a stretchy band that keeps your opened and used skein in order and stop them from making a birds nest while in storage waiting to be used in another project.

THN Designer Interchangeable Crochet Hook Set – Currently $40

Lastly, is this really nifty interchangeable crochet hook set. I have been seeing them for years, but never came across ones while I shopped in person. My go to hooks are Clover, but I really wanted a set I can easily take with me while in the car or somewhere where I have size options. Plus, they came in a really nice carrying case. I tried them out briefly and they felt great in my hand, but I suggest giving them a quick wipe down before using. They had a bit of gunk on them from manufacturing.

Some nice bonus items that they sent my way are a few branded stickers, a pin, and aa yummy serving of yogi Honey Lavender Stress Tea. All of which was a really nice touch and the branded items were adorable and I can’t wait to stick them on things.

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