Naked Crochet?!?

You have got to check out Everyday Crochet’s blog post, Naked Crochet, about the Knitting Nora’s calendar. She’s got a link in her post where you can order the calendar. I’m buying it. It is so totally cool and affordable at that!

Cool to Be Square?

My next project is a couple of 7″ afghan squares as I’m on a deadline. I’m contributing to a group afghan (I love when crafty people get together and do crafty things) swap type thing and I’m to submit two squares. I know that I want to do a Peace Sign Granny Square but I’m not sure what my other square will be. I might do a Row Count Duck Afghan Square or an Apple Afghan Square.

After I’m done with my squares I’m going to get started on the upcoming holidays. We’ve got birthdays galore throughout the fall/winter. Added to the holidays and all that comes with that, I’ve got a ton on my plate. I’ve got a lot of time right now until I find another job so I figure I should take advantage of it and craft from my stash.

And the Verdict is…

She loves it! It fits just right with the bag coming down to her hip. I am so proud of myself for making it and so very happy that she likes it. I can’t recommend the pattern/tutorial from laughing purple goldfish enough!

Finished Belle’s Purse!

I finally finished! I’m so proud of this purse, even the mistakes. In a few places the stitches are kind of wonky and I’m not the best at hand-sewing but still, I made a PURSE!

First of all, let me say that laughing purple goldfish designs‘ Easy Peasy Crochet Bag is the best pattern ever! It was easy to follow and I love all the accompanying pictures. I was able to make the bag the size I wanted without having to do math (math hates me and the feeling is mutual) and with relative ease. No, not even relative. This bag was incredibly easy to crochet. Her tutorial on how to line a bag was essential in the making of Belle’s purse.

To make the size I wanted, I just crocheted a rectangle until I felt it was big enough. Once the purse started taking shape, I thought it was too big and wanted to rip it out. The Husband, knowing my flakiness, suggested that I just continue on. I often get frustrated when I rip something out and start over and then I never finish the project. So I followed his advice and continued on, with misgivings. At that point I hated the yarn I (*ahem* I mean Belle) had chosen, I didn’t like the shape of the bag, and the stitches looked too plain. This being my first purse and for my little girl at that, I wanted it to be perfect. However, I soldiered on and I’m glad I did.

As I got to the top of the bag, I began to think of the edging. I liked the frilly edging on the bag that laughing purple goldfish had made but I wanted something different. After a little thought I decided to crochet an alternating pattern of front post and back post stitches. It turned out beautifully and I’m definitely going to edge another bag that way.

After I finished crocheting the purse, I weaved a little of the crochet ribbon through the bottom of the posts on the edging. Again, I messed up a little as part of the yarn bunched together and I couldn’t get it straight. Frustrated, I left it as it was and moved on. Perfection was not my goal, I was just trying to make something beautiful for my Belle.

For the lining, I used some tie dye material that I’d bought awhile back for diapers. I believe it is flannel though it is smooth and not the pilly kind. I followed laughing purple goldfish’s directions on measuring it, meaning that I didn’t. I just put the bag on top of the fabric and cut around it, leaving a bit extra on all sides. In retrospect, I should have used a little less on the sides as the fabric was too big, something I didn’t notice until I was halfway through handstitching it inside the purse. It’s ok though, I just folded the fabric over a bit and stitched it in. I sewed the lining together using my machine after starting to sew it by hand and realizing that it was going to take a long time. For the pocket, I just cut a piece of fabric into the size I wanted, leaving a little extra to fold over and stitch through, like a hem. I attached the pocket to the lining before sewing the lining together.

The stitching on the pocket is a bit wonky as again, I’m not very good at sewing by hand. But I love it all the same, in fact probably a little more than if I’d used my machine to sew it in.

After sewing the lining in, I decided to dive in and give it a zipper. I’d been wavering on that as I wasn’t sure if I could do it and I didn’t want to ruin the purse. But after the lining was in, my sister told me that it looked like a basket. At that point I figured that I wouldn’t be happy with the purse if there wasn’t a zipper so I dove in. I wasn’t able to find a tutorial on sewing in a zipper. I think I found one awhile back but I didn’t want to waste time digging through my bookmarks in an attempt to find it so I just stitched it in by hand, much the same as I did the lining. I matched it up with the edge of the lining and sewed through that and the front loop of the top of the purse’s edging. I like the way it turned out.

Finally I made the straps. I’d meant to do them prior to putting in the lining but I forgot and didn’t remember until it was too late and the lining was already mostly in the bag. So I improvised. If you remember, I’d been debating having fabric straps to give it some stability. However, I don’t have a fabric that I felt complimented the bag in the way I envisioned so instead I used two strands of yarn and crocheted them together. One was the yarn I’d used to crochet the bag’s body and one was the crochet ribbon that I’d just purchased (75% off!!). I ripped out and redid it many times as I wasn’t sure of the stitches I wanted or how to place them. I also kept changing my mind on whether or not I wanted the ribbon included on the straps in this way or if I wanted to just weave it through, like on the body of the purse. I ended up chaining six, then skipping a couple stitches and crocheting the rest in double crochet. Each row was four stitches, with the turning chain of three stitches counting as the first stitch on the next row. I skipped the first stitch and ended the rows by crocheting into the turning stitch of the row below.

By the way, if you are just learning to crochet or just need some tips, I love Crochet Kitten’s site. The tutorial section is very easy to read and there are plenty of pictures to help you out.

At this point, Belle went to nap and I wasn’t able to measure the strap against her body. Because of this, I believe I made the strap too long. I won’t know until she wakes up and I can try it on her. Because she’s a toddler I decided that I wanted the strap to be long enough to put it across her shoulders like a messanger bag. Depending on how long it is, I might have to fix the length so we’ll see.

To attach the strap, I had a vision in my mind of how I wanted it to look. Basically I wanted to crochet it to the posts with the body of the purse easing up into the straps, seamlessly. However, that wasn’t what I got. I ended up crocheting it to the bottom of the posts on the edging using a double crochet across the bottom of the strap and then weaving the edges in. Not what I wanted but I still like it.

And finally, I am done. All in all, this purse was easy. I got bogged down in some of the details but it helped that I’d made some decisions (such as having a lining, a pocket, and a zipper) beforehand. Remaining flexible is what helped this purse to come into being as there were quite a few times when I would have given up in the past. I sewed the lining in wrong, the seams are not on the short ends of the rectangle which made the pocket be in a weird position. The strap is most likely too long and there are flaws that even a non-crafter can see. However, I think it is beautiful and I’m going to be so proud to give it to Belle. I’m already thinking of making another bag, slightly larger, as a Christmas gift for my sister.

And now, for some purse porn.

Taking a peek inside the bag to see the wonderful, wonderful lining.

All zipped up and ready to go.

The bag is floppy but stable, much like many of my purses. (Um, I may or may not have a purse addition.)

A little shrubbery in the shot to liven it up.

And of course…

The ever popular “Hey, I’m just a bag hanging here, minding my own business.” shot.

Quotations

Yesterday while I was making Belle’s pocket diaper, Fin was watching me closely. After awhile he spoke up and exclaimed, “Mama, you can make anything!”

Today the boys asked me what I was “making”. I told them that I’m crocheting a scarf. Cue Fin saying, “I wish we had yarn everywhere so you could make everything!!” I’m going to take that to mean that he wants me to crochet him a scarf as well.

Belle’s Purse: Almost Done!

I’ve been working nonstop on Belle’s purse for the past few hours. I’ve put in the lining (with a pocket!) and a zipper. The zipper was actually easier than I thought it would be. The only thing left to do is the strap. I meant to put it in before the lining but I was distracted while doing the purse (when am I ever not distracted when trying to craft something?) and I didn’t realize it until I was halfway through sewing in the zipper. I’m going to make the strap and put it on and then I’ll update with pictures.

Belle’s Purse Countdown

I’m working on finishing Belle’s purse. Now that I’ve dug into my fabric stash to make diapers, I’ve found more fabric that I can line the purse with. I’ve got a pattern that will go great with the color of the purse, so I’m excited again. I’m going to try to finish it today so look forward to pictures tomorrow.

Pocket Diapers

It’s that time again…

Diaper making time! The pocket diaper I made, while certainly not pretty, is great. I love how easy it cleans and the ease of use. So I’ve decided to make more. Right now I’ve got the outer and inner pieces cut out for three diapers, two with fleece outers and one (drumroll please!) PUL outer. I bought this PUL when the boys were still in diapers but I never used it. The horror stories I’ve heard kept me from using it as I didn’t want to damage and waste it. But why just keep fabric laying around because I don’t want to damage it? That’s ridiculous. Fabric is made to be used. Or so I told myself as I hesitantly cut into the PUL.

I finally found two of my camera batteries, which are on the charger right now, so I’ll take pictures of the diapers when I’m done and upload them to Flikr. You can check out the pics in my sidebar Flikr widget.

Torturing Myself With Knitting

I have a looong list of favorites on Ravelry. Each time I go peruse the list I debate with myself over the intelligence of including knitting patterns. I don’t knit. I bought knitting needles at one point and though I enjoyed the activity, I never got further than knitting a little block. So why include patterns on my favorites page just to torture myself?

I want to learn to knit. The overabundance of knitting patterns is a big draw. Also, I like the look of knit clothing better than that of crochet. However all the supplies, the fact that knitting isn’t something that you can set down at anytime like you can with crochet (a big drawback as the zoo of children residing in my household frequently require me to fling whatever is in my hands at the moment to the ground so as to properly pull a SuperMama move), and my own stubborn nature all keep me from attempting to learn.

Well, I’m finally putting all of that aside. I’ve decided to finally learn how to knit. I’ve decided that my first project will be a pair of Sucky Thumb Mitts for Belle. I love fingerless mitts and these look easy enough. Now to order the yarn and needles from KnitPicks… I think I’ll pay for the more expensive shipping this time as last time it took an extremely long time to get my delivery and I want to get started on these soon so they’ll be done for fall.

Brainstorming for Belle’s Purse

This will be my first big project since making Belle’s afghan. I figure that Belle will play with her purse for about a year, maybe even two, so I want to make it in a way that will be fun for her now and in a year when she’s more advanced with her play.

I spent some time looking at other bags on Ravelry (I love Ravelry! If you crochet or knit and you haven’t joined, you should!) and I’ve decided on a few extras I’d like to make for the bag. My main points:

• Lining. I think this makes all the difference. In the past when I’ve heard of crocheted or knit purses, I blew the idea off because while cute it seemed impractical. Adding a lining means pockets and a more sophisticated look.
• Pockets. As stated above, this pushes the bag up to another level for me. Since this is a purse for a 1½ year old, I’ll just add one or two pockets with no snaps or zippers. I might do velcro on one pocket.
• Fabric straps. I think these will be more durable and again, I like the look better than crocheted straps. I have some Tinkerbell fabric that I bought to use for Belle but couldn’t figure out a use for, it will be perfect for the lining and straps.

This bag’s fabric straps and lining are what I’m aiming for. Though I’ll make the straps all fabric and no crochet. I don’t know whether I’ll add a zipper as I don’t know how to do it. Also, Belle might get frustrated with it. I like the butterfly embellishment on this bag and the flower on this bag. The heart on this bag looks pretty simple which is a plus since Belle is still prone to putting things in her mouth. If I do a butterfly it won’t be able to have beads which is most of the charm of it.

I’ve gotten started on the bag now (I’ve been working on this post in between dealing with the needs and demands of the kids). Belle picked a pretty green acrylic from my stash. Well, I held out two colors and prodded her towards the green as I thought it was prettier and would go with the Tinkerbell fabric better. The fabric looks a bit like the print used for this smocked material. I have some nicer yarn but for a toddler purse I think acrylic is the way to go for the easy clean. So far I’ve gotten about half the bottom done. I’d like to add this Tinkerbell applique but I’m feeling ambitious and at this point I’m not going to buy it, I’m going to try to embroider it.

This purse is going to be great. I wish it were closer to Christmas as this would be a hit at Christmas. Maybe I’ll make more.