Peachy keychains

On June 21, 2023June 18, 2023 By CarynIn Craft

I recently created a PDF pattern for a local yarn shop. It is the owner’s pattern, but they needed it taken from written shorthand to a sharable PDF. It is a cute little peachy amigurumi, and in testing the pattern, I made up 6 little peaches.

The pattern is by Anniewhere at NerdCraft. I’m very excited about the wool yarn I used for the body of the peach, because it was locally spun and dyed by Texas Prairie Fiber Co. I love using locally produced supplies! The leaves I made from my own handspun yarn, that I spun from Blue Faced Leicester and silk blended roving dyed by Frabjous Fibers. This turned out to be quite the collaborative project.

I did make each one into a keychain by sewing on some chain and attaching a split ring. I used hand-spun alpaca scraps from a naturally brown alpaca (Aimee) to sew on the chain. So each peach has a little brown stem.

Nod to fiber arts

On May 3, 2023April 30, 2023 By CarynIn Craft

I put together a 60s themed outfit with a nod to the fiber arts. I crocheted a duster vest and flower garland, wove a band and added bell sleeves to a tie-dyed t-shirt (I did not dye the shirt, dye and I are still not on speaking terms), and assembled some felted wool ball earrings! (My mom made and gave me the felted beads.)

When I do bell sleeves next, I will make them longer and without the off-set center hole. These look great on the hanger, but were awkward when worn, except when doing jazz hands, then they worked. Since I can’t do jazz hands all the time (although that would be quite the arm workout), I picked out the seams for the added sleeves after the debut. I can see peasant blouses with woven trim and bell sleeves on my crafting horizon.

Crochet flower garland

On April 26, 2023April 23, 2023 By CarynIn Craft

I’ve had this as a purse project for a couple weeks. I wanted to make a flower garland, and I wanted to use crochet (which is still my top choice for an easy-to-pick-up, easy-to-set-down project). I chose pearlized cotton from my stash. I was sad, but not surprised, that all the green is gone, but the multicolored blue did a fine job for the leaves.

Crochet flower garland in process at my favorite coffee shop

I started by making the flowers with white thread. These are made with five petals crocheted into a magic circle, each petal is a chain 2, double crochet into the circle, chain 1, slip stitch into the top of the double crochet, chain 2, slip stitch into the circle. I made subsequent flowers along the thread because I didn’t want loose bits floating around my purse. When it came time to crochet the vine and leaves, I would clip off a flower and add between leaves (which are similarly constructed to the flower). I neatened up the white threads ends later by weaving them in and clipping.

Long strands with flower bobs enjoy getting tangled. I didn’t have an extra bobbin, so I tore off a side of a tissue box, rolled it into a tube and tucked in the ends. This allowed me to wrap the ornery lengths around it to keep them neat, and the tube served as a holder for the 1.00 mm crochet hook I was using. Not pretty, but effective.

For the final flower, I joined in the start of the chain to make a continuous loop. Now the garland can be doubled and used as a head band, or looped and worn as a necklace.

Crocheted duster vest

On April 4, 2023 By CarynIn Craft

I obtained a crochet pattern for a vest published in 1969 and decided I needed a duster version for an upcoming chorus show that is featuring 60s songs. I had some fingering weight cotton in my stash and I doubled it, combining three different blue colors with two different grays to get a fade on the garment.

It was a very easy pattern, just chains of 5 joining the previous row made of chains of 5 with a single crochet. I aimed to make it mid-calf length, but the net pattern now stretches nearly to the floor! It crocheted up fairly quick as well, because it is comprised mostly of air, which also makes it not hot to wear. Yay for netting.

Feet are free

On March 11, 2023 By CarynIn Craft, dog

I’ve started a new crochet project. I’m using up yarn from my stash to make what I hope will be a 1960s style duster length vest. We’ll see how much yarn I have. Since the piece is worked from the bottom up, I figure I can keep working until I’m almost out of yarn, then finish the arm holes. At that point I should know about how much yarn that will take. I’m working from a vintage 1969 pattern, and as per my standard method, I’ve deviated. It is an easy thing to pick up and put down, so makes an ideal chair project. I just have to count to five (5 chain stitches to create the net lace). Missy the dog noticed that even though my hands are busy, my feet are free. Good thing that I can kick the ball and still count.

Missy presenting her ball for a kick while I crochet

Critters and Craft

Tag: crochet