Adventuring In Updates

Hello! So, my plan to write for two whole weeks failed...eek! But I'm back, with a sort of update and no photos! But I have been crocheting and knitting, a lot! I've started my brother's baby blanket and I am slowly muscling my way through it. I'm half way through the fifty snowflakes, which it turns out we don't actually need... Anyway, my crocheting has been coming along. I was visiting Le monde de Sucrette and found the cutest little Christmas stocking ever! The tutorial was fun, and, though a little hard to understand in some bits, was over all well done and the graph really helped! Her pictures of the stockings were beautiful, and so were the ones in the tutorial, they definitely helped! Plus, they're not full size takes-you-a-month-to-actually-finish stockings! They are just right the right size to hang on my dresser knobs and so far I have done three, although I banished the first one as I skipped a round on the toe and a row on the heel, and then I whacked out the chain too, so yeah... BUT: trial and error, practice makes perfect! After all, I should know, right? I've also crocheted a small wreath, which a tutorial will be posted when I feel like it when I get my camera working, and I've crocheted a couple other things, too, but they're just small failures and I'll post about them later, when I have my camera and can show pictures of it! And....what else was I going to say??? Hm, oh yes! I might be hosting someone for an interview here, so stay tuned!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Wednesday Night Knitting and Crochet Group

I'm so excited! Not this Wednesday but the next I'm going to The Twisted Stitch Yarn Shop to join their knitting and crochet group! I can't wait to meet some other knitters and crocheters! I hope I can get some tips and make some new friends! I'll be posting more patterns soon, I'm a little busy and I haven't been able to use my camera, and I'd like to post pictures of what I make, that way you guys have reassurance that the project is actually made/being made. In crochet news, I have started the "Fifty Snowflakes" project. This year we're putting up two trees, and my mom asked me to make some snowflake ornaments. I;m just using acrylic so it will hold shape better. I found the pattern HERE. You can find The Twisted Stitch yarn shop in Monterey, California near Cannery Row. More posts and patterns soon, until then, Happy Crocheting!

'Soundtrack'

I like music. A LOT. I listen to music every chance I get. In fact, I'm listening to music as I write this. I mentioned in my earlier post that I finished my sister's Christmas present. I listened to music while I made it. Here's some of what I listened to:
For Those Who Wait by Fireflight
Obvious by Hey Monday
She's Got a Boyfriend Now by Boys Like Girls
Seventeen Forever by Metro Station
Untitled by Simple Plan
Awake and Alive by Skillet
I Don't Wanna Be In Love by Good Charlotte
and What About Now by Daughtry

Quite a bit, and I love them all! More project posts later, hopefully!

Getting 'Hooked'

I go through these weird crafting phases. In addition to crocheting I also knit. And I sew a little too. And I like to draw anime/manga. And write. So I have a lot of hobbies. But normally these 'phases' go back and forth between knitting and crocheting. The latest one has been crochet. I've got my sister's Christmas present done(I'll be posting photos later) and started my dad's. I've already started my mom's(ruffle scarf, more on that later) so all I have to do is get the 'big' present for this year done. Last year I crocheted a giant afghan for my grandmother, this year I'm knitting a crib size baby blanket for my brother. I'm knitting rectangles, and then I'm going to sew them together and toss on an edging. I was looking over at http://theroyalsisters.blogspot.com/ The Royal Sisters. A lot of beautiful things over there, and I love the country style theme. Plus, I've made three whole blankets out of granny squares, one for my mom(a single size throw for the couch), the giant king/queen size for my grandmother, and a small baby size for my brother. Of course after that I laid off for a while, but after seeing all of her granny-related items I'm officially hooked, and can't wait to start again! Happy crocheting, and do check out The Royal Sisters!

The First Two Weeks

I was reading somewhere on how to run a 'successful' blog. One tip was that the first two weeks were the most important, mostly because it's the beginning(can I get a collective 'duh'?). Well, the first two weeks of the life of my blog have passed, without one post. Actually, it's been a lot of weeks. So, I'm going to try and keep up with it now. Because I really don't want this to fail, and also because I have no inspiration to crochet or write anything right now, and this may help. So, to kick of the "First Two Weeks(After a Long Period of Absence)" I'm going to post patterns, links, projects, and freebies. I can't wait!

Pattern Copyrights

Hello! I almost forgot to mention something very important! I have some rules as far as patterns and projects go.

1. Please don't take my patterns and claim them as yours, that's stealing.
2. You may use patterns and sell whatever you make, just please provide a link back here.
3. You can post links to any of the patterns you see here.
4. You can add on to any pattern, but, please don't take a pattern, modify it, and call it yours! You can create a pattern variation, but please provide a link back here!

I think that about wraps it up! As long as everyone follows the rules, I'm sure we'll all have a great time!

The Posy Ring

Hello! I made this little ring while taking a break from crocheting the Candy Case: First Edition. It's really quite simple if you know what your doing.

The Posy Ring on my hand.

I think this would be a nice spring accessory.

A side view!

It could also be a cute pin, or, made in a larger size, a cute brooch or hair pin.

I would recommend having some experience with the magic ring before trying out this pattern.

Materials

Size H hook
Worsted weight yarn in flower color and stem/leaf color
Yarn needle

Flower:

With flower color, magic ring
Petals: *ch 3, 3 dc in ring, ch 3, sl st in ring, repeat from * twice. You should have three petals. You can close the ring., fasten off

Ring base/stem

This is REALLY easy! All you have to do is:

Using stem/leaf color, chain enough to fit over your finger snugly, but not to tight! Fasten off.

I tied the ends of the ring base together, but you could slip stitch it together, make your own ring base.

Putting it all together!

This can be a little complicated. First weave in all ends except for the one you used to pull your ring closed. Now, thread that piece onto your yarn needle. Holding the flower and ring base together,carefully stitch the flower to the ring base through both loops of a chain. If you made a different style of base, you can attach it anyway you'd like!

If it's not staying properly, you can try a dab of hot glue or fabric glue to keep it in place. Hot glue won't take that long to dry, but if you're using fabric glue, you may want to place it in a cool, dry place on a high shelf where it won't be bumped around to much. A book would help keep it in place while it dries, as well.

And there we have it, a The Petaled Posy Ring, perfect for spring!

The Candy Case: First Edition

Today I was browsing on Etsy, and I found Twinkie Chan's store! I've read her book, and loved the patterns, but I didn't know she had a blog or a store! Although, you have to admit, some(okay, let's be honest here) , no, all of her items are ridiculously priced! I know you're famous and all, Twinkie, but I can't afford to spend 170 dollars on a scarf when I could go to the LYS(Local Yarn Store) and pick up enough yarn to make a sweater for that price! But that doesn't mean that I don't like her patterns. In fact, I wish I could get my hands on some of those patterns!(I have her book on my Kindle Wishlist, let's see what happens around Christmastime, shall we?) I love her motto, too, "Eat your cake and wear it, too!" Plus, have you seen her wall of yarn?! I would dye(ha ha, dye, die? Get it? Fiber? Never mind.) to get my hands on that stuff! Red Heart Super Saver isn't exactly the kind of 'fancy, luxury yarn' I was thinking about when I got started crocheting. Anyway, this will be the third project posted on this blog, so I think that deserves a celebration. They always say good things come in threes. Or was that bad things?

 Yes, it's for real! This is the Candy Case: First Edition! As you can see, the dark brown was made with a special stitch pattern to make it look like a bar of chocolate!

 The closer is a simple button and strap fixture.

 You probably can't see it very well in the photos, but the top strip is made with white, like whipped cream.

 This is the backside.

 Optional features include a cherry and 'sprinkles'(pony beads)!

In this last photo we get a close up look of the 'chocolate'. Drooling yet?

I'm sorry to say that I can't give out the pattern for this cute case, but you will be able to buy one of these soon, if all goes according to plan. Note: This is made for a 3DS. The Nintendo DSi also fits inside(that's the pink thing in the picture) but because the whole thing was made for the 3DS, it's a little loose. The 3DS, however, fits snugly inside,without stretching the bag itself.

I especially enjoyed making this case. It was a ton of fun to do and it worked up very quickly. The thing that took the longest was all the details, LOL! Anyway, I will be back later with another case, but for now, I have some crocheting to do!

Stop Motion Stars

Okay, so the 3DS Camera has a really cool feature that I absolutely love, the ability to make stop motion videos. All you have to do is use the application in the 3DS Camera! All you do is take a picture, than move whatever you want to be moved a little, and take another picture. Then, when your finished, all you have to do is tap a button, and the camera does the rest! SUPER easy, and tons of fun!

This is one I made using a crochet star, from beginning to end! Plus, if you watch it and listen to the beginning of "Seventeen Forever" by Metro Station, it makes a pretty cool video! These stars were supper easy to make, and I've made a garland of them to hang on the wall over my bed. Here's the link: http://foothillhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/02/crochet-star-pattern.html And that's that! I used some sport weight yarn and a larger hook(can't remember the size), but I'm going to try some of these in some tiny thread and make earrings!

Crochet 3DS Case

Today I was just sitting around, messing with yarn(as usual) and listening to music(also usual). I was thinking about opening and Etsy store, and what inventory I would have if I did eventually open one. I've seen 'cozies' and 'jackets' for all kinds of electronics. Just yesterday, one of my RSS Feeds, Knitting, posted a link to a super cool tablet cozy. I thought it was really cool, because it's got this funky looking color working design. But what would I do with it? I don't have a tablet. I'm not very good at Fair Isle type knitting anyway. Then it hit me- 3DS case! I can work with two colors in patterns with crochet better than with knitting(I can knit stripes, and that's about it as far as color patterns go). And I had the perfect yarn for it, too! I was getting excited, I would get to try a new technique, make something I'd actually use, and get rid of some of my yarn from my huge stash- it was the perfect plan!

The Front

The Back

 I decided to work the pattern in a peach colored yarn. It was just sitting in front of me, waiting to be used...
Then I thought about contrasting colors. Black? Green? White? Blue? Brown? Brown was the ticket. It looks kind of desert-y, LOL.

I was working through the first three rounds when I thought about a pattern design, the little 'stairs' you see in the photo. At first I was just going to do stripes and maybe slap some appliques on there, but that was to plain. Plus, I really wanted to try something new.

A close up of the 'stairs'

So when I got to round five, I was like, "Forget stripes, I'm doing something different!" And away flew the hook and yarn! At first I just wanted a checkerboard pattern, but as I was working in the round and not turning, the pattern slanted. Which is perfectly fine with me, because it made the super cool pattern you see here! I used a button for the closure. This is a fairly easy pattern, but I'd recommend having some experience with working two colors.

Stairway 3DS Case

Materials

Size G hook
Worsted weight yarn in two colors
Yarn needle
Button
Sewing needle
Thread

Main Color(referred to as MC) : Peach
Contrast Color(referred to as CC) : Dark Brown
Round is referred to as Rnd

Using MC, ch 30, sl st to first ch, being careful not to twist the ch

Rnd 1: ch 2, hdc in each ch around, sl st to first hdc, 30 sts
Rnds 2-5: ch 2, hdc in each hdc around, sl st to first hdc, 30 sts
Rnd 6: Using MC, ch 2, hdc in next 3 hdc, *using CC, hdc in next 3 hdc, using MC, hdc in next 3 hdc, repeat from * around, sl st to top of first hdc.
Rnds 7-10: Repeat Rnd 6, starting with opposite color. For Rnd seven, you would start the round with CC, for Rnd 8, you would start with MC, and so on and so forth.
Rnds 11-15: Using MC, ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st in first st, 30 sts, fasten off

Congratulations, you've completed the main body of the case! Now all that's left to do is add a flap, a bottom strip, and a button!

Bottom Strip(The strip of brown at the bottom of the case)

Using CC, sl st to bottom of case.

Rnd 1: ch 2, hdc in bottom of each hdc around, sl st in first hdc, 30 sts
Rnd 2: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st in first hdc, 30 sts, fasten off.

Flap

Using CC, sl st to any st on the TOP of the case, ch 2

Row 1: hdc in next 15 hdc, ch 2, turn, 15 sts
Row 2-4:Repeat Row 1
Row 5: hdc in next 6 hdc, ch 2, sk next 3 sts, hdc in next 6 hdcs
Row 6: ch 1, sc in next 6 sts, 3 sc in ch 2 sp, sc in next 6 sts, fasten off

And that's it! All you have to do is weave in the ends and sew on the button, and I'll leave that to you!

Getting back on topic, Etsy stores! What sells? I see a lot of listings, and not a lot of stuff selling. At least I don't think so. I'll probably make some earrings, I have some fingerless gloves, and some awesome circle bracelets. I'll have to go through all I have, but I'm stocking up inventory now, so I don't run out to soon. If I start a store, that is. Which I probably will, once I have enough inventory. So it basically circles back around to the same thing, inventory. What would you buy? Half a dozen roses? A Queen Anne's Lace scarf? An amigurumi bear? A Triforce? Children's toy play sets such as food/cooking sets? Hats? I really don't have a clue! Then there's the whole issue on pricing. What you have to factor in, the time it takes to make a project, the cost of materials and such... I saw a tiny strawberry ring listed for eight dollars! For that price, I could make my own, thank you very much! Granted, there is some cool stuff on Etsy, like a Celtic Braid Cuff Bracelet. Yeah, it looks cool, but I have nothing that matches it, and it seems kind of large. Am I going to spend twenty five dollars on it? No thank you! And patterns! People try and sell patterns for three or four dollars a piece, when I can basically look at whatever it is I want the pattern to and mimic it! Yeah, I might sell a few patterns, but I'm not going to sell them for four dollars! I'd really like to hear your feedback on this. Thanks for sticking with me through this super long post!

Tried this project? I'd love to see pictures!

                                                                   

Welcome to the Blog!

Welcome to the 'premiere' of Hooks and Needles! I've got a lot of fun patterns lined up, and I can't wait to get started! I do pretty much everything when it comes to fiber. I knit(needles), I crochet(hooks) and I sew a little too. The only thing I have yet to achieve is embroidery. And dress making, but that falls under the sewing category. So! To kick of the premiere of my new blog, I'm posting some of my favorite patterns! We'll start out with a classic from(drum roll) The Legend of Zelda! I love the old game, and own The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D(meaning I have a 3DS, but I don't want to brag). So, I found a pattern over at NyanPon's Knits and Crochet for a classic Legend of Zelda fairy, and I've made several, but you know what I just had to have? The Triforce! So, I crocheted one!

It could have been done better...

It's thick, too, with double layers and a strip between each...(it's kind of hard to explain). I know it could have been done better!

I've been into crocheting really tiny things lately, so I tried out a tiny Triforce. But this time, I did the triangles in rows rather than rounds, to it looks more like the real thing. I made one, and thought, "You know, these would look really cool as earrings..." and that is how the Triforce Earrings came into play. Anyway, I'm only posting the earring pattern because it looks better. Once I get some yellow yarn, I'll make a tutorial on how to sew it all together, but for right now, I'll just post the pattern.

Triforce

Materials :

For a regular sized Triforce

A size H crochet hook
Some worsted weight yarn in yellow, or color desired
A yarn needle

For a tiny Triforce

A size B crochet hook
Embroidery floss(I used 100% mercerized cotton six stranded, but that's just what I had on hand)
Yarn needle

Triangle(make three)

Begin with a slip knot, ch 7
Row 1: sc in second ch from hk and in each ch across, 6 sc
Row 2: sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, 4 sc
Row 3: sc in each sc across, 4 sc
Row 4: sc2tog twice, 2 sc
Row 5: sc in each st across, 2 sc
Row 6: sc2tog, 1 sc
Row 7: sc in next st, fasten off.

Weave in ends.

Once you have all three triangles made, it's time to sew them together! Using the pictures as a guide, sew two of the triangles together at the corner, weave in ends. Now all you have to do is sew the top triangle to the other two, again using the picture as a guide. Weave in all ends. And there you have it, a Triforce! I'll do a tutorial on how to make some into earrings, or make one thicker. For now, we'll just stick with this!

So that marks the official beginning of this blog, Hooks and Needles! I hope you enjoyed this pattern and will stick around for some time to come!