It's November....already?!

Yes, yes it is! And how time has gone by way too fast! I'm back into crocheting for the winter, and actually started a little hobby store on Facebook! Torsdag Designs is what I named it! I also have found a few fun groups to be in on facebook, and that has been keeping me busy busy! Learning all sorts of new things, and talking to some pretty fun people about crochet, it's pretty cool.

Anyway, I did find my pattern I wrote for the flower. At one time anyway. Pretty sure it is on my desk, or in the tote with my material, so once I get it found again, I'll be posting it. I'm not sure if it someone else ever wrote it, but I just did part of one pattern, and added onto it. So who knows!

I have so many new things I've made! I just finished a giraffe for my neighbor's son, who's birthday party is tomorrow, can we say last minute?! I like how it turned out, it looks so much better than the one I made for my own son, but he loves his so that's what counts!

One last thing - I've decided that this year I will be making all the gifts I give! Well, maybe not me make them ALL, but fellow crafters! It should be really fun, and way more personal than anything you can buy at the big box stores. I'm pretty excited, and I really need to figure out what all I am doing, as it will be cutting it way close. My challenge to you - give everyone on your list at least 1 handmade thing. Either by you, or by a crafter! If you need some help finding some, please let me know. I have lots of friends who all do different things, so I'm sure I could find what you are looking for!

With that - I'm going to bed. I have a lot of photos to take in the morning to update my Ravelry, and I have to drop off the present and quite possibly start on my craft room/toy room! Thanks for reading!
Jen

It's been awhile...

and for that, I'm sorry! It became summer & I am usually running around outside during the summer. This year took us on a family vacation - it was so wonderful to get away for a few days!

I haven't actually done any crocheting since the yarn bomb in June. Well, for the most part anyway. Almost finished another market bag while riding in the car to our destination, but I decided I'd rather watch out the window. Should probably finish that soon so I can sell it.

Other than vacation, I've been doing a lot more sewing. I've been trying to sew diapers, but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong that they aren't turning out the greatest. So guess I'll just stick to crocheting wool covers. After it starts to get cool, I'll pick up the hook again. I made a nifty roll up case for all my hooks yesterday, can't wait to test it out! When will it get cool? I have no idea. It is October 1st and it was about 90 today in South Dakota, crazy!

Until next time, and hopefully that is soon, have fun =)
Jen

International Yarn Bombing Day

Tomorrow is International Yarn Bombing Day! We are going to be yarn bombing downtown, pretty excited. Over the past few weeks a few friends & I have been busy crocheting flowers & vines to place around in our city.

While making flowers, I have stumbled upon (with stumbledupon.com even lol) a few blogs that I now follow with some of the cutest flowers ever. The one girl also had a headband which is super easy & took me less than an hour do to both the headband & flower. I will post these in a blog after this weekend.

If you would like to follow what we do with our yarn bombing tomorrow, check out our Facebook! Find us at Black Hills Yarnaholics Anonymous. Here's to hoping that link works, otherwise you will have to do a search. We haven't gotten our username yet but hopefully soon FB will let us do that!

Jen

Wool Cover

The last wool cover I was doing, with the cro hook ended up being a flop! I did about 10 rows or more and it was still pretty thin and I didn't have much left of the one color. Instead, I made a brown & white cover, stripes! I am excited to use it, but it is HUGE! It will work though, and it will last longer than the other 2 I've made. Somehow, they ended up getting too small (one was right away I guess). I love wool covers for his diapers! I wish I would use them way more, but I don't. Mostly because right now he only has the 2 I bought from a friend, and the one I just finished, but have to lanolize still.

I will have to add some pictures of it soon. Should take the pictures soon too! Thanks for reading my random blog!
Jen

What I'm working on!

I am working on a new wool cover! I am excited about it, and hope it turns out great. I am not using any pattern either - just making it up as I go. If it turns out, I will share it with you! Why is it so neat? Well, I am using a cro hook to do it! Hopefully I can get it done fast, but I only have a row and a half done.

The other thing I am working on with a few friends is stuff for Yarn Bombing Day! June 11th! I can't wait! There will be pictures to follow after we are done.

Ok, off to bed I go! I will get some pictures of up the process of my wool cover. I am really excited about it.

jen

ERGOBaby Carrier Giveaway!

On one of my favorite sites - Make-Baby-Stuff.com  I used it a lot when I was pregnant! I also get her newsletters! Anyway, go check it out for your chance to win too =)
Jen

ERGOBaby Carrier Giveaway

Seems like...

I've been posting a lot of giveaways I've come across. Sorry! I am all about trying new things that I don't have to pay for =) I did just recently win a diaper from The GreenChild Creations, and I can't wait to get it and try it on my son! But, here is another - for super cute organic clothing! I am in LOVE with what they have for sale! Go check them out.

Here is a link to the giveaway. It is put on by EcoBabyBuys.com  I love their site too, finding baby stuff at a great discount.

That is all! Have a great night & week
Jen

What's new?!

Well, first off, I know I have posted a couple giveaways. I am in need of more cloth diapers, and why not see if I can win them, right?! Hopefully we will win one, that would be super awesome. Second - I've gotten a few things made lately. For Easter, I made a few crochet eggs, and a little egg topper thing. I wanted to get more done, but I didn't. I'll probably make a few this summer for next year, along with the little topper things. The night before Easter I decided to make a bunny hat. I couldn't find one (that was free anyway) that I loved so I took 2 different patterns, and did my own! The hat is one I've made a few times. It is a monkey hat, so I just did it and then took the bunny ears off another hat & sort of changed it. Instead of doing single crochets, I did half double crochets but followed what it said for increasing and decreasing. I'll be the first to admit, I could have done better. But, its what I get for decided to do it the night before!

I also just finished a viking helmet (or helm whichever is the correct term!) It says 12-18 months, but it just is snug on my 9 month old, so it looks like I'll be making another! Which is ok, I may try and sell this one online. By making this one, I learned the pineapple stitch! It looks super cool, and I think I'll have to make these for the whole family =)

Other than that, I've been sewing a few things. I've been working on a diaper since I finally found diaper PUL in town. I've also started some mama cloth. I just get so sidetracked that I have too many things started and never get finished. I should be doing them now that my son is sleeping.....oops! I also am working on a super cute gift. I won't say what it is, or who it is for, but I can't wait to be done with it. It is that stinkin cute!

Alright off to do some things to cross off my list. I know I just wanted to write a quick note =) Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there =)

Jen

*Wanted to add a couple pictures!

I like giveaways!

Especially when it is something to do with cloth diapers! Who wouldn't right? Go check it out and, and sign up to win. Please go here to get more info! The Reynolds Mom

A great site!

That really has nothing to do with crocheting, but I wanted to share, because she is one of my friends on Facebook. This site is super great!
 WhyClothDiaper.com

If you ever wondered about starting cloth diapering then this is the site to go to!

sorry I've been away!

Just wanted to write a quick post. I've been back home for about 3 weekends now all in a row. I've gotten a lot of projects done, and I will be putting up some pictures of them soon. I have yet to finish making all my plarn, but just getting everything finished for my son for Easter first!

I hope you have gotten to check out some of the previous links I've posted. I should add some more of the other things I've been working on. I have 2 baskets, 1 big bunny (picture below!) and a little lamb egg cozy (almost done!). I've also started a blanket for the Project Linus. I am only 1/4 of the way done, but I only do a few squares a day. I am excited to get that finished & sent off. It will be so nice to do it!

Well, here are a couple pictures of the yarn projects I have done! Enjoy =)

I love that rabbit! Hope the little guy does too. And below are the squares for the blanket.

Have a great day!

How I make plarn

I hope this is easy to follow - I may have to redo the photos with a darker color bag, but for now this is what I have!

First, take the bag, lay it out. I like to make sure it is flat & smooth.

Next I fold it in half.












Fold in half again.

  

Take the ends & cut them off. I usually cut off the top where the handles are so it is even, and try to get all the bottom off since that is where it is connected.

Hold it from the top middle fold so the 2 other folds are facing down and cut up but not all the way. Leave enough at the top to hold it all together. You can cut however wide you want - I generally try about an inch to an inch and a half.

Open it up! Now you will have a circle - like a hula skirt. This picture isn't the best way to show you, but I had to take the pictures myself.

Now to separate them! Starting from the right (or left, but I start at the right) go in at an angle to cut the strips. Only do this in 1 row. I like to do 1 row at a time. I cut it across the top of another (if that makes sense?)

After you do the row across like that, you then cut the rest of the apart even with your first cut lines. They should all be straight lines.

After you are done with the whole thing, you have one long plastic rope/string whatever you want to call it. Sometimes I cut some wrong, and end up having to make 2 pieces but that's ok! It will all connect. Find one end, and fold it down an inch or so, just enough to make a cut for a hole. Cut in, but don't cut it all the way to the end. This will be a hole where you take the other end and loop it though.

If this is the first piece you have, then you can skip the previous step & roll into a ball. After the first piece you do that step. Now you take a 2nd piece and do the same cut on the end as before. Take the first piece with the cut end & put in.

Don't pull it all the way through, just enough to get the hole you cut out. Take the other end of the plarn & put it through, as to make a loop. Pull that end all the way through. This will make your knot.

Roll into your ball and repeat!

I know I've seen other steps where you have to cut all the pieces & tie them, but I thought why create all the work? I'm sure there are other places out there with these same directions - I just hadn't come across them. I actually got this off a show on PBS, Knit & Crochet NOW, where they were making yarn from material, and this is how the guy connected them all, and the lady knitting bath rugs cut T-Shirts.

I hope this was easy to follow. I will get better pictures when I get to the gray or green bags I have - they are just holding the others right now.  Thanks for reading!

Plarn!

What is it? Plarn is yarn made from plastic! I just learned this last night, and there are lots of good sites to learn more about it. In a later post I'll put pictures up of how I make it.


Why plarn when you don't like plastic? I have TONS of plastic bags in my house. I use to be really good at only using my canvas bags, but I had my son and well...it was more stuff to carry. Now he is older & can sit in the cart, and this makes taking my bags in easier. I really didn't want to just throw them away, so we were using them to put in our recyclables. Then I remembered someone told me about a bag they had made from plastic bags. What a brilliant idea!  I have now made a bunch of plarn to make a market bag. Even better, I've read they can be washed, just not dried in a dryer.

I will be making the Ultimate Recycled Market Bag very soon. It is a great way to do something with all those bags that you just don't have the heart to throw out, but keep forgetting to take back to the store & recycle them there. It looks easy enough to do, so I hope you are inspired enough to do it!

There is also a whole web page I found of other things you can make plastic bags into. It is Crochet Pattern Central. You can also find just about anything else you want too! I also use ravelry.com to find a lot of my things. But that isn't what this post is about!


So...what is holding you back? Start your plarn bag today!

Favorite Materials

Here is a list of my favorite types of yarn.

• 100% Wool. The fisherman's wool is nice for wool soakers! I'm going to be finding something new though, as this is made in China. The other wool I've used is Patons, which I like as it is made closer to home - Canada. Stitch Nation "Full o' Sheep", and Plymouth Yarn "Yalway". My favorite texture wise is the Stitch Nation. It is so soft and comes in very pretty bright colors.
• Bamboo/Wool combo. Stitch Nation has this. I think it is by far my favorite of anything. It is called "Bamboo Ewe" and it is so easy to work with, and super soft. So far with it I've made a bag & almost done rabbit.
• 100% Cotton.

I think I go to the store to feel the yarns way too much. I won't buy any with acrylic. It is harder to find things without it, but my short list is what I've got so far. There are some that say Bamboo, but its only 45% bamboo, the rest is acrylic so it is disappointing to me! I am hoping this list grows soon - but where I live I am limited & I haven't ever bought anything like this online, and a little scared to take that leap.

Have any favorites that you would like to share? Any one that I should try that fits into a renewable source? I realize cotton isn't the best renewable source, but it isn't made from plastics which are made from oil.

Hello & Welcome!

Hello everyone! I am new to blogging - and a lot of the things I'm going to write about I am new in too. I'm not a good writer either, so sorry about that!

I wanted to start a blog on the things I like to make, and the things I like to make them with. I just really started crocheting, and am hoping to knit soon too. I know that there is so many blogs & sites to these things, so thanks for stopping by. I hope that you learn something new!

A little about me! My name is Jen & I live in the Black Hills in South Dakota. It is winter here, so I really don't do much outside. The snow seems to never end this year. I have a 7 month old son, who I have so much fun with every day. He is also the reason why I started doing a lot of crafting. I also like to sew, but that keeps me away from my little guy to much so I don't do too much of it.

Please bear with me while I get things added. I'll post my favorite patterns (their links!), things I did to make it work for me, and well just general stuff.
-Jen