Sunday, September 19, 2010

My first pattern test

Isn't it funny how a grown up woman can get so excited about a little achievement like doing her first official pattern test for a Ravelry fellow crocheter in this case? Maybe because my week at work was filled with one little disaster after the other?
Anyway it was on my to-do list for a while to do a free pattern test for a designer on Ravelry - there were many, many, many gorgeous patterns out there to be tested but you have to be realistic if you really have the time to do it on the required schedule ... so sadly I passed opportunity after opportunity month after month... until YESTERDAY!!! There it was - a cute little crochet project designed by Anastasia (check out her Website http://crochetnj.com/) called "Cell Phone Cozy". I was accepted as a tester and got on my exciting new task right away - it took me just under an hour to finish (incl embroidery and weaving in ends).
Here's the result - my Blackberry doesn't want to come out of his new cozy anymore :-)

The pattern will be part of a larger collection and I will update my blog when it becomes available.

What a HAPPY WEEKEND - two projects finished and work done on another. I know, I know, they were tiny but sometimes the small things make all the difference.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

1 Hour Bubbles (Knitting)

While looking for one of my WIPs this morning I came across a single bulky novelty skein of yarn (no label attached anymore so not sure of name or yarn company; estimate 70 yards left). As I don't like wasting any yarn in general and actually liked the colours and mix of eyelash and bubbles I decided to make a quick mini scarf.
Here's the easy recipe:
Cast on 9 stitches, continue in in garter for 2 inches, bind off middle 5 stitches in middle of next row and directly cast these 5 stitches back on the next row (creates a hole to slip the other end of the scarf through to keep it snug around your neck) and continue in garter until you run out of yarn.
Easy-peasy mini-scarf that can be finished in less than an hour.
That is what I call a good start into the weekend!

Friday, September 17, 2010

WIPs are hiding from me

For those of you who are not knitters/crocheters and the like (could there still be anybody out there not interested in these crafts??) WIP = Work in Progress projects that I usually tend to well associate with. This week I decided to make it my goal for the remainder of this year to finish up more WIPs than generating new ones... sounds like a good (maybe overly ambitious) plan - we will see.

So off I go to find a particular WIP that would be nice to finish for the fall/winter season as it is a pillow needed for wee afternoon naps on the weekend when the weather is dreadful and knitting & napping is the only sane thing to do. It cannot be found anywhere - I am not hallucinating that I started working on this pillow am I??? I find yarns and needles that I did not even know I had (yippee - all is good) but no in progress pillow. Eventually I give up and decide to check on my gardening supplies to soon start prepping for winter... and who is peeking out behind the bulbs, shovel - yes, my little pillow. Guess it decided that I am serious on picking up work on it again... if I only remembered where I left the right size hook... sigh