Another Blanket

And it's finally done. My Vintage Blanket it's here. 

I don't really know why, but I'm not hyped with this one. Maybe it's the colors....

Or maybe it's because I actually didn't liked making the squares. 

They're beautiful, and I do like making popcorns, but something about this one.... 

Or maybe, it's just me. Life has been hard lately. Depression, anxiety, all that has been taking it's toll on me. 

So I should not blame the poor blanket! It took me about a month, and I should be proud. At least, I think so. 

When winter comes, I hope I get to use this blanket A LOT. So, for sure, love will finally come. 

And, in case anyone feels like making a blanket like this one, here's the pattern! 

Love,

Tina

Autumn Works

I have two favorite moments in the year - When fall starts, and when spring starts. At this moment, fall is beggining to say hello. I can't wait for the cold to show up as well!

Since mother's day is in may, I already started mom's present - a pair of hand knit socks, which she has been asking for me to make her a pair since last year. It's about time!

Right now, I'm on sock number 2. Got all the ribbing done on easter and I'm working on the cuff.

I have to say, I love this yarn. Mom loves blue (just like me) so it was a no brainer choosing this one for her.

Also, there's my blanket! I decided to make 12 squares, plus border. 9 squares down, 3 more to go! I will probably start joining them this week. I plan on using slip stitches and join them on the back, but we'll see how that goes!

So many pretty colors... I think it's going to look very cool when it's done.

And here, a little bit of autumn (or fall!) to you all

Love, Tina

Hop hop!

This is the third easter for my little cousin. He's still a little bit in doubt about what the easter bunny does - all he knows is that he loves chocolate and if a bunny is bringing some, it must be a happy occasion!

With the country going through a recession, we adults are doing our best to insure the ones who really matter in all of this (the children) have a magical day - even if there won't be as many eggs as the years before.

Being honest, all I knew is that I wanted to make little bunny heads to adorn his little nest, as we call it here. We get a pretty basket and stuff it with easter themed chocolate, and hide it. Little ones have to hunt their eggs and nests, which makes for a very fun day :)

So last week I went to the internet to find a cute pattern. Instead, I found this one and was in love with it. I mean, what baby would not love a colorful bunny??

And so I started! It only took me two days, but that's only because I decided to block the body of the bunny before sewing up.

All in all - very easy pattern! Time consuming, but the end result is lovely. I hope little cousin likes his new bunny friend!

And as a bonus, a bunny butt for y'all :)

Have a lovely easter!

Love, Tina

Blanket Journey

As I said many times before, blankets are my weak spot. I love making them. The planning is one of the best moments of the journey... But this time, I was quite stuck.

So many ideas, but nothing I really loved. And who wants to spend weeks, sometimes months, doing a design they don't really like? That's just crazy.

I tried mandalas, simple squares, complicated motifs... So far, I THINK I'm on the one. I *think*. I really hope it is, because it's stunning. Big and pretty!

Not going to show this whole motif just yet.... But it has popcorns. LOTS of it. :)

I have a bunch of colorful yarn I'm itching to use, and this will be the first blanket of 2016! I made 4 last year - Maybe I can make 5 this year? Who knows :D

Stay tuned for more - I will be documenting everything here... Not sure why, but I think this blanket will be special.

With love,

Tina!

Hotpads and Summer

Ah, brazilian summers. It's beautiful, for sure. The green, the beaches, the sun shining pretty much everyday... And the heat. Oh, it's so hot! For survival purposes it's highly advised that all people have fans. And an ac, because temperatures can go over 40 degrees celsius! 

In those days, I can't knit or crochet much. At least, not with yarn. Cotton helps a lot - it's not as hot as holding wool or acrylic. So, for this project, I used my favorite cotton thread, Anne. 

It's a hotpad I've been in love with for a long time, but never really had the chance of making it. I always have so many WIP's going on! But I'm so happy I found the time. 

It's from By Haafner blog - Haafner has beautiful things in her blog, you need to check it out! I used the popcorn square patter for the front, made 9 rounds. On the back, I used the same pattern, but without the popcorn stitches, also 9 rounds. Joines them together with single crochet stitches and made a simple popcorn border. She has no pattern for it, so I made just by looking at photos of her hotpads. Pretty simple! 

I loved it. Looks vintage, and I LOVE vintage. Also it's a different kind of vintage - most vintage crochet has lace, but this one is not exactly lacy. It does a great job being beautiful anyway. 

Also, I'm pretty happy with the colors I chose! 

Then I got all my hotpads together and made a nice photo! Hope to make even more of those in 2016, so next time I show it here, the whole wall is filled with them. 

Much love,

Tina 

Almost Over

I can't believe this year is pretty much done. As we say here, I honestly did not see it pass! I've been forced to hurry on a few projects, since christmas is just around the corner! There's still something I want to make as a surprise for little sister, but I'm not sure I would have the time!

So far, I got this little baby hat done. It's such a cute pattern, and the first time I made a hat that was not knit in the round. You can find the pattern here!

And obviously, there's this. Mom has asked for christmas decor for as long as I can crochet; I never did any. Not my thing I guess; but this year she asked again, and how could I say no?

So a bunting is on it's way. Snowflakes and christmas trees. Can't wait to see it finished! There's no pattern for this, since I'm using a crochet book. But here is the pattern for the tree, which is super easy to make!

I hope everyone has a great time on christmas and new year's eve!!!!

Love,

Tina

Candy Colors Baby Blanket - Finished!

Back in october, grandma gave me lots of yarn. I had asked for a few baby pastels because I had none of those in my stash. Little did I know, around the same time, my cousin's wife found out she was pregnant!

As we had no idea what the baby was (boy or girl), I started making the blanket using lots of random colors. I used pink and purple too, because only mint, blue and white seemed quite plain to me. And honestly, boys can like pink too, right? :)

After I got word it was a little girl, I used a lot more of the pink and purple. I also decided I was going to use a lacy border - perfect for every little girl!

For the squares, I used the Rosie Posie Granny Square pattern by Sandra Paul of the Cherry Heart blog - thanks so much for sharing this lovely square with all of us!

The border was a different thing, though. I used the sc join for the squares, and thought making three rows of sc for the border was a nice touch. Indeed it was, but I wanted something more. It was already cute - now I wanted a bit of a classic crochet touch. Best of both worlds, right?

Well, I got the Around the Corner - Crochet Borders by Edie Eckman book for my birthday. There are just SO MANY borders, it's very hard to choose one! I think at some point, I had three on my mind. Later I realized I needed something a bit different, and then border 38 appeared in my face as if magic! I highly recommend this book for any crocheter.

And the rest is history! Even better, it will be. I cannot wait to get a picture of baby Laura in a few months from now, wrapped around in her blankie.

Love,

Tina

Candy Color Squares

Not much going on lately.... Mostly because I'm making this square blanket and that takes quite a lot of work! I guess the worst part is weaving in ends - And I like doing that! Imagine how it is for those who hate it - a true labor of love :)

In any case, I only need 18 more squares - and then I can start joining! Going to make a sc join, just like I did with my last blanket. Not sure about the color yet, though :)

Also, I haven't choose a border yet. I like lacy borders, but I'm not so sure that would work with this square. I'm lucky though, I got an Edie Eckman book about crochet borders with lots of designs, so my problem will be the choosing, and that's quite a cool problem to have.

Other than that, I made a couple of baby booties. I used a new pattern for the orange one, and a the pattern I use all the time for the other. I have to say, I really like my "deafault" pattern!

Love,

Tina

On Crochet Decor

                                                                     

Crochet is amazing for several reasons, but the fact we can use it as decoration is one of the best ones.

Truly there's nothing better than surrouding yourself with the colors you love; with shapes that make you happy, and with oh, lace. 

I could hang lace everywhere I go. As far as I'm concerned it would make the world a better place. I'm serious! 

Those doilies are on my wall for a few years now, and when I wake up those are the first things I see and I swear, it already makes me smile. Also if you read my blog for a while and already looked at my Ravelry project page you already know that I'm always and forever in love with crochet potholders, mandalas and table runners. 

As I knitted a bit of my lace scarf, I started thinking about a garland for our hallways that is empty. I like peach colored walls but they get boring after a while. 

At this moment, different flowers come to my head. Let's see, shall we? :) 

Love, 

Tina 

Baby colors, blankets and toadstools!

It's a shame it's been so hot here recently - When holding the yarn for too long we start to get sweaty hands and that is not nice at all! So my projects are going quite slow lately.

I finished the lacy blanket and already started the next blanket - this one is for grandma. Se gave me tons of yarn, so I can create whatever design I want to. Since I never joined small squares, I thought why not?

I'm using this pattern, by Sandra Paul of the Cherry Heart blog. It's simple but it looks so cute!

I'm in the process of deciding if I'm going to use other squares, or just this one. If I'm going to make them in solid colors and/or mixed. This is the fun, creative part, that I love so much.

Also, I got a new book, since I'm crocheting far more blankets that I thought I ever would. It's by Edie Eckman and it's called Around the Corner - Crochet Borders. There are so, but so many beautiful designs inside that book! I can spend hours just looking at everything.

On a side note - I'm knitting a wreath! I just made some toadstools for it. Aren't those adorable? You can find the pattern here - I reccomend it! It's much more easier than it looks :D

Love,

Tina

A Lacy Blanket

Sometimes, it's sad to finish a project. Sometimes all you can think of is "Oh thank god this is over!", and sometimes all you feel is pride.

This is one of those times. I'm so proud of this blanket. It turned out much, much better than I expected.

You see, I like variegated yarn. It's fun yarn. But not to use in a blanket - or so I thought. I had these very strict rules over what yarn I would always use in blankets and such - at least in blankets made of a bunch of squares or motifs joined together. I had no idea how wrong I was, really!

As it turns out, I had all those balls of cotton, variegated yarn at home. They were in my stash just being there, using space. Thing is, this cotton is not exactly cheap, and I was getting nervous about never using. I had some ideas in the past, but they never really seemed to work.

I was in love with the Victorian Lattice square for quite some time, thinking about what a stunning blanket it would make. But I was thinking about solid colors only! So silly of me. So one day, I was searching for yarn for another project when one of those yarn cakes pop out of nowhere and I thought "you know what? I'm using this right now. I'm going to make that square with this yarn!" As if that was such an amazing idea, right? If I was more open minded, this would have happened ages ago!

So I started, and as my first motif blanket, I have to say, it was lots of work. But I wanted to see the colors mixing and matching, the joins to look perfect, to find the right border. And I loved every second of it.

Believe it or not, I still have yarn left! :)


Love,

Tina

Finishing touches

I love starting and finishing projects. When I start a new project I have so many ideas, so many possibilities, and while the project progresses, I get to try out those things out. It's great.

But when I finish them, I have this bittersweet feeling - Such a pity it's done already.... But hey, now I get to add those little details I wanted to, like buttons, edgings, some emboridery... And I also really enjoy sewing the ends. I like sewing, that's all :)

With this cute cardi, it was my first time ever making sleeves. I made the sleeves using dpns, and no sewing up was needed. It was quick and sweet. I also had such a great time choosing the buttons! I have simple, but tons of colorful buttons, so it's always fun when I get to use them. If you want to make this pattern, click here! The pattern it's not mine.

Also, my blanket is almost, aaaalmooost done.... I'm on the edging. And every round I complete, I get even more happy about the edge I choose - It's going to look great!!! Can't wait to show it to you all.

Love,

Tina :)

It's been too long!

Oh my, how long has it been since my last blog post? I'm sorry about that. But so much has happened! I had weeks and weeks of tests and all I did for almost a month was study. Not a lot of crafting time!

Still, I was able to get most of mom's blanket done, and I'm starting the sleeves on that baby cardi. Not going to show you much of the blanket yet, because all I have to finish is the edging, and I really want to show the whole thing ready :)

Also, this month was my birthday! I got so much yarn as gift, I can't not even express how amazing it was.  Grandma gave me tons of yarn with lovely pastel colors she choose so I can make a blanket for her (which I loved because I ADORE making blankets :D And she can't really crochet much anymore... It takes her over a year to make something like a blanket. Also, she loves having the things I made, so it's a win win situation :) )

And mom... Oh, mom. She took me to a yarn store and said I could choose what I wanted. This woman is amazing - we are not that well when it comes to finances, but still, she spoils me as if I were a little girl still. Also it's quite amazing how she trusts me to spend wisely. Love her so much.

So I got this acrylic/alpaca mix too, and.... Oh I have big plans for it.

Love,

Tina

My Current WIP's

This past few days I've been working on two projects. One is a blanket, the other, a baby cardigan.

For the blanket I'm using the Victorian Lattice Square pattern - It's a beautiful crochet pattern, and I can't wait to start joining them together! I think this blanket will be a present for my mom - If she likes it, it's hers!

Then there's the baby cardigan I'm knitting. The pattern is called Linnie, and this is a very interesting knit. For some people this might be super easy - As this is my first time knitting a garment with more complicated construction elements, for me, it's all new - But it's been fun!

I'm using 100% cotton yarn - Very, very soft. The contrast color is this mix of white, pink and white - The main color is a pastel pink. I'm not sure about the buttons I'm going to use it yet, but I'm looking forward to choosing!

It's going to take a while, though. I've been having awful wrist pain... It sucks, but I'm trying to get better really quick, so no crafting for a few days... It feels like I'm losing something very important :( But, it means I have more time to think about colors, design elements and so on. There's always a good part! Even if that good part is more time to study :)

Love, Tina

From Simple to Cute (And a note about baby tummies)

One of the things I love the most about knitting/crochet is how you can let your mind wander and just create. You can alter any pattern (provided you have the skill - and that's why it's so much fun to learn new things) and make all the changes you want. No pattern will ever be executed the same - And the final product will always be something unique.

And that is the reason behind making this baby vest. I knit a lot for charity, and this is what this vest is for. It is a great and easy pattern, good for begginers. But for me, it looked a bit too simple. So I thought, what could I do to change that, but keeping the pattern intact? (The vest pattern is not mine - It's by Marianna Mel. I'm trying to find the link and when I do, I'll uptade this space.)

Crochet was the answer. I have lots of thread in my stash, but I never use them. It feels like such a waste! I had this idea months ago, when I did this baby cardi. So it just clicked - Why not do that again, but with a little more details this time? (By details I mean more work. And by more work, well... Let's just say it can be challenging!)

So I started crocheting flowers. I made a long slip stitch foundation in green - For grass! I made one tiny leaf, and three butterflies with antennae.

The actual work is having to sew all that to the vest. It took me two or three hours to finish, and for me, it's still not "perfect". Still, I'm learning - And I liked what I did so far!

I can only hope one little baby will be happy to have butterflies and flowers covering his/her tummy - Because that has to be the cutest thing to ever exist, after tiny finger and toes. Even puppies come after baby tummies! And gosh, puppies are darn cute :)

Love, Tina

Summer in Winter

It's the middle of August. Here in Brazil that means lots of cold. Not this year though... I'm wearing shorts and t-shirts the whole week! Last year, at the same time, I was wearing two coats, wool socks, cozy pants....

I'm not a fan of the heat, really. Worst, I'm not a fan of holding yarn in my hands while it's hot, so my knitting and crochet always suffer when it's this hot.

But I'm trying really hard not to do that right now. So about two days ago, I made this adorable bookmark. I'm in dire need of those at the moment, I'm sure I will be making more!

So easy, so effective :) I wish I had blocked properly, though. I'm so bad at blocking! It has this cute little lace pattern...

The yarn I used is the same yarn that I made my first socks with. Loved the stripes!

Other than that, things have been slow. I started a baby vest but frogged after it was quite clear the yarn would not be enough... A shame! Will have to use another color.

I've been crocheting a lot these past few days. I made that potholder, and I'm making flower motifs for a blanket... Maybelle flowers, to be more exact. It will take a while to get that blanket done, but making those flowers has such a calming effect.

My craft space is also in need of a few changes... I need more light, more color, useful things in easy to find places. As I make the changes, I will post them here. Little by little, I want to transform that place :)

Love, Tina

Hotpad/Potholder Pattern

I love making potholders and hotpads. Honestly, I love crochet for decoration... And since cooking is a little hobby of mine, filling the kitchen with my own creations is a must!

After I created the Círculo in a Square pattern, I knew I wanted to make something different with it. Not a blanket... Or to use it for a garment. Then it clicked - Decoration! For my kitchen! :)

Not only it looks cute, it's also useful. I do enjoy that!

Pattern 

I used the same yarn and hook I used to make the squares - Anne yarn and a 3.00m hook. 

Abbreviations:
sc- Single crochet stitch
Sl st - Slip stitch
st -Stitch
Ch - Chain
dc -Double crochet stitch

First, make 4 squares of the Círculo in a Square pattern. You can find the pattern here. Use the colors you wish!

After that, join them together - For this hotpad, I used a sc join. It's very simple - Just crochet the borders of the squares together with single crochet stitches. Use the color you wish - In my case, I used this bright blue color. It makes for a beautiful contrast with the white!

Border 

Round 1- With the desired color (Again, I used the same color I used for the join, but you can use your imagination!), Ch1. Then, sc around. In the corners of the squares, make 1 sc on the dc st before the 2ch - then ch3. Inside the 2ch space, make 1 sc. Continue the pattern like this - Sc in each st, make corner, sc in each st - Repeat around.

Round 2 - Sc around, but for the border, make: 1sc inside 3ch of previous round, ch3, sc inside ch3 of previous round. Repeat around.

Round 3 - Same as round 2. Then, weave ends.

After you are done with the border, join new yarn in the ch3 space of round 3. It can be whatever color you chose - I used white. Ch 25, then make a sl st inside the ch3 space. Weave ends, and it's ready to be used!



You can sell items made with this pattern, but do not sell the pattern itself. Do not claim as your own - if you want to feature in your site, please, link back to my blog. Copyright by Betina Juchem Clemens 2015. 

Almost Spring Hat Pattern

I present to you my very first knitting design!

When I got the yarn for my cowl, mom loved the color I chose. She kept asking me to knit a hat for her since last year, so... I thought now was the perfect time! I had the right color, all I needed was a pattern. After talking to her (she had a lot of ideas, mind you), I was able to start creating the design. And here it is!

What you will need -

For the hat:
Worsted weight yarn, 1 skein
3.50 mm needles, DPNS or circular (size of needles can be changed to adjust gauge)
Needle for sewing in ends

For the flower:
Worsted weight yarn
5mm hook
Needle to sew the flower on hat.


Notes:

**To make garter stitch in the round, purl one row, and then knit another row. Simple as that!

**When you are making the crown, you can skip the garter row if you want to, and just knit. But, if you want to continue the pattern, and find yourself having to decrease in a purl row, do not despair: Follow the exact same instructions, only switching the K for the P. So, instead of K6, you P6 - And instead of K2tog, just P2tog.

**You can use circular needles - Just make sure to have dpns of the same size for when you are making the crown!

Abbreviations:
CA - Cast on
K - Knit
P - Purl
sts - Stitches
K2tog - Knit 2 stitches together
Ch - Chain
Sk - Skip
dc - Double Crochet
sc - Single Crochet

Gauge:10cm - 18sts (In stockinette)  

Pattern:

Hat-

Cast on 96 sts, and divide them across 3 needles (32 sts on each needle.)

Make 13 rounds of K2, P2 ribb. (If you do not want to fold the ribb, make less rounds)

K for 8 rounds, make one round of garter. K for another 8 rounds, another one round of garter. Repeat until you have 15/16 cm.

Crown

K6, k2tog around
K one round
k5, k2tog around
K one round
K4, k2tog around
K one round
K3, k2tog around
K one round
K2, k2tog around
K one round
K1, k2tog around
K one round
K2tog around

Do not bind off - Thread yarn in the sewing needle and then pass the needle inside all remaining sts. Give it a tigh pull to close the top of the hat, then sew all ends.

Flower -

Ch 48. Sk1, sc, sk1, 5dc in same ch, repeat. When you are done, fold. This will form the flower. Attach to the hat and you are done!


You can sell items made with this pattern, but do not sell the pattern itself. Do not claim as your own - if you want to feature in your site, please, link back to my blog. Copyright by Betina Juchem Clemens 2015. 

Lots of things!

When it comes to projects, I'm not the most "controlled" person. I make one, two, sometimes 6 or 7 projects at the same time. This way, I'm always interested - There's always something new and different that needs my attention. I don't care if I finish them now or 2 months from now - As long as I'm having fun, that's what matters!

This month will not be different, I'm afraid... I finished a pair of simple baby booties and will start a baby vest today. Another sock is coming along nicely and I'm making a new pattern - (my very first knitting desing) a hat for mom. I also want to make something that requires sleeves... I've never made a garment that needs sleeves. Since I'm really enjoying working in the round, I want to try that out!

But, I did finish my cowl - I can't wait for this crazy weather to get colder, so I can use it. Working with cables is quite magical - From such a simple process, we see these different designs, new textures, coming alive. If you want to make a cowl just like this one, you can find the pattern here. :)

All this, and then there's school - and gaming. If it was not for Skyrim, I could be done with mom's hat by now, I'm not joking!

I'm also trying really hard to control this urge to make a thousand of different crochet potholder patterns. I have the yarn... The perfect yarn. But we already have so many of those... Argh, it's been hard, so hard... If only life was made of hardships like this one :D

Love, Tina

I Miss the Sun!

Sun, where art thou? Honestly, since june, the only thing that happens here is rain rain and more rain. And while I do love a afternoon of rain, cold, knitting and tea, this is waay too much!

In any case, because of all this rain, I'm staying at home a lot more time. And what does that mean? Knitting/crocheting, of course!

I finished a set of crocheted coasters... For a friend. I will only post photos when she gets them! ;D

Little sis sock is coming along nicely... And I love, love the colors this yarn has. It's bright, fun, funky!

Also, for the first time ever, I did some knitting colorwork in the roud, for a baby hat. And it was not only easy - It was also lots of fun. Can't wait to start more complicated projects, with lots of color.

Something else that was pretty cool this last week - I went to the bookstore and while looking at the books and magazines, I found this wonderful spanish craft magazine! Ganchillo is a collection of the best knitting/crochet patterns from Labores del Hogar... My spanish is no longer rusty! (Yes, brazilian people do not speak spanish - I honestly don't know why so many people would think that, hahaha :) ) There are so many beautiful patterns and ideas inside - A treat!

Now, all I need is a bit of sun to make things perfect.

Love, Tina