 As previously stated, I got a little carried away this holiday season (with the help of my weekly group knit night... more on that to come) and could now practically bury myself alive in winter accessories. Last year I made this two-toned cowl scarf (pictured below) and, after the icy tundra that was last winter, this year I decided I needed a hat to match.  I knew I wanted something with a similar looking puff stitch pattern and a slouchy fit. So I turned to The Google and sifted through image results until I found something I liked. I loosely followed this blog's pattern with a few minor adjustments. I'm the worst at following patterns, I'm prone to improvising and repeating the same incorrect stitch over and over again. My logic is that as long as you're consistent no one will notice your mistake and it's worked out okay for me so far!  For the hat's band, instead of "working in front loops only" I crocheted into the back loops only to achieve the type of stretchier ribbed stitch I was looking for. This meant that I had to also adjust the number of rows to create the proper size (It took me 112 rows to equal a 21" around band). Secondly, if you read the blog post I followed, you'll notice that she mentions how stiff the final product is. I met the same issue and after a few experimental attempts, I decided to switch up the type of puff stitch I was using. I thought maybe it had something to do with using 9 loops in a single stitch and only chaining 1 in between puffs. I opted for this puff stitchFor the hat's band, instead of "working in front loops only" I crocheted into the back loops only to achieve the type of stretchier ribbed stitch I was looking for. This meant that I had to also adjust the number of rows to create the proper size (It took me 112 rows to equal a 21" around band). Secondly, if you read the blog post I followed, you'll notice that she mentions how stiff the final product is. I met the same issue and after a few experimental attempts, I decided to switch up the type of puff stitch I was using. I thought maybe it had something to do with using 9 loops in a single stitch and only chaining 1 in between puffs. I opted for this puff stitch instead and chained 3 in between each one. The body of the hat is much more relaxed and creates the slouch that I wanted. I also made the body of the hat longer than what the pattern calls for so I can adjust the size by folding it over.  Of course as luck would have it this winter has not been nearly as frigid as the previous one, but at least it's cute!
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 When I moved into my current apartment, my aunt and uncle happened to be moving out of their home and I was lucky enough to acquire a good deal of the items I needed from them. Since then I have been trying to create a cohesive look with stylistically disparate items. My roommate contributed the kitchen table, but I provided the chairs and for over a year the clashing color schemes have irked me. So I decided to give the chairs a makeover. Here's how I did it. Materials
 I used printmaking tools to create the stamp for the strawberry pattern, but you can easily substitute those materials with corrugated cardboard and an exacto or utility knife. I created two strawberries from the linoleum block and used Jacquard fabric paint to stamp the images on the cotton duck fabric. I used a green fabric marker for the stems. Despite the fact that fabric paint should already be waterproof, I didn't want to take any chances with material that people would be sitting on so I coated the fabric with Scotch Guard waterproofing treatment just to be safe.
Because the chairs already had a glossy finish I sanded the surface before applying the new color. The cushion and old fabric were easily removed with a couple screws and staples on the underside of the seat. I then wrapped the new fabric and reattached the cushion with the original screws. The chairs now blend nicely into the bright world of color we've tried to create in our kitchen.  I want to start by acknowledging that I appear to have done what countless aspiring bloggers have done before me: "I'm entering a transitional period in my life and have no idea what to do with myself!" Solution: Start a blog! So I went and created the site, posted an introductory post, and promptly dropped off the face of the Earth. What can I say? Winter happened... but it was never my intention to fully abandon this project. As the days got shorter, I quickly devolved into a crazy spinster who spends the cold months on her couch in a fleece robe crafting a variety of knitted items for her relatives. Silver lining is that now I have a TON of stuff to share on the blaaag! It was my plan all along... So in short, I have a lot of projects coming up as long as I can stay motivated (and more importantly defrosted) enough as we enter the post-holiday slump. See you in a few months when I emerge from my hibernation and promise to be a better blogger... just kidding... maybe. In the meantime, here's a gerbil.  |
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