Why I didn't crochet last night...

...'cause I got too involved in reading this book. It has absolutely nothing to do with fiber, crochet, knitting or any other craft. It's reading purely for the pleasure of reading. Oh, and the plot really has nothing to do with the title or subtitle, either. It's not Steampunk erotica, which was my first thought. It's mystery adventure fantasy romance...with hot and fairly graphic sex. It's very original, well-written and plotted, the characters are interesting and complex, and the story moves quickly and logically. My only complaint is that it left me wanting more - I can't wait for the next installment! But maybe it's just as well that the sequel hasn't been published yet, since I have three gift WIPs on the hooks, two of which have June deadlines - ACK!

Revamping

Keeping this blog solely devoted to fiber means updates are few and far between, so from this point on Fun-Size Fiber will be a little more diverse. I'll still try to keep it crafty and relevant as often as possible, but my other interests and diversions are going to creep in . On the plus side, I should have more to write about and be able to post more often!

Having said that, this post is actually about fiber.

I've been working on some Pay it Forward projects recently. A post appeared on FB early in the year saying if any friend wanted something handmade they should respond to the post - the first five would get something crocheted for them sometime during 2012. The only catch was every one of the five had to repost and fulfill the same obligation. FUN! I had five lovely ladies respond to my FB Pay it Forward post.

The PiF I'm crocheting right now is for Ms. Woo-hoo. Her birthday is coming up soon so I really wanted this to be something special. I picked out a few patterns and asked her to pick (nothing worse than crocheting something and having the giftee hate the style). She chose the Evening Elegance Shoulderette by Cindy Adams and fell in love with the Katia Gatsby yarn I suggested to work it in.

Note the points under the arches

Turns out the pattern is super easy and I'm already over halfway through with the piece. It was a little tricky getting started (mostly because I read so fast I skip steps), but it's an easy repetition to memorize and I've been able to work without glancing at the pattern since the fifth or sixth repeat.

I was a little worried about all of the "points" beneath the arches - was I going to have to block every single one of these? Looks like the yarn has enough body that I won't have to, thank God! And neither will she if/when she washes the shrug.

Detail of yarn

The red/gold Katia Gatsby yarn is gorgeous and has a great weight - it should make a beautiful wardrobe addition for summer/fall evening wear.

Chattanooga

Last weekend my mother and I went to Chattanooga. As with any out-of-town trip, we located and visited a yarn store while we were there. Genuine Purl is across the bridge from the aquarium, and has really helpful staff. They seem to only stock Berroco yarn, but I still managed to find some yummies!

This yarn is Berroco Boboli in Bon Bon (5312). They only had three skeins in this color, and I was hoping it would be enough for a good project (yep, I once again went yarn shopping without a pattern). When I returned home I went on Ravelry and found a great cardigan pattern by Drops Design - I think I have just enough to complete it! A little spooked, because the Drops patterns seem a little complicated, but the general consensus on Ravelry is that this pattern is pretty easy and quick.

I also bought this knit necklace kit. I think it will make a super cute Christmas gift - and it looks like something I could easily put together myself once I've completed the first one. I know for sure my sister would love one.

Beyond that, I'm still working on baby gifts for my soon-to-be-born nephew and a friend's little one as well as a fun, quirky piece for my Pay it Forward 2012. There are so many projects lined up for the immediate future!

The Friday (Fiber) Five

Last week's Friday Five questions are all about storage...in my case, yarn storage:

1. What are your favorite storage containers like?

I have baskets full of yarn, shelves full of yarn, and bags full of yarn. I love the immediate visibility of the open shelving, but my cats tend to pull skeins down and bat them around the room, so that's just for the cheap stuff. I prefer using large Ziploc bags to keep my good skeins clean and to keep multiples together (these are then piled into a large basket under my card catalog). I’ve also seen people use plastic bins with lids, but I’m not sure I have that much yarn…yet.  

2. What seems to require more time and energy to store than it’s worth?

Cheap yarn. Seriously, I’ve become so spoiled by good yarn that I don’t even want to use the cheap acrylic stuff anymore. I keep it, though, because it's so perfect for ami.

3. What unusual container are you storing something in?

I have yarn stored on an old shelving unit that my great grandfather built ages ago and used to sort mail. The shelves are about 12” wide x 12”deep x 6” high, so they’re too short for just about anything…but perfect for skeins of yarn. I’d like to eventually convert my old card catalog (currently a tool chest) into yarn or hook/needle/accessory storage. I also found this photo recently and really, really, really like the idea of converting a vintage suitcase or makeup case into a yarn kit travel bag.

4.  What packaged product has a container you really like?

I’m always trying to reuse containers, but so far I haven’t found one I can reuse for yarn or yarn goodies.

5.  If you suddenly had some new storage space in your home, what would likely go there?

Honestly, we have so much stuff we’re trying to store or hide till the house is sold that it would be some of that rather than fun stuff. We have tons of books, clothes, paint, etc. that I need to put somewhere…and that’s with an already full attic and offsite storage unit. It’s also why I’m trying to find projects that will use some of my stash.

~questions via the Friday Five

Weekend Wrap Up

The pulled patterns

This weekend I started on my kit making. I started by going through my old crochet magazines and finding some patterns that didn't take a ton of yardage. Today I xeroxed those and this week I'll make notations as to which stashed yarn I'll put with each pattern. Fortunately I've already done some stash organizing, so that part should be pretty easy.

I also finished my Stashghan this weekend. I ended up making it smaller than planned, but at 44" x 49" it just felt finished. And it will be a good size for a child.

Lastly, I started a new project - a baby blanket for a boy due in March. I'm using the Firefly Blanket pattern by Allison Grenier, featured in the July/August 2010 issue of Crochet Today. Except I'm not doing the firefly applique. Once it's finished I'll add either one really big sunflower or several small ones, using the graphics from the online game Plants vs. Zombies as the pattern. I know, it's odd...yet strangely appealing...

Plants vs. Zombies

Kit-of-the-Month Club?

Annie's Attic recently sent me an "invitation" for their Kit-of-the-Month Club for Crocheters and Knitters. I was intrigued and read a little closer. Turns out you get a pattern each month with enough yarn to either knit or crochet the project. The text indicates the projects are fairly small, simple, and work up quickly (dishcloths, scarves, etc.). The thing the information did not clarify was what brands of yarn are provided. A couple of years ago that wouldn't have occurred to me, but these days I'm hyper-aware after trying the Penguin Afghan kit from Herrschners using their brand of yarn (which is some of the worst yarn I've ever experienced). Plus, I've been spoiled by good yarn, so the club is a no-go for me. It did give me an idea, though...

What if I made my own kits? I could choose a pattern and gather all of the materials needed, then bag everything up and put the package on the shelf in my crochet room. That way there would never be that down time between projects. I would ALWAYS have something ready to go! Definitely something to think about...

Stashghan - sort of...

I organized my yarn a few weeks ago, and found that I had partial skeins of the same yarn in different colors. The yarn is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn - it's very soft and easy to work with, but not flashy in any way. It works best for amigurumi and afghans, but with so little of each color I couldn't really make anything. Unless...I used the stash on a basic afghan, alternating colors and using each skein till it simply ran out.

The stashghan in process

It's sort of working. My left-brained creativity won't let me be truly spontaneous or haphazard with the color changing (gotta work on that) so my bands of color are fairly even. And I kinda bought more colors to work into the pattern so I wouldn't repeat colors too often, totally voiding the concept of using up stash. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to keep making more stashghans!

What is really nice about this stashghan is that it isn't FOR anyone, so there's no deadline. It's also super, super soft and snuggly, so it could be given to an adult or a child and either would enjoy cuddling it. In fact, it might be perfect for Project Night Night.