Finished: Gallatin Scarf for Mom

With everything that happened in December, I wasn't sure I was going to finish any of the gifts I had planned. While last month's events were reminders that procrastination is my enemy, I still knew I needed to get some handmade gifts done in time for Christmas. So off I went.

The first gift I finished was another Gallatin Scarf, this time for my mom at her request! I used the same type of yarn I had used in mine: Mountain Colors Twizzle, but in the Winter Sky colorway. She had seen the one I made and wore to Vegas in November and wanted one for herself, so I was more than happy to oblige!

The Gallatin Scarf is a great project and, as promised in the pattern, very fast to knit up. Even with working full-time and pumping out orders like a crazy person, I was able to finish this in a couple evenings. Just grab your favorite worsted weight luxury yarn and a pair of huge circular needles and you're set. The lace stitch and its increases are simple to memorize, making this perfect TV knitting. Considering I was glued to the Hallmark Channel all month, I was happy for that.

I didn't dive into a description of Mountain Colors Twizzle in the post about my own scarf, but I'd like to get into it here. The yarn is lovely - no doubt about it. The colors are super saturated and I love the contrasting flecks plied throughout. But... I ran into a few snags. It sometimes looked like the yarn was cut or frayed. It's not something that happened often, but being a pricier yarn, I thought I'd either see if anyone had experienced the same issues or inform anyone who was wondering if it's worth the money. Like I said, the colors are so vibrant that I absolutely do think it's worth the $20-whatever I paid for it - just without as many snags. If it had happened only with the hank I used for my scarf, I'd have thought it was an odd-ball and let it go (it's bound to happen on occasion, which we knitters know); however, it happened in two different hanks from two different dye lots. Have any of you used this yarn and encountered a similar problem?

That's all for today. Lots of yarn goodness and other finished projects coming soon :)

Finished: Crochet Baby Reindeer Hat Photo Prop

Rudolph the Red Heart Shimmer-nosed reindeer had a very shimmery nose...

(At least when you let me make a nose for him.)

A friend of mine contacted me a couple weeks ago asking if I could make a photo prop for her son resembling a photo she had found. I examined the photo for a bit, purchased any supplies I needed, and made my best attempt at duplicating exactly what she wanted. I think I came pretty close!

I should say that I did buy a pattern (this one) thinking I would need it to figure out the horns. I didn't. I used two shades of Lion Brand Homespun brown and winged a design with (surprisingly) little-to-no failures. I only flubbed up on my first horn, wrongly creating them with DC stitches instead of SC stitches, thus causing a large gap between each stitch. Otherwise, it came out exactly as I wanted. I guess that's what happens when you've been working at this stuff for quite awhile :)

The original photo used black buttons as the eyes, but I replaced them with black crochet circles on which I embroidered a white glint using the always-versatile French knot. I figured it would be safer for a baby who, should he decide to wear it a bunch after his close-up, might get the novel idea to shove the hat in his mouth someday. The tassels are just braided and easily removable for everyday baby wear.

I'm open to writing my own pattern for this if anyone's interested. There are a lot of similar patterns out there, believe me, but we all have our own styles; maybe you like mine! Anyway, I'm looking to add more patterns to my blog. Let me know if you want this one!

Finished: Knit Headbands with Crochet Flowers

Once again, I've been (happily) inundated with orders for knit headbands with detachable crochet flowers. They're fast and fun, though I have to admit I'm more than tired of always making them in grey. I'm not sure what gives - is it because my main photo is grey? When I had a cream colored headbands as my default photo, the only orders I received were for cream colored headbands; I would have murdered someone for a change. Lo and behold, I'm now the same way with grey. Hmmm.

Trust me - I am thankful to be making these and they're always fun. Plus, they look amazing on everyone. I just love experimenting with color and haven't had much opportunity.

But luckily I had an orange one thrown into the mix. Not only did it provide an excellent distraction from my pile of grey fiber, but it made me feel all fall-like. We had a temporary break in the warm weather, so I enjoyed cuddling under a light blanket in my chilly craft room and working up this quick little knit. I was happy.

Both grey headbands pictured are made using Caron Simply Soft and my FREE knit headband pattern. The orange headband is Vanna's Choice in Terracotta.

Hope you're all having a great week. And brace yourselves: there are more headband photos coming your way ;)

Finished: Fall-Themed Crochet Flowers

If these fall-themed flowers don't get you in the mood for my favorite season, then I give up.

Last weekend, I plonked myself down in my comfy craft room chair, added a bunch of podcasts to my YouTube playlist, and crocheted 15 flowers for a custom order I received in my etsy shop. I'm pretty sure it was a weekend well spent (any day I don't have to leave the house and can just surround myself in yarn = success).

The pattern is based off the Leona Flower, which I've tweaked a little bit over the years. I love crocheting them (they're so fast) and I enjoyed being able to play with "different" colors. It's not often that someone requests a rosette in orange, brown, or even variegated shades. And the fact that fall is the best season ever made the autumnal theme even more fun to execute ;)

I used every yarn from Caron Simply Soft to I Love This Yarn. A few yarns are unidentified, though I know the orange is a Mary Maxim - I just forget which line. They range in sizes due to using some DK weights vs worsted weights, but I think the variations make it more of a party, don't you?

Hope you're all having a great week! I'm getting my hair done tonight and may or may not be blonde the next time I "see" you. Only time will tell *maniacal laughter*

PS: What are some of your favorite knitting and crochet podcasts? I'm looking for new ones to add to my list. Please let me know in the comments :)

Finished: Orange Cabbage Patch-Inspired Pigtails Crochet Hat

Ahoy, mateys! Here be my latest creation: another pigtail beanie, this time in orange. I hadn't made one for a redhead yet and I'm loving it; in fact, I've been inspired to try a Pippi Longstocking-inspired version one of these days, with crazy braided pigtails using pipe cleaners.

(Sidebar: In case you care, the 1988 Pippi Longstocking movie was one of my favorites growing up, so you can understand why my mind automatically shifted into Villa Villekulla mode).

Yarn: Vanna's Choice in Terracotta

Difficulty: Intermediate. The entire hat body is HDC while the brim is three rows of the double-loop stitch, followed by some fancy tassel-making and ribbon-tying. The pattern is my own, which (as always) will be coming soon to my website.

Notes: I have a hard time following the size charts I find online. No matter what I do, the crown/hat body always seems bigger than necessary, even though I'm making the hat to the exact proportions for each accompanying age. I end up ripping back to my increases so it looks more acceptable, and I've received no complaints that the resulting hat was too small.

Does anyone else have that problem, or am I special?