Hairpin Lace 2

I've sorta finished the small neck scarf I made with the hairpin lace tool. I used bulky chenille. I made 2 panels of 140 loops per panel(70 loops on each rod) and only encountered one issue, I need longer rods when working with bulky yarns. This really does work up quickly and I can do it while sitting in front of the TV. I thought about taking one of my cross stitching loom things but realized that would make the loops to wide, even if I used the biggest crochet hook I had for the center, it still wouldn't be long enough. So now I'm looking to make my own hairpin tool. I want it to be adjustable but long and i'm thinking perhaps dowel rods would work or some thin metal rods like the ones I got with the tool I have but longer. We'll see how that goes.

Here is a few pics of my 1st hairpin lace piece. I need to make a scarf pin for it or find one. It's small, a neckkerchief.

Hairpin Lace

Over the last several months, if you can't tell, I've been into knitting and now into crochet. I've seen hairpin lace and felt very intimidated by it but upon further investigation, seemed simple. Over the weekend I stopped in at Joanns to see what was on sale, what new goodies they might have and possibly pick up some more yarn and use my 50% off coupons.

While perusing through the net for crochet flowers to finish my hat, I once again came across StitchDiva.com and hairpin lace. Once again, the curiosity was piqued. Walking around Joanns, fingering the yarns, wishing I had more money, I spy a hairpin lace tool, it's not expensive, not on sale, WOOHOOO! I can use my coupon. I also used my other coupon on a zippered knitting needle/hook case, which I love.

I was able to finally try out my new tool yesterday. The directions that came with the tool, were eh on being helpful. So with tool in one hand, crochet hook in the other I pull up StitchDiva and read then watch the video and have the AH HAH! moment. I start on a strip of 100 loops. I make 2, 100 loop strips and today I joined them using the "cable join" method, which is super easy. I have one test strip done and ready to start on another test strip to trying out other pieceing/finishing methods before I get started on an a hairpin lace pattern.

Here are pics of my test strip








I used some left over varigated purple yarn that is probably 15-20years old give or take 5yrs.

Finished Crochet hat

I FINISHED! I'm very proud of this little hat.

crochet update

Ok, I got past my frustration block on the crochet flowers. It was me for not recognizing the mistake in the pattern directions and the pattern maker for making the mistake when writing them. I had my co-worker help me out and she spotted the mistake and then everything kinda fell in place. Last night I made a flower and 2 leaves and then with the left over yarn I was able to make another smaller flower. The hat will have 2 flowers instead of one. Here are some pics of the current progress, minus the 2nd flower.

Frustrated

I'm trying to make some crochet flowers, simple ones, just a couple of layers of petals, no biggie, right? WRONG! I can read a basic pattern, I understand a majority of the stitches but for some reason I can't seem to get making a flower. I know how to make a crochet ring. I've even gone so far as trying to understand the concept of the "magic ring" by reading and watching youtube videos. I don't know if it's just because my current stress levels are in the red or what, that i'm just not "getting" it. I can get the 1st part, for a very simple 5 petal flower it's going to the next level of adding more petals that I just don't seem to be getting. I read and reread and compair pattern instructions and still, nada. UGH!

I am determined to get this so that I can finish the hat that I'm working on. I just need 1 flower, no bigger than say a golf ball in size. I don't have much of the vintage varigated yarn left. Yes, I bought this yarn some time back in the late 80's to early 90's. I don't know if you'd call it vintage or not, it's got to be atleast 15yrs old, give or take a few years. In fact,I have quite a bit of yarn that I've had for atleast 15yrs or so.

Well I won't give up, i'm going to get this so I can finish the hat.

stuff I'm working on

Here is the pillow. Well it's only half, the knitted half. I still need to decide what color fabric and get a pillow form to stuff it with. I made this panel using the green kniffty knitter loom.



Close up:

here is the little hat that I crochet using a supposedly adult pattern. I followed the directions and the recommended hook size and it just doesn't seem like it'll fit and adults head so i'm making it a girly cap and will be adding flowers to it.

It's another hat

I finished another hat. YEAH! I used bulky cream colored chenille and some grey glittery fun fur. Since the fun fur stuff is kinda stiff and itchy, I didn't incorporate it into the whole hat, just the top portion and left the brim chenille soft. hehehehe!

Ice Princess Hat:



Close up:



another close up/sidish view:




Now that I'm done with the hat, I can start on a scarf or maybe that pillow i'm thinking about making or I could just do both at the same time, since it will be 2 different sized looms. I also want to learn to knit socks, but they seem very intimidating. I also want to learn how to do other stitches with the looms and perhaps even make my own. I picked up some double pointed knitting needles a couple days ago and some cute yarn and a couple of the free patterns that are hanging up. I picked up this one for crocheted fingerless mitts that is very cute that I want to attempt. Not sure what I want to do first, knit or crochet. I guess I could start them all and just work whichever one I want when I feel like it.

Vacation Creations

I have pics of the stuff I made over my Holiday/Vacation. Unfortunately one of the hats I made, I didn't get a pic of before I gave it away to my coworkers 1yr old daughter. I was going to get more of the yarn I used but Hobby Lobby was out. I hope they get some more in cause I want to do another hat in that color. It was originally going to be for my 5yr old niece but the hat just seemed to small. Since Hobby lobby didn't have the original yarn, I had to find something else.

Skinny tube scarf knitted on Kniffty knitter flower loom out of the yarn my daughter originally wanted to make a larger tube scarf from but we only had 1 skein and it was a Joanns exclusive yarn.



Close up:





Skinny scarf made for my 5yr old niece. This stuff is heavenly super soft and luckily for me I still have 2 skiens left to make something for myself.



Close up:



This is the hat that I made for my 5yr old niece with the new yarn. I like this yarn but I had to couple it with another yarn to make it a bit thicker. I coupled it with a very soft black yarn. If I had 2 skiens, I could have just doubled it. Might try that some other time. The yarn is very cool, I think.



With the brimmed rolled up:





Here is a large scarf/wrap that I made using another Hobby Lobby yarn called Chocolate Souffle. I used the red loom, wrapping 3 pegs and skipping one.



Close up:




I am on a friggin roll here with these Kniffty Knitter looms. I started another hat using white bulky chenille and this silvery grey fun fur stuff. I'm calling it Ice Princess. The brim of the hat has none of the fun fur because it would be itchy, so just the main part of the hat will have it. I didn't want to go to bed because I wanted to keep on knitting the hat. I have other color ideas for hats and scarves. I'm also going to attempt to make a pillow out of one of the pattern books I bought, I just need a pillow form to put it on.

I made a boucle pom-pom while showing my daughter how to make them and decided to turn it into a scarf pin or just a plain shirt pin with some wire and shiny plastic beads, we'll see how that goes.