ohmygoodknits! » Yarny crafts

A Month of Craft Photos: Day 3 [An old FO]

Lisa — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:03:17 +0000

According to Ravelry, I finished this blanket in 15 days of April 2008. That’s right before this guy was born. It was the only blanket I crocheted for him and of course it still makes its rotation around the house–in my bed, in his, in the living room, dining room, etc. It even went with us when we evacuated during Hurricane Ike. One of my favorite Andrew-baby photos is of him on top of it in a wagon while we were staying at Grandma’s during the evacuation. He was so deliciously chubby. See?

So, yes. This is a nearly 4 year-old FO. Both the blanket and the baby.

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A Month of Craft Photos: Day 2

Lisa — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:41:23 +0000

craft tools

I missed Day 2 because I was busy doing copious amounts of laundry. I washed all of my kiddo’s blankets only to have one of them (the littlest one) puke all over his bed in the middle of the night. Chunky, pink, smelly puke. I was being punished for missing this day, I KNOW IT. So…enjoy these extra shots! I love my hooks and needles. I only put in two sets of DPNs with my hooks because they were in the same jar. I should do this again with my knitting needles!

Day 3 (today) coming up shortly!

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A Month of Craft Photos: Day 1

Lisa — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:25:10 +0000

Me, in action.

Let’s not talk about how my hook is pointing up my nose. :)

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I’m participating in a fun February photo challenge via untangling knots.

You should join us!

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Crochet a heart with me (my first video!)

Lisa — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:54:27 +0000

Valentine’s Day is a few weeks away, so why not start adorning your house (self, bags, books, etc) with hearts? This is a super quick 3 row pattern that you can probably complete in under 5 minutes. String them up garland-style, or add a safety pin to the back and have yourself a brooch. I chain stitched some together to make a vertical garland. Love!

Materials
worsted weight yarn
5mm (H) hook

Abbreviations (U.S. terms)
Ch- chain
SC- single crochet
DC – double crochet
slst- slip stitch
sk- skip
st- stitch

Pattern
Ch 4
Row 1: 1 SC in second ch from hook, 3 SC in next ch, 1 SC in last ch. Ch 3, turn.
Row 2: 3 DC in first st, 1 SC in next st, 3 SC in next st, 1 SC in next st, 4 DC in last st. Ch 1, DO NOT TURN.

Edge: 2 SC in first half of the side of last DC, 1 SC in next half, SC the first and last ch of the beginning chain together, 1 SC in the first ch of beg ch-3 of Row 2, 2 SC in next ch, 2 SC in last ch, 2 SC in first DC, 1 SC in each of the next 4 stitches, 3 SC in the “corner stitch”, 1 SC in each of the next 4 stitches, 2 SC in last DC. Slst to top of first SC. Fasten off.

The edge can seem a little confusing, so I made this video–

Crochet Heart Edge from Lisa Gutierrez on Vimeo.

This is the very first time I’ve made a crochet video. To be completely honest…I LOVED IT. It was awkward at first and pretty difficult to get focus, but I think I might make more for future projects. I found the music on Vimeo and it’s called “Instrumental salad” by Marlo Eggplant (www.myspace.com/marloeggplantmusic).

I used Windows Movie Maker to create this video. Any tips for newbies? I didn’t realize there were black edges on the sides until after. I expected the bars on top, but not the sides. I’ll have to figure out what those are next time.

Let me know what you think about goodknits videos!

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Past Valentine’s Day Projects

Lisa — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:37:01 +0000

[Knit heart, thrifted garland]

[Cupcake containers]

[Heart crayons]

[Amigurumi heart friend]

[Heart pins]

My husband has been in Las Vegas 4 out of the past 5 Valentine’s Days. He works for an apparel company and so he’s there for the men’s fashion convention, MAGIC (ha). The first few years it really bummed me out, but now I’m used to it. These days, I consider it more of a kid’s holiday. We get to play with pinks! Reds! Whites! Hearts! Cupcakes! It’s a crafty holiday and so I really dig it. How about you?

Do you like Valentine’s Day or do you ditch it? Is it more of a romantic or fun holiday for you?

I’ll be back soon with a super simple under-five-minutes crochet heart pattern.

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Handmade for the Holidays

Lisa — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:30:29 +0000

Because I have been filling custom orders (THANK YOU!), I haven’t really had all that much time to devote to Christmas crafting. I found some time between orders to create for my loved ones and I have a pretty decent pile I’ll be distributing this weekend. It’s impressive when you realize I’ve made these during the past 2-3 weeks. Needless to say, my hands have been busy.

In the photo you see:
1 Willow
1 Dory
2 Turn a Square hats
1 Last Minute Open Rib hat

“Last Minute Open Rib,” you ask? Why, yes. I knit this hat quite a bit, last year, and finally got around to composing a proper pattern for it. I can knit one up in an evening (late night watching old episodes of Sons of Anarchy)!

If you feel so inclined to make one yourself, please do check out the pattern page, HERE. Happy knitting!

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Did you make any sweet gifts for your loved ones for Christmas? Please share!

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Shop note: I’ll be closing up shop tomorrow morning for a week. I still have a few ready-to-ship hats, shawlettes, and one doily blanket. Everything except Lace Love ships Priority Mail in the U.S. All orders placed tonight will ship tomorrow! They aren’t guaranteed to arrive by Christmas, but they’ll be sent. I’ll open back up on the 27th. Thank you so much for all of your support!

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap 2011

Lisa — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:14:29 +0000

I participated in a swap, last month! I heard about CHWH about a week after it closed, last year. This year, I was kind of on top of things and signed up pretty much immediately after it was posted. I am so glad I did. I had fun creating a package for my partner, Olivia.Dee, and was so happy when I got mine!

Not only did she send me gloves (touch screen ones! right on time for the new tablet my husband bought. ssssshhh! don’t tell my 6 year old) , she sent me YARN, and pens for my KIDDOS! How thoughtful, no?? They are over the mooooon with them! They were pretty thrilled when I pulled them out of the box. Usually, the stuff that comes in the mail is for…well, ME. And so being able to grab something out of the box was a major YAY for them. THANK YOU, Olivia!

I sent–

A SURPRISE BALL! It was my first. I had been wanting to make one for foreverrrr and so when I started keeping track of things to send to her, I somehow realized a ball would be totally awesome to make. Check her blog post if you want to see what was in the very center! I’ll give you a hint: I knit it. I’ll share details of that project soon! They were my Thanksgiving project (last minute, I KNOW! I’m a procrastinator sometimes) and so fun and easy to make!

Thank you so much to Sandy and Ilene for organizing such a wonderful swap. I will most definitely try my best to participate again next year. And thank you again to my swap partner, Olivia! It was a pleasure meeting you via snail mail. :)

Make it: Hanging Card (& photo) Holder

Lisa — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:44:50 +0000

Are you receiving Christmas cards yet? We got our first a few days ago and it’s been hanging out on my shelf since then. This morning, I decided it needed a new home. I wanted something small, but still cute. ALSO, I wanted something I could hang on to past Christmas. Perhaps something to hang my Instax photos from? Mmmhmmm!

Supplies:
random thin tree branch (this one is about 11″ long)
yarn (I used regular worsted weight for stick-wrapping and some fine weight cotton for hanging)
tiny clothespins
cards! and/or photos!
other: scissors, pin or nail to hang the holder from

1. Tie a knot and start wrapping up your branch.
2. After about an inch or so, tie on your second color and start wrapping.
3. Wrap the second color around your branch AND the first color’s tail.
4. Keep wrapping, alternating colors (OR keep it solid OR add more colors). When you get to the end, cut off about 2 feet of your last color and tie a knot on the branch.

5. Your excess yarn should be able to reach across to the other side of the stick. 2 feet is what I used for my 11″ branch.
6. Tie your yarn around the other end of the branch. Trim any excess.

7. Grab your finer weight yarn and cut a piece about 18″ long. Tie a knot an inch from the end. Thread the yarn through the spring of your clothespin.
8. Tie another knot (large enough to not slip through the spring) and thread more pins. Leave about 4-5″ between each pin.
9. When you have about 4″ left, tie your string of pins around the branch.

Make another string of clothespins and tie around your branch as well. Hang and enjoy!

Goodknits in CraftSanity Issue 5!

Lisa — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:12:32 +0000

Hello, friends! I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend. I wanted to let you all know I have a blanket pattern in the upcoming issue of CraftSanity!

Hexagon lace. This one is a bit different from the doily inspired patterns I’ve been releasing lately, but it’s still absolutely darling. I had the vision of a coverlet for my bed, but with my kiddos liking to mess my bed up all the time, I decided to make something a little smaller.

In Issue 5 of CraftSanity, you will find the Hexagon Lace pattern along with directions for adding a lace border. You can make the blanket as big as you’d like by adding more hexagons. I believe the edge pattern is intuitive enough for you to be able to apply it to a larger blanket with few, if any, adjustments. As always, I will be here if you have any problems!

The issue is available, right now! Issue 5 is “packed with projects ranging from holiday ornaments to sewn project bags, Tunisian crochet, baking, weaving, embroidery and more.” It sounds pretty amazing!

Christmas: layered doily tree skirt

Lisa — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:48:49 +0000

I was sitting in my knitting chair (tell me you have a designated knitting spot!) thinking about how I should make a tiny tree skirt for my tiny tabletop tree. I sighed when I realized that December was pretty much already here and I’d have to settle with a quick felt skirt. Nothing against felt, I just don’t have any of the GOOD stuff around and would have to use craft store felt, which is just plastic-y and gross.

I decided to forget about it and arrange one of my new shelves full of yarn. Upon combing through a few bags (tell me you sometimes store your yarn in plastic bags), I found a little stash of doilies. LIGHT!BULB!ON!

I took the base off my tree and threaded the metal tube through a few of the doilies and voila! A pretty lace tree skirt. No sewing, no gluing, no cutting, no nothing. It took me less than a minute to put together.

I like the messy mound of doily snow. I think it’s perfect for this tree full of little doily ornaments…

Now I need a bunch of tiny presents to put under it. I already ordered my husband’s gift off Etsy. It will be the first. I’m finally finishing up my toddler’s socks and I’ll wrap those up for the tree, too. I need the perfect little gift for my 6 year old, though. Hmmmm. He’s already getting a ton of random crap (I know, I know), so I need something meaningful.

Crochet: Holly Berry Pin

Lisa — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:02:22 +0000

My sponsors are totally BRINGING IT, this month! I am oh so grateful for them. November sponsor, Sarah of Sarahndipities is here with a wonderful crochet tutorial! I can just picture these all over hats and on presents. Give them away at your Christmas parties!
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Hi! I’m Sarah from Sarahndipities! I’ve loved being a sponsor of Good Knits! I’m guest posting today with a little pattern I wrote up for the Christmas season! It works up super fast and was fun to make! Here’s my little Holly Berry Pin!

Materials needed:
Small amount of medium weight red and green yarn (I used Caron Simply Soft in Cypress and Autumn Red)
Crochet Hook size F (3.75mm)
Yarn needle
Scissors

If you want to make it into a pin you’ll also need a bit of felt for backing and a pin back.

For the Leaves:

Ch 20 (make sure you leave a three or four inch beginning tail).

Row 1: Sl sl in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in next. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in next 3 sts. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in next. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in last ch. Ch 1, turn.

Row 2: Working along opposite side of ch: Sl sl in next. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in next. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in next 3 sts. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in next. Sc in next. Dc, ch 1, dc in next. Sc in next. Sl st in last ch. Pull up long tail, fasten off.

Sew the long tails down the center of the leaves using a simple running stitch. Overlap the leaves nd stitch them together:

Fasten off, and weave in ends.

For the Berries:

Ch 2.

Row 1: Sc in in 2nd ch from hook 5 times. Do not join.

Row 2: Continuing in a round, work 2 sc in each sc from previous row. (10 sc)

Row 3: Sk next sc. Sc in next sc.* Rep around, fasten off, leaving a three or four inch tail. (5 sc)

Turn the berries right side out and tuck in the beginning tail. Make as many berries as you desire.

To turn your holly into a pin, hot glue a small circle of felt and a pin to the back!

You can use your little pin to embellish a scarf, jacket, hat, or gift!

Isn’t it so cute?

I’m working on getting the pattern for the hat shown above finished up, so look for it in the next couple of weeks!

You can find my other FREE PATTERNS by visiting my blog, [HERE]. And you can see the patterns I have for sale by visiting my Etsy Shop, [HERE]!

Hope you all have a Holly Jolly Christmas!

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Oh man, how wonderful was that?! Thank you SO much, Sarah! Everyone be sure to visit her blog for tons of inspiration and her shop for BEAUTIFUL crochet wares! You can pick up more than a few Christmas gifts there. :)

Lace Love: Two Ways!

Lisa — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:47:12 +0000

Just a quick note that I have listed the PDF-only version of Lace Love on Ravelry! You can click [HERE] to view the info for purchasing and see the individual pattern pages. OR click here if you’re ready to buy:

If you are interested in a printed copy, see my listing on Etsy, [HERE]. Printed copies will also receive a PDF version via email. Plus, they will get a little bit of thread to make their brooch and a post-card thank you. It’s only $3.50 more. :)

THANK YOU so much to all who have purchased their copies and have left my feedback. Gah! I love you all!

Lace Love: complete

Lisa — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:02:27 +0000

I am here with some amazing news! Lace Love is complete! I received the booklets yesterday evening. I am without words.

OK, I suppose I do have a few!
The books were printed locally in Houston with funds I received from this month of sponsorship and recent Etsy sales. So, a huge huge THANK YOU to everyone who has shown their support and who has encouraged me to keep going with this project. My PayPal account is empty, but I am so happy!

You can purchase the printed booklet from my shop! Each printed version will ALSO receive a PDF link (emailed within 24 hours) and a few extra goodies from me in the mail. I will release a PDF-only version at the end of next week, but this printed copy is only a few bucks more, so why not? It’s pretty and tangible. You’ll get the PDF anyway. :)

I have set up a Lace Love book page, [HERE]. It includes links to individual pattern pages.

Here are some peeks inside the booklet!!

!!!
excitement abounds!

Crochet: Simple Statement Ornaments

Lisa — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:32:02 +0000

You knew these were coming, right? It’s just about mid-November, so that means it is perfectly acceptable to start making ornaments for your tree or to gift to family. These are quick and easy and if you liked the Simple Statement Wreath but didn’t think you had a place for one in your house, these would be a nice substitute.

Let’s get started!

Materials
2″ cabone ring (I used wooden ones by Boye)
3.75mm (F) hook
small amount (approx. 10 yards) of worsted weight yarn

one: start with a slip-knot around your hook and grab a loop from front to back through the ring (two loops on hook)
two: yarn-over and pull through both loops on hook
three: grab another loop from front to back through the ring (two loops on hook)
four: yarn-over and pull through both loops on hook

repeat steps three & four until you have 45 stitches around your ring. If you are going with a larger or smaller ring, make sure you end with a multiple of THREE.

Slip-stitch to first stitch, then begin border rounds.
Border Round 1: Ch 1 and SC into same stitch, ch 4, *skip 2 stitches, sc into next stitch, ch 4; repeat from * until 2 stitches remain. Ch 2, DC into first SC. (15 loops if you began with 45 stitches around the ring)

Border Round 2: Ch 5, SC into first ch-4 loop, ch 5, *sc into next ch-4 loop, ch 5; repeat from * around, ending with a slip stitch into top of DC of last round. (15 loops)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Use those regular wire ornament hooks to hang them from your tree. Or string them up like a garland. Or make a mobile. Or blow your own mind by making a wreath out of them! A bold statement wreath out of simple statement ornaments based on the simple statement wreath. That’s just wild. I’ll stop, now. I’m sure you can come up with more on your own. Have fun!

Day 11: something I’ve been craving

Lisa — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:28:25 +0000

I’ve been craving Christmas like no one’s business.
COME ON.

Patterns for this bundle of “doily flakes” will be released next week.