By Lisa Gutierrez on 05/13/2014 
Pattern: Craspedia Cropped Cardigan by Linda Permann (also on Ravelry here)
Yarn: 6 skeins KnitPicks Comfy (fingering weight) in Planetarium
Hook: 3.75mm (US F-5)
Modifications: Had to go up in hook size to get gauge. Only 5 DC in each scallop instead of 7.
I finally made myself something to wear. This is the first time I have crocheted a garment in pieces. I did some legit blocking and seaming, guys! I wanted a lacy, but not too lacy cardigan. I liked the cropped-but-past-my-boobs look of this one. The rounded, scalloped front is adorable and the gathered sleeve caps are killin’ me. It was a fairly easy pattern to follow, too!
The yarn isn’t anything fancy, but I like it. The color is brighter in natural light, as above. It looks a little navy-ish in darker environments. It’s soft and washable, though I haven’t put it through my machine yet. I wore it, this weekend, to a graduation. I put all our other clothes to wash and left this out. I’m ALWAYS nervous to wash my crocheted stuffs. I have these visions of opening the washer and finding a ball of yarn. It hasn’t happened yet, but still… it could, right? Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels like this!
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By Lisa Gutierrez on 05/06/2014 
I have been knitting since 2006. Almost eight whole years! I gave it a shot after crocheting for about 6 months and fell in love. Actually, that’s a lie. I hated knitting. It took me three tries and mostly because the book I was using only demonstrated the English style and my brain just did not understand what to do with yarn in my right hand. I was so used to holding the yarn over my left hand and working the hook with my right. When I found videos of Continental knitting, I had that “aha!” moment and things went more smoothly.
I’ve given English knitting a try here and there through the years. I knew it would make fair isle and colorwork easier if I could hold yarn in both hands. It never really stuck, though. I always went back to Continental, even during stranded knitting projects.
Well, a few weeks ago, I bought some Létt-Lopi to feel it out for a future sweater and to see the colors in person. I couldn’t wait and decided to draft up a colorwork pattern for the yarn.
 
After a bunch of drafts that included sharpies, fine felt tip pens, and eventually a spreadsheet, I got to work on a beanie! I knew from the get go I would need to practice my English knitting and worked every other round of the rib like that. It was a chore, but eventually my right hand seemed to “wake up” and get it. It felt less and less awkward as the rounds went by. Soon, I was breezing through my charts! The first wasn’t a very intuitive color pattern, but once I started feeling antsy and/or bored with it, it was time to move on!
I’m calling it my “This and That” beanie because it’s got a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I love love love the sprinkling of contrast stitches in the crown. I did the same thing with some colorwork beanies I made a few years ago. Those beanies took days to create and the one in this post took two measly evenings! I’m pretty happy with that.
Are you working on any new skills? This one seems kind of simple, as English knitting is often how knitters start, but for me, it was a milestone! I feel like I could knit a fair isle sweater or something!
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By Lisa Gutierrez on 04/22/2014 First: Hi! I hope you had a nice Easter weekend. We were on the go Friday through Sunday. I was completely exhausted by the end (also fighting some sort of sick that made things harder/more dramatic than they needed to be), but we had a great weekend!
Second: Come check out the blog’s new look! I actually put it up a while ago, but hadn’t officially “announced” it yet. I de-cluttered the sidebars a bit and composed an actual page with all my patterns and/or tutorials! Check THAT out, here: PATTERNS & DIY.
Third: Here are three posts I have written for the Craftsy blog recently. I’ve begun to write a few more crochet pieces. It was my first love and I’m always happy to share it!
Make an Everlasting Rose: A Crochet Tutorial (GREAT for Mother’s Day!)
4 Decorative Crochet Stitches for You to Try!
A Guide to Garter Stitch: All You Need to Know
One of my very favorite things about writing for the Craftsy blog is designing the title image. Ha!
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By Lisa Gutierrez on 03/28/2014 
I got the urge to make something cute, the other day. I remembered I put away a big box of Easter eggs and what’s cuter than amigurumi? Let’s make some bunny eggs! But wait…where did I pack them up? Apparently NOT where I thought. After looking for the box for about an hour, I had them in my hands.
Last year, I posted the Amigurumi Bunny Egg pattern. It’s made with worsted weight yarn and a 3.75mm (US F) hook. I wanted to make a smaller egg, so I used some Lion Brand Bonbons (affiliate link) and adjusted my hook size down to a 2.75mm (US C). I had to add at least 2 rounds to each part, but the rest of the pattern worked well with these changes!
How cute is that mini egg? My kiddo already claimed it. As you can see, I’m STILL trying to figure out how to embroider the face nicely. All my bunnies look different!
I love that these eggs are fill-able. I can put candy in them and hide them during out egg hunt!
Are you crafting for Easter? Tell me about your projects! Links to blogs, if ya have ’em. I want to browse, this weekend!
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By Lisa Gutierrez on 03/17/2014 Since the last time I posted about Craftsy, I have written quite a few posts for their knitting blog. I tend to average about one a week, though February was a big month and I wrote seven. A few of the posts are round-ups, which start with a topic and then evolve into a round-up of interesting/related patterns from the Craftsy community. You can find my profile here, which includes links to ALL my posts. I thought I’d share my top 10:
I-cord Bind Off Instructions & Tutorial
Designing & Knitting with Eyelets
+Beginner Lace Knitting: Tips for Getting Started
+Explore the Different Types of Lace Knitting Stitches
Kitchener Stitch Tutorial
Long Tail Cast-on Tutorial
What is Continental Knitting?
Knitting & Recycling: how to knit a custom cup cozy
How to Knit Bobbles
Falling in Love with Linen Stitch
As you can see, I have a tendency to post beginner tutorials. I love spreading the joy of knitting to those who might feel a little intimidated by the process. I know that when I started knitting, I thought it was boring as hell. I could not get into it! I hope that these posts on Craftsy will help new knitters discover techniques and skills to enjoy knitting more.
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