Pom Pom Toque

It has been a while since I shared some crochet creations. I haven’t really had time to sit down and get some projects out. I actually have a really fun project just sitting on the sidelines until I find some time to sit down and finish it.

I was able to get some fun toques done! Or hats. Or….beanies? Whatever you call it where you are from.

I don’t remember where I found the pattern for this particular hat (it is a pretty standard hat that just uses a double crochet across until you’re done…), but the highlight was definitely making the pom pom to go on top. Who doesn’t love a good pom pom?

I actually made this (and a second matching one) for some sweet pen pals of mine, but I had to sneak in some pictures before sending them off to their new home! Of course, the lake seemed like the perfect place to do such things. I can’t believe how beautiful Lake Michigan is in December! These colors were almost unreal!

I’m going to have to whip up some more! Good thing they’re fun and easy to put together and make great gifts!

The pom pom was definitely my favorite thing about the process. I had made a few before, and really enjoyed it. There is a certain sense of satisfaction when you make your own pom pom with nothin but a piece of cardboard, scissors, and your hands. Honestly, that’s why I like to crochet! It’s fun to do things and be creative!

Hope you didn’t mind me sharing some more of my hobby! Perhaps I should start writing out my patterns.

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Did you crochet yourself something warm this Winter?

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The Softest Lap Blanket

I don't know about you, but I love a good book haul. I find most of my books at a second-hand store. The ones that are in good condition are usually the ones that leave with me, get a nice Clorox wipe bath, and they are added to my library. The cashier, without fail, will ask me if I am a teacher when I have a particularly good children's book haul that day. I love that my kids love reading, and I'm always on the hunt for duplicates of favourite titles or brand new ones that I know will interest certain students.

Thinking about books makes me think about snuggly and cuddly things, so I decided to share this lap blanket today. I have been loving it for the last few months. I whipped this one up in January, and it was surprisingly quick to stitch! Originally, I wanted to make a full-sized blanket with this chunky yarn (and I totally should have because it is so soft!). I ended up miscounting my stitches across but decided to keep going anyway since it was long enough to make a lap blanket out of. I am only a tad disappointed, but it's actually quite perfect for my needs.

I don't even know where the inspiration for this blanket came from. I just saw some white blankets on the internet one day and decided to start crocheting. I added the stripes because I happened to have the crimson wool identical to the fisherman's and figured it would be nice to have some contrast. I think it turned out lovely. 

Of course, my husband questioned why I needed to make yet another blanket. At least they are all diverse, and I do make other projects too!

Astra loves this blanket as well. She jumps up on my lap whenever it is across my lap, and I've caught her snuggling up with it when I'm not looking. Since I have no human models living in my house, you get to see pictures of my furry friend. If you don't like cats, well that is too bad. Deal with it. But how could you not love this sweet face?

Edit: This soft blanket now lines her favourite cubby in my office and she sleeps there all of the time! So much for a lap blanket, eh?

I'm happy with how this turned out, and maybe one day I will go through with making a matching larger-sized one.

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Have you crocheted anything lately?

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Hot & Cold Crochet Pillow

I have a sweet pen pal who had a birthday in January and I decided to crochet her a pillowcase out of some scrap yarn I was trying to use up. I initially had wanted to make it all different shades of pink - her favourite colour - but then I decided to take a different approach: making one side of the pillow primarily with warm colours, and the other with cool colours. 

It used up some scraps (recognize some of these colours?), and the result was pretty cute. I didn't use a pattern for the pillow - just made it up as I went and had a lot of fun!

The day after I sent it, I got a picture of a grinning girl sent to me holding out the pillow. I guess she likes it! I think I might have to make another one just for me ;-)

Modern Hexagon Afghan

I had an unexpected 8 weeks off of work, and while I had a ton of projects to work on during that time, I decided to pick up one more. The weather was getting chilly and it seemed like a good time to pick up my crochet hooks again. 

I didn't really know what to work on, so I started browsing Pinterest for some ideas. I saw a beautiful hexagon baby blanket from Make and Do Crew and decided to run with it. 

The original had space on the sides, but I decided to crochet some half hexagons to fill them in to create a more finished (okay, rectangular) feeling.

I was really happy with the outcome and Astra loves it too, so naturally, it was part of her first Christmas photo shoot!

I think the hardest part (besides sewing all of the hexagons together) was choosing the colours! I wouldn't be able to tell you how many times I changed the colour scheme. In the end, I am satisfied with what I chose (dark teal, light grey, dark grey, dusty pink, white, and cream) - it fits right into our living room. 

If I ever get bored enough, I might consider making another one! That sewing hexagon together thing is no joke! The outcome was pretty darn satisfying though. 

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Crochet Mood Blanket // Year Long Project

I posted a picture of my mood blanket on Instagram a while ago and got a bunch of questions about it. I decided to share what exactly it was, and some photos. Maybe it'll inspire my crocheting (or other craft) readers?

In January of 2017, I finally ended a project that took me just over a year to completely finish.

The task? Every day of the year, I was supposed to crochet a simple solid coloured granny square according to my mood. To crochet a mood blanket. I was inspired by other year-long crochet projects and this one appealed to me. Why? I'm not sure, but I will definitely say that I never realized I had so many moods....I have never considered myself terribly "moody," but hey!

The moods and colours were as follows:

Sad- Sky Blue
Inspired- Soft Grey
Loved/thankful- Scarlet
Happy- Light Teal
Productive/motivated- Damson Purple
Unproductive/unmotivated – dark denim
Frustrated/Annoyed- Medium Rose
Excited- Medium Teal
Exhausted- Dark Rose
Hormonal- Gold
Sick/crampy/crappy- Medium Denim
Relaxed/Content- Cream
Determined- blush pink
Anxious/stressed/nervous/overwhelmed- Buttercup
Not Sure-Dark Teal

I think the most fun of this whole project was picking all of the colours! It was hard to imagine what it would look like since I couldn't exactly predict my mood each day, but as it came together, I liked what I saw! Some of the colours apparently make no sense when you think of the mood, but that is alright. 

Most days I would do multiple squares to either catch up or get ahead of the project. By the end, I was getting as much done as I could. Life happens, but I was pretty good about writing down my mood for each day, even if I wasn't able to crochet a square that day. 

Once I was finished putting it all together, I definitely procrastinated putting the borders on it. Spring crept in, then Summer, and I purposed that it was too hot to actually wrestle with it to add it on. 

I completed the whole thing in January, and my sweet mother-in-law helped me sew in all the ends. Good thing too, because that is probably my least favourite part. I've since learned, and I make sure they're in as I go. 

My husband put a ban on more blankets in our house, but I've been whipping up all sorts of projects. I never planned to share my crocheting endeavors on the blog, but since I got such an overwhelming response, maybe I'll start doing so!

In hindsight, I would have probably made the squares a little smaller - the finished project fits over our king sized bed! But at least it's warm? :)

UPDATE: 11/17/17

It turns out our new kitty, Astra, loves the mood blanket too! When it's draped over my office chair, she uses it as a blanket fort, and when it's folded and about ready to be put away, she delays the process by jumping up and taking a nap. A long nap. Even when it finally gets put away, she'll hop on top and watch the world around her. We've found out that this kitten loves knits as much as her fleece!

She's so stinking cute though!

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Do you crochet or craft? I'd love to see and hear about your projects, too!

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