Sophie's Universe Weeks 1-4

The Sophie's Universe blanket is a 21 part, 20 week Crochet-a-long. 

The good news is that it was started back in January of 2015.  I'm doing it a year later, so all the weeks are already published.  I have now completed the first 5 parts.  Week 1 had 2 parts, and as such, I have just completed the 4th week.  I am 1/5 of the way completed.

The blanket is already baby blanket sized.  It covers me to my ankles when I work on it.  Granted, I'm short, but still... it's already big and I have 12 more weeks to go!   I think when it is done, it will cover my queen sized bed with lots of room to spare.

That's big. 

Here are the 4 weeks in review:

Sophie's Universe

For the first time, in a LONG time, I'm doing a selfish crochet. In the past, I have done several swaps and gift items.  I've made fingerless gloves for my coworkers, hats, sweaters and blankets for babies on the way, blankets for charities, and countless hats for the homeless.

2016 is a time for me.  I might pick up a swap along the way, here or there, but ultimately, I want to make something fun and unique just for my own enjoyment!

When I spotted the Sophie's Universe CAL blanket, I was sold.  I want this for me.  Look at it!

Mine is using a different color scheme, but I'm SUPER excited about it.  I have already completed the first 2 weeks of this 20 week CAL.  (CAL = Crochet-A-Long)

There's more to come, so STAY TUNED!

Blogging is Hard

Ever notice how hard it is to blog when you have busy growing children?  It's been nearly 3 years since my last post promising new and better things to come.  So obviously I suck at this.

I'm not going to try to make an excuse or try to catch you up on what I've been creating.  I've made a lot of things in the past few years that are documented well over on Ravelry.com but never made their way back here.

Currently, I have plans to start an intense blanket and have a pair of zig-zag fingerless mitts to whip up for a coworker.  I recently finished a year long swap and am ready to do some selfish knit and crochet.  I don't want to take on any more commissions!

So, there you have it!  Hopefully, in 2016 I'll keep to my resolutions and blog more... just... don't hold your breath!

Later!!

Where Have I BEEN??

Hello,

My name is Trikel and it has been close to 2 years since my last blog post.

What is wrong with me????  YIKES!!!

So, are you all wondering what has been going on??  Yeah, I figured you were!  I've been working on my Master's degree, knitting, sewing, crochet, working, and, naturally, I've been a mom.  That's the biggest task ever, isn't it? 

As for RIGHT THIS MOMENT:  I'm working on my Master's thesis.  Be patient, because I may blog my progress, too!

Stay tuned, I'll start blogging my creations again soon!!

Love you all!

Knitting Under the Influence

So... a few nights ago, while struggling with a hard week, I decided to have a glass of wine. Then I had another. And... another.

In my slightly altered state of mind, I decided it was time to attempt freeform knitting and crochet. I'm a huge fan of Prudence Mapstone, and decided that I MUST give it a go.

So I found 3 coordinating yarns and set out to make a wrist cuff. I added fringe with eyelash yarn and gave it a bit of a twist with crocheted curls! I finished it off with an assortment of brightly colored buttons.

The results? The cuff was too big for my wrist, looked strange on my ankle, and works best on my daughter's dolly.





The Moral: Please follow a pattern if you are knitting under the influence!

Lucky Clover Penny

My newest pattern is called Lucky Clover Penny. It makes a great trinket for St. Patty's Day, Christmas ornament, key chain... whatever. I whipped this out in a half hour, so it's completely feasible to make multiples. I plan to sell them for a charity fund raiser. Wish me luck!

Click HERE to download the PDF of the pattern.

Fire Hats!

The Fire: Four children, ages 5-11, were spending the night at Grandma's house. Due to faulty wiring, the house caught fire as they slept. Grandma and Grandpa pulled the children onto the roof. Grandpa jumped off the roof and Grandma tossed the children down to him. Slightly singed, everyone, including the dog, survived. The house and the contents inside were all destroyed.

The Hats: All four boys lost their winter wear, including hats, gloves and scarves. I jumped in and offered to make them hats. I've known these boys since they were born, and each one has a homemade baby blanket from me that they love. This was the least I could do.

Here is a picture of hat #2. Hat #1 was made with Red Heart Super Saver, and I really didn't like it. I'll be donating that one to charity and make a new one. So, a total of 5 hats will be made.

Always trust the pattern.....

My dear friend asked for a hat for her daughter (whose first birthday is in two days). She picked the colors and it promised to be adorable.

As I was working up the hat pattern, it looked a bit small, so I followed the instructions for the next size up... still looked small... one more increase couldn't hurt.... right?? Yeah. The hat now fits my 2 year old. While the hat is adorable (and I love how the yarn pooled on it), it will be much to big for little Clara.

I finished the hat for my daughter, Ava. She makes a good model! Now, I'm working on another for Clara repeating the mantra:

Always trust the pattern.... always trust the pattern.... always trust the pattern.... :o)

Kaylin's Christening Gown V.2.0

Today, my dear goddaughter, Kaylin was Christened. She wore the beautiful cashmere gown that I crocheted for her. She also rested with a blanket I made for her shower. I made the bonnet and booties (not pictured) and the dress was hand beaded at the waist, sleeves, and hem. This dress is a gem and an heirloom. The child, is a blessing and a gift of God.

May God bless you, Kaylin, and your entire family on your special day, today, and for your lifetime. I love you and know that you will be raised with the love of God in your heart.

Please enjoy the photos:



This last picture shows (from left to right) Me (Barb/Godmother), Janet (mother), Kaylin (baby), Kevin (daddy), and Johnny O. (godfather).

It was a beautiful day!

On a Personal Note...

I don't know why I feel a need to put this out there. Perhaps, I just need to put SOMETHING out there... for self preservation? I'd like to believe that I am a pretty optimistic person. I smile a lot, crack jokes, and am always willing to jump in and help when needed. So, I'm guessing that it would surprise you to hear that I am feeling pretty down today.

About a month ago, I got a cold. It became a sinus infection. Then Bronchitis. Then Asthmatic Bronchitis. Then Pneumonia. Needless to say, I messed my lungs up pretty bad. After a month of treatments, medications, steroids, inhalers, and dealing with the comments, both of concern and of insult... I've had enough.

I'm tired. My chest hurts. I can't breathe. The muscles surrounding my rib cage ache and are frequently strained. I'm on steroids, which make me hungry ALL THE TIME, and I'm gaining weight. My clothes don't fit. I can't sleep for long periods of time. My hands ache from the carpal tunnel. AND as I do all of this, I have just completed a graduate school class, am working full time, raising 2 small children, and TRYING to be a good wife, despite ruining our 8th anniversary by being ill.

As this has gone on, I have attempted to find peace with my fiber art. I have dyed yarn, knitted, crocheted, and designed. Today, however, I woke up defeated. My hands hurt too much to knit. I'm facing another day at work that I just don't feel like being a part of. My youngest child is sick. I can't even find the joy that usually comes from the playful attitude of the Halloween season. I haven't even decorated. I have fallen into a depression because I know that I still have 6-8 weeks left of recovery on my lungs. I'm tired of the pills, inhalers, doctor visits and treatments.

I'm asking for your prayers. I need to find my happy place soon, or face an even scarier fate in depression.

Thank you, and I appreciate all of the support I get from you all.

Kaylin's Christening Accessories

Above are the are the booties I made to go with Kaylin's Christening Gown. Below is the bonnet. Unfortunately, the gown will most likely be too small for her in December. So, my next project will be a new gown!

Dyeing Yarn: Success and Failure

More adventures in dyeing yarn. I started with Orange and Black Cherry Kool-Aid and a skein of cotton yarn. FAIL! While the finished product looks kind of cool, I know that the dye will run out as soon as it is washed. The color was COMPLETELY saturated on the skein before I rinsed and hung to dry. THIS is the result. Fail.

I then use 100% wool in its natural state with orange and tropical punch. SUCCESS! I love the colors together and plan to make something for my wonderful daughter with it. Lesson learned. Stick with natural animal fibers when dyeing.

Dyeing Yarn with Kool-Aid

I decided that I wanted to attempt dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid. I've read a few blogs about it and watched a few videos online... then I developed a plan.

I started with KnitPicks 100% Peruvian Highland Wool, fingering weight from the Palette collection in white. I chose this yarn because it was $2 for the ball and if I wouldn't feel like I wasted too much money if I had messed it up. I then purchased 8 packets of Kool-Aid powder at 10 for $1. So, the entire experiment cost me $2.80 plus tax. Not bad!




I hanked out the wool using my homemade niddy-noddy (see an earlier post) and soaked it in hot tap water. Then, I emptied 2 packets each of Tropical Punch, Grape, Ice Blue Raspberry, and Lemon-Lime Kool-Aid into 4 glass cups filled half way with hot water. I put those glasses into a pot filled half way with water and turned the heat to medium. This was to keep the water warm and promote saturation.

I put the yarn into the glasses (see below) and made sure to dip the overlap into the both colors to assure that there were no white spots. and to blend the colors to make a smooth transition.




After about 30 mins, all the color had disappeared from the glasses of water and soaked into the yarn. Very cool.


I then put the yarn into a warm bath to soak and relax for about five minutes or so.

I hung the yarn to dry on a clothes hanger, over a bucket (to catch the drips), overnight. This is what I found this morning....

The purple into the green looks a little muddy, but overall, a very successful adventure. It was SUPER fun, too! I can't wait to do it again. Hmmm... I have 2 more skeins of that wool... I'm off to the store to buy more Kool-Aid!!!

I finally washed the Cashmere

So... after all that panicking, I finally bit the bullet and washed the cashmere christening gown. Can YOU see a difference?

Before:

After:

It's sooooo soft now. I'm really glad I did it. The blocking brought out the design and I am more proud of this than any other garment I have made. YAYYYYYY!!!!

The Christening Gown

It's DONE!! I loved working with the Colourmart Cashmere/Viscose blend. It was soft and yummy. The gown is BEAUTIFUL!!! What do you think?

I still need to wash and block it. Mental note: Next time I work with Colourmart yarns: Prewash and shrink the yarn before making an heirloom piece! LOL!! I'm a bit nervous about the washing, but I've been told by Colourmart devotees that if it is blocked, I shouldn't lose too much in the size. PRAY PEOPLE!!

Kaylin's Christening Gown

The cashmere is PERFECT for this gown. I took this photo a few days ago, so it has gotten longer since then. The pattern is my own and I'm pretty much winging it as I go....

Stay tuned for more updates!

Kaylin

This is me with my Goddaughter, Kaylin, born on Friday, August 13. I can now begin work on her Christening set! YAY! Isn't she beautiful?

On Friday, I made her a hat and on Saturday, I made a sweater in the car on our way to NY.

Erin in her DRESS!

As requested, here are pictures of my lovely little girl in her dress!

Erin's Dress

This is the dress that I designed for my dearest 3 year old daughter. She begged me for a dress and it HAD to be pink... so on Monday, August 9, 2010, I pulled out my pink cotton and a size k crochet hook and started to randomly crochet. This was the result and I LOVE it... I'm making another for Ava, my younger daughter! It's simple and sweet with a circle skirt that will make every aspiring ballerina proud. She loves it and wants to wear it EVERYWHERE. I'll take a picture of her in it tomorrow and post for you all.

This design IS going into the pattern book I hope to publish in the not so far future.

My Recycled Yarn

The adventure continues with Recycling Yarn. I ripped out a blanket made for my nephew that I never finished and reclaimed some camouflage yarn. I then used my niddy noddy (see earlier posts) to skein it out. I washed the yarn in lukewarm water and hung to dry using a hanger and a clothes line with a can of soup as a weight.

The first skein was hung after squeezing the water out by hand... It dripped for 2 days. The remaining skeins were placed in a spin cycle on my washer.

Here are my results! 2 lovely skeins of camouflage. Sure, it's acrylic cheapo yarn. Did you think my first attempt would be with good stuff? (See the cool wrapper on the yarn? Personalized. Yeah... I like that.)


Look at the colors! Now, if I could only figure out what to make with it.....


A trip to the thrift store brought me a very ugly redish pinkish sweater. The colors were so pretty I could see myself using them for something for my lovely little daughters. I ripped the sweater apart, washed and WOW! The water turned BLACK. The yarn turned out beautifully. I found that using the drier spin cycle cuts the dripping out and reduced dry time to about 24 hours. I got 6 skeins of the red/pink cotton.

Look at it up close... LOOK... LOOK!!! Pretty.... I enjoy petting this one.