Why I love Crochet.

It's fast.

I started this project on Monday night.

It was done and felted on Wednesday, and it only took that long because I was waiting to do a load of laundry.

It was dry on Thursday.

Recycled fun!

I've been frogging and dyeing sweaters here the past few weeks, in preparation for the farmer's market.

I discovered last year that people tend to quail at the prospect of a $40 skein of yarn (200 yards of my handspun!) so wanted to get something of a reputation for having nice, affordable yarn as well as the gorgeous, artistically spun yarn that every so often someone can't relinquish the desire for.

Here they are!

First was an awful green sweater. Huge, full of cables, and a nasty green color. I overdyed it to make Mom's Mother's Day present last year. I dyed up the rest green with the same green as I dyed Jenny's Fetching and Fetching hat.


Next is grey sweater that wasn't bad, but was just too bulky for this weather. It also had a bunch of intarsia on it that I made into the thrift store stiff crocheted felted bowl which has made it on to my ravelry waitlist.


And here's that bowl, prefelted. I haven't gotten around to felting it, I'm waiting for a load to go in the washer. Water restrictions suck.

So prior to the previous post . . .

. . . I made some cute additions to my felted vest!

I now dub it completely completed. (unless I decide it needs a zipper)

Ready?


And, a closeup!


Pockets!

Mitten pockets!

Warm fully woolen felted mitten pockets!

Wait, damn. My stupid splint doesn't fit into the left one! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Random Craftiness!

So the pain in my neck (literally) has cleared up, and I have been on to the crafting!

First up we have the armchair sewing caddy I made for my MIL for her birthday! It was fun to make, and I made another one to sell at the market. The second one is yellow as well, but I think I'll make another in a different color.


Next we have the blue vest! Yes, it is completed! woo hoo and go me! I'm aclling it completed, but I am still going to make a couple of modifications to it, namely I am working on the felted mitten that I'm going to cut in half and use as pockets. It will be incredibly cute, I think.


I also have added to my sock stash! I finally got around to visiting the LYS that's near the farmer's market. They had a LOT of really cool yarns, including this. It's Maizey, and it's made from corn silk and stretchy nylon. I couldn't resist the colorway! I'd also sold enough of the neck coolers that I was able to purchase it just from my market money! hooray for stash enabling.


I also got this. Who is it for? Aw heck, he never looks at this blog except when I'm actually working on it. I'm making them for my husband Jeff for Christmas. I'm going to work on them while he's tutoring or while I'm at market, and keep them hidden. They're a very nice masculine color, and I hope he will like them. I think I'm going to follow the Thuja pattern from Knitty, but do "my" toe and heel. (If you're reading this and know Jeff, please don't spoil the surprise!)

Project Help

My Mother gave me this sweater:



She never wears it, the style is definitely 80's, and even fixed up so that the sleeves aren't gathered and it fit her, she's not interested in wearing it again. Initially she was thinking of frogging and reusing the yarn (100% Shetland, BTW. Very soft and nice) But with all of the Fair Isle in it, I don't think that would work very well, and she'd end up with a bunch of very small hanks that not much can be done with. She then thought, why not felt it into a small purse. Then I gave her her birthday gift, which included some hand-dyed yarn. Which she is making into a small purse.

So I am stuck as to what to do with this. She would like for me to make something for her with it as a gift, probably for this Christmas if I come up with something clever enough. Ideas? Suggestions? Thanks.