Crocheting Archives - Page 3 of 3

Christmas in February

By Christina Lee| February 26th, 2017|Crocheting, DIY Home, Handmade, Holiday Fun, Humbling Hobbies and Habits, Yarn Addict|

Well, we finally did it, Cooper. We put the finishing touches on this blanket and now, Susanna can take home her Christmas present even though it’s now February. Way to sit on it for so long, Cooper!

The idea was to plan ahead for once and start this blanket in October, so I can pair this blanket with the one I’m giving Mom and Dad for Christmas and surprise Susanna with her very own. However, I think I was a bit too ambitious finishing up the other blanket, working on two scarves and then starting on this one. The other projects were also a bit more taxing since I had to constantly read the pattern and tally up each row. So, I decided to give myself a little break and work on this Granny Row crochet pattern – a simple combination of double crochets and skipping spaces – one that I can actually do while watching television and sipping on some red wine.

For the next couple of weeks — and months, this blanket and Netflix became my best friend in the evenings. I started the blanket completing rows of two with each color only to realize that A) I still had a lot more rows to complete and B) two rows of a single color wasn’t going to get me very far, so I began differentiating the count and varying the width to three rows, then five rows and back three rows of one color. The most exciting part was switching to the next color, especially the light purple in the middle. And since we’re in nearing winter, the faster I completed a row, the warmer I got to keep my legs — one advantage of working on this blanket during the winter season.

While I didn’t end up finishing it for Christmas, I was about 90 percent of the way there – close enough to wrap it in a box and gift it to Susanna for Christmas. The look on her face was the most gratifying for me especially since she did not expect a blanket for herself after spending nearly a decade on Mom and Dad’s. But here it is, a blanket just for her in the nick of time to keep her warm this wet and rainy, winter season. Merry Christmas, Susanna. Here’s to keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in February.

And Finally, It’s Done!

By Christina Lee| November 8th, 2016|Crocheting, Handmade, Humbling Hobbies and Habits, Oh My Crafts!, Yarn Addict|

Cooper, I’m glad that you find my crocheted blanket so comfy. Now please scoot over, so I can finally wrap this up. It’s taken me years, well probably a decade with all the breaks I took from making this blanket. This was a my very first crochet project that got me started on scarves, towels, amigurumi and other accessories. I’m especially thankful to the lady who taught me this granny square pattern in my good old days of working for a real estate company. This pattern is rich with a combination of stitches and taught me single, double and treble crochet along with the ‘popcorn’ stitch. I am proud to say I can now do this pattern with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back. A whopping seventy squares later, plus a few extras on the side for practice of course, I am finally done.

All in all, I didn’t mind crocheting the single squares as I did sewing them together and weaving in the loose ends. In reality I think it was the combination of light blue and dark blue that had me dizzy at times. With the help of my cousin, I was able to sew this blanket together. The final test of sturdiness was throwing this baby in the washing machine and praying that it didn’t fall apart.

In the end, it came out the same way it went in, intact and in one piece. However, I did have to mend a few strands, but other than that, it is one big throw that I’m gifting to my parents for Christmas. I honestly can’t track the number of hours spent on this blanket, but it is no comparison to the number of hours, weeks, months and years that my parents have spent on me. I hope they like it.

Coffee and Cookie, Anybody?

By Christina Lee| February 28th, 2016|Amigurumi, Craft Day, Crocheting, Handmade, Oh My Crafts!, Yarn Addict|

It’s craft day and a gal with a sweet tooth like myself couldn’t resist this amigurumi project, especially since I wake up nearly every morning with a cup of coffee and a cookie. Perhaps waking up to this set in my kitchen will curtail the ‘cookie monster’ craving from within.

As with many amigurumi patterns, this one required quite a bit of counting and sewing to put the pieces together. The pattern itself wasn’t very challenging, though I did have to re-make the handle of the coffee cup twice, since I miscounted. These little guys make me smile and make the perfect gift for a coffee lover.

Craft Day

By Christina Lee| April 26th, 2014|Craft Day, Crocheting, DIY Home, Handmade, Humbling Hobbies and Habits, Oh My Crafts!, Yarn Addict|

It’s Craft Day with this crazy bunch. Knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking and sewing… we do it all! This time around, I’ve got my special little helper, Kendall helping me crochet this blanket everyone is sitting on. Yes, that’s how big it really is – 10 people can fit on this thing! I’ve been working on this for the past decade, well I started it five years ago and took a sabbatical, so it feels like a decade. My goal is to finish this before October. It sounds like a long time away, but that’s what I said last October (!)

Christina’s Cupcakes

By Christina Lee| July 7th, 2014|Amigurumi, Crocheting, Handmade, Oh My Crafts!, Yarn Addict|

If you don’t already know, I’ve got one heck of a sweet tooth which doesn’t help with keeping up with my figure. Part of trying to stay lean and eat healthy is to refrain from eating sweets. And how do I refrain from eating sweets? Well, I acquired a new found hobby, amigurumi. If you can crochet and count, then you’re all set. In fact, it’s a ‘piece of cake’ if you know the basics. Each layer is it’s own separate piece from the cake itself to the frosting and the cherry. One by one you end up with everything needed to make this zero calorie cupcake and it’s all a matter of sewing it together and paying attention to the details. The eyes and the lips are what make amigurumi so cute. I finished making the doughnut the other day and since my sweet tooth is beckoning again, I decided to go for the cupcake.

Freshly baked from my house to yours, Christina’s Cupcakes. Enjoy!

Hamburgers and Craft Day

By Christina Lee| February 12th, 2014|Amigurumi, Craft Day, Crocheting, Handmade, Oh My Crafts!, Yarn Addict|

Girls and their crafts in one house, and boys, chicken pot pie and ribs in the other. That’s a pretty good divide, don’t you think? Today will be somewhat productive without all the kids running around. On the craft agenda today is some knitting, scrapbooking, card-making and painting. There’s so much to do, but since I just started exploring my new found hobby of amigurumi, I think I’m going to continue in that direction and create a hamburger. Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, meat and buns – just the way I like it.

I will start out with the buns and then work my way through to the meaty center. There’s lots of counting and details to make each piece come alive.

Mmm…. I can already taste the burger.

Dunkin’ Donut

By Christina Lee| January 4th, 2014|Amigurumi, Crocheting, Handmade, Oh My Crafts!, Yarn Addict|

Well, I’ve decided to pick up a new hobby and it’s about time I explored another because personally, I’ve had my run with crocheting scarves, hats and towelettes. I decided to pick up a book on amigurumi. In case you don’t know, amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words “ami”, meaning crocheted or knitted, and “gurumi”, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. I’ve got a couple of books – one on stuffed animals and one on culinary delights. It was hard to decide which one to start with, but in the end, I let my growling stomach do the choosing and we landed on culinary delights. This donut in particular excited me. I couldn’t resist it because I am such a big fan of donuts. I decided in this expresso flavored one because it is an all-time favorite and I can just imagine myself dunking it into my non-existent coffee at the time. Plus, the best part about it is I’m on a diet and you can’t go wrong with a zero calorie donut. In fact, you can enjoy it at any moment. This donut is the first of many batches that I am going to have to make. One down, five more to go….

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