Oops.

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Soooooo.  Yeah, it’s been a year since I posted anything here.  That’s not embarrassing or anything.  What can I say, life happened.  I got so caught up with work and stuff, that I just let this whole blog business go.  Anyway, I’m back and I’ve got a few updates.

I’ve moved and most of my stuff is still at my parents’ house, but here’s a tidbit that I’m working on.

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This isn’t an original pattern by  any means, though I did add in a color change after the third round that isn’t called for.  I wanted to make the stitch work a little more visible and I like the way it’s looking.  I wasn’t sure how the brown would look with the grey at first, but I’ve decided that I really like it.

The pattern can be found here at the Red Heart website.  To be honest, I found it a little confusing to follow.  If you want to try it, make sure you read it carefully.  I thought the wording was a little strange, but maybe that was just me.  It only took me one square to figure it all out, though and now that I have the stitch pattern down I don’t have to look at it anymore.  It’s always been easier for me to just do it than to read about it.  Hopefully that won’t be a problem when it comes to writing my own patterns.  I have this thing where I know what I mean but it doesn’t always translate to the page as well as I would hope.

I’m using the Caron Simply Soft brand, by the way.  Colors are Dark Country Blue, Woodland Camo, and Snow Camo.  Pretty.

 

 

“Scrunchie” is such a lovely word

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Don’t you think?  It’s just fun to say.  Which is why I whipped up this fun scrunchie pattern.  As you can probably tell, it isn’t finished.  I still have some loose ends hanging out.  Other than weaving those in however, this pattern is totally complete 🙂

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By the way, welcome to May.  Wow.  This is all escalating so quickly.  I’m fairly positive that it was January just a few days ago.  I think the scariest thing about getting older for me is that the year seem to go by a little faster each time it comes around.   If someone knows the reason for that, I’d love to hear it.

P.S. It doesn’t matter how I spell it, “scrunchie” doesn’t show up in the spell-checker dictionary.  And that’s really starting to irritate me…

The Current Book List (Updated)

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Okay, so I finished Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and, thanks to a suggestion by tuvahelenw I stayed up until four in the morning today reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  That probably wasn’t a good idea because I have a cold and the sleep deprivation can’t have been good for me, but I could not put that book down.  The tale is such a gripping one.  I was kind of young during the time in Afghanistan described in the second half of the book (2001 on) and honestly didn’t pay much attention to what was actually going on in the country.  The story is so raw and touching that I found myself shaking my head at times because I felt like I knew what was coming and just didn’t want to read it.

If you haven’t read The Kite Runner yet, I suggest that you do so.

As for Perfume, wow.  The story follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.  The thing that I found most interesting about this book is that the murders are almost second-place to the storyline.  The author focuses heavily on the psyche of Grenouille and, as you see everything through his eyes, the murders hold far less horror than you might imagine.  That in itself is disturbing enough for me.

All in all Perfume is an excellent read.

So anyway, I plan on reading A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle next.  Here’s a view of the updated book list:

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Any suggestions about what I should read next?  Let me know in the comments 🙂

Also, I have several crochet posts that I’ll be back-dating later today (or possibly tomorrow).  I’ve been down sick all weekend and simply didn’t have the energy to pull anything together.

The Current Booklist

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Recently I’ve felt this weird desire to read more books.  I used to read voraciously in high school, but since then I’ve been caught in the “I’m too busy” mindset.  It’s not a good enough excuse for me anymore, so I printed off a list proclaiming to contain the 1000 greatest books of all time.  The goal is to read as many of them as I can.  So far I’ve read Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn and am now about halfway through Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind.

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Here are the first thirty books (chosen mostly at random) from the list.  And I’m reading them mostly at random as well.  Some of them (like The Count of Monte Cristo and Cloud Atlas) I’ve read a portion of at one point or another but never finished.  Others (like American Gods) I’ve read before but enjoyed so much that I’m going to read again.  There are a few that I struck off the list because I’d read them before and am not overly interested in reading them again.  At least not for the moment.

See any that you’ve read and would totally recommend that I read next?  Let me know in the comments 🙂

A Notebook for the Projects

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I wish I could tell you that I made something super cute today, but the truth is that I got home from work, grabbed a book, and took a two-hour bath.  Because reasons.  I did, however, buy this little notebook to keep all of my crochet project notes in.

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So far I only have the Rustic Doll project notes down.  I made some rather hasty notes on a scrap of paper as I crocheted the first doll.  Some of the row counts were a little off.  So, as I make the “final draft” doll, I’m writing down the exact pattern as I finish each row.  The groundwork is done, now I just have to perfect the science as it were.

Currently, I’m five rows in to the head portion of the pattern.  I hope to get much more done tomorrow.  Plus, I still have to add the finishing touches to the original Rustic Doll.  There are loose ends to be tied off 🙂

P.S. I know.  The notebook isn’t all that cute.  I’m not good at doodling.

Playing With Dolls

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Meet Rustic Doll, everyone.  Or, to be more precise: meet the head of Rustic Doll.

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I thought it would be fun to craft something a little more three dimensional than what I normally work with.  The first thing that came to mind was a doll and so I trundled off to the local craft shop to pick out some yarn and buy a bag of stuffing.  While I was there I found these awesome leather buttons that I thought would work great as eyes.  (I was right!)

This is the first project I’ve done where no pre-planning was involved.  By that I mean that  I didn’t sit down and figure out exact row-by-row stitch counts on paper.  I did have a general idea in my head and I drew a cartoonish approximation on a scrap of paper.  That makes this doll an official first draft and I’m so happy with the way she’s turning out.  I had my moments of doubt while I was yarning away, but the end result (post stuffing and attaching limbs) is super cute.

The next step will be to design clothing for Rustic Doll.  I have to say that I’m really looking to accessorizing this little gal.  It’s going to be a challenge, but I feel that I’m up to the task.  I’m thinking something with a distinctly 1940s British feel.

Sunday Fun

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There’s nothing I love more than my crochet hooks.  That being said, I used to lose them a lot.  I would cart projects around with me and lose a hook at the library or in a hotel room.  Mostly I’d lose them around the house.  This is the most irritating thing in the world.  I’d go out, buy a replacement, and then find the lost hook in the couch or under the bed.

So, I finally decided to make a cute container to hold and display my hook collection while they’re not in use.  I haven’t lost one since 🙂

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I purchased a glass apothecary jar and some glittery black sand from my local craft shop and, voila!  Instant crochet hook organizer!  I’d suggest that you check to make sure that the lid will fit over the top at the end.  I was lucky (it all JUST fits!) that it worked out even though I didn’t measure beforehand.

FPdcs, BPdcs, and Clusters, Oh My!

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Here’s a close-up look at the current project: IMG_20150325_233603336_HDR I plan on finishing this one by the end of today.  Or tomorrow, barring accidents.  I’m using the Caron Simply Soft brand for this project because I love how shiny the yarn is when the light hits it.  I know, I’m a yarn dork.  It’s also a big pattern, and I have a limited budget.  I believe most people would back me up when I say that Caron is one of the best “budget” brand yarns available. Don’t agree?

  Also, my guilty secret admission of the day is that I don’t actually enjoy doing BPdcs.  I have my favorite and least favorite stitches.  BPdc rank in the least favorite category.  But I sacrifice.  Because: crocheting is so awesome!!!! P.S. Didn’t see your favorite brand in the poll?  Drop me a comment to let me know 🙂

Olivia, the Crochet Freak ;)

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Welcome to the blog!  Crochet Contagion is my new pet project and it’s sooooooo freaking awesome that I can’t even.

Here’s what’s going down right now.  I’m designing tons of original patterns and tutorials in order to spread the joy of crochet to as many people as possible.  The tutorials will be available for free and the patterns will be available for sale through PayPal (as soon as I can figure out how to set that up).  You’ll also be able to buy the original projects through my Etsy store (as they become available).  The goal is to begin posting all of them in September of this year.

Until then you’ll just have to be content with my rambling ways and the sneak-peak photos I’ll be posting of the projects I’m working on and yarn I’m working with.  I’ve been crocheting since I was five and am now twenty-three, single, and I don’t own a single cat.