Caron United CAL/KAL Progress: Week 1

Another day, another dollar, another WIP. How are all you folks holding up as we forge onward into the holiday season?

I've got plenty of gifts on my list of things to make, as well as several orders that trickled in all at the same time (fine with me!) But sometimes, it's nice to take a break and make something for myself. And that doesn't mean something I'll use myself, but rather something I consider a fun break from the norm.

Hence my Caron United Crochet-/Knit-Along projects, pictured above. Each week, participants receive an email with a "choose your own adventure"-type story. Based on your selections, you'll receive different patterns to choose from for the next section of your scarf. You basically have no idea what you're going to wind up with, which makes it fun... if you like that sort of thing. So far, I've managed to select the arches stitch for my crochet scarf and the crown stitch for my knitted scarf.

I'm using the yarn specified for the project, but you certainly don't have to (though it was pretty easy to merely select which kit I wanted from the website and wait [im]patiently for them to arrive on my doorstep)! For each ball purchased, Caron donates 15 cents to the Children of the Fall Patriots Foundation, a wonderful charity that you can read more about by clicking here.

Because this charity provides college scholarships and educational counseling, I considered it worthy of my support; I believe that education acquirement is one of our most important duties (yes, duties!) as human beings. I may be biased, being that my parents are both retired teachers, but hey. It's also something nobody can ever take away from you. If you put in the work, you'll reap the benefits. So yeah. Education. Woop woop.

Interested? It's not too late to join us! Just visit the event over on my Facebook page to see what everyone else is creating and jump in whenever you're ready :)

Finished: Orange Cabbage Patch-Inspired Pigtails Crochet Hat

Ahoy, mateys! Here be my latest creation: another pigtail beanie, this time in orange. I hadn't made one for a redhead yet and I'm loving it; in fact, I've been inspired to try a Pippi Longstocking-inspired version one of these days, with crazy braided pigtails using pipe cleaners.

(Sidebar: In case you care, the 1988 Pippi Longstocking movie was one of my favorites growing up, so you can understand why my mind automatically shifted into Villa Villekulla mode).

Yarn: Vanna's Choice in Terracotta

Difficulty: Intermediate. The entire hat body is HDC while the brim is three rows of the double-loop stitch, followed by some fancy tassel-making and ribbon-tying. The pattern is my own, which (as always) will be coming soon to my website.

Notes: I have a hard time following the size charts I find online. No matter what I do, the crown/hat body always seems bigger than necessary, even though I'm making the hat to the exact proportions for each accompanying age. I end up ripping back to my increases so it looks more acceptable, and I've received no complaints that the resulting hat was too small.

Does anyone else have that problem, or am I special?

Finished: Katniss Cross-Body Cowl

Yarn: Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in Pewter

Pattern: Katniss Cross-Body Cowl by Pamela Grice ($5 USD)

Difficulty: The pattern description says this design is for intermediate level crocheters or advanced beginners. I agree; the stitches are relatively simple and don't include much more than knowing how to hdc and increase. The modified popcorn stitch around the cowl's collar is explained in detail, so you won't have any difficulty mastering it with ease.

Notes: The pattern is written for all sizes, though I wish there were more collar sizes for those of us who are in-between. I have broad shoulders, so it doesn't quite cover the area that it should. It doesn't look bad, but I think it would look better on me if there was more "bulk" across the top (if you know what I mean). That said, if I were to make it again, it would be simple to add a few more rows of hdc increases to the cowl and call it a day - not a big deal.

I've also received a few inquiries regarding the garment's construction. It's often hard to decipher what someone is trying to describe in writing, so I've diagrammed the pieces below with step-by-step visual instructions. I hope it helps those of you who have decided to tackle this project with me:

View fullsize

Finished: Crochet Nature Spun Fingerless Mitts

Yarn: Brown Sheet Nature Spun Fingering in 720 Ash

Pattern: Flora Mitts by Linda Permann (available on Craftsy).

Difficulty: The pattern claims it's intermediate, but I think it's somewhere in between easy and intermediate. It would be a good transition project for someone who's just learned how to crochet and wants to practice more advanced techniques, like joining and ribbing. The main stitches are chaining, single crochet, and double crochet, and instructions for the special puff stitch are included with the pattern.

Notes: Although I made sure to crochet over almost all my ends, it seemed like there was a lot of joining/weaving in to do throughout the project. It wasn't a big deal, and the result is totally worth it, but it seemed like a lot for a tiny project. Also, the instructions for joining the flower motifs were a bit confusing at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I'm able to pump out a mitt a night (I work full-time and manage two side businesses), so for me, that's pretty phenomenal.

Life Update: The world has been pretty grand to me lately. I've been able to see a lot of my friends, what with parties and camping (it's shockingly fun and I don't hate it), so that's been a good time with lots of laughs. And bacon.

It's currently Musikfest in my neck of the woods, which means lots of bad food that tastes good and decent music. Hubby and I are heading to The Avett Brothers tonight with a couple of our friends; we've seen them before, so we know it'll be a terrific show. Then tomorrow, a group I like (JD McPherson) is playing on South Side, so I'm looking forward to a relaxing Friday evening catching up with some good tunes.

Hope all is well on your end!

Yarn Haul: Loops & Threads and Caron

I may or may not have purchased more yarn over the weekend. I mean, I don't know if this is a thing or not, but the yarn hoarding has probably reached intervention-level hysteria.

The good news is that half of the above haul is for orders. With an impending trip to San Diego at the end of the month, it's important that I pump out FOs so mama has some spending money. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've been working overtime and posting photos like a crazy person; let's just say there's more where that came from. The countdown is on.

The rest of it - the grey fluffy stuff from Loops & Threads - is so I can crochet this Katniss Cross-Body Cowl for a poncho crochet-a-long happening on Facebook. I've seen different versions of the "Catching Fire" design floating around, and this particular pattern struck my fancy. It's made from super bulky weight yarn and a P hook, so I'm thrilled at the chance to not lose my attention on a hopefully-quick-while-still-being-larger-scale project. Wish me luck - it's in God's hands now.

PS: You can see a sneak peek at the beginnings of my cowl by visiting my Instagram.