Review: Tulip Etimo Crochet Hooks

My go-to tools for every project, Tulip Etimo crochet hooks are designed for the crafter who means business.

For years, I used the standard crochet hooks you can purchase in mass-market craft stores. I even pitched in some money to buy high-end hooks - usually made with bamboo - from local yarn shops. While these hooks were fine (and certainly got the job done), I often found myself struggling with joint and wrist pain - especially during the holidays when I’m furiously whipping out projects for friends, family, and my online shop.

Long story short: I knew if I wanted to take my craft seriously, I needed to make sure I didn’t get carpal tunnel. It was time to find a solution.

Enter the Tulip Etimo crochet hooks. Not only can you get them in various shades of pink, but they may have saved me from serious health complications.

Knitting Pattern: Tears of Joy Hat

Pinterest has become my new go-to resource for discovering obscure knitting stitches. Most recently, I stumbled upon an unnamed, but interesting stitch pattern that I absolutely fell in love with. I knew I had to convert the pattern into a hat.

The conversion turned out to be quite a challenge, partially because I needed the pattern to be in the round as opposed to back-and-forth in rows; however, I managed to create a number of charts and finally found one that worked exactly as I wanted it to. I hope you enjoy it!

Download Pattern

Finished: Barley Hat

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! I know I did. Not only did hubby take me to one of our favorite restaurants (where we had delicious drinks and devoured flourless chocolate cake that made me gain 5lbs in two hours), but he also got me yarn and a super adorable doggy card. I guess I'll keep him around for awhile.

But I wasn't the only one to receive yarn for Valentine's Day. I got him some yarn, too - but in the shape of a Barley Hat. As my Instagram followers know, I had already bought some madelinetosh vintage in the limited edition Black Tie Affair colorway specifically for this project. Nick is a huge fan of simple hats in blacks and greys, so I figured this would be a good fit. Plus, it gave me a good excuse to pick up some new Karbonz since I didn't have any Size 8s.

He loves it and wears it every day, but he refused to let me take a picture of him in it. Coward. 

Being that I haven't made him a hat since our first anniversary, it was about time I got back to my roots and showered him with handknits. I'm glad it was a hit!

Knitted Nails WHAT?! Join (and WIN!) at my Jamberry Party!

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I post a lot of knitting photos that also showcase my latest Jamicures. What's a Jamicure? I'm glad you asked!

A Jamicure is a manicure using the trendy, long-lasting nail wraps from Jamberry. Chances are, you probably know that Jamberry is taking the nation by storm - or at least it seems that way from all the parties my friends have been hosting these past couple months. But if you don't know, then here's the deal:

I love these things. I'm obsessed with these things. And it seems like every time I post a knitting photo that includes nail wraps, I get a lot of questions in response, like:

• Are they difficult to apply? They do take some practice and the application can depend on the type of nails you have (flat vs round, oily vs dry), but there are plenty of tutorials online. You'll find one that works for you and take it from there. Excluding prep time (like pushing back cuticles), an application takes about 15-20 minutes.
   
• How long to they last? Up to two weeks if applied correctly!
   
• Do you like them? Uhhhhhhh YEAH!
   
• I don't want to be as obnoxious as you are. Do they make plain ones? You betcha.

I'm not a consultant (and I don't want to be), but I thought it was time to host a party so I could introduce the joy of Jams to newbies while giving my friends another excuse to indulge.

Oh, and hey - KNITTING WRAPS! Just to make sure this party invitation is still relevant to my blog :)

If that doesn't seal the deal, then I don't know what will. These are immediately going into my stash (Jamicure photos coming soon to an Instagram near you!)

Anyway, if you're interested in joining my party, then click here to check out the Facebook group where we're playing games to win FREE stuff. We're also mailing out samples to anyone I don't see in person on a regular basis, so let me know if you'd like a sample, and my consultant will make sure you get some to try :)

But hurry, because the party ends Wednesday, February 18th!

Finished: Crashing Waves

Here it is: my finally-finished Crashing Waves! Designer Grace Akhrem recently completed this KAL in her Ravelry group, and I more than happily added more stress to my life by trying to complete it in the allotted amount of time. Why? For the chance of winning an as-yet-to-be-announced prize, of course.

The result? Well, I totally flubbed up on a section of lace, but you can barely tell (at least, not in the picture). One row of diamonds just looks chunkier than the rest. I wasn't about to rip back - I was too worried about ruining the gorgeous yarn.

I used madelinetosh prairie in the Holi Festival colorway. It didn't start out as planned: because the shawl is constructed in a "V" shape (like most shawls), the bright colors were bunching up on one another. I didn't mind this, actually; I just thought it might look more obnoxious than originally envisioned. But as the shawl grew, so did the length of color changes. Eventually, everything tapered off to something more neutral with specks of bright colors, which is exactly what I wanted.

I finished soaking and blocking this a couple weekends ago, but wasn't able to snap a decent photo until recently. Aside from the minor lace issue, I'm happy with how it turned out, and excited that I was able to complete my second shawl in less than a month. I'm still in custom order mode for my etsy shop, but it's nice to take a break and remind myself that I can do bigger projects than stockinette-stitch headbands.