Bring on the SHAWLS

I love crochet for the cool months and I stock up on projects to start. I fell in love with the new Lily Chin shawl Gathering Leaves and wanted so badly to make it, but can't afford the pattern. I looked around for something free that was close and found the Growing Leaves shawl ~ which is not only knit (so not my forte) but it's in a chart form. Meydani no comprendo. Sucks for me... so I decided to make up a pattern with leaves in it myself. Trouble is, I'm not good at creating shawls.
I started with a Caron Simply soft skein to practice with. I hooked and frogged, hooked and frogged, over and over again. I finally stumbled into a pattern that WORKED, changed to my coveted cashmere then found out about 15 rows in that I forgot the spaces in the first half and it made a weird hill then evened out into a flat horizon... yeah. No way I was frogging yet again, so I kept it as 'personality'. What's with the coveting, you ask? My mom gave me some truly gorgeous yarn she reclaimed, a wine-red cobweb weight cashmere blend. Lovely and bouncy and I kept it out of sheer greed.



I am thinking of names for it, so far Autumn Leaves is stuck in my head. It's so... blah. I want something memorable and I don't know that it would fit if it were made in green or blue or pink, so the Autumn part might have to go. the leaves look suspiciously like diamonds, too. Hmm, I'll have to ponder longer and hope it just comes to me.
mom was also generous enough to buy two patterns from Annie's Attic that I am just dying to make. One is the Cathedral Rose Window afghan because it was just gorgeous and something I couldn't really approximate on my own. it will be for my bed, I think, I always get too cool at night and I hate turning up the heat because then Mike gets too hot. See my issue? It would also be beautiful downstairs on the couch when I feel like cuddling up with my hook and my Netflix Instant Watch que on the TV. Oh, and cocoa! Can't forget that.

I did mention I love crocheting in cold weather, right? Good. :)

The other pattern Mom bought was the High Top Crocheted Boots pattern. You know, she loves slippers but I have yet to see her wear them. In the cold she wears thick socks and tennies, in the heat (depending on the plans for that day) it's flips flops or a pair of garden clogs. Anything in between the two extremes finds her barefoot. But not slippers. Oh well, I hope she'll wear them just because they are so comfy looking.



I almost forgot to add! My boys love getting winter stuff so every year I make them new hats and mittens. Every year they love the hats and quickly discard the mittens when they impede the snow fun. This year I was brilliant, genius even, I made them fingerless gloves! Simple and easy - k1,p1 ribbing for the cuff, a few rows of stockinette, work a thumb, then a few more rows stockinette. Of course it was slightly more involved than that, but you get what I'm saying. 1 pair took me about an hour. I'm making some more later tonight :)

Crocheted Spats for Pumps or Heels

I had an idea, made it and oh, swoon. Seriously. Swooooon. Simple, fast, and so freaking cute I can't stand it. I'll take pictures when I remember to, but in the meantime it's easy to explain so I will. Breathe in, breathe out, and here we go.
I used to be a neutral kind of girl. I loved t-shirts and jeans, tennis shoes, work boots, or non descript sandals. One day I learned about wonderful things, beautiful things, very girly things like make up, hair styling with mousse, pretty dresses in bright colors and zomg, high heels. I fell in love with shoes. I have a pair for every occasion and I'm only slightly ashamed to admit it. My dentist and his hygienist even noticed and commented on my array of cute shoes. I felt an odd mixture of embarrassed and flattered. They never said it was a good thing. I suppose if I'm going to have a purely feminine flaw, shoes are among the most acceptable.
Since I can't go get a new pair of shoes every time I want to spice up my wardrobe and I refuse to do anything permanent to my darling heels, I fell back on crochet. As I often do :) I love the vintage look and I wanted to make a pair of spats. They would change the whole look of the outfit/shoes and yet be easily washed and stored when not needed. We can't forget how deeply cold it gets here in the winter months... and spring... and fall... I don't want to wear boots all the time. These keep my poor feet a little warmer in my pumps. See? not completely frivolous.
Alrighty, project identified! Now, to make them.
Here's what I did, forgive me if I make little sense but they look good in the end. Make sure of your gauge, my dear hookers, or you run the risk of floppy sagging spats. No girl wants THAT. It's worked from the top down in a flat panel, buttonholes spaced out over one edge.
Materials -
fingering weight cotton thread
1.80mm hook
12 1/2inch buttons
sewing needle

Measure around your leg where you want the top of the spat to be. Using your gauge, figure the number of stitches. Mine was 72, but I'm a big girl. To keep it all straight and clear, I'll be using my own measurements for the pattern but you can adjust it super easily to fit your own. The even rows should all have the same number of stitches as your chain row and then it should be 1 more stitch per increase row. Like I said, easy. Make your buttonholes as big as you need for your button size by adding another 'ch 1, sk 1' keeping in mind the stretchy nature of crochet. Place however many you desire evenly down one edge.

Chain 72 +2, and hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, ch 1, sk 1, hdc to the end of the row. (the 'ch 1, sk 1' forms a button hole)
Hdc evenly for 4 rows, then repeat the button hole making sure to keep it on the same edge as the first. I repeated these 5 rows (button hole row + 4 even rows) then one more button hole row, for 11 rows, 3 button holes, and still 72 sts across.

From here on out I increased 1 st at the end or each row (increase is 2 hdc in the last st), still placing button holes on the same edge til I had 6 total, ending on the last buttonhole row.
This should be 26 rows, 6 button holes, and 84 sts across. Sew each button on the opposite edge from the button holes, sew in all loose ends and button up!
I tried these on and they weren't too tight anywhere and didn't sag, so I know I got the gauge right, but when I put them on over my pumps, wowsa! Pictures to come should help you understand a bit better because I know I wrote that pattern badly, but you will want to try this. I am thinking of making a pair of short fingerless gloves to match.

My head is all spinny with the possibilities. Such as...
Lacing it up with ribbon instead of using buttons, sewing something fun on the side, mixing up the colors of buttons and yarn, stripes, even joining the edges for a tube instead of a panel. Make them longer, or use a thicker yarn and make them warmer.

Summer crochet is difficult

I find it hard to crochet in the summer. Sitting in one place in the heat is uncomfortable, but I can tolerate it.. I can even handle the extra layer of warmth from the yarn I work with. My problem is that projects for summer are hard to find. Clothing is an option, but unless you want a short skirt or cami/tank that you have to wear a slip or undershirt with, you are severely limited. By 'you' I mean me, of course.
I find myself turning to baby projects. They are simple most times, fast and lightweight and so cute that people can't help but buy them. Then babies outgrow clothing quickly enough that there is always a market.
I love that fall is only a few weeks away. I like making scarves and socks and shawls... oh my. Yes, yes I had to. Hats and mittens and fingerless gloves. Don't forget that fall and winter are prime gift-giving seasons! I love the colors and variety of patterns. Right now I am working on a BUNCH of baby booties and hoping that they will be well received.
Still wading my way through the sweaters I got from my mom, we had a mishap with the silk cobweb lace and I am still refusing to accept that it's lost to me. Knots get tired, then they can get UNtied!!! Right? Sniffle. Good things come with the fall, my favorite season, and I am more than ready!! Bring on the cool weather!

Oh, yarny Bliss! Sweaters be thy name.

I learned to crochet at 10. My step dad's step mom taught me, trying to use it as a way to get to know me I guess. My mom tried to teach me to knit and I was horrible at it, but I knew love at first chain with crochet.
I crocheted non stop from then on and my mom dusted off her old crochet skills to join me. I started selling what I had made and all was good. I then moved on to reclaimed yarn. From there I reclaimed my own. New obsessions are wonderous, are they not?
I taught my mom to reclaim. The first sweater made her swear and huff, and eventually throw it at me.. I mean to me, to finish up. The second sweater, ho ho, that was different entirely. She now fell in love with it as I had.
Bad thing.
Now, a year later, she has a huge overflow of sweaters and yarn. My stepdad is trying to get her to get rid of it and my poor besotted mom can't face giving up the comfly fuzzy yarn she worked so hard on or the washed, stacked sweaters she sees so much potential in. The next best thing to keep it is to give it to me.
I'm smiling like a moron. Really. I was giddy and bouncy and practically swooning in the yarny heaven of choosing what to take home. out of all that was offered me, I said no thanks only once. And even then it was hard. Melanie's Closet on Hyena Cart is paid and ready to stock, I have cards in the mail to me, a business phone number, and now I have enough yarn to keep me afloat for a year.
Things are really coming together for me. I am so happy!

Melanie's Closet Crochet for Hire

I realize few people actually read this, but I am hoping with the help of labels and Google, I can reach someone who is in need of my services.
I have been crocheting for 20 years now and I have made some money selling my finished projects here and there, but never consistently. Time and experience have shown me my strengths are not as a small business manager. What I would really love to do is simply have bulk orders to fill and do some custom orders occasionally. This doesn't sound too professional, I realize, but that may be a good thing because I myself, though a hard worker and very, very good at my craft (humble, too, it would seem) am not a stickler for professionalism. I am a laid back, easy going, mom of three who is absolutely addicted to crochet and a stickler for details when it comes to my yarny-things.
I can make just about anything you want and if you have a store front, online business, or a flourishing stand at a fair, street market, or craft show of some kind then you are who I am looking for. I want to supply you with crochet. When I say I make anything, I mean it. Household items, clothing for any age and size, toys, accessories, winter or summer items, edgings or appliques, as well as bulk orders for parties and special occasions, and business gifts (coffee sleeves, keyrings, and items for a company gift basket)This is not your grandma's crochet.
Shipping anywhere in the U.S., personal delivery to anywhere local to Deschutes county, Oregon. I'm not only good at it, I am very reasonable. I love what I do and I promise, you will get the best.
Please email me at melanie@melaniescloset.com for questions or orders.