Crafting Balance - Day 7 - KCBWDAY7

Today's topic is:

Crafting Balance 

Are you a knitter or a crocheter, or are you a bit of both? If you are monogamous in your yarn-based crafting, is it because you do not enjoy the other craft or have you simply never given yourself the push to learn it? Is it because the items that you best enjoy crafting are more suited to the needles or the hook? Do you plan on ever trying to take up and fully learn the other craft? If you are equally comfortable knitting as you are crocheting, how do you balance both crafts? Do you always have projects of each on the go, or do you go through periods of favouring one over the other? How did you come to learn and love your craft(s)?

 Honestly I don't really have a complete answer for this.  I crochet and knit, but I only learned how to knit a few months ago.  I have had two big crochet projects going lately that my followers will know in an instant.

My ripple:

And my Little Square Baby Blanket, which I'm going to show you the most up to date photo I have from yesterday (I was really busy on this yesterday).  It is even farther along than when you saw it on Friday.

Once these two crochet projects are done, I imagine that I will be fairly equal with my crocheting and knitting.  I think it will be whatever project calls to me next.  There are quite a few knit projects that I have lined up.  I think I'd have one of each going at the same time.

That is my best guess.  How are you if you can do both?

Again, if you want to see other posts on this topic, simply google KCBWDAY7.  It has been a lot of fun participating.

Sam <3

Improving Your Skillset - Day 6 - KCBWDAY6

So, todays topic is:

Improving Your Skillset

How far down the road to learning your craft do you believe yourself to be? Are you comfortable with what you know or are you always striving to learn new skills and add to your knowledge base? Take a look at a few knitting or crochet books and have a look at some of the skills mentioned in the patterns. Can you start your amigurumi pieces with a magic circle, have you ever tried double knitting, how's your intarsia? If you are feeling brave, make a list of some of the skills which you have not yet tried but would like to have a go at, and perhaps even set yourself a deadline of when you'd like to have tried them by.

So, I've been crocheting for a little over a year.  I would like to think that I am moderate when it comes to skill level.  I haven't had a problem with anything new that I've tried, but I don't think I've tried anything truly hard.  If I come across a pattern that I like and it hasn't something in it that I don't know how to do, I just find a book, video, or something to figure out how to do it.

I only started to knit in January.  I can only do the basics right now, but I have plans to learn so much.  I showed you earlier my large queue, here and here.  Many of the knit projects will require me to learn something knew.

The Cream and Sugarl Cowl will require me to learn cables.

The All Day Beret would be my first hat and my first knit project in the round.

And the Entrelac Scarf would of course require me to learn entrelac.

These are only a few examples, but if a pattern catches my eye, I'll do whatever I can to learn enough to make it.

I've really liked this book I bought:  The Knitting Book

Its a fairly large book.

It covers all of the topics I mentioned above and more.  It really has been handy while I've been learning.

I can't believe blog week is almost over.  If you want to see other posts on this topic, simple google KCBWDAY6

Sam :-)

Something A Bit Different - Day 5 - 3KCBWDAY5

3KCBWDAY5

A Knitter and Crocheter For All Seasons - Day 4 - 3KCBWDAY4

Today's prompt is:

As spring is in the air in the northern hemisphere and those in the southern hemisphere start setting their sights for the arrival of winter, a lot of crocheters and knitters find that their crafting changes along with their wardrobe. Have a look through your finished projects and explain the seasonality of your craft to your readers. Do you make warm woollens the whole year through in preparation for the colder months, or do you live somewhere that never feels the chill and so invest your time in beautiful homewares and delicate lace items. How does your local seasonal weather affect your craft?

Honestly, I don't change anything for the seasons.  If I like pattern I do it.  I've made scarves in the summer before, okay last summer since I only have one year under my belt.  I've mainly made crocheted blankets with some smaller projects in between.  I have just started knitting and after my two big projects are finished I'm going to let that take off!

I made this girl in the winter:

And I made this blanket in the summer:

The seasons don't really affect me!!

We'll see if they affect my knitting, only time will tell.

If you want to see other posts that are participating in this topic, simply google 3KCBWDAY4

WIP Wednesday - My Ripple and Little Square Baby Blanket

I'm posting twice today because I wanted to give you a final WIP on my ripple.  I have finished all of the stripes.  I just have some ends to weave in and the border.  So I think this will be the last update until it is complete.

I was doing pretty good with weaving in the ends as I went, but I was getting nervous that I wasn't going to finish the rows in time to use the left overs for the baby blanket.  The baby blanket has a due date, so I'm going to finish that first then come back to this.

After thinking about it for a while, I think I have finally decided to remove the bright orange in the lower right hand corner.  I have enough squares that I don't need those.  I just kept thinking that they would stick out way too much.  Thoughts?

I'm linking up with Tami's Amis, Small Things, Frontier Dreams, and Ambassador Crochet.

Sam :-)

Craft Your Perfect Day - Day 3 - 3KCBWWC

Today's real topic was "Your Knitting or Crochet Hero" and I don't think I have any one in particular.  There's quite a few that have inspired me.

I've decided to do the wildcard topic today:

Craft Your Perfect Day

Plan your fantasy day with your craft, It might just take up one hour of your day or be the entire focus of the day, but tell your readers where you'd love to craft, whether you'd craft alone or with friends, knitting or crocheting something simple or spending a day learning new skills.

My perfect crafting day would consist of sitting on the couch and working on a project.  Part of the day I'd be by myself and the other part I'd have my boyfriend sitting next to me.  He'd probably interupt every so often with a kiss on the cheek and he'd be pefectly healthy.  I guess this is just my perfect day, not my perfect craft day.

I think my day would also include finishing a large project.  That always makes me feel the best.

My pefect day is simple and that's how I like it.

Sam

If you want to see other posts on this topic simply google 3KCBWWC.

Photography Challenge - Day 2 - 3KCBWDAY2

For Blog Week, today the topic is a photography challenge.  Everyone who has been following me lately knows there are two big things in my life right nown my boyfriend's treatments and making sure he stays healthy and my ripple.

My ripple can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  A lot right?  It is honestly what is keeping me sane right now.  It is almost finished.  Honest!  I only have 3 rows left, then the border.  So, I'm not sure if this is a photography challenge for me, but I know you love seeing this come along.

I've put my heart and soul into this blanket and I'm so happy it is almost finished.  I tried to capture the colors and texture a little different as my mini challenge.

Sam <3

To see other blogs that have participated google 3KCBWDAY2

Color Lovers!! - Day 1 - 3KCBWDAY1

Hi everyone!

I'm really excited to participate in Knitting and Crocheting Blog Week 2012.  This is my first year and I actually did not have any time to prepare any posts at all.  I'm taking this day by day.

Today's prompt is:

Colour Lovers
Colour is one of our greatest expressions of ourselves when we choose to knit or crochet, so how do you choose what colours you buy and crochet or knit with. Have a look through your stash and see if there is a predominance of one colour. Do the same with your finished projects - do they match? Do you love a rainbow of bright hues, or more subdued tones. How much attention do you pay to the original colour that a garment is knit in when you see a pattern? Tell readers about your love or confusion over colour.


If you have been following my blog recently, then you know I love color.  I love bold saturated colors.

I am so close to being done with my ripple, by the way.

I love these little bright squares of color.  I can't wait to arrange them and put them together.

I have yet to find my perfect color in yarn yet.  To me it is a deep purple-y pink.  I have come close with

but just today, a fellow K&CBW participant posted my ultimate color.  It is the last picture in the post.  It just so happened to be her ultimate color too!!!

I love purples and pinks.

I also love turquoises and teals and blues.  I love saturated colors far more than pale colors.

Yellow and orange have always been scary colors for me, but I'm learning how to work with them.

Choosing a color palatte always depends on my mood.  Often, as I've said, they are bright saturated colors. I do have a couple projects where the colors are a bit more subdued and I still love them.

I love having color everywhere.  Are you the same?  I'm going to go looking for other blog week posts now!

Sam :-)

Google this 3KCBWDAY1 to find other blogs that have participated for day 1!