Friday, February 22, 2013

Stash Buster Challenge

I really go through different craft phases. I love to crochet, but this winter I have done a lot more. Doing homeschool, preschool and piano lessons, I have not had a lot of time to pull out projects. Thank goodness for yarn! It can sit on my rocking chair or the kitchen counter always ready for me to pick it up for just a short time. It has also been very therapeutic for me to relax and relieve stress. I came across some fabulous crochet blogs/websites and started seeing a little icon about the Stash Buster Challenge. I looked into it and thought, "Hey! That sounds fun." Honestly, though, I have been contemplating it for several weeks now- not because I don't have a stash, but because life is so crazy right now I didn't want to commit myself to something that I couldn't carry through with. The result is that today you not only get to see my stash, but you also get to see several of my finished Stash Buster Projects. Who knows- maybe I'll post more often (smiles)! This is my lovely stash. It is quite a hodgepodge of everything! It will be fun to see how much of it I can use up this year. I love this hat pattern! The designer is Linda Permann. She is a very talented designer. This hat is called "The Little Sister Hat." The pattern gives specific instructions for ALL head sizes. The website I found the pattern at is www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/little-sister-hat/34620. I made this hat for one of my husband's cousins who is going through chemo right now. Both pics are of the same hat, but I made 2 different bows. Amazing how much they affect the look of the hat! The flower pattern is also given on this site. Thanks Linda. My youngest brother loves bow ties, and his birthday is coming up next week. I whipped up a really fast bow tie with the "crunch" pattern. One of my desires/goals this year is to experiment with different stitches. I found this in a book titled, "Teach Yourself Visually Crochet," by Keim & Werker. I have been crocheting for years, but I have had a hard time finding different stitch patterns. This is a great resource! Anyway, to make this stitch, simply make your foundation chain the desired length. Ch 1. Turn. SL into same st. HDC into next ch. *SL into next ch. HDC into next ch.* until the end. When you get to the end, Ch 1 and turn. If your last stitch on Row 1 was a SL, you will do a HDC in the same stitch as your chain. If your last stitch on Row 1 was a HDC, you will SL into same stitch as your chain. You will continue to rotate between the SL and HDC. It's that simple. Hint: make sure you insert hook into stitch top and not into the extra front stitch. I know you can't see it in the pic, but there are diagonal lines that run horizontal throughout the piece. It is very cool! Happy Valentine's Day! This is what I made for my husband, kids, friends, ...... I had lots of fun making them. I do have a problem- that is I don't ever stick with the same thing for long. I have to modify or change things. I guess that is what spices my life up. Thanks for stopping by! More to post soon.

2 comments:

  1. Welcome to the challenge Dari, don't worry this is a fun challenge and there is no pressure what soever, just work at your own pace, even if you just make one thing a month you are still busting your stash. I have downloaded a hat pattern from the same designer too it's free for a short time only it's called the Lohi hat, you can find it from craftsy too. :)

    ReplyDelete