Search Results for: Use Your Stash Challenge

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4 Blocks a Week – Week 4!

Another installment of 4 crochet blocks for the crochet sampler afghan! I love these 4 blocks from this book 100 colorful Granny Squares to Crochet. This bobble block has such a different look to it and was really pretty easy to crochet.

Block 13

Crochet sampler afghan

Block 14crochet sampler afghan

Block 15

I like the flower center in this one but the block needs blocking terribly as it looks a little wonky.crochet sampler afghan

Block 16

This one also has a flower in the middle. The petals on this one stand up from the back of the square. The directions on this one was a little difficult for me to understand but with the chart and the written directions I finally figured it out.crochet sampler afghanHere are is week one, week two and week three.

It has been a busy week with some appointments and new projects in the works. I am working on a new sewing pattern for some satin that I bought last year. I have been afraid to branch out in this new direction but fear is just a stupid reason to not try. So, I have been making some prototypes and trying them on the family. I know that I would have thought they are fun when I was a little person and our kids would have loved them when they were small. So, we will see if they make it to the shop. I am not real thrilled about some of the finishing that is happening and I think that they could be improved before they make it to my shop.

I have also been working on an order for a friend. It is a wholesale order and takes very little time to make so I am pretty sure that these are going to be great additions to my Etsy shop and since I am using up my stash they count to the huge Use Your Stash Challenge that I started in January. I feel that I have been slacking off but the days are filled to overflowing and I have finished quite a few large time commitment projects.

Talk to you later,

Karen

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4 Blocks a Week – Week 3!

Here are this weeks 4 crochet granny squares for the 4 blocks a week crochet sampler blanket. I am enjoying picking out each block and trying something new.

Block 9

4 Blocks a Week crochet sampler blanket - Week 3

Block 10

4 Blocks a Week crochet sampler blanket - Week 3 Block 114 Blocks a Week crochet sampler blanket - Week 3

 

Block 12

4 Blocks a Week crochet sampler blanket - Week 3

I can’t wait to start putting them all together. I think that I will need to join them all at the end as they are all different sizes.

They look quite beautiful all together and so very intricate and lacy. The book I am using is 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet. 

I have included  some affiliate links and I will receive a small percentage from any purchase that you make.

The weather this week promises to be frosty, a bit misty and possibly some snow. I am ready for to be snowed in for a couple of days. There is so much that I want to do. I am deeply into the Use Your Stash Challenge and I would dearly love a chance to sit and create. I have been working on it steadily and have finished a couple of projects already. One has been in the works since before Thanksgiving.

Our daughter is back a college and we are back into the routine of daily life. I am working on de-cluttering and cleaning. I have loads of laundry waiting to be completed and I already feel very productive this morning. Our son was up yesterday to take some photos of more of my Mom’s vintage stuff. I will be adding them to the shop after I write up descriptions and get them priced.

The dogs have been quiet today. They really do not want to get put out as it is a bit misty and cold. Daisy is getting pretty big and has passed up the leader of the pack, which is causing a struggle for power between the two. I am confident that they will work it out sooner or later. We really need to work on her training as I do not need the huge dog jumping up on people.

Here are the links if  you want to see week one and week two of the 4 blocks a week crochet sampler blanket.

See you later,

Karen

 

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4 Blocks a Week – Week 2

Here are my four blocks for this week.

4 Blocks a Week

This one desperately needs blocking.

 

 

4 Blocks a Week Here we go with number three. I am using a different book for the squares this week. Leonie Morgan does a great job showing the different rows in different colors. I hope they look great in one shade of yarn.4 Blocks a Week

4 Blocks a Week

 

4 Blocks a WeekThis one also needs blocking. I will have to steam block them and see if they improve.

The week is proving to be a challenge in many ways. I keep skipping around on different projects and it seems like my progress on one any of them is slow. I have a Minion hat to get out in the mail and then two or three projects that I seem to be working on more seriously than the others. I hope to get them finished pretty quickly as well.  I am also working on some organizing.I have been sorting through Christmas ornaments and decorations. It appears that we have a bunch that are old and not used. The cleaning and organizing progress in the studio has also slowed down as I am waiting on some parts for some shelving. The parts should come in the mail this week. Then I can get more work done. My studio is up under the eaves and I am putting up shelving so that I can stack my tubs on them. I think it will help me get to them more easily.

The quilting class that I am taking with friends is starting in March instead of this week. I am going to try to get the fabrics gathered together for that class this week. We are making a log cabin quilt and I hope to sew it entirely out of stash fabrics. I also start my Use My Stash Challenge next Monday. I have been thinking about different projects to start and WIPS that need to be finished up. These will all be part of the Use Your Stash Challenge. I am also thinking about my rules for the challenge.

Our daughter heads back to school this week and the rest of us will try to get into a schedule of sorts. I just feel really scattered in my thinking and that time to think is in extremely short supply.

Talk to you later,

karen

 

 

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Some New Crochet Square Circles

My newest yarn order was delivered in the midst of crocheting hats for Christmas orders. It sat unopened for a week. Which I know is the wrong thing to do, as I should have checked to see it it was all there. Then I  opened it and let it sit on the crocheting couch for a week. It didn’t even make it to a basket! I was wondering what it would be needing to be crocheted into. Then last week, I knew. It was the day or two before Christmas and a quiet moment of tv watching turned into this compulsive crochet-a-thon. I created these little beautiful crocheted square circles.

crochet square circle

You can tell that this photo is from before Christmas as there is a Christmas ball cap thing in the middle of the pretty crochet square circles. They remind me of this blanket that I crocheted a year or two ago. crochet square circleThen they morphed into the squared circles. Little small square circles that look like little jewels. These squares are about 4 inches square. I have about 100 of them crocheted now. I have only been crocheting them and it has been a compulsion as not one of them is like another. I have started the blocking process and it is coming along great. Except that I do not have 400 pins to block them with so this is going to take awhile.

crochet square circle

Here are the beautiful edges of the square circles and you can see the beauty of them. Some have bright centers and some don’t. I love the randomness of each square. The yarn is a soft lightweight wool/nylon blend.  I haven’t decided whether to crochet a blanket or not.  100 squares at 4 inches is only a 40 inch blanket unless I put an edging around it and I am not sure if I want to do that.

crochet square circleAnyway, this is what I have been doing besides crocheting Tardis hats or Dr. Who inspired scarves. I am keeping really busy, when I’m not cleaning and organizing. I have to admit that the organizing bug has hit pretty seriously. I am determined to get things a little more orderly before I start my Use Your Stash Challenge on January 12! I haven’t even been thinking of the rules yet!

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

 

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4 Blocks a Week – Week 1

I am starting a new project this year. I am going to crochet 4 blocks a week from some Granny square books that I have here at home. I will need at least 200 blocks to create a useable sized blanket. I want this blanket to a sampler blanket. All the squares will be crocheted in a cream yarn and at the end of the program I will put them all together and have a nice sampler blanket.

Here is block number one!

3 Blocks A Week: The Crochet Sampler Blanket

Block number 2

2014-09-22 16.56.15

Block number 3

2014-09-22 15.46.56

I left off the picot edge on this block above as I want to join them all together with relatively flat edges.

Block number 4

2014-09-22 14.58.35

These are all taken from the same book 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet and are crocheted out of Stylecraft DK yarn. The color is cream. Joining them all might take some fancy stitch work but I think it will all work out. I really want a blanket that shows off the stitches in each square. The texture should be simply gorgeous! This is also a step out in a different direction for me as it will require me to do two things. Stretch out my work over a long period of time and work in one color. As you can tell I prefer to work with a wide variety of colors and to stick to one color is sometimes just a bit boring. These squares are all un-blocked as you can tell by the curvy edges. I will block them and see if that improves. These blocks are from the book Beyond the Square. I found mine on Amazon.com.

I have included affiliate links to Amazon. I will receive a small percentage from each purchase.

This project might fit in the Use Your Stash challenge as I am using yarn that I already have on hand. The yarn stash seems endless right now. I think this is going to be a great project and I can’t wait to keep it going. Join in with your own Beyond the Square book.

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

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The Shop is on Sale!

sale right sizeEverything in the shop is 30% off. I really want to start the year off with a clean slate in the shop! WooHoo! So, my desire to start with a clean slate is your opportunity and when opportunity knocks you really should answer! All this to say…shop to your hearts content!

Everything, absolutely everything in the shop, including aprons, hats, scarves, infinity scarves, blankets, cozies, ornaments, and crystal, is all 30% off! It will never ALL be this low again. I may put bits and pieces of the shop on sale but not ALL of it.

I did some organizing and cleaning yesterday and I will do more today in preparation for the new year. I can’t wait to get started on the Use Your Stash Challenge. It starts pretty soon… so figure out the rules for your challenge. It can be a short and sweet WIPS challenge or a giant 300 items in 300 days Challenge. It can be make 20 items in 50 days or you can simply finish that One thing that is driving you nuts. I am gathering my items together and planning out how it is all going to happen! This is why I am having the huge sale. I do so want to add new things to the shop this Spring! We are not going to start on January 1st. I am giving myself some time off. I have my daughter home from college and I want to enjoy her visit. I have some cleaning to do in the studio. I also need to get youngest  daughter started with her schooling before I jump in with both feet to create anything new. The anticipation is growing and I can hardly wait to get started.

The Use Your Stash challenge is the 12 of January. You can read more about my rules for my Challenge last year here: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/2014/01/17/1-thing-for-100-days-challenge/  You can see most of the completed items here: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/2014/04/14/100-items-in-100-days/

Thanks,
Karen

 

 

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Looking Back at 2014 and Looking Forward to The New Year

I get a little introspective as the New Year approaches. I have just spent the last twelve months zooming through the days to this day.

Then there are the many photos of our yard and landscape. We had snow and ice, beautiful daffodils, tulips and irises all in succession.

Then the beautiful summer flowers in the front flower bed, from gladiolus to Russian sage to Purple coneflowers and daisies.The many pictures of yarn and projects in process including the craft fair.

There are many photos of family and trips to museums and lovely memories to share but I will not bore you with all of these photos. I have been graced with a very full year. We moved one person twice and three people once, if that makes any sense. We moved our daughter home from college at the beginning of the summer. Our son and his wife moved into their new apartment. We moved two of our kids back to college and finally we moved my mom to her new apartment. So those were huge moves and took time and attention. I just cleared out the last box of sewing materials from my Mom, yesterday. I am working on cleaning up in the studio after all of the busy time this Christmas season.

Things I am looking forward to this year include the Use Your Stash Challenge, doing a craft fair or two, some time spent fluffing the inside of the house. Here is my list for the future.

  • Prepping for a craft fair this June
  • Creating some new products for both shops
  • De-cluttering my house and studio
  • Finishing up about ten works in progress
  • Finishing up the tree skirt. I want to add some trim to the edging and possibly a decoration or two.
  • Clean out Christmas decorations that we haven’t used in years
  • Do some dog training. We have four in the back yard right now as we are watching my brother’s dog.
  • Make a menu and grocery list every week
  • Our oldest daughter is scheduled to graduate from college this next school year. So while it she officially doesn’t graduate until 2016. I know the year will be full of getting her prepared.

This is fairly busy list. I know that we will be driving  our daughter back to college, and also bringing her home. She has a wedding this summer to go to and we might take a vacation. I would like to work in the yard and get some things cleared up. All of this in addition to living life and home schooling our youngest. The days and years just seem to get shorter and time seems to be a more precious commodity.

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

 

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Infinity Scarves

I have been spending my time productively the past few weeks. Saturday our son came over and took some really good photographs for me. He does such a great job and I really appreciate it. I can’t wait to get these into the ChocolateDogStudio shop but I will take my time and list a few a day. It really stretches my mind to come up with flowery, enthusiastic, descriptive phrases. I am really only good for listing one or two things at a time.

IMG_3909 IMG_3904 IMG_3898 IMG_3892-001I really enjoyed crocheting this pattern, it is fun. I love how these scarves turned out. They are stretchy and lacy at the same time. A lovely accessory for those that tend to get too warm with a traditional infinity scarf. Even though, I have stopped the Use your stash challenge, I found that these scarves are great stash busters!

I found the pattern here if you want to make your own. http://classycrochet.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/free-pattern-diamond-lattice-chain-crochet-infinity-scarf/

It is an easy pattern and great for beginners. Jen does a great job with step by step photos, walking you through the pattern bit by bit.

talk to you later,

Karen

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Saying Yes

I found myself saying yes to the craziest idea in January.  It wasn’t a great idea but it was a very cool idea. A new and interesting idea. Do you ever say yes and then regret it? I know that I did and there was really no reason for it. It is a really common problem. Are you a “yes”  person? The book shelves are full of volumes telling us how to stop saying yes so often. Put up boundaries, set limits, organize your life better, plan time off, fence in your time, schedule time for yourself.

This chair is on consignment at one of our local art stores and finished in this same time frame.

Saying yes, was to crochet not one but two custom crochet blankets and paint several different custom pieces of furniture. Now you know that this isn’t something that happens often at the Studio. A chance encounter with a Facebook marketplace purchase became a custom order for two custom crochet blankets and a coffee drinking friend. There is a pretty generous deadline as she understands that there are also custom painting orders in place.

The crochet blankets are using her Mother’s yarn, which is a brand I don’t use often. The colors were varied and some of it decades old. The yarn was still in great condition but this seemed like an incredible challenge. Rebelling, at first; the crocheting was concentrated on the colors that were added to fill in the missing colors needed to make one of them brighter and more suited for a child. The other was for the client’s daughter. The brief was to crochet two afghans 1. for the grand-daughter of the original yarn owner and 2. for the great -granddaughter of the the original yarn owner. What a great idea! How could I not do this? Family love and memories mixed in with another’s yarn stash, a chance to make something out of nothing.

This is just part of the yarn stash I’m working from.

Then the math began, how many squares to create the afghans. It became a monstrous project. Ta Da – 180+ 5′ granny squares later. This is the current adult granny square afghan. Sewing each square together rather than using the joining as I go method is slower. It is creating a beautiful finished product. Is this afghan finished. Nope, they’re not finished but I’m not afraid of either of them any more.

And also Painting…

These custom painting orders have also been happening in the middle of crocheting these two blankets.

The curio shelf from the hCrochet and Painting post and then also this table are all custom orders from this time.

It’s been a fun and busy time. The Studio is looking full and it needs cleaning from top to bottom in the worst way. The good news is that it’s been incredibly stretching. I love what I’m doing and saying yes was the right thing to do.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. Painting will show up in the blog from now on as it seems to take up just as much time as the crochet. It hasn’t been healthy for me to sit and just crochet. Painting furniture requires me to move around more and keeps the creativity flowing. Oh, I also accept custom orders for painted furniture just leave a comment here or on the facebook page.

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Margin

I have been reading a bunch of people talk about adding margin to their lives.
Margin,

I remember my teachers telling me not to write in the margins on                                         my school papers. That our eyes needed the space to be able to see the words.

 

White space,

My art teachers said white space was essential for helping you                                              realize what was important.

Down time,

Can be many things to many people; a computer that quite                                                   working, a factory machine that being maintained. The main idea                                           here is that what ever it is, is Not Working.

Breathing time,

A time to catch your breath. This reminds me of the breathing                                               treatments we had to give our daughter for her asthma. She would                                       be gasping for air and then the nebulizer would start running and                                           she would finally be able to get full lungs worth of air. It forced her                                         to sit and just breath for about 20 minutes off and on through out                                           the day. I wonder how much more would get done and how much                                         more creative we would be if we forced ourselves to sit and just                                           breath, no multi-tasking, no rushing from here to there.

Coffee time,

A time to sit and drink coffee. This reminds me of Saturday                                                    mornings as  a child watching my Father read the newspaper and                                        drink his coffee as the sunshine streamed into the kitchen. It was a                                      very restful, warm, relaxed feeling to it. Rather like a mini vacation                                        in the midst of the daily rush.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/173400035/theres-always-time-for-coffee-8×10-print

Fishing time,

Time to sit and talk with someone you love.

A chance to reflect on life.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/56012169/canoe-in-the-lake-watercolor-print-boat

I think people today spend too much time worrying, running errands, texting, driving, eating, rushing, nursing, shuttling, emailing, or facebooking. We don’t have down time, a chance to get bored or just rest and be quiet. A chance to regroup and think.

Several years ago, when all of the kids were home. We had such a finely tuned schedule that if any 1 thing happened the whole schedule would fall apart. We had four kids homeschooling and they were each in two activities per week including church activities and music lessons. So I was driving every single day and would be gone for hours at a time. In more recent days, I was working at the kids’ school from 7:30 – 3:30 and then the kids had practice/sports until 5 or 6 and we often wouldn’t get home until 8 at night. I am telling you this so that you know that I have walked in those shoes.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110352835/2014-cuppa-tea-or-coffee-desk-calendar

I have been working a bit this year at adding margin. I need margin in so many areas of my life.

My business…. I have so many supplies I can’t think what to do next. I spend all of my time putting things away, managing supplies, cleaning up, and searching for needed items. I need space in my storage containers, not so I can fill them back up but so that I can get rid of some and enjoy the space. This is why I am doing the Use my Stash or 100 items in 100 days challenge!

My home…We (all of us) are working at adding peace and margin to our home. We are trying to get things less cluttered and a bit more up to date. While using the supplies that we have so we don’t blow our budget. It isn’t hard but it does take imagination and work.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157004734/1920s-rumford-book-on-home-management

White space in money management is called the emergency fund and a budget. We are using both this year. It is helping us manage our spending so we spend money on things that are important and not spur of the moment!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/89181845/ceramic-piggy-bank-yellow

These are just a few areas where we are adding margin or white space. A safety bumper so we don’t get over stressed.

Where are you adding margin in you life? Do you need more white space?

Talk to you later,

Karen