Fiber Deviant

Finished: Crochet Jack O'Lantern

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:18:00 +0000

One of the things I love most about living in South Philly is that so many people decorate for the holidays! I just love looking at everyone's front window displays!

Well... I am no pumpkin carver...so I thought I would crochet a jack o'lantern for our front window.

I used Red Heart SuperSaver yarn from my stash... It's my favorite yarn for crochet 'sculptures'... And a G hook for tight stitches. The piece is stuffed with a bunch (i didnt count) of saved plastic grocery bags.

I started with a basic ball-shape and then added a stem. Next, I crocheted all of the facial components: eyes, eyelids, nose, mouth, teeth & tongue. No patterns... But just basic shapes...

Once all the facial features were completed, I (starting with the nose) began stitching them onto my pumpkin. I decided to stuff each of the eyeballs (they each contain 1 bag)...which really made them puff out.

It wasn't a difficult project... Mostly time-consuming... Since I am a slow crocheter... But i am very pleased with the results.

My husband built a shelf so that I could put decorations in the window AND still let the dogs sit in the window. (That's their favorite spot in the house!). Isn't he sweet? and clever?

Happy Halloween!

Finished: Crochet - Bucket Hat Prototype

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:31:00 +0000

This is my latest crochet experiment, a bucket-style hat done in mostly post stitches.

It was crocheted with Hobby Lobby's brand "I Love This Yarn!" in Pomegranate Stripe -- with an H hook.

I used acrylic yarn for ease of care... And I have to say that the Hobby Lobby Brand is my favorite acrylic out there: soft & and comes in wonderful self-striping colorways.

This hat was inspired by my admiration for the awesome Xenobia Bailey's ( www.xenba.blogspot.com ) work... I love her Funky Crowns! I didnt want to try to duplicate her designs... But I love the idea of crowns... And wanted to put my own "stamp" on the idea.

I started with a top detail of combining post stitches and regular stitches and then used post stitching for the sides for sturdiness.

This hat was a gift for my friend, Lee Ann... Hope she likes it; and that she has some creative criticisms for me.

Finished: Simple Mandala with Post Stitches /Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Last month, we bought a small older-model mobile home in Carlisle, PA --about 2 hours from Philadelphia -- where my husband works. We made the quality decision that 4 hours commuting every day is just too much. So the plan is that on Tuesday mornings, the doggies & I will go to Carlisle with him and stay at the new place (which is 10 mins from his office) until Friday. When he leaves work on Friday, he will pick us up and we will head to Philadelphia for the weekend.

There are many positives to this new situation... Now, he gets "home" no later than 6pm... Compared to 8pm. We can actually go out and do things on weeknights! And we get a chance to play at empty nesters during the week...oooo la la. Plus I am sure that our younger son (21) and visiting nephew (26) are enjoying the "no old folks around" time in Philly. Win\Win situation!

So now we get to set up another home place... Wheee! Fun stuff! I am planning on creating some of the decor; while also scouring etsy and thrift shops for unique & vintage finds.

Here is the first of my completed projects: a crocheted mandala for above the bed. This is really just a simple circle, done in sc, hdc, dc & tc stitches --with a post stitch accent. It is made with acrylic yarns (mostly Red Heart SS) from my stash. When the circle was completed, i sc 'd (is that a word?) it to a metal craft ring.

I think it gives a nice pop of color to the room!

Wow!! I love this idea -- Check it out!

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Plantbombing: Colorful Yarn-Wrapped Plants Soften Up The City : TreeHugger

Finished Object: Z-Bot (An Early Christmas Gift)

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Yep...I am Christmas crafting in August. Usually I am crafting down to the last minute...and even though I probably will be again this year... At least I started earlier! :-)

I just despise the commercialism of Christmas...so every year for Christmas, I try to give our kids (and now grandson) a handmade gift... Something made especially for the recipient. ..each stitch is an expression of love.

Ok...i am stepping off my soapbox...

The first of my finished gifts is a robot doll for my adorable grandson, Zander (who will be 2 in Feb)... I present Z-bot:

I crocheted all the components from Red Heart yarns...as you can see, most of the pieces are simple rectangles and circles. I was purposefully going for a "rustic" look. ..simple arms and legs... But the great thing about crochet is that you can create whatever shapes you desire.

I outlined all of the features with the gray so that when i stitched them to the body...then stitched them on the body... free-formed an anntenae ... stuffed the arms and legs... attached them and stuffed head and body.

I hope he likes it!

What do you think?

This is my first attempt at a toy... have you made toys? if so, I would love to see them!

Finished: Crochet Squares For Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:48:00 +0000

Think of Japan While Knitting is a group that is accepting 4"crocheted squares that are then sorted and stitched into afghans. The afghans are then to he auctioned off for money to be sent to an organization that helps the orphans caused from recent earthquakes & tsunami.

I saw this group on facebook (i believe they have a Ravelry page also); and decided to spend a few hours to make some squares. They provide the pattern.

I made seven squares... 7 is my favorite and lucky number. I made one square to resemble Japan's flag; and the other six are done in different combinations of brown, cream & pink...which remind me of Japanese cherry blossoms.

They post pics of the squares as they come in... And of the completed afghans. Check out their page...maybe you will want to help out too.

Finished: A Sweater For My Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:15:00 +0000

I decided to make myself a little cozy for my kindle...
This was made by loomknitting a tube on the knifty knitter pink (smallest) long loom. I used 2 strands of Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn!" brand yarn in pomegranate stripe.
Then I crocheted the embellishments... A skull motif, a free-form hand motif w/surface chain spiral and a double ruffle with some acrylic yarn in my stash.
This makes a nice thick and form-fitting sweater cozy... Perfectly sized for my kindle 2nd gen in its leather case.
Easy Peasy! :-)

Found on the Internet: Double Stitch Twins Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Being in my 40's and zaftig, I doubt that I could get by with wearing some of their designs; but i definitely enjoy looking at what the Double Stitch Twins are designing!

I love the creativity that they are bringing to crochet! They have a good eye for color. Many of their patterns feature versatility in how to wear. And best of all, one needn't be an Advanced Stitcher to add some funky (and mostly inexpensive) flair to your wardrobe.

In my opinion, these things are important in attracting young stitchers into the crocheting flock ... Which, in turn, keeps new ideas flowing in our community.

Thanks to Red Heart for compiling these patterns:

The Latest Pattern Designs by the Double Stitch Twins | Red Heart

Found on the Internetz: Crochet in Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Wow...check out this link...would love to hear what people think about this look:

Nicola Roberts says 'yay' to crochet! | heatworld.com

IMO I think she actually pulls it off...it's quirky for sure, but it works for her. However, I don't believe it's a look that works for everybody or every body.

But I DO like seeing crochet used in new & unexpected ways!

Watch This Space: Reorganizing My Thoughts / Getting Back On Track

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:31:00 +0000

wow... i realized today that i havent spent much time on my blog... i have never been great at regularly posting ... but its been 9 months since i posted here :-(

why?

i dont know... lack of focus maybe? during the past year... we have uprooted and moved to a different part of the country... spent almost 6 months to find a permanent house... which means 6 months of a nomadic-type life... almost a year of battling home-sickness... missing my son, daughter-in-law & baby grandson who live in georgia... then dealing with the long-distance effects of being away from my extended family while two of my uncles (twins) battled cancer... one passed away in January 2010... he was 61...and the other, who was much more than an uncle to me... more like a father... passed away in May...just 3 months after celebrating his 62 birthday.

to tell the truth, i am having a super hard time with his death... there were 2 people... and only 2... that i could be my completely uncensored self with... that i never had to worry what they would think of me when i let my thoughts fly... one is my husband... the other, i lost on may 12, 2011.

so i guess you could say that i have been derailed... my mind was in a lot of places... i didnt even feel like posting... even though i was working on crafts all the while... i just didnt feel like taking pictures and writing about them...

but as we are getting really settled into our new life in Philadelphia... and with the help of family and friends (i hope you all know who you are -- i am a better person for knowing you!), i am learning how to cope with the devastating holes in my family's fabric... i think i am ready to climb back on track soon.

i have decided that this blog will be mostly craft oriented... i have started a tumblr blog for my food-related posts... so if thats what you are interested in... check it out (not much there yet... but i am working on it): kuiadore

so watch this spot... and bear with me...as i try to get back on that blogging horse and ride :-)

Happy Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 01:23:00 +0000

I just wanted to post a few pics to mark the passing of one of my favorite holidays. I have always loved dressing up for Halloween...the candy was always secondary.

As a kid, I gave up trick-or-treating at about 9 years old so I could give out candy at my grandparents' house. They always had lots of children to show up for candy. My grandmother also loved Halloween & often we spent days making up treat bags and my favorite, Ghostly Tootsie Pops! (You know the ones made with a tissue & magic marker eyes)

When I was a single parent, I always took Halloween off from my 3rd shift job. It became a special event ... J (my younger son), knew it was a no-holds barred night... we would stay out as long as he wanted to because I would let him stay out of school (bad mommy!)
...it became a special yearly ocassion for us.

This year, I am a little sad... having recently relocated from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, I will be missing my grandson, Zander's first Halloween. So imagine my joy when i received pics in the mail!! I can't wait to see him again and kiss those chubby cheeks! :-)

The 2nd pic was taken at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. Obviously SugarDaddy cant resist hamming it up with a piano-playing skeleton man!

The 3rd pic is SugarDaddy & me outside the Broad St. Market in Harrisburg. We were taking pics of me wearing my Punkin Hat... a very nice gentleman walked up and asked if we wanted him to get a pic of us together ... who could resist?

And the 4th pic is a blast from the past! It's my sister, brother and me getting ready to trick or treat... if you dont know, I am the vampire! :-) I am guessing that this is circa 1976 / 1977 ish!

Hope you enjoyed your Halloween... and would love to hear your Halloween memories! :-)

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FO: Jan Valentine's (from Hellsing anime) Beanie 1.0 / Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:19:00 +0000

It's not often that my sons think of my crochet as cool. So I was surprised when my youngest son, who is 20, asked me to make a hat for him. I am sure this was partly due to all of the hat-making i have been doing lately; and partly due to the fact that it is getting chilly up here in our new home of Pennsylvania! :-)

He is really into Anime; and one of his favorites is Hellsing. The character, Jan Valentine wears a black cap with a really odd eye symbol on it.

This is my first attempt... using yarn out of my Red Heart Stash... the emblem turned out huge... i have several ideas for my next attempt: intarsia, lighter-weight yarn, embroidery ...

As I am becoming more comfortable with using intarsia, I realized that i really need to start graphing out the designs ... i have always just free-hooked most everything, but definitely seeing a need for graphing!

So... here is first attempt... i hope my son likes it!

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Domo-Kun hat 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:49:00 +0000

Here it is... Domo-Kun 2.0!

I just couldn't let the idea go... wanted to improve my original Domo-Kun hat... even though this one isnt authentically colored (I didn't have any solid brown, so i used Red Heart SuperSaver in Coffee Fleck), it's a definite improvement as far as the "bulk" of the hat is concerned.

I decided to make his square red mouth with intarsia method, then embroidering his teeth. Shiny black buttons replace the crocheted rounds for eyes. Also I did this one beanie-style instead of with ear flaps.

I am proud of how both hats turned out... for me, it's all about trying different ideas ...constantly changing... that's what keeps me from being bored :-)

I think I am definitely keeping this one for myself!

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FO: Domo-Kun Hat 1.0 / Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:18:00 +0000

These pics are courtesy of my pal, Camille! They are from her recent trip to Colorado!
I made this Domo-Kun hat for her, as a going away gift when I moved from Greenville to Pennsylvania. She was the my first Twitter-to-IRL friend; when i found out we were going to be moving, I thought back to out first meeting... she was carrying a Domo-Kun key chain... and voila! I decided i should attempt a character hat for her.

This one was made with Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn"... this is probably my favorite acrylic... i chose acrylic for ease of care. I think it turned out well... although a little bulky... which may make it warmer for winter use --- but having worked on some other hats & trying new ideas, i have some thoughts on reducing bulk.

So who knows?
There may be a Domo-Kun Hat 2.0 to show you soon :-)

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FO: Halloween Hats - Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:30:00 +0000

Not sure why, but lately it has come to my attention that I really enjoy making hats... not sure why... I seldom wear them myself, but I love making funky hats! :-)

Here are some hats that I made this week while SugarDaddy was out of town. To keep my mind off missing him, I kept my fingers busy.

I free-hooked these... no patterns. These were all made with Red Heart Yarn from my stash.

For the upcoming Halloween holiday, I was inspired by Candy Corn, which is just double stitch with a Front PostStitch band.

I also made a Punkin hat to carry me thru fall...the "lines" of the pumpkin created with Front PostStitches. I think I am definitely keeping this one for myself! :-)

The Purple, Pink, Hot Pink Skullie is just a basic beanie with a skull motif ... which I hope I can duplicate!

Happy Stitching!

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I Think He Likes It!

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:03:00 +0000

@MikeDistracted was kind enough to post a pic of him getting acquainted with his giraffe hat! I gotta say that I am very pleased with how it turned out!

Thanks, Mike!

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FO: Crochet Giraffe Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:32:00 +0000

Here is a free-hooked crochet giraffe hat made for another twitter buddy, @MikeDistracted. He saw pics of a Domo-Kun hat that i made for @SumoChewie (will post that one later)' and wanted me to create a hat for him.

I am not a huge fan of making the same project over and over... there are exceptions... but i just love the challenge of figuring out how to make something come together. That's probably one of the reasons i always have 5 or 6 or 30 WIPs going, at any given time.

I admit it, I have craft ADD ... i get a project started and immediately, i think of several other projects. And I also know that if I dont start these other projects, I just might well forget my ideas!

I really didnt want to make an identical hat to the one I had made for @SumoChewie --- first off, that was made just for her... it was my going-away gift to her. And then there is copy-right issues...

So I asked Mike what kind of other ideas he had for a hat... turns out, he likes giraffes... so much so that I know he has a giraffe tattoo!

Well, the thought of a giraffe hat tickled me ... kind of like the Chemo hat i made for my cousin, Lisa. (She mentioned "eyes in the back of her head", and that got my noggin gears turning!) I am weird, what can i say? LOL

sooooooo... then i took some time to figure out how I wanted to do this... I dont mind telling you that I did a lot of "frogging" before coming up with the winning plan :-)

First, I googled images "crochet giraffe hat:" and then "giraffe" --- and then, I got to hooking! :-)

<-- he looked a little "surprised" when i first attached his eyes ... i quickly decided that he needed eye lids! :-)

I used Lion Brand yarn, Vanna's Choice, to be specific. The colors and textures just seemed right to me ...

I chose Toffee and Mustard ... i ended up using 2 skeins of the mustard and 1 of the toffee. I am not sure what brand the eyes are made from... some leftover acrylic stash.

I probably could have gotten by with a skein of each (there was a little left over) but because of the soft-sculptured horns, i wanted to make sure that the base of the hat was sturdy enough... so i ended up piecing together a liner for it.

<--- i really love how the free-hooked spot came out!

This project took me a couple of months... although much of it was spent just trying to decide how to put it together.

As you can see from the pictures... most of the components are quite simple... just a few tricks to form the shapes...

I would have to say that the nostrils and the spot on the back are my favorite parts of this project.

<-- time to put him in the box with a note (and the left-over yarn for repairs, if needed)

He is safely packed away and traveling to his new home in Greenville, SC.

I cant wait to see a pic of him perched atop @MikeDistracted's head! :-)

Donnie's Jayne Cobb's Cunning Hat (Crochet)

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:18:00 +0000

Here is @Donnie6DI with his replica Jayne Cobb's Cunning Hat. He seems pleased with it.

I love making things for appreciative folks! :-)

----------
Quote:

"A man walks down the street wearing that hat, people know he isn't afraid of anything."

"Damn straight!"

FO: Crochet Version of Jayne Cobb's Cunning Hat (from Firefly)

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:07:00 +0000

Last week one of my twitter friends, @Donnie6DI, asked if I could make him a replica of a #nerdtastic hat from the television show, 'Firefly'.

Since I was unfamiliar with the show, I turned to Google for help. Turns out, this hat is a big deal in the crafty/geeky community. There are tons of versions of this hat on the internets... I looked at them all and pictures of the original; and here is what I came up with.

FO: Crochet Square for Prayer Shawl

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:53:00 +0000

Here is my contribution to a prayer shawl for a friend of one of my twitter pals.

I used Hobby Lobby's " I Love This Yarn!" (Can you tell that this is one of my favorite acrylics? Lol); and I adapted Deneen's Baby Bubbles Blanket stitch pattern, and then edged with double crochet.

FO: Hand Weaving & Crochet /Google On Main (a fiber tagging project)

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:40:00 +0000

Here is a Fiber Tagging or Yarnbombing project that I installed on Main Street in support of the Google On Main initiative.

It is composed of handwoven squares with freeform crochet lettering and a crochet border... made from acrylic yarns from my stash.

It remained on Main Street for 4 days until Sugar Daddy went to retrieve it.

For more info on the Greenville Google On Main project: www.wearefeelinglucky.com

On twitter, follow the hashtags #LuckyGVL and #GoogleOnMain

FO: Crochet Baby Bubbles Blanket for Baby Brayden

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:25:00 +0000

I used Deneen St. Armour's Baby Bubbles pattern for this blanket for a friend's new grandbaby.

I used Hobby Lobby's 'I Love This Yarn!'

I used an M hook with double strands instead of a J hook with a single strand like I used for Baby Zander's Blanket.

FO: LoomKnit Kindle Sweaters w/ Crochet Embellishment

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Here are a few Kindle Sweaters that I have made.

These are loomknit using the pink knifty knitter long loom (using acrylic yarn from my stash) with a freeform crochet handprint. If you know me, you know how I love the handprint motif!

FO: Felted Crochet Bird Brooch w/ Hanger & Amethyst Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:36:00 +0000

I just wanted to share this sweet little bird brooch (from Linda Permann's book "Crochet Adorned"). After crocheting, the bird and the hanger, I felted them in the washing machine.

And then attached my first real attempt at designing jewelry: a memory wire bracelet with amethyst chips, glass beads & shell beads. The earrings contain the same components but have sterling silver head pins & ear wires.

FO: HATS HATS & MORE HATS (or what i did while waiting to feel better)

noreply@blogger.com (Fiber Deviant) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:46:00 +0000

I just wanted to share some pics of hats i made a few weekends ago... i was feeling a tad under the weather. So while I was making the couch my home base; I decided that I would try making some earflap hats. I don't have a real pattern for these... just a basic skull cap ... attach earflaps... trim it up until desired shape and size... add ties... voila!

suprisingly... i sold 4 of these hats without even trying! which allowed me to bu some more yarn... as if my stash needed enhancing!! LOL

I guess being sick can have some advantages! ;-)

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