One Dog Woof

Gearing up for Summer and the Neverending Bow-Tying that Comes With It

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:25:00 +0000

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes.

It's spring, and inevitably, spring and summer brings wedding season. Wedding season brings beautiful bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, lots of them with colorful ribbon sashes. And if a flower girl moves more than a couple of feet in any direction, chances are those ribbon sashes will need to be tied and retied into a bow, over and over again.

I was the bridesmaid who was in awe of the seamstress who tied my white satin sash into the perfect bow. How the?! I don't even remember when I figured this out. Maybe my marriage to an Eagle Scout made me more aware of the knots I was tying, who knows. At a friend's wedding, I was called upon to tie huge ribbon sashes into bows several times because otherwise, they flopped and drooped all over the place.

Now, I don't know if you will find this useful, or if this is known information all over the world, and I'm just the last DIYer in the world to think this is cool, but here's how I tie a bow.

Hopefully, you start with double sided satin ribbon. One sided ribbon makes things a bit difficult, but still do-able with more finagling. Tie the first knot so that the right side of the ribbon goes under the left side of the ribbon.

Make your bunny ear with the right strand of ribbon. The left strand is pointing up, or hanging out above the sash line.

Wrap the left strand OVER THE TOP and around the bunny ears without twisting the ribbon. Push through the hole to create the other ear. All of this is done without any twisting. By wrapping over the top, you are creating that center piece nice and straight.

Pull tight, and you've got a straight and beautiful bow.

If, however, you decided to drop the left strand, and wrap it BELOW and around the bunny ears...

then, you've got yourself an extra knot. It doesn't look so bad now, but when your sash/ribbon is 2 inches wide, that extra knot gets pretty hefty, causing the drooping and flopping that you don't want.

Here's what happens if the left strand is pointing down instead of up. You make your bunny ears and wrap the left strand where it wants to go - below and around the bunny ears.

Now, you've got an upside down knot. I swear I didn't take this picture upside down! If you were just tying shoelaces, this won't matter, but it's much more visible in wide ribbons.

You might think, oh, no problem, I'll just switch direction, move the ribbon up, and then around the bunny ears, but now you've got that extra knot again.

It works the same for left-handed knots too. Basically, always make sure the wrapping part of the ribbon is on top of the sash, and bring it DOWN and AROUND to finish the bow.

This idea also works even if you don't make the bunny ears. Here's a square knot where I followed the natural progression of the ribbon and brought it down over where I want the final knot to be. I use this technique a lot with sashes on everyday dresses and those fabric belts you see on suits to oversized t-shirts.

I hope this comes in useful for you someday!

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Pick-up Truck Pouch

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This was a project I did for So You Think You're Crafty last summer, and I realized I never actually shared it. Considering how bad I am at sewing, this was an accomplishment for me, but it also scared me enough to maybe not go near the sewing machine for a good long time.

Real life trailers are often shipping containers that hold stuff, like bananas and diapers and Gap jeans. My little cloth "trailer/pouch" is also a storage container, this time holding little things like small toys, crayons or a light snack. Get it, get it? Big storage, little storage?

I found a simple boy-ish (or gender neutral) star printed fabric and made the body of the truck using a tutorial from Make-It Love-It as inspiration. Then there's a lined zip-pouch made using a tutorial from Skip to My Lou. Instead of setting the zipper in the middle, I offset the zipper to the side so I could add a handle to the pouch.

The trailer/pouch is removable and has a removable handle that can be snapped on. You can choose to attach the handle to the bag to make it self-sufficient as a dopp kit, or attach the bag to the truck and carry the whole thing by the handle. I thought I was being so clever, but really, I was just creating more pieces to pick up around the house. The handle is now MIA, the truck is in the play kitchen, but at least the bag is still being used to carry portions of his ever-growing Hot Wheels collection.

I was hoping this would be a hit on a long road trip last summer. Not so much. At last the truck doesn't hurt when he throws it during his numerous temper tantrums.

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Operation De-Clutter is About to Commence...or Not.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Here's a goal I may or may not accomplish - next time it rains and we can't work out in the yard, I'm going to clean the house. WHA? It's amazing how much my tolerance for clutter has gone up. Between the pregnancy sickness, the intensity of the new job and the beautiful weather, things are a little bit crazy here. I really don't want to know how much time I spend looking under the couch and going room to room for toy cars, tv remotes and cell phones.

We've always talked about hiring a cleaning service, but I've always had an aversion to it. How many of you have a cleaning service but clean the day before your service shows up? I mean, they clean, but they don't pick up clutter. They won't clean up the play food littered all over the dining room, nor return the random water glasses back to the kitchen. In the end, the vacuuming and the mopping really doesn't take that long. It's the CLUTTER that's killing me.

I would guess half the stuff in my living at this moment doesn't really belong there, and there are things upstairs that need to come downstairs. With a total of 4 floors (basement, 2 floors and attic), puttering up and down the stairs and from room to room is tiring and discouraging, so I have a strategy when I get in a decluttering kind of mood. Call it my cleaning algorithm.

Image via source

I like to declutter using re-usable grocery totes. I'll have one bag for each level, so items belonging upstairs go into one bag destined for bedrooms and attic, while dirty clothes, outgrown toys and unused items get put into the "basement" bag. Sometimes, I even have a 1st floor bag, just to shuffle items from room to room. For example, while in the living room, I'll pick up everything that doesn't belong there, sort it (a little), and then head to the kitchen, drop off things that belong in the kitchen, while picking up things that don't. Then, through the dining room, repeating the process. I guess this makes me sort of like a train with clutter as my passengers?

Once the 1st floor is clean, I head to the second floor with my "upstairs" bag, going bedroom to bedroom, picking up and dropping off as I go. I usually take a detour to the attic at this point, but since it's only 1 room (my craft room), it's pretty easy. By the time the upper floors are cleaned, I'll have a bag of lower floor items, and I get to run through the 1st floor again. Hurray. There's also the side trip to the basement. As you can see, the process is reiterated a couple of times, but it still beats having to climb the stairs for every misplaced book, toy, dirty sock, water glass, or phone charger.

Image via source

While I make the rounds, I always think of the Traveling Salesman algorithm for some reason, even though probably doesn't really apply (really, I'm not a software girl). I just try to come up with better ways to optimize my routes around the house. I know. Dork. But it works.

$40 Target Giveaway - a Celebration!

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:47:00 +0000

My friend Melanie of Bear Rabbit Bear Crafts has taken the ginormous step of relaunching her blog! Holy newness! And it happened in a blink, ha! No, I mean, her new blog is {It Happens}In a Blink. Same wonderful blogger, same great tips, crafts and recipes. Just a new site with new social media, new design, and new ideas! Can you believe she is doing all this with newborn triplets at home?

Come join me in congratulating her, and enter a simple giveaway with an awesome prize!
Here's your chance to win a $40 Target gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Click here to see where I party!

Pasta with Arugula and Heart of Palm

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:51:00 +0000

** Don't forget, the Hudson Chocolates Giveaway ends in a day! **

I don't know about you, but I am aching for some fresh greens from the garden. I will be sowing an assortment of lettuce and arugula and other leafy greens in the raised beds soon, so this recipe is going to be on the menu soon (I hope).

Due to busy work schedules and not a lot of time to prepare dinner, we do a lot of spaghetti. But, we do make our sauce fresh, each and every time, so it's not exactly a quick meal. It's not terribly long, but usually just long enough for J to go from happy to screaming hungry melt-down. Imagine my happiness when we went to our friends' for dinner once and were served this AMAZING pasta with arugula and heart of palm. It was a first course, but I probably could have taken a big bowl of it and just had that for dinner. When I asked them for a recipe, I found out it was simpler than I expected, which is right up my recipe-hating alley. So here it is, another one-pot-wonder. Well, ok, 2, counting the pot you cook the pasta in.

Ingredients:

pasta - rotini or some other funny toddler-friendly shape

butter. mmm, butter. Unfortunately, no "mmm, bacon" in this recipe. Although, now I've got me thinkin...

extra virgin olive oil.

heart of palm, from a jar or a can.

handful of arugula. Small or large handful is fine, depending on how much you like arugula.

garlic (optional)

1. Boil the pasta. Remember to add some salt into the boiling water to help it do whatever it is that salt does to make pasta yummy. When al dente, drain and set aside.

2. Break out the heart of palm, from either the can or the jar. They look like white hot dogs. Slice them up on a slant to give it a bit of flair. Otherwise, if you cut them like they're white hot dogs, they'll look like little white nickels. I find that cutting on a slant allows for a thinner slice while still getting a hearty bite.

3. Wash and tear the arugula into bite-sized pieces.

4. In a separate pan (hence the not quite one-pot-wonder thing), pour in some evoo (extra virgin olive oil) and melt some butter over medium heat. The quantities are really up to you, and depends on how much pasta you'll be making. I've made this a couple of times, and I've never measured. I also prefer the taste of the olive oil more than the butter in this particular dish. So, if you need quantities for making a 16oz box of rotini pasta, I'd guesstimate at a couple of tablespoons of evoo and maybe a 2-3 tablespoons of butter.

5. (optional) Once the olive oil and butter are integrated (but not burnt), you can throw in some minced/diced garlic to add even more flavor. Some salt and pepper at this stage can't hurt either.

6. If you're not using the garlic, then add the heart of palm and drained pasta to the oil/butter in the pan. Toss over low heat. Feel free to season if you haven't already.

7. Right before serving, add the arugula and let it wilt in the heat of the dish.

8. Serve. Eat. Yum.

Since you can prep while the pasta water is boiling and start melting butter when the pasta is cooking, this doesn't take much longer than 15 minutes to make!

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Did You Say Free Chocolate? A Hudson Chocolates Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:49:00 +0000

A couple of days ago, I asked a question on my Facebook page about whether anyone was interested in a chocolate giveaway? The general consensus I got was "DUH, of course!", so here we go.

How about some breathtaking artisan chocolate from newly opened Hudson Chocolates? Co-owned by Chef Francisco Migoya and his wife, this little diamond of a chocolate shop creates some amazingly exotic and innovative products. Oh, and of course, they're delicious. Personally, my mind was blown. The fact that Chef Migoya's kitchen workshop is in my town just means that I am perfectly willing to be pregnant, fat and happy off of A LOT of chocolate.

I love me some cherry macarons from his Mix and Mac Collection,

and the Chicharron Enrobed in Dark Chocolate. That's right everyone. Pork rind in chocolate. It's unexpected and AMAZING.

Drew has said the 1 foot long Espresso Bar is the best chocolate he's ever had.

Chef Migoya is currently a Professor at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and has worked as Executive Pastry Chef at the French Laundry. He was named as one of the Best Pastry Chefs of 2013 by Tasting Table. Here he is holding a gigantic chocolate avocado.

Ok, now on to the giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive his/her choice of FOUR (4) items from the following, to be wrapped in Hudson Chocolates' unique gift presentation :

Vanilla Orangettes Coated in Dark Chocolate

Wasabi Peas Coated in White Chocolate and Granny Smith Apple Peel Powder

Candied Almonds Coated in Dark Chocolate with Cinnamon and Cocoa Powder

Candied Virginia Peanuts Coated in Milk Chocolate and Dusted in Banana Powder

Toasted Hazelnuts Coated in Dark Chocolate

Candied Black Olives Coated in White Chocolate

This would make a great gift for Mother's Day...for your mom, someone else's mom, or just for yourself. As Chef Migoya says, sharing is optional! Hudson Chocolates is available primarily online for delivery across the country. If you are in the Hudson Valley area, stop by his workshop every Saturday afternoon from 1pm to 6pm to sample his newest creations and purchase products not available on the website.

The giveaway will start Sunday night at midnight and last until Thursday night at midnight. To enter, just follow the Rafflecopter entries below. Good luck, and happy eating!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here to see where I party!

Helix Jewelry Display

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:13:00 +0000

This is a project I completed last year for SYTYC, which came in very handy for the craft shows I went to. It added height, interest and color to my display table, and can be used at home too. Any guesses on how it was made? This Helix display was created using a table leg and some dowels. The best part is, if I add a coat of food-safe Shellac on top, I can also use this as a rack to dry some homemade pasta. Yay for multi-taskers!

As I walked through the hardware store looking for dowels, I came upon the table leg and banister section of the store, where I found a lonely 21" table leg all by itself, with a big yellow clearance tag on it for $1. One dollar! Destiny, I tell ya. The table leg became the center post for the display. The arms are cut from 1/2" oak dowels, and I bought a 8" circular base from Michaels.

I marked the table leg to drill holes in a spiral helix pattern as a nod to my inner scientific geek. I was lucky that the table leg was already 6 sided, so I did not need to measure angles as I went around; I only needed to measure the vertical distance between each arm. Then I drilled 7/16" holes, shoved in the arm dowels, glued them in place, and sanded the whole thing lightly. That was followed by a coat of primer then two coats of gloss spray paint.

I also bought a lazy-susan gear to attach to the bottom of the base.

What do you think? With this new job, I have to actually dress up for work, and use all that jewelry that's just been sitting around. Maybe having my necklaces out on display will help me choose my outfit in the mornings!

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A Baby, A Job, A Blanket, A Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:16:00 +0000

Whew, I've fallen off the face of the blogging world once again. So in case you're interested in my mundane but busy life, here's a 5 minute recap.

1. Finally not throwing up any more, after 2 months of feeling like I've got constant food poisoning. Not that I'm complaining (ok, I'm complaining a little)...we're expecting a new bundle of joy (and tears) this fall! The pregnancy sickness basically had me on my back every night, with a new bedtime of 9 pm, and absolutely no motivation to do anything except watch the Food Network and drool at all the food I can't eat...like this.

via

This also meant that projects like my new desk, the new floors in the attic, the library catalog, the crocheting, and the spring cleaning all did not get done. What I did do was pull out my maternity clothes, since I seemed to have popped a bit earlier than expected...although that could have been due to me stuffing my face thinking I was hungry when I was just nauseous.

2. It's a big year, with a baby coming, and getting a new job! I'm super excited about my new client-facing position which moves me slightly away from the technology world. This means I am not actually an engineer by trade anymore! It also means I need a new wardrobe, which would have been exciting, except all my new work pants need to have hidden belly panels on them, which is a lot less exciting. I now have just enough outfits to last 5 days at the office...the same 5 outfits every week. I'm still transitioning over, so I'm figuring out what to wear, where to park, and how to handle all the new information coming at me - we like to say it's like drinking from a fire hose!

3. (I received free product for this review, but the experiences and opinions are my own). I've finally finally FINALLY finished a crochet project I started way back in January. I've forgotten how fast a little crochet project can go when you're not stopping to hang out with the toilet every night. The intent was to combine a couple of muslin baby swaddling blankets together to form a thicker yet still breathable blanket. I tried to sew the edges together but that didn't work, so when I received a Sharp Crochet Hook, I thought that would be the perfect solution. And it was!

I worked single crochets around all 4 edges of 3 muslin blankets held together. The Sharp Crochet Hook was able to easily pierce all 3 layers of muslin without tearing the fabric apart. The combo pack included a booklet with many different patterns and motifs, but I chose to work a simple scalloped edge into my blanket, mostly because my stitches were uneven, and a scalloped edge is not too girly, in case baby #2 is a boy.

I'm so glad I found this great tool, since I definitely was not looking forward to sewing muslin layers together. If you'd like to add some crochet flair to a piece of fabric, definitely add this special hook to your collection.

4. Now that the weather is warming up, I'm finally getting around to catching up with this whole Spring thing. There's a house and yard to clean, landscaping to trim, a lawn that needs to be re-seeded, a garden to be tilled and planted, and a couple of projects waiting in the garage. At least the attic floors are done and the desk is just waiting for some new drawer pulls. So hopefully, you'll be seeing some of the fruits of my labor in the next few weeks!

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Crochet Beaded Friendship Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:50:00 +0000

I have gotten a few requests to put up a pattern for the crocheted beaded friendship bracelets I posted about a while back. I wasn't sure about the implications of posting something that I figured out from staring at Etsy photos, but after some thought, I don't think that's too different than staring at Pinterest photos and doing your own spin on things. Plus, being vague about the general concept of the bracelet didn't seem to work, so I'm over the guilt, but I'll let you know if the patent police come after me.

For an intro on this project, check out my previous post.

You'll need:

2.5mm crochet hook

6 strand embroidery thread

30 size 6 glass beads

large sewing needle small enough to go through the beads

Abbreviations:

sl st: slip stitch

ch: chain

st: stitch

Thread 30 seed beads onto your embroidery floss.

Row 1: Leave a 7-8 inch tail. Ch. 39. Turn

Row 2: Sl st in back ridge of the 2nd ch from hook. Sl st in each chain across. Turn.

Row 3: Ch. 1. Sl st in each of next 4 st. Sl st a bead in each of next 30 st. Sl st next 4 st. Turn.

The bead part isn't as hard as it sounds. Push each bead tightly to the work before inserting your hook into the stitch to complete the slip stitch. The bead should now be on the right of your hook, while the unused beads continue to be on the left of the hook. (for right handers)

Row 4: Ch 1. Sl st in each st across. Leave a 7-8 inch tail and fasten off.

Now you have the body of the bracelet with a two tails on the same side of the bracelet. Now cut 3 lengths of embroidery floss, each about 14-15 inches (twice the length of a tail). Loop one of the strands on the end with the tails, and loop the other two strands on the other end,so you have 4 "tails" on each end of the bracelet. You can use a lark's knot or just tie it however you need to secure it to the body. Now work a 4-way braid on each end. The length of the braid is up to you - it'll depend on whether you want to make the bracelet adjustable or just tie the ends together. If you want to make the ends adjustable, you'll have to create a macrame knot (or a series of square knots) to hold the two ends together.

For mine, I ended the braids with a knot, added a couple more beads and tied another knot to hold them in place. The finishing touches are completely up to you!

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Easter Printable: Re-post

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Since my Easter printable seemed popular last year, I figure I'd re-post it, in case you didn't see it the first time. The free copy available is in the blue and green that is shown in the photos. My Etsy shop has a listing for if you want other or even custom color combinations.

Are you as eager for Easter weekend as I am?!

********

Here's another little tidbit that will eventually become part of my Easter mantle, and I'm making it available to you too as a free printable! He has risen!

I had started playing around with word art in Picasa after reading about how easy it is. Picasa, word art? How did I not know this? Me, who's been using Picasa ever since it was released! I guess it's a little like me and smart phones - I only use what I need and tune out everything else. And like smart phones and when I discovered Angry Birds, I'm loving this new (to me) feature in one of my favorite free tools!

So, in the midst of eggs and bunnies and springtime grasses and flowers, let's take a moment to remember the reason behind THIS season - that He died for us, and because of His resurrection, we will also be made alive!

You can download the PDF of the printable HERE, or here at Google Docs.

He Is Risen by 1dogwoof

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CAL: Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:43:00 +0000

Thank you to all who participated in my very first Crochet Along, and I hope you enjoyed the creativity and the community! I hope to do more of these in the future, and maybe do a mystery one too, since I like the idea of not knowing what comes next. I know, I'm living on the edge! :-)

And now for the winners of our CAL:

Readers' Choice Winner #1: Simone's multicolored cowl.

Readers' Choice Winner #2: Andrea's Coral Impression.

and our Judges' Choice Winner was actually also the #3 Readers' Choice: Sewing Barefoot's Infinity Cowl.

Simone will be receiving a pack of crochet goodies from Kadie at Seven Alive all Livin' in a Double Wide and me, you know, so she can crochet more!

Andrea will be receiving two free patterns from Kara's Etsy Shop,

and Shannon will be getting the Sharp Crochet Hook Combo Pack.

The Sharp Crochet Hook is a really handy tool that is ideal for crochetingthrough fabric to create really stunning edgings. Now you don't have to prepoke holes or pay to get your fabric hemstitched. You can use the Sharp Crochet Hook to crochet edgings through fabric for baby blankets, pillowcases, skirt hems, appliques, socks, gloves, etc. It makes it fun, easy, and convenient. The Sharp Crochet Hook is patent pending. Click here to order one: www.sharpcrochethook.com .

Ladies, I will be emailing you to gather some more info, so please check your accounts!

Click here to see where I party!

Mr. Jon and Friends CD

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Just a quick public service announcement - if you want to vote for your favorite cowl from our recent Crochet Along, click here to see the entries. The voting ends Wednesday night at midnight and there will be 3 winners!

A while back, my friend Amy from One Artsy Mama asked if I would be interested in listening to a children's CD, one that wouldn't make you want to jump out of moving car, quoted something like that. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of children's music. Oh, I've looked around a bit, and head over to iTunes every once in a while to see if there was an album that combined favorite songs with good sound. I ended up listening to a lot of sugar-coated high pitched children's voices singing ridiculously happy and overly hyper tunes. Jumping out of a moving car is a very possible reaction. But, I offered to give this CD a try, especially with such a great recommendation, and I'm SO glad I did!

Mr. Jon & Friends is the new CD from Jon and Carrie Lewis. The two of them sing a collection of new and favorite songs with the sounds of soothing yet happy guitar and piano music in the background. There weren't any children's voices, no strange sound effects, and no super fast songs. I think if I wasn't paying attention to the words, this could have been great non-children's music, beautifully light and easy to sing along with. Wow, I'm terrible at reviewing music. Just trust me - it was a great CD! You can find out more at www.MrJonMusic.com or listen to samples and buy your own copy at CDbaby.

What made it better was that J loved it! I enjoyed an evening of listening to good music, watching J dance around, and teaching him the Hokey Pokey, which was way more fun than watching Sesame Street or Cars (again.). He alternated between yelling "Mr. Jon!" and "shake it all about!" and "dance, mommy!". Plus, it wore him out, which is the best gift of all for exhausting weeknights.

That's him, realizing there's ONE MORE SONG!

Listening to The Wheels on the Bus

Well, of course he needs to play guitar, since Mr. Jon plays guitar. Nevermind that Daddy plays guitar, it's all about Mr. Jon now.

So head over to CDbaby and listen to some samples. There will be no jumping out of cars, or ripping of hair or whatever else it is people do when faced with overly sugared kiddy music.

(I received free product for this post; however, all opinions are my own.)

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CAL: Party Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

I just realized that I didn't do a tutorial on finishing a project and weaving in, so I'll try to get that in sometime, just for kicks. Probably won't do you much good right now, because it's time to link up your cowls and share your awesomeness!

This link party is open to anyone who made our Crochet Along cowl, and I hope you enjoyed the tutorials and guest posts in the past few weeks! I know some (maybe many) of you do not have blogs and will not automatically have a blog post to link up to the party, but as long as the viewing public (that's us!) can see your photo somewhere online, you're good to go!

Here are some tips for non-bloggers. You can upload a photo of your cowl to Pinterest, Flickr, Instagram (if your privacy is set to 'public') or Pinterest. You'll have to make sure whatever privacy settings are available is set to public for that photo or for that album. Then you'll need the URL for that photo. In the link party below, you'll enter a name for your cowl (be creative!), the URL for your photo, and your email address. Your email will not be public - that's just for me to contact you if you win.

For bloggers - please link up the specific post where you shared your cowl, not your homepage. There are no other rules to follow or like or whatever.

For everyone - take some time to visit other blogs and cowl projects. Comment if you can, and share the love!

Oh yeah, the winning. The link party starts today, and you'll have 4 days to add your cowl to the party. On Monday, we'll start voting for our favorites. Each person will get 2 votes, and at the end of voting (next Thursday), we'll be announcing the winners for our great prizes!

"On your marks, get set... uno for the money, due for the show, tre to get ready, and quattro to... I can't believe it... go!" ~Luigi from Cars (because we watch Cars almost every day in our house)

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Guest Post, Repeat Crafter Me

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:09:00 +0000

Today, my friend Sarah is here with a guest post on how to add embellishments to a crocheted piece! If you've ever tried one of her hat patterns, or a pattern for a crocheted animal, you'll know that even though it looks hard, it's really just little pieces put together. But there's always a trick or two to make things easier or look better, so I can't wait to learn what Sarah has to teach!

Hello Crocheters! My name is Sarah and I am the crafter, crocheter and crockpoter behind the blog Repeat Crafter Me. I am a stay-at-home mom to my two preschool age boys who I enjoy crafting and cooking with. Crocheting has quickly become my favorite hobbies over the past couple years and I enjoy writing my own patterns and sharing them with you for free on my blog. I hope you will stop by and say hi! I would love to have you following along :)

I am so excited to be taking part in this fabulous Crochet-A-Long that ChiWei has put together! I am here today to talk about one of the most frequently asked questions that I get in my e-mail box: How do you sew on crocheted embellishments to character hats? It sounds like most people are having the most trouble with ears and eyes. I don't think there is an exact science to the process of attaching one crocheted piece to another but I am more than happy to show you my method and hopefully it will help you out!

You will need a tapestry needle and long piece of yarn or embroidery thread that matches the piece you are attaching to your hat or project. I like to leave a long tail of yarn at the end of the piece I am going to need to attach and use that to stitch the pieces together. I would avoid using hot glue. I can get messy and it doesn't let the fabric stretch.

Lets start with eyes. Depending on how large your eye is, you might want to leave two long tails for sewing it on. One closer to the middle and the other on the outer edge. This will ensure that your piece doesn't bubble in the middle and lays down flat. If your crocheted eye is small or will have a button in the middle, then just one long tail at the edge of the eye will work fine. I am going to use one of the eyes to my owl hat as an example.

First position your crocheted eye where you want it. You may want to take the time to lay out the entire face before deciding where you will stitch it on. Eyes usually are best around the middle - lower half of the hat so they will be seen when being worn. You will want to stitch the eye on by weaving the yarn in and out under the top of the last round of crochet stitches as in this picture:

Here is a video tutorial which shows how to sew on the eyes to my owl hat:

Now lets talk about sewing on ears. I think the trick to this is that you want to sew on as much of the bottom of the ear as possible to the hat to make sure it is secure and that it will stand up straight (if that is what you want it to do). I made a video of how to sew on the ears to my Mickey Mouse inspired hat. You can use the technique in the video to sew on any ears to any hat:

For more videos on how to sew on embellishments, you can visit my Repeat Crafter Me Youtube Channel.

Happy Crocheting! -Sarah

And for those of you wondering, there will be a link party next week where you can share all of your cowls - I can't wait to see all of your great work!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Increasing and Decreasing

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:40:00 +0000

First off, I want to apologize for not being around lately. I've had some health issues, and it's been exhausting. Then, after staring at a laptop all day at work, really, the last thing I want to do is stare at a laptop in the evenings to catch up on all my bloggy news. Pair that with a new and improved bedtime of 9pm, just after putting my toddler down, means there isn't much of an evening to begin with! So, I apologize for being distant during what should be a fun and interactive Crochet Along. I do hope you've been working on the cowl, and checking out the tutorials and our awesome guest posts though - they've shared some great information! We've got one more guest post this week and then we're getting ready to party!

So, today, let me try to catch up a bit and present a quick tutorial on increasing and decreasing stitches. You won't need this for the cowl (although the V-stitch uses the concept of an increased stitch), but it comes in handy if you're ever in the mood for some amigurumi or anything that requires more than a rectangular shape!

Increase:

To increase means to increase the number of stitches in the row or round. So if you have 9 stitches in this row, if you increase one of the stitches, you'll end up with 10 stitches total. Easy? Yes it is!

Start with a single crochet:

Single crochet complete.

Here's the increase. See that hole where you completed the single crochet. Insert your hook back into the same stitch for your next single crochet.

In other words, you're making 2 single crochets in 1 stitch.

You can see the bump in the middle where there's an extra stitch. Of course, you can increase in every stitch, or every other stitch, as indicated by the pattern. You see this most often when working in the round.

Decrease:
To decrease means you're taking that 10 stitches back down to 9. Sometimes in a pattern, you'll see it written as sc2tog, which means single crochet 2 (stitches) together, which makes it really easy to understand.

Insert your hook into the first stitch.

Bring yarn over the hook and pull through.

Now, insert your hook into the second stitch. You haven't completed a single crochet yet.

Bring yarn over the hook and pull through. You should have 2 loops on the hook.

Bring yarn over the hook again, and pull through all 3 loops on the hook.

A sc2tog complete.

If you did the increase, and now the decrease as depicted, you should have the same number of stitches as you started with before the increase.

If you create amigurumi or anything in the round that requires a tighter decrease, you'll definitely want to check out the "invisible decrease" by Planet June. Her version of a decrease doesn't leave a hole in your work, and you can barely tell there was a decrease at all. Pretty amazing stuff!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Guest Post, Maybe Matilda

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:03:00 +0000

Today, I'd like to welcome my friend Rachel from Maybe Matilda. She makes the most beautiful baby blankets and crocheted hats and has a wonderful sense of humor. I love her and I think you will too!

Hello, fellow crocheters! My name is Rachel and I blog at Maybe Matilda. I’m excited to be a little part of ChiWei’s crochet along, and can’t wait to finish up and wear my pretty new cowl.

As a quick introduction: I’m the mom of a cute/crazy 2 year old boy, I live in Utah, and I love crocheting for myself, my family, and my Etsy shop. My current obsession is making baby blankets, and hats are also a perennial favorite. I’d love to branch out and try more clothing—sweaters, baby girl dresses, etc.

(^ that’s me!)

I’m a mostly self-taught crocheter, and it was tutorials just like these ones that helped me to learn. Which makes me excited for you guys participating and just dipping your toes into the crochet waters, because I know how much crocheting fun is in store for you!

I’m hoping this post will help you out when it comes to yarn shopping. If you’re new to crocheting, the yarn aisles at the craft store can be pretty intimidating. There are a zillion different brands, colors, yarn weights, prices, and textures . . . how do you know what to purchase for your project? Hopefully, this post can clear things up and arm you with some confidence when you hit the craft store.

(^ that little cutie is my son, Forrest playing in my yarn stash. See? Yarn is fun for everyone.)

Yarn Weight
The first thing to consider when yarn shopping is the weight you need for your project. The pattern should tell you what you’ll need (for instance, the Double Strand Infinity Cowl we’re making for this crochet along tells us we need 2 balls of worsted weight yarn). Just about every yarn label you’ll ever see in a big craft store should have something that looks like this on the label to help you identify the yarn weight:

A yarn labeled as ‘1’ or super fine/baby/fingering yarn will be itty bitty skinny yarn; a ‘6’ or super bulky/roving yarn will be a big chunky rope-like yarn. Most of your everyday projects will probably require a weight of 4 (worsted/medium weight). So double check your pattern to see what weight you need to purchase, then, when you’re yarn shopping, check for the appropriate number/word on the label to make sure you come home with the correct yarn weight. Using the wrong weight for your pattern will affect the finished size, so it’s best to stick with the recommended weight. You’ll also want to check the amount of yarn you need for your project—many projects will list a certain number of yards of yarn required, and you can find the yardage per skein on the yarn label once you get to the store. I hate running out of yarn mid-project!

Fiber Content
Yarns are available in a huge variety of fibers, from cashmeres to merino wools to cotton to acrylic to a blend of multiple fibers. You can find information about the fiber content on the yarn label. The fiber content will affect the price of your yarn, the feel of it, and even its use and wearability. For instance, if you have allergies to wool, you’ll obviously need to avoid wool or wool-blend yarns; if you are making something you hope to wear in spring and summer, maybe a breathable cotton would be your best choice; if you’re crocheting hot pads for your kitchen, an acrylic yarn might melt if you place a hot pan on it. So think about what you’re making, how much you’re willing to spend on your yarn, and how/when your project will be used, and choose an appropriate fiber. Personally, I use acrylic yarn for 99% of my projects. It’s affordable, sturdy, machine washable, doesn’t require any special care, and there is a huge variety of brands and colors to choose from!

Workability
Some yarns are just easier to crochet with than others. As a general rule, the easiest yarns to crochet with are the simplest, least fancy/unique ones. Just a regular, run of the mill worsted weight yarn will be the easiest to learn with since your stitches will be clearly visible and the strands are compact and easy to see and navigate around. If you are a beginner to crochet, I would recommend that you avoid yarns that are too curly/loopy (for instance, Lion Brand Homespun is beautiful, beautiful yarn, but since it has a sort of ‘curly’ look, it can be difficult to see your stitches and wouldn’t make a good practice yarn), as well as yarns that are fuzzy or have loose fibers, as pictured below. They sure make for unique finished projects and are fun to play around with once you’ve nailed down the basics of crochet, but they make your stitches hard to see clearly, and they’ll probably be frustrating to work with if you’re just starting out. Save the ‘fun’ yarns for when you’re confident in your stitches and have a little practice under your belt.

Personal Favorites

In my crocheting days, I’ve tried quite a few different brands. Some of my very favorites—taking into consideration many factors like price, color options, availability (ie. do I have to special order vs. just pick it up in store?), softness/comfort, and workability—are Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn, Red Heart With Love, Vanna’s Choice, Waverly for Bernat, and Bernat Super Value. I would wholeheartedly recommend any of those!

I hope this guide makes the yarn aisles a little less intimidating—although there are tons of choices, you’ll love browsing the yarns and finding the perfect one for your project. Have fun yarn shopping and crocheting!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Reading a Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Today, let's take a look at the pattern and see if we can make some sense out of it. If you're unfamiliar with crochet, it must seem like a whole different language, especially if you try reading it out loud. My eyes often glaze over reading patterns, so it's important to break it down line by line and try to picture the stitches in your head.

I've also gotten a few questions about the pattern, so I hope to answer them here as well.

Here's the original post with the pattern for the cowl. If you read it, you'll notice I wrote that it looked like spring...I was dead wrong. It is FREEZING here, and I often wear this cowl all day, in the office, at home, in the car, making dinner, watching tv. Cold cold cold.

Anyways, let's work through the pattern line by line. First, we'll start with the abbreviations:

ch = chain

sl st = slip stitch

dc = double crochet

st(s) = stitch(es)

V-stitch = Work 1 dc, 1 ch, 1 dc into the same stitch.

This is your decoder. If you replace all the abbreviations in the pattern with the full names, everything starts to become clear!

Foundation: Ch 99 with 2 strands of yarn held together. Join with a sl st in the back ridge of first chain. This means you will twist the chain slightly in order to work into the back ridge or hump of the chain.

Start with loop on your hook, and make 99 chains. Keep the chains loose. It's easy to make them nice and tight, but the rest of the scarf will be pretty loose and then you might end up with a crescent shape if one side of the scarf is worked too tightly. I found it's better to keep your chain looser than you think you'll want it. At 99 stitches, your chain link should be about 4 feet long. (The finished cowl hangs to the waist and is about 6 inches wide, with plenty of stretch)

Then you have two options. You can join with the beginning of your chains either in the back loop of the chain, or in the back ridge. When I first started learning, it was always easier to connect my chains using the back loop, as shown in the chain tutorial. If you're up for something fancier, you can join the chains in the back hump of the chain. This is a bit more difficult, as it involves a bit of a twist, and you'll need to remember to twist it back when you finish the next round.

** Regardless of how you work the slip stitch to connect the chain, stick with that method for all of Round 1. If you use the back hump, continue working single crochets into the back hump.

Round 1: Ch 1. Work 1 sc into each st around. Join to ch-1 with a sl st.

Now that you have your foundation chains linked together, you should have a big loosey goosey loop. Now, create 1 chain (gives height, and is actually the "last" stitch in the round). Then work one single crochet into every one of your chains, either in the back loop, or the back hump. When you get all the way around, you'll need to join to that first chain that you made, with a slip stitch. If you count your stitches, you should still have 99 stitches all together. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that meant you made 98 single crochet stitches, and 1 stitch to join. If you have more or less stitches, you may need to pull out a stitch or add a stitch before joining.

If you single crocheted into the back hump of the chains, you'll need to twist the work back before connecting the rounds. My advice is to play around, and it's ok to fudge a little if necessary.

Round 2: Ch 3. Work 1 dc into same st as join. *Skip 2 st. Work (dc, ch 1, dc) in next st. This is one V-stitch made. Repeat from * around. Skip 2 st. Join with a sl st into 2nd chain of round. - 99 sts

At this point, count your stitches and make sure you still have the same number you started with.

For Round 2, it looks complicated, but remember to substitute the abbreviations in. First, you'll make 3 chains, straight up. Then, work 1 double crochet into the same stitch that you're sitting in. Then count two stitches over to find the next stitch you'll work in. In that 3rd stitch, you'll make 1 double crochet, then 1 chain, then 1 more double crochet into the same stitch. That means that for the 1 stitch that you worked into, you'll have 3 stitches at the top - there's the V-shape! Go back to the star (*) and repeat the instructions from the star over and over again until you reach the end of the round. Then you can move on to the last bit, where you skip 2 more stitches and then join. Again, it's good to make sure you have the right number of stitches in your round.

Round 3: Ch 3. Work 1 dc into next ch-1 sp. *Skip 2 st. Work (dc, ch 1, dc) in next ch-1 sp. Repeat from * around. Skip 1 st, then join with a sl st into 2nd chain of round. - 99 sts

Round 4: Repeat Round 3.

Round 5: Repeat Round 3.

Round 6: Repeat Round 3.

Round 7: Repeat Round 3.

Round 8: Ch 1 (does not count as st). Work 1 sc into each st around. Join with a sl st.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Hopefully, you can figure out the rest of the instructions. Read through slowly and break down each step. I'll give a short tutorial on fastening off and weaving in ends a little bit later. Don't be discouraged if you have to take it apart and redo pieces of the cowl. And don't be afraid to change things up if you don't like something either! This is a recipe only; feel free to make it your own and have fun!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Petals to Picots Guest Post

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:33:00 +0000

I'm so happy to have Kara here as a guest poster today! I absolutely love her patterns and tutorials and crochet references. If you haven't gotten around to saying hi, head over there and look around - you're gonna fall in love!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be a part of ChiWei's crochet along. This is going to be so much fun, and I am so excited about working up the pretty Double Strand Infinity Cowl.

Let me introduce myself ... my name is Kara and I blog over at Petals to Picots, where I share my passion for crochet with free patterns, peeks at my works in progress, and lots of tips and tricks.

And today, I am here to share one of those tricks with you ... making a magic ring.

The magic ring is also called a slip ring, adjustable ring, magic loop, or magic ring, and it is used as an option for starting work in a round. The magic ring is so awesome because it allows you to pull the the hole in the center of your work closed, which is great when making things like hats, amigurumi, granny squares, flowers, and other motifs.

To make a magic ring, make a loop with the yarn around your fingers with the tail end of the yarn behind the working yarn (the yarn coming from the skein) and leaving a tail about 6 inches long (see Fig. 1). Hold the place where the yarn overlaps between your thumb and forefinger (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1

Fig.2

Insert your hook through the loop (see Fig. 3) and bring through a loop of the working yarn, one loop is now on the hook (see Fig. 4).

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Work the first round as instructed by your pattern. In most cases you will chain 1 and make a number of single crochets into the loop (see Fig. 5). Join and pull on the tail end of the yarn to tighten (see Fig. 6).

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

I also made a handy little video to help you out ...

Please refer to my Terms of Use for copyright details.

Thank you so much, ChiWei, for having me over and for putting together this awesome CAL!

Thanks Kara! Next Monday, we'll be going over and understanding the cowl pattern so that those of you who are new can get started. I know many of you have already started (or finished!) the cowl, which is awesome! I can't wait for the link party in a couple of weeks where you can all show off your finished projects!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Slip Stitch

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:24:00 +0000

I'm a little under the weather this week, so this tutorial is going to be quick. I'm just going to go over a slip stitch, and you should be all set to start the cowl pattern next week!

A slip stitch is very simple, and has almost no height to it. It's mainly used to connect two stitches together, especially when you work in a round. However, a whole project with nothing but slip stitches does create a unique pattern, if you're patient (crazy) enough to work and work and work and make very little progress!

Insert your hook through your work.

Bring the yarn over the hook, and draw the yarn through the work.

You should have two loops on your hook right now. So far, this is the same as the single crochet. Except now, draw the first loop through the second loop.

Another way of explaining it, is when you bring the yarn over the hook in Step 2, draw that yarn through both the worked piece and the loop on your hook in one motion. Boom, a slip stitch complete!

Sometimes, you'll be asked to slip stitch through a chain. The concept is the same, insert your hook through the chain stitch, yarn over, and draw the yarn through the chain and the loop on the hook together.

Yay for short tutorials and early bedtimes! Tomorrow, we have our first guest poster, and she's got a great tutorial to share!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Half Double and Double Crochet Stitch

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Ready for more?

Yesterday, we learned how to handle the yarn, work up some chain stitches, and worked one row of single crochet stitches. Today, we'll review the single crochet, then move on to the double crochet and half double crochet stitch. The concept is very similar, so you shouldn't have too many problems. But as always, if you do, ask questions!

You'll need to turn your work in order to crochet back along the piece. Before turning, most patterns will tell you to add 1 chain stitch. Remember how you added the single crochet into the 2nd chain from hook. Here, in order to SC into the 2nd chain from hook, you'll need to create an extra chain, so that the "2nd" chain is actually the first chain in the piece. Otherwise, you'll start losing stitches. So, in the picture below: Bring the yarn over the hook and draw it through the single loop on your hook to create a chain stitch. Then turn the piece towards you.

Now, you can start a single crochet in the 2nd stitch from the hook, since the 1st stitch was that extra chain you added. Insert the hook through the front and back loops (or below the entire V), as shown in the arrow.

This should be a review of the single crochet. The hook is inserted through both front and back loops. Yarn over, draw through the work to create 2 loops on hook. Yarn over again, draw through both loops on hook. 1 SC created.

Alrighty, now, the Double Crochet Stitch.

Once you've finished the row of single crochet stitches, you'll need to add extra chains and turn. For a double crochet stitch, you'll need to add 2 extra chains to accommodate the height of the double crochet. Turn, and the first stitch will go into the 3rd stitch from the chain.

After turning, bring the yarn over the hook.

Insert the hook into the 3rd stitch from hook, through both front and back loops. Bring yarn over the hook.

Draw the yarn through the work, and you should have 3 loops on your hook.

Yarn over hook, and draw yarn through first 2 loops.

You should have 2 loops left on your hook.

Yarn over hook again, and draw yarn through remaining 2 loops on hook.

Double crochet stitch complete!

Repeat one more time, and you should see two double crochet stitches, as well as the two chains at the far right of the work.

Here's a recap, from a different point of view:

Whew! The Half Double Crochet Stitch should be a breeze!

Yarn over the hook first.

Insert hook into work, through both front and back loops. Yarn over hook and draw yarn through work.

You should have 3 loops on your hook. So far, this is exactly like the double crochet.

Yarn over hook again, but THIS TIME, draw the yarn through ALL 3 loops on the hook.

That's a half double crochet stitch complete!

Feeling good? You should! You've got enough basics to be dangerous now! As with anything and most everything in life, practice makes perfect, so take some time to practice these stitches. Drop me a line if you have questions!

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: How to Start with a Chain and a Single Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:44:00 +0000

I'm starting with tutorials for the basic stitches for those who are unfamiliar with crochet. This means we won't be reading the cowl pattern and starting working the pattern itself until next week. If you don't need the tutorials, feel free to work on the cowl at your own pace - this is all just for fun!

Just a note here. These posts are going to be VERY picture heavy, so not as much word heavy, otherwise, it'll be more like an encyclopedia. So, if you have questions, ask in the comments! I'll try to answer some, and I'll have our wonderful guest posters take a crack at them each Friday. And these are instructions for right handed crocheters, in American crocheting terms.

1. Hold the yarn in your left hand, with the end of the yarn at the bottom.

2. Wrap the yarn around your first two fingers to create a loose loop.

3. Insert the hook as shown. It's a bit of an under and over.

4. See where the hook almost catches the yarn in pic #3? Bring that bit through the loop, and now you've got a loop on your hook.

This is the same as picture 4 above, but without my hand.

Pull on both ends of the yarn. The loop on the hook will tighten. As you play around, you'll see that you can adjust the tail (left over yarn) length depending on which end you pull on more.

Side note: How to hold the yarn. This is rather optional until you're more comfortable, and it's how I do it, and I know lots of people do it differently. I loop the yarn from the ball end around my pinky finger to establish a consistent tension.

Then, either 1) hold the work with your middle finger + thumb, and create yarn overs (loops) with your pointer finger, or 2) hold the work with your pointer finger + thumb, and create yarn overs with your middle finger. I switch it up depending on if I'm cramping (since I don't have Mr. Darcy massaging my hands).

So, back to the chain. You've tightened the original loop. Now, the working end of the yarn should be behind your hook. Bring that yarn over the hook (yarn over or YO), and using the hook end, pull that yarn through the loop that's already on the hook. There's a rather unimpressive arrow showing that movement.

Here's another view of it. Bring the yarn over the hook and pull that bit through the existing loop. That creates a chain stitch. If you've gotten this far, you've created 2 chain stitches!

Keep going, and you'll see a string of chain stitches. For these pictures, I've used a larger hook than necessary for this yarn weight, so the chains are loosey goosey and a bit uneven.

Here's a picture of chain stitches using a smaller hook. Notice the stitches are tighter and more uniform. Neither is right or wrong - it depends on the look and the gauge you want. Can you count the chain stitches?

Now we're going to add a row of single crochet stitches to this chain. A single crochet is the height of a chain stitch, so we will be starting the single crochet in chain number 8, skipping the last chain, or in pattern-speak, "single crochet in 2nd chain from hook". Chain #9 is the first chain from the hook. Insert your hook on the back (or left) part of the "V", as shown by the arrow in the pic below.

Bring your yarn over the crochet hook, and then using the hook, pull that yarn through the first loop.

You should now have 2 loops on your crochet hook.

Bring the yarn over the hook one more time, and this time, draw the yarn through both loops.

That completes a single crochet!

Here's a review, using the 2nd stitch. 1) Insert the hook in the back side of the V. 2) Bring yarn over the hook. 3) Draw yarn through 1st loop to leave 2 loops on hook. 4) Bring yarn over hook and draw yarn through the last 2 loops.

This shows the 2nd SC complete.

Continue single crochets across. You should have 8 single crochets.

Well, this post was certainly long enough. We'll review the SC again in the next post and then move on to the half double and double crochet stitch.

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Let's Go Shopping!

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Alright, so it's a Friday, and maybe some of you are snowed in, but others are eager to go shopping and gather supplies for our crochet along! Thank you all for voting for the project you want to work on, and if you've seen the vote tallies, you can see that the winner is the Double Strand Infinity Cowl, by yours truly. I'd like to thank you for voting for my project, and no, I didn't rig the vote. I was sort of hoping for the shawl, and Drew wanted a bunny basket!

If you look at the supplies list in the pattern, you'll see the following:

M size (9.0 mm) crochet hook

2 balls of worsted weight yarn.

Yarn needle

You'll be able to find these supplies at any craft store, in the yarn section. You can think of worsted weight yarn as your average run-of-the-mill yarn that line the shelves. It'll have a label that shows the number 4 or Medium/Moyen weight. You can check out this tutorial on how to read yarn labels. The pattern calls for 2 balls of yarn because we will be working the pattern with 2 strands of yarn held together for a bulk effect. Here's where you can get fancy. Choose 2 balls of the same color, or use two different colors to add some texture!

If you're a beginner, I suggest not buying any fancy yarn with waves, feathers, fluffies, or poms poms built in. It will make it difficult for you to see and understand the stitches you're making. Just stick to plain old medium weight yarn. I like Vanna's Choice, Loops and Threads, Red Heart or Caron for basic acrylic yarn. If you want to up the ante, you might be able to find 100% wool or bamboo yarn in worsted weight.

In terms of accessories, you'll need the hook, a big ol' yarn needle to weave in ends, and maybe a stitch marker. You can buy the hook as part of a pack, or individually. Yarn needles come in metal and plastic, either one works. When I started, I used a wire tie or a big safety pin as a stitch marker, so no need to spend money on one unless you want to.

Now that you know what to buy, let's take a look at our wonderful sponsors for this CAL, who will be providing prizes for the top 3 projects linked up to our CAL link party!

Kadie from Seven Alive and I will be giving away a crochet prize pack to the Readers' Choice winner, consisting of a set of hooks, a hook roll, stitch markers, a pattern book and whatever other goodies I'll find when I go shopping. Kadie blogs over at Seven Alive, which is full of fun crochet projects, as well as awesome recipes and cute crafts to do with your kids.

For the second prize in our Readers' Choice vote, Kara from Petals to Picots will be giving away two free patterns from her Etsy Shop! There are some seriously cute patterns here; I don't envy the person who has to only choose two. Kara also has some wonderful free patterns available on her blog (like those Easter eggs), so be sure to go check them out!

Last but not least, our guest posters will be collaborating and choosing a Judges' Choice winner from the projects linked up, and that lucky person will be receiving a Sharp Crochet Hook Combo Pack from Jessica at Sharp Crochet Hook! I'm actually using one right now for a project (because my day job and this CAL doesn't keep me busy enough, right?), and it's awesome! It is a crochet hook with a sharp end so you can poke through fabrics and create crocheted borders.

In addition to our awesome sponsors, Sarah from Repeat Crafter Me and Rachel from Maybe Matilda will be on-hand to share a guest post with us, as well as help answer any questions you may have along the way. These are my bestest crocheting friends, so I hope you will take a moment, visit their blogs/shops and send them some love!

I'll be posting some tutorials starting next week, and you'll be able to spend some time practicing the basic stitches before we start the pattern itself. I'll also be linking up each tutorial and making necessary changes to the schedule from the last post, so always feel free to head back and review anything you need to. Happy Shopping!

Click here to see where I party!

FAN-tastic Friday, Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I just want to throw out a HUGE thank you to all who linked up last Friday to my very first Facebook Link Party! I thought I'd give the concept a try, and I loved all the projects that were shared. Hopefully, you were able to visit a couple and maybe make some new friends!

Another party goes live tonight at 9pm EST on my Facebook page, so get ready! This week, to kick off what I hope will be a successful and fun crochet-along, let's set the theme to be "Yarn". Share your yarn related projects, whether they are wreaths or yarn wrapped letters or crochet/knitting or fun pompoms for a party. I hope to see you there!

Now, here are some of my favorites from last week:

Valentine Bookmarks from One Artsy Mama

Cross My Heart Hair Clip from Sweet Benanna & Sam

Conversation Heart Wreath from Seven Alive

Valentine Wreath from Project Inspire

Valentine Wreath at Plucky's Second Thought

Click here to see where I party!

CAL: Pick a Project

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Welcome to my very first Crochet-Along! I hope you're all excited to join me in learning about crochet and completing a project of your own. Don't know how to crochet? Not a problem! I'll be posting several tutorials on basic stitches, and a few of my friends are here to help me answer any questions you may have along the way. It all seems very confusing at first, but with a little time and a little practice, and a little help from your friends, you'll be showing off your first (or second, or umpteenth) crochet project in no time!

Here's the basic schedule for the CAL (crochet along, because I don't want to have to write it out every. single. time.). These dates may change slightly, since we'll all be figuring things out as we go. First attempt at a CAL, you know?

Monday, 2/4: Vote for the pattern you want to work on. Voting ends Thursday at 12 noon EST.

Friday, 2/8: Define the project, get pumped, get ready to go shopping for materials!

Monday, 2/11: Learn the chain stitch, single crochet, half double, double crochet

Wednesday, 2/13: Learn the slip stitch. How to increase and decrease

Friday, 2/15: Guest post to help answer questions

Monday, 2/18: How to read the pattern.

Wednesday, 2/20: If you haven't started already, start working!

Friday, 2/22: Guest post to help answer questions

Monday: 2/25: Check in on progress.

Wednesday, 2/27: How to finish, bind off, weave in.

Friday, 3/1: Guest post to help answer questions

Monday, 3/4: Check in on progress - Should be finishing up!

Thursday, 3/7: Link up your projects!

Monday, 3/11: Link Submissions close, Voting begins.

Thursday, 3/14: Voting ends.

Friday, 3/15: Winners are announced!

I know it looks like a huge ordeal, and it sounds scary to commit weeks of your life to this, but as with anything, there's practice involved before starting a project. I don't want to admit how many projects I've torn apart and started over because I didn't try out a pattern on cheap yarn first. Sigh. And if everyone moves right along, we'll adjust the schedule to match!

And you might have noticed, there's voting involved! That's because I've got some awesome friends and sponsors that will be giving away 3 prizes to the 3 best projects! Define "best"... . Two winners will be chosen by the readers, and 1 winner will be a Judges favorite. I'll be introducing the judges and sponsors shortly. So, lots to learn, and lots to look forward to! I hope you'll join me!

First things first. Let's learn about the projects and pick one to complete together! Each person gets 2 votes, and the project with the most votes by Thursday at noon EST will be our CAL project.

Take a look at your choices and vote on your favorite!

There are no requirements in order to participate. You don't have to follow or like or whatever, although it's a good way to make sure you don't miss anything. You can find me all over social media these days...

And please tell your friends to come and join us! I'd really appreciate it if you grabbed the CAL button from the sidebar and shared it. Having more people work and interact together means we all learn more!

Click here to see where I party!

How to Paint Without Pre-Taping

noreply@blogger.com (Chiwei @ One Dog Woof) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:45:00 +0000

In the few years that Drew and I have lived in our house, we have painted almost every single room (including the kitchen) in the house and just about every inch of trim. The only original paint left is in the bathrooms and the upstairs hallway, and maybe a random closet here and there. This means the workroom has a paint shelf to rival Home Depot, and we are never without a supply of paint rollers, paint trays and Purdy brushes. We've also settled on our favorite paints, tools and techniques.

I love the way a newly painted room looks, but I used to never look forward to painting. I mean, who does? All that prep, then the days messing around with painters tape, then the actual painting, then the ripping of painters tape, then the touch up where the tape didn't do squat at protecting the edge. When I lived on my own in a new condo, I tried those fancy schmancy edge painters, and they worked well enough I suppose. But when you live in a 90 year old house with plaster walls, there's not a perfectly straight edge in sight. Can you imagine having to tape around every odd bubble and defect in every wall?

So what I'd like to share with you today are my tips on interior painting, and especially, how to paint a straight edge against a ceiling or around molding without using any of that pesky blue tape. I say "interior" painting, because as Drew will tell you, exterior painting and prepping is a whole different ball game!

1. Don't skimp on the supplies. I used to use generic brushes and big box store brand paint. The paint would go on thin, spray all over me, leave streaks, and I would end up having to paint on several coats to get the right color. The brushes would shed hairs in the paint and on a sticky wall. We learned our lesson.

We now buy Benjamin Moore paint, and oh my heaven, the first time the good paint touched the wall, I think I heard the angels sing. It covered beautifully, and we have never needed more than 2 coats of paint. Our brushes on Purdy angled brushes, and they are meticulously cleaned after every use, because dang, they are expensive! We buy cheap rollers to use with the primer, and fine fuzz or sponge rollers for the top coat.

2. Invest in a metal paint tray, and buy cheap liners in bulk.

3. Use old shower curtains, bedsheets or towels as drop cloths.

4. Buy a good large angled brush for edging and you'll never need to tape an edge again. Woohoo!

5. Prime everything first. If you're covering both wall and trim, priming can be a slightly sloppy affair, since you won't need to know where the edge is (except for the ceiling).

6. After priming, decide if you'll paint the wall or trim first. I like to paint trim first. So, that's crown molding first (or ceiling first, if necessary), and all window/door/chair rail trim and then base molding. Any mistakes in the trim, where you went "over the line" can be corrected/covered with the wall paint. Drew likes to politely disagree slightly and say that base molding is easier to do last. Whatever floats your boat.

7. Edge without using tape! Take your clean, angled brush, load it up with paint, and rest it gently close to the edge you want to paint. Make sure it doesn't glop too much. Carefully move the brush up to (or down to) the edge, and use the side of the brush to create that straight edge. Now just move the brush steadily against the edge (pulling is easier than pushing) until you start running low on paint. Move the brush perpendicularly away from the edge and finish the stroke. Load up with paint again, overlap where you left off and paint another straight edge. Pretty easy right? That was a lot of talk for not a lot of tutorial, I know. Here's a handy tip - don't try to edge when drunk, or when cold. You need a steady hand for a clean edge!

Yes, I did clean up that drip.

8. Roll a bead of paint along. Huh? In the picture below, do you see that little glop of paint right at the bottom of the brush? That tells me there's still enough paint in the brush to keep going, and that's the paint that I'm pushing up against the molding to create the straight edge. When that bead of paint goes away, it's time to end that paint stroke.

8. When painting the wall, keep a wet edge. I like to edge a little, then roll a little, as the roller tends to provide a smoother finish, and helps blend the edging better. If you roll on paint first, then paint the edges with a brush, you'll always see a bit of those brush marks.

In our house, we've pretty much lost track of where our blue painters tape is. We do still need it sometimes, to cover doorknobs and hinges we're too lazy to remove, but at least we no longer spend a day taping and another day painstakingly stripping tape without ruining our hard work. And we've been able to adapt to all the bumps in the wall as well.

I hope this helps you in your next painting adventure! If you have any questions, just leave a comment, or find me on Facebook!

Click here to see where I party!