Jan Mystery Create Along Reveal

Have you ever done a Create Along? 

I've done a few Crochet Create A-longs and they are so much fun! I've had never done a mystery one though and I have to say I absolutely loved it! 

What's a create along you say? Its a pattern we work up together in a big group. For instance, the one I participated in was a mystery! We got info such as yarn weight and gauge and how much we needed. All I had to do was choose the yarn and size to make. I got clues every few days for two weeks. So I had an on going  project which is kinda nice so I felt like I could work on it a little at a time. It was fun to guess what I was making too! 

The Create Along I participated in was hosted by the wonderful Melody's Makings! She has a fabulous group of crochet and knitters. They are helpful and fun to share your projects and ideas with! It truly is a special group! I love that she has  Crochet & Knit versions of her create alongs too! It was hard for me to decide which one to do. I actually started both but ultimately worked on the knit version instead. 

I decided to use Lion Brand Hometown USA in the color way Portland Wine. Purple is my favorite and I had two skeins. 

So I only had to pick up one extra.

Clue #1- After the 1st clue I had no idea what I was making! I enjoyed making the cables though. 

 

Clue #2 - Still wasn't sure what it was going to be but liking my results so far. 

Clue #3- ta-da I knew what it was as we formed a bonnet and started adding to it. 

Clue #4 - All Done! I love this. I made the Adult version which fits me fine but My daughter looooves it more and she wants to wear it. She asked me to make a matching one for her dolly too. 

 I ran out of purple on the bind off. So I decided I'll add some accents in grey. The hood is big for her but I have a solution. I'm going to add a pull string in grey around the hood and big pom poms on the ends! I just haven't had time to add those on just yet! Aren't the cables lovely on this! I enjoyed making this with super bulky yarn too! It's so warm and cozy and pretty quick to make for knitting. 

Knit Cable Hooded Cowl

It was a wonderfully written pattern and

 such a fun mystery create along! 

Melody is actually hosting another one next month and I'm totally going to join in! It's called the Wisteria Create Along and there will be a crochet & knit version! I love the name of this and I have no idea what it will be but I just now it's going to be great and sounds like it will be a great project! I just need to pick out some yarn.

Will  you join the fun with me! Just click below for full details! There is all kinds of fun with this and I know it will be amazingly done by Melody's Makings! You won't regret it! 

Have fun!! 

Mini Mystery CAL from Merry Messy Life Part #2

I'm really having fun with this  Mini Mystery Crochet-A-Long hosted by Merry Messy Life.
I finally got around to finishing part 2. Eight little hearts. I was going to make 2 of each color but I ran out of green. I left long tails on most of mine for now since I'm not sure how these will be arranged when we get to part 3. This is turning out to be lovely! I can't wait to put it all together! I think whatever it is. It will be cute in my craft loft. It need more crochet decor. Which is what I'm guessing this is.

You can find the instructions here for Part 2 

You can also read more of my Part 1 here

Do you like CAL? I do!

I Love Yarn Day Challenge & Sale

Okay admit it! You have too much yarn and you don't know what your going to make with most of it. 

CHALLENGE!!

Look in your stash for a yarn buried deep down. 

Maybe it's a not so pretty skein that you can make beautiful. 

I love that with yarn it all starts out the same and can be used in so many different ways!

 Maybe pull out a pattern you'd bought or saved and haven't used.  

Each yarn is special so lets make something beautiful with that neglected treasure! 

I'm going to go dig in my bins and see what treasures I can find. 

I want to see your yarn choices before, and what you made with it after! 

You can post it on our Facebook page, facebook group or ravelry group.

Need some inspiration?!?

 We have lots of free patterns on the blog and I'm also having a sale in Raverly!!

In Ravelry only

Fri. Oct 11th, Noon - Midnight central 

35% off all patterns 

no code needed, discount taken at check out! 

We still do have 5 patterns on 50% discount for pattern of the week so don't miss out on the extra savings for those patterns. 

You'll need to purchase these separately from the sale. It won't do two discounts. 

Use the Coupon Code

CCCC50OFF in Ravelry

Thanksgiving/Fall Themed

Sweet Corn Cape Set 

Pilgrim Boy & Girl Cape Set

Tommy The Turkey Cape Set

Football Cape Set

Poppin Razzleberry hat

Summer CAL - Crochet Scalloped Top - Finishing

I've been so excited with how many of you have joined in the crochet along! I've seen some great work and can't wait to see your finished tops in the coming week!

This week we'll be putting our Fronts and Backs together. Joining the sides and shoulders.

There are many methods to join. I don't like sewing a long piece of yarn so I opted to sl st up the sides (right sides together, so the stitch doesn't show).

Make sure you line up good. It's probably important that you have the same amount of rows on the front and back. I loosened my gauge up some on the front and I ended up with one less row but it worked out fine just had to make a few adjustment while joining the sides. (you can't tell) :)

When joining the shoulders I found that the yardage it had me cut while still attached, wasn't enough.
 I ended up fastening off the 3 yards, re-attached and went from there.

I had a few questions on the joining of the shoulders. You will be working back and forth from the top of the shoulders so that they are open is places. Here is a picture of mine and I'll try to help guide you through it. I wish I took step by steps here but alas my top is finished!

This shows how you work back and forth from the scallops. Don't forget you'll continue the same pattern repeats between these. 

Close up of how to work back and forth from a scallop! 

When you are all finished with your top I want to see pics or better yet I made a video and got my mom  to do it too! Don't be camera shy! 

I did a video because well have you ever tried to take a picture of yourself. It's really hard! I even tried using my bathroom mirror refection but I wasn't happy. Here is one my attempts. 

(ewe! Should have cleaned the mirror first! LOL)

I wanted to give you a little review and a full 360 view of my top in action. To prove it actually fit and that I really like it! Plus you can get to know me a little bit more :) I hope I get to meet you too!

So without further ado here is my finished Crochet Scalloped Top!

Enjoy! 

Don't forget to show me yours! It if you behind no worries! Just pick up your hook and keep going! I think you'll be happy you did! 

Summer CAL- Crochet Scalloped Top - Week 2

I hope you're excited for Week 2 of our Summer CAL. I know many of you have dived right in and might already have week 2 done but many have had questions so I hope that this blog post will help you complete this weeks section. 

If you are just joining us there is plenty of time to participate, because week one was just gathering supplies and getting to know the pattern. Click week 1 below for full details and tips we discovered to help you along the way! 

Week 1 - 

Week 2 -  Back and Sleeves finished this week. 

Week 3 - Front and Sleeves (same as the back)

Week 4 - Finishing, joining and shaping shoulders. 

Here is my completed back. I've run into a small snag though. While my length is long enough my width is short by about 10 inches. I tend to crochet tight and have issues with Simply Soft so I'm sure it's just me. I'm going to make the front larger and that should give me the room I need so it's not tight. I'll be sure to let you know how I adjust when I get there. It shouldn't be to hard. 

I've had a lot of questions on the sleeves. So I thought I'd take pics and see if I can help explain it a little further than the pattern. 

If you look at the sleeves it says to join to the left end of last row. My hook is showing were you should be joining and ch 14. 

Close up of what the ch 14 should look like. 

The image below I have my back scrunched up but you'll see the ch 14 & ch 18 on the opposite end. 

note that even though it's ch 18, 4 ch's count as a dc & ch1. I'll explain that further below. 

When you move onto the the "next" row you'll need to look back to the setup row (when you worked in ch's) and a combination of row 1 of back. You'll need to keep the same pattern you had doing the back. It should match up all the same. If you need further help just ask in one of our group and we'll help you out! 

 This image shows what the "next" row on the sleeves should look like. 

I started a group via Raverly for those that don't do Facebook! We'd love to have you join so you can share your CAL progress, pictures, ask questions and just chat crochet. Anyone is welcome! 

Calleigh's Clips and Crochet Creations Group on Raverly

Have fun!! 

Summer CAL - Crochet Scalloped Top

With the official start of summer of Friday I thought we should kick it off right with a fun summer Crochet Along. Crochet Tops are all the rage this season and I've been wanting to make one. I got a newsletter from the Caron Website with a pattern I knew I had to try. It's free so anyone can grab it up!

Crochet Scalloped Top

So I thought I might not be motivated to get it done. I've only made one garment top once for myself and it turned out okay but this might be a little different. So I thought it would be fun to have you crochet it with me. We can learn and help each other along the way! 

This CAL will be a little laid back. There are sizes for just about everyone and honestly I think it would be easy to adjust for larger sizes by going up a hook size or too.

Week 1- Jun 18th - Jun 24th  

Get together your supplies-
1. Print or download the pattern and read through it.
2. Measure and decide which size to make. (see my notes below)
3. Pick out your yarn and make a gauge swatch!!
4. Last but not least work the starter row and at least Row 1


Notes I made when working through Week 1

Selecting yarn :
Simply soft runs more like a light worsted so be sure that the yarn and hook you use match the gauge. This is particularly important went making a garment, because we want it to fit right. Don't feel stuck to one color. Maybe do stripes or come up with some fun color combos.

Measuring for size: 

I'm going to be honest here. I'm a plus size gal. I generally where a 1X or 2X depends on the brand. My bust is about a 45 so when I saw the sizes of the pullover were 40 (small) - 72 (2x) I though man that is going to be really big….. So I'm bravely just going to make the 1X for fear 2x will be huge….but with these measurements I think I could make the Large and be okay. 

Thank you Nichole for pointing out-- a note about the bust....I barely caught this at the end of the measurements given.  You will add 6-10" to your normal bust size for the "ease"...the 6-10" extra makes sure the garment is loose-fitting.

This is my first real crochet garment so lets learn together :) Hopefully these will fit LOL! Of course I think we do want it wide enough on the bottom to fit my hips so that might have something to do with the size since I don't think it increases on the bottom. I may even figure out hope to put a band on the bottom rows for a better fit. We'll see when I get that far :) 

I decided to just use Simply Soft. It was one sale and I fell in love with a gorgeous Jewel tone color called Pagoda. Here is a image of what you should have at the end of week one. 

We will be sharing our progress and asking questions in our crochet group on facebook. 

CCCC Crochet Addicts

It's a closed group but just send a request and you're more than welcome in. 

I hope you'll join us! I'm excited to see everyones progress and good luck! 

Spring Bunny CAL - Week 4

Bunnies !!! Made by me and the yellow one by my mom! 

 Sorry for the delayed post of the CAL this week. I'm visiting my mom in lovely Colorado. We are enjoying lots of snow and family time! 

This week is just adding the finishing embellishments. Making your bunny one of kind and giving it some personality! 

My son picked out this lovely Green Shade. I finished it up and asked him "what else does your bunny need?" He said, " a Red Bow Tie mom"  - Isn't it cute!! I would have never added a bright red bow tie but I think the colors are fun and bold together! Now maybe he just needs a top hat and a magic wand. 

My daughter simply just wanted a flower added. 

The kids love their bunnies! 

The bunnies are getting lots of hugs and squishy time! 

This was such a fun project and I'm so glad you joined me in this CAL! I learned some new crochet technics and hopefully you did too! 

Facebook is being weird and the group event seems to have disappeared from the group. So hopefully it will come back! Please post your pictures in the group so we can enjoy seeing you cute bunnies! 

If you need the free pattern or more info of the CAL here are some links!
Spring Bunny CAL
Spring Bunny CAL - Week 1
Spring Bunny CAL- Week 2
Spring Bunny CAL- Week 3

Spring Bunny CAL - Week 2

WEEK 2 -Body

I've been so excited to see such wonderful participation in the CAL! Some have completed their adorable bunnies and they are all so cute! This week is just the body! So if your behind or getting a late start this is a good week to catch up. Below is a picture of one of my bunnies in a cute pistachio green. I think I put his eyes to low but we'll see once I get the piece sewn together. I have another one done in purple too! My kids are already excited to get them. They would be happy with just a "bunny ball" Since that's all I have done! Who is your ami for? 

Feb 3 - 10: Head & Ears

Feb 11 - 17: Body

Feb 18- 24: Arms Legs & Tail

Feb 25 - 28: Accents- (Flower, Carrot, fabric and/or Felt)

I'm trying to find helpful hints as we go and I've mentioned FreshStitches has amazing tips! 
I thought I'd focus on tips for attaching pieces
1. How to fix an incorrectly attached part 
2. How to attach felt to your ami
3. Tips for attaching pieces
4. Tips for attaching limbs

There are a tons more great links on her website but I thought these would help in our project! Do you have any tips to share- Feel free to post links in the comments.

If you need the pattern or more info here are some links!
Spring Bunny CAL
Spring Bunny CAL - Week 1

Don't forget to share your pics in the group as we go. I can't wait to see your progress and all your creative ideas! If you have questions post in the group and we'll all help! Have fun!! 

Spring Bunny CAL - Week 1

I'm so excited about how many of you have said you will be doing the crochet along!! So far we have 50+ people going to join it! The more the merrier! For more info on the CAL visit the 1st blog post from this weekend Spring Bunny CAL.

Week 1 - If you haven't already you need to gather your supplies. We are going to start with the head which is the biggest part so if you can get that done the rest will be a breeze! Here is the schedule to help move you along but you don't have to stick to it. If your like me I have this OCD about finishing one project at a time. I'm going to try to spread it out, but I'm also working on making two. One for each of my children. 

Feb 3 - 10: Head & Ears

Feb 11 - 17: Body

Feb 18- 24: Arms Legs & Tail

Feb 25 - 28: Accents- (Flower, Carrot, fabric and/or Felt)

My first advise for ami is on the decrease stitches. I learned a fabulous technic and I love it for ami!! 

Planet June is a fabulous resource for Ami! She has some adorable designs and great videos.  I've emailed with her a few times and she is so nice and helpful! I learned this technic for an invisible decrease. Once you learn it you will never go back! So check it out!! 

2nd. Label your pieces and keep them in a bag together. If you're like me with kids and dogs. Things have a way of disappearing especially small pieces. So I keep my projects in zip lock baggies. If you label your pieces you won't be confused weather it's a arm, leg or tail. If you attach them as we go you'll be fine but it wait to attach all the pieces at once labeling might help. 

You can label them by letter, number or stitch marker, whatever works for you! 

If you want more great tips I have to suggest Freshstitches blog! She has a great Beginners guide to Ami- It's a free download and if you've never done ami you should read through it. You can find it here . 

Don't forget to share your pics in the group as we go. I can't wait to see your progress and all your creative ideas! If you have questions post in the group and we'll all help! Have fun!!