New Hair Band

I've made a new hair band, and my curly locks are semi-contained. However, I now look like (well, my hair at least) Deanna Troi from Star Trek: Next Generation. It makes such a refreshing change not to be Hagrid, Weird Al, nor Maui.

The Beloved asked if the hair band will count in the "Made by Me" challenge. Let's see - I identified a need, I designed something to fill that need, and then made it. Yup, I'd say it counts. It doesn't matter it took only 30 minutes to make, I still made it. :o)

The hair band was made on my Atelier 6 sewing machine. I brought it into work this morning for a service, and it is now going to live in the shop. When I am at home, I am very rarely in the mood to climb to the top floor and sit down to sew. Knitting and crochet are far, far more likely. By bringing the machine into the shop, I will use it, and the rest of the staff can use it too.

The hair band was made from a strip of cotton 10x50cm, and elastic 10cm long by 4cm wide. 

Rhododendron Cardi (Second Attempt)

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Crush DK

Composition: 100% Cotton
Pattern: my own design 
Hook: 4.5mm
Colour: Rhododendron

Amount used:  

Started: 29th June 2023

Finished:  

Yes!  Crochet is the way to go with this project.

Make a magic loop.  The squares start off with a standard Granny Square construction, four sets of three trebles separated by a couple of chains.

In the second, third and fourth rounds, the corners are two trebles, two chains, two trebles, and for the rest, work a treble into the space between the trebles of the previous rounds.

Four rounds in total for each square. These will later be joined using violet yarn.

Rhododendron Cardi

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Crush DK

Composition: 100% Cotton
Colour: Rhododendron
Pattern: my own design 
Hook: 4.5mm
Needles: 4mm

Amount used:  

Started: 25th June 2023
Finished:  Abandoned: 28th June 2023

I've rather fallen in love with CottonSoft. It's a beautiful yarn to work with, and I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with the colourway 'Aqua'. Now, it's the turn of Rhododendron.

This cardigan is made by creating pinwheel octagons in Rhododendron, bordering them in Violet. The Violet is also used to create the squares between the octagons.

The stitches at the centre of the octagons are created by using the magic ring crochet technique. Make a magic ring, and work a single crochet into the ring. From there work a double crochet, but instead of finishing it, leave it so there's an extra loop on the hook. Keep working partially complete double crochets until there are 8 loops left on the hook. Then transfer them over to a circular knitting needle.

1. (K, yo) x 8

2. K

3. (K2, yo) x 8

4. K

5. (K3, yo) x 8

6. K

Continue in this way until (K9, yo) x 8, and finish with a further round of knit.

------

Scrap all of the above!  It's not working out. I'm not enjoying the making, and it's just now happening.

Another Crocheted Hat

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft 

Composition: 100% Cotton

Colour: French Navy

Pattern: Crocheted Sun Hat

Hook: 4.5mm

Amount used: 100g

My new hat is complete. The depth of the crown in a little bit smaller, but that's what I was able to achieve using just the one ball of yarn. I might need to use a hat pin. But we'll see.

The sun hat was finished yesterday, whilst the sky was grey and the heavens were crying!  Hopefully there will be clear days ahead when a sun hat will be able to be used.

And that's another project finished for my Me-Made 100 Days.

Crocheted Sun Hat

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Baby Crush

Composition: 100% Cotton

Colour: Aquas

Pattern: my own design 

Hook: 4.5mm

Amount used:  100g

Started: 31st May 2023

Finished: 3rd June 2023

In the past, I've tried making crocheted hats, and they've always been too, too big. But this time, I've nailed it. I'm so impressed with my new hat.

It started out with a magic loop, with 12 half treble crochets into it. Then in each round the number of stitches was increased by 6. This grows the circles,in a bowl shape.

I measured my head, and then put the circumference of the crocheted disc. When the crochet was about 2cm smaller than my head I stopped increasing. This formed the sides of the hat.  When it reached the tops of my ears, increases started again. This time it was eight per round.

The increases stopped when the brim was wide enough. Then I crocheted 2 round without any increases. Narrow plastic boning was placed on the edge. It was sandwiched between the last two rounds, and sewn into place. 

A 15cm overlap was given to help the with the shape of the brim. This hold out the brim most beautifully. 

Crocheted Bag

I was on a high after the crocheted jacket and hat. I assumed I knew what I was doing, and could make anything my heart desired. And this has not happened. At 98% complete, I realised I did not like the bag at all, as in I hated it.

So, instead of completing this bag - just 6 more rounds of crochet, the plug has been pulled, and also the yarn. It's time to unravel and redesign. It's time to make the bag I actually want, that I will use. 

And Done!

The CottonSoft Baby Crush cardigan is done!

Oooh, it feels good to have finished another project, and a huge project for me!

Done, done, done, done, done! And in only two and a half weeks!

CottonSoft Crocheted Cardigan

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Baby Crush

Composition: 100% Cotton

Colour: Aquas

Pattern: my own design based on the Campfire Cardigan

Hook: 4.5mm

Amount used: 

Started: 12th May 2023

Finished: 29th May 2023

Notes

The cardigan is made by making two Granny hexagons, and then going wild with customisation.

Start the Granny blocks in the usual way. The one difference is Granny Squares start with four clusters of three trebles (or half trebles), and the Granny Hexagons begin with six clusters of three trebles (or half trebles).

I decided to work 20 rounds before adding in any shaping.

Round 21: Continue as before, but make the central 5 clusters on the arm side  to contain 2 half trebles rather than 3.

Round 22: The central 11 clusters should have 2 half trebles, not 3.

Round 23: Cerntal 17 clusters have 2 half trebles.

Round 24: All clusters on the arm side to have 2 half trebles.

Me-Made Clothes

I'm trying to work out what I need for my next 100 Days Challenge.

So far, I've half way through the pair of socks I started recently. That will bring my sock total to 3. That's going to be quite good during October. The socks can alternate with my many knitted scarves and shawls. This will mean October will be covered.

For August, I've 3 summer skirts already made, and I have been meaning to make a crocheted cardigan, and a waterfall waistcoat. If I add in a white cotton blouse, that will give me quite the selection. Although, I might well make a pair of wide-legged trousers too.

September will be the tricky month. There are times when it is beautiful and summer, and other times when it feels like small-autumn. I think a couple of cardigans would be good, and perhaps a pinafore dress.

The Next 100 Days

A week into the 100 Days Challenge, and I'm already planning my next one.  This is going to be a very easy one to accomplish on a day to day basis, but it will take planning.

The next 100 Days Challenge is to wear at least one item of clothing I have made myself. 

It may start on the 1st of August. That month will be relatively simple as I've made wraps skirts. They are ready to be used. September will require, may require, warmer clothing, and by the time October comes around we'll definitely be in scarves and shawls weather. 

But now is the time to plan - clothing takes time to make.

January Goals

• lose 3kg
• make or remake 1 item of clothing 
• try 1 new vegan recipe

The excess me created during lockdown has gone, but there's more of me to go. 3kg a month seems like a very achievable goal.

After the year of buying no clothes, I had a very hard job finding clothing I actively liked. The result was 10 new identical (bar colour) tops, and two pairs of trousers. The linen trousers could not stand the strain, and the crotch has gone. I'm going to remake the remaining fabric into a skirt, and use a bit of the left over material to patch my navy cord skirt. 

The vegan mushroom soup was not a success, but I'm hopeful other recipes will be better.