Adventures in Hanging Towels

Happy New Year! Welcome to another installment of Tabi's Creating Adventures!

Today we're enjoying some coffee... er... at least we're looking at some coffee decorated tea towels. Eh, take a look!

So, these bad boys were not quite what I expected. I pulled the towels out of the box and opened them up, and they were not the size I was expecting. They were much wider, and the coffee logo was not centered. In the end we have 4 different work-ups of the same color and pattern scheme. I don't think I'll call these a set, but if someone wants all four, awesome!

As for process, I cut each towel in two (like usual) to make four towels, then I elected to sew the top seam allowance on the sewing machine to make the anchor stitches more secure (I find it helpful). Next, I simple stitched with a wide embroidery needle (it looks like a sewing needle and works to thread yarn through fabric). Finally, crochet! Finishing touches include adding the functional buttons and weaving in the ends of the yarn. 

I experimented with how to fold the towels for the crochet part so they look nice and are usable. At least two of them were folded into quarters before I set the base stitches (with the embroidery needle), and the widest one is folded into almost thirds.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in a Last Minute Bag

Welcome to another installment of Tabi's Creating Adventures! 

 

(It's a little later than normal. Thanks for your patience!)

My son decided to be Spiderman for Halloween. The day of, we made sure his costume fit, then I realized he didn't have a trick or treat basket. I grabbed some yarn from my fall colors box and worked up this little guy in about an hour and a half. It's small, but super cute. He got a lot of complements on it while we were out, and when we got home he insisted on keeping it in his room. I guess baskets will have to be a thing I add to my repertoire. Yay for the win!

 

 

The handle on top stays up quite nicely. One of the benefits of fiber products, compact.

I hope you enjoyed this little smile.

 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Hanging Towels

There's not too much to say about these hanging towels. I enjoyed making the eyelets and playing with stitch and color designs. And, as always, my products are designed with functionality in mind. The functional button makes these great for oven door handles, refrigerator handles, microwave handles, or pretty much any other similar hanging area. 

 

While I have plenty more hanging towels ready to make, these are the ones I finished.

 

 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures with a Baby Blanket

Welcome back to one more Adventure post! Today's feature is a patchwork crochet baby blanket.

This is one of the projects that was given to me partially started, though I don't remember who gave it to me. Some of the blocks were made, some yarn was provided (the yarn that matched the finished blocks), and I supplemented a few blocks (and a little bit of edging) to finish out this 25 block square. Laying out the colors from the yarn provided helped me to determine what I need to supplement. The pink squares came from yarn I had used to make a different baby blanket, two of the variegated squares in the corners came from my remnants stash, and I believe I added the yellow from my baby yarn stash to bring out the edging.

 

 

The experiment on this piece (because you all know how much I enjoy experimenting) is the texture stitches in the middle of each side. I think they are a lovely addition. I am finding that I like texture accents. There have been several things I have made that incorporate texture things, I think my favorite is a hidden cross scarf. Maybe I will experiment with a piecewise texture motif blanket sometime.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Stay tuned for more!

 

 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Kid Hats

After working up the blankets for my friend's kids, I still had some fuzzy-blue yarn left. So here are three kid-sized hats with three different patterns: simple cable, basketweave, and plain.

The method by which I worked up each of these hats definitely affected the size and overall shape. 

On the first hat, below, the simple cable was knit as a short pattern then joined together like a headband before picking up stitches around one edge to close off the top (with a pom pom). Making the cable pattern wider would have made the hat taller.

The basketweave hat was knit up similarly, with a slightly wider pattern, so you can see the difference that made in the height of the hat. 

Most simple of the three patterns, the plain knit hat is also the largest hat. 

While I certainly enjoyed experimenting with the different patterns and learning what affects hat size, I also have determined that I would like to make more pretty designs in larger sizes. 

I'm not sure where these hats will go, but I am certain that the recipients will have warm heads while they wear them. 

I hope you enjoyed this sampling of hats!

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Cotton Cloths

In keeping with the crochet streak, cotton cloths! 

 

I decided to focus on cotton cloths when I dug out my boxes of cotton yarn. This set is the Handicrafters yarn by Bernat. I found a variety of colors, mostly variegated, that I liked and worked with a soap maker in Washington state (yes, we lived there for about 4 years). Between my soap maker friend and myself, we came up with a cute display. I bought her soaps wholesale and she bought my cotton cloths wholesale and we set up our displays in multiple places, though that was years ago now. If you'd like to see more pictures from then, feel free to check out my Facebook page (linked below). 

This round of cotton cloths started with a revisit to some dish cloth patterns I had found years ago and eventually settled into my comfortable favorite pattern I have lovingly referred to as "the Double Stitch," named so for the amount of double crochet stitches used to create the pattern. While I enjoy trying patterns I haven't really used before, sometimes it's better to stick with a tried-and-true, easy to memorize pattern. These patterns are out of a dish cloth pattern book I picked up at one of the stores I shop. (It could have been Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or another store with a yarn section. I don't remember exactly where I found it, but the front cover has red and white dish cloths on it. Also, the patterns are labeled "Dishcloth #_".)

Above and below: a sampling of the first cotton cloths I made this time around, one with scale and one without. The cotton cloths are all about the size of a standard wash cloth or slightly larger.

Above: This "Christmas Ripple" is on the smaller side of the cotton cloths and would be a lovely addition to a Christmas themed kitchen or bath (but only choose one!).

Above: "Watermelon Juice" is one of the larger sizes, along with the purple and white options. I found the stitch texture on these to be an eye teaser. Aside from playing tricks on your eyes, textured cotton cloths tend to be better for scrubbing and exfoliating the face.

Above: "Blueberry Ripple" is just a touch larger than the "Christmas Ripple." The additional border and corners adds about half an inch to the length and width. Also, the corners make for easy hanging so you're not limited to drawer storage. Plus, the blue, purple, and green combo is fun and could count for wall art.

Above: "Watermelon Ripple" is an echo of "Watermelon Juice" and "Christmas Ripple." I think I ran out of the Watermelon yarn, so I finished out the dimensions with white yarn. This cloth is actually pretty cute in person.

Above: "Lemon Lime Double Stitch" is one of the cloths I made using my favorite pattern. My favorite part about this pattern is being able to easily remember the pattern for a highly textured cloth. The variegated color adds to the enjoyment, helping to prevent boredom in the process.

Above: "Starburst Double Stitch" cotton cloth.

Below: "Blueberry Double Stitch" cotton cloth.

 

These two "Double Stitch" cloths include a shell stitch border, making them about 3/4 inch wider and longer than the "Lemon Lime Double Stitch" cloth. 

Above and below: "Grape Accent" Cotton Cloths. The final color design of this group is a simple alternating color pattern with reaching fingers creating color texture as well as tactile texture. The simple color design makes this pattern an elegant accent to any modern kitchen.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this set of cotton cloths as much as I enjoyed making them.

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Hats (Featuring Mani the Manniquin)

Mani the Maniquin has made his return! Mani was gifted to me by a cosmetologist friend when we lived in Washington state. At the time, I was making school pride warmth sets which included a hat, a scarf, and a pair of fingerless mitts. Mani came in quite handy as I displayed these sets as well as other hats of different designs. If you go back on my Facebook page (link at the bottom) you can find more pictures of Mani modeling.

This particular hat was also a stash-buster project. I had this yarn left from another project and felt it was about right for a hat. The only thing left to decide was what design to use. After digging out my inspiration and patterns box, I found my favorite hat pattern book, In All Caps by The Crochet Dude. (I used several of the patterns from that book with different color combinations for the school pride warmth sets. It's also a great book for beginners.)

I especially like how the colors stacked and created a diagonal stripe. Also, the white border is a fun finishing touch I added to tie into the pom pom (because I didn't have enough yarn to make a full pom pom without adding something... oops!). Overall, it turned out much nicer than I expected.

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Crochet Bags

Hello, again! This month's post is scrap-busting bags. I made these for my son's toys: a set of puzzle mats and stacking blocks. They were originally in the same plastic zip bag, but that did not work for our space, so I changed it. 

 

Originally, I had used these yarn colors for school pride warmth sets in Washington state. I made matching hats, scarves, and fingerless mitts for one of the local high schools where we lived. Since we have moved from that area I don't really need these colors specifically. Personally, I think they made great color options.

 

The first bag I made was the green, gold, and silver spiral bag on the right. I really enjoyed playing with this pattern, even though it did not turn out quite how I was expecting. (The top is rippled and it's supposed to be flat, but that's the nature of experimenting. The next one will be better.)

Second up was the blue and green bag. I had used a similar concept to make library bags for my niece and nephew. This variation has a top flap (the experimental part) as well as a shoulder strap instead of handles. In the top flap I alternated single crochet stitches and attempted to make a mini-checkered pattern. I think it turned out pretty good overall.

 

 

 

Top: the bags as completed.

Bottom: the bags with a sample of their contents. (The rooster does come apart and is a puzzle.)

I hope you enjoyed these bags and found them to be an inspiration. I enjoyed making them. 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Advenrures in Cup Cozies

This month's highlight is cup cozies. That's right, little bands of material that stand between you and your hot (or cold) drinks. While the designs presented this time are simple, this is not the first time I have made cup cozies.  Several years ago I made a variety of crocheted cup cozies in multiple themes. One group was general fall themed, one group was Halloween themed, and another group was Christmas themed. Most of those had applique designs on them, but this time I decided to keep it simple. I like simple. 

Prompted by a friend's admission of using paper towels taped around their hot coffee mugs, I asked why they didn't have cup cozies. They didn't know why, they just didn't... so, I declared my intention to remedy their problem.  

As you can see here (above and below), these lovely, solid-colored cup cozies fit your standard coffee mug (sans handle) and fold or roll up for easy storage. Toss one in your purse (ladies) or favorite hiding spot in your car (gentlemen) and you're good to go for out and about coffee splurges.

 

Additionally, these cup cozies are easy care, meaning they can be tossed in with your regular laundry, removing any excuse for a dirty cozy... and as with any product, if it can be washed before use, it should be washed before use.

I hope you enjoyed this month's blog post.  Stay tuned for other great variations of cup cozies and more! 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Reconstructing Crochet

I finally worked with a set of yarn I received from my husband's family when his grandfather passed away.  This yarn was given to me along with a variety of knitting needles and crochet hooks.  Unfortunately, it was a long time before I was able to really get to the project, but, once I did, it was interesting to figure out.

 

The original project had one fatal flaw that made it impractical... the ends were cut short and not tied in.  Some of the ends were already unraveling.  Most people who pick up crocheting and knitting do not know that the ends of the yarn should be left at least 3 inches long and woven into the product to keep it from unraveling, a process called darning.  Since I learned to crochet from my mom and great-grandmother who also did not know what to do with the ends, I didn't learn this until I was an adult.  Now there are plenty of resources that teach this product-saving technique.

While the original project looked like it was intended to be a lap blanket or afghan, there was simply not enough yarn to make a sufficiently sized blanket.  Also, the yarn is old enough that it would be difficult to match the shades, so I could not justify buying more yarn to make a larger blanket.  Even so, I attempted to remain true to the color pattern while still making a practical item from what was available; the following bag is what resulted.  Double-crochet stitches were used in the original project, so I kept the double-crochet for looks as well as the color scheme.  Overall, I am pleased with this one and hope the original crocheter would be pleased as well.

Above and below are opposite sides of the bag.  Since it was worked "in-the-round" it looks exactly the same on both sides, even down to the places where it curves and twists naturally. 

I hope you enjoyed the results of this reconstruction.  It was an honor and pleasure to work with this project.

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Sea Turtles

These little gems were a request from a while back.  A friend decided to redo her bathroom with a nautical theme and requested small sea turtles to add to the decorations.  It took me a while to get to them because I originally thought to make them out of crochet thread and that box is hard to get to right now.  So, the other day I was working on another project and realized that the color I was using would be a great color for sea turtles.  Subsequently I made these four... just to see.

As you can tell (below), they came out just big enough to sit comfortably in the palm of my hand... which is about the size my friend requested.  Also a plus, they work up rather quickly.  In total, I made 20 little sea turtles... which I forgot to take a picture of before I sent them to their new home. 

 

Either way, I think they came out super cute and I hope my friend likes them.  =-)

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in a Piecewise Baby Blanket

A sneak peak into my current craft and organization and everything else space this time shows the building of a piecewise baby blanket.  

 

This project stems from a few blocks that were given to me in a collection of things from my husband's grandmother, I believe.  (I have had them for a while.)   The center block and two matching blocks in the middle of the blanket, they are multi-colored with pink, blue, and white, were the blocks given to me.  All the rest I made to match the size of the first three blocks.  Other yarn colors were in my stash and after playing with the possible combinations, I set on this pattern.  

It took me months (off and on) to crochet most of these blocks.  It was a little here and a little there.  The last six blocks, pink and multi-colored pastel in the corners, were crocheted in about 2 or so weeks.  From there, the rest was accomplished over the course of another couple of weeks.  (I finally made this project a priority and knocked it out while my kiddo napped, an hour at a time.)

 

From there, I decided I wanted to play with a couple of ideas.  First, I played with tying the blocks together with an alternating single crochet run (basically, one stitch in one block, the second stitch in the adjoining block, alternating and leaving space space where the stitches laddered).  This created a definite front and back side to the blanket (beyond the typical front and back as crocheted).

 

After tying the center together I wanted to experiment with borders (that's the second thing).  There are some really pretty effects that can be made with yarn.  Sometimes it comes out better than others.  This one did pretty well overall, but is not obvious.  The border consists of a white strip, then a yellow strip, then a multi-colored pastel strip (it looks white in these pictures), then a pink edging (which was also the fourth thing I wanted to experiment). 

 

(Yes, I know I "skipped" the third thing, but it's easier to see in a later picture.)

 

When I put the blanket over the loveseat it really brought out the joining.  I am very pleased with the overall effect. 

 

Back to the third thing... if you look at the border, I put three sets of inverted peaks on each side.  The middle peaks are all larger than the others.  I thought it was a lovely accent to the overall piece (and baby-safe, too).  While the colors don't "pop" against each other, the subtle color shift is pretty cute.

 

 

Finally, back to the fourth thing, the rounded corners turned out really well.  It worked out nicely for the counting, too, since each shell spans 5 stitches from the previous row.  That is to say, I had minimal "fudging" for the shells to line up at the corners to make the rounded corners. 

 

I'm not sure where this blanket will go from here, but I am glad I took the time to make it.  

 

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

 

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Adventures in Cup Cozies on the Road - Dec 2015

This last Christmas my husband and I did some traveling and, naturally, I brought my crafting supplies.  I brought some orange and black yarn I wanted to make some cup cozies plus some other yarn.  This is the fruits of those long hours traveling:

Above and Below: Basic Striped Cup Cozy shown on a 12 oz coffee cup and a medium fountain drink cup.  These really are great for hot or cold drinks!

Below: Petal Flower Cup Cozy

Above: Basic Stripe Cup Cozy in grey and black.

Below: Bulky Cup Cozy in grey and black.

Above: Bulky Cup Cozy in orange and black.

Below: "Garder" Cup Cozy.

The following are pictured in better lighting on a 12 oz paper coffee cup.

Above: Basic Stripe Cup Cozy.

Below: Single Stripe Cup Cozy.

Above: Basic Stripe Cup Cozy.

Below: Petal Flower Cup Cozy.

Above: Japanese Flower Cup Cozy.

Below: "Garder" Cup Cozy.

Above and Below: Bulky Cup Cozy

It was a pleasure to share these with you!

Blessings and Peace!

Tabitha

Tabi's Creating Adventures

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