Crochet to Go

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Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

Digital photography is so pivotal to my crafting experience (documenting, cataloging, organizing) that I often forget that my earliest crafting predates owning a digital camera. It's hard for me to pinpoint when exactly I started, but I think it was roughly Fall 2000, potentially 2001. It was definitely Fall, and I bought my first ball of yarn at Skein Lane in Berkeley (now defunct).

I keep very few things I make. At this point, my boyfriend has more hats than I do. I have 3 scarfs, 3 or 4 pieces from the Crochet to Go Deck I can't bear to part with, and a handful of odds and ends. Everything else (probably 25 projects a year) is immediately gifted or goes into the gift bin.

I ran across a photo album with actual film photographs of my first projects the other day. They're terrible - out of focus, dark, badly framed. I'm going to try to reshoot them, where possible, and remake the projects if needed. Here's the first - a star coaster, my first ever project crocheted in the round.

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Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

I'm starting to stockpile baby gifts. I have 5 pregnant friends right now - 2 baby girls, and 3 unknowns. This pattern was too cute to pass up. It's very quick (less than 3 hours for a pair) and works well with different yarn weights and textures.

The pattern is a $2 download; you can find it on ravelry.com: #86 Fancy Crocheted Baby Booties by SweaterBabe.

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Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

I made this on the way to and from Tahoe - a bit of wishful thinking. Although given the weather - 77 degrees in San Francisco yesterday - I may wear it sometime soon. The pattern is from my favorite craft collection, the Make It Your Self library (12 volumes, 1976). The patterns include a picture of a suggested yarn type but no recommendations. I used Patons Grace (less than one skein per color) and a 3.75 mm hook. The sizing is accurate and it's very cute on.

This project was almost a failure - but I absolutely love it.

I have one New Year's Resolution - I absolutely cannot buy new yarn for every project. Every other project at best, and ideally less than that. My stash has reached unmanageable proportions. This project was one of my "treats" - I ordered the 4 skeins of the recommended yarn (the pattern, "Seduction", is available on ravelry.com).

It unfortunately was not nearly enough to complete the scarf - only 9 inches per skein. At $10/skein, well - you can do the math. Really hard to justify. It's also a fairly stiff yarn to use for a scarf. Which led to the gater! Stiffness is a wonderful quality in a gater. I used nearly 2 skeins to finish it. I incorporated one button hole at the top (for cold ski days), and am using a clip-on earring to secure it in the center. Adding a button in the center would work well too, but I liked the look of the earring.

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Originally uploaded by aliciamalia.

This is a much delayed post - it was a gift for my boyfriend, and I suspect he checks this blog once in a while. "Pass the Piggies" is one of his favorite games. It's essentially a dice game - you toss the piggies and score based on the way they fall.

Pattern courtesy of Bridget Reed of Roman Sock. I found the writing a little confusing, but once you understand the style the pigs work up quite quickly.