Beginning to Crochet

So as I mentioned on yesterday - I've started spinning and crocheting. Not much in terms of productivity in the crochet situation but I like it well enough. I've just done straight crocheting - nothing in the round yet. I thought I'd be really frustrated by the product because I'm fairly good at knitting - and I thought I'd feel super limited by the beginner patterns - I was wrong on both counts. It's oddly liberating to have a limited selection of patterns and what I'm producing looks pretty enough. I know some of you crochet - if you have any suggestions for beginner patterns I'd love to hear from you.

Here's what I've done so far:
Coasters (link to my project page on Ravelry) - just practicing different stitches


Washcloths (Ravelry link)


Nitty Gritty Washcloth (Ravelry link)


Little Double Blossom Crochet Flower (Ravelry link)

The Finished Object Parade

This is going to be a long post:

You can find all sorts of details on the individual projects on my Ravelry projects page. I'm Catiecat on Ravelry.

October:
Catnip mice - Zoie keeps ripping the tails off... these are a HUGE hit in this household


Autumn pumpkin (Ravelry link)


Flower magnets (Ravelry link) - brightening up my office


Eggplant hat (Berry Baby Hat pattern) - so many of our friends are pregnant or have newborns - baby hats are on the menu (and so much fun & so addicting!)


Foliage


More baby hats (Ravelry link to my project page) - one for charity, two for friends


Fortune cookies - put fortunes in them for a Christmas gift for my man


Lavender sachet



Gossamer shell scarf (Ravelry link)


November:
I started to make 5 penguins for my man's main Christmas gift - they're so cute that I'll post them on their own.

Baby mittens - I think they look like Christmas lights, that was unintentional


Fuzzymitten felted stars - my first foray into hand felting small items - loved it



Cell phone sock - turned out way too small because the yarn was too thin - so it ended up being a tree ornament


Mini sweaters - I like this pattern better than the one that I used before, could be that the yarn was better suited to the project


December:
A pair of orange gloves - not photographed yet...
More penguins - getting their own post though

January:
Happy belated new years!

Cairn (Ravelry link) for Dad


Baby hats continue - Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap, 6 month size in worsted weight yarn (instead of fingering) - already fits the baby (at 6 months despite the increase in yarn weight)


Baby's first DNA model - well received by momma and baby


French Press slippers (Ravelry link) - Zoie keeps stealing them at night


Evangeline fingerless mittens (Ravelry link)


February:
Ballband Bib O'Love (Ravelry links)


Baby genius bibs (Ravelry links)



Baby Bib O'Love


3 Tiny Tethers - one used for my keys because the stem was too short on the first one


Sackboy - for a colleague's son (cape is a Fuzzymitten pattern)


Bird pin - from the Bird in Hand mitten pattern (Ravelry links)


Apple hat - so cute and so fun - I'll make this again


Owl coffee cozy (Ravelry link)


Cabled baby hat - love the decreases at the crown - I will also make this again


Charity baby hats (Ravelry link to my project page) - I think I want to make about 10 (revised from 50) of these for a local hospital - they are so relaxing to knit because I've got the pattern memorized, it is super simple, and I know which needles to use to get the size the hospital wants


In other news - the man got me a Ladybug spinning wheel for Christmas so I'll show you what I've been up to on the wheel. And about 2 weeks ago I taught myself to crochet - so far just wash cloths and coasters. The decision was along the lines of why I decided to take up spinning now - there will never be more time. In high school I felt like I was SO busy... then I got to university and I felt like I had so much time in high school but that now I didn't have time... then I got to graduate school and I felt like I had mountains of time in high school and lots of time during my undergraduate degree... I figure it just keeps going as life progresses up until children are grown up (and they aren't planned for a few more years) and I'm retired.

Not Dead

I'm not dead, maimed or impaired - just busy, and when I'm not busy I'm lazy and/or knitting. I'll try to get my butt in gear later today or this weekend to show you what I've been up to. Part of the lack of posting is that it has been so long and with so many knitted objects, that I want to post everything. But the amount of pictures etc. is a bit overwhelming. I'm trying to get over it - hence this brief note.