Redd Up Yer Head Hat

Having a bad hair day? Yunz best redd up yer head with my new red hat! I took my sack of yarn to Brooke's and while we watched the entire Lord of the Rings extended dvd, I crocheted several hats. The last hat that I gave up on was the red hat, which ended up being my favorite! I used an old pattern for a beret, but added a brim. I was frustrated that the brim wasn't looking brimmy enough so I sewed two sides up. I loves it! Then I did a row of sc on the outside of the hat and above the brim, which I think gives it a really polished look. I took a lot of pics from alot of angles bc I loves it!

Hats...and Shoes?!

Giving what the public wants: more hats and more Marty.

Check it out on Nike's website ... my boy is a celeb.

I give him free hats so my work can be seen when the paparazzi snap.

Hats A-go-go!

Hi TeaBeans blog fans (all one of you)! This weekend I was a hat factory, producing overtime. It was blizzardy in this NYC so I picked up a load of cozy yarn and made hats all weekend long! Since I normally don't have time to make so many crafties, I am going to post hats every week to give you something to read since everyone complains that my blog isn't worth reading because I post so sporadically and infrequently. Jerks. Anyways, enjoy the fiesta de sombreros in the upcoming weeks!

Creeping Rose Vine Cardigan

Here is my first attempt at a cardigan. I initially was going to make it very long with two pockets on either side of the opening and half-sleeves. I used this free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn as the foundation. It was a very easy-to-follow pattern, using mostly 2 dc in one ch to make a "V-stitch." After I made the sweater to the lengths I wanted, I decided it needed more flair than just pockets. I found a leaf pattern in the book Crocheting School: A Complete Course, using that for the right side (with the big rose).

I modified the pattern for the left side (with the two little roses). The leafs were made by chaining and using slst, sc, hdc, dc, tch, dc, hdc, sc, slst in a row, varying the number of each in the sequence, to make the arch. I used a rosette pattern also from Lion Brand Yarn's site. I stitched the roses and vines to the sweater using a needle--nothing fancy. I may add buttons, but for now, I like the sweater open. It's called the Creeping Rose Vine.

Molly Crinkle Leg Warmers

In California, the waves are big, the palm trees are leafy, and the ankles get chilly at night. By special request, I present to you the Molly Crinkle Leg Warmers.

Ch to height, then dch the length of the row of chs, turn, dch back on the outside loop of the first row of dch. Do this to fit the leg, and stitch up the seam. And there you have it! Ribbed to stretch around your calves, Molly Crinkle Leg Warmers, modelled by the lady who's the Crinkle Leg's namesake.

Sunday in Greenwich Sweater Dress

Before I started this dress, two things happened. 1) I saw a dress in a Free People catalogue that was insanely expensive and a very simple knit. 2) I saw a pattern dress online that looked pretty easy. When I went to KnitNY, I spent a solid 20 minutes looking at yarn; and coincidentally when I went home the colors were similar to the dress in the catalogue. I figured I could modify the pattern, and it might end up looking like the dress I wanted to buy. The Free People dress is to the right. You know, the well-crafted dress worn by the model. My dress came out similarly enough; and unfortunately cost probably as much, doesn't look as good, and took a really long time to make. Success! I copied a pattern that crocheted tch in rounds from the neck down. I didn't like the see-through, beach-cover look so I switched to sch, and started ignoring the pattern. At the end, I alternated 2 rows sch with 1 row tch for the cool finish. Plus, apparently I have to have a look so different that I need to alter the pattern...just in case someone I know (a) knows how to crochet (b) buys the same color yarn and (c) has the same pattern. It could happen. Check it out. I am pretty happy with how it turned out, but it is a little too short to wear with stockings. I call it Sunday in Greenwich. Guess when and where we took the photos. (Photo Credits: Iron Martin 2008)

"On the Wall" Switch Plate

Katiebeans always wanted to decorate a light switch plate, and when I dropped by the hardware store yesterday to pick up a surge protector, I picked one up for a buck. I immediately decided to paper mache/decoupage it. I tore out some skate pictures from Thrasher, dipped them in a mix of water and clear Elmer's School Glue, and stuck them to the plate. As it dried, I smoothed out the images and wrapped them around the back and through the front. While still wet, I applied a layer of glue with my finger. I let it dry over night on a stand so it didn't stick to anything flat. I screwed through the paper into the wall. This is called the "On the Wall" Switch Plate.