Evolution of a hat

I really love designing crocheted items. If I didn't design most of my own projects, I might have gotten bored by now! I'm so glad there are free patterns online. They were so useful to me when I started out, and I sometimes still use someone else's pattern. But in general, I find the creative process so much more gratifying when I'm designing my own pieces.

I thought I'd share my two most recent hats with you, and explain how the design process worked.

The Engineer's niece just had her first baby, a little girl. I wanted to make a hat for her. I had an idea of the types of stitches I wanted to put together so the hat would have a particular "look" and texture. But as I sat down and began working, what was in my head just wasn't working. I pulled out many rounds of stitches and adjusted what I was doing...and pulled them out again, and adjusted more.... I'm not sure how many stitches I ended up pulling out, but this was one hat that required a lot of "re-doing" before I was happy with it!

It did turn out cute...



...but it also turned out big! I didn't want the baby to have to wait years before she wore it, so I gave it to Chickie. I must say, I think she looks adorable in it.





Once it was done, I decided I really liked how the main stitch pattern looked. It's easier to see details in person, but in addition to the "shell" stitches, there are cute little "bumps" around the hat, under each shell row. But I wasn't crazy about the crown of the hat--solid stitches without the open look of the hat body. I thought it would be nice for the baby's hat to have more of a "spring" feel.

So when I sat down to work on the baby hat, I chose yarns that were much lighter-weight than the yarn I originally chose. I also used a net-like stitch pattern for the crown of the hat so it would be nice and open like the rest of the hat. I made other adjustments...pulled out a bunch when I didn't like the result...and finally came up with something I really liked.



Knowing how unlikely my babies were to keep hats on (once they figured out how to take them off), I added an adjustable chin strap and a cute button.



It took a lot of work (and a lot of re-working!) but I love the final product--a cute little bonnet to dress up a baby in the spring! I think it will be a little big for a newborn, but hopefully it will fit The Engineer's great-niece perfectly next year.

There's no magic to crochet design...just lots of trial and error! And it's so fun to see how it all comes together in the end.

JHBC...What's that?!

Several months ago, a couple of my Twitter pals were talking (well, Tweeting) about a particular book. Turned out a few of us ladies were interested in reading the book, and we ended up deciding to start a book club. We called it Jazz Hands Book Club...JHBC for short.

Other ladies gradually joined the club. We've been reading a book every month(ish) and then using an online chat site to discuss it. It's really fun! (If you're interested in joining, let me know!)

One of the members brought up the idea of sending out some little Christmas goodies to the rest of the group. Well, one thing led to another, and we ended up all deciding to send gifts to each other. Christmas was too crazy, so we targeted Valentine's Day as the "ship by" date.

It's been so fun! I'm hoping to get the last of my gifts delivered to me today. (Please, Postal Service?) And now that the other six girls have received mine, I can finally blog about them!

I decided to make crocheted gifts. (I know, shocker!) Since it's a book club, I made bookmarks. I've been wanting to learn more crochet stitch patterns, and I even have a great book with 250 different stitch patterns in it. So I used five of the bookmarks to try out new patterns. The sixth bookmark was a little different. More on that in a minute.

Here are all six bookmarks:


For Melinda's, I used the same yarn I used for a hat I made her last year, with a nice, open-weave pattern.


Toni's bookmark is a fun, wavy pattern in very dark purple.


Call Me Cate's used a more complicated stitch pattern--kinda "swirled."


I really like this pink and green one with a leaf pattern. It went to Sam.


And it's kind of hard to see, but this dark purple one uses a nice variation of the commonly-crocheted "shell stitch." It was for Kerry.


The last bookmark went to Annelie, who has a brand new blog! She is the one who ordered the fox scarf I made a few months back. (Check it out here.) Instead of trying out a new stitch pattern on her bookmark, I made it to match her scarf. I love how it turned out!


So that's it...my JHBC bookmarks! When the last of my packages arrive, I'll share pictures of what I received. The Bible says it's more blessed to give than to receive, but in this case, I gotta say...I've really enjoyed both!

Chickie and the BGF

Chickie is opinionated. And I do love that about her, but it gets annoying when I make her something crocheted and, after telling me she likes it, she decides not to wear it. I beg; I plead; I reason with her...and yet if she doesn't want to wear something, she doesn't want to wear it.

Recently I was stitching a purple hat for a customer. I ran out of yarn when I was about 90% through with the hat...and despite looking online and at four local stores, I couldn't find more of the yarn. It may have been discontinued.

So I decided to start the hat over with a different brand of yarn. But then I was stuck with a hat that was 90% complete.

Until it hit me.... This could be a hat for Chickie! So I pulled out some of the stitches, and made a tighter band that would fit her little head. I ended up with an adorable, slouchy hat. She said she liked it...



...until she wore it to school one day, and quickly took it off her head before she entered her classroom. Sigh. She really cares about what her friends think, and clearly she wasn't sure this hat would meet their approval.

Enter the BGF.

A BGF is the way to a six-year-old little girl's heart. A BGF just might, I thought, make this hat something Chickie would want to wear, even around her friends. A BGF was worth a shot.

BGF...

Big.
Gaudy.
Flower.

So yesterday I got to work with the small amount of purple yarn I had left, and added some hot pink yarn. A while later, I had a genuine BGF, and it was attached to the hat.



Chickie not only wore it into the classroom today; she was wearing it when she came to the car after school. And that BGF even got her some compliments...so I bet she'll wear the hat again.



Hey, I'm the mom of a six-year-old. I gotta add to my toolbox whenever I can...even if the tool is big and gaudy.

Elf Elephant

Friday night The Engineer and I will be headed to his company's annual holiday party. We're each supposed to bring a white elephant gift. Like so many other white elephant gift exchanges, there are "good gifts" and "funny gifts." I hope that the hat I made fits both categories!

This is a fun "elf hat." It can be worn slouched in the back (for your inner fashionista)...

...or flopped to the side (for your inner ELF!)

Hopefully it'll be a hit!

Foxy lady!

I recently got a special order for a crocheted fox scarf. This definitely turned into one of the most fun pieces I've designed! Here it is, the Foxy Lady Scarf:

This little toggle clasp slips between crochet stitches to attach the head to the body or tail of the fox (as it's being worn in the first photo.)

Christmas will be here before we know it. It's a great time to get in your orders for hats, scarves, handbags, or other items! Click on the "Crochet Examples" tag at the bottom of this post to see more, and email me at cbethcrochet@gmail.com with your ideas. I love doing custom designs!

Handbag #3!

I finished my third crocheted handbag! This one is a (very belated) birthday gift for my best friend Ann.

She wanted a flower in the front...

And, once again, I put plenty of pockets inside! (Love the green fabric she chose!)

Hope you enjoy your new purse, Ann!

And, as the weather gets cooler...I'm taking hat orders! Feel free to email me at cbethcrochet@gmail.com

Crochet Giveaway!

It's time for a C. Beth Crochet giveaway! And this one will appeal to those of you who have a competitive streak.... Details are at the end of this post!

I just completed my second crocheted purse. This was for my mom. She helped pick the yarn/fabric combo, and I love it. In fact, while I am very fond of my own crocheted purse, I think the colors on this one are really more appealing.



The finished product is really cute.



Cute little rosette...



And plenty of pockets!





These purses are big projects. I could go on all day about how long one of them takes. But I think the best way to express it is to tell you how many crochet stitches were required for this bag.

Only I'm not going to tell you. That's where the contest comes in!

Guess the number of crochet stitches in this purse. If you guess closest, you'll win the prize of your choice, either...

...a cute flower headband. (You'll get to choose from various colors.) OR...

...a little case suitable for a phone, pens/markers, or other small items. (You'll get to choose from various colors.) OR...

...$15 plus free shipping toward a hat or other crocheted project of your choice!

Okay, here are the details:

How to win:

• Guess how many crochet stitches are in the purse I made for my mom. I am ONLY counting stitches on the front, back, sides, bottom, and straps. I didn't count stitches required to join all the pieces; the flower; or the little tabs that snap on the top and sides. For those of you who crochet, you may want to know that most of the stitches are HDC stitches.
• Leave your guess here as a comment. Please also let me know if someone referred you to the contest (and their name!)
  
• You may enter ONE additional time by going to the C. Beth Crochet Facebook Page. Again, guess the number of stitches. (You'll want to choose a different number than you use here!) Leave your guess as a comment by clicking here. You will need to "Like" the page before you can comment there.
  

The benefits of SHARING:

• Share this contest on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, billboards, public access television, by leaving annoying flyers on people's windshields...whatever!
• When you share, be sure to tell people that in their entry they need to tell me that you sent them! You might want to copy and paste this text for Facebook: "C. Beth Crochet is doing a giveaway! Tell her I sent you--we could both win! http://cbethblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/crochet-giveaway.html" Or, for Twitter, "Crochet givewaway from @CBethTweet! Tell her I sent you--we could both win! http://cbethblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/crochet-giveaway.html", Please don't comment here telling me where you shared. Just make sure anyone you refer includes your name in their entry.
  
• If your friend gives you credit in their winning entry (here or on the Facebook page), you win too! You'll both get to choose a prize!

Final details:

• The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. Central time on 8/31/11. On 9/1/11 (my birthday!) I'll name the winner. Whoever guesses closest will win. In case of a tie, I will use random.org as a tiebreaker. Winner will be announced here and on Facebook on or around 9/1/11. Please be sure that I have a way to contact you! If I don't hear back from the winner by the end of the day on 9/4/11, a new winner will be chosen.
  
• Shipping to the U.S. or Canada is included. If you live in another country, you are welcome to enter. However, you'll need to pay to ship your prize.

Have fun!

My new crocheted handbag!

I'm so excited! I have a new handbag! As I've shared, I don't get new purses very often. In fact, the one I blogged about two years ago is the one I just replaced! (Apparently I still liked the color scheme, since I unintentionally chose the same basic colors for this bag!)

For some time, I've wanted to make a crocheted purse, but I wanted it to be fully lined so that small items didn't end up poking out of the stitches. So with the summer lull (not too many hats are needed this time of year!), it was the perfect time to choose fabric (a heavy cotton print that will really last) and yarn (100% wool), and to do the really fun part...figuring out a custom pattern!

I was working on it last night and kept getting closer to the end, so I repeatedly put off bedtime. I finally finished it a little before 2:00 this morning, and I love how it turned out!



Would you like to join me on a tour of my new handbag?

Beth's Bag

(I really need a more interesting name for this design--any ideas?)

I wanted the bag to be roomy, but I didn't want things to get lost in the bottom of it (as they did in my last purse.) It's about 13" x 8" x 5"...plenty of room, but shallow enough to really see what's in there. For the outside, I made widely-spaced ribbing, with a faux cable design (front and back.)



I was excited to use magnetic clasps for easy closure. I used one on the top...



...and smaller ones on the sides. The sides will stay clasped most of the time--it helps prevent them from poking out when the purse is closed. But if I need to open up the purse a little more, I can easily unclasp the sides to expand it a bit.



But as you can see, even with the sides cinched up, there is a lot of room in here!



The inside has two main chambers, with some smaller pockets built into the lining. I really thought about what size pockets I wanted. In one place, I have four narrow pockets. Two are shallow (for packets of gum, business cards, lipstick, etc.) and two are long (for sunglasses, tampons, etc.) If I make this design again I'll probably eliminate one of these pockets and make the other three a little wider. I may add another pocket or two on an open area of lining next time, too.



In another area is a pocket that is sized just right for a smartphone, plus skinny, narrow pockets for pens and pencils.



The straps are lined too, and like all the lining and all the pockets, I doubled the fabric so it's nice and thick. The straps feel cushy and comfy!



I love this bag! If you love it too, you can order one. A custom-made bag in this design (in a color scheme of your choice) is $125 (plus $5 shipping if applicable, and 8.25% sales tax for Texas residents.) I'd also be happy to make bags of other sizes to fit various tastes and budgets.

With the lining, extensive crochet work, and finishing (including sewing the lining to the bag by hand along the top, bottom, sides, and straps), one purse requires significant time to make. But I know I'll be treasuring my one-of-a-kind bag, and I hope to provide that same opportunity to others!

Handbag designed and stitched by C. Beth.

Hat swap!

Recently I designed & crocheted this cow hat for my fantastic friend LEstes65.



When LEstes posted it on Facebook, her friend Bill saw it. He commissioned this black & red hat (also designed by me--and great for girls or guys!)



And Bill offered to barter, so I got my very own fleece hat, handmade by him!



I love that I can make a little money by selling hats, but doing a swap was really a fun alternative! (You gotta admit, the hat looks far better on my head than money does!)

Now if only it wasn't so hot and humid outside....

I haven't posted much about crochet in my blog recently, but I do put my hats on my C. Beth Crochet Facebook page, so feel free to follow me there.

My new Kindle

For Mother's Day I got...


...a Kindle e-reader!

Like so many people, I've questioned whether I'd want to read on an electronic device. But I'd heard such good reviews of the Kindle, that I decided I'd probably enjoy it.

A few days after I received it, I'd made a case for it.



And with a fun way to carry it, I was ready to really get readin'!

The first full-length book I read on my Kindle was The Hunger Games. I started it in the tent at Relay For Life. (I loved being able to have multiple books with me without carrying much extra weight.)

My sister offered to loan me the other two books in the Hunger Games trilogy from her, and I really loved this lending feature. She went to her Amazon account, and from there sent me emails with links to the books. I just had to click on the links, activate them in my Amazon account, and they showed up on my Kindle (downloaded through a wi-fi connection.) Each book loan is two weeks only, but these books were hard to put down, so the time limit wasn't a problem! (However, not all books are eligible for Kindle loans, and the time limit might be annoying for extra-long books.)

I got the Kindle With Special Offers. It's a wi-fi Kindle that costs $25 less than the normal wi-fi version ($114 instead of $139.) In exchange, I look at full-screen ads when the screensaver is on, and small banner ads when I'm in the Kindle menu. However, there are no ads when I'm actually reading a book.

Some of the ads are for products (cars, skincare, etc.), but others are Special Offers from Amazon, and I absolutely love this feature. I claimed a code for a 99 cent mp3 album. Later, I received an offer letting me know I'd get an $10 credit from Amazon if I bought one book from a supplied list. I bought The Hunger Games for $5. Once the credit comes in, that means Amazon will have paid me $5 to "buy" the book!

I tried to claim an amazing deal from Audible.com...$6 for 6 audiobooks...but wasn't eligible since I'm already an Audible member. I'm contemplating an offer for a $100 Amazon credit if I get their credit card (which I'd probably just use occasionally when they give me a good incentive to use it!) The Special Offers are a huge plus for me--I'd want them even if we hadn't gotten a discounted price. I'm thinking eventually the Special Offers may pay for the Kindle!

As for the reading experience, it's overall quite good. Kindle screens aren't backlit, which means they are generally really easy on the eyes, can be read even in bright sunlight, and have amazing battery life. My biggest complaint is that I wish there was more contrast between the light gray screen and the black letters. Yes, it looks like a real printed page...but a page printed on light gray paper. At night, my living room is not that brightly-lit, and my eyes strain just a bit to read. (I need to get a good light to use for both reading and crocheting at night.)

I also just got an Android phone, and the Kindle app I downloaded on it is fantastic. When I open it, it syncs with my Kindle (and vice-versa), so whichever device I'm reading on, the software takes me to just the right page of the book. I've been using the phone if I'm reading in the bed while The Engineer sleeps, since its screen is backlit.

Overall, I'm really happy to have a Kindle. I hope in the future they can improve the contrast of the screen. I also think a touchscreen would be convenient, though I wouldn't be willing to pay a whole lot for it. Even with those complaints, I adore my Kindle and think it's a great way to read, especially while on the go.

Disclosure: I wasn't compensated in any way for this post.

A new hat...for me!

I was so excited to design and make a hat for me! I finished it yesterday. I call it the Cleo hat.



I just love the pom pom!



To make it more fun...if it's cold, I can convert it into an earflap hat. The earflap piece uses buttons to attach to the hat, underneath the folded-up band.





Once the band is folded back up, the back of the hat looks normal.



Here's the extra-warm version!





Having a new hat definitely helps me be more excited about the cold temps out there!