Bargain Yarn? Not such a bargain!

I think I'm finally learning a lesson.  I have several totes full of yarn.  I love having a nice stash and am prone to snapping up a bargain when I find one.   But in the future I will be giving my yarn purchases a bit more thought.

Every yarn hoarder I know runs into the same problem.  We have lots of yarn, then we run across the cutest pattern or get the best inspiration to design something and...   well dang, nothing in my stash will work!  That one is too heavy.  This one is too light weight.  That one is the wrong shade of green.  You all know what I mean.

Example:  Several months ago I ran across some Tee Shirt yarn skeins for only $1 each.  (Can you say Dollar Tree).  Online these skeins sold for $8 to $14 each.  What a deal!  So I bought a bunch of them and patted myself on the back for snagging such a bargain!

This year I am trying to use up much of my stash, so I pulled out this wonderful yarn and got to work.  It turns out that Tee Shirt yarn is not that easy to work with.  Also, because of the thickness, there is not that much yarn in each skein.  Who knew?   Well, I should have.  But I am impulsive and don't always think things through, especially when it comes to bargain yarn.  This particular yarn is not really Tee Shirt material.  Most of it is stiff and hard to work with.  About the only thing it is well suited for is baskets, and some of those are not really that sturdy.  I have tried starching after making them and that only helps a bit.  I did find that weaving a piece of wire through the top round helps the basket hold a nice shape.

I did run across a sweet pattern for a hanging cocoon basket, but alas, the finished size is huge and it takes more than one skein to make it.

Also, the thickness of the skeins I bought is not consistent.  Some skeins are soft and contain enough for two nice sized baskets while others are stiff and I have to play yarn chicken to finish a project.

So the old adage, "You get what you pay for", holds true.  Beware of the yarn bargain bin!   It could eat your budget and cause you endless frustration!

That said, I did get a few cute and functional baskets out
of some of this yarn.     So perhaps my bargain yarn is not a total loss.   

 So, I wish you luck in your yarn de-stashing adventures!  May every skein you own stimulate your yarny creativity!

Blessings!
Reny

Dragons Can Be Intimidating!

                                                                                                        

When I first saw the pics of this dragon pattern on Pinterest, I was both intrigued and intimidated.  He was sooo cute, but looked so detailed.  I wasn't quite sure I could pull this one off.  I mean, I've been crocheting for years, and have even designed a few things myself.   But this guy?  I just didn't know if I wanted to put myself through such a seemingly difficult project.

Yet, every-time I happened across  that pin, I stopped and looked.  Finally, I clicked to the blog featuring this guy and took a closer look.  That didn't help, especially when I saw that the pattern was posted in three different parts!  Good grief!  It must be harder than I even imagined!

There were also video tutorials for the pattern.  Lots of video tutorials.  All for one dragon pattern!  Now I was really convinced it was beyond my skill level!

But this dragon would not turn loose of me!  So a couple of weeks ago I decided to give him a try.  It''s not like I didn't have any other projects to complete.  I was (and still am) working on about 4 different projects when I decided to take this one on.  It wasn't that I was commissioned to make this either.  It just seemed like I had to do it.

So, I searched through my yarn stash for some yarn.  I didn't want this dragon to be too large, so I chose baby weight yarn  and went to work.  I'm not totally sold on the colors I used, but it is what I had on hand.

To my relief and delight, the pattern was well written.   The areas where I needed some clarification were covered in the videos.  I am not usually one to watch videos to make my projects.  Generally a written pattern suits me just fine.  But these videos are so well done!  Every detail is covered and explained beyond question!
I would say that this is an intermediate pattern, but by taking your time and following the steps in the order given, it becomes very doable.  I did take a few liberties with the pattern.  Claws instead of fingers and I changed the eyes a bit.  I had just received a shipment of dragon safety eyes and just couldn't wait to use some.   But he still turned out pretty cute.

Sharon Ojala  is the designer of this awesome pattern.  What a talent!    Thank you to Sharon, for sharing her talent with all of us!  And her videos are superb!  

So go on over to https://www.amigurumitogo.com/ and check out her work!  Make yourself a dragon!

Blessings!
Reny

The Joy of Creating!!!

There are so many excellent crochet pattern designers out there, and I love that!  Since I started designing some of my own, I have come to appreciate the time and work that goes into creating even a simple little pattern!  So why do I bother designing my own when there are so many great patterns out there already?

Well, I guess you could say I love a challenge.  Not only do I love being challenged by someone else's awesome pattern, I love the challenge of trying to create something from 'scratch' myself.

It all starts with an idea or a picture in my mind and it grows from there.  To watch all the details of the design fall into place as I go is so satisfying!

So, I'll be completely honest with you here... I have designed quite a few things that I'm not very proud of, and some that I thought were pretty awesome at first, but am now reworking and improving.   But to create from start to finish makes me happy!

Sometimes my designs come from a request from someone. (usually my daughter) who just likes to see if I can do it!  She also knows that I'm happiest when I have something to challenge me.  But the Secret Garden Kimono is definitely my favorite so far of everything I have designed myself!  My daughter sent me a pic of a kimono that she loved,  but there was no pattern.  I was so pleased to be able to come up with something she loved in a boho style that perfectly fit the bill of what she was looking for!

I should mention here that I usually don't make garments.  My passion is amigurumi!  So the kimono design was definitely 'out of the box' for me.  Almost every stitch was accompanied with a secret little smile as I imagined how cute this would be on her!  Each stitch also carried a secret hope that this would be a design that she would love!

I don't even remember how many hours I spent on this, but I do remember the satisfaction I got from making it.

And, as you can see, my beautiful daughter is the perfect model for this all season kimono!

If you crochet, I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone too!  Explore the fun of designing your own.  Even the frogging brings a feeling of satisfaction while you strive for just he right design!

Till next time, be blessed friends!
Reny