I Once Was Lost, But Now I'm Found

Wow, that was weird!  I hadn't posted on this blog in quite some time, and when I went to look at it several weeks ago, I couldn't even get to it!  I kept getting some sort of security error and it wouldn't let me access it at all.  I tried to go to my main blogger account page where you can (normally) see the list of all of your blogs, and it wasn't even listed there.  I freaked for a bit - all that content GONE - then just shook it off decided I had better things to worry about right now (like working my eBay business, getting my house ready to sell, and dealing with a huge, life-threatening tumor in one of my dogs).

I tried again the other day for the heck of it, and got the same security error that denied me access, but decided to dig around a little more and finally did find it in the list of blogs on my blogger account and brought it up that way.  Hooray!  Content still intact.  Phew, that was close.

While I don't expect I'll be posting all that often, I am back up and running and it's nice to know that the platform is still here and available should I have something that I just MUST share with you.

My next post will feature an afghan I finished recently, so don't go too far!

~ Marie Anne

Sheee's Baaack!

Announcement - MA is back in the saddle!

I got away from blogging for quite a while, then realized this relic was just sitting here not doing anyone any good, so it's time to resurrect The Crooked Yarn once again.  Some of my posts will helpful hints or tutorial in nature, great deals that I find, or just general chit-chat about what I'm working on.

I might also open the floor to some guest bloggers who have something crafty to share, so be on the lookout for that too.  If you have a post or article about anything dealing with the fiber arts or any other type of craft or DIY project that might be of interest to my readers, contact me at The Crooked Yarn on Facebook and let's talk!


I've been on a dishcloth kick again and have quite a few colorful sets listed on Etsy right now, and lots more to come.  Here's a sample of my current listings:



What have the rest of you been up to while I was asleep?

~ Marie Anne

Collectors of All Kinds, Take Note!

I wrote this article a while back about things you can make with old Scrabble tiles, and that led me to this site about collecting board games.  Talk about a walk down memory lane!

All of your favorite board game companies are represented there - Hasbro, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers.  You name it - if it's about a board game, you'll find it there

Looking deeper, I see that the main site, Collectionary, is about all sorts of things that people might collect - literally hundreds of different collectibles.  Some of the things I saw with just a quick glance are Star Wars, Beatles, Hot Wheels, every sports team ever in existence, Coca Cola, Barbie, Pez, and dozens more.  It's a great place to connect with other collectors who are crazy about the same things you are, and maybe even find that elusive item you've been searching for to add to your collection.

Do you collect anything?  I collected frogs for years until they started reproducing and taking over the house and I had to cut back.  I still have a few items that I couldn't bear to part with, though.

~ Marie Anne

Crooked Yarn Domain Name Change - Please Update Your Bookmarks

My current domain name is expiring (crookedyarn.com), and I've decided to go with another service that's more reliable, so I'm going to change the name just a bit.  If it hasn't changed already, it will happen soon, and the url for this blog will be TheCrookedYarn.com instead of just CrookedYarn.com.  Please update any bookmarks accordingly.

The web address is only changing slightly, and the blog itself won't be changing at all.  I hope it doesn't cause too much confusion.

~ Marie Anne

The Challenge of the Baby Sunhat ... I Won!

Yesterday I posted about wanting to spread out and knit or crochet something outside of my comfort zone, so with a 6-month-old granddaughter who lives in NC, I decided on a baby sunhat.

The pattern was listed in sizes for infant and toddler, and Catie Alice is a big girl, so I went with the toddler size.  It's definitely too big, but I think it turned out ok for my first attempt.  I'm going to modify it to try to get between the infant and toddler sizes and see how that works out.  I also don't like the flower I chose, so will work on that a bit more too.

Once I get the sizing figured out, I'm going to get really brave and try to write up my own crochet pattern for a baby sunhat.  You won't want to miss that!

(click photos to enlarge)

The photos aren't the best since it's cloudy again, but I cheated and added my own sunshine and pretended I was at Onslow Beach.

My model definitely needs to grow into this hat!

~ Marie Anne

Crocheting or Knitting Outside of Your Comfort Zone

If you knit or crochet, you probably have your favorite patterns that you turn to frequently, or like to make certain items, regardless of pattern.  I love to crochet baby blankets and sometimes start with one pattern, then adapt it some to make it my own.  Dishcloths are another favorite, and I've come up with a few simple crochet and knit patterns of my own.

I've made some lovely baby blankets and afghans, and friends love my dishcloths, but I'm in a rut and want to step out of my creative comfort zone.  I love to play with color and each blanket or afghan looks different, but I want to expand my horizons.  I want to learn to do amigurumi (that will be a tough task, for sure), and I also want to make hats, particularly baby hats.

The issue for me with hats is determining correct sizing.  I know there are charts and tutorials all over the internet, but I can't get past the sizing hurdle.  What if I make a hat and list it for sale as fitting X, when it's much too large or small and really would fit Z?  I have no little ones here to model anything.  My only grandchild is several states away, so she's not much help in the short term.

I've heard of people blowing up balloons to represent different sizes, but, while round, a balloon is still not the same shape as a child or baby's head.  I know, I know, I'm being anal about it, and I need to get over it and just DO it.

(click photo to enlarge)

Catie Alice needs a sunhat, don't you think?

Is there something that you'd love to learn how to make, but there's something holding you back?  Here's the challenge ... pick one thing that you've never done and do it.

I'm going to do a baby sunhat to send to my granddaughter.  I have plenty of cotton yarn here, and there are a bazillion free patterns out there, so no excuses.  Anyone with me?

~ Marie Anne

Yarn Score at Jo-Ann's and Hobby Lobby

As usual on my trips to town on errands, I stop at Hobby Lobby with my 40% coupon in my pocket and pick up a skein of yarn, whether I need it or not.  Even if I don't have an immediate need for a project I'm working on right then, I'll grab a skein of white or black or another color that I use often to keep my yarn stash fed.

While at Hobby Lobby, I always check the sale bins and once in a while I'll come away with a nice little extra.  A week or so ago I saw some I Love This Cotton on sale and debated whether to grab all that was there.  I'd never used it before and it seemed much softer than what I usually use for dishcloths, so I didn't want to buy a bunch and find it not usable for that purpose.  I grabbed one each of two different colors and gave it a try.  I love it!

While there today, I saw that there were three skeins left, so I grabbed all three of them for a good price.  One of them was the same as I had picked up before, really cool Mexican fiesta or southwestern colors.  It's actually called Tuscany, but it doesn't say Tuscany to me at all.  The other two remind me of Christmas candy and that's pretty close, because the name of the color is Christmas.

I Love This Cotton yarn in Christmas and Tuscany

Next stop was Jo-Ann's, with my 50% off one item coupon, and another coupon for 15% off, even sale items.  They didn't have the colors of regular worsted yarn that I needed, so I looked around to see what else might catch my eye.  I don't like using a coupon just to buy something cheaper that I don't need, but I'll often use it to buy something that I haven't tried yet.  They had a big display on the end of one of the aisles with 12oz skeins of Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn in gorgeous colors.  Even in the larger skein they weren't much cheaper than buying the small balls of yarn, but throw a 50% coupon on that baby and it was definitely worth it.  I couldn't decide which color to get, so bought both of them that I couldn't choose between, and used the 15% coupon on the other (not nearly as much of a savings, but eh, sometimes you gotta splurge, ya know?).

It's Bernat's Cotton Candy Collection, and the colors I got are listed as Cotton Candy and Blue Snow Cone.  I'm not sure those names are spot-on, because the one is between a pink and a peach and I don't think looks like pink cotton candy at all, and the other is more of a bluish-aquamarine, but it's close.  Regardless, they're very pretty and I think will make nice eye-popping dishcloths.  They also had a bright yellow, off-white/beige, black, and I think a dark brown.  I don't see the Cotton Candy Collection on the Bernat website, so it must be a seasonal or promotional item.

Bernat Cotton in Blue Snow Cone and Cotton Candy

I'm almost finished with a big afghan that's a custom order and have another just like it to do, but this yarn will come in handy to knit and crochet dishcloths when taking a break from the larger project.

~ Marie Anne

Taming the Yarn Stash Monster

I know I'm not the only person to wield a crochet hook or knitting needle who has problems keeping my stash of yarn scraps straightened out, but I try to go through it every so often and attempt to make some semblance of order out of the chaos.  I did some of that yesterday, and hopefully will be completely finished today.

I've started many projects then put them aside to work on something else, and sometimes never get back to the original piece.  In the past I never kept any notes about things I was working on, and often the yarn used had been discontinued, or I don't know what size hook or what exact stitch I used, so it's useless to try to pick it back up again.  Here's a box with a bunch of partial skeins of yarn and several UFOs (unfinished objects) that I tackled yesterday.

This is a very big box so it doesn't look like there's much in there, but trust me, there was quite a bit.

I frogged and wound and frogged and wound until my arms were about to give out, and this is what I ended up with -- one bag of balls of yarn scraps, and a group of partial skeins sorta rolled up with a rubber band to keep them from getting tangled.

I still have two pieces to dismantle, but they can be neatly folded and put up until my  wrist and arm are more rested.

I need to finish going through the cubby where I have more yarn, but that's not in too much of a mess, so the rest should be pretty easy to sort and straighten out.  The bigger job will be to keep on top of it all and not let it reproduce.

How do you control your yarn stash?

~ Marie Anne

Fiber Funnies

If you knit or crochet you've probably got some whacky definitions of your own, but here's one to get your funny bone tickling:

Pattern: A set of written instructions that may or may not result in creating the object in the picture. Most patterns include a list of supplies, but this is for your amusement only. After all, Amazonian Rhesus yarn in smoky turquoise does not exist, and cannot be obtained. Patterns also have fun-to-do math problems, such as 1 dc in next 7 dc (34 dc made)…?!

Hop on over to Annie's Attic to read more Hooks & Humor. Can you add to the list?

Pin Your Etsy Items on Pinterest

Pin It

Etsy item pinned with price shown

Did you know you could pin your items for sale onto Pinterest?   If you have an Etsy shop or sell products elsewhere, you can pin them to your board and tag that they're for sale just by putting the dollar amount somewhere in the description of the pin.

Couple of Giveaways

Who doesn't love free yarn?  Red Heart is giving away $80 worth of their With Love yarn this month, so make sure to get in on that.  You even get to pick your favorite colors if you win!

Molly & Jethro are helping me give away $25 to the winner's favorite pet shelter or rescue group.

Get a chance to help your favorite animal charity with one click, plus see what silliness Molly & Jethro are up to daily.

What's in a Name?

I've been contemplating changing the name of this blog from Every Day Crochet to something a little more exciting.  I'm on Twitter and my main account is Ldyjarhead, but I split it up into several accounts for different things, one being my crochet stuff.  That Twitter account is Crooked Yarn and I like the sound of that, so I think I'll change this blog to reflect the same name to keep everything tied in better.  I'll also change my facebook page (which isn't very active, but I'll use this opportunity to kickstart it again).

Whatdya think?

If I do change it, should I go with The Crooked Yarn, or just Crooked Yarn?  To me, crooked yarn speaks of the object itself, but THE crooked yarn sounds more like telling tales, and I like that connotation.   I'll have to redo my banner at the top of the page and trying to picture which would look and sound best.

Sound off and give me your input and opinion, please!

UPDATING:  Blog has been renamed, domain name has been purchased and banner has been updated.  How do you like it?

Good Day for Crocheting

The weather here  in south/central Ohio has been crazy.   Long winter, a hint of spring for a day or two, then rain for weeks, leaving things cold and damp at best and flooded at worst.  I went from wearing long johns with sweatpants, turtlenecks and sweatshirts just three days ago, to sweltering in shorts and tank top for two days.  Today I'm back to sweatpants and turtleneck and I'm still cold.  Blech.  Good weather for crocheting, though.

I needed something warm and comforting on this dreary day, so I fixed a second cup of tea with some buttered toast and now I'm headed to the couch to see if there's anything on TV worth curling up with an afghan to watch.

I'm almost done with the latest granny square baby blanket and was intrigued by this ripple or zig-zag blanket that Mindy did and asked where she got the pattern so I could give it a whirl.  I found Our Best Baby Afghans (Leisure Arts #2853) and ordered it the other day so I'm hoping it's in my mail on Monday in time to get started before WIP Wednesday.

Until  next time ...

Knit One, Purl Two

I know this is my crochet blog, but I needed a word for K-day in the A-Z Blogging Challenge and after skimming all K entries in the dictionary and not finding much, knitting it is.

(Photo by NOnnahs)

I learned to both knit and crochet as a young girl, but never did much with either of them.  I gave up crochet almost immediately because I couldn't do the intricate things my sister and aunt worked on, the real lacy-looking pieces.  I guess I thought that's mostly what crocheting was, so put up my hook and walked away.

Knitting seemed much easier to me at the time, and I had no problem with the basic knit one/purl two to make a scarf, and I think I even made a pair of cable mittens once.  I didn't venture beyond that, in fact, didn't pick up needles and yarn again until after I was in the Marine Corps for several years, probably around 1980 or so.

A civilian co-worker always brought some sort of needlework to the office to work on during lunchtime, and she got me hooked again.  I found a pattern book for an afghan with wide stripes of four different colors, each color stripe being made with a different pattern stitch.  Because it was worked in one piece, it had to be done with a circular knitting needle, which was a first for me.  Even though it's been more than 30 years, I still remember that afghan (I guess because it took me over a year to finish it).  It was white shades of blue and it was huge!

I never knit anything after that, but I carted that big old thing from duty station to duty station for many years, until it was ragged and raveled beyond usability.  Thinking of it today makes me smile, though.

I think I have a pair of knitting needles in my stash.  I wonder ...

I'm taking the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I will post something from each letter of the alphabet on the corresponding day in April, except for Sunday, on (hopefully) all four of my blogs. You can see my other blogs in the sidebar - More of Marie Anne.

I is for Inspiration

Photo by Jaymarr

Where do you get your inspiration for what you're going to crochet?  Do you visit your LYS and spy a pretty color or new type of yarn that you just have to try, without knowing yet what it will become?

Do you try out a neat new pattern and decide later what to do with it, be it to list for sale on Etsy, or gift to friend or family?  Do you crochet just when there's a particular reason to, like needing a gift for a new baby or housewarming?

I'm inspired by all of the above.  Sometimes I'll head to the store to pick up a particular color of yarn to finish one project, then end up with several other skeins in my basket just because I love to pair up interesting colors.

Other times I'll find a cute pattern during my internet travels and have to check my stash to see if I have the yarn needed to give it a try, which often results to another visit to the store.

And then of course a new baby in the family means whipping up a baby blanket.

Sometimes seeing a piece of clothing or fabric in a store will give me inspiration because the color combination caught my eye.  Are you inspired by colors around you?  Here are some ways I get Yarn Color Ideas for Knit and Crochet Projects.

How about it ... what inspires you?

I'm taking the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I will post something from each letter of the alphabet on the corresponding day in April, except for Sunday, on at least one if not all four of my blogs. You can see my other blogs in the sidebar - More of Marie Anne.

Ugliest Crochet Pattern Contest Giveaway

Do you have a favorite ugly crochet pattern?  Share it for a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card in the first annual Ugliest Crochet Pattern Contest!

The giveaway will last through the month and end at midnight on October 31st.  What better way to close out Halloween than with a contest about ugly?

All contest entries must be for a pattern available online.  It can be a free pattern or one that is available for a fee, as long as it is accessible for everyone to look at without cost.  Some sites require you to sign up to be able to view the patterns and that's fine, as long as there is no fee to do so.

So start looking then make a blog post with your link to the ugliest crochet pattern you can find and link to your blog by clicking on 'click here to enter' below (look at the other entries first so that you don't enter one that's already listed).  Make sure that your ugly crochet pattern blog post links back to this post on my blog so your readers will know to come back here and vote. You may enter more than once, but make a separate blog entry for each ugly pattern you wish to enter into the contest.

Sign up below to add the ugliest crochet pattern you can find to the contest.   Feel free to make comments as we go along, but I'll make a new blog post after the first of November for everyone to officially vote on.

NOTE:  This is for the ugliest pattern you can find online, not the ugliest thing you've actually crocheted.  I'll think of another contest for that later!

The winner will receive the code for a $5 gift card from amazon.com.  I love getting an extra $5 off the already low prices on books and accessories available at amazon.com, so I'm sharing one of my gift cards with you, my faithful readers.  Want to earn your own free gift cards?  Join me at Swagbucks!

I've got my entry ready to go and will share it at contest end if someone else doesn't list it first!  Ready?  Set? Go!

Photo Props for Completed Crochet Projects

I'm finally going to start listing a few things on Etsy again but the problem I'm having is taking decent photos. I listed two baby blankets yesterday and have more to list, but I'm not happy with the photos at all.

My camera is decent, but it's difficult to snap a photo that shows the full beauty of a large crocheted piece without it being distorted at one end.   Folding or otherwise arranging it into a smaller piece helps, but you still have to worry about lighting, the right angle, background, etc.  In my case, I also have pet hair to deal with.

I always wash my finished items, but just about anywhere I might put it to take the photo is going to have dog and/or cat hair, no matter how often I vacuum or brush.  I've decided I need some props to properly display my craft and attempt to get good pics.

I've come up with a few ideas of my own and friends on Facebook brainstormed with me too, so I think I'm on the right track for things to look for.  What do you use to take photos of your work?  Any tips to share?

Crochet Scarves Going to the 2012 Superbowl in Indianapolis

I have a free crochet scarf pattern that is apparently well liked based on the comments I receive, but a comment I found this morning has me really smiling.

Scarves made from my Free Crochet Pattern - Bumpy Scarf will be going to the 2012 Superbowl in Indianapolis!

Go see the nice words this lovely lady left for me - I'm so excited!

Crochet Prayer Squares

My pal Melody over at Hooking Stitches is often an inspiration to me, and her Prayer Squares are no exception.

I'm making up small granny prayer squares to put with other gifts that I give to family and friends. The squares only take a moment or two to make, but I reflect in prayer for the recipient while I'm crocheting them. They're small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and to tuck into a pocket, so the person receiving one can have a tangible message of God's love at any time.

I sent out two packages to friends the other day and included these little prayer squares along with them. These friends have blessed me over the years, and it's just a small way to ask God's blessings upon them, to carry them through the day.


I'm hoping to expand this little ministry of mine, so please share any ideas you may have of people that might like to receive prayer squares. I would love to send them to deployed troops and missionaries.

~ Marie Anne

Where Are My Baby Blankets?

I know I'm getting old, but this is ridiculous.

My clutter of crochet was becoming overwhelming, so a couple of weeks ago I sorted through all the yarn, crochet hooks and finished projects to try to make sense of it all. I took a couple of completed baby blankets and put them up, and now I can't find them.

I thought I had tucked them in an unused dresser drawer, but I have checked all drawers, closets, chests and everything else imaginable several times with no luck - it seems they just disappeared.

A great-niece just had a baby girl and of course I wanted to send one of those blankets but noooooo, I had to start another one. I honestly didn't need another crochet project right now but I'm sure you know how that goes, we start them anyway.


Can you check your stash and see if my baby blankets somehow ended up there?

p.s. It's not too late to post something for WIP Wednesday this week.