Upcoming Crochet Projects

Today's post is just a quick update to keep things going!  I'm working on a couple of things right now, but none of them are remotely finished.  So!  I figured I would do a general update on some upcoming and current crochet projects.

Thankfully, the repetitive motion injury in my wrist has finally started getting better, so I've started a new crochet project.  My husband randomly decided that he wanted a crochet helmet.  So we went searching and found Rebekah Bowers' Gimli-inspired helmet and beard pattern on Ravelry.  It's epic, with a detachable beard, so that's the one we decided on.  It's a bit expensive material-wise, but it's totally worth it.

The only change I'll be making is a brown beard instead of a red one.  Also, Rebekah is a great help--I was having trouble with the gauge for the helmet base, and she was happy to give me plenty of tips.  Also, her pattern is incredibly clear, with lots of good pictures.  This will probably take me a few months to complete (just in time for full Louisiana summer!), but I can't wait to have a finished product!

For my other projects, my husband got me the two following amigurumi books for Valentine's day.  He had the awesome idea that I could make Lord of the Rings/Hobbit characters--and with these books, it's totally possible!

Doherty's Amigurumi!: Super Happy Crochet is best for making the funky characters, animals, and foods in the book. But you can make some really cute gifts and projects with it.  Also, there's a deer pattern that could probably be adapted for My Little Pony projects!

Hoffman's AmiguruME: Make Cute Crochet People is EPIC.  It's not "how to make Mr. T or Beyonce": it's "here's how to make this kind of head/hair/body/feet."  It's MEANT for you to create your own people by combining pattern pieces.  I've already listed the pieces I need to make Storm from the X-Men, plus Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin from The Hobbit.

I AM SO EXCITED.

Now I just need a job so I can afford all the yarn!

Crochet and Big Life Changes

So, I started this blog originally because I felt like my creative life was being drowned in dissertation work and other obligations.  Last semester was a time of huge upheaval in that regard, and I ended the semester by going on academic leave.  So now, a month-and-a-half later, I'm still hunting for a full-time job, but I have a part-time job writing scripts for study guide videos for an Australian company, I've started a new class in bellydance, and I'm excited to not be constantly dogged by the guilt and stress of the dissertation.  I may go back next fall, but I'm not sure.  The unfortunate truth is that the Ph.D. CAN be worth it for an alt-ac/non-ac job, but it can also be a hindrance.  So, we'll see.  In the meantime, I'm trying to jump back into craft mode (and blogging mode!) post-holidays.

I have a bellydance costume in the works, but I keep struggling with some beautiful but very unforgiving fabric and a deadlock over how to decorate the bra.  I've got a ton of ideas, but I'm just not sure which one to run with:

I cannot get this darned thing to load right-side up.
And this one is my favorite, too.  Sigh.

In the meantime, I finally got around to learning a new hobby that I'd attempted, failed, and put off at least twice: crochet.  I've been knitting for years, now, although I rarely do anything more complicated than a basic garter stitch or knit 2, purl 2.  I mostly make blankets and scarves for family members, and it gives me something easy but productive to do while watching movies or TV.  Decorating a dance bra requires a lot more concentration!  Anyway, I'd been interested in learning crochet with the number of neat patterns online, especially for bellydance stuff.  But every time I'd tried, I kept making miserable, curled up swatches that looked terrible.  So I gave up and figured I'd try again another time, maybe when I had an actual person to show me how, rather than a YouTube video.

Well, true motivation came last week, when my bellydance instructor asked us to bring zills, preferably with mufflers.  I finally bought my own zills back at the Texas Renfaire in the fall, but I had no mufflers.  So, I looked up some patterns, bought lace weight yarn, and I was ready to try learning knitting in the round (something else I'd never attempted).  Unfortunately, it was the day of the class, and I got home to discover that I didn't have the right needles.  I have a huge stash my grandmother gave me, but it's a random assortment.  There was no going back to the store, so I decided "what the hell" and pulled out a crochet hook and a crochet pattern, ready to learn, hardcore.

Before I started the crochet, however, I knew I didn't have time to finish them before class, so I made some fabric zill covers according to this SUPER EASY tutorial at The Tribal Way:

Tribal Way Zill Mufflers -
She takes lovely pictures and also has lovely hands, don't you think?

So anyway, I knocked those out in 10 minutes, and then realized bellydance class was cancelled due to Louisiana's uncommonly cold and icy weather.  So I went back to crocheting.

It was HARD.  I probably unpicked and restarted the pattern 7-10 times before I actually started getting it right, and I watched and re-watched one particular video (I'll link to it when I can find it again).  I actually ended up switching patterns halfway through, too: I started with the Pretty Petaled Zill Covers by kNew England Knitter, but I couldn't understand how to get from one petal to the next, so I switched to Shira's Large Spider Web Zill Mufflers. The spider web pattern was much easier to follow, but it still took a few tries to get it right.

I finished the first one that night.
Tada!  Here is my first one and my fabric muffler:

I didn't get the center shape in the crochet quite right, but once I got farther out, I got more used to the tension and technique.

I was ADDICTED.  In the past 5 days, I've made three more covers and attempted a crochet slave bracelet.

For the bracelet, I used the free bejeweled bracelet pattern from The Joyful Dancer.  I didn't understand parts of the pattern I, so I just did what seemed right.  I got pretty much the right shape, but it's very loose.  Also, the edges are a bit wonky.  But for kind of making parts up, I'm okay with that!

Overall, I'm still working on loosening my stitch tension, but I'm getting better.  I really enjoy how crocheted work comes together, and I like having only one needle.  The only downside is that my left wrist hurts from the effort of controlling the work, the working thread, and the tension.  But it's worth it!!


And, for a final, ferret note for the day, Ferret Nation cages are the best.  We finally ordered one and set it up last Thursday.  It's great and the ferrets love it!

Look how huge!