Can you believe it's already february. I think I had a lot of stuff going on in January and now I can't remember any of it! The memory loss is probably due to the cold weather we've been experiencing; my brain doesn't function at full capacity below certain temperatures.
To keep myself warm, I've been working on Valentine cards. I'm participating in a few Valentine card swaps with them and I have a few cards left in my etsy shop. Enjoy!
Get
yourself some cheap yarn. Play with it for a while. Practice some stitches.
Make a couple granny squares. Once you’ve learned the basics, then spend a
little more at your local yarn shop. Splurge on something super soft. Try a
really thin fiber. Every time I visit the yarn shop I’m inspired to start a new
project based on the yarn I find.
Try a
variety of hooks. You’ll want to use different sized hooks for different gauges
of yarn or to get a different outcome with the same yarn. I got these for $7.50
online.
Learn to
read patterns. Follow a pattern. Be inspired by the holidays. Here’s a heart I
crocheted using a pattern I found on Skip to my Lou just before Valentine’s
Day. I didn’t know what a treble crochet was when I started, but there is a
wealth of information out there and Google will help you find it.
Try
stitching something without a pattern. See if it comes close to what you
imagined, or if it’s even better than you dreamed. Side note: sometimes when I
crochet before bed, I dream about stitches. That’s how I dreamt up the idea for
this little cuff that I whipped up on the plane a couple weeks ago.
And
remember, it is super easy to rip up a project without destroying your yarn –
just pull the yarn and it all comes loose. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Make
something for yourself. I’ve been working on this granny square cowl in colors
that I love with yarn that is super soft. It’s taking me a while, but I have an
end goal in mind and that keeps me on track…and trying to finish it before it’s
no longer cold enough for a cowl.
Make
something for someone you love. Eric recently requested a scarf “with orange in
it.” So I started work on this pattern. It’s great because he checks in every day on the progress of
his scarf, and I like his oohs and ahhs when I show him how much I’ve done.
For a
little Valentine cheer this year I participated in Carina’s Valentine Swap
(she’s the brain behind Crow & Canary). I got partnered up with the cutest
ladies, Diana and Meagan. Diana sent a cute cupid and doily adorned Valentine
from one of her favorite etsy shops. I have a total doily crush lately. I’m
waiting a week or two to see if it’s the real thing before I go out and buy
hundreds of paper doilies from the craft store, but I’m soooo impatient. I’ll
probably end up caving in a few days and buying a bunch of doilies only to realize I don’t
know what to do with all of them. So if you have craft ideas involving doilies, send
them on over!
Before her valentine arrived, I had checked out Diana’s etsy shop and fell in love with
her sweet photo postcards. She sent this perfect telephone postcard along with
her valentine. And then I went ahead and chose a few to purchase from her shop.
I love having sweet notecards on hand – it makes sending mail so much more fun.
Meagan’s valentine arrived a couple days later. I was floored. She stitched a dictionary
definition of Valentine onto a pretty piece of fabric. I love that she used
neutral and blue shades and not typical Valentine red and pink. Yay for pretty
embroidery.
I’ve done
a lot of great swaps lately. If you are looking for a reason to craft and a way
to receive a few inspiring crafts from others, I highly recommend getting in on
a swap. Or find a friend who wants to do an alphabet swap with you :)
