I love the opportunity I've had to turn my yarncraft hobby into my career and I'm really happy that it is also still my hobby and that I can relax and enjoy making a personal yarncraft project from another designer's pattern just like I hope yarncrafters do with mine.
In the photo: Rose and Violet Creams Headband and Scarf Set
I love crafting along with others too. Before having children I used to attend quite a few yarncraft groups where I'd meet up with craft friends and chat, stitch and enjoy a coffee and cake or sometimes a glass of wine if the project wasn't too complicated! Now my crafty friendships are more online and this month, although I've still got lots of pattern writing and admin tasks to do, I've finished all my pattern samples (the sample is the item that is photographed to be shown in the pattern) for the year, so I thought it would be fun to participate in some of the big make-along events that are enjoyed by crafters from all over the world each December and focus on patterns from independent designers, the Indie Giftalong which takes place on Ravelry and the Fasten off Yarnalong which has a focus on accessibility and takes place on various social media platforms, including Discord and Instagram.
Want to know more about online make-along events?
Find out more about the Indie Giftalong in my blog post or visit the Ravelry group
Find out more about the Fasten off Yarnalong in my blog post or visit the website
As I'm a participating designer in the Fasten off Yarnalong, all of my patterns on Etsy and in my Ravelry Store are eligible for the 25% off coupon code: FO2024 until end of Thursday 5th December (ET), that's 5am Friday 6th December GMT, and are eligible to be worked on in either event if you want to join in and aren't sure what to make or even if you've just had your eye on a particular pattern of mine and would like to grab a copy for less than usual.
I planned to make a couple of projects in each of the events but when I found out which designers were participating, I realised I already had some of their patterns and of course I wanted to make them all and I don't regret that at all! Here are my make-along makes:
My Personal Yarncraft Projects for this month
Scraptacular Baskets by Nichola of Elimee Designs (one complete and one in progress)
Find this Participating Designer in the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry and in the Fasten off Yarnalong
These are for our bedside tables. We can both end up with a lot of clutter there, hairbands, brushes and pins on my side and bits of wire and gadget accessories on my husband's side. I started making my first one with J. C. Brett Craft Cotton DK held double and added a contrast brim to it with Lion Brand Pima Cotton and Phildar Philcoton 2 held double. The second one swaps that around but I hadn't enough of the Philcoton, so swithced to a similar Sirdar Yarn.
I enjoyed this a lot. It was really easy to work on while watching the children or a TV show. I decided on the medium as it was just the size I wanted. The large would be cover too much of my bedside table. I'm very pleased with this for hair accessories on my bedside table and hope my husband will find his one just as handy.
Bluestack Mountain Mittens by Ciara Doyle of The Fairythorn (complete)
Find this Participating Designer in the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry
Find the pattern on Ravelry
I really couldn't wait to wear these. It was a good thing they work up so fast! I made them in Drops Alaska, which is lovely and warm and puffs out nicely in the mini puff stitches.
I enjoyed the pattern stitch a lot. Making the mini puffs was a lot of fun. The pattern needs a bit of concentration while increasing and working the pattern stitch to get the right stitch count.
After finishing the first mitten, I realised the length and size is perfect but my thumb starts much lower than the mitten’s thumb division, so it is tricky to move it to hold things. I pulled back and made thumb division a pattern row repeat earlier (where the gusset increases end) and then continued with the mitten top in the pattern stitch, until I had the total rows matching the pattern for where the mitten top decreases start. I also did one extra row repeat for the thumb as the instructions suggest to get a good fit on a longer thumb. When I sewed them up, I took a slightly wide seam allowance on the wrist ribbing to get an extra snug fit there. That's a really nice option to have for mittens worked flat like this. I'm really pleased with these. I just need the cold weather now!
Perfect Picnic Hairband by Ruth Brasch of Orchard House Editing (complete)
Find this Participating Designer in the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry and in the Fasten off Yarnalong
Find the pattern on Ravelry or on the Fasten off Yarnalong's website
Using scrap yarn from my Florina Cutaway Poncho so I can wear them together. I was under gauge with a 5mm hook and the fluffy yarn looked cramped, so went up to a 5.5mm hook size. Now it's very slightly over gauge but the yarn looks better, so I stuck with it. I used cream Drops Alpaca as one of the strands throughout and alternating between pink and green of the same yarn on the other rows as i couldn’t decide!
I finished it off with a covered button using the same yarn as I didn’t have a big enough one that looked nice with it.
It was so much fun to make as it had a really relaxing stitch and row repeat and it was fun to combine the two colours. The pattern had lots of helpful photos too, especially pointing out how the yarnovers tended to hide in some positions. I really like the result too. It has just the right stretch to stay in place without flopping forward or shrinking backward and the stitch looks pretty in fluffy yarn.
I needed to block overnight as my ends were funny shaped and that fixed it nicely
Pilea Glauca Socks by Nicole Simmons of Nicole Simmons Knits (in progress)
Find this Participating Designer in the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry and in the Fasten off Yarnalong
Find the pattern on Ravelry or on the Fasten off Yarnalong's website
This is my second attempt to knit these.The first attempt started well and i was enjoying it so much when my yarn cake exploded from both top and bottom and consumed the project, the project bag and another project in a huge tangle! After almost a year in the naughty corner and an hour or two getting it unravelled, I rewound the cake no less than three times before I was happy it wouldn’t do that again. Let’s see what happens this year! I'm using Debonnaire Frisky 100% wool sock yarn. I'm excited to try that. It feels lovely, much softer than sock yarn with nylon. I wonder how it will stand up in use.
25-11-2024 Well I’m now back to where I was when I lost the project to the big tangle, so that’s a good start and I'll update here as I go along. Wish me luck!
If the Faiths Allow Hat by Annina of Artesanitarium Designs (in progress)
Find this Participating Designer in the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry and in the Fasten off Yarnalong
Find the pattern on Ravelry or on the designer's website
I had admired this pattern a couple of times but didn't buy it as I don't really wear hats but when I won a prize from this designer in a Fasten-off Yarnalong game, I knew I'd have to give it a go!
I started with crochet cast on on DPNs, which are my favourite way to work. I wonder if I can finish it on DPNs too. It feels nice and dense so I think it'll be very warm.
03-12-2024 I'm really enjoying knitting this stitch pattern. Charts and a written pattern together have meant that I haven’t gone wrong anywhere yet. I was expecting to end up doing more unpicking than this! Seeing the pattern develop is so enjoyable too.
Flexagon Fidget Toys by Andrea Cretu of Yarnandy (one in progress and another to start)
Find this Participating Designer in the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry and in the Fasten off Yarnalong
Find the pattern on Ravelry or on the Fasten off Yarnalong's website
I visited the designer's website meaning to buy her Tunisian Crochet Citrus Coasters but saw this and knew my sons would love it, especially the younger one whose fingers have minds of their own, so I got this pattern instead. Don't you think they'll be fun stocking stuffers?
My first one is in yellow Lily's Sugar n Cream and Pink Drops Paris cotton yarns. The Second one will be in Blue Lion Brand Pima Cotton and Green Drops Paris cotton yarn. I couldn't find my toy stuffing so I'm using some slightly felted spinning fleece.
And so those are my projects for November and December 2024
I wonder if this will be all of my makes or if I might get time to make some more projects before I need more samples for my Patterns. If I do I'll add them here. Have you joined in either of these events? I'd love to know what you're making if you'd let me know in the comments.
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