Sockhead Hat - A Two-Week Time Sucker

There it is: the project that consumed two weeks of my life.

At first glance, you wouldn't think it would take so long.  After all, it's only 4" of ribbing followed by approximately 9" of stockinette.  I looked forward to this project because it was mindless and great for catching up on the season premieres of our favorite shows ("Mad Men" is back, everyone!).

What I failed to remember is that anything worked with sock yarn is going to be painful if you're under a time constraint, even if the pattern is easy.  Hence why I have a huge pile of sock yarn building up in my craft room, but have yet to finish a sock.  I just lose interest after that 30,000th stitch, when I realize I haven't even reached the heel.

It was made for a Favorite Hat swap over at Ravelry.  It's the second one of its kind, and after much success with the first swap, I knew I had to join the second.  For this swap, we had to comb through our partner's Ravelry favorites and make one of the hats on the list.  Simple enough, and lots of fun to finally have the hats you've wanted to make for two years and haven't gotten around to.

My partner's favorite colors were jewel tones, so I immediately knew which of my yarns I was going to use.  This particular yarn was purchased on an outing shortly before our wedding when I was looking for a fun honeymoon project.  I decided to attempt socks and bought these skeins at A Garden of Yarn in Chadds Ford, PA.  The place lives up to its name, by the way, so it's worth a stop if you're in the area!

Well, as mentioned above, socks get really boring (I give major credit to people who like making them) and the pair never got finished.  So it was nice to be able to recycle the yarn and make something useful, even if I had to give it away when all was said and done.

The great news is that my swap partner loved it, as well as the other goodies I included in my package.  I was sad to see it go, but I look forward to the day my patience rebuilds so I can make another one out of my stash.

Here is a link to my project page over on Ravelry, and here is a link to the pattern (it's free!).

I have so many blog posts to make this week, so prepare for some flooding :)  I took a bunch of pictures over the weekend, and there are more I need to take for the JennyHats Fall Collection, so I'm in dire need to catching up.

Tomorrow: the swap package I received with my favorite hat.  Or should I say hats?  I was really spoiled!

Vickie Howell Craft Yarn 50% Off at Stitch Steals!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

If you're looking for a great deal on fiber, make your way over to Stitch Steals where you can buy Vickie Howell organic craft yarn for 50% off!  I know I will be indulging.  I haven't tried her yarn yet (though I've coveted it for so, so, sooooooo long).

I'll purchase some and leave a review here, okay?

But hurry because these deals only last for 24 hours!

The Knit Kit Now Available - Review and Free Shipping Offer!

Hi, all! As you know by now, today is the launch date of my superbly awesome new shop over at The Open Sky Project. This shop is where I will provide products to you, my fellow craft addicts, that I'm able to review and recommend so you know you're getting only the best products!

I'm really excited to not just open the shop, but to feature this first item that I received as a free sample yesterday. Presenting The Knit Kit:

Commence drooling.

Okay, so what is this thing, anyway? Well, it's a helpful little accessory that the craft industry has coined "The Swiss Army Tool for Knitters." That means that in every Knit Kit, you'll receive:

• A stitch counter
• A measuring tape with release tab
• Thread cutter
• Collapsible scissors
• Point protectors
• Stitch markers
• A crochet hook

A crochet hook? Why the heck is that handy? Well, if you're anything like me, you get really excited about your projects and work so fast you drop stitches like hot potatoes. Crochet hooks are perfect for going back and fixing any dropped stitches. And not only is it a crochet hook, it's a double ended crochet hook with two different sizes to use, depending on the type of yarn you're working with.

The best part about everything is that it's all TSA compliant. That means The Knit Kit is totally safe to take on planes. I've been jonesing to get my hands on one of these for awhile because I'm traveling to Dallas in September and Nashville in October. Do you understand the nightmare that traveling with all these supplies usually is? Not anymore! Now I can't wait!

If this sounds like something that would benefit you, then make sure to check it out on my Open Sky shop, or click on the "Add to Cart" button below:



PS: Get FREE SHIPPING until August 16th by entering code FREESHIPPING at checkout.  If you have one or purchase one, let me know what you think.

For more information, visit the official website, where you can even watch a clip of my idol Martha Stewart promoting it!  And if my review and Martha aren't enough to sway you, then how about a kitty?  Petey recommends it, too!

New product in shop: Crochet Flower Headband with Pearls and Feathers

Crochet Flower Headband with Pearls and Feathers, originally uploaded by jennlikesyarn.

Introducing my new line of headbands!

So far, I've made a whopping one of these, but there will be more coming in the next few weeks as classes wind down for the summer (and I have a glorious 14 days off before Fall session begins).

This was my prototype, but it came out so well that I decided to just go ahead and sell it :)

My inspiration was my brief stint into scrapbooking. For the record, I still really enjoy scrapbooking; I just don't have the time right now to indulge. Anyway, one of the latest scrapbooking trends seems to be handmade flowers with embellishments like rhinestones, buttons, distressing, glitter, pearls, and feathers. I thought these flowers would make really fun hair accessories and decided to try my hand at them.

Because my medium of expression is fiber, I crocheted a black flower, neutral because I wanted to be totally obnoxious with the feathers. Then I sprayed sparkles all over the flower. You can't see the detail in any of the photos, but it looks so pretty in person!



There's a super sparkly rhinestone in the flower's center, and multi-hued pink feathers coming up from behind. In between, I've added a string of pearls to make it somewhat classy :)



I really see these being a fun accessory for events like bachelorette parties. I mean, they're awesome for any night out on the town, or to spruce up an otherwise simple ensemble. But I can custom make the flowers and feathers in any color to match a bridal party's theme, and they do come out really cute.

If you're interested, you can buy the finished product in my etsy shop. There are also more pictures there, so feel free to check it out!

What else can I add to these? What colors would be great? I'm thinking of making one that's all white and seeing how that looks, maybe with gold glitter spray. I've got my work cut out for me!

The scarf that launched a thousand tears

The scarf that launched a thousand tears, originally uploaded by jennlikesyarn.

Behold: the bane of my existence.

Okay, not really. This is a traveling scarf that's going around my group now. I have to admit I loved it just a little bit - the colors of the yarn and the yarn itself were fantastic, and so is the pattern the original owner chose.

Except that I have attempted this pattern multiple times in the past and always wound up throwing out the result and crying. Well, maybe more like cursing.

It seems simple enough. On the right side, you knit one stitch then slip stitch with the yarn in front; opposite for the wrong side. But heck, if you mess up once, good luck keeping that all straight if you need to knit back. Of course, I did have to knit back a couple times because I wasn't paying attention (that's what I get for working on this in the car).

But as with all projects, I came out of this one unscathed and proud of myself for conquering my demon. I know, what a terrible demon it was, right? Working with beautiful yarn - awful!

She requested several flower colors, so I chose pink and purple. Are you all shocked? I used this Rose Brooch pattern that I've used a couple times with crochet thread to made teeny tiny scrapbooking flowers. It's much, much easier using a larger hook and yarn! I think they look great together - what do you think?

Hope you all have some great weekends planned! I'm getting together with some lady friends tomorrow night for a nice homecooked dinner, some Alice in Wonderland, and crafting - of course! I'll be taking my famous cookie dough cheese ball. What are you working on this weekend? :D