QUICKIE: I'm Still Here!!!

My goodness, where has the time gone? I cannot BELIEVE all the views this little blog has received over the last few months!

Welcome to all my new visitors, take a look around and post some comments, I'd love to hear from all of you!

I'm still here and still hooking. I have published a new hat pattern recently, the Puff Stitch Slouchy Hat, now available on Ravelry & Craftsy. I've finished a few blankets as well. I unfortunately lost my cro-jo this summer during a bout of depression (during the summer, crazy, right?). Getting much better now that it's cooler & sweater weather is back!

Check into my Facebook page: G33k Squ33 Crochet for more current updates.

I'm also working on a new cozy pattern, of which I'm hoping to post next week; can't wait for all of you to see it!

That's it for now, hooking like mad! Hope you all have a fun & safe weekend!

1400 Page Views Today!!!

I know I've been on the quiet side lately, however I have not been far from the hook; but I wanted to mark today as a milestone - 1400 blog visitors! Unbelievable! Heck, I had always hoped but never could imagine that there would be that many views - and I appreciate every single one of those views.

I also have been realizing that I haven't followed up on a few promises. One of which is getting pictures for the cozy/coaster pattern; well I purchased new batteries for my camera and hope to take those within the near future.

In addition to working on my own projects I've also become a Pattern Tester! (yes, when I say that I hear it in a super hero announcer voice & it echoes). If you are someone that may not feel that experienced but would love to attempt new projects and have new networking contacts, I highly suggest it. I have made quite a few valuable connections through certain groups on Facebook. Just realize that as you're testing these patterns for other people, they're depending on you to be honest and up front with them. Don't just jerk them around for the free pattern, it's not worth it.

I'm also contemplating the idea of starting a series of blog posts on stores, creators, crafters that I follow or are in contact with or even just have a scope of work that I adore.

What do you think? Who should I express a profile on first - just as a note, I'm not planning on promoting these pages or stores, I just want you to see what they're doing as I have done many times and it always sends my brain spinning with ideas and creativity.

So let me know what you think in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you!

Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey and Absolute Squee!!!

If any one knows me lately, I have become a neuvo-Whovian. I will not state that I know everything there is about the Doctor and all his 11 versions, I do however have a solid geek hold on the newer episodes and have fallen in love. I love the whole Doctor/Rose interactions, died a little on the inside as he left her standing alone on the beach. Wept as Doctor 10 said his good-byes. And have quite fallen for the TARDIS:

A box, that has unlimited storage space (yes, I have imagined a TARDIS craft room) and can take you any where in any time, with anyone that so chooses to be your companion! Brilliant!

I have had a vision of a coffee cozy with the TARDIS from Doctor Who floating around my brain for ages now, and this weekend I finally succeeded!

Inspiration came from this TARDIS Valentine's Day Card posted at The Zen of Making.

Awesome, right?

So as this idea was terrorizing me every time I picked up the hook, I started by picking up paper and colored pencil (sorry, no scanned images of it yet). I jotted down on graph paper my inspiration and a rough sketch of what I wanted the cozy to look like.

Here is the almost completed cozy:

Still so happy with it!

Now that i'm looking at the two images of the TARDIS, I see the areas I should have included, however, now, it is completely original and may end up with more modifications as I continue working with this piece.
Please no comments on the shoddy cross stitching, I've never really done it before, so I did my best.

Now for the finished project:

Adorable right?

The bottom ruffles were inspired by all the TARDIS gowns that have been flowing through the interwebs lately. I used Red Heart Shimmer for the blue top and bottom borders. Basic embroidery thread for the hearts and TARDIS, although I had shimmery colors for the light and the windows. I ended up double cross stitching the hearts and mildly wish I had done so on the TARDIS. Either way, I love it.

More photos!

Left Side

Center

Right Side

This is one project I am completely taken with. Now I have to decide if it will be a free pattern or if I should charge for it. I'm leaning towards a free pattern - this time with pictures.

I'd love to hear your comments and/or suggestions about this project or others...



PS. I'm entering this post for the All Free Crochet Spring Stitch & Share Event that I saw mentioned on Stitch and Unwind.

The reason I chose this pattern for Spring is because all the new Doctor Who episodes started with the start of the season! Let me tell you they really bring the family together! Even our little ones, Jacob and Aurora love watching the Doctor with me, Amazing Adam and Riley, generally asking to stay up later or to watch it later on an cable video feature.

VOGUEknitting LIVE! - Seattle

I know, I know... You're thinking,"knitting, I thought this was all about crochet!" Well, it is. However I ran across an opportunity to participate in the Vogue Knitting Live Seattle event - with my crochet!

At Cafe Cesura in Bellevue on April 6th, Vogue Knitting is hosting an event where they invited all yarn crafters in the area to create coffee cozies to donate to be given away.

Boy, oh, boy! At first I didn't think I was going to participate as the information was posted with a local yarn crafting group message board and the group wasn't really interested in participating. Then this last week I found out that I could participate as an individual! All I had to do was crochet as many coffee cozies as I could and have them on their way to New York by TODAY!

Meep! Luckily, this coincided with a point where my "brain candy" wasn't exactly working right and I deemed it necessary to have some mental rejuvenation days this week. I played hooky on Monday and Tuesday this week and I crocheted my butt off for 4 days all together and here are a few pictures to show what I was able to come up with:

Cherry Cupcake Cozy

Death Star Cozy

Mickey Mouse Ribbon Cozy

Cherry Blossoms in the Snow Cozy

... and a few others that I don't have the pictures or the credits ready to post. I had so much fun working on these. Luckily, I still have enough ideas running around my brain so with the left over supplies that I wasn't able to use, I should be able to recreate some of these for any one interested in them.

Also, I should be able to wing enough replicas that I'm hoping to post some new patterns. (I know I keep promising this but I will totally get my act together and deliver... as soon as possible!) 

Let me know what you think in the comments, I would love to see which one is your favorite.

Hopefully, I'll be able to attend some of the events at VogueKnitting Live this next month (April 5-7) and I'll report back on what happens if I do.

So, there you go... this was my Secret Squirrel Mission that I'd been working on. Super cool, right?

FREE PATTERN: Cup Cozy & Coaster Set

Materials:
Yarn of choice, I prefer Sugar & Cream 100% cotton yarn because it is absorbent and easy to clean.
I Crochet Hook
Stitch Markers

ABBREVIATIONS
ch - chain
sl st - slip stitch
st - stitch
sc - single crochet stitch
dc - double crochet stitch

COASTER (both loops throughout)
1. Ch 4 sc, insert hook into the 1st st, sl st together to form a loop (you can also use a magic circle instead of chaining four together).
2. Ch 2 (do not count this st), crochet 16 dc into the loop, sl st into the 1st st to close the round. (16)
3. Ch 2 (do not count this st), crochet 2 dc into the same st you joined the round in, then in each dc from the first round, sl st to the 1st st to close the round. (32)
4. Ch 2 (do not count this st), crochet 1 dc into the same st you joined the round in, 2 dc in the next st, *1dc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st* until you reach the beginning of the round, sl st to the 1st st to close the round. (48)
5. Ch 1 (do not count this st), sc in each dc from the previous round, sl st to close the round.
6. Tie off and hide your ends!

COZY (both loops throughout)
1. Rows 1 & 2: Chain 11, sc in each st, ch 1, turn
2. Rows 3 - 30: sc in each st, ch 1, turn.
3. At the end of Row 30, turn the rectangle sideways so the long side is towards your left hand, you're now going to sc along the edge. Ch 1, then start in the 10th st of Row 30, push the hook through both loops & pull the yarn over the end, pulling it over the side. Sc 29 more sts along the long side of the rectangle until you reach st 1 of Row 1, completing the sc.
4. Ch 1, slip hook into the first st of Row 1, pull the tail over the hook, then push the hook into the 10th st of Row 30, yarn over into a sc. Continue joining Row 30 to Row 1 with sc until you reach stitch 10 of Row 1. If you keep pulling the tail into your stitches at this point, it will line it up better to finish off your ends later.
5. Ch 1, now finish off the other end of the sleeve with 30 sc st (do not join any further or it will seal off the sleeve making a pocket). Once you reach the end of the last long side, sl st to the 1st st of the row.
6. Tie off, finish off your ends. I usually turn the sleeve wrong side out, pull the last tail through to the back and using the back of the joining stitches pull the tails under the joining stitches midway and tie off in the middle. Turn it right side out.

I love this pattern, and cannot for the life of me remember where I found the ideas for it. I learned circles from a crochet book from the 70's that my mom gave me a few years back. Another benefit to this pattern is that it is endlessly customisable. Use different yarns, change colors on rounds/rows or on the last round of single crochet on the coaster or joining the cozy, I've even used fun fur yarns on the edging on both the cozy and coaster.