hooking for charity

Change-a-round

2010-03-15T10:57:00.002-04:00

Greetings,

To help simplify our blog presence all post related to charity stuff will be posted on our blogger page or on our paper and yarn facebook page.

Crochet Slipper Pattern

2010-01-26T12:10:00.002-05:00

Greeting Crocheters,

The Women's Shoe Slipper pattern available on Ravelry is being revamped this week. I'll be adding in instructions for modifying the sizes for longer/shorter feet, Cuff mods and more. Along with these changes the pattern will now be available as a .pdf download for easier use.

Check back soon.

Goals: Knitterly Intentions

2010-01-20T23:12:00.003-05:00

Goals: Knitterly Intentions 2010: Charity/Community Service

I'm a late bloomer on the New Year's resolution making. It's taken til now to start thinking about what my charity goals are for 2010. So far I've managed to compile the list below.

2 indy yarn dyer scarves for charity
10 pair baby and kid house shoes
1 lapghan knit
1 hat

The list may seem small this year, it is. I've been spending more time out in the public forum (craft days, volunteering etc.) than at home knitting so my goals are smaller, and probably more attainable, than prior years. Hopefully with this change I'll be able to finish the list above and go beyond the call of duty by finishing a ton more without over stressing myself. Last year was the "year of the simplify" and this year is the "year of less stressing, more doing".

Happy New Year kiddos.

Joann Slippers in RL

2009-10-29T09:17:00.005-04:00

Make them girlie... okay, can do... Grandma and Kidlet sized slippers with matching pink accents. Crochet pattern is available on ravelry for free and takes between 4-8 hours to make a complete pair of adult size shoes.

HAP-ghan - again

2009-05-07T20:45:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone. I'm happy to announce that the long pending HAP-ghan went into the mail on the 30th of April.

The assembly was actually very straightforward with clear instructions (included with the rectangle kit) and a well organized plan of attack (detailed method of assemblage is also included).

All in all, over a few evening, the blanket grew from the lonely two columns I had completed months ago into a fully connected and finished afghan bound for HAP headquarters and eventually one of our wounded service people.

This was a great "while watching TV" project, doing so seemed to make the single crochet just sail right along.

And... if a HAP-ghan sounds like a perfect project for your TV watching crocheting, please please contact Deborah with HAP, they need more hookers... um crocheters to assemble the many blankets in waiting.

til we chat again,
-kat

Why Hello There... 50/50 Project Update!

2008-07-15T20:47:00.006-04:00

Featured Shop: Pancake and Lulu

Murphy's laws is showing tonight... I'm back to hooking updates and Aimee of Pancake and Lulu is on vacation :) her shop is still open though so feel free to raid the shop while the shop keeper is out ;)

This week's featured yarn was found while browsing etsy (of course). I saw reserved for Ravelry Group Knit-Along in the title, clicked and followed to the Pancake and Lulu Love message boards. Aimee, owner of Pancake and Lulu (the kids and the shop) was super sweet and let me in on the Crocus-a long and as luck would have it I was able to snag the last 2 ounce ball of worsted weight merino twist.

If you're on Ravelry be sure to check the link above for her message boards and to see other amazing projects made from one 2 oz. ball of yarn.

The picture above was taken from Pancake and Lulu's shop. I was able to make two pairs of shoes from this pretty little ball; one newborn and one 0-3 month size pair. There is probably enough yarn for one more pair though this will probably be turned into something non-baby for those interested in other items :)

Aimee has other little center pull ball in her shop, all resonably priced in lots of different base yarns. These little guys would be perfect for two at a time socks and trust me her dye skills are top notch. Each pair of shoes was basically a pefect match her colors are spaced so well.

The Crocus colorway (featured) is a beautiful shiney golden tan with burnt orange and purple. The dark twist in the yarn adds a lovely contrast which really makes the colors pop!

Aimee's shop also offers stitch markers and loads of gorgeous hand spun yarns. Some of the colorways offered are so unique I have yet to see them else where. Many are custom order.

Well that's all for this week. Thank you to everyone for stopping back in. Things should be getting back to normal with a new post coming on around July 26th.

As always be sure to let me know if you've purchased from any of the shops featured on Hooking. These purchases (50/50 shop items included) count as double entries into a special raffle for stitch markers from my paper and yarn shop. Leaving comments in the blog will add your name to the raffle too.

The little shoes pictured in this entry will be available in the Sweetie Peas shop by the end of the week along with a few surprises related to this yarn. Be sure to visit Pancake and Lulu for more fabulous colorways and handspun goodness.

A big thank you to my donors listed in the right column too! Have a great night everyone :D

ugh...

2008-06-24T22:12:00.002-04:00

Just an update of sorts... yep the hooking for charity '50/50 project' is still an active project (1 complete and 4 more yarns currently in the que), nope don't have an exact date on the next full review (probably sometime in the first full week of July).

Two little pairs of shoes are completed and Aimee's yarns (Pancake and LuLu) are just amazing :) so I definitely want to provide all the details.

Life has been plain crazy and exhausting lately and my hopes of it settling in are apparently very far fetched at the moment. I'm still optimistic with the last few weeks at least health wise being fairly good though right now the downswing is approaching.

I don't plan to post lots of items non-hooking related on this blog feature so any general updates will be available on my other blog link listed in the sidebar (kat's bloggie bits).

toodles for now.

'50 pairs from 50 shops' Pancake and Lulu

2008-06-09T22:32:00.004-04:00

Pancake and Lulu is this week's shop...

hooking for charity fundraiser

2008-06-05T13:53:00.002-04:00

So I'm Kinda new at this chip-in widget... very cool though

Funds raised will go to our charities: DirectRelief.org and HAP.

'50 pairs from 50 shops' SugarBee Studios

2008-05-14T21:24:00.003-04:00

A gal after my own heart.

Visit SugarBeeStudios on Etsy or Ravely

"Fiber Floozy" is blues, yellows and greens supplied on DK weight
70% Merino/ 20% Alpaca/ 10% Silk hand dyed yarn :D

Superb dye job with cheery well spaced colors on a great yarn blend.

Sugar's Politically Incorrect Yarn and Fibers line, same line this yarn came from, has colorway names which alone are worth a visit to her site. The quality is the icing on the cake.

Added bonus... I got a few little surprises in my order too... if extra motivation is needed?

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-05-13T12:54:00.003-04:00

This week's featured yarn is Fiber Floozy from Sugar Bee Studios... Check back tomorrow night for photos or visit Sugar Bee Studios to preview the colorway :)

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - Moon Light Llamas

2008-04-30T22:38:00.001-04:00

aren't these cute :)

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - Moon Light Llamas

2008-04-29T23:13:00.004-04:00

This weeks feature is brought to you by special guest... Tilly the Llama ;)

She's the lovely gal striking a pose while standing... isn't she just a doll?

Jan of Moon Light Llamas (Tilly's Llama Mama) sent me the cutest little hank specially hand spun (and hand dyed) from Tilly's fleece just for Hooking :D

The yarn is 100% Llama in two ply sport-ish weight yarn form and is incredibly smooshy soft :D The pretty true blue colorway with hints of fuchsia and purple complement the soft halo of the yarn's natural characteristics very nicely.

I'm using a size "G" hook for the shoes pictured above which are currently a "WIP" with finishing up planned for tomorrow night.

Tilly was the first llama born on Jan's farm (14 years ago) and provides fiber for Jan's own brand of uber cute bunny baby booties. Jan's shop also features hand made felted hats, teddy bears, felting kits and supplies.

Her fiber skills are top notch and I feel very honored (as I do with all my donors) to receive one of her hand made endeavors for use in the Hooking for Charity fund raiser.

For more information on Tilly and her other Llama mates (and Jan too ;) ) please visit MoonLightLlamas.com. To purchase items featured on the Hooking blog please visit MySweetiePeas.etsy.com.

Have a great night everyone.

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - Yarn Hollow

2008-04-28T21:26:00.002-04:00

Y is for Yummy Variety :D

Need to add a little variety to your stash? Check out Yarn Hollow's Shop...

Bulky, super bulky, boulce, mohair, alpaca, tussah silk, yarns, rovings and more all hand dyed using fiber reactive dyes in flowing sophisticated shades.

Rita of Yarn Hollow has loaded up her shop with large quantity runs (around 8 oz. each) of her warm toned yarns so there's plenty of each dye lot for your larger projects.

So far I've worked my way through about 1/3 of the box she sent to Hooking (more finished items coming in May). The finished shoes, created from some fabulous single ply, are now also available for purchase via the etsy shop http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com

"Crayon" features bright and cheery peachy gold, perwinkle, magenta, pink and muted minty green swirled together in short burst of color while the "Seattle" colorway (first pair) is more subtle with sea tones of barely there green and a range of soft pretty blues.

The unique texture of the single ply matched up perfectly to each colorway producing cute and super cozy baby shoes :D

For more images of the finished items please scroll down to read previous post ;)

Check back tomorrow for more information on upcoming hooking for charity '50/50' shops & shoes.

With that being said, I think we are in fact back on track lol *crossing fingers*.

Thank you to everyone for checking in and to my etsy gals for all the great donation that have kept me on my toes the last few weeks. I've honestly felt like a kid in a candy store working through all the pretty yarns which have crossed my path so far and the next few weeks will be no exception.

As always if interested in helping with the hooking for charity project please contact me via ravelry (username: katkoe) or on etsy (mysweetiepeas.etsy.com). Have a great night :D

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - Yarn Hollow

2008-04-14T21:25:00.004-04:00

Below is a preview of this weeks featured etsy shop. Rita of Yarn Hollow sent a huge box of goodies.

Yarn is 8515 in Crayons, hand-dyed by Yarn Hollow

"Seattle" is a soft, hushed blues single ply sport weight hand dyed 100% wool yarn

More info will be posted later this week. Thank you to everyone for your patience with me. I've apparently caught 99% of the flu bugs going around this year :P

Thank you also to all the great etsy gals for all your support. See you on the blog soon.

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - sharing.etsy.com

2008-04-14T21:17:00.003-04:00

All size newborn, in way cool baby boy colors. Check out http://sharing.etsy.com

for unique colorways. Sure to rock your sock yarn stash.

Remember to let me know of your purchases from Karen's shop. All purchase equal two entries into the special stitch marker contest on hooking for charity :D

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - sharing.etsy.com

2008-04-12T06:52:00.003-04:00

More Photos of Karen's Sock Yarns :D

some days you step in it...

2008-03-25T19:18:00.003-04:00

I've made my way through sampling all the pretty yarn's Karen of http://sharing.etsy.com sent into hooking.

4 skeins of light weight sport and sock yarn dyed in beautiful and unique colorways. All featuring intense saturated hues, perfectly spaced.

(pictures coming soon)

These little guys finished just in time as I've been gifted with a crappy flu for the past few days. Achy joints just don't equal productive crochet (trust me I've tried).

With that being said the 50/50 project will be taking the week off, minus a few photo updates here and there.

Have a great week and hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend :)

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - midweek update

2008-03-19T21:59:00.005-04:00

I'm learning as I go...

here is my one sad (still pretty to look at) almost finished shoe.

Not quiet sure how to organize this week in the blog so that it's easiest to read. Hope this doesn't throw too many wrenches in the works dear readers.

It's about 10:30 pm and I'm dragging through the week. The weather is icky... it is Ohio after all (read... hot, cold, hot, rainy, freezing, hot, cold) which is probably to blame for the most part.

I love this yarn (again thank you Karen), it's soft and perfectly dyed... even running the shoes through single strand using sock yarn is working up beautifully with a springy light weight feel to them, and the single strand method is producing a more defined tiny stitch. very cool.

So tomorrow or Friday night I will be caught up with any orphaned shoes.

Have no fear little shoes I will prevail... (with or without feeling completed defeated).

Each misfit shoe will eventually receive it's perfectly matched mate and in time a warm home all it's own to go to instead of the current cozy accommodations they share with 50 other pairs of shoes.

Thinking of the week ahead (all two days of it) ugh... though if I ever became an organized, even tempered and/or rational person ... I just wouldn't be me.

Special Weekday Long '50 pairs from 50 Shops'

2008-03-17T21:21:00.006-04:00

Kinda of a unique opportunity this week. Karen of sharing.etsy.com kindly donated 4 skeins and skeinlets for this weeks feature.

soo... check back everyday this week for a new shoe variety made from her brightly dyed creations in sock and sport weight. I'll have additional details on the colorways soon.

For now here's a preview shot :)

and a few shoe photos...

Great light weight base yarn (between light sport and fingering wt.) crocheted up beautifully with smooth stitch definition. The colors are bright pink, true red, smokey gray and little bits of bubble gum pink. Perfect for spring.

Karen also sent a more boy'ish version of this colorway which will be coming up in the next few days. (message posted 3/18/2008)

Check out the 50/50 section of http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com for more details on the shoes

Also check out http://sharing.etsy.com for project bags in feisty patterns... perfect for hooking projects ;)

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-03-10T22:11:00.007-04:00

Like a blur of city lights through the hard summer rain, the moody jewel-toned hues rhythmically working through my fingers...

In all actuality it's freezing here and a good hour drive to the nearest "city" through the middle of farm country. Smooth, flat, open land.

But enough about me, let's talk shop ;)

This week's yarn was purchased from Unwind Yarn Company.

The colorway name struck my fancy right away 'Cirque Barnum'. This yarn was very dark in appearance so I wasn't sure what would exactly be arriving in my post box.

What arrived was a 100% super wash merino wool dk weight hank of dark chocolate mixed with brief spots of natural yarn and pure colors, ranging from sapphire to golden citrus. Just pretty.

The yarn is an extremely soft merino and the dye work is complex and bright.

Dana, owner of Unwind, also offers playful brights and earthy blue/green colorways in her shop along with finished items and soon will also offer self-designed patterns. She keeps a great blog with updates on her current projects so be sure to check out "my tangled-up life" too.

An added bonus from this week's shop is a Coupon just for hooking blog readers :D
Unwind is chipping in a great coupon, 20% off the price of each hank purchased from their shop using the special hooking for charity code "HFKETSY".

Be sure to include this code in the buyer notes when purchasing from Dana's shop.

To purchase any of the shoes featured in this blog please visit my etsy shop at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com.

And now for the first ever 'hooking for charity blog contest'.
Enter by leaving a comment in the hooking blog, buying a pair of 50/50 shoes or purchasing yarn from any charity donors' shops. The prize is a set of "Oops" and "Crap" stitch markers (crochet or knit style). Winner will be drawn from the first 15 to enter (purchases count as two entries, so please let me know). Best of Luck, have a great evening.

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-03-03T22:54:00.004-05:00

All the pretty colors...

Sharon of Stitchjones graciously donated a yummy skein of Gelateria Worsted Wt. Merino yarn for this week's feature.

I first contacted Sharon about purchasing a stray skein for the hooking blog (hate to break up a set), she replied back with a picture and a offering :D

As soon as the skein arrived, I balled it up and began working through the soft, warm colorway.

The classic ice cream combo of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate is perfect for baby and toddler shoes and the quality 100% merino wool base yarn slipped right by making these some of the fasted shoes I've completed so far.

Stitchjones' shop http://mymommadethis.etsy.com is chucked full of playful hues, bright brights and cozy muted skeins.

Most of her freshly listed skeins hark back to the 80's bands for colorway names. (My fav colorway/name is 'Gene Simmons' it's a red, black and natural white mix.)

Sharon also offers PowerTrios Sock Kits which include a full hank of variegated yarn with 2 half hanks of coordinating single hues. Enough yarn for 2 pairs of design-your-own socks, plus a free vinyl/canvas carrying case all for $45 bucks!

As always please check out Stitchjones' shop for additional information or to purchase some great yarn ;)

To purchase any of the shoes featured in this blog please visit my etsy shop at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com.

And now for the first ever 'hooking for charity blog contest'.
Enter by leaving a comment in the hooking blog, buying a pair of 50/50 shoes or purchasing yarn from any charity donors' shops. The prize is a set of "Oops" and "Crap" stitch markers (crochet or knit style). Winner will be drawn from the first 15 to enter (purchases count as two entries, so please let me know). Best of Luck, have a great evening.

New Post and Contest Details

2008-03-03T22:07:00.001-05:00

StitchJones at mymommadethis.etsy.com will be this weeks feature.

Complete article will be posted tonight along with details for entering Hooking's first blog contest.

Thanks.

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-02-25T22:57:00.005-05:00

If you want to destroy my sweater...

Okay, aside from the Weezer reference... this week marks another first for me: shoes from recycled yarn

Molly of Crafty (http://www.craftyyarn.etsy.com) donated a super soft skein of natural colored lambs wool yarn. The lovely full size hank of worsted weight yarn (183 yards at 1.75 oz.) is plenty of yarn for several pairs of shoes.

The neat part is that the yarn was retrieved from a thrift store sweater which she disassembled, washed and skeined herself. Now that's dedication.

This particular yarn (check Molly's shop for more) with it's wide loose twist (almost ribbon like) provided superb stitch definition with a unique texture I think only reclaimed yarn could provide. From looking at these shoes one would assume that the wool was not soft but ridged. However it is very soft much like a vintage t-shirt would feel.

Crafty also provides plenty of tools (yarn) for finding unique ways to reuse everyday items. Whether looking for lace weight or super bulky, cotton or lux fibers Molly's shop carries them all in a variety of beautiful found colorways. Very much worth the destruction of a few old sweaters.

Prices start at $4-5 dollars a hank with very reasonable and speedy shipping. Another neat feature of this well appointed shop is the store credit option.

Molly accepts certain sweaters and will issue store credit for items sent her way. She will also test yarn for felt-ability before purchase. For more details on Crafty's special features please visit her shop at http://craftyyarn.etsy.com.

For additional information or to purchase any of the shoes featured in this blog please visit my etsy shop at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com.

And now for the first ever 'hooking for charity blog contest'.
Enter by leaving a comment in the hooking blog, buying a pair of 50/50 shoes or purchasing yarn from any charity donors' shops. The prize is a set of "Oops" and "Crap" stitch markers (crochet or knit style). Winner will be drawn from the first 15 to enter (purchases count as two entries, so please let me know). Best of Luck, have a great evening.

New Post and Contest

2008-02-25T11:31:00.001-05:00

CraftyYarns.etsy.com will be this weeks feature.

Complete article will be posted tonight along with details for entering Hooking's first blog contest.

Thanks.
Kat

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-02-17T21:38:00.010-05:00

Hands On Kinda Gal.

This week's Etsy Shop is Lil' Bit of Heaven Fibers.

Linda of Lil' Bit of Heaven Fibers sent a super-generous massive 300 yard/6.6 oz. hank of 70% Llama/30% Shetland love my way this week :D

Having never worked with Llama fiber before I was very curious to give it a try and quickly balled up the aforementioned skein into a large ball of light coco and cream two tone yarn.

The yarn seemed a little course for baby shoes at first but quickly turned silky soft as I crocheted creating a finished pair that was cuddly and cozy.

The colors and texture came together perfectly too. Even the slight fuzziness of the yarn added to the cute factor of this pair of shoes.

About Lil' Bit of Heaven Fibers:
Linda cares for and sheers her own happy herd of Llamas and Shetland sheep making sure only the best stuff goes to the mill for processing. Some of the rovings even list which llama they came from for that extra personal touch to your project.

You'll also find knit and crocheted accessories, custom dyed yarns and rovings made with various wools that she found from small fiber farms and business. All accessories, yarns (including handspun) and rovings are unique and one of a kind and may not be duplicated so get them while they last :)

Please visit Lil' Bit of Heaven Fibers for more great products at amazing prices (free shipping too!). Also keep an eye out for Linda's blog which is coming soon. There you'll be able to learn about all the wonderful animals on her farm (http://lilbitofheavenfibers.blogspot.com).

For additional information or to purchase any of the shoes featured in this blog please visit my etsy shop at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com.

Thank you again to all the wonderful Etsy Shops participating in the 50/50 project. Your donations, support and kind words are greatly appreciated :D

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-02-10T19:24:00.000-05:00

sushi grade yarn at fish stick prices

Tako Yarn's slogan is very fitting to the yarn Christine carries in her etsy shop.

The colors are prue, well spaced and produced on excellent quality yarn (100% superwash wool or 100% Alpaca).

'Smarties' is the colorway that I have, inspired by halloween and all the candy the holiday brings, this cheery little skein is the perfect baby color combo of skyblue, lemon and medium rose pink.

Tako has one 1/2 skein (110 yards) of this left in stock and at $4.50 + $2.00 shipping it probably won't last long.

The yarns come in three sushi inspired themes (Christine is a trained sushi waitress after all): Sake - 100% machine washable merino wool in fingering weigh, Wasabi - 100% alpaca in worsted weight and Marguro - 100% superwash wool in DK weight.

Most yarns are sold in skeinlet size (half skein) at very affordable prices. Which brings up a good point don't let the the fish stick prices scare you, this yarn is the real deal. Expertly dyed and all.

Check out takoyarn.etsy.com for more fingering - worsted weight yarn in smooth colorways at great prices :)

To purchase the shoes mentioned above please visit mysweetiepeas.etsy.com.
At least $13.00 of every '50/50' shoe purchase goes directly to
http://www.directrelief.org - no strings attached (well... you know what I
mean *smile*.)

For more details about contributing to '50 pairs from 50 shops' please leave
a comment or convo me on Etsy at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com Thanks and
Have a great week.

'50 pairs from 50 shops' - Ravelry Group

2008-02-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

New group on Ravelry just set up:

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/hookingforcharity

Enjoy :)

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-02-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

Well...

Okay so this is kinda an interesting dilema for me. The 3 skeins of yarn I ordered a few weeks ago have still not hit my post box sooooo...

Minus my base yarn and the featured shop's yarn we'll just take a look through my already hand-dyed bits in the form of 'kool-peas' colorways (Strawberry and Pickles):

The fun part about using kool-aid drink mix to dye these already crocheted shoes is my kids get to help out some. My daughter and son take turns pouring in the mixes and picking out the colors and I use the kiddy shampoo to wash my finished shoes in.

Pickles wasn't the planned name it just kinda happened once I realized the green shoes I was working on happened to be located in the labled pickle jar. I'm planning on creating other colors and experimenting with multi-hue combos in the future.

Thanks for reading this week's side-track hopefully next week we'll be back to the normal routine.

For additional information or to purchase any of the shoes featured in this blog please visit my etsy shop at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com. Etsybaby (I'm a memeber) is having a promo this month and bow-bear is hiding out in the team members shops including the 50/50 section of mine. Once bow-bear is found you'll receive a special free gift with your purchase. Happy Hunting :)

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-01-26T23:37:00.000-05:00

For those who prefer a softer color shift in their projects this week is for you :)

Jessica Elliot owner of Zweena Yarns (zyarns.etsy.com) kindly sent me a whole skein (220 yards, in center-pull ball form) of her Sky Blue Worsted Weight yarn to work with.

Having experience with her natural base yarn I was thrilled when Jessica replied to my convo about using one of the beautiful colored yarns in her shop for the 50/50 project.

After much consideration, I choose the aforementioned Sky Blue for it's gentle shifts between a bold turquoise blue and natural wool. Sky Blue is a very fitting name for this yarn.

About Zyarns:
Happily married and located in Denver, this etsy shop owner has a keen sense of nuance when it comes to yarn dyeing. Her yarns offer soft shifting colorways in single and multi-color combinations. The characteristic saturated vs. natural provides an impressive balance allowing the colors to show their richness and dept without being overpoweringly one color or the other.

Per Jessica's etsy site these subtleties in appearance are due to the fact that Zweena Yarns only uses natural dyes and earth/people friendly processes in there hand-painted/dyed yarn production. The end results are just awesome and meld well with the strong stitch definition supplied by the multipurpose 100% Peruvian Highland Wool her yarns are made from.

These yarns are well suited for next to skin or outdoor accessory type projects and come in a wide range of yarn weights.

To purchase the shoes mentioned above please visit mysweetiepeas.etsy.com.
At least $13.00 of every '50/50' shoe purchase goes directly to
http://www.directrelief.org - no strings attached (well... you know what I
mean *smile*.)

For more info on Zweena Yarns and her natural dye colorways, please visit
her http://zyarns.etsy.com to see for yourself.

For more details about contributing to '50 pairs from 50 shops' please leave
a comment or convo me on Etsy at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com Thanks and
Have a great week

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-01-18T20:53:00.000-05:00

Multi-craftual, that's how I'd describe this weeks Etsy Shop owner Catherinette aka Katie Stack. She's most well know for her ultra cute hand made pin cushions which include forest animals, monsters, an anatomically correct human heart and um... a swimmer... yeah a swimmer.

She's also creating hand bags with plastic bags and learning to spin. One busy gal, I'd say. The skein Katie sent me spent half it's first day being randomly oogled because it is so squishy soft :) It's colorway is a rich mix of periwinkle blue, plum and chartreuse (lime green).

Katie also sent a little nugget of yarn equally well dyed in a chartreuse, deep red and plum colorway. I'm sure the project this was from turned out smashingly.

Check out the specs below for a bit more detail: 95 yards 55% Superfine Alpaca 23% Silk 22% Merino

The good new is there is another skein just like this for sale at her shop :) (cheapo shipping too!)

Swatch Round Up: So I've come to the conclusion that my shoes are actually just a unique way of swatching yarn, that being said the pair this yarn worked up was just '2!' stitches away from being identical, which is an incredible feat for variegated yarns on such a tiny project. There will probably be enough yarn for two pairs from this skein... we'll have to wait and see.

To purchase the shoes mentioned above please visit my etsy shop. At least $13.00 of every '50/50' shoe purchase goes directly to http://www.directrelief.org no strings attached (well... you know what I mean *smile*).

For more info on this awesome chic with a natural skill for the crafty, please go visit her blog and shop to see for yourself.

For more details about contributing to '50 pairs from 50 shops' please leave a comment or convo me on Etsy at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com Thanks and Have a great week

'50 pairs from 50 shops'

2008-01-11T23:42:00.000-05:00

Welcome, welcome to the first weekly installment of '50 pairs from 50 Shops'

The first shop's yarn arrived earlier this week and oh my gosh!

Noelle of Noelle's Noodles sent over 600 yards of fingering wt. yarn my way. (that's a lot of baby shoes!) The picture below shows the first two pairs with more to follow.

Additional Bits and Pieces:
This top shelf quality arrived in my post box in the form of two very awesome colorways 'Eat.Sleep.Knit' and 'Sweetheart A'.

The 'Eat Sleep Knit' yarn was created specially for the online store EatSleepKnit.com. This colorway features saturated blues, greens and reddy browns consistently spaced and clearly defined. I used double strands while crocheting with this yarn... the colors matched up perfectly! (Yes, she's that good.)

Plus since I received a whole skein they'll be more than one pair available, so keep an eye on my Etsy shop for more details. Remember all proceeds benefit Direct Relief.

To see this yarn in sock action check out Noelle's blog for some very cool socks in progress.

Please note: Eat.Sleep.Knit has been selling Noelle's yarns like hot cakes so hurry while supplies last!

The other colorway 'Sweetheart A' is not currently available on NoellesNoodles.com, however there is a teaser skein of Sweetheart B listed on her site (again, hurry).

This girly mix of pinks and red bits created an uber cute pair of shoes/booties. To add to the yarn love, I'd been secretly oogling this color for a little while ... so sweet to receive 178 yards of yarny goodness (that's at least 2 pairs for the 50/50 project). The picture below doesn't quite do the yarn justice, visit Noelle's sites for a better appreciation of what this gal can do. Seriously.

Noelle's has had a shop on Etsy since 2005, she's super professional, accommodating and very gifted. Her shop currently contains a wide assortment of yarn weights, unique colorways, kits and accessories including roving.

Trust me these wool yarns are extremely easy to care for, richly dyed and handle like a dream :) so hop on the bandwagon and get them before they're gone.

Additional details about each new pair of 50/50 booties can be found on my Etsy store. All proceeds from the '50 pairs from 50 shops' project go to http://www.directrelief.com.

Be extra sure to check out Noelle's shop and Eat.Sleep.Knit for her special limited colorways in Aran and Sock Weights.

Charity Selected!

2008-01-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

After a lot of research I've discovered a great charity that reaches globally while also maintaining an amazing bottomline. Voted as 99% efficent by forbes.com the charity which will be benefiting from my 50/50 project is...

http://www.directrelief.org

to quote my son...

2007-12-31T00:53:00.000-05:00

i did it!

presenting pair number 120.. grape and berry vari. in size 6 months. Finished today, Dec. 30th at 8:29 pm
(and yes I'm crazy).

getting excited, yarn is on it's way... Yippe!
special thanks to the etsy's who have already join my project so early. stay tuned more to come :)

a year winding down and up at the same time

2007-12-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

As the year winds down my shoe count has risen a lot: 117 total

With a few day to rush, I think I'll hit 120 (crossing fingers). Pretty amazing concidering April was an off month with no shoes produced.

Of course with the end of one project starts a new:

'50 Pairs from 50 Shops'

The invites are starting to fly out for my next project scheduled to being in Jan. 2008.

So far as planned starting the first or second full week of Jan. I'll begin to display and promote one etsy shop a week which has donated or sold me yarn for this project. Links and pictures to be included for your browsing enjoyment.

By the year's end I'm hoping to accomplish my goal of creating shoes from yarn supplied by 50 different independent etsy shops.

If interested or for more detail please leave a comment or a convo on etsy.

My shop is http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com

Happy New Year Everyone.

look mommy they made themselves...

2007-12-25T22:54:00.000-05:00

first the back story:
My 3.5 yr old. dd loves to hord things under her pillow. (ie. play jewelry, makeup, stuffed toys and/or special blankets) she also has been bugging me all week for another pair of shoes to go with the 3 or 4 odd pairs I've already made her.

the story:
Xmas eve eve (dec. 23rd) - 9 p.m. moo-moo (dd's nickname) is in no mood to go to sleep so she comes into my office to have a look around and stall.

Seeing my newly purchased yarn stash of pinks and purples she decides to grab the grape n' berry to take with her back to bed. not really liking this idea but not wanting to spend the next hour trying to get her back to bed I let said dd take the full 5 oz. skein of worsted wt. yarn with her.

A few hours later I go to have a peek and sure enough, the yarn was lovingly stashed under her pillow.

So a plan begins to develop in my mind and before long I was quietly grabbing the skein from under her pillow so I could hurry off to the living room to crank out a pair of size 10 toddler shoes before getting caught.

Once completed the new pair was quickly placed back under her pillow for a nice holiday surprise.

6 a.m. Xmas eve
As I lay in bed already bushwhacked by the holiday season my little girl comes bouncing into our bedroom, big smile and gleaming eyes... "look mommy they made themselves!".

My husband and I giggle a little, and moo-moo spends the rest of the day telling our relatives about her shoes that made themselves.

happy holidays everyone.
-kat

2007-12-11T07:04:00.000-05:00

A few pictures of my shoes made from One Sheep Hill hand dyed yarn and my first 'item' made from yarn I hand spun myself. The roving is from Sweet Pea Fibers.

Count Down to 100!

2007-12-10T23:53:00.000-05:00

Today marked my 12th and 11th pair away from '100 pairs in a year' project.

Each pair (ranging from tiny to size 11 mens) has been crocheted by little old me over the course of this year being in late Jan.

I wasn't really planning on shooting for 100 this year it just sort of happened and now with less than a month to go and 10 pairs to finish it should be relatively entertaining to see how thing plan out.

My goal now is to finish all 10 pairs using as many vendors from etsy as possible to complete the task. If interested please visit my shop at http://mysweetiepeas.etsy.com and leave a convo or post to this blog post.

Have a great night.
-Kat

Been a bit...

2007-12-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

Howdy boys and girls.

It's already Dec. which is crazy. I've got a bit of my personal hooking done for the holiday season and a long way to go.

Found a great charity called small comforts which is working on gift for Bethesda Naval Hospital. Check them out if you've got a free hook this holiday season.

Not much else is going on for me. Turkey Day went well and fast. I spun enough fiber to create one lone baby shoe which turned out beautifully, so there's motivation there. Picture coming soon.

Toodles
-Kat

Adult Crocheted Shoe Pattern

2007-11-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hooking for Charities Adult Crocheted Shoe Pattern: Round-about Women's Shoes (size 7.5 - 9.5) can be downloaded here. Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 is required to view, click here to download the latest Acrobat reader

Spin, spin

2007-11-10T11:48:00.002-05:00

(below) First yarn that looked like I hand-spun (from ViralAnomaly's roving), you're actually seeing batch #3 off this roving... the first 2 well... pratice makes better (I guess). Created enough yarn to make 2 full rows of double-crochet. :D

Next in the line up is created from a sample piece of merino superwash roving from Sweet Pea Fibers

I hit Esty pretty solid this past month, it's all good stuff made by people that care about quality hand-made items. Now it's time to get spinning/ hooking for the holidays. Stay tuned.

Autumn Pause

2007-11-08T21:15:00.001-05:00

Not much different on the home front this week, sorry for the delay in post.

I'm still treading through my inventory. It's all good and I'm happy with the amount of items that will be on show starting next week.

My first roving arrived in the mail a few days ago (in a Yule-lious colorway) , so I've jerry-rigged a hand spindle from 2 CD's, a rubber grommet thing, a wooden stick bit and a cup hook. Just like MacGyver would do, well at least the DIY network would do.

It works! that's the best part... though the results are a bit interesting, I'll just have to keep practicing.

Toodles, til' later.

2007-10-23T20:18:00.001-04:00

I've got a shoe issue... well about 30 some-ish pairs of shoes issue. So here are a few pictures...

A good chunk of these we be on sale during the Arts Place Holiday Show (runs Nov. 12th - Jan.) with a fair amount of each purchase going directly to Arts Place.

I'll have some gift baskets, clay babies and a hand bag or two to round out the gifting season.

So far I've been crocheting on average between 10-15 pairs a month since August. Yes, I keep track down to the size, color and date finished.

The best part is seeing babies (and parents) enjoying the shoes. The new moms are so cute :D

My 3.5 year old dug her shoes out today as the weather has gotten a bit more fall like. She has a cozy pair made from chunky variegated pink/maroon/orange yarn and a beat up pair (neon variegated) from when I first started making shoes in 2005. The later mentioned pair gets stretched skin tight when she proudly pulls them on. The smiles from them and the fact that I am providing for them with my own two hands makes me feel like I've really accomplished something from nothing but string.

So enough mush :)

Below are a couple more photos from my recent shoe binge.... enjoy.

Shoe/Sock/Slipper the World

2007-10-17T21:46:00.000-04:00

Finishing up a new size of shoes with pattern mods soon to join it plus, gasp an actual photo!

One hooking event left for the year (scheduled at least) then it's off to my personal mix of gifting and charity work.

cleaning up house

2007-10-09T19:22:00.000-04:00

this week been cleaning up the blog... new color, less cluttered lead in.

Next Hooking Event

2007-10-09T19:20:00.000-04:00

October 11, 2007 - same place/same time :)

Finito - The Last Part of the Adult shoe/slipper/sock Pattern

2007-10-04T20:02:00.000-04:00

Okay, I confess, the pattern was a bit lost for a few days... ode to my grandma T. I had the whole thing wrote out on an unused business mail-back envelope :P Yes, I knew the pattern roughly in my head but I wanted to wait till I found the actual scribbled out instructions to finish this post.

So here it is...

Recap:
The toe and heel part of this pattern are located below or in the September archives.

After following those you should have a nice complete slipper looking thing minus the cuff of course and here it is.

Start with base of shoe/slipper/sock turned right side out.

chain stitch 2 (making the first half-double of the first 'cuff' row)

now the trickier part: (it may take a few tries/frogs to get this right)

half-double crochet around the top of the shoe base until you've got 31 additional stitches roughly even around the whole thing. once joined chain stitch 3.

now go back and count the stitches in the row below it should total 32 (or at least 31, we can flub that last stitch in).

this is an important step because if you're off here and finish the next row before counting that's A LOT of triple stitches to rip out and redo.

Counted ok? Good, next step:

If you've got 31 stitches then tc (triple crochet) into every stitch and join at the end (32 total stitches).

* If you've got 32 stitches then tc / join the first two stitches and tc into each additional stitch, joining the ends together. (32 stitches neatly forming a nice ring)*

Repeat the *instruction here* trying not to increase your stitches.

*** in case you're wondering.. I'm kinda slow on the whole increase/decrease thing and my crocheted pieces would go wide/narrow/wide so this is why I'm explain'n the stitch counts real simple cause I know I'm not the only one out there doing it that way.***

Any who...

*chain stitch 2
Gather first two stitches into one dc (double crochet), dc the rest of the row. Join last and first stitches to form completed row/ring.*

Repeat *instruction located here*. Finished!

Tie off and wear. Tah-Dah.

Generally Kat

2007-10-02T19:48:00.000-04:00

Hooking for Charity is slowing down a bit, hopefully as the days get colder our turn out will be better. I'll have the newest segment up for the "adult shoe/slipper/sock" soon for those crocheting.

Adult Shoe in a Round - Part 2

2007-09-24T20:54:00.000-04:00

For details on part one scroll down or view the archives...

We left off with the toe completed and now will start the heel from the last row of 28 stitches which has been joined to form another ring/layer.

From this point chain stitch 2.

Increase 1 (crochet in every loop) crochet in each loop until there are 7 stitches left in the row.

On the 7th stitch from the end; crochet into both loops then chain stitch 2 (counts as first dc of next row) to begin forming the opening for the foot to enter into the shoe/slipper/sock.

Continue to chain stitch 2 to form new rows then dc in each loop across the newly created row.

Complete 8 rows then single chain stitch followed by half-double crochet to complete last row.

(if half-doubles are hard for you... go ahead with one more row of double crochet stitches (dc).)

Turn shoe/sock/slipper inside out and dc the two ends together using only the inner facing sides of each loop. Once the bottom is reached dc up the other side of the shoe by grabbing the far facing end of every other loop on that side only.

This concludes the heel portion of the tutorial, now you've got a 'shoe base' which could be worn 'as is' or follow the next set of instructions to complete a comfy cuff to crown your shoes. Best Luck.

Hooking for Charity Event

2007-09-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

Hi again,
Our next Hooking event is this Thursday, September 27th from 7:00 - 8:30 pm at ArtsPlace in St. Marys, Ohio. If you're a local, stop on by. If not a local, maybe start your own chapter and hook along with us.

A quick shoe/sock/slipper pattern - sort of...

2007-09-20T19:43:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone...
I've been hanker'n to post this neat adult crocheted sock/slipper pattern for you. (part of "shoes for joanne" pattern for charity)

Sorry it's kinda vague (and in several parts), I'll have a .pdf up within a few weeks after the craft fair season slows down for me.

Crocheting in a Round Shoe/sock or slipper (size women's 7.5 - 9.5ish):

Specs: Hook Size: 'K' (6.5 mm) with 4 ply worsted weight yarn.

Begin with 4 sc join in 4th stitch to form a loop.

chain stitch 2 (equals first double stitch)

then into the loop 9 more dc, joining last dc to form round (for total of 10 stitches)
chain stitch 2

*2 dc in each stitch* join last dc to singles to form round (total 21 stitches)

*chain stitch 2 , dc in each stitch, join last dc to form ring* stitches per finished round will progress higher by one stitch each time (22,23,24,25,26,27,28)

First row after 28 stitches we want to stay at 28 stitches so begin the row with two chain stitch, then grab together the next two stitches making only one dc. Join last stitch in row to form ring.
Make two rows this way.

So the pattern so far stitch wise is 4,10,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,28,28. This completes the "toe" part of the sock/shoe/slipper pattern... tune in for more later.

Hooking Events - September

2007-09-10T08:20:00.000-04:00

Next Events for Hooking Include:
Sept. 13 & 27th at ArtsPlace in Downtown St. Marys, Ohio. Time is 7 - 8:30 pm. Hope to see you there.

And here I am...

2007-08-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

Welcome, I'm not going to guarantee the frequency of these post so please be civil with me until I get this thing completely figured out.

So far, as planned, I'm hoping to post every friday-ish or so.