Catching Up

How was your week? Hope you are all keeping well & enjoying the multitude of the season's changing colors...
 

*photo by ccthompson

We're taking a break from posting this week, and {*gasp*} have set the crochet down, to catch up on some incidental tasks that were put aside in exchange for yarns & threads... want to be sure we don't fall behind on the admin part of the studio as our Make It! Vancouver Show is coming up real fast & the hooks are going to be smokin' in overdrive for the next 5 weeks {insert nervousness for our first *big time* market here}

The Hairpin Lace Shawl {from When I Can't Sleep} is completed; photos are up in the album on our Facebook page, and over at Google+, and on the Pinterest board... it turned out very nice! 

Well, off to the hit the books for the day then back to the hooks to twist up more new soft goodness for the market booth...

Thank you for joining us... stay cozy... 

...we'll be back In The Parlour next Friday {October 25} =) 

Yoga Bag ~ Pt. 2: Finishing Off

Greetings =)
Hope you all had a great week ~ How is your yoga bag coming along? Got those hooks warmed up & ready to finish off your project? {Here's a link to Part 1 of the pattern for those who may have missed it}. We ended last week with fastening off at Rnd 36.

Top Band:
Rnd 37: Using Contrast Color B, repeat Rnd 24. Ss to top of beg-ch2. (95hdc)
Rnd 38: Ss around edge, ending with ss in last stitch beside ch-sp at beginning of rnd. Do not fasten off.
Rnd 39: Ch2 (counts as 1hdc). Work an extended hdc around edge by catching the hdc from Rnd 37 and ss from Rnd 38 into one hdc. Ss to top of beg-ch2. (96hdc)
Place a stitch marker at st #16, #32, #64 and #80 for quick reference of changes in next rnd.

Strap:
Rnd 40: Ch1. Sc in ea of next 16 st, ch1 at #16 marker, turn. 1sc in last 4 st of previous row. *Turn, Ch1, 4sc**.  Repeat from * to ** 56 times, ending with right side facing and ch-loop on left side of strap. 

Joining Strap:

Skip next 16 st. With right sides together, place hook through strap and hdc at #32 marker, yo, pull through band & strap chain loops, ch1.

                                     

 

 

 


Working to secure strap, sc in next 28 st to #64 marker, ch1, turn. Sc in last 4 st of previous row. *Turn, ch1, 4sc**.  Repeat from * to ** 56 times, ending with right side facing and ch-loop on left side of strap.

Joining Strap:
Skip next 16 st. With right sides together, place hook through strap and hdc at #80 marker, yo, pull through band & strap chain loops, ch1.

Working to secure strap, sc (12) to end of rnd. Ss to beg-ch1. Fasten off. Weave in ends.
  *This bag when created with cotton and acrylic yarn is machine washable in cool to warm with mild detergent. Hang or lay flat to dry.

Give yourself a pat on the back!! Put your hook down & your feet up with a cuppa... admire your handiwork =) Please feel free to post a photo, along with your variations or suggestions, in the comments below ~we'd love to see your hook work!!

May the yarn gods smile upon you & your projects... we'll see you next week...

...here, In The Parlour =)

*photos by SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography & ccthompson

A Storm of Crocheted Waves

Apologies for the posting delay today. Here are some photos of the finished storm of crocheted waves.

This project was one of the Afghan Club challenges from Mikey at The Crochet Crowd. When this challenge started, we were in the middle of another project and had to finish that up before moving on. We usually have a couple of WIP's at any given time but afghans get priority status for completion. And the next one is in the works about halfway through the current one ~ takes a fair bit to get our hooks to rest...


This was a really fun stitch to hook, and is actually a variation of a ripple stitch. Once you get a rhythm for the stitch count, it flies right along. Pretty easy to keep track of where the crests and valleys belong. Colour changes takes place at the end of every second row of double crochet, making for nice tidy work. 

Our Ocean Waves Afghan used a total of 2 pounds (895gms) of Red Heart Super Saver yarn.
The finished size is perfect for on top of a single bed, or across a couch, measuring 40.5" by 65" (103cm by 165cm). The colour palette for this work is Frosty Green, Tea Leaf, Medium Thyme, Windsor Blue and Dark Sage. The one variation we did from the original pattern was to finish the afghan at Row 70 as opposed to Row 80. As an edge at the end, we turned the work and slipped stitched across in the back loop of each chain.

Have a go at this one for yourself; easy for a beginner hooker. You can find the free pattern link & video tutorial link on the sidebar at the right. Size can be adjusted in length easily ~ finish at the end of any 10th row. Colours can be adjusted as well to your choice, making it easy to match any décor.

We won't be posting for the next couple of weeks as SD & myself are off on a road trip of 1575 miles (2350kms), with cameras in tow. We won't be close to any yarn shops in between, or at our destination. Crocheting is a fair bit slower in the truck as well ~ there's too much gosh darn scenery to distract the hook.

 Keep well, safe travels... we'll see you August 16, here In The Parlour!

*photos by ccthompson

Tiny Delay

Today's post is delayed for a tiny bit due to 'inclement weather' ~ stay tuned as we will have a few photos of our finished "Ocean Waves" afghan for you. Thank you for your patience.

*photo by ccthompson

Creating More "Ocean Waves"

Hope everyone had a great week!! Did you get a chance to make yourself a bowl of salsa and indulge in a fabulously healthy snack? Tasty stuff, right?! {in case you missed it, check out last week's post for the recipe}

Short & sweet blog post today ~ 
We're really excited with how the Waves are coming together... it's about a third of the way finished. It was a bit too hot & humid here in Vancouver over the past week and having a blanket sitting on the lap, well... we've been taking it easy in the crochet department. With the temperature easing by a couple of degrees yesterday and today, and even although it's still very warm & summery, we'll be hooking up a storm for the next few days... 

Until next time, keep safe & enjoy some calm ocean waves at Mud Bay Park...

...we're off to crochet In The Parlour by the Salish Sea =)

*photo by ccthompson, july2013

On To The Next One

A bit later in the day with this post... {dang! wrong button on the computer makes for another photo shoot and more time spent editing before posting}

First & foremost ~ our thoughts and blessings are with everyone affected in any way by the extremely nasty weather that has been hitting parts of the world recently... Our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones. ~To the many volunteers who have come together to assist, and to those who will soon, a huge "Thank You"  ~To the survivors, please know we all continue to keep you in our prayers...

On to happier topics... Are you beginning to enjoy the early summer harvest of fruits & vegetables? Fresh local produce and seasonal fruit tastes soooo de-lish!! All the late Autumn clean up finished for our Southern Hemisphere friends? 

We've been busy with stitching the octagons and squares together. After 23 hours of hooking & twisting a total of 830gms of yarn {a little over a pound}, it's complete and ready to be delivered... handmade with love...

We substituted Bernat Super Value yarn, purchased the amount recommended on the instructions, and used our Susan Bates J-10/6mm hook. The finished size is 117cm x 145cm {46" x 57"}, so the overall gauge turned out to be a very minimal difference. For those who have recently joined us, the pattern is Octagons & Squares, available as a free crochet pattern download from Red Heart Yarn. There's also 3 excellent video tutorials to go along with it at The Crochet Crowd site on YouTube.

On To The Next One...
The next project hawt off the hook is also from Red Heart Yarn {we love their patterns & Mikey is such an excellent teacher...} This time around, we are using Red Heart yarn, with the recommended hook and our own colour choices in the sequence of Frosty Green, Tea Leaf, Medium Thyme, Windsor Blue and Dark Sage. 

This is the start of our "Ocean Waves Afghan". You can follow the links on the right sidebar to download the pattern and get some assistance with this one. It's a bit tricky to get it going, and it's one of those patterns where you really need to pay attention to your stitch count, but it actually hooks up fast once you get your rhythm going.

That's all for this week... to all our fellow Canadians ~ Happy Canada Day! and to our neighbours a couple of hours south ~ Happy 4th of July! To all of our friends, everywhere, safe travels & keep well!! 

We'll see you next week... here In The Parlour =)

*photos by ccthompson

We're Back At It...

How has everyone been? Got all the spring planting done? {Or the autumn clean up if you live below the equator =) } Vancouver is starting to show signs of summer approaching ~ lots of flowers & shrubs in full bloom, fresh veggies are beginning to appear at the local markets... Personally, I'm super excited for the fresh berries... strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries... Yu-ummm!!

The past few weeks has seen us busy putting together an application to our first-ever juried show ~ Make It! Vancouver Holiday Market. The market is moving to the PNE from The Croatian Cultural Centre and we find out this Monday who the vendors will be. Fingers & toes are crossed... Here are some of the fruits of our labours~

Our new official display booth banner...

*photo by SD Jackson

The new hang tags for larger items...

*photos by SD Jackson

And here are the colours coming off the hook...

*photo by ccthompson

The 'Octagons & Squares' hasn't had a lot of attention recently due to the other preparations going on... now we can go back to hookin' on it... gotta make sure it's ready to travel to Alberta with us next month...
The yarn for our next afghan project is waiting patiently in a corner of The Studio for its turn at the I-9 hook and it's been tagged by a lady to keep those Northern chills off when she's curled up with the family to watch movies...

'Ocean Waves' rising...

*photo by ccthompson

Before we say 'see you next week' ~ to all of the dads, step-dads, moms-who-are-also-dads, & the angel dads watching over us ~ may you have a wonderful, relaxing Happy Father's Day!! {We love you & miss you, Dad T. and Dad J. ~ see you in 6 weeks <3 } 
What are your plans for the weekend?

Keep well, enjoy some gorgeous weather, relax... and we'll see you next week, here In The Parlour!!

 

17May13 So Far... Octagons & Squares

Here's the progress report for the Octagons & Squares afghan since last week... the smaller motifs hooked up in no time at all... now that it's on to the octagons, it's taking somewhat longer to work them...

6 red/black squares ~ complete. 6 blue/black squares ~ complete

 

 20 circles ~ ready to be crocheted into octagons 

  

  

2 completed octagons for mock up ~ 9 blue, 9 red to go

 

{Any guesses what I'll be doing to pass the 2-hour ferry rides to & from Vancouver Island this weekend???}

Even though this challenge is over on Mikey's Afghan Club, you are still able to add your submission to the Flickr photo gallery. I've also added the pattern link to the sidebar if you haven't already got it and are interested in creating one of your own for a unique hand-crafted gift or for curling up under with your favourite book.

Anything on your creative agenda this weekend? Kickin' back & relaxin'? Enjoy the sunshine, and for some of us ~ the kick-off long weekend to summer!! 

Have a fantastic week, too, and we'll see you next Friday... here in The Parlour!!

*photos by ccthompson

Octagons & Squares Project

Greetings to all!! Hope you have all been keeping well. Seems we are having a heat wave here in Vancouver as the last couple of weeks has brought us some gorgeous sunshine and summer time temperatures after what seemed like a never-ending rainy winter (by far better than the -40 stupid Celsius I grew up with on the Alberta prairie so I'll stop complaining now lol)...

Here's a few updates before we show off the next project coming off the hook...
First ~ Congrats!! to Jenna & Neil on reaching, and surpassing! their goal of raising $15,000 in support of the Make It Happen Documentary. We love you guys for what you do for all of us handmade artists and can't wait to see the final results next year. Way kewl!! You 2 rock!! Have a super summer and we'll see you at the Holiday Make It show at the end of November.

Next up ~ a couple of reminders of upcoming craft markets... 
May 11 & 12 is the Great Canadian Craft Spring Fling at Canada Place. A fantastic way to spend Mother's Day with Mom, Grandma, aunts, or any other special "mom" in your life.
May 25 &  26 is Portobello West Summer Market at Creekside Community Centre. Check out some of Vancouver's own fabulous designers and have a stroll along the water's edge at False Creek.

Now... coming off the hook...
This project was The Crochet Crowd's Afghan Club début challenge. Sponsored by Red Heart Yarns, this free pattern is called Octagons & Squares. Over 500 photos have been sent in to date, with more being uploaded all the time. Ours is a personal project for our grandson, Cole ~an old-school Spiderman fan~ for his upcoming 5th birthday.

Photo by ccthompson

We did change the recommended yarn to get the perfect red and blue needed, with the black and a darker grey for accent. The gauge is the same, as is the size of skein. It does cost a bit more per skein, but the Bernat Super Value yarn is definitely worth it if you're looking for extra softness to snuggle under. The grey centers will become the large blue and red octagons, with the smaller red- and blue-centered squares in between. We'll share our progress with you in upcoming posts. In the meantime, follow the info links above if you're interested in starting your own Octagons & Squares afghan...

What's on your hook (or needles) right now? Any special handmade art projects on the go or recently completed? Go ahead & share them with us...

Keep safe & keep well... we'll see you next week, here In The Parlour =)

 

Changes at The Studio...

I've been a busy little bee for the past 3-4 months...
As of September 8, 2012, I am open for business at Carla's Victorian Heirlooms Online Boutique     
     YAY!!!

*Photo by SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography

My boutique is located on the brand new selling site for handmade artisans ~  
Shop For HandMade Built and operated by Andrew McMaster, the website is based in the UK and hosts strictly handmade items created by talented artisans. Andrew took the time to find out what crafters wanted in a selling site and incorporated those features, and then some! (Thank you, Andrew, for this awesome creative community!) For more information on becoming a seller, if you are a supplier for handmade artisans, or if you are a curious buyer, click on the Shop For HandMade link above and message Andrew. He will happily answer any questions you may have...

In the meantime, stop by my new boutique and browse the catalog that features crocheted creations, counted cross-stitch treasures and home-sewn goodness... I use a secure PayPal payment system to accept credit cards, PayPal account transfers, and postal or bank money orders for your purchasing convenience...

I will be creating more unique handcrafted pieces over the coming months. You can follow my Facebook page or Twitter page to receive announcements of when new items are added to the catalog... I'm off to channel my creativity...

May your yarns be tangle-free <3

Button, Button...

For some reason I seem to have amassed quite a collection of buttons over the years...

This syrup can is probably an inch away from overflow when upright... another "heirloom" passed down to me... I remember as a little girl how fascinated I was by all the colors... scooping a handful & letting them run back into the can...

A mixture of true vintage and modern... some ended up in the stash by being part of a bagful at the local thrift store... others are project spares (just in case I lose one)... check out the pricing! 25¢ for 4 buttons... that's a deal we don't see anymore! We pay that for a single special button these days...

Photographs courtesy S. D. Jackson

On another note, if you haven't seen our Facebook page recently, scoot over & check out our latest project... a crocheted blanket in shades of "grape & mixed berries" that's being sent out to a special little girl...