Christmas 2016 Recap #2

As big of a hit the Mertails were, I think some of the smaller gifts went over pretty well, too. Like these hats I made.

I searched everywhere for a Lions patch to
sew on the brim, but apparently you can't
find them outside of Michigan.

This hat is in Detroit Lions colors for my SIL R, who is a Lions fan. The pattern is from Balls to the Walls Knits, Build Your Own DK Weight Hat. That's a great tutorial, by the way, for making even decreases, etc. I would recommend that to beginners who want to try a hat in the round for the first time, as well as folks like me, who just wanted a plain, but customizable hat.

I really like the DK weight of this hat.
It's very tightly knit, but not bulky.

The stripes in this are from the yarn itself. This is Loops & Threads Game Day in Color #7: Navy & Gray. It's 100% acrylic and self-striping. I think the stripes worked out pretty evenly on this hat, too.

I used all 196 yards of the skein. I think I have one more skein somewhere around here. Not sure what to do with that one. Maybe a gaiter or some color accents on a scarf?

I really don't know any other Lions fans, so this yarn is all his!

Stripes are a great way of adding some
interest to a hat, without adding a lot
of extra detail and work.

This hat is for my son R. It's also striped, although I wasn't planning on giving stripes this year exclusively. It just worked out that way.

This is some Caron Simply Soft in Wine and Charcoal Heather left over from another project. I like Caron Simply Soft because it is really... well, soft.  It's a simple 1X1 ribbed hat, with some stripes thrown in. I make a lot of these hats because they are quick and easy, but don't tell R I just whipped this up.

That faraway look...

I had actually planned to do some shark tails for R & R for Christmas, but life just monopolized my time with work, serious family illnesses, and the like. Also, the Mertails took way longer than I expected.

So, yeah, I had to put those tails on hold for the guys and make some hats instead. No matter. They both liked their hats.

I think I will still do the shark tails for the guys. They might just have to wait until next Christmas, though!

Christmas 2016 Recap #1

I thought you might like to see some of the things I crafted for Christmas 2016, since I didn't get around to posting them as I should have back in December.

These are both the same size, B just has
her legs stretched out in front of her.

The crocodile stitch is what makes this
look so great.

By far, the biggest chunk of my time went toward these two Mertails. I used Feline Grammer's Mermaid Lap Blanket (There is also a YouTube pattern for this.) because it used the crocodile stitch. I really think the crocodile stitch is what makes this look so spectacular. It looks like scales.

I'm sure it would have gone so much quicker if I had used a simpler crochet stitch or knitted it. But, I don't think it would have looked as good. And, as we all know, looking good is everything.

I made one for M and one for B. They were both very pleased with them. M squealed like a child when she pulled it out of the package. "Ooooh a Mermaid Tail!" Haha. That was totally worth the work I put into it.

This tail fin uses a Foundation HDC
method that is pure genius!

But, you know, I probably won't be doing anything with crocodile stitch for a while. Ha!

The tail fin uses a great technique for a Foundation Half Double Crochet that makes the foundation edge look really sharp. Then, these rows of HDC make superbly textured tail fin ribs. I just love it.

I would recommend this pattern for a very special gift, just because it is a heckuvalotta crocodile stitch. But, it looks so sharp. It's is just orders of magnitude better than the plain double crochet tails or the fleece tails you get on Groupon.

I'm glad I made the effort to do these right.