fortyfive: i'm a milliner

in the past three weeks i have crocheted three hats. one for each of my parents and one for myself. i was inspired by a hat my mom made me a few years ago (i did not take a picture or it, because i lost it somewhere in my room) and a hat my friend jenn was wearing during the inauguration. jenn has been after a knitted beret ever since we saw the movie elizabethtown (note the red hat kirsten dunst is wearing) and she was finally able to find a similar one this winter. i was unsure how my version of the beret would turn out (the top two pictures), because i did not use a pattern, but i think it looks surprisingly good.

nineteen: squares!

i have been slowly crocheting an afghan (i know it doesn't really look like the right time of the year to be making a blanket). anyway, i thought i was almost finished with it, but it turns out i might only have a 1/3 or 1/4 finished.
each square is different and most of them have very different color combinations (since the purpose of this project was to use up my old yarn). in order to create some sort of cohesion i am going to make a navy blue border around each of them and perhaps have a wider frame around the entire blanket.
i am not sure how i am going to put all the squares together, since there are 4 or 5 different sizes and there are so many different colors, but i was thinking that i might start from the center with larger squares and work my way outward.
it looks like i might have a bit of time before my next temp job starts, so i am contemplating refinishing some furniture that is in disrepair. i also want to try making some paper while the weather is warm. i hear that it is a bet messy, but is generally pretty easy to do. after my long week and a half of working, i now feel that i can cherish my time in-between jobs more and am more motivated to be productive while i am free. let's see if this newfound appreciation for my free time is going to actually translate in being more crafty, writing more blog posts, and (maybe) bring my etsy shop up to scratch.
music note: miriam and i saw the band harry and the potters yesterday and they were AMAZING. they even played my favorite song!

one

i have been an avid crafter for a few years now. when it comes to crafting i need to have a number of projects going on at one time. i am constantly trying out new techniques and starting new projects, without finishing anything! i am hoping that keeping a record of everything i make will help me to actually finish some of the projects i have going on.













i recently started to learn cross-stitching and crocheting. about a week ago i finished my second cross-stitch project. i put it in a frame that i made a few years ago and i think the pair look really good together. i am surprised by the amount of time it takes to cross-stitch. i was expecting it to be really easy, but i am pleased to learn that it does take a bit of skill to be able to do it well. i never liked the look of anything cross-stitched before, but now that i have i know what goes into cross-stitching i appreciate the geometric look much more.

for the next couple of weeks, i am going to take a break from cross-stitching for awhile and try to hone my crocheting skills by making an afghan. i have never done much crocheting before (i use to think of it as a lesser craft than knitting and not worth my time), but i have now decided to give crocheting a second chance. i am going to use up some old bits of yarn and make squares of varying sizes and colors. i am hoping that it won't look like a rainbow threw up all over it...