completed project: crocheted giraffe

I feel rather accomplished when I actually create, complete or bake something I've pinned to Pinterest.  Over break when I didn't have school, I made this giraffe pattern from Lion Brand Yarn, which I had pinned months ago.  It was quite simple and didn't take long at all.  The stitching is all single stitch, so the trickiest part is crocheting around in a circle, but that's not hard at all if you use a bobby pin to mark your spot. (: This little guy loves it!

I didn't remember to take a picture till it was too late to take a good one..

In other news, I knitted this rabbit for his sister; it's a lot plainer but I like it.  

DIY: map box lights

I live in a room that is approximately 6' by 10'.  It needs to be bolstered up in the cute department, because space is something it definitely lacks.  Last semester, a friend and I spent a delightful Saturday afternoon sitting on my bed listening to country music and creating this lovely twinkle light design for my smallest wall.

Those other two walls need some help...one thing at a time!

It was incredibly simple to create.  All you need are two strings of twinkle lights and an old atlas.  I found an atlas for $0.79 at Salvation Army.  The twinkle lights were on sale for approximately $4 each, so the whole project cost me $9.  Success!

Here is a video tutorial for making the boxes: How to Make an Origami Balloon: Simple and Fun Origami.  (Here is one that is not in video format, if you prefer that.)  They go fairly quickly after you get the hang of it, and after making forty-five you feel like a well-oiled machine! Atlas pages are generally not square, so for us the most tedious part was cutting the pages down to a square.  After we folded and inflated the boxes, we just slipped them over every fourth light.  You could certainly space them however you liked.

I love them! They are so quaint and creative.  We've also done some other travel and hot air balloon themed DIY projects for my room, which you will see soon!  I can't wait until the whole space is completely decorated.

sunday afternoon crochet.

 I spent this entire afternoon curled up crocheting and listening to my Bon Iver Pandora station.  I finished up an infinity scarf/cowel that I had been working on for a couple of days (thanks to Lindsi at people webs for the pattern!), and then I decided to try some new projects.

First I made this hat.

I got the pattern off of pinterest, originally from Elise at Grow Creative blog.   I actually didn't like how the hat looked on me too much, but I think that's because I have thick curly hair that wouldn't cooperate.  The pattern wasn't too difficult to understand, and I liked the contrast in the hat.  I'm looking forward to trying her infinity scarf pattern.

The flower pattern I used for the flower on the hat was impossible! I couldn't figure it out so I ended up stabbing my crochet hook in random places in an attempt to make some sort of flower-looking piece.  Needless to say, I won't be making any more flowers until I find my old, tried-and-true flower pattern.

After the hat, I decided to tackle the broomstick stitch, which I first saw on pinterest.  I started with this tutorial, but ended up getting quite confused.  This tutorial, specifically for lefties, was much easier, even though I'm not left-handed, although maybe that's just because I had wrestled with the other one for thirty minutes first.

Here are my first three attempts:

I finally got frustrated because none of these look anything like they should.  I went back to browsing pinterest..until I saw a beautiful scarf pattern from Ravelry.  It's gorgeous! It's broomstick!

I guess I better keep practicing..

But first, I shall make another cowl that uses nice, simple single and double crochet stitches. (:

Now I have a huge disastrous strung-out yarn mess, which I will clean up while I watch Letters to Juliet with my high school friend.

Dawww...

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Two of my favorite songs from this afternoon's music were

Alone, by Trampled By Turtles.
Comes and Goes (In Waves) by Greg Laswell
Oh, and all the Blind Pilot and Bon Iver that came up too.

check them out.

Cards.

We made the Christmas cards! How delightful: an idea that actually materialized.

Cute as a bug's hind leg.

 merry christmas!

today's creation

I spent this entire blissful January afternoon sitting on my bed with my sister, listening to our favorite music while she studied chemistry and I crocheted.  The result?  A silly little turtle waiting for Audrey when she got home from work.

(I got the pattern free from Lion Brand yarn here!)