BonBon vest

The patterns is found in a spanish magazine called Tejidos. I did alter the pattern slightly because I did not like the stitch it called for.
Bonbon is how they called this yarn and it is 100% polyester made in China. Nothing fancy but right for a border.

then a variegated yarn to crochet the vest. Unfortunately it cannot be blocked but still it needs a good steam to keep the stitches where they belong.

I am not a particular fun of sleevless but sometimes they come handy on top of long sleeves. I love the stitches I used for this one.

Of course I had to use more yarn than the pattern called for

I love how it turned out. it is a functionnal little vest. 

Mi primer intento

Algunos dias despues de empezar a tejer, decidi hacer un sweater y sin darle mucha lata pues compre los estambres, busque un modelo y me lanze. Of course I decided I could do it - and worst- I beleived it. La experiencia fue muy grata aunque el resultado no tanto y por varias razones con las cuales no les voy a aburrir pero le dire que tengan lo siguiente en mente:

1- No haga tu primer intento con un estambre de fantasia ( it was a really bad moove).

Claro no tenia que ser un genio para saber todo esto pero tengo la mala costumbre ( happens with each and every craft I pick) de saltar las etapas y empezar con lo mas difficil o por lo menos con el nivel de intermediario. ( encuentro los niveles "easy" and Beginners"" un tanto debilucho...pero hey! esta soy yo hablando plepla porque el que invento los niveles de experiencia sabe lo que estaba haciaendo. Anyway, back to the subject at end.

2- Elija un modelo sencillo (again- un modelo para principiante) but I went for the not so easy one

3- Make a swatch - lo que en realidad nunca hago - por lo menos not when I am crocheting. Never did and probably never will. Tengo tal vez demasiado tiempo "crocheting" y me complace a mi creer que soy una pro when it comes to crochet ( i might be wrong) in fact I know I am wrong...but still I do not swatch (which is very stupid on my part by the way)

Again slipping away from the subject.
I would love to say the result was majestic but again I would be going way over my head. El cuerpo del sweater en si esta bien cuando lo miras a primera vista.

The cables (las trenzas) estan hechas unas al reves y unas al derecho. Ahora yo se (por la practica y el resultado) que se hacen de una u otra manera pero hay que mantener una constante, which I did not do. Well I didn´t know it had to be done a specific way.
Las mangas salieron bien claro despues de varios frogging pero entendi como hacerlas y coserlas al cuerpo del sweater.
The sleeves on this sweater are extremely tight on the armholes and it was not an error made during the knitting itself but while sewing the seams.



 The ribbing was perfect though but I was tired of it at the end I decided to double crochet the neck and the sleeves. I would say it was a good idea but most would beg to differ that point of view as it was uneven and done (i admit!) in a sloppy way.

Overall, no es un sweater que le daria de regalo a nadie a menos que esta persona te caiga mal pero de toda manera yo me lo voy a poner, claro despues de cortar las mangas. Me mentendra calientita durante las noches de invierno.

Yarn Shopping

I went yarn shopping yesterday and I bought Patagonia yarn which is extremely soft. The earth tone  color definetely caught my attention. I have yet to decide what to knit to do with it. 

The only downsize is that it comes in polyester which means my choices are very limited. Either a scarf or a vest and this is a closer look to of the fiber. It looks like braids.

Then I also got some 100 % wool in a variegated color. Unvortunately I could not buy more  because it is a bit pricey.

Maybe I will mix it with a thin fiber...or not

It is a variegated yarn

 

And last but not least

 In two different color, beige and dark brown. I am and earth tone fan. Fot this specific yarn I alreacy have a pattern in mind for a small vest all in brown with a beige border.

I love going to the Filati store. They have the best yarn in town in my humble opinion and the service they provide is out of this world. So far it is my favorite LYS in Mexico.

Besides they published their own crochet and knitting magazine although I have to mention that nethe patterns are far from being for beginners level. In fact, you need more than the basic skills to execute their patterns. Sometimes they may give a chart but mostly they give you and overall explanation . The good thing is if you are stucked at some pon t knitting/crocheting a pattern you just drop by their store and you will find someone to tell you exactly what to do.

If only I could have more money to go yarn shopping more often...sigh*

 

For girls

Dos ropitas adicionales para bebe para envio a un hospital en Australia. Son modelos de revistas de crochet mexicanas.

 

 I am not sure if I have to add some ribbons for closure or leave it as is. Pondering...pondering.

 

 





Baby blanket

I always resist from doing granny square and swatches. Waste of time. At least that what I used to beleive for a long time till the day I had the urge of making a small pouch for my cell phone and I knitted mini squares of 4x4 stitches and I discovered that not only it was therapeutic but I loved the fact of sewing them together. Right then and there I started a granny blanket for to giveaway as charity work. I am a convert to grannies and that is why I started the Octagons and squares bedspread. Blanket is made out of Bernat Soft and a cotton yarn for the border. I totally love the swirls of the border. Size 17x17 inches

 

 

 

 

Ganchillo o agujas

De niña, en el colegio, hacer las manualidades eran actividades extracurriculares pero obligatorias. Me habia naturalemente dirigido hacia las telas e hilos. No tan solo porque habia aprendido a bordar desde muy pequeña pero tambien y mas precisamente porque  mi mama y mi abuela eran apasionadas de las agujas tambien y les veia incansablemente bordar pañuelos para mi papa y mi abuelo, manteles que ocupariamos en las grandes ocasiones y las sabanas que eran de uso diario.

 

Ademas admito que mi eleccion de bordar se basaba tambien del susto que tenia a la vista de estos dos palos largos que entrelazaban hilos. Veia unas compañeras pasar mucho trabajo en aquel oficio. Me preguntaba porque no elegian entonces el crohet o el punto de cruz o el bordado hasta que me di cuenta que dichas muchahcas no sabian como tener ni siquiera una aguja de coser. No tenian el alma en este tipo de manualidaes. Otras sin embargan llegaron a dominar las dos agujas o "tricot" y secretamente yo las admiraba por ello. Los años pasaron y me olvide del "tricot" por completo aunque nunca deje mi ganchillo de corochet.

Todo esto iba a cambiar cuando en septiembre del año 2012, mi oficina me traslado a vivir en Mexico City. El invierno es muy intenso en Mexico, no hay nevada pero la temperatura baja considerablemente hasta a dos grados lo que es demasiado para una persona que nacio en una isla donde el sol esta siempre muy alto y el mar muy azul. Fue durante una fria tarde de esta que me meti en una LYS en busqueda de unos botones para poner a una Cardigan que me habia hecho en crochet y la dueña de la tienda y yo empezamos a conversar sobre un tejido a dos agujas que estaba haciendo con un hilo de seda color cobrizo que fue justamente lo que me llamo la atencion. Pues ella me ofrecio enseñarme a tejer con la condicion de comprar el hilo y las agujas. Me sente durante dos horas en la tienda y el resto es historia...

 

Como el horario de mi oficna chocaba con el horario de la señora, no llegue a tomar mas que dos clases adicionales de una hora. De ahi con la ayuda de youtube.com y de algunos yahoo groups he podido dejar el miedo a las agujas atras.  En otro mensaje posteare el primer abrigo de color azul que hice en tricot pero por lo pronto he hecho estas dos ropitas de bebe para regalar a un hospital.

 

That is too bad I can´t rememeber the lady that offers this particular free knitting pattern online. I wish to recall her name or her site so to give proper credit to her.

 

 

 

I executed the pattern as is but the only thing I changed was the sleeves. I made them shorter because I did not have enough Blue in that Red Heart Super Saver Worsted yarn to make the long sleeves. I have no idea why this picture came out as a greyish color but it is really a skyblue color.

 

This one is from a mexican magazine for baby knits and crochet

 

 

Esta ropita is a Christenning gown but the only yarn I had on hand to make this quickly was a green baby yarns from Bernat. This gown actually opens in the back all the way down so I have to put at least 4 small buttons for closure.  It is made in crochet.

Octagons and squares bedspread.

The pattern I am working on right now is from Red Heart and you can find it here.  If you wish to see the how to video then head there and Mickey will walk you through the whole process.
I am using Red Heart Super Saver in 3 different colors: red, beige and black and a 6mm crochet hook.

It will not be an afghan or a throw but a bedspread for a queen size bed that I have just bought for the guest room in my appartment.
So far I have completed 10 octagons (red - beige - black)

And about 6 more (black - beige - red)

and yet I have to measure the size of the bed so to know how many "grannies" I will need. But so far so good I am just crocheting....

UPDATE: See finish versión here