Fun with yarn

I have recently taken the opportunity to attempt new project using my double-pointed needles and crochet hooks. So, here are some of my new creations - I found the patterns online at various places, so I'll post where I found the pattern :)


1. Crochet baby hat
This is a hat based on this pattern. I found that the pattern made a very large hat, even using the correct sized crochet hook. So, I didn't increase quite as much, and then I decreased some closer to the end (which is why there is one row that looks somewhat uneven).



2. Rosettes and decorations
These are some little decorative pieces I've crocheted. The one on the left is a crocheted using a pattern found here. It's much larger than it looks like in the picture on this blog or in the blog with the pattern - it's about 4-5" across. My petals are much less defined because of the yarn I chose to use, but i thought it might look very cute on a beenie or on a 4" wide headband (like this one). If i ever make one, I'll be sure to post the final result ^_^ The directions for the flower are in Finnish, so they're rather difficult to follow. Also, the pictures don't give you much help other than what a finished product should look like, but if I can figure it out, I would assume anyone with more than 1 month of crocheting skills would be able to, as well.



The little rosettes on the right are much more appropriate for baby hats (my primary creation). They are both about 2" in diameter. You can see on the baby hat below that I put one of the little flowers on the hat - how adorable is it! I love it. The flower pattern can be found here, and is quite simple to follow. The directions are very clear with great pictures.
I honestly can't find the pattern I used for the little button on the left, which makes me sad, because I really like it. If I find the pattern, I'll post it.

3. Knit baby hat
This is a baby hat that I've given to one of Mr. A's co-workers, as his wife just had a little baby girl. (On a side note, I'm making this crock-pot beef stroganoff for them on Monday). As I said earlier, the little flower on it is the same one that is in the photograph above, just attached to the little hat :) I don't have a pattern for the baby hat, persay... I use double pointed needles (I think they're a size 6, although I can't be certain), and I believe I started with 60 stitches. I -may- have started with 54 stitches, though. When it looks about the right height, I start decreasing. Again, I'm not sure what rate I decreased at for this particular hat (maybe one day I'll get organized enough to write down my exact pattern), but typically I knit 8, then knit 2 together all the way around the hat. For the next row, I knit 7, then knit 2 together, and so on. The edge is crocheted with the same yellow yarn I used in the large rosette above. I do one or two rows of normal crochet around the bottom, then I make little loops by chaining three, then doing a single crochet to attach it back to the trim.



So, that is what I've been doing to keep busy! I'll continue posting the fun and exciting new things I create as I learn how to make new things.

Adventures in the North

So, when I say, "North", what I mean is the northernmost tip of the island that we're on. In fact, the drive takes about 3 hours due to construction and the complete lack of any sort of real highway on-island. Seriously. There's one toll road that they call an 'expressway' where you can go speeding along at 80 kph (that's just under 50 mph for all you crazy Americans and your non-metric system). Since we rarely drive on the expressway (who wants to pay to drive? Unless, of course, you're going through New Jersey?), I feel like I am flyin' down the road when I'm allowed to do 60 kph on one of the bases. I -could- get all up in arms about these ridiculous speed limits. Until, of course, I realized that safety standards here are significantly lower than those back home. For instance, it is not necessary to use tempered glass. Nor do the vehicles have to pass the same side-impact tests. SO, in knowing what I know about how people get hurt in car accidents (having looked at many case studies of various accidents), I am perfectly fine going at a lower speed given the lack of safety requirements in our cars here.

Well, back to the story. We drove aaalll the way up the coastline to the very tip of the island. The drive was beautiful, with the ocean always right next to us and green mountains off to the other side.

This type of driving goes slowly, but it's worth it - even with about 18 construction zones that we had to pass through both on the way up and the way back down.




We stopped on the way up to grab a bite to eat at this cute little Japanese restaurant. It was clearly not frequented by Americans as no one who worked there spoke any English. After taking off our shoes, we stepped up into our own 'booth', about a foot off the ground, to slide our legs under the table, which was just high enough to allow you to sit cross-legged. Then comes the next challenge: the menu. After looking over the 'local' menu for several minutes with creases on our foreheads, trying to figure out what everything was from the pictures, they graciously brought us a menu with some English.




<----Here is our menu




----> Here is what we ordered

We both ordered some sort of Ramen with meat (pork, perhaps?). It also came with egg, and as you can see, I got mine with spinach (I think... It's always hard to tell WHICH type of leafy gren you're really eating).

When we finally arrived at the northern tip, we got out to walk around the little park they have there. There were several monuments and statues around and some really spectacular views. I was especially impressed at the -gorgeous- water and the waves crashing up against the cliff. We climbed down the rocks a little way, but when I saw a millipede (which my little guidebook says you should immediately get medical assistance if you're bitten by one due to possibly devastating effects), we decided to climb back up to the normal sidewalks.