The New Year begins!

Hello everyone! As always, it's been a long time since I've posted, and yet again this will be more or less a quick in and out to update you guys and say hi. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

My first order of business is to give you guys a huge thank you! The video I posted on the stitch used in my Forever 21 scarf has over 7000 views, and I have more than 70 people subscribed to my channel after just 1 video! I know that's small potatoes in the YouTube world, but it makes me feel warm inside that people are interested by what I do. Stay tuned, YouTube viewers, as another video is (eventually) forthcoming, although this one is oriented toward fashion rather than crafting. I hope you all will like it!

Also, I wanted to submit some proof to you all that I have actually been crafting during my long silences. So here are a couple of the things that have been occupying my time.

Pictured above, a shirtdress I picked up at the thrift store. It was much longer before and made me look absolutely ridiculous, so I had to hack off several inches, and now it's stylin'! Action shots will come in the future.

At the top is my new tote bag, made using this tutorial. The gray is a suede fabric, and the print is blue and gray with black characters, cranes, and other very Oriental-looking designs.

Below it is a black infinity scarf made using a lacy pattern from the book The Harmony Guide to Crochet Stitches, called the Open Crescent stitch. It's a great book I picked up for just a few bucks from a resale shop. I used Caron Simply Soft Black yarn and a G hook.

The gray is a scarf I made for my boyfriend using the free Lion Brand Thermal Scarf pattern. It's super stretchy and warm, and I might end up making my own in a more colorful yarn. I used Caron Simply Soft Heather Gray and a J hook.

The two turtles I have there are the first of 7 turtles made as presents for some of the friends I've made here at med school. Clearly not as much crocheting got done over break as there should have been. >_>

The black hat is a (possibly) work in progress. I wanted to imitate the hat I wore in the photo below, but I can't figure out knit cables to save my life.

I used another pattern from the crochet stitches book to try to imitate cables, but it doesn't involve post stitches, but puff stitches instead. I say possibly a work in progress because my original intention was to add a brim, but I'm not sure if it's necessary. Also, the ribbing (which was added on using this tutorial) is just a tad tight, enough so that every time I put it on I need to fuss with my hair in order for it to look right. Still, I'd say it's already a pretty rocking success.

It was also made with Caron Simply Soft Black yarn and an H hook.

This white hat was made using the famous Pretty Puffs slouchy hat pattern. I learned a lot from this hat. I was not using the same weight of yarn as she did or the same hook size, so I couldn't be sure that following her pattern exactly would get me the results I wanted. I was using DK weight yarn (sorry, don't remember the brand) and (I believe) a J hook. I ended up only needing to add an extra row of increases to get the hat to fit right, but it took me three tries and lots and lots of frogging to figure that out.

So that's what I've been up to! For 2012, I have so many projects I want to tackle, and I'm really really excited for the new year! Did you guys make any New Year's resolutions? Do you also have a massive list of crafty things to accomplish?

Thanks for sticking around! I will see you next time!

-Annie

I liiiiiiive!

Well, hello there everyone! I must apologize for the long, long hiatus, but schoolwork does not wait for anyone. *sigh* That, and my life has been thrown in all manner of directions since I graduated (heck yeah, I GRADUATED). I will be a medical student this fall (XD YES), which I predict means I will have even less time to craft than I have in the past few years. It's a sad thing, but, eh, the sacrifices we make for our futures, yes?

Anyways, a good bit has been happening on the crafting front in the past (almost three!) months, and I'm super-excited to share it with you. However, although I'm sure you're all on the edges of your seats, today's post isn't really about anything crafty. I thought I'd share a little something and just let you all know that I am, in fact, alive.

There is a second-hand store near my school called The Bottomline, and they have a fabulous mission to provide lightly used, work-appropriate clothing at great prices. I've found a couple great things there, but nothing (NOTHING) compares to what I found at the end of my finals week.

That jacket? Isn't it gorgeous? Sorry for the awkward photo, a clotheshanger did not wish to make itself available. However, the jacket itself is not the awesome part. Are you ready?

WHAAAAAT???

My dear friends, I paid less than 5% of this beautiful, NEVER-USED jacket's retail value. $9.00 for a Michael jacket. Let me tell you right now, I am the person who prowls the clearance racks at clothing stores. I cringe when I pay more than $20.00 for just about any wearable item. It boggles my mind that I own this. No, it's not a vintage Chanel dress I found for a dollar or something nuts like that, but it's so exciting, especially with the expensive thrift stores in my area. >.<

Ah, don't you love thrifting?

So the story goes that a hotel chain (I can't remember which) used to have this as a part of their uniform. They changed their uniform, and, lo, The Bottomline is inundated with boxes and boxes of these lovely jackets. And, lucky me, who hadn't gone thrifting in months, I walked into the store when only three or four were left, saw this hanging on a display, and instantly snagged it.

It's fate.

I'll be back periodically in the coming weeks with more crafty posts. Much crocheting and sewing has taken place, and more is taking place and is planned for the summer. Here is just a teaser of the many things I have to share with you.

Mad photoshopping (AKA Paint.net) skillzzzz

Thank you for stopping by!

-Annie