Look! A Knook!

So, tonight I was just doing some normal grocery shopping at Walmart, and I couldn't resist checking out the yarn aisle. And then I found this.

And I was like... whaaaaat?

What IS this? I don't get it. It looks like a cheap imitation of tunision crochet (which I'm still trying to fully master), but not really. The instrument in the package has a crochet hook on one end and a knitting needle on the other. The pictures make it look like some crazy combination of knitting and crocheting. And there is even yarn specifically made for knooking! And "knook" patterns! Say whaaaaat...

So yeah. I grabbed it. Couldn't resist.

I cant wait to figure it out. What planet have I been living on that I haven't seen this before? I don't know, but should be fun. If I like it, you may see some cool knook creations (and someday patterns!) that I share here.

What do you know about knooking? Are you a fan or is it just a rip off? Share your wisdom with me. Leave some love, and a comment. :)

Cheers!

~Tennyemaye

Advice Needed! How to Finish This Scarf...

For Valentines Day, my sister made me a beautiful, knitted scarf (in my favorite shade of pink!) and told me to finish it off however I'd like. It did have tassles on it, but I took them off and have been fumbling for a more lacy look to add both looks and length to the scarf. I've been playing around with shell stitches and a  simple fishnet look, but I'm not sure I'm happy with any of them.

I need suggestions! What are your thoughts? Please comment!

Appreciating Crochet in the Closet

The other day, I noticed I have lots of things in my closet that I wear without even thinking about how beautifully crocheted they are! Here are some things I found in my closet that are crocheted that I just LOVE.

This one is so beautiful and detailed!

This has a dainty, web-like nature to it. The body is crochet, but the base and sleeves are cabled and knitted.

I wear this all the time, and never stopped to appreciate the fancy shell patterns at the base!

So fine and detailed, I can barely see the stitches.

Found this in the under-bed storage. My mom made this when she was a little girl. Its a beautiful variation of the brick stitch, and has a lot of hard work and pride attached to it. ;-)

Whats crocheted in your closet? Please comment!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is Fat Cat Crochet's 1 year anniversary! To celebrate, I am officially going to start posting again! Haha, its been a crazy holiday season, for me especially. But I haven't forgotten you, my friends! And now I really am back for good. I am so thankful for all my wonderful readers who have enjoyed my patterns, shared with me your own work, and left a bazillion wonderful comments! You all mean so much to me. So whaddya say? Lets get this New Year crackin'!

Happy 2011! And Happy Anniversary to Fat Cat Crochet!

And...we're back!

Hey everyone! I'm back! I've been taking a bit of a break to finish my show in Lancaster and recuperate, but now I am back for good, with loads of ideas to share. Look here for new patterns and tips in the next couple of days.

Until then, Happy Holidays from me and Violet!

Love,
~ Tennyemaye ~

Would You Crochet This?

Would you crochet this mad-scientist cerebrum hat, or even wear it? Whats your opinion...creepy or cool? Please comment!

Check out the link here: http://crochettoday.com/crochet-patterns/brainy-maniac

Center-Pull Skein Part 2 of 2: Easy Storage

Now that you know how to make your own center-pull skeins, learn how to stash them in these handy, easy-to-make containers. These containers separate your skeins of yarn, preventing them from becoming battered or tangled while on the road. Your yarn can always stay nicely in these containers. No taking them in and out; just pull your yarn from a hole in the top!

Want to see what I mean? Follow these easy steps to making your own storage container.

You will need:

-scissors
-a plastic container that will fit your ball of yarn (I like to use old yogurt containers)

1. Start with a clean plastic container of your choice that will fit your skein of yarn. I find that old yogurt containers work very well for this.

2. Remove the lid. With your scissors, cut out a circle (with about 1/2 inch in diameter) in the center of the lid.

3. Place your center-pull skein in the container, with the center pull facing up.



4. Draw the yarn through the hole in the center of the lid, and secure the lid shut.

5. Make one for all your center-pull skeins, and you have your own, user-friendly yarn separators in which to store your yarn. These are especially great for traveling with a project that requires lots of color changes.

This is super easy to do! And now that you know how, you'll be wanting to make one for all of your center-pull skeins.

Any questions? Please comment!



Center-Pull Skein Part 1 of 2: Make Your Own

You love to crochet. And you love your yarn! But face it, yarn can be downright FRUSTRATING. Most yarn in the stores are sold in long cylinder-shaped skeins that are bulky and get tangled at the end. This may lead you to wind your yarn into balls before use, which is equally annoying when they roll all over the place.

This is where the SUPER MAN of a crocheter's heart comes to save the day: and its in the form of the center-pull skein. Learn the easy way to wrap your yarn into a tidy little ball that wont roll everywhere because it pulls from the center, not the outside. Just follow these simple steps below.

1. Start by wrapping the yarn in a figure eight around your thumb and forefinger. Make sure you hold on to the beginning peice with the rest of your fingers, as shown.

2. Continue wrapping until the bulk of the yarn reaches to about the midsection of your forefinger.

3. Slide the yarn down your fingers and hold the two sections together. Make sure you are still keeping track of your strand of yarn and that you have your thumb in the hole where it is coming from.

4. Holding the strand, with your thumb still in the hole, begin to wrap your yarn around in a ball.

5. Eventually, as you ball gets bigger, it can get tiresome keeping your thumb in the hole and holding on to your strand. You can solve this by sticking a pen or a highlighter in it and tucking the strand into the clip.

 6.  When you are finished winding all the yarn, congratulations! You now have a nice center-pull skein of yarn!

Any questions? Please comment!

Want more fun tips on how to keep your center-pull skeins organized and travel-friendly? Be sure to check back for Center- Pull Skeins part 2.

Wintry Patterns, anyone?

Sooo...I've got a few small ideas for wintry pattern to write for this year. I've concocted some ideas not only for myself but for Christmas gifts for family and friends too. I would love some more ideas.

What Christmas/Winter patterns would you like to see here this season?

Please comment!

Lacy Shell Doll Dress- a project completed!

I have a lovely surprise this morning! Diane, one of our readers, has already made two dresses from the Lacy Shell Doll Dress pattern, and was kind enough to share pictures! She agreed to let me share them on this site, so here they are! I love Diane's creativity, and how she really made the pattern her own! If you ever make something from one of my patterns, feel free to send me pictures of your work here.

Crochet Humor

Time for a laugh! Enjoy these funny crochet jokes I found.

Why is it that a ball of yarn can't walk?
Because its all tied up!

Why do crocheters make good comedians?
 Because they keep us in stitches!


What do you call an unmarried stitch?
A single crochet!


What happened to the naughty little afghan?
He got into treble!

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How many crocheters does it take to change a

lightbulb?

 Just one, but when she's done, she's going to want to crochet a cord pull for it, and a light cover, and then she'll need to make matching valances, and of course the whole room will need new doilies and chair covers, and...
--------------------------------

A woman is crocheting as she drives (which is totally unsafe, and I don't advocate it). Pretty soon, her speed has crept all the way up to 95 mph--and she passes a parked police car. The car gives chase. Officer Bob turns on his siren, but the woman, oblivious, doesn't notice him. Finally, he pulls up alongside her car and yells, "Pull over! PULL OVER!"

She looks at him, looks at her crocheting, and yells--

"NO! It's a CARDIGAN!"

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Did you know the art of crocheting is mentioned in documents dating back to Bible times? In the Book of Genesis, chapters 40 and 41, it tells the story of Joseph, and how his father had a coat of many colors made for him. Well this is obviously some ancient-times crocheter's attempt to use up her stash of yarn!!

------------------------------------------

There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. Nothing was held back. Well, almost nothing. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the old man took down the shoebox and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a stack of money totaling $250,000. Holy Moly! He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she started, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily." The old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were inside the box! She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness. "Honey," he said, "that explains the doilies, but.... what about all this money? Where did it all come from?"

"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies.

Knifty Knitter Love

I'm in love with my new Knifty Knitter looms! I've been wanting some for a long time, and finally got around to buying some at the local A.C. Moore. They're great because they make knitting ten times easier, and because I can make hats and other dimensional things with them (when I knit, I only knit flat things, like scarves and squares). Plus they are totally portable! I've enjoyed taking mine to the beach or on long road trips. I can even see them being tools for teach younger kids to enjoy knitting. What do you think? What's been your experience with the Knifty Knitter? Please comment!

For more information on the Knifty Knitter visit: https://www.myknitter.com/
For Knifty Knitter patterns, visit: http://www.provocraft.com/projects/projects.php?dsp=list&prdindex=kniftyknitter

What Not To Crochet

Would you crochet this?

Or this?

Or even this?

Browsing patterns and crocheted designs online can turn forth some of the most glorious, glamarous, beautiful designs ever to grace the planet. But others just look like cat barf...(or worse), and sometimes you wonder...just what was this designer thinking? Get your fill of some of the worst crocheted designs EVER at What Not To Crochet, a fun website that good-naturedly mocks the ultimate crochet flops.

Mask- Free Form Crochet

I've fallen in love with some of the beautiful free form crochet things out there! So I timidly made my first attempt at beauty with this mask. Its both gorgeous, hideous, and kinda cool all at the same time! Whaddya think? Please comment!

Berr-natt? Ber-nay? Bear-nay? Bear-nah?

Bernat has great yarn, but does anyone know how to pronounce it? I've heard Berr-natt, Ber-nay, Bear-nay, Bear-nah and all sorts of other things. How do you say it?

Making Time For Crochet

I am here to make an announcement: there are only 24 hours in a day! And most of the time, it seems like hardly enough. There are so many things to be done, and when the day comes to a close, it seems like there is so little time left to just relax and crochet. So how do you make time for crochet, when life is just a hectic mess?

1. Take it along! Because of my busy schedule, I must spend half my time in the car, waiting in line, or just waiting in general. This is when I get a lot of my crocheting done. Its said that the average American spends 3 years of his or her life waiting in line. That's an extra three years of your life to crochet!

2. The extreme hours! Are you a night owl who can never sleep at night, or an early bird who likes to get up early? Either way, use a few minutes from your earliest or latest hours to work on your latest project. I like to crochet at night. That's when I am most awake, and when I am most in the mood to whiz up something snazzy!

3. Schedule it!  Life is hectic. Yes, you have a billion things to do, but resting is almost just as important as getting the work done. You are actually more efficient with your work when you take time to rest too! Schedule a small piece of your day to just sit in the rocking chair on the porch and crochet. Sometimes I like to listen to music while I work, or I'll keep my hands busy when watching a movie. Its a great way to rest your mind and exercise your hands!

What do you think? What are some of the ways you make time for crochet? Please comment!

Absolutely Dolling

I stumbled upon a website the other day called "Absolutely Dolling". Once I had clicked, I found I couldn't tear my eyes away. The gowns shown in the pictures above, are only a few of the stunning historical fashion gowns crocheted by Diane Farmer. Diane has been crocheting since she was 8. She spent some time as a hospice nurse for several patients who were doll collecters, and she started collecting dolls herself. Now she makes amazingly detailed and intricate doll fashion from historical time periods such as the Old South, the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and 18th century Europe. Each gown is so intricate, so detailed, and so realistic, I cannot even imagine the hard work and skill it took to make them, plus the keen understanding of what fashion was like in these specific time periods. That, ladies and gentleman, is what I call the fine art of crochet! To learn more, visit her website at http://www.absolutelydolling.com/

What do you think? Please comment!

iPod Nano Sweater

I thought you would enjoy the sweater I made for Tony, my new iPod Nano. I have already started making similar ones for my friends! Look for a pattern soon. ;-)

new to Ravelry!

Hey, y'all! You can now find me on Ravelry here. I am all new to it and still trying to figure it out. Anyone else an expert who can share tips and tricks and fun things you can do?

My Top 5 Crochet Pet Peeves

1. Dropping my aluminum hooks on the hard wood floor. They clatter and are so loud, you can hear it through out the whole house. I especially hate it when I'm crocheting in a public place, because then, everything goes quiet and everyone stops what they are doing and stares!

2. When people ask me what I am "knitting". Its called CROCHET people! I take this moment as my time to educate the world...knitting is with needles, crochet is with a hook. Phew.

3. Tangled yarn. No matter how often I neatly organize and sort through my yarn stash, in just a few weeks, everything is a tangled mess. I don't have time to untangle it all either, so I end up just cutting it, and I feel like I'm wasting yarn. Any suggestions?

4. Frayed yarn. I hate it when my hook splits the yarn, or when I'm trying to thread it into a yarn needle, but it keeps fraying.

5. Multiple projects laying around. I can't help it, I'm a scatterbrain, and I easily tire of my projects. I have a whole trashbag in my closet full of projects I've begun and hope to finish "someday".

What are your biggest pet peeves about crocheting?