Blanket of Crazy

About 2 years ago, I started a project that I thought sounds like a great idea - a queen size blanket made from fingering weight yarn scraps.  After some searching and trial and error, I found that I needed to make 800 fish in order to do it.  It still didn't sound too bad.

I planned on making 1 fish per day, then giving myself about 6 months to do the seaming.  In the end, I pushed for finishing the whole project in just under 2 years.  And I'm SUPER happy with the way it turned out.

Before you go running off and decide you want to try it, too, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Estimated Yardage:

800 fish x 13 yds = 10400 
Seaming/Edging = 1854 
Total = 12,254

Estimated Cost:
800 fish x ~$1.20/fish = $960 
Seaming yarn x $3/skein = $24 
Total = $984
*I did not have to buy all my mini skeins, thanks to many lovely people who donated their leftovers to the cause.  But I ended up usually paying more than $1.20 each for the ones I did have to buy.

Estimated Time*:
800 fish x 30 min/fish = 400 hours 
Layout = ~17 hours 
Seaming 40 rows x 2.5 hours/row = 100 hours 
Edging = 10.4 hours 
Total = 517.5 hours
*The time estimate does not include things like weaving in ends and sourcing more mini skeins.

Random Finished Stuff

Since I'm still trying to get some patterns written for projects I've already finished, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show some of the things I've finished that were designed by other people, mostly.  I'll link to the Ravelry design page or the blog they came from.

Granny Square Earrings (granny squares are the name of a basic crochet motif):




Baby Set:
A friend asked me to make a pumpkin hat for her baby that's coming any day now.  I had some leftover green yarn, so I made the booties and mittens to go along with it.  The hat is my own design and will be posted once i finish writing it ;)



Booties:


Mittens:


Laptop Case:

 

Star Baby Blanket:


And lastly, for this time, Little Owlets:

Your very own IGOR!

Every mad scientist needs a sidekick and this one is mine!



He's really pretty simple to make.
Materials:
Color A: 40-50 yds black worsted weight yarn
Color B: 5-10 yards tan worsted weight yarn
2 10 in lengths 26 gauge wire
1 plain black round button
1 15mm doll eye with backing
G size crochet hook
Needle
Polyfil

Since you can make him as big or as small as you would like, the yardage for the yarn is approximate.

Stitches/abbreviations used:
ch - Chain Stitch
sl - Slip Stitch
sc - Single Crochet
dsc - Decrease Single Crochet
Rd - Round
sts - Stitches

BODY (Color A)
Worked in rounds.  I like to join each round at the end with a sl, but it may be worked in one continuous rd if preferred:
ch 3
Rd 1:  6 sc into 2nd ch from hook.  sl into first sc.
Rd 2:  Ch 1. 2 sc into same st.  2 sc into each next 5 st.  sl into first st of round. (12 sts)
Rd 3:  Ch 1.  2 sc into same st.  *1sc into next st.  2sc into next st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  1 sc into last st of previous rd.  Sl into first st of rd (18 sts)
Rd 4:  Ch 1.  1 sc into same st.  *2 sc into next st.  1 sc into next 2 st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  2 sc into next st. 1 sc into last st of  previous rd.  Sl into first st of rd. (24 sts)
Rd 5:  Ch 1.  1 sc into same st.  *1 sc into next st.  2 sc into next st.  1 sc into next 2 st. Repeat from * 4 times.   1 sc into next st.  2 sc into next st.  1 sc into last st of pervious rd.  sl into first st of rd.  (30 sts).
Rd 6:  Ch 1.  2 sc into same st.  *1 sc into next 4 st.  2 sc into next st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  1 sc into next 4 st.  sl into first st of rd. (36 sts)
Rd 7 - 28:  Ch 1.  Sc into each st of previous rd.  sl into first st of rd. (36 sts)
Rd 29:  Ch 1.  Dsc over first 2 sts of previous row.  *1 sc into next 4 st.  Dsc over next 2 st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  1 sc into next 4 st.  sl into first st of rd. (30 sts)
Rd 30: Ch 1.  Dsc over first 2 sts of previous row.  *1 sc into next 3 st.  Dsc over next 2 st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  1 sc into next 3 st.  Sl into first st of rd. (24 sts)
Rd 31:  Ch 1.   Dsc over first 2 sts of previous row.  *1 sc into next 2 st.  Dsc over next 2 st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  1 sc into next 2 st.  sl into first st of rd.  (18 sts).
Rd 32:  Ch 1.  Dsc over first 2 sts of previous rd.  *1 sc into next st.  Dsc over next 2 st.  Repeat from * 4 times.  1 sc into last st of previous rd.  sl into first st of rd.  (12 sts).  Fill body with Polyfil before beginning next rd.
Rd 33:  Ch 1.  Dsc over 2 sts from previous rd.  Repeat 5 times.  Sl into first st of rd.  (6 sts).  Tie off and sew up any opening that remains at the bottom of your Igor.

FACE (Color B)
Ch 9
Row 1:  sc into second ch from hook.  Sc into each ch.  Turn(8 sts)
Rows 2 - 4:  Ch 1.  Sc into into each st of previous row.  Turn (8 sts)
Row 5: Dsc over first 2 sts of previous row.  1 sc into next 4 sts.  Dsc over next 2 sts of pervious row.  Turn (6 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1.  1 sc into each st of pervious row.  Turn (6 sts)
Row 7:  Dsc over first 2 sts of previous row.  1 sc into next 2 sts.  Dsc over next 2 sts.  Turn (4 sts)
Row 8: Ch 1.  1 sc into each st.  Turn (4 sts)
Row 9: Dsc over next 2 sts.  Repeat.  Turn (2 sts)
Row 10:  Ch 1.  1 sc in each st.  (2 sts).  Tie off.
Attach round black button and doll eye to face in desired positions.  Embroider mouth with Color A.
Sew face onto body.

ARMS (Color B)
Attach yarn to side of body about 1/3 of the way down.  Ch 25.  Tie off  leaving a 1/2 inch tail.
Weave wire up back side of ch.
Repeat on other side.
Bend wires to desired arm shape.

Here We Go

I'm not really sure where to start, so I'll just jump right in.

Aurora Borealis Necklace:
This is a crocheted wire piece.





Materials (for an 18 - 20 inch necklace):
4 - 4 mm light green square beads
5 - 4 mm clear bicone beads
5 - 4 mm light blue bicone beads
5 - 4 mm smokey blue bicone beads
9 - 6 mm clear round faceted beads
4 - 6 mm light green beads
4 - 6 mm clear bicone beads
4 - 6 mm light blue bicone beads
4 - 6 mm smokey blue bicone beads
2 - clear seed beads
60 inches 28 gauge silver wire
2 crimp covers with hooks
2 inches sliver chain
lobster claw clasp
1 sliver head pin
I size crochet hook
Wire cutters
Crimpers
Round needle nose pliers

String all beads onto wine in this order (I find it's easiest to do this while the wire is still on the spool and then cut it when I'm done crocheting):
Round clear
smokey bicone
small bicone clear
small square light green
large light blue bicone
Round clear
large clear bicone
small smokey blue bicone
small light blue bicone
large light green bicone

Repeat 4 times.  Add one additional clear round bead at the end.  You should be left with 3 small bicone beads: one each of light blue, smokey blue, and clear.

Leaving a 6 inch tail, begin a loose bead chain stitch, pulling up one large bead or 2 small beads for each stitch.  You can find a few tutorials on crocheting with beads on youtube but the basic idea is to slide a bead up next to you hook, then chain as you normally would, trapping the bead in the stitch.



Once all the beads have been crocheted, cut the wire, leaving another 6 inch tail.

At the beginning end of the wire, thread your wire through one crimp cover and one seed bead.  Thread the wire around and back through the seed bead and pull tight. Slide the crimp cover over the bead and close.  Clip the any unused wire.  Repeat at the other end.

Attach the lobster claw clasp to the hook of one crimp cover and the length of chain to the other.

Thread the 3 remaining bicone beads onto the head pin and fasten to the free end of the length of chain.  Your necklace is now complete!