Moving...

The time has come - the comments errors have pushed me to a place where I know that Blogger just isn't going to work for me. I'm packing my bags and strolling over to Wordpress. Of course, with this move, I'm making the title a little more generic to yarn so that I can better order everything around and not feel bad when my posts are dripping with other yarn crafts - not just crochet.

I know I know - my blog. But as particular as I am - I think its just best.

I will be doing all my main posts over on the other site (iyarny.wordpress.com). I will come here occassionally with a reminder post to go read the other site - mostly when I post new patterns.

I need to spend a large amount of time reaching out to third party pages, mostly pattern directories, so have them remove the old link and add the new. I also need to adjust the new site visually to be more "me" and transfer all my patterns to PDF files.

It is going to be a HUGE effort and I hope you choose to pop over to the new site and follow.

Respect Your Designers

I design patterns and publish them - albeit all but one are free.

Respect designers of all kinds - it may seem silly to pay for something you can pass around under the table, but its discouraging to the designers to think they are not appreciated enough for those few dollars a pattern generates.

Comments

I am not entirely sure what is going on but my comments appear to be "all jacked up on Mountain Dew."

It started with my admin screen within Blogger showing I had comments on posts - but when I went to the post... no comments. I checked my email - and there were email notification on the comments that apparently did not exist on the post. So I removed the Disqs module because its really just an overlay to the blogger comments, but ended up with lots of comments on my posts - just on the wrong posts!

So if you comment and I do not see it, I'm blaming Blogger right now. If you want to help me test, just post a comment to this post OR go back one or two posts and post a comment there - (just specify you are commenting on a certain post to help test so then I know if it shows up on the wrong post or not).

Anything to help and again, my sincerest apologies.

If I could find an easy way to change all the links to my patterns, I would totally change over to word press.

Totally.

I even have the URL reserved.... iyarny.wordpress.com

Any suggestions?

I'd say comment but I don't know if it would work or not.

gah.

Fiber Fits

Admittedly, I am amidst a fiber artist temper tantrum. Its the silent type because who wants to see a 38 year old woman pout over not being able to participate in a MKAL (mystery knit-a-long for all you non-fiber folks out there who may have stumbled upon my blog).

As of the last few months, I have been trying to knit and crochet from my stash. A few yarn purchases have

My Messy Yarn Room (main stash)

been made to top of certain projects, but that's about it. I think 2 balls of sock yarn are about my only "non necessity" purchases I've made in the last 6 months... and by "non necessity" I mean - it was needed. The yarn was awesome, I didn't have it and I wanted it. Therefore - it was a necessity purchase.

This yarn diet is self imposed. The Man really doesn't care - heck he benefits from my little fiber addiction. I don't have to not buy yarn when I see it, but I'm just trying to knock down what I have to make room for what I don't have.

About a month ago, I ran across a MKAL honoring Marie Curie ... wha wha whaaaaa? Science, Math and Yarn. That is a triad of awesomesauce right there! (ok, I threw in the Math because its part of the forum, not necessarily the MKAL - but that's just how my mind works)

Here is a link to the Ravelry Group, just in case you are interested.

Anywhoozles - so here I am thinking I'm going to get in on the action early on. I head to my stash and dig. And I dig. And I dig... and I come up with NOTHING. Nadda. Not a darn thing. I need two light weight yarns, sock weight would probably do because I knit so tight, to give me a gauge of approximately 9-10 stitches per inch. Two colors are necessary - and knowing the mittens the host creates, I know the colorwork will require two extremely contrast colors so the pattern will show up. I have all sorts of self striping and variegated colors but not real solids. I have a soft heather grey - nothing to go with.

So perhaps I shall check my favorite local yarn store... Nadda. He was in the same boat I am in - lots of colored/variegated yarns, but no bold solids.

I go online but sheesh - shipping stinks for 4 tiny skeins of yarn (at this point, let me mention that I am somewhat of a cheap skate). So... no ordering unless I have a coupon or am able to order with several other people (the yarn group I meet with weekly sometimes does that - but not at this very moment). I am such a naysayer on shipping that I actually checked Amazon.com to see if there were any nice yarns covered under my prime membership ... nadda there as well.

So now, here I sit - the MKAL has officially started and they are moving into the second clue. I'm looking at the spoiler pictures because apparently not only am I a shipping fee naysayer and  cheap skate, but I am also a bit of a fiber masochist. There are some absolutely gorgeous mittens being worked up and I want to be one of those people - but I have no yarn.

Looking for the silver lining - at least not having yarn for the MKAL has forced me to continue focus on the Christmas crafting... 

(Granted, this weekend we are going to head over to a couple other yarn stores nearby and I'm going to look there - they are larger than the one here in town so there is a good chance I'll find my yarn. Silver Lining Adverted.)

A Small Bag [Pattern]

THIS PATTERN HAS MOVED

Clicking the link below will take you directly to the pattern on the new site. My apologies for this inconvenience.

http://iyarny.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/a-small-bag-pattern/

Year of Projects 2014

Progress!

Pivotal shows that 1 of 6 items are complete and one... finished this passed week - go me!

*self high five... ya know, if that is a thing*

I could probably have been much more productive if I didn't spend a lot of time knitting off the list. Oops? But truly - who is really surprised here?

The Trouble with Fair Isle

Oh, Dear Readers, I turn to you in my time of trouble... what in the world is wrong with my fair isle knitting!?!?

Year of Projects 2014

Well, as it stands my Pivotal shows the same unfinished 6 items from last week BUT I can say I have made progress!

I had an offsite visit for work on Thursday which landed me 6+ hours in a van with 4 male coworkers - which also meant I got a LOT of work done on that sock - in fact, by the end of day yesterday, I had finished the first sock of the first pair on my YOP2014 list... and that is WITH a migraine.

Not Finished Saturday

I took this picture yesterday and should find some inspiration in it.... inspiration to finish something *laughs * Truly, on the side of this table I have a line up of things mostly done... I need to get off my rear and do... not start one more ... which I just purchased "the bear that saved me" pattern from Ravelry and a skein from my stash is calling out to become an ear flap hat...

Startitus at its finest.

[Pattern Review] Baby Yub Nub

This pattern review is for the crochet pattern "Baby Yub Nub" written by Kristen Stevenson. A link on Ravelry can be found here.

The pattern is written as infant size and, as you can see by the image, I was in need of toddler size. I made a decision to stick with the suggested yarn size, worsted or aran, and simply go with a larger hook. Admittedly, I wasn't sure if only changing the hook size would be a good plan to upsize the garment mostly because I crochet rather tightly. I was prepared to make a second just in case it didn't work. I ended up making a second - and ironically enough, the first one fit just fine.

Year of Projects 2014

Well, I was able to wrap up the YOP3/change in program dates in my last post so this will be the first post I can fully focus on my YOP2014 items.

Now that I have afforded myself the ability to focus on my rather short, but relatively intense list, I didn't do one spankin' thing on any of it this last week. Nadda darn thing.

And that, my dear readers, is how I roll. *laughs*

Ahhhh ... knitting weather

I live in the Midwest and as any Midwesterner knows - the weather this year has been completely squirrely. Winter was bitter and crazy. Spring was really summer. Summer was spring at least for most of it then turned to summer quickly at the end of August. Autumn is starting out summer but quickly moving into autumn... and I like the idea of that!

WIP Wednesday 09-10-2014

Here I am, only two weeks from my last confession WIP Wednesday post.

I'm actually pretty happy with the progress I have made since my last post. The quick overview is that of the four projects posts in my 8/20 post, I have actually made progress on two of them and finished the other two.

Granted, this means I epically failed in posting an FO Friday post - but we can't all be perfect... or make regular blog posts.... *coughs lightly*

Year of Projects 2014

A'right.. so I need to own up to my YOP 3 list and discuss my 2014 list.

First, let me say outright that I love the idea of a Year of Projects. I love numbers and I love analysis - tracking my work for a year is actually something I find really fun (don't judge) and I will keep doing it. Heck, I created a Pivotal Tracker for my yarny adventures - that is linked on the right if you wanted to check it out.

Quiet Morning

This is actually the first blog post made from my cellular device. I'm a little hesitant mostly because I don't see where I can put in a picture. 

It's Saturday morning... both kids are up and actually in the same room but it is quiet as can be. All I can here is the downstairs shower. The Man must be up too.

I took a photo of the shawl I finished yesterday and even posted a vine of it. Vine... that's a new spot for me, now linked on the right; albeit I'm not so sure I'll be posting frequently there. My non-blog update spot remains Instagram.

Heck, I even posted on YouTube this morning. It's been 2 years since I last did that. This shawl is inspiring *laughs*

So what is on the menu today? No clue... last weekend I said nothing was going to happen and I ended up at a Cubs - Cards game with the man and our friends - complimentary tickets in hand. So who knows where the day will take me. I'm only sure that no matter where, I'll have some yarn with me.

PS: I figured out where to add the photo... but blogger app developers - why only 1 and why only at the bottom? *grrrrrrr*

WIP Wednesday 08-20-2014

Boy oh boy do I not want to do this post *laughs*

Truth be told, I have had a bit of project ADHD lately.... hopping from one project to the next, bookmarking pattern after pattern - no real direction but a lot of distraction from one yummy fiber to the next.

What I am hoping for is that if I post what I'm working on... all of it.... then perhaps it will shine a light on how crazy it is and help me grab a little focus in wrapping up these projects.

It may not seem like much to some, but for me and my schedule - its causing scatter brain!

Be warned that while the blog is "Crochet with Cris" - I do lots of things with fiber so I inappropriately  named the blog. Later on, I started with Creations by Cris, which is what the blog should have been.

Onward!

Gratuitous Fiber Shots from the 2014 State Fair

Oh happy day.... as promised, this post is going to be pretty image intense with several shots from the State Fair.

This glorious image to your left is that of my win - third place with the Navajo Indian Diamonds Pattern afghan. I'm pretty pleased with the win - jokingly I had said "as long as there were more than 3 entries, then it is good" - and of course, being a State Fair, there were more than 3 entries and I am very happy with my win.

2014 State Fair: Third Place

Thumbs Up to Third Place at this year's State Fair!

never run with pointy sticks...

I have no idea what the title of this post has to do with the creation of socks, but its all I could come up with. *laughs*

I do know that I really enjoy making socks - and while I normally use two circular needles and sometimes occasionally one circular, nothing seems to make me feel more "in touch" with my "knitting heritage" like using bamboo double pointed needles.

Am I the only person that feels like this?

Where am I...

I know I do not appear to update my blog very often and well, for the last however many months that would be a true statement, but I didn't even think to let everyone know that I actually have been posting regularly in that time, just not specifically "here" - so the question is - where?

293 Days... and no longer counting

My last blog post was October 11, 2013 - 293 days ago. I am thankful I didn't go more than a year away. I admit, I got pulled in a few different directions and lost sight (and vision) of my blog. Losing Google Adsense didn't help any - and they still refuse to re-instate my account, which is a shame. The only reason I do not move to WordPress is because I do not want to lose the patterns and work I have put into this blog.

But in the end- I should never have let it affect me. It should not affect my sharing my work, reading about yours, and publishing patterns.

I have realigned some of my responsibilities since last I posted so hopefully I can remain on track this time.

So, what have I been up to?

1. Working
2. Working
3. Knitting
4. Crocheting
5. Working
6. Family
7. Family
8. Family
9. Family
10. Working

One thing I have done to keep my work organized (and reportable... and open to analysis... I am a sick sick person *laughs*) Is to start a tracking device. I will be linking that and referencing it as I move forward. I will do a summary post for YOP 3 and my intentions for YOP 2014.

One big goal was that I finished the Navajo Diamonds Afghan a few weeks ago.

I'm pretty happy about it, as you can see. *chuckles* I have this one in the State Fair which starts in a week or so. I drop the actual afghan off this weekend - so I'm pretty excited about that. Hopefully it does well. Knowing the amount of talent out there (from the year of the Beastghan), if I get second I'll be happy. Anything better than second will be fiber art gravy.

Even though it has been a long time since I last posted, I hope to reconnect with everyone and get back to enjoying the relaxation my blog always offered. I hope you are all well, readers and I look forward to conversing with you again.