Stash-Busting Update

Hello everyone,

just a quick update on my current stash-busting adventures.

In March I went through my yarn stash and planned out a couple of projects to work on throughout 2023. Since then, I changed my mind regarding a couple of these projects as well as finished a few. Let's have a closer look...

Currently in Progress:

• Beanie (had to start over unfortunately, the pattern wasn't ideal...)
• Another Beanie (similar pattern to the one above)

Beanie no. 2 in progress

Recently Finished:

• Knooking Scarf & matching Wrist Warmers [March 2023]
• Sprial Socks [March 2023]
• Knooking Headband [April 2023]

Planned:

• More beanies in different sizes
• Short Socks with a heel
• Another Knooking Scrunchie
• Granny Square Clutch

See you soon!

Knooking Headband Finished

 Hello everyone,

I finished the knooking headband :) It took me a little while. To be honest, I got a bit tired of the pattern as it's quite similar to the spiral socks I worked on earlier.

Here's the result:

Another stash-busting project done :) And also another gift done!

Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta TOMMI Baby (50% acrylic, 25% new wool, 25% viscose)

I used up about 35g of yarn with this project, so not even a whole skein. I still have 32g of said yarn left but I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with it. For now, I will set it aside as I have other projects planned for the next weeks.

See you soon!

Knooking Headband in Progress

Hello everyone,

you might have guessed it already, I started another knooking project :)

This time we're talking about a headband. I originally planned to use a totally different yarn as well as a totally different pattern but sort of changed my mind last minute.

So this is how it started - around midnight in bed ^^ :

And this is how it's going a day later:

So far I am definitely happy with how this looks. Let's see how the finished headband will look like, I will keep you posted!

See you soon!

Knooking Spiral Socks

Hello everyone,

I am happy to tell you that I already finished the spiral socks :) and I am so happy with how they turned out! So another gift to check off my to-do list :)

Here are the details:

Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta TOMMI Baby (50% acrylic, 25% new wool, 25% viscose)

Pattern: The pattern I used was published in the Mollie Makes magazine no. 12/2014. My spiral part has 99 rows, the cuff consists of 16 rows.

This project used up 61g of yarn which is a little more than one skein.

See you soon!

Currently on my Knooking Hook

Hello everyone,

I'm just quickly poppin' in to let you know which projects I started recently.

1) Spiral Socks

This project is based on a spiral socks pattern our of an old Molly Makes magazine from 2014.

So far it's coming along quite nicely :)

The yarn I chose for this project is Schachenmayr nomotta TOMMi Baby (50% acrylic, 25% new wool, 25% viscose). It originally came from my mom's stash and it's safe to say these yarn skeins are older than I am ^^

2) Beanie

This one's inspired by the famous Musselburgh pattern. I am trying to recreate something similar with my knooking hook so to say :)

The yarn for this project is Schachenmayr Catania Color Originals (100% cotton). I bought these skeins at brands4friends a couple of years ago in a package of five.

That's it for today!

See you soon!

Knooking Scarf & Wrist Warmers Set

Hello everyone,

Once again I completed another knooking project. Yes, I knook because knitting somehow doesn't work for me ^^

This scarf took me about 2 weeks. It measures 130 cm in total and I used up about 2 and a half skeins of yarn.

1) Knooking Scarf

Yarn: Lana Grossa Superlana

Pattern:

There are 39 stitches per row, alternating between knit and pearl stitches every 3 stitches.

• 30 rows color A
• 15 rows color B
• 10 rows color A
• 15 rows color B
• 30 rows color A
• 30 rows color B
• 15 rows color A
• 10 rows color B
• 15 rows color A
• 30 rows color B
• 30 rows color A
• 15 rows color B
• 10 rows color A
• 15 rows color B
• 30 rows color A

I started this project with 4 complete skeins of yarn. This is what was left after I finished the scarf:

I weighed the leftover yarn and figured it would still be enough to make two medium sized simple wrist warmers. 

2) Knooking Wrist Warmers

Yarn: Lana Grossa Superlana

Pattern: 

• 36 stitches per row, alternating between knit and pearl stitch every 3 stitches
• 16 rows per color which makes a total of 32 rows

And that's what left of the yarn after completing the wrist warmers, 14g in total:

I'd say I've been pretty successfull :)

See you soon!

Planning New Stash Busting Projects

Hello everyone,

I just went through my yarn stash looking at different skeins to get a better idea of what projects I'd like to work on throughout the next couple of weeks and months. While doing so I picked out certain ones and sorted them into bags which I then labeled. 

What's important for me when thinking of new projects is to think about who could actually make a use out of it. I don't want to work on those projects just for the fun of it, I want most of it to become presents.

This is what I came up with within just a few minutes:

Four beanies, one headband and at least one pair of socks...

I tried to include a "To complete by" date on each label to make it easier for me to figure out which projects need to be finished first.

See you soon!

Small Sewing Projects & Further Stash Busting Ideas

Hello everyone,

as promised I am back with another update on my stash-busting undertakings :)

Without further ado, let's have a look at some finished sewing projects:

1) Small Zipper Pouches

These are perfect for all those small items we girls like to keep in our handbags :) I came up with the pattern myself but there are quite a lot of similar ones available online, especially on Pinterest.

Fabric: Miscellaneous 100% cotton fabrics by Buttinette

2) Small Cosmetic Zipper Pouch

At the beginning this was supposed to become a gift but I changed my mind halfway through and decided to keep it for myself :)

Pattern: https://sewingtimes.net/diy-cosmetic-zipper-pouch/

Fabric: Miscellaneous 100% cotton fabrics by Buttinette, Vlieseline batting

So what else is on my stash-busting project list? Well, I have a couple of ideas:

- Knooking Scarf (currently in progress)

- Knooking Socks, spiral ones with and without a heel

- Knooking Beanie

- Small paw-shaped purse

- Short-sleeved Raglan shirts (currently in progress)

- Felt organizers to hang on hooks

And let's see what else I come up with...

See you soon!

Stash Busting Intentions & First (small) Projects

Hello everyone,

guess who's still alive :)

I am still crafting, sewing and whatnot and for whatever reason I felt like blogging about it.

For 2023 I have the intention of reducing my yarn and fabric stashes quite a bit. While doing so, I hope to create mostly usable items that maybe could also be gifts for certain friends and family members, we'll see.

The first projects I completet are the following, some quick and easy ones:

1) Knooking Scrunchie

I can't knit therefore I knook :) 

Pattern: 30 stitches in the round, 60 rounds in total

Yarn: Rico Design Baby Cotton Soft (50% cotton, 50% acrylic

2) Knitting Cords

These were made using a small vintage knitting machine.

Yarn: Wolle Rödel Mille Fili (100% cotton)

Stay tuned for more to come!

Oh and expect some sort of rebranding happening here soon :)

See you soon!

Autumn Fun & Crafts

Hello everyone,

now that was one stormy weekend over here in Germany!
I spent the weekend in Gera with my friends Kristin and Maxi. We had an absolutely wonderful time, cooking yummy food, watching Autumnal movies, crafting and visiting a local animal park. And as usual: Time flies when you're having fun!

The first movie we watched was Hocus Pocus. A Halloween classic I would say. I loved it when I was a child and I still enjoy watching it.
The second movie we chose was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. When three Harry Potter fans meet in Autumn there is really no other choice than watching one of J.K. Rowing's master pieces ;)
For crafting ideas we turned to pinterest. Weeks before our girl's weekend, Kristin created a pinterest board and made us collect ideas of all sorts. We finally chose to hook these cuties:

These pumpkins are super easy to crochet and it's a great project to use up yarn from your stash.
Nevertheless, we made some tweaks to the original instructions. The stem as described in the pattern didn't really work for us. I therefore simply used one of my knooking needles and added a knitting-like stem which turned out pretty good I think.

Pinspired Crochet Pumpkin

Yesterday was a public holiday here in Germany, Reformation Day. It's usually not a holiday in the region where I live but as we are celebrating its 500th anniversary, whole Germany had the 31st of October off. I basically spent that day doing homework. Besides that I set up my planner for November and also printed out The Reset Girl's Happy Planner Club prompts for the upcoming month.

Happy Place Planner Club Prep

Well, and that's it for today. Until next week, my friends!

Yours
Uta

Crochet Bottle Holder

Hey everybody,

again, I used one of my pins as inspiration for a new crochet project. Every  now and then I like to hook things that are quick to make and this one definitely falls into that category. So today I've got a Bottle Holder for you!

Pin can be found right here:

Plus here's the DIRECT LINK...

And this is how my version turned out:

 

I'm actually thinking about making another one using a different yarn. This time I went for Schachenmayr Bravo (a little stash-busting...), which I think looks too bulky. Maybe a thinner cotton yarn with a slightly thicker hook than recommended would have been better.

I'm curios, what kind of quick to hook projects have you been working on lately?


Yours
Uta

PS: For more pinspired projects, please have a look right here => Uta's Pinspired Projects

PSS: And for more stash-busting projects this way please => Uta's Stash-Busting Projects

Crochet Bath Poof

Hey all,

guess what, here's another pinspired crochet project :)

I thought it would be a great start to work on some of the quicker to realize projects from my Crochet Pinterest Board. And this one did not only look like it would be pretty quick to hook, it also looked cool and it's kind of an eco-friendly thingy. So decision made!

For you pinners out there, here's the pin:

Furthermore, the pattern can be found right HERE

And here's how my Bath Poofs turned out:

The yarn: Schachenmayr Cotton Bamboo Batik, 50% Cotton & 50% Viscose, recommended hook size 3-4mm (I used a 4mm hook), color codes are 90 (the greyish one) and 92 (the blueish one)

And the only tweak I made was starting with a magic ring instead of ch 5 joined with a slip stitch.

Oh and they definitely were quite quick to make. One took just a little longer than one Charmed episode to hook ;)

What kind of eco-friendly projects have you been working on lately? Maybe some makup pads? A bath poof as well?

Yours
Uta

PS: More of my eco posts can be found here => Uta's eco Posts

Simple Pencil Pouch

Hello everyone!

Last week I spent quite some time over at Pinterest. And while going through some of my boards looking at all those gorgeous pins I made the decision to finally give some of the crafting stuff I pinned over there a try. So I'm safe to say, this crochet project is pinspired :)

This is the pin for all you pinners out there:

And for those of you that are not on pinterest, please click on the direct link right HERE

And here's my version of Alexis' Simple Pencil Pouch:

Yarn I used: Schachenmayr Catania, 100% Cotton, recommended hook size 2.5-3.5mm (I used a 4mm hook), color code is 0173

Tweaks I made:

• I started with ch 40 instead of ch 30
• I hooked a total of 38 rows using sc
• My row 38 was crocheted as follows... ch 1, 18 sc, ch 25, skip one sc from row 37, start with another 18 sc in the next sc of row 37
• In row 39 where you have to crochet multiple dc into one sc of the previous row I then hocked one hdc into that one sc of row 37 I skipped in row 38

Are you guy currently working on any pinspired projects?

Thanks for stopping by!

Yours
Uta


PS: If you want to follow me on Pinterest, right this way please => Uta at Pinterest

PSS: If you are interested in more of my pinspired projects, please have a look right here (includes crafting as well as cooking projects) => Uta's Pinspired Projects

Vintage Leaf Hot Plate Mat

Hey all,

A couple of days ago I came across the website Free Vintage Crochet, a truly amazing collection of free vintage crochet patterns. I already clicked through almost all of them and I am quite sure they will be the source for quite a lot of my future crochet projects.
For now I stuck with something quick and relatively easy to make, a leaf-shaped hot plate mat.

The original pattern can be found HERE.

And this is how mine turned out:

The yarn I used is Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton, 100 % cotton, recommended hook size 2-3 (I went for a size 3 hook).

Have you tried out any vintage patterns lately?

Yours
Uta

Scrubby Crochet Confections

Hi all,

so not only am I finally blogging regularly again, I'm also back in Pinterest mode!

About two weeks ago, my friend Kristin pinned this wonderful crochet creation:

And I must confess, I instantly fell in love with these little scrubbies!

For those of you, that prefer actual links instead of Pins, check out the pattern at Ravelry.

So here's how mine turned out!

I used 100% cotton yarn in dark blue, light blue, red, yellow and green. The scrubbies were made of left-over yarn from my stash. So I assume the brands are Coats Puppets and Wolle Rödel Cotton Universal.


Tell me, do you also let yourself get inspired by Pinterest from time to time?

Yours
Uta

Crochet Bunting (Granny Style)

Hello ladies,

how are things these afternoon?

Here's yet another crochet creation I'd like to show you. I made this one for Kristin as well. It's been her birthday a couple of days ago so I thought a crochet bunting might be a fun idea.

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Mini Crochet Pumpkin

Hey All!

The last project is online! I know you already missed some crocheting in this Halloween crafting project series so here we go!
This one is quick and easy to hook. You can vary the size of your pumpkin very easily by choosing a different kind of yarn or by adjusting the hook size.

You need

• Orange yarn (e.g. Wollbutt Acrylic Yarn, 3mm hook recommended)
• Green yarn (e.g. Wollbutt Acrylic Yarn, 3mm hook recommended)
• Crochet hook (e.g. 3mm)
• Scissors
• Needles

Instructions

Basics: Begin every row with 1 CH and close every row with 1 ST. Z means you have to hook two SC into one stitch, A means, you  have to hook one SC into two stitches.

R1: 6 SC [6]
R2: 6x Z [12]
R3: 6x (Z, 1 SC) [18]
R4: Z, 3x SC, Z, 4x SC, Z, 3x SC, Z, 4x SC [22]
R5: Z, 4x SC, Z, 5x SC, Z, 4x SC, Z, 5x SC [26]
R6: 26x SC [26]
R7: 26x SC [26]
R8: 26x SC [26]
R9: 2x SC, A, 5x SC, A, 4x SC, A, 5x SC, A, 2x SC [22]
R10: 4x SC, A, 3x SC, A, 4x SC, A, 3x SC, A [18]
R11: 6x (A, 1 SC)  [12]
R12: 6x A [6]

You should start stuffing the little pumpkin around Row 10.
After you finished Row 12, cut the yarn leaving a thread of about minimum 30 cm. Now get a needle and close the pumpkin.

Where you just closed the pumpkin is the bottom. Use the same needle and stitch through the pumpkin right in the middle from the bottom to the top. Repeat 5 times and make sure to pull the thread real tight. Sew in the thread.

Afterwards, knot two strings of green yarn to the top of the pumpkin, braid them for about 1 cm, make a knot and cut the yarn.

Done!

Happy Hookin'!

Yours
Uta

Self-Made Hand Warmer

This is another project inspired by a certain pin I found over at pinterest:

I also sewed a little cushion filled with rice. Furthermore I hooked a tine cozy for it. And that's how it turned out:

I gave that little hand warmer to Kristin for her birthday.

Yours

Uta

Egg Cozies

Hello everyone!

Sorry for being MIA again, I was on vacation for a little while, a 14-days cruise with AIDA - pics to come soon :) First some updates on what I hooked lately...

Just in time for her birthday I decided to crochet a new set of egg cozies for Kristin. This is how they turned out:

The wool is Woll Butt Versailles in orange and vanilla. It's a 100% acrylic yarn, soft and nice to crochet with.


Yours
Uta

Stash-Busting Scarf

Just recently I realized the end of the year is coming nearer and nearer but my stash didn't really get any smaller so I thought it was about time to do some major stash-busting. The result? A colorful scarf :)

It measures 155 cm. Turned out quite nice :)


Yours
Uta