The Bearded Beanie!

  The story of how I came to crochet is quite interesting. I was actually taught by my brother while he was living on Maui. Him and his wife made beanies for a friend to sell at his soup stand. One weekend I went to visit them (currently living on Oahu so a weekend trip to Maui isn't such a big deal) and instead of going out we stayed in that night and he showed me how to crochet. Very frustrating for me at first. I didn't quite understand how the rounds increased and ended up with what looked like a nipple on the top of my beanie (baby breast beanies are so in with breastfeeding mothers) however this was not the look I was going for at the time. 

 I also didn't understand why my beanies didn't stretch as well as his. This would be because I could never have a loose stitch. I was always tightening as I went, and although it looked, in my opinion, neater, they were difficult to wear. (On that note if you decide on a looser stitch, make sure it's consistent! Consistency is key!) Once I figured this out I had much better results, check out the fist picture! The beanie at the top was actually done using 2 strands of yarn and rounds of single crochet. It took some practicing and many a youtube video to figure out that flower and beard! After getting the basics down, learning new stitches and designs becomes easier and easier. 
Here are some great websites with tutorials:

• Katie at Katie's Crochet Goodies  -  Excellent beginner source. Her website also includes free crochet patterns and other DIY crafts.
• Olivia at Hopeful Honey  - Another great beginner website with video tutorials.
• Crochet Guru - Free lessons from the Crochet Guru!

Once you've mastered the basics check out some of these great free patterns:

  The Bearded Beanie - Thank you Ashlee Marie for sharing her pattern!

 Boot Cuff  - Thank you Kadie for this cute pattern!

If you think you have that down, try something a little more difficult:

 Slipper Boots - Yarnspirations.com has some great free patterns from beginners to OMG! 

I'll share another cool project I made using crochet later on. I hope you enjoyed this post, especially those of you who were interested in crochet but didn't know where to start. Enjoy!!

~Ilissa

Burning the Midnight Oil

  After another night of getting sucked into the hole that is Pinterest, I decided it would be nice to have a place I could discuss my findings and show off some of my own creations, and duplications. I'm sure none of you have ever tried a Pinterest craft and failed... miserably. (If you have awesome fail photos please share!)  

 The vast amount of information and ideas on Pinterest is somewhat overwhelming. As I look into some of these projects I can't help but to think, "There's no way a person like me can duplicate that!" Ever feel the same? I will share my personal experiences and pictures, and include links to FREE tutorials. Everything from diy laundry detergent, to crochet projects, recipes, crafts, nail designs, sewing, etc. I like to say I'm a jack of all trades, but master of none, lol. I also have a slight case of OCD, so I tend to be particular about certain things. What I see as imperfect others may find amazing. Then again you are your own biggest critic. 

  If anyone has a suggestion for a diy they would really like to see, feel free to comment! 

   ~Ilissa