A blog about a frog

So. I love crochet but I hate my project. I'm currently grinding through the Demelza Pullover and honestly this thing is getting frogged. I definitely don't love the stitch - the extended single crochet is like a regular crochet with a chain after you draw up a stitch, and it's also in the front loops only - and it requires my UTMOST AND COMPLETE concentration, a far cry from my knitting projects that mostly have at least some autopilot. Alas. This is the end of the line for me and Demelza.

All that being said, I had an awesome trip to Bath this weekend! I managed to arrange a trip up to A Yarn Story after the Abbey and the Roman Baths, and it was everything I've been seeing on Insta for so long :D I snagged enough SweetGeorgia Superwash DK for a new Heart on my Sleeve sweater (I haven't settled on which one but probably a Crazyheart), and I can't wait to do it up and maybe even have it ready for my birthday! I'll have even more time once I frog dear Demelza :P

Pretending we're sleeping in

Well, usually people talk about #mancrushmondays but Bernice and I like a good sleep-in - or as the British say, a lie-in. So our first man crush will just have to settle for Tuesday.

I think the best place to start is with one of our common crushes, Rachel Bolan.

 

Rachel at the Cambridge, UK meet-and-greet, September 2015

Starting out as James Southworth, Rachel got inspiration for his name from Marc Bolan (from the band T. Rex), and joined up with Dave 'Snake' Sabo in 1986 to form Skid Row. I got to snag a meet and greet opportunity with the band in 2014 when they came to Cambridge (thanks to a tip from Bernice!) and it was so awesome - and that's where I got the shot above!
One of our classic yarncraft soundtracks is the Skid Row "home video" Oh Say Can You Scream, with road footage and live performances. It never gets old :D

***Bernice here to chime in on our very first #mancrushmonday! An excellent pick by Kaeleigh...Rachel is the mastermind behind the soundtrack to my life. Skid Row's first three full length albums are rock and roll masterpieces. Although I am too young to have had the opportunity to see them while their classic lineup singer Sebastian Bach was in the band, I have still been able to see them multiple times, including most recently in 2015. I myself had purchased a meet and greet for this show, but it was cancelled by the venue, so alas, I missed my chance. I did catch one of Rachel's picks though! So I thought I'd share a live shot I took at this show for your enjoyment.

Rachel singing "Psychotherapy" in Hinckley, MN Sep. 11/15

This is honestly a subject I could go on and on about! But I just want to add a few more things before I wrap up. First, Skid Row's "Roadkill" home video is also excellent entertainment while yarncrafting. While I like to rock it old school and view these home videos on VHS, you can also find full versions of them on YouTube if you want to check them out. Also, this post has reminded me to share a photo of a very special Skid Row cross stitch project I completed a few years back. All in good time, in another post. :)

WIP Wednesday!

Just a quick post today to share what we've got on our hooks and needles this week!

Bernice
My friend mentioned that she would like ponchos for her daughters, and as soon as she said that, my mind went right to this pattern that I've had saved in my Ravelry favourites for quite a while! I'm working up a purple one right now for the big sister, and next I'll make up a pink one for little sis. I'm using Phentex in worsted weight that I picked up for a steal of a deal at Michaels.

I'm nearly done the front, and I'm loving how it's working up! Here's a little peek at how it's looking so far. You can check out what the finished product should look like here. I love the look of this poncho. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Kaeleigh
If we're friends on Instagram, you'll know I've been working on my own design for a little while: a gorgeous green wrap inspired by the name of the yarn (A Cat With Eyes Like Jewels) and a certain kitty of my acquaintance who has those eyes!

I'm really looking forward to finishing and blocking this beauty; the yarn (Aglow Singles from LottieKnits) is totally luscious and has a gorgeous halo. I just know it'll be lovely!

What are you working on? Share your project in the comments!

Monday musings

Well, the work week has come around again. I'm already finished my 9-5 (well, 8-4) thanks to the time zone difference, but for all you in CST, you're half way there! I couldn't think of a better way to put some random thoughts down than a bulleted list (because I am a formatting junkie, it's just the most fun you can have with Microsoft Word. Get at me, pilcrow), so without further ado, my Monday Musings!

• When you spend an hour carefully compiling a chronological grunge playlist that goes from Mother Love Bone to Soundgarden (Down on the Upside) and then your phone's music app just slaps it all in there by album title. THANKS FOR THAT. 
• Ooh and I'd been ogling B.Hooked Crochet's Insta posts with a great granny square twist - a lovely take on the classic stitch - and she posted the pattern name at long last! It's the Caron Fair and Square afghan and there's even a great tutorial for joining granny squares with an invisible seam: check it out here!
• This past weekend was the Edinburgh Yarn Festival and whilst I was absolutely gutted to be stuck at home, I did love everyone's posts and I am definitely determined to head down next year - it looked so amazing! I'd better start saving now though...the sheer volume of beautiful yarn, project bags, hooks, needles, stitch markers, patterns...eep!
• I finally managed to sit down and get some drawing done this weekend. I used to draw CONSTANTLY as a kid and it's petered out as I've geared up my yarncraft, but I love it as a way to give my knitting finger a break (my left index finger literally has a groove some days. It's not nice) and make other beautiful things.
• Does anyone else ever feel exhausted after finishing a particularly epic series? We just finished watching the latest season of Vikings and I feel like I need a holiday or something. That got REAL. 

Review: Yarnspirations Lookbook: Modern Nursery

Yarnspirations Lookbook March 2017: Modern Nursery

Something that is always guaranteed to bring a little sunshine into our day is when Yarnspirations releases a new Lookbook. The internet is of course a great resource for a wealth of patterns...but Yarnspirations gets it right in so many ways that it's always a source of excitement. Each Lookbook features a variety of patterns to knit and crochet. You can really tell the patterns were crafted with thought and care with the modern yarncrafter in mind! 

The Modern Nursery Lookbook features eight patterns to craft for the little ones in your life, and Yarnspirations has overall done a great job of indeed making some great items that would be so fun to make without being too cutesy. 

Since Kaeleigh and I live on opposite ends of the globe for the time being, these Lookbooks have actually, in a way, become a bonding moment for us when they come out. We share our excitement, look it over, and then discuss what we think are the hits and misses. It's a kind of electronic version of the crafty conversations we used to have frequently together, usually on my couch, a cat on each of our laps and projects in hand. 

What's exciting about these reviews is that we each are going to weigh in on our faves and not-so-faves. We hope you'll weigh in as well; after all, it's all part of what makes yarncrafting so fun!

Let's go through the Lookbook item by item!

Knit Stripes Wee Pullover and Hat: What a great start! The pullover especially melts my heart and has my mind going over all the great colour combos that this sweater work work well in. 

Log Cabin Crochet Baby Blanket: This simple crochet blanket looks great. I love how the design could easily work for bigger kids and adults as well! Worked mainly in Half Double Crochet, making this blanket could get a bit dull if it weren't for the clever way this blanket is constructed. This blanket is worked from the inside out, with each new block crocheted on to the previous ones. This idea is so simple yet so neat! And what's even better is that means there's no sewing. I HATE sewing!

ABC's and 123's Crochet Pillows: Here's where you could say Yarnspirations was being a bit modest when they said this Lookbook had only 8 new patterns. This pillow pattern includes instructions with charts for all the letters of the alphabet PLUS numbers 0-9. In the short time that this Lookbook has been released, I have already seen the internet go wild for these pillows! They don't get my motor running as much, but I understand why others would like them for adding personalized finishing touches to kids rooms. 

Cozy Crochet Hoodie: Holy smokes, this little hoodie really has me excited! I love the look of the design, the button placement, and the cute little pockets! I think when I make one, I'll leave out the pompom. It's just not doing much for me for whatever reason.

#NAPS Crochet Blanket: This trendy baby blanket is a bit of a miss, to me, despite my own enthusiasm for naps! This pattern is worked mostly in Half Double Crochets. After reading it through, I have no idea why Yarnspirations graded this an Intermediate level pattern! This seems like a beginner project to me, and a good one for those wanting to practice changing colours.

Crochet Royalty Play Crowns: This is a cute, easy project to work up. The grey crown gave me a chuckle - it reminds me of Jughead from Archie Comics!

Purrfect Crochet Play Rug: This is a pattern that appeals greatly to me as a cat lover! Modern Nursery be darned, I think I could fit this into my home decor with ease. This cute kitty rug would work up quickly and easily. And then, you have a rug that's a kitty head, which makes life just that much better than it was before!

Head in the Clouds Knit Pillow: These happy little clouds are adorable! I love their little grins and their eyelashes. They're rated as easy, which makes me think even a novice knitter like myself could handle taking a crack at them. Knit up in Bernat Pipsqueak yarn, they look so soft and cozy!

Bernice's stand out patterns:
Favourite pattern: Cozy Crochet Hoodie
Gotta make it for myself: Purrfect Crochet Play Rug
Makes me wish I was better at knitting: Knit Stripes Wee Pullover
No thank you, please: #NAPS Crochet Blanket

Kaeleigh's stand out patterns:
Favourite pattern: Knit Stripes Wee Pullover and Hat
Gotta make it for myself: Head in the Clouds Knit Pillow
Makes me wish it was my size: Cozy Crochet Hoodie
No thank you, please: #NAPS Crochet Blanket (we agree on this one for sure; hashtags just aren't my jam!)

For those about to stitch...

Hello! Welcome to the Metalstitch blog! I'm Kaeleigh, one of the crafters that'll be writing this blog, and I'll give you a quick little rundown of me here:

My main craft: knitting
My favourite band: Alice in Chains
My favourite drink while crafting: beer - a tasty homebrew from my husband if I can get it!
My favourite snack while crafting: that's a tough one...I usually like to have some kind of candy around but the UK doesn't have nearly the selection that Canada does!
My go-to yarn: right now I love LottieKnits yarn; she's a UK hand-dyer that just recently started dyeing and puts out the most phenomenal colourways! I'm designing something right now with a skein of her Aglow Singles 4ply :)

I usually have at least two projects on the go, I knit with all sizes of needle, and when it comes to afghans, nothing beats crochet for speed and size, even though I love my Vivid afghan (pattern by Tin Can Knits). I'm currently trying to figure out how to read and knit at the same time (middling success) and when my hands need a break, I switch to art - sketching, painting, or coloured pencils.

...And I'm Bernice, the other crafty contributor. A few tidbits about me:

My main craft: crochet
My favourite band: this is a tough one for me to answer, so I'll just say three of my favourites are Skid Row, Cinderella, and Def Leppard
My favourite drink while crafting: definitely a nice BIG glass of red wine
My favourite snack while crafting: Old Dutch Ketchup Chips and the fine candy products made by Maynards
My go-to yarn: My favourite local dyer is definitely Hilori's Magical Yarnorium. Her colourways always wow me and I always get a kick out of how pop culture inspires many of her yarns

I love to crochet bigger projects like blankets and sweaters, but after finishing up a big project, I often like to whip up something like a hat or a scarf to shake up my routine a bit. When my hands aren't busy crocheting, I dabble in knitting, weaving and painting, all with less success than when I am crocheting. Nevertheless I have a lot of fun having a crack at it!

Here at Metalstitch, we'll be covering all kinds of yarncraft projects and features: our favourite fibres, local events and stores, projects and patterns, and anything else we like. We'll also talk about pretty much everything else to come into contact with our yarncraft, whether it's sushi, Def Leppard, or a yardwork break. We've got some great stuff planned, so we hope you come on back!