Sharpin Designs Blog

Quick and Easy!

5/29/2017

I love fingerless mitts, but my attempts at making them have resulted in a not-so-perfect-fit. They either run too small or too big; too long or too short. I also have one wrist that is nearly an inch larger than the other due to tendonitis, so following a pattern worked in the round just wasn’t working for me.

With these mitts I worked flat, then sewed up the side. I also was able to work to my measurements to ensure I'd get a great fit - something most patterns don't take into account. With one pair I even added buttons to make them adjustable.

I made all three pairs in the last two nights, so they are a quick and easy project if you have a last minute gift. With these I did simple circles and stacked them for embellishment, but they'd look great with flowers or nothing at all.

I'll be making lots more of these I'm sure.

Happy Hooking!

Care

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This Little Piggy Stayed Home . . . and Slept in My Bed

5/22/2017

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THIS . . . IS . . . ADORABLE . . . if I do say so myself.

I've been wanting to write a pattern for a pig pillow for a while, but didn't want to go with my traditional round pillow. I was shopping for pillow forms the other day and a bolster pillow form fell off of the shelf and hit me right on top of my head. No joke. You can say the idea for a bolster pillow hit me like a ton of bricks. Fortunately it was more of a fiber-stuffed-soft pillow that hit me.

I got home and started right away. I tell ya, I got lots of giggles working on this one. And I had fun dressing him/her up with different bow and scarf options. Just check out these pics below! CUTE, I tell ya! And OMG - look at that tail!

If you'd like to make your own Piggy Pillow, you can purchase the pattern in my shop on this site. I also have the pattern for sale on Craftsy, Ravelry, and Etsy.

Happy Hooking! OINK!

Care'

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Free Pattern: Pom Pom Creature

5/15/2017

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Have you seen those fur pom poms that are designed to accent your crocheted or knitted accessories? They are SO super soft and they come in so many colors. If you have no clue what I'm speaking of, do a google image search for "fur pom pom" and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Every time I go into a yarn store I consider getting one. Why? I don't know. I'd never actually use it for its original purpose.

This weekend, however, I decided to take the plunge. There was one that just sort of "spoke" to me and asked to go home with me. So, I bought it.

Now what?

After petting it for a few minutes, (okay, hours), I decided it should become a creature. Meet "Fidgit." He was super easy to make and I knocked him out in about an hour.

Pattern
Face
1. Crochet or knit a circle that fits your pom pom. In my case I crocheted 6 rounds total. It was enough to cover the snap that was on the pom pom and line up with the body center so I could sew it on.
2. Add two safety eyes.
3. Embroider the nose.
4. Crochet or knit two antennae. I chained 18, slip stitched in the 5th chain from hook and all the way back to the beginning of the chain. Attach antennae to the back of the face.
5. Sew the face onto the center of the pom pom. You may find this tricky if you are dealing with a snap or button in the middle, but do your best. It won't show anyway if you use a yarn that blends well. My nose ended up popping out a bit because of the snap, which I thought was super cute. If you don't have a snap in yours, consider adding a bit of fiberfill or other stuffing to get that same look.

Enjoy!

Happy Hooking!

Care'

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Temperature Blanket Progress April

5/8/2017

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I'm still working away on these two projects! Below are my April pictures for the hourly high temp for 2007 in Princeton, and for my 1997 afghan.

Happy Hooking!

Care'

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Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone

5/2/2017

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Those of you that bead, crochet, or knit with me know I pretty much stick to a single color pallet - black, grey, silver, gunmetal. Beads or yarn that have multiple color definitely grab my attention - and some of my money - but it's so HARD for me to actually use them. Maybe it's because they are too pretty.

No, that's not it at all.

It's because I like to CONTROL the color placement. (Again, those that know me are not surprised by this).

In an attempt to step outside of my comfort zone, and to knock a significant dent in my stash, I've been intentionally looking for patters that showcase variegated yarns. (Let's see how I do.)

First Up - Lion Brand's Shawl in a Ball yarn and the Pico Bandito pattern by Jon Averett (free). I used the Restful Rainbow and Community Coral colorways.

Yarn - I really liked working with the yarn. It had a nice hand to it and was easy to work with- no splitting. I had enough in one ball to make two shawlettes.

Pattern - LOVE IT! Super easy, super quick to work up, and notes that help you tailor it a bit to get the look you want. I can see continuing with the entire ball to make a large wrap. Definitely a good pattern to have for quick gifts.

Happy Hooking!

Care'

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Quick and Easy!

This Little Piggy Stayed Home . . . and Slept in My Bed

Free Pattern: Pom Pom Creature

Temperature Blanket Progress April

Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone

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