Spring Is for Sassy Yarn!

(hey guys I am now working for a company, so I won't have as much time to do everything I love here. I will do my best to update once a month)

Happy May! *warning image dump*
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The granny square rug was made using the colors we typically see for valentines day, plus green...because I enjoy green variegated yarn. It's very spring like and can last for more then one month in theming. I put a cute little heart in the center, to pull it all into the theme. The cotton really soaks up the water, and prevents water damage. And that's just dandy IMO.
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The tunisian rug ended up being used in the upper bathroom, because it has a very VERY high absorbency. I tested it and poured three or four cups of an 18oz cup on it. The thing sucked up the water very easily.

 I am also working on my "one blanket a year" blankie and I am almost finished. With any luck it'll be done Sunday~ :)

I won't be doing a review this month, but next month I have something fun perhaps.

February is SHORT(March gave me time to catch up)

images will be added once I get settled in from work saturday! 
So short that I forgot it only had 28 and not 30! I do that rather often, even if I have a calendar. Good news everyone! I finally got hired somewhere. It's a pretty great place to work, the people are all keen on selling goods over trashing them--and it has an amazing staff policy I fully intend to utilize. Let's get on with this(last) month's review as two! One more mystery yarn after this one. I'll let you guess what it is! ;) I'll give a hint...it's fuzzy!

This month I got into Crocheting some items. I made, a Tunisian hook rug, a granny square bathroom rug and I'm *still* working on a vest for my mother. The yarn is basically sock yarn, so forgive my slowness on it. Barely made the first button. Working my way up though! :)

This was actually an order I finished awhile back. The person ordering wanted red wine colors, so I picked two commonly seen colors. It's actually the same stitch I use to create the faux ribbing for the hat below, and it is a reversible stitch as well. I did a basic knit for the inside of the hood, using the grape colored yarn.  The buttons are not decorative! I made the stitch loose enough so the person could configure the buttons in any fashion, even make a "drape" with it if they desired. Very versatile and will most hopefully be a "go to" item if it gets a bit nippy outside.



I am very excited about this particular yarn for this month. It is another wonderful skein from Lion Brand that they sent me to review!

*Review Time!*

Da Vinci(Wine; 55 yd ; 53% Wool, 47% Acrylic)

Some of the best color palette I have EVER seen came in this particular type of yarn. I crocheted this hat using a P hook, and on the bus I found it was an amazing and orderly yarn to work from the skein. It went so quickly that I finished before the bus even got close to where I needed to be(it was about an hour and thirty minutes to the stop I normally get off at). As I worked the yarn it practically felt like silk in my fingers. The brim of the hat is also crocheted, but I use a stitch I figured out from tinkering to make a faux ribbed stitch without all the extra hand work one would normally need. It is also done using a smaller crochet hook(size I is normally best, just to maintain the stitch ratio and prevent sagging later on).




Softness:5/5
Price:5/5(do a net check, then a store check for this one, totally worth every penny!)
Color:5/5
Ease of use: 5/5(knot the end you start with and you'll have no problems even if you do have to take out a stitch or two!)


Buy this one! Oh my gosh buy this one. I haven't had the honor of working with yarn like this since using the luxurious stuff I won last year! I'm still not done reviewing all of it actually. Maybe next month?? Come back and find out!

New Year and New Fun!

Happy New Year!

New year, new yarns and *hopefully* a new giveaway! Guys I have wonderful news as well as some hints as to what I am going to review. Let's jump in huh?

Lion Brand Yarn has sent me some wonderful yarns to review!  They were so nice and pleasant to talk with. If there is anything YOU would like me to review for the blog let me know! I would love to get something you like and let you know how it works(or some ideas for projects).  Maybe even ship off a skein if we are so lucky in the upcoming months! 

I have been working on prayer shawls, a commission, and I will be putting up something else on tophatter.com, so please come on by and check the "handmade" section . Winning the listing will give you some nice winter gear of your choosing.

In addition, I have been reading and I came across a book on Tunisian crochet! Those 3 hooks I made last year and the one I purchased for 50% off at W.M. came in handy. The book is called:Tunisian Crochet: The Look of Knitting with the Ease of Crocheting. It's in my kindle reader(you can get that for free!) and I plan on learning how to use these hooks to the best of my ability! As I proceed I will post images of my work! Let's enjoy this month's review!

Review Time! Bellini(Nápoles/Naples)

How lucky are we!? This yarn isn't out just yet...I honestly had no idea how cool this yarn really was until I started doing a bit of crochet with it! If you are a fan of those crazy frilly or frizzy scarves, then this yarn is for YOU. I opened the package and found out where exactly the "ends" were, then I proceeded to try and knit it. I didn't like that look, so I settled with crochet. It's a funky yarn, and it took me a bit of time to awkwardly fumble about with it. The resulting scarf is below! Look for this one, I was told it's coming out VERY soon to a craft store near you! :D





Softness:5/5(very plush, would make a nice accent pillow if you wanted to knit it into one--or crochet it )
Price:?/5 (I haven't seen it on shelves yet)
Color:5/5(very rich and definitely a gemstone blue)
Ease of use: 2/5 (I would strongly suggest going to the lion brand website and watching the video on how to use this yarn. You could mess it up easy if you aren't sure how to get the skein going)

Since this is my birth month, I want to give you guys something fun!I will ship the winner their choice of fingerless gloves,mittens or a scarf!

Giveaway! 

In order to win this prize, you need enter here on this post. Be sure to read the rules, I don't want you to miss out:
*All information needs to be on ONE POST. Multiple posts will not count, no spamming!
*Comment below either telling me: what you want me to review this year, OR your favorite thing I wrote about last year(mandatory)
*Follow me on twitter (@sweetyarnshop) and tell me you did so, and I will give you a bonus entry(optional)
*If you donate I will add a bonus entry(optional)

Entries must be in by February 1 at 12:00 am.

I will be pulling the name from a hat February 2, 2013

December Should Be Donation Month Worldwide!

I've been working on some awesome stuff, I was even given a large commission to create some items for two children! Wool and acrylic products with fun colors. I took some photos of them, and I will post them under here. Making tons of things for other people is definitely an entertaining way to do something independent on weekends.

Are you looking for something to do with your expansive(let's just say overflowing) excess yarn? Have you considered looking up a local "Prayer Shawl Ministry?" If not please do so. Your yarn could go towards making a sick person feel just a bit better. One skein of worsted yarn could become a nice, large cowl or shawl.

Speaking shawls...a shawl can be a triangular, rectangular or a very large square.  So if you're a granny square maker, consider stringing your squares and popping the shawls in an emergency room, or giving a local hospital some items to give new mothers-- just consider it is all I'm saying.

I have recently become a part of a prayer shawl ministry, and though it is not my home church, I am very appreciative that they let me join them in their mission. They pray over them with their pastor, then send them out.

If you don't want to join churches in their outreach, how about finding a group(they call themselves a coven) of witches that wish to also bless and deliver blankets/shawls to the needy? Or volunteering at a homeless shelter?

I know it sounds weird, but I feel very much that my life has a purpose despite my unemployment right now...because I can give my time and my energy towards a group that is doing some good in this neighborhood. My local area...where it is needed the most.

No review this month, I just wanted to bring up the amazing work being done in Woodbridge,VA. From the local shelters keeping the homeless fed and able to get around town(on the bus system,but still, that's an accomplishment compared to other well off areas that have tent cities), to giving prayers and shawls to those recovering from illness or fighting it.

I hope and pray one day homelessness will be a thing of the past, and poverty will be looked at with the proper viewpoint--as something the community needs to eradicate one family, one meal, one home at a time.

End of Year Remarks

I can't believe it! I made it a full year...I blogged for a full year, guys! I might do a giveaway in January for actually making it 52 weeks and keeping my schedule to the blog. :) Here's to another year. And here's to more of you reading, enjoying this blog and just making my day with your e-mails!

If you have questions or want anything I have made, I would be more then happy to show you how it is done, or just give some tips!


Total donations this year? 2.00!
Yup! Enough for a skein of yarn, and I'm very grateful for that. Thank you for all you do, even just reading this page means alot to me.

 

What's teh best part about November?

(images when I can get my camera some batteries! Please have patience.)
Good question! I think it might be the changing weather, the ability to pull out my woolen gloves and hat. Or it could be the wonderful expectation of snow and hot cocoa hovering on the horizon! I consider snow and cold weather a blessing instead of a curse. I hope you do too.

What have I been up to? I am working on quite a bit right now, and I will be shipping out the prize from last month this week! I also have an order incoming and another one that needs to be done by the second week of December!! Wowwie how exciting!

 I would like to do a review!

I decided to make a HUGE blanket, and I was curious about a yarn in Joann Fabric, so I took a visit. I was not disappointed, let me tell you!

Sincerely Yarn(Sincerely Red)

This yarn was rather supple. When I was crocheting fabric, it through I fully expected to have rope burn(I knit/crochet at high speed). What I found is that this yarn was gentle on my hands. Silky as a matter of fact. As I kept going, I found that the yarn was holding on to a cinnamon odor, and upon a little bit of online searching I found out why. Joann, Michaels, and a few other stores place "holiday" scents in buildings to bring a nostalgic feeling to those shopping. If you are allergic to these types of products, I would suggest staying out of the store until January...

This yarn was in a larger packaging, and I will never cease to be amazed at the progression of 100% acrylic yarn. It doesn't have to be hard and without give, it doesn't have to be full of factory made knots or stretched super thin from the machines going too fast.





Softness:5/5(what a soft acrylic! On par with the mixed material of Big Lots Gala, but more in the ball )
Price:5/5 (try to get it with a coupon for extra savings)
Color:5/5(very rich and definitely a "true red")
Ease of use: 5/5 (I could use it from the hank with no kinks, a rare occurrence for me considering the speed I pull from the hank)

Red Heart has recently released a "Soft" line, and when I can afford it, I will review it in the future. Until then, stay healthy, and WARM!

If you would like some product from me, feel free to e-mail me or just visit my zibbet shop and purchase a handmade scarf! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Oh October! A review and a winner!

Hey guys! Ever just wonder why someone won't do something simple if they want it? Like sharing candy or something they deem "important"? Me too! :) I love to share information, tips and if it is asked for, tricks of the trade!

Last month was craaaaazy! I got to crocheting and learned the "Cathrine Wheel" as well as a dozen other funky things. I'm just going hog wild with things I am crocheting/knitting. I've got a nice "trunk" full of things to sell already though,and I'm looking forward to November. (pictured: my Cathrine Wheel work in progress, a napkin to keep the palms dry, my personalized yarn bowl and my tea mug...empty :P )

Speaking of November, I will be taking part in the Bethel United Methodist church craft bazaar! It's on the first Saturday of the month! Please come by so I can say a hearty hello and thank you for your support in person. This will be my first ever craft event, and I hope it'll be a raving success. I've gotta prepare business cards, a jar of ???(for a contest), and also make sure projects are 100% finished to my liking(which means I am just double checking ends/odds). I might also design a sign for myself to use while I'm out there. Speaking of designs I made some adorable necklaces. They aren't huge(maybe 1/2 inch for the largest ones), but they are quite lovely. :) If you'd like one let me know, they're gonna be gone once I go to the fair though, so order NOW. On with the review!

Review: (GalaYarns approx. color chocolate+glitter)

Have you ever gotten tired of waiting for expensive yarns to go on sale and just want to make something absolutely luxurious for yourself without breaking the bank? Enter GALA yarns. I found this gem at Big Lots of all places. When I did a feel test which consists of: pull a bit of yarn and see strength, and lastly do a back of hand "softness" test. This stuff is SOFT! I tried to get a proper image of the glitter, and I managed to get one of them on the right first image. That white spot is not a glitch, that's a glimmer, one of many spread throughout the yarn.

This stuff is so soft! As I was balling it, the yarn felt similar to pure silk, with out the silk cost! I'm sure by now you're wondering the price. I'm getting to it I promise! When I was knitting this stuff up it barely felt like I was knitting at all.

The overall pricetag for this 50g ball of airy fluffy goodness? One dollar. Let's just say I purchased two, just because of sticker shock--in the good way!
Softness:5/5(comparable to the lovely orange yarn that INSilk Schoppel created. Great buy guys, hit up your local Big Lots to fill your stash. Do a touch test before buying, and you'll be on par with the luxury yarns)
Price:5/5 (great price point for giving a child some new skills, or renewing your passion for yarnwork)
Color:5/5(there are alot of browns out there, but this really does look chocolate. I'll try taking a better photograph)
Ease of use: 5/5 (easy balling, easy knitting, only hard because you miss it once it's into a project lol)








Raffle Prize Update:

If you didn't win just enter again this month and you might walk out a winner! It has to be a minimum of a dollar, as 1 dollar = one entry. If you donate, say, 5 dollars you get 5 entries! It's really a great way to  come out a winner. But if you order from the shop I'll count what you spent as individual entries. : ) So come by, shop, and win! Thank you everyone for playing in the raffle.

As far as our winner? Ah yes the envelope just came in. Our winner this month is Cait!Please e-mail me at [ehamiltondesign at gmail dot com] by the 31st of October this info, anything omitted means the prize cannot be sent:
Full Name
Address
Color of the Item
Item Wanted

Will We Have a Winner This Month?

Well...that depends on you! There are two ways to enter: make an order in my zibbet.com shop OR put a few dollars in the yarn fund!

What's the prize? It's anything you want it to be! A purse, a hat, gloves, a free-form purple lips pillow, a bouquet of roses...the choices are as infinitely unique as you are.

Remember, you can only win if you take a chance on the raffle.

The raffle is drawn via random.org's number system on the last day of the month. I give everyone a number, in no particular order, then set it from 1 to whatever the highest number is. I hit your number, you win!


This is to remind everyone that if you enter with a dollar, you just might win something worth much more. :)

I'll do the yarn review this week, and hopefully I can report a winner there as well!

I forgot to take a photo, but Brandon was nice enough to do a review! Go check him out and give him a view. He talks about alot of things, and is fun to watch!

(url link just in case this goes down: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am1YwlTO7i )