New crochet set and something new for the upcoming re-opening of my shop!

These last few weeks have proven to be quite busy for me.  Along with caring for my family and home, I've been working hard on creating original crochet pattern designs for my shop.  The first of which is this crochet fingerless glove and headband set.

I am in love with this set!  It is made with super soft yarn, and I have personally been wearing it these past few weeks since it's been so cold here.  I love the way the headband looks when I'm wearing it and how the fingerless gloves feel so warm and keep my wrists warm.  

So, what is this other news I mentioned in the title?  Well, it's that I will also be listing my own original crochet patterns in my etsy shop!  They will be in pdf format and will be choc full of pictures and detailed instructions.  I also will be making video tutorials to go with the patterns for those who prefer watching a video instead.  I am so excited and full of ideas!  I can't wait to share them with you guys!  I haven't chosen a launch date yet, but will announce it here and on my facebook when I've picked it.  It should be sometime in April.

I'm Back!

It has been quite a while since I last made a blog post.   I have to admit I seemed to have grown a creative block. I've been crocheting all this time, but not as much as I used to.  Soap making hit a stand still when I accidentally spilled a whole batch of freshly mixed soap on the floor and all over my feet and legs.  Then I had some health problems that were starting to become "un-ignorable" (I just made that word up I think)  and I had to focus on that for quite a few months.  But now I'm back, feeling good, and ready to start creating!  Not only start creating, but to also start teaching and guiding others in the wonderful world of crafts.  So expect to see consistent updates, youtube tutorials, reviews on products, and much more.  I have so many ideas, and can't wait to share them with you all.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's been very busy couple of weeks for me.  I have a big soap order for someones wedding that I have been rushing to complete, which has been taking up a lot of my time! But luckily it is finished and I can now focus on churning out Christmas themed soaps!  My first soap, which really can be used anytime, is Cranberry Orange Soap.  Here's how it looked just after I swirled it:

It was also the first time I've used sodium lactate.  What is sodium lactate?  Sodium lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid that has a mild saline taste. It is produced by fermentation of a sugar source, such as corn or beets, and then neutralizing the resulting lactic acid.  It is sometimes used as a food additive, but is great as a soap additive because it is a very effective humectant and moisturizer.  It also makes the soap harder and quicker which means a faster curing time.  Unfortunately,  I don't think I used enough the first time because the soap came out very soft.  I'm not sure why, but I'm guessing because I made it with the oils and lye at room temperature.  I will try adding a bit more on my next try.  It does smell really nice though, a sweet mellow fruity scent mixed with a citrus tone.  Some of the other things I've been working on has been a recent Etsy order for a chick hat.  I was very happy with the finished product!

For those of you who are looking for a unique present to give to friends and family, why not go handmade?  You will be supporting an actual person who works hard and puts a lot of care into the product you are buying.  I will be having a sale at my shop this Friday and Saturday (starting at Midnight Eastern Standard Time), you can get 20% off your entire purchase!  The coupon code is 2012HOLIDAY.  If you are in the US, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  And for the rest of you have a great weekend!

Heart Hat & New Soaps

How cute is this hat?  I really enjoyed making this hat, and plan to make a head band version for adults or children that you can use as ear muffs or for those that like to keep their hair up.  The link to this pattern can be found on Red Heart's website.  I modified the hat by using double crochet to make the beanie and following the instructions on how to make the heart and attaching it.

A couple days ago these soaps finally cured and are now ready to be sold on my Etsy.  The first one is a favorite of mine, it's Peppermint & Spirulina.  I could sniff it all day long, it's so refreshing! It's scented with peppermint essential oil.  Spirulina is added for it's color and because it is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. 

This soap was my first attempt at using inbeds in cold process soap.  I think it turned out really nice, except that I did wait a couple days before using the imbeds and they got very hard.  When I cut the soap, some of the stars crumbled a little bit because of how hard they were.  I used a mixture of dark purple and dark blue to swirl around the stars, however, you can barely tell.  I also sprinkled a little bit of white sparkly dust on top of the soap, which gives it a lovely white glow.  I call this soap Tranquil Sleep Soap.  It is scented with a lovely fragrance, that is more perfumey than my other soaps. It has a strong floral smell with a faintly sweet vanilla undertone.

I am currently swamped with making holiday soaps, as well has filling a big order for tropical soaps for someone's wedding.  I will try and post pics as I make them.  I'm really excited, some of the new holiday scents I'm waiting to arrive (today!) are: cranberry orange, frankincense and myrrh essential oil blend, and spearmint essential oil.  

 

Black Raspberry Vanilla (3rd Batch)

I totally forgot to try to swirl the black into the violet and white parts of the soap, so it turned out to be just layered colors.  But I like it, and I especially like the tone of the violet on the bottom.  It smells lovely!

A Productive Day

Today I made my 3rd batch of Black Raspberry Soap, it turned out really nice I think.  It's currently still in its mold, but I made the purple extra deep purple, and really like the way the color came out.  This is my all time most popular soap that I make, it's also one of my favorites.  It's sweet, but not too sweet.  (I'll post how it turns out tomorrow.)

I've also finally figured out how to make a proper brim to a crocheted hat.  It took me a good while, at first I was using two pieces of yarn at a time, but it was making it way too thick.  A simple half-double crochet and steady increase is all you really need with only one piece of yarn. 

Crochet Coin Purse

I have been wanting to make one of these for quite awhile now, and finally did thanks to an awesome tutorial I found on Ravelry, and using my 40% coupon to buy the purse frame at Joann Fabrics.  If you would like to make one, you can find the tutorial here.  It is written in Spanish and English!  And out of all the tutorials and patterns I could find, it was the only one that explained how to attach the fabric to the frame.

Crocheting the outer layer was so simple, as well as sewing the inner lining.  It was actually attaching the frame that was the most difficult.  First, I had started with a thin crochet thread to try to sew it on, but realized (when I was more than half way finished) that I had sewn it on the wrong side!  So I had to remove the thread and start all over.  Half way through starting over, the thread broke, so I had to remove the thread again and start all over.  On my third attempt, I ended up using regular sewing thread and a smaller needle, which made it much easier to sew on.  However, because you can see the stitches from the outside of the purse, the thread didn't look very clean and nice.  So I used the crochet thread and sewed in and out of every stitch.  I have to say it came out really well.