Gilly Gnits

Summertime Scrunchy

July 6, 2017 No Comments

Do you like tying your hair back?

I know I do. Sometimes I really enjoy letting my hair done, but whenever I’m at work (or needing to get some work done), I tie my hair back to get it out of the way.

But sometimes I get really bored with my regular black hair tie. I mean, sure it looks nice and isn’t noticeable, but what if you’re feeling fun? Then I’ve got such a simple project for you!

It’s this delightful unicorn palette scrunchy hair tie:

Dang, that’s majestic.
It just needs a horn and a tail!

I want you to know that I quietly laughed to myself at Starbucks while I doodled this.

There we go!

Okay, enough with the funny stuff (and I hope you thought that was funny hah), let’s get to this super simple pattern!

Materials:
H Hook
Cotton Yarn (I chose Lily Sugar N Cream Scents in Fleur de Lavande)
Tapestry Needle
Scissors
Elastic hair tie

I picked this yarn because cotton is going to be the most durable, it’s a good lightweight yarn for the summer…and I had it left over from some other fun projects and thought that this would be a really good idea to help me out in my ongoing Project Scrap Yarn.

Placing your slipknot onto the hook, ch 1, and single crochet into the rubber band’s center until you have completely covered the hair tie. Slip stitch to your beginning ch.

2. Ch 6 and single crochet into the next stitch

3. Ch 6 and single crochet into the next stitch. Repeat until you have gone all the way around through the stitches. Slip stitch to the last stitch. Bind off and weave in the ends.

Final step: Wear your new scrunchy! Feel majestic!

Like this pattern? Don’t forget to pin this article on Pinterest!
And I’d love to see your finished projects! Please share with me on Facebook and Instagram!
Finished items made from this pattern may be personally sold on your Etsy and at craft fairs, but please share the love and credit the pattern back here! And please don’t copy and paste this pattern as your own!

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Project Scrap Yarn

July 5, 2017 2 Comments

Hello! Welcome again, here’s a new blog post!

I wanted to share some clarification with you about a hashtag and series of pictures you have probably seen on my Instagram for quite some time now: #ProjectScrapYarn. I also tag it as #PSY, not to be confused with the pop icon who gave us Gangam Style, but I hope he doesn’t mind. So what is Project Scrap Yarn? It’s my foray into breaking down my stash of yarn that I’ve accumulated over the years and making different kinds of projects with them, big and small. I realized that I had been hoarding my yarn in different places, colors stashed all over the place, small balls of yarn here and there, scraps tucked into all different kinds of boxes and jars. It was frankly getting out of control and made me feel like I was grossly unorganized.

And I was. I was really unorganized. I felt gross looking at my workspace because no matter how often I thought I was reorganized the area, it was never enough to clear anything up! And it was frustrating.

But how could I fix my organization issues and feel less bad about having dozens of small tidbits of color floating around my workspace? This project of knocking down my stash of scrap yarn and making something productive from them! Last year I created myself a really wonderful granny square blanket with several partial and half-balls of Charisma yarn, and I feel so proud and happy every time I look at it because it turned out so beautifully. Look at it!

But, as always happens with yarn and crafting, the scraps re-accumulated. And as much as I’d like to create more blankies, I wanted the challenge of doing different projects. So occasionally I’d look at my baskets of yarn bits and think of what colors I could pair together. Which has led to me to some really fun projects like a pencil scarf that looks like a pencil, dozens of coffee sleeves, headbands, coasters, scarves, and more!

Some of the patterns that you will see me post will have been influenced by this self-imposed project, and has led to a lot of illuminating lightbulb moments, it’s been such a cool adventure. So if you see my hashtags floating around on Instagram, I’d love it if you wanted to join in on the social media fun and show me what you’re doing in terms of your own stashbusting!

P.S. Organization of yarn is an ongoing issue for me, I’m sure you have your own, but more on that another day!

~Gilliane

Like this article? Don’t forget to pin this article on Pinterest!
And I’d love to see your finished projects of your own Project Scrap Yarn! Please share with me on Facebook and Instagram! Use #ProjectScrapYarn so I can find you and you can always @ my handle!

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Zen and the Art of Yarn Detangling

July 4, 2017 No Comments

[To start, I took the title of this blog post from a really interesting philosophical novel I read a handful of years ago called Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig which I really liked and took away some helpful advice!]

I love yarn.

I do.

I love yarn SO much.

But I really really can’t handle unknotting tangles as they come up sometimes.

Which is a problem because it happens more often than you ever want it to, am I right? Which brings me to my post today about why I learned to appreciate something as awful as yarn detangling.

Growing up, I was always kind of a perfectionist (which was always in competition with my tendency toward procrastination, but…anyhow). I assumed that I was good at everything and definitely did NOT appreciate it any time it came up that I was not, in fact, amazing at everything the first time around. Which is difficult sometimes, and it happens to everybody. But you couldn’t tell that to Kid Me. I would get super irritable and annoyed and start shutting down.

Not the healthiest reaction, I’ll be the first to admit.

But, with time, you learn to accept the things that you are not good at.
You do that in two ways.
1) Accepting that maybe it’s not your thing and leaving it, maybe consider setting it on fire

Image result for picture of fire — Bye inconveniences!

OR

2) Understanding that maybe you can’t do it YET

The first is the easiest to do, whereas the second takes a lot of time and PATIENCE. Patience is in short supply for the young, but if you don’t really practice at it and challenge yourself, you become an impatient adult and that is way less endearing. When you decide to understand instead of getting unproductively mad, you learn to take the time to see a problem to its proper end, and develop the patience to problem-solve in a more efficient manner.

Image result for picture of a math book — The one and only time I ever threw a book it was a math book. I regretted it immediately and it was an unproductive step to doing my homework (even if I felt temporarily better). Sorry, Algebra.

Which is where my issue (and probably yours) with tangled yarn comes in. It is a fantastic lesson in patience. It goes hand in hand with the craft that you do, whether it’s knitting, loom knitting, crochet, weaving, amigurumi, or anything that you do with yarn.

Image result for picture of yarn ball slippers — Sure, this counts too!

There are going to be snags, but you have to get through them to get to work on your real project. Yarn detangling is a minor issue, or setback, along the way to the thing that you really want: to get started on your “real” work. Much like in the same way that people think about the things they want to do, but get sidelined by small things that are still important and necessary steps…even if they’re annoying and you don’t like them.

“I just want to be a doctor and help people, this pharmacology class is super boring”

Things that are trying or difficult make our goals seem just that much further out of our reach, but if we start looking at them as steps toward our success of creating a cute hat or a delightful blanket that we’re excited about, then it makes the tedious task a little bit more manageable. Sometimes when I get mad at my yarn tangles and start tugging harder and worsen the knot, I kick myself for not simply taking the time and causing myself the issue of working that much longer at getting them undone. I especially had a difficult time in June when I got these fabulous hanks of Malabrigo yarn and needed to put them into balls for easier crafting.

But I had never worked with winding hanks of yarn and didn’t look up the best method and spent roughly 4-6 hours of my weekend simply trying to work my way through the mess that I had made. That was time that I could’ve spent working on the top I had planned, which was really frustrating. Because new projects are AMAZING! However, because I valued the yarn, from my friend Marina from Bad Sissy Crochet, and had a nice project in mind that I was excited about, I lightly clenched my jaw (because I recently got my braces removed and wanted to be careful with my new smile, obviously) and quietly swore between my teeth.

I’m glad to say, though, that having put on a nice tv show in the background (I’m a huge fan of Impractical Jokers myself) and getting into the groove of unwinding the hank of yarn, I didn’t mind the task as much as I thought I would have. There is a calming sense about it, just breathing and feeling the tracking in the thread, much like when you get down to the nitty-gritty of your “real” project. I learned something about differences in types of yarn winding, experienced a new shape in yarn (since I was more accustomed to skeins and balls), and finally got to setup the groundwork for a new project!

I can work on my top now knowing that I put in a lot of effort and care to make sure that the work-in-progress goes smoothly!

So, all in all, I learned it’s much more productive to understand that things don’t always work out the way you want them to the first time and you’ll have to make your way through small obstacles (and maybe some big ones) to get to where you want to be. It takes time and patience to refocus and re-center yourself on getting things done, but is worth it in the end.

~ Gilliane

Like this post? Don’t forget to pin this article on Pinterest!
As always, I’d love to see any of your finished projects! How have you gotten through your own issues with yarn detangling? Please share with me on Facebook and Instagram!

Loom Knitting

The Joy of Loom Knitting

July 4, 2017 2 Comments

Looking for a new craft? It is always great learning new things, it’s something I really enjoy! I taught myself French using DuoLingo because in high school I said I wanted to become trilingual (I already speak English and Spanish), and finally decided to try and make it happen. It is not easy to do, and I am still practicing, but when you start learning a new skill, something amazing happens. You get a different outlook and see things differently. You find different things that you enjoy doing and encounter new challenges. You change. And so does your brain.

As you learn new things, pick up new skills, challenge yourself to do different things than you’re used to, your neurons love it! They create new pathways and do so many amazing things to help your health. Did you know that crafting is a stress reliever and keeping mentally stimulated can help you cognitively? So, there is a lot of benefits to doing different types of crafts! When I started my Etsy shop, I was creating things with loom knitting, and there are lots of great things about it!

Loom knitting is a craft that uses a multi-peg board and a stylus that looks like an angled hook, or a dental hook, like so:

And looms come in lots of different shapes, materials, and sizes to allow for a wide variety of projects to be made! There are looms that are round, others that are rectangular, sock looms, and afghan looms! You can make everything from preemie baby hats to large afghans and everywhere in between!

I personally really like the deceiving simplicity of it. I call it “deceiving” simply because it looks like a really simple tool set, but you can also create all kinds of designs with them! With looming, you can have wide open stitching with e-wraps, you can create knit and purl stitches, and the combinations therein! So you like the stockinette stitch? You can create that with a loom! Want to add cables to a project? You can still do those as well! You have lots of options with loom knitting, and one of the cool perks that I enjoy is that the sizes are a bit more standardized depending on the size loom you’re using!

Have you ever had the problem where you were planning out a hat and thought that it would fit, only to have the heartbreak of discovering that it was too big or too small?

I’ve had that happen with some requests for friends where I underestimated the size and there’s no way around it, you have to either undo the piece or redo it! If you have a loom, the varying number of pegs help to take some of the guesswork out of how many stitches or chains you need to cast on! Need a grown-up sized beanie? BAM! Grab a 36- or a 41-peg loom! A teenager? 36 pegs! Loom knitting really does help open you up to new and different crafting and pattern opportunities, which is why I think it is so cool! Loom knitting, for lack of a better phrase, was my gateway drug to crochet.

I was introduced to crochet through loom knitting because a lot of the patterns necessitated the use of a crochet hook for crochet cast-ons and creating clean lines for casting off, and they can also add some nice touches to the loom knit pieces. Also, while loom knitting can achieve a lot of effects, it was incredibly helpful to learn basic work in crochet, like chains! So it was a natural transition that I made into getting into crochet work. Crochet was an augmentation to the loom knitting projects, which gives you lots of types of projects to work on.

And you do NOT have to feel limited to making only hats! I have made boot cuffs, beanies, scarves, fingerless gloves, and iPad covers, along with other things. I hope to share those ideas with you as I create patterns, and give you other wonderful resources that have really been helpful to me on my creative adventure!

So, welcome to a new craft adventure if you are new to loom knitting or are a seasoned loom knitter looking for other sources of inspiration! I’m here to learn new things and look forward to embarking on this with you all!

~Gilliane

Like this article? Don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest!
And I’d love to see your work! Please share with me on Facebook and Instagram!

Crochet

Granny Gone Chic Gloves

July 3, 2017 1 Comment

Despite the name, granny squares can be super trendy! They’re also a phenomenal motif to work with, whether you’re working with a simpler design or something more involved. You can, however, do enormously more intricate designs and they are wonderful to gaze upon:

Look at the majesty of this square!
Click the image for the free Ravelry pattern

That’s a lot of color changes and it’s so pretty!

And since they’re square, it takes the guesswork out of what the size is going to be: square. So you’re going to get a reliable size on whatever piece it is you’re putting together, you aren’t going to get any kind of weird obtuse shape or have the project wind up with an extra arm, as long as you’re doing it right! Sometimes I just like the reliable simplicity of a standard granny square since it can be so versatile!

You can make a ginormous afghan in the Granny,

This large blanket was one of my first crochet projects!

or coasters,

Click for Sewrella’s delightful pattern!

or even these granny square gloves!

Gloves, fingerless gloves, wristers—whatever you call them, they can be so helpful when the weather is not quite super cold, or you simply want to have the use of your fingers for doing small handwork (or texting, we can be honest). Those snaps don’t caption themselves!

I’m going to present these guys to you in two ways: one for those who already understand the granny square and another for those who are like “what” about how the stitches work! Either way, this is a simple project, the only trick is you have to make two or you only have one wrister, which…I don’t know why you’d only need one glove? But anyhow, here we go!

Materials Needed:

*1 Ball of worsted weight (4) yarn
I used Buff Fleck in Red Heart Super Saver for mine, I liked the simplicity of the neutral color
*H hook (5.5mm)
*Tapestry needle
*Scissors

Terms Used:

Ch = Chain
Dc = Double Crochet
Sl st = Slip stitch
St/s = Stitch/Stitches
Ch sp = Chain Space

Instructions:

With I hook, chain 4, slip stitch to the first chain to form a loop

Round 1: Ch 3 (this first Ch 3 counts as a Dc here and throughout), 2Dc into the loop, [ch 3, 3Dc] three times, ch 3, sl st to beginning of the round

**note: In the above picture, you may notice I only chained 2 in the corners, don’t do that
Chain 3 to the form the corners!**

Round 2: Ch 3, turn over. 2Dc into the ch 3 space. Ch 1 *[3Dc into ch sp, ch 3, 3Dc, ch 1], repeat from * twice, sl st to beginning of round. Sl st across to the corner and place another sl st into the corner ch 3 space. 8 Dc total

Round 3: Ch 3, 2Dc into ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3Dc into same ch 3 space, ch 1, 3 Dc into ch 1 space, ch 1, [3Dc, ch 3, 3Dc] into corner ch 3 sp], ch 1, 3Dc into ch 1 sp, ch 1, [3Dc, ch 3, 3Dc] into corner ch 3 sp, ch 1, 3Dc into ch 1 sp, ch 1, [3Dc, ch 3, 3Dc] into corner ch 3 sp, ch 1, 3Dc into ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to beginning corner. Sl st across to the ch 3 space, sl st once into ch 3 space. 12 Dc total

Rounds 4-6: Continue the pattern, expanding by 4 Dcs in each round. In each ch 1 space, 3Dc, and in each corner [3Dc, ch 3, 3Dc].

Ch 1, single crochet into each stitch and chain space around the piece. For each ch 1 space, place 1 single crochet. For each ch 3 space, 3 single crochet. Once completed, ch 1. Do not bind off.

Fold the piece in half, and seam the side opposite the fold with a single crochet beginning from the end with the Ch 1. Continue across to the second ch 1 space.

Look here where the hook and tapestry needle are pointing:

The space in between is where you want your thumb hole to be!

Option 1: Break the yarn and reinsert past 2 3Dc clusters
Option 2: Slip stitch along one side of the piece until you reach past 2 3Dc clusters

Continue to seam with a single crochet to the end of the side. Bind off and weave in the ends.

And enjoy your gloves!

Like this pattern? Don’t forget to pin this article on Pinterest!
And I’d love to see your finished projects! Please share with me on Facebook and Instagram!
Finished items made from this pattern may be personally sold on your Etsy and at craft fairs, but please share the love and credit the pattern back here! And please don’t copy and paste this pattern as your own!

Crochet

10 Free Crochet + Loom Knit Americana Patterns

July 3, 2017 No Comments

Happy July!

Hopefully those sparklers are already glowing and the barbecues are getting heated up! I know that I’ve been staring at everything red, white, and blue for about the last month and a half—partially because that’s when Michaels started throwing up the décor!—but it’s been on my mind as I’ve been compiling my own projects! I have a blanket that I started on a year ago, literally, and just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I’d set myself the goal of making 50 stars for an American flag afghan, but I had to taper it back to 13 for a mix of reasons.

…well.

Laziness, mostly.

But as I’m putting the touches on my own blanket, I wanted to share with you some different patterns that I have run across on Pinterest that I found really wonderful! They inspired me to pick my long cast-aside project. I appreciate variation in the pieces, and the different styles that other crafters have used to complete things for a beautiful Americana look. Some of these have used single crochet, others have created a series of either granny squares or hexagons! And one, I’m including because it just impressed me SO MUCH is a loom knit blanket! It really blew me away, and I have to include it because a) it was just too rad and b) I love loom knitting, it was my first yarn craft! So kudos to all of these lovely creators, please marvel at their lovely work and, if you’re so inclined, think about hopping into these projects for yourself! [I’ve hypertexted the names of the pieces, but have added the links just in case!]

Happy digging!
Gilliane

Let Freedom Ring Blanket—by Carolyn Pfeifer
Available as a FREE pattern (links to Ravelry), this is not your typical flag blanket, it’s composed of granny squares! I really love the difference in texture that these granny squares make in the project and I can only imagine the amount of time spent joining in all of those pieces! It’s well worth it, I’d say, just looking at this beautiful blanket!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/let-freedom-ring

Americana Afghan—by the Lion Brand Design TeamAvailable via All Free Crochet, this blanket is super cozy looking! I love the giant granny squares it uses to create the body, and they have a series of crocheted squares that line the perimeter that can be sewn on rather than joined! I see this blanket also being used for baby showers. Because of the delightful simplicity, it appears to be a very versatile blanket.
https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Granny-Square-Afghans/Americana-Afghan-Lion-Brand

Stars and Stripes Corner to Corner Afghan—by Sarah of Sarah’s Bits and Pieces CrochetIf you love Corner to Corner crochet, then you are going to absolutely love this pattern! I had to instantly stop scrolling when I stumbled across this piece on Pinterest! It’s an IMMENSE blanket—queen sized, in fact—and it looks stunning. Her design, derived from the Red Heart Yarns C2C pattern is simply beautiful. Sarah takes the time to take photos of all the elements of her blanket and directs the reader both to the influencing pattern for the body of the blanket, as well as for her choice of stars! It’s both helpful and beautiful!
http://sarahsbitsandpiecescrochet.blogspot.com/2013/11/stars-and-stripes-corner-to-corner.html

Old Glory Blanket—by Kathy UnderwoodWHOA! I really enjoy what Kathy is able to create with the knitting loom! It’s such a great piece of work, and the beauty of it is that it is worked in panels, which makes it much easier for transportation—that’s incredibly helpful when you’re working with a loom! The stars are made from felt, which gives the project a different and fun look!
http://kniftyknitterweekly.blogspot.com/2014/02/old-glory-blanket.html

Folk Art Throw—by Willow YarnsI love the folk/antique twist on the American flag! I think it makes a perfect piece for the summertime or for an Americana-themed living space! The interesting design created by the zig zag patterning of the granny squares is fantastic, and I think the blue edging on the border is a very nice touch. The four-point stars make for a different look which is really cool!
https://www.willowyarns.com/product/folk+art+throw+free+download.do

Americana Pillow—by Rebecca of Little Monkeys Crochet
I love the boutique-y quality of this little pillow! Sized to fit a 12” standard decorative throw pillow, this is a really cute idea! And, a bonus: it’s double-sided! I looove designs that don’t limit your options! I also love the usage of a variety of cream-spectrum buttons in place of stars, it makes it more rustic looking which is very cute!
http://littlemonkeyscrochet.com/americana-pillow/

Americana Pillow—by Anita Elmore of ASE Keep’n CreativeI love throw pillows because they can really turn around the look of your couch and can be that extra touch that your blanket needed to look complete on the divan! Sized to fit pillow foam, this piece is 7”x11”, this pillow adds some different dimensions in sizing for your pillow needs! I appreciate the simplicity of the design and think that it’s lovely.
http://aseknc.blogspot.com/2011/12/americana-pillow-free-crochet-pattern.html

USA Afghan—by Lion Brand YarnsWho doesn’t love stripes? (I don’t think you’d be looking at a post about stars and stripes if you didn’t, right??) This afghan’s got the stripes you’re looking for in all the right places—everywhere! Made from their Hometown USA yarns and using a size P crochet hook, this is a nice and squishy blanket! This ingenious blanket takes the red, white, and blue, and transforms them into a different fresh design that still resonates with traditional Americana quality.
http://www.lionbrand.com/crochet-kit-usa-afghan.html

Flag Afghan—by Lion Brand YarnsLion Brand just gets it with these great designs on these afghans! Made from their Heartland variety, it gives you a finer texture to the blanket. I have to say I’m in love with the ripple stitch they decided to use in this pattern! Also, I’m a sucker for simplicity in the stars! All 50 states are great, but I love the dressed-down appearance of blankets with a variance in the number of stars.
http://www.lionbrand.com/crochet-kit-flag-afghan.html

American Waves Throw—by Marianne Forrestal for Red Heart YarnsI love the kind of zany quality of this pattern! If you haven’t seen the Americana colorway for their Super Saver line, then you’re missing out! (Americana is a self-striping yarn and, if you pace out your stitches right, small American flags show themselves in the fabric!) This self-striping yarn makes for a really fun burst of design in a very soft ripple stitching.
http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/american-waves-throw

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Welcome!

July 2, 2017 No Comments

Hello, I’m so glad you’re here! And I’m glad to be here!

My name is Gilliane and I’m a crochet and loom knitwear designer! I’ll be here, sharing my ideas, patterns, and inspiration for crafting, crocheting, and loom knitting! I appreciate the new challenges that every project has to offer and want to share the adventure with you, the reader! I have been loom knitting for nearly 4 years, crocheting for a year and a half and, while I still have a lot to learn, I also have a lot to share!

I take lots of dorky pictures, but this is what I look like

I started loom knitting as a stress reliever and compiled a lot of projects that I didn’t know what to do with, so I launched an Etsy in October 2013 to make a go of online selling!

I developed it into my microbusiness, friends began requesting items for the holidays, and I started attending craft fairs! The craft fair attendance has been quite a learning experience, which I will post more about, don’t worry! But there is definitely a learning curve, and I’m still learning.

My crafting brings all the boys to the yard

My desire to learn crochet came from something simple: I wanted to make a bikini top. So I went to the place everyone goes to for information: The library. Google.
And on Google, I found lots of information I hadn’t really looked for before, and developed a new craft love! Some of my early projects were incredibly ambitious for a beginner: this American flag afghan

I got daunted by the piece and didn’t complete it for over a year, so the row endings are off, but the stars are perfect

and crocheting this costume piece for a cosplay I had planned for San Diego Comic Con.

I was so proud of this costume! I cosplayed as Linkle from the Legend of Zelda franchise

I believe that crafting is an ongoing endeavor and you always learning new things, new techniques and patterns. The great thing is that new challenges might sound daunting at first, but don’t compare to the sense of accomplishment you feel when you bind off that project! I’m here for the adventure and the experience, and hope you will join me.

Love,
Gilliane