2015 Stash Bust for Charity, Early April Update

Posted on April 11, 2015 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Bears and Hats and Hats and Bears

The Cubed Hat with alternate striping.—–>

This past week my boys been on spring break so we decided to take a quick road trip to Tennessee and Alabama. The road trip was fun and we saw some great sites. Raccoon Mountain, Cathedral Caverns, Russell Cave National Monument and Little River Canyon National Preserve. Whenever we road trip my husband does most of the driving. This gives me lots of crochet time. This is good because as mentioned in my last post, Pat, with 12 months = 24 hats challenged me to hat-off. We are competing to see who can make more hats for Halos of Hope this month. In addition to hats, I’m making bears for Team Lewis. Lots to crochet in April!

I decided to make a Cubed Hat as my first hat for this challenge as my husband wears his Cubed Super Slouchy a lot and I thought it would be nice to make one for donation. Halos of Hope always seems to need hats for men. My intent was to make a Cubed Hat, Super Slouchy but apparently I picked up the pattern for the Cubed Hat, Relaxed Beanie! Whoops! About 80% into the hat I realized I was making a beanie. Oh well. The good thing about this error was I had enough green yarn to make a second beanie. I used the same pattern but adjusted the striping. My husband really liked the color combination so it looks like I’ll be making him one as well.

The bears are a lot of fun to make. Team Lewis is a sweet organization, please check it out.

It’s been a busy month so far! The two hats and three bears weigh 12.25 ounces.

Total hats made in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date: 6

Total bears made in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date: 3

Total weight of yarn used in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date: 1 pound, 4.5 ounces!

Crochet to do list and a hat challenge

Posted on April 3, 2015 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Hats, and Lists and Bears, Oh MY!

Hats for Halos of Hope; bears for a sweet charitable project called Team Lewis I just found out about and has a very special meaning to me; a new design currently in progress; new design ideas I’m dying to get started on; the CGOA Master Crochet Program I’m determined to start and finish in 2015; and EYEBALLS, gotta have more eyeballs in lots of colors. So much to crochet and so little time.

cotton and cotton blend yarn stash for charity crochet

How many hats and bears will this yarn make?

What do you do when you can’t decide what project to crochet first? Do you have multiple WIPs going at once, skipping from one project to another or do you just crochet as fast as possible to finish one item and then move onto the next?

Me, I’m a list girl. Growing up I remember my dad making lists. They’d be in the corner of his desk blotter with the items crossed out as completed. I don’t remember or know what the lists were for, “to do” lists of some sort, but I can still visualize them on his desk in the house I grew up in. I guess that is why I make lists for everything. I make them at work, I make them at home. I make lists for my kids of chores to do when school is out and my husband and I have to work. I make lists for the grocery shopping (sectioned into quadrants: grocery, non-food, cold stuff and produce). And I make lists of items to pack for when we go on vacation. Lists for everything!

See UPDATE below! ~~So here’s my list of crochet items I plan to stitch in April. I tend to get bored making too much of one thing so I have to mix it up a little. I’m going to try to stick to it and in order…~~

~~1) Finish WIP hat for Halos of Hope~~
~~2) 2 bears for Team Lewis~~
~~3) Cotton hat for Halos of Hope~~
~~4) Work a night or two on WIP design~~
~~5) 2 more bears for Team Lewis~~
~~6) Work a night or two on WIP design~~
~~7) Cotton hat for Halos of Hope, ship all hats made to date~~
~~8) 2 more bears for Team Lewis, prepare for shipping~~
~~9) Finish brown eyeball~~
~~10) Start that new design you want to do so badly!!~~

UPDATE: After drafting this post but prior to publishing, I received a challenge from Pat. She bet me 2 skeins of cotton yarn that she could make more hats for Halos of Hope this month than I can. I say GAME ON! I may have to tweak the order of my crochet to do list a bit due to this new development and pick up in May what I don’t get to this month. Halos of Hope is such a great organization so I want to make as many hats as possible. Also, I want to WIN! And I do want to make at least 6 bears this month as they need to be in the mail by the end of the month.

Revised list
1) 6 bears then as many hats as physically possible.

Looks like my crochet time will be spent mainly on hats and bears. And it looks like we may be eating a lot of frozen dinners this month. Less time cooking = more time crocheting! So much to crochet, so little time.

Enough Snow Already

Posted on March 6, 2015 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Seriously? More snowy yuckiness?

I had just stepped out of the shower when I received the call that my boys’ school had a two-hour delay, what? Thor (is that the name of the latest winter storm?) was only supposed to bring us some nighttime lows. Shortly after that call, I received a text that my job, the local university, had a one hour delay. Universities aren’t so quick to close or delay, so I figured that warranted a look outside and sure enough, there was snow on the ground. It was only a dusting and I can’t really complain as I know other southern areas got a lot of snow and northern areas will receive even more, but still, enough is enough!

Spring will be here in TWO WEEKS! so in celebration of warmer days ahead, I’m offering my Waiting for Spring, Flapper Hat at 50% off for the next week. Use coupon code EnoughSnow2015 at checkout, Ravelry purchases only, expires 3/15/2015 midnight EST. This is an awesome hat for young ladies in sizes to fit American Girl doll/preemie to small teen/preteen (approx. 12.25-20.5″ head circumference). Crochet yours in aran/heavy worsted cotton for warmer days ahead or acrylic or wool for the colder days that continue to linger.

Why delay school with only a dusting? Georgia isn’t equipped to handle snow or ice. Our best winter mess removal tool is the sun. See this post for more info on the lack of snow preparedness in Georgia.

2015 Stash Bust for Charity, Early February update

Posted on February 7, 2015 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Fun Fur Silliness, Phase One

My last post stated “I’ve got some funky fun fur that needs to used…” and this is the result of the first fun fur hat in 2015. It’s pretty stretchy and should fit most about 8 years old and up. I’m hopeful it will find a home to someone with a unique sense of humor. This hat weights 2.25 ounces.

Total hats made in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date: 4

Total weight of yarn used in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date:
8.25 ounces

Happy Puppy Hat, crochet pattern by Darleen Hopkins

2015 Stash Bust for Charity, Mid-January update

Posted on January 19, 2015 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

New Challenge for 2015

It’s a new year and therefore time for a new challenge. A couple of years ago I decided I was going to work on busting out some of my stash yarn and make hats for chemo donation. My 2013 Stash Bust Challenge was focused on a box full of Bernat CottonTots yarn. I ended up crocheting 5 pounds, 15.5 ounces of it into 32 hats for Halos of Hope or other charitable donation. I had also crocheted other hats for donation in different yarn that I didn’t include in the count. I was pretty busy with hats that year. Last year’s challenge didn’t focus on any yarn in particular, just random yarn in my stash. Last year I made 24 hats out of 5 pounds, 4.25 ounces! I must have made some pretty heavy hats!

It would seem that most of my stash yarn would be close to gone at this point. Sadly, no. I still have too many boxes of yarn. So 2015 will once again be all about working from stash yarn for charitable causes. This year’s goal will be a minimum of 24 hats and 5 pounds of yarn. I’ve got some funky fun fur that needs to used and a ton of cotton and cotton-blends that will be perfect for chemo hats. I also hope to make a lapghan or two.

Let’s start this challenge off with the first 3 hats of 2015 completed!

The first is called End’s Swell. I won this pattern in the Gift-A-Long on Ravelry last month. It is stitched with slip stitches which was totally new to me. The final result is adorable. The pattern is a great way to use up smaller leftovers without having to work in a million ends. I can see making more of these in random stripes as leftovers come available.

Next is another Divine Hat. This is a great pattern and my third one. I used Caron Simply Soft for this one. It looks great but, going forward, I’ll use thinner yarns when making this pattern. I loved it in Caron Spa.

Last is a Happy Puppy. Last month I re-worked the pattern in Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand. I also re-formatted the pattern and took new pictures. The pattern was originally written with Bernat Denim Style-a great cotton/acrylic blend. Unfortunately this yarn has been discontinued. I (of course) have a few skeins of it in my stash and found this hat partially finished. Because Denim Style is super soft and perfect for chemo hats, I finished it and will include it in my next batch of hats to Halos of Hope.

This 2015 challenge is on and off for a good start!

The three hats weigh 7 ounces.

Total hats made in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date: 3

Total weight of yarn used in the 2015 Stash Bust Challenge to date: 7 ounces

Stash Bust 2014, Final Update

Posted on December 31, 2014 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Last, but not least… but what is it?

Critter Hat

December 31, 2014 and my last hat of the year for the 2014 Stash Bust Challenge was just finished. I didn’t think I’d have time for another hat this year but then remembered this hat I had started a couple of months ago and hadn’t finished. There’s a reason I didn’t finish it…fun fur/eyelash yarn. I’m not a fan of this type of yarn but for some reason (clearance aisle a few years ago!) there are a few skeins of this stuff in my possession. UGH. There’s no pattern for this critter. I just made a hat. As it progressed it was kinda large so I added some super bulky yarn as an edging to tighten it up. Then, to use up what was left, made some ears-why not?-to create a critter of some sort. The edging part is pretty tight on Buffy’s head so I’m hoping it will fit a large child. The good news is I used up all the super bulky and the dark blue fur yarn, less than a yard leftover of each, and created a hat some child will (hopefully) like. The bad news, I have more of this fur stuff, lots more.

This hat weighs 4.25 ounces.

Total hats made in the 2014 Stash Bust Challenge: 24
Total weight of the hats made for donation in 2014: 5 pounds, 4.25 ounces!

Check back in a week or so for a new 2015 Challenge!

Stash Bust 2014, Mid December Update

Posted on December 22, 2014 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Purple Butterscotch for Halos of Hope

Here’s the second hat for December in my 2014 Stash Bust Challenge. This is the Cable and Rib Slouchy Hat from Red Heart. I really like this pattern. It uses short rows for the crown shaping and it’s pretty easy. When I was a little more than half-way through I realized I wouldn’t have enough purple yarn (Caron Simply Soft) so I added the blocks of cream to get the needed circumference. The only other modification I made was a slight adjustment to the brim. I’d like to add a pom-pom but I’m going to wait until I have a chance to crochet another Divine Hat with the remaining cream yarn as I don’t want to run short. If there’s enough cream left over, I’ll make a pom-pom for this hat. If not, it looks good as is!

This hat weighs 3.5 ounces.

Total hats made in the 2014 Stash Bust Challenge: 23
Total weight of the hats to date: 5 pounds!

Stash Bust 2014, First December Update

Posted on December 10, 2014 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Another Winter Tracks by Sarah Jane Made for Halos of Hope

I’m still plugging away at my Stash Bust Challenge. I’m beginning to realize I won’t be making 7 pounds worth of hats but that’s OK. I’ll make what I can. This is my second Winter Tracks hat, designed by Sarah Jane. The hat is written to have a brim. I was so tired and so excited to finish the hat last night that I completely forgot to add it. Oh well, I think it looks great with and without so I’m going to leave it as it. Great pattern! Gotta go, I need to get stitching…

This hat weighs 4.75 ounces.

Total hats made in the
2014 Stash Bust Challenge: 22
Total weight of the
hats to date: 4 pounds, 12.5 ounces.

Elsa Frozen hat crocheted by Darleen Hopkins https://crochetbydarleenhopkins.com/patterns/

Stash Bust 2014, Last November Update

Posted on December 1, 2014 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

Elsa and Ninja Hats for White Christmas Donation

Two more hats for donation completed in November! Whoo-Hoo! These two cuties will be donated locally. I had an almost full skein of white Red Heart Super Saver in my stash. This isn’t the best yarn for chemo hats so I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then I received notification that this year’s White Christmas has a Frozen theme. Every year the employees of the local university where I work collect A LOT of food and toys (White Christmas) for those who live in the town and are in need. So, I decided to make an Elsa hat for the collection. I’m pleased to have found a charitable use for this yarn. And because it will be worn by a child who will have hair, this yarn should be OK.

For the hat, I used my Chirp! Chirp! Tweet! Tweet! Hat Baby Bird, Chick, Bluebird, Cardinal you pick hat. I added the hair and crown.

The Ninja Turtle hat was crocheted with Red Heart Super Saver also. I hope it will go to a young boy who will have fun with it. I have a lot more of this green and I wish I had the time to make more Ninja Turtle hats. If I still have the yarn next November, I just may make another turtle or two for the collection next year.

The two hats weigh just over 7 ounces.

Total hats made in the
2014 Stash Bust Challenge: 21
Total weight of the
hats to date: 4 pounds, 7.75 ounces.

Stash Bust 2014, 3rd November Update

Posted on November 23, 2014 by CrochetByDarleenHopkins

A Gift-A-Long Hat for Halos of Hope

Two weeks ago I mentioned the Gift-A-Long that is occurring on Ravelry. This is such a fun event, please check it out. It is still going strong through Dec. 31, 2014. The participants are having a lot fun sharing their WIPs, FOs and random thoughts. You never know what you might find or learn there; lots of new designers and patterns as well as learning what Vegemite and Marmite are. I gotta try this stuff!

While searching the GAL crochet designers, I discovered this beautiful hat by Betty Fay Wallace, La Villa Lace Brim Slouch Hat, and just had to try it. I’m so pleased with the hat. I haven’t made anything like this before. It is crocheted in mercerized cotton and it is gorgeous. With three more hanks of this same yarn in my stash it is very likely I will make more of these.

This hat weighs 3.5 ounces. This is my fourth hat this month. There’s one week left in November and I have a goal to make a couple more!

Total hats made in the 2014 Stash Bust Challenge: 20
Total weight of the hats to date: 4 pounds, 4.25 ounces.

Crochet By Darleen Hopkins

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