Marci Senders

Seeing Stars

I was asked by a fellow blogger, Jillian, to participate in a Holocaust Memorial she was making with her sons. She is collecting stars. I thought it was a good cause and I am always up for a challenge. I had been wanting to test out the Celestine Crochet Star pattern from Berroco and thought this was the perfect opportunity. It is to be made with self-striping sock yarn. My concept was to use the colors found in a flame. It is a little abstract, I know. I used two colors per point and I rotated the combinations. The yarn I used was mostly baby yarn that was gifted to me so it looks more like a toy than the work of art I was hoping to create. Because I crocheted with two yarns together, it turned out much larger than I hoped. The final size is 1' X 1'.  Never the less, it is off to the memorial
to shine as bright as a crocheted star can.

My Crocheted Coral

   

I lately had become obsessed with the Hyperbolic Crocheted Coral Reef Project. I went to a Crochet Guild meeting to learn how to create them. The brain coral is created by crocheting in the round and continuing to increase, a lot! I ended up making six pieces. I tried to make some larger pieces and I really made a nice dent in my stash. I had a lot of yarn that was gifted to me...well its going in the show now! Yesterday I went to help put the pieces together and to take photos. Of course, my battery died on me so the photos were taken with my cell phone. I kind of like them, they look like I took them underwater.  Some of my pieces were already put into clusters like the top picture. They look really cool when they are all put together. The red one wasn't sewn into a "reef" yet....someone suggested ir would make a great sofa pillow.

Here is the exhibit info:

New York University "Broadway Windows" (NYC, NY)
In conjunction with the New York Institute of the Humanities and the Steinhardt School at NYU, a selection of the IFF's most complex and delicate sub-reefs will be on exhibition in the Broadway Windows space - across the road from historic Grace Church (at the corner of Broadway and 10th Street). The exhibition will include the Bleached Reef, the Branched Anemone Garden, and the Ladies Silurian Reef.

            

Forthcoming, April 5th - May 18th 2008

            

Location: Broadway Windows, at the corner of Broadway and 10th St.

            

http://www.nyu.edu/pages/galleries/home/index.html

            

World Financial Center, Winter Garden (Battery Park City, NYC)
As a sister exhibition to the Broadway Windows site, a second exhibition of IFF crochet corals will be staged at the World Financial Center, Winter Garden. On display here will be the IFF's yarn-and-plastic-extravaganza, the Toxic Reef. The Winter Garden show will mark the debut appearance of the Rubbish Vortex crocheted entirely from used plastic shopping bags by IFF Australian contributor Helle Jorgensen, and The Other Crochet Reef by the mysterious Dr Axt. On display will also be a large cloud of plastic jellyfish forms by Irish contributor Inga Hamilton, Cambrian Explosion forms by Aviva Alter, hyperbolic octopii by Helen Bernasconi, and beaded hyperbolic marvels by Rebecca Peapples and Sue Von Ohlsen. The WFC show will also debut the New York Reef, currently under construction, and will see the New York premier of the Chicago Reef. This exhibition is presented by arts>World Financial Center, in conjunction with the New York Institute of the Humanities at NYU.

            

Forthcoming, April 5th - May 18th 2008  (The New York Reef and Chicago Reef will remain on display through August 31)

            

Location: World Financial Center Winter Garden (beside staircase)
220 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10281

            

Why Suffer for Fashion?

Last week I started telling the story of my mittens and how the mitten pattern became a model for an arm warmer pattern I wanted to develop. I wanted to keep the pattern really simple, knowing that I need to make two. Whatever I did seemed to work since she loves them and they fit her really well! I hope to get pics of her wearing them.  I have one happy customer even with all of her requests.

So here were my rules:
• Had to extend above the elbow
• Needs to be tight enough that it doesn't fall down
•  Couldn't make her wrists look fat (This rule caused this patten to be out of the question. In order for the ribbing  to fit around the upper arm, the wrist would be too wide.)
• It could be too bulky so she can work in them
• Had to match her wardrobe*
• Had to have a thumb, not just a thumb hole

*Most important!

It was a tall order, but I love challenges like this. I ended up making two, the second was for my co-worker's cousin. I think I came up with a great solution, if I do say so myself! The pattern was practically rewritten completely, I kept the ribbing and I am keeping it to myself. I wanted to keep it really simple since I had to make two.  They really aren't my thing, I just don't think I can carry them off but I am hoping to have more "orders" in the future. Soon, all the kids will be wearing them. Oh...the was 1988!

I made sweaters to match...

 

It's Only a Test

I was asked to make a pair of arm warmers for a co-worker. She decided she'd rather suffer for fashion and still wear her favorite short sleeve shirts in cold weather. She ended up wearing tube socks that were made into arm warmers. Which is a cool concept, but in this case, not very attractive. After my harassment, she commissioned me to make her two pairs, one for her and the other for a cousin. For inspiration, I pulled out my favorite mitten pattern. I had been planning on making a pair anyway to match my hat and scarf (which I still have yet to post)....it was a good excuse. Stay tuned for pics of the arm warmers!   

Meant to Be Baby Blanket

Here is the baby blanket I feel like I have been making forever. The pattern is called Baby Blanket in Shells and Clusters. It turned out to be half the size then I wanted it to be, its about 2.5 in. X 4. The stitches just ate the yarn. I didn't master the pattern as much as I would have liked....one of the side is a bit curvy. The scalloped border hides it a little. It was fun to make and I loved working with the Wiggles TLC yarn that creates these colorful loops! I am just happy Barakah Life Handmade extended her deadline. The blanket is going to a good home. Read more here.

Snow's Coming

There is suppose to be a storm tomorrow. I'm all set with my new hat. I actually made it a couple of weeks ago. I just didn't have a chance to post it. I have been on a real crochet kick lately. Honestly, I have been on a craft group kick lately and crochet projects are the easiest to haul around. It's been a really great way to see Brooklyn too. I guess that's why I haven't been posting that much. Oddly enough it's because I've been productive!

Here I am as the model. The hat is great because its thick but its on the bigger side so it keeps me warm and doesn't smush my hair. That's very important when you have a full head of curls. The pattern is my own design. I made the ribbing first. I sewed it together to form a band and then crocheted up to make a big tube. Then I stitched up the top by folding it into an X and then stitched up the corners so there wouldn't be any points. There's more crochet madness to come, I just can't post it all at once...I'll spare you!

New Mommy Slippers

I'm exhausted so I'm going to keep this really short...I made these for her, who had himand met today. He's adorable!

Stepping Away from My Computer...for Charity

After posting everyday the month of December, I have to say, it was a great experience. It was really good for me to put deadlines on my personal projects so I would have things to post. And, I ended up starting and completing more artwork then I had intended to create over my break. If you haven't tried it before, or even just work on a project everyday, you might feel drained at times but at the end it is a great sense of accomplishment. See Christine Clemmensen's Dear Diary or Shiso Mama's Collage a Day. I don't think it means you need to do something everyday...I just think it is important to have the intent.
So now that I have made more things that I need or can fit in my apartment, I am going to follow Futuregirl's lead and make a baby blanket for charity. So as my personal challenge I am making this Baby Blanket in Shells and Clusters. It's not very difficult, but the pattern is somewhat intense. I am 1/3 through. I need to finish by the end of the month. If I miss the deadline, unfortunetly, I am sure there are other charities I can send it to.

Mini Crochet Sweater Tutorial!

Since the whole idea of the sweaters was to use up leftover yarn, I created a template instead of writing out a pattern. This way, I could use different weights of yarn and the sweaters would more or less come out the same size. When yarn ran out, I changed colors creating interesting designs. See more example here. For this example, I used an E hook and Sugar 'n Cream cotton.

Template

This template is at actual size. To make your own, fold a piece of paper. The fold being the top of the sweater, cut a sweater shape at the desired size. At the middle of the fold, cut a slit to show the placement of the neck hole. When cutting your template, please make sure your arms are the same length. Unfold the template and lie flat.

Starting the Sweater

Starting at the bottom left corner of the sweater, make a chain the width of the template, add one chain and turn. Please leave a long enough tail to sew one side together at the end. Sc to the end of the row, ch 1 and turn. Repeat until you need to start the right arm.

Arms

Instead of turning, chain the length of an arm, chain one and turn. (Make a note of how many chains you made so your other sleeve will be the same length.) Sc the chain and width of the body of the sweater. At the end, make a chain the same length as the right sleeve (making sure to include the extra stitch) and turn. Sc until you need to start the neck hole. Be sure to ch 1 and turn at the end of each row. If your arms look uneven, don't worry, that will be resolved when it gets sewn together.

Neck Hole

OK, here is where the math comes in. Count the stitches between the beginning of the arm and where you want the neck hole to start. Now subtract the number from the remaining stitches. That is the amount of chains you need to do to make sure your neck whole is in the middle of your sweater and your arms are even. Skip the same amount of stitches as your chain. Sc in the next stitch and cont. to the end of row, ch 1 and turn. Sc as many rows as you need to match the template, ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.

Sweater Back

Going by your template, sc just the width of the body of the sweater, matching the front, stopping at the sleeve, ch 1 and turn. Counting in from the other side, sc to the end of the body of the sweater stopping at the sleeve on the other side, ch 1 and turn. Sc the rest of the body. Stop at the top right corner of the template. Make sure your tail is at the bottom left. Leave enough yarn to sew the other side, cut and pull the yarn through.

Sewing Sweater Together

Fold the sweater in half, with the neck hole at the top. Using your tails, sew each side and the arms. Do not sew your arm holes, make a knot and weave in your ends. Congrats, you have a mini sweater!

(I made my own wire hangers and decorated them as desired.)

This is my first tutorial ever, so if there are any problems, please let me know!

Have fun!

Pretty Pink Blanket

One more project can be checked off from my very long "To Do" list. I finished this blanket this morning and it is so cuddly that I have my window open so I can be cold enough to use it. I actually made it for a chair I bought but it still hasn't come yet. Just so happy that it looks great and it is one more completed project!
I got into Ravelry, which apparently has a long waiting list. I signed up as soon as I heard about it. I wasn't really sure at the time what it is. All I knew was that it was a place for knitters and crocheters and I assumed there would be plenty of cool projects to see. This will be my first project I am going to post...I am very excited about it!