Crochet Hair Scrunchie

I'm so addicted to Pinterest.... repining everything and telling myself that I'm gonna try this and that one day, but that "one day" seldom comes.... : p

The tutorial can be found here http://lovestitches.blogspot.se/2012/03/tutorial-crochet-scrunchie.html for those who are interested to give it a try.

This is my version with added beads.  And the best part is that it can be done within an hour! (or less if you're a fast crocheter and you do not have dirty toddler to chase around and clean...)

I'm now gonna rummage my daughter's room for more elastic bands! 

Winding a Center-Pull Ball of Yarn by Hand!

I'm sure for those of you who knit or crochet, you must have experienced this frustration before.  After spending days on a project, you realized that you need to take it apart and re-do it, or you have lumps of left over yarns from previous projects and they're just all tangled up and lumpy together with the rest of their left over friends....

You know what? I found the great solution to these!  Thanks to the kind people at Lion Brand, organizing yarns is no longer a headache! (sorry this sounds so "commercial"! : p) Not only that, now you can wind your own center-pull yarn ball every time you get your new yarn, the ball will not roll or tumble around so much coz it's pulled from the center!

Go on now! Click on the link and learn this new trick!

http://blog.lionbrand.com/2012/07/13/keep-yarn-organized-learn-how-to-wind-a-center-pull-ball-by-hand/

After winding my first one, I realised that this could be made easier with a slight twist or two.

Make a slip knot and hook it onto a fairly good size crochet needle. (I use a 4mm one.)

Then I held the crochet needle together with another good size knitting needle (I use a 5mm.)...

And then I wrap the yarn around both needles.

Making criss cross with the yarn around both needles now and then....

Imagine you're wrapping the yarn around a ball...

Keep wrapping your yarn, put on sometime good on tv or listen to the radio... However, doing this and trying to chase your 2 year-old to stuff dinner down his throat is not such a good idea... =.="

Once your yarn is almost done, tuck the remaining tail (the one which you have been using to wrap around) secure under a few rounds of yarn.  Then I pull out the knitting needle first.  Then I pull out the crochet needle with the slip knot carefully, making sure that I don't get other yarns on my way out.  

And I don't pull the yarn (with the slip knot) all the way out, I left the beginning end still tuck inside the ball, so when I need to use it I just need to pull it out.

Alternatively, you can cut a piece of straw so it fits your crochet needle, like this.

If you use the straw then there is no need to use the knitting needle, you can start wrapping away with the crochet needle in the straw and pulling the slip knot over will be a breeze later!

There you have it! Easy isn't it? Now bring out all your left over yarns and happy wrapping!

Anniversary Gift

This year is our 7th wedding anniversary and as always I was wrecking my brain regarding what present to get for hubby.  Being a poor thrifty housewife, I can't afford the latest or coolest technical gadgets which hubby is interested in, so I'd have to kill some brain cells to come up with something that is not so expensive and creative.  Being a Pinterest-addict, I've seen many creative ideas and this is what I made!

I cut out the map of Singapore and pin the place where we first met with a glittery heart.  I wanted to print it out on black paper with gold font but I guess my color cartridge in the printer was in holiday mood and wasn't working like it should, so I had to settle for the second best.  It turned out pretty alright anyway!