Gifted Gorgeousness: For Your Reading Pleasure

Hello again!  It's time again for Gifted Gorgeousness, a lovely SAL where we work on/with gifted items or items to gift.  It's fun and you can click this little button for more info:

click me!

I have nothing stitchy to show, gasp!  I do have the next pattern made for the husband cube, and I have what I think are the right colors.  It's being another of those ornery ones.  :)

bookmarks galore

Instead, I have these little things to show.  Michelle at Ozark sew n' sews had a lovely bookmark crocheted back in early February.  She could not provide the original pattern but she did locate a similar freebie one for me!  As you can see, I've had fun making them.  I thought up a way to attach them to a bit of card stock for display and shipping purposes though they can be cut off!

I did not care for the original tassel; to me it seemed like such a big knot would bulge in a book, plus the ends would fray.  So, I made a simple braid about the same "thickness" as the bookmark crocheted up.  I didn't starch any of them as I don't like the idea of starch in a book.  They are plenty stiff as is, probably helped along by the smaller hook and the deep-seated need I have to strangle all my crafts by making them as tight as possible.  :B

Technical Details

• "Fan Bookmark" pattern by Crochetroo, found here on ravelry (free).
• 1.15mm hook.
• #20-#30 crochet thread, various colors.
• Started ?, finished October 2016, approximately 1.5 hours each.

a field of pumpkins

I liked the cute Halloween bookmark pattern too although I think it might have benefited from a good blocking!  Some of the little pumpkins (yes, they are supposed to be jack-o-lanterns) have three (or four) eyes!  It is also an easy pattern though I did have to brush up on how to make a treble crochet (double treble for you Brits); I rarely use that stitch.  It's just an extra wrap at the beginning!

If anyone wants to make this pattern, please be aware there is an error in row 4.  It should read:  ch1, sc in tr, *(dc, ch2, dc) in next 2 sc, sc in 4th chain of ch7 loop*.  repeat from * to * once.  I found this out after trying to make sense of the original and running to the project page on ravelry for clues.  Thankfully there were some!

Technical Details

• "Jack-o-Lantern Bookmark" pattern by Jackie Tyler, found here on ravelry (free).
• 1.15 mm hook.
• #20? crochet thread, J&P Coats.
• Started ?, finished October 2016, approximately 1.5 hours. 

These were all made as a THANK YOU! for the lovely gifts I have received this year (and previous years cough).  I have a few more to ship off but need to confirm the addresses first.  I hope the recipients liked them and will enjoy using them!  Everyone likes books, right?! I tried to be sneaky and find out favorite colors but that didn't work out so well so I tried to match blog colors as best I could with what I had.  A few creative liberties had to be taken haha. :)

blocking - attempt #1

Not a part of GG, but here is my latest knit finish: the Kitty Prints Scarf! I started this back in November of 2015 and snacked on it ever since. I am soooo pleased it's finally done! Unblocked it measured ~7.5" x 58" (~19cm x 147cm) which is a decent length for a scarf though I usually like mine much longer so I can really wrap up.  I didn't want to buy another skein though!  I did get lucky with my second skein... It was a different dye lot, yikes! It did not show (much of) a difference when worked up though, thank goodness.

Unfortunately, this blocking did not fix the curl it has. :(   This was wet blocking though.  Steam blocking is supposed to be better for acrylics but I am still not hopeful.  Luckily it is just a scarf for me and I can still wrap up just as well in a curly scarf as a flat one!  It's the same yarn I used for the mittens and kitty hat and they were quite possibly made to match the scarf.

Technical Details

• "Kitty Prints Dishcloth" pattern by Louise Sarrazin, found here on ravelry (free).
• #6 (4.0 mm) needle.
• Yarn: Yarn Bee Soft Secrets, aqua.
• Started November 2015, finished October 3, 2016, unknown hours.

These also put me at finishes 12, 13, and 14 which may not sound like a lot to most of you speedy needles but it is the most finishes I've ever had in a year! This makes me so happy. :)

Lastly (finally)!  Because Gifted Gorgeousness is a perfect time for this: I HAVE A GIVEAWAY, YAAAAAAAAY!  And I suspect this might be a popular one.

Gifted Gorgeousness Giveaway #1 - The Prairie Schooler Book no. 45 Garden Samplers

book no. 45 - garden samplers

Gifted Gorgeousness Giveaway #2 - The Prairie Schooler Book no. 20 St. Nicholas and bonus 1988 Santa

book no. 20 - st nicholas and bonus

Gifted Gorgeousness Giveaway Guidelines

1. Be a follower (upper right corner of my blog)!  Feedly, bloglovin', etc. do not count as there is no way to show it!  I am sorry; blame blogger for this one.
2. Comment and tell me which number you would like to win!  Choices are hard, I know!
3. Open worldwide! 
4. Closing date: October 29, 2016, 23:59 CST.

I hope you can contain your excitement! I found these charts in a thrift store (charity shop) and immediately thought my blog readers would like an opportunity to stitch these.  They are all in great condition.  Garden Samplers contains three charts, each 182H x 81W.  St. Nicholas contains eight small charts at 54H x 45W.  The bonus is slightly larger at 75H x 57W and has an edit on one of the colors -- I have not checked this to see if the edit is a fix or just someone being creative!

These will be just the charts to cut down on shipping charges so I'm sorry there will be no extra goodies in with them!  I'm sure you can find something in your stash to work with.  :)

I will announce the winners on my next blog post which will occur at the end of October/beginning of November assuming life cooperates.  It sometimes does!  :D

Whew!  runs away 

I have set this post to appear in the wee hours of the morning since people on the other side of the Great Puddle are in the future.