I know its been a minute since I've had an update...sorry about that, things have been crazy!!  I am dropping in today with good news though!  Starting tomorrow you can use the code COLCANNON in my Etsy store to take 50% off of anything and everything in there!  Holy cow!!

This is the last sale of the season, and also your last chance to get ahead for next winter.  After Sunday I am putting the online store on vacation because once spring hits no one wants winter wear and I don't blame them!  I will still be posting updates on the things I'm working on year round though so you won't have to miss me!

Also, have you signed up for my mailing list yet?  If you had you would have known about this sale yesterday and had special access to shop early...think of all the great stuff you may have missed if you didn't know!  Don't let this happen again, sign up right here!

i skipped last week's post...you may have noticed!  I've been busy, I didn't have much to report, blah blah blah.  I would say I probably still don't have much to report, but I have a few things in the hopper I can share!  First I did finish a project.  This was my "purse project"...I try to always keep something small going in my purse so I'm never without something to do!

I made this with Plymouth Yarn "Neon Now" and I am absolutely in love with it!  I just used a basic block stitch (modified granny stitch, sometimes its also called a brick or box stitch I think) and then when it came to the edging I came across the instructions for this adorable pom pom fringe!

Now as I mentioned I had finished up my "purse project" so I needed to start a new one!  I had picked up a skein from a local hand dyer at a maker market before the holidays that I had been dying to get started on, so I finally found a good project for it! 

Hopefully I have more fun stuff to show you next week, but I will definitely have a new pattern to throw your way in March!  That will likely be the last free pattern until fall unless I can think of something to make for the warm months, but the weather won't stop me from working on all kinds of stuff!!

Hello!  I hope your week is going well!  What have you done this week to spread love around you or to light your own light?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments or on my Facebook!  I have a maker market this weekend, the Valentine Gypsy Market, where I will be selling my little hearts (shown last week) with the proceeds going to charity!

And now, as I'm sure you've all been so eagerly awaiting...its time for my second pattern to be published!  Yay!!!  (Please imagine a gif of Kermit waving spastically here)

This is the companion piece to the Spectrum Slice Scarf that I showed you last month!  With 2 Caron Cakes you can get both of these pieces if your gauge is similar to mine.  Of course you could substitute any worsted weight yarn and still have a lovely outcome! I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

This pattern is not sponsored by Caron or Michaels, I just like the product!  You will see affiliate links below but an ad free PDF version is available in my Ravelry Store for $2.00!

Materials:
Hook Size: US J/ 10 (UK 4; 6.0mm)
Yarn: Caron Cakes Rainbow Sprinkles (1 Skein)
Notions: Tapestry needle
Stitches Used:

• sc
• dc
• fdc (foundation double crochet)
• sc2tog
• dc2tog
  

Gauge:

• Gauge is not crucial on this project but to achieve the size that is shown here make a swatch as follows:
  • 16fdc
  • Follow the pattern repeat below with no decreases (rows 1-4) twice
  • Swatch should be 5"x5"

Finished Piece Measurements:

• Approximately: 60" x 17" (at widest part)
  

Leave a tail at the start at least 12” long; 10 fdc; (or chain 12, dc in 3rd chain and across, 10dc); turn

Row 1: ch 2 (does not count as a dc), 2 dc in 1st st; 1 dc in each dc across; 2 dc in last st; turn
Row 2: ch 3,  sk 1st dc; dc in next dc; *ch 1, sk 1 dc, dc in next dc* across; turn
Row 3: ch 1 (does not count as a sc), 2 sc in 1st dc; sc in each ch1 and dc across; 2 sc in ch 3 spot; turn
Row 4: ch 3,  sk 1st sc; dc in next sc; *ch 1, sk 1 sc, dc* across; turn

Row 5-48: repeat rows 1-4 11 times
Row 49: ch 2 (does not count as a dc), 1 dc in 1st dc; 1 dc in each dc across; 1 dc in last dc; turn
Row 50: ch 3,  sk 1st dc; dc in next dc; *ch 1, sk 1 dc, dc* across; turn
Row 51: ch 1 (does not count as a sc), 1 sc in 1st dc; sc in each ch1 and dc across; 1 sc in last dc; turn
Row 52: ch 3,  sk 1st sc; dc in next sc; *ch 1, sk 1 sc, dc* across; turn
Row 53: ch 2 (does not count as a dc), dc2tog dc in 1st dc & 1st ch 1; 1 dc in each st across; dc2tog in last dc and ch1; turn
Row 54: ch 3,  sk 1st dc; dc in next dc; *ch 1, sk 1 dc, dc* across; turn
Row 55: ch 1 (does not count as a sc), sc2tog in 1st dc and ch1; sc in each ch1 and dc across; sc2tog in last ch1 and dc; turn
Row 56: ch 3,  sk 1st sc; dc in next sc; *ch 1, sk 1 sc, dc* across; turn

Row 57-100: repeat rows 53-56 11 times
Row 101: repeat row 53
Row 102: dc in each dc across (10 dc)

Break yarn and fasten off leaving a tail at least 12” long.  Fold ends in thirds and sew together (like a gather).  I do fold so that the end looks like a “W” or a Z-fold letter.  Weave in Ends

Finishing: Make 2 pom poms with remaining yarn and affix to each end.  The one shown used the Clover Pom Pom maker size Large (the blue one that makes 3 3/8” diameter); this meant going into a 2nd skein of Caron Cakes so if you want to keep to one skein you can make smaller poms or do tassels instead.  If you want the big pom poms, but don’t know what to do with the remaining yarn of the 2nd skein, please see my Spectrum Slice Scarf pattern, they are companion pieces to use a total of 2 skeins together!

If you are on Ravelry please give this new kid on the block a favorite and add it to your queue!  And if you make one I'd love to see photos!  I'd be so tickled to see one made in every colorway!

Here is my pattern testing variation in Bumbleberry!  The purples are so pretty!

If you don't feel like making your own scarves the samples shown here are up for sale now on my Facebook and at least one more colorway will go up for sale soon, be the first to know about these sample sales and all the other fun things I'm doing by signing up for my mailing list!  I will never send more than once a week and you'll like it I swear!

You guys, its crazy out there!!  I feel like every morning I look out my metaphorical window and see a new type of goblin army marching by!  It feels like there's not much that we can do to make a noticeable change, as you can't see a river slowly erode a mountain, but that doesn't mean that the love we put out in the world isn't working.  It is, it is small, and it is slow, but it is working and as long as we keep it up I believe we will see it.  Sometimes all we can do is brighten our own little corner and hope that our light leads someone else to turn on their light until there is more light than dark!

Fortunately my method of stress relief is also my way to brighten my corner...by turning yarn into pretty things!  I'm working out new ways for those things to help bring love to others, but until I get that all fleshed out, I'm just trying to keep moving.  As usual I'm working on like 100 different things, but one of the things I really wanted to accomplish in 2017 was to participate in a Crochet-A-Long.  For those that don't know what that is, its a hosted pattern that people from all over work on at the same time and compare what they have come up with.  Sometimes the patterns come out all at the beginning, sometimes its a mystery what the finished piece will be.  I have chosen one that is an afghan that will be made up of different squares, the patterns for those squares are released every 2 weeks all year long.  Here is the link to it, it is hosted by Moogly!

I have just caught up on the first 2 squares.  I was a bit behind as I was slow to order yarn.  I picked these colors because they will match my guest room perfectly!  I'm very excited about how they have turned out so far!  I have not yet blocked these, and I've not tucked in my ends on the one on the right obviously!

As I am me and I don't go halfway, I couldn't choose just one colorway and be done with it!  I also felt like I needed one made in colors inspired by Memphis Design pop art of the 80s.  I love how the first square has turned out (what looks black is actually navy blue) and the 2nd one is coming along nicely!

Something else I've been working on are these little hearts.  They are a Twinkie Chan pattern (of course) and I've been making them in Lion Brand Ice Cream baby yarn.  I love how they are coming out such fun color patterns!  I plan to sell these with proceeds going to charity at my next live sale which is right before Valentine's Day.  (You can find out more about that on my Where To Find Me page)

Please let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page how you are brightening your corner of the world!  We all need to fan the flames of good right now!

To keep up with all of my goings on and to find out where I will be live at craft shows, please subscribe to my mailing list!

Good morning!  (or good whatever time of day you happen to be reading this!)  As I mentioned last week, I'm having a sale, clearing out my sample and one of a kind items!  This will likely be something I will do periodically, so keep an eye peeled!  I have made an album featuring the sale items on my Facebook, so if you don't already follow me there, you should!  You will be able to find all of the items over there in this album, but here is a sample of what you will see!  If you are interested in any of these or the pieces on Facebook email me at darkhumorgirl@gmail.com!

Did you know that even if you are the very first person reading this and you immediately went to my Facebook album, you have already missed some of the items I had for sale?  "How can that be??" you might ask...well, its because you didn't sign up for my mailing list and there was totally a sneak peak!  Mailing list subscribers had 24 hours to shop the sale ahead of the public, and they scooped up some items before it all went live!  Boy, I'd sure hate for this to happen to you again!  You should definitely take this opportunity to sign up for the mailing list right now!