First Published Crochet Pattern-Mittens

I have a favor to ask. If any crocheters out there read this, please try out my pattern and tell me what you think of it. I wanted a sc pattern for mittens that form fitted my hand. I have an average/large female hand. I am going to redesign the squarish tip for the main finger area but the main thing I want to know is how the thumb area looks and feels to everyone. If you are not a crocheter, below is a pic, tell me what you think. Pattern to follow pic. The pattern is still rough so if your a beginner I wouldn't recommend trying it.

My Mittens

Four Fingers

Row 1: Chain 9

Row 2: 2 sc in second chain from hook, sc 6, sc 4 in last chain, sc 6, sc 2 in last chain

Row 3: 2 sc in the first 2 st, sc 7, 2 sc in next 3, sc 7, 2 sc in the last st.

Row 4-9 sc in each st around

Row 10: sc in first st, 2 sc in next 2 st, 10 sc, 2 sc in next 2 st, 11 sc

Row 11-22: sc in each st around

Row 23: sc 4, ch 11, sk 2, sc 24

Row 24: sc 4, sc blo next 11, sc 24

Row 25: sc in each st around.

Row 26: sc 6, sc 2 tog, sc, sc 2 tog, sc 28

Row 27: sc in each st around

Row 28: sc 8, 2 tog, sc 18, 2 tog,  sc 7

Row 29-30: sc in each around.

Row 31: sc 4, sc 2 tog, sc 2, sc 2 tog, sc 2, sc 2 tog, sc 12, sc 2 tog, sc 1, sc 2 tog, sc 4

Row 32: sc 7, sc 2 tog, sc 14, sc 2 tog, sc 5

Row 33: sc 16, sc 2 tog, sc 5, sc 2 tog, 3 sc

Row 34-35: sc each st around

Chain 7 work in BLO, sc in second chain from hook, sc six, sc anchor st 2, turn, sk 2 anchor st, sc 6, ch 1, turn. Repeat for

Thumb

Row 1: sc 15 evenly around

Row 2: sc in each st around

Row 3: sc in each st around

Row 4: sc in each st around

Row 5: sc 2 tog, sc 14

Row 6: sc in each st around

Row 7: sc in each st around

Row 8: sc in each st around

Row 9: sc in each st around

Row 10: sc in each st around

Row 11: sc in each st around

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Misophonia

time to take a break from crochet.

Okay, as a person who suffers from this I can say as I hear the thump, thump, thump of the music that has been on for now 9 hours and 9 minutes, this is a miserable condition. Misophonia is real, it's not me being obnoxious or a generally angry person.
Misophonia is an auditory condition that is made up of certain trigger sounds that create a rage when heard by the sufferer. It's often called sound sensitivity but I think this term although accurate, dismisses this as a true condition. I still don't know if it's auditory or mental though in my opinion it's a bit of both.
Today as the music mentioned above played/plays I have been thinking about how it makes me feel. I feel angry, I have violent thoughts against the person playing the music although I don't know him/her and would never act on them. I have a headache. I haven't been able to concentrate all day on anything else but the music no matter how hard I have tried. I am wearing ear plugs but I still hear the music. I am trying to decide if I hear it in my head or if I am actually hearing it though. I have determined today that Misophonia is a miserable condition that causes me to avoid certain noises and people like the plague. It has changed my life in a negative way. I don't even enjoy going out to eat with friends. As a matter of fact the only real friend I have lives a few states away and I am almost friendless partly because of the Misophonia. I can't even enjoy holidays with family because of this. For example, on the fourth of July a little boy was eating crunchy food. I sat with my fingers in my ears like a disobedient child would do when they don't want to listen to their parents. Just for good measure and partly for personal therapy reasons I want to finish this off with a list of my triggers.

1. obviously, bass filled music.
2. ANY crunchy food.
3. rude people who chew like a cow chewing cud.
4.  bouncing balls
5. hammering a nail.
6. believe it or not, techno music. (repetitive beats)
7. wind chimes
8. squeaky belts on cars
9. reving engines.
10. sniffling (probably should be number one)
11. the noise people make when they suck their teeth.
12. people chewing gum
13. snoring (which has caused arguments between me and my husband
14.  forks scraping plates

and the list goes on....

But the thing is, Misophonia is not only auditory for me. I have visual triggers too and most people with this condition complain of the same thing. My visual triggers are...

1. tapping feet/knees/legs in general.
2. something barely in front of the TV screen
3. air freshners on rear view mirrors.
4. again, bouncing balls.
5. hands to close to my face.


BUT Misophonia is also not just auditory or visual.... it's also motion and sensation triggered.

1. when my husband taps his leg against mine repeatedly.
2. if the wind blows my mobile home I can't sleep.
3. if the dog pants while laying on the bed.
4. if there is a single crumb in the bed (which is why my nickname was the princess and the pea)
5. if my socks are crooked.

So really, today I realize that I'm either completely crackers or there is really something to all this. Doctors, figure this out please!

OCTOPI!

I did these with my octopus loving friend in mind. You know who you are. The pattern is by Paula Gail in her blog post titled Crochet and Octopus. Here is the link http://paulagail.hubpages.com/hub/crochetoctopus

I did change how the center part of the octopus is closed. I believe she leaves it open but since my stuff goes to children I wanted to stuff so the stuffing won't come out. So in the second row of the body I single crocheted in the front loops only which created a ridge on the inside. On this ridge I single crocheted around then closed the center with a yarn needle. This is a super fast project (less than an hour) and I think this will be my new go too for using up yarn scraps.

Three Little Dolly's

I made this one as a request from my eight year old nieces mom. My little niece is obsessed with Lalaloopsie so her mom wanted a crochet version. So I found AmigurumiBB's pattern, Oopsie Doll! She turned out really cute. I did the hair different though. It's one pony but I messed up and misread the pattern which was entirely my fault. The curls are made in one piece not five! I also didn't do the bangs. I didn't feel like she needed them.I also messed up the bow but I am happy with her for being my first one made from the pattern. I had another one with a bright blue dress and yellow pigtails but I forgot to take a picture before I rehomed her.

This next one I made for my mom for St. Patricks day. My mom's little leprechaun. I made this one based off of Sharon Ojala's pattern for Coraline. Her blog is titled Amigurumi to Go. I used a couple of pieces I bought at the Dollar Tree for decorations and added eyelashes.

This last little sweety is another I made using the My Crochet Doll book. I am feeling better about my abilities with this pattern after some practice. This is my third one from this pattern. I changed her scalp on this one and made it with the head as one piece and sewed on some bangs. I just don't like the look of scalps you have to sew on. I added some ears and a crocheted nose too.

God's Eye

I made these recently for my two butterfly lovers/cancer patients that are in my life. I liked the symbolism behind them. They are for protection.

New Kitty

First, I have been working on my own pattern for a Veil tail Betta. The body is decent but right now the Caudal fin is getting me. I hope to post it on here soon. It would be my first crochet pattern I designed myself.

Next, I made a new friend I have been calling Sassy. It's the cutest little kitten in the pounce position. I got the pattern from Amy Gaines called Amigurumi Kitten Patterns. I am really loving the pattern but I did tweak it a little. The front legs are a bit farther apart than in the pattern which I don't like all that well. The kitten looks like it's collapsed or something. I like Amy's leg position better. I also added five pipe cleaners to the tail to make it posable, it's also easier and faster using the pipe cleaners because stuffing such a small piece is a pain.

My projects from the past month

I have been making things from Sharon Ojala's patterns like crazy lately for my donation basket. I donate some of the things my family doesn't happen to snatch. Here are a few.

This is a doll I made from the book called My Crochet Doll. She was really hard to make. She took me months and months to make because I didn't understand the pattern or the assembly. The instructions aren't clear. The pattern for the clothes also had to be redesigned as I was crocheting them. But I like the book. It just isn't for beginners. If you are a beginner you will for sure mess up.  

Evolution of a Snowman Christmas 2014.

I had been trying to design my first yarn pattern by using my looms. I used a 24 peg loom and started knitting. I came up with this little guy below.

I had my husband take him to work to get some opinions and got a whole new idea based on an amazing lady he works with and came up with this guy.

I am still not happy with his arms and I will have to redesign those. I want to give him a mouth too. But, I gave the lady the first one I made since she helped me design him. She took him home and funny story... Her four year old grand daughter said I forgot the buttons down the front! So next year young lady you will get a special redesigned snowman for Christmas just for you!

Blog Restart

Okay. I am restarting my blog as a crafting blog. I need something to journal all of this stuff I am making for myself as well as my family and anyone else who wants to read. Lately I have been working on Amigurumi. It's becoming my latest obsession. Mainly dolls but I'm loving the stuffed animals too. This past week I have been working on patterns by Sharon Ojala. If your a crocheter I recommend Googling her. She is excellent, especially for beginners. So for this first post I am going to talk about a special boy doll I made for my nephew. He came to the house a few weeks ago to visit and saw that I was working on dolls for two of my nieces. I was using one of Sharon Ojala's patterns actually (Coraline) and trying to do a few different things with it. Anyways, my nephew asked me to make him a boy doll. I am not a pattern designer for crochet by any means so this was a challenge. Instead of her original jacket design I changed it to a hoodie and I cropped the hair short but messy like my nephews hair and added a hood to the back and a draw string. i don't recommend this for little kids of course since the yarn could possibly come loose and become a choking hazard. This doll has button eyes which are also a choking hazard. I hope to work on it and make a cleaner version here soon but my nephew was happy with it. Pics below.