Project stuff, the unwanted sequel.

So we're supposed to grade ourselves on the presentation out of 30 points.
I'm almost afraid to do this. I was very afraid and nervous during my presentation and I think it showed quite a bit in my presentation. I forgot to make an entire point, a large one that contributed to the bulk of  my humor and made the presentation cohesive.

So here goes my grading...

Based on the rubric, there were 5 parts: timing, visual, content, organization, and delivery. I weighted each out with content and delivery being the bulk of the points since they shine through the most.

Points: 

• Timing: 2/2 
• I gave a 2/2 because even though it felt short to me, it was probably within the 4-5 minute range. I have no real concept of time, and if I started my presentation at 12:40 and the person after my presentation's presentation was 7 minutes with questions, mine would've only been 7 including questions and set-up. If the person after me took 8, mine was 6 et cetera.
• Visual: 5/5 
• I gave myself a 5/5 because I had a powerpoint and I think it suited my needs. Although there were a total of about 5 words on it, I think that helps me drive the presentation myself and not the powerpoint. With the pulling the yarn visual, I think that it helped me bolster the visual grade.
• Content: 8/10
• I gave myself an 8/10 because I skipped over some of my content making a transition. I was really upset about it after I moved on another slide and I realized I had.
• Organization: 3/3
• Not much to it here, I had a beginning, middle, and an end so I think it is acceptable to give myself some points here (same with timing).
• Delivery: 5/10
• This is where I really lose points. In my head, it was going to be really grand and amazing, but once I got to the stage my dream fell to shambles. (Life has killed this dream I dreamed) When I practiced during the I&E period for my friends they told me it was good and all I needed to do was fix a typo in my slides, which I did. I think the thing I need to work on for next time is my delivery in front of a lot of people. I can speak quite eloquently for my friends and deliver a good presentation to them, but as soon as I get on stage or pressure is added, I fall apart. In my last presentation the same thing happened. My hands got all sweaty and my words got jumbled and I fell off script. 

23/30 

Ouch, that's like a 76%. Not good but I feel like I did a bad job compared to the other people who have presented. I wasn't the worst since I presented and I had slides (not pointing fingers). I had a script, but I didn't bring note cards and in retrospect, knowing that I get really nervous I should've prepared some. I had almost an hour before the presentation and I didn't rehearse because I was afraid to, but I think I should have. I hope the blog posts can at least bolster my grade a little. The blog is about 50-60% of the project and the project pitch is another 10% I think I can hopefully at least get a 70% overall on this project (this is not a good outcome, I was hoping for at least a 90% so I can get an A in both Gifted classes for the first time in my life. The gifted section is usually what brings my grade below an A, so I really want to get above an A on this part). I am being a little hard on myself and I hope that all these negative comments won't come through in the actual grading for the end of the quarter. I think I'd cry :'(. 

Projectish stuff, the conclusion you might not expect!

So I thought I was done with the project-y stuff. But I'm not!
I need to put in my bibliography for the last post! Woops. Since I have no followers, I have no shame in throwing in a whole post for my bibliography, especially if I put some content in here too.

To write my pattern, I looked at some patterns (none was more helpful than how to make a sphere. It's in my bibliography) and drew some schematics. The schematics are practically illegible to anybody but me, and I'm not going to waste time and put them up. I have a life too! (I know, it's pretty hard to believe for me too).

It's hard to believe this project is almost over, but it is. I present on friday and then I'll have no readers after my blog is graded... I'm so lonely.

There's my shameless content to go with this bibliography.

-----Becca

Shame:

1. Choi, Rachel. "Crochet Spot » Blog Archive » How to Make Your Own Crochet Pattern - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News ." Crochet Spot - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-make-your-own-crochet-pattern/>. 
2. Choi, Rachel. "Crochet Spot » Blog Archive » How to Crochet a Sphere - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News ." Crochet Spot - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News . N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-a-sphere/>. 
3. Crochet, Bella. "BellaCrochet: Writing a Workable Crochet Pattern: Part One." BellaCrochet. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://bellacrochet.blogspot.com/2011/01/writing-workable-crochet-pattern-part.html>. 
4. Reynolds, Garr. "How to get a standing ovation at TED." Squidoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.squidoo.com/Improving-Presentations>.
5. Stacy, Abby. "How to use up yarn leftovers with a magic ball — whip up." whip up — handcraft in a hectic world. N.p., 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. <http://whipup.net/2013/03/15/how-to-use-up-yarn-leftovers-with-a-magic-ball/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20WhipUp%20(whip%20up)&utm_content=Google%20Reader>.
6. Vardy, Mike. "How to Give an Engaging Presentation." The Next Web - International technology news, business & culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. <http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2012/09/02/here-secrets-giving-engaging-presentation/>. 
7. Wikihow. "12 Tips on How to Invent a Crochet Pattern - wikiHow." wikiHow - How to do anything. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.wikihow.com/Invent-a-Crochet-Pattern>. 

The pattern

Here's the dog pattern! I'll post pictures later, when I finish making the other legs (I only made 1 when writing the pattern, but there is ample space for the legs on the body. I made sure)

Hook size: G
Gauge: Negligible. Just keep even tension. The tighter you crochet, the smaller the dog. 

Ears (make 2)
Chain 4.
Single crochet 4, turn, single crochet 3, turn, single crochet 2, turn single crochet 1. (DO NOT CHAIN 1 BETWEEN ROWS HERE)

Legs (make 4)
Chain 2.
Single crochet 4 times in the second chain (4)
Single crochet 3 times in each stitch (12)
*Single crochet 1, single crochet 2 times in the next stitch. Repeat from * to the end of the circle. (18)
*Single crochet 2, single crochet 2 times in the next stitch. Repeat from * to the end of the circle. (24)
Do 2 rows of single crochets.
*Single crochet 5 stitches, decrease 1. Repeat from * to the end of the circle. (20)
Do 1 row of single crochets.
*Half-double crochet 4, decrease 1. Repeat from * to the end of the circle. (16)
Do 16 rows of single crochets.

Tail/Body (worked as one piece, make 1)
(Starting at tail) Chain 5
(Body) Single crochet 5 times in the second chain from the hook. (5 in a circle)
Single crochet 1 from the tail, and around (6) 
Single crochet 3 times in each stitch (18)
Single crochet 2 times in each stitch (36)
*Single crochet 3 times, single crochet 2 times in the next stitch. Repeat from * to the end (48)
back loops only
Single crochet 2 times in the next stitch, single crochet 30 stitches, single crochet 2 times in the next stitch, single crochet 16 (50)
20 rows single crochet
Single crochet 30, chain 1, turn
Do 3 more rows of single crochet with the 30 stitches.
Leave long end to sew with.
In order to do the head, fold the 30 stitches and sew the seam. There should be a rounded triangle from the 20 leftover stitches, 15 folded on the left side and 15 folded on the right. Stuff the body.

Head
Single crochet the 50 stitches from the body, decreasing one stitch at each fold. (48)
Single crochet 2 stitches into one all the way around. (24)
*2 single crochets in next stitch, single crochet in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * to end. (30)
*2 single crochets in next stitch, single crochet in next 4 stitches. Repeat from * to end. (36)
*2 single crochets in next stitch, single crochet in next 5 stitches) Repeat from * to end. (42)
Do 2 rows of single crochet. If using bead eyes, put them in here.
*decrease, single crochet in next 5 stitches. Repeat from * to end. (35)
*decrease, single crochet in next 4 stitches. Repeat from * to end. (28)
*decrease, single crochet in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * to end. (21)
*decrease, single crochet in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * to end. (14) Stuff
*decrease, single crochet in next stitches. Repeat from * to end. (7)

Finishing
Stuff the legs and sew them onto the body. Sew on the ears. Sew on eyes if bead eyes weren't used. Sew a mouth onto the head below the eyes. Make a pompom and attach it to the tail chain.

Project things, the final battle.

I've commented on Jenna F's, Brooke's, and Jess' Blogs.

RAAAAAWR I HAVE DEFEATED THIS PROJECT. (I hope) RAAAAAAAWR A+ (I hope) HERE I COME (I hope). (Please) (Pretty, pretty, pretty please)

So I would've made a creative title, but...

I would've made a creative title, but I can't figure out how to do the lyrics to the first song from the Lion King, you know, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sebenya words words words words. That's far too difficult.

You know what else is far too difficult?  Making a simba doll.

Making a Simba doll is too difficult, and I don't want to run into copyright issues. It's not the details I can't get, it's the color. So instead I'm going to make a generic puppy. He'll be cute I promise!
I have the leg, ear, and tail patterns done. I have a concept to make the body and head, that'll get done today too. The only problem is that I haven't been actually making the dog along with because I haven't had the right colors. Now I have to make the whole thing over again, even after I have the pattern done! Ugh.

So I may or may not have lied...

So I may or may not have lied about my new final project because I am a terrible person. The idea of writing a pattern seems like fun, but it's going to be difficult and I haven't started yet because I didn't finish the other slipper. (That may never get finished by the way, I need time to write my pattern and I'm pretty lazy) So I will be a one slipper person. You know, like a bum with only one shoe. (Sorry bums everywhere, some of you have 2 shoes, but I won't)

Technically I have 6 posts now so I can be "done" with the project, but no! I will keep going, maybe even after the project ends (?). I can be a teenage girl crafty blog that nobody reads and posts patterns on Ravelry and hosts give-aways and other cool stuff. Next thing you know I'll be 40 years old and posting patterns that are legit. Maybe not. Probably not.

Whatever.

See y'all (YES! I used the word y'all in a casual sentence! Take that east coast accents!) after (during?) spring break! WOOOOO VACATION!

Project things, another tragic tale

This week I commented on O'niell's blog, Jess S' blog, and Ari's blog.

Prince Charming and Hatterella

No, I didn't make a prince charming doll this week. Sorry to disappoint you Remi.

But I made a slipper and now I have to lose it so Prince Charming can find me. I mean, back in the day, I should be married by now!

(Note: I don't want to get married right now so creepy people back off please)

Really? Those are heels!

It's a little big on my feet and it's not really shaped to perfectly contour my feet like a glass slipper (which must be so painful to wear). Also, they aren't heels like Cinderella's glass "slippers"

All kidding aside, I think the slippers turned out pretty well. They may be a little ugly, but they won't fall apart and they're comfy. I probably won't wear these outside of my house that much, so nobody cares if it's ugly but me! No real problems in making the slipper (minus the fact that I only have one).

Also, this week I finished my hat. By the request of Jess, who told me there was no way I would finish my hat in time for the presentation if I didn't start at the end of last week. Well guess who's wrong? That's right, her!

Ney Ney Ney Ney Ney Ney!

 Haha, so I'm done with the hat (as you might've seen in my Vlog). The work itself was problem free, but if you look closely at it while I'm wearing it, you'll see that the eyes are offset from the center (that's fancy talk for saying it's crooked). I don't want to have to re-sew everything because that's no fun and I don't want to have random holes in my project.
I like to think it's just as cute as the owls from the blog, but who really knows for sure?
That's where you lovely readers come in (if you really exist because nobody comments on my blog )':). Vote for which one looks better!

It's up to you!






Go vote down in the comments~~~~~

I've been progressing a lot, and I'm running out of patterns that won't take me several months to finish. Since I'm running out of things to make that other people came up with. I've decided to do something I've never done before (meaning not in knitting either)...

I'm going to write my own pattern and complete it!

Aaaah! This is going to be scary and challenging, but I think I might be able to pull it off by the end of this project. Then I can really become a true craft blog (aka, crafty moms crafty blogs)

------- Becca

Reading of the week!

1. Brittain, Susan. "How to Crochet a Turning Chain - For Dummies ." How-To Help and Videos - For Dummies . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-crochet-a-turning-chain.html>.
2. Choi, Rachel. "Crochet Spot » Blog Archive » How to Crochet: Treble Crochet Stitches (tr) - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News ." Crochet Spot - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-treble-crochet-stitches-tr/>. 
3. Choi, Rachel. "Crochet Spot » Blog Archive » How to Crochet: Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS) - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News ." Crochet Spot - Crochet Patterns, Tutorials and News . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-tunisian-simple-stitch-tss/>. 
4. "Crochet Pattern Terms Differences Between British and American English." Crochet -- All About Crocheting -- Free Patterns and Instructions. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://crochet.about.com/od/conversioncharts/a/termtranslate.htm>.
5. "Crochet Things to make." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://pinterest.com/mabeline/crochet-things-to-make/>. 
6. Marshall, Sandi. "How to Crochet a Treble or Triple Stitch." Crochet -- All About Crocheting -- Free Patterns and Instructions. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2013. <http://crochet.about.com/od/learnmorestitches/ht/httreble.htm>. 
7. Shor, Peter. "etymology - When did British and American crochet terms diverge? - English Language and Usage." English Language and Usage. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/87976/when-did-british-and-american-crochet-terms-diverge>.

Return of the Project-y thing! The Vlog!

Howdy, there's not going to be much text here since this is a Vlog featuring... My face! You're all welcome for that (not really). Sit back, relax, and enjoy watching me make a fool of myself on camera for your entertainment and a good grade (PLEASE).

More project-y things that I may or may not have procrastinated a lot on

This week I've commented on Ethan R.'s Blog, Jenna F's Blog, and Brooke's Blog.

Cupcakes and a healthier alternative.

Wooo! I got another project done (despite not having this thing called "free time" which a lot of my friends have...).

If you read the title of this post, you already know what it is. It's a cupcake!

 

I'm going to just make a leap of faith and say you know which one I crocheted.



It's a little lopsided, but that's alright with me. Food can be a little crooked and still yummy. I mean, look at that other thing, it's really ugly but it is the most tasty thing I've eaten in a while. I made them on Saturday, it's Sunday now and only 4 out of the original 18 are left. What can I say? I'm a hungry kid and my mom keeps stealing some.

In my crochet adventure this week, there weren't that many snags besides not having any time to do anything between track practice and indoor drumline practice. This Tuesday I stayed at school 12.5 hours. I'm not even in the musical! Aaaah! My life is going to be like this until just about the end of April, so I am heavily reliant on my Study Hall to get work done.
Another slight snag is that I read the pattern wrong a little bit in the frilly part of the cupcake and didn't skip stitches so in part of it the frills are a little too close together, making it look more lopsided. I think I may have been accidentally increasing also, which is why the cake part leans a little bit.
The biggest snag of all is probably the fact that I found out my entire base of knowledge is a lie.

The tutorials I read and the videos I watched in the beginning of my quest told me I could use the back, front, or both loops in a stitch. 

 That means, in the V looking parts, I thought you could use one of the loops in the V to "pick up a loop" and then do the rest of the stitch from that. 

I was wrong.

In the pattern I was doing this week, it said "Sc into back loops of each st". That meant I needed to do what I was doing regularly as a special thing. I took my yarn off the hook, ripped out all of my stitches, and started over to do it the "correct" way. It wasn't a big change and I understood what I had to do instead. It was just really annoying.

I persisted, I succeeded, and look at my results! Not bad if I do say so myself. 

As per the title, I have a healthier (and more importantly, edible) alternative to cupcakes (and yarn cupcakes, which I emphasize, CANNOT BE EATEN) that aren't muffins, since everybody knows muffins are mainstream.

(Excuse my improper meme usage here but I couldn't come up with anything better)

At the top of the post there was a second picture of a thingy. I can't say it looks like a muffin or a cupcake. I used a muffin/cupcake pan so it counts. It's probably more of a granola bar thing, but it goes well with my project of the week and it was a cute idea and I'm sorry not sorry.
If you'd like the recipe, just email me because I am far too lazy to type this up if nobody is going to read it. (Who am I kidding? Nobody is going to read this anyway)
Voila.

 

UPDATE: It's Monday now, there are none of these left :(

------- Becca

Reading of the week!

1. Bagasao, Christy. "How to Convert Knit Stitches to Crochet Stitches | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_7717083_convert-knit-stitches-crochet-stitches.html>. 
2. Blakesley, Kim. "How to Convert Crochet to Knit | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_8619431_convert-crochet-knit.html>. 
3. Contributor, eHow. "How to Choose the Right Crochet Hook | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_4561186_choose-right-crochet-hook.html>. 
4. Gilbank, June. "PlanetJune by June Gilbank » how to make a magic ring in crochet [video]." PlanetJune by June Gilbank, crochet pattern designer. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. <http://www.planetjune.com/blog/how-to-make-a-magic-ring-in-crochet-video/>. 
5. Gilbank, June. "PlanetJune by June Gilbank » Magic Ring (left-handed)." PlanetJune by June Gilbank, crochet pattern designer. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. <http://www.planetjune.com/blog/tutorials/magic-ring-left-handed/>. 
6. "Is the gauge important for crochet? - Yahoo! Answers." Yahoo! Answers - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100708153544AAGyJdp>. 
7. Kachmar, Alicia. "How to Crochet: The Magic Adjustable Ring." CrochetSpot. N.p., 10 July 2010. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. <www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-the-magic-adjustable-ring/>. 
8. Knit Simple. "Learn to Crochet | Understanding Instructions | Knit Simple Magazine." Winter 2012 | Knit Simple Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.knitsimplemag.com/node/30>. 
9. Mom, Sarah. "Repeat Crafter Me: Crochet Owl Hat Pattern in Newborn-Adult Sizes." Repeat Crafter Me. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. <http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2012/09/crochet-owl-hat-pattern-in-newborn.html>. 
10. Petals to, Picots. "Petals to Picots Crochet: How to Crochet a Magic Ring." Petals to Picots Crochet. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. <http://www.petalstopicots.com/2011/11/how-to-crochet-magic-ring.html>. 
11. Solovay, Amy. "How to Slip Stitch in Crochet." Crochet -- All About Crocheting -- Free Patterns and Instructions. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. <http://crochet.about.com/od/learntocrochet/tp/how-to-slip-stitch-in-crochet.htm>.
12. Wyden, Genevieve Van. "How to Choose Yarn for Crochet | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_4452209_choose-yarn-crochet.html>. 

The nightmares of scheduling.

Although scheduling has been against me, I have found time to talk to all my pretty followers and readers. Hi! Right now, most of my study halls have been spent reading Les Miserables or reading for this project. I'm not going to post the bibliography here because that is tedious and Ew.

Welcome to my scheduling nightmare in which I stay at school for 12 and half hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays for spring track and indoor drumline. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. That or I'll trade my sanity for luck. (Already did that I think. Woops)

Blogs to follow and other boring project-y things

So for the first week, I commented on Ari's blog, Jess' blog, and Ashley's blog.
(Yes, it is nearing the middle of the second week and I am just posting this now. It was at the bottom of my second week post.)

For the second week, I have commented on Alyssa's blog (no, I don't know who she is), Jenna F.'s, and Walker's.
(Yes, this is also a little late, but scheduling has been against me.)

Quadley the Quadasquidapus

Meet my new friend Quadley! Quadley is a Quadasquidapus, the only one of his kind.

Quadley came from the Pentapus army.

<- Over here is Quadley's cousin, Pently.

During the war against the fire nation, two of Quadley's tentacles were burned off in an attack by a fire nation soldier. His fourth tentacle is growing back, but there is no hope of his fifth tentacle growing back.  In a lucky coincidence, Quadley is named after the number four and he has four tentacles now.

The real story behind Quadley is actually a little less tragic. I was originally going to make Quadley a pentapus, but I ran out of room to put tentacles. Due to my slight laziness, I did not cut the tentacles off. It would just be easier to make up a cute story about Quadley.

I need to work on gauge, one of Quadley's tentacles is a lot smaller than the others and he isn't circular shaped like he should be. I don't truly understand gauge and will need to read a lot for next week.

------------- Becca

1. " Single crochet two together (sc2tog) - Glossary - Crochet Me." Crochet Me. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.crochetme.com/glossary/single-crochet-two-together-sc2tog.aspx>. 
2. Lion Brand Yarn. "Abbreviations : What does the abbreviation 'sctog' mean? sc2tog = single crochet 2 together : Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) about Knitting and Crochet : Lion Brand Yarn." Lion Brand Yarn. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. <http://www.lionbrand.com/faq/217.html>.
3. Mulrooney, Marie. "How to Crochet a Sc2tog | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_8630310_crochet-sc2tog.html>.
   
   I have commented on Jessica Sweeney's blog, Ashley Ok's blog, and Sun Min Kim's.

Weekend yarn rampage

I've been working quite a bit so far this weekend.

After having success with a chain stitch. (The base stitch for any crochet project) As soon as I got that, stuff got a lot easier. I sat on a bus for an hour crocheting with just the single crochet stitch. (Why was I on that bus? Well if you really want to know I'll put it at the bottom.) I like to think that I'm pretty well versed in the art of the single crochet.

 (Excuse my bad photography skills. My project is crochet, not photography.)

That's a single crochet.

Sunday (today) I picked up this long thing-y (it was not intended to be a scarf, or long enough) and some red yarn and tried to do a color-change. 

 Not bad if I do say so myself. I started trying some new stitches towards the end and I have to say that it wasn't so hard.

Once I finished that thing-y, I started on something else! (Oh wow, I really need to get a life.) A circle! I can officially say I hate circles because they are just really tedious and bothersome because you have to constantly increase. You don't have to do that in knitting. I guess this means I've learned how to increase too (yay!). 

 (Look at that fancy kitchen table backdrop!)

 (some horrible close-ups)

Pardon my terrible picture taking skills. I just wanted to get all this onto a blog post so all my lovely followers can look at my progress.

To sum all this nonsense up; I've learned to do a chain stitch, a single crochet, a half-double crochet, a double crochet, basic finishing, and a circle. 

Does this mean I'm done my project and I can get an A+? 

No. I haven't tried a triple stitch or a double triple stitch (which just looks monstrous and terrifying). Most importantly, I haven't applied it into a pattern yet. Oh no!

You know what that means for the next step!

A pattern!

For my first ever pattern (in crochet). I am embarking on an adventure to make...

An octopus! 

Isn't he adorable?

Stay tuned for updates on how reading a pattern is going. (Maybe it'll even count for my reading time!) Let's see how cute I can get my octopus to be!

----- Becca

Reading sources (there are a lot this time and it hasn't even been that long since my last post)

1. Arts, Inc. Beginner's guide crochet stitches & easy projects. Little Rock, Ark.: Leisure Arts, 1999. Print. 
2. Brittain, Susan. "Crocheting in Circles - For Dummies ." How-To Help and Videos - For Dummies . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/crocheting-in-circles.html>. 
3. "Free Crochet Pattern: Amigurumi Octopus." Lion Brand Yarn. LIon Brand Yarn, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. <cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70588AD.html>. 
4. Kurtzman, Edna. "Single Crochet - Learn the Single Crochet Stitch Video." How-to Videos: How-to and DIY Videos - About.com Videos. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://video.about.com/crochet/Single-Crochet.htm>. 
5. Kurtzman, Edna. "Crochet Chain - Starting Crochet Chain Stitch Video." How-to Videos: How-to and DIY Videos - About.com Videos. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://video.about.com/crochet/Crochet-Chain-Stitch.htm>. 
6. Marshall, Sandi. "How to Make a Crochet Starting Chain." About.com. About.com, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <crochet.about.com/od/learnbasics/ss/stchain_8.htm >. 
7. Solova, Amy. "How to Change Colors in Crochet." Crochet -- All About Crocheting -- Free Patterns and Instructions. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://crochet.about.com/od/skillstechniques/tp/Changing_Colors_SC.htm>. 
8. Solovay, Amy. "Working Single Crochet in Rows - Tip for Beginners." Crochet -- All About Crocheting -- Free Patterns and Instructions. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://crochet.about.com/od/learntocrochet/ss/Single_Crochet_6.htm>. 
9. WikiHow. "How to Crochet in the Round: 8 steps - wikiHow." wikiHow - How to do anything. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-in-the-Round>.

Humble introduction post

Hey everybody it's a me, Mario! Kidding, I'm actually Becca. As a high school knitter, I've decided to switch to the dark side... Crochet.
Since some people have no idea what crochet is, and no idea how to pronounce it. Crochet is using yarn and a hook to make chains and connect them with each other with yarn. It's pronounced cro-shay not cra-ch-et. It's a lot like knitting, but different (and more confusing to me).

Here's an example of my skill so far:

(excuse my face, it's difficult to take pictures on a webcam and use all my non-existent crochet skills)

And here's what I hope to accomplish:

Wish me luck! I'm really going to need it...

You can check back here regularly for pictures of the various sub-projects I'm going to try on my 

I spent some time looking up how to do the most basic stitch, a chain stitch. I got very confused (even more so when I watched videos). To anyone out here who crochets, can somebody help me? I'm lost and confused like a puppy that is sitting on the side of the road all alone. I'm going to keep looking up tutorials, video and non-video and hope to be able to come to my next blog post with at least a chain stitch done!
--------------------
Becca

Sources of the week:

1. A blogger, Sarah. "Repeat Crafter Me: Crochet Owl Hat Pattern in Newborn-Adult Sizes." Repeat Crafter Me. N.p., 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. <http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2012/09/crochet-owl-hat-pattern-in-newborn.html>. 
2. Petals to Picots. "Crochet Lesson 2." Petals to Picots. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. <www.petalstopicots.com/2012/01/learn-to-crochet-lesson-2-getting.html >.