Blue, like the moon and Christmas without you

I made three hats this weekend after a great trip to Lanas Sixto (you can read about this yarn shop here) and when I stepped back, I realized that they were all some version of the color blue!

So, even though I had a wonderful weekend and a great trip to Segovia on Monday and am feeling as happy as a circus flea, I suppose that I have to say it... "I'm feeling blue!"

One of my favorite hats is this new double pom newborn beanie, made for a custom order for my Etsy boutique!

You can find the pattern for this double pom beanie on my blog here or on Ravelry here.

I had some leftover yarn, although not enough to make a duplicate hat (which I would have loved!) so I made a striped beanie with a giant pom pom. I love how the colors progress from dark to light!

Finally, I improvised a newborn conductors cap based on an adult pattern that I used to make my very own conductors cap. More on that later, but for now, a little teaser picture!

By the way, this indigo conductors cap is still for sale in my Etsy boutique!

New Christmas Ornament Pattern for Sale!

I am definitely in the Christmas spirit and cannot wait to go home to Virginia in two weeks and celebrate the holidays with my family! It seems to me that Madrid is just bursting with Christmas decorations this year, and I was super inspired to make some cute ornaments! Here they are:

I am in love with this little stocking, wreath and snowflake, and I can't believe how easy they were to make! I finished each one in under 30 minutes!!!

I was sure to write the pattern so that every level of crocheter can enjoy. If you can work in rows, work in the round, and do basic stitches (including front post and back post double crochet, but don't worry - I explain how to do it!), you can make these cute and quick ornaments!

You can purchase this pattern in my Etsy shop here.

You can also purchase this pattern as a Ravelry download! Instant gratification! :)



Happy holidays and happy crocheting, everyone! :)

Small Chunky Crochet Nesting Basket Pattern

Hi guys! As a Christmas gift, I am working on some nesting baskets based on the pattern provided by Liz at Crochet in Color. You can find her awesome patterns for the large and medium basket on her blog here.

I wanted to make a third, smaller basket, to nest inside these two. It turned out so cute, and I hope it helps if you want to make a nesting set! Please post comments if you make this basket, including a photo so we can see your amazing handiwork!

All three baskets in a cute little nest!

Please note that you will still be working with two strands of extra chunky yarn. I used two strands of Katia Alaska and a 7.00mm hook.

The small blue basket measures approximately 6" / 15.5cm in diameter and is about 4" / 11cm deep.

Small Nesting Basket:

R1: Ch 2 and 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Join with sl st to ch 2. (8)

R2: Ch 2. Hdc in same st. 2 hdc in next 7 sts. Join with sl st to ch 2. (16)

R3: Ch 2. Hdc in same st. Hdc in next st. [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st] around. Join with sl st to ch 2. (24)

R4: Ch 2. Hdc in same st. Hdc in next 2 sts. [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts] around. Join with sl st to ch 2. (32)

R5: Ch 2. Hdc in same st. Hdc in next 3 sts. [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts] around. Join with sl st to ch 2. (40).

(R6 begins the body of the basket)

R6: Ch 1. Sc around basket working in loop behind the back of the stitch. (Note: This is not working in back loops only, but rather the loop created behind the back loop of the stitch in the previous row. Crocht in Color has a wonderful tutorial on how to do this step here.) Join with sl st to Ch 1. (40)

R7: Ch 2. Hdc in next st and around basket. Join with sl st to Ch 2. (40)

R8: Ch 1. Working in back loops only, sc in same st and around basket. Join with sl st to Ch 1. (40)

R9: Ch 2. Hdc in next st and around basket. Join with sl st to Ch 2. (40)

R10: Ch 1. Sc in same st and around basket. Join with sl st to Ch 1. (40)

R11: Ch 1. Working in back loops only, sc in next st and around basket. Join with sl st to Ch 1. (40)

R12: Ch 2. Hdc in same st and in next 6 sts. Ch 5. Sk next 4 sts. Hdc in next 18 sts. Ch 5. Sk next 4 sts. Hdc in next 7 sts. Join with sl st to Ch 2.

R13: Ch 1. Sc in next 6 sts. Work 6 sc in the handle (the Ch 5 space from previous row) Hdc in next 18 sts. Work 6 sc in the second handle (the Ch 5 space from previous row). Hdc in next 7 sts. Join with sl st to Ch 1.

Note: I added a round of slip stitch to all three nesting baskets because I like the finished look that it gives to the top of the basket. This is optional.

R14: Ch 1. Sl st in next st and around basket. Sl st to Ch 1. Fasten off and weave in ends.

I hope that you enjoy this basket, and I want to send out a huge thank you Liz from Crochet in Color for her inspiration for this pattern!

Hugs and stitches! :)

Madrid Metro Mod's Catalog

I still love Etsy, although I find that clients get frustrated when they can't see my entire inventory in one spot. Maybe I've sold an item and it's difficult to find under "sold items," and then I get an email or a Facebook message saying "Remember that cute hat that you made with the braids? I'd like one of those." Then I get frustrated, because I've made 10 hats with braids, and I'm sure that at least 6 of them were cute!

To help out, and to create a portfolio where all of the items that can be custom ordered are shown, I have created a blog called the "Madrid Metro Mod Catalog." Please check it out here!

Thanks a bunch!

Hugs and stitches,

Lanas Sixto at last!

Last Saturday, I made my first trip to Lanas Sixto! Lanas Sixto, along with Pontejos and El Gato Negro, is probably among the most famous yarn shops in Madrid. Unlike Pontejos, it deals exclusively in yarns. Unlike El Gato Negro, it does not sell yarn by weight... even though the antique facade of the building still professes "Ventas al peso" (sold by weight). I'm not making it up:

Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Lanas Sixto is not located in the yarn-opolis near the other famous yarn and haberdasheries, but it is super close! Check out this map:

It was a really nice fall day to take a walk, so we scooted up to Lanas Sixto looking for LOTS of yarn. I am making some crochet baskets using this pattern by Crochet in Color for Christmas gifts, and I wanted to pick up a few skeins of yarn to begin the work.

I had this brilliant idea to do a nesting set of these baskets in fading colors, from light to dark. Seeing as how I was making three baskets (plus a trial basket for hats and gloves in our apartment), and each basket requires 2 skeins of chunky yarn, I knew that I was going to pay a pretty penny for my supplies!

I went to Pontejos, but the least expensive chunky yarn that I could find (that wasn't horribly ugly!) was 5.25€ per skein of 50g. Ummm, so that would make my little "project" total somewhere around 60€! Before I committed, I decided to head to Lanas Sixto, and I am so glad I did!

First of all, the buying experience at Lanas Sixto (on a Saturday morning, mind you, when EVERYONE is buying yarns) was really nice. There were no pushy shop people demanding that you pick out your yarn immediately, and they had lots of yarns out where you could touch them. Here's a photo of the shop so you can get an idea:

Photo Credit: www.libertaddigital.com

Lanas Sixto deals mostly in Katia yarns, and their prices seemed very reasonable. I settled on eight skeins of Katia Alaska:

For now, I won't reveal the color scheme, just in case the receivers of my Christmas baskets happen to read this blog, but I am super excited! I also picked up a 7mm hook to make said baskets.

I finished one basket in about 2 hours for our apartment. I chose mustard yellow to go with our walls, although I'm not crazy about how the photo turned out... apartment lighting is tough! But just to give an idea:

So how much did I pay for said 8 skeins of yarn and hook? Sixty buckaroos? No way!! I paid 24€ for the yarn and hook, and there were lots of yarns in all price ranges at Lanas Sixto.

If you are content with a fine Spanish brand of yarn and are scared to face the crowds of Pontejos or El Gato Negro, I'd definitely recommend walking up the street and see what deals you will find at Lanas Sixto.

And if you're scared about your (developing) Spanish yarn vernacular, check out my awesome English-Spanish Crochet Dictionary!

Charity scarves

We visited Olombrada this weekend and attended mass on Sunday morning. The parish was celebrating "Día de la misión," or a day celebrating religious missions of all types. They might be personal, within the town, or around the world. The priest emphasized the presence of missionaries all around the world and he, being from South America, gave thanks for the missionaries who brought Catholicism to the Americas.

The priest encouraged everyone to give what he or she was able to give to help support missions around the world. Since I'm not in a position to give financially, I thought that I would work on some scarves that the priest could send to missionaries around the world or give to some of the elders in the parish that don't have anyone to take care of them. Even though this will take some time away from my Etsy shop, I believe that it's important to give back, and I am looking forward to this project.

I will be using yarn that I have stashed and patterns that are (hopefully) easy and quick so that I can make as many scarves as possible by our next trip to the village in November.

I will also post the patterns that I am using on this blog post.

1. Ribbed Scarf, by C. L. Halvorson, on Ravelry.com

If you have a quick or easy pattern that you would like to send my way, please leave me a comment!

Baby Gabriela!

I absolutely love seeing my little creations on the babies they were made for, and so I present to you...

Baby Gabriela with her adorable ankle boots and sleeping owl hat! You can find more of these items in the following sections of my Etsy shop:

Baby footwear

Animal Hats