Author Archives: sysclp

About sysclp

I do a lot of different things. I am a horse racing photographer, I make jewelry, and I crochet. Here I will mostly concentrate on crochet. I live in Ontario, Canada, now but I am from the deep South and lived in Alabama before I moved here.

Great clearance price at Michaels

Posted on May 14, 2019 by sysclp

The huge Impeccable Endless yarn (1790 yards!) that came in up here in Canada in March for $25 a skein is now on clearance for $7.97 in our local store. That is a ton of regular worsted weight yarn for … Continue reading →

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Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

Posted on February 13, 2019 by sysclp

I made and decorated a batch of chocolate cupcakes for Valentine’s Day and they turned out quite lovely. I used this chocolate cupcake recipe, which is probably one of the best I have ever had. I put a red fondant … Continue reading →

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My favorite Valentine’s Day pattern

Posted on February 13, 2019 by sysclp

Here is a cute pattern for a lovely heart lace shawl that looks intricate but is really quite easy to make.  The pattern is Sweet Heart Shawl from Girlie’s Crochet and, although written for #3 crochet thread, will work for … Continue reading →

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Hook and Yarn Size Conversion

Posted on September 4, 2018 by sysclp

If you are using older patterns handed down in the family or found in thrift store, you may be confused by the yarn sizes called for in them. Since most of the yarns old patterns reference are probably not made … Continue reading →

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Review of new Caron Pantone Yarn

Posted on August 27, 2018 by sysclp

This is a new yarn exclusive to Michaels that comes in a nifty looking braid in hand selected Pantone color combinations.  It is a 10 strand twisted yarn that is 60% Acrylic, 20% Nylon, 20% Merino Wool.  It is only … Continue reading →

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Yarn Pooling Throw

Posted on March 4, 2018 by sysclp

I posted about my previous experiment in yarn pooling and mentioned I was working on another.  Well, it is finished and I really like the look of it.  I used Caron Simply Soft Stripes in “Churchill Downs” color. (I have … Continue reading →

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Baby blanket, hat, and booties

Posted on February 3, 2018 by sysclp

I have a baby shower to go to in March and I am in the process of making a set of blanket, hat, and booties as a gift.  I am using Caron Simply Soft in off white, soft green, and … Continue reading →

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January 31 Super Moon

Posted on February 1, 2018 by sysclp

I wish I had a longer lens, but here is tonight’s super blue moon here in Pickering, Ontario at around 11pm.  This was using my Nikon D7000 and a 300mm lens on a tripod.  

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Baby Hat and Socks

Posted on January 28, 2018 by sysclp

To go with the blanket in the previous post, I made a hat using Caron Cupcakes yarn (Sour Grapes color) which comes with a pom-pom for the top.  With the leftover yarn, I made a pair of socks to match.  … Continue reading →

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Experiment in yarn pooling

Posted on January 28, 2018 by sysclp

After seeing photos and a few videos about yarn pooling, I decided to give it a try.  My first attempt is this baby blanket done in Craft Smart Value Yarn in the color “Giverney”.  This was a gift for a … Continue reading →

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