PACMAN CAL WEEK #4

Here it is in all its glory…the layout up to and including Week #4 of the Chaos And Chop Suey PacMan Crochet-a-long:

Life happens and sometimes you don’t get to crochet as much as you’d like. So that’s not just me? Good. I was hoping I’d be caught up crocheting my own version of this CAL by now, but I’m still plugging away at it too. This week is the last week of panels being released. Next week, we will join and border the panels…and then the surprise!!!! I’m so excited about this upcoming week I can hardly wait! Since I have no shame in my game, here’s my current progress on my panel:

For more information on the this CAL or to purchase your copy of this PacMan graphgan crochet-a-long, head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Feel free to make and sell products using this, but because I put a lot of time and love into this big CAL project, I ask that you give me credit or if it’s online somewhere, you link back to me. If you’re not a part of our CAL Facebook group, come and join us in our special Facebook group reserved only for those that are doing the PACMAN CAL with us (you can find information on how to join that particular group in your purchased pattern).

I can’t wait to see what you do with this! The official hastag for this CAL is:

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEYPACMANCAL

<3, Angela

PACMAN CAL WEEK #3

You know how when you buy a new car, you start seeing them everywhere? That’s what’s happened to me with PacMan related stuff since this crochet-a-long started. I swear, I’m seeing PacMan stuff everywhere! I was on vacation a few weeks ago and I noticed the lifeguard’s sandals had PacMan all over them! Is anyone else finding PacMan in unexpected places?

Like I mentioned last week, I found that the Pac Dots (those little dots PacMan eats) can be either white OR yellow. In the older versions of the game, the dots are white, while the newer versions of the game show them as yellow. So while you are working this panel up, take your pick! My tester that made the panel for this week decided to go with yellow Pac Dots (also what I picked)! This week in the PacMan CAL, we are working on the middle game panel…you know, where the ghosts start out:

We are closing in here on the end of the CAL. I know, I know…we just started. But this PacMan CAL is a short crochet-a-long. With just 2 more weeks left, here is a rendering of what the crochet-a-long looks like at this point:

For more information on the this CAL or to purchase your copy of this PacMan graphgan crochet-a-long, head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Feel free to make and sell products using this, but because I put a lot of time and love into this big CAL project, I ask that you give me credit or if it’s online somewhere, you link back to me. If you’re not a part of our CAL Facebook group, come and join us in our special Facebook group reserved only for those that are doing the PACMAN CAL with us (you can find information on how to join that particular group in your purchased pattern).

I can’t wait to see what you do with this! The official hastag for this CAL is:

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEYPACMANCAL

<3, Angela

PacMan CAL Week #2

18 months ago I was first connected with Becki from Chloe Rebecca Boutique. In the last year and a half, we’ve become friends and collaborators. We worked together on my Grease crochet-a-long, and have done numerous little projects together. When we first started working together, Becki told me of her love for PacMan and her desire for a PacMan blanket crochet-a-long. This crochet-a-long has been 18 months in the making and I’m so excited we’re finally doing this. Enjoy Becki!

If you didn’t know, Becki makes super duper cute ergonomic crochet hooks. She has a PacMan hook that matches our crochet-a-long project:

Week #1 of the PacMan crochet-a-long consisted of title banner. This week we jump into the game maze with the top portion of the maze. After some research, I found that the Pac Dots (those little dots PacMan eats) can be either white OR yellow. In the older versions of the game, the dots are white, while the newer versions of the game show them as yellow. So while you are working this panel up, take your pick!

For more information on the this CAL or to purchase your copy of this PacMan graphgan crochet-a-long, head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Feel free to make and sell products using this, but because I put a lot of time and love into this big CAL project, I ask that you give me credit or if it’s online somewhere, you link back to me. If you’re not a part of our CAL Facebook group, come and join us in our special Facebook group reserved only for those that are doing the PACMAN CAL with us (you can find information on how to join that particular group in your purchased pattern).

I can’t wait to see what you do with this! The official hastag for this CAL is:

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEYPACMANCAL

<3, Angela

PacMan CAL Week #1

My first memory of video games comes from a little diner located near my grandparents’ home growing up. This tiny mom-and-pop diner was known for their teri-burgers (that’s a teriyaki bueger) and these strawberry slushies. They also had a flat tabletop PacMan game that I was mesmerized by. I was too little to put coins in and play it (it was probably Ms. PacMan, but as a 4 or 5 year old, there was no difference to me), but that didn’t stop me from sitting there to play with the buttons and joystick.

PacMan is a fun classic game that most people can recognize. That’s part of what makes this graphgan so fun. Week #1 of the crochet-a-long is the banner sporting the PacMan title.

Becki from Chloe Rebbeca Boutique did a beautiful job crocheting the first week’s panel. Becki also made these adorable PacMan hooks, because of course if there is an option for a hook to match your project, why not? If you want a matching PacMan hook of your own, check out her Etsy shop.

For more information on the this CAL or to purchase your copy of this PacMan graphgan crochet-a-long, head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Feel free to make and sell products using this, but because I put a lot of time and love into this big CAL project, I ask that you give me credit or if it’s online somewhere, you link back to me. If you’re not a part of our CAL Facebook group, come and join us in our special Facebook group reserved only for those that are doing the PACMAN CAL with us (you can find information on how to join that particular group in your purchased pattern).

I can’t wait to see what you do with this! The official hastag for this CAL is:

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEYPACMANCAL

<3, Angela

I Otterly Love You

One of my favorite YouTube videos is of a pair of sea otters floating around holding hands. It’s just sooo gosh darn cute. And yes, they actually do hold hands. It helps keep them from drifting apart while they’re floating around.

It seems that sea otters have worked their way into popular culture lately. A quick search on Etsy alone pulls up over 2,000 results.  One of my favorites is this super cute enamel “You’re My Significant Otter” pin sold by Tiny Bee Cards on Etsy:

So when I  asked to test an amigurumi pattern of a sea otter, I jumped at the chance! Tommy over at Snips And Stitches Shop on Etsy recently released his Emmet the Otter crochet pattern and it is just too cute. I love making amigurumi–they’re usually smaller projects (in comparison to my graphgans) and easy to do while on-the-go. My Emmet the Otter was worked up using my favorite–I Love This Yarn line from Hobby Lobby.

Stars, Stripes, and Rings

Figure skating is my first love. It’s the thing I first remember falling in love with. I started figure skating when I was 6 years old. I skated all the way thru college (and beyond), and started coaching as a college student. In fact, I coached on my skates while pregnant with my twins up until the point where I could no longer bend over enough to tie my own skates (at about 7 months).

In case you didn’t know, the 2018 Winter Olympics are about to start (opening ceremonies air February 9 on NBC here in the United States), and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m one of those Winter Olympics fans that annoy the non-Winter Olympics fans in my house. When you grew up figure skating, the way you watch the figure skating events is like none-other. For some reason, figure skaters clench and feel the moves happening on the ice. Even if we could never pull those moves off. I want to say it’s muscle memory since that’s what was ingrained in my head during every practice. Perhaps it’s the excitement of the event. Or a combination. Whatever it is, it happens. And I’m looking forward to going thru this again starting next week :)

You can find all the information on when each event is happening here on this awesome schedule: Time’s Winter Olympic Schedule PyeongChang2018

Or on the official PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics website.

It’s been cold here lately and I’ve been cuddling up in my house with scarves and sweaters and blankets galore. I knew I’d want to watch the Pyeongchang Olympics with something…festive. So, I whipped up a little something to wear–a Team USA scarf. Now I’m ready to cheer on all of the amazing athletes as they represent their own countries (of course I’ll cheer a little louder for our own athletes).

I worked up this super scarf using a size H (5.0mm) hook, worsted weight (on the lighter side) yarn from Hobby Lobby’s line I Love This Yarn, and a traditional corner-to-corner (c2c) stitch. The entire scarf is worked up in one piece, with the stars added on afterwards as appliques. I finished the piece off with a simple single crochet border around the edge, taking care to do sc+chain 2+sc in each corner.

You can grab the file for this graph right here:

ChaosAndChopSuey-Team USA Olympic Scarf-Graph pattern

You can grab the file for the written instructions (for the graph) right here:

ChaosAndChopSuey-Team USA Olympic Scarf-Written Instructions

Here are the colors that I used for this scarf:

And those awesome star appliques? Well, I found them in two different places. The large stars are from One Dog Woof. I followed her directions as written for my 3 largest stars, making the stars one layer thick, then attaching them to my scarf with a needle and the long remaining tail from each star. And the 2 smallest stars are from Repeat Crafter Me, again, as written.

As always, feel free to use my patterns to make gifts or items to sell, but do not copy my images or patterns in any shape. It’s awesome when you link back to my page on social media. To check out more of my patterns, head on over to my Ravelry store!

Don’t forget to tag me or use my #ChaosAndChopSuey hashtag when posting on social media–I love seeing what you all are doing!!

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEY

<3, Angela

Snowflakes, Unicorns, and Cakes

Whew! It has been a long time since I’ve written a blog post in here! The holidays and end of the semester kept me so busy. I haven’t had too much time to be creative with my crocheting lately, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t made plans for the new year! I’ve got lots in store for you this year (well, what I have planned anyway).

During the break, my kids and I had the chance to play in snow in our own yard for a few days. It doesn’t snow often (this is the first time my kids have had a ‘real’ snow instead of just some frozen slushy icy rain) so we made the best of it!

Last week was my birthday and I decided to make my own cake this year. Now, I love to cook and I enjoy baking, but I don’t usually make decorated or fancy looking things. Think function over fashion. But this year, I decided to try my hand at decorating a cake. Now, I’ll totally fess up to scouring Pinterest for inspiration after watching one-too-many videos from Yolanda Gamp over at How To Cake It.

But I did it. I was directed to a yummy vanilla cake recipe from Rock Recipes. And a simple homemade vanilla buttercream frosting recipe. I used fondant for the first time as well. Anyway, here’s my first attempt at making a decorated cake. I present my Unicorn Pinata cake:

Not too bad for my first attempt. It’s not perfect, but I was pretty happy with the outcome. And, I’m not much for cake (though, I do love a good buttercream frosting), but this cake recipe was really good and I actually ate some of it! My kids loved seeing the sprinkles spill out when we cut into the cake. As for the rest of the cake, I sliced it up, wrapped up each piece in some saran wrap, and stuck them in the freezer for an attack of the sweet tooth. Makes it so we won’t eat the entire cake at once and saves some for later!

Harry Potter Sweater Blanket Graph

If Harry Potter, sweater, and blanket don’t belong together in a sentence, then I don’t know what does. My latest graphgan (and cross stitch) pattern combines my love for Harry Potter and my affinity for sweaters (though I don’t own any because I can never decide on which one I want). So I combined them together to make a Harry Potter inspired sweater-style blanket (cause you all know I L-O-V-E blankets!)

My Harry Potter Sweater Blanket graph is now available for purchase in my Ravelry store!! Head on over to my Ravelry store to grab your own copy of my Harry Potter Sweater Blanket graph!

I am now open for CUSTOM GRAPH orders as well. The current turnaround time starts at one week depending on the level of detail required. Prices start at $8 for a custom graph that includes several sizes (for printing purposes) of colored graphs. I can also include yarn color suggestions if that is desired. To create a custom graph order of your own, message me on Etsy and we can discuss everything there!

For more information on this Harry Potter Sweater-Blanket graph, head on over to my Etsy store. For more information on any of my previous crochet-a-longs (Grease, FRIENDS, or Gilmore Girls), head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Don’t forget to tag me or use my #ChaosAndChopSuey hashtag when posting on social media–I love seeing what you all are doing!!

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEY

<3, Angela

Grease Crochet-a-Long: WEEK #14

Welcome to our last week of graphs for our GREASE crochet-a-long! While this is our last week of officially scheduled graphs, that doesn’t mean that the fun stops here! Stay tuned for next week’s joining and bordering, plus, there may be a few more bonus appliques and bonus graphs coming your way!

For our last week, I pulled inspiration from the vote that happened early on in our Grease crochet-a-long Facebook group. One of the ideas with the most votes was for Blanche and her xylophone! With her kooky sense of humor, Blanche breaks the ice and brings a bit of comic relief with her fun loving self. I had to find a combination of her pink collared dress with her xylophone to add to my own blanket.

This is our last week of graphs! Next week we will be joining our panels together and adding a border. Weave in all your loose ends and finish off each panel with an even SC (single crochet) border. You don’t NEED to do the single crochet border, but I HIGHLY suggest is as it makes joining your panels so much easier. Using the same color yarn as the background. My mini c2c = 2 sc in each chain 2 space + 2 sc evenly spaced out in the 3HDC + (sc + chain 2 + sc) in each corner. You can check out my blog post on this here.

For more information on the this CAL or to purchase your copy of this crochet-a-long, head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Feel free to make and sell products using this, but because I put a lot of time and love into this big CAL project, I ask that you give me credit or if it’s online somewhere, you link back to me. If you’re not a part of our CAL Facebook group, come and join us in our special Facebook group reserved only for those that are doing the GREASE CAL with us (you can find information on how to join that particular group in your purchased pattern).

I can’t wait to see what you do with this! The official hastag for this CAL is:

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEYGREASECAL

“She looks too pure to be pink.” –Rizzo

<3, Angela

GREASE crochet-a-long: WEEK #13

Grease was defined by the music. Well, afterall it is, a musical. The jukebox was a big part of social life in the 1950’s, so it’s only fitting that Grease features a jukebox in the Frosty Palace. As a tribute to all the music in Grease, I created this week’s panel.

Week #13: Frosty Palace Jukebox…

Just a friendly reminder to weave in all your loose ends (don’t wait until the last minute to do this…you’ll thank me later for bugging you about it now) and finishing off each panel with an even SC (single crochet) border. You don’t NEED to do the single crochet border, but I HIGHLY suggest is as it makes joining your panels so much easier. Using the same color yarn as the background. My mini c2c = 2 sc in each chain 2 space + 2 sc evenly spaced out in the 3HDC + (sc + chain 2 + sc) in each corner. You can check out my blog post on this here.

For more information on the this CAL or to purchase your copy of this crochet-a-long, head on over to my Ravelry store. It’s never too late to join us!

Feel free to make and sell products using this, but because I put a lot of time and love into this big CAL project, I ask that you give me credit or if it’s online somewhere, you link back to me. If you’re not a part of our CAL Facebook group, come and join us in our special Facebook group reserved only for those that are doing the GREASE CAL with us (you can find information on how to join that particular group in your purchased pattern).

I can’t wait to see what you do with this! The official hastag for this CAL is:

#CHAOSANDCHOPSUEYGREASECAL

“She looks too pure to be pink.” –Rizzo

<3, Angela