Dream Catcher Project

aka: my sister benefits yet again from my crafty ways

So it all started because I wanted to make my sister a graduation gift. And that thought was actually formed because I found this cross stitch pattern while browsing pinterest and it spoke it me.

And somehow one cross stitch pattern turned into a whole project that included crocheting a dream catcher/feathers, ribbon, and beads. But, that’s how I do things… big, over the top, plans.

I built the rest of the piece around this honestly.

The colors of the DMC floss I used were: 3862 (brown), 3820 (yellow), 954 (green), 813 (blue), 553 (purple), 3801 (red–3705 was used on the dream catcher to attach the feathers since they were out when I went back to the store to get more). And I stitched it on aida 18 count, using 3 strands of thread.

This part actually worked up surprisingly fast.

I used a 3.25 mm hook and the yarn was Premier Yarns–Serenity Garden Yarn in “Gems.” I ended up using a 10″ diameter hoop, but I could have gone the next size up easily if I wanted a more stretched/taught finished product. But one, I was not making another trip to the craft store. And two, I didn’t want the dream catcher to completely dwarf the cross stitched piece (since that was only a 5″ hoop).

The pattern I used is free on ravelry.

So onto the feathers…

The feathers were the hardest part. But I was so committed and they were going to happen.

To keep my sanity, I worked on them slowly. Getting the bulk of it done on my lunchbreaks at work. I started off kind of rocky… the pattern just didn’t seem to quite work for me.  I’m not sure if it was the yarn or the hook size I used, but the number of stitches just seemed too dense for me and I did not like the way the feather was turning out. So I ripped out some stitches and improvised a pattern as I went. The first feather turned out a little wonky, but they started looking nicer after that. In the end, I was happy with my adjusted pattern.

Now that the feathers were done, I could assemble.

The notebook that’s sitting on the dream catcher? It’s where I record the patterns I’m working on and make notes and whatnot. One, for record keeping–I’m a fan of the tangible. Two, so I can have a place to be messy with my thoughts and edits, rather than muck up whatever paper pattern I’m following. This project took up like 4 pages (where most take up one or two).

I attached my feathers with floss the same colors I used in the cross stitch part (which worked well since I picked the yarn to be a blend of those colors).

In between the bead sections I did a knot I grew up knowing as the the “tornado” knot to make friendship bracelets. I liked this because it made knots that twisted along the center strand.

I was sooooo happy with how this project turned out. As something that started as a whim and I kind of made up as I went along (after multiple trips to the craft store), I could not be happier with the end result. I had a hard time giving it away. I took solace in knowing it went to somebody who would love and appreciate it (and also that it was close enough that I could drool over it again if I wanted).

Thought this post was long? This is only half the pictures. See this imgur gallery for even more shots and some close ups of the detail.