Toe Pick!

Okay, we don’t really have toe picks on roller skates. But we do use/end up on our toes a lot (well, the girls who know how to skate do, and I assume I’ll be doing those moves soon-ish), which can really wear down the boot. So much so that there are all kinds of toe guards out there, from plain strips of leather to super fancy custom caps (because even the fancy ones are much cheaper to replace than the skate boot). And while I was busy going through every single roller derby related Pinterest board, I came across a pattern for crocheted ones.

skate with crocheted toe guard

So now I have crocheted ones. I started with the basic pattern found here, but used a thicker, wool yarn and thus a slightly larger hook than she used (I used an F with a heavy worsted/light bulky because I still wanted it to be a really dense fabric). Because of this, of course my round count and stitch count changed slightly. I also found that I needed to make the toe stop opening on the same round as the first set of eyelets. And I think I should have/will go back and add a round or two above the second set of eyelets, because I’m afraid they’re going to rip.

They work up super fast (you could do a pair in an evening-ish), and I used scrap yarn (hence the not matching even a little bit) so they were essentially free. And they make me happy to look at. Win!

skates with crocheted toe guards
These in no way match, even a little bit. I think that just makes me love them more (and also not care so much if one of them gets destroyed).

Turning Widdershins

I know I’ve been awfully quiet lately…it’s not because I’m already giving up on blogging, but because I’ve started something new. Something a little scary, a little dangerous, and a whole lot awesome. Something so very, very Lola. I’ve joined a roller derby team.

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I didn’t want to say anything until I’d actually skated, which didn’t happen until last Sunday. But now I have, and I’m still even more super excited about doing derby. It is amazing. The skating, the women, the vibe. I am ridiculously sore, have some sassy bruises, and can’t wait to get back out there again!

Consider this fair warning that there’s going to be a LOT of derby content here for the foreseeable future (if you follow me on Pinterest, you may have already noticed this kicking in). In fact, I’ve finally got a FIotIF coming up this week, and it’s derby related. And there’s another crafty project, too, that’ll be up in the next couple of weeks.

Oh, and hey — my team is having a bout this weekend, so if you want to check it out, you should totally go do that. I will not be in attendance, sadly, due to being at another totally different awesome event with other awesome people that’s been on my calendar for months.  But I understand that in addition to watching kickass chicks kick ass, there is also a snack bar. How can you go wrong?!?!

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Bruised thumbs up for derby!