Dog Days of September...

It sure has been hot down here this month...These furry creatures are just some of the precious pups who stopped by to have a drink at a local festival this weekend.

Just in time for Halloween, (sort of), IT'S ALIVE....Traveling Creature Laboratory

I've recently joined a group on http://www.ravelry.com/ called http://www.ravelry.com/groups/traveling-creature-laboratory . It is an amigurumi-type CAL or KAL whereby the participants all start by making a body & send it to an assigned person to add a head. They in turn send it to someone to add extremities & so on. This sounded like my "cup of tea" so here I am. This is my creature body...I wonder what he/she/it will turn out to be? I'll post the process as I participate in this fun project.


Bon Voyage, little headless creature! Send me a postcard...

Charity Crocheting & other doings...

BabyBlanket2
Originally uploaded by nandersonsphotos

I'm having so much fun crocheting this quilt inspired baby blanket. I'm doing it in Red Heart Soft in wonderful colors. I'm also working diligently on several other projects that I can not talk about yet.

And last but definitely not least, I am involved in a CAL on Ravelry called Traveling Creature Laboratory in the group of the same name. It is going to be quite fun. Participants crochet an amigurumi-type body & mail it to the next person on the list. That person adds a head & sends it to the next person & so on. I can't wait to get my creature back!!I'll blog about this entire project later...it deserves it's own entry.

Happy Thursday!

A Few Words About New Red Heart Stripes Yarn...

SOFT & FUN & COLORFUL & WASHABLE = LOVE!

How's THIS for recycling???

These are African wire baskets constructed out of telephone cable wires. Beautiful, huh? And they are heavy too. Remember making jewelry out of telephone wire back in the late 60's, early 70's? Well, I DO!! My jewelry wasn't nearly so spectacular but it sure was fun to do.

There are plenty of sites that sell these baskets. Here's one that shows the basket being worked...http://www.zanzibartribalart.com/zulutelephonewirebaskets.htm FANTASTIC!!

There's another type of basket weaving that uses "found objects". In this case pine needles are used. But not just any ol' pine needles...pine needles from trees with extra long needles, like the ones we have down here. My husband & I got one of these baskets for a wedding gift so many years ago. I'll have to snap a picture of it. Until then, here's a site that sells these pine needle baskets...http://www.oneworldprojects.com/products/pineneedle.shtml

YAY Ponies!!!!

Here's one of my newest ventures made with the new Red Heart Stripes yarn by Coats & Clark. I LOVE this yarn! Not only is it pretty but it's soft & thick & so much fun to work with. You can find this pattern for free over at http://www.coatsandclark.com/ along with a whole bunch of other cute new patterns for fall.

Mystery (work-in-progress) Project Revealed

O.K. here's my mystery project. I needed a hat stand & so this is what I came up with. And if you are like me you may be planning to finish & photograph a bunch of items over this long weekend. Here's an almost instant way to showcase your finished hats...
Necessity is the Mother of Invention Crochet or Knit, Felted or NOT Felted, or Just Left Plain, Hat Stand UPDATED 9/10/2009

Baby hat (4" diameter) stand

This project is very simple & uses readily available materials to complete the stand. Simply take apart a thrift or yard sale lamp* , pop on a Styrofoam ball with a crochet or knitted cover, (either felted or not) & it’s done.

*~OR~ use a metal candle stick…no deconstruction required and it can easily be spray painted, if desired.

After the ball is covered it can be glued* in place atop the lamp (or candle stick).

*~OR~ it can be left unglued, so that you can change the Styrofoam ball out, depending upon the hat project you wish to display.

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn, (felt-able wool if desired)
Crochet hook or circular needles/dpn’s to fit yarn
Small lamp or metal candlestick
Styrofoam ball(s): 4 ” diameter for baby hats
6 ” diameter for adult hats*
*(sizes are just suggestions)
Knee high hose

Optional materials:
Scissors
Phillips head and/or flat head screw driver & pliers
Cement Glue

Crocheted Adult Hat Stand Directions

This tutorial is for the 6 inch diameter hat stand, constructed out of an old metal candlestick. The cover is crocheted using a simple half double crochet stitch & is worked in un-joined spirals.

Materials:

Red Heart Super Saver, worsted weight, in color of choice – (model is worked in white)
I hook
6 “Styrofoam ball
1 knee high stocking preferably in yarn color
Metal candle stick
Cement glue, (E-6000)
Optional: Spray paint in color of choice

Stitches & abbreviations:
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
sts = stitches
tog = together

Crochet Cover Instructions: cover ball with knee-high for smooth appearance & ease in slipping cover over the ball.

Rnd 1: Using the I hook & worsted weight yarn of choice, form an adjustable loop, with 6 sc, pull yarn tail to close hole
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each stitch around, chain 2 (12 sts)
Rnd 3: (2 hdc in stitch, hdc 1) around (18 sts)
Rnd 4: (2 hdc in stitch, hdc 2) around (24 sts)
Rnd 5: (2 hdc in stitch, hdc 3) around (30 sts)
Rnd 6: (2 hdc in stitch, hdc 4) around (36 sts)
Rnd 7: (2 hdc in stitch, hdc 5) around (42 sts)
Rnd 8-15: Hdc in each stitch around (42 sts)
Rnd 16: Begin decrease,(2 hdc tog, hdc 5) around (36 sts) Insert ball before the hole becomes too little!
Rnd 17: hdc in each st around (36 sts)
Rnd 18: (2 hdc tog, hdc 4) around (30 sts)
Rnd 19: (2 hdc tog, hdc 3) around (24 sts)
Rnd 20: (2 hdc tog, hdc 2) around (18 sts)
Rnd 21: (2 hdc tog, hdc 1) around (12 sts)
Continue around, closing hole & finish off.

Finishing:
After weaving & trimming ends, place cement glue onto the area of the candle stick where the ball will sit, (make certain all wax is cleaned off before completing this step).
Likewise, place some cement on the bottom of the ball. The spike on the candlestick will assist in holding the ball while the cement is drying.

Deconstructing the Lamp Directions:
Looking at the lamp decide what parts need to come off & observe how they are attached.

Obviously the first step is to UNPLUG THE LAMP!!

Then remove the shade & harp, if it has one. The harp is the wire loop that holds the lamp shade in place. These can be removed by squeezing the sides at the place where the harp fits into the harp bottom.

Unscrew the lamp bulb socket, sometimes there is a cardboard sleeve over this area, that covers the wires. First unscrew the switch, if it has a removable switch. Then pull the cardboard tube off & loosen the 2 screws holding the 2 wires.

Pull the wire out through the bottom of the base of the lamp. If these parts haven’t been damaged you can save them for making a lamp. When in doubt, throw them out!! Risk of fire or electrical shock is not worth a few dollars saved by re-using the lamp parts.
Some lamps don’t have removable switches or you just don’t need or want to save the electrical parts so AFTER you UNPLUG the lamp, take it apart by cutting wire & pulling out through bottom & & unscrewing any parts that come off that way & you’re done.

Now for some customizations….hmmm....

Back to School Crochet Patterns...

"School Spirit Notebook Cover"



"Happy Bento Lunch Caddy"

I've been a little frazzled lately & thus the Fall issue of Crochet Uncut surprised me. I forgot that it had a September 1 release date. Well I've got a couple of patterns in it; a notebook cover & a food container caddy. Additionally there are some wonderful fall/cool weather projects & even a toy for "man's best friend"...LOVE it! Check it out.



This is the original notebook cover...I just HAD to make the final product super bright & gaudy per my usual style, ha! "OK LADY, STEP-AWAY-FROM-THE NEON-YARN !"

Incidentally, this is NOT the mystery project I mentioned previously. In fact the mystery project is all done save for the crocheted part, which shouldn't really take much time. However, I am frantically trying to finish another submittal, along with a myriad of other tasks & obligations. Ho Hum..... same old, same old....Isn't this the same song we all sing at times??



I made so many of these Bento Lunch Caddy's while working on this design. These are a couple I didn't include in the pattern.