Yarn Juleps on the Veranda

Progress and What's For Breakfast....

2012-01-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

All of the knitting and crocheting for the nappy cake is done so it's just about embellishing, wrapping with clear cellophane & packing for the shipping. Once the diaper layers are made you need to "frost" them. After the "frosting" comes the embellishments, my favorite part!!

It kind of looks like a haphazard pile of stuff at this point. This is just a rough final draft. Items will be added and rearranged and the cellophane wrap topped with an oversized bow will really finish the piece off and contain the mess.

Now on to my breakfast project this morning. I have a bunch of aluminum crochet hooks that I love but my tired old hands like a more ergonomic handle so I only use the Etimo's right now.

So we've all seen the Sculpey, (polymer clay) covered hooks. I just happen to have some Sculpey in my stash as well as a clay baking dedicated toaster oven, (thrift shop find) and a wonderful Atlas pasta machine, (also a thrift shop find). So this morning I decided to cover some hooks, (before work, I'm an early riser).

In between coffee and my shower I was able to roll out some clay, cover a few hooks & bake them. This is a very simple, fun & fast project. Sure there are some fine tuning steps, like lightly sanding and buffing and of course, making prettier clay cover designs but this was just an experiment as I've never done these before.

After baking at about 200 degrees for about 35 minutes, they were done. I promptly took them out and holding them by the hook end, (watch out they may be a little hot), I rubbed the handles while still warm with waxed paper, (I saw this tip somewhere online and it works well), in order to give them a bit of a finish.

Inspired by my Etimo's, I added a flattened thumb rest area. Oh and because the handle covered the size detail on the hook I put the US size letter in clay on each one.

Bad photo, but you get the idea. Now to take them for a "test drive" for shape and fit. Then I'm off to the store to purchase more Sculpey in my favorite colors; turquoise & sky blue & teal & cobalt blue and all the blues in between, with a little white in the mix and maybe some other colors as inspiration hits. Ooo, and how about the colors to make leopard print & zebra stripes?

I will definitely be re-visiting this craft and will post some pictures to prove it.

Until then, take time out for fun today and a very special thank you to those of you who read my blog.

Long Live the King...

2012-01-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

CAKE, that is!!

And let the eating begin. Things are starting to look a lot like Mardi Gras around here. Witness the yummy goodness....

I dub thee DELICIOUS!!

This particular cake has a brown sugar, nut and cinnamon filling and it is oh so GOOD!!

The tradition surrounding the King Cake is that you bake a plastic baby in the cake and the person getting the baby has to host the party next year.

Due to choking hazards bakeries now place the baby outside so the purchaser can stick the baby in the cake or not. In this case we didn't. See the little purple toy baby? It is sitting inside the ring.

In keeping with the purple, green & gold of Mardi Gras and since this is a crocheting and knitting blog, I will share a WIP. I am calling it "Purple Prose". It is a rectangular shawl worked in Patons Lace Sequin in Amethyst, which is a blend of acrylic, mohair & wool. I'm really enjoying this inexpensive yarn with it's little sequins and nice weight. It is rather itchy however but mohair always is.

Who Doesn't "Heart" a Puppy?

2012-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

My latest pattern for Red Heart called "Puppy Love" is out on their website. These pups are quick to crochet with appliqued hearts for a little bit of Valentine's day decoration. Oh and it's FREE. Now who doesn't "heart" THAT?

And speaking of puppies, I have a smaller version of the crochet Pomp-a-Poodle coming out. I'm calling it "Pomp-a-Puppy" (or should I call it "Pompy-pup"?). It is made with the same Red Heart Super Saver & Pomp-a-doodle yarn as the larger version but stands only about 11". Perfect size for little hands to hold.

Here's a rough draft of her.

Who Wants Cake?

2012-01-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Carolyn Christmas is a favorite go-to designer of mine, especially when it comes to adorable baby items such as her "How to Make a Crochet Nappy Cake" booklet, (Don't crochet? How about "How to Make a Knitted Nappy Cake" ?).

I have made 3 of these cakes and here you have the ingrediants for my 4th. The booklet not only gives instructions for crocheted baby items but it gives a tutorial on construction of the cake using diapers as the basic "cake" layers. I LOVE it.

This time I have added some items from other designers, (such as Susan Anderson's adorable Cupcake hat & her basic rolled brim hat from "Itty Bitty Nursery" as well as a few ad lib things of my own).

Here are some of the ingrediants;

There are other items not pictured that I have either made or purchased. Once you start one of these projects it's hard to stop.

Last night I started to build the cake itself, so I could access the degree of completion. Tucked amongst the hand knits & crochet are purchased baby items such as spoons & bottles & rattles and so on. Shopping for the extras is almost as fun as the knitting/crocheting parts.

Since this is such a large project, it warrants more than one entry so I will post some progress updates as steps are completed.

TGIF y'all!

Dolls With Heart Update...

2012-01-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

Back in November 2011, I shared an email on this blog from Ginger. It seems that she was in the process of making up some "Maggie Bean" dolls for a very special gift. Well, yesterday I got a follow up email with photos of the finished dolls.

Check them out. I just LOVE the sewn dresses! Aren't they adorable?It's always fun to see how folks make my designs even better with their own customizations and these are wonderful.

I'll bet there are some mighty tickled little girls right now. Thanks for sharing Ginger and for taking the time to make something with love, designed to comfort some children who are hurting.

And here's another doll picture from another pattern user named Reeva. Look at her streaked hair. So CUTE!! Looks like a lot of people are opting for sewn clothing for their dolls. It's a good option as it is fast and not as tricky as stretchy knits can sometimes be.

Thank you Reeva for sharing your photo as well. I love seeing these different versions of Maggie Bean so much!!

Copenhagen Update and Where's That on the Color Wheel?

2012-01-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

OK, so the Copenhagen pillow top is DONE! Ends woven, piece blocked. However, the cashmere back did not happen. The sweaters were too small so I was going to do a patchwork back. Lining up corners in non-stretchy quilting cotton is hard enough but add to the mix the stretchiness of knits and the fact that my sewing skills are rusty and well, I wimped. The cashmere has been put away for some future crafty thing.

Instead I used a plaid upholstery fabric to make a complete slip cover. Again I wimped with the closure and used VELCRO, (say it ain't so). I know, a buttoned slip cover is so much better, without question. But I said I was rusty at the machine as evidenced by so many elementary mistakes, including not doing a great job at matching the plaid where edges joined. SO yes, I used VELCRO.

After sewing up a complete slip cover I attached the granny square top by handsewing it to the finished piece. I love this pattern and will definitely make it again. It was easy and fun and the join as you go is awesome.

Now for the 2nd part of my title. About a month ago a friend of mine from Ravelry sent me a wonderful drop spindle and gorgeous fiber batt. Not wanting to learn on the "good stuff" I have been using remnants and bits of fiber that I already had for use in needle felting and doll construction.

The learning process is producing a lot of (questionable) handspun yarn(?) in random color schemes. SO yesterday I decided to take it for a test drive and knit with the handspun(?) for a while, just for fun. Due to my inexperience, the yarn is bulky, (super bulky).

Witness the color scheme for which I don't even have a descriptive name. I think I'm going to keep on with this, even in it's non-coordinated colors. I WAS going to make a scarf and really wear it but I just now had an idea. I am going to hang it and use it for holding some of my circular needles. Hmmm, that will be just the thing and I won't have to explain it everytime my non-fiber friends ask me "what the heck are you wearing?"

Copenhagen and Cashmere

2012-01-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

No excuses, it's been a while.

I am currently working on Yvonne Eijkenduijn's wonderful Copenhagen pillow ,which is a free design for Red Heart & Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation Yarn. I really, REALLY love Debbie's yarn and have said so on so many occasions.

The pattern is super easy and a quick crochet. It calls for attaching the squares as you go and I have to confess that I've never tried that. Well I'm here to say that I will never do it any other way from here on. I started this pillow top on Wednesday of this week and the crochet work is now done and it is only Friday morning of the same week.Awesome!

Needs a good blocking.

Look at all of those loose ends...good TV watching task.

The pattern directs you to sew the finished top to a pillow which is a very quick finish in deed but I stumbled upon the pillow back made out of thrifted sweaters tutorial on the Attic 24 site and really want to try this as I love the slip cover effect of the removable cover.

I have been collecting cashmere sweaters to use in crafting for a while now and had just the right colors for this pillow. Unfortunately, after I felted them they seem a bit small, especially given the fact the top is going to stretch out a bit when I block it. SO, I am going to TRY to do a patchwork back, made out of the dark pink and turquoise sweaters. Fingers crossed. Will upload pictures if this
is succesful.

And while I was studying my felted cashmere sweater stash and given the fact that it is cold here today, I was struck by inspiration. A cashmere cowl!! Using the light pink cowl neck, which was still plenty big after the felting, I cut the collar from the sweater.

Then I carefully trimmed the rough edges. DONE!! Because this sweater is felted there's nothng else to do. I suppose I could have cut the neck off pre-felting or perhaps I could crochet a decorative lacy edge using the chain stitching along the edge as my foundation,but why bother? It's cold today and I'm going to wear it "as is".

TGIF y'all!

TGIF,FO's & etc...

2011-12-02T07:33:00.001-08:00

It's been a busy time already and I have a bunch of FO's to show for it.
Bubba Goober & Patio Possum (aka Paddy O'Possum) - finished and sent on a trip of a lifetime to England, where they are currently rumored to be wreaking havoc in the recipients home. Bad goober! Behave now!

Next we have an addition to my Beer Can Couture line that I am very excited about...

Some of you may recall that my family just can't get enough beer can couture so I present my PBR tiaras. These 3 tiaras were custom made for my friends across the pond, who enjoy wearing a tiara from time to time so they accompanied Bubba G & Patio to England. Good times & CHEERS, y'all!! Don't forget to wear your crowns responsibly.

I also finished my Huggable Penguin, which was from a CAL hosted by my pal Stitchy McFloss.

She's going to make a nice gift for the local mammography department, I think.

Regarding the next FO, what can I say? I ADORE Anna Hrachovec's designs!! This one is from her Mochimochi Snowmen which I used as an inspiration for my felted ones. Upon receiving the pattern,I excitedly knitted one of the snowmen in about an hour. It turned out so cute that I decided to make 3 for an ornament swap that is going on today. Since I only had a couple of days to complete the snowmen, I decided to felt them using the same embroidery guidelines. I just love them. But I also love the knit version, which is how the designer intended for them to look. I plan to knit & felt a bunch more of these guys in the very near future.

I told you I have a lot of FO's....
This scarf took a couple of hours and my daughter LOVES it! At this rate I could make her one in several color schemes...but I won't so as not to over do it.

I also have an FO that I can't show. It's for Valentine's day.

Here on the gulf coast, we LOVE parades and will queue one up at a moments notice for just about ANY occasion. And where there's a parade there will be throws; lots & lots of throws because no parade is complete without the perfunctory Mardi Gras beads, Moon pies & what-nots.

Well tonight is the annual Christmas parade in our town and I usually have the pleasure of driving one of the floats. Tonight being no exception. My daughter usually deigns to ride shotgun and we end up laughing a lot and really feeling the spirit of the season, while chucking toys, beads & sweets to children along the parade route. Really GOOD times!!

Here we have the calm before the storm, haha...

TGIF y'all!! Don't forget to play today and have a great weekend!!

An FO you can sink your teeth into....

2011-11-22T08:54:00.001-08:00

I have an FO to show you but it's not made of yarn. This is a favorite recipe of mine called Sausage Pinwheels and they are so easy and so fast and people love them. Here's what you do;

Shopping List:
1 roll of hot sausage, (we love Jimmy Dean brand, but ANY brand will do)
2 small packages of Bisquick (or make up a large batch of biscuits per box directions on the large box of Biquick OR make them from scratch if you are so inclined - we like the cheesy garlic Bisquick but these are just as good with plain biscuit mix)
Waxed paper

Mix up the Bisquick per package directions. In this instance, you merely add the specified amount of water as Bisquick is an all inclusive baking mix. Do not mix it too much as the dough will become tough. Biscuit dough is always lumpy looking so don't worry.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured waxed paper. Roll the dough out thinly into a rectangular shape, (about 1/4" thick), as if you were making a rectangular pizza.

Open tube of sausage and spread it out thinly all over the freshly rolled out dough. I find it easy to take large pinches of the sausage, flatten it in my hand and then apply it to the rolled out dough. Keep piecing the flattened sausage until dough is covered or until you run out of sausage.

So now you basically have dough rolled out thinly with an equally thin layer of sausage on top, (like jelly on a peanut butter sandwich). Beginning at one of the short ends, (remember this is a rectangle), carefully begin rolling the dough/sausage jellyroll fashion.

Once it is all rolled up, pinch the ends to close and begin rolling the concoction to the desire diameter, (remember how you made snakes from Play-doh? How they grew smaller in diameter and longer in length? Same difference).

Wrap the finished roll in waxed paper and store in the fridge for several hours, (this will make them cut prettier). OR you can go ahead and cut them and bake them right away. Just be sure to re-shape them a bit so they look round and pretty. Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself, using a sharp knife slice the roll into 1/2" slices and place on un-greased cookie sheet. It's OK for them to touch as they aren't going to rise much.

Place in preheated 350 degree oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes. The number of pinwheels this recipe makes will vary depending upon how small you reduce the diameter by rolling. The particular batch pictured made 1 large cookie sheet full, which was fine for the small group I was feeding.

This would have been so much less wordy had I taken pictures throughout the entire process. Sorry.

But it's easy and almost foolproof. I promise. You can make the rolls in advance and store them in the freezer until ready to use. Or give the uncut/uncooked rolls as gifts. That's how I was first introduced to this recipe. It is now a covered dish or holiday breakfast staple in my house.

A grand conglomeration of mediums...

2011-11-15T07:56:00.001-08:00

Like so many crafters I sometimes flit from project to project or craft to craft, to suit my mood or needs. If you fit into this crafting type category then the Gnome Home pattern by Katie Startzman is for you.

I've said it before.... this pattern is awesome and then some. It is a multi-media crafters dream as it incorporates knitting & felting & embroidery & the use of a wire armature & doll making and so on.

The pattern is well written with so many wonderful photos that both instruct and inspire.In addition, I found that this pattern really got my mind cranking with so many ideas for furniture and curtains & needle felted mushrooms, etc. and it was all I could do to NOT add these embellishments and extra touches as I made this for a crafty 12 year old girl, who will probably enjoy doing her own embellishments. So in addition to the house and two fairies I am sending the young lady a kit that I made up that includes felt scraps,chenille wires, silk flower parts, wooden beads, glue and so on, so she can finish what I started.

Equally adorable and awesome is the Wee Folks book by Salley Mavor. That is where the pattern for the fairy dolls came from. Just looking at this book transports me to an enchanted little world. I just love it so much.

The projects in the book are also well written, photographed & diagrammed so that even children and beginning crafters can successfully make the projects.

Both patterns compliment each other beautifully, as if they were designed by the same author.

Now that the project is fnished and almost ready to mail I can't help thinking that I am going to have to start another one of these just for the sheer joy of it.

Another ADORABLE book by Stacey Trock...

2011-11-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

She's done it again! This time the book is all about softies & stuffed critters and boy are they CUTE!! Looks like a good book to get for gifts for the crocheter's on your list. Or if you are so inclined, order the book for yourself and make gifts from it. I'm ordering mine today!!

A fine collaboration...

2011-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

OK, a long while ago I referred to a collaborative design project that my son & I worked on when he was a young grade-school aged child, (back in the late 80's). I was going to show a photo of the project but never did. Then yesterday I was talking about the importance of letting children help with the design process, when appropriate.

The backstory is that I was sewing some Easter bunnies. My son wanted one but with his own spin on it. I give you the pirate bunny. I know, it's been done to death lately, what with the huge popularity of pirates these days. I guess my son was ahead of his time. At any rate, he told me to add the peg leg, skull tattoo, make his face look mean and to give him "pirate-looking clothing". OK, my spin was to use the brightly colored 80's fabric scraps that I had on hand back then.

Regardless of the aesthetics of the outcome we had fun and that's what it's all about! Don't forget to play today.

Dolls with heart and the importance of letting go when children say "let me do it"...

2011-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to see other folks "take" on my designs. Such was the case with an email that I got from Ginger. It seems that she has set out to make 3 Maggie Bean dolls for 3 very deserving young girls who have gone through very sad circumstances.

In the process of making the dolls, her own child, who is pre-school aged decided that he wanted one of the dolls, so a fourth one is now in the works. In planning the doll for her child, Ginger allowed him to dictate how his doll would look in terms of types of eyes, (in this case googly eyes) & other customizations. Which brings to mind my own children and how they used to co-design my puppets & dolls with me.

Having worked with children and young teens in the mental health field for about 18 years, I can not stress enough how imortant it is to a child's creative development to let them help. Yes, I wanted my puppets & dolls to be the way I wanted them to look, as oftentimes I was making them to sell. I didn't always practice what my college education, motherhood & growing up in a creative household taught me. Still, when time & materials allowed I tried to include my children when they expressed an interest.

Other than just having fun with your child, you are validating your child's ideas as being worthy and good. In addition you are promoting creative expression, positive self esteem, and sometimes a little problem solving as well. And no, you don't have to turn your 3 year old loose with a glue gun or needle and thread. In fact PLEASE don't do that. Just allow the child to say that he wants "googly" eyes, maybe even 3 of them on his doll. Or that his bunny should have a pegleg & tattoo and should be a pirate, (more on that later).

As I climb off my soapbox and get back to Ginger and her dolls, I have to commend her for allowing her son to help and for knitting up 3 dolls for 3 little girls, in hopes of helping to bring them a little cheer and comfort. Ginger has promised to send me final photos of the dolls. Here's what she's done so far...

This 1st picture is her son's doll. He requested that it only have 1 arm. Why not?

Love the hairdo on this little doll!! I am looking forward to seeing Ginger's progress as she is working towards a Christmas deadline.

She's done it again! Oh the cuteness of it all....

2011-11-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Y'all I just have to share this super adorable idea from the super adorable designer Stacey Trock!! She's taken her adorably cute amigurumi and has created KITS! All you add is the hook and stuffing. Can it get any better than this?

photo copyright @ Stacey Trock

No more searching for those elusive post & washer eyes or purchasing giant skeins only to need a teeny tiny bit to complete a small amigurumi. I think these kits are brilliant and are a great value at $12 to $16 per kit. What a fun gift idea for friends who might want to try their hand at amigurumi or you can make up the cutie and give THAT as a gift, (or keep it for yourself). Either way I think this idea is cute & clever & brilliant! Way to go Stacey!

Tote Tute....

2011-10-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

Actually this is a tote HANDLE tute (tutorial). I have used this covered cord handle for several purses/totes such as this one and this one. This handle coupled with 4 crochet covered D-buckles is just the thing for use with chunky crocheted totes that will be carrying around bulky, chunky crochet & knitting supplies.

Here's what you need;
Yarn of choice, worsted weight
G hook (use smaller than recommended by yarn label to insure a tightly crocheted cover)
(4) D-buckles (circular buckles can also be used)
1 yard 1" (or thickness of choice), cotton piping cord, (found in upholstery or notions section of fabric stores)
Tapestry needle, scotch tape, sharp scissors

Cotton piping cord

D buckle, (or you could also use a large jump ring like the ones used for keychains)

Procedure
Preparing the Cording
Wrap cellophane tape around both ends of the cord, to keep it from fraying.

Rnd 1: Using small hook chain 6, (or enough to cover your cord without stretching too much as you want good coverage here. Don't worry, if it is a wee bit loose, which will actually make the crocheting easier to do), wrap this chain around cording & join with slip stitch.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same chain and in ea around.
Following Rnds: : Continue working in un-joined spiral until desired length is covered.

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.Set aside.

Covering the D Buckles

Attach yarn to D buckle using a slip stitch.
Single crochet around the entire buckle. Push completed stitches together in order to make room for more stitches. You'll want lots of stitches so the metal will not show through. Single crochet until you can no longer fit the stitches side by side and little or no metal can be seen.

Finish off leaving yarn tail for sewing. Repeat steps for other 3 buckles.

Finishing

Attach buckles to tote by sewing along the top edge using the yarn tail, at evenly spaced intervals. Set aside.

Once the desired handle length is achieved, carefully cut the cord flush with the first row of stitches.
Likewise cut the cord at the end of the handle flush with the last row completed. Finish off leaving the yarn tail for sewing.
Thread the handle through the 4 buckles, match the two ends together, flush with one another. Using the yarn tail carefully sew the ends together using a whip stitch. Knot & trim excess.

Now my tote is ready to hold a BUNCH of treats!! Have a safe, fun Halloween y'all!!

Goober peas....

2011-10-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

I love peanuts as evidenced by this and this and this.

Well my latest pattern is yet another homage to this worthy legume. It's called "Goober Toss" and it's FREE in my Ravelry pattern store. Make a bunch of these and let the games begin. I guarantee that you won't have any allergic reactions to these old goobers.

These FO's are finally coming out of the closet...

2011-10-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

You know you've got them. You've tucked them away out of sight so you don't have to be shamefully reminded of their existence as you work on new & exciting projects, (some of which will be destined to become the NEW UFO's of shame and the cycle continues).
In my case, most of these forlorn unfinished and neglected projects are stashed in my reusable grocery bags. Oftentimes I find myself buying more reusable bags when I am at the grocery store so I will have some for, dare I say it, GROCERIES.Yea, right.

This weekend I made a decision to free some of these projects from their hidden shame. The first 2 projects I finished are both crocheted tote bags. I chose these because both of them lacked similar finishing; a sewn fabric lining. Since I needed to set up the machine why not tackle both of them.

Sewing used to be my crafty "drug" of choice but that was so long ago and I'm a bit rusty. Given that consideration , I chose the easier of the two bags to finish first. It is called "Winner's Circle Tote" on my Ravelry project page and was worked during the 2011 Iknitarod group. Knitters are always looking for fun KAL/CAL's, especially those with fun themes. This knit-along/crochet-along was in honor of the 2011 Iditarod in Alaska. We were given several challenges to choose from and I chose to design and finish a project. Obviously had I finished it I wouldn't be talking about it here. Shame, shame!

The Winner's Circle Tote is square so lining it was easy. First of all, I carefully measured the bag & cut the lining to size, allowing a 1/4 " seam allowance. Then I sewed and ironed the side & bottom seams.

Next I checked for fit inside the tote and marked how far I needed to turn down the raw edge at the top, folded the top edge down and ironed it with a hot steam iron.

Then I carefully pinned the lining to the top inside edge of the tote and put it aside to await hand sewing, which is a wonderful thing to do while watching TV.

Completed Winner's Circle Tote

The 2nd tote was a little more difficult as it is a barrel shape and cutting the round bottom gusset was a wee bit tricky. I could have used the old pushpin, pencil & string method of drawing a perfect circle but I was too lazy to measure the diameter, hunt down the string & stuff and besides the bottom circle looked very close in size to one of my plates.Please note that this could have ended so badly and I had just enough fabric that I had purchased a couple of years ago. Talk about a gamble, but hey it's how I work.

The first thing was to measure the fabric for the sides of the lining, allowing for a proper seam allowance, (please refer to the disclaimer in this post before trying any of this). I measured this by simply laying the bag flat &placing the folded fabric on top of it, adding that seam allowance I mentioned. With right sides together, I sewed it up the side.

Always press your seams as you go!

Noting the appropriate height measurement for the project I turned down the upper edge twice to form a hem. Then I pressed the hem using a hot steam iron. Ironing kept the folds in place while the hem was machine stitched, no pinning required.

With a plate as my templete, I carefully cut the circular bottom gusset out, adding a seam allowance merely be "eyeballing" it. Remember to read the disclaimer before attempting this.

Placing right sides together, pin the gusset to the rest of the lining and carefully machine stitch.

Clip the seams around the circle.

Inserted the seamed & pressed liner in the tote with wrong sides together. Pinned and hand sewed using my fasvorite stitch of choice, (I prefer using a blind stitch).

All done!

Time for pool side cocktails...

Some of my Basic Sewing Tips:
Disclaimer: Please note that I have ruined many wonderful pieces of fabric by trying to cut corners, knowing full well that I should be doing things by the book. Proceed with caution & take any of my time saving sewing advice at your own peril. I will be heartbroken if you ruin that beautiful, last piece of one-of-a-kind fabric.

Always, always iron your seams as you go, using a HOT steam iron. This keeps the work neat and helps cut down on pinning and I tend to be a fast or maybe lazy crafter and a nicely pressed seam will hold itself in place, especially if you are using a stiff fabric such as cotton or cotton blends.

Along the same vein, ALWAYS clip seams as needed, especially if the piece is curved as in the gusset of my barrel shaped tote & at sharp corners.

Get a magnetic pin holder. No more pins all over the floor but if they do fall off somehow, you can use the holder to pick them up again.

By all means, if you do mess up your sewing, don't get angry and lose your temper...this is a sure way to finish ruining a once wonderful piece of fabric. Believe me when I tell you that angry & seam rippers do not mix well. Walk away from it for a bit and knit something, it calms the nerves.

Happy sewing/knitting/crocheting & crafting y'all!

Mouthy...

2011-10-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Did you ever take your Mom's lipstick and eyeliner to draw an instant puppet on your hand? Simple and so much fun. Well here's another quick knit idea utilizing mate-less gloves & yarn scraps, designed to look like those "hand puppets" we goofed around with in our childhood.
All you have to do to animate this puppet is put the glove on, make a fist with your thumb tucked inside of the fist and start jibber jabbering. So much fun. Really!
Add other embellishments such as hair made of feathers? yarn?Embroider some eyebrows perhaps. Better yet, let the "kids" customize it for one-of-a-kind cuteness.

Check out this Free pattern in my Ravelry shop!

Make time to play everyday!!
TGIF y'all!

This just in...

2011-10-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

...my Ravelry pattern store that is and it's FREE!!

New Releases....

2011-10-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

I've been sporadic in my posting. Lots of family business going on, but it's all good. Consequently I have several FO's and some releases to talk about.

First up are my Red Heart design releases. In addition to the Huggable Penguin I talked about last time, I have a small, ornament-sized penguin worked in Red Heart Soft. The colors are really nice in this line.

Next up is a knit version of the (crocheted) Pomp-a-poodle I designed last year. The Red Heart editors named her Dominique. I like it. She is worked in Red Heart Super Saver and Pomp-a-doodle.

Now I have a quick, fun knit to share called "Tippees".. It's a finger puppet pattern with a twist as I have sewn the finger puppets to the fingers of an orphaned glove. This helps the puppets to fit better over varying sizes of fingers and provides an opportunity to use that lonely glove.

These puppets could be used in conjunction with bedtime stories or for teachers working with young children. I love puppets of all types! They can be whatever you want them to be and children really relate to them.

They are knit in Stitch Nation Washable Ewe by Debbie Stoller & Red Heart. I ADORE this yarn!! The colors are AWESOME but I suspected that they would be with Debbie Stoller at the design helm. Frankly I love all of her Stitch Nation yarn as they are brightly colored, without being garish. Oh and word has it that she is coming out with a painted-look, varigated in the Full O'Sheep line. I can't wait!!

The other glove puppet pictured is called "Mouthy". She also uses an orphaned glove and is modeled after the puppets we used to draw on our hands using our mother's eyeliner and lipstick. Both designs are super simple & super quick using mere scraps of yarn, but both have loads of imaginative play value. I will be releasing this pattern in the next few days, on Ravelry, so please stay tuned.

I have an FO and a new release...

2011-10-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

I've been inconsistent with my posting of late but that is because I have been engaged in different projects, ones that aren't fiber or craft related and frankly aren't very interesting. But now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, for the time being anyway, I am back and have an FO to share.

My Friday FO is a silk scarf done in Tilli Tomas Pure & Simple. The pattern is a favorite of mine called "One Row Lace Scarf" by Turvid. It is fun, easy to follow and fast as it calls for using a much larger than recommended needle. In this case I used a US 10 1/2/ 6.5 mm.

Just need to weave a couple of ends and block it and it's good to go.

Oh and if you are looking to begin your Christmas crocheting I have a new pattern released on the Red Heart website called Huggable Penguin. She is about 14" tall and has removable outerwear and is worked in Red Heart Super Saver using a 4.25mm /US G-6 crochet hook for the body & 5.5 mm/ US I-9 hook for the hat and scarf.

TGIF y'all! Have a wonderful weekend!

Out for a test drive....

2011-10-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Malabrigo lace weight yarn in a most perfect blue colorway....CHECK!

A favorite stitch dictionary type book, ("200 Stitch Pattern s for Baby Blankets" by Jan Eaton).....CHECK!

Brand new Addi Swing 2.5 mm crochet hook, (ergonomic hook given to me by my pal Maven of FIBER P*RN)....CHECK!

Lady, start your engine....

Successful test run.

Incidentally, I LOVE this new hook, it's AWESOME!! Other than the obvious ergonomics, I just love how they are (brightly) color coded AND they have super large size labels...perfect for eyes that just aren't what they used to be. I may just have to get a set of these. They will be my orthopedic crochet hooks. Thanks again Maven!! You are AWESOME!

Visiting with Stacey and new releases....

2011-09-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Professional crochet designer Stacey Trock of Fresh Stitches & author of "Cuddly Crochet" and the soon to be released, UBER cute book “Crocheted Softies”, invited me to be interviewed for her blog. I love Stacey’s work and was very honored by her request. The interview can be found here.

Among her numerous designs I think some of my favorites, (if I HAD to pick), are her Dale the Mosquito, which brings to mind the huge “skeeters” we have here in the deep south, Carlton the Striped Dog, one of her super-sized/super huggable amigurumi & the teeny Rho, the Tiny Monster who is just adorably cute, as is Stacey, (you can see her posing with some of her toys on her various pattern pages).

Other than Stacy's soon to be released book I also want to announce that my Fish Story design went live today and can be found here.

Fish Story coming...

2011-09-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

With the "cooler" weather of late it's a great time to go fishing.

Here's a knitted interactive toy designed for young children to help in the teaching of counting & color identification concepts as well as to provide plain old fun and make believe play. The pattern is simply knit using double point needles or circulars & less than 20 yards of yarn per fish & worm.

Pattern to be released (hopefully) by week's end, on Ravelry.

Zoe & Josephine...closely knit friends on an adventure...

2011-09-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

Kelli (aka oneknitwit) & Melissa (aka twoknitwit) are two fun ladies who are also longtime acquaintances and now sisters-in-law & consequently great friends. They share their love of the fibery arts on their blog Girls in Sheep Clothing . Look at this cute picture of the two "girls in sheep clothing", I LOVE this!

It seems that the "girls" have come up with a fun project using dolls knit from my Maggie Beans & Friends pattern. They both knit a doll with their own customized touches and are ready to take the dolls on their various adventures. How fun is that?

Zoe - (photos borrowed from Girls in Sheeps Clothing blog)
Josephine

Check out the gorgeous custom spun yarn hair & their adorable clothing. I really love this project which reiterates that one never outgrows playfulness & whimsy and am looking forward to reading about these dolls' adventures.

Don't you just love the names?

Friday FO ....

2011-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

What can I say? Look at that cute face!!

The free pattern can be found HERE.

TGIF y'all!

photo by Coats & Clark

Safe & sound...

2011-09-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Texture Bite has traveled to his new home where he is looking all cozy among the beautiful quilt & pillows.

Thanks Julie, for the use of this cute picture! So glad that he made it safely and I hope he behaves himself!

25% increase in productivity...

2011-09-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

I am FINALLY finished re-doing my craft room/home office/studio. Well practically finished anyway. I still need to add the switch plates, purchase & hang some blinds & tackle the huge mess in the walk in closet.

I am a neat-nik wannbe and LOVE things put way all orderly and neat.

Unfortunately another part of my personality is SUPER messy and a bit of a hoarder and practical organizational skills have passed me by entirely. So behold the order, it won't last.

Friday FO or what I did on my summer vacation ....

2011-09-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here's one of the items I worked on over my "Summer Vacation" in Miami.

And it's available for free download at the Redheart.com site. They have some other adorable Halloween items such as an over sized purple top hat with orange hair, pirate hats for kids & various cute treat baskets. And it's a 3 day weekend. Perfect for getting a jump on Halloween & knocking out a few of those projects.

Photo by Coats & Clark

I have a really, really long list of things I need or want to get done on this 3 day weekend, but it's all good.

Have a safe, fun weekend & TGIF!!

Secrets to shaping knitted toys...

2011-08-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

Like a good push up bra, it's all about the underpinnings. It takes my light bulb a while to come on but I have been racking my brain to come up with a way to maintain the shaping that I so carefully design & knit into a toy. This is especially important at necks. You need to stuff the piece firmly so the head won't flop around but in doing so you stretch stitches to the limit.

Wrapping & tying yarn around the outside of the neck is fine but sometimes the yarn on the outside won't look right as in the eye shaping on my Texture Bite bear.

So here's my simple remedy;

Here's a firmly stuff head. It's OK but is not the way I designed the pattern. Instead the imaginary line upon which the eyes will be embroidered should be cinched in.

The red line marks the 2 areas that need a little shaping help.

Using the same yarn, insert the needle at the level where you want to add additional shaping. But rather than tie the yarn around the outside, which would be OK for the neck but not here, run the needle along the imaginary line along just under the knitted material, skimming across the outermost surface of the stuffing.

Pull tightly and knot securely. Smooth out any puckers and add a bit more stuffing as needed.

Repeat for neck.

There now, doesn't that feel better?

Back to Basics with Petite Purls...

2011-08-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Petite Purls, the adorable e-zine for baby and children's knit, crochet, sewing and general crafty ideas & inspirations has just released my Bib & Paci Tether in their "Back to Basics" section.

"Back to Basics" is a collection of relatively generic patterns designed with the idea that the user can take these basic "recipes" and customize them to their own tastes. I love this idea!! All of the projects are worked in yummy, scrumptious Spud & Chloe Sweater in the Ice Cream colorway, so that each project really is a blank canvas on which to let one's imagination soar.

Per usual, the very talented Brandy Fortune, who is also co-editor, took the amazingly adorable photos, assisted by her super adorable baby girl. So CUTE!!

Photographed by Brandy Fortune

Oh my goodness....would you look at that sweet face???
Does it get any cuter than this?

Photographed by Brandy Fortune

TGIF y'all...

Using the "Good Stuff"

2011-08-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

(aka Sheepster Sneak Peak, Part 2)
Several weeks? months? years? ago I was babbling about giving myself permission to use the "good stuff". And went even further to say I was going to give myself permission to use the "good stuff" for toys, no less.

PERMISSION GRANTED. Sheepster is getting a posse and I'm using the good stuff.

One of Sheepsters' peeps is being worked in Desert Garden Farms handspun in the "Deep Blue Sea" colorway. Oh YEA!! I do love my blues and so does this sheep. He's chillin' to some smooth blues and keeping it kinda' old school-ish.

Another bud is being worked in Noro Silk Garden. YUMMY! This guy is getting in touch with his artsy side.

Then there's the blue faced leicester done up in Stitch Nation aquamarine and Rio De La Plata Yarns Fino Lana del Artista, which is sadly discontinued. Say it ain't so. I guess that makes him special and a little bit rare.

Oh and just for fun, let's visit with Mr. Cray one more time...now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!! And so is THIS!

I should re-name this post ...."and LISTENING to the good stuff".

Sheepster

2011-08-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak at "Sheepster". He has been "in the works' for quite some time now and it's time he came out to say "hey". Sheepster is knit in the round on US 6 needles. The head, extremities and vest are all worked in Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation "Full O'Sheep" by Red Heart, which I LOVE!!

For the umpteenth time, I LOVE single ply yarn.

The body and beret are worked in Desert Garden Farms hand-dyed in the "Tie-dye" colorway. Isn't it gorgeous yarn? I'm working some alternate sheep bodies and berets in Desert Garden hand spun (YUM!) and another in Noro Silk Garden.

At any rate, once the background tasks are completed & glamour shots are taken I will be adding "Sheepster" to my Ravelry pattern store. Should take a couple more weeks at the most.

Until "keep it cool...."

I WON!!

2011-08-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

THIS! It's a pattern called "Kouyou Shawl" by one of my favorite bloggers & designers, Angela Tong of Oiyi's Crafts. The shawl is knit in worsted or sportweight so that is right up my alley as I have such a hard time manipulating the gorgeous but teeny-tiny lace weight yarns. AND the best and weirdest part of this is that I have been eyeballing this pattern lately and was just about to purchase it, I kid you not! And I have some stash yarn that would LOVE to become this shawl so it's all good.

I won the pattern by commenting on an interview with Angela Tong on the Sexy Knitter's blog. This is a very COOL blog and I am loving her "getting to know you" series. She is an inspired designer in her own rite. So check it out. Her style is definitely not "your granny's knitting". I love it!

And while you're hanging out on the net, check out Angela' blog as well, (Oiyi's Crafts). She takes the happiest photos of her amazingly cute daughter. They make me smile. And her designs are amazing!

Now since this is a knitting/crochet blog here's a gratuitous yarn picture or two of some yummy yarn. The shawl would look mighty pretty in this;

Or this;

Friday FO ....

2011-08-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

It seems that lately, no matter how I plod along I just can't/don't finish anything. Well here's one FO anyway.

I know, it's awfully bright but not as bright as it is in real life, ha,ha. I had trouble photographing this project as the hot pink was messing with the color balance and I don't have time to play around with this so here you go.
Perhaps photographing it outside in natural light would have worked better. Will try that next time. But this is a baby gift that must be delivered now.

Oh yea, here's one more "finished object"...yep I finished this all in one sitting and it was GOOD!!

TGIF y'all!!

Recess time...

2011-08-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

My current assignments were starting to get frustrating so I gave myself some yarn-play time. By stepping away from the problem project for a bit and working on a super easy, fun & quick project (or rather projects), I am able to work out the problem at hand by not thinking so hard about it.

Here's what I am doing for fun...

Scribble scarf from the Mason Dixon knitting book.
I LOVE this pattern. It's fun and easy and pretty. This one is being worked in Cascade Kid Seta in Lilac # 19 and Tilli Tomas silk on US 17 needles.

And here is the other scarf. I am using some stash Malabrigo lace held doubled and a newly purchased skein of Cascade Rustic in a gorgeous blue colorway # 13. LOVE it! I am using US 15 needles and plan to block the scarf severely so as to open up the stitches for lightness.

Either one of these scarves would be appropriate for year round use here in the DEEP south as they are light but warm. But I am especially interested in summer use as some places around town have their air conditioners set on what feels like 32 degrees Fahrenheit. And while I could comfortably wear a more wintry scarf it just wouldn't look right, ha,ha.

WIP's & FWIP's...

2011-08-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

What's an FWIP? A "future work in progress". That's what you see here with this yummy cake of green Shepherd's Wool.

What's it going to be? A frog. Yea, I know, there are fifty-eleven frog patterns in the world. But this one has a back story which is really quite funny and he HAS to be included in the mix. Plus he will be part of a duo of sorts and that's all I can say. I am designing him for Desert Garden Farms. Along with a farm animal. Should be fun.

Here's something fun, fast & super easy...

I am crocheting this for a friend, whose nursery is going to be pink zebras. It's from a pattern called "Zeb the Zebra" by Janice Cyr of Madison's Craft Nook. I love it and all of her patterns!! So CUTE!!

Next is something I am really tickled about. It is a robot and is for no one in particular so it will most likely go to charity. I am having so much FUN with this one, using the brightest of the bright colors. Pink and orange? Lime Green & Turquoise? Bring it on!! The more bright color the merrier with this one. The pattern is called My Favorite Stuffie Rockin' Robots by Deb Richey of Craftydeb.com.

Here's another FWIP...

It's going to be part of a toy, which is being tested as we speak. The main part of the pattern is worked in Stitch Nation Full O'Sheep, which I LOVE, (have I mentioned that single ply is my favorite ? Yep, I think I may have. If you haven't tried any Full O'Sheep, please do!! You won't be sorry).
At any rate, the accent part of the toy was originally knit in some beautiful tie-dye yarn by Jennifer at Desert Garden Farms. Because she is an indy dyer I wanted to find an alternate for the multi-colored yarn in the project. So here you have it.

Oh and here's an FO to share. It's a gator and was crocheted on the fly by me for my Dad. I wrote it down though so I may publish it after some testing &tweaking.

TGIF y'all!

One neglected, forgotten WIP saved...

2011-08-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

All he needed was arms and legs and a face. Not much work really. He was originally the 1st draft when I was just beginning to think about Texture Bite last year.

The yarn is pretty but I just didn't like the bulkier texture for this particular application. However, now that he's finished he looks fine to me and will join a grouping of toys that are going to charity.

You know it's a relief to finally finish a partially worked project that has been languishing in a project bag for so many months, (or even years perhaps?), especially when it is an animal or a doll.

"On a mission" Friday....

2011-07-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

One of my Ravelry friend's, Kim (aka RAV user name kkhymn) has started such a touching & thoughtful mission. She knits adorably cute Rebecca Danger toy monsters to give to children, (and sometimes adults), with chronic illness. Read about it here and here.

I was so moved by her post and by the fact that Kim has her own medical issues to deal with. So I began thinking about all of those unfinished, oftentimes forgotten toys in my own stash and have decided to finish some of them, as time permits, and send them to Kim, for her toy mission.

While looking through the bags and baskets I found the ORIGINAL draft to my Texture Bite. All he lacks are arms, legs & a face and he's good to go.

I am also thinking that perhaps Posy wants to tag along and become a friend and confidant to some little child in need of a friend.

OK, those in addition to some August 1st deadline projects and my agenda is set. Not much time left for those adult beverages, KnittingBelle, ha,ha. Not this weekend anyway.

TGIF y'all!

Posy Progress...

2011-07-28T08:44:00.001-07:00

Haven't had much time for "just because" projects of late but I did steal some "Posy time" this morning, while having my daily cup of coffee.

Previously, while on my trip to Miami, I finished her head, torso and one leg. I am now on leg 2. I also managed to complete the ribbed section of her skirt.

The Posy pattern by Wendy Phillips of Dollytime is so well written and easy to follow. All of the pieces are knitted flat but I am a lazy knitter or rather one that tends to take the path of least resistance, (for me anyway), so I have chosen to work the pieces in the round when possible. Besides, my seaming skills aren't always as neat as they should be. I will start working in the round for the remainder of her skirt and plan to do the same for her arms. Then it will be on to the fun part; her face & hair, which I plan to needle felt. I can't wait.

Oh and take a look at "Rowena", one of the other Dollytime patterns I purchased. How cute is SHE???

And now as a prelude to the weekend and for your summertime refreshment & enjoyment....

Margarita's al fresco

And FLOWERS immune to the draught...

And old roots...

and cool & amazing inside places...

Happy Thursday y'all!

So much more from Miami...

2011-07-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

Oh and an FO as well. Here is Texture bite II getting ready to shop with me at the Falls in Kendall, Florida, (a suburb of Miami).

I am NOT a mall person, AT ALL!! Well, with the possible exception of this one, which is my FAVORITE ever! It's open to the outside, with a huge water feature, lush tropical vegetation and feral kitties, living amongst the little man-made "rain forest".

The cats seem to be taken care of as evidenced by the bowls of food and water located under the bushes and some are pretty friendly.

Texture Bite seems to like Francesca's. I do TOO!

TGIF y'all!!

Back home with WIP's and a bazillion Miami photos ...

2011-07-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

We've been back now for a few days and I'm trying to get back into my normal routine after 21 days away. While I was away I worked on several projects, some of which can't be revealed yet. However, I did manage to get started on some "just for fun" items.

Here's more progress on my "Posy" doll by Dollytime patterns from the super talented Wendy Phillips of Flutterby Patch..

I'm using some Kool-aid dyed wool for most of the doll. I just love Kool-aid dyeing and have so many little balls and skeins from past dyeing endeavors.

I'm also participating in a mystery toy KAL in the Knitted Toys group on Ravelry. The toy is designed by Emily Ivey , (aka yarnmiracle) and is a mammal of some sort. Pictured below is the body and head. The arm design was released last Friday and I need to get to work on them.

My version is being worked in Rowan Calmer, which is a cotton/acrylic blend and I am using a US size 3 set of dpn's. It's going to be smaller than the recommended size but the yarn tends to be very stretchy and really needed a MUCH smaller needle to prevent those unsightly ladders and stuffing show-though.

Looks more like fruit than the makings of an animal.

Other projects are for publication so I can't share them at the moment but I will share a sandwich with you. This restaurant is in Key Largo and is very popular with locals and tourists alike....

Oh YES! It was GOOD!

Here's what we did after lunch...

Went on a glass bottom boat cruise from Pennekamp State Park to Molasses Reef. Amazing and gorgeous!! Next time we're going to view this IN the water. It was wonderful and we saw so many species of fish in the short time we were out, including barracuda, sting ray, grouper, snapper, other assorted other fish and sea turtles.

My favorite, FAVORITE color!!

More things to do and see in Miami...

2011-07-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

You can visit Books and Books, which just happens to be down the street from the Knitting Garden. How cool is THAT?

And have a cup of Cafe con Leche while you work a few rounds of a pattern you have been itching to start, (in this instance it is the beginnings of an adorable doll by Wendy Phillips of Dollytime and Flutterby Patch. The pattern is called "Posy").

While looking out the window at the gorgeous courtyard...

Later on you can go to Shorty's for some good ol' BBQ. I have spoken before on this issue of BBQ and personal preferences so I won't bore you by recounting that. Suffice it to say that tastes in BBQ differ greatly from region to region and family to family & can often be the cause of passionate family feuds. I know what I like.

Still this BBQ has merit, even if the sauce is sweet, which is not generally how I like it. In fact, I really, REALLY liked it. Plus the atmosphere was laidback country and the staff were FANTASTIC!!As with most BBQ establishments that I have gone to, they give you WAY too much food so naturally I ate WAY too much, ha,ha. I am putting Shorty's on my list of favs and will definitely be back.

Looks good, huh? My mouth is watering as I type this. But if I WERE to eat this meal right now then a food induced power nap would be sure to follow and I have a lot to do.

And then, if you dare to don a swim suit after a meal like that, you can go to the beach.

Things to see in Miami...

2011-07-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

First of all since this is primarily a knitting & crochet blog I have to list the Knitting Garden as one of the places to see in Miami. It is located in the gorgeous Coral Gables area, right down the block (or two) from Miracle Mile, (which I have blogged about before but will re-visit in another post).

The owners label the Knitting Garden as a "fine knitting shop" and it IS!! This shop is FULL of fluffy, wonderful fiber goodness in all of the saturated colors that I LOVE!! During my visit a class was being conducted so not wanting to disturb the teaching, I hung back a little but have plans to return some time in the coming weeks. Plus, I wasn't sure about parking and had parked in a 30 minute spot. THIRTY MINUTES to browse a yarn store? Yea, right. I'll be back now that I have the parking scoop and lay of the land.
In addition, my pictures were a bit blurry so I definitely have to return so I can share the cuteness. Here you see the ONLY wide shot I got is blurred. Yep, I HAVE to return.

Texture Bite II came along too.

This is such a charming, welcoming store with a seating area in the middle and long conference-type table in the back for classes to meet around. The staff were friendly but allowed me to browse on my own without suspicion, which allowed me to drink it all in during the first visit. And was there ever a lot to absorb. I am already looking forward to returning, this time perhaps with a list.

The next thing I want to talk about is food; specifically PIZZA. My husband and I LOVE Mom & Pop restaurants that have been around long enough to have a history. That's what Ciro's Italian Restaurant is all about. The place is tiny but warm and welcoming. The staff make it their business to recognize returning customers, how NICE!! Sorry but there are so many establishments that don't seem to encourage this.

My husband & I ordered the smallest pizza they make and it was enough for at least 3 adults but being the pigs that we are, we ate all but one slice. Guess what's for breakfast this morning?

The sauce was wonderful and not overpowering or sweet, like some chain restaurant pizza and the toppings were piled high, as you can see. Only they were cooked through. I have had loaded pizzas before but sometimes the toppings aren't cooked all the way. While I love raw vegetables on salads, I want my pizza toppings cooked. The dough was soft on the top and lightly crunchy on the bottom. Perfection.

Chloe and Texture Bite II

2011-06-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

I finished Chloe over the weekend, except for her shoes, which I may not get to because of some deadlines. Still, I am calling her finished as she now has all of her limbs and clothing.

I also started a another Texture Bite using smaller needles. He is working up to be the perfect size for giving to a baby and I am loving the soft Rowan Calmer yarn that I am using. It shows good stitch definition, which is important for this pattern, as well as being baby soft. Sorry about the bad photo. It was hard to get the right mix so I'm leaving it as is and will take his final glamour shot outside in the shade.

WIP wrap up....

2011-06-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Chloe update.I used some stash fiber in a pretty auburn color to needle felt her some hair. This was so simple to do and I will definitely be needle felting hair again. Poor girl had just the one leg at the time of this photo but she now has 2 and her dress is half way finished.

Other than working on Chloe this week I also started and finished Mao by Angela Tong. This adorable pattern can be found in the Petite Purls Summer 2011 issue. The yarn is Desert Garden hand dyed.

Another WIP I have is Silas by Carey Huffman, aka Full of Fluff. I was attracted to this pattern while browsing on Ravelry. I have finished his head and 1 arm since this photo was taken but I wanted to show the yarns I am using. They are cotton yarns from my stash and luckily are similar to those in the original design, as
I am making a concerted effort to use stash only when possible.Will definitely get photos of this cool cat when he is finished.

Then of course there's the float fix from the other day. If you want to find me this weekend, that's where I'll be...floating in the pool on my newly re-furbished granny square crochet favorite float.

TGIF y'all!

A sad tale with a happy ending ...

2011-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

"Oh NOOOOO! What's happened to my favorite float?"

"Hmmmm, I have an idea!!"

"This ought to work..."

"Looks about right."

My cat likes it too. "Not for you, Mr. Kitty."

"Granny squares and Red Heart Super Saver to the rescue...let the sweltering heat continue."

TOYS, TOYS,TOYS...

2011-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

IT"S HERE!! The Petite Purls 2nd Anniversary ALL TOY Summer Issue is here!! Brandy and Allegra, the co-editors have outdone themselves on this one.

The issue is a delightful mix of toys for all ages and interests and has designs from so many "big name" designers, too numerous to list, lest I might inadvertantly leave one off. It is full of the most adorable, fun critters and toys in a variety of mediums including knitting,crocheting and sewing!! For the multi-crafty, where does one begin??

Oh and my bear made the cover! What a nice surprise! I'm floored.

The photography was all done by Brandy Fortune, co editor of Petite Purls and they are inspired. The adorable model is Brandy's eldest girl and the camera clearly loves her.

My toys are getting antsy....

2011-06-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

....anxiously awaiting the summer 2011 issue of Petite purls.

The toys are perusing the hand spun stash in preparation for the Petite Purls Summer Issue, looking for just the right yarn with which to knit or crochet a new friend, perhaps?

Oh and Spud is finished! I have started knitting his sidekick, Chloe but do not have any photos to share yet.
Spud and Chloe on the Farm has such a CUTE collection of fun-to-knit patterns!

TGIF, y'all!

Can you see it yet?

2011-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Still anxiously stalking the digital world for the 2nd anniversary Petite Purls ALL TOY issue! Someone commented on either Facebook or Twitter that they needed to knit faster in preparation for the issue, so they will be free to start on new projects apparently. I can identify with that sentiment so much!

Countdown to CUTENESS...

2011-06-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Petite Purls, the most adorable e-zine in the knitting/crocheting/sewing/crafting universe is about to release their spectacular, much anticipated ALL TOY issue!!I CAN NOT WAIT!!The projects were all photographed by the brilliant photographer & co-editor Brandy Fortune, who has such an eye for capturing the magic of childhood. Co-editor Allegra Wermuth is equally brilliant in her role as designer liaison. Their combined talents are nothing short of awesome!

My girls are super excited about this issue...

Maggie Bean & Friends , Spring 2010

I'm done....

2011-06-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

This was a fast project and as I stated when I first began it, the design engineering is brilliant. I LOVE that she has jointed knees & elbows and that her head swivels. The design can be found for free on By Hook, By Hand website.

Here's something interesting that I saw on a recent stroll. I have no idea what kind of shrub this is but the flower is AMAZING!

Here's something else I saw on my walk....

No worries about me violating the rules on this sign.

None whatsoever!!!

And last but not least....MAIL CALL!! Check out the overflowing box of goodies. Nice, huh?

Friday FO Favorite....

2011-05-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished crocheting a very clever design called Tuck Away Tote by Ruth Shepherd. I ADORE this pattern!! It begins as a standard fish net tote attached to a simple crocheted medallion. Add a matching medallion at the end to form a pocket and it becomes the clever self-encased ready-to-use, take anywhere tote. The only thing lacking in my otherwise finished version is a little button for keeping the encased bag neat & contained.

Loving bright colors as I do, I have GOT to make some of these in some bright cotton yarn. But for this one I was using up stash yarn. And while it is pretty in it's simple ecru, I can just see bunches of these done up in every color of the rainbow.

This is a perfect project to make & use in the upcoming hot summer months. It would make a great beach or pool bag or use it for bringing home all of those wonderful fresh veggies & fruits from your local produce stand.

Kind of looks like a squid here

Not really an FO, but almost...here's another super clever design. This one is called Pocket Spirit Doll, (Poseable version) by Beth Webber . You can find her amazing blog here.

This doll is very small but has so much movement and detail, (something that is generally hard to achievewith crochet & knitted dolls). Beth cleverly uses a post & washer eye in the head and neck to create a head that swivels. This really works.There are other joints at the major bendable areas of the doll but obviously I haven't gotten there yet.

I am loving the engineering of this doll and the scale as I am using sport weight yarn and an E/3.5 mm crochet hook. Frankly I really like the textural look of tightly crochetd dolls and amigurumi but using the smaller yarn seems to add more detail & smooth the surface while maintaining the look that I love.

Getting ready to add lower leg and knee joints.

There are many other FO hopefuls in my project bags including my poor Spud, who only lacks having his feet sewn on and his tail & bow tie completed. Really MUST get him done, he is SO cute!

Please take the time to thank a Veteran this weekend and remember those who have lost their lives protecting our freedom!! Have a safe, happy Memorial Day and.....

TGIF y'all!!

I miss this...

2011-05-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Thread on wooden spools! Yes, I suppose they are more expensive to make, than the plastic ones of today. But unlike the spools of today, we always kept our empty wooden spools, ALWAYS! We would put them to good use as bases for doll furniture or strung together with yarn to make fanciful necklaces or even doll limbs. Whatever the intended use of the empty wooden spool they were saved with the expectant potential of being re-made into something wonderful and fun.

And while I'm on a retro subject, here's a finished object that I started yesterday. He's a crochet variation on the retro sock monkey theme. There are a LOT of sock monkey inspired patterns out there and I love them all but this one is by Linda Cyr & can be found here.

TGIF y'all!!

Bok, Bok....

2011-05-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

Another toy from precious hand spun yarn completed. I am calling this one "Prissy", because she IS prissy. The yarn came from an online friend, the very talented Kat, aka atwhittzend on Ravelry. Most of the yarn was used for a scarf I knitted back in December that I called "Miss Kat" after the fiber artist. This was an excellent way to use up leftovers, rather than letting it languish in a drawer.

Oh and my "Spud", (from Spud & Chloe on the Farm by Susan B Anderson), is almost done! He just needs his legs & bow tie. I love him.

What I was GOING to say was....

2011-05-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

So many of us had a glitch with our "last" post a few days ago, before Google folks did some work on the system. Well mine is back and here it is...

My friend Jennifer at Desert Garden Farms surprised me with an extraordinarily generous gift of SIX skeins of hand spun yarn!! WOW, I feel so luxurious & artsy & pampered!! Most of my knitting & crocheting is done with manufactured yarns, which I love but still the look and feel of hand spun is a special treat of undeniable richness. Add to that the fact that some of the “ingredients” in the yarn are from her very own wool/fiber bearing animals and I don’t feel worthy.

Like so many people, I am a saver. Always putting nicer things away for a special occasion. Rarely do I use the fine china, silver or even my finer yarn. I’m going to need to get over that and give myself permission to start using my hand spun. I tried to take that plunge last week by using some chocolate colored Desert Garden hand spun for my Spud stuffed animal but it was too thick. So close, I almost made it and was rather pleased that I was going to use the yarn for a toy, no less.

~~So for now I will pile my skeins up, jealously guarding them like a miser with his gold. They are pretty to look at, just as they are.~~

Addendum to the story is that I have in fact permitted myself to knit a toy in handspun as evidenced by my previous post.

So here's what I made for the Desert Garden children, as a thank you for my wonderful yarn;

"Fairy Doll" by Ana Paula Rimoli from Crochet Today! Magazine, May/June 2011

"Mini Cthulu (and Mini Kappa)" by Cherene Reyes, Ravelry pattern store. Well written pattern and so affordable!!You get TWO patterns for under $3!!

"Garden Pals" (bunny) by Tamie Snow from Crochet Today! Magazine, May/June 2009

"Little Baby Monkey" by ME, (although I heavily improvised it in order to make it small enough to fit in a toddlers dress pocket), from Crochet Animals Big and Small, Redheart publication J27-0025

I really enjoyed making these toys. All of the designs were simple, easy to follow & quick. I love that.

Washable Ewe yarn...

2011-05-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hurray! The Stitch Nation Washable Ewe yarn by Debbie Stoller is officially out! I've been waiting for this day!!
Y'all,this yarn is fantastic. The colors are so beautiful and like the other Stitch Nation yarns, they all look good together in some combination or other. I just love them ALL!! In addition, the yarn is very soft and is such a pleasure to work with.

One of my projects in Washable Ewe is this stuffed animal called "Nummy Bunny", done in Icing, Peony & Duckling, which can be found as a free pattern on the RedHeart website.

I have several other items I am working on in this yarn that I can not talk about at the moment. Except to mention again how much I love this new yarn. It's gorgeous, soft, comes in a wonderful array of colors, is washable and last, but not least, it is so affordable. Can anyone argue with that, these days? How awesome would a granny square bedspread be in this yarn? SUPER awesome!!

Oh and while I'm on the subject of things that are fun, look at this adorable no-knit, no sew project from the Red Heart team. I think this is just the thing for young teens and tweens. So cute!! This would be a perfect, affordable craft for summer camp, Girl Scouts, Bible school, birthday spend-the-night activity and so on. Y'all, I used to have a career that entailed doing arts & crafts with children and THIS activity really speaks to me, on both a cute AND affordable level.

A happy, yummy Sunday...

2011-05-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

er, or rather Sundae.

I allowed myself to knit a toy out of my precious Desert Garden hand spun that I have been hoarding for so many months.I named the yarn Hot Fudge Sundae when I first saw it because it is rich & sweet & chocolatey and oh so decadent. The fiber content is lincoln , yak,silk,llama, camel & a bit of sparkle. Talk about luxury, WOW! See why I was happy to hoard it for a while?

This little bunny knitted up so quickly and surprisingly looks so realistic because of the awesome yarn.

Of course my nosy cat had to get in on the action or rather had to authorize the photo shoot, as it were.

OK, so this was a huge move for me to give myself permission to knit a toy from fancy hand spun yarn. However, this may be the beginning of a full blown addiction. Good thing I have a lot of art yarn on hand, thanks to my hand spinning buddy.

A joyful surprise....

2011-05-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah was a bullfrog..

...was a good friend of mine...

...I never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink his wine..

...Joy to the world, all the boys & girls, joy to the fishes...

...in the deep blue sea...

...JOY...

...to YOU and ME!

Thank you Jennifer of Desert Garden Farms, for all of this wonderful, fluffy, lovely Three Dog Night inspired hand spun!! What a fantastic surprise!!

TGIF y'all!

Come with me, I want to show you something...

2011-05-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

A shower caddy, sold in bath stores, for use particularly in dorm or travel situations. When not in use the caddy can be flattened and held flat with an elastic strap. Take the strap off and it pops up. So what, right?

I use these for project bags. It can be worn on your wrist for on-the-go crocheting or knitting, (haven’t we all done this at one time or other, oftentimes holding the skein under the arm as you walk)?
It also corrals those pesky yarn balls, that otherwise would be rolling haphazardly all over the floor as you work from them.

Confidentially, I have never used my shower caddy for it's intended purpose. Even if I wanted to, it's always full of yarn.

Done...

2011-05-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well almost anyway. I just need to weave the 50 gazillion ends.

And speaking of granny's, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's day!

Warm & toasty beach glass...

2011-05-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

So how can glass be warm & toasty? When it is a granny stripe blanket in all my favorite beach glass colors. I'm making this large enough to fit our queen-sized bed. It will be a nice coverlet for the summer months. Hopefully it will get finished this year. We'll see.

And while I'm "on the beach" I should mention my "Miami Beach Throw". It is so thick and heavy that it is getting hard to work on due to the warm weather we are having. I really need to turn down the air and get it done, it's so close.

Spud update: His head is completed and I am on my 2nd round of twisted loop stitch on his body. It is slow going but SO worth it!! What a cute, perfect stitch for a chubby, woolly sheep. I love him!

A time to sow sew...

2011-05-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, for everything there is a season and for my granny square afghan it is time to connect the squares. I got a good start last evening. In fact I am halfway through. The finished piece will be 7 squares tall by 8 rows. I've done 4. Of course then there will be the fifty-eleven loose ends and the edging but still there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

On the Spud KAL progress, I was unable to use my most fantastic Desert Garden handspun for Spud's coat because it was too thick for the twisted loop technique. So I am using what the pattern originally calls for, which is Spud & Chloe Sweater in Ice Cream and it is perfect and how it should be. I love the twisted loop technique, it is so cool and perfect for woolly sheep coats. Susan Anderson, the designer has created a wonderful tutorial on this technique, which was SO helpful in making the stitch.

Conquering fears....

2011-05-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school I read a very popular novel called the Exorcist. It scared the stew out of me! So much so that I had to sleep with a light on for WEEKS, (not that an evil spirit is scared of a little ol' light but still). Then the movie came out and I just HAD to see it. I was not disappointed. It was scary beyond my wldest imagination. Again, the lights were left on to chase away evil spirits and lurking shadows. I am still scared of that movie & novel even today.

Well now I have found a cure for the heebie jeebies in the form of crochet artwork by Croshame. In my quest to cleanse my mind once and for all from this scariest of scary I am about to begin desensitization therapy. Check it out...I am going to get one of these prints & hang it in my craft room. I LOVE the use of crochet to depict gory, terrifying situations. It's just a funny dichotomy to me. This definitely ain't granny's antimacassars & toilet roll covers.

Speaking of all things granny, its time to stitch! I completed all of the squares last night. Will post pictures soon.

And here's the beginnings of a KAL I am participating in on Ravelry. I'm knitting his wool out of Desert Garden hand spun. YUM-MEE!

Granny progress...

2011-04-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

57 squares. I'm getting there. And as folks have often said before me, they are addicting!

TGIF y'all!

Riding the granny train...

2011-04-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a crocheter

As much as I crochet I have NEVER completed a granny square project, NEVER! And isn’t the granny square the epitome of crochet? It certainly was the thing in the 70’s.

I halfheartedly began a granny square project a while back but those few completed squares have long been discarded. I was trying to mix and match different squares and just lost interest.

With the resurgence of granny square popularity, (did they really ever go out of style?), I am jumping on the granny square bandwagon and am LOVING it! Rather than repeat the mistake of the past by trying too intricate a design, I am working my squares in basic granny stitches, (3 dc, ch 1). This will hopefully spur me on to finish thereby encouraging me to revisit the more intricate design combinations afterwards.

This is REALLY cute...

2011-04-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sock Monkey Blanket I might just have to make one of these!

Hope you all had a nice Easter weekend!!

A project to make for your golfing buddies...

2011-04-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

Freelance designing for Coats & Clark is always fun & exciting. My crocheted Poodle Golf Club Cover & Gopher Golf Club Cover are out now on the Redheart website!

And since I don't have the photo of the golf club covers yet and forgot to snap a picture before mailing the finished cover, I will leave you with a colorful gratuitous crochet photo. These were crocheted from a pattern by Carolyn Christmas entitled "Elf Slippers" . This is such a fun, fast & easy to follow pattern and is a great warm weather project.

Mini Easter basket DIY and another FO...

2011-04-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Mini Easter basket directions

Materials:

Oval beads

Easter basket grass

Tiny basket

Glue (I used hot glue)

1/8 “ wide ribbon

Place small amount of glue in bottom of basket. Press a small bit of grass into the glue. Add oval beads. Embellish with small bow. DONE!

Inside view of my second egg diorama.

Oblique view. I used one of my egg stands for this one.

Tomorrow I will demonstrate how to tie super tiny bows.

Other craftiness...

2011-04-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

While this is supposedly a knitting/crocheting blog, it certainly doesn't appear to be so lately. First of all, my knitting and crocheting projects of late are all assignments so I can't show them yet. Secondly, it's spring and Easter is coming and I have always had crafty interests that center around these themes, hence all of the blown egg and decoupage tutorials.

While I'm on the subject of other-craftiness, have you seen THIS?? I adore this blog and this cardboard doll house is so cute and so do-able thanks to Beth's well done photo tutorial. I'm guessing that I'll be trying my hand at one of these in the future.

Now, since it's been a while here's a...
Gratuitous knitting photo ~

Make Mine a Double cocktail purse, needle felted to resemble the Earth, complete with a cartographer's north arrow. Just the thing for Earth Day.

Happy spring, happy crafting!

Easter egg diorama

2011-04-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Remember the sugar egg dioramas? They were very popular when I was a young girl. My mother used to make beautiful eggs. I loved gazing into the miniature springtime world that she created inside these eggs. Well I'm not very good with decorator frosting and such but I can cut out paper, glue & decoupage so here's my version using blown out chicken eggs.

Materials/Supplies:
Blown eggs,cleaned & dry (see previous post for instruction links)
Victorian Easter card images printed on card stock
Sharp scissors
tweezers
tissue paper
large stiff paintbrush
clear coat spray
Small amounts of ribbon, lace & trim for outside of egg
Hot glue
Bamboo skewer or chop stick

Procedure:
Carefully blow eggs taking proper sanitation precaution as discussed here.
Enlarge the hole at the small end of the egg. With very sharp small scissors, cut away shell to form a 1" diameter opening in the egg. Set aside to dry.

Decorate outside with tissue paper decoupage, paint or dye. Let dry.

Find Victorian Easter images in clip art. Scale images to no more than 1". Print on card stock & carefully cut out using very sharp small scissors.

Make certain to leave extra margin at the bottom of the image. This will be folded up in order that the image will be free-standing.

Use egg carton to hold egg in place leaving both hands free for inserting cutout . Try dry fitting image inside of egg first in order to check for fit.

If the size and fit are right place hot glue on the bottom inside of the egg and carefully arrange the image in the glue inside the egg, using tweezers or bamboo skewer to aid in the placement of the image. Press down for a few seconds to set. Add a tiny bit of shredded tissue paper or Easter grass and miniature silk flowers, egg shaped beads, etc for additional embellishments.

Sorry about the bad image here, but you get the idea.

Add final touches such as a lace or braid around the opening and small silk flowers or bows on the top.

Set egg on stand or in this case a Coke bottle top, which works fine but looks rough. Needs some paint.

Rabbit Decoration DIY in 3 versions...

2011-04-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

If you are like me and have various and sundry craft supplies and a few brown paper bags laying around then this craft may not cost you ANY additional money. Even if you have to purchase materials, they are super inexpensive and fun.

The basis for this project is layers of brown paper glued together to form stiffened material from which rabbit-shaped cutouts are made. These decorations can be used on egg trees, as gift tags, Easter garland or various other decoration applications.

The 3 style versions are verdigris, cracked leather & plain.

Version 1 ~ Verdigris Rabbit

Verdigris Rabbit – Layering brown paper for stiffness & adding turquoise paint & soot give this rabbit the patina look of oxidized metal.

Materials:
Brown craft paper or brown paper bag(s)
White glue such as Elmer’s
Large stiff bristled paint brush
Turquoise acrylic paint
Scissors
Pencil
Paper towels
Thick paper or cardboard for making pattern template
Candle
Optional Tweezers for holding piece while burning the glue
Matt clear finish spray, (such as Krylon clear coat)
Ribbon for bow

Procedure:
Step 1: Make pattern template by tracing rabbit silhouette onto card stock or thin cardboard. Cut out and set aside.

Step 2: Cut brown paper into 6 (or more) squares about 1 “ wider and 1” taller than the pattern template.

Step 3: Using the brush or your fingers, spread a layer of white glue evenly across entire brown paper square. Immediately lay 2nd square on top and smooth out wrinkles. Brush glue evenly onto this layer and repeat the layering process until there are about 4 sheets glued to one another. Do not spread glue on the topmost layer. (For thinner craft paper, more layers may be added).

Smooth layers, pressing out air bubbles and wrinkles. Some wrinkles are acceptable adding to the weathered look of the finished piece.

Step 4: While the glue is still wet, gently trace the rabbit onto the layered paper.

Carefully cut out the shape. Cutting the shape out while the glue is still wet creates a nice sealed edge as the pressure from the scissor blades squeezes the layers together.

Set aside to dry.

Step 5: Once the piece is dry it’s time to paint. Place a dab of turquoise paint onto a saucer or piece of cardboard.

Using a completely dry brush, dip just the very tip of the brush lightly into the paint. Using a paper towel wipe the brush back and forth a couple of times to get rid of excess paint.

Using light pressure, brush the paint across the dry rabbit shape, using long strokes. With dry-brushing, the idea is to build up the color layer by layer so don’t rush but rather repeat the process until desired effect is achieved.

Let dry, then repeat steps for opposite side.

Step 6: Using the brush, spread a final coat of glue over the rabbit. Let dry and repeat for opposite side.

Step 7: Once the glue is dry on both sides, carefully hold the finished piece in the flames until it becomes sooty. The soot process happens very quickly so make certain to move it around so as not to catch fire & do both sides.

Step 8: Lay soot covered piece onto paper towel. With 2nd paper towel gently wipe away some of the soot on both sides.

Once soot is wiped off spray both sides with matte finish clear coat spray. Embellish with a ribbon. Done.
Final note: if your rabbit is darker than you would like, a white wash glaze of watered down acrylic paint can be applied and immediately wiped off to lighten the piece.

Version 2 ~ Cracked Leather
Using the same brown paper rabbit, torn masking tape and brown liquid shoe polish give it the look of old, cracked leather.

Materials:

Brown craft paper or brown paper bag(s)

White glue such as Elmer’s

Scissors

Pencil

Thick paper or cardboard for making pattern template

Masking Tape

Liquid shoe polish in brown

Matt clear finish spray, (such as Krylon clear coat)

Ribbon for bow

Make up paper rabbit as in the previous version steps 1-4 & let dry.

Tear ½” pieces of masking tape and stick to rabbit, making certain to overlap pieces. Smooth down tape.

Once both sides are covered entirely, using the liquid shoe polish with sponge tip applicator, dab color all over the piece. Gently wipe off excess color with paper towel. Repeat as desired.

If you can’t find liquid shoe polish you can use water-thinned acrylic paint. Make certain to dab excess of as you go since it dries sop quickly. To thin the acrylic paint, add ½ teaspoon or less to brown acrylic paint, (add just enough water to make a glaze). Paint onto finished rabbit and immediately dab, (do not rub/wipe), with paper towel to wipe off excess.

Let dry and spray with clear coat as desired

Version 3 ~ Plain Leather Rabbit

Leave rabbit as is for super simple finish. Simply spray with clear coat, let dry & add ribbon.

What else can we do? Infinite possibilities...

Wrapping paper decoupage`

More Easter/springtime crafts coming. Until then TGIF y'all!

Stuffed eggs revisited...

2011-03-30T08:21:00.001-07:00

And I don't mean the "eating kind" although I do love a good deviled egg. This is the tutorial I posted back in March 2009 about stuffing blown eggs with Easter surprises. I have every intention of making more this year but if I don't get around to it, here's the original post

"Snowy" trees

2011-03-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Flowering trees on Main St, taken March 3, 2011.

Winner's Circle Tote...

2011-03-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not I belong to a group on Ravelry called “Iknitarod” , which is a fan group for the annual Iditarod in Alaska. How I came to be in that group is just one of the joys and quirks of Ravelry. But I love it. I love reading about the mushers, especially the dogs and about Alaska in general. Maybe I’ll see it in person some day, it’s on my list of places to see.

At any rate, the group is doing a KAL or CAL during the Iditarod. The idea is to have some fun while stash busting, (for me anyway). So I chose to work on a crocheted tote using an idea I’ve been working on of stringing silk flowers on yarn and then crocheting them.

I called this project "Winner's Circle Tote" because the winning dogs of the Iditerod are given a wreath of yellow roses at the finish line. However, I did stray from the yellow roses as this was stash busting and I had these silk flowers on hand.

The tote is crocheted with yarn held doubled and was made up "on the fly". The flower embellished yarn was added and carried with the other 2 strands at the point where I wanted flowers. After the flowers were added I finished off the flower embellished yarn and continued with the 2 strands.

Nearly completed tote. I just need to line it and add the handles.

Flowered Yarn Tutorial;
Materials
Yarn of choice (I used cotton yarn for this as well as my tote)
Silk flowers
Yarn needle
Beads with large holes

Remove plastic pieces from flower.

Working from yarn skein rather than cutting a length, thread yarn needle with yarn end and working from the bottom upwards, insert needle through all layers of the flower.

Next add a bead and insert needle back into the the hole.

Additional Notes: (Please know that this is not a precise, measured method and is rather more random and very forgiving).
As additional flowers are added, shift the previous flowers downwards onto the yarn. To do this simple pull on the bead, which will in turn pull lengths of the yarn through the hole. Grasp the working end of the yarn and pull. This should move the flower down to make room for more.

Make certain to add ample yarn between flowers for crocheting or knitting.

TGIF y'all!

Mardi Gras 2011:The bead caper continues...

2011-02-28T07:50:00.001-08:00

First of all I barely did any knitting or crochet this weekend but boy did I have fun, regardless. My bead exchange program has grown to Alaska & Wisconsin, as well as the original Idaho recipients. So what did I do this weekend? Attend parades! The weather was fine and the crowds were huge.

Parade route Friday afternoon

The weekend started with Krewe of Apollo's Mystic Ladies parade on Friday night. I was able to net over 16 lbs of beads, with the help of several folks. Per usual, I stood in my friends yard. She set up a sidewalk cafe of sorts and we had a lovely time eating dinner & visiting before the parade rolled.

On Saturday afternoon the Mystic Mutts of Revelry paraded through the streets. I attended this one mainly to witness the cute rather than catch beads & moonpies. I was able to do both. This parade is a fundraiser for the local animal shelter, a worthy cause. Such a cute bunch of reveler's in every shape, size & breed. There was even a jaunty cat in the mix, complete with wire rim glasses, top hat & Mardi Gras cape. I can only imagine what my cat would do to me if I tried this on him.

How cute are these?

A happy Krewe member

Saturday night was the Knights of Ecor Rouge parade. WOW! What a grand parade they threw, complete with CAMELS, horses & lots & lots of floats. The weather was warm & fair and the crowd was huge!!

Let the fun begin..

2011-02-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

The first parade of the season rolls tonight. It's going to be fair and warm! Should bring out a large crowd of revelers. Last year it was so COLD and we southerners generally don't like getting out in the cold but I was "taking it for the team" with my "Beads for Idaho" campaign. I'll still be shipping some beads to Idaho this year but don't expect to get nearly as many as I did last year, due to the unseasonably WARM weather we are having. Still, it's going to be such fun.

This tree is in the yard of a cafe on the parade route. It gets loaded down every year with errant beads. Fun!

TGIF and Laissez les bon temps rouler, y'all!!

A quick word about knitting...

2011-02-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

OK, so I don't have any "show & tells" as I am working feverishly on a huge, super secret project proposal. I do, however, have exciting news about a book release. Last December I pre-ordered "Spud & Chloe On the Farm" by Susan B. Anderson. The exciting news is that the books, (I ordered two), are shipping on March 25th. More importantly, Susan posted samples of the 13 patterns on Ravelry today and OH MY GOODNESS, the cute just keeps getting better.

I have all of Susan B. Anderson's books & love each and every one. The first pattern I ever saw was the "Upsidedown Daisy Hat" from "Itty Bitty Hats". It was pictured in an article in a knitting magazine. When I saw the article I HAD to have the book and went that day during lunch to the bookstore to get it. I have since added the other two books to my library, ("Itty Bitty Nursery" & "Itty Bitty Toys"). Soon, for the time being anyway, my collection will be complete with the addition of the Spud & Chloe book.

Since I don't have any knitting or yarn to show I will post a Susan Anderson "fan photo". The photo was posted on this blog before, under the heading "this is how we knit in the south". It was taken in May 2009 by me and is REAL. I really WAS floating around perusing the book and knitting while sipping on my Diet Coke, ha,ha. The float is huge and so danger of losing the book or knitting "overboard" is minimal. Plus, when it's hot you have to improvise.

First parade rolls tomorrow night and it's going to be warm. FUN! I may just take a video of two.

Parade countdown...

2011-02-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Our first Mardi Gras parade rolls this Friday evening. The super exciting part is that the lows for that night will only be in the mid 50's. The highs during the day on Friday are predicted to be in the 70's, so there's a good chance that it will still be warm at parade time. Yay!

SWEET(s)! It's Friday...

2011-02-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

   O.K., so the King cake from the other day got me to thinking that I would really like to send cakes to a few folks as thank you gifts. So back across the street to the Something Sweet Bake Shop I went.

  This shop is so bright and cute. It makes me HAPPY and has been the subject of this blog on several occasions. Just look at all of the colorful, sweet goodness.

   The ladies who own the shop are sweet in their own right & as bakers, they have no peers. A fast growing tradition for us, it just wouldn’t be a birthday or anniversary at my house without a cake from this shop. SOOOOO much better than an in-store “bakery” with previously frozen preservative infused gut bombs. And the feast for the eyes in the form of all that you see in these photos makes shopping for treats an old-fashioned experience not just a chore to be crossed off of a list.

Here's one of the owners & master baker displaying the much sought after King Cake. YUM!

How nice to sit outside their shop in their welcoming little sidewalk set-up, eating a cupcake and watching the traffic go by, on a warm morning. Perhaps do a little knitting.

TGIF y'all!

The day after Valentine's day...

2011-02-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Valentine's Day falls smack in the middle of Mardi Gras but this year we have a later Easter and hence a later Mardi Gras. So now that all of the red, pink & white is gone it's time to roll out the purple, gold & green.In this instance it's in the form of King's Cakes. Oh yay, they are so good.

My mouth is watering as I write this entry, having just come from Something Sweet Bakery. I have blogged about this little gem of a shop before. It makes me happy just to see their displays.

Look at all of the Bacchanalian treats, just waiting to be consumed in our mad rush to cram as much decadence into our bodies as we can before the onset of Lent, for those who observe it, or until folks get tired & start worrying about their bathing suit figures.

Hope you all had a sweet Valentine's Day!

Getting ready....

2011-02-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

The city is putting up lights and decorations in preparation for Mardi Gras 2011. As you may or may not know, Mardi Gras is the feasting & partying in preparation of Lenten observances. I suppose if you make yourself sick enough of food & drink then giving it up will be easier. In theory anyway. OK, so now it's more of a secular winter celebration.

Given that we have a later Easter this year, likewise Mardi Gras will be later. The first parade rolls in early March, with the day before Ash Wednesday or "Fat Tuesday" falling on March 8th. Hopefully the later date will also bring warmer nights for parade watching.

TGIF y'all!

Local color at the pier...

2011-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

I took this photo last Saturday while walking along the pier. It was a bit brisk but isn't it pretty? I love how blue the sky looks in fall & winter.

I hope you folks in the snowy regions are staying warm!! TGIF y'all

More snowballs in the deep south...

2011-01-26T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some snowballs you can sink your teeth into.YUM!

Two things I've learned by making these cookies; 1) watch them carefully lest they burn, better yet reduce the oven temp a wee bit and always bake on parchment paper & 2) roll them in the powdered sugar when they are still warm, especially if you have a sweet tooth as the sugar sticks better and makes a thicker coating. I use a plastic food bag and shake the cookies in the sugar.

The candy in the foreground is chocolate dipped Brazil nuts. So GOOD!

Have you seen this blog?

2011-01-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

Y'all, this lady is a creative genius and has devised such a fun way to capture her child's babyhood while creating fantastically whimsical photo compositions. I can not say enough here so just run on over there and have a look. Scroll down to read about her project and upcoming book, "When My Baby Dreams".

Counting Fun & Cake Ball Shortcut...

2011-01-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

Remember in early grade school math when we were instructed on the use of an abacus in counting and calculating? I loved the click of the beads then and I love the sound today.

I found this toy wooden abacus on one of my thrifting forays and just had to take it home for the nostalgia of it. Well now I have a fun and useful purpose for my abacus; COUNTING, (imagine that). Granted it isn’t portable for taking along in a project bag but for counting rounds and rows when crocheting while watching TV, it’s been perfect and frankly fun to look at.

Recently my friends and I have joined the cake ball craze. Now every time there is a celebration we make cake balls. If you are familiar with cake ball construction you'll know that one makes a cake, mashes it up & adds frosting to make "cake clay", rolls said "clay" into balls, dips into melted candy and embellishes. Easy but time consuming.

So I purchased a discounted (due to last date of sale), ready-made butter cream frosting 1/4 sheet cake from the grocery store. Because it was a complete cake I did not need to add frosting to make the "clay". I simply heated the cake in the microwave, mashed it up, mixing in the frosting and commenced rolling cake balls. Thrifty AND time-saving. And frankly, if you like rich sweets, this version was my favorite to date, probably because of the artery clogging butter cream frosting. Everyone loved them and while they aren't as professional looking as some from a bakery they looked fun & festive on a glass serving tray.

TGIF y'all!

Happy 75th Anniversary Red Heart!!

2011-01-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

In celebration of 75 years in business, I was hired to design two full-sized three tier anniversary cakes for Coats & Clark's Red Heart yarn. These were such fun projects but they sure had me craving cake while I was working on them. You can find the patterns, called "Anniversary Rose Cake" and "Trendy Fondant Cake" on RedHeart.com..

Happy Anniversary Red Heart!!Thank you for ALL of your wonderful, quality products!And thank you for the opportunity to be involved in such fun, whimsical design challenges!!

WIP's....

2011-01-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

During a short respite from assignments this past weekend, I started on an afghan for my home. I am making it super-sized, almost as large as a comforter and my color inspiration is a photo from my recent visit to Miami. It's really cold down here this week so the idea of a warm comforter in bright beachy colors is quite appealing. Plus anytime blue or rather blue/green and yellow can be used together in the same project is a GOOD thing. I love that combination and always have.

The worsted weight yarn is held doubled throughout and I am using a US P/10 mm hook. The stitch pattern consists of 1 double crochet and 1 slip stitch across, ending and beginning with a single crochet stitch. SO EASY!

Here's the inspiration photo.

Here's the beginning of the afghan. I am roughly 1/3rd of the way through.

Next, I have been intermittently working on the Gnome Home. Such a CUTE pattern. I increased the size of mine by adding half again as many stitches and was able to use a gallon sized paint can for blocking. The house is completely felted now. I need to shave the lint and shore up the doorway and windows per the pattern. The roof is next to go into the hot wash but it still needs the roof top plants before felting.I can not stress enough how adorably cute this pattern is and the fact that it incorporates a plethora of crafting techniques really tickles me as this is my favorite way to craft.

Here's my rough draft start to this fun project. Can't wait to start on the embroidery and embellishments.

Stay warm y'all!

Who wants cake?

2011-01-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

yarn cake, that is...

I received my hand dyed yarn order yesterday from my friend Jennifer at Desert Garden Farms. She included a surprise hank of gorgeous hand spun in yummy browns! I love it! I also love winding hanks into cakes. It makes me happy and because I don't have a lot of free time, it makes me feel productive and prepared, so that when extra time arises I can grab a cake and go. So here you have the resulting cakes...

Aren't they beautiful? The 2 multicolored cakes of hand dyed yarn are aptly called "Caribbean Dream" and the gorgeous brown hand spun is comprised of lincoln , yak,silk,llama, camel & a bit of sparkle. Talk about luxury, WOW!

I'm calling this yarn "Hot Fudge Sundae" because that's what it looks like. YUMMMM!

And because the swift and ball winder were set up I also wound this, which was formerly a Tommy Hilfiger sweater. The fiber content is 55% wool & 45% cotton. Not bad for under $4.

Lastly, here's a spiral motif that I found in one of my afghan books. The sample afghan done in this pattern was gorgeous! I love spirals and have been rather fixated on them for the past year or so.

Here's a super quick snapshot of the sky last evening. Winter sky is always the best!

TGIF y'all!

Fat Burger in Paradise...

2011-01-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

While visiting south Florida over the holidays we of course went "shopping" in the Coaral Gables Miracle Mile shopping area.

Here's what we bought...

Fat Burger extreme closeup. Boy was it good and aptly named.

I LOVED this window! The striped legs growing out of the wall were fun and fantastic!

Loved the nostalgic/retro feel to this shopping district and theater.

There wasn't a single knitting store on the strip, (not that I expected one), but I did see one nearby, as we were leaving the area. We were too full to stop.

Happy Hot Pink & Blue New Year...

2011-01-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

My family just got back from a week in Miami. It was our collective Christmas present, although Mr. Julep, (aka Mr. Witty), got the raw end of the deal by having to pay for just about everything.

Giant Hot Pink Snail installation at Miami Beach

What's not to love about the architecture,( both classic art deco style and modern), and the blue sky ?

And the beautiful blue water!!

And hot pink Bougainvillea!

And just for fun, a cute little wild Key Deer greeting cars passing by on their way to Key West.

Hope you all have a wonderful & prosperous New Year!

Furry Christmas or I can make that scarf in 30 minutes or less...

2010-12-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

True to form, I'm stuck in a loop. But I can't let perfectly good faux fur remnants go to waste so here's what I've done;

Cut fur fabric at least 10 inches wide and about 20-30 inches long.

Fold in half lengthwise with right sides together.
Seam on machine using zig zag stitch set at large stitch setting.

Leave ends open for turning.
Turn right side out using a broom handle to help with the turning.

Hem ends. Attach button or snap or velcro to fasten scarf around the neck. Done!

So guess who's getting a faux fur scarf for Christmas now? Everyone.

60 minute scarf glamor shots...

2010-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

So the scarf is done. I have another one in brown that I will be making, since I couldn't decide on just one faux fur design. This one will be a lot shorter and will have either a button or some such way to hold the scarf closed around the neck. I'll try to record the steps and post them here.

Until then, here's the finished scarf. Finished dimensions are 72" long and 8" wide.

60 Minute Scarf ...

2010-12-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

My daughter is really into the faux fur trims and collars this year. So, here we are at crunch time for Christmas preparations and I had an idea. Nothing like a little adrenaline rush of last minute projects to get the old brain working.

60 Minute Scarf (sewing)
Materials:
1 yd 60 inch wide Faux fur
1 yard satin lining material in coordinating color
Sharp dress makers shears or rotary blade cutter & cutting matt
Ruler or other straight edge for use as cutting guide
Matching sewing thread & sharp needle
Sewing machine

•Prepare the faux fur; lay fur material flat, fold in half lengthwise to the desired width for the scarf, with pile running up and down lengthwise. Cut along fold. Trim material on opposite side to desired width. Use this excess fabric to accent a matching pair of gloves.
•Sew the two pieces together to make extra long scarf; with right sides facing, pin together along the short edge and carefully sew, (see following picture).For neater appearance, notice the direction of the pile, sew the 2 pieces so that the pile on both sides lays in the same direction. For example, when wearing the scarf the pile faces downwards on both sides.

•Cut lining material the same length as scarf and about 4 inches less in width than the scarf. Piece together to obtain length as in previous directions for fur.For ease in cutting, using a grid cutting matt, fold the satin carefully and affix to the board with cellophane tape to keep the fabric from slipping. Cut using rotary cutter or sharp scissors.

•With right sides together, pin the lining material to the scarf. Seam along long side. Repeat for 2nd side, leaving the two ends open. Clip seams about every 2 inches.

•Turn scarf right side out. Lightly steam on lined side using pressing cloth only. NEVER iron directly on the faux fur.

•Turn ends under and pin. Hand sew hem using matching thread. Tack lining to fur in spots to keep it in place, as desired.

DONE!

I'll post a glamor shot of the scarf tomorrow after I finish the hemming.

More Christmas shopping, Fall color and a couple of FO's...

2010-12-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here's the first FO. This shawl was an experiment of mine using silk/wool/bamboo blend sock yarn. I called it improvisational doodling because that's basically what I did. Unfortunately I didn't write down what I did because I was just "doodling". Now I am regretting that. Oh well, perhaps I can compile something after the fact.

Here's another FO called Kat after the spinner of this gorgeous yarn. All I did for this one was knit in straight garter and let the yarn be the star. I LOVE it and am REALLY getting attached to hand spun yarns. This picture was taken Saturday while window shopping.

Shopping is much more pleasant to me when done in open-air districts, rather than the artificial enclosed environments of shopping malls.

Finally, some fall colors, as we approach winter. Ha,ha. I'll take the fall colors when I can get them as they are not very prevelant around here what with our evergreen trees and all.

Have you seen Miss Jones?

2010-12-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

I just released my newest pattern called Miss Jones. The design is convertible so that it can be worn in several iterations and is super bulky and warm, using Stitch Nation Full O'Sheep yarn held doubled on US size 11 circular needles. The design can be worn as a shawl, with or without the collar buttoned. Or you can button the 2 sides together to make a shrug. Or for added warmth and a bit of color, it can be buttoned down the front and worn under a coat so that it acts & looks like a vest without all the bulk around the back. One size fits most in this pattern. The color chosen for the model garment is Aquamarine.

The garment is modeled by my good friend the beautiful Miss Jones and was photographed by her wonderful photographer husband Tim Jones.

Finally, some fall colors...

2010-12-16T13:22:00.000-08:00

We don't get a lot of fall leaf change here, what with all of the evergreen Pines, Liveoaks & Magnolias. Then there are the other oak trees with leaves that merely turn brown before falling . I'm loving this showy Japanese Maple(?).

More Christmas-y window shopping and some felted finds...

2010-12-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love one-of-a-kind stores with their unique and colorful window & curb front dressings? As I was walking along last Saturday I zeroed right in to these felted works of art.
Since it was still a bit early some of the shops weren't open yet. Sorry to start off with a frowning face but look how CUTE it is in dyed and felted fiber.

And just look at these happy little felted snow people? Aren't they adorable?

Here's another sign on the store next door to the one with the felted "closed" sign. I LOVE how they made the flowers 3 dimensional.

Nothing says "Christmas" like a pink flamingo, ha,ha. Actually I LOVE this statue and would probably "dress" it on occasion of certain holidays. I especially love the fantastic bug eyes.

Not to be outdone, Santa's eyes are popping out as well. Isn't he a funny, cute looking guy?

Christmas window shopping...

2010-12-13T06:57:00.001-08:00

And along the way, stop to admire the gorgeous Holly all decked out in bright red berries.

Home made Christmas cards part two...

2010-12-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

I finished my card over the weekend.Here's what I did;

After finishing the front piece, set it aside and begin work on the inside piece. For inside message piece,write out message using a permanent Sharpie marker. Either leave as is or embroider the words, if desired.

Lay finished front on top of plastic canvas/batting/felt "sandwich" & matching edges, sew all layers together using a blanket stitch. Leave the left-hand edge un-worked at this time.

Repeat sandwiching step for inside piece. Then attach the two pieces along the left side using a sewing or embroidery stitch of choice, making certain to work through ALL layers.

Place finished card in an envelope and mail.