sew ritzy~titzy

for a friend

2012-01-31T09:39:00.001-06:00

For a friend.

Believing the impossible.

And pushing me in a good sense.

The pattern is one of the those single sheets that grace the aisles at the yarn store -- and for

the life of me,

I can not find it to give appropriate credit to the designer....

~
I used my g hook

this yarn

& the flower comes from this book.

And lastly, hand sewed fabric for the lining.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

- Anais Nin

a change of heart

2012-01-21T16:52:00.000-06:00

Wanting to immerse myself in pinks, reds & whites I tried thinking of simple but pretty things to make for Valentine's Day.

Initially, I found a beautiful heart in this book:

Motif # 124 --- a gorgeous heart, but a bit too big for this project. It just seemed to overpower the felt instead of enhancing the look I was going for.

So, back to my stack of books and I found exactly what I was looking for in here:

The perfect heart --- and it truly is my most favorite pattern for a crocheted heart that I have stitched.

Here is how it all went together:

1)Using 2 pieces of 4 x 4 inch felt 2)marking tiny dots with a pencil

3)stitched a simple buttonhole stitch w/ embroidery floss 4)and before closing, stuffed it with polyfill

5)single crochet the first row 6)and chain 3 -- skipping a single crochet for row 2 to create a simple edging

7) and lastly -- adhering the heart in the center

...a perfect change of heart.

ten thousand

2012-01-15T17:35:00.000-06:00

I recently read that if you really want to be good at something, you need to practice 10,000 hours.

This got me thinking.

10,000 hours. Really? So 10 years of practicing 3 hours a day --- I can become a master in my subject.

This was huge to me because I am so prone to quit something if I don't grasp it right away with the 'aww-I'm-no-good-at-this-mentality'. Dumb, I know.

So I began to approach this whole knit-a-sock-saga that has been going on for.ever. in a whole different light.

Who cares if I don't become Master Knitter within minutes of picking up a DPNs? Why the pressure for pete's sake? This may take years -- not minutes...

...good grief, why was I beating myself up about this?

So it's back to my delicious Felici yarn from my darling (you can do this, Dawn!) friend, Andi and I approached these socks with a whole different attitude.

Relaxed (for a change) I absolutely fell in love with the feel of these as they formed in my hands. Boy, oh, boy -----> soft, soft, SOFT. This was the feeling that I was craving and it was right there...in my lap.

Okay. I realize it's just one sock so far. But there is a fire deep within that has been lit & the welling up that I feel ~~is proof to my husband/kids that I do need a nice padded room~~ has been ignited and if you hear hootin' & hollerin' that's just me ----> on fire with the knowledge that I can truly knit socks.

And knit socks I shall do.

a bunny & a 'bad' dog

2012-01-10T12:37:00.003-06:00

For every Valentine's Day, I crochet each of 3 kids some sort of amigurumi. It's a tradition that my son demands I keep. (And for a soon-to-be-13-yr.old-ALL-boy...I'm tickled pink about that.)

So I started pouring through my books & magazines, looking for some sort of cute amigurumi to make for them.

And I found this darling bunny -- she has her own blog that chronicles all of her adventures! -- how cute is that?!

The pattern is from here:

Inside Crochet March 2010 Issue 15

I struggled & scratched my head a bit with this pattern, because this magazine hails from the UK and the crochet terms are British English instead of American English. A little tough at first when they print dc and it actually means sc, but after awhile I whizzing through it with no problem.

I used Caron Simply Soft in Grey Heather with a size G hook.

She's so floppy and adorable that I must keep her away from a certain four-legged creature that goes by the name of Bear.......

...because he, lovable golden retriever that he is...

(ahem)

...thought he would be of assistance and help with the taking down of our Christmas tree. Never mind that in taking the ornaments off of the tree, he proceeded to eat them!!...

Argggh.

Bear looking all apologetic.

Yup.

It worked.

Apology accepted.

Christmas clothespin angels

2011-12-18T16:50:00.000-06:00

Christmas is almost here.

And when something as simple as a clothespin can become a Christmas angel...

...well, it must be made.

The pattern for these adorable angels is from here:

And I just love how easy these were to crochet and to keep it even simpler, I opted not to add the halo or wings.

Size 10 crochet thread & my size 7 hook -- along with clothespins (of course) and you have the makings for so many cute Christmas angel ornaments.

...oh. This?

Our son's ornaments.

Ninja style. Or Tron style --- so he informs me. Not exactly the darling & whimsical that I was going after...

But when I was trying to come up with the different color combinations for the frilly dresses...well, I felt as if I were designing originals for these tiny, wooden angels.

So perfect as we celebrate this season of angels proclaiming glad tidings of great JOY.

dressy towel

2011-12-07T13:45:00.001-06:00

This cute towel topper all started here...

...at an art & craft show that our daughter was showing at. A warm & wonderful woman next to her booth was selling the most delightful c*r*o*c*h*e*t*e*d items.

Oh, just imagine the cutest projects! And all crocheted!?..

Breathe.

Crocheted ornaments, hotpads, dishcloths, hangars and towels that were made to look like kitchy dresses.

And everyone was just swarming her booth, swooping up all of her wares. I was entranced (and yes! I stared shamelessly) at the way she just beamed as people purchased her dearly crocheted items.

So, as soon as there was a lull, my daugher & I poured over her stuff too and I bought her adorable snowman towel.

I love these towel toppers so much I knew I had to make some and began hunting down a pattern that was a bit like the one she had made.

I was a bit confused by some of the directions I found, so I just studied (and studied.and studied.and studied.) my snowman towel topper instead and came up with this dressy towel topper.

I am off to the store to buy out their selection of Christmas towels.

Can you just imagine how many of these you could make for everyone?...

seeing stars

2011-11-15T14:10:00.001-06:00

As much as I do not like the bombardment of Christmas before Thanksgiving has even arrived, I do know that if I want to get anything accomplished before that holiest of holidays arrives, I had better get going on some Christmas items.

And so I am tatting stars. The pattern is from my Aunt Mae who found it in a pile of tatting patterns from my grandma.

Yup. It truly warms my heart like you cannot believe that I am doing an exact pattern that once flew off my grandma's shuttle, too.

The size 10 thread is from here. (Love their speedy service -- phew!.....it seemed like I hit ENTER for my order and 'wheee!' the package was already in our mailbox!)

Ornaments for the tree...

...or I am even thinking of lovely little package toppers for the many gifts that family and friends will receive this year.

falling back

2011-10-28T18:09:00.000-05:00

I'm falling back on the familiar.

That is -- crochet.

And yes, I am still working on knitting those delicious aquamarine socks, but the progress is slow. So slow that I wondered if it would be better if I would just hang up my knitting needles. But then I saw Knit & Crochet Now! and they were interviewing Jean Leinhauser (who has since passed away) and I was s.t.u.n.n.e.d. to hear her say that it took her 20 years to get the hang of crochet!

What!?...This woman is the queen of crochet...and it took her 20 years to get the hang of it?

Yikes. I usually give up after 20 minutes of trying something and not getting it.

So, I have ~~silently smacked myself upside the head~~ properly chastised myself for wanting to give up so quickly -- and to say I am inspired & motivated by her is the understatement of the year.

And no, my needles are not in hiding and even if it takes me.....say....20 years....I will knit those socks.

But in the mean time, the crisp autumn days are upon us and are truly a welcome!

And that change in temperature also brings the realization that the cold weather brings about some muddy boots and shoes.

So we need a smallish rug that will not take up a lot of room in our somewhat smallish entry way, and since my husband is under the yearly impression that a huge, black, industrial sized rubber mat (the one he picks out is usually bigger than a football field and almost weighs as much) somehow completes the decor in our entry way...

...well, I disagree and quickly got to work with my N hook, purchased some Lion Brand Thick & Quick Wool-Ease in Wheat and with a simple pattern of

*sc, dc*

...repeated that for this nice textured, wheaty pattern.

A perfect place for boot & shoes. And so much smaller than a football field.

it finally clicked...well, sort of

2011-10-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

My ~~unhealthy~~ obsession with trying to knit a pair of socks has actually come to fruition.

With my undying gratitude to Andi for pushing/coaxing/cheering me on --- this is what I have been doing...

Knitting socks!

It has been slooooooooooooooooooooooooooow going. And I do mean s.l.o.w.

I don't know if it is because I am so used to a hook in my hand and watching each crocheted stitch fall away neatly onto a row, but when I see all of those stitches that I have just knit or purled held captive on a needle w/o ever being let off ---- well, for some reason (yes, you can insert the word crazy here) the stitches feel trapped to me.

And then when I make a mistake in these socks (and there have been a lot of them) I can't for the life of me figure out how to fix the mistake. A mistake in crochet is easily fixable --- but holey moley, a mistake in knitting is unintelligable for me. Completely scratch-my-head-what-in-the-heck-do-I-do-now?! feeling.

But the yarn is gorgeous. Not only in color but also the feeling of it in my fingers is yarn therapy. Truly.

The directions are clear & concise. Oh, so easy for the average Knitting Joe. But for me? I feel as if I am learning a new language.

And it doesn't help that perimenopause is knocking at my door. And that is door I do.not.want.to.open. "Wrong house!" I seriously want to yell.

My ~~very funny~~ sister knows this unwelcome guest is darkening my doorway, so of course! -- she sends this supportive-cheer-me-up birthday card.....

So much for supportive sisters (ahem.) and I'll just get my therapy in the form of yarn, thank you.

puffy flowers

2011-08-26T17:43:00.000-05:00

I love these.

Truly, truly can't stop looking at them or picking them up for that matter.

The pattern is from Eclectic Gipsyland & she has the most amazing tutorial for making these.

I just can't get over...

the color

the vividness

& of course, the puffiness of each flower.

I think I have the makings for the perfect coffee cosy.

btw --- I am experiencing sort of glitch when trying to post comments on your blogs. For some reason I am unable to do this & ~~just short of tossing the computer out the window~~ I am getting some techie-support so I can once again comment on all of your loveliness.

sand

2011-08-16T14:48:00.003-05:00

Writing in the sand. Walking in the sand.

And of course! the color of sand comes to my mind when I start another doily.

The hook I am using is a size 7 and the thread is Aunt Lydia's Mushroom Bamboo Crochet Thread and seriously! -- just about as soft as sand.

So while our kids and Bear romped on the sandy beach of Lake Michigan, my husband & I sat quietly and watched.

And enjoyed the sound of waves, laughter and just plain nothing-ness.

There aren't many times when we can simply enjoy the sound of nothing-ness so when those times do come, we embrace them.

And that truly sums up why enjoy the feel of crochet running through my fingers. It is that same quietness that can see some amazing results!

The pattern is from an out-of-date Magic Crochet (Oct. 1999 - Number 122) and is called Jumbo Edelweiss. And it will be a whopping 31 inches when completed!

Oooo. And this?....

I can barely catch my breath!

I received this from one of the funniest, most thoughtful blogirl-friends I have ever had the pleasure of 'meeting'. She is Andi from here and I love her for so many reasons....the biggest one? She believes in my ability to make something out of this most delicious yarn.

I can't say what.

Yet.

Only because I would put a ~~gigantic curse on myself~~ okay, I don't actually believe that! but every time I have attempted this ---> I.have.failed.miserably.

But thanks to the generosity & faith of one fine friend....who knows? This might actually be do-able.

Even for me.

pretty petals redo

2011-07-30T09:18:00.000-05:00

Falling in love with this pattern: Pretty Petals Potholder my mind started swirling for ways to embrace a bit of a redo.

Redo #1: pretty petals become a pretty petal ring.

Redo #2: pretty petals become a pretty petals headband.

Redo #3: a tiny hole in my favorite bedspread becomes non-existent with a pretty petals cover-up

And now?

Well, I think I will crochet the actual potholder.

blue velvet & sunshine

2011-07-23T20:55:00.009-05:00

Yes. Another one.

From the same book as my last doily. This one is called: Blue Velvet.

Gorgeous pineapples (to which I seem quite enamoured with lately) but for some reason this has come out waaaaaaaaaaaay smaller than the finished 34 inches stated in the pattern.

I never check gauge on a doily --- if it calls for size 10 thread and size 7 steel hook, I know the end result will not be that much off. But sheesh! the first 3 rnds were suppose to be almost 4 inches in diameter. Really? Just how big was that hook? Or am I just the tightest crocheter in the world?

Needless to say it is still quite beautiful & flow-ey & blue velvety & it's. a. doily. ( And as much as my family thinks I am completely nuts for being in love with these things --- well, I am.)

Now about the sunshine.

The uber-talented & inspirational Melissa (who, btw -- is instrumental with me getting this completed) gave me a bit of sunshine with this lovely award.

Thank you, Melissa. (You have no idea how grateful I am to you for keeping me focused!)

Part of winning this award is telling a little bit of myself.

How about with pictures?

Here is everything (well....almost everything) I adore:

And now I get to nominate 10 recipients of this sunshine award.

Ready?

I will give this same award to the first 10 who comment on this post....

1. Aisyah (my dearest of blogirl-friends who inspires/motivates/ & inspires me some more!)

2. Jane S. (who left such a lovely comment)

3. Cherrie (who has been w/ me since the beginning -- I adore her!)

4. Tammy (oh, my goodness! she finds beauty in the remotest of places!)

5. Penelope ( I Love her talent and projects -- and that's with a capital L!)

6. Charlotte (yard sales & crochet --- ok. what more is there?)

7. Alessandra (beauty from Italy)

8. Anna (simply one of my favorites)

9. Ana Paula (gorgeous crochet that I ~~covet~~ admire deeply!)

10. La Mañosa (if only, if only! I could have an ounce of her quilting skills!)

Okay, girls! Grab your sunshine, tell us about yourselves and nominate 10 other gorgeously talented girls!

And thank you --- all of you! Your blog-friendship is definite sunshine in my world.

such a rosey finish

2011-07-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

A finish.

A rosey finish! Complete with lacey pineapples and pearls.

It is from this book:

And even tho I ran into some major snafus....

...I have come away smitten by the simple beauty that can come from a mere size 7 hook and size 10 crochet thread.

Yup. Just give me a crochet project, sleeping kitties, flowers, stacked dishes, etc...

...and chaos just seems to disappear.

Hello to a quiet world filled with sweet, simple things.

For awhile anyway.....

giving up--- not an option

2011-07-07T16:13:00.009-05:00

Many moons ago, I started this doily. In fact, I started it waaaaaaaaaaaaay back here.

The reason why it never got finished?

I kept getting stuck on Rnd 15. To the point -- after frogging the silly thing 4 times ---- I gave up.

But giving up is not option when it involves lace & roses & pineapples.

So cue soft, warm nights with the soothing sound of bugs calling out ---> equals the desire/need/want to hook this thing to completion.

Okay.

Truth be told, it was more like swatting pesky mosquitoes in the humidity & heat while trying to keep track of split tr cl and tr-cl shells and beg tr-cl shells & what Rnd did I just complete!?

And then!?

I get to Rnd 18 & 19.....wait, there is no Rnd 18 or 19 printed in the book. What!? Seriously? Now I am beginning to feel as if this doily is not meant to be. There is where giving up truly started to become a reality.

Bu thank goodness -- after much searching for the missing rnds, I found the correction on Annie's Attic website.

Phew.

So after all of that I am finally completing the last rnd that involves about a billion picots (not my favorite, btw) and I will finish this beautiful pineapple rose doily by affixing 8 more rosettes to the edge.

Ahh. Feels good when I see this lacey garden taking shape.

And 'escaping' death-by-Rnd-15-and-the-lack-of-printed-Rnd-18-and-19 feels even better.

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independence day

2011-06-30T15:52:00.002-05:00

Trying my hand at something new....

My grandma was exceptional at it. As are many of you.

So I am on a quest to see if I can carry on her in her footsteps. Again.

Oh, and of course, I mustn't forget ---->

~~Happy Independence Day!~~

z

strawberries & a ladybug

2011-06-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

I am hopeless when it comes to actually growing a garden filled with strawberries.
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And I have the most vivid memories of picking them by the pails-full in my Aunt Anna Mae's garden. Row after row I would walk, diving for the big, red heart-shaped fruit. Of course, my pail was pretty near empty as I would devour almost all of them.
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So. I can't grow 'em, but Lesley Stanfield can sure design a pattern that looks like the real thing. And her book is just filled with oodles & oodles of the cutest, buggy-flowery-almost-edible looking delights....

Adding tiny seed beads to mimic the seeds of the strawberry? --- beyond cute.

I used Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation yarn (which I looooove, btw. Soft from the get-go & the most fabulous of colors) and fluctuated between using my F & G hook.

Lesley's leaf pattern is my most favorite of leaf patterns & seeing all of the adorable 'little beasts' that she includes in her book -- I just had to crocheted her ladybug.
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Adorable.
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So adorable that between our golden retriever puppy (naughty boy that he is) and the cats --- sheesh! those furry, little rascals were/are under the impression that these stuffed items are actually toys intended only for them. You can not believe how many times when crocheting the last details, the strawberries & ladybug would disappear from the sofa cushion only to find them in the mouth of some very guilty looking pets.

Now, on to her butterfly pattern. Or caterpillar pattern. Or Bachelor's Button flower...

.......

a square a day + a whole lot of joining = a throw!

2011-06-11T22:52:00.001-05:00

Wow. I amazed by this throw for so many reasons.
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The first being that it turned out so lovely!

When I first started to crochet the squares together, I decided on a turquoise color as the joining color.

Ehhh. Not so good. Or as my kids would say, 'pretty cheesy'. And actually I thought the turquoise overpowered the whole look of this throw.

So, as you can tell from this pile of ramen-noodle-looking-yarn, I had to frog about 8 blocks worth of turquoise joining...and if that weren't time consuming enough, I realized that some of the blocks were not even close to being 12 inches square. And as much I figured it wasn't going to be a big deal --- it was.

Turquoise was out and white was in.

And being precise about the actual size of each block became much more crucial than I thought --- it was either that or have one lumpy looking throw.

And then I found this video for the flat-braid joining. A perfect method for the look I wanted. I made sure that I crocheted 22 3chain loops on each side of every block and a 5chain loop for each corner.

This throw is also amazing to me because I finished it.
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That is H.U.G.E. for me.
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I see other people whip out project after project all perfectly completed ....but me? Well, let's just say I have a pile of WIP's that weigh heavily on my guilted ( I know -- not a word) mind.

Sheesh. And it's just yarn.

But this!?

It's much, much more than just yarn.

It's Melissa coming up with the idea. It's oodles of designers sharing their patterns. It's the hours of hooking. It's the constant inspiration from others who are stitching right along with me. It's the heady feeling that I get when I read comments that come from you.
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All of that --just thrills me to no end.

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almost finished...

2011-06-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

While a whole lot of napping is going on....

...there was also a whole lot of crocheting going on.

Participating in Melissa's fabulous a square a day in may -- which I loved, btw -- I have finally finished all of the blocks.

May 14 Violet

May 15 More V's Please

May 16 Alter Ego

May 17 Lemony Lime Citrus Square

May 18 Starburst Flower Square

May 19 Ladybug Square

May 20 Eye of the Beholder

May 21 Georges Granny

May 22 Impossible Hexagon

May 23 Versailles

May 24 Bright and Cheery

May 25 Birthday Flower

May 26 Blooming Lace

May 27 Grandma's More Complex Star

May 28 substitution --> Groovy Purse instead of

Peace Sign Granny Square

Why the substitution for this block? Well, simply -- my children inform me on almost a daily basis that if it was 'in' when I was a kid, then it is not 'in' for me when I am an adult. And seeing how I grew up with the whole greg-marcia-brady-groovy-far-out-peace-sign thing, I can not revist that or worse yet, embrace it.

Actually, I think my kids fear that I will start using 'far out!' and 'groovy!' whenever I talk to them.....or gasp! ...when their friends are over!

Oh, the thought of it.

May 29 Yarn Clouds Square

May 30 Kaleidoscope Blossom

I have already woven all of the ends of each block (thank you 6 hour road trip in the family van last weekend...) and now for the icing on the cake---> joining them together into a gorgeous throw.

I can't wait!

Honestly, this whole thing has been a huge uplifting endeavor. Seeing everything come together; with all of the vibrant colors; and the design of the blocks ---- well, for someone who can talk herself out of completing a project, this has been ~~Far out!~~ fabulous!

a square a day in May -- cont'd

2011-05-17T12:43:00.001-05:00

Continuing with 'A square a day in May', I am trying to find as many spare moments as possible to actually crochet a 12 inch square a day.

Not always happening, but nevertheless here they are:

May 6 -- Victorian Dream Square

May 7 -- April's Purple Passion Heart Square

May 8 -- On the Huh

May 9 -- Falling Star

May 10 -- Framed Flower

May 11 -- Flowery Square

May 12 -- Grandma's Heart Square

May 13 -- Multi-Colour Flower

Back to finding those spare moments..........

a square a day in May

2011-05-07T16:00:00.001-05:00

What a fabulous idea ---> a square a day in May!

Crochet one square every day during the month of May ... and oh, my! a beautiful throw or afghan in just 30 simple days.

Here are my squares so far:

May 1 -- Amethyst Square

May 2 -- Kata

May 3 -- Maggie's Square

May 4 -- Bloomin' Granny

May 5 -- Starfire

...and yes, I realize it is already May 7th and I am behind.

But like Melissa from Hooked on Handmade explains ---> there is no pressure, just some beautiful results that work up quickly.

All of the yarn I am using is I Love This Yarn --- and yes! that yummy Red Heart Monet yarn that I used in my last project.

A slight obsessed with that gorgeous color combination, I know.

And on a side note:
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Seriously?

This is a 6th grade boy's idea of cutting himself a brownie..........

monet marigold

2011-04-29T16:20:00.002-05:00

These have to be my most f.a.v.o.r.i.t.e. colors all placed onto one skein of yarn.

But when you use the word 'monet' to describe a color combination, well --- that alone conjures up all sorts of softly hewed images.

The yarn is Red Heart in Monet.

And the marigold flower pattern is from here:

I used my I hook and just oohed and ahhed over these colors!

Super fast & super easy pattern.

How just one simple skein of very inexpensive yarn can become a fabulous, frou-frou flower....

...it's just so lovely!

all my eggs in one basket

2011-04-20T15:26:00.014-05:00

Inspired by this super cute papercraft found here, I adapted the project for an Easter basket.

And of course, crocheted eggs would be the most adorable thing to place in it.

The egg pattern can be found here -- I do so love Lion Brand patterns, btw. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn with my G hook.

Morning breaks upon the tomb; Jesus scatters all its gloom.

Day of triumph thro' the skies; See the glorious Savior rise.

--William B. Collyer 1812

Happy Easter.

doing things by hand

2011-04-12T09:32:00.003-05:00

If there is one thing that I have learned since I have taken on the hugely rewarding task of caring for an older person -- it is the art doing things by hand.

And yes, I am convinced, it is an art.

d~~

~~This lovely, tenacious woman (that I gleen all sorts of information from) is celebrating her birthday today.

Ninety two years of being on this earth -- and she has finessed the art of doing things by hand.

Because she does not have a dishwasher I must wash/dry & put away her dishes by hand.
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But you know what? there is something almost soothing about that whole thing....it reminds me of my sisters & me standing at a sink full of dishes, giggling about some of the most dorky things ever as we rushed to get them all done.

And so now -- much to our kids' chagrin -- they are learning to do the dishes by hand (even tho our dishwasher is less than 10 inches away, ready to be loaded). They are now standing next to a sink full of sudsy water, learning to do things by hand, ~~wondering if their parents have completely lost it~~ & loving every moment of it.
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So what better birthday gift than to crochet Ruth some dishcloths?

I added crochet edging to hand towels that I bought from the store; used Lily Sugar 'n Cream ; my g or h crochet hook;

...and got all of the stitch patterns from my new, favorite book:

So Ruth will be getting some new crocheted dishcloths & towels.

And I have learned of how to do things by hand:

Skills I Have Learned So Far

1. How to stand still with hands in sudsy water and just enjoying the quietness of scrubbing some glassware & silverware.

2. How to fold a fitted bed sheet. Perfectly. (Can you all do this? Sheesh, this skill seemed to escape me entirely! But now?! Thanks to Ruth --I show off how I can do this -- and yes, it is always met with complete eye-rolling.)

3. How to make the fiercest bowl of home-made frosting. (And I'm not talking about powdered sugar with a little milk added in. Ruth gave me her grandmother's recipe from the old country that is made on the stove with flour, milk, butter, shortening and sugar...more than yummy! Bye, bye store bought frosting in a plastic tub!)

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Thank you, thank you Ruth! And happy birthday, sweet lady.

sideways, of course!

2011-04-07T18:01:00.002-05:00

If you know me -- ~~I have hit you over the head about a billion times~~ you know that I have all but turned myself inside out to make some wearable socks.

Go ahead. Peruse previous posts of mine and you will see sorry, little crocheted socks that are ill fitting and collecting dust on my I-will-never-wear-that! shelf. I have even dabbled into that forever-confusing world of knit & purl, just to maybe get some yarny socks with needles instead of a hook.

Nah.

But just when I thought all was lost...

...I found a pattern for socks that are crocheted sideways!

Interweave Crochet Accessories 2010

My hugest complaint with crocheted socks has always been ---> there is. no. give. whatsoever when trying to get them on. They just don't stretch.

But holey moley! Brenda K.B. Anderson the designer of Sydney's Sideways Socks has shaken my world in the most wonderful of ways. Sideways, of course!

Just look at those delicious rows of stretchi-ness....

I used my C hook and this very soft, very lovely yarn: Deborah Norville Collection SERENITY Sock Weight in Paprika.

(Shhhhhh! -- I broke the #1 rule of sock-making and only made one....

...but I love these so much, that I am going to make some in every color & size to fill my dresser drawers to overflowing.)

elegance

2011-03-24T12:19:00.000-05:00

I love all things elegant.

Definition of ELEGANCE

1a : refined grace or dignified propriety b : tasteful richness of design or ornamentation c : dignified gracefulness or restrained beauty of style : polish d : scientific precision, neatness, and simplicity
2: something that is elegant

But step into my house and you will see:
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a brand-new puppy keen on chasing crabby kitties

homework that seems to be geared heavily toward stupifying the smartest of parents

a dryer & a Jeep that pick the most inopportune time to stop working

a prognosis of acute cabin fever,

yadda, yadda, yadda.....

And...my life is anything but elegant.

How to remedy that?

Simple. You crochet something that is elegant.

First off ---->My Cascading Elegance pineapple doily from : Crochet Pineapple Centerpieces from HouseWhite Birches. (I have had this book forever & don't know if it is available to purchase anywhere.)

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And you know --there is something so elegant about a crochet pineapple pattern --- and of course, this Aunt Lydia Bamboo Cotton thread is still my fAvOrItE!! The drape alone is more than sumptuous.

And then on to this book. My sister purchased this for me and not only does she know me oh, so well, she learned how to knit!--drat her...but that is a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother time...ahem.

In her book, Linda Permann shows so many delightful stitches and one that I have always wanted to do is: Catherine Wheel. Every time I have tried to crochet this stitch -- ugh, let's just say it never resembled the pattern.

Ever.

But man! her directions were clear. The diagrams were clear...

....ta-da! A Catherine Wheel Washcloth.

Love this so much, that I am trying two totally different colors.

Okay. Now it's onto my very sagging inbox...

doing w/o

2011-01-31T14:04:00.002-06:00

Stepping away for a bit...........

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wintry cowl

2011-01-09T14:25:00.000-06:00

Wintry weather is always welcome here.

Huge snow drifts. Huge snowflakes. Huge prayers for at least 22 inches of the stuff. Huge hopes of major snow accumulation that will somehow exceed the roof line of our house.

Now that winter has indeed made its frosty entrance -- well....one must have a gorgeous, wintry cowl, right?

And I found just the one! Crochet today jan/feb 09 has a super easy cowl pattern that works up beautifully.

Using leftover yarn and my M hook, I fell in love with the ease & look of this stitch pattern.

It's a simple v-stitch that can be done almost mindlessly. And with a big hook...

....well, a mere 31 inches later a luxurious cowl has formed.

roses in the snow

2010-12-12T10:39:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a break --- remember?

Plunging myself into a whirlwind of pre-Christmas obligations -- not having time to get any type of thready/yarny things done.

Uh. huh.

That worked....

....until I saw Teresa's fabulous video tutorial for her crocheted Christmas ornament.

So, pushing aside the pile of Christmas cards that need to be addressed; the cookie dough that needs to be mixed; the online ordering of Christmas presents that m.u.s.t. get done; the menu planning for Christmas eve....I went and hunted for hooks I had hidden & thread I intentionally put out of reach.

And made a roses in the snow ornament.

*thread is size 10 DMC Cebelia
*the hook is my # 7
*and I changed Teresa's flower to the flower from motif #114 from this book:

The tiny green leaves I crocheted from here:

Hmmm. I think I will give this ornament to Ruth. She is a special 91 yr. old lady ( and I do mean, lady!) that I have the pleasure of taking care of a few days a week.

I have learned so much from her!

Some days I wonder, 'Exactly who is taking care of whom?'

She has taught me that being strong is more admirable than being whiney.

She has taught me to say thank you even in the smallest of incidences.

She has taught me that when you fall down, you stand back up.

She has taught me that obligations are opportunities.

She has taught me that if you are still drawing breath -- you still have plenty of things to do.

"This is Christmas:

not the tinsel,

not the giving and receiving,

not even the carols,

but the humble heart

that receives anew

the wondrous gift,

the Christ."

-- Frank McKibben

Merry Christmas, everyone!

quietness of mind

2010-12-03T13:08:00.002-06:00

Bless us Lord, this Christmas with quietness of mind. Teach us to be patient and always to be kind."

--Helen Steiner Rice

....a bit of a holiday break.

I'll be back soon.

color inspiration for a stocking

2010-11-18T21:10:00.001-06:00

I am being inspired by color.

It all started with my sister wanting a new flower for this handbag that I made her. Her other flower? = droopy. So she requested anna's fabric flower in colors that would go with her handbag.

So I got my fabrics out and became enamored with the colors --> vivacious pink, coal black & snow white. Seeing the flower completed, I wondered what I could crochet with these same gorgeous colors....

...and came up with a very non-traditional Christmas stocking.

The grannyy square is from:

I laid the blocks out to form a nice stocking shape and btw--- I'm not sure the proper way in adhering the granny squares together before seaming them as a stocking -- but the safety pins worked well.

And although I do not like it when stores etc. cannon-ball straight-away into Christmas and mindlessly ignore Thanksgiving-- I am realistic enough to know that if I don't get started on this stuff now, I'll be running around like a lunatic and trying to get all of my projects done ( read= not a pretty sight.)

Now I have to think of clever ways in finagling my husband into decorating our Christmas tree in this color scheme...

Ha.

I know that will never happen.

hooked together

2010-11-13T13:31:00.001-06:00

The more I say that -- hooked together -- the more I like the layers of meaning it evokes.

The crocheted beauty pictured on the left was given to me by my great-aunt. I was completely stunned when I unfurled it and saw the hours & hours that she put into it. And the fact that it is now in my possession -- oh, dear! I can not tell you what it means to me.

And knowing that my lovely great-aunt -- who had her husband, & her daughter who was riddled with cancer & her Downs son taken from her long before she herself was called to her heavenly home -- I am just struck with the beauty of each crocheted stitch she took. Was she pained with thoughts of the loss of her precious ones as she joined these blocks together? Was it a healing process for her to see this come to shape? She lost so much, but gave so much more.

(...and I complain because the internet is running slow and I have to wait for 3 red lights!??...)

Now that this is in my possession, I am hooked together with her. And it is a lovely feeling.

I had visions of finishing this -- and I still might. Because honestly! don't you just love that a simple block when joined can form such a beautiful petal-shaped labor of love. Ohhhhhh, I a.d.o.r.e. that!

So I too want to leave something that may take years for me to complete...

...but nonetheless, something that just might get passed along.

So I started paging through old copies of my MAGIC CROCHET magazines and found this gorgeous Sweet William pattern.

The block is gorgeous. Enough said. But what really struck my fancy about this pattern is that it is so much like the one from my great-aunt. By itself: pretty. But when joined together as one, it seems to take on a whole different dimensional quality that is truly fabulous and so, so different from the original block.

Time to start joining these 2 blocks with many, many more to come....

bootiful + 3 more

2010-10-28T12:43:00.000-05:00

A wee bit addicting, yes.

That is to say -- crocheting these simply sweet halloween amigurumi from Lion Brand Yarn.

I couldn't stop with just the ghost, spider, pumpkin & witch hat....

...I just had to crochet the bat, owl (btw---I added ears to the owl -- the pattern does not call for them, but our daughter was convinced he looked like a giant, green bug w/o them.) and of course, the cutie-patootie mummy.

Don't you just love those bandages?!

So fun to make and honestly! -- winding & attaching the crocheted strip around his head was such a hoot.

A bootiful & adorable collection, I must say.

bootiful

2010-10-22T13:52:00.001-05:00

These amigurumi are so bootiful --- they just tickle my funny bone!

Okay. They are beyond cute & adorable and the patterns can be found here. And bonus--> they only take a smidgen of scrap yarn and a H hook.

I just loooooooooove the instant gratification of working up these tiny little things.

Easy on the stitches & easy on the time.

But HuGe on the cute-ibility factor.

berry to the rescue

2010-10-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

Instead of being 'berry to the rescue' this post should be entitled: 'curse of the crocheted garment'.
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Yes, I am cursed.
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(And I am saying that entirely in jest, of course.)
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But what else could explain my inability to crochet a garment?! If you know me, I have grandiose ideas & beginnings for beautiful-steal-your-breath-away (ahem. see previous post.....) garments and I either

1 .get stuck and have to rip out the stitches

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or I
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2. get stuck and have to rip out the entire garment

not once; not twice; but about 5,000,000 times

to the point where I just want

to ~~hurl the entire project out the window~~ set the project aside until a later date.

Okay. So the progress on my Dragonfly Shawl is not going well. It has almost resulted in me shedding tears -- I keep adding/losing stitches and rows and......oh, man!......the yarn is so beautiful & fragile.....I hate to see it being ripped back again & again & again & again & again.....

So, berry to the rescue!

Nothin' like a little strawberry coaster to soothe the 'I-can't-do-this' beast that seems to have taken up residence in my house.

Quick & easy.
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From this delicious book that I was so excited to receive from Di Pais at Christmas time.

This worked up so quickly that I am quite sure that I can get 4 of them done

w/o any tears,
w/o hurling through any windows, or
w/o the sound of stitches being ripped back.

I used a size 5 hook and size 3 crochet thread and just love the look of the FPdc stitch that makes up the body of the berry. And with the 'lacy' edging that is simply a shell stitch -- it was a delight to do.

Berry good for my almost --Took Up Anything but Crochet moment.

...and please tell me that you all have moments just like this!

oh! how I love a dragonfly

2010-09-21T13:49:00.003-05:00

If I had to pick a favorite bug -- it would be the dragonfly.
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Every time I behold the sheer, translucent, shimmering beauty of the dragonfly's wing -- I am stunned into silence.

And guess what? There is a crochet pattern that involves a dragonfly. So to speak.

It is Dragonfly Shawl, designed by Lisa Naskrent and is described as being a

'symphony of elegance with a dance in flight.'

Everything about this pattern is a 'symphony of elegance'! The pattern can be found here:

interweave CROCHET winter 2008

Now, given the alternative of written directions vs. a diagram -- hands down, I will always pick the diagram.

I mean -- honestly! I could not wrap my head around any of this:

... s-ch 5 in each ch-5 sp

to first SMK,

[BP-sh-seq, s-ch-5 in next ch-5 sp]

through first ch-5 sp after last

SMK on this side...

What does that mean?!!?
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So, thank goodness for a drawn diagram and probably the most delectable yarn ---- Shadow Tonal Lace Yarn in Blue Violet from KnitPicks in the most gorgeous shade of periwinkle (read ---> my favorite color!)
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Being a laceweight, I had a super hard time getting used to using a D hook with a size 0 yarn. And yes, I did have to frog my first 20 attempts at getting this started. Getting those first 3 rows going was the most difficult for me.
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But, duh! -- after studying the diagram, I realized that the pattern is very, very easy to memorize and now that I can actually see a completely magnificent shawl starting to appear --- I am stealing away as much time as possible to get this done so it can be draped around my shoulders.

sunflower

2010-09-09T18:43:00.002-05:00

Sunflowers. I just love their heavy heads of golden brown goodness.

Ah, sunflower, weary of time,

Who countest the steps of the sun;

Seeking after that sweet golden clime

Where the traveller's journey is done.
-William Blake

So when I can combine the lovely art of irish crochet with the making of a sunflower doily....well that just gets my fancy like you can not believe.

And wouldn't you know it?! There's a book with just that pattern.

I love, love, lOvE this book. The author, Judy Crow has hit upon some gorgeous, out-of-the-ordinary patterns and stitch configurations that just seem to jump right off of the page...

...and onto my hook.

The petals did seem to take forever, but because the pattern for them was easily memorized I could almost do them while standing in line at the grocery store. (Notice I said almost -- my kids seem to give me the hairy eyeball if I pull out my crochet projects while the cashier is ringing up our corn flakes.)

I would have never thought that I could take one of my most favorite techniques (irish crochet) and use deep, vibrant thread colors...

...to make a sunflower doily.

marigold brooch

2010-08-21T19:46:00.001-05:00

The intensity of the colors in a marigold are bold, vibrant & yes -- intense.
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I found those same intense colors in Patons Angora Bamboo yarn. Vibrant colors, but oh, my! what truly took my breath away was the ultra-softness of this yarn.

Soft. Soft as a kitten.

The pattern for this marigold brooch is actually my crocheted peony brooch from here.

Changing it up a bit -- I made it a different color with no embellishment sewn in the middle & crocheted the leaves instead of making them out of fabric.

The leaves are from Nicky Epstein's book:

Pinned to a garment, I can only imagine how much I would just ~~touch~~ ~~caress~~, ~~pet~~ .......

Okay. Basically run my fingers through it non-stop....

Shhh.

Yes, I have a problem.

But it's because I am soooooooh addicted to the yarney goodness that comes from a simple hook & yarn.

Happy birthday, sissie!

The marigold brooch was made just for her.

cat nap

2010-08-08T11:39:00.000-05:00

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Oh, to have the life of a cat. Where the only big question of the day is whether to lazily slumber on the couch or the footstool.

The only big question I am facing is whether to continue making 11 more blocks for this Cat & Mouse blanket -- or to just call it a day and finish this block for a pillow.
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I got the pattern from this magazine:

....but it can also be found here.

My only misgiving about continuing this as a blanket is the heaviness when done. If a project weighs more than my refrigerator when finished (and that happens a lot!) I get all frustrated and shove the thing in the back of my closet. Soft & drapey has to be the end result -- or it will never get used.

Okay. This finished kitty is so adorable (yes, to my husband's horror -- I could easily become that Crazy Cat Lady....) and with the added mouse border that is included with this pattern...
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....well, this might just become a blanket instead of the pillow.

and a cherry on top

2010-07-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

Oh. To go back in time. I would love to sit at the feet of women past and just absorb all of their tried-n-true techniques.

One of those techniques would have to be the fashioning of lace from a broomstick.

*Who ever thought of using a broomstick?

*And why?

*Was it a popular method for women to crochet lace?

*Are there examples of this type of lace in someone's archives somewhere?

*That I could see? Touch?

Well, I didn't use a broomstick handle for this crocheted broomstick lace -- but my Boye 50 plastic knitting needle and this book:

The patterns & directions in this book are sooooooo easy to understand.

And of course, the book includes a pattern for the cutest dishcloth.

The crochet cotton is from my stash and I used my G hook.

And since I seem to obsessed with cherries of late (btw -- my sister must have taken extreme pity on me after my mushy-gushy fiasco [aka -> Dawn's attempt at cherry pie] because she baked me the most delicious home-made cherry pie.....which I ~~ate all by myself~~ reluctantly shared.)

But this dishcloth needed a little something extra.

So I browsed this fabulous book:

cutest cherry pattern ever in here!

And found just what I was looking for!

Ohhh. There's nothin' like a cherry on top.
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exquisite

2010-07-24T11:40:00.009-05:00

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My Exquisite doily is done.
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And I must say that the doily is indeed exquiste.
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It has to be the softest, most delicate doily that I have ever made.

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Even our dirty-bike-lovin'-wants-to-fly-jets-or-play-for-a-major-league-baseball-team-11-yr.-old son commented on how beautiful the doily is...
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Okay. So we probably won't mention that to dad.
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But truly! -- Mary Werst is such an exquisite crochet designer because this has to be one of the most beautiful things that has ever come off of my hook.

a flowery finish

2010-07-17T19:13:00.012-05:00

As I wandered the forest

The green leaves among,

I heard a Wild Flower

Singing a song.

The Wild Flower's Song by William Blake

Yippee. My Chain of Flowers scarf is finished.

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So easy. And so fast.

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And the varying shades of purple are my absolute favorite!

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And it's so versatile too -- love that.
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Perfect for tees, shorts, dresses -- casual or dressy.

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chain of flowers

2010-07-16T16:08:00.011-05:00

My apologies to Andi -- to whom I promised that I would not start another project.

...ahem.

But honestly, a chain of flowers scarf?!

It just begs to be made.

This book came off of my shelf:

& I found Mary Jane Hall's pattern for the cutest, summery, flowery scarf.

I am using my J hook with the yummiest of colors in Red Heart variegated yarn and stitching up these 12 flowers so, so quickly.

Hopefully it will soon be draped around my neck complimenting a tee & shorts.

And goodness! With all of this rain -- okay. flooding -- that we have received recently, we truly need the beauty of the flowers and the simplicity of the farms & their fields.

And of course -- a chain of flowers scarf.

cherry pie potholder

2010-07-08T16:32:00.020-05:00

Cherry pie has to be my most favorite pie.

And I got it in my head that I would make one. From scratch. So after pitting about 400 cherries & smelling the pie bake in the oven I couldn't wait to cut a slice & enjoy this delicious treat.

After pulling it out of the oven I realized something extremely obvious.

This was not going to be a delicious pie because the cherries were swimming in red water. Yes, bobbing up & down like apples in a wash basin at Halloween time. Ugh. I mean! --it was awful all the way down to saturating the crust into a wet, soggy mess....

Okay. So making a cherry pie in my kitchen is just not happening. But.....I could crochet a potholder that looks an awful lot like a cherry pie, right?

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This didn't start out as a 'hey! why don't I make a potholder that resembles a cherry pie?!'

It just began with putting colors together from scraps of cotton in my stash & using a G hook...

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....and of course, I had to look up a motif in one of my most favorite books:

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..and did you know? Edie Eckman has another you-must-add-this-to-your-collection book:

So I sat and paged thru these 2 delightful books, & decided on motif # 24 & border #21.

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Then by continuing to crochet round after round in either red, white or butter yellow, this became 'potholder-size' rather quickly.
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And the back of this cherry pie potholder was just as easy -- simple sc, hdc or dc crocheted in a circular pattern.
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My culinary skills may be lacking, but hey! ---> I can replicate a cherry pie with just plain ol' crochet cotton & a hook.

it's a petunia purse

2010-07-06T15:39:00.007-05:00

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The ripples are done and whip-stitched to the african flower hexies to make ---
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Ta-da!
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My petunia purse.

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I found one of my old purses that fit right into the main part of the crocheted piece and after removing the strap from that old purse --
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I crocheted around a plastic ring & attached that to the main portion of the bag for the strap.
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And yes, I had to nix the zipper idea -- the teeth of the zipper would have frayed (and basically eaten) the rippled edge.
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But nevertheless, it is a smashing petunia bag that both of my daughters think they're going to use before I do..........

Not.

Happening.

hexies & ripples = a purse, of course

2010-07-03T17:44:00.007-05:00

My utmost thanks to Aisyah, who directed me to this tutorial for crocheting African Flowers. I have seen these on ravelry & flickr and AbSoLuTeLy love them.

And yes, putting aside all other projects, I sat by the pool & began these delightful hexies.

But what to do with them?

Aha. Of course -- a purse.

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But what to do for the body of the purse? How 'bout crocheted ripples?

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I have plans to attach a zipper to the upper edge and my wants-to-be-a-fashion-designer-daughter was adamant that I add some sort of strap.

Of course this is all still in the planning stages, but even if this does not turn out how I envision it -- just the formation of these african flowers and making ripples is keen enough for me.

soft as a lamb's ear

2010-07-02T07:06:00.018-05:00

lamb's ear:

With fuzzy, silvery green, soft as suede leaves, Lamb's Ears are favored for their foliage, rather than their flowers. They flower on tall spikes in shades of pinkish purple or white, in the late spring or early summer. Some gardeners's find the flower spikes charming and others cut them off to encourage the foliage, as with Hosta. Bees are not so fussy and love the slightly fragrant flowers.

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I have another lovely work on my hook. It's one of Mary Werst's doilies ---> Exquisite from her gorgeous book:

I am using my most favorite crochet thread: Aunt Lydia's Bamboo crochet thread, & yes, I almost let out a squeal of delight when I saw that they now offer shades other than white & cream.

This pure pink color is so downy-- it reminds me of the lamb's ear that we have growing in our garden.

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It is the softest, most mesmerizing thread that just seems to quietly sing with each stitch.

No.

Not a word to my husband that I am now hearing thread sing to me.....

Because honestly -- it's quite like therapy to feel the uber-creaminess of these stitches forming into this delicate doily.

sugar'n cream flower power rug

2010-06-22T10:45:00.016-05:00

Flower power.

Ahhhh---that phrase always conjures up Marcia Brady -- who I wanted to be when I grew up. She was groovy. Her clothes were groovy and oh, man! I faithfully watched the Brady Brunch whenever it was on prime-time TV. And today? Well, of course, we own the DVD series and I can watch it all of the time.

Anyway, when I saw this rug on the Lily's Sugar'n Cream website, it brought back that flower-power-I-wanna-be-just-like-marcia-brady-feeling & I knew I had to make it.

The flower block is easy and I lOvE the dimensional effect of each petal.
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I used my G hook and of course, the Sugar'n cream crochet thread in their gorgeous, groovy (ahem) colors.
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Oh, ya. A pretty groovy rug.

And yes, my kids hate it when I say groovy....

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'That's just so cheezy, Mom.'

strappy & oh, so colorful

2010-06-21T16:35:00.012-05:00

Wow.

Who knew straps could just bring it all together.

This is my Oda Bag.

And after weaving in & snipping about 40 million little ends.....

....I got this super-delightful, colorful carry-all

and

...'Cool! Can you make me one?!' response from our soon-to-be-senior daughter.

Solveig's tutorial is so straightforward -- okay, so I did glean a little help from the kids as to how this all went together. (Puzzles/geometric shapes just freeze me up every time. Think freshman algebra & yes! eyes glazed over when faced with putting a puzzle together....)

But now that is all done -- I just simply love it.

i heart grannies

2010-06-06T17:44:00.014-05:00

There is something simply so endearing about a crocheted granny square that -- ohhhh, I don't know -- it just delights me to no end.

And since I am forever browsing this book & loving every motif that she has designed, I had to whip up Edie Eckman's motif #30 from her super-duper-gotta-have-this-book:

I used scraps & leftovers from my yarn stash and came up with this color palette.

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Love the way the colors just seem to pop, but in a very quiet, whimsical sort of way.

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Whenever my day strays toward uncontrollalbe chaos -- yes, that does happen a lot -- I just picture these blocks in my mind or sometimes quickly run over to the ottoman to just look & behold how just a piece of yarn can make something so soothing to look at.

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Crazy, I know. But you know -- my husband gets that faraway gleam in his eye when looking at John Deere tractors -- but me...

...it's that unexplainable-gotta-do-it-passion-can't-begin-to-explain-it-to-my-husband (think John Deere, dear) to recreate what both my grandmas did so many years ago.

Yes, I really do heart grannies.

pillowcases & headbands

2010-05-20T11:59:00.015-05:00

My dear blog-irlfriend, Kris from Quilted Simple asked if I would crochet an edging for her daughter's pillowcases -- and yes! her young daughter made them using vintage bedsheets -- how cool is that?

So our nice mailman brought their package and I got to work with this simple & and yet so elegant crochet trim.

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I love the colors they chose.

And with the leftover Aunt Lydia's Fashion Crochet Thread, size 3 in Warm Rose, I made Jessie a headband by repeating an easy-peasy sc and dc pattern.

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The flower pattern I got from crocheting on the edge.
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And if you don't have this book -- you must add it to your crochet library. Nicky Epstein is the queen of incredible crochet stitch patterns. It is one of the most used crochet books in my collection.

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plumeria

God does an amazing job on plumeria -- Jessie does an amazing job on the pillowcases...

...and now I hope they like the crochet edging as much as I do.

may flower tote

2010-05-08T12:07:00.013-05:00

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My May Flower Tote from here is now finished! And just in time as we flip the calendar from April to May.
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Never mind, of course that last night snowflakes bigger than baseballs were falling from the sky.......April showers bring May...snowflakes??
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I added a crocheted lavendar mum as a sweet embellishmet.
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The pattern for the mum I got from this book: ---> and yes, this book is one of my favorites.

(Wildflower HOT PADS & TOWEL TOPPERS by Patricia Hall)

The color of this I LOVE THIS YARN is so completely yummy....
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...and with the interior fabric & faux leather handles & lavender mum....well, it is just perfect for all the gorgeous blossoms in our yard. Like this crab-apple tree that just erupts in pinkish petals.
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Oh. And that's Jake, our golden retriever sniffing the entire lawn just in case he maybe didn't sniff that section the last time he was outside. Right. Like that is going to happen.
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I added foam-core to the inside bottom for added reinforcement and attached metal feet to give it a nice finished look.

I love the month of May.

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'(another project that I have started: crocheted motifs that I hope will become a scarf & the Mother's Day card that I made for my mother-in-law)

Have a blessed Mother's Day.

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a purse always takes priority

2010-04-27T14:01:00.017-05:00

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A purse always takes priority. Even when one has 14,000 other projects in the making.
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So, what should fall into my lap? ---> the May/June 10 issue of CROCHET today! and whew! the sheer pleasure of paging through this magazine can alone send me into a complete crochet tailspin.
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For me, that is half of the fun ---> seeing every delicious project just sets me on fire.
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And yes, purses have made my list of top 5 things e.v.e.r. --- so there was no way I could pass up the May Flowers Tote.
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Using this gorgeous turquoise yarn and a size I hook, I began the easy pattern of a row of sc dc. And then a row of sc. That's it!
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I want the sturdiness of being able to chock just about everything into this bag, so I chose a complimenting fabric to use as the liner.

And I will crochet some flowers to embellish when attaching the handles.

Definitely the color of pool water. And that is the best color after a soggy, rainy, cold spring.

3 little pigs

2010-04-08T10:53:00.010-05:00

Rule 1: 3 kids = 3 guinea pigs (or or just plain pigs, as they are sometimes affectionately called.)

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Our kids asked if we could please, please, please enforce this rule in our house.
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Hmmmm.
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Who could possibly resist these precious, tiny critters? So yes, guinea pigs snuggled & sniffed their way into our hearts and taught our kids the important truths of caring for tiny creatures. Our pigs have since gone onto greener pastures, but the love of them still remains.

And so when I saw Nicki Trench's -- yes, super-cute -- book and saw her pattern for guinea pigs, well -- it was a must-make for me!
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Rule 2: Each child gets their own guinea pig. Check.

Rule 3: Mom gets utmost pleasure in crocheting these. Check.

So I present to you:

Baby Chick, Nickel and Charles Lindbergh
~

Rule 4: Super cute. Check.

daisy chatelaine

2010-03-21T07:00:00.015-05:00

Yes. Daisies. One of my favorite flowers and when you place that vibrant blue sky in the background with these many tall hats of of soft, white petals...well, it's truly colors straight from heaven.

I have gotten emails requesting a tutorial for a crocheted chatelaine. Hmmm. What to do? So grabbing bits of crochet thread and a scrap of fabric, I put together this

Daisy Chatelaine.

There are 23 steps, which seems a bit time-consuming, but honestly! it goes rather quickly. And I have also included a diagram for the pattern at the end of this post (because yikes! -- these written directions can seem veeeeeeeerry confusing.....)

(edit: for Sunny who emailed [and others just like me who n.e.e.d. an actual visual demo on how to make this beginning loop] ----> Teresa does her usual excellent job at this here.)

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By not fastening off, you can continue with crocheting the cord to hang your chatelaine. I have seen many patterns for crocheting a cord -- but none as beautiful or versatile as Thata's. Here is her video showing her 'I-cord'.

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Motif diagram

And my first time at drawing a crochet pattern....so, yes, you must bear with this 'raw' drawing (where you can already easily spot the whited-out areas where I goofed.)

Okay. I am almost afraid to push the PUBLISH POST button --- just how many errors did I make in the directions??

Eek. Oh, well. If you find any, you know where to reach me.

Are you thinking of how many different fabrics you have & how many different crochet thread options are out there?.....

Enjoy the endless possibilities of crocheting your own chatelaine!

garment-envy

2010-03-12T14:57:00.009-06:00

How many times did Thomas Edison fail at making the lightbulb?

Supposedly over 1000 times.

And while he may in fact not be the official inventor of the lightbulb -- this is most evident---> he did not quit.

So while I have failed over 1000 times in crocheting a garment for myself that is actually wearable (tossed in the back of my closet because it is so hideously mishapen does not count as wearable aaaaand thank goodness for this because Kris knows I not only suffer from garment-envy, but have a serious case of knitted-garment-envy....)

...I am once again attempting to crochet a garment. This gorgeous pattern is the Curried Cable Jacket by Pricila Gomes from the Fall '09 issue of INTERWEAVE CROCHET.

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The jacket begins with the back bottom edge and is done in a FPdc & BPdc to give it a textured, and oh! so lovely rib pattern. And because the pattern also includes some crochet cables (something that I have not been able to do) I am apprehensive to see if my hook can/will follow these complex-to-me directions --->

Hdc in next st, sk next 2 hdc, FPtr around

each of the next 2 hdc 2 rows below, working

in front of 2 FPtr just made, FPtr around first

skipped hdc 2 rows below, FPtr around 2nd skipped

hdc 2 rows below, hdc in next stitch.

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So far I just love how this is working up and hopefully this will not get frogged like the 1000 other times I have attempted to crochet a garment.

Oh, give me cable strength.

progress & meander

2010-03-09T12:19:00.018-06:00

Here's progress on the Pineapple Rose. Oooh. A lacy edge added to a pineapple rose seems to frame its simple floral beauty in a delicate, crocheted frame.

If you only knew how much I love that. It's a look that just seems to spread warmth in my heart & hands.

I had to 'frog' this next step of adding the white thread a few times.

Ugh. It is proving to be a very difficult pattern to follow & I have seriously considered nixing the whole cotton-pickin' thing. And wouldn't you know it? -- it's my 10 yr. old son who gave me the much needed boost to continue with it---

'No, Mom...don't even think about winding that thread back on the spool!'

I had to laugh, but he's right. Sometimes I am my worst critic -- and I sabotage my efforts way before I should.

I think I tend to meander. Meander = a winding path or course.

Okay. That does describe me.

So when I saw the Blue Meanders in the magazine, Decorative CROCHET (May 2001-Number 81) I just had to try to duplicate this lovely look.

(...Nooooo. Too many projects going at once does not even resonate with me.....)

Bruges lace has always intrigued me but the stitches always seemed so labor-intensive.

And sheesh! They were. Just reading the written directions more than confused me, but everything made sense once I studied the diagram.

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Using Aunt Lydia Crochet Thread in OASIS and #5 steel hook, I will just keep meandering & meandering & meandering until this looks like a blue meandering piece of Bruges lace.

pineapple rose garden & an exceptional finish

2010-03-03T12:58:00.013-06:00

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~

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley
~

Such warm & wonderful thoughts as we begin our wintry thaw. And what better way to usher in the springtime than to crochet.......oh! I know......

....a doily!

Why, of course -- can't stray from the obvious.

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I am using this book:

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and crocheting the Pineapple Rose Garden topper.
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Size 10 crochet cotton and my size 5 steel hook.
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The topper begins with this pretty rose in variegated pink hues. And believe it or not, I am learning a lesson about tackling crochet projects rated as EXPERIENCED -- because these are something I would have never attempted before.
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Duh --take one step at a time. One teeny tiny direction at a time before rushing into the next stitch. Because you see before, I would always read the entire row and groan inwardly that there was no way I could ever understand this, much less attempt it with hook & thread.
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For example:
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Rnd 28: Slip st in next FPtr and around post next FPtr,

ch 4, work FPtr around each of next 5 sts

3 dc in next ch-2 sp, work FPtr around each of next 6 sts,

work Split FPtr, * work FPtr around each of next 6 sts,

3 dc in next ch-2 sp, work FPtr around each of next 6 sts,

work Split FPtr; repeat from * around; join with slip st

in fourth ch of beginning ch-4.

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What?!

In my previous life (ha) I would glance at the whole set of directions and k.n.o.w. there was no way I could ever crochet that row. But then the aha! moment came and I starte to read just one tiny section of the phrase -- worked it -- then moved onto the next phrase -- worked it -- and oila! progress & more importantly -->success!

Yes, I know. Slower than most, but because I finally got that through my thick head, I actually completed for-experienced-only-crocheters EXCEPTIONAL doily!

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And the flowers -- from my husband for our 19th wedding anniversary. Perfect combination, don't you think?

exceptional

2010-02-16T12:02:00.013-06:00

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This is Mary Werst's Exceptional doily that I started awhile ago from this book. The dense-ness of the stitches is so totally unlike any doily that I have ever crocheted.
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I love that.
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And I also love this exceptional January snow that seems to intensify the sky with a blueness that is so vibrant & jewel-like.
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This is the view from our front yard -- yup, very blessed indeed.

And so thankful that so many years ago a lovely lady took the time during my lunch recess to teach me how to crochet doilies.

I am using my # 7 steel crochet hook and my very, very favorite crochet thread, Aunt Lydia Bamboo Crochet Thread, size 10.

My husband is under the very sad, mistaken notion that doily-love is only for grandmas from long, long ago & teases me that he is going to list me as 'Doily Dawn' in my obituary.

But don't worry -- I will properly educate him into becoming passionate about doilies strewn all over the house.

Hmmm. I wonder what he'd think about a lovely crocheted edging on .... say... some of his clothing?

Ha.

I'm kidding, of course........

....but if anyone has the perfect pattern for masculine edgings, let me know.

fudge brown chatelaine

2010-02-03T15:21:00.014-06:00

Main Entry: chat·e·laine
Pronunciation: \ˈsha-tə-ˌlān\
Function: noun
Etymology: French châtelaine, feminine of châtelain
Date: 1845
a clasp or hook for a watch, purse, or bunch of keys

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Not only do I love the way the word 'chatelaine' just seems to roll off my tongue -- I also love the delicate image it conjurs up. Dainty & feminine. And serving a purpose.
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This fudge brown chatelaine will not be used as a clasp for keys, watch or purse, but rather it is to be used/worn as a simple pincushion.
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Using size 10 crochet thread I crocheted a basic granny square for the back of this chatelaine.

And the top? A gorgeous flower granny square (this has to be my most favorite design for a granny square!)

.(Addendum: it comes from one of my most favorite books: Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman)

Yes. I just love, LOVE the petals on this.

And to compliment the brown, I found scraps of cottonwood bandana fabric for the inside.

I sewed up the sides and added a bit of poly-stuffing.

And crocheted a simple cord so it can be worn around the neck & then encased the whole chatelaine with a seam of single crochet around the edge.

Simple. Delicate. And very useful.

hip to be backed

2010-01-28T09:28:00.015-06:00

Talk about sturdy.

Using my J afghan hook, I finished my 'hip to be square' potholder. And wow. The sturdiness of this Sugar 'n Cream cotton & layering 2 layers of tunisian -- well, this will be more than heat-resistant for taking warm things out of our oven.

And I love the look and feel of using this loooooooong hook. A hook big enough for the *BFG.

*(Our kids get such a kick out of this

literary favorite -- and whenever we

come across something super huge,

their response is always ---

"Wow, that's big enough for the BFG.")

At first, I was intimidated by tunisian. I mean! That hook! That wonky way of keeping stitches on the hook. Forward Pass. Forward Return Pass. ??? (Yes. You can count on me for looking at something and figuring it is way too hard -- so why even try it.)

But thank goodness, the intrigue of of so many beautifully made things is motivation enough for me to stay-on-task. And the absolute satisfaction of being able to do something I deemed way too difficult.....

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....well, that is always a huge hurdle for me.

One I'm glad I can finally get over. Because feeling those stitches emerge -- that is a definite sort of tactile satisfaction. And of course -- just the simple beauty of doing.

THIS describes it perfectly.

it's hip to be square potholder

2010-01-24T12:26:00.009-06:00

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I can't get my mind off of this tunisian entrelac crochet.
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And because of that -- all other projects have come to a stand-still and I am putting together combinations of colors. And more colors. Aaaaaand more colors.
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My yarn stash is in our basement & I do most of my crocheting upstairs, so after about 14 trips up and down the steps of decision making....

Do I like these 3 colors?

No.

How 'bout these 3 colors.

No again.

I finally came upon a combination of three colors from my Sugar 'n Cream bits & pieces of cotton thread.

And what better thing than for this entrelac patchwork block to become a potholder?

I think I'll finish the back with one-colored square of entrelac and single crochet a border around the edge.

Wow. I can finally fill my kitchen drawer with cheery, bright & simply made potholders. Something our drawer is in desperate need of.

beginnings of a doily on my lap

2010-01-22T10:18:00.012-06:00

I am paging through my stack of books that I received for Christmas and I found something extra-special in this book:

Using my 7 steel hook and Lydia's Bamboo crochet thread & Mary Werst's EXCEPTIONAL pattern -- and phew! this doily is rated EXPERIENCED -- I. am. stunned. that I am able to decipher this words-only pattern.
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It is already so gorgeous and I have about 27 more rounds to go.

So with pets & patchwork on the couch, I have the perfect project for this cold, gray month of January.

entrelac checkerboards & books

2010-01-20T12:01:00.010-06:00

My entrelac checkerboard scarf is finished! Wow. I am amazed -- yes, completely amazed -- that this came from my crochet hook! It is unlike anything I have ever done with hook & yarn and I simply love the whole tunisian entrelac technique.

Ordering this booklet was key in trying to get the whole triangular edge, but once I was able to visualize this in my head and then get that message to my hands -- oh! the combinations and blocks I am going to make........
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And I must have a one track mind. Or maybe crochet is the only thing I talk about.

Here is a pile of books I received from my family at Christmas time. Unbelievable is the only way I can describe how I felt (and yes, I even leaned over and kissed my 22 yr. old nephew -- not once, but twice -- for buying some of these for me.)

Oh, my family gets me.

And that just makes me giddy when I see aaaaallllll of these beautiful pages to page through.

Thank you, thank you family!

toboggan hat

2010-01-14T11:28:00.009-06:00

As a kid I remember the thrill of riding a toboggan down a snowy, slippery hill. The frigid wind would whip right through me. Oh, the warmth of the hat that was pulled way down over my little head.

Fun, fun memories of when I was younger. And now with our middle child -- altho, can you call a 14 yr. girl a child?! -- asks for a warm hat, I wonder when she puts this hat on to slide down a snowy hill, will she too will look upon these moments as fun, fun memories?

So, I run through the crochet patterns that are filed in my head & I immediately picture the Toboggan Hat found here:

Crochet That Fits -- Mary Jane Hall

I dig out scraps of yarn from my stash and pull a vibrant blue that matches her winter coat exactly. And she loves this skein of multi-colored cotton yarn I still have and waaaaaay on the bottom of my gray yarns I find this tiny bit of bulky gray & white yarn for the border. The pattern calls for only one color yarn, but she was very specific about wanting stripes.

So we improvise with multi-weighted/multi-colored yarns.

Perfect.

And her smile said it all.
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And when your kid smiles at something you have done -- well that's the making of a very good day.

crimson & snow

2010-01-05T10:30:00.009-06:00

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Crimson & snow. How appropriate.
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The colors of this Bernat Satin yarn that I am using for this crocheted entrelac scarf are called:

Crimson & Snow.

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And looking around outside I see examples of crimson & snow everywhere.
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These entrelac blocks are crocheted with an H hook (and next time I will use a larger hook -- maybe a J or even K so these edges don't curl so fiercely....)
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Now to crochet the rest of these cascading blocks into a wearable scarf and think of some nifty way to finish off the edges. Read ---> no curl!