Brown Clutch
Finished: September 1, 2008

Pattern: Adapted from My Favorite Sweater Clutch by Julie Holetz

I made this clutch larger than in the pattern, and did not decrease at the top as much. I eliminated the ribbed top from the pattern, and added a small flap. I used a magnetic closure on the flap to hold it together, and I sewed in the lining by hand. I used the crochet stitches as a guide to evenly space the hand sew stitches.

Yarn: 1 skein Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Taupe

This yarn is very easy to work with and sturdy enough for a purse. I used almost exactly one skein--no leftovers!

I think it turned out very cute!

Half-Shell Blanket


I finished this blanket last August 2007 while I was on a blogging hiatus. I love this pattern so much--it is so easy and creates a beautiful texture. I also love the border, which you create by crocheting from left to right instead of right to left. It was awkward at first, but makes such a pretty frame for the blanket.

Pattern: Easy Patterned Throw by Vera Hannaford (from the website Crochet Me)

Yarn Used: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid, 10 skeins in Natural Heather

Bonus Picture!

Here is a picture of Sadie running in the fields around my Dad's house. We went to Arkansas to visit some family there a couple of weekends ago. I think this city dog looks so cute against this back drop of yellow flowers, running wild and free!

Short and Sweet

I finished this cute bolero at the end of April, and it is the first garment I have crocheted! (Other than a scarf.) I got the pattern from the aptly-named Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller. The pattern seems very confusing at first, but once you get the stitch pattern memorized, it is quite easy. I was very satisfied with the results! It fits very well, and the yarn I chose is great. The only problem with the pattern is that you have to weave at least 20 ends in!! I would still highly recommend the pattern, however. It is pretty easy to adapt--I added an additional pattern repeat on the back, left front, and right front so the bolero wouldn't be tight under the arms. I also added some length to bottom of the entire thing because I didn't want it too short.

If you decide to make this, check out the pattern designer's website here for some further instructions. This bolero really gave me some confidence to try to make more garments!


Yarn Used: King Tut cotton yarn in Color #431, 4 skeins

From Shabby Sheep

Source of Inspiration

I know it has been a long time since I did anything with this blog (10 months)! To be honest, I just haven't felt inspired to write anything. I've been crocheting, knitting, cooking, and reading still, but I didn't have the energy and wherewithal to write something witty, upload pictures about it, etc.

But I have recently been inspired by Ravelry!
This is such an amazing site! It is still in beta/testing phase, so you can't automatically sign up as a user. You put in your email address to request membership, and then they let you know when you have been added. (I was added less than 2 weeks after my request.)

The site is for all things knit and crochet. You have your own homepage (here is mine) where you can show all of the projects you are currently working on or have completed. You can link the pattern you used, the yarn, and hook size, so others know how to make it too. In your queue, you can keep track of the projects you want to make, but haven't started yet, including the materials you need. You can even print out a shopping list for your queue too! You can also keep track of all of the yarn in your stash. I started adding my yarns to this, but it will take me forever to add all of them! I love the library feature, where you can see all of the crochet/knit books, magazines, and patterns that you own. In addition to your own homepage, you can have friends and groups similar to Myspace or other networking sites. You can search all of the patterns and yarns used by others in Ravelry too.

In short, Ravelry is the coolest website out there for crochet/knit nerds like me! I squealed with delight when I first got my login and started playing with the features. I'm hoping the excitement I feel will keep inspiring me to write here!

Back from my blogging break




Four months since my last post! It's been a crazy spring, and I was so busy at work that I didn't feel like writing very much. I've been saving lots of pictures to share though!

Here is a baby blanket I made for my friend Callie who had her baby back in May. I didn't want to make her something that was totally pink. Not only was she having a baby girl, but her favorite color is pink! So I incorporated all of the baby colors into this blanket--stripes of yellow, seafoam green, and blue with pink accents. I made the two pink flowers and attached them to the bottom right corner just to jazz it up a little bit. I think the flowers soften the stripes too. I finished it just in time, the night before the baby shower at work. I think Callie really liked the blanket, and I hope she enjoys it!

I'm at that age where it seems like everyone I know is having a baby, so there will be more baby items in the future!

Popcorn in the Bathroom

Well, not actual popcorn. Popcorn stitches! Here is the bathmat I recently finished from a pattern in First Crochet by Lesley Stanfield. This is a great book with lots of easy-to-understand and very cute patterns. The pictures in the book are great, and the directions are very clear.

The popcorn stitches form that raised star pattern on the mat. I used a white cotton yarn, which created a soft cushy feel--perfect for toes getting out of the shower! This was my first time to do popcorn stitches, and they were quite fun to make.


Now there is only problem--I don't want to use it as a bathmat and get it dirty! The white yarn is so pristine! The thought of water or hair or dirt getting on it makes me shudder! So, for now, it's hanging out on my sewing cabinet.

More baking adventures coming soon!

Christmas Gift-Giving with Granny









For Christmas this year, my Granny gave me this beautiful needlepoint of irises in varying shades of blue and white. My Granny is one the two major creative and crafty influences in my life (the other is my Mom). She taught me how to crochet, paint, scrapbook, hot glue, sew--basically anything and everything she knew how to do. Except knitting--I actually showed her how to knit on Christmas!! It was definite role reversal.

The needlepoint work measures about 15" X 15", and she had it framed for me. This is a pretty large size for needlepointing, so I know it took her quite a while. That detail is just amazing!


Here is my Granny wearing the red shawl that I made this past summer. It was a perfect Christmas gift for her!

More Handmade Gifts and Holiday Goodies

I realize that the holidays are but a distant memory now, but I still have more gifts and pictures to share. This is a scarf that I made for my cousin, who is living in Paris right now. She is there for six months teaching English, and as far as I know, this is the first time she hasn't been home for Christmas. I sent her a box of goodies, including the scarf. I thought the yarn was such an interesting combination of colors: gray, pink, orange, yellow, and blue.

This is a purse that I made for my sister-in-law. I used a linen fabric that I bought at Ikea for the outside, and cute frog fabric that I got on Superbuzzy. It is a linen/cotton mix of a similar color, with green frogs and brown numbers printed all over it.



















Can you see the little frogs?













Finally, here is another grocery bag dispenser that I made for my mother-in-law. (The free pattern is here, written by the Crochet Dude.) It ended up being quite a bit fatter than the other one I made--I think I added lots of extra stitches when I wasn't paying enough attention! I think this is a good thing though, because she will have more room for grocery bags.



















Right after Christmas, I made the Bisquick Applesauce Muffins recipe shared by Alicia from Posie Gets Cozy. I have to say, they were absolutely delicious! You dip the tops of the muffins in butter and cinnamon sugar once they get out of the oven--mmmm! Mike and I kept dipping them as we ate them too!


















I'll leave you with a picture of the Christmas tree at my mom's house--it was just beautiful!!

Happy New Year!

This year has started with me being very busy, but also with me having hope and looking forward to the changes that the year will bring. At work, I am currently swamped with new projects and changes to old ones, but they are all for the better. I think 2007 is promising so far!

I have been holding back on posting--I have been busy as a bee with crafting projects, but I had to wait until I gave them all away to show them to you! I'll start with my fleece blankets. I got the idea for these from Crochet Today, which is my new favorite magazine. I highly recommend it--the issues so far have been stocked with good ideas. In the October/November 2006 issue, the magazine was full of gift ideas, but I especially liked the Ruffled Fleece Blanket. It is shown as a baby blanket, but can be made any size.

I made these 3 blankets for some of the babies in my life--Riley, Logan, and Grant. To make these blankets, you do a blanket stitch by hand around the perimeter first. This gives you a place to crochet into. The Crochet Today magazine had a nice pattern for the crochet part, but I just did 1 row of single crochet and 2 rows of double crochet. I cut the fleece to 36" by 45" for the baby blankets, so they ended up a little larger with the edging. The yarn that I used around the blue and green blankets has the cutest name--Baby Bubbles! I couldn't get over that!

I also made 3 more blankets for adults. This is a great project because you can drastically change the look by changing the fleece and yarn, and still use the same method. I made these slightly larger, about 40" by 50" for a small lap blanket size. The two red ones were for some of my family member in wheel chairs, so they needed blankets that were a little smaller than a standard 50" by 50" lap blanket, so that it wouldn't get caught up in the chair.

The last one is one that I made for my dad and stepmom. They live out in the country in a log cabin, which is decorated in maroons and forest greens. I made them this maroon fleece blanket with a brown edging. It's difficult to see in this picture, but that yarn actually has maroons and greens mixed in with the brown.

Crochet Cozies




Inspired by Simple Sparrow, I made these two cozies in less than an hour. I used single crochet to make them nice and sturdy, and used a row of (double crochet, chain 2) to make space for the ribbon. Both ribbons are from Superbuzzy, one with apples, and one with hedgehogs and acorns. (They are out of these two trims now, but they have lots of other cute ones). The ribbons are fairly thick, made out of a linen/cotton blend, I think. The yarns are both from Shabby Sheep in Uptown Dallas--the black one is Rowan Cotton Rope, and the green is Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran. I am currently using the apple one for my digital camera, and the green for my cell phone.

Speaking of Kathmandu Aran, I finally learned how to knit this past weekend! (I used the Aran yarn in a cranberry color to make the scarf for my class.) I will have a post and pictures soon. I will not, however, have my knitted scarf done soon--I am not quite as fast with the knitting as I am with crochet, which I have over 10 years of practice!!

Give and Take









Sometimes you are the giver and sometimes you are the receiver! Here is another baby hat (follow links to free pattern) that I made for our friends' baby Grant. His dad Craig is a baseball fanatic, so I thought he would appreciate this baseball motif.

We visited them in Pennsylvania the weekend before last during the peak time for fall foliage. It was absolutely gorgeous! I have some wonderful pictures to share, and I will try to post some this weekend.

Below is a picture of the beautiful coasters that my friend Christy sent me for my birthday. They are made out of an unfinished stone, and she handpainted them herself. Just in time too, because the cheap coasters I had from Wal-mart just weren't cutting it anymore. I love how the card she made me matches the coasters too! Thanks so much Christy!

















I will post some pictures of my Halloween costume tomorrow--stay tuned!

Green Scalloped Scarf

Here I am modeling my newest scarf. I used the pattern from Stitch'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, by Debbie Stoller, and I used brushed baby alpaca yarn that I bought from the Shabby Sheep. I modified the pattern slightly, and took out one of the rows of double crochet in the middle. This made the scarf just a little bit skinnier.













Here is a close-up of the scallop detail:











I highly recommend this book, by the way. If someone only wanted to buy one crochet book, this is probably the one I would tell them to get. The first half of this book is a great how-to section with tons of pictures and diagrams on crochet techniques. Now, I generally think you need some in-person instruction to learn crochet, but you could almost learn how to with this book alone! And of course, there are some wonderful patterns. I think about 40 or so. I have also started making a clutch purse from this book--I just need to sew up the sides and put in the lining. Here is an example of what the clutch looks like. This is an adorable pink version from Craftlog.

Trip to the Shabby Sheep

While visiting the Urban Bazaar a couple weekends ago, my mom, Aunt Debbie, and I decided to stop by the Shabby Sheep. This is a great yarn store in Uptown Dallas that also offers knitting classes and activities. Now the three of us are actually crocheters, but we can definitely appreciate yarn! Whenever I have some more time, I will take the beginner class at the Shabby Sheep and learn how to knit finally.



The Shabby Sheep has every kind of yarn you can think of: cashmere, wool, angora, alpaca, cotton, ribbon, chenille, blends--it's enough to hypnotize me for hours!! The shop also has lots of sample projects for you to see, including the pink scarf above. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but those are tiny little pink beads. My mom in particular loved this scarf, and has commanded that I make her one. Okay, Mom, as soon as I make you the scotty dog.....I'll start on this scarf.














My favorite display item was this hedgehog! It has to be one of the cutest stuffed toys I've ever seen. The Shabby Sheep is going to have a class on how to make it, but in knitting!! Curses! This hedgehog will be my motivation to learn as soon as possible.

We also liked this pumpkin baby hat. Here is a free pattern for a crochet version from Bev's Country Cottage. Enjoy!







PS I will have pictures of me and Mike's Halloween costumes up soon!

Cute and Easy-to-Make Baby Hats

It seems that I am at the age where everyone I know is having babies! Of course, I like to help new parents out by sending them stuff from their baby registry, but I can't just stop at shopping. I have to give them something handmade too! Hence, these very cute little baby hats! I used a modification of this pattern on the Bev's Country Cottage website. Instead of using single crochet, I used double crochet in both the front and back loops. This website also has a head size chart, where you can adjust the circumference of your hat from preemie size on up to adult size. The basic rule is to make the circumfence 1 to 1 1/2 inches smaller than the person's/child's head.


For the pink hat, I added a row of single crochet in seafoam green yarn for edging, and a flower in the same color. I used the free pattern at this blog, which also includes another type of flower and a butterfly applique. I made this pink hat for a coworker of mine that had a baby over the summer--I made the blue hat below for the son of my cousins-in-law, and the yellow hat for our friends' baby.











There are hundreds of free crochet, knit, and sewing patterns for baby items out there on the internet, and these items are wonderful for giving to charities. Here is a link of charities in the US where you can donate handmade items to. Most of the major hospitals also take newborn and preemie hats for their neonatal units.

Bonus Picture!

Here is my dog Sadie looking oh so cute! She is carrying a soft bone toy that I made for her out of fleece. Enjoy!

Bright Crochet Washcloths

Here are a couple of crochet washcloths that I've made recently. Washcloths are a nice project because you can try out a new pattern or technique, and finish a project quickly. This first one is from the Spring Shells washcloth pattern from the online magazine Crochet Me. This link also shows you how to crochet a matching bath fizzy bag, but I haven't tried that out yet. Sorry for the dark pictures, but these were taken before I learned my new tricks from the product photography class at Make!














This washcloth is the Bumped Shells Dishcloth pattern from the JP Fun Crochet Club website.

Both of these patterns were easy to follow and taught me something new!
I hope you all are enjoying the Labor Day weekend! Happy crafting!