Another Swap

I just finished my next swap project....this Pinwheel Coaster. The original pattern is for a basic, single layer piece but I am not really happy unless I take something basic and embellish it. Using size 10 crochet cotton and a size 7 steel hook, I made a sc circle for a back, sandwiched a CD between, sc'd it all together and added a beaded edging. I hope my partner approves. :)

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One More.... :)

I decided to show you the other piece I made for my partner. This is called the Starburst Hotpad. For a first attempt, it came out pretty well. Its a neat proceedure. You can find the pattern HERE, and you can find a video that explains how to create the starburst HERE. I didnt find the video till AFTER I was finished but I did figure it out on my own eventually.

I liked this one so much, I made another one for myself....

So now that I have the technique down, I can make more pretty easily and I dont need the pattern now. Give it a try.

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More Kitch

Working on a potholder swap that I have to send out by the 8th. So being the efficient person that I am, I decided to make my potholder ahead of time by starting it before I got paired up and surprise my partner by mailing it off right away. Thats the first one.....from the Spring Hotpads/Potholders pattern from Annie's POTD. You may have that one saved if you follow the free patterns. I got a nice e-mail from my partner saying she doesnt care about the color....except she doesnt like pink. OH NO! :) So I dove into potholder patterns and I found the Clownfish (you can find the pattern HERE). A really easy pattern EXCEPT for weaving in the ends. If you hate that, you might want to make the fish in a single color. :)

I will probably make another potholder for my partner, NOT in pink :)....and send her 2, since I still have some time. The flower potholder I will hang onto for another swap.

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Mystery Shawl

Yeah....I said I was going to work on the bag. Well, one of the ladies on Ravelry wanted to have a Mystery Laceweight Shawl CAL, so having never made a laceweight shawl before, I couldnt resist. If you have a hankering to CAL, go over to Tracey's blog....the directions are there. You can see here how mine is so far. I am using Patons Lacette and a size "I" hook. The lacette was a bargain....found it at JoAnn's reduced from $6.49 a skein to $2.97. I bought 8 skeins, and should only need 3 for the shawl. I will post more photos as the shawl progresses. I think its a gorgeous pattern and I have never done anything this elaborate before.
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The Crochet Liberation Front Patch

This is my latest project. I volunteered to test the pattern for this patch for Share....she designed it for inclusion in the new Crochet Liberation Front crochet pattern book, which will be offered for sale later this year. I am hoping her pattern makes the cut. I really liked it and that was the main reason I volunteered to test the pattern for her. If you are on Ravelry, you can join the Crochet Liberation Front Forum or if you dont belong to Ravelry, you can check out the CLF blog.

This was really my first foray into anything remotely resembling Tapestry Crochet. Its not tapestry, as the back and the front arent identical. but keeping track of the different colors and picking them up and letting them down correctly took time to master....and using thread and tiny hooks made it even more challenging. After a few messed up tries, I finally got the hang of it. Oh, and the patch isnt narrower at the bottom...thats my lousy camera work. Its an even rectangle :)

Now I just have to figure out where I want to put the patch. I am going to use Heat Bond to adhere it to whatever I finally decide to put it on. A jacket, maybe? Or a project bag? Where ever I put it, though, its going to look cool! Many thanks to Share for giving me the pattern and the opportunity to make this great patch!

On to other things now....

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Chemo Caps

I finished making 3 Chemo Caps for one of the ladies at K&C...the daughter of a friend has cancer. I have made this cap before in different colors for one of my friends and I really like the style. And I like the added embellishment of the buttons, front and back. I actually like the pattern SO much that I made myself one. You can find the pattern HERE. Its easy, its pretty quick and you can adjust the size very easily. I know there are an infinite number of patterns for caps out there, but this one is my favorite :)

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Secret Santa Swap

I had SO much fun with the Secret Santa Swap on CFL. My partner and I decided to wait till Christmas morning to open our exhanges, so here is what I got.

A wonderful Christmas book and bookmark, (cant wait to read it) some lovely yarn, (have to think of something really special to make with it) a little notebook, a star shaped Christmas photo frame, (maybe I can get someone to take a pic of Ron and I to put in it) some toggle clasps for my jewelry making and a little blown glass ornament. Thank you SO much to my partner Monet....I LOVE everything! I hope you like your gifts too.

Hope everybody had a great Christmas. Enjoy your continued holiday season!

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Fall Exchange

Today I got my package from my exchange partner and here you can see what I got. A lovely fall shawl. Aren't the colors just gorgeous? I absolutely LOVE it! And I dont have a shawl so it will certainly come in handy on chilly nights. And I got a hazelnut coffee scented candle....mmmm...smells wonderful :) And a skein of Bernat yarn....its soft and fuzzy and I will have to make something special with it. Thank you SO much, partner! As usual, I had a LOT of fun with the exchange.

I saw this quote in my e-mail from Stephanie Pearl-Mc Phee a/k/a 'The Yarn Harlot'.

" I am not wasting time knitting or wasting money buying yarn. I am creating useful and beautiful objects that will outlast me and my days. I am creating a legacy to outlive me."

This is how I feel about crocheting. I bet YOU feel the same :)

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The "Make Me A....." Swap

I got my package today from my exchange partner...and I am THRILLED! As you can see from the photo, she made me TWO felted bags! They are just adorable...and they have matching cell phone covers. The blue will go GREAT with jeans and the cream one will be perfect for more dressy occasions. She also sent me a lamb tape measure, a lighted crochet hook, pumpkin candles, a row counter and some candy...thats gone already, LOL! And she even sent me a booklet with felted bag patterns....thats something I dont have. I cant wait to try one!

I am looking forward to my next exchange.....its so much fun!

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Doily #2

Made this last night. You can find the pattern here. Again, its made from the same yarn and its a good size..probably about 24" across. Its smaller than the first one so my partner has a choice as to what size she wants to use. I pressed them both....they dont really need major blocking. Now I have to decide what goodies I will include with the doilies. I always make a pair of earrings and I put a couple skeins of matching yarn in, too. I'll have to think of a few more things. Then its just a matter of packing it all up to ship. I am WAY ahead of schedule...we have till the 29th of the month to ship. So thats a good thing :)

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Is This a Doily?

Technically, yes. I am doing another swap on K&C and my partner wanted a doily but NOT made from thread. I thought about regular cotton worsted but I figured it would be TOO lumpy and not lay properly. So I was searching through A.C. Moore and I found this light worsted, TLC cotton blend...half cotton, half acrylic. It looked like it would be a nice thickness, would lay nice and be easy to care for. I also found a booket with new doilies in it and since my partner said either oval or rectangular, I figured this pattern was like a cross between the 2. It measures 38"x28" and should look nice on a dining room table or a sideboard and unlike a thread doily, it only needs a slight pressing to block it...I just blocked it for the photo by smoothing it out with my hands. I started it yesterday and finished it a short time ago. Its a LOT easier doing a doily in yarn than thread but I am sure this pattern would look really sharp in thread, too. The pattern booklet is called "A Year of Doilies" from Leisure Arts (what would I DO without them?) and this is their "May" doily. I hope my partner likes it. If I have the time, I will make her another doily in another pattern.

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The Straight Skinny

Trying to keep up with all the online projects....its not easy! And I bet Mini figured I was ignoring the Crochet-Along. I wasnt. :) Here is my skinny scarf. I made it last night while watching the Phillies lose...WAHHH! But enough of that.....thats for my OTHER blog :)

I LOVE the Caron Simply Soft yarn....works up SO nice. And I really liked this pattern too. I made this for my D, as well, but, again, I think I might make one for myself in a differnt color. This color will match the bag I am making for her. You can find the pattern for the scarf here. Just scroll about 3/4 of the way down the screen. I should warn you, though....there are a couple mistakes in the pattern. I think you will probably figure them out :)

Edited 12/08- This pattern was moved and I have updated the link. However I dont know if the mistakes were fixed.

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A Lazy Summer Day...

...and the second half of the August Challenge. I made this cute little summer cap. Great for the beach or for just sunning. I used a denim colored worsted weight cotton yarn and a size G hook. Find the pattern here. I am going to give it to my D....she is under the weather with a summer virus. These caps are very fashionable right now....I may even make myself one :)

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August Challenge Part Uno

First off, I have to say its nice to be back....I wasnt able to add anything for awhile because I had a system meltdown. But things are pretty much back to normal.

Second, here is my contribution to the first part of the CFL August Challenge. I was first going to do a book cover but after doing about a dozen rows of that, I realized it was going to be TOO thick and if I did it in thread, it would take me an eternity! So as I was sitting in my chair working on a cryptogram (I love cryptograms!) and staring at my pencil, it came to me.

This pencil cover was made with a double strand of #10 cotton and a #9 steel hook. Six sc stitches worked in rounds till it was long enough and a sl st at the end. I cut the end about a yard long, and, using a tapestry needle, looped it through the last stitch several times so I had 3 loops, then I cut the excess off and cut the loops apart at the bottom. I braided the ends, knotted it and then pulled apart the strands of thread to create a tassle. You could dress it up with a charm or beads instead. Took me about a half an hour and I like the feel of it as I work on my cryptograms :)

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Daisy Charity Square 2

Well, I tried the square again with the next larger hook and would you believe it STILL was 7 1/2 inches when I was done? I was getting exasperated, but I went up ONE more hook size and gave it another try. When I was done, it was 8 1/2 inches! Well, the only thing I could do was take off the last round and do it over with a smaller hook, but it still came out to 8 1/4 inches. I am sending it that way...I hope its ok.


If you are interested in getting the pattern, you can ask for it by e-mail and it will be sent to you, provided you agree to make at least ONE square and send it in for charity. You can get info about the square HERE.

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Update - 4/2/10 - You can no longer get the pattern by request. You now have to join the designer's Yahoo group and then you can access the pattern. A bit inconvenient but it is a nice pattern to have.

Daisy Charity Square

I got the pattern for this about a month ago....and promptly forgot about it. I got an e-mail reminder the other day that I hadnt made my obligitory square in exchange for the pattern...OOPS! So I sat down this evening and I worked on it. Took me THREE hours to make this square....no WONDER she wants people to make them and send them to her :) The thing that frustrated me, along with how confusing the pattern was, was there was NO gauge given. So I made up the square and it came out to 7 1/2 " instead of the required 8. I was NOT a happy camper. So I traded up a hook size and am trying one more time. If its not 8", I am going to send it along anyway. I have to admit its an ingenious design and now that I know how to do it, I will remember in case I ever decided to use it again.





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July Challenge - Part One

I have finished half of my July Challenge for CFL. Something you find in or at the ocean. Well, here is my little Damsel Fish. Looks a bit like one I had when I had a salt water aquarium years ago. I made him up as I went along and I think I am going to use him as part of a mobile of oceanlife and give it to Sydney, since everyone calls her room the "Jimmy Buffett" nursery....the walls are painted in murals of the beach and ocean...its pretty cool.

Second part of the challenge will be up soon. Crochet Away!

Bag Swap

I am involved in another swap on K&C....its a bag

swap. Any kind of bag so I made this one. Its a BIG one (18" in diameter) but I really like bigger bags....I carry a LOT of stuff :) Despite its size, I think it came out great! My D saw it and SHE wants one..he,he.. The only part that I had a pattern for was the front section....which I believe was supposed to be done in a much thinner yarn but I wanted something larger and this is how it came out. The back is just a large DC circle. You can find the pattern for the front HERE . But be warned....its only for the front and some of the directions may seem a bit off. But if "I" can figure it out, anyone can :)

As you can see, I lined the inside with a different fabric and I think its very pretty. I had to hand sew the entire lining since I no longer own a sewing machine...that took a whole evening since I had to sew the front and back lining together first, THEN sew it in to the bag and THEN sew in the back lining. I sure hope my partner likes it. If she doesnt use it for a purse, its large enough to carry around a crochet WIP :)

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Challenge #2

Here is my second completed challenge (a summer piece made of yarn). Its a tea cozy for my Sun Tea jar. Keeps the contents cooler, makes it easier to hold onto and soaks up the condensation. Made of worsted weight cotton, I made it up as I went along. I'll go back later and write down the instructions and post them.

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I Accepted the Challenge...

....and here is the result. CFL is having a Crochet Challenge and I took up the gauntlet, so to speak. I did a thread project (which must hold something). I have been wanting to make a soap cover for my bathroom so this was the perfect opportunity. The pattern called for Luster Sheen but I only had a skein of green, which wouldnt go in my bathroom, so I used 2 strands of lavender, #10 crochet cotton held together and it worked just fine. I plan to make a couple more to give to friends as gifts....they arent hard to make at all. Find the pattern HERE.

Crochet away!