Boho For Kaely

Got some stitchin' going this last week.

Crochet, that is.

The moment I saw Pricilla's Crochet's pattern for a summer tote featured on Tangled Happy

I knew it would be perfect for my boho middle-child.

The original pattern uses a cone of Aunt Lydia's cotton, but that's not available here, so I subbed in 

 4 balls of Lily's Sugar & Cream cotton.

 Kaely chose a sweet blue polka dot fabric for the optional lining.

 

The polka dots were so cute I added an extra tab of it in the middle of the strap.

 

This is a great pattern for around the pool, campfire, tv, what-have-you as it's very easy to follow and uses double crochets. 

 

 

Linking to:  Craft-O-Maniac Monday  * Sugar Bee Crafts' Take-A-Look Tuesday

More Cool Crochet Stuff

I love to chain, but not so hip on having to do that first row on crochet stitches into the chain.

Sooooo...why not skip the chain! 

 

 I've GOT to try this!
You can use this method for double crochet too--just look on the video list for the tutorial.

Love anigurumi, love stripes, don't like the way stripes look with a continuous round?
Try this jogless method from NeedleNoodles


I picked up the links for these totally cool tips at Annaboo's House, a really great blog that features lots of great crochet, including an anigurumi monkey/cat/doll Crochet-Along !

 

BEST Crochet Decrease EVER!

I'm crocheting away!

I'm making some little amigurumi ornaments that I spotted on All About Ami.

Teddy Ornaments Pattern & image from All About Ami

She crochets the most gorgeous items (mostly baby items for their sweet little daughter lately) and shares all of her patterns for free!

 

She also has tips...like the most fabulous INVISIBLE crochet decrease you've ever seen.

You use the front loops to decrease--check it out HERE.

 

The only problem I've had with it is if you screw up your count and have to go back, it's almost impossible to tell where the decrease is because it is, well, invisible :)

 

Kermit the Frog Here...

Nahhh...not really.

 It's just me, but Kermit the Frog's Daily News Report popped into my head as I was starting this post, so I went with it.

 

I'm doing the crochet thing right now.

We actually had snow yesterday and something about winter guides me toward my yarn and hooks.

 Addie helped me lay out my squares for my Kaffe Fusion Blanket

 No matches in any rows or columns.

(Not as easy to do as one would think)

 

And I started this cowl to keep my oldest chickadee warm in Idaho

 

The pattern is by Fairytale Knits.
It's basically just a granny stripe, so it goes super quick.

 

Until you run out of yarn...

I hate joining in a new skein!

 Reading the Lion Brand blog, I found a new way to join yarn that's super cool!

It's called a Russian Join and it is the bomb!
You end up weaving the yarns together...

 It worked!  And it very strong and with no knots.

I like it!

 

Kermit would like it too, I can just tell.

 

 

 

November Witch in Pink

I'm done!

From Kaffe Fusion Crochet-Along

With the squares, anyway.

25 crochet bordered PINK squares!!!!

Now I've gotta arrange them, put them together and crochet a border.

Celebrate the small victories!

 

Like "stuffed" pumpkin, but don't want to sew and stuff?

 

Check out my tutorial here.

Now's the time to pick up faux pumpkins on MEGA SALE!!

 

I just purchased three more at 80% off at Michael's yesterday.

I think I'll go with some tweedy material for them.

 

Another prized purchase yesterday...

 

The Complete Decorated Journal by Gwen Diehn.

Very excited about learning some more techniques.

Art Journaling has been so fulfilling for me lately.

 

Fulfilling and relaxing.  All good.

Linking to: Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts

 

Mom Time Resumes

School is back in session.

Love my children.

Love spending summers camping, getting frozen yogurt, running around and spending lots of fun time together,

but don't mind some free time either.

Finishing up my Kaffe Fusion Blanket.

Bernat has some Flamingo Pink yarn for Breast Cancer Awareness that matches my the pink in my fabrics perfectly.

 

And I'm trying my first altered shoe challenge at Frosted Petunias.

 

Witches Shoe!--excited to try it!

And because there's two and I only need one..I will be sharing my studio time with Addie too
(Not until after 3pm, though :)

 

 

 

Do I Have Time?

Doesn't this Crochet-Along look fun?

by

Little Miss Shabby, Cindy at Live a Colorful Life and Deb at Simply Miss Luella

You end up with something like this original creation, Kaffe Fusion, by Sew Daisies!

Image & Pattern via Sew Daisies

Check out the progress so far at their flickr group.

Me too, me too!
It's a FUSION of fabric charms and crochet.
Ooooh, that looks like fun.
And I do have charms and crochet yarn, hooks, sewing supplies, thread...
Do I have the time?

Who cares!  Looks fun!
Right now they're on week three, but I think if it's still early enough I can catch up.
Maybe we'll see you there :)

Round and Round

 I've never considered myself or my house to be coaster-worthy until this summer.

I started noticing sweaty little glasses of Pioneer Womans (WONDERFUL) iced coffee leaving little rings on my fake cherry coffee & end tables.

I got to work on some cute little coaster and now I can't stop.

This cute little Spiral Coaster pattern is free from Made in K-Town.

I used Lily Sugar n' Cream Cotton and an F hook.

I used all the colors I had and even made a trivet by adding  on a two rounds ( Round 5:1 dc in next 3 stitches, then 2 dc and repeat to end.  Round 6: 1 dc in each of next 4 stitches, then 2 dc in next and repeat to end. Round 7: Work lacey edge as in original pattern ).

At first the coaster will seem a bit floppy, but the added white stitches on top stiffen it up perfectly.  I loved being able to do stripes without having to change my yarn every other row! 

More to come...I just bought some orange, lt. blue and fuschia!

Basket Weaving 101...Crochet Style

TOTALLY want to try this...

Head over to Craft Passion for the free how-tos.

We're talking rope and cotton. 

Cool.

Crochet Pillow Short Cut

I crocheted 16 Circle Granny blocks.

It's Wonderful free pattern by Wise Craft, but I was done crocheting grannies.

 I also started a Wool Eater Blanket.

It too is a wonderful free pattern by Sarah London, but my arthritic hands just couldn't handle anymore.

So there sat 14" squares of finished crochet that were NOT going to be added to.

Pillows would require more crochet for a back or I'd have to put them together and that would look stupid.

Why not use FABRIC!!!!?????

AND I DID :)

::I stitched up two envelope style backs::

::Pinned the crochet and fabric right-sides together::

::Sewed a WIDE zig-zag around the edge to hold everything in place::

::Went back on used a straight stitch to secure the two sides::

 Now I have two wonderful 14" pillow covers covering pillows.

They look so much better on the couch than in the UFO pile in my sewing room!

I Dare You To Stop At One...

Sorry about the photos...had to use the phone camera

A little "yourself with crochet cotton" on Freubelweb caught my eye

It is impossible to stop at just one.

The pattern for these sweet little Austin Owls is free from CRAFTYisCOOL

I didn't use fabric on the tummies, though.

To Spring-ify my home I added them to some branches I found outside, along with some silk posies and leaves.

Blaze likes them!

Linking To:

Linky32 Will Craft For...

Spare Parts

I didn't take very good care of myself when I was sick.

Bad Mommy.

Back to sitting on the couch with my tea while listening to NPR and crocheting while my faithful puppy naps and dreams about taking a nice long walk.

 

I decided to attack this thrifted stash of baby pink cotton Patons.

No babies that need blankets in the near future.  What to make...hmmmm...

Found a pattern on Ravelry! 

 As soon as I get some stuffing (can you believe I'm out?!) I'll show you my little cyborg anigurimi.  "Cyborg" will make sense when he is revealed.

I'm going to need some serious yarn stash replenishing if I don't get well soon!



Crochet Happy

Yesterday was beautifully sunny.

Today the weather is back to its usual self...cloudy and grey.

Using my leftover stripey yarn, inspiration from Zoom Yummy,

and patterns from Molly Makes,

I created some early spring, completely unreal, whimsical flowers.

Happy me.

If you don't have Molly Makes you can find free crochet flower patterns all over the blogosphere. 

Crochet Central has an entire page full of free flower links.

Linking this project to:

Polish The Stars Linky Party #56
Craft-O-Maniac Monday
Take A Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts
Will Craft for Fabric  #33 at Tales of a Trophy Wife
Whatever Goes Wednesday #106
Wednesday Wowzers #10 at Oopsey Daisy
Anne Marie's Link Your Stuff

Crochet While Sick

While coughing and using up kleenex

I sat on the couch with my little basket of left-over yarn.

No comments on organization!  At least they're in a basket :

I drank tea, ate Girabaldi bisquits from Indonesia, listened to NPR and crocheted.

A Bird Cage Cowl!

Not really (I'm such a kidder).  It's a Mobius Cowl for me!

The free pattern is by Kathy Kelley at Crochet Bird.

Chi-Town Crochet Cowl

It's easy to work and fast!  I gave the cowl a twist before joining the ends (as per Kathy's suggestion) to create a mobius.

I used 3/4 skein of  Red Heart Soft in off-white and a size J hook to make mine.

Funky Little Tea Pot Cozy

Yep. I was sick and I was bored and that's all I have to say about that.

I also worked on Alyssa's stripe blanket!

I bought some new yarn for this blanket.

Joann's had Caron Soft on sale for only $3 a skein last week, so I stocked up on it.

I found the pattern on the back of my Hobby Lobby "I Love This Yarn" wrapper.

It's kind of a scallopy wave that I decided to do in stripes rather than one boring color.

I'm using 6 different colors for this blanket and biscuits and jam's  random strip generator.

I'll share that pattern when I've finished.