Heroes Hat

This is the hat I made for my friend Em. She's a big fan of the TV show Heroes. The symbol isn't exact, but she was happy with it. If she's happy, I'm happy. Will be making another in the near future for one of her friends.

Crocheting in the New Year

2010 has been here for 8 days now. What have I been doing with myself since then? Well, I've been working on some story time props. Using Lionbrand Bear and Beehive potholder patterns to make puppets for Winnie-the-Pooh story time. Will be retelling the story of Pooh and the bees. Also made myself a Pooh scarf. Pooh and friends are always wearing scarves. Mine is 16 stitches wide and down to my calves. I used Red Heart's Country Blue, Light Raspberry, Orchid, and Frosty Green. Each one of the stripes is 9 rows long.

I received some yarn for Christmas. Will use it for my sister's 2010 afghan. My brother was eying 2009's afghan so I think it's time to make him one as well. I have several leftover Christmas projects to work on. These are for friends in far flung places. Hope to have them done soon.

It's time again to work on putting my Christmas list together. Always a fun task. Mom will get her usual chicken. I think I'm going to do a whimsical one this year with fun colors. She also wants a hat with ear flaps. I'll see what I can do. I've decided to make my niece a new ornament every year. That way by the time she's 18, she'll have enough to fill a small tree. It's going to be fun deciding what to make each year.

As you can see, I have plenty to keep me busy crochet-wise. Happy Crocheting in 2010 to all my fellow crocheters.

Christmas Projects Done!

Here are the Christmas projects I rushed to finish. First is snowman ornaments for my brother and his girlfriend and my friend V. Next is Ms. F's annual snowman (See the pattern here). Third is hippo ornaments for my sister and her husband and my cousin and his wife. Many thanks to KristieMN for her pattern. I only used the head for the ornaments. Next is a Bella hat for my cousin. Thanks go to April Draven for working out the pattern. I edged it with single crochet instead of slip stitches. Also, it turned out a bit pointy on top. Could have been the yarn or the hook. Might try another one in the future. Last is the cat for my cousin.

Now that Christmas is over, I don't quite know what to do with myself. :)

My Blue Tree

17 Days Until Christmas...

That's right. There are only 17 days until Christmas. Am I done with all my gifts? Of course not. I have put quite a dent in my list. A lot of the items just need finishing (i.e., ends ran in). I'm not in the mood for that at the moment, so I'm just carrying on. My out-of-state friends will be waiting for their gifts. Sadly, I've had to relegate them to the bottom of the heap. Family comes first. I'm working on a cat for my cousin and fingerless gloves for my grandma. I've finished making dishcloths at work. I'm now working on a project that's wholly unrelated to Christmas--squares for a baby afghan. Granny squares are simple, uncomplicated crochet. I guess that's why they appeal at this point. I'm trying to reduce the stress in my life. Hence, the granny squares. Over the weekend, I finished my tree skirt and angel. Hope to have the tree up on Thursday. I'll be posting pictures.

Abby's 1st Christmas Stocking

Mom's Annual Chicken

Bridget's Christmas Workshop

My living room has turned into a Christmas Workshop. I have yarn in various colors scattered here and there along with patterns. Finished (or almost) projects clutter the couch. It's a lovely holiday mess. I've made quite a few stocking ornaments over the past week or so. They just need their ends ran in and crocheted together. I'm also working on some other ornaments that I can't mention here as the intended recipients are online. Nevertheless, I'm using someone's stuffed animal pattern and only making the head for the ornament. All will be revealed after Christmas.

At work, I continue to make dishcloths. I almost have 3 done. I have started a tree skirt. The pattern is from Crafting Traditions magazine. I'm using Red Heart's Country Blue, Windsor Blue, White, Royal, and Soft Navy. I'll then use the Country Blue to make an angel tree topper.

For my Thanksgiving story time next week, I'm making turkey butt magnets. Thanks to Catherine Lindsay for the use of her pattern. They just need the ends ran in and feet to be finished.

Christmas is Coming!

Well folks, I finally finished the blue afghan on October 30. Christmas projects are well under way. I've finished Mom's annual chicken. She picked the yarn this year and it was a pain to work with--Red Heart Fiesta. The shiny strand kept getting caught on my hook.

I'm making stocking ornaments in favorite colors for various cousins. They're always fun and simple to make (variation of a granny square). Some younger girl cousins are also getting gingerbread house ornaments (original pattern, have also been called birdhouses and cupcakes) and wreaths (a not so original, original pattern--really it's just a circle).

At work during lunch and my breaks, I'm working on cotton dishcloths for some ladies in the family. I have an aunt and a grandma who won't use anything else to wash their dishes. Luckily, I stocked up on cotton yarn when I still lived near a JoAnn's. Boy, did they have great sales.

I've finished my niece's first Christmas stocking. It turned out beautifully. The yarn worked up nicely. I used Hobby Lobby's I love this Yarn in Springtime Ombre.

For story time, I've designed some teddy bear magnets. They look very gummy bear like. The kids seemed to enjoy them.

I'm not sure if I'll have time to make ornaments for my blue themed tree. I was planning on making snowmen, snowflakes, and icicles. In the after Christmas sales, I purchased blue lights, clear bead garland, and blue ribbon. I may just use that this year. I may have time to make a tree skirt in shades of blue and an angel to top the tree. We'll see.

Pictures of all these projects will follow at some point. My home internet is kaput at the moment.

Projects--Christmas and Other

Wow! October 1st--where has the time gone? I finally finished my sister's afghan. 160 squares all sewn together and edged. Haven't taken a picture yet. Used Red Heart's Painted Desert, Magenta, and Windsor Blue.

I'm now hard at work on squares for afghans for a co-worker's granddaughter. She wants them solid colored so I'm using Red Heart's Spring Green for one and Delft Blue for the other.

In other crocheting news, I plan to design a squirrel fridgie. I found a pattern online, but didn't like how it worked up.

I've recently discovered Hobby Lobby's brand of yarn--"I love this yarn." It's a bit more expensive than Red Heart, but it has a softer texture and some really nice colors. I can't wait till there's a sale and I can stock up. I bought yarn to make a scarf for my cousin yesterday. Today, I'm get yarn for my niece's first Christmas stocking.

Afghan: Done!

Well, I've finally finished my sister's Christmas afghan. It was a long journey with that thing. I'm s glad it's done. Luckily, she hasn't picked the colors for 2010 yet. Now I'm working on squares for an afghan for a co-workers granddaughter. This is a paying gig.

I'm also still working on the elephant finger puppets and the peanut. They have to be done by Monday.

My next Christmas project will be my mom's annual chicken. This will be the 7th year I've made her one. She bought the yarn for this one. It's Red Heart Fiesta Black. She thinks it looks like a Dominecker (Dominique) chicken.

My next story time theme is squirrels. I'll be making some squirrel fridgies to go along with the rhymes I've found. I'm using Cylinda Matthews' pattern.

The Neverending Afghan

As you know, I'm trying to finish my sister's Christmas afghan before starting on other holiday projects. The afghan is almost done. I have most of the rows sewed together. I knew I had to make seven Magenta squares to finish the last two rows. So I made those and commenced sewing those rows together. To my surprise, when I came to the last row, I discovered that I was short two Windsor Blue squares. Alas, this afghan is never-ending!

Christmas Project Update

Well, it's 5 days before Christmas and I'm still crocheting.

I am almost finished with a plastic bag holder. I used a pattern from Crochet 'N More (http://www.crochetnmore.com/plasticbagkeeper.htm). I just need to make the ties and run in the ends.

I've finished the hat and scarf for my brother's fiancee. I'll give more details when I post pictures.

I still have several dishcloths to make.

Today I started a dish-washing liquid bottle dress. I'm using James G. Davis' pattern (http://pandacrochet.8m.com/simplyshells.html). It's red and white as my friend's kitchen is done in those colors.

After the holidays, I have several projects to make for friends. More about that later. I also have to make the ornaments for my new tree theme. I've decided on snowmen, snowflakes, and icicles. My tree is 3 feet tall. I estimate I'll need 12 of each. I'll use ribbon (bought in the after-Christmas sales) to make the bow topper and streamers.

I feel so behind. Normally by this time, I've already started on gifts for next year.

The Cat is Done!!!

That's right, the cat is done. I finished her up this morning. I ended up using blue buttons for eyes because blue animal eyes were impossible to find. My friend Laura was adamant that the cat be gray with blue eyes. The only thing left to do is mail her to VA.

The squares for the baby afghan are ready to be sewn together, so it looks like I'm on schedule to have it done by Friday.

I don't have to make the stocking ornaments for my friend. She thought of something else to give as gifts.

I'm going to do a new tree theme next year. My tree is currently purple. I make bells, stocking ornaments, and gingerbread houses for it. I also made the tree skirt. Next year I'm doing snowmen, snowflakes, and icicles. As soon as I get all my Christmas projects completed, I'll start work on that.

Christmas Project Update

Well, Christmas is less than a month away and I still have lots of things to make.

I'm currently working on a baby afghan for my cousin. She's expecting a little girl in February. The afghan is 81 granny squares, 9 x 9 squares. The colors are Red Heart Super Saver's Country Rose, Rose Pink, and Linen. Very country looking. I wanted something colorful. For her first daughter I did a white afghan.

I'm also making a kitten for my friend Laura in VA. I'm using a simple kitten pillow patten (Source: Women's Circle Crochet, Spring 1987, "Sitting Pretty Kitty" by Starlinne Garrett). I'm adding blue animal eyes, embroidering a nose and mouth, and attaching whiskers.

I also need to make dishcloths for several people. I have a simple pattern I devised.

Bridget's Dishcloth
Materials: cotton yarn, size H hook

chain 30
Row 1; hdc in 3rd ch from hook and across, ch 2 & turn (28 sts)
Rows 2-20: hdc in each st across, ch 2 & turn.

My friend Vicky wants me to make stocking ornaments for her housemate and her 12 siblings. I'm using the granny square stocking ornament pattern. I think this pattern has been around forever. I discovered it when I found one on my mom's tree and pulled it apart to get the pattern.

I need to make skinny scarves (They're so in right now!) for several people on my list.

I also need to make a dog a sweater.

So many projects, so little time!