The Best Laid Plans...

I found out this week that Lilah Marie (the recipient of the Sweet Chocolate afghan) will be arriving next Tuesday. It's Friday and I still have 12 Cafe squares to make. I'll be working on that most the weekend. I'd like to get the afghan mailed out ASAP.

I took a slight break from squares to make a donut for a story time game. I think it turned out rather well.

Until next time, happy crocheting!

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.

Teddy Bear Magnets

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.

Green Afghan Done!

I've finally finished the green afghan. I hope to have the blue afghan completed by the end of the week. Then, I can start work on my Christmas projects. I'm cutting it a little close this year. Normally, I would be 3/4's of the way done by now. Sadly, I don't even have a 1/4 of my list completed yet. Luckily, the things I'm making this year are relatively small.

In other news, I've made a squirrel magnet and monster magnets as props for my story times. They are off my own invention and turned out rather well. Though, the squirrel could be a little smaller.

Elephant Story Time Props

Meet Elmer and Esmarelda, my elephant finger puppets! Thanks to SAG55 for the puppet pattern. The dress and sweater are my original design. The peanut (used for a game) is also my original pattern.

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.

Chicken Props Done!

Here are pictures of the props I made for my chicken story time. I used Irene Duquette's Cool Chicken pattern, Yvonne Boucher's Rooster pattern in her Farmyard Finger Puppets' series, and an egg using a pattern from Crafting Traditions magazine. I made a couple of changes to Yvonne's pattern: I didn't join the rounds. Instead, I used a stitch marker. I crocheted the comb directly to the puppet's head as opposed to sewing on a separate piece.

Christmas Interrupted

Christmas projects (including the never-ending afghan) have been put on hold while I make props for my upcoming story times.

On September 8 & 9, I'm reading about chickens. So I'm making chicken finger puppets using Yvonne Boucher's Rooster pattern in her Farmyard Finger Puppets' series, a stuffed chicken using Irene Duquette's Cool Chicken pattern, and an egg using a pattern from Crafting Traditions magazine. I'm making the finger puppets look as realistic as possible. I'm making a white one, a yellow one, a red one, a brown one, and a speckled gray one (representative of Dominique chickens).

On September 22 & 23, I'm reading about elephants. I'm making boy and girl elephant finger puppets. I'm using SAG55's pattern that is no longer available on the current web. I retrieved it using Internet Archive. These puppets are going to be whimsical. Slightly larger than the normal finger puppet and made with light blue yarn. I plan to make a tutu for the girl and a bow tie for the boy.

I'll post pictures as soon as I've finished these projects.