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.

Squares and More Squares

I have finally finished the squares for the green afghan. Now they need ends run in. Then I'll sew them together and edge the afghan. In the meantime, I'll start the squares for the blue afghan.

I am eager to finish these afghans so I can work on my Christmas projects. The holiday draws nearer and nearer with each passing day.

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.

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.

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.