One Flew Over the Crochet Hook

To My Neglected Crochet Blog

2011-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since I last posted those pictures of my Drama King Cat, Beethoven has had to endure 5 different homes in 2 different states. Lilycat endured theses moves, too... but it seemed less traumatic for her.

First there was a 1600 mile drive, which Beethoven's tummy never adjusted to. I don't really want to go into detail here. Let's just say that as my sister and I drove across half of the country in about 3 days, we went through at least 3 carriers for him.

After that, there was the unfinished basement in rural PA... where Lilycat would find the most bizarre and fascinating insects. Beethoven was not pleased.

There was the drafty apartment which he didn't mind so much...

Then, there was the house where he had to compete with 2 dogs and a very voluptous cat for his food.

THEN, there was the trip South and staying in one tiny room with his archnemisis, aka Lilycat.

Finally, we have happily settled in a townhouse-style condo. Things are calm and quiet.

Beethoven has plenty of room and doesn't have to compete with anyone for food or space.

He is much more fun to be around now and his tummy has settled down. Apparently cats have mind-body issues, too.

My world jolted up and down and spinned around a few times. It's so much easier to just give you the cat update than to fill you in on my story.

With the rollercoaster of my life going on, I neglected my blog and my crafting.

I did make some really cool stuff in the past... uh... few years, though... so I want to start posting some of these things in an update.

So, welcome back to my blog.

I'm hoping I'm never away this long again.

What Beethoven Thinks of the Move...

2008-09-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Maybe if I lie here wallowing… she’ll put everything back where it belongs…

Wallow… Wallow… Wallow…

Oh crap--- is that Fancy Feast?!?…

Baby Mary Janes

2008-08-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ok -- I was wrong. I have another post before the move :o)

In February, I posted some baby items that I made for my future niece who was due in March. She took her time and arrived on April 1st, an April Fool's

Now that she's almost 5 mos. old, she is able to fit the mary janes that I crocheted for her!

The mary janes I made were loosely based on a pattern found in this booklet. (I have trouble following directions!)

Here is the lovely Liliana modeling her mary janes!

Tabby Cat Hat and Fall Daisy Scarf

2008-08-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of packing and sorting and tossing and selling and donating stuff so that I can make the move from TX to PA.

Along the way, I have made several full car trips to Goodwill and have also donated three GIANT trash bags of YARN to two different local charities. One charity gives the yarn to 5th graders who are taught how to knit after school. They make items for preemies in the hospitals. It helps give the kids something positive to do while learning an awesome hobby. The charity donations are coordinated by Stacey who owns and runs The Knitting Nest in South Austin. I've been to The Knitting Nest a number of times. It's a great place with a wonderful selection and plenty of space to sit and stitch.

The second charity gives yarn to knitters and crocheters who make hats for cancer patients both in the hospital and at home. The donations for that charity are coordinated by Susan who owns and runs Yarnorama in Paige, TX. I hadn't been out to Paige before and I felt like such a city girl. It was a long drive and the town is very small. But, the shop is great. The selection is very extensive. There is plenty of space to sit and stitch as well as a cafe with coffee and treats. I was impressed & wanted to purchase all sorts of beautiful fiber... I had to remind myself that I was there to donate yarn - not accumulate more!

It's weird being somewhat stash-free. I did save a few skeins, but for the most part, I have no stash right now. I'm sure that before I know it, I will have a giant, ridiculous stash again... it feels great knowing that the yarn is going towards people who will really appreciate it and will be worked into projects that will brighten someone's day.

Anyway-- I had a few projects I wanted to finish before the move. I still have one more to go (it's about 3/4ths done)... and will post pictures when it is complete.

These are the projects that I finished this week...

Matching Tabby Cat Hats for Baby and Mama

My friend Audrey commissioned me to make her two hats. One for her sister and one for her sister's baby-to-be. The idea was to make them look like orange tabby cats - complete with cat ears - because her sister has been looking for an adult hat with ears for awhile now. The baby and mama hats would match -- and would be given at the baby shower.

I hunted around for the purrrrfect orange tabby yarn and found Vanna's Choice Tangerine Mist. Of course, after going to every Michaels and a few Hobby Lobbys in the area-- I still couldn't find this color. So Audrey ended up ordering it online for me--which worked out well.

Anyway-- eventually (in a month or so), I hope to post pictures of the mama and me coordinating hats. For now, here is a picture of me modeling the mama hat. The baby hat is identical (well, smaller, but same stitch and border) with the addition of earflaps and ties that look like cat tails. Both are my own design... but there are tons of cat hats out there in knit and crochet if you are looking for a good pattern.

Fall Daisy Scarf

My other project was for my friend Dana. She loves wearing warm oranges and yellows and I wanted to make her a scarf as a thank you gift. I bought some Vanna's Choice yarn in assorted fall colors from Michael's and used the daisy square that I made as an addition to my friend Kate's blanket for inspiration. The daisy square pattern can be found here, though, I did modify it some for this scarf. After I made several squares, I stitched them together and then did an improvised border in a shell stitch. The scarf is very long and thick and warm - I'm really happy with it. Once it was finished, I washed it with fabric softener and it feels amazing.

Here are the pictures -- they aren't awesome because the scarf isn't modeled, but will give you an idea of it. For the first picture taken in my cube, the scarf hadn't been washed & blocked yet... and yes, those are ends that had yet to be woven in... but I couldn't resist taking a picture of the progress. :o)

Thanks for looking! I'm not sure that I'll be posting again until after the big move.

Pictures of the Bridal Party Bags

2008-07-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

I received the first pictures of the Bridal Party Bags for Devon's wedding in action!

Congrats to Devon and Dan!!!

Patchwork Purse

2008-07-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, my friend Audrey and I took a class at Craft-o-rama, the best place to take crafty classes in Austin! I've taken their tote bag (sewing 101) class and their Wrap Skirt Class. As evidenced by the... uh... THIRTEEN wrap skirts that I've made and posted on this blog, it's obvious that I enjoyed them!

We decided to take the Craft-O-Rama Patchwork Bag Class in which Hayley, the awesome & friendly owner of the store, teaches you a bag that she designed.

The class was very fun with a great group of women. We chatted and joked around whilst singing along to lots of fun 80's music.... oh and we made insanely cute bags!

I'm hoping to get pictures of Audrey's ridiculously fun bag - I'll update this post once I do.

For now, here's mine. Enjoy!

Felt so Good...

2008-07-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Back in May of 2006, I made my first felted bag. Actually, I haven't felted anything since then, so I guess it was also my most recent! I used Crochet Me's Pike Place Market Bag Pattern. I didn't actually finish it, though. And I never sent it to my mom. The reason is that when I tried to use yarn to sew on the handles, it didn't look very nice or neat. I tried handsewing with thread, but my stitches were hideous and not strong enough for the very thick, wool fabric.

So, I put it in a bag in a rack of my UFOs (unfinished objects), stored in the back of my closet. And there it sat. And sat.

A few days ago, I was sorting through some of my UFOs and stumbled on this bag.

*Lightbulb*

I now have a kicka** sewing machine!

So on Tuesday night, my long forgotten UFO turned into a beautiful Market Bag that my Mom can take with her to Weaver Street Market. I'll add more pictures once I have some, but for now...

Sorry for the long delay, Mom!

A Bag for Miriam

2008-06-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

Last year for Miriam's birthday, I made her one of the cutest ami's I've ever made/designed, this hot pink ami monkey. The monkey was tragically stolen from her (really!?! seriously!?!?). Anyway, this year, I wanted to make her something special again. Her baby is off to college and a lot of things will be changing in the new year.

I made a bag for her using the same basic pattern as I used for the bridal test bag. But, I drew out the size and shape that I wanted it to be instead of using the pattern. I wanted it to be big, but with a longer main handle, since she likes bags with long handles. The size is hard to tell from these pictures, but the body of the bag is 15" across and the length of the longest handle from bag body to shoulder is 12"

It's a carryall tote that is washable. Since she recently picked up crochet, maybe it'll be a good tote for her larger projects!

Bag Open, Lining

Bag Open, Back

Bag Closed, Front

Skirts for Megan

2008-06-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I turned my apartment into a one-woman, self-imposed sweatshop of sorts, to the chagrin of Beethoven and Lily-cat. They aren't quite sure what they did to deserve the neglect.

Really, they should just be thrilled that they don't have opposable thumbs. Because, while I slaved away, this is what Beethoven did:

Excuse the blur... I had to be quick like a ninja so as not to wake him.

Despite their best efforts to lie on the fabric while I was trying to cut it... bat at the loose threads, knock over the sewing box... and roll around on their backs begging for tummy rubs, I actually was able to accomplish what I set out to do.

I made 5 skirts for my sister Megan to wear to work or for fun or whatever. She originally asked me to make her some wrap skirts for a more professional, albeit fun look awhile back. Ok, months ago! It's been on my list for a long time. Since I am seeing her this weekend (YAY!), I decided now was the time.

On Thursday night, I cut the fabric and between Friday evening and Saturday night, I had them all sewn. They are all machine washable and I pre-washed them so she can wash them on hot if she needs to (with a toddler, she needs to not worry about that kind of stuff!).

Sunday, I made a bag for my friend Miriam. I'm still handstitching part of the handle. Once I'm finished, I'll post those pictures as well.

For now, here are the pictures of Megan's New Skirts. (Megan, if any of these don't suit your fancy, no worries... ) ;o) The skirts are modeled by my new best friend Yolanda.

Some cute and fun skirts just in time for summer! The fabrics were all from hobby lobby with the exception of the Amy Butler (second skirt pictured above) which was sweetly donated by my friend Nicole. The skirts will be ironed out and probably look a heck of a lot better on my sister (sorry Yolanda, but you don't have much in the way of hips).

I'll post pics of the bag for Miriam hopefully tomorrow.

7 Bridal Party Handbags

2008-05-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was asked to make some handbags for Devon's Bridal Party. She and Dan are getting married THIS WEEKEND which is exciting and wonderful. I'm super-happy for them!

I made the test bag (details in the above linked post) by shrinking the size of the handbag pattern from this book (bag is pictured on the cover). My good friend Nicole helped me out with the tough spots and the test bag ended up turning out very cute. So I figured that the actual bags would be no biggie.

whoops ;o)

Devon was sweet enough to send me the fabric that she wanted me to use -- which was a huge help so that I didn't have to stress over whether or not the bags would match the dresses properly. The fabric was beautiful - a textured, loosely woven silk with turquoise and pale green flowers and a satiny-off-white. The "wrong-side" of the fabric is the one that Devon needed me to use, though, since it matched the dresses better than the right side. Being a total beginner, I didn't know that this would pose much of a problem. But, alas, it made it a bit more difficult.

I went out and bought special needles for my machine that would sew silk and pinking shears.

The body of the bag looked fine, but the handles of the bags weren't quite as cooperative. With the small size of the handles and pulling them inside out and then sewing the tops, the loosely woven silk was fraying from the pressure. Apparently, using the wrong side was making it worse, as the textured silk was woven in such a way that the wrong side is the side that frays.

As sewing the handles together at the top is the last step, I saved this step for last in my assembly line. This means that I made all seven bags before I realized that the tops weren't looking so hot. And by not so hot, I mean, they were falling apart as I stitched them, and would probably get worse and fall completely apart just in time for the bridal party pictures.

Awesome, right?

Pictured below is the best out of the bunch, I apologize for the fuzziness of the picture. I was a bit crabby when I took it!

I stared at the 7 ghetto bags and tried to figure out a solution. This means that I wrote several whiny emails to Nicole begging her for advice. I thought about adding a bias tape seam around the handles and mouth of the bag... but the handles are so tiny in diameter, that it could end up looking even worse. Plus, bias tape is generally cotton, as Nicole reminded me. She suggested a french seam - which I knew how to do but didn't know that it had a name. But, unfortunately, the fraying was SO bad that there wasn't even enough fabric for it.

I looked at my 7 ghetto bags and was very sad - and worried about whether or not I could get them done in time for the wedding. Sure, I could send what I had to her, but they looked so pathetic looking. And let's face it, the pathetic-look doesn't generally go with the rest of the wedding decorations.

I started looking up hundreds of clutch bag patterns online and thought of just starting over with a new bag design.

At home one night, I was staring at the bags lying out on my coffee table, trying to will them to tell me what the solution was. While I was staring them down, I realized that the body of the bags was actually really cute. It was just the handles that were tragic and disasterous.

hmm.

I took my pattern cut out and cut off the handles. Then, I made the body of the bag only in the lining fabric, outer fabric, and batting. I took the handle pieces that I cut out and laid them on the fold of each of the fabrics and cut out long and short handles.

I sewed the handles into tubes and turned them right side out... I did a top stitch on the handles. Then, I sewed the handles into the tops of the bags.

Viola. No visible fraying.

For the other 6 bags I cheated and took the bags formerly known as Ghetto and cut off their handles. I made new tube handles for them and sewed them in.

Anyway, I hope that the bride and the bridal party are happy with the results. It was a great learning experience for me & I hope everyone likes them. Eventually, I'm hoping to get a few pictures of the girls carrying them to post up.

In other news, I spent last week in Seattle with family. It was great to hang out and veg with family and I got to meet my newest niece. Of course, all aunties think their nieces and nephews are brilliant--- but get this, my newest niece is already so very alert and actually smiles when you laugh. So sweet. She's so very interactive for a wee lil one month old!

It was great to get away. My allergies actually were completely clear the entire time I was there, which was a wonderful and welcome change.

Anyway, for the future nursery, here are some letters for decoration that I crafted. Just got the letters from Hobby Lobby and modge-podged pretty scrapbooking paper that I cut out to them. Cute and easy baby project-- if you are looking for a good gift ;o)

Duke's Baby Chucks

2008-04-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

I made another pair of baby chucks this week for my friend Kimsey's brand new nephew Duke. I actually decided to make the soles of the booties differently than I made the other baby chucks I winged a few weeks ago. The reason why is that I was using a different yarn, which was softer, thinner, and makes a less sturdy fabric. The yarn I was using was from mill ends in a baby chennile. Supersoft, and perfect for baby booties, but just not as thick as worsted weight yarn.

So, I made the sole in rounds and added the toe. Then, I did the same upper (or hi-top) as I did before. I made the tongue of the shoe a little longer and more pronounced. Then, I decided to add a star logo like the all stars have. I made it by stitching in black 5 sc in the round and then a round of hdc in white. Then, I sewed the circle down to the shoe. It's kind of puffy (stuffed with the ends), but I like it.

Hooray for Auntie Kimsey!

LaRusso Lovebird Hat

2008-04-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Whilst measuring the noggin of one of my coworkers so that his wife could crochet him a hat with my help, another coworker asked if I'd be willing to make a custom hat for his baby. Of course, I love making baby stuff, but I was especially excited when he told me that he and his wife wanted a hat that looked like their lovebird. I thought it would be an interesting challenge and a lot of fun.

Together, we came up with this design of what the hat could look like.

The biggest concerns that they had were that I made 4 gray toes on the bird (to match their lovebird), included wings, and found a very bright green. Luckily, I still had some Caron Simply Soft - Brites in Limelight.

I did the main hat in half double crochet, with earflaps. Sizing-wise, the hat is currently a few sizes to big for her, as we're hoping that she can wear it comfortably next winter. Woven hats during an Austin Summer just don't work that well. The wings were made the same manner as the ear flaps, but larger and with a picot edge. The ties were done in long rows of half double crochet in a Red Heart Charcoal. The toes were made out of "X's" made also in half double. And the beak and the eyes were done in scraps of yarn in single crochet.

Here is the Lovely Lady in Her LaRusso Lovebird Hat

Isn't she adorable?

Cowgirl Booties

2008-03-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

My friend & coworker Justin saw the cowboy booties that I made for a silent auction and asked if could make a pair for his niece-to-be. She is due in a few weeks, so I made them this weekend in Caron Simply Soft Pink and Red Heart Super Saver Buff. The Cowboy Booties pattern is one of the very few patterns that I actually follow without changing it up. Actually, maybe the only one! The booties are sized for a newborn and super-cute!

In other news, the Wags and Whiskers Annual Dinner Auction to Benefit the Humane League of Lancaster County was held on Saturday. It was a huge success and everyone had a great time. This morning, my sister sent me this adorable picture of the lucky recipient of the GI Joe dog sweater that I donated. His name is Mickey, isn't he adorable? ... er, I mean, isn't he super-tough in his camo?

Tough Guy - Sewn Dog Jacket

2008-03-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is living with his sister and her two toy dogs that she loves to dress. The great thing is that the dogs both love to wear clothes and come running happily every time she pulls out an outfit for them. He knew that I was getting into sewing jackets and asked me to make a "tough guy" jacket for the male dog of the pair, since apparently, some of his current outfits are lacking a bit of testosterone. Hopefully, soon, I'll have pictures of this jacket modeled... but for now, here it is. Of course, Lily-Cat loves photo shoots and was desperate to get in every shot. So, the paw here and there is her trying to add value, glitz, and glamour to the frame.

On the Catwalk...

2008-03-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

My sister received my contributions to the Wags and Whiskers Annual Dinner Auction to benefit the Humane League of Lancaster County. She even took some pictures of a few of the sweaters on some "dogs". So, thanks to her, you can have a better idea of what these dog sweaters will look like when their future owner struts their stuff in them.

Fiesta Print with Sage Trim

GI Joe

He's an American Hero, you know....

Barbie and GI Joe...

or Miss Piggy since she obviously is begging for attention...

Enjoy!

Test Bag for Devon's Bridal Party

2008-03-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been taking on some projects for my family and a few friends to help them out while gaining some sewing skillz. The latest one is for my younger sister's bff - Devon - and her bridal party. I'm going to make small bags for her bridal party that coordinate with their bridesmaids dresses. The original plan was to do just fun bags for them for the bachelorette party, but time wasn't on our side.

Really, though, it's actually kind of exciting for me to be helping out with the bags. Bridgid and Devon have been friends for years and years. When they first became friends, I was their driver to many a freshman year event. So, I hung out with them a lot. Back then, I also met her soon-to-be husband... since Devon is actually marrying her high school sweetheart. I know, I didn't know that actually happened in real life, either :o)

Anyway, I'm thrilled for Devon and very happy to help out with her wedding. So, hopefully the bags don't suck.

Since I'm very green at sewing, I picked a pattern that was from a beginner book that teaches the basics. Keywords: Beginner and Basics. Even though it was supposed to be pretty simple, I enlisted the help of my friend Nicole who is an expert sew-girl. She studied costume design at UT and actually understands patterns (something that is completely lost on me).

I've been teaching her crochet, so it was kind of a trade off of sorts. And let's face it, she gets to hang out with moi, which is a privilege in and of itself. ;)

I helped her out with her and her boy's theme party costumes --they were to be GI Joes for an 80's party. She had bought the camo pants and black shirts and we ironed on a GI Joe graphic to the front of the shirts. I was there to make sure that it was somewhat centered and straight.

Eventually, after procrastinating, we started on the "Beginner" and "Basic" bag.

If Nicole had not been there, I probably would have given up and tried a different pattern.

There were a couple of steps that were really confusing... and a few that are just plain annoying.

Now that I know what to do, the next bags will be much easier... it's just that there were a few things on the first bag that I coulda woulda shoulda done differently. Also, the bags for Devon's wedding will be with a thinner, smoother material, so it will be easier to do some of the steps.

Anyway, the bag is still cute, but it did take some time and elbow grease. We made it much smaller than the original... and I think it's tres cute. The small orange is pictured to show approximate size.

Closed bag.

Bag open, lying flat, back.

Open Bag, Lining Exposed.

Latest Skirt

2008-03-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

I made a skirt for my friend Tiffany on Saturday for taking care of my kitties over Christmas. I'm hoping to get pictures of her skirt soon.

After I made hers, I figured, eh, why not make another one?

So I made one for me. These skirts take about an hour to make and are very comfortable.... one size fits all.

My next sewing projects are 7 bags for my sister's best friend's wedding... and pillows for another sister's living room.

Ready To Wear: Dog Fashion

2008-03-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

I reallyreally wish that I had these dog sweaters photographed on an adorable dog... but alas... You'll have to just pretend. I considered buying a life-sized plushie to model the sweaters, but then I figured Beethoven would tear the poor, defenseless toy to shreds before I ever got around to the photo shoot...

so imagine these on adorable puppies.

The sweaters will be part of the silent auction "Wags and Whiskers" to benefit The Humane League of Lancaster County where my sister works.

The great thing about these sweaters is that they work up super-quickly!

Camoflage Print

Sized XS in a pull over sweater. Let the neighborhood know that he’s boss.

I used this pattern and only made small adjustments and made it in Bernat Camo yarn. It's pretty tiny, but I think it will fit a chihuahua nicely.

Lilac and Lace

Sized S and fastens around the neck and tummy band. Pretty and sweet.

I crocheted this one in lavender (caron Simply soft) with cream trim (hobby lobby cottontots). It's a hybrid of several patterns with the addition of a lace stitch from a book of stitches that I have. I added a few buttons to close it and a bow at the neck. I used this free pattern as part of the pattern "suggestion"... but I took a lot of liberties with it.

Hot Pink Diva with Fur Trim

Sized S in a pull over sweater. She’s Ready for her Close-up!

For this sassy number, I didn't use a pattern. I just used the other already made sweaters as a guide. this is the only one that isn't washable-- and that's because of the fur trim.

Fiesta Print with Sage Trim

Sized XS in a pull over sweater. Perfect for a Party Girl.

Lily-Cat is jealous because it isn't in her size.
I used this pattern with minimal adjustments and made it in red heart yarn... I washed it with fabric softener and a dryer sheet and now it feels nice and soft.

Pink Camoflage

Sized S in a pull over sweater. For the girl who’s a bit of a tomboy.

Just updated with pictures. I made it in Rose Camo by Bernat. I was actually disappointed by this yarn because it barely looks camo since there are only two colors (pink and green) instead of three. Oh, well. I used this pattern again... but changed it up a lot... mostly because the camo wasn't striping well (it looked like a checkerboard!)... so I did different stitches... I'll take a picture tonight.

Thanks for looking!

Hope these items help raise money for lots of lil cuties.

Finished Pair of Chucks

2008-02-29T06:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share the finished chucks that I will be donating to the silent auction at The Humane League of Lancaster County where my sister works. They are my own pattern (as mentioned below) and take very little time compared to other booties I've made. I think that another cute use for these would be to tie them together and put them over your car's review mirror instead of fuzzy dice...

Thanks for checking them out -- and happy Friday!

Baby Chucks

2008-02-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, I taught my friend Nicole how to crochet. Since then, she has made two adorable baby sweaters (which hopefully I'll have pictures of soon). One sweater is in a pink that is sweet as frosting. The other is black for a friend who wanted some alternative baby clothes, much to the chagrin of her very traditional and conservative mother. To match the black baby jacket, she wanted to make some cute baby shoes. I hunted around online... and thought, what would be better than baby chucks?

I saw many knit versions online... but no crochet patterns.

She came over yesterday and we got started on a sneaker pattern that we hoped to modify into hi-top converses.

After an hour or so of making the soles, I realized that I wasn't loving the pattern. The result was that it looked a lot like the hi-top converse (I'll post a picture tonight of chuck model 1.0), but it was too big for a baby and just way too time intensive.

So we scrapped the plan.

I decided that a more abstract and less exact version would be faster, less annoying, and still cute. Basically, get the point across without trying to make a perfect copy. I drew up a schematic and we went to work.

The result was a bootie in 1/2 the time. I haven't added the star yet and didn't finish both booties, but thought I'd share the first one for now.

This pair will be added to the other donations I'm making for a silent auction to benefit The Humane League of Lancaster County where my sister works.

Gifts for my Niece-to-Be

2008-02-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

One of my sisters is due next month and I couldn't be more excited for her :o) Most likely, they will be having a lil' girl.. though, everyone knows that that is never 100%.

I started out wanting to make a few gender neutral items... but before long, I was making adorable mary jane booties.

I'm thinking that they can either cross dress the baby if it's a boy (yes, I kid)... or they can give the inappropriately gendered items to someone who is actually having a girl and I can stitch up some new items.

It started innocently enough with a baby blue cardigan... but then I wanted to add some trim and this beautiful lilac yarn was calling my name. Once I added it, I knew it screamed "girl".

Then, I wanted to make some cuff booties... and was eyeing my collection of baby yarns. This really soft, varigated baby yarn purchased months ago and used for this sundress for my niece Myla was calling my name.

I used a bootie pattern from Precious Baby Booties which I modified pretty minimally. The turned out a little lumpier than I wanted - but they are still cute. ;o)

Of course, Lily-Cat had to get in the preliminary shot (before I wove in the ends). She firmly believes that it is not a photo shoot unless her picture has been taken. I think she feels that she increases the value of those items pictured with her.

here they are, sans-cat.
Finally... the Mary Janes. Also from the same booklet... though, I changed these up a little more... Both sets of booties are tiny, with a 3 1/2" sole. I hope that they fit her feet!

Congrats again to Betsy and Andy... they are going to make such great parents! I can't wait to meet the new lil one!!!

Silent Auction Items for Q's Preschool

2008-02-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Last year, I crocheted a bunch o' hats for a silent auction that benefitted my nephew's preschool. As a long-distance auntie, you really look for any opportunity to get involved with your nephew's life.

So, when the auction came up this year, I was excited to partake. Of course, with a new lil niece (or nephew?) on the way, I had a lot of different projects in queue and couldn't commit to the volume that I donated last year.

But, I did what I could.

I made a baby hat and jacket set with beige trim. The navy yarn is almost denim-like, but I think is more of a tweed. It's washable and from some mill ends that my mom picked up. The jacket is sized for 6-12 mos. The hat is for a baby approx 9mos old (or with a head that is 19" around).

The body of the jacket is a hybrid of few patterns and some own touches-- honestly, I just looked at a few patterns and then picked what I liked from each one and then modified as I saw fit as I went along. The hat was just a standard hat in half double crochet... with a picot edge to match the sleeve edges.

Next up, a modified version of this hoodie pattern (which I also used for the dragon baby jacket for my nephew Atticus). I used Caron Simply Soft Yarn for the body and homespun for the edges. This one is sized for 18-24 mos.

Crafty Goals for '08

2008-01-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

My (Somewhat Lofty) Crafty Goals for the New Year

Write patterns of my crochet designs.
Learn how to follow sewing patterns so that I can branch out a bit in my new hobby.
Take another Sewing class at Craftorama.
Design a few new crocheted bags.
Open an Etsy shop.
Sell a few items through local boutiques in Austin.
Teach more of my friends how to crochet.
Participate in more Silent Auctions for Charity.
Crochet a Blanket for Project Rest Assured (goes to a foster care child in Cleveland, my hometown) and a few hats for Hats 4 the Homeless.

Projects on the docket for the New Year

Baby Gift for Betsy and Andy
Silent Auction entry for Q's Preschool
Cowboy Baby Booties
Mary Jane Baby Booties
Blanket for Sheila

Secret Christmas Projects Revealed: Cinderella Topsy Turvy Doll

2007-12-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

The next Secret Christmas Project: Cindrella!

This Cinderella Topsy Turvy Doll is 100% of my own design/improvisation. I gave it to my niece for Christmas :o)

My sisters and I had one that we all played with and that doll which is long gone was the inspiration for this one. I think by the time I was playing with her, she was a bit worn, but I loved her so much. That doll was blonde, kind of 70's, and made of fabric. On one side, Cinderella is in Rags, you flip the doll over and expose the hidden "Glam" cinderella. Two Dolls in One.

This site has interesting information on the history of these dolls... and here is one you can buy through FAO Schwartz.

For my version, I made her with brown hair since my niece has brown hair. I think every little girl likes to have a doll that looks a little bit like them.

I was planning on changing too things to the design - redo the tiara on the glam side (it currently looks like a sweat band a la Olivia Newton John) and I was going to add a broom to the Cinderella in Rags side.

But, I was crunched for time and wanted to give it to her as soon as I could... so without further ado...

Cindy's Daytime Look:

The Very Odd Two-Fer Shot...

Glam Cindy!

Thanks for looking!

Secret Christmas Projects Revealed: Dragon Toddler Jacket!

2007-12-31T10:39:00.000-08:00

Well... now that my secret projects were given as Christmas Gifts, I can reveal them on here!
I was excited about both of these projects and it really was hard to not post about them...

First up: Dragon Toddler Sweater for my Nephew

Ages ago, I made a Dragon Baby Sweater. The orginal pattern was from the amazing Marnie MacLean... but it was in knit and crochet. When I made my version of the Dragon Baby Sweater, I used a hoodie from a book that I had.

For this updated version, I used this pattern from Caron for a hooded baby jacket .

Per usual, I didn't follow the pattern exactly. The changes I made were to not crochet in the back loop only and also to not skip those stitches... I wanted it to be totally solid so I could sew on the "spots". I also edged it with a picot edge... and then added spots and a crocheted tie. For the original, I did ears like the ones on Marnie's pattern.. but for this one, I went with "Shrek-style" ears. The spine on the back of the jacket is an improvised wave/shell stitch. I used Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage and did the accents in Dark Country Blue.

I was so worried that it wouldn't fit... but luckily it was the perfect size and my nephew was able to wear it during Christmas!

yay!

Christmas Sneak Peeks

2007-12-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

This is a very special sneak peek at some of my Christmas Projects this year. I will post full pictures after the gifts have been given...

Sneak Peek : Skirts

5 wrap skirts one for each sister and one for my sister-in-law. They get to decide who gets what. Full pic of each skirt after they are given - for now a glimpse of each fabric with the trim. Secret Gift #1:

Whatever could it be?

Secret Gift #2:
hmmm...

I hope everyone has a great time celebrating the holidays.

Sew Happy :o)

2007-12-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

My current Crochet Projects are TOP SECRET works in progress for the holidays... so I figured I'd post on a new crafty obsession of mine!

I started taking some sewing classes at Craftorama on South Congress- this super-friendly, hip, fun shop.

My interest in sewing began when I made handbags a few years ago for Christmas. I wanted to line the bags, but had no idea how. I attempted to whip stitch them by hand, but the result was messy and the construction was shoddy.

Sewing machines seemed ridiculously intimidating to me not to mention prohibitively expensive.
But, recently, when I made my crocheted dress, I realized how great it would be to sew a dress that had crocheted embellishments or was lined. In addition, I've become interested in making more crocheted bags which I would love to line. And I also thought that understanding sewing patterns would help me with designing more crocheted clothing items.

So, I signed up for a beginning sewing class at Craftorama.

It was shockingly easy and a lot of fun. It was almost bizarre to me how fast I could make something. I frequently tease knitters whose projects take longer than my crocheted ones... but this machine sewing thing really beats all. I love it!

I made an adorable little tote bag in cowboy print.

Isn't it fun?

Here is the back and the detail on the button and pocket.

I just love it. It's a bit small to be at all practical, but it was a great first project and it really got me excited to try more stuff. Of course, later that week, by some fluke, our holiday bonuses paid out early. I went to "just look" at the Austin Sew and Vac store around the corner from my apartment. They were in the process of packing up the store because they were moving 2 miles down the road that very week. The owners were there with their daughter and her toddler son. Her son was playing with quilt squares on the floor. Even though the store was somewhat chaotic, they were very helpful.

I was able to get a Janome 625 at a HUGE discount. It was used as a floor model at the Maker Faire in Austin and so was "out of the box". Originally, I had been planning on getting the cheaper, base model... but the 625 is one that I can grow into... not to mention with the discount, they were very close in cost.

The Sew and Vac store offers a free session on getting to know your sewing machines and are experts at fixing them. In their new space, they are going to offer lots of sewing classes and will have tons of fabrics.

I was still a little bit intimidated, though, so I decided to take another class at Craftorama to get more comfy with the machine.

I took a wrap skirt class and check this out!

I totally want to make a ton of them. I think it'll be great practice at sewing straighter lines... and not only that, but the skirt is super cute and one size fits most!

whoop! whoop!

Silent Auction + Benefit Concert for the Mexican Flood Victims

2007-11-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

Some of my crocheted items will be auctioned off during this concert to benefit the Mexican Flood Victims...

good music + fun people + great cause = super happy fun time

Mexican Flood Benefit Concert

Threadgills

Sunday - December 2nd

2 p.m. to 7p.m.

301 West Riverside Austin, Texas

2 p.m.: Southpaw Jones

3 p.m.: The Daze

4 p.m.: The Harold Ambler Project

5 p.m.: Sam and Henry

6 p.m.: The Shelley King Band

Hosted by your emcee, Spike Gillespie.

Silent art auction.

Admission $10; $5 for 18-and-under.

about:
On Sunday, December 2, local musicians, artists, and businesses are holding a benefit for the victims of the recent flooding in Tabasco, Mexico. Although no longer in the news, Tropical Storm Noel and its aftermath have left devastation in Mexico that will take months and years from which to rebound. In addition to damaging the homes of almost a million people, or about half of Tabasco's population, the flood also devastated crops of corn, bananas and beans that provide the livelihood for thousands.

For Adoption during the Auction: Miss Bunny

Miss Bunny is a freehanded crochet doll complete with Swarovski Crystal earrings. Fancy!

The varigated yarn is actually Belgian yarn that my Aunt Kathy gave to me. She bought it years and years ago - and like any yarn that's taken care of, it's in excellent condition.

The solid color yarn is in lion brand microspun... and the scarf is in fancy fur novelty yarn.

The majority of Miss Bunny was done in single crochet... with the exception of parts of the heart and part of her ears. She is 100% one of a kind.

Also up for auction...

The cutest lil' boots in Texas!

Adorable Cowboy Baby Booties for a brand new Native Texan ;)

They are soo tiny and cute. I want to make a ton of pairs in every color. These were done in Caron Simply Soft Chocolate and Red Heart Buff yarn. I actually followed a pattern for once... and was impressed with myself for not changing it up too much ;)

If you are in Austin - please try to come on Sunday!

Orphan Thanksgiving - Part I

2007-11-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving, I hosted some friends at my place for an Orphan Thanksgiving. Anyone is invited who is around and doesn't have family around for Thanksgiving and everyone who comes contributes something to the meal.

At first I was worried because most of my friends had plans or things to do. And for awhile, I thought it was going to be just me and my friend Dawn. The response to my orhpan thanksgiving email was mixed - with one person actually thinking I was having real orphans over to my place for dinner. Oops.

As the day grew closer, more and more friends were excited to come and it ended up being 6 of us... which is really the perfect number.

I don't have the pics yet from the dinner... but I do have some pics of the things that I made and wanted to share some recipes and variations that I did.

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

I followed this recipe with just a few changes. I used a little extra butter (probably 1-2 extra Tablespoons)... and I also stirred in Garlic Salt into the potatoes. I used a ricer (which is the BEST way to make mashed potatoes quickily and easily - it's amazing). Also, used whole milk... probably about 1/2 a cup. My other addition was Rosemary. I cut some up fresh rosemary and stirred it in at the very end. I used more fresh rosemary to garnish and sprinkled Garlic Salt and Pepper over the top. I made these early and put them into the oven to warm them up just before serving. My apartment smelled amazing from the roasted garlic (pictured at left).

If you are planning on putting them into the oven for a long time to warm, be sure to add a little more milk, as this helps to prevent them from getting too dry.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp is one of my absolute favorite things to make. It's very simple and quick and seems to encompass all things Autumn. There are tons of recipes out there... and I've basically combined several... but also have made it so many times that I don't really follow a recipe. So I'll just write down what I do.

You Need:
2 Large Apples - I normally use Gala or Granny Smith, but those varieties were looking very picked over at the market. So for yesterday's crisp- pictured above, I used 2 HoneyCrisp Apples.

Lots of Cinnamon Sugar. I go through a lot making this recipe, I would get a new bottle of it - or make your own by mixing Ground Cinnamon with Sugar.

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Stick of Butter (I use unsalted sweetened butter)
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Oatmeal (uncooked)
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (I actually don't measure this or the spices, so it's an estimation - feel free to use more or less!)
3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Cloves (optional)

What to Do:

Pre-Heat Oven to 375.
Grease a square or round baking pan.
Pour cinnamon sugar onto a plate in a thin layer.
Peel and Slice apples. I use an Apple Corer which cuts the apples into 4 slices, then I cut those slices in half.
Roll apples in the cinnamon sugar, lightly coating them.
Place apples into the baking pan. Feel free to layer them evenly. I usually end up with about 2 layers of apples.
In a bowl, mix together the Brown Sugar, Flour, Oats, Spices. Cut in the butter and mix it all together. Pour the mixture over the apples in the pan.
Bake in the oven for about 30 mins... or until the apples are nice and tender (ie, you can easily slide a knife into the apples).

Voila! Yummtastic! I recommend serving warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream on top. The vanilla ice cream really brings out and balances the spices.

I made two of these yesterday... one for the dinner and one for a friend who doesn't love baking. Apple Crisps are very quick to make and always are a big hit.

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

The above picture is the only one I got of the pumpkin pie that I made... kind of an afterthought!

I love pumpkin pie... and love making it. It's very easy and the smell is always just amazing. I'm a big fan of making pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin... but, this year I didn't have the time. Actually, I wasn't even going to make pumpkin pie this year... but then I saw this Paula Deen Special on the Food Network on Sunday... and her pie recipe inspired me to give it a shot. She used APPLE BUTTER in her pie. I love love love apple butter... so I knew I had to try it.

I made about 30 mini pumpkin pies from the recipe for work on Wednesday. Actually, I did 1/2 of the pies from the Paula Deen recipe and 1/2 from my old recipe. Both went quickly. I made a few changes, though, from that trial run to the pumpkin pie that I made yesterday.

This is the Paula Deen Recipe....

and here's my input :o)

I added a little more brown sugar... and I also added 1/8 teaspoon of Cloves. I love Cloves in pumpkin pie. I used organic canned pumpkin. Also, for my trial run, the apple butter I used was not that great. It was very thin and light - almost like an apple jam. The spices in it were very light. I really recommend using as "authentic" an apple butter as you can, ie as close to homemade as possible. It should be dark in color and very thick. You should be able to smell the AllSpice! The second time, I used Apple Butter that was more authentic. It cost me more, but it was the right consitency and made a HUGE difference.

Anyway - other than that, I followed Paula's recipe... and it was a big hit ;o)

Thanks and hope everyone had a great holiday! I'll Post Part II when I get the pics from my guests!

A gasp Healthy Dessert?

2007-11-20T13:57:00.000-08:00

So we all know that I love to make insanely insinful, uber-decadent desserts. That being said, like to avoid giant swings in my blood sugar...
I finally found a dessert for ME.

Awhile back, my friend Miriam and her son were visiting Austin and we went to Home Slice Pizza. They accidentally brought us the wrong pizza. While we waited for our new one, they brought us a consolation prize - in the form of a small dessert cup with a spoonful of dessert ricotta.

I had never had anything so creamy and delicious. It was like ice cream, but richer - creamer, and fresher. Amazing.

I was at the grocery store and saw ricotta yesterday and thought - hey, I wonder if I could make a healthy version of that thing?

I picked up the part-skim variety of it... and created a tasty treat!

Basically, you take a 1/2 cup of part skim ricotta cheese. Get the good stuff that's nice and smmmmmooth.
Stir in some Vanilla Extract and a packet of splenda.

That's it.

I thought I was really smart- then I googled it this morning and discovered that this is actually a huge Low-Carb/South Beach Diet dessert.
So, I'm not that clever.

But.... it is tried and true... and there are lots of other ideas all over the internets like adding a bit of peanut butter and some chocolate syrup...
or lemon extract! or strawberries! or... chocolate chips!

The dessert has lots of protein and not a lot of sugar... so it doesn't cause big swings in sugar for me...

and it tastes great :)

Blanket for Mon Craiggers

2007-11-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, I saw a lot of Caron Simply Soft yarn on supersale in Autumn Red and ended up buying quite a bit of it. It's a very deep, dark red - warm and reminds me of the holidays.

I used a bit of it to make my dress... but then still had a few skeins left over.

I had been eyeing round ripple afghan patterns and thought that maybe it would be a fun project to try. I didn't know who I was making it for, but figured that I would decide on that later on.

So, I took my autumn red and started going around and around and around.

I thought I was following the pattern... but I really do have a habit of getting "creative" with instructions and doing my own thing.

Rather than being a round circle, my blanket started to spiral.
I thought it was beginning to look more masculine.

As I neared the end of my first skein of red, I got an email from my friend Annette from film school.

She's in some exotic location or another shooting a reality show. She wrote to let me know that our close friend Craig's mother passed away.

It was so hard to hear the news - Craig and his mother were amazing together and really had an impressive mother-son relationship. She was so caring, witty, supportive, and wonderful.

I'm miles and miles away from Craig and I was sad that I couldn't give him a big hug and support him more as he goes through this.

I thought about what I could do - and my mind immediately leapt to the round ripple blanket that I had started. The red was almost like a merlot color - and his mother was very into wine tasting and collecting. And a blanket is comforting and great to snuggle up under.

I finished stitching up the blanket as quickly as I could, alternating with rows of Caron's Simply Soft in Grey Heather. The end size is approx 60" point to point. For the pictures, it is spread out on a full sized futon.

The result is a warm, snuggly, albeit masculine blanket that Craig can snuggle under while he is reading or watching a movie. It's kind of almost in the shape of a ninja star or something - which is a result of the spiral instead of doing this in the round, as I was supposed to. I kind of like the effect, the blanket has an interesting shape to it.

I'm hoping that it will remind Craig that he is loved and in my thoughts.

Chocolate Covered Prezels

2007-10-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

So... I've been crocheting a secret project for a friend that I can't post about yet. In the interim, I made these scrumdiddlyumptious treats for a friend's birthday... and then made them again for coworkers for Halloween.

It's quick, easy... and doesn't even use your oven.

you'll need:
a bag or two of pretzel rods
a bag of milk chocolate chips
chopped peanuts/hazelnuts/toffee bits/ cookie crumbs (you can put oreos in the blender/food processor or chop finely).
shortening (you can get one with no trans fat... you might be able to go without the shortening, but I find it helps it all stick better).

what you do:
1. Pour 1/2 a bag of milk chocolate chips and add 2 T of shortening into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Melt microwave for 1 min... then take it out and stir until well mixed. Depending on your microwave, you may have to nuke it again for an additional 30 seconds. Don't over nuke. (alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in double boiler)
3. Wait until the melted chocolate cools a little and thickens. I got the best results when I waited for it to get really thick - being impatient, I put it in the fridge for about 5 mins.
4. Spoon mixture over 3/4 of a prezel rod (or, if thick, take a big spoonful and roll the pretzel in the chocolate on the spoon.

5. Then roll pretzel rod in chopped peanuts, toffee bits, cookie crumbs, whatever.
6. Refrigerate for 30 mins.

Yumtastic!

Weekend Dress Design

2007-10-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

So after a few weeks of doing way too much, I decided last weekend that I needed a veg weekend. Just me, my kitties, some yarn, and the Gilmore Girls.

I had some caron simply soft on hand in autumn red and started stitching a tank top. I decided to do an empress waist with a lace skirt.

I took my measurements and did the lace skirt first, using the Strawberry lace stitch from my

fav crochet stitch source: Donna Kooler's Encylopedia of Crochet.

Then, at my waist, I did a few rows of single crochet alternating with 2 rows of shells. For the bodice, I made it in single crochet to my measurements.

The results, weren't great. The top was too stiff and it was like wearing cardboard.

So, I ripped out the top and remade it in a net stitch. Though, I'm not 100% convinced that I like the results.

Regardless, I went on to do the back in the same way...

and then I tried it on again.

I decided to make the strawberry skirt longer... and then I got carried away. Eventually, I ended up making a dress instead.

The quality of these pictures is not great... but I will finish weaving in the ends and add the final touches and have a friend take some pics. The dress is a little more fitted than it looks in the pictures. but, I took the pictures myself in front in my kitchen... so... the quality leaves a lot to be desired. I think I'm going to add a few rows of single crochet to the bottom to make it lay flat... and I might be adding some sleeves.

If I figure out how to write patterns for wearables (ie, make adjustments for size), I will write this baby up.

Scrapghan for My Dad

2007-09-21T07:31:00.001-07:00

Hello!

The week of my dad's birthday (July 29th), I decided to make him a blanket. I had made him one hurriedly the last time I visited that I was not impressed with. I really wanted to take the time to make him something that I thought would better suit him.

I had skeins and skeins of yarn of various colors that I thought could potenially work well together and I realized that a scrapghan might be both a good stashbuster and something that would look more interesting.

I went through my stash and found mostly cool colors that were more masculine (somehow, I didn't think fuscia fun-fur would float my dad's boat). I ended up with about 14 colors that I thought might work and decided that my Caron One Pounders of Navy would be a good main color.

I looked through my books and decided to make the scrapghan in the double wave stitch from Donna Kooler's Encylopedia of Crochet (my favorite resource for stitch descriptions). I took her explanation of the stitch and just multiplied it out for the length that I wanted it to be (long enough to cover a full sized bed). After I was about halfway done, I found this awesome pattern by Dot called Scrumptious Scraps Afghan... which is not the same (she has an extra row that I don't have- and hers is horizonatal instead of vertical)... but if you are looking to do something similar, I think her pattern is really cool! Most importantly, she explains how to do the Russian Join... which I sooooooooo wish I had learned before I started this bad boy. I mean, check out these evil demon ends (picture at left). For those of you that don't stitch, all of those ends must be woven into the blanket when you are finished (unless you choose to make fringe). Those ends took me several hours to weave in and it's pretty mindless/tedious work.

To be honest, when I started this, it just looked hideous to me... and I started refering to it as the ugly blanket! (sorry, Dad!). The very beginning, it just looked odd. Didn't quite blend well and I really wasn't sure if I was going to finish it! Though, the ugly blanket and I had good days and bad days. Some days, I looked at it and thought, What was I thinking?

Other days, I lay it out on the bed and just ran my hands over the texture and loved it. So, we had a love/hate relationship. This blanket was also my biggest project to date. I have done blankets before that were equal in size to this one, but this one was the most time intensive. I used a smaller hook (I) and mostly worsted weight yarn. In other blankets that I have made in just a few hours, I used a larger hook and either thicker yarn or multiple strands of worsted weight. Staring at the blanket over a period of a few weeks, there were times when I really questioned myself and the way that it was turning out. I was worried that the Ugly Blanket was getting Uglier instead of coming together.

Here is a picture of the blanket laid out on my bed when I had about 2 feet left to do.

Of course, the completed blanket really came together and it does look good. But I gotta tell you, there were days along the epic journey of the blanket where I almost stopped and started a new one.

But... I'm glad I did it. Beacause it actually looks good finished... and more importantly, my dad loves it.

Here are my cats testing out the nearly complete blanket (just prior to me making a border of 1 row of Single Crochet and 2 rows of double crochet). And yes, this blanket heretoforth will no longer be refered to as the Ugly Blanket ...

Of course, my dad is uber allergic to my fluffy kittens, so I washed it very well before I sent it :)

Because the worsted weight yarn was a bit rough (I used a lot of Red Heart yarn from my stash), I washed the blanket with fabric softener and also used 2 dryer sheets. The result is a very snuggly blanket!

My dad received it yesterday and is really happy with it! I guess it's just getting a little cooler in North Carolina, so he's looking forward to wrapping it over his shoulders for evening reading. He said that the stitches were very mathematical (uh, leave to my dad to see the math!) and he was happy to extend the celebration of his birthday a few months ;) .

So yay! Scrapghan Complete! Finished size? Large enough to top a full sized-bed... defintely perfect for my mom and dad to snuggle under while watching a movie. Total time? I think at some point, each color + main color (4 rows) were taking me just over an hour each.

I also just received pics of a hat that I made over a year ago for a friend of mine who was expecting! Here is the post from last June when I made it. Her little girl is now a year old and this hat hasn't fit her since her first week :o)

But, I thought I would share the pic of her wearing it!

Sooo cute!!!

Thanks for reading :o)

CaseyBarnes.org

2007-09-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to spread the word about a fundraising website that my friend Marty decided to start for her daughter Casey. Despite a healthy pregnancy, Casey has had a really rough start to her life. She is legally blind, has little hearing, and can't swallow, gag, or blink. Marty used to work with me, but after Casey was born she decided to become a SAHM so that she could make all of Casey's medical appointments, which are multiple every week, and give Casey the around the clock care that she needs. Marty is a good friend of mine and I'm really glad that they set up the new site to tell Casey's story and to help raise money for her care, which is mostly out of pocket. They are selling Casey bracelets (Like the Lance Armstrong ones) for $4 and raising money for specific goals – like a special needs stroller. Of course, keeping Casey in your thoughts and prayers works, too! She's a brave little girl and a figher, but she appreciates support and encouragement :o)

Here is Casey's site

Please feel free to pass along this info and let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Bragging Rights...

2007-09-18T14:52:00.001-07:00

My nephews and niece are obscenely cute.

evidence follows...

Oh...

and ACL is Fun!

Here is a pic of the newly engaged Andrea and Evans at Austin City Limits - a 3 day music festival...

and here is a not-so candid very myspace pic of me and my buddy grant

Scarf for Miriam

2007-09-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

I had made an adorable ami monkey for Miriam (posted here) which was stolen off her desk :o( boooo.

Luckily, she still has this scarf... which is slighly less adorable and not very pratical in Los Angeles for a lot of the year...

but... I think she'll get great use out of it once she CAN wear it.

The main part of the scarf was done in 3-4 skeins of Caron simply soft in Black. I improvised a shell stitch and made the scarf about 6 feet long. (Miriam really likes long scarves that she can double up).

The flowers were also improvised... made up of some random multi-color worsted weight yarn and some purple wool yarn that I had laying around. I added tassels to the corners to pull it together a bit.

Enjoy the pictures!

Close up of the stitch and the flowers:

This picture shows the actual color:

Handy Smurf

2007-07-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun lil test...

Your Score: Handy Smurf

You are 55 % Action Driven, 56% Interpersonal, 48% Street Smart, and 79% Artistic

This test measured 4 variables.

First, this test measured if you place a higher value on words or actions. Both have their own advantages. For instance a skilled negotiator and a skilled firefighter both save lives.

Second, this test compared your intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. Simply put intrapersonal intelligence means you understand yourself, while interpersonal intelligence means you understand others.

Third, this test measured if you are more book smart or street smart. Book smart people may be more interested in a variety of topics, while street smart people focus on the most relevant information. Smurfette is very street smart, while Poet Smurf is not.

Fourth, this test measured if you prefer an artistic or functional approach to life. Artistic people may concentrate more on details and ambiance, while functional people focus on if it works. In this case Vanity Smurf would be considered Artistic while Hefty Smurf just wants to lift stuff up.

You are more action driven, more interpersonal, more book smart, and more artistic.

Let's find out why Handy Smurf is the best choice for you!

Handy Smurf is definitely a smurf of action. An unrecognized genius, he can build anything. His trouble lies in his inability to convince others that his inventions are practical. You may not be quite the handysmurf, but you understand the value of hard work. Your high interpersonal intelligence suggests that you know other people well. Handy Smurf loves sharing his inventions with others.

There is no doubting that Handy Smurf is very book smart. How else could he invent so many unique things. Unfortunately with his poor street smart skills he probably couldn't sell anything. Like Handy Smurf you appreciate knowing about a diversity of topics. Of course art and beauty is very important to Handy Smurf in his unique inventions. You also seem to appreciate art, creativity and design.

The 16 possible smurf categories are...

Lazy Smurf, Slouchy Smurfling, Hefty Smurf, Papa Smurf, Jokey Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Sassette Smurfling, Grandpa Smurf, Handy Smurf, Dreamy Smurf, Painter Smurf, Poet Smurf, Baker Smurf, Vanity Smurf, Smurfette, Tailor Smurf

Hey, don't be like Lazy Smurf. If you liked this test, please rate it highly to let others know. Thanks!

Link: The Smurf Personality Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

2007-07-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

ok - so get this -

The hot pink ami monkey I made for Miriam and posted yesterday was stolen off her desk!

can you believe it?!?!?

She didn't even have it for a day.

*sending out evil vibes to someone who would actually steal the ami monkey*

2007-07-30T13:13:00.001-07:00

Hot Pink Monkey for Miriam

Miriam's birthday was awhile back... so of course, I just recently sent her a birthday present. The pics of the scarf are soon to come... for now, here are some pics of the Hot Pink Monkey I made her.

As usual, no pattern... the eyes are doll eyes and the flower is a Swarovski crystal bead, both from Hobby Lobby.

Enjoy!

More Angles on Q's Dragon

2007-07-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

I received some more pictures from Sue of the Dragon Handpuppet that I made for Q. I thought these were cute and gave you a better look at this guy...
Enjoy!

Thank you, Sue :o)

Tagged!

2007-07-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

So, I was tagged for the first time... by dear Kate, who is proud to be an Okie From Muskogee.

here's my random, somewhat self-indulgent facts...

1. I am also slightly ambidextrous. I write left-handed almost always, but can write easily/legibly right, too. Writing right-handed is easier for me than left on chalkboards and desks at school (most of those desks were right-handed anyway). I draw a lot of the time with my right hand... mostly kick and throw right, but can throw/kick left. I crochet right-handed99.9% of the time... but can crochet left, too... and have taught both.

2. I am the second youngest out of six kids.... and my dad is the youngest of six. I am the only one in my family who does not have curly hair. I'm also the only one that doesn't not excel at math... which makes it even stranger that I'm the one working in finance.

3. I've worked as a children's party performer while moonlighting as a drag queen stage manager. I've also worked at an elevator repair company, shipping warehouse, and dialysis center.

4. I tore 3 ligaments in my ankle at the same time once... and the bone didn't break.

5. I have had 2 out of the 4 strains of mono.

6. I spent most of my Saturdays in high school either at the Cleveland Museum of Art drawing or taking care of my Grandma. I think I watched The Sound of Music and Frank Patterson Tours Ireland about a hundred times with her. And I know both almost verbatim.

7. I used to hate cats. For a long time I just didn't get them and was a 100% dog person. Now I am a faithful servant to two of them.

8. I was born in Santa Monica, Ca and we moved to Cleveland, Oh when I was 3 mos. old. I lived in Cleveland until I was 18, then I ended up living in Los Angeles for 9 years and worked in Santa Monica for 3 of those years.

tagged:
my sister thomas, and other family jewels

the siren (ask me for link, please) :)

bridgid.net

jen messes with texas

karen

Drea

Betht

Amanda

Kitty Ami for Kate

2007-07-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

I wanted to send something to Kate as a thinking of you gift... I know she loves tea and I scoured the internets looking for THE teapot that would be perfect for Kate. I found hundreds of cute ones... big ones, lil ones, bright ones, geometric ones, girly ones... and finally settled on this adorable sheep one. Not wanting to ship it all the way from the UK, I soured the internets once more, trying to find another store that carried this uber-cute pot.

But nada.

So... I ordered it.

About 3-4 days later, I see this post by Kate on her blog...

She had found exactly the same teapot and ordered it from the UK for herself.

What are the odds?

Anyway...

I made her a lil ami kitty because I figured there was no way that she already had one that looked exactly like this one...

so here's hoping :o)

Hand Puppets for Nephews - Dragon and Sheep

2007-07-02T12:39:00.001-07:00

The pictures from the June vacation are trickling in... and now I have some more pictures to share of things crocheted for the lil' guys.

First up: A Dragon for Quinlan.

I was originally going to make finger puppets for Quinlan, but then thought that a larger one might be more fun. I was going to suprise him, but the conversation went like this:

Q: a suprise?

M: Yup!

Q: What is it?

M: Well... I can't tell you... but you can guess! ...It's something that you wear on your hand...

Q: Mitten!

M: No... not a mitten, but...

Q: A PUPPET!

wow. that game didn't last long.

So yeah...

Here is his dragon puppet held by Uncle Andy. I'm hoping for some more angles. I gave him fangs, scales along his spine, and, of course, a forked tonge.

Next up: A Sheep For Atticus

So, I had made Atticus the elephant which he liked. But, he LOVED the dragon hand puppet. love Love LOVED it.

Of course, I had to make him a puppet. I had some fuzzy white yarn that I had packed on accident and it looked like a sheep's wool. Sheep it was!

I thought about Shaun the Sheep in Wallace and Gromit and tried to make him look like my mental image of him.

He turned out kind of poodle like... but here he is anyway giving Mr. Atticus a kiss.

and from the side... you can see hints of his big, long pink tongue:

Enjoy!

SCATTERGORIES

2007-06-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Cuz sometimes you need to take five...

The game is SCATTERGORIES, and it’s harder than it looks!
Here are the rules:
Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question. Have fun!
Your Name: Molly
1. Famous Singer/Band: Madonna
2. 4 letter word: Mint
3. Street: Monterey Oaks Blvd (my street).
4. Color: Mahoghany
5. Gifts/Presents: Million in Cash?
6. Vehicle: Mercedes
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Many Tacky Things
8. Boy Name: Mike
9. Girl Name: Moira
10. Movie Title: "Metropolis"... or better yet "M"
11. Drink: Manhattan
12. Occupation: Manager
13. Celebrity: Morgan Freeman
14. Magazine: Marie Clare
15. U.S. City: Marietta, PA
16. Pro Sports Teams: Mariners?
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: My car broke down...
19. Something You Throw Away: Moldy Things in the Back of the Fridge.

20. Things You Shout: My Word!

21. Cartoon Character: Miss Piggy (in the Muppet Babies Cartoon... boo-yah)

Cowboy Hat for Q

2007-06-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Again...

Here is another gift that I made over vacation. Quinlan, my nephew, was grilling me on all things Texan. He wanted to know all about the big ole piece on his US of A puzzle map called Texas. I told him about Cowboys and how they round up cattle and whatnot... and told him about cowboy hats, boots, and spurs.

Of course, then I thought, why not make him a cowboy hat so he could be sherriff?

No pattern... the crown was made in single crochet... the brim crocheted in back loops only in double crochet. I held two pieces of yarn together, one strand was wool-ease in woods and the other was just some random off-white worsted weight yarn I had.

Enjoy!

Baby Elephant for Atticus

2007-06-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sitting on top the blanket for Megan is the Elephant I made for Atticus. I started by following a pattern from a magazine (I'll have to look it up and let you know where it's from later). But, I forgot the pattern at home and winged everything but the torso of this guy.

I used worsted weight yarn and he's a very "tough" lil Elephant. I'm hoping to get a pic at some point of Atticus with the Elephant. Still to come are pics of the Sheep and Dragon hand puppets. As well as a Cowboy hat I made for Q. All were my own design.

Because I'm proud of the snuggly blanket (my biggest project in a long time)... here are some more angles on it:

A Blanket for Kate

2007-06-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

(above picture by Teresa Wong).

Moving away from a lot of friends in Los Angeles was difficult and there are times, especially recently, that I really wish I could be there for them.

My friend Kate's brother died tragically right before graduating from high school just a few weeks ago. Although I didn't know him, I know and love his sister a great deal. Kate and I would get together with Teresa to stitch over such broad genres as Pride and Prejudice, Sex and the City, Monsters Inc, Munich, and the Super Bowl. The three of us would stitch away and make snarky comments about whatever it was that we were watching. We would talk about life, the universe, and everything in it. Why boys can suck and how yarn can rock...
While we were living in LA within near proximity, Kate was studying some crazy smart stuff at UCLA for her Masters in some sort of science-y/chemistry-ish thing. She would talk about lab experiments in terms of baking cupcakes - which was a perfect metaphor so that I would be able to get it :o)
After I moved away to Texas (or perhaps, overlapping), Kate started working at a lab out in Camarillo and I think that what she is doing has to do with making sure that their company's cupcake recipe is replicated correctly at other cupcake bakeries. Or something like that. I know it has to do with cupcakes.
Anyway...
we would touch base now and again on what was going on with her... but you know, moving apart sometimes makes for long spaces between talking, quick emails here and there. And really, I was so involved with starting up in a new place, that I hadn't be in touch with Kate, Teresa, or many of my amazing friends from la la land as much as I had hoped to be.

Hearing the news about Kate's brother broke my heart. Although so many people talk about high school being the best years of their life... I just have so many memories of huge swings in emotion and just the overwhelming stress of all that I knew changing very quickly. I was excited and hopeful for the change... but terrified.
My senior year of high school, my friend Claudia's brother Robbie committed suicide over Christmas Break. He was a freshman at our brother school - a highly-lauded Jesuit school that my dad went to, cousins went to, various high school boyfriends went to...
Robbie was beautiful, smart, funny, and one of the few lil bros I didn't mind hanging around when I was with his big sister. I knew that he was having a hard time adjusting to high school... just didn't know why.
I found out about Robbie's death from a phone call from a mutual friend. A few days later, there was a full page article on the front page of the newspaper with a picture of Claudia and her family. The article explained that Robbie was mercilessly teased and bullied at school... and that he was gay and trying to come to terms with it with help from his family and a local GLB&T counseling center. He kept it as a secret at school and went to counseling after school. But he lived in fear of being found out...
and at his school the insults were, of course, all anti-gay. Cuz that's as creative as Jesuit kids usually get.
When Robbie died, I didn't know what to do or how to be there for Claudia. I felt completely helpless and just clumsy with it all.

10 years later, I feel exactly the same way with the death of Kate's brother. Just helpless and clumsy... and so far removed. I know more now from what I have read and what I have gathered from having buried a few other friends in the past few years. The one thing I have learned is that there is no such thing as a universal condolence when tragedy strikes. What I have learned is to listen and to let my friend who is suffering let me know what they need....
so if they call me and want to laugh, we laugh. If they call me and want to cry, we cry.
Being someone who often comforts myself by coming up with advice for others, it's hard to bite my tongue and just let it be all empathy. Cuz there really is no fixing death and grieving. It's just something that needs to run its course... so the best thing is to be a shoulder along the way.

After the news settled, I was talking with Teresa. "I feel so helpless, but I really want to do something... all day, I looked at afghan patterns online... but I don't know? Should I make her an afghan?"

"Did you get my email?" Teresa responded.

"Uh, no, I haven't checked it. Why? Were you thinking of doing the same thing? Because I can do something else..."

Teresa laughed a little, "Oh, no. You can make a blanket. It's just that I sent an email because I thought it might be a good idea for the members of Kate's stitch 'n' bitch to contribute squares. Then we can join them into a blanket to give to her from all of us. And if you wanted to, you could crochet a few... because although the others are mostly knitters, all of the squares will be different in yarn and stitch, so I think a few crochet ones will work fine."

Wow. Brilliance!

So, I set to work crocheting a few squares to be added by Teresa into Kate's blanket.

These were my contributions (pictures are clickable):
Obviously, this blanket isn't going to fix anything. But it is a nice gesture of love from all of her stitching friends to let her know that she is in our thoughts and hearts.

Ripple-Ghan for Megan :o)

2007-06-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

In just over a week, I stitched up this Ripple-Ghan for my sister Megan. It's perfect for snuggling under with her beautiful son and gerber baby wannabe Atticus... awww.

I finally got to meet him just before his first birthday. My family rented a guest house in the NC mountains for a week. It was the first time that all 6 siblings were under the same roof for a week since, I think, Christmas of '94.

Anyway... meeting my nephew was great and while we were there I made him a few other things which I will be posting as soon as I get back home and can load up the pics from my camera. In addition, I will post up a few more angles on this Ripple-Ghan so that you can see it spread over a bed. It was originally intended to be a lapghan, but without a pattern... I kind of just got carried away. It ended up being large enough to cover a full sized bed.
I used Yarn Bee Chenille from Hobby Lobby. It's incredibly silky soft and the colors are very vibrant. Megan loves bright colors and these colors match the nursery and it's Froggie theme :o)
I made him an elephant toy and a sheep hand puppet (the sheep was intended to look like Shaun the Sheep from Wallace and Gromit's A Close Shave). I also got to hang out with my adorable niece and other equally adorable and older nephew, Quinlan. I made Quinlan a dragon hand puppet. The dragon, sheep, and elephant were made without patterns. Though, for the elephant, I referenced a picture from a pattern when I was getting started.
Pictures of those items will come later.

Sundress for Myla Rose

2007-06-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting as most of my crochet projects lately are top secret.

But, there is one project that I was able to send to my niece, so I can share that one. *drumroll*

Myla Rose just turned 1 in May and I wanted to crochet her a big girl dress now that she is walking. I looked all over for patterns and couldn't find one that seemed exactly right. So, I decided to just make one up. I used Yarn Baby Sweet Delight from Hobby Lobby which was on sale.

I asked her mom for her size (btwn 12 mos and 18mos) and then searched online for approximate measurements for this size. Most measurements go by weight and I wasn't sure what her weight was (a true lady never reveals her weight...). Moreover, I was determined to start the project right away. Once I have the yarn in hand, I really can't wait to start. So, I found this handy chart.

I made the top in a square to fit the chest measurement. Then, I crocheted the skirt to fit the waist. I made the top in all single crochets and the skirt with increases of diagonal shells. In between, I made some post stitches in Double Crochet to weave a belt/tie through.

Then, I made the back in single crochet. The straps were done in the shell stitch. Each shell is a button hole so that if the straps were too long, they were adjustable.

For the buttons, I used these sweet little rose buttons that I found at *gasp* Walmart. I know, I rarely shop there. But sometimes, it's just too easy. Since she is Myla rose, I thought a Rose pin would be a nice lil addition. I pinned it to the belt, though, it can be placed on the bodice or skirt. Or just removed completely.

And here is Miss Myla Rose modeling it for us:

and the back:

Awwwww... :o)

If I were to make it again, I would make decreases on the top so that it would fit her better and not be so square in the front... but other than that, I think it's pretty dern cute. Then again, anything would look cute on this baby. And yes, I am biased.

Modeling the hats...

2007-02-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

Q and Myla wanted to model the hats to make sure that they were acceptable for the auction...

Of course, Myla's noggin is a few months too old for the Chicken hat... but I was so glad that my sis-in-law took the pics so that I could share them with you :o)

I love the pic of Q in the citygirl cap. He's definitely workin it.

Mad Hatter

2007-02-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

I have started teaching crochet a little bit more seriously - meaning, I have gotten organized about it. I taught a group of friends a Hat Class a few weeks ago. Everyone was at different levels, but I think everyone had a good time... and there were some really awesome hats that were made in result. I'm hoping that some of my friends from that class (hint, hint) will send me pics of their finished projects so that I can share them here.

Anyway... teaching others how to get a hat started reminded me of how much I love to make them. They are so quick and so easy to change up into whatever style you're looking for.

So... I went on a bit of a hat binge. I made about 8 hats in a week. In defense of my sanity, several of them were made for a silent auction to benefit my nephew's preschool (awww...)... so really, there was an excuse... er, I mean, need....

This week, I had the flu, so I haven't crocheted so much as a chain in several days... but I haven't od'd on hats yet... and plan on making several more in the weeks to come.

Anyway... here are some of the hats I made last week... my own pattern unless otherwise noted.

FROGGER: This lil green guy was made in Caron Simply Soft Bright Lime with some black trim... his eyes are hard to see here - so I'll post another pic, but I made his pupils as "stars". No real reason, just thought it was cute. Before he had the smile, he was looking a little alien... so I think the goofy grin really helps.

CHICKEN: This somewhat grumpy chicken is definitely his own bird. Maybe he's not thrilled at the prospect of being perched on top of a baby's head? Maybe he's just a little sarcastic? I'm not really sure. I totally winged this hat (ba dum dum ching) and didn't have a plan. When I finished it, I just sat it down in front of me and stared at it. The big blue eyes stared back at me. I couldn't tell if if was the creepiest thing I ever made or the cutest. The jury is still out on that one. I used Caron Simply Soft for this one, too... for all the parts. He has ties on either side that tie under the baby's chin - they have chicken feet at the end.

MISS BUNNY: To balance out the somewhat odd Chicken Hat... I made a pretty traditional bunny hat. This one I did in Cotton Tots. I wish that I had done the face detail in embroidery floss, because the Cotton Tots yarn was a bit too light to "take it". So, the detail on the nose cinched up the stitches around it. But... it's ok. It looks more obvious in the pic... I made the ears long and thought about lining them... but then I thought that it was kind of cute and cartoonish this way.

To balance out the baby gear... I made a bunch of adult hats...

One was a cloche... that I started from a pattern, but then totally frogged it and made up my own. I made it in gray and purple yarn that I happened to have lying around. I really liked the color combination... felt really vintage to me and classic. This one is also going up for auction.

To balance out the vintage hat, I made another hat from the city girl cap pattern... which is very urban and hip. I've gotten a lot of requests from friends for this hat... and am going to get some cranked out hopefully in the next few weeks. They work up really quickly and the pattern is very well-written. I used the same mystery yarn as I found lying around and used in the first hat.

Ok... so finally, my friend had been asking me for beanies... he loves one that I made for him a few years back, but needed a few new ones. Of course, when asking for them, he buttered me up by saying, "I always try on beanies at the store but they so don't fit as well as the one you made me!"

Which... true or not... I'll take it :)

So that rounds up the hats for the week... be forewarned, our next class is amigurumi... so expect lots of cute lil toys in the near future.

Long time... no post!

2007-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

I have been crocheting a lot lately, but just been too lazy to post. Cold weather (yes, it even happens in Austin, TX now, thanks to good ol' global warming...) makes me want to curl up inside with yarn and Gilmore Girls... which is a show that my knitting friends in la la land turned me onto... it's the perfect show to stitch to!

Anyway...

here are some projects I've recently completed ... and my to do list...

A baby it cold outside sweater and matching hat for my newly mobile baby niece...

In two different purple blends of a homespun-like yarn. (I used mill ends that my mom gave me last year). The white trim is homespun. I added flowers to the bottom left lapel to make it look more vintage and feminine.

Her older brother also wanted to try on the hat... which is a bit too small ... but cute nonetheless :). The BICO pattern is really quick and easy and really does work up in less than 3 hours. The secret is that it's almost entirely done in one piece- so there are no seams! Just an excellent project! For the hat, I just did a hdc simple cap and added a shell stitch border. The buttons and the center of the flowers are in the same purple blend as the hat... but the main sweater color I ran out of as I completed the last row of the sweater (how perfect is that!?!?)
I highly recommend the BICO sweater pattern! 1 skein + 3 hours = one adorable baby sweater. That's tough to beat!

For my other nephew, I made this lil' ear flap hat with a pom-pom, which I guess fit him for about a week before he out grew it!

This was also done with mill ends of a homespun-like yarn. It worked up in about an hour... plus 1/2 an hour for the pompoms and earflaps.

It was inspired by watching A Christmas Story... the boys wear the cutest winter hats in that movie!!

I also made him a fuzzy brown bear hat... but I'll be adjusting the size on that and reposting once it's finished.

I also made a hat for my friend Jamie that is pretty much identical to the toddler hat above... I teased him that he would never actually wear it (he requested it)... and so he sent me this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2XzY8J1i0

Cool, huh? (if you can't view the video, click the link).

I also made a Longhorn hat for my friend Marco... which I don't have a picture of yet. And I'm working on 3 hats for my friend Jeff.

For my mom, I gave her this circle vest that I had made... in white cotton tots yarn.

I am hoping to get a picture of her wearing it because the picture I took with me trying it on really isn't very good...(wow, look at my filthy bathroom mirror - gross). I basically did the Lacy Leaf Cocoon pattern by Annie Modesitt for Interweave Crochet, Spring 2006 and didn't add sleeves. My mom said that she prefered it without sleeves, just as a vest.
The picture to the left is of it lying down, pre-blocking.

I made a similar vest for my sister Megan in pink... but... I decided that the yarn I used (a soft, cotton baby yarn actually... it's what I had laying around when I started playing around with the pattern...) didn't really do the pattern justice. So, I'm reworking that for her.

I have about a dozen other projects in the works right now... all top secret and very late christmas gifts!

This coming Wednesday, I invited some friends in Austin to meet up with me at a coffee shop for Mat Hatter Day. We'll all make hats... I'll be teaching a lot of them to make their very first hat... which is uber exciting for me :o)

I'll post results afterwards...

Very Pink Baby Outfit

2006-12-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

It has been ages since I've updated this blog! Things have been crazy with adjusting to the new city... but, even though I am going out more and just generally busier than I was in LA, I'm still finding time to crochet.

I made the following uber-pink baby outfit for my boss' baby. She is totally daddy's little girl and he is very interested in dressing her in pink.

So...

Pink it is!

A sweater, cloche hat, and mary jane booties.

I crocheted them in Bernat Cotton Tots- Pretty in Pink and fell in love with this yarn. It's super-soft, washable, and crochets up so well. You can really see the stitchwork even though it is a very soft, snuggly yarn.

To start the sweater and for sizing, I used the hooded jacket from Simple Crochet for Cherished Babies. But, I wanted to make a cute hat and so I did not make the hood. I also added a scalloped trim in white and made a bow out of two double crochet chains instead of the frog closure that the book called for.

The sweater is done in a v-stitch and each panel worked up very quickly. To keep the collar down and open, I stitched the lapel down on both sides.

I sized it for a 3 month old baby. She isn't quite there yet, but it should fit her soon.

For the hat, I just did a simple single crochet and added a shell edge. I added a flower that I made up as I went along.

I have seen this style of hat done before, so I'm sure that I'm pulling from a variety of sources. Which means that I probably won't write up this pattern.

Next up are the mary janes. This is a really fuzzy picture, but unfortunately, the only one that I have.

I pulled the pattern from a booklet that I have at home (and can't remember the name of - I'll update once I know). The booklet rocks because it has a dozen or so very unique baby booties. I had to adjust the pattern because I was not using fingering weight yarn, so the sizing was tricky. But, I think that the effort was well worth it. They are really cute booties. I added a flower of sorts on to the side in place of a button.

I thought it would add to the vintage, feminine feel.

John loved the outfit and I'm hoping that his lil' one loves it, too.

Currently, I'm working on a sweater version of this vest and many Christmas gifts ... which will remain a secret for now...

Green Grass Purse and Betsy's Skirt on...

2006-10-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I have finally settled in Austin and am ready to start posting again.

Currently, I am working on a taupe purse in lion's brand suede and a monkey for Jeff (aka, Jewffrey).
I worked up a purse the week before last and have been wearing it around town. I used the same yarn that I used to make Bridgid's messenger bag (pictures pending). The color is "grass" and it's wool-ease thick'n'quick chunky yarn.

For the very first time, I actually lined a bag that I made. Which means that I can put pens in it and not be afraid that they are going to work themselves through the stitches of the bag. I used felt to line it and did a very rudimentary, pathetic attempt at a whip stitch. I figure it's practice. I'll probably rip it out and redo it at somepoint. I'm also planning on adding a pocket for a cell phone in there... and making a matching wallet.
In the meantime, here it is. I have been wearing it around this new town of mine and have been stopped and given lots of compliments... which is just awesome.

I also wanted to show a picture of Betsy wearing her skirt. It's not a great pic because it was taken in a dark bar... and even though Erik is a great photographer with a nice camera, the skirt was black. He probably would have given it a little more effort if he realized that I made it... but he didn't believe me until later :o)
Regardless, it does prove that it actually fits her. I am really thrilled that she loves it... and just so grateful that it fits her so perfectly.
She looked fabulous in the skirt and I hope that you get to see her wearing it someday - or I get a better pic ;P

Mom's Shawl

2006-09-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

So... this project was done AGES ago (over 1 year ago), but I just got the pictures. My dad had taken pictures of my mom posing in the shawl that I designed and crocheted for her birthday. I think it was my first project without a pattern. Anyway, if you crochet, you know that this isn't all that special because a shawl is a pretty easy shape. The rest of you, please be impressed ;)
Anyway... I'm visiting in North Carolina and I stumbled across these pictures on my parents' computer and thought I might as well share them.
I used TLC Amore in Dusty Rose. This was given to my mom a year after she had become a grandmother for the first time. Now, she has two new grandbabies.
I did the majority of the shawl in one stitch. But then, I got bored and added some triple crochet as a way to break up the space. For the end, I did ruffles all the way around.
It worked up fairly quickly. It's a little more girly and feminine than my mother normally wears, but I think she likes it. The texture is soft and it's an easy way to keep her shoulders warm.
This has been such a great trip. North Carolina is beautiful and relaxing. It's great to see my parents and I got to meet Myla Rose, my first niece!
Quinlan is talking up a storm and interested in everything. It's just such a blast to be able to hang out with them.
It's going to be hard to go home and start prepping up for my big move to Austin. But, at least I'll go into it relaxed and refreshed... well, as relaxed as I can get...

Cthulu 2.0

2006-09-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

After sending pics of the mighty lil' cthulu around, I was informed that although my homage to the slimy, tentacled, elder god was impressive... it still wasn't "right". Apparently, without wings, my chtulu was just an odd looking crochet dude.
So, I went home and crocheted up some rudimentary wings (as described in wikipedia). It was all very last minute and done when I should have been packing for my trip to Seattle and NC... but, it was my last day at work and I figured that if I didn't attach them myself, Cthulu would never have wings.
I spent my lunch on my last day up at Greg's desk performing minor surgery on The Tentacled One. To help make the wings stand up, I straightened out two jumbo paper clips and inserted them in the wings. I had brought a blue pipecleaner for the job, but it showed a little too much. I was checking him out and realized how cool it would be if he had bendable arms. So, I cut the pipecleaner in half and inserted one half into each tubey arm. Voila! The Elder God, complete.
I must admit, my friends were right. With wings, Cthulu is much more impressive, creepy, and wonderful.
And, admittedly less cuddly.
Check him out. muwahahah. Oh, and there he is posing with Greg's vicodin for his yechy back pain.

Hats!

2006-09-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was in Seattle with my sisters, Betsy and Bridgid. The three of us were watching endless episodes of Sex and the City... hours and hours of season 5-6... while stitching away. I had made a cabled messenger bag and a skirt for Betsy and spent the first few hours weaving in the ends (fun times...). Finally, once I had finished those projects, I started some hats and ended up making them each one in "grass" green by wool-ease. We had a blast and it was probably my most productive stitch 'n' bitch in a lonnnng time. Betsy made a scarf for our Uncle Tom which I'll be giving him tomorrow. I got her addicted to cables and super-chunky wool-ease yarn. Bridgid was working on a fabulous pillow in Alpaca Wool. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Bridgid, Betsy, and I went to a yarn store, of course, and drooled over beautiful yarns and patterns. I forget the name of the store... but it was great. The store used to be a house and you could meander from room to room and touch all sorts of lovely different textures. Lots of yummy, tempting yarn. But, we all behaved ourselves. (awww... no fun!)

Cthulu!

2006-09-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hello! As pretty much everyone knows, I am not a sci-fi reader... but, everyone I know and adore totally is. I am pretty sure that everyone in my family and most of my friends have read and loved at least some sci-fi stuff. Anyway... a co-worker friend of mine is obsessed with the sci-fi classics - especially HP Lovecraft and this character/god named Cthulu. He's been working like crazy on a project for me and helping me immensely. In the meantime, he hurt his back and has a pinched nerve- and is attempting to work even though he's in a lot of pain Anyway, I wanted to make him smile, so I looked up cthulu on wikipedia and decided to crochet a version for his desk... I guess if you know what the bad guy in Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest looks like, you'll know the jist. Basically, he is supposed to be like a combination of a squid, octopus, bird, and reptile. Of course, he is tormenting the Lily-cat for added drama.
Enjoy!

Watermelon Baby Hat- and TIGGER :o)

2006-09-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I previously posted this watermelon hat, made for my brand new neice Myla Rose. She now fits said hat and is modeling it for the camera! Also, her big brother Quinlan is cuddling with a spectacular Tigger made by my sister Betsy. Q adores his Tigger and you can see why :o)

Aunt Sheila's Shawl

2006-09-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

It's about time for an update, huh?... with the imminent move to Austin, I have been running around like crazy. Trying to see everyone in my los angeles "family", revisit old haunting grounds, and get my apartment, cat, car, and self ready for the big ole move to tejas!

My parents visited my Aunt Sheila in Cleveland where she is staying at a place specifically for those with alzheimers. It sounds like she is incredibly happy and comfortable. Enjoying things like yoga, music, and all of the activities they have.

If you remember, I made her a shawl. To the left is the picture that came with the pattern from "Wrap Style" by Interweave Press.
It was a fairly easy pattern that worked up quickly, but looks lovely and complicated :)
Above, is my lovely aunt wearing her new shawl! She is sitting with my Mom who is wearing a top she bought when we were at Olvera Street (the original pueblo) for Cinco de Mayo.

Here are also some close ups of the shawl (previously posted)...

Brand New Nephew - and Lil' Devil Baby Hat

2006-07-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

My sister Megan and brother-in-law Matt became new proud parents last week! Baby Atticus Zane (seems to be going by Zane so far) is doing well and adjusting the to world just fine.

I crocheted him a lil' devil baby hat a few months ago and had to wait patiently for them to be able to open it! I wanted to make something unique, funny, and cute all at the same time. There is above, in a hat that is right now giant on him! I wish I had taken pictures of the hat next to a tennis ball or a mug or something - just to give you an idea of just how tiny this hat is.
It's amazing how tiny this lil' guy is!

I found this hat in a knit pattern, but knew I could make a version that was as cute or cuter in crochet. I think that crochet lends itself to shaping better than knit, so the horns hold up really well. The hat isn't an original design, but it is an original pattern. The picture to the Right make the hat look asymmetrical, but that's just because of the weird angle that the hat was photographed. I'm not sure why it looks ike that. Both sides are the same length and width in each part.

Thanks for looking :) Congrats to Megan and Matt on their beautiful baby boy!

baby hats

2006-06-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few baby hats that I've been working on. All were done without a pattern for the most part. (I used this precious sunhat pattern to start off the watermelon hat, but ended it my own way).

The first is a lil' flower hat. Originally, it was made for Myla Rose. However, she has quite the noggin' for a newborn and the hat didn't fit her. So, Sue sent it back to me and it will be worn by my coworker Crystal's baby girl due in October. I made this cloche-style hat in a sc spiral in yellow (Caron Simply Soft). Then I made little white petals. I stitched the petals around the brim of the hat. Then I added a lil' pansy to the side of the hat as an accent. It's Crystal's first baby gear and she loves the warm color.

For Myla, I have a larger hat which will hopefully fit her in the fall :) Right now it's a little too muggy in NC for a hat. Using Caron Simply soft, I made the top in red. Then I made a white stripe to start the rind. The rind is a lime green. I took black yarn and added some seeds.
The last hat, the purple, is a bellflower for Casey, another coworker's baby. She was born early and had a rough time at first, but is finally home with her mom and dad. I am going to make them another hat or maybe a dress to celebrate that she is home now. She was there in the hospital for 7 weeks, which was very difficult. She's a beautiful baby and very healthy and strong.
Next week, I'll be able to add pics of a baby hat that I made for Baby Gallagher Clark... but I have to wait until after the shower.

'Nother Monkey!

2006-06-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

This one was for a co-worker/friend named Katherine who loved the Monkey that I made for my friend Josh.
The monkey is sitting next to her phone in the first pic and next to a ruler (to show you his height) in the other. He's a very lil' guy.
I made him with wool-ease in the "woods color". I sewed on a red heart button and embroidered his face on tan felt (although, it looks white in the pic).
Enjoy the pics :)

80's Kball Prom

2006-05-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from my 80's kball prom. Both Michelle and I were nominated for Prom Queen... and it was an honor to be nominated. I feel very blessed for the honor and want offer my congrats to Lisa. Heheheh.
I put together my outfit the day of. I'm wearing a blue mini-skirt (3 tiers of ruffles) over black spandex/leggings. I bough a red 80's sweater from a thrift store and cut off the sleeves. I wore the sleeves as legwarmers. And I wore white socks with black pumps (complete with a cheesy bow). I cropped the sweater and cut it down the front. I wore it over a zebra striped tanktop that was ridiculously cheesy. I also crimped my hair and wore hoops. Oh... and I crocheted myself a fingerless glove with fur trim for my right hand. There is nothing more fun than looking ridiculous!

Just for Fun...

2006-05-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

If Lily-cat were a cartoon character, this is how she'd be drawn. Note that she is lording over me.

Purses and Yoga Mat Bag - From Christmas

2006-05-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

So... I finally have some pictures of the purses and one of the yoga mat bags that I made for Christmas. This first one in aran colored yarn with a red bow, I made for Sue, my sister-in-law. The inspiration for the purse came from these designer purses. I found a pattern on Crochetville, but mixed it up to get a shorter, wider bag. I bought rattan handles from Joann's and painted them a warmer, darker brown. I also made the same purse in heather gray for my sister Betsy. The yarn for both is red heart... which means that I spent less than $5 (handles included) to make each purse. Not a bad deal.

Here are some pictures of my sister Sheila's yoga mat bag made from this great pattern. I hope she's able to use it. Here are some different angles. For this one, I also used Red Heart. It's super-washsable... which is great considering how much it rains in Scotland (where Sheila lives). The texture of the yarn is not very soft, but being that these are bags, I figure that it is mor important that they are sturdy! If you are a crocheter, I really recommend both of these projects for gifts. They are useful, easy to make, and work up quickly... plus, the materials are fairly inexpensive.

Mom's Market Bag

2006-05-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

This was my first felted project! I made Crochet Me's Pike Place Market Bag for my mom. My mom and my dad love to go to the nearby market in NC for organic food. I'm not sure that they can fully stock up on their groceries with this bag, but it's a start :) I think that this will probably be a great bag when my mom is taking Q and brand new Myla Rose around on adventures. The pocket is the perfect size for a baby bottle! I chose purple yarn because it's my mom's favorite color. I used Cascade 220 (in order to felt, the yarn must be 100% wool. For those of you who don't know what felting it, it's actually kind of a neat process. Basically, you stitch up a bag in a super-large size in wool yarn. Then you put it into the washing machine inside a pillowcase that is zipped or tied shut. Along with the pillow case, you put some items in the load to create friction (I used some plastic sandals, a tennis ball, and my old paint jeans from my set construction days). You add some baking soda to the load and wash it on HOT. The result is that the wool shrinks (ever wash a wool sweater?) and kind of fuses together into a firm fabric. Felt!
Anyway, I made this awhile back, but never got around to fully attaching the handles. I need to use my friend Kate's sewing machine for that :) Since she's been hard at work on her thesis, I haven't been pushing to get it done. I guess that the thesis for her lil' biomedical grad diploma from UCLA is kind of a priority for her right now. Don't ask me why.... obviously my opinion doesn't matter ;)

Spiderweb Lace Skirt

2006-05-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

This project is dangerously close to being finished. I have yet to weave in the ends or add the elastic to the waist. I also haven't blocked it (but I think it'll be best if Betsy blocks it so that it fits her perfectly). I kind of got distracted by the plethora of baby hats that I've been making for the lil' ones in my life... or soon-to-be in my life :)

I got the pattern for this skirt here. I don't looooooove this pattern. It's fine, I did it... but I had some problems with the joining of the rounds. It turned out fine, but if Betsy looks close enough, she'll be able to find the problem. Because of the many layers, I don't think that the mistake matters. I think that if I were to do it again for someone else, I would make it in different yarn and also change up the lace on the skirt. I thought it would be a little bit more lacey, honestly. I think Betsy will like it - and it will be a good skirt to wear in the Cold Seattle winter. It's made with Wool Ease and can be worn over a lighter skirt, leggings, or it can be worn alone (oooh la la!). Oh, I also had immense problems with the top of the skirt because no matter what I did, I couldn't get my stitching to match size wise with the pattern. So, I didn't follow the pattern for the top portion.
I don't know that I will remake this pattern, because that much sc in such a tight stitch is kind of annoying :P The top portion took me a VERY long time. The bottom portion probably took me about a week. The top portion (non-lacy) hits at the upper thigh.
My sister Betsy is phenomenal and deserves this skirt... which is right up her alley. I hope she wears it when she dances! Once it's blocked, it should hit to about mid-calf/ankle (the bottom is not straight, but wavy in length). If she doesn't mind modeling the skirt, I will post it here.

Aunt Sheila's Wrap/Shawl Finished Pics

2006-05-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of the shawl that I made for my Aunt Sheila. The pattern for this lovely wrap is from "Wrap Style" by Interweave Press. I used TLC Baby Yarn in Powder Lilac and the result is a really quite pretty. I am very happy with it and can't wait to send it to her. My Aunt Sheila was an OB/GYN nurse for decades and actually helped my mom through all of her pregnancies (6!!) over the years. Aunt Sheila's house was the best place for sleepovers! She'd wash our hair with her "special" shampoo and conditioners that always smelled amazing and made my hair feel like a million dollars. She'd give us little make up cases with Clinique eyeshadows and lipsticks :) She'd let us eat Dove Bars for breakfast and stay up late giggling. We'd play "fairies" on the stairs and pretend like the stairs were the hill where the fairies lived. She'd play these old records like the Red Baron and Peanut Butter and we'd dance like crazy.
Everything in her house always smelled so good. They always say that smells are your strongest memories, and I remember her place so well by the smell of the soap, the kitchen, even the smell of the couch. I also remember the way everything felt. So warm and cozy. The fabric of the pink chair in the room that everything was a dusty rose. I remember sitting in Grandpa's chair (which was in her living room). And I could smell this mixture of tobacco and time. Hard to explain, but that is the closest thing to a memory of Grandpa Gallagher that I have.
The majority of my memories of my Grandmother are in that house, too. My aunt was my Grandma's caregiver for most of my life. I would go over there on Saturday's and take care of my Grandma. Combing her hair, listening to her memories of growing up in Ireland and coming over here... praying the rosary with her and watching way way way too much Frank Patterson and singing along.
My aunt gave up a lot through the years, but never surrendered her personality, values, ideals, or interests. She loved budweiser over any of the fancy schmancy beers my dad brought over for family parties... and was the only woman I remember drinking bud or any beer when I was growing up. The image that that creates, though, is so contrary. She really loved all things exquisite and pretty. She loved fashion, but loved the fashion of Kate Hepburn and the images of the Victoria catalogue above all. She kept every outfit she ever loved. I remember her showing me the dress that she wore to my parents wedding - a smart outfit with a darling short, short skirt. An outfit that Jackie Kennedy wore, too. She'd tell me stories about going through great lengths to get THE outfit that was just the style. And laughing her marvelous laugh. Following up with a, "ohhhh gad!"
Right now, I live in the neighborhood that she lived in as she came of age as a young woman starting up a nursing career. I walk the streets that she walked... and both times that she visited me, we went to The Apple Pan, the first place she ate at in Los Angeles.
The story is that she drove out here from Ohio... seeking a change of scenery and a job. She drove with her friend Min (I am pretty sure), who told her that she could drive part of the way since my aunt was a brand new driver (my dad had taught her the prior week!). As it turns out, Min couldn't drive... so my Aunt drove the entire 3,000 odd miles in her in her pretty lil' vw bug . When they arrived, her feet were aching tired. First thing they did was have a burger at The Apple Pan.
My aunt did amazing things during her time here and really learned so much about life and the world. She read up on buddism and learned yoga. She met people from all over the world and so many cultures. She discovered yogurt, artichokes, and avocados :) And mexican food! Cleveland didn't get Mexican food until the latelatelate 70's, so, this is pretty impressive.
She and her friends from the Newman Center at UCLA formed a group of young, social activist Catholics. They posted flyers and worked together on various causes attempting to make the church a more welcoming, progressive place and helping those that were down on their luck.
When my aunt came out to visit a few years ago, I got to meet most of the members of this group. I felt like I was witnessing something truly unique and powerful. I was able to see her through their eyes - as a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman who changed other peoples lives through her thoughts and beliefs.
Recently, my aunt was diagnosed with alzheimers. She came out to visit with my Aunt Kay and Uncle Bob to help her cultivate her earlier memories, which frequently are the strongest. I was so terribly hurt and saddened to see that someone who was so articulate was having trouble with certain words and phrases. She gave me a package of yarn, some insanely 70's patterns and asked me to send them to my sisters who crochet (Bridgid and Betsy). She can't crochet anymore because of the alzheimers. She told me that if I wanted to learn, that I could learn from her books. I did send them on, but first I taught myself how to crochet... wanting desperately to connect with her.
She now is living in a community that specializes in alzheimers, and it is a truly amazing place for her. I know that it is the right thing, but it's hard because I wish that her house could remain as is. From what I hear, she is doing beautifully and very happy. She is able to do things like yoga (which I doubt she ever thought would come to Cleveland) and dance and make friends. I have been told that she is very much like herself, but like herself when she was younger... which is kind of nice. It's as if she gets to have a carefree adulthood and feel like a little girl.
Sure, that's idealizing it, but it is the only way that I can cope with it right now. I think that alzheimers really throws my faith (already dwindling) for a loop. I am trying to see that her soul is untouched by this disease. That the amazing soul that loved me and made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world (c'mon... dove bars for breakfast!) is still there. I just really hope that the powers that be can git their sh** together and come up with a cure!
Anyway, the shawl made me think of her as soon as I saw the pattern. It's so intricate and complicated, but yet decidedly feminine and girlish. I hope that I can get some pictures of her wearing it, but I can't promise anything. If I can, I will post them here.

Turquoise Shawl and Black Scarf

2006-05-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

I finally have pictures... these are from NOVEMBER. Pathetic, I know.

But still, here they are. I made the following two pieces, a scarf and a shawl in the Spiderweb Lace stitch that I found in my favorite crochet book. The shawl in Microspun for my friend Michele (aka meesh) who is modeling said shawl.

She modeled it before the ends were woven in (note the lovely end hanging out across her arm). I finished weaving in the ends at our Thanksgiving Potluck party. Which was Michele's last night in LA before she went to PA. :( I miss her!!!

To see close ups of the stitch...

This was a complicated stitch, but I loved the results!

I also made a scarf in the same stitch, but in Patons' Brilliance. I haven't decided who to give it to yet... so yeah, any suggestions are welcome ;P

It's a skinny scarf and has some "sparkle" in the yarn. I haven't decided who would actually wear it :)

Bunny for Mits

2006-05-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

I crocheted this bunny for my friend Mitzie from one of Roxy Crafts' awesome Amigurumi patterns. Like everything I do, this one doesn't look identical to the original. I kinda switched things up here and there. This one doesn't measure up to Mitzie's two real bunnies - Bonnie and Clyde. The embroidery is kind of messy, but c'mon - it adds character!

Mitzie, in case you haven't met her, is the friend of mine that grew up in Japan and moved out to UCSB for college. She studied accounting and then briefly moved to Arkansas where she picked up a love for country music. I worked with Mitzie at MetWest (a Fixed Income place) where she was pushed around by an awful boss with terrible breath. I used to go and hang out with Mitzie at this great dive bar that had karaoke called Roger's Tattle Tale. Mitzie's comes off as this quiet girl, but man can she belt out a country ballad. :) I loved seeing the permanent residents of the bar stools at that bar look up in shock when she sang.

Mitzie works for Ernst & Young now and just moved to Houston. She seems to be adjusting just fine and I'll be seeing her in a month when I go down there to check out Austin. I can't wait to see her!

In other updates, the skirt for my sister is nearly complete! I have about 2 more rows to add to the bottom and then I just need to add elastic to the top. There were a few problems that I had with the lace where it joined. At some point, I realized that it would work better if I stopped joining and just worked in the rounds. Of course, I didn't realize this until I was a skein into it... so I did not go back and re-do it. I know this is a total sin... but honestly, I don't think you can tell. The way the skirt hangs in layers, it is really not noticeable at all. I think it's going to look really stunning on her. It might be too warm of a skirt for the summer up in Seattle, but I think it'll be perfect for this fall.

Well... that's the update. Hopefully, I'll be able to post pics of the finished skirt soon.

Strawberry Purse

2006-03-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

I started this purse last weekend during the yarn crawl that Teresa and I did through Pasadena/Monrovia. Like many of my projects, I started following a pattern and then found myself bored. Teresa and I were joking that the baguette was turning out to look like a little strawberry. So, I thought, hmm... why not just make it into a strawberry?
I added some green trim, a button, and a strap. Later I added some black seeds (after a bit of a discussion with friends on why strawberry seeds are actually tan but are always drawn as black).
Whether they should be tan or black, it still made for a darling little purse for a darling little girl.
Of course, after finishing the project, I realized that I didn't know any girls that were the right age for a strawberry purse -darling or otherwise. I was making fun of myself for finishing that project when I have tons of UFOs (unfinished objects) begging for attention. But, as the rule with things that are cute, the opporunity for the strawberry to be adopted arose immediately.
My co-worker Gretchen was going to meet her boyfriend's parents at his niece's 6th birthday. She had been going back and forth on attending (it's a wee bit of pressure meeting all the family all at once!), and suddenly the party was quickly approaching and a) she was going and b) she didn't have a gift.
She was explaining her dilemna to me and I felt very much like a Stepford Wife, "You need a gift for a 6 year old? I'm sure I can find something perfectly suitable in my fully stocked gift closet."
Gretchen and Doug filled the strawberry purse with lots of 6 year old girlish trinkets and gifts. And apparently, she was delighted!
Happiness all around.

Floppy Blue/Green Fuzzy Bear and Weekend Update

2006-03-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Q and his floppy, blue/green, fuzzy bear from Christmas. I made it without a pattern in Baby Clouds - Baby Green (which actually looks more blue?) and did embroidery for the face. He's a little lumpy, but Q doesn't seem to mind :P

Q is sitting on his big boy bed!

This weekend was great. On St. Patty's Day, I went to a party with some kickball friends at Katie's place. It was fun and chill. Much better than waiting in lines and paying ridiculous covers. I made more soda bread and some bailey's fudge. Yummilicious! On Saturday, Teresa and I did a yarn crawl through Pasadena/Monrovia. We went to Unraveled (located at 137 E COLORADO BLVD) where they were having a huge sale and then later to Skein. Unraveled was nice because it was really spacious, but to be honest, the yarn selection didn't impress me much. Sure there was a lot of variety in terms of brands, but within individual brands, I didn't find much variety. 3 shades of Cascade 220 is pretty pathetic. But, it was a really comfy store. Though, Teresa wasn't a big fan of the service. We both felt like the saleswoman there thought we were going to steal something. Cuz, Teresa and I look so tough. Hahaha... yeah right. Our combined height is still under 10 feet :) Skein was a better shop and in an adorable house. But, they didn't have as many crochet patterns as knit... maybe 1 crochet book for every 10 knitting book. And the crochet books all seemed to be circa 1983. It was my first yarn crawl that I left empty-handed.
After our yarn crawl, we celebrated being in pseudo-suburbia with a trip to Target. We purchased happiness for $1.99 despite the claims of a local and very vocal religious group that we could not buy happiness. Our happiness came in the form of a microwaveable egg poacher. It's super-rad. You can poach eggs in the morning for breakfast and only use one dish. It's superfast and easy ... and it makes it easier for me to meet my new protein reqs.
After the Target, we found ourselves hungry and amazingly enough... just as our tummies grumbled in hunger, Teresa remembered that her beau TJ was performing at an Indian Restaurant in Pasadena. He is a drummer who is really into tables and sacred drums of India. The boy is really good... and super-sweet. So we went over there to suprise him and listen to his neato-music while eating some delish Indian food.
Tres bien.
On Sunday, I had to do some random med test at home (long story). I was bummed about having to stay home for a full day, but luckily, I have awesome friends. Teresa, Carina, Rachel, Carrie, and my roomate Alexandria all hung out. We watched Pirates of the Carribean and swooned over Darlin' Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Afterwards, we watched Harry Potter (#4) and then Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy.
Most of us worked on our respective projects.... Rachel's cable purse is absolutely stunning. Teresa is working on her 2nd (and less decadent, albeit more washable) Lady E. Carina is making a fabulous Mile a Minute Afgan. I'm working on Betsy's skirt- although... the pattern is really sort of obnoxious! :P
Anyway... nice weekend, eh?

Bridgid's Bedspread and Mesh Yoga Mat Bag

2006-03-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hello again...
These pictures are from projects of Christmas past... yet again :P

The first is of a rather neurotic bedspread that I made for my rockclimbing, rockstar sister Bridgid for Christmas '04. The bedspread is done entirely in double crochet - approximately 8,000 of them! in Lions Brand Chenille Thick & Quick. The bed pictured is a twin. On my Full, it just covered the top and draped over the bottom. Kind of an odd size for a bedspread, but it is super-snuggly and soft! I made it in just over a week whilst going through an obnoxious breakup (b/c normally they are oh, so pleasant!), if that helps to explain the insanity. Anyway, it's a beautiful blanket and I'm very proud of it... and happy that my sister loves it.

These next pictures are of a Mesh Yoga Mat Bag that I just kind of made up as I went along. I definitely used the previously posted Yoga Mat Bag pattern as inspiration, but the body of the bag is definitely... uh random. It's done up in Caron Simply Soft and was a very fast, easy gift that is actually useful :) I highly recommend this project. I believe that Bridgid's Boy Brian is the model.

The first picture is a close up of the mesh or net stitch (chain 5, 1 single crochet). The second is the full bag shot. The third pic is of the strap which can either be slung over the shoulder or worn Rambo-style (Namaste, biiiiatch).

Grandma Gallagher's Soda Bread

2006-03-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope everyone is sipping some guiness and wearing green :) I made 4 loaves of Grandma Gallagher's Irish Soda Bread last night. Soda bread is unique because it is made with out yeast, but still rises. This is because of the mixture of buttermilk and baking soda. You might notice a cross in the top of the loaves. One of your Irish friends might tell you that this is to “let the devil out”, but really it’s so that when the bread rises quickly, it doesn’t completely crumble. It's a very dense bread that tastes like a scone and is great with butter, honey, maple butter, or apple butter.
I'm going to make a few more loaves tonight for a party that I'm going to - and maybe some Bailey's Fudge, too! For kickball this week, I made fudge brownies with Bailey's Frosting. It was a huge hit, but because of the resulting food comas, our team was massacred. Ah, well :)

Here is the recipe for Grandma Gallagher's Soda Bread:
Ingredients:
4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Raisins
4 Tablespoons Butter -softened (I use Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter)
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Soak the raisins to make them plump. I put them into a bowl with water and microwave them for 1 minute. Then I drain them and set them aside.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt) until well blended.
Cut the butter into the mixed dry ingredients. I use my hands. Press the butter into the mixture and continue to mix until the ingredients resemble cornmeal - ie, are crumbly.
Mix in the (now plump) raisins.
Lightly beat an egg in a small bowl with a fork.
Pour 1 1/4 cup of Buttermilk (save 1/4 cup for later) into the bowl with the egg. Stir together with the fork.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Slowly Pour the Buttermilk and Egg blend into the well in the dry ingredients.
Fold the dry mixture over the buttermilk blend with a wooden spoon. Softly stir until the dry ingredients soak up the buttermilk blend.
Flour your hands.
Take the very moist and sticky dough and softly knead the dough for just a minute or so. You want the dough to be moist, not stretchy (over kneaded) or dry. Dry dough = very bad. If your dough is really dry/cracked, it won't bake correctly... so add in more buttermilk in Teaspoons at a time until it has the right consistency.
Divide the dough into 2 balls.
Grease a baking sheet or two pie pans (either work fine).
Place each ball on the sheet.
Cut a cross in the top of each ball. The dough will not bake correctly without the cross.
Pour the remaining Buttermilk Blend (1/4 cup) over each loaf. Pour into the cross and then use your hands to coat the top of the loaf.
Bake for 30 mins.
Bread is ready when you insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean. If the center of the bread is not finished after 30 mins of baking and the outside is baked, put the oven on warm and let the bread sit for 5 more minutes.

VARIATION: My friend Erin coats hers with melted butter and then a heavy sprinkling of Cinnamon Sugar. Yummilicious!

It's not exactly the same as my Grandma's, but it's pretty dern close - which is awesome because she never wrote hers down and never measured anything! My mom came up with the above, I think, and I think it works very well. I think I want to play around with the recipe a little and see if I can get a larger, creamier, flatter loaf.

Enjoy!

Sean's Hat - and More Cutey-Q - and my first Hat

2006-03-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here's another picture of Q- this time with his Dad!

The hat that Sean is wearing is one that BRIDGID crocheted! Whoops, I orginally posted that it was the beanie that I made him - but I guess that Bridgid made him one, too. hehehehe...

I'm having a little bit of trouble editing these photos (look how pixelated-- tres 1980's Superman, huh?) Anyway, they are still really cute! So there :P

Enjoy!

Update: The hats below are the same style/pattern, but in those pics you can see it and the detail. The first one (one left) I made over a year ago for my friend Jeff. It's done in all single crochet and I believe I used Simply Soft and Woolease. All hats were made from the top down with increases to the crown (until it looks like a pancake), and then just around and around until the yarmulke turned into a beanie. The hat on the right was posted earlier. This hat was for my brother-in-law Matt for Christmas. Again, the wrist cuff in the pic were made my awesome sister Bridgid. Hooray for Beanies!!!

Cutey-Q

2006-03-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok - not crochet related, but tell me... is this not the cutest toddler that you've ever seen!?!? That's my nephew- the son of my brother Sean and my sister-in-law Sue. Sooo sweet!

Pooh Bear and Wrist Warmers by my Crafty Sisters!

2006-03-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

Pooh and Piglet by Betsy!
Here are some super-huggable creations by my sister Betsy! Aren't they soo cuddly? I love them. And they are giant - they must have taken a lot of patience (looks like giant amigurumi - amigurumi are japanese-style crochet, typically tiny animals done entirely in single crochet).
Bravo, Betsy!
Sooo sweet, I think I'm getting a cavity! :)
To further express the talents of my crafty sisters, here are some wristwarmers by my sister Bridgid. She made all of the women in my family a pair - which in typical families is a task, but in our family - with our family it is nothing short of a feat! That's 6 pairs of wrist warmers. Wowza- she's a machine :) I wore mine to Kickball and everyone wanted a pair! To the right is Betsy elegantly modeling a pair whilst Bridgid checks out the Muench Touch Me Yarn That I gave her. Bridgid's face is unfortunately cropped out. The wristwarmers are done in Alpaca Wool. Super-warm and so beautiful! Here's a picture of my Mom showing off hers. She is wearing a pink shawl that I made her for her birthday last February. The shawl was done in TLC Amore from my own design.
My update is that this weekend, I felted her bag that I making for a belated birthday gift for her. It's really beautiful. I just need to stitch on the handles. I also designed a new handbag yesterday! It's really sweet looking and I can't wait to post the pictures. I'm tempted to submit the pattern to either Crochet Me or the Crochet Pattern-a-Day Calendar. Yippee! I started to teach Liz, from my kickball team, how to crochet during the Oscars. Rachel showed me some beautiful scarves she is working on. She is normally a knitter but is working her way through some great lace crochet patterns. On Saturday, Kate and Amy came over and knitted while we watched Flight Plan and ate from La Bottega, my favorite restaurant which just happens to be 2 doors down from my apt (Dangerous, I know).

Yoga Mat Bags and Crafty Matt Gifts

2006-03-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Yoga Mat Bags...

These are more belated postings of projects from Christmas Past! I'll have some more as I go along, I'm sure.
The first is a yoga mat bag that I made for my sister Sheila. I had previously made one for my friend Stacie (far left), but it was my 3rd project and I misinterpreted the pattern. It worked out well (I did long dc's insead of short), but when I made the bag for my sister Sheila, I actually *gasp* did the project correctly! Anyway, Sheila lives in Scotland and needs a bag that can get wet! This is not waterproof, but definitely washable. The picture to the left is a close up of of Stacie's bag so that you can see the detail on the long dc stitch.

Crafty Matt!
One of my brothers-in-law, Matt, was gifted with a few crafty accessories this Christmas. I made him the hat in black and gray - all sc - which you can't really see. But- far more interesting: my sister Bridgid made him the fabulous skull wristband from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller. The skull is beaded! She's super-talented, isn't she!!?!
Here's Matt and his bad ass crafty booty from Christmas. He made some beautiful jewelry this year as gifts and I'm hoping to post that up here as well.

Betsy's Purse - Christmas

2006-03-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the purse that I gave to one of my Seattlite sisters for Christmas. Look how happy she is (actually, I think part of her is wondering if my Dad really needs to take her picture on Christmas morning)... I'm not sure if you can see the cables on the purse from this angle, so I will repost with pictures from a different angle. The inspiration for the purse came from these designer purses. I found a pattern on Crochetville, but mixed it up to get a shorter, wider bag. I bought rattan handles from Joann's and painted them a warmer, darker brown. I used Red Heart Yarn in Heather Gray and added a satin ribbon. I made another purse in a skein of Aran for my sister-in-law, Sue. I love the cables because they are simple but add a lot to the purse. The cable work inspired me to work on this Lion's Brand vest for my dad, which I haven't finished yet. The vest pattern is frustrating because it is waaaay too short for most men. I'm hoping that it will work out when I finally block it out. I ended up not making it in wool because I figured that he might want to be able to easily wash it. I'm also adding extra pockets because my dad always needs extra pockets! I'm planning on finishing the vest as I work on the Spiderweb Skirt pattern for Betsy's Birthday... which might end up being next year's Christmas present depending on how it goes :)

Dragon Baby Sweater and Monkey, Oh My...

2006-02-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

I decided to post some of my finshed projects to share. I will be adding more next week. For now, meet Ernie the Monkey. I made him for my friend Josh for Chrismahanukwanzakah. This little guy was made from a pattern by RoxyCraft who posts frequently on Crochetville, my favorite forum for hookers. Her patterns are super-cute and fast - I highly recommend them! I gave him long arms and legs that are not stuffed and completely bendable/flexible. He also has a tail that curls. Ernie is small enough to sit on a monitor or in a cupholder. His face was my 2nd attempt at embroidery, so it's a little sloppy... I'd like to think that it gives him character! I love his little nose.

Awhile back for an expecting coworker, I made a dragon baby sweater! The orginal pattern was from the amazing Marnie MacLean... but it was in knit and crochet. Basically, I took her adorable add-ons (spots, ears, and a spine) and added them to a crochet hoodie from this book. I sized it for a 3 month old. As is frequently prone to happen with babies, the little baby boy grew very quickly and is, at 3 months, wearing 6 mos. clothing. So, his big sister is currently using the hoodie to keep her baby doll warm. Cute, huh?
I'm thinking of making other variations. Maybe a dalmation and an orange cat. I think that babies dressed in animals is sooo cavity-inducingly sweet. Of course, it's really the only time you can get them to wear things like this without them being able to argue with you!
Ah, well.
I also want to make a small dragon toy - similar to the monkey. It's on my list! Other animals on my list are a turtle for Teresa and finishing the Bunny for Mitzie (it's basically done). These animals take about 5-6 hours to do (including embroidering the face).

Here is a close up of the detail:

My First Blog :)

2006-02-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my first blog! I wanted to share some projects that I have finished. Of course, I also wanted to track my WIPs (works in process) so that I don't let them sit sadly with my yarn stash, waiting desperately for me to finish them!

I have project ADD right now. I have so many things that I want to do that I really need to get myself organized so that I can actually do them all!

What am I working on?

Right now, I'm working on this lovely wrap from "Wrap Style" by Interweave Press:

I started it during a stitchin' superbowl viewing hosted by Teresa. Initially, I was making it for my mom, but I found another project that will suit her better. Now, I am making it for my aunt who used to crochet and inspired me to start. She can no longer crochet, so I thought this would be a nice gift. She loves victorian-style things and I thought this would be suiting. I am using TLC Baby Yarn in Powder Lilac.

I should have it done by the end of the day. As soon as I can post pictures, I will. I highly recommend this project to other crocheters. It's very intricate, but the pattern is much more simple than other lace patterns I have followed.

The next project that I am working on, for my mom's birthday is the Pike Place Mark et Bag from Crochet Me. I have never felted before, but I have been wanting to try!

Here's a pick of that bag:

I'm slightly concerned about trying to get it right with my communal/coin op washer. But, if other people can do it, I can, too!

In March, I will be starting this skirt for my sister, Betsy. I have no idea how long it will take, but it's beautiful and right up her alley.

She lives in Seattle and is either a crocheter who knits or a knitter who crochets. She a sweetheart and a total nurturer (must be genetic) and rarely makes something for herself. I thought that this exquisite number would be a perfect gift.

I just hope that it works out! The pattern looks simple enough, though rather repetitive. I just hope that I can focus on it long enough to finish it for her :)

Anyway, thanks for reading! And now on to the hookin' (muwahahahahahah)

One Flew Over the Crochet Hook

To My Neglected Crochet Blog

What Beethoven Thinks of the Move...

Baby Mary Janes

Tabby Cat Hat and Fall Daisy Scarf

Pictures of the Bridal Party Bags

Patchwork Purse

Felt so Good...

A Bag for Miriam

Skirts for Megan

7 Bridal Party Handbags

Duke's Baby Chucks

LaRusso Lovebird Hat

Cowgirl Booties

Tough Guy - Sewn Dog Jacket

On the Catwalk...

Test Bag for Devon's Bridal Party

Latest Skirt

Ready To Wear: Dog Fashion

Finished Pair of Chucks

Baby Chucks

Gifts for my Niece-to-Be

Silent Auction Items for Q's Preschool

Crafty Goals for '08

Secret Christmas Projects Revealed: Cinderella Topsy Turvy Doll

Secret Christmas Projects Revealed: Dragon Toddler Jacket!

Christmas Sneak Peeks

Sew Happy :o)

Silent Auction + Benefit Concert for the Mexican Flood Victims

Orphan Thanksgiving - Part I

A *gasp* Healthy Dessert?

Blanket for Mon Craiggers

Chocolate Covered Prezels

Weekend Dress Design

Scrapghan for My Dad

CaseyBarnes.org

Bragging Rights...

Scarf for Miriam

Handy Smurf

Your Score: Handy Smurf

You are 55 % Action Driven, 56% Interpersonal, 48% Street Smart, and 79% Artistic

More Angles on Q's Dragon

Tagged!

Kitty Ami for Kate

Hand Puppets for Nephews - Dragon and Sheep

SCATTERGORIES

Cowboy Hat for Q

Baby Elephant for Atticus

A Blanket for Kate

Ripple-Ghan for Megan :o)

Sundress for Myla Rose

Modeling the hats...

Mad Hatter

Long time... no post!

Very Pink Baby Outfit

Green Grass Purse and Betsy's Skirt on...

Mom's Shawl

Cthulu 2.0

Hats!

Cthulu!

Watermelon Baby Hat- and TIGGER :o)

Aunt Sheila's Shawl

Brand New Nephew - and Lil' Devil Baby Hat

baby hats

'Nother Monkey!

80's Kball Prom

Just for Fun...

Purses and Yoga Mat Bag - From Christmas

Mom's Market Bag

Spiderweb Lace Skirt

Aunt Sheila's Wrap/Shawl Finished Pics

Turquoise Shawl and Black Scarf

Bunny for Mits

Strawberry Purse

Floppy Blue/Green Fuzzy Bear and Weekend Update

Bridgid's Bedspread and Mesh Yoga Mat Bag

Grandma Gallagher's Soda Bread

Sean's Hat - and More Cutey-Q - and my first Hat

Cutey-Q

Pooh Bear and Wrist Warmers by my Crafty Sisters!

A gasp Healthy Dessert?