Week One of Challenge

One week down, 11 motifs complete!

My friend and I started the "Challenge" last Thrusday and so far I have completed 11 motifs.  I find making these very enjoyable and feel like I am going thru crochet school.  It has been good for me to have some crochet homework, it keeps me motivated to stay creative. 

Here are the motifs I have completed:
The number is the number of the motif in the book.



The Challenge

Every Thursday is "Crochet Night" with a friend of mine.  We crochet, talk, laugh and drink tea.  Girl time is healing.  When we started this a few months back, we both decided to work on our "30 year" projects.  Both are done!!!  So we have started a new challenge......

Beyond the Square, Crochet Motifs By Edie Eckman

The Friendship Blanket Crochet Motif Challenge

Objective:

To crochet one of all 144 Motifs, more if yarn permits.

Details:

• The two of us will divide all the motifs, I am in charge of Odd numbered motifs.
• We have chosen six different colors of yarn.
• Once all motifs are crocheted, we will divide the motifs we each did in half and give one half to the other.
• We will each make a "Friendship Blanket" with our motifs.



My Octopus' Garden

It's finished!!!!!!!!!!!  Insert happy dance here!

"I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus' garden in the shade

I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus' garden with me
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade.

We would be warm below the storm
In our little hideaway beneath the waves
Resting our head on the sea bed
In an octopus' garden near a cave

We would sing and dance around
Because we know we can't be found
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade

We would shout and swim about
The coral that lies beneath the waves
(Lies beneath the ocean waves)
Oh what joy for every girl and boy
Knowing they're happy and they're safe
(Happy and they're safe)

We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you."

(The Beatles, Octopus' Garden)

Let's Create Some Ruckus

More bling for my Ruckus....a crocheted basket.  This project has been in the works for some time now.  Initially it was going to be big enough for a bag of fast food, but it would of been way to big and out of place.  Plus being out front of the bike would cool the food down before I could get it home.

It was crocheted using the same paracord as the under the seat netting.  To help keep the shape when speeding down the road at 40mph I threaded a wire hanger around the top edge.  I secured it to the bike with some zip ties.

Saturday was gorgeous, full sun and little wind...this is after we received a week straight of rain.  So with no place in particular to go, I cruised around town to "test the basket".  The basket didn't budge. 

Petal Posy Trivets

These Petal Posy Trivets have been all over the Internet...it seems that everyone is making them, but that doesn't mean I can't try them as well.  I followed the pattern from Crochet Todays July/August 2011 issue.

The pattern is well written, but be careful to read thru the directions before charging away.  There is a little bit of back and forth in the pattern when following the pattern for the large posy, some rows follow rows in the small posy. 

Not sure why I get the gaps, perhaps I need to shape them more.

The small "Posy" was super easy and I completed it in a flash.

Yarn used was good old Peaches and Creme Cotton and Lily Sugar'n Cream.



Just Add Water

My first attempt at a hemp twine pot holder.  This pot holder has been in the "work in progress" pile for some time.  It is the third or fourth try, and has been looked over because up until last night it was curled up and distorted.  I just could not get the two different sizes to lay right with each other.

After doing a major clean up of the craft room I looked at this and it dawned on me....just block it!  So to the sink it went.  Amazing what a little bit of water will do.

Next up hemp medallions to hang in the window.

I am a Gaget Queen

Electronic gadgets, I LOVE them!  I have a laptop, net book, BeBook reader, PSP, three different mp3 players and that is the small list.  My newest favorite toy is my Kindle Fire, that my husband got it for me for Christmas.  I was really nervous asking for the Fire after reading all the reviews on Amazon...but now that I own it, I can't believe I ever lived without it. (Amazon is not paying me to say this)

So when does the crafting come in?  Well, all of my gadgets NEED cozies, and the Kindle Fire is no exception.  I looked everywhere on the web for a nice cover/case, but all were super expensive and they weren't anything special.  Of course this means I made one.

The cozy is crocheted using Rowan "Cotton Braid" yarn.

I made the button myself.

My Sweet Pea

Another Merry Heart-mas present complete!  For the past few Saturdays, my friend and I have been getting together so I can teach her how to crochet.  This has been great for me in many ways.  For one, I am making dedicated "crochet" time and the bonus "girl" time is good for the soul as well.

This pattern is from the book "Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker", called the Sweet Pea Shawl.  It was an easy pattern to follow, but it took a few rows for me to get the hang of it. 

Happy Birthday

January 28th, 2011 a very special baby came into this world.  He was born very premature, I was only at 22 weeks.  Since he arrived so early, I never got the chance to make him a blanket, even to this day I wish I would of had one to wrap him in when he was born, so for his first birthday I finally made him a special blanket.

Happy 1st Birthday Orlen,
hope your party in Heaven was filled with cake, balloons and love.



Merry Heart-mas!

Christmas is not over at my house.  In fact, in some ways it is in full swing.  No, there is not a Christmas tree in my living room or any decorations for that matter.  Even though I did not get presents, or cards in the mail in time for Christmas, I am still going to finish them and mail them for a new holiday I have created, Heart-mas Day!  After much agonizing over the fact that I was sick and couldn't get presents or cards out, my very dear friend suggested I send out Valentines presents instead, and that is just what I have decided to do. 

This past weekend, I finally finished my sisters Heart-mas present.  A beautiful shawl made out of Bamboo yarn in a rich plum color.  The pattern can be found HERE.

The pattern was easy to follow, it is a two row repeat pattern, so easy to memorize.  I opted for a different edging.  The Bamboo yarn was the best part of working on this project.  It was an absolute delight to crochet with it, soft and silky.  The final project has a wonderful drape and feels nice against the skin.

Edge Directions: 
Note:  I did not fasten off the yarn, instead started the edging at the end of my last row.

Starting in the corner, chain 5.
Sc in first dc from previous row, sc in tr, sc in next dc, ch 3, dc in ch 2 space, ch 3, repeat until you reach the top edge.  The top is edged with single crochet across, three in each "space" (dc and chain).

Now lets hope my sister doesn't read this blog before she gets her Merry Heart-mas present in the mail.

Still Christmas?

With the unfortunate sickness I have endured for the last three weeks, Christmas was kind of put on hold.  Anyone I send gifts and cards to, have been ignored.  The plan is to get greeting cards and stuff out by next week.

Almost three weeks ago, I started on my annual Holiday ornaments and only managed to make two of them.  It is my tradition to send a handmade ornament with each of my holiday cards.  This year, a Santa hat!  Although, I may choose something else to send next week as Christmas is over.

I looked everywhere on the Internet for a cute crochet Santa Hat pattern.  Nothing seemed to fit my criteria, easy and quick, so I made up my own pattern. 

Materials
Red yarn, any medium weight will do.  (I used Simply Soft by Caron.)
Lion Brand Fun Fur in White
H Crochet Hook
Yarn Needle
* Optional:  Small or Medium size craft Bell

Pattern
With Red
Ch 3, slst in 1st ch to create circle
Row 1:   Ch 2, 6dc in circle, slst in 1st dc (not the ch 2)
Row 2:   Ch 2, *1dc, 2dc* repeat around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch 2)
Row 3:   Ch 2, *1dc, 2dc* repeat around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch2)
Row 4:   Ch 2, dc around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch2)
Row 5:   Ch 2, dc around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch2)
Row 6:   Ch 2, dc around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch2)

With white.
Row 7:   Ch 2, dc around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch2)
Row 8:   Ch 2, dc around, slst in 1st dc (not the ch2)

Finishing
Fasten off.  Fold white rows up over the red.  Using the white tail and yarn needle, make a small stitch to fasten the white to the red.  With the red tail, create loop by tying the end inside the tip of the hat. 

Variations
Add bell to top of hat.
Using the White Fun Fur yarn, whip stitch a few times at the top of the hat to create a white "pom pom" looking top.
If you leave a long tail in the beginning, you can make a crochet chain loop to hang it.




* If you have any questions, or find any problems with this pattern, please let me know.

Hard at Work

Every Christmas, I always take on more projects than I could ever accomplish...but if I even get half of what I want to make finished then I will be happy.  Last weekend I made a trip to the local yarn shop to buy supplies for a couple shawls.  I walked out with a load of yarn from the "sale" table, all $4.00 per skein.

On the table, the Elise Shawl and the Sweet Pea Shawl.  Still unsure who will received these.  The Elise Shawl is almost complete, maybe 6 to 8 more rows.  I have been working on it since Sunday. Last night I felt bored with that pattern so, figured I would change things up and start on the Sweet Pea Shawl. 

What a disaster!  I sat down and started the 202 foundation chains...around 160 I lost count.  After recounting and re-reading the pattern I was ready to start on the first row. 

The first row on the foundation chain is always the most tedious.  All the counting and looking for the tiny back loop to insert your hook and nothing to really hold on to, it is very time consuming.  At the end of the first row, in what seemed to take hours, I noticed I had extra foundation chains.  Hmm, I must of (re)counted the foundation chain wrong.  I started on the second row and got three quarters of the way across, when I discovered a mistake on the first row.  The only way to fix it...to undo everything all the way back to the mistake.

Take two.  Trying to be more careful, I take even more time completing the first row.  Start on the second row.  Halfway across....another mistake found on the first row.

Deep breath.....count to ten.....scream a little out loud.

Take three.  This time I paid all of my attention to crocheting the row.  I blocked out the TV, my husband, my cat trying to love on my elbow and my dog asking to go outside.  This row was going to get done, even if took me till 3 in the morning.  At the end of the row I had to add back the "extra" foundation chains.  I also looked very carefully at the row to make sure there weren't any mistakes....it was perfect.  After re-crocheting the first row so many times I was exhausted.  I made it through row two and half of row three when I set it down for the night.

Only 22 T-Shirts

FINISHED!!!!!

It only took 22 t-shirts and a few hours to finish, ok more than a few hours, but it is finished, and it is beautiful!  The time it took to make this rug was well worth it.  Will there be more rugs like this in my future, probably not.  There will be more pot holder though, they only took a night to finish.

Counting Down to Thanksgiving...Day 4, 5 and 6!

The decorating and crafts are the fun part of planning a dinner, but half of the preparation is cleaning.

Day four was spent reorganizing the kitchen.  The goal is to have almost nothing on the counters, to give plenty of room to prepare and serve all the food.

Day five, well I took day five off....It is important to take time off for football.  Go Lions!

Day six and another turkey.

The pattern for this turkey came from CraftPassion.com.  The only modifications to the pattern is the head and I did not crochet a back piece. 

Gobble, Gobble...

Counting Down to Thanksgiving...Day 3

Did you know you only have 6 more days to plan for the big feast? 

The trip to the supermarket was not as wonderful as I had hoped.  Unfortunately, the seas were bad and the ships loaded with food were delayed.  So instead of stocked shelves, they were empty.  Produce was very limited....not even one bunch of celery, even the frozen vegetables were hard to come by.  The only milk available was fat free.  I could go on and on, but I will save you my rant, and at least about 75% of my shopping list was found.

Regardless of the difficult shopping trip, my Thanksgiving spirit is still in tact.  When I was able to settle down and relax for the night, I whipped together a Turkey Pot Holder.

I used this pattern....Click Here!  by Yarn Pixie.

The pattern was written very well, but I wanted it a little bigger.  Here are my changes.....

*  I added a fourth row to the body...Ch 2, dc in same stitch, (1 dc in next stitch, 2 dc in next stitch) repeat till end, join with sl st in top of ch 2.

*  I added a fourth feather...on row one I made 25 sc, this includes the sc to join the yarn to the body.  For row two, repeat (sk 2 sts, 7 dc in next st, sk 2 sts, ss in next st) four times, instead of three.  Row three, repeat (hdc, sk next st, 7 dc in next st, sk next st, hdc, sk next st) three times, instead of two.  As you can see, I also used three different yarns for the feathers.

*  I made the head a little bigger.  I started with 6 sc and repeated row 4.  The number of stitches are different than the patterns count, so I just repeated what the patterned called for.  Example:  Pattern says for Row 5 - sc 2 tog, 2 sc, sc 2 tog, ch 1, turn.....I repeated sc 2 tog, 2 sc till I was at the end.

*  I made the legs a little larger.  Ch 6, 6sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc back loop of next ch, repeat down the chain for a total of 4 sc, join to body, fasten off.

If you have any questions about my changes, feel free to email me at hippiemissy@gmail.com

Thank You Yarn Pixie for a wonderful pattern!!!

Not More Knots

Knot, knot, knot, knot......oh yeah and then Knot some more.  Slowly, but steadily the rag rug is coming into shape.  It is about two thirds done.  I have it laying on the floor waiting for my husband to dig thru his closet and find more t-shirts he doesn't wear.  I had not realized how many shirts I would need in order to make the rug as big as it is.  BUT, it looks wonderful!!!!!!

My dog, Kane, has already claimed it as his.  Everytime it is laid on the floor, he makes his way over to it, then stares at me with a "will you finish this thing already" look on his face.

Under the Covers

I have had this sketch book for a really long time, maybe 5 or 6 years.  For a long time it sat with only a couple pages drawn upon.  One day I picked it up and decided that it would serve as a "sketch/journal" for clothing design.  Inside it would house cut out pictures of clothing that inspired me, sketches of my own imagination and notes.  Basically an inspirational book to keep everything together in one place.

I had tore off the cover, that I created a collage on and didn't like, when I decided the new purpose of this sketch book.  For months it sat naked, without a cover...till the light bulb went off.  A crocheted cover! 

This cover is crocheted directly to the spiral binding.  The pattern was made up as I went along and hope to write it out to share.  For the final touch, used modge podge to stiffen yarn and create a hard cover.  

Princess of Quite A Lot

The rag rug is taking a lot longer than expected...either that or my motivation for that project hit a low.  To break up the monotony, I made this tiara for my soon to be three year old niece.

This was a really really quick project.  Took less than an hour and only a small amount of yarn.  My niece's birthday is at the end of the month, so I have began making a few things for her.  Not sure if she appreciates her Auntie M's handmade gifts as much as I enjoy making them, but till I know different I am going to keep making her things.

"From grease to shine in half the time".

I was taught how to make these Tulle Dish Scrubbers, by my wonderful Aunt in Law, three years ago.  (and have had the tulle strips cut out and bundled together that long) Unfortunately, last night when I wanted to work on these and finally turn the little bundles of tulle into dish scrubbers, I couldn't remember all the instructions she told me.  So I improvised.

Tulle Dish Scrubber 

Materials:
Size P Crochet Hook
Tulle
Large eye yarn needle

Directions:
Cut tulle into 3" wide strips.  You will need two of these strips to make one scrubber, or a total of 6 yards.

Chain 3, join with slst in first ch to make ring.

R1:   Ch 1, 8 sc in ring, slst in first sc.

R2:   Ch 1, 2sc in each sc from previous row (16 sc), slst in first sc.

R3:   Ch 1, sc around. (16 sc), slst in first sc.  (About halfway thru this row you will need to join the 2nd strip of tulle.  To do this, with about 4 or 5 inches left on the 1st strip, take the 2nd strip and overlap them.  Roll the sides up to "lock" them together.)

R4:   Ch 1, sc around (16 sc), slst in first sc.

R5:   Ch 1, sc2tog around, (8 sc), slst in next stitch.

Fasten off, but do not cut the remaining tail.  With yarn needle and remaining tail sew "hole" together.  Knot.  Tuck the remaining tail into the center of dish scrubber.

If you have any questions or problems with the pattern, please feel free to email me at hippiemissy@gmail.com.

*  Title is taken from the Joy Soap commercial.

Failed Butterfly Hairclip

While browsing the craft section at the store, I found some hair clip blanks.  Immediately my thoughts turned to the book "75 Birds, Butterflies & Little Beasts to Knit and Crochet by Leslie Stanfield".  A friend gave me this books months ago for my birthday, and up until two days ago I hadn't made anything from it.

A butterfly, or oak leaf, or mushroom hair clip, wouldn't that be adorable....I choose a butterfly to start with, should be simple enough, right?  The butterfly came out really well.  Although this pattern had so many ends to weave in, I am unsure if I will make it again.

The only problem is that it turned out to be 5" x 5.75", and the clips are not that big (or my hair)...

For now it is going to be a coaster for my coffee cup at work.  Maybe I should work on scale and gauge some more.

Pattern is also available for free, at LionBrand.com