I Love Being Creative - Day 20

Recently I've been pretty crafty.  Beyond the crochet, I have been trying to tackle other creative things to enhance our living conditions.  I've made a number of wreaths for the door, in fact I have a new wreath for the summer laying dismantled on the office floor.  I really should get to that.  Making the big granny square blanket has me wanting to make more.  In fact, I bought two pillow inserts so I can make granny square pillows to go with the blanket.

We got pretty creative with Mother's Day gifts as well.  We bought some unfinished wooden frames and let Elliot finger paint them.  Both grandma's loved them!  We really need to do more stuff with Elliot since we've been told that he loves arts and crafts at school.

Now I've gotta get back to that huge ass blanket!

Progress

I've been spending lots of time during the evenings working on my stash blanket. I've figured out that I will need 96 rows to make the blanket as large as I want. Sadly, I may have 96 different types of yarn to use without having any repeats.

Now, a picture of progress...

Yarn Yarn Everywhere - Day 11

Sam and I have been discussing the fact that I need to crochet something for our home. I have always wanted to make a really big blanket for us. My plan was to crochet large squares, at least one a week and after a year or so, stitch them all together to make a really big blanket. Sam thought that I should make something that I would be able to add on to as needed over the years. So I decided to make a huge granny square blanket. I figured that I would add a row from every different kind of yarn that I had. Basically, it would be a scrap blanket. We would randomly choose the different yarns so that we couldn't create a pattern. It's been a really cool undertaking and it's turning out to be really pretty. It's just a bit daunting that I'll have to come up with 96 different yarns to create a blanket big enough for us both to cuddle under. However, I've been finding yarn in many different hiding places, so I'm thinking that reaching 96 won't be a problem. How crazy is it that I'll have 96 different yarns - not necessarily different colors, but 96 separate skeins of yarn.

Here's a picture of it so far...

I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK - Day 10

Okay, so it's a day late - sue me. I've mentioned before that when friends hear that you're crocheting again, the custom projects come rolling in. My friend Jenn who is a quilter (and is going to teach me to sew) has a really cool 17 year old kid. She showed him a picture of my boob hat and he asked her to ask me to make him a beard hat. Now, I had seen a couple of these on the Internet and they looked pretty awesome. What's a beard hat? Well, it's a knit or crochet beanie hat with a crochet beard attached to it. It's really genius - it keeps your face warm in a very stylish way. Most of the ones that I have seen online were on babies, which is just funny. So I set out to make a beard hat, without ever having made one before. I'm an expert when it comes to making hats so I knew that would be no problem, but I was clueless when it came to the beard part. I scoured the Internet for a pattern and was able to cut and paste a few to make the beard that suited me. For a first time effort it looks pretty cool, but I'm not a fan of how the mustache turned out. I'll have to work a bit more on that. Either way, it was hilarious looking and GM loved it - that's really all that mattered! Now to make one for my son....

I've Got my Eye on You - Day 9

When it rains, it pours. Now that I'm back into crocheting, I can't stop. Luckily my friends are giving me a ton of ideas and I have my confidence back to I'm ready to get really creative. After I made the boob hats, I started thinking of what other cool hats I could make. I thought about doing a hat with a big eye on it. My friend Shelly suggested creating a stuffed eyeball, with bloodshot on the sides. I thought it was a really cool idea and got to work. I started on my blue eye, but began making it much too big. I felt it was going to be too time consuming, so I set aside the huge eye and began work on a much smaller version. I looked up crocheted eyeballs on the Internet for inspiration but in the end decided to put my own twist on the eyeballs. Instead of bloodshot, my eye looks as if it was plucked from a large crocheted eye socket, complete with hanging optic nerve. This eye was a hit! Shelly took it with her to work and has gotten lots of comments from coworkers (most noting how gross it is!) With a little extra time, I finished the larger eyeball, also with optic nerve. I have the larger one to Sam to take to work, thinking that his coworkers would get a kick out of it (unfortunately few have even noticed it's existence). So far I've only done blue eyes - I need to try brown, green and hazel as well.

Enjoy!!

Hats Galore - Day 6

Now that I'm back into crocheting, well meaning friends make requests for me to make things. One of these days I'll actually make something for myself. One of these days...Anywho, one of Sam's friends found a picture of a boob hat on the Internet and posted on Facebook that he really wanted one. I decided to try my hand at making one for Sam (I'm not particularly fond of his friend and this was a good way to get his goat as it were) and it turned out cute. I got lazy halfway through and changed my stitch pattern, which made it look a bit strange, but cute none the less. After I finished Sam's hat, his friend just HAD to have one and even begged me to make one. I gave in and thus the "boob hat" was born.

Blanket of Love - Day 3

We found out we were having a baby boy on July 12, 2010. That afternoon, I came home from work and got together the yarn that I had picked out to crochet a blanket for my son. It was beautiful, shades of blues and grey for an accent. I started the blanket that afternoon. A few weeks later I put it down. I was too tired from working and being pregnant to do anything after work but sleep. So there it sat, the one thing I wanted to create for my own child, sitting in a bag next to the couch. It sat and sat and sat. Then one day, as I watched my 10 month old son sleep, it dawned on me that I still hadn't finished his blanket. Over the years I have crocheted a number of gifts for a number of people, but realized that I had nothing in my home that I had created. I felt that at least one of us deserved to have something hand made just for them. So I started crocheting again. I hadn't picked up a crochet needle in over a year. But like riding a bike, it felt natural again.My goal was to have it complete by his first birthday so that I could give it to him. I worked on it after Elliot went to bed, trying my best to make some progress. Unfortunately, I had decided early on to make a rather large blanket, a task I was ready to take on when I had months to complete it. At this point, I was just going to have to crochet like the wind to complete it in time!Well, days before his 1st birthday, I completed the blanket. Sadly, my kid's not really a blanket type of guy just yet. We did use it to wrap him up when he was feeling sick a couple of months ago. There was no better feeling than snuggling with my little guy, with him wrapped in something I made.Since the blanket, I have really jumped back into crocheting. Hopefully it will last this time and hopefully I will make something for me. Until then, at least my son has something that he can look back on that his mommy hand made!

A scarf for Grandma

This past November, I went to visit my grandma after not seeing her in 4 1/2 years. About a year ago I made her a blanket that she keeps on the couch in her den. While I was in town I was a bit bored and wanted to make something new for her. I needed to make something quick and easy that she could actually use. I went through her kitchen drawers and found all of her pot holders, so that was out of the question. I knew that it gets pretty cold in the midwest so I thought that a scarf would be useful. As much as my grandma loved the blanket I made her, she really enjoyed the scarf. There was something about her watching me make it that made it even more meaningful to her. I really like the way the scarf turned out and will have to make one for myself although it doesn't really get too cold in Texas.

Modeling my own creation

Squares and Squares and Squares

I had an idea of making a blanket for our cousin's new baby. My hope was to make a square a night so that it would all be done by the time the baby was born. Unfortunately, the squares took a bit longer than I thought they would. It took me about two months to finish all of the squares. It probably would have been a bit sooner if I didn't have my gallbladder removed the weekend that I wanted to send it to her. That set me back a few weeks. Either way, it's a beautiful finished blanket. Unfortunately, I haven't sent it to her yet and her baby is 4 months old. Maybe that'll be one of my new years resolutions.

Please enjoy the progression of a blanket:

One square

A stack of squares

Beginning to sew the squares together

All together minus the border

Jamaica Mon!

As my previous post noted, I am now being asked to make things for our friends. Some of our old friends in NYC asked for a very wonderful favor. Their son was turning 1 and was to have an island themed party on Halloween. What better for an island theme than a rasta tam. His mom is Jamaican so it was only fitting! I had no pattern and only a picture to go on. This was the first time that I made something completely without an idea of a pattern. However, it turned out fantastic! I think I'll make a few more for adults - they make a great Halloween costume. My darling husband was a wonderful model since he has such a small head! I even included a picture of the birthday boy.

Sam the model
Prior to adding the dreads
Birthday boy

Prayer Shawl

Some months ago I received an e-mail from my best friend requesting a prayer shawl in honor of her brother. The reason for the prayer shawls is as follows:

"Over two thousand rainbow scarves, created lovingly by volunteers, adorned voting members and supporters alike at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly in 2007 demonstrating support for a welcoming church. In August 2009, the ELCA meets for its next assembly. There are several proposals before the Assembly that pertain to the full inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender members and their families in the life of the church. Lutherans Concerned/North America (LC/NA) is supporting proposals addressing these issues, including the Social Statement on Human Sexuality, the rostering of partnered LGBT ministers, and the blessing of same-gender relationships.

These decisions will be met with much soul searching and prayer. To that end, LC/NA would like to provide prayer shawls to be used by participants at the assembly. These shawls will be for use in the chapel area and to remind participants to prayerfully consider every issue. LC/NA is requesting the participation of all RIC congregations to contribute at least one shawl. The shawls will be tagged with the contributing church’s name and story."

We painstakingly picked out a perfect color that would accurately depict Michael. It was a beautiful blue, which was both calming and electric. It felt wonderful to actually create something for a cause, not just for a fun gift.

Michael modeling the shawl
A closeup

Sam Gets an Aminal!

My darling husband is so supportive of my crafting.  He encourages me to make aminals and tries to come up with creative new aminals that I can craft.  Poor guy has seen so many people receive the critters as gifts while always being passed by.  He's threatened to kidnap every critter that was promised to someone else, most often a young child! 

I decided to make a frog prince from a pattern that I recently found through Lion Brand.   As usual, Sam oohed and aahed over the aminal, assuming that it was going to be given to someone else.  You can imagine his surprise when I finished it tonight and gave it to him.  He's looking forward to taking it to work to display to all of his friends and coworkers.

My prince with his frog prince

Next aminal will be a caterpillar.  It was a request from a friend of mine for her daughter's birthday in August.  I'm creating a "trial" caterpillar to see how it looks since I'm actually creating the pattern on my own.  I'll take pictures of the creation and final product (as always) and will post!

New Aminals

It seems that I've been taking somewhat of a break from crocheting as of late.  Actually, I've been stuck trying to complete a blanket for a friend's kid and I'm not that into it for some reason and am having such a hard time finishing it.  Not to mention the number of projects in various states of completion.  I have a blanket I started for Sam last July that has been put in a bag and forgotten about not to mention the monkey with only three appendages that is waiting for me to finish him as well.  Maybe someday I'll get the bug and finish what I started.

Lots of people have asked for some of my critters but to be honest, I really haven't felt like being very creative.  Not to mention that I have been focusing so much of my time on cultivating our garden that is growing and producing like crazy.  But I got a request from my sister-in-law that I couldn't pass up.  Yaeli, our niece, has really gotten into singing the bumble bee song - I'm sure most of you know it.  (I'm bringing home my baby bumble bee.  Won't my mommy be so proud of me, etc., etc., etc.).  Brenda requested a bumble bee for the little one to continue to encourage her singing.  After searching for the perfect pattern and trying to find the perfect yellow color for the little bee, I started work on it while in Houston visiting the in-laws.  I think she liked it, she fell asleep with it later.  It really didn't take me long to make it so hopefully I'll make a few more.  It's hard to believe that I actually don't have any of my own creations in the house - I need to change that!

The baby bumble bee

A couple of months ago Sam brought me this beautiful notebook that his friend's wife made.  In return he wanted me to make her some sort of critter for the trade.  He has asked me at least every week for the critter and I continue to tell him, "yeah, I'll get to that".  Well, last week I bought this book of "Easy Crochet Critters" and it had a pattern for a lion, which is something that I have wanted to make.  I have a real affinity for lions (maybe I'll make one for me).  Anyway, the little lion didn't take me any time at all to complete.  It was hard to let it go - Sam didn't want to take it to work either.  Hopefully it was enough for the trade - his friend thought it was adorable and said that his kids might steal it.  Guess I'll definitely have to make some more.

Leo the Lion (minus ears - I didn't like the ears)

Now I need to get that darn blanket finished, make an elephant for Brenda and try a few more new critters for our house.  My next project is a "granny square a day" to be put together for an afghan at the end of the month.  Maybe I'll try for July for that project or maybe August.  Anyway, enjoy the pictures of the newest critters.  I still have a longhorn that is halfway complete that was started during football season (I really like to ignore my projects) - maybe I'll finish it before next football season.

Before and After

I believe I mentioned before that I learned how to crochet twice.  There was the first way, that was kinda right and got by unless I wanted something to actually match a pattern and then there was the correct way.  Since learning how to crochet "right", there are several projects that I have given away that I wish I could take back and correct.  My apologies to my first blanket recipients!

Last summer I decided to make blankets for my friend Shayna's kids.  I completed the small blankets in July but she and I weren't able to get together for me to give them to her.  Thank goodness.  I decided that I wanted to take the original blankets (done the old way) and use them to make new blankets.  

Both blankets are camo, so for Maddie's blanket I kept the pink camo and combined it with purple camo in a large granny square blanket.

This is the before (actually before the before since I was just starting it):

This is the after:

Close-up

Without a flash (to get a good look at the stripes)

As for Grayson's blanket, I took a basic plain camo rectangular blanket and combined it with a darker camo to make a wave blanket.  That one's not finished yet.  I'll include pictures of it when it is.

So at some point (before Shayna's kids are grown), I'll finish the second blanket and get them to her.  Until then, enjoy knowing at least what Maddie's blanket looks like!

More Holiday Gifts

While Sam was in NYC for work in February, I made him take pictures of Carlos and Stacey in their holiday gifts.  Unfortunately, Carlos' hat was too small (he has a really big head) and the hat for Mateo was too small as well.  The scarf and hat fit Stacey perfectly until she washed the scarf and shrank it!  But it's the thought that counts, right???

The scarf was from a pattern in a magazine but the hats were all my own!

Critter Madness

Even though it seems I have been MIA as of late, I've been creating up a storm.  As shown in previous posts, I was starting to get the hang of making amigurumi creatures.  They're easy and quick to make and make such great gifts for kids.  Although if you ask my mom, they make great gifts for her too!

So I've added a few new animals to the collection - an elephant and a penguin.  I did the elephant in both a grey as well as a light blue and am not sure which I like better.  You be the judge.

Late February, our nephew turned 5 and I thought that it would be fun to make him a toy.  Well if anyone knows anything about having young children, especially more than one, then you know that I could not show up without a gift for his little sister as well.  

I made the frog earlier in the week.  Sam and I had given the kids Kermit the Frog at Thanksgiving, so I figured that we could continue the tradition of frogs.  That was until I found the elephant pattern and felt I had to make it.  I started on Saturday morning and by the time we arrived for the birthday party, the little guy was done.

Grey Elephant

I gave Yoni the choice of which he would like and he surprised me by choosing the frog.


Yoni and his legless frog (I like it better this way)
 

That left Yael with the elephant.  I got a real kick of Yoni carrying the frog around by his eyes!

Yaeli and her elephant

When Holli's little one turned 5 the following month, I asked her if she would want a frog, pig or elephant and she chose an elephant too.  I assume that it was delivered to Jessi but don't know for sure since it had to go through Holli first and she absolutely loved it!

Jessi's Blue Elephant

A few weeks ago, Amanda brought me the first pig that I made.  She showed me that his feet were coming undone from his body and asked if I could fix it.  She told Rhylan that the pig had to go to the "doctor".  I thought it might be fun to provide Rhylan with a new "friend" when I returned her pig.  That led to making the penguin and I have to say that it is my absolute favorite so far!  So easy to make and so cute!

Rhylan's Penguin

My next project to finish is the Longhorn that I began for Joe.  Pictures to come!

Lush by Levine

Note to self: Always try your products before giving them to other people.

So I decided that it was prudent that I take a bath this afternoon (#1 thing to do on day off) and use both the bath fizzies and the peppermint sugar scrub.  I grabbed my jar of peppermint fizzies and started the bath water.  A hint for those of you that have received the fizzies and have yet to use them.  In order to benefit from the aromatherapy properties of said fizzies, drop at least 3 if not 4 into the bath as you are sitting in the water.  The scent of peppermint was eye-opening but didn't last long.  However, the fizzies also act as a softener on the skin, which was nice.

The sugar scrub I found is best used with a long-handled bath brush or loofah on a stick.  If you use it with your hands (at least with my hands), it tickles!  This stuff is fantastic for softening the feet and getting off any stubborn dirt on your feet (yes my feet were really dirty!).  The scent is really nice and the oil in the scrub really softens the skin.  The only downside was the slipperiness of my bathtub following using the scrub.  And I was temporarily turned pink (just my feet) which washed off with my shower.

Shelly and I went to Sun Harvest Farms this past weekend and I picked up some new essential oils.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with pomegranate vanilla and an orange/clove mix.  I'm gonna make some new fizzies for myself and some new sugar scrub with organic sugar (and no food coloring) and plan to look into a new oil for the scrubs instead of grapeseed oil.  It's time to tweak this recipe so that it's mine.

Does anyone know where I can get waterproof computer labels???

Holiday 2008 Gifts

As the holidays approached, I became overly-ambitious.  I decided (after reading Martha Stewart Living) that I wanted to create spa goodies for my ladies.  She published recipes for sugar and salt scrubs, bath fizzies and salt drops (balls).  The scrubs were easy and were jarred immediately.  Unfortunately, they didn't travel well, so plans to send them to our New York friends was halted.  The bath fizzies were a fun project that involved chemistry.  I got to purchase citric acid and be ultra precise because one false move ended with fizzy bubbles everywhere and having to start from scratch.  The salt drops sucked!  What a hard project.  All but a mere few broke, crumbled and fell apart.  Only Marie received salt drops and hers didn't travel well, basically negating their original purpose.

Marie's Salts from Lush by Levine

The scrubs were made in two flavors - peppermint grapefruit and lemon eucalyptus (pink and green respectively).  Unfortunately, as per Shelly, the peppermint grapefruit turned her feet pink temporarily.

The fizzes came in a number of scents as a result of special requests - peppermint, eucalyptus, green tea/cucumber, cucumber/melon, lavender, and citrus.  No one has used the fizzies yet so I don't know how those turned out - but they look pretty.

As for the boys, I crocheted all of them hats.  I combined a few patterns that I found online and in books and created a fantastic pattern that I am really happy about.  Everyone loved them and it's awesome that I can customize them to people's head size (even some of my friends' really large heads).

My silent mannequins

The Kallstrom (and Fuqua) family

Stewart

Yarmulke for Eran

Lucky the Jew

Brad's camo hat

Shelly & Joe show off their hats

Then there were the gifts for the kids.  I was especially proud of these.  I made "friends" for my best friends' daughter, the pig and the frog.  I also made pigs for my mom and an inverted pig for Shelly.  Speaking of pigs, I decorated piggy banks for the niece and nephew.  

Yael's Pig

Yoni's Pig

Yoni's freehanded "Curious George"

Another side of Yael's pig

Shelly's "inverted" pig

Rhylan and her friends

A bear of my own pattern for Mateo

Enjoy all of the pictures.  In a few months I'm going to start working on my Holiday 2009 gifts (once I figure out what I'm gonna make!).