Ready for Christmas!

The last of my made from scratch gifts is done. It's taken months, but I finally put the finishing touches on this sweater. Isn't it adorable?

Finally finished!

Months ago I wrote here about how I wanted to crochet a scarfette. Well, it's taken me a couple months to finish, but I came up with two different ones both of which I really like.

I kept some notes on how I made them. The key was starting with a chain of 99 and crocheting around the length of the scarf versus crocheting in rows.

I'll definitely make these again! And I'd love to hear suggestions on ways to improve.
Blessings!

Crocheting a doll

I promised last week that I would do a follow up post talking about how I crochet a doll.  I can't give a complete tutorial or pattern, because I don't use one.  However, I can roughly go through the steps I take as I crochet.

As background, I have some experience making amigurumi animals and from that I learned how to do a magic circle.  You can see that when I'm crocheting in the round, I don't do a proper increase each time around.  I personally think it leaves a line in your finished crochet that I'm not a fan of.  The downside of this, though, is that my finished work does twist slightly.  I can offset some of that when I attach limbs, but it's still going to be visible.  And finally, I don't turn my work right-side out.  I've read on other blogs that I should be turning out my pieces before sewing them together.  Because of how I attach the limbs, I don't do this.

Whew... So onto the good stuff.

Supplies: As much as possible, I use 100% cotton yarn.  I want something that will be soft and durable over many washes.  I also stay away from using any kind of sewn on eyes or beads just for safety's sake.    I've been giving these to little kids who might pull on them or chew on them and so on.

The Feet: I start my dolls at the feet and work my way up from there adding parts until they are finished.  For the feet, I start with a magic loop and by either doing dc on one side and sc on the other side- or by using increases and decreases- I get them into a foot-like shape.

The Legs: I keep crocheting in a circle until I have them the length I want.  I get two to the same length and then finish one by sewing in the loose ends.  With the other, I crochet across the "back" side and link it to the next leg, follow that leg around to the front and then link it on the "front" side to the front of my first leg.  I keep building on this new cylinder to make the torso of my doll.

The Torso: I immediately add increases to my torso until I get it to the diameter I want.  On this doll, I also worked in slightly larger stitches in the back- maybe dc or hdc- for a row or two until I had a bottom to the doll.  I keep building up the torso until I'm ready to add the arms.  

The Hands: For this doll, I crocheted a chain of four and then used that to make a row of three hdc (the "fingers" on the hand).  At the end of that row, I chained two and then with a sc connected them back to the starting point.  I then did a sc two more times across the base of the hand.  Voila!  One hand. 

The Arms: At that point, wanted to keep going and crochet a cylinder for the rest of the arm.  I chained one, turned and crocheted in the back loops only of my row until I reached the end and then I kept going by turning my work and crocheting in the front loops of my row.  I now had six sc in a circular shape.  I built on that round by round until I had my arms the length I wanted them.  

I attach my arms to the torso in the same basic way I attach my legs.  I crochet the bottom parts of both arms as I'm doing a round.  On my second round, I go over the tops of them and they are connected.

The Chest/Neck: At this point, I usually start making decreases until I get to the diameter I want my neck to be.  Then, I start increasing again for the head.  Pretty simple.

The Face: First I build up the bottom of her head in this flesh-toned yarn.  Then, I work on just the face of my doll.  I go back and forth in rows until I have the height I wanted for her face (leaving the back alone).  At that point, I finish off this color by weaving in my ends.  If you saw her at this point, you'd see that she's missing the back of her head completely.  That's the last feature I add.

For the expression on her face, I try to keep it simple with embroidery floss.  I use a little bit of crayon to get her cheek color.  

The Hair: When I'm done with her face, I need to finish the head and add hair.  I change the color of yarn I am using to whatever I want to use for her hair and then begin to do a sc all the way around the flesh colored parts of her head.  After establishing the new color, I do decreases in this color until I have a head shape, finish stuffing her, and then close her off. Lastly, I add her braids and bangs.

So... I think this is officially the longest post I've written.  Hope that some people find it helpful.

Blessings!

Newest Girl in the Family

This is the newest doll I made just for my niece who's turning one today. Here are a few pics of her and I'll post later next week to talk about how I made her.

Crochet for Christmas

It's Black Friday and if you happen to enjoy staying home in lounge pants more than wrestling through crowds looking for a likely already-sold-out deal, then I've got a treat for you- 10 great gift ideas you can crochet for Christmas!

All of these would brighten someone's Christmas morning. And they all could be made in an evening or two of crocheting in front of your favorite Christmas movie. For me, it'll probably be one of the classics- It's a Wonderful Life or White Christmas.

1) Nook or Kindle Case
How about crocheting a case for a friend's Kindle?  I've seen lots of takes on these including chevron stripes and granny squares.

Source: Little Birdie Secrets 

2) Make a Monster
These are sooo cute!  Wouldn't they make fun stocking stuffers for the kids in your life?

Source: Crafty is Cool

3) Ornament Bookmark
As I'm getting back into reading, I'm finding that a good bookmark is hard to find.  How about giving one of these (and a book) to a reader in your life?

Source: Julie K

4) Light Blue Julie Cuff
Ok, so I LOVE bracelets and cuffs!  How cool would one of these be with a t-shirt and your favorite jeans?

Source: Simply Stoked

5) Baby Moccasins
These are ADORABLE!!!  You've got to know some little girl to make these for!

Source: Little Eme

6) Bath Foamie
I haven't seen anything like this before, but wouldn't that be a fun gift for a little one you know?  I love the mix of amigurumi and practicality.

Source: Petite Purls

7) Granny Stripe Boutique Bag
I saw this last summer and bookmarked it- how cute and fun is that?  Filled with some sweet smelling lotions, lip glosses or nail polish and this would make a great gift for a teen in your life.

Source: Tangled Happy

8) Sweet Home Sweet Pillow
I want this pillow!  And isn't the sentiment simply perfect?

Source: Purlbee

9) Crochet Spring Frills Scarf
My absolute favorite accessory to wear is a scarf!  I must have well over a dozen in different textures and colors.  I'd love to add one of these to my collection, wouldn't you?

Source: Aestheic Nest

10) Fuzzy Bear Hat
I love all the children's hats that Alli Crafts comes up with.  And having made this particular one, I can say that her hats look adorable on the kids you crochet them for!

Source: Alli Crafts

Enjoy this holiday crafting season!

I love this!

I've been admiring these scarfettes for quite some time. I originally saw them here at Aesthetic Nest. Sadly, my knitting skills are not up to the challenge. Boo!

I have, however, been working on crocheting one. My first one turned out so-so. As soon as I have something a little better, I'll share!


Photo credit: Aesthetic Nest

Ready for Fall

I worked on this over the summer, but I've been waiting to show it off until we got closer to fall. I made this little ensemble for one of my nieces back in my hometown in Minnesota. She will probably need it by Halloween. (Sidenote: I remember trick-or-treating in a foot of snow one year!)

The hat is a simple rib stitch (each row is worked in the back loop only) worked sideways and joined before adding the green stem. The jacket is cotton and something I picked up for this craft. I originally wanted to do an embellished onesie, but this jacket made more sense. I hope she'll enjoy it!

Happy Autumn!

WIP Sweater

About a month ago, I was out of town and stopped in a yarn shop looking for a space to crochet. It was a lovely spot and the owner and her grandchildren were wonderful. The sweet granddaughter was my little friend for the day showing me all around, helping me choose yarn, telling me about her half-started project, and giving me her opinion of the project I was working on. Simply adorable!

I did, with my little friend's help, find some pretty purple cotton-wool blend to take home. After looking around a bit, I found the perfect use for my yarn via Aethestic Nest. Following her directions, I used up most of the 200gms of deep purple yarn I picked up on this baby sweater.

I couldn't get a picture that does this yarn justice- it's actually deep purple with a gentle sheen.

Lastly, although the body is finished, I still need to find the perfect buttons. Maybe something clear or purple or even wood-grain would be nice.

Inspiration

It's been so long since I last posted. I've got a few WIPs going on, but nothing ready to show off yet.

This afternoon, I was looking at the beautiful projects linked up at icrochet. This pillow totally caught my eye. It's such a nice use of granny squares and I love the little flowers on it. Wouldn't it be lovely as an accent piece?

Source: Amona

New Baby Hat

I found out a friend of mine just had a baby! Yay!! Here's the hat I made for her little girl. Since it's summer and hot, hot, hot... I went with a cotton watermelon themed hat. I think it turned out pretty cheerful.

I also got some new yarn last weekend- Sierra by Cascade Yarns. The yarn is 80% Pima cotton, 20% wool. It's soft and such a vibrant shade of pink. Also last weekend, I picked up some Debbie Bliss cotton yarn (I've heard good things about it, so I'm anxious to try it out).

P.S. Need to know how big to make a hat? Check out this post by Little Birdie Secrets. It's my go to place when I'm free styling!!

Cute Sundress

Woman's Day has a pattern for a child's crocheted sundress posted online right now. Here's the link. It looks adorable and might be the next thing I make my nieces. Yay for little girls!

On a related note, has anyone had a chance to check out Little Crochet by Linda Permann?  The sundress at Woman's Day comes from this book.  I've seen It at the local bookstore and it looks like it has several really cute and doable patterns. I just wish there was a Kindle version. 

Happy Hooking!

Crochet Love

One of my favorite parts of working on an afghan for someone is how much love goes into it.  I really mean that. The entire process of making an afghan is a labor of love.  For me, before I even begin, I spend hours looking around for inspiration.  I pour over all the yarn choices I have, debating which color and texture they’ll most enjoy.  I try to imagine where and how they’ll use their afghan. 

Will they keep it on the couch to curl up with while they watch TV?

 

Will they use it to casually throw over their favorite chair as a decorative touch? 

Is it something they’ll keep on their bed and fall asleep with night after night?

 

Wherever they’ll use it and however they’ll use it, I try to plan for that.  And then I begin it.  I count my starting chain over and over and check and double-check that I’m following the pattern correctly.  And once I’ve started it, I work on it hour after hour, night after night.  If you’ve ever made an afghan you know it takes time to finish.  And all the while, all those hours I spend working on it, I’m thinking about the person I’m making it for.  I think about them and about all the things that make them dear to me.  I remember the special times we’ve shared together and make plans for the memories I still want to make with them.  Then I triple check my pattern to make sure I’m getting this afghan just perfect for them.  My mind wanders again and I start to imagine them actually using this blanket, and I wonder if they’ll sense how much I care as they look over all these stitches?  I trust that they will and it makes me happy to know that, through this act of crocheting, I’m able to show someone how much they mean to me. 

Baby's On The Way!

Any day now, there's a new little nephew or niece coming! Hurray! I made these little layettes to welcome the new little one- boy or girl. Here's praying the birth goes smoothly for mommy, baby... and daddy, too!

Finished: Flower Tote + Doll Set

WIP's? No problem! I'm almost caught up now. Here's how:

Embellishing my little tote bag with flowers from my stash was easier than I thought. I simply used some cotton yarn and my large tapestry needle to stitch them on. Easy peasy. I think it turned out pretty cute, too.

The blanket/doll blanket/doll set I started last week is also finished. After adding to this project several times (clothes, matching hats, etc), I finally got all the pieces together for my niece. And then in a moment of serendipity, realized I could put it all together in the small tote I had just finished. Yay!

Here's another pic of my finished work. Both were such fun projects that I'm thinking of doing them again for another niece.

Flower Power

Months ago, when I first got on this mega crochet kick, I found a pattern for making little five petal flowers.  They were super easy and quick to make, so I made up a bunch. 

Then, I didn't know what to do with them.  Most of the kidlets in my family are little boys, and they don't have much use for flowers, so my stash has been just sitting at the bottom of my crochet bag. So sad.

Recently, I spent a relaxing afternoon wandering around my local craft store. Seriously, I simply wandered around for HOURS checking out all the crafting supplies. It was WONDERFUL!

Well, during this meandering trip, I finally found a use for my stash of flowers- embellishment for a canvas tote.  The totes I found are small, washable, and come in a variety of colors. In other words, they're perfect for kid-friendly crafting.

I'll post soon to show the finished results.

Next up on my Log Cabin

Here's my yarn stash for the next part of the log cabin afghan I'm working on. I've been slowly getting yarn together using coupons... I know, crazy, right? But I've got a craft store on my way home, so it's easy to stop in with my weekly coupon and pick up a skein or two (and so far I've lucked out in finding all from one dye lot).

I can't wait to start this next section. I think I'm going to try a cable-type motif.

Log Cabin Afghan- Part Two

I finished the first, center piece of the log cabin afghan I'm making. This photo doesn't do it justice. Up close, it's textured with soft shell-like shapes and super soft. I can't wait to do more on it.

Here's the pattern for those interested.

Modern Log Cabin Afghan

Materials:
Color A- 2 skeins Copper
Color B- 8 skeins Mocha
Color C- 8 skeins Beige
Color D- 8 skeins Oatmeal
Color E- 8 skeins Dark Blue

Needles: Size J crochet hook.

Finished Size: Approximately 55" x 70".

With Color A, ch 70 or a multiple of 3 plus 1 to get the 26" length.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 69 chs. Ch 3 and turn.
Row 2: In 3rd sc from hook, work 1 sc and 2 dc in sc.  *Skip next two sc, work 1 sc and 2 dc in third sc.  Repeat from * across, single crochet in turning chain.  Ch 3 and turn.  
Repeat Row 2 until piece measures 11" wide.  Fasten off.

Work in Progress

Here's what's been keeping me busy lately. I'm new to the granny square, and I love it, but boy does it seem to get slow near the end of a project! I'm still chugging along with this gift for my niece.

PS- inspiration for this blanket came from Crocheting the Day Away. She's got lots of cute projects going on. Pattern is available here.

I wanted to make a blanket...

...but I didn't have enough yarn on hand to make it.

I did have enough yarn for a doll blanket,though, so I planned on making just a small one for my niece.

But I just couldn't give her a doll blanket without giving her a doll, too. Right?

So I made a doll last Saturday. Isn't she adorable? I'm naming her Clara for now.

Well, a doll is great. And a doll and a doll blanket is pretty nice, too.

But what 2 1/2 year old wouldn't love a doll, doll clothes, a doll blanket, and... a matching Big Girl blanket, too?

Hmm... I need to get to work.


P.S. My sweet hubby, when he saw the doll and heard about the blanket that inspired me, took me out immediately (at 9:30pm) to pick up all the yarn I need.  What a good hubby!

Flower Inspiration

I saw these flowers on Craft Passion. I LOVE them! Seriously, aren't they sweet? You could use them as an embellishment or put them together in a scarf, afghan or even a placemat or table runner. They're great for this time of year, don't you think?