Category: Crochet

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Basket & Grass

Now, I know that Easter was last week, but I also know, that if you are like us–there are still some chocolate bunnies kicking around your place somewhere…and likely you are still picking basket grass off the carpet. It all just came too fast this year and I’m just not quite done with it all.

So in the spirit of the ongoing “celebration”…and nibble-fest, you’ll forgive me if I couldn’t resist the urge to show you the cute little pot holders we came up with—

calling them “Basket & Grass” for hopefully obvious reasons.

I’d like to make a couple in pinks and purples and yellows, you know…just to see how sweet it would look in the spring pastels. Kinda makes you want to run out and buy some baby chicks–doesn’t it?

If there are any brave souls out there who would like the pattern, let me know in the comment section. That just may be the very incentive I need to actually write the silly thing down. It will be good for me.

Happy spring!

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Gum Wrapper Chains

Did you know that the world’s most amazing gum wrapper chain is 11 miles long? Yeah, it’s true. It would actually take you several hours to walk the length of that thing. That’s just nuts!

Do you remember making gum wrapper chains as a kid? Dang they were cool. Kids used them for bookmarks or wall hangings or even belts, bracelets and rings.

We’ve made them out of regular gum wrappers, Starburst, Life Saver and Mamba wrappers. Obviously, a lot of different things work. If you don’t already know how to make them–I’ll show you step by step.

Everyone needs “mad skills” like this.

Heh…

Cut the wrapper in half, long ways.

Fold up each edge about half way…

then fold in half again to form a long, skinny strip.

Now fold the long strip in half.

Now fold each end in half, to meet in the middle.

It should look about like this.

Now fold a million little “prongs” just like this.

Fit the two prongs of one piece into the slots of the other piece.

Push it all the way through until it can’t go any more.  It should look about like this.

Now take another “V” and slide it through the one you just fit in place…

and on…

and on and on…

Now try one yourself.

If you have any trouble–email me.

I’ll help you.

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Happy National Crochet Week!

March 8-14

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Magic String…

Remember this pretty stuff that we found for $1 last year at JoAnn’s? I’m always amazed at how a silly piece of string can magically transform into something soft and warm…

The green and pink were used to make the baby lambys–yeah, that’s how I spell it–a while back. Remember?

Well, the grey and the gold have worked up nicely…

into toboggan hats for our Lily and Beckham…

and the pink one is for the Chompy–so soft and sweet.

And all from a silly piece of string.

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Oh, and happy Groundhog’s day!!

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Grocery Bag “Yarn”

When people see the handbags some of us carry around they never believe that we’ve made them from regular grocery bags.

I bet I’ve been asked about 65,000 times in the last few years–“How can you possibly crochet with a grocery bag?”

Consequently, this story has been told quite a bit, but never here on the blog. So, for those of you who’d like to know—this is how you do it.

Take one innocent looking grocery–the thin, noisy kind–and smooth it out flat.

Fold it in half lengthwise and smooth out again.

Fold in half again, and smooth out.

Cut off the bottom seam, and the handles at the top.

Fold in half again.

Cut the strip into 1 inch  pieces…

until you’ve cut the whole strip.

Open up the loops…

Remember making rubberband chains when you were a kid?

Well, it’s like that.

Pull one loop through the other until…

they knot together. Do this over and over and over until you’re sitting in a big pile of grocery bag yarn. Stuff it all into a bag and then–when you’re in the mood you can crochet with it–

-pretty much like yarn. No kidding.

It’s a great way to recycle those silly bags and make our own teeny tiny dent in the local land fill.

And now you know the true secret of the universe. But don’t tell anyone…or do.

Either way.

heh heh

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Watch “Dane’s Wish”

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Baby Butterfly

Had a few friends ask about the sweet little headband with the dainty butterfly on the side…you know…from the other day.

We tried to get a close-up modeled by our squirmy little Chompy. It kinda worked.

I’ve put a few in the Etsy shop and am doing my darndest (is that really a word?!) to get the pattern on there as well–certainly, a much, much loftier project.

In the meantime, we’ll just stay indoors and enjoy butterflies in the winter.

They are welcome indeed.