food, crochet, merriment
I found the most adorable pattern the other day–for a style of “Mary Jane” booties, called “Skimmers.” As with any small pattern you have to be really careful to follow the directions exactly but look how cute they turn out!
These are for baby Keni, but I’m starting a pink pair for Lily tomorrow. They are just too fun not to make a million of them.
If you are interested, you can find the pattern at Sylver Designs on Ravelry.
Tell my what you think…
It’s funny, isn’t it, how no matter how many projects and things get finished–there is always something else to work on. In fact, earlier today I figured that I had 4 different crochet projects in the works–each with their own deadline.
But in doing the real count, it turns out to actually be 7.
Baby Keni’s shawl—in progress
There is one white blessing shawl for my nephew, a pink shawl for baby Keni, three different greenWinkle bags, a Lily sweater and a hoodie for another nephew– all at varying stages of progress. Of course they are each in a different tote bag–with the yarn, the hook, the pattern, the scissors–everything needed to complete it.
Beckham’s Lamb– just finished
Maybe this would drive some people nuts–having so much going on–all at the same time. But it works for me, because I can just grab a bag on my way out the door and POOF! I’m ready to work whenever I find myself just…waiting.
Which moms do a lot.
Nephew Caelin’s Blessing Shawl– in progress
Now, I did try once–long ago, to force myself to stick with one thing until it was finished–before I would let myself move on. But the problem with that was–I could never work on whatever it was in front of whoever it was for. So I’d end up sitting around doing nothing.
Kiss of death to a twitchy chick like me.
Lily’s Lamb– finished
I remember the words to the Primary song, “I have two little hands folded snuggly and tight…” But it must not have sunk in because these hands don’t like to fold snuggly and tight.
I’d go nuts.
So this way works better for me.
By having a bunch of stuff ready to work on, I can grab just the right project no matter where I’m going or who I’ll be with.
This way, it helps to keep all the birthday secrets—secret…
…and my weird twitchy hands from…
you know…
…twitching.
And that’s a good thing.
Last year, I started a project of making a potholder each month for my daughters. Perhaps potholders aren’t all fashionable and stylish, but since you need to have them, I tried to use patterns that were at least pretty. This is the one for January called Winter Snowflakes. It went together very quickly and was essentially two big “granny squares” sewed together. I did line the inside with several thicknesses of cotton terry cloth for insulation purposes, just to be safe.
Snowflake Hotpad
Materials:
G Hook
Color A – White
Color B – Fiesta Navy
Instructions:
With color A, ch 6; join to form a ring.
Rnd 1(right side): Ch 3 (counts as a dc on this and following rnds), 15 dc in ring; join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3 – 16 dc.
Rnd 2: Ch 5 (counts as a dc and a ch-2 sp), dc in same ch; sk next dc; *in next dc work (dc, ch 2, dc); sk next dc; rep from * 6 times more; join in 3rd ch of beg ch-5 – 8 ch- sps.
Rnd 3: Sl st in next ch-2 sp, ch 3, in same sp work (dc, ch 3, 2 dc); in rem ch-2 sp work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc); join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3 – 8 ch-3 sps.
Rnd 4: Sl st in next dc and in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, in same sp work (2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc); in each rem ch-3 sp work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc); join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3.
Rnd 5: Sl st in next 2 dc and in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, in same sp work(3 dc, ch 2, 4 dc); in each rem ch-3 sp work (4 dc, ch 2, 4 dc); join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3 – 8 ch-2 sps. Finish off Color A.
Rnd 6: Join Color B in any ch-2 sp; ch 3, in same sp, work (dc, ch 3, 2 dc) – beginning corner made; working in sps between dc, dc in next 5 sps, hdc in next sp, sc in next sp, sl st in next ch-2 sp; sc in next sp, hdc in next sp, dc in next 5 sps; * in next ch-2 sp work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) – 2nd corner made; dc in next 5 sps, hdc in next sp, sc in next sp, sl st in next ch-2 sp; sc in next sp, hdc in next sp, dc in next 5 sps; repeat from * twice more for 3rd and 4th corners; join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3.
Rnd 7: Ch 3, dc in next dc, in next corner ch-3 sp work corner; * dc in next 6 dc, sc in next 7 sts, dc in next 6 dc, in next corner ch-3 sp work corner; rep from * twice more; dc in next 6 dc, sc in next 7 sts, dc in next 4 dc; join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Now make a second one.
Outside border: I then placed them, wrong sides together, and single crocheted through both thicknesses with blue, sc along edge and doing 3 sc in each corner and adding a ch 10 loop in one corner in between the 2nd and 3rd sc of that corner.
Ok, I’m being very brave now. I’ve decided to show you the project we’ve been working on for the past year or so. This is a handbag made entirely from plastic shopping bags.
So how green is that?
This particular one is made from the silvery white bags with green writing on them. It has a pearly sheen to it and with the green–well, it turned out really pretty.
We call it the Water Lily BagBag. Besides being made from “repurposed” grocery bags, it’s amazingly strong and durable, and get this–it is washer and dryer safe!
These are the company tags we had carved from coconut shells.
We’ve made quite a few more–each one with totally different colors–in four sizes. I’ll put them on here one at a time so you can see them up close.
I’m working on setting up an Etsy shop so–
–please let me know what you think…
I’ve been asked to show the sneakers outside the “Door.” So here they are..
So, one day last July, Rhen says to me, “You know what would really be cool?”
I say, “I have no earthly idea.”
He says, “If you could make me some freaking cool, high top, slippers. But that would be too hard, wouldn’t it?”
I just smiled my sly little smile and said, “Yeah…way too hard.”
So began the journey to High Top Sneaker Slippers–in Viking colors, of course!
The finished product.
Oh, and yes, his feet are this big. I can prove it…
