a chocolate, blue bird coffee cozy

A chocolate, blue bird coffee cozy.

I needed a new coffee cozy for my french press coffee maker.  

So I made a paper template out of scrap paper just by

- holding the paper up to the carafe - 

- measuring it - 

- folding it - 

- penciling it - 

and then simply just cutting out a basic shape to serve as my pattern.

And then ~ I got out my g hook and started crocheting row after row of simple sc until it matched the height of my paper template.  

I used RedHeart Chocolate Soft Yarn.

Notice the little piece I crocheted to the right ... that's where the buttons will go.

Now to dress this up, I figured a cute little cross-stitch pattern would be adorable.

I found this blue bird pattern here.

Using scrap yarn and a tapestry needle I cross-stitched directly onto each 'square' of each single crochet stitch.

Such a perfect combination ...

coffee, crochet & cross-stitch.

the best easter egg pattern

More crocheted Easter eggs.

I have crocheted Easter eggs before.

But I like this pattern better.

Once crocheted -- they are fuller on the bottom and narrower on top.

More like an actual egg.

And so easy! ~ they whip up  f a s t.

Just think.  A 10 minute crochet egg.

easter marshmallow bunnies

Cutest pattern.  Ever!

If you're looking for marshmallow bunnies.

I found it here.

tulip bucket bag

If you remember these granny squares, I was befuddled as to what I found do with them.

Hmmm.

How 'bout a bucket bag? 

A tulip bucket bag.

When I saw this pattern for the crochet tulips I knew it had to be part of this bucket bag. 

 I can not tell  you how much I love, LOVE,  L O V E this tulip border!

After joining the granny squares, I started using the same color yarn to add height to this bucket bag with just simple double and crochet rounds.

Then single crocheting a simple cord with white yarn, I threaded it between the tulip stems to form a draw cord.

Now something for the inside.  To stabilize it more. 

I started scrounging thru my scraps of fabric, and laid fabric piece after fabric piece next to the crochet bucket bag.  Settling on the blue gingham & red polka-dot fabric, I fashioned a lining.

(Just a tiny note ---> this is just measure, cut and sew as best as I can.  Please don't ask for a pattern -- because honestly! -- there isn't any.  I just eye-balled it; half-way measured it; closed my eyes; cut; sewed; said many a prayer; and viola...a lining!)

It turned out way cuter than I thought it would.

motif #109

This is motif #109 from a favorite book of mine:

This adorable block involves edc(extended double crochet) and a leaning tower stitch and a partial leaning tower stitch ~which I have never done before~ but! it gives the block a unique, stacked stitch that is really quite easy to do (and nope - I will not share the pattern...Seriously! get this book! It is a must-buy-for-your-crochet-shelf!)

I am just using scraps of yarn & a G hook.

And having learned from past granny square making...

....I am weaving the ends of all those color changes as I finish each block.

Because waiting until the end when you stacks & stacks of blocks ...

Um. Not a good thing.

bamboo + balm = beret

Aahh.

Relief in the form of a knitted beret.

Using this delicious pattern:  a fetching ladies beret 

And this yarn:  Petal Effervesce Yarn

I knit this.

I  K N I T  this.    

Y E S.   K  N  I  T    I  T!  

With nary a complaint!  

Thanks to bamboo needles (which I must hold differently than other needles) & applying a thin layer of this soothing balm to my offending elbow.

It has helped!

And now my daughter has a much-wanted, fetching ladies beret.

the tale of 2 dolls

This is doll #1 that I started knitting eons ago.  Read -->long before Christmas.


The pattern is from this book that I found while scrounging at the thrift store.

So cute & so scrappy !  I couldn't wait to get it done and have it sitting on the shelf in the living room looking all festive & lovely during the Christmas season.

There was a just a bit of a teeny problem.

The obvious of course is that Christmas has already come & gone and look! this doll still has no arms attached and is totally faceless.  And doggone it! I am so close to being done.  But I am trying to come to grips with the very real, very cold reality I may never get to finish this doll.

Why?

Scroll back a few stories and I was being very witty about playing tennis.  Not real tennis of course, but I was injecting humor in my very catastrophic inability to knit or crochet because of 'tennis elbow'.  (And please also note ----> I am feeling extremely foolish for being so whiny about this.  I mean!  Seriously!  I know that there are people out there having to deal with waaaaay more serious stuff than this...)

So my bag of knitting sits next to me all silent.  And I wonder if I will ever be able to knit or crochet again.  The possibility stuns me.  Really?  It can't be!  And take it back out & knit a few stitches only to shove it back into the bag because my. elbow. hurts. way. too. much.

What's left?

Feel sorry for myself?  Tried that and my kids & husband were ready to throw my out on my backside.  Seriously, Mom?  It's just knitting! (Plus that gets real old, real fast.)

I started paging through this same COUNTRY DOLLS book and there are lots of cute patterns...oh, look! a pattern to sew a doll...using scraps of fabric and my sewing machine.

Well, it HAS been a bazillion years since I did anything like that...

...but here she is.  Doll #2

I must say, I had forgotten what a treasure it is to sew.  And when she came out looking like this?

...I knew that all is not lost.