Friday, February 15, 2013

FO Friday, 2.15.13

Good Morning! Hope everyone had a great Valentine's day! My husband & I will have to postpone our V-Day date seeing as I worked all day yesterday and when I mean all day I mean working 6am (leaving the house at 5am) to 3pm, driving the hour home, taking an hour nap then going to the bowling alley to waitress until 10pm (the regular waitress called out). Long ass day! But I don't need a special day to show Kevin how much I love him, so postponing doesn't bother me.

So I didn't get much crochet work done yesterday either. However I did get to finish up and photograph two items to share with you today!

One of the 3 penguins is finished!

I used spare acrylic - Red Heart Super Saver in black, white & grey tweed
Mystery Marden's Yarn in shiny hot blue
and Everyday Soft in baby yellow
Used the momma penguin pattern from Amigurumi World

I also finished my special order Trash Can! This was a bit of a challenge with the stuffing of it, but I am happy to say that I found a solution in baby bumper pads! This way it is able to hold its shape without being too lumpy. The customer requested that I make it open on the inside so that things can be put inside, so the bumper pads helped with this too.


Yarn: Bernat Super Value in Kelly & True Grey
Knit Picks Brava in White
Red Heart Super Saver in Black
Pattern: Created my own :-) If there is interest I will post it.

Mr. Penguin couldn't resist playing Oscar the Grouch....

To see more photos of the trash can & penguin visit my Facebook Page (& LIKE it while you're there)

Hooking up with Tami's Amis for FO Friday!




Wednesday, February 13, 2013

WIP Wednesday

Let me start by saying that I can hear my husband snoring right now from the other room... Which is why I am up so early working on some projects and writing about it.

This week I am working on two different projects that I hope to share again with you on Friday.

The green square is actually a custom order for a trash can. I enjoy custom orders as they allow me to create my own pattern instead of going from a set one. However they can have their challenges. For example. Stuffing this trash can with fiberfill left me with less than steller results. It was too lumpy and didn't hold its shape well enough. Had it been a solid piece it probably would have been fine, but it has a lid that opens and a hollow interior for items to be put inside. So what could I use that wouldn't deteriorate if washed and was baby safe? I thought of foam but then ended up with baby bumper pads as they were a bit more firm. You will have to wait until Friday to see how it turned out.

Next project is a pair of Penguins. So far I have the head of one and the facial features of the other finished and am currently working on one of the bodies. Hope to have them both done by this evening so you will also be seeing them on Friday.

That's all for me today. Happy Wednesday! Hooking up with Tami's Amis.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Starred Sunday, 2.10.13

I read quite a few crochet blogs and come across things that I want to return to at one time or another, I note them by putting a star on the post in Google Reader. It's a "when I have time" kind of thing, which tends to get lost, so I want to start sharing what I have starred on Sundays with you as a way of keeping the things I liked fresh in my mind. Who knows, maybe you will see something that you want to try or something that inspires you. I have also starred some business related things.

So lets get on to the stars!

• Crochet Concupiscence ~ 20 Popular Free Crochet Patterns to Bookmark if you Haven't Tried Them ~ 6.6.12

Why I Originally Starred it: I think the title says it all :-) PS the original post is missing the images so you will have to click into the link for each pattern if you want to see the actual images.

From the Post: 
Crocodile Scarf 

Mollie Flower
Don't know if I would use these as a blanket motif, but maybe for embellishments on stuffies or a headband.

Sunburst Granny Square

African Flower Hexigon
Also LOVE  her African Flower Motif Bear! What a cool idea... Something to think about for sure!

Hexipuffs

Wool-Eater

Granny Mandala

Blooming Flower Cushion

Flower Hot Pad

My Takeaway: All have been pinned and I will hopefully get to them some day! I think if I am ever at a loss for what to crochet next I should start at the very first pin on my crochet pinterest board and do that, then the next, then the next.

Friday, February 8, 2013

No FO Friday

Been working on a large custom order of a stuffed trash can. Will hopefully have that and more to show you next week!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

To-Do Tuesday, 2.5.13


To-Do Today
• Trash Can
• Penguins
• Mosquito

To-Do This Week
• Start Penguins
• Finish Trash Can
• Finish Penguins
• Finish Mosquito

To-Do This Month
• Finish Liam's Blanket

Project To-Do's
• Bluebirds in Nest
• Monkey
• Mosquito
• Monkey w/ Diaper & Banana
• Frog
• Pink Sock Monkey
• Daddy & Mommy Owl
• Moose
• 2 Penguins
• Trash Can
• Monkey
• Monkey

A Plea to my Readers:
In the middle of February I will be jumping into a lake. No big thing if you are somewhere warm, but I'm not, I am in Maine. The average temp for that day is a cold cold cold 23º.... and that's just the air temp!

A group of my friends make up the team "Crazy for a Cure" (Crazy is right!) that will be jumping into a hole that they cut through the ice with chainsaws all as part of a fundraising event for the Maine Children's Cancer Program. Cancer sucks, and it sucks even more when you are a child dealing with it!

I urge my readers to help out and donate, every dollar helps! And to make it even sweeter for the children who are seen at this facility for every donation made via this blog I will donate a hand crocheted item to a child that visit this center.

How to donate: Visit this link click on the "Give Now" button on the right side. Feel free to comment on the blog or the page that you are visiting from Katesie's Critters. And THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

PS I am cold already thinking about jumping in!

Friday, February 1, 2013

FO Friday, 2.1.13

Seriously now, why can't I just sit home and crochet (and blog about it) all day? There are way too many things on my "to-crochet" list and I want to get to them all! I think this feeling of wanting to crochet all day stems from the fact that I haven't been able to do as much as usual lately. I started a new job within the same company but at a different location -- remember how they were closing down the store I worked in. So now at the new job my schedule is all changed -- working primarily early mornings instead of closing -- and there is 2 hours wasted in the car driving to and from work instead of 30 minutes! I could have a small ami finished in that time! Alas there is something in the works, but it's not being a stay at home dog mom who crochets, cooks & cleans all day. Maybe I should have a baby so that I can be a real SAHM (not going to lie, the thought has crossed my mind) but then I remember that taking care of a baby will probably mean LESS crochet time than I have now, and all those messy diapers...

I digress... Even with less time & schedulde changes, I have been able to get some things complete -- these FOs are from 1/12-2/1 so for the time span I think the FOs are a little light, but I can't batter myself about it, I just need to get used to my new schedule and make the best use of my time.

Before the store closed I finished a Giraffe for a coworker:

He was a Lion Brand pattern and I used Red Heard Super saver in cornmeal and Bernat super value in dark heather.

I made a lion a while back for one of my close friends for her sons birthday, well now it was time for her daughter! Little miss Emily got a Pretty Pink Horse (I call her Feathers....get it?) I finished this one so close to the deadline (over actually) that I didn't get a chance for a real photo shoot -- that's okay because I want to make this one again and list it online, it really is too cute & I love how the mane was made.



Feathers is the Pegasus pattern (less the wings) by Fiberdoodles by K4TT. I used Red Heart Supersaver in White & Light Raspberry and Caron One Pound in Soft Pink. PS these photos don't do her justice!

I also finished two more Fiberdoodles by K4TT, two little monkeys! They actually had a real photo shoot too! Used Bernat Super Value in Dark Heather & Rustic Heather




And last but certainly not least! The Belize Wrap for my Mom. This was part of my Year of Projects list and I am happy to have something crossed off, it has been quite a while! I really hope she wears it as I love it and hope she does too! This is the one that started off like an acid trip remember? So happy with the new color choices!







I used Lion Brand Wool Ease in Wheat, Rose Heather & Blush Heather.

That's what I have finished for this week, hoping to get more done this week than the last few! Checking in with Tami's Amis to see all the other FOs.


Also checking in with my Year of Projects group.


A Plea to my Readers:
In the middle of February I will be jumping into a lake. No big thing if you are somewhere warm, but I'm not, I am in Maine. The average temp for that day is a cold cold cold 23º.... and that's just the air temp!

A group of my friends make up the team "Crazy for a Cure" (Crazy is right!) that will be jumping into a hole that they cut through the ice with chainsaws all as part of a fundraising event for the Maine Children's Cancer Program. Cancer sucks, and it sucks even more when you are a child dealing with it!

I urge my readers to help out and donate, every dollar helps! And to make it even sweeter for the children who are seen at this facility for every donation made via this blog I will donate a hand crocheted item to a child that visit this center.

How to donate: Visit this link click on the "Give Now" button on the right side. Feel free to comment on the blog or the page that you are visiting from Katesie's Critters. And THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

PS I am cold already thinking about jumping in!