Craft Sites and Pinterest

Anyone else signed up for Pinterest? I am toying with the idea...like I need another website to check and play on everyday! I hadn't heard of Pinterest until a friend mentioned it before Christmas. It is a website to "pin" favorite ideas, photos, quotes, etc to your page.

Any other craft websites you visit regularly? I have bookmarked many that Kalinda and Lisa have on their blogs. Today, I spent some time checking them out for ideas, then I get overwhelmed and maybe Pinterest would be a good way to save everything in one place!

Anyone working on anything fun!? I spent the weekend quilting on my mystery quilt project. I will post photos soon. And I am thinking about signing up for a block of the month at the quilt store. Casey got me a cool window pane/photo frame for Christmas. I just need to get the pictures in it and hung up. I will post that soon too.

Kalinda, here is a fun yarn crafty idea for you and the boys! Super cute, I might have to try it!

Happy Monday, Happy Crafting!

Crochet projects.

It has been quite awhile since anyone posted on here yet I'm pretty sure most of us, if not all of us, did some crafty stuff for Christmas.  C'mon, ladies, cough up those pictures!!  I want to see what everyone Has been working on!

I made these two neck pillows.  They are only two of the 12 I intended to make, so they will get put away and wait until next Christmas when I will, hopefully, have the rest of the pillows ready to give away.

You all probably saw these on my other blog.  I'm currently using the same yarn to make Aren a hat.

And here are the boys wearing their "monkey caps" with their matching coats.

I've signed up to be a part of a crochet swap.  I will be making a Valentine project for my partner.  I'm thinking either a little bag or maybe some arm/wrist warmers.  Anyone have any ideas?  I'll be sure to post pics when I'm done!

More Babycakes!!!

So, today I was reading my daily fix of The Pioneer Woman blog and she has a post all about babycake mini treats!!!

Image my surprise to learn that there is not just one babycake cupcake machine (which I have), BUT also a donut, a cake pop, and a moonpie babycake machine!!

I so want to try them all out, especially the cake pop machine! She has a giveaway for all 3 babycakes and I entered! I hope I win...then I think I will have to open a babycake business! LOL!

Sock Monkey Hat

A friend wanted a sock monkey hat for her grandson. We found a pattern online and I worked on it this week!

I used this pattern. I raided my stash of yarn and found a burgundy, gray and black Simply Soft yarn by Caron plus a white that I think is Vanna's choice. The only change I made was the size and I added one more increase row to make it a little bigger.





Turned out cute and I may try the pattern in different colors! Can't wait to see this Sock Monkey Hat on the little guy!

Mystery Quilt

We had so much fun with the last round robin border project, my quilt group decided to do it again!

This time our "leader" Linda (she is an expert quilter who helps us with handouts and we meet at her home), decided to do a Mystery Quilt pattern. We met last weekend and she gave us the instructions on what type of fabric to buy, how much, and how to cut it all out. Next month, we will get the instructions for how to start the first block. There will be six blocks all together, and our finished quilt will be 40"x40".

On the Yarn Hop this weekend, I found my fabric! There is a fun quilt shop in Yoder!
We were told to buy...
Fabric A--Lightest and Brightest
Fabric B--Deepest and Darkest
Fabric C--Plaid or Multi-Print
Fabric D--Bold Stripe


My quilt is going to be pretty! I can't wait to start sewing!!!

Bobble Hat

I have been cleaning up magazines and go thru patterns for my "bucket list" of projects. Boy, do I have a list!!! I am going on the Central Kansas Yarn Hop this weekend and I am sure to find plenty of yarn for my new projects!

I found this hat in one magazine and wanted to work on it. I had RED yarn and it is perfect to match my RED coat for winter!

If you would like the pattern, let me know...I could email it to you!

I used Red Simply Soft by Caron and J hook. I had a little trouble at the end with the brim or edge, but it turned out cute!

4th Times A Charm for a Baby Blanket

So girls, I believe I said in an e-mail that I wanted to crochet a baby blanket for my new nephew but I thought that might be a little too ambitious since I just learned to crochet. But I thought I would go for it anyway. I found a really simple pattern and bought some yarn and off I went.

I started off good and then something just didn't look right so I took it out and started over 3 times. The I decided I should probably look at my crochet book. OH! I was doing it right. Instead of doing a single crochet I was basically chaining on top of chains. Once I figured that out
I had the blanket done in a little over a week.

Here are a few things I learned:
1) How to change colors. I got lots of practice on this project
2)I still need to work on tension because even though the rows were even the stitches became looser in the middle and it was lope-sided until I washed it.
3) I think I need to crochet all winter because it sure keep me warm while working on it

I gave it to my new nephew Ethan yesterday. Ethan had the shivers while I was holding him so he got use it already.

Here are some pics.

And Ethan with his blankie...

I used Bernat Satin yarn in lapis (blue), banana, snow (white) and sandstone. Let me if you would like the pattern. The blankie turned out super cute and really soft. And as a bonus it matches some of Ethan's other things.

Recipe!

I have posted before how I am a little obsessed with The Pioneer Woman blog, books, TV show, etc

Today, I came across a recipe from her Tasty Kitchen page for HOMEMADE GOLDFISH CRACKERS!!!!!



I love goldfish crackers! I am so excited about the possibilities and all the shapes and flavors I could make!!

We should have a Goldfish Party with all the kids! :) Made me smile today and I can't wait to make some little cheesy pillows of goodness!!!

Jazmine's Baby Gift

I wanted to give Tonya something homemade for the baby so, back in July I crocheted a baby blanket, hat and booties! I made them early and entered them into the Lyon County Fair!



All three projects were made from Simply Soft yarn by Caron. The blanket is my new favorite pattern for baby gifts and came from Lion Brand Yarn's website. The Little V-Stitch Blanket...it is fast and easy! The booties are also a Lion Brand Yarn pattern, Easy Booties.
The hat is a free crochet pattern called Newborn Baby Hat. (I can't remember the website, sorry.) I added the little flower and a scallop edge.

The blanket and booties both took White Ribbons at the Fair! Here they are on display at the Fair in August.



I was able to give them to Jazmine yesterday in the hospital and I can't wait to see her in them!

Baby Bibs

Here are a couple of bibs I made up for some Bunco Babies:

I saw a bib similar on someone else's crochet blog but she had gotten the pattern from a magazine.  Since I didn't have that magazine I searched trusty ole Ravelry and found this pattern for potholders.
I stopped earlier than the pattern called for so the bib wouldn't be too big for the baby's chest.  Then I added a simple chain for the ties. 

The handsome boys posing with Aren are the recipients of these bibs:

Aren is the oldest, then Micah (in the middle) about 2 weeks later, then Mason 10 days after that.