Jewel tones

I like all colors, I really don't think there are any that I don't care for. Among my favorites are the warm tones of fall. The reds, golds, and yellows that are starting to show up here in Alaska. I also love the cool blues and greens of our oceans, lakes, rivers, and seas. The bright pinks and purples of little girl clothes make me smile. But my all time favorites have got to be jewel tones. 

I've been making things for other people for so long that I decided I wanted to make a new throw for me based off the larksfoot stitch. It's working up so fast and I'm loving the way the colors are coming together. I've received a lot of compliments and even have a potential order to make an afghan for someone else.

On a side note, I had another order for little girl maryjane slippers which have been finished and delivered. I love that she keeps ordering more, but the color combinations she chooses really hurt my eyes!

Trying new things

Over the past month I've finished a few projects that I haven't posted because they're gifts that I don't want the recipients to see until they've received them.

That isn't to say that I haven't been busy doing other things. I found this super cute patter for baby sandals on  Ravelry and just had to give them a try. They turned out so cute and they were relatively easy to make. They were made to go with the matching hats and diaper cover.

A few days ago I was at the library and picked up the book "100 Crochet Projects" by Jean Leinhauser & Rita Weiss. There's a pattern for an entrelac skull cap which I decided to try. I've never attempted to do entrelac before and I think it would have been easier had I tried it with a flat piece. As you can see from the following pic, it didn't turn out as a skull cap - more of a slouch hat.

I also finally finished the slippers for one of my daughters that she's been waiting for since I made the first set a few months ago. So I haven't had idle hands, just busy getting kids ready for school and not much time for posting.

Meltdown Mayhem

There's really nothing like being at the library with the kids and one of them deciding to throw a screaming, raging fit! Yesterday it was my son, today it was my youngest. Can you say "headache"? I've got a massive one, the kind you can feel every time you change expression. The kind that wraps around the top of your head and down the neck into the shoulders.

Lol, if I could afford it I'd go spend a day at the spa and let someone else do all the work for the day. Sadly, it's not going to happen anytime soon.


*sighs* 

Contests

I love free give-aways! I really hate having to enter a drawing for them though! Seems I never win, but it's always fun to try.  Once again AllFreeCrochet is having a contest to give away something. This time it's 63 Easy to Crochet Pattern Stitches from Leisure Arts! I've been eyeballing this book for years but could never warrant spending the money on it. My fingers are crossed that I win it this time!

Anyway, without further ado here's the link to the contest. Give-Away Contest. Good luck!

Hot Hooks and Sore Hands!

Over the past couple of weeks I've been crocheting away and it seems like my hooks got hot and my hands definitely got sore! I finished up some 'time waster' projects, worked on some baby items for a couple of cousins who are pregnant, and decided to try again at Tunisian crochet.

The time wasters really weren't wastes of time. I picked up a ravelry pattern for the Hyperbolic Pseudosphere Scrubbie that I ended up making several of after my oldest daughter took the first one and couldn't put it down. Not only that, they were just fun to make!

I have more of these, just didn't photo them. I generally stopped on round 4 with most of them, but the rainbow one here on the bottom has 9 rounds as the red and orange I did two rounds each because they're the shortest.

For obvious reasons ( I don't want them to see ) I'm not posting the baby stuff yet. That will come later after they've been received.

Now. Tunisian crochet. I tried it once years ago and really had trouble with my tension and working the return rows. So the other day I was looking for something and found my tunisian hook. I decided I'd give it another try and I swear I didn't put that long hook down for almost three days! I found a short row dishcloth pattern on ravelry (yes, I love that site!) that I really liked, but it was in tunisian so what better way to try again, right? I ended up whipping out five of these dishcloths and learning a few other tunisian stitches that I really like. Sometimes I just amaze myself with the things I can learn if I just take the time to try!

Slippers

A few weeks back I made myself and one of my daughters some slippers found at Crochet Spot (click the link for the pattern). I did make some adjustments to the pattern to make them fit us each well as well as making a gusset in the back for the heel as I didn't like the way the heel stitched up with the original directions. Anyway, someone else saw them and asked if I'd make her 3 pair and a pair for her daughter. She picked the color combinations and gave me measurements, she also asked for contrasting edging and flowers so here's what I came up with. 

By the time I was done with these I was sick of working with black yarn...ugh. For the contrasting edging I added a round of sc and then a round of picots to make them a bit more 'girly'. The flower pattern was originally for a flower garland with the pattern found at Sarahndipities. 

I found a recipe for homemade puffy glue that I'll be using to draw some flowers or such on the soles to make them non-skid. She'll be back on Saturday, I hope she likes them!