Gearing up for the Christmas Boutique Craft Show has the creative crochet juices flowing. Shooting for hats, fingerless gloves, scarves, and other small items as those seem to be the big sellers in the handmande universe. Here are a few of the new items that will be for sale at the Boutique and will eventually find their way on to etsy. The longterm plan of creating an ebook with patterns is in the works, although the actual MAKING is the focus this month:
Hat and scarf set in a sparkly ivory with chocolate and teal accents. The scarf has one row of chocolate at the ends.
Here are two fingerless mitt designs - a brown with monochrome brown button accent and a green with ivory trim and a buttoned cuff. I've been cranking out these fingerless gloves in every color combination. They were hugely popular at the Autumn Daze festival and so trendy. Check out the pattern on Ravelry. The pattern is quick, easy, and very versatile.
I love this hat! The top section is made from an old t-shirt that I cut into t-shirt yarn. The bottom part of the cloche is made from superbulky ribbon yarn in reds, blacks and maroons. The two sections are accented with a black satin ribbon laced through and tied in the back.
Here is another version of my Asymetry Scarf, which is available for free on Ravelry. This one combines lovely deep blues and aquas. Stormy Skies:
In addition to these samples of new pieces, I have a few baby items, accessories and more substantial pieces that will be at the Boutique.
Regards, as I keep on hookin'!
9/26/11
Wow! What a great turnout at Autumn Daze! In addition to all the fingerless gloves we donated to the Church festival, many hats sold and now the goal is to make more more more! Here are some cute customers who purchased the multi-colored skullcap. Aren't they cute?
Since the fingerless gloves sold so quickly, I've been working on a variety of combinations. Hats and scarves are on my mind lately, along with the detail that makes it pop.
Here is a cat toy made with scrap yarn and old clothes. It was tough to get a shot of Trixie playing with it - she's fast!This is one of the projects I came up with as part of an effort to reuse old material. Since I have many children's clothes that are of no use anymore, I used them as stuffing for the toy. It's a great size, as Trixie uses it for a punching bag. The strings on the end give me the chance to pull and play with my kitty.
Just finished a "redesign" of an old cami pattern. This design is far superior as it is sized much better (a recurring complaint about the past pattern), has nicer straps and trim, and is written for crochet artists who would like to do a little customizing. The pattern is available on ravlery.com and Etsy. The detailing involves a subtle shell edging at the bottom and reverse single crochet at the top edge and on the straps. Kudos to my lovely lass, Rocky, as she really makes this Summer Slouchy Beanie look much cuter than I ever could!
So many lovely days, so many crochet ideas! As you know, summer weather and sitting-type crafts are diametrically opposed for a person who enjoys biking, hiking, camping, and all sorts of other outdoor activities. Still, I have managed to crank out a few pieces. The "Mondo Clutch" is something I was so happy to finish! I spent waaaaaayy too much time on this thing, as it was my first attempt at something that needed external shaping. It did, however, turn out kick ass and I am considering keeping it for myself, rather than listing it on Etsy. It has a nice silky lining, applied with spray-on adhesive, and a magnetic snap. The crochet was the easy part, just two big rectangles done in an alternating front post double crochet, yarn tripled for thickness. One side uses a cute confetti-like novelty yarn I had in my stash. I took the thing apart and reassmbled a couple of times to get it right, so I am a little sentimental about this purse! 
I also managed to crank out a bit of summer type headgear. This cap is made from cotton and by the time I was done with it, I had to name it the "Gilliganista Cap!" Ahoy! 
I know I am getting ahead of myself, but I experimented a little with my giant knitting needles and a super easy cowl. Three strands of super bulky and super softy yarn with a color block styling and two hours later I had my "Pumpkin and Blueberries" neck wrap. I'm giving it away for a June "what, are you out of your mind? it's SUMMER!" giveaway. Seems like it would be a nice fall piece and, actually, I even like the way it looks with my jean jacket! 
How's about a baby thang? This is a prototype for a hat I made for my niece's boy. It's simple and toddler size and is, basically, a skullcap with a brim on it. So simple! You should make one, if you never have. The one I made for my niece's son is navy and I found a cool military-looking button that I put on one side at the top of the brim. Damn! Sent it off without taking a pic! While I love that my kids are a little older now and we are able to enjoy all sorts of activities we couldn't do at an earlier age, I regret that I have no toddler or baby models to use for my kiddie stuff. Please forgive the creepy baby doll!
You may notice that I have an adorable 7 yr old on my blog now. Yes, that is my own sweet girl. She recently celebrated her first communion, and I crocheted this shawl for the occasion. As we began 
shopping for her dress, I quickly surmised, that even though first communion dresses are supposed to have the shoulders covered, quite a few of them don't. The shawl was quick and easy, she loved it, and she had something that no one else had - a special item handmade from her mom. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn (I used about one half of a skein of Simply Soft I had in my stash), an H hook, and plenty of love! I have the pattern ("First Commnion Shawl for Celeste") for sale on ravelry for $1.99 and/or would be happy to email you the .pdf for the same price. If you are interested, please send me a quick email and I will respond ASAP. While I would love to offer this for free, I really do need to make a living SOME HOW (sad, but true!).
shopping for her dress, I quickly surmised, that even though first communion dresses are supposed to have the shoulders covered, quite a few of them don't. The shawl was quick and easy, she loved it, and she had something that no one else had - a special item handmade from her mom. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn (I used about one half of a skein of Simply Soft I had in my stash), an H hook, and plenty of love! I have the pattern ("First Commnion Shawl for Celeste") for sale on ravelry for $1.99 and/or would be happy to email you the .pdf for the same price. If you are interested, please send me a quick email and I will respond ASAP. While I would love to offer this for free, I really do need to make a living SOME HOW (sad, but true!).
My "Girlie Skirt" is a little number designed for girls, sizes 2, 4, 6 and 8, and is created in Party from Caron International. It is a nice, soft yarn with great drape that also has a little sparkle to it. This skirt is done in Fusia and Purple. The idea is to give your girlie an even cuter version of the ruffled skirts you see that are worn over leggin's. Given that layers of crocheted ruffles can be pretty heavy, I chose to add a lace panel instead, with only two ruffles and I think it came out pretty cute! The main section is a modified up and down stitch and it is cinched at the waist with a twisted cord. Only wish I had a model little enough to show it to you. The pattern should be available from Caron soon!
"Eadie's Bag", uses a new Caron Yarn - Sheepish - and is made from triangle grannie motifs contrasted with a simple grey pattern stitch. the aim is a colorful twist on the throwback grannie square. the yarn, a wool blend, has a very bright color pallet, similar to the Simply Soft Brites, but a little less neonish. no two color combinations are repeated, so the bag is different all around. "Eadie's Bag" is scheduled to be in the fall 2011 edition of Crochet World mag. looking forward to getting something in print again! it has been a long time!
this project was time consuming for me. even though this was the second version, the shaping was a little complicated and the handle attachment was a relatively new venture for me. it is also lined, and since i am not much of a seamstress, and i have an ancient sewing machine - handed down from my grandma to my ma to me! - it was a struggle. hope some one likes it and makes it, other than my mom who refers to hers as her "church purse."
baby sweater made for caron int.
this project, which i titled "Crunchkin Baby Sweater," is made from Simply Soft in off white. the body is worked in one piece and the sleeves are then added. super easy. the pattern stitch is the crunch stitch, which provides nice bumpy texture and almost a stripe. i also used this on the Spring Forth potholder.
my spring version of the Seed Stitch Share-Me Skull Cap, available on my free patterns page. worked in a nylon ribbon yarn, very cool and lotsa springy color!
the spring fling started with the Lilac Bush Lattice Scarf, a nice soft combination of grass green and sunflower, in KnitPicks Shine Worsted (although these colors are no longer available) and also the Caron International Spa in Berry. trying to live out that fantasy of skipping the usual spring pastel theme, which obviously i cannot do, and going straight for the saturation throat. lightweight, soft, long, and good for wearing with a variety of pieces in various ways. pattern instructions free here and on ravelry.
