I finally started and finished a hat to go with this sweater. 'Bout time, seeing as how the baby was born last night.... This is a size 12 months sweater, though. So it's no rush. The hat actually came out a little bigger than the measurements for a 12 month head size. But I guess it's better a little bigger than a little too small.
Here they are together. 
This is BICO #6. I made this one out of Homespun and Simply Soft for the trim and the hat. It still doesn't have any buttons on it yet; I have to go buy some since I didn't have any in my sewing box that would go with it... The hat pattern is the same one I used for a couple of other BICO sets (out of the Family Circle Easy Crochet magazine). I did make (one) mitten, but I could tell it was waaaay too small. So I might just send the sweater and hat. It's going to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Even though I am no longer in the yahoo group Crafting for a Cause, I still write back and forth with someone who lives there. She just wrote me and told me she has a new grandson so I made this set for him. It's a size six months so hopefully it will fit in a month or so... (he's three months old). I am also working on a preemie hat. I accidentally did one already (trying to make a hat to go with this sweater, actually.) I am sending it to someone who works in a neonatal nursery. I should make a bunch since I haven't sent any to the Preemie Protectors group in a while, either.... Oh well. They do go pretty quick.
Well the hat I have had done for a long time. I finally decided maybe I should look for a bootie pattern to go along with it. I found Emma's Baby Booties and thought they would be perfect! They even used the same exact yarn I used for the hat and they are newborn sized (which the hat is, too.) Although it does look huge next to the booties. They are both the exact measurements they are supposed to be for a newborn size. They are going to my SIL. She and her husband are having a baby girl next week. Doesn't that sound funny? 'Oh yeah, I'm having my baby next week.' Strange. Anyway she had said something about how it would be great having a newborn hat from Tina to take her home from the hospital in. So walla.. These aren't the only things I've made her.
I also finished up these booties tonight, too. They have been done for a while, too. I just needed to tie in the loose ends and sew up a hole on each side... They are knitted and are in the 'Socks, Socks, Socks' book, edited by Elaine Rowley. They are called 'Sockies', and are my favorite baby bootie to knit. I have also made her a BICO which I've already posted about. I just need to crochet a hat to go with it... Then I will be done.
"Remember me? I've had my hair done and now I feel like a new troll!" :p I finally got brave and put her hair on today. I wanted to wait until I got some "feathery fluff" yarn, but it is so expensive and I didn't feel like waiting til I had enough money for it. So I just 'used what I have'. Just plain old Red Heart worsted weight black. I pulled each strand apart so there were two plies of two. I think she looks really cool. I am sending her to my cousin who is going to Australia next month. (I don't know if I mentioned this in my last post with Sheila...) She used to have all the old 'Wishniks' (troll dolls), back when they were just coming out. She still has some of her originals and collects them. So for those two reasons I thought she would really like this. I hope she does. I want to make one for me, now. :) Blossom really likes her. ;)
He's finished! I am really happy with how he turned out. (Yes, it is a *he*.) :p He even has a tail. I took a picture of it, but you couldn't even tell in the picture... I took about fifteen pictures trying to get the color/lighting right. It still isn't exactly right, but pretty close...
This is a more accurate color. A little too bright, but.. And a close-up of the nose and eyes.
And finally, here he is by the first one I did (terribly wrong, I might add.) It must have been waaaaay too loose of crocheting for the scs to be that big. Well I don't think this will be my only bear for the Teddy-a-Long. I might make some more of these guys for gifts, too.
It's starting to look like a bear now. :) It's almost done, actually. I am working on the last leg now and then just have to embroider the nose. Did you know you can click on the photos and you can get a bigger view? I just recently figured that out (woo hoo). Shows you what a computer dummy I am. :p I decided after looking at the state of the living room and dining room this morning (yesterday I cleaned all day...) that I am not doing anything today. I am on strike. Why should I waste my days cleaning up everyone else's mess? I am so sick of it. (It only took me fourteen years to come to this...) Soooo... I officially declared today 'Crochet Day' for me. I *might* make dinner. We'll see.
Here is what I have done so far. I finished this up last night. (I might have been a lot farther than this by now, too, if I could just get off this computer! LOL)
Here it is next to the first one I made... See how much better it looks? I think I have gotten a lot better at crocheting toys since then... (four and a half years ago, not bad...) :) I'm also using 12mm eyes that lock in, I think they look 100% better than the buttons I used before....
at Crochetville. So I thought I would post all the teddy bears I have made. I've made two of some of these. (Like the one above.) I made one for Mimi, and one for Lene`. :) Both of whom were swap partners of mine through Crochetville in the past. :D
Well technically this isn't a teddy bear; it's a polar bear. Oh well. He wanted to get in here, too. ;p This was a pattern I tested.
Now these are some older bears I crocheted. The one above I do not have the pattern for anymore. I remember hating crocheting this one, and I am almost positive I threw the pattern out in disgust. But... I wish I had kept it now. Because I am a lot more patient with my crocheting than I was back then. And, you can see how well this bear has held up over the years! (It is about ten years old.) Especially compared to this next one:
Which is about four years old... This is another one I made two of. One for each of our older sons. Right before I had their baby brother and had to go into the hospital for a few days.... I made them each a bear to snuggle with while mommy was gone... He still has this bear on his bed so it must mean something to him. (Because look how ratty looking it is!) This pattern is still on the Stargazer site, but every time I click on the link it isn't available. I think it is one of the Denise Augustine patterns or somehow linked to it... I can't find the other bear like him that I did, but I know it's around here somewhere, because I just saw both of them the other day.. I do have the pattern printed out though. If I decided to make another one I think I would crochet a lot tighter or use a smaller hook (or both). So the stuffing wouldn't come out like that again... I haven't decided what teddy bear pattern I want to do next, but stay tuned... :)
We want a new crocheted friend!... and some clothes would be nice, too... :p
This is how my motifs have been curling up. Grrrr. Maybe I should turn them all into egg cozies for my friends? ;p After some manipulating and stretching, they do lay flat...
Good motif.
Here is a whole pile of what I have done so far. Nine. And I am on #10. The pattern said you could make a doily with ten! But I am making a table runner. I don't think I am going to do the hundred something like in the original, but we'll see how many 'til I like how it looks... I am also trying to finish up Sheila, the Aussie Troll Doll; from Cupcake. :D She is almost done but for her hair. I don't know what kind of yarn to get or use for her hair. I saw some that looked similar to what Cupcake used, but not in a color that would match very well....
The color is a little washed out. The pink is a little darker. So's the blue. I think she's kinda cute. I am sending her to my cousin who used to collect Wishniks (trolls) in the 70's or 80's, whenever they were popular. She still has some and collects more when she finds them. I thought she would really like this for that reason. 
Here it is. My first little motif. I am crocheting this table runner for my SIL and her new husband as a wedding gift. He is German, and I wanted to make them something that would have some meaning to them, maybe? (I don't know if it will or not...) This table runner I found at this site about Germans from Russia . There are a bunch of doily patterns. One table runner (this one), and a tablecloth. And some history; in a museum type of way. I thought it was so interesting. But, I am a history buff; I love history. So it might not be interesting to everyone. The edges are slightly curling up on the motif..... hmmm.... I'm hoping that isn't going to be a problem later. After this project is done I will be done with my crochet obligations. (For a while anyway!) LOL But, I enjoy it.