Chic on the Halfshell and Shawl...

I finally got around to making one of these. The purse itself whips up in no time. But I wanted to put a liner in it. Picky me. That's what took some time. I did it all by hand. (My sewing machine is broke right now.)

Blurry picture-- but you can kinda see... It's still not completely finished. I want to get a big ole buttton for the outside and crochet a loop from the other side to close it. And maybe put a snap inside, too. I have the snaps, but not the big ole button...

And (another blurry picture... ) This is the shawl I mentioned earlier. The same pattern Mimi made. I wasn't too sure if I would like this~ in crappy acrylic baby yarn. But. It's okay. And I saw another shawl someone did that looked like it was in the same (crappy acrylic baby) yarn at Crochetville. And I liked it. So maybe it will turn out all right. Maybe I am just getting too expensive of tastes after looking at all those expensive bags!! ;) I don't want to turn into a yarn snob. (I'm sure my husband doesn't either- lol)

Pop-Tab Purses, Too!

I also saw a post by Pragmatica, at Crochetville about pop-tab purses--How Cool Is That!!? You can even order them in different colors. I have already started saving pop-tabs... :p She also posted a link to a Craft site about pop-tab crochet, too. AngieinCA posted a link to DIY network on pop-tab crochet (you can print it out, too.) Here's another article, too. And, last night while I was Googling for Knock-off bags I could crochet, I found this bag, too! (Sigh....) I am never going to finish one thing if I keep finding all these other cool things!! :D

Knock-Offs...

I am on another obsession.... Knock-offs (again). I don't know exactly what I want but I am on the look out. I found a few by Googling... This one is cool. Someone else is trying to make one here, too. I did buy two big skeins of RH in 'Soft White' for this bag today...There's the Counterfeit Crochet Project. With a tutorial (not really a pattern, per say..) on how she did the Quilted Brown Chanel purse. I love this Saks bag!! That might be easy to do... Here's another one... it's not *me*, but someone out there might like it... I do like this one I found online at Bloomingdales. (I could almost make my car payment with the price of that one!!) I am currently making The Crochet Dude's 'Chic on the HalfShell'. (I think this one might be a knock-off of something... I don't know...) I bought the pattern for 'Spring and Summer Drew-strings Purses', too. Well stay tuned for knock-off bags, too. ;p

Evening Shawl

I don't know if I ever posted about this? (I guess I could go look through all my posts, and see....) Well... this is an 'Evening Shawl' I started forever ago.... I'm talking at least two years ago. (Sigh.) I don't know if I will ever finish it.

A close up of the stitches... I am going to a wedding next Saturday, and I wanted to wear a shawl with my dress (I haven't picked out which one I want to wear yet, but...) I don't think this shawl will *go* with any of the dresses I have. And, I don't have any money to buy a new one right now, anyway... So, I have been looking at different shawl patterns. I vaguely remembered one Mimi had done, and after looking at it I realized, that would be absolutely perfect! I love how it is a rectangle shape, and not a triangle shape. (You can find the link to the pattern in her post, too, by the way...) I have some Jamie pompadour baby yarn with a silvery thread running through it, I will probably use... it's white. I hope it will turn out all right... I also like the Very Easy Ripple Shawl at Lion Brand Yarns. Butterfly Wing Shawl ... (Scroll down to post #9 for pictures of it.) Here is a link someones post at Crochetville that has a bunch of links for shawls, especially for weddings!! (The Evening Shawl is on there, too... hee hee) Stay tuned for pictures of the new shawl I am working on.... who knows I may even finish the first one I started... :p

I Finished a Whole Pair of Socks

Can you believe it? I can't. I finished them last night. And I wore them last night, too. They are really comfy. At first my one foot itched, but after I scratched it I was okay. ;p (I don't think it was the socks.) They aren't technically *wool*, anyway. Wool-Ease; which is only 10% wool...

I've already cast on for another pair. For our four year old son. Using this pattern for socks for 'Children in Common'. (A yahoo group.) If you are interested in a charity pattern to help those less fortunate (children in orphanages), knit a pair of socks to send them. If mine turn out too small, I will probably either give them to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, or as a baby shower gift (if it's a boy... she hasn't found out yet...) I will knit another pair that is out of wool (one of the requirements, as the children live in poorly or unheated orphanages...) :( I do have a small skein of wool, and some odd skeins of wool that shrinks.... hmmm.... (don't know if that work so well for socks....)

Well. Anyway. Here is a somewhat close up of the sock. Still not great, but you can see it a little better... I am using a one inch band of k1, p1, then plain stockinette. Thanks for stopping by. :)

More Spiral Scrubbies

These are actually 'Cherry Red' by Red Heart. (The color is off in the picture... they did look almost coral before I edited the picture...) Anyway. For lack of anything else to blog about... I crocheted these to add to a wedding present (which I haven't even bought yet; ha ha...) I want to make at least one four corners dishcloth in red and white variegated, too. (Their kitchen is red...) By the way, I don't know if I ever posted the link for the spiral scrubby pattern. There ya go! ;)

Reveal Package!!

I am so sorry it took me so long to post this, Kelle! I don't know what has been wrong with me, other than exhausted... I recieved my reveal package a while ago. I just love everything Kelle sent!! I cannot believe it, still, but she crocheted me a shrug. And it fits me perfectly!! (Not very good quality photos here, sorry...) No one has ever made me a sweater before in my life (myself included) lol. I love it so much.

Again, not good quality pictures (at all!), but.... You can *kind* of see what else she sent me. A big. Huge skein of JoAnn's Rainbow Boucle--in shades of green!! Woo Hoo! I still have not figured out what I want to make with this delicious yarn. Or the two skeins of Caron Bliss, for that matter! (They are soo soft and yummy!) Kelle also sent a pattern leaflet for a short sleeved crocheted cardigan, which I also love! And a little booklet of baby afghans, which I did not have and they are all so cute! (I do need to make a baby afghan soon, too... what perfect timing!) A package of the cutest teddy bear stationery, a box of my favorite Zinger teas, Wild Berry and Red Zinger (a little sample packet). And, you can't even see them in the picture (because they're not there LOL!) but Kelle also sent a bunch of little chocolate candy bars, and two big 'Coffee Crisp' candy bars for my husband. He doesn't like coffee flavored anything (unless it's actually coffee)-- But I do!!! Yummy! The kids loved the chocolates. And, Kelle sent each of the kids something, too! She is so cool. Our fifteen year old, she sent the coolest guitar book!! He loves it. I still haven't looked through it myself yet, but one day (when I get some free time ha ha...) :p Our ten year old she sent a coloring book and stickers. And our four year old she sent a coloring book and the coolest! Spiderman socks!! You rock, Aunt Kelle!!! And some Wild & Weird trading cards with animals on them (which by the way, they won the code, and sent in the card for something? A packet of free stuff!! So we are still getting stuff from you, Kelle!) :D Thanks so much again for thinking of our kids (and my hubby, too.)

Some rip-off leaflets, which I have never seen any of yet. I love the pillow ones and the knitted bag. The baby pillows are adorable, don't you think?

And last but definitely not least, Kelle crocheted all these threadies for me!! She said it was her very first doily ever-- it's gorgeous! And I love little doilies, too. The little square coaster (I think I am going to use it as another little doily, though.) And the lace bookmark. I have already used this in one book that I read. I just love everything, and I feel sooo spoiled!!... Thank you again, Kelle!! I am still in awe of it all, and will cherish these things always. I hope we can keep in touch for a long time, too.

Barbie's New Clothes...

Well I don't know that she ever had any to begin with, but.... These are the latest I've done, besides the sock I just finished... I am actually sending these to someone so they technically aren't going to be for this Barbie.... I got the patterns for them here. I did the mini-skirt, and top right after it...

Some Goodies I Sent to My Secret Pal

Now I can't remember if these are in the exact order I sent them, or not... But.... First up we have a 'Four Corners' dishcloth and spiral scrubby. :D

And two doilies I tried to match Kelles' decor... She said she liked the red one best. (I wasn't sure about making a red doily, either, but I do like how it turned out, too!) These are some old patterns I have had forever and made for a lot of family members. The one on the left is called 'Rose of Sharon' I'm pretty sure. And the red one is 'Jody's Merry-go-round'.

And here we have Old Bag Lady's Baby Snow Dragon. :D One of the things Kelle had on her list that she liked was dragons, and I noticed she had commented on the post where 'Old Bag Lady' had shown her dragons, so..... I made her one. In one of her favorite colors, plum. This is the side view so you can see his spikes.

And a front view. I think his face is so cute. :D

And last but not least, the tote bag I sent for her reveal package. I just loved the 'Crochetville Tote Bags' that Mary Jo had been making over at Crochetville. So I bought the pattern book Mary Jo had used, and got up my courage and made one for Kelle. This tote bag traveled all the way from Colorado, through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and to Michigan (and back!) ;p Don't know if all those states are in the right order, but... you get the idea. I filled the bag with a variety of stuff. I had a lot of fun being her swap partner. I haven't joined a swap in about a year, so it was fun. You can see Mary Jo's Green Crochetville Bag here, and her purple one, here.

One Sock Finished...

Not the clearest picture, with the webcam. But... You can see what it looks like. This picture is more close to the real color. I haven't tried it on yet. Or cast on for the second one yet, either. You know what they say, 'Cast on right away for the second one!' I don't know if I ever posted the place where I first read how to knit a sock online... It's Socks 101. A picture tutorial... Very helpful! Stay tuned for the second sock... :)

A Sock I am Knitting

Well I finally attempted to take a picture of this.... the color is slightly off... the socks are a little darker, and the rubbermaid tote isn't so green looking (it's blue)... Anyway you can see what I've gotten done so far. I haven't been working on much more than this sock since I finished my secret pals' project.... :D I did make an outfit for a Barbie doll to send to someone. I'll have to attempt a picture of that soon, too.

Common Flicker?

We recently put up some bird feeders, since we got my sheperds' hook out of storage. (No other place/trees to hang them where we live right now.... We put them in the front yard, and for three days, nothing!! No birds at all. So my husband moved it to the backyard and we have been looking from our bedroom window. Well this morning, after seeing a squirrel on the ground (grrr!) eating some seed that fell, I noticed a bird on the driveway, walking over to the feeder. I am almost positive it was a flicker! Well I looked and looked online, but the only photo I could come up with was this one: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1007398362000313056QPwfrfsvCz You can't really see the underside, but the head and body looked like that. Under the birds wings was a red strip. I can't seem to find any other pictures though. Pretty cool! The first bird I notice on my feeder is a flicker! That's awesome. I found a page to build your own flicker house, too. Maybe this summer we'll do it for a family project. http://magazine.audubon.org/backyard/backyard0205.html

Another dishcloth I made... and a scrubby...

This is a four corners dishcloth I made for my cousin. And a spiral scrubby to go with it.

The one on the left is made with Simply Soft. The one on the right, Bernat or Red Heart.... worsted weight. See the difference in size? I like the one with the simply soft, it's so cute..... The one on the right I made for a friend. She asked me if I paid for the yarn, would I make her about five more? LOL I said 'Have you seen my stash?'.... I am also knitting a pair of socks, but I can't get a good picture of them with my webcam :( My digital camera broke recently (don't know if I posted about that or not.) I can take pictures with the webcam, but they turn out even worse than the digital camera did....

Thank You Secret Pal!

Look at the beautiful handmade card and crocheted bookmark my secret pal sent me. I just love them! This picture isn't the clearest, I used the webcam since my digital camera broke....
:( It was pretty old, though. Someone gave it to me. I wouldn't have any of this new technology if people didn't give it to me as gifts... I barely know how to work it, anyway... Anyhow~ The card is so pretty. Each little 'tag' says 'Friend'. And a ribbon in between the two colors. Just beautiful. And, you can't see it very well in this picture, but there is a gold strand running through the thread in the bookmark. It's so pretty. Thank you again, secret pal! I just love getting little surprises from people, just letting me know they are thinking of me. :)