A Rainbow Purse to Brighten Your Day

When the weather is grey and dull, and when it is pitch black outside by 5:00 pm, I turn to my yarn basket to revel in some color and to brighten my day.

Today I am excited to show you a little colorful project that I made completely on a whim with no real purpose in mind other than to fulfill my need to make something pretty and colorful: a rainbow drawstring purse

Mission accomplished - this bag is so pretty and obviously colorful.

I found the pattern for this bag among my old pattern stash and used my collection of cotton yarns to work it up. Luckily the blog from which I printed the pattern many years ago is still up and running and on revisiting it now I was happy to find a gorgeous space full of crochet inspiration. There are a few other patterns there that I would love to make and I have added them to my list. I love having a running list of "crochet projects to make" and being continually inspired to add to the list. Having an overabundance of crafty projects and ideas is never a bad thing.

When it came to choosing colors for my bag, I took a completely random approach. I quite like how it turned out, though if I were to make this bag again, I would like to try a more planned color palate, just to see how that would look. This is a small enough project, that experimenting with colors is quite possible.

I've been crocheting a lot lately, in every spare moment I have, and I am more in love with this craft than ever. I have an absolutely amazing project in the works, as well as a few Christmas bits..I can't wait to show you. Until then, happy crafting friends.....

Pattern: Rainbow Purse 
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton - so many colors
Colorful: 100%
Pretty: 100%
Fun to Make: 100%

Oscar the Fish

A coworker of mine, who owns several aquariums and many fish, has been trying to persuade me to get a pet fish of my own for some time now. Since that is not going to happen (no pets for this lady), I decided that the next best thing would be a to crochet a fish.

Meet Oscar - he does not need to be fed regularly and his tank never needs to be cleaned.

He was a bit more difficult to make, with all the little pieces that needed sewing on, but still a fun little project.

Another little amigurumi friend to add to my collection, and let me tell you, I have quite the collection all made by me over the years. I've had the idea to get all my amigurumi friends together for a little photo shoot....to see everything I've made all together in one place....it could be fun?

Pattern: Amigurumi Two: Crochet Toys for Me and You and Baby Too
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Is this a substitute for an actual fish?: absolutely

Olive the Owl

I've found over the years, that my crocheting changes when summer arrives. In the heat and humidity, I am less inclined to crochet blankets that are uncomfortably hot in my lap while I'm working on them (it's better to leave those for autumn when I can curl up underneath my project) and I opt for smaller, simpler projects. I also find that I crochet less in the summer. With the longer days, I am outside more - working in the garden, walking, biking - and so there is less hooky time. It's not a bad thing, just something I've noticed, a sort of ebb and flow to my crafting.

That all being said, my most recent summer-appropriate project was an owl, Olive.

I've made this pattern twice before, for the girls, but this one is for me. And learning from my experience crocheting the chemistry set, I made a little bean bag for the bottom of my owl; Olive stands so well on her own as a result. I quite like her.

I have really rekindled my love of amigurumi lately. Back when the girls were babies and toddlers, I did so much of it until my enthusiasm dwindled and I took a little break. But now I have countless sticky notes in my pattern books, marking which patterns I want to make next, and I am back to buying crochet cotton (my yarn of choice for amigurumi) with fervor....it is an incredible feeling, I'm telling you!

What are you crocheting?

Pattern: Daisy Cottage Designs
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Needed in Your Life: Absolutely 

I'll Meet You in the Lab

I recently had the opportunity to test a crochet pattern for the very talented Lauren at A Menagerie of Stitches. Lauren designed an incredible chemistry set where the beakers, test tubes, and flasks have cute smiles and loads of personality.

The pattern was well written, with loads of helpful photos and tips. One of my favorite tips was to make a little bean bag to put in the bottom of the beaker and the flasks before stuffing them to help them stand up; a brilliant idea that would have come in very handy for some of my previous amigurumi makes, and one that I will definitely be using for future projects.

There are way more pieces to the pattern than I had time to make....more test tubes, bigger beakers and flasks, a Bunsen burner, and even instructions to make stands to really create the whole lab bench.....I just may keep going and make a few more pieces..

In the meantime, my girls are really enjoying playing "Scientist".

This pattern was so much fun to make. Thanks again to Lauren for the opportunity to test her pattern. 

Pattern: A Menagerie of Stitches
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Cuteness Factor: 100%

An Apple and a Little Worm

Well, I finished a little crochet project and remembered to take some pictures of it.....

I made this apple with a little worm for Claire's teacher as an end of the year gift. At one point in the year Claire had written in her school journal that she likes to crochet and her teacher shared that she too is a crocheter, so with that in mind, I thought a crochet gift would be the perfect gift for her.

And an apple for a teacher also seems fitting.

Pattern: Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Time to Make: A few hours

A Snail in a Pear

My latest amigurumi creation: a little snail and her pear home.

This was a lot of fun to make and my girls just love it; there is something about little containers and hiding things inside that these girls of mine just love.

Just like my bumble bee, the pattern for the snail and the pear can be found in the book Amigurumi Two: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too.

Happy Tuesday!

Charlotte the Bumble Bee

Yes, I made a crochet bumble bee and named her Charlotte.

Sometimes I wonder if I should get out a bit more, but there is something so incredibly satisfying about curling up on the couch in my pajamas and crocheting another amigurumi friend. I love it so much and it just makes me so happy....

The pattern for this bee can be found in the book Amigurumi Two: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too.

Happy Tuesday!

Mr. and Mrs. Cactus

Out and about running errands over the last few weeks I've been surprised by the number of cacti embellishments that I've seen. On clothing, on bedding, on home decor...cacti seem to be very popular at the moment. Of course, this inspired me to march myself home, rummage through my cotton stash for suitable colors, and crochet a few cacti of my own: Mr. and Mrs. Cactus.

I've affectionately named these two Arthur and Bernadette.

I've always loved cacti. When I was a little girl, I had a cactus garden in my bedroom and when Steve and I were first married, we bought a fun cactus we named "Yo" to put in our living room. All these cacti died, likely from over-watering, which thankfully will not happen to these two.

With no little parts to sew on, these friends were very simple to make. The pattern I followed is from the book Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet, one of my all time favorite amigurumi books....so many cute and adorable patterns inside.

And I just realized something, remember my succulents in an elephant, and my little succulent in a tiny pot? Well, apparently I was already on the bandwagon because these are the third and fourth cacti/succulents that I have made in the last while. So fun! 

A Crochet Unicorn

Scrolling through Instagram a few weeks ago, I came across a call from A Menagerie of Stitches for people to test her first crochet pattern - a unicorn. I jumped at the chance, messaging her right away to say that I would be interested....and was so excited to be selected to test the pattern.

Though it was absolutely not necessary, I used this an an opportunity/excuse to head to Michaels and stock up on crochet cotton. (Have you seen the new colors of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton? Oh my goodness, they are gorgeous, and at only $1.25 a ball (on sale when I was there) I was powerless to resist.)

Anyways, the unicorn. Working up this pattern was a breeze - easy to read, clear, with a ton of very helpful photos....it really is a great pattern. The pattern is being released today, and I would highly recommend it if crocheting adorable amigurumi toys is your thing.

My unicorn turned out amazing, and I love her so much that despite all the pleas from my girls, I am keeping her for myself. I held a little photo shoot for her the other day, taking loads of pictures...enjoy!

Isn't she adorable? And wonderfully colorful?

Thanks again to Lauren at A Menagerie of Stitches for the opportunity to test this pattern. It was a lot of fun.

The pattern is available on Etsy at A Menagerie of Stitches....

Arctic Critter

Just after Christmas I was at the bookstore with my mom when I spotted an amazing magazine: The Amigurumi Collection published by Inside Crochet. Truth be told, I was too frugal to buy it for myself, but my mom, knowing that I would love it, bought it for me and surprised me with it before I went for surgery. I promptly bookmarked all the animals that I want to make (the girls willingly helped me with this) and then headed to the yarn store to stock up on crochet cotton.

Today I am really excited to show you the first friend I made from this magazine: the Arctic Critter. (Ironically, I was working on my Arctic Critter on the warmest February day on record)

I actually made him for Claire; she adamantly requested a purple scarf, and has named her new friend Bo Bo. He is quite a bit bigger than I expected, standing about 12 inches tall, the perfect size for Claire cuddles.

I really love him. The pattern was fairly simple and the finishing was not too bad. When it comes to making amigurumi toys, I find sewing all the arms, legs, ears, tails, and any other pieces in place to be the most challenging, mostly because I am a perfectionist and am constantly checking if everything is placed correctly. The only thing that gave me trouble with this guy was the ears, they were a little tricky, but came out good in the end.

Oh, and one thing that was pleasantly different with this pattern compared to other amigurumi patterns that I have done, is that in this case the head and body are crocheted as one piece rather than separately. This eliminates the need to sew the head to the body and fuss around with making sure that the positioning is correct (see above); though I did need to make sure that the neck was stuffed quite firmly so that the head stayed upright.

With my new magazine and the load of crochet cotton that I bought (yes, I got a little carried away), I can see a few more amigurumi friends in my future. Which is okay with me because they are just so much fun to make!

Joining in with the Winter Project Link Party at Thistlebear.  

An Autumn Doily

Hooray for two crafty posts in one week!

Today I am excited to show you my Autumn Doily. I began this shortly after I made my two new mandalas back in October, stashing it away in my crochet corner and working on it a bit at a time over the last few months. It was a bit tricky, this pattern, and required some serious counting and concentration, so I found that I could only work on it when I was certain I would not be interrupted.

Now this doily is quite large, a lot larger than I thought it was going to be (it measures 20 cm across). I currently have it sitting in the middle of the kitchen table and have tried placing a plant in the center but since that covers up where most of the colors are, I've decided I like how it looks without better. I may give it a more permanent home elsewhere in the house since we are always moving it on and off the table when we want to eat, do homework, craft etc. and that is becoming a little cumbersome.

My favorite thing about my doily is how the stitches and rounds work together to look like lace...so pretty.

As for my yarn choices, I only used yarn from my stash for this project. Between this project and my other stash busting creations, I have made a considerable dent in the amount of yarn I have in my cupboard. In fact I noticed yesterday that if I am going to do any more crocheting with cotton I am going to need to replenish my supplies...yarn levels are at an all time low and there is a severe shortage of color options.

You know, its funny, I never thought I would crochet a doily. I used to think they were old-fashioned and unnecessary, but my opinion has certainly changed after making this gorgeous one. It adds a little cozy to the room, a little handmade, and I love everything about that. And while I used mostly autumn colors this time, I think this pattern would work up beautifully in bright, cheerful, summer colors.

A Butterfly for Oma

Over the years I have made many things for my Oma for Christmas; nothing big or fancy, just little handmade tokens of love, which I know she really enjoys, appreciates, and treasures.

This year I made her a butterfly. She loves butterflies.

(This was actually my second attempt, the first being quite unsuccessful, possibly because I was distracted by watching The Crown.)

It's a little thing, I know, but she'll love it, she'll find someplace to put it in her home, and making something for my Oma is a long standing tradition; she still has the picture I drew her when I was in kindergarten on the basement fridge door.....

Color Block Blanket Ta-dah

Inspired by the yarn in my yarn basket and how well it matched with the quilt on my bed, I began my color block blanket journey back in July.

When I started my blanket I was deep in stash-busting mode, but after crocheting several blocks of color using only yarn from my stash, my blanket was quite oddly shaped - wider than it was long - so I needed to purchase some additional yarn. Isn't this how it always goes? You start off trying to use only what is in your stash for a project but then halfway through realize that more yarn is needed. In truth though, after making this blanket, my yarn cupboard is a little less stuffed, so all in all, even though a yarn store trip was necessary, I am calling this a stash-busting success.

Are you ready to see my blanket laid out in all its glory? Well then, may I present to you my beautiful color block blanket:

This blanket is such a beautiful burst of color and is perfectly at home in my little crochet corner.

Now, in making this blanket, I learned an important lesson about yarn that I feel is my duty to pass on to my fellow crocheters: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton is not the same thickness in all colors. I crocheted eighteen rows of purple, orange, teal, and yellow and the width of all the color blocks is not the same. I did not actually come to this realization until I was working with the navy blue - which is much thinner than the other yarn colors - and by then it was too late to go back and fix the the other color blocks. If you just look at the blanket and don't actually measure the width of the blocks, it is not too obvious, but still, this was not what I was going for. I wonder if this is the case with other yarn types, is it the dying process that changes the thickness of the yarn? Anyone know?

Also, does anyone else keep all their yarn labels until the project is finished and then throw them out?

Lessons and imperfections aside, I am very happy with my blanket. Making this blanket was a very happy journey and one perfectly suited to sitting on the couch after a long day, watching a program on television, and crocheting away. And I do love the large blocks of color and the fact that there were only a few ends to darn in, unlike my Cozy Stripe Blanket which had millions.

Hoot the Owl

My friend, for whom I made a little duck, also requested an owl and I was happy to oblige.

What a cute little guy he is...big owl eyes and a little beak...

To make him, I followed a pattern in my all time favorite amigurumi book; seriously this book, and the other two by the same author, are so full of crochet cuteness...if you have ever been interested in amigurumi, I would highly recommend these books. The patterns are clear and simple and the toys that you can make are adorable, as you can see here.

Here is Little Duck and Hoot together....

Finishing up these two and seeing them sitting side by side has really inspired me to make more amigurumi friends. I've earmarked the patterns that I want to do, but that is as far as it will go for now. For the next month before Christmas I need to focus on gifts that I want to make. I'll just add my amigurumi friends to my 'to make' list for the new year. Isn't it wonderful to have a lot of crafty ideas? Can you imagine how boring life would be if that was not the case?

I'm joining in with the Thistlebear Winter Project Link Party.

One Little Duck

I made a little duck for my friend to give to her daughter; her daughter loves ducks.

The pattern that I used (from this book) also included instructions for an apple hat which I made as well....because it is very cute, and what little girl does not want an accessory for her little friend.

I hope she loves it.

Of course now that my girls have seen this little duck, and my pattern book has been out on the kitchen table, I have received quite a few requests for toys that they would like....

I'll be busy crocheting...

Halloween Crochet Memories...

There is something so familiar and comforting about getting the same holiday decorations out year after year, and this seems especially true for children. My girls love to go down into the storage room, pull down the box we need, and excitedly take out the decorations that they remember so fondly from years past. Last night this happened as we got ready for Halloween, out of the box came these friends.

Wanda the Witch, Casper the Ghost, and Smiling Pumpkin Face - crochet Halloween decorations that I made years ago.

The girls remember exactly where in the house we had put each decoration the year before, they remember the games they played with them....they were so happy to see these friends reemerge for another year....

And I remember how the ghost fit so snugly in Claire's chubby three-year-old hand when she grasped it, and how delicately Bridget handled the witch after I finished it and told her how much work it had been - "it needs to be carried carefully, right Mommy" she said.

So many memories in a bit of Halloween crochet...