My Moogle Hat!

Every now and again I play Final Fantasy...this is for an online friend. It went off in the mail today and I already miss it. So...I will be making one for myself tonight! I checked out a few Redbox movies to keep me company while I put it together...

Adam Sandlers "Thats My Boy" and "SnowWhite and the Huntsman" with the chick from Twilight. I cannot wait to put the baby to bed and get to work!

Here is a little peek at my moogle:

 

Its 106 out...and I'm in a beanie. Otherwise, I would be BIG smiles.

 

Front ^

 

Name Filet Crochet Baby Blanket with Ruffled Trim

I made a personalized baby blanket for a pregnant girlfriend. She requested it and I agreed happily...before finding out how many letters are in the name. LOL It is SERIOUSLY oblong. I prefer square baby blankets, but there was just nothing I could do. If I had it to do over again I would have made the letters only one row wide. That would have elliminated about a foot of blanket width.

Seeing how wide it would be I wanted to add some interest to the negative space. I found a fun fillet 3D flower pattern online and used that above and below the name...I just placed them randomly. I like the way they came out.
I intended to make the ruffled edge two rows wide. After one row I was "done". This took about 12 hours of work...which is more than my craft ADD likes to commit, too.

Here is my final product:

And a close up...

Thank you for looking!!!

Crocheter goes to the Fair!

Today I went to the fair! It was a great time. Just me and the boys since the husband is working. I took lots of pics and when I got home I realized I love yarn. You would think I would know that by now...but it really comes out in my pictures. It drives the point home.

 

I carried my three year old on my back in a mei tai carrier I made a few years ago. He was asleep here. But in the "Genius" exhibit they had an area devoted to the woman that brought baby carrying to the U.S.!

 This is so cute! ...can't tell inside the cellophane but it is a basic bangle with the strips of rhinestones that they sell in the trip area at Hobby Lobby hot glued to it! I will be making this.

 The christmas throw is a star afghan. I love it!

 How precious! A crocheted Raggety Anne and Andy!

 I think I need this blanket. It was HUGE and had a ruffled trim. Love!

 Halloween is my favorite holiday...the candy corn throw is incredible.

 Tunisian...with crosstitched flowers. Beautiful!

 Purple. Nuff said!

Beautiful!

 I have never made a doily. I think I may need to make one...

 My Christmas tree this year WILL have alot of feathers on it.

 Crocheted Doll Clothes!

 

 What a stunning afghan and pillow set!

 Tunisian birds. This is just gorgeous!

 Lakers!

 I love the lettering done on the double crochet...I have only used single crochet for lettering up until now. I may have to change that.

 This pillow is required somewhere in my home.

This rag rug was done in a shiny nylon fabric. It turned out really nice.

 Grasshopper!

 I love red, black and white!

 This may be the year that I make my flag afghan.

 My swap partner needs a shawl.

 Aghan love!

 Rainbows!

 R2D2!

 I see many crochet chains in my future. Maybe a black and yellow for halloween?

Such a happy afghan. I love this one.

I love the fair. It is so full of ideas and inspiration. If you got all the way through my pictures...thank you!

Melody

Fall is Heavenly!

Happy Fall, everyone (((hugs)))

I live in a place that virtually has no seasons. Example, it is nearing October its 96 degrees and climbing. We get some rainfall in the winter months. I love it, I am spoiled. I can go to the beach and snowboarding in the same afternoon. And its pretty here!

Growing  up in this kind of climate, I never really took part in eating and celebrating for the seasons.

Until I found my home on the internet. Blogs, Pinterest, Facebook, Forums...all introduced me to fall. I get to see pictures of leaves turning colors and hear stories of mothers putting away summer clothes. Pregnant women not being able to use hand me downs because of the time their baby is due? Wow.

So, I am a bit more excited than most by pumpkin spice and the warm colors. Its SO fun to celebrate the cycle of the year. Even if I am drinking my butter toffee latte (OMG!) ...iced.

Here is a little mix of what I WILL be trying this Fall.

Lets start with desert. *naughty grin*...click the pics to see where I found them :)

 

Butter...Toffee...Latte...CUPCAKES!!!

 

 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

 

Butterscotch Blondies!

 

The blog that makes the blondies above...Bake at 350...had an insane amount of delish. It was just one after another. I want to go live with her. It was a toss up between these and her PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS! whoa...

 

 

 

And some drinks!!

 

 

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate

 

So good! This RECIPE looks yum! But, I usually just grab a box of Abuelitas early fall. It gets me through the entire season.

 

Spiced Apple Cider

 

A Beautiful Mess posted the best recipe for this last fall. Heavenly. I could drink this every night.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Non Dairy Creamer

 

Pumpin Spice Lattes are famous. They deserve it! This non-dairy creamer recipe is about the best gift I can think of. I already bought my jars and I will be making several of these for hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, family...its a great "just in case" gift to have around. Here is the recipe!

 

 

 

Well, I am now hungry. I am taking the boys thrifting and then we are going to grab lunch. My husband is on-call this week (starting yesterday). We are on our own for weekend amusement. Enjoy your fall delights and try not to get over the pumpkin too early in the season. Temper it with apples!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Favorite - Dinner!

My Thursday Favorite would have to be dinner tonight. Spaghetti! I do not do alot of evening carbs. So, I try to minimize the impact while still fitting spaghetti into my life a few times a week.

I use the spaghetti sauce with the least amount of sugar available. I cute the pasta with a bag of frozen veggies and I use lean beef. I tried "Shirataki" noodles, but I could not stomach them at all! I would rather go hungry. I use Barilla Plus (with added protein and Omega 3s). It tastes just like your run of the mill spaghetti to my guys!

 

Thank you for reading! Happy Thursday!!!

Melody

Piano Cocoon

This week I was sent a challenge...it was to make a piano themed baby cocoon. Here is my best attempt! It is super soft, double crochets, mostly with scalloped edges.

 

I used a rosey-pink yarn from "I Love This Yarn"

White and Black are both Vanna

 

I hook

 

The Cocoon is 15" Long, and 20" wide. I like them lose because you can always cinch it in the back with some ribbon for pictures. Getting a baby in a tight cocoon is like trying to put on jeans right after a shower. Inconventient.

 

The hat is my newborn size 12" wide x 5" deep.

 

Its pretty basic, but the pattern is coming. :)

 

Oh! and a quick shot of the back.

 

My Big Daisy - Crochet Pattern

Good morning!

I sense a great day in the making. I am surrounded by yarn, the school year is going smoothly, the baby grows more fun and independent every day...

I love an embellishment! What better than a great big daisy. This crochets up fast.

Yarn I Used:
 Red Heart for the White
I Love This Yarn (I do!) for the Yellow
Vanna for the Green
Oh! and a touch of Red Simply Soft for the ladybug in the center.

I Hook
Finished Size: 5" across.

Stitches used...lots of chains (ch), slip stitch (ss), single crochet (sc) and double crochet (dc)

The Flower Center (Yellow): 12 dc in a magic circle. Slip stitch into the first dc and cinch the magic circle closed. Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing it onto the flower later.

The Petals (White):
-7 sc in a magic circle, ss into the first sc and cinch the magic circle closed.
-Ch 1 and two sc in each stitch (14), ss into first sc of the row.
-*ch 12 and then ss into next 2 chains of the circle*, repeat *-* 6 times.
-*dc 15 times in the next set of chains, ss into next ss after that set of chains* repeat *-* for the next 6 chain loops.
-Fasten off.

Leaves (Green):
chain 15, sc in second chain from hook, sc in next stitch, hdc 1 time into next 3 chains, dc into next 8 chains, dc 5 times into the next chain. This will work you around to the other side. dc into the next 8 chains (opposite side of the other 8 dc), hdc into the next 3 chains, sc into the next 2 chains, ss into the last chain and fasten off. work in tails.

Sew the leaves onto the petals with white yarn. Then sew the center onto the petals with yellow yarn. Then a quick sew of red on the yellow center for a ladybug...just for fun!

It would look cute on a hat, on the corner of a baby blanket, pin it to your shirt, Sew it on the side of a tote bag...I like to put crocheted flowers on Pickles leash when we go for walks. Have fun with it. :)

I am still new to pattern writing. As always, if you see anything odd or confusing, please let me know. :)

Homemade Bubblewands ...with beads!

Today I was outside with the boys while they were running around. I got up, grabbed some materials and made a beaded bubblewand!