Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Hunters Fourth Of July Tie

OMG...I was surfing around the linky party below and saw that Decor and the Dog had made her dog a tie! So cute...so I got to work immediately and made my chiweenie (chihuahua + weenie dog) a tie from the fourth of July fabric I have. So fast...so easy...so cute!


This is Hunter in his tie...thank you Decor and the Dog!

Little Garden Hat

I got the idea for this little garden hat this afternoon and got right to work. I am so pleased with how it turned out.



I used a K hook. The hat is child/toddler sized. 20" wide and 7.5" deep.

The base of the hat is a simple HDC beanie crocheted out of Lily Sugar 'N Cream Cotton Yarn. I increased to 54 directly (9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54) and continued with 54 stitches down to row 15. I then switched to the green yarn. I totally winged the edging. The majority of the stitches are SC. My best attempt at describing the stems would be that I inserted the hook one or two rows below, yo, pull back thru and contined the sc in the next stitch. It was very simple, but awkward to describe. After that I continued with another row of 54 SC. Then fastened off.

I sewed on assorted buttons to look like flowers on the stems.


Monday, July 2, 2012

My Melody Notebook

I have collected My Melody items forever! Her and I were both born the same year and share a name. But, somehow they changed her ears from her original red to pink. I'm not a fan of the pink ears. I am not one to do without just because a company won't produce something. So...I hand-painted my new schedule book.



I keep my schedule book with me all the time. More for jotting down notes and ideas than for keeping on schedule. I am lucky enough to not have to abide by a timetable. I do have to adhere closely to my toddlers temperament, though. So the book is necessary...I get to get everything out of my mind and onto a piece of paper so that I can focus without worrying about forgetting things as I run around like a mad woman. Its really great. I have my "need to buy" list for when I end up at a store. I also have my running to-do list...so when I have a spare minute I get to knock something out. This schedule sat on my to-craft list for quite a while.

Not perfect...but it makes me very happy. And I don't think anyone else has a schedule with My Melody snuggling a ball of yarn on it. ;)

Happy Crafting!

Watermelon Summer Hat

 I love the open work and the little green button! It looks so cute on.

J Hook, Lily Sugar 'N Cream Cotton Yarn
This hat is made in a childs size to fit a 2-5 year old, It is 7" deep and 19" wide.
 at the end of each pink row, Slip Stitch, ch 1 at the end of each green row.

Row 1: DC 12 times in a magic circle (12) Slip Stitch, ch 2
Row2: DC 2 times in each stitch (24) Slip Stitch, ch 2
Row 3: DC around, increasing in every other stitch (36) Slip Stitch, ch 2
Row 4 DC around, increasing in every 3rd stitch (48) Slip Stitch, ch 2
Row 5: DC around, increasing in every 8th stitch (54) Slip Stitch, ch 2
Row 6: DC around (54) Slip Stitch, ch 2
Row 7: DC 2 times in the base of the chain, *skip 2 stitches and DC 3 times in the next stitch* repeat * to * around. It should be 16 more clusters...forming 18 clusters of 3 DC and 18 gaps. (54)
Row 8:Slip stitich 3 times, (the 3rd slip stitch should land you in the first gap formed in Row 7)
Chain 2, DC 2 times in the same gap, *DC 3 times in the next gap*. Repeat * to * around (18 clusters of 3 DC and 18 gaps) (54)
Row 9-11: Repeat Row 8  (54)
Fasten Off
Change color of yarn. Attach near where you fastened off. Ch1.
Row 12-14: SC around (54)
Slip Stitch and fasten off.

Sew on a large button if you would like to embellish the hat as I did. I get the large buttons 6/$1 at Walmart.

I hope this was clear! Thank you for stopping by :)

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Toddler Cotton Beanie


I crocheted this flower cap out of cotton yarn for the summer. I love the bright colors! It is created to fit a little girl that is 1-2 years old. Without the flower this makes a really nice beanie for a baby boy. 

J Hook and Lily Sugar 'N Cream Yarn
17" Around and 7" deep

Hat:
Row 1: 8 HDC in a magic Circle (8)
Row 2: 2HDC in each stitch around (16)
Row 3: HDC around, increasing in Every other stitch (24)
Row 4: HDC Around, increasing in every 3rd stitch (32)
Row 5: HDC Around, increasing in every 4th stithc(40)
Row 6: HDC around, increasing in every 5th stitch (48)
Row 7-14: HDC around (48), fasten off
Change color, attach near where you just fastened off. chain 1, REVERSE SC around(48), slip stitch and fasten off.

For the flowers I use a magic circle and work allllll of the flower petals into the magic circle and then cinch it closed. 

Large back flower, use K Hook
In magic circle, *ch 2, dc, tc, dc, c3, ss into the magic circle* repeat * to * 4 times to form 5 petals. ch 1, cinch magic circle tight (it won't close and that is ok...the gap will be covered up and actually makes the sewing a bit easier), fasten off. 

Smaller flower, use J Hook and repeat the instructions for the large flower. 

Center of the flower, in magic circle, HDC 8 times, cinch closed tightly. Fasten off, leave a long tail and use that to sew the flower on to the hat with a yarn needle.



Saturday, June 30, 2012

Fourth of July Newborn Beanie

Good morning!

I dug out my basket of cotton yarn and played yesterday. I had a really good time thinking of what colors to use and what patterns to make.



Cotton Sun Hat for NB-3 months 13" wide and 5.5" deep

K hook, Lily Sugar and Cream Yarn, Slipstitch, Chain 2 at the end of each row.

Row 1: 10DC in a magic circle(10)
Row two: *4 DC in same stitch as chain. skip two stitches*. Repeat * to * 4 more times. (20) 
Row 3: DC around increasing every over stitch (30)
Row 4: DC around increasing every 3rd stitch (40)
Row 5-8: DC around (40), 
Change to J Hook, Slip stitch, ch 1
Row 9. SC around (40) fasten off


I cut out a star from some blue felt and hand sewed it on the hat using crossstitch thread and a metal embroidery needle. I used to glue felt on my hats, but the corners raised up. Now I sew everything on. 







Pickles

We adopted a dog two weeks ago at the local shelter here in Riverside, California. I had taken my husband and the boys several times and we just could not find the right fit for us. We wanted a large dog, but needed someone mellow. I was really leaning toward a girl and older. We just went through the puppy period with our Cheweenie, Hunter, and I did not want to start over from scratch.

We visited the shelter three weekends ago and didn't find our fit. But, something made me drag the boys back the very next day. That is when I saw her. My Pickles.


She is just a doll! Mellow, sweet, snuggly...60lbs of black lab love with a fluffy coat and big brown eyes. They said she was about three years old (a vet visit the next day confirmed her closer to five or six years old, fine by us!). They said she was brought in by someone that claimed her to have just walked up to their door. Maybe. But, she does not have the spirit of a dog that would run away.

The vet said it does not look like she had ever been walked. She was 10lbs overweight and had no wear on her hips at all. She is great on a leash, though! We were given the go ahead to walk (and some antibiotics for kennel cough - poor baby!). In an effort to take the weight off I have been monitoring how much she eats. We divided her portions up into two meals a day so that she can eat with our skinny, Hunter. And the goal is two good walks a day. She loves it...and adores a car ride. Sometimes we can't get her out of the car. It is the only disobedience that we have seen in her so far. She is getting better now that she realizes she will be getting a lot of car rides around here.

This evening we took a little walk in a nearby neighborhood. I snapped some pics! Everyone says she is looking a million times better, healthier, stronger and thinner around the middle ;).

We set out down the block...

Pickles wore her leopard and blue bow this evening. 

 It is so awesome that these are popping up around the city!
Moon popped out while we were walking.

 Mama Duck had a big family this year. 
 More walking. 
 Kissy Break
 Finally the shade! This made Pickles very happy. 
 Happy enough to stop and smell some flowers. 

Time to go home. <3 My baby girl. 

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