hook me up

Yes. I was working on my Christmas gifts right up to Christmas Eve! I put the finishing touches on the last hat around 10:00 p.m. Peeve number 102 is “quick” what ever… I realize I am as guilty as everyone else when it comes to quick Craftification.

In my quest for quick I did find a new book that I love, love (that was multiple loves): Get Your Crochet On! Hip Hats & Cool Caps The designs are funky (run me over if I EVER use that word again) fresh. I really liked her suggestion for using fabric glue and use of elastic.

I admit I am an Interweave junkie but their Holiday Gifts issue was a life saver. It has a number of items that you would find in their other publications but I like having them in one place. I think I knit and crocheted half of the projects in that magazine.

Our family decided we would have a hand made Christmas. Gifts focused on our talents and time instead of our cash. Our children took a family photograph, enlarged and framed it for us. I LOVE it. Keep in mind that our three children and their spouses have 8 children that are six years old and under. That picture was Herculean effort if there was one! There are the wrong parents holding kids (more effective to keep them still) and children looking in all different directions. It is so true life and precious. We exchanged sewn, crocheted, colored, baked and I think welded gifts.

I really got the prize though. My husband does auto body repair for living. He painted a custom grill to match my car! I will post a pic after he puts it on.

Some of my favorites were the face clothes. Just make your favorite dish cloth using cheneille or my favorite: Cascade Cotton Rich. Then I crocheted lace trim on the bottom of cotton face towels using perl cotton. Just grab your favorite stitch book and have fun. I weaved ribbon around the face cloth and tied up a luxery bar of soap before wrapping them.

Embroidery design from Sublime Stitching

Please visit Sarah’s Blog for details on a situation they experience with “keystone pricing” and Tilli Tomas yarns. I am not going to go into the details since she does and excellent job of this. I am grateful to the education that this has been to me and happy to have found a retailer with integrity. SHOP SARAH’S YARNS!

Now on to some fun with yarn. Below is our own Ms. Violet. Three months old and already has a yen for the good stuff: Colinette!

I have come across several disturbing reports of people/customers being treated badly for a variety reasons. Lime and Violet (Sexy, Crazy Yarn Hos with and incredible podcast) described a situation where a shop owner called the police on a young man while he was shopping because his appearance made her uneasy. Another on the CrochetMe forum where a man who crochets was treated like, like, like a man at Stitches. Then I read recent poll in the new Quilter’s Home Mag (Ha! Male editor!!) 40% said they quit shopping at a particular quilt shop because they disliked the staff!

As I have said, I go both ways. Crochet and knit. I have a 3 year old grandson who we can’t get out of his sisters light up, rainbow striped Care Bear tennis shoes. And you know what? No one cares. Maybe this is why I just don’t get it.

I decide I would protest this kind biased treatment by Crocheting and Knitting on the same article. My little peaceful protest that gets me a sweater out of it! I found this- here is where you roll down and look at the picture- in Interweave Knits (did you hear the angels sing when I mentioned their name??). I really wanted to give Hemp a try. That would be Crocheting and Knitting. The other way just made me eat and put me to sleep. I don’t get that either. Two things happened. I had a FANTASTIC shopping experience at Kpixie. Beautiful yarn, Indie friendly and I got my stuff in 2 or 3 days!!

O.k. so I am ready to go and I see this! Then I decided I needed some backup. So I am going to the CrochetMe Forum and propose an “I Go Both Ways” crochet/knit along of Ice Blue Ribbon- A peaceful protest of bias. Looks like I’ll be visiting Kpixie again.

By the way, you still cannot leave comments on my blog (don’t know why) AND my camera sucks!

Oh! One more thing! My humble little blog and crochet earrings post was mentioned on Whip Up- I’m not worthy but sure got a charge out of it! SQUEEL

Thank the Gods for the Delta Breeze! Things have cooled off here on the West coast. We are just close enough to San Francisco (Yes. “The City” rocks) to get a little cool breeze in the summer.

The results are in from our County Fair.

* Hobo Bag 1st Place
* Knitted Babe Doll 2nd
* Violet Beauregard renamed Tangerine Dream 2nd
* Socks 3rd
* Crocheted Baby Dress 3rd.

The quilts were stunning. There seems to be a lot of quilters in our area. This is the first year I don’t have a quilt in the fair.

For some reason comments aren’t visable on my blog. I should have some time to work on it tomorrow.

Woooo Whoooo! An F.O. I really, really like this skirt. Though Violet Beauregard certainly doesn’t fit. I think it will be My Tangerine Dream. I used Knitpicks Shine, colors Coral, Terra Cotta and Sunflower. Two thumbs up on the yarn. I did lengthen the skirt by adding few more rows of single crochet before I began the lace and I also added more lace to the bottom. The less you see of my legs the better. I picked up a matching T at the Thrift Store. I also found the perfect slip to line it with at the same store – just haven’t gotten around to it so you probably are seeing a lot of my legs.

To make a long story short, Mr. Right and I were driving down the road when he spotted a turtle in the middle of the road. It was well over 100 degrees outside. We picked it up and went door to door. There were only apartments and businesses near by. So it looks like we have a Red-eared Slider that is about 7 inches. We have had him for about 2 weeks and he is doing great. Our backyard pond is just about completed. I’ll post photos when it’s done. Our new babies name is Toby. No. I didn’t name him.

The Amigurumi turtle below was inspired by Toby. It’s a little dark but I love the way he turned out. The eyes were from a thrift store toy that was done in. I creeps out to remove the eyes but you know me and recycle. I just grimace and cut!

Toby is sitting on my new crocheted bath mat. It was too easy and sooo soft and squishy. I bought 4 cones of sugar and spice cotton. I used the simple Tunisian crochet stitch with 2 strands of sand and two strands of white with a size Q hook. Just make your base chain the width of your mat and crochet until it’s the length you want. When I got to the end, I did a single crochet around the mat and then cut the yarn and wove in the ends. A lot like a big dish cloth. I like the basket weave look of the fabric. I have enough cotton left over to do 2 or 3 more! My daughters fell in love with it so guess what they are getting for Christmas. Wouldn’t it be a great gift to do some face clothes add bath soap or bubbles, roll them in the mat and tie a ribbon around it?