Archive for June, 2006

A New Baby or Two…..

Thursday, June 29th, 2006

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?

Turtle bathmat

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World Wide Knit & Crochet in Public Day

Saturday, June 10th, 2006

My SnB group, WAKCs (Woodland area knitters and crocheters- WACKs was already used) usually meet on Tuesday nights. We use a conference room at our public library or meet at member’s home if the conference room is in use. I love the diversity of our group and that includes skill level and craft of choice.

I think we really wanted another excuse to get together for crocheting and knitting so we decided to participate in the KNIP day. We met at a park near my home. Keep in mind that this “doing it in public” stuff isn’t new to us. You could probably open a yarn shop with what we have in purses, backpacks and bags on any given day. Still, it was one of those picture perfect days. Five of us under the shade of a tree, chatting and knitting while the children played and families picnicked. I hope it was as pleasant for all of you.

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Refashioned Hoop Earrings with Crochet

Sunday, June 4th, 2006

I was weeding through my costume jewelry and came across several pairs of hoop earrings in different sizes. Most of them had their “gold” or “silver” rubbed off. I thought it would be great to see if I could recycle them with a new look. I came across this tutorial on Crochet Pattern Central- Simply Hoops I changed it up a bit (see pic of purple hoops). I found the earring in the last photo and used it as inspiration for the white and brown earrings. I like mine better.

Crafter (the home of the craftiest people on earth!) has some great stuff also Lacey Hoops Hippy Hoops. Check this out. You could spray paint your old hoops ANY color and show them off with some spider web crochet. I think this is next for me.

The hoops with the type of closure I used didn’t need any glue to keep the stitches from sliding off of the hoops. If you have the type of hoops that are depicted in the Simply Hoops link, you would be wise to add a drop of glue or clear nail polish as she advises. With a little bit of left over crochet tread or purl cotton, some hold hoops and left over beads you can have “new” one of a kind earrings!

Please keep in mind that I am not a pattern writer. I kept track of my steps and noted them as follows. Please use the free pattern instuctions for your crochet hoop earrings if you like and let me know if you have any questions or found any mistakes.

Group earrings
white earring
brown earring
Inspiration earring

White & Brown Earrings
Crochet thread size 10, *seed beads and size 6 or 7 steel hook

*optional: pre-string beads using wire or bead needle.
Tie a knot to hoop to begin. Leave a tail for weaving in.

Row 1. Sc around hoop enough to cover hoop to your liking. Fasten off leaving a tail for weaving in. Use a small tapestry needle (cross-stitch kind) and run tails through the sc’s on hoops. Trim ends flush with hoop. Rotate sc’s to the inside of hoop.

Row 2. Begin about ¼ of the way down your hoop: Sl st to join thread to sc on your hoop, sc, hdc (over tail of thread)*Dc, (If using beads: slide bead up (BUP) thread before you bring working thread through the loops on your hook for the second time to complete your dc). Sk next sc (or two), dc, (BUP thread before you bring working thread through the loops on your hook for the second time to complete your dc)*. Repeat from * to* until you are about ¼ of the way from the other end of your hoop. Hdc,sc and sl st. Fasten off. Use tapestry needle & weave tail into original sc’s on your hoop. Trim tail and you’re done!

REMBER THAT THERE IS A PUBLIC SIDE TO THESE EARRINGS! If you use the same kind of hoops I did, when you begin your 2nd hoop you will need to start at the OPOSITE end of the hoop.

Green Shell
Pearl Cotton, Seed beads and size 5 steel hook

Row 1. Begin as above and repeat row one BUT DO NOT FASTEN OFF OR TURN SC TO INSIDE. Instead, ch 1 and turn.

Row 2. Slip st in first sc, sk next sc, dc three times in next sc, *sk next sc, sl in next sc, sk next sc dc three times in next sc* End with a slip stitch and fasten off. Weave in tail with tapestry needle. Sk next sc, dc

Purple
Pearl Cotton Variegated or solid and size 5 steel hook

Row 1. Begin as above and repeat row one DO NOT TURN SC TO INSIDE.

Row 2. Begin about ¼ of the way down your hoop: Sl st to join thread to sc on your hoop, sc, hdc (over tail of thread)*Dc in each sc until you are about ¼ of the way from the other end of your hoop. Hdc,sc and sl st. Fasten off. Use tapestry needle & weave tail into original sc’s on your hoop.

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