ive been crocheting. a lot. :)

after i made emmas sweater i started looking for patterns that would make it easier. (what a good idea eh? should have done it the first time...) well, then i found several on ravelry that were cute, and one that linked to this pattern. its super simple and comes together REALLY quick. and bonus? you only have to count stitches for the first two rows really. then you just count rows. and how i hate counting stitches so that sounded great to me.

i started out following the pattern almost exactly the first time (with color changes, because i only had a little of each color of yarn) to make a sweater for george. im not sure if i ended up making it the same length as the pattern or now, i dont remember now, but otherwise, it is just as the instructions say and so cute! (and he has shoes to match! :)



i dont know what i will do for a closure, or if i will do anything, for now its finished and just waiting for this pill bug to be born so he can wear it.



and see? shoes to match. they are from this pattern on ravelry. i loved them so much i bought the pattern (and i kind of dislike buying crochet patterns when i think i could maybe figure it out on my own, but i went ahead and got this one.) i think they are adorable. he has another pair in blues too.



so then i decided to get out my new skein of yarn and make emmas shrug. i wanted a little bright cap sleeve sweater for her to wear in the summer when it gets cooler at night, or just to be cute but not too hot during the day. the colors match a little skirt andie bought for her just perfect, i love it.



i did the third row in triple crochet so that i can either lace a ribbon through the stitches all the way around for a tie, or just attach it and tie in the front. and even without any closure, i think that row makes it look more finished. i havent tried it on her yet, so im not sure my pattern adjustments will make it fit or not, but i did size it against her jacket, so it should be alright.



i have been trying to keep things posted on ravelry as i get them finished, so you can check them out there too. you can find emmas summer cardi, georges sweater, and emmas new shrug all there.

emmas summer cardi

i wanted a light summer sweater for emma to wear while it starts to warm up in the day, but is still a little cool out, but i couldnt fine one i liked (or didnt like really. i just couldnt find one!) so yesterday i sat down with a hooded fleece vest of hers andmade up a crochet pattern for a little cap sleeve cardi and I LOVE IT. really. i am so happy with how it turned out, i want to make her another.









so i wrote out the pattern. (this is the first time ive ever written a pattern for anything, so if you try it, please let me know how it goes, and if you have a problem with it, let me know that too.) emmas sweater has a ruffled collar and little window holes at the edges that i didnt write into the pattern. i included a brief explanation of it at the bottom in "alterations" but just wrote the pattern out so the sweater is completed in just hdc and a sc or sl st here or there. and here it is!

Emmas summer cardi
Size 12 mo
hook size H
pieces are worked from the bottom up, turning at the end of each row.

Back
Row 1 ch 44
R2 turn and hdc in 3rd ch from hook and each st after (42 hdc at the end of R2) ch2, turn
R3 hdc in each of 42 st, ch 2, turn
R4- R13 repeat R3
R14 hdc in each of the next 9 st, hdc2tog 12 times, hdc in last 9 st, ch 2, turn
R15 hdc2tog 2 times, hdc in each of next 22 st, hdc2tog 2 times, ch 2, turn
R16 hdc in each st, (26 hdc at end of R16) ch 2, turn
R17 hdc2tog, hdc in each of next 22 st, hdc2tog, ch 2, turn
R18 hdc in each of 24 st, ch 2, turn
R19- R23 repeat R18
Finish off

Front (right and left, make one with alternate rows 15 and 17)
R1 ch 23
R2 hdc in 3rd ch from hook and each ch after (21 hdc a end of R2) ch 2, turn
R3 hdc in each of 21 st, ch 2, turn
R4-R13 repeat R3
R14 hdc in each of next 5 st, hdc2tog 6 times, hdc in each of next 4 st, ch 2, turn
R15 hdc2tog 2 times, hdc in each of next 11 st, ch 2, turn
(for opposite front piece, R15 hdc in first 11 st, hdc2tog 2 times, ch 2, turn)
R16 hdc in each st (13 hdc at end of R16) ch 2, turn
R17 hdc2tog, hdc in each of next 11 st, ch 2, turn
(for opposite front piece, R17 hdc in first 11 st, hdc2tog, ch 2, turn)
R18 hdc in each of 12 st, ch 2, turn
R19-R23 repeat R18
Finish off

Sleeves make 2
R1 ch 29
R2 hdc in 3rd ch from hook and each ch after (27 hdc at end of R2) ch 2, turn
R3 hdc in each of 27 st, ch 2, turn
R4 hdc in each of 27 st, ch 1, turn
R5 sl st in each of next 3 st, sc in next st, hdc in each of next 19 st, sc in next st, ch1, turn
R6 sl st in next st, sc in next st, hdc in each of next 17 st, sc in next st, ch 1, turn
R7 sl st in next st, sc in next st, hdc in each of next 15 st, sc in next st, ch 1, turn
R8 sl st in next st, sc in next st, hdc in each of next 13 st, sc in next st, finish off

Finishing off
Slip stitch front and back together at shoulders, outer shoulder towards neck opening, 6 stitches. Leave remaining stitches open.
Slip stitch side seams from armholes to bottom on each side
Slip stitch bottom sleeve (rows 1-4) together on both sleeves
Set in sleeve by turning sleeve right side out, and placing it inside the wrong side out sweater. Slip stitch together. Do this for both.
Finish off the edges of the sweater by adding a row of hdc around the entire piece, bottom, front and neck, use three hdc in each of the corner stitches so the piece lays flat.
Finished!

Alterations
Add a row of holes by exchanging one row of hdc for a row of 4hdc, ch2, sk 2 and hdc in next st… for one row then add another row of hdc on top.

christmas decorations

i did a bit of christmas crocheting this year. (there is more than what is in this post too!) and had a lot of fun. i kept some and gave some away.

the day after christmas i finally had time to make a christmas angel for our tree! we have been married 4 years now, and still didnt have a tree topper. my family has one that my aunt made for us years and years ago, and o love that angel, so i decided to make one up for our family.



her body is made of bernat white baby yarn and red heart white used as one strand together, and her wings are a fluffy fuzzy novelty yarn. her halo has a piece of wire through it that keeps it round, and floating above her little angelic head.

before christmas, jason and i went to an ornament exchange party, and my ornament was this little faceless frosty. he isnt stuffed yet here, and i tied the scarf around his neck after he was stuffed. i liked it better that way. he is about five ish inches tall.



my grandma usually crochets little snowflakes from crochet thread for us each year, and this year (after i saw these patterns from lion brand) i decided to make a snowflake for her. the other ornament is called a "fancy ornament" and turned out okay. they are both MUCH larger than i expected them to be, and maybe would be better in a thin thin yarn with an itsy bitsy hook. but im sending the snowflake to gram anyways.



when i was growing up, we used these hand made stockings that my mom croched for us. mine was a red maryjane with a white stocking. i remember wearing it after i emptied it each year. jasons family uses red felt stockings (also handmade) so i decided i will make one of each for our kids, and we can switch back and forth. this is mine from my childhood.



and here are my brother's stockings. they are soccer cleats. and so so cute. i have the patterns for all these now, my mom brought over the magazine, dated 1977 i think.



before i had the pattern, i started this one for emma. its just a plain stocking, but i think it turned out cute.



and here it is hanging up.



so those were my contributions to christmas related things this year. i am pretty happy with them all.

kid christmas presents

kids love dress up, right? and whats the best thing about it? getting to wear it in public. so this year i made imagination clothes for the niece and two nephews that were cleverly disguised as sweaters so they could be worn outside the house! oh, and the little princess got a tutu.









the hoodies came from target, and i just attached pieces. i used fleece and felt for everything. the princess has pink cutouts in her crown, and hot pink thread and buttons for some washer/dryer safe bling. and the flowers on the hoodie are attached to large safety pins with some sewn on felt so they can be worn anywhere. they are crocheted flowers. the tutu is the popular "ten minute" style, where you just tie tulle onto an elastic waist. i added hot pink ribbon, and hot glued sequins all over the tulle for a little more sparkle. :)

did i mention that these three kids refuse to take them off, and wear them everywhere? i love them. :) the hoodies and the kiddos.

the pink blanket

just a few pictures of the finished blanket. i decided to give it to rachel for norah after i saw her nursery photos, it just seemed to match!





i tied it up with a braid of the same yarns i used to crochet it, and delivered it to her at work. that way she wouldnt have to unwrap it to see what it was.

christmas gifts

i have already started thinking about christmas gifts, because all the fall birthdays are happening (beginning with the little monster in just a little more than a week! then you can see his gifts!) and now i need to work on a bunch of gifts before i run out of time.

emma benefits from this, because i am testing out possible gifts on her. today i made a christmas hat for her, and i think it is adorable. please, pretty please, forgive the terrible low light camera phone photos. i just couldnt wait to show it off, as i just tied off the tail a few minutes ago.





so what do you think? i know i could make the petals a little pointier, and even add a bit of green to really push the poinsettia look, but this was a first try.

unfinished dress and blanket in progress

i did not finish the dress. i love the cream, but together, it is too much cream.




there are the pieces. i like the way the top turned out. i added width in the back, then sewed and turned it so that i have room for three buttons instead of closing the whole with a zipper. this makes for easier sewing, and less money than buying zippers for everything. also, i think buttons are cute. (i think i get that from my mom. she always prefers buttons. but she doesnt like to sew zippers either.)

anyway- i went with ribbon ties, because they dont wrinkle up and it adds a little contrast. the piping isnt sewn in yet, because i just dont like the cream on cream. last time i made this dress, i did a blue top with a patterned skirt.



i LOVE the way this turned out, so maybe i just have too high of expectation? so i dont think i will finish this dress as is. i think i will use the top on another skirt, and find a new fabric for the top of this dress. i have a fat quarter of cream with muted color stars that matches really well. it doesnt match the wish puff on the skirt though. any ideas for this dress?

things to think about. while i decide, i have a blanket i have been working on for a while that needs finishing so i can start a boy version. here is a peek.