Totes, Totes, and More Totes

I've been working on some tote bags, thanks to a really simple pattern from Lucy at Attic24.  Love, Love, Love her blog.  There are just so many possibilities for these tote and you can make them any any size.  I've been having so much fun making them.  I have also been finding a lot of neat applique patterns from Everlaughter which can be found on Ravelry.com.

What have I been up to?

I've finished my 5th Mermaid Tears purse....It still needs some fine tuning and I think I'm going to redo the skull and crossbones applique because I'm just not happy with it, but all in all it turned out pretty good.

The fabric that's beside the purse is what i'm using for the lining.  This purse was my 17 year old daughters idea because she didn't like the flower that normally goes with the purse.  The applique patter is from Everlaughter.....www.everlaughter.com.


Last Saturday was Junior/Senior prom for my daughter and her boyfriend.  They both looked so cute.

I don't know if anyone has ever visited the blog Attic24, but this lady sure knows how to use color.  She has some of the most gorgeous designs on her blog, and a lot of free patterns.  That is where I came up with my next tote bag.  The pattern that is on her blog makes a huge bag which just isn't me so going from her pattern and cutting down the rounds this is what I came up with.

A small version of her extremely large tote.  Since my camera has a mind of it's own and doesn't cooperate sometimes the colors I used were a dark chocolate brown and a tan.  It's the perfect size tote for me, something I can throw my keys wallet and a few other things into and go.  If you haven't checked out the blog you really should head on over there.  She has her home beautifully and tastefully decorated with her crochet creation and it's a lot of fun to read.

We have some wild honeysuckle growing at the corner of our fence an it has been drawing in the butterflies like crazy, and it smells nice too.

I accidentally bumped into the bush earlier this afternoon and a butterfly tornado came out of the bush.  It was so pretty.

That pretty much sums up what I've been up to lately.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week and Happy Crocheting:)

Works In Progress

I finished a WIP today that I started about 3 years ago.  While working on it today I realized why I left it sit this long, i'm not much of a quilter.  I just don't have the patience, all the cutting and sewing.  Just not for me...lol.

It's not the fanciest and i'm sure it's sewn wrong but I like it, it's now hanging on the front porch to give a splash of color.


I have so many WIP's I really need to start digging them out one by one and getting them finished.


Until next time.....Happy Crocheting!!

Re~purposing old jewelry

I've been wanting some stitch markers because I've recently purchased a few patterns that call for them.  I've looked around and haven't really found any that I like, sooooo I decided to make my own.  I found and old earring laying around the house that my oldest daughter had bought for her first homecoming dance and has lost the mate to.  It worked out perfect for stitch markers and it also serves to mark a special milestone in my daughters life.  Now I'll be looking around the house for more things to take apart and re~purpose.

I finished up another Mermaid Tears purse, I believe this one is number 4.  I used 100% cotton yarn this time.  It turned out pretty good although the cotton was a bit weird to work with at first, after using the Caron Simply Soft so much.  I have a few more of the purses to make then i'll be moving back to afghans for awhile.  I really love making afghans and I honestly haven't picked one up and worked on it for awhile.
Until next time, Happy Crocheting!!

Happy Easter!!

Today has been an absolutely beautiful day.  The sun is shinning and the sky has been a gorgeous shade of blue.  The only bad point to the day is the hubby and our 11 year old daughter have been in bed sick all day, they didn't even want dinner.  But all in all it's been a great day.


I finished my 3rd Mermaid Tears Purse yesterday, it turned out really good.

I'm currently working on another one since everyone is requesting them right now.  I'm trying one in cotton yarn right now so i'm not real sure how it's going to turn out.


I hope everyone has had a Wonderful Easter Sunday, and Happy Crocheting!!

Working On A Few Things

I seem to have set my WIP's off to the side for a bit....there is one or two that I need to get finished but I'm finding that there are a few more things that hold more importance right now.  Like The Love Squared Project, there are some lovely ladies who have yarn businesses in Kentucky who started this project, asking that folks send in 7x9 squares.  They put the squares together and make afghans, once the afghans are finished they will be donating them to those who have been effected by the devistating tornado's that have recently hit Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.  Recently I wrote about a gentleman from our town that took up donations and drove them to Indiana, I had sent a few things along with him including a crochet baby afghan and it left me with a feeling of wanting to do so much more.  But I'm only one person and knew that I'd never be able to make enough afghans.  I was so thrilled when I came across these ladies.  Below I am including information if anyone who reads this would like to donate to this wonderful cause.



Description
Not sure if you have heard or not, but A Tangled Yarn of Nicholasville, KY has teamed up with Sarabees Little Yarn Shop of Winchester, KY to knit blocks for afghans that will then be given to those who were affected by the tornados in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. The plan is to start with West Liberty and radiate the warmth from there:)


Can you help us?


We need squares/blocks that are 7” x 9” with properly woven in tails. If you are not sure about how to weave in the tails, leave a 6” length to the tail and we will be more than happy to do this for you:) Squares must be made from acrylic as it is machine washable and dry-able. 


PDF patterns for squares are available: Crochet . Knit


The squares/blocks can be brought in or mailed to: 


A Tangled Yarn 
605 N Main St 
Nicholasville, KY 40356


or 


Sarabee's Little Yarn Shop
74 S. Main Street
Winchester, KY 40391


Don’t know how to knit or crochet? Why not donate a ball of yarn for someone to make one for you.


We will be posting updates and pictures here as we progress and receive squares;)
https://www.facebook.com/squaredblocks?ref=ts


Recently in our little town a close friend of ours lost his sister in a house fire.  Not only did siblings lose a sister a mother lost her daughter and children lost their mother.  It breaks my heart that this family is going through all of this.  My husband has been inspired to get together a charity car show/ donation drive to help ease the burden of costs that the family is now going through.  He's planning on doing the event in June, so I'm trying to gather ideas on what I can do.  I'm planning on making two afghans to raffle off and maybe a few smaller things.  


This past week i've worked on making a few cotton dish cloths for around the house.  Handmade cotton dish cloths have to be the best thing ever.  Not only do that last forever but they do a way better job than the store bought dish cloths.

I also received my package from amazon.  I have been seeing a lot of Bavarian stitch afghans being made and I love love love the stitch so I ordered a book along with some Susan Bates glow in the dark hooks.  I've never used plastic hooks so it's going to be something new for me.  I'm crossing my fingers that I like them, i've yet to get them out and give them a try.

Our little one has made it almost impossible lately to actually sit down and designate one full day to crochet.  I'm now crocheting on the fly...lol.  A stitch here a stitch there while getting him off the stairs, furniture, and such.  He's become an outdoors baby as well so we've been spending most of our time outside when the sun is shinning and it's warm.


That pretty much sums up the past week for me.  I hope everyone has a good weekend and Happy Crocheting.  

Mermaid Tears Purse #2

 I finished my 2nd Mermaid Tears Purse, we'll almost, I still have to put a lining in it.  But it turned out pretty good.  I just did this one just for fun and was planning on keeping it but my husband's aunt liked it so it will have a new home.

One things for sure it's colorful...lol.

Here is a close up of the flower.  

I used Caron Simply Soft yarn for this project.  I love the Simply soft yarn it's so easy to work with but I rain out of the multi-color and had to go get an extra roll and was rather disappointed.  I don't know why it was so different.  The colors we're darker and the yarn felt thinner.  Luckily it blended in well and I only had to use it for a couple rows.  It could also be because the first roll that I had was older, I bought it about a year ago to do a baby blanket for our little one.  It's hard to believe that it would change that much in a year.  I have about 3 to 4 more of these to make in a couple different colors, I can't wait to see how they turn out.

I hope everyone had a Happy Saturday....Happy Crocheting:)