Has Me In Stitches

I have a great nephew being born in a month and wanted to make a blanket for him. I don't remember how I managed to find this particular pattern but I loved the design and decided to recreate it in shades of blue, green, an white. I used Bernat Baby Coordinates yarn in white, soft blue, iced mint, a darker blue, funny prints (white, light green, light blue), and splash stripes (a darker green mixed with the darker blue). I also used a size H hook. The goal was to make 388 "snowflakes" in a variety of colors. I admit it...I didn't read the directions well and ended up having to modify the pattern (something I lovingly refer to as "research and development," which usually involves a lot of pulling out stitches and starting over, with some curse words tossed in). It was after I completed my huge pile of snowflakes and laid them out into my desired pattern when I realized I was supposed to be joining them as I went along. Oh crud...now what? I end...

I stumbled across this great crochet bag pattern .  I was drawn to the idea that I could whip it up with less than 2 skeins of "cheap worsted weight yarn" in a relatively short period of time.  The result was better than I anticipated! I picked up a skein of Craft Smart in Bright Red and another in Sangria at the local Michael's for less than $2 each.  I used some scrap yarn for the flowers and a couple of bright beads I had on hand. I opted not to add a button closure since I have a tendency to over pack any bag I carry.  :)   The finished product is approximately 16 inches tall, 11 inches wide, and 6 inches deep - and stretches very nicely.  For an investment of less than $5 this is a major win!  I will definitely be experimenting with other color combos and embellishments.  I think it would make a really cute beach bag or reusable grocery tote too.

I got the idea for these from a picture I saw of the penguin pillow on Pinterest.  There was no pattern, so I had to come up with my own.  I started with this basic flat circle pattern using double crochet instead of single.  I found 14" round pillow forms at Joann Fabrics and made 2 circles the size to fit the form. I had to get creative for the other parts; modified triangles for the penguin's arms and beak, a half circle for Elmo's mouth, and I can't begin to explain how I made the elephant's trunk and ears.  But I love how they turned out!

A friend found this great lazy Susan for us at a garage sale. We have a large, square, pub-style dining room table and this fits perfectly in the center. But I don't like the light oak color on top of the darker wood of the table. Eventually I will stain it... In the meantime, I whipped up this doily using an H crochet hook and a skein of Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn in Claret. I used a slightly modified version of this pattern .

A hat I made for my teenage daughter.