It's Been a Long Time

It has really been a long time! As a matter of fact, it's been over seven months since I posted. Wow, how time flies! No, I didn't fall off the edge of the earth; I am still living with and taking care of my mom. I did have a terrible case of "lost cro-jo", though, and this is why you haven't heard from me.

If you recall from some previous posts, I was in the process of creating stuffed animals for my sister's grandchildren. All of them had been done except Riley's dragon, which was the most complicated and detailed. You will be glad to know that he is finally done and is safely in my sister's hands for Christmas gift-giving. You have no idea how relieved I am. I was beginning to have nightmares about giving these stuffed animals to college-age kids, and although they are a little bit older than what I was planning (the gifts were supposed to be given at Easter), none of the children have officially hit puberty yet. (All right - maybe one. But he was tall to begin with.) 

So here they are (horn tooting) - the long awaited grandchildren's stuffed animals! 

                                                  Emily's Ballerina Bunny, bunny pattern here; bow pattern here

 

                                                                        Sophie's Black Cat, pattern here

 

                                                              Abbie's German Shepard Puppy, pattern here

 

                                                                  Riley's Magnificent Dragon, pattern here

 

                                                                         Paden's Fiery Dragon, pattern here

 

                                                                             Lorelai's Toy Owl, pattern here

 

A little side note about Riley's dragon - the original design was meant to go over a sphere-shaped lamp. I just wanted the dragon to be placed on a table or shelf, so there were adjustments to the pattern that I had to do. Just FYI, in case anyone is daring enough to be up for the challenge of making this behemoth!

 As always - stay safe, stay well, and happy crocheting!

 

Yarn Chicken

I certainly hope this post finds you and yours healthy and not going too stir crazy from stay-at-home orders. At the time I'm writing this, a few states are lifting the orders, which makes some people very happy and some people very apprehensive. I just wish the best for everyone, no matter what your personal decision may be.

Things have just been going along here. I'm appreciating the warmer temps, and I can't wait to plant my spinach. That is, if the seeds ever get here. (I think they're sitting in some abandoned postal warehouse - I'm expecting a ransom note any time now!) I'm still working on Riley's dragon. My, that thing has so many parts; obviously I won't be showing you any photos of him yet. Who would want to see a bunch of dragon pieces?

I did take a slight detour, though. My son's fiance's birthday was March 28th, and I did send her a card, but I told her she'd have to wait for her present. I can't recall how I came across the pattern, but I found the Tendril Shawl by Annie Design Crochet and I felt it would be just perfect for her. The pattern is free but the suggested yarn was the most expensive yarn I've ever bought - ah, but what a yarn! It was 60% superwash merino wool, 20% silk and 20% yak, soft as butter, beautiful drape, subtle sheen, and fantastic color. Plus it was a dream to work with. Thank goodness it only took one skein!


 
The pattern called for a 4mm hook and I didn't have one, so I chose to use a 3.75mm instead. Mine turned out about 60" long and 26" deep on the picot side, smaller than the designer's version, but that's ok. I did have enough yarn left over to do scs across the top edge, which I think gave it a little more finished look. I was definitely playing yarn chicken, but I won with about a yard left!

Trust me when I say the photos I took don't do this yarn justice. I even took the pictures in natural light, but I just couldn't get it to look as good as the real thing. Oh, well.

Everyone please take care and stay well - and happy crocheting!

I Took a Little Detour

After my last post I said that I was going to start the black cat. Well, that was kind of true. But first I decided to take a break and crochet the Cuddle Me Bear from Amigurumi Today. That bear stole my heart quite a while ago and I just couldn't wait any longer. Plus, the designer has taken basically the same body and created quite a few more animals, each cuter than the next (of course!) and she's come out with some mini versions, about 4" tall. If you enjoy amigurumi, please check out this site - you'll be glad you did. Just be prepared for an overload of cuteness!

Cuddle Me Bear from Amigurumi Today, pattern here

My Version

 

 

But never fear! After my appetite for 6" tall bears was sated, I did go on to crochet the black cat. I finally decided on a very cute guy named Charlie the Kitten by Kate E. Hancock. (Please click on the link if you want to see Charlie; I am not a tech wizard and my computer will not let me copy him to his post.)

My version of Charlie the Kitten

 

 

 

My version ended up being rather different than the designer's because 1. the request was for a green-eyed black cat and 2. I wanted to make her female, so I made the feet smaller and the arms a little shorter. This is the first black item I've made. Now I know why people don't work with dark colors other than as an accent! Plus trying to take a photo that would show some detail was challenging too. Luckily I had a sunny day.

As you might know if you've followed this blog, it was six years ago this month that I tried my hand at a crochet business. I had some sales, but in truth, I've made a lot more money with garage sales than with this business! Wearing every hat to try to run a creative business was just beyond me. Plus, since I have come to take care of my mother, there is always something that needs to be tended to, which leaves me even less time. So I have closed the doors to my Bonanza store and I might do the same to my Pinterest, Tumbler, and Twitter accounts. I intend to keep writing this blog and to keep my Facebook account, at least for the time being.

I do want to sincerely thank everyone that has followed my blog or just dropped by to check out what was happening - especially those who have left comments! - and I will do my best to get more posts up in the future. Till then, happy crocheting!

Mini-Waves Stitch

I found this particular stitch on Pinterest. Originally it seems to have come from a Russian site, ellej.org, although I couldn't find it currently on her page. I also couldn't find a name associated with the stitch, so because of how my version looks, I decided to name it the Mini-Waves stitch. I used Caron SS and a size H hook to make the sample.

My version - Ta Da!

 The original photo looks a bit more like a honeycomb, but there are crochet stitches with that name already, so I took a pass.

After I made a swatch, I was really surprised at how it turned out. I had expected a thick, squishy textured stitch, possibly good for a scarf or even an afghan. It's not. It's very stretchy, which might be all right for a hat. It's also a much more open stitch than what the original photo conveys (see second photo of my version below). The "wave" part is made from the ch 3 and it isn't attached to the main fabric, so it would be very easy to get something stuck in it and pull it out of shape. This stitch might work better in a smaller but sturdy yarn (cotton blend perhaps) and you need to work it fairly tight.

My version stretched and pinned to show open weave of the stitch

I still really like the look of the Mini-Waves stitch, but I don't feel it's very practical. It might work for a hat as long as you're careful not to catch anything in those ch 3's, but it would be way to stretchy for an afghan/blanket and too delicate for a scarf. JMO!

Of course, you don't have to take my opinion for it - why not give the Mini-Waves stitch a try for yourself? I'd love to hear what all of you have to say. And, as always - happy crocheting!