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Angry Birds for Jeremy

I was surfing around on Ravelry and ran into a pattern to crochet the pig from the Angry Birds game. Jeremy has been playing Angry Birds (all 3 versions) this summer on Vince's phone, and I put the original on his computer in his room. He also saw stuffed animals of them in some stores and wanted them, so I knew he would love it if I made them for him. This way it would be fairly inexpensive, plus knowing that they would be small and light enough to be able to allow him to throw them in the house.

Further digging on Ravelry revealed the red bird, so I got to work on the pig and then the red bird. I wanted to get at least those two done to give him together as a surprise, and then I'll add as I have time.

Sure enough, he loves them!!

Vince had the idea to suggest to Jeremy to use the paper towel and toilet paper rolls we've been saving for crafts to make the structures like the pigs are in or on in the game. Then it'll be almost just like the computer game, except now he's being active and creative all at the same time, too. He's having a ball!

I also found a pattern for the black bird, and I'm hoping to either find patterns or figure out myself for the yellow bird, the white bird, and the blue bird. I'll be making more pigs, too - a bigger pig, a King pig, a helmet pig, and probably more of the first pig. I don't think I can manage the monkeys in Angry Birds Rio, though, lol.

I love being able to use a talent God has given me to make something for someone I love. It is like double joy because of the enjoyment I get out of crocheting something in the first place, and then getting to see Jeremy have so much fun with what I made. I've got a Rat Fink Pillow Pet in mind for his birthday already!

Carman Men Winter Hats for Christmas

It started off that I wanted to make a hat and scarf for Jeremy, and I had a pattern in mind to make Vince a hat sometime, so I decided to make hats for all the guys in the house. I actually managed to finish them all by our Christmas (we had it a few days early on Jeremy's birthday), except I had to take out Chuck's and redo it because it was a little too big. Jeremy's hat I had to redo probably 4 times to get it small enough (which I had to guess at and, thankfully, correctly). All of the patterns actually came from Interweave Crochet, but different magazine issues, except for the scarf. So, without further ado here they are:


Jeremy's Scarf and Hat that matches his winter coat. Sort-of a winter camo look. The scarf actually has a thermal fabric look to it with some front & back post double crochets - I got it's pattern from Lion Brand.









I intended Vince's to match with his coat as well - he has both this blue coat and a dressier brown coat.









And here is my father-in-law, Chuck, in his - I had a little bit of the black/gray Lion Brand Homespun, and since his favorite color is black (go figure!) I had the idea to stripe it with regular Red Heart black yarn (which I did 2 strands together to make it heavier).

Crocheted Halloween Decorations

The pattern for these Halloween potholders was in the September/October 2010 issue of Crochet Today!, and I knew I just had to make them! Since my stepson's favorite holiday is Halloween, I thought I could connect with him in the spirit of the season with these. I'm not into the zombies and witches side of it , but I can be ok with pumpkins and black cats. He loves them, and after Halloween he is going to put them with the rest of his "spooky stuff" collection in the basement.



I also had an idea a few weeks ago that crochet would also be a good way to make a spider web. So I looked around and found this pattern at Caron International, and proceeded to make it for my father-in-law (though with black yarn instead of gray).



He also really likes Halloween, and Halloween-related things - so much so that he wanted and got a hearse to drive as his regular car. I only actually made half of the pattern, because it would have been about 4 feet in diameter and he didn't want it that big. Next I'm going to try making it with Silver Metallic size 10 crochet thread and a small hook to make it in miniature to be sort-of closer to the size of a real spider web. I really enjoy finding a pattern for something that I know a friend or family member will really like, and being able to make it for them.

Headbands

A friend of mine who knits sent me a link to a Classic Elite Yarns newsletter that had a pattern to crochet headbands, which sent some wheels turning in my head. All of the store-bought headbands I have are stretched out and don't stay very well, so I thought instead of buying more that I would just make some! That pattern called for DK weight yarn (1 step lighter than worsted weight), but I didn't have any yarns in my stash of that weight and I have a lot of worsted weight yarn from some yard-sales and past projects.

So, I searched the wonderful interwebs and found this pattern for a Grannyesque Headband using worsted weight yarn by Cayenne Boyer (it can also be found on Ravelry here). I made these four, with the colors matching most of my around-home wardrobe. If I get a job substitute teaching or something else, I may get some DK weight yarn to make a few headbands that are fancier and matching my professional dress clothes.

I also thought of the idea of making some more of the Grannyesque Headbands to give to my church to sell at their annual Fall Bazaar, because they are quick and easy to make. How great it is to have yarny friends that pass along patterns and suggestions, and to have the internet to look for patterns and other great ideas!!

My wedding garter

Whenever I've dreamed about my wedding day, I hoped that I would be able to make something for it as a keepsake. Being aware of the old tradition of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue," when I saw the pattern for this garter in Interweave Crochet I thought it was perfect. It was small enough that the time commitment to make it was not too great, and I really enjoyed making it. I was a bit disappointed with it not having more gathers because the instructions weren't very clear about where I should measure on my leg and how many extra rows I would need to make. In all, though, I shall treasure it, and I hope if I have a daughter I can pass it on to her.

Calico Prairie blog giveaway

Today one of the cross-stitch blogs I follow (Jacqueline's Stitching and Musing's) introduced me to another blog called Calico Prairie. I've really enjoyed reading it already, and she is having a giveaway of some really beautiful cross-stitch kits and other goodies. Go check it out and enter (well, maybe not because that will decrease the odds of my winning, ha ha!).

Calico Prairie Winter Giveaway