Stitcher's Angel 2009 Swap Box Sent & Received

Now that I've shipped off the box of goodies I both made and bought for my swap partner, Wendy, in the Stitcher's Angel 2009 Swap, and she's posted on her blog, receipt of the box, I can now post here what I sent to her.

Flower Bath Puff

Name: Flower Bath Puff

Pattern: Flower Bath Puff by Erin Olivia Designs, Lesley Dietschy & HDE Productions

Made for: Swap Gift

Needle and yarn

Hook

5.5 mm (I)

Yarn

Lily Sugar'n Cream Stripes

How much?

1 skeins = 95.0 yards (86.9m)

Colorway

Country Stripes

Color family

Blue-green

Purchased at

Wal-Mart

Notes

I made this for a swap that has a rose theme. I made it in colors my swap partner likes and also got her a bar of handmade rose soap to go with the bath puff.

How to Make Pretty Pincushions - CraftStylish

How to Make Pretty Pincushions - CraftStylish

Posted using ShareThis

Leaf Pot Holder

Pattern from: Page from an old/vintage crochet magazine

Made for: TinkerD on Ravelry - Flat Rate Box Swap Partner

Needle and yarn

Hook: 5.5 mm (I)

Yarn: VINTAGE Coats & Clark Rayon & Cotton Rug Yarn

Colorway: Brown; Orange

Purchased at: St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store

Notes

I purchased the pattern on eBay specifically so I could make one of these leaf pot holders for the Autumn-themed Flat Rate Box Swap. The pattern is on a page cut out of an old/vintage crochet magazine. The pattern calls for a rug yarn that is no longer available these days, so when I found some skeins of it at our local thrift store I was just thrilled! The skeins were vintage, yet unused and still had the original paper around them! How lucky could I get! Since then, I’ve purchased more of the vintage yarn on eBay, so I now have a decent stock of vintage rug yarn on hand for making more of these pot holders!
(I was supposed to embroider the leaf vines onto it, but I tried and couldn’t get it to look right, so decided to leave it vine-less).

Crochet Humor

Saw this cartoon on a blog that I follow...

she found it and thought it was cute, so posted it to her blog...

I too think it's cute and just have to share!

Ravelry's Flat Rate Box Swap...Autumn Theme

I was recently involved in another swap on Ravelry...it's called the Flat Rate Box Swap.  I chose to be included in the heavier flat rate box size than the smaller one so I could put more stuff in the box, and I had so much fun shopping for and making things for my swap partner, TinkerD.  Now that I know she's gotten her package from me, and posted a really super nice description and thank you on the swap's discussion board, I can safely upload a picture of the items I put in her swap box.  And here they are...

I crocheted her an Autumn leaf hot pad and a round facial washcloth.  She knits socks, so I found her the Little Box of Socks at Border's Book Store and also got her a new circular knitting needle for making socks.  I found a wonderful Autumn themed cookbook at JoAnne Fabric and Crafts Store.  And I got her some handmade soap from Wausau, WI - Autumn scented soap, of course!  I found some wonderful sock yarn at Off The Beaten Path Yarn House in Monona, WI.  A pumpkin spice scented candle and a white turkey embellishment item.  I made her a canning jar pin cushion from instructions I found on FaveCrafts.com.  I used potpurri in the jar, and a brown fabric for the pincushion itself, to give it an Autumn flair.  I gave her a pumpkin orange dishcloth (store-bought, not hand-made), and an apple shaped candle holder from Gold Canyon...(my dad's cousin is an Independent Distributor for Gold Canyon Candles).  Also included was a 2010 purse-sized date book and some lip balm, and leaf shaped cookie cutter and a leaf shaped tea-lite holder with a tea-lite.  A Godiva white chocolate candy bar and chocolate candy coated sunflower seeds.  Also a baked potato sleeve...for making a baked potato in the microwave oven!  Last but not least, I found a really cute little glass pumpkin at JoAnne's for her as well.  I would've kept going had I been able to fit more in the box!  I just love putting together gift boxes full of stuff for others!
The only thing missing from the picture is the clear glass leaf shaped candy dish...somehow I missed putting that in the picture.
The person sending to me says she plans to ship her box out this coming Friday, so I have another week to wait for mine...I'm so excited to see what I will get!  :o)

Warm Fuzzies

This is a copied article from one of my
Heart-Healthy Living magazines

that I thought might be of interest to you.

~~~~~

"Whether you knit, crochet or weave, you could contribute to the HeartScarves project, which provides handmade red scarves to women with heart disease as a symbol of care and support.  The program has been offered through WomenHeart, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, since 2007.  Thousands of scarves have already been distributed to women in hospitals and rehabilitation centers after a cardiovascular procedure or event.  Each scarf includes a special WomenHeart label and is often accompanied by a small bag of heart-health information and resources.  Visit womenheart.org to get involved."

Crocheted Hamburger Dress....

Ok, I just had to share this with you all.  I was working on making signs for a BBQ and silent auction we are having at work tomorrow, so I Googled the word "hamburger" in images to try and look for a decent image of a hamburger for one of my signs.  Well, I happened upon this image, and decided to explore further...

I found out that it's actually a crocheted dress to look like a hamburger!  It's quite interesting, to say the least!  Would be kinda cute for a Halloween costume, don't ya think!?

I found this on Craftzine.com Blog

It says that the dress was made by Joy Kampia on GEEKOLOGIE

If anyone is able to find a copy of the pattern, I may be interested.  I've been unsuccessful so far in finding a pattern for this Crocheted Hamburger Dress.

Surprise in the Mail - (Kinda Late Posting This)

Remember a few posts back when I was involved in the F-R-I-E-N-D-S Swap? Well, my swap partner, Vanessa, had ordered a couple of books from Amazon for me and had them direct shipped to me, but they arrived later than the box that she sent me personally.  Due to this fact, the books never got picture with the rest of the swap package.  However, because they are such awesome books, I want to publicly acknowlege that Vanessa had ordered them and had them sent to me as part of my swap package.
Another surprise was when Vanessa sent me some gorgeous fabric that I will be using to make a couple of baby blankets in the near future!  It was so darn sweet of her to purchase and send me that beautiful fabric!
The picture below shows the books and the fabric that I received from Vanessa...after the F-R-I-E-N-D-S Swap had already ended.

Thank you once again Vanessa for brightening my day with these surprises!

Garage Sale Finds...I Think I Hit the Jackpot!

A couple weeks ago I thought I was fortunate to come across a couple of boxes full of crochet magazines, books and patterns, and when I asked how much, I was told $4 for both boxes!  It took me two days to go through it all!  I found magazines such as Workbasket, Crochet Fantasy, Annie's Pattern Club, etc...many, many different kinds of magazines, books and patterns all dating from the 1940's through the 1990's!  The following picture shows only the one box after I've gone through everything and kept what I want...what's pictured here is going on eBay...

Now, as luck will have it, Heath and I were out garage-saling this past Saturday (Sept. 19, 2009)...can you believe I found even more crochet books/patterns/magazines!?!?!?  It would be too much of a mess to spread them all out and try to take pictures of them all, but for $22.50 I got both boxes FULL, and about 10 hard cover crochet pattern books (not pictured)...and to think that I hit the jackpot the last time???  LOL!  This find was AWESOME!  There was so much more at the sale, too, but I had a limited amount of cash on me at the time.   Ah well!

Here's a picture of the two boxes described above...

And below is a close-up picture of a very small handful of the magazines I got between the two garage sales:

It pays to garage sale!

My New Blog Title

(changed from this)

Recently I've been mulling over changing the title of my blog...

When I originally started this blog, the only things I had ever crocheted or been interested in crocheting were afghans.  The year 2009 introduced me to a world of crafting swaps, which I full-heartedly got involved with.  This meant that I needed to step outside of the box and learn to crochet other things besides afghans.  Along with turning into a Swap Addict, I am now literally hooked on crocheting so many new and wonderful things...hot pads, dishcloths, cuffs, neck warmers, etc.  I have Blogger and Ravelry members who post all the swaps and tutorials to thank for this!

So, to get back to the purpose of this post...  I have decided to change the title of my blog from Afghans by Gina to For the Luv of Crochet: Afghans and More.  I'm hoping this won't pose any confusion for anyone, but I feel the new blog title is a more appropriate description of my blog nowadays!

(changed to this)

My Heart is Heavy...RIP Patrick

PATRICK SWAYZE
August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009

My heart is heavy as I type up this blog...

Yesterday evening I received a text message on my phone from a friend telling me that Patrick Swayze had passed away. I have been a long time fan of Patrick, and always admired the actor for who he was in the movies as well as who he was outside of acting. He was a gentle and caring person, and was different from so many other actors.
I will never forget his performance in Dirty Dancing...my all time favorite movie EVER. Man, the guy could dance!

Patrick Swayze - Chippendale

Uploaded by tressage. -

Official Patrick Swayze International Fan Club

She's Like The Wind - Performed by Patrick Swayze

Thank you Patrick for entertaining our movie screens with
fantastic performances and great movies like
YOUNG BLOOD, GHOST, DIRTY DANCING, NORTH AND SOUTH
and many, many more!
You'll be forever in my heart and memory.
RIP Patrick.

PATRICK SWAYZE TRIBUTE
A free online tribute & memorial community

My First Neckwarmer Crochet Project...Preparing for the Cold Season!

Project info

Name

Bernat® Softee Chunky Neckwarmer

Pattern

Softee Chunky - Neckwarmer by Bernat Design Studio

Needle and yarn

Hook:

6.0 mm (J)

Yarn:

Bernat Softee Chunky Solids & Marls

How much?

1 skeins = 164.0 yards (150.0m)

Colorway

Faded Denim

Color family

Blue

Purchased at

Mary Maxim

Notes

Fun and easy to crochet! I’ll be wearing one of these come winter!
I apologize for having to model this piece on myself…but it looked pretty big on my 9 year old son…so he decided to be the photographer instead of the model. LOL!
The pattern for this neckwarmer is free, and can be obtained here: Bernat

Waterfall Dishcloth

Project info

Name: Waterfall Dishcloth

Pattern from: Leisure Arts Contest Favorites Dishcloths Leaflet

Needle and yarn

Hook:

4.0 mm (G)

Yarn: Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Ombres

How much? 1 skein - Blue Multi
1 skein - Light Blue

Notes

I followed the pattern exactly, with the exception of the edge…I followed the written instructions for the edge, but I went around twice instead of just once…the second time around I’d do opposite front/back stitches though, just to give some depth and thickness.
Pattern can be found in Leisure Arts Contest Favorites Dishcloths Leaflet #3211. The leaflet is available for purchase at Leisure Arts website.

(The last picture above is of the back of the dishcloth)

Original pattern design by: Joan E. Reeves

Snow Wonder Hot Pad

I’m trying to use up some of the leftover yarns I have from an afghan I recently made, so I decided to try making this vintage hot pad. And even though it’s in baby blanket colors, it still makes a pretty snowflake hot pad!

I got the pattern out of an Annie’s Pattern Club Newsletter Booklet (December 1980) that I purchased on eBay a week or so ago. I love the pattern...it works up quickly and easily, and is great for using up scraps of yarn.

Pattern originally designed by: Michelle E. Crean, Dayton, Ohio

Ravelry's fave things swap :: round 4

My love of swaps has got me obsessed with joining all kinds of them, both on Ravelry and here on Blogger. The latest swap that just recently finished up was Ravelry: fave things swap :: round 4. This swap was set up so that each of us would receive a package from someone different than who we would send a package to. And the theme, of course, was to put together a box of items that is our favorite things. So I put together a box of my favorite things and shipped it off to Canada...unfortunately, she is still anxiously awaiting the box's arrival at her home...hopefully it will arrive any day now! The person who sent me a box of her favorite things is from Pennsylvania, USA... PurlaP, as she's known on Ravelry, sent me a wonderful box of goodies...all her favorite things!

I got home from work on Monday, August 17, 2009 to find that a box had arrived for me. It was from PurlaP. It was a late night by the time I got home, and I was tired from having worked 2 jobs back-to-back that day, but I got a wind of energy when I saw the box, and couldn’t wait to open it. My cats were excited too…(whenever something new arrives they always have to check it out, so I had to keep shooing them off when they’d try to get in the box).

Here's what I saw when I first opened the box...


After pulling out and unwrapping everything from inside the box, here’s what I received…

• Knitted Amy March Slippers in a color I absolutely love!

• A handmade necklace & matching earrings set…the necklace has two fish on it for good luck (and I’m also a Pisces)

• Handmade stitch markers

• A recipe for Paula Deen Brownies, including a brownie mix and the chocolate for making them!

• A book titled “Back Roads” by Tawni O’Dell.

• Some really pretty buttons.

• Lavender and Chamomile Baby Powder.

• A Siamese cat planter.

• Handmade head band.

• Some wonderful bamboo and wool yarns in gorgeous colors.
  
  
  
  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE EVERYTHING! I can’t thank PurlaP enough! THANK YOU!!!
  
  Here I am wearing the handmade head band she sent me...

Dishcloths, Hot Pads and Washcloths Galore!

I know, I know...I've already posted about my new found love of crocheting dishcloths on a previous post a few days ago, but now I've got a few more to add to my stockpile, and just figured I'd take a few pictures of what I've got made so far...Pattern names, instructions/where to find, and who designed them:

• Springtime Triangles Dishcloth - Pattern Designed By: Renata Russell
• Lily Sugar'N Cream Daisy Pot Holders to Crochet - Pattern Designed By: Unknown
• Pretty Pastels Dishcloth - Pattern Designed By: Eldonna Ewers
• Lily Sugar'N Cream Chrysanthemum Dishcloth to Crochet - Pattern Designed By: Unknown
• Ladder Stitch Crocheted Dishcloth - Pattern Designed By: Brian McGaunn
• Meadowbrook (Round) Washcloth - Pattern Designed By: Unknown
  

My First Crocheted Cuff

For the first time ever I've decided to crochet something for myself. I'm either always making things to give as gifts or sell to my customers, but I've never once made something for myself to keep and use. I decided it's my turn! I find that my hands get cold quite often when I'm at work, and especially in the winter months. Sometimes so cold that I can barely move my fingers without my joints being in pain. So I thought I'd make myself the Lion Brand® Nature's Choice ^® Organic Cotton Learn to Crochet Cuffs. The pattern is free, and is exceptionally easy to make! It only uses one skein of yarn, too!
(I've only got one cuff made so far and am currently working on the second cuff, hoping to have it finished yet today).
This was also my first time using the Lion Brand® Nature's Choice ^® Organic Cotton yarn. WOW, do I ever love this yarn! I chose Dusty Sage for my color. (Of course! Sage is my favorite color...the pictures however don't do the color justice...the pictures make it look more yellow than green)!

HELP! ...My Yarn is a Pile of Knots!

I have found that the best yarns come rolled up into almost a braided look of a skein/ball...yet I have also found that they are my worst nightmare! I am so used to working with yarns that have the tail (loose end) coming out the center of the skein so all I have to do is pull on that tail as I work on my project and the yarn comes out nice and without knots. More recently I've been working with yarns of different fibers and such...I am finding myself spending more time unraveling these skeins/balls of yarn than I am working on the actual project! I am asking for advice from anyone who has worked with yarns that look like this......because the above picture is how my yarn starts out looking, then when I go to actually use it, I have to figure out where the loose ends are, and then unravel it all, which in turn ends up like this...I am so frustrated right now! All I want to make is a washcloth, yet I've already spent over an hour trying to un-knot this mess of yarn. What am I doing wrong? Any advice or suggestions will be greatly apreciated! Thanks!

Sneak Peak...

Just a sneak peak at what I've started working on last night...can't reveal what it is cuz it's for a swap, but it's the start of something that I hope turns out gorgeous by the time it's done! ;o)
And of course, my Casper...he loves being on my lap when I'm crocheting!

The picture isn't best quality...took it with my Blackberry.
(Just overlook the hospital pants & t-shirt...I was lounging around in my comfy clothes at home).

Hooked On Dishcloths!

Can you believe it? I'm hooked on crocheting dishcloths now! They are quick to work up, I love working with the cotton yarn, and they make great gifts! I also love using them in the kitchen, as they work really well. Ever since receiving my very first hand knitted dishcloth from Sara in the Kitchen Swap 2009, I've never gone back to store-bought dishcloths!

Here's a couple of images taken from my Blackberry...one shows me almost finished making a flower dishcloth, and the other shows 4 finished dishcloths.

The pattern for the triangle shaped dishcloth can be found on page 26 in the Lily Sugar'n Cream "The Original Dishcloth Contest" pattern booklet #570824.

The pattern for the flower dishcloth can be found at sugarncream.com.

Blankies for Babies

One of my newer blogs: Blankies for Babies

The blog features blankets I make and sell. They make great baby shower and welcome home baby gifts!

Please check out my Blankies for Babies blog when you get the chance!

Egg Cup Pincushion - My "E" Gift for the FRIENDS Swap

Thanks to one of the blogs I follow: The Sometimes Crafter, I learned how to make an egg cup pincushion! This has nothing to do with crocheting afghans, but since I was part of a FRIENDS Swap, I needed to make or buy items that started with the letters in the word FRIENDS. The egg cup pincushion became the perfect gift idea for the letter E. Since my swap partner has a bee farm, and she loves bees and flowers and birds, I searched eBay for an egg cup that had some of the things on it she likes. I found the perfect egg cup from a seller in the UK, so I purchased it using the "Buy-It-Now" feature on eBay. So glad that I did...it was such a cute egg cup, if you can call egg cups cute! :o)
I found some bee fabric, and following the tutorial on The Sometimes Crafter's Tutorial: Egg Cup Pincushion, I made my very first egg cup pincushion. I had a little bit of trouble with the glue gun, so I had some overkill on the glue. I remedied this by using some yarn and tied it around the area where the excess glue was, and it turned out pretty good for the first time ever making one of these!

THANK YOU, THE SOMETIMES CRAFTER, for such a great idea to turn egg cups into pincushions, and for your great tutorial!

Flower Field Afghan - My "F" Gift for the FRIENDS Swap

Since taking on a part time nights and weekends bartending position last month, (on top of working days for the State of Wisconsin), I've been extremely limited on free time for my beloved hobby, crochet. I enjoy bartending, so I'm definitely not complaining! However I was down to the last moment in trying to complete this afghan in order to get it sent out by the deadline, which was last Friday, July 10th. I worked on it the very last day, and finally finished it at 12:30am! YAY! Due to my work schedule I was unable to get to the post office on July 10th to ship the swap package to Vanessa, so the package did get shipped out late unfortunately, but only by 2 business days. Now that Vanessa has received and posted the swap package online, I can share with you pictures of the afghan that I made for her. (You can also see it pictured on her blog: Crafty Kids and Mama Too...she took a really nice picture of it...better than my pictures turned out). Also, I would like to give a special THANK YOU to Khris over at Sew Prim Khris for hosting this wonderfully fun FRIENDS Swap. Because of this swap, I've made a new friend in Vanessa, and there's a high possibility we may get to meet someday in the future.

I found the pattern for this afghan online at Coats and Clark. The pattern is free on the website. The pattern was designed by Ellen Gormley for Coats and Clark.
The only difference between the original pattern design and my finished product is that my fiancee suggested that I make and add the little flowers in the cross intersections where the squares get whip-stitched together, in order to hide my imperfections since I had a hard time getting my whip-stitching to look proportionate at the intersections throughout the entire afghan. (Shhhh....don't tell anyone, but I'm not very good at making afghans with squares I have to whip-stitch together)! I'm glad he suggested it...the little flowers and the added bumblebee buttons (because Vanessa likes flowers and bees) not only hid my imperfections, but they add depth and personalized charm to the afghan. I was hoping it wouldn't be "too much", and it turned out really neat. And I'm thrilled that Vanessa loves it. I started the afghan on May 25, 2009 and finished it on July 10, 2009.

F-R-I-E-N-D-S Swap Package Received!

Something that totally made my day today was receiving a much anticipated SWAP package in the mail from my sweet swap partner Vanessa, from Minnesota! What a fantastic box of goodies! She sent many neat items and even included a couple of things for the boys! Here's a picture of the awesome things Vanessa sent to me...

Obviously, there are a few things missing from this picture...I blame the boys~LOL! They broke into the stash! ;o)
*In case you're reading this...VANESSA...You are awesome! I really hope we stay in touch, and maybe even meet someday. We visit Winona, MN frequently, which we've discussed is 2 hours or so from where you live. I would love to meet you someday! Thanks for making this swap a fun one!

Ravelry's Flat Rate Box Swap

I recently joined a few swaps on Ravelry.com, and am excited to say that today after work I came home to find a package waiting for me on the front porch. It was a swap package from the Flat Rate Box Swap on Raverly. The theme for this particular swap is "Local Theme" meaning, we are to send items from our local area (town / state). My swap partner lives in the state of Maryland, so she sent me some things related to her area. WOW, I must say I sure did get a nice package of things! Even my kitties got treated by my swap partner!

Jasper & Casper with their new toys!

Here's all the neat stuff I got in my box from my swap partner...

• "Crochet Boquet" Book from Joann Fabrics - This is a book on crocheted flower motifs.
  (And you'll never believe that just this morning I was online trying to find a pattern for a flower motif, then I find this awesome book in the mail from my swap partner today)!
• Skein of Vanna White white yarn
• Skein of red yarn made locally in my swap partner's community
• Old Bay Seasoning (YUMMY! Can't wait to try this!)
• Souvenier sand keychain
• Souvenier toothpick container (shaped like a small coffee mug)
  
• Stationery note pad designed by a local person
• ANNA magazine - never heard of this magazine before...it's filled with needlework patterns!
• Hallmark Wedding photo/scrap book
• Gummy Worms for my fiancee's boys
• Webkins Oriole for my son - Orioles are Maryland's state bird
• Postcards with pictures of Maryland and places in the area
• Postcard with a crab cake recipe on it
• Kitty Christmas wrapping paper
• Kitty stickers
• Stuffed toy crab
• Crochet hook comfort grips
• Maryland collector spoon
• Magazines on Maryland and the local areas
• Blue Angels magnet
• Hand crocheted angora hair tie, made locally in Maryland
• Lavender soap from Ireland
  

If I've overlooked something on this list, I'm sorry! There's just so much, and I am so grateful to "cardidog" (my swap partner). This was her first swap, and she did awesome! I appreciate and love everything!

THANK YOU CARDIDOG!

Everyday Ramblings

Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel like you're constantly one step behind? Well, I'm definitely having one of 'em today! Sleeping through my alarm and being an hour late for work set me up for one of those "step behind" days!

I've been working for the Wisconsin DOA-DET as an LTE Operations Associate, since last October after being laid off from my Administrative Assistant position with First Weber Group. I love my job at the DOA. I work in the security office and keep an eye on the security cameras and monitor visitors who come and go from our building, as we are a secured facility. Since it is only LTE, my supervisor has been gracious enough to allow me to continue to get some float hours in at First Weber Group, as they've kept me employed as a float, and when the housing market picks up and they can re-hire again, they've promised my former Administrative Assistant job back. So I want to keep my foot in the door at First Weber Group. However, I'm still not satisfied with my income, so I've taken on a 3rd job...part time bartender at the Holding Cell. I had the closing shift last night and it was busy...I didn't get home until almost 3am! It was my first time closing, and I couldn't find my notes, so I couldn't remember how to close out the till or do any of that cash handling stuff, so I left tons of notes for my supervisor, just to cover my butt and make sure everything came out ok. Well, I ended up oversleeping this morning...never even heard my alarm go off. I was supposed to be to work at 8am at the DOA, but rolled out of bed at 7:44am...and I have a 40 minute drive one way to work at the DOA...YIKES! Needless to say, I started at 9am instead of 8am this morning. Thank goodness I have a really nice (and understanding) supervisor!

I am sooooo tired! Oh well, tis my own fault! I knew this would happen when I accepted the bartending position.

So anyways, I'm to the point of exhaustion today,
and that's my story of why I'm a "step behind" today.
Boring stuff for my readers, but I needed a topic to post on my blog so this is what you get...LOL!
I can only hope this day gets better! It's only 10:45am right now!

YAY! I Learned to Crochet Something New!

I'm so excited, and now I want to crochet more than just afghans! My recent involvement in Kitchen Swap 2009 over at Sew-Fantastic, made me realize that I can crochet other things besides just afghans. Crocheting afghans is still my number one love in the world of crochet, but I was amazed at how easy it was to make smaller things, like dishcloths, hot pads, bags, etc! I ventured into a whole new world of crochet last month, and I really enjoyed it. Here are some pictures of the items I crocheted:

This is a matching kitchen towel holder and dishcloth set that I crocheted:
(Patterns can be found in
Annie's Attic: Towel Toppers & Dishcloths Book)

This is a reusable shopping bag that I crocheted: Here I am, sporting the bag so you have an idea of the bag's size:And here's my fiancee sporting the bag in an attempt to be silly:
(and it worked because I was laughing)Pattern for the bag is free and can be found here: Paperless Grocery Bag

Here's a hot pad that I crocheted...
the quarter gives you an idea of the size of the hot pad:
This hot pad pattern can be found for FREE here:
Crochet Flower Hot Pad

(Same hot pad, just a better / less blurry picture of it)
Sara, over at Fabric n Fiber Fanatic was the lucky recipient of all these crocheted items. She received them in her Kitchen Swap 2009 gift package that I sent to her.

Kitchen Swap Update...

Well, what can I say? I arrived home from work last night to find a package on my front step...it was from Sara, my Kitchen Swap 2009 partner. It was full of awesome goodies, including something I really needed...a cheese slicer! :o)
Sara made me some wonderful things...I knew she knitted but somehow hadn't realized that she sews as well! Thank you Sara for everything! I absolutely love it all! I will send you an email later on, as we are heading out of town for a weekend in Eagle River, WI at my parents' lake house. I won't have access to the internet until we get back home, but I wanted to make sure and get this posted before we left.
Check out these pictures of all the fantastic stuff I got from Sara!

If you'd like to see Sara's blog and the pictures she took of the stuff I sent to her, check it out here: Fabric n Fiber Fanatic

Kitchen Swap 2009 Stuff....

When I joined the Kitchen Swap 2009 over at Sew-Fantastic, I never knew how much fun I would have putting together a gift package for someone I've never even met before. Well, this is my very first swap ever, and I'm having a ball with it! I just hope that my swap partner enjoys her gifts as much as I am enjoying making and buying them! Once my swap partner gets her package at the end of May, I will post pictures of what I am giving to her, but for now, here's just a tiny sneak peak at one of the items I've made for her gift package...

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day is always special, but this year was more special than ever... it was the first time my son was ever able to give me something for Mother's Day without having to get help from someone else.
A week earlier my son & I were shopping at a local JoAnn Fabric & Craft Store. I was looking at birthday cards and hadn't realized that my son was looking at Mother's Day cards. When we got to the checkout counter, he told me not to look, so I closed my eyes...he had picked out a card for me and had the cashier scan it with my items as my eyes were closed, and she put it in a separate bag for him to carry. I hadn't even realized he had picked out a card for me until that moment, so being the mom I am, I pretended like I didn't know what he was doing and what was going on. And even though I had to pay for my own Mother's Day card, it was a most memorable and special moment for me...the first time he had picked out a Mother's Day card for me without any help from someone else! Here's an image of the card & envelope (inside & out, since he drew some wonderful pictures on it for me). It's a card I will treasure forever, and will never throw away!
But the card wasn't the only gift I received from my son! He also made me an awesome bookmark in school and decorated a planter pot with flowers in it. He kept it all hidden in his bedroom until Mother's Day came. :o) I love my boy so very much!
Here's a picture of the front & back of the bookmark that he made for me...
Picture coming soon of the planter pot & flower.

I had another surprise on Mother's Day this year... my fiancee's son, Dalton, had a gift for me as well. He made me a really neat clothespin "Superman" character in school, as well as a tissue paper flower! I usually just get a verbal "Happy Mother's Day" from my fiancee's boys, but Dalton must think of me as more than just his dad's fiancee, because he thought about me when he was making these Mother's Day gifts in school. My eyes got all watery when the boys gave me all these great Mother's Day gifts. I know I'm loved, and I love them back ten-fold!

Here are two different angles of the gifts Dalton made for me...

We had to take my fiancee's boys back to their mom's by 10am on Mother's Day so they could spend the day with her, so after dropping them off at their mom's house we decided to go to Watertown, WI to stop at Wal-Mart SuperCenter so I could pick up some much needed yarn for something I'm making for the Kitchen Swap 2009 to put in my swap partner's gift basket. After Wal-Mart, we decided to go for a late breakfast somewhere and ended up at Frank's Corner Cafe. Talk about a wonderful breakfast! We also had beautiful weather, so all in all, I had a most enjoyable Mother's Day this year, thanks to my wonderful family!

"Granny Treasure Afghan"

Project info

Name:

Granny Treasure Afghan
Pattern from:

LionBrand.com

Made for:

Benefit Raffle

Needle and yarn

Hook:

15.0 mm (P/Q)

Yarn :

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers
How much?

2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)

Colorway:

Citron

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

Colorway:

Amber

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

How much?

2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)

Colorway:

Apricot

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

How much?

2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)

Colorway:

Charcoal

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

How much?

2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)

Colorway:

Oatmeal

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

How much?

2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)

Colorway:

Fisherman

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

How much?

2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)

Colorway:

Moss

Purchased at:

http://www.knitting-warehouse.com

Notes

I made this afghan to raffle off for an upcoming benefit, per request from my fiancee’s mother. She bought and donated the yarn so I could make this beautiful afghan. :o)
The pattern for this afghan can be downloaded free from the Lion Brand website, but first you have to create your free membership to the site before you can view and download any patterns. You can also purchase the yarn at this site as well, however I didn’t realize this until after we had already ordered from the Knitting Warehouse. (Due to the Knitting Warehouse being sold out of 3 of the colors called for in this pattern, we had to substitute other colors in place of them).

This afghan could've been completed in one day, however I got side-tracked with many other things going on in my life, so it got set aside for a few weeks. I finally finished it last night (April 15, 2009) while watching American Idol. "YAY!"

I had enough yarn to double this pattern in size, so I did just that. I didn't care for how small it was when I got to the last row, per the pattern. It was basically a lapghan. Since this is for a benefit raffle, I wanted it to be suitable to put on a bed or back of a couch, and completely cover a person without his/her feet hanging out at the end. I'm glad I doubled the size...it's going to make someone a great afghan! And very warm too...the yarn used in this afghan is some of the best I've ever worked with to date.

"Blue Star Afghan" - A Work In Progress

I'm currently working on this Blue Star Afghan. (Pattern can be found on page 16 in the Herrschners Blue Ribbon Afghans book). This is going to be my fair entry afghan in the Granny Square Afghan Category, at the 2009 Columbia County Fair. I am having fun making this one! It's still a work in progress, so I will update this blog when I'm done making it.

Project info

Name:

Blue Star Afghan

Needle and yarn

Hook:

4.0 mm (G)

Yarn:

Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Print

How much?

3 skeins = 870.0 yards (795.5m)

Colorway:

300 Denim Mist

Purchased at:

Wal-Mart

Yarn :

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much?

3 skeins = 1092.0 yards (998.5m)

Colorway:

0316 Soft White

Purchased at:

Wal-Mart

Yarn :

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much?

3 skeins = 1092.0 yards (998.5m)

Colorway

0381 Light Blue

Purchased at

Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts in Wisconsin

Yarn :

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much?

2 skeins = 728.0 yards (665.7m)

Colorway:

0886 Blue

Purchased at :

Wal-Mart

Notes

This is my first “granny square” afghan.
I’ve been unsuccessful at finding a blue/white multi-colored yarn in any local stores that is the Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids brand, so I had to go with the only brand I could find it in…Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Print. The Vanna’s yarn is a softer yarn than the Red Heart...Now I wish I were making this afghan with all yarn colors in Vanna's yarns!

Pattern for this afghan can be found on page 16 in the Herrschners Blue Ribbon Afghans book.

Will post pictures of the finished afghan when it’s all done!

Original pattern created by: Kathy Blakely - Ririe, Idaho.

Blankies for Babies

One of my side projects, (which has nothing to do with crocheting afghans), is making "Blankies for Babies". I make these if I don't have time to crochet an afghan for a baby gift, as these I can get done in a few hours. I also make these to buy. I charge $35 per Blankie. View my blog Blankies For Babies!

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Happy National Crochet Month!

March is National Crochet Month, and while crochet is certainly an important part of our lives all year long, National Crochet Month is the perfect time to stop and take a fresh look at our crochet endeavors and appreciate anew this beautiful craft we love so much.

• Join the Crochet Guild of America
• Crochet something for charity
• Teach someone to crochet
• Learn a new technique
• Experiment with a new fiber or material
• Have crochet fun with others
• Crochet something special just for you!

Full Article: Talking Crochet w/Carol Alexander

A Photo Diary of Past Projects

Just a jumble of photographs from afghans I've done over the years. Many were done before I had a digital camera, so the picture quality isn't the greatest. I've tried to keep details on where to find the patterns for these afghans, so if you have any questions about the afghans themselves or where to find the patterns so you can make any like them, don't hesitate to let me know!

Sailboat Quilt Afghan

Details to follow soon!

Yarn Safety for Pets and Children

YARN SAFETY FOR PETS AND CHILDREN

I subscribe to the TALKING CROCHET Newsletter, and in a recent issue there was an article on "Yarn Safety for Pets and Children". I find it a very important issue and wanted to share what the newsletter has to say about it.

As copied and pasted from a Talking Crochet with Carol Alexander Newsletter:

Recently, my colleague, Barb Bettegnies, editor of Creative Knitting magazine, shared the following excellent advice on yarn safety for pets and kids in her Creative Knitting e-newsletter. This information is just as relevant for crocheters or any crafters who work with yarn.

"It's easy to forget that children and pets don't see things from our adult perspective. An unguarded length of yarn does not have the appeal of a dark chocolate raspberry truffle (now you know my secret indulgence) to anyone I know, but to a puppy, or very young child, it can look delicious!

"Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I visited my brother and his wife near Atlanta, Ga. They are both veterinarians who practice small-animal care in their clinic. Friday morning brought a case which required emergency treatment to save the life of the cherished pet of a client. The pug and its owner had visited a yarn shop, where the curious pet had ingested a quantity of yarn.

"This was a serious situation, and the pet's owner realized it. A linear object can become lodged in an intestine, creating a sawing motion which can result in peritonitis. After an expensive surgery and some intensive post-surgery procedures, the pug might avoid eating more yarn, and the owner will no doubt be more vigilant in the future.

"In order to prevent this from happening, please make sure that your pets do not have access to your stash. You’d hate to have your darling Fifi, Fido or Cutie Kitty wind up in this situation. Not only are the pets' lives endangered, but the practice could seriously endanger your project in progress or your precious stash! A bit of precaution can prevent a disaster, so take care."

Thanks to Barb for sharing this excellent cautionary advice. I'd like to add that not only can ingested yarn create a sawing motion inside the intestines, it can also create a massive blockage (depending on how much yarn was ingested), which could quickly create a very serious situation.

Also, remember to put away or discard those plastic store bags that you bring your yarn home in! Small, curious pets can get their heads caught in the handles and then panic when trying to get free, possibly causing a dangerous choking situation as they struggle to dislodge the bag.

Enjoy your yarn, but remember to use it safely if you have curious little critters around!

Crocheting For Charity

I've been doing some research on charity resources to see if I could crochet an afghan to donate...people in need: sick, homeless, etc. I've decided to share my research here in case anyone else would be interested in making something to give to charity.

The following are some of the websites I've come across during my search:

• Paula's Knit & Crochet Charity
  
• Project Linus - Madison, WI
• Afghans for Afghans
  
• Crochet Friends Charity
  
• Warm Up America!
• Care Wear

Another option I found was to visit the following sites, as they have links to more charity options:

• Crochet 'n More Charity Links
• About.com: Crochet
  

"Champagne Lace" Afghan

Started 10/7/08 and finished 1/19/09.

Pattern for
"CHAMPAGNE LACE"
(original design created by: Rena V. Stevens)
can be found in:

"Afghan Traditions"
hard cover book
ISBN: 1-57367-057-X
Pages 26-29

This afghan would've been done sooner, but I kept procrastinating with working on it. I've been in a little bit of a "lull" in my crocheting mood, so set it aside for a few weeks to take a break from crocheting.
This afghan turned out huge...it fits over the top of our California King bed! The pattern says it's 52" x 74" (not including the fringe).

Materials used for making "Champagne Lace":

Worsted-weight yarn...
*49 oz white
*10-1/2 oz light beige
*10-1/2 oz dark beige

Tapestry needle
H crochet hook

Skill Level: Average

Dying to Crochet!

Believe it or not, I stumbled upon another crochet mystery book! I received my latest issue of Crochet magazine in the mail yesterday. I read through it last night and there was an ad for this book, which I plan to purchase and read as well as the previous two books I posted a few days ago:

"Dying to Crochet"
Author: Bendy Carter

Veronica, who recently experienced a tragic loss, begins crocheting for its therapeutic benefits. When she accidentally invents a new stitch, her whole life changes; she now eats, sleeps and thinks crochet. The budding designer is quickly swept into the fascinating world of crochet fashion and design.

When the unthinkable happens at a fiber convention, it is up to Veronica, her friends, and their knowledge of yarn and stitches to find the killer before the killer finds them.

Written in a “Crochet-Along-with-the-Character” style, the book includes ten original designs plus directions for two additional pattern stitches.

Listen to Author Bendy Carter at BlogTalkRadio on the following episode:

Show Name:	Bendy Carter and Dying to Crochet on Getting Loopy!
Date / Length:	9/8/2008 7:00 PM - 45 min
Description:	Bendy Carter, author of the crochet mystery/pattern book Dying to Crochet is (blogtalkradio's) guest.

Afghans by Gina - A Photo Book Diary

Last night I spent 6 hours creating a photo diary of most of the afghans I have crocheted over the years. A lot of the pictures were taken before I had a digital camera, so the quality isn't the greatest, but at least I took pictures of most of the finished afghans and documented the year I crocheted them! Unfortunately I didn't keep documentation of every single afghan I ever made, and now I wish that I had. Oh well! At least I keep track of them now! I figure, 100 years from now my relatives will enjoy having the documentation to look back on.

AFGHANS BY GINA - A PHOTO BOOK DIARY

Whenever I make an afghan for someone, I always create a certificate that I date and sign, then laminate. It's my "Certificate of Heirloom Quality" which I present with each and every afghan I make.
I love watching Antiques Roadshow, and many times I have seen where a handmade item is more valuable when there is documentation of the date it was made as well as who made it. I don't know if my afghans will ever be on a future "Antiques Roadshow" in 100 years, but I still like to take the extra step just in case! ;o)

A Crochet Mystery - New Book Series From 2008

Craft lovers and mystery readers alike will flock to this great new craft-based cozy!

FIRST IN THE CROCHET MYSTERY SERIES:

Hooked On Murder
A Crochet Mystery
Author: Betty Hechtman

When bookstore event coordinator Molly Pink stumbles across the dead body of a crochet group's leader, her complicated past with the woman makes her a prime suspect. But while Molly's fending off a detective with a personal grudge and navigating the pitfalls of crochet group politics, the real killer remains at large. And it's up to her to catch the culprit-before she winds up in a tight knot.
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SECOND IN THE CROCHET MYSTERY SERIES:

Dead Men Don't Crochet
A Crochet Mystery
Author: Betty Hechtman

When a member of Molly Pink’s crochet group is suspected of murder,
it’s up to Molly and her pals to pick up the dropped stitches and catch a killer.

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Rodeo Afghan

I started this afghan on August 3, 2008 and finished it just in the knick of time. It was a wedding gift for a friend of mine and I had to have it done by 9/20/08 (the day of the wedding reception). Well, I finished it on 9/20/08...talk about down to the last minute! I would’ve had if finished a lot sooner, but ended up having to whip together another afghan (Colors of Nature - Midnight Sky) for a benefit I was donating it to, which was also the same day as the wedding reception (9/20/08). So this one got set aside while I made the other afghan.
I never did have time to add a framed border around it as I had originally hoped to do, but I did use the walnut color around the border rather than the bluebell color that the pattern said to use. I figured this would give it the “framed” look and add some definition to it.
This was an extremely easy afghan to make, just frustrating at times because there was almost always more than 1 skein attached to the afghan at one time, so turning at the end of each row became a tangled mess at times when trying to rotate the afghan with up to 5 skeins attached at different spots. (See the picture in progress above...it shows 5 skeins attached all at once).
I absolutely loved working with the yarn I chose for this pattern...Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky.

Pattern can be found in the book titled:

Blue Ribbon Afghans from America's State Fairs

Pattern Size: Approx 44 x 57 (excluding fringe)

Needle and Yarn

Hook: 6.0 mm (J)

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky

How much? 3 skeins = 459.0 yards (419.7m)

Colorway - Walnut

Purchased at:

Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts in Wisconsin

Yarn:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky

How much? 7 skeins = 1071.0 yards (979.3m)

Colorway - Bluebell #107

Purchased at:

Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts in Wisconsin

Rose Ripple: Crochet Baby Blanket in the Round

I started this afghan in June 2008 and finished it on July 11, 2008. I gave it to a friend of mine for her "PINK" themed baby shower in October 2008.

I used a very different yarn from what the designer of this afghan had recommended. Because of the type of yarn I used, my afghan ended up using more yarn than what the instructions actually call for. It also made the afghan much bigger and bulkier than stated in the pattern. The yarn amounts which I have listed below are the amounts I had to use for the type of yarn (Red Heart Baby Clouds) that I crocheted this afghan with. The original (and FREE) pattern can be found by clicking on the underlined afghan name link below:

Rose Ripple: Crochet Baby Blanket in the Round by Lolaness

Needle and yarn

Hook: 5.5 mm (I)

Yarn:

Red Heart Ltd. Baby Clouds

How much? 7 skeins = 980.0 yards (896.1m)

Colorway - Pink Lemonade

Purchased at: Wal-Mart SuperCenter

Yarn:

Red Heart Ltd. Baby Clouds

How much? 3 skeins = 420.0 yards
Colorway - White
Purchase at: Wal-Mart SuperCenter

"Old Glory"

Name: Old Glory

Pattern from: About.com (website);

Afghans to Treasures (book)...
Pgs 94-95 & 108

Size: 45" x 60"

I crocheted this afghan in 2007...started in April and finally finished it in December. The reason it took me so long is because I didn't work on it through the summer months...sometimes it's just too hot to crochet afghans! ;o)

Needle and Yarn

Hook

4.5 mm

5.5 mm (I)

Yarn:

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much? 4 skeins = 640.0 yards (585.2m)

Colorway - Red

Purchased at: Wal-Mart SuperCenter

Yarn:

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much? 1 skein = 160.0 yards (146.3m)

Colorway - Gold

Purchased at: Wal-Mart SuperCenter

Yarn:

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much? 5 skeins = 800.0 yards (731.5m)

Colorway - White

Purchased at: Wal-Mart SuperCenter

Yarn:

Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids

How much? 1 skeins = 160.0 yards (146.3m)

Colorway - Blue

Purchased at: Wal-Mart SuperCenter

Classic Elegance

I made this afghan from a pattern I found in an Annie’s Attic booklet titled: Beautiful Blossoms Afghans (Booklet #873111). This particular afghan, titled Classic Elegance, was designed by Carol Alexander.
This is an afghan I started Novemer 7, 2004, then put away for a couple of years. When my boyfriend and I first started dating, he saw it and asked me to finish it, so I finally did…2 years and one month after I started it, December 7, 2006. He then gave it to his mom for Christmas 2006.

Needle and Yarn Details:

• Hook - 4.0 mm (G)


• Yarn:
  Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids
  How much? 1 skein = 160.0 yards (146.3m)
  Color: Gray
  Purchased at: Wal-Mart


• Yarn:
  Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids
  How much? 1 skein = 160.0 yards (146.3m)
  Color: Burgandy
  Purchased at: Wal-Mart


• Yarn:
  Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids
  How much? 5 skeins = 800.0 yards (731.5m)
  Color: White
  Purchased at: Wal-Mart


• Yarn:
  Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids
  How much? 1 skein = 160.0 yards (146.3m)
  Color: Light Sage
  Purchased at: Wal-Mart


• Yarn:
  Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids
  How much? 4 skeins = 640.0 yards (585.2m)
  Color: Black
  Purchased at: Wal-Mart

Finished Size: 51" x 62-1/2"

Colors of Nature - Midnight Sky

I cro-

cheted the afghan to the left to donate to a raffle at a benefit for a friend. I am hoping it will help the benefit in some small way.

I used the pattern titled Colors of Nature, but I changed the colors from feminine pastels to the more masculine colors of black, blue and gray. I also added a different edging since I didn't care for the edging that the original pattern instructed.

The pattern is in the crochet book titled: Easy Weekend Afghans...see the picture of the book above. This afghan actually took me a couple weeks, not a weekend, but I would assume if you had nothing to do all weekend but crohet, you could get it done in a weekend time.