Red Door (Spa?)

I wish it was the Red Door Spa! But, it is just my new red door on our new house...

Before

After

What do you think? Better or worse?

New Home

Yesterday we closed on a house! Tomorrow I am painting the front door red! I have always wanted a house with a red front door :)

Also, I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time at Home Depot, and I don't know if that is a good or bad thing.

Etsy's Front Page

I logged into my Google Analytics account this morning and got a wonderful surprise! My numbers were off the charts. "What happened?" I wondered. With a little research, I found out I made it to the Front Page!!! Whoooo hoooo! Below is an archived screen shot—my item is the reclaimed yarn in the right-hand column.

What a great way to start the day :)

Snowflake Afghan

I started the snowflake afghan. I finished a whole motif with the white and navy.

Being the Virgo I am, I will be working systematically by finishing all the white flake parts of the motif then add the navy and attach each motif together. Here are some of the flakes I have completed so far.

I am finding the pattern easy to follow and the afghan seems to be going quickly. As a variation, I think a light dusty blue color would look nice...like a daytime snow.

Hand-Felted Crochet Hooks

I finished four more crochet hooks this morning and they are now available at my shop. Check them out!

They are comfy for your hand, ergonomic, and pretty to boot!

New Project

So, I am totally in LOVE with the new issue of Crochet Today! magazine!

Retro-inspired holiday decor. To that I say, "You had me at 'retro'!" a la Jerry Maguire. I pretty much want to do everything in this issue, but I will first tackle the Sparkly Snowflakes afghan.

I purchased Loops & Threads Impeccable Yarn in navy and Red Heart Super Saver in soft white.

If you haven't already, I highly suggest you go out and get the newest issue of Crochet Today! Tons of good stuff :)

A Wedding in October

We went to a wedding in Western New York this weekend—my husband was a groomsman. It was an outdoor ceremony, which had me worried a little as it was cold and raining the morning of. But, Lady Luck worked her magic and cleared the skies. The air was brisk, but the sun was warm.

View from the ceremony tent.

Cupcake wedding cake with Wall-E and Eve.

Hydrangeas (my favorite!) with green apples. Awesome idea.

Paper flowers at each place setting.

The beautiful bride and her groom dancing their first dance.

The groom's band, Highland Drive, playing together again after three years!

Needless to say, we had a great time!

Scarf to Match the Durango + Robin's Egg Blue Crochet Hat

Earlier, I had posted about the scarf I was working on to match the Durango + Robin's Egg Blue Crochet Hat.


I knew I wanted to build off of the ribbing. I used two skeins of Hobby Lobby Bamboospun (worsted/10ply, 148 yards/135 meters) and a size H hook.

Abbreviations: CH: Chain; HDC: Half Double Crochet; ST: Stitch; DC: Double Crochet; FPDC: Front Post Double Crochet; BPDC: Back Post Double Crochet



CH 10

Row 1: HDC in second CH from hook and each CH across. (9 HDC)

Row 2: CH 1. Turn. HDC in each HDC across. (9 HDC)

Row 3-22: Repeat Row 2. You have formed your scarf end.

Row 23: CH 2. Turn and work into last stitch of Row 22. Rows will now be perpendicular to scarf end. DC into each ST in the scarf end. (22 DC)

Row 24: CH 2 (will count as first DC now and throughout). Turn. DC in last ST of previous row, DC in next ST, *FPDC in next ST, DC in next 2 STS.* Repeat from * to * 5 times. DC in last ST in row. (22 DC)

Row 25: CH 2. Turn. DC in last ST of previous row, DC in next ST, *BPDC in next ST, DC in next 2 STS.* Repeat from * to * 5 times. DC in last ST in row. (22 DC) Your BPDC should go around the previous row's FPDC.

Row 26-104: Repeat Rows 24 and 25. Your BPDCs and FPDC should work around each other from the previous row. You have completed the scarf body.

Row 105: CH 10.

Row 106: HDC in second CH from hook and each CH of Row 105—working back toward scarf body. (9 HDC) SCTOG2—working in two DC of Row 104.

Row 107: Turn. Do not chain. HDC in each HDC—working away from scarf body. (9HDC)

Row 108: CH 1. Turn. HDC in each HDC across—working back toward scarf body. (9 HDC) SCTOG2—working in two DC of Row 104.

Row 109-128: Repeat Rows 107 and 108 ten times.

Finish off and weave in ends.



And, voilà, you have a matching scarf for your Durango + Robin's Egg Blue Hat! This pattern has not been tested, so please let me know if you find any mistakes. This pattern is for personal use only. Make this scarf for yourself or friends (I am sure they will love you for it), but do not sell the pattern or product made from this pattern. Please do not copy and republish this pattern anywhere. When referencing, please use a link.

A Day of Applique

This weekend, I worked on the applique that is going on one of the quilts I am working on. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out, and I thought I would share.

Brown batik fabric, matching cotton thread, and a straight stitch were used. My previous post on how to draw circles without a compass was in preparation for this applique.

Happy crafting!

Breast Cancer Quilt

In honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would share something that is very near and dear to my heart. About two years ago, a close friend of mine, who is more like a sister, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Unfortunately, we are about 400 miles apart, but I was thinking about her every hour of every day, wishing I could be there for her.

In July of 2008 she had the lump removed and in August she was at my wedding standing with me as one of my bridesmaids. When others might have been too scared or self-conscious of their condition to even attempt to be part of a wedding, she did not. She is truly an amazingly strong woman, and for that, I look up to her.

The following winter she went through all her treatments, and now she has come out the other side just as beautiful and strong, if not more, than she was before.

I regretted that I could not be there for her and support her. I knew I had to do something special for her, so I decided I need to make her a quilt for her birthday and in celebration of the 0ne year anniversary of the removal. So, I went to the quilt store in search of inspiration. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I walked in I saw the pink ribbon patterned fabric? I found a pattern that I thought she would like, and I picked some more pink fabrics...I was off and running!

The pattern (Half Penny by Tracy Pahl for Blue Underground Studios, Inc.) was simple and went quickly. One modification to the pattern that made it go faster was that I strip-pieced the skinny and wide pieces, cut them into four, and then mix and matched them (making sure that each square's center "cross" was made of matching fabric).


It took a little bit of math, but I got it figured out. This is the end product.


And with that, I will leave you with a poem:

TOMORROW
© Renee Franklin - Dec. 2, 1997

In my darkest hour...
In my deepest despair...
Will you still care?
Will you be there?

In my trials and my tribulations?
Through all doubts and frustrations?
In my violence...
And my turbulence?

Through my fear
And my confessions?
In my anguish...
And my pain?

Through my joy and sorrow
In the promise of another tomorrow
I will never let you part
For you, are always in my heart.

Sneak Peek

A few months back, I crocheted a hat from this pattern. I really liked the ribbed detail. I ended up using a bamboo blend yarn that did not accentuate the rinning as much as I would like, but is super soft! Here is a (not-so-good) picture, where you can sort of see the ribbing in the top part of the hat.


Earlier this week, I decided I needed a scarf to match my hat. I started working on a scarf pattern. This is what I have so far.


As you can see, the end of the scarf mimics the bottom of the hat and the middle of the scarf has the ribbing that I liked so much from the top part of the hat. Here is a close-up of the ribbing.


Keep an eye out for the scarf pattern (and better hat pictures)! Thank you to Simple Beans for the hat pattern!

You can also find the hat pattern on Ravelry.