Down at Fraggle Rock

My middle daughter  fell in love with the old series “Fraggle Rock” when she saw the very first episode.  Of course, I loved the show when I was a kid, so I thought her enthusiasm was pretty cute.  She quickly found a favorite character…Boober Fraggle. 

For those who aren’t lucky enough to be familiar with the legendary Fraggles, Boober  is a worrywart to the extreme.  He prefers activities such as washing all of his fellow Fraggles’ socks or cooking up a big batch of radish stew more than anything else.  He always has a reason why the capers of his compatriots are just too dangerous for him.

I think my dear daughter likes him so very much because she identifies with him.  She loves to take care of other people, and she is quite the little worrier herself.  Much like her Mama, she wants to be sure that she knows she is getting into before she even dips in a little toe.  Like Boober, she can become rather anxious if she is treading on uncertain ground.

So I knew that I had to crochet Boober Fraggle for her.  I used mercerized cotton for his face and limbs, Lion Brand Homespun for the body, Fun Fur for his hair, and I used some random wool to knit his hat and scarf.  By far the most complicated part was shaping his face correctly, and I’m still not satisfied with it, but my daughter loves it so that will have to be good enough for me!

And now my middle daughter, (in fact, she is the middle of all five of my children) who dreams of radish gardens, can bring Boober along on her adventures.  As long as they are planned carefully beforehand.

Oh, Baby!

My sister and her husband are having their first baby this summer. All crafters know that such an occasion calls for some serious action – in the form of handmade gifts.
They are going to cloth diaper the baby, (yay!) so I’ve knit a couple of wool soakers for use as covers. Now, before you look at the pictures, I want to stress the fact that I am not a proficient knitter. My knitting is merely passable, at best.

I added the words to these two little tops using a printable iron-on transfer. One says ‘el jefe’, which means ‘the boss’ and the other says ‘guapo’ which means ‘handsome’. My brother in law is from Mexico with permanent residency status, and is about to gain full citizenship, which is very exciting!

I love making baby things in colors that aren’t typically baby. I couldn’t resist putting the boyish blues and grays together and softening it up with the cream.

For the soakers, I used the Snapdragon Soaker pattern by Heather Eccles, and the blanket is Lyn's Round Ripple Baby Afghan by Lyn.

In My Backyard

Blueberries

Strawberries

Children  (some of them, anyway)

Rocks destined to become garden decoration.

Meow!

The Amineko Crocheted Cat was in my Ravelry queue for a long time before I finally decided to make it. What spurred me to finally get around to it was the decision in our family to go ahead and (finally!) look for a kitty cat to adopt and make a part of our family. So, in between bouts of searching Petfinder I worked on Sleepy Neko for my youngest child, B.
I used some minimally processed Jacob wool for the main part of the kitty. And when I say minimally processed, I mean minimally processed! I was pulling bits of vegetation and
what I am assuming were lanolin chunks from the yarn the whole time I was working with it. If the mystery white globs weren't lanolin, then maybe the poor sheep had a monstrous case of dandruff. Needless to say, Sleepy Neko had a really thorough washing before he was stuffed and assembled. B took an instant liking to his new kitty, thank goodness! I was worried that he would do what he does with every other toy I give him - take a look and toss it over his shoulder on his way to bigger and better things.



We did find the perfect cats to join our household. Yes, I did say cats! We ended up with a gorgeous mama and baby pair.
The plan was originally to only adopt one cat, and we were looking specifically for a Russian Blue, since they shed less and
seem to be more allergy friendly. We found Georgia through Three Sisters Pet Rescue, and found out that she had her
last kitten, Dakota (Kode for short), with her still. Tim and I couldn't bear the thought of separating them, so we brought
both of them home with us. They are definitely a well bonded pair!



Kode, the kitten, is just a bundle of energy...he's right in the mix with my four kids having a blast! He's claimed me as
his official snuggler, and likes to climb right up on my chest and curl around for a good ear scratch and pampering session.
Georgia, the mama, is more reserved and wary. She's coming out around the kids more, but she spends most of her time out of
reach around them. Except when they're sleeping, that is!

Confucius Say: Crochet!

My favorite place to go for coffee is a local place called Perk on the Pike, named so because it is on Delhi Pike, the busiest street in Delhi (pronounced del-high) on the west side of Cincinnati. It has wonderful coffee and excellent food, but the best part about it is the friendliness of the owners and staff. Even my 17-month old son know that when we go to the Perk he's going to not only get a sugar cookie, but a little bit of love from whoever is behind the counter when we get there.

The Perk features art for sale from local artists, does art shows for local schools, and displays handmade goods for sale made by local artisans. So I naturally asked if I could display my book for sale, and they said to bring up some copies with a sign.

I obviously couldn't pass up an opportunity to crochet something cute, and I thought Confucius might have a wise saying for me. I loved making his bushy eyebrows, moustach, and goattee! I used some undeyed BlackBerry Ridge sportweight yarn and seperated they ply to make slightly twisty very organic looking facial hair.

In case you can't quite make out what Confucius's message is, it says: Confucius Say: A diet with too little fiber is like the Pike with no Perk to help move it along.

My Lovely

My lovely little girl, my second daughter, has been out of sorts lately. I think she's feeling a bit left out, with her big sister graduating from preschool, big brother bringing big trophies home from Kung-Fu tournaments, and little brother just being so darn cute. So when I started a new project, I made sure that it would be one just for her.

I used the pattern Lacy Baby Frock by Lisa Gentry from the July 2008 issue of Crochet Today, but the pattern only goes to 24 months. I did a really simple upsize by just using a bigger hook and heavier yarn. This particular pattern worked really well for that and still looks absolutely adorable. I plan to make one for my older daughter at some point, but I'll have to do a little more modification to make it fit. It should be easy, though, since the pattern is so well written and simple to modify.

She didn't really want me to take her picture because she was too busy playing in the back yard, so I had to catch her on the fly. She is without a doubt an outside girl...she loves to put on her rain boots and head out to the garden to find worms after it rains!

Spider, Spider

I'll be the first person to admit that I am afraid of spiders. And when I say afraid, I mean terrified. If it's bigger around than a penny, I don't want anything to do with it. My eleven year old son kills spiders for me, and I think my five year old daughter isn't far behind. They both understand that asking Mom to kill a spider is almost as dangerous as trying to ask me a question before I've had coffee in the morning.

So, I don't know why I wanted to crochet a spider. It really doesn't make any sense to me at all, but I did it anyway. And, every time I look at it I get creeped out.

It's kind of cute in a 'I'm going to stomp on you as soon as I find boots big enough' way, dontcha think?

Don't Sweat It!

Recently when I was cleaning out my closet (that's a whole 'nother post in itself) I came across the very first sweater I ever crocheted. I'm not entirely sure why it was in there, unless it was to keep the other clothes that I never wear company. I made the sweater originally for my oldest child when he was 7 years old. I was really excited about this project - I picked out yarn in C's favorite color and set to work making what was sure to be the most beautiful hand made sweater ever. I'll admit that I was a little overconfident, kind of like the people featured in American Idol's season opening show.
So, I made the front and the back, the sleeves, and the ribbing for the waist, cuffs, and neck. I put it all together....and this is what I got:


Wow, it really turned out to be a disaster. As you can probably tell, I failed to do a gauge swatch. I think I may have changed hook sizes in inappropriate places as well. When I discovered this little treasure hiding away in my closet, I thought it was inside out. But no, my seaming was really that bad.
And note how the neck is barely bigger than the wrists. It never would have fit my son. Well, unless he looked like this guy

I learned several lessons from this unfortunate bit of stitchery, and luckily my crocheting has come a loooong way since I made this disaster. I think I may finally send it to the sweater cemetery and make room in my closet for something else.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ah, yes. Love is in the air. I finally finished Wubbzy for my second daughter, S. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but it didn't quite turn out that way.
Annnnyway...S loves her Wubbzy, and the Wubbzter loves his (her?) S. And L loves trying to squeeze her way into the picture.


I hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's day! Eat lots of chocolate! Give lots of kisses!

Pokeball, Go!

I have a gift for all of you Pokemon lovers (or parents of Pokemon lovers out there) in Cyberspace.
But first, a little back story: My two oldest children are ever-so-slightly obsessed with Pokemon. They are also obsessed with throwing things at each other while yelling "Charizard, use Flamethrower!", or "Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Needless to say, I got sick of the younger one screeching about being hit in the forehead with a plastic Pokeball so I decided to make a slightly softer version. Below, after the little story (made with my oldest son's help as well as a loan of some of his toys), you'll find a super-easy pattern for making your own Pokeball!

It was early in the morning, and Ash and Pikachu were preparing to enter the Safari Zone, when suddenly the spotted a Chansey! Ash realized that this could be a once in a lifetime chance to catch the elusive Pokemon who is said to bring happiness to it's owner.

Ash sent Pikachu out to prepare to battle in the hopes that he could weaken Chansey enough to catch him with his Pokeball. (He does, after all, gotta catch 'em all!)

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!"

Chansey was down, and Ash threw out his Pokeball in an effort to capture the much coveted Pokemon. No! A miss! Try again, Ash!


Phew! Persistence is a good thing, and Ash's was rewarded with a new Pokemon to call his own!

Crocheted Pokeball Pattern

Materials:

Small amount each of red, black, and white worsted weight yarn.

G hook

Fiberfill or stuffing material of your choice.

Scissors

Yarn needle

Stitch marker

Ball:

Note: This pattern is worked in continuous rounds, so be sure to place your stitch marker in the first st of each row to avoid losing your place!

With white yarn, ch2.

Round 1: Work 8 sc in second ch from hook.

Round 2: Inc in each sc around. (16 sc)

Round 3: (Sc in next sc, inc in next) around. (24sc)

Round 4: (Sc in next two sc, inc in next) around. (32sc)
Rounds 5-8: Sc in each sc around. Sw to black yarn.

Round 9: Sc in each sc around. Break off yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing.

With red yarn, ch 2.

Repeat rounds 1-8 as for first half. Break off yarn, weave in ends.

Using long tail, sew the two halves together, stuffing firmly before fully closed. Weave in ends.

Button:

With white yarn, ch 2.

Round 1: Work 6 sc in second ch from hook. Join with sl st to first sc. Break off yarn.

Round 2. Join black yarn in any sc. Inc in each sc around. (10 sc). Break off yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Attach the button to middle of the ball right over where you did your color changes. Weave in ends.

Now go throw it at somebody!

Tasty Crochet - the book!

Last week I got my first advance copy of Tasty Crochet: A Pantry Full of Patterns for 33 Yummy Treats Let me tell you, I was so excited when I finally had that book in my grubby little paws! I'd been waiting for that moment for a year...and I wasn't disappointed. North Light did such an amazing job with the book...the photos are great and the layout and mood is fun and silly just like I'd imagined.



I couldn't decide which picture I liked best for this blog post. I threw in the carrot because, unlike me, it is quite photogenic. The goal was to draw attention away from my goofy grin, but I think that I may need to crochet a face cozy and become the 'Stealth Crocheter' of teh intarwebs :D

Just a little over a month, and Tasty Crochet will be available everywhere! The official date is 3/1/2009 (if I'm not mistaken...sometimes important details get lost in the mush of my Mommy brain). I hope everyone has as much fun making the foodies in my book as I did!!

The Elusive Sock Monster Found!

In a household of six, there is always laundry to be done, especially when four of the six are kids (one of whom is in cloth diapers). I am very familiar with our laundry room, and I am even more familiar with the phenomenon of the disappearing sock. It strikes everyone, but most often the socks which go missing are those of the younger members of the family. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about here, since this mystery seems to plague everybody.
I do believe I have found the root of the problem.

I was shocked when I opened the dryer today and saw a massive ball of lint sitting right in the middle of my freshly laundered clothes. Did I forget to put the lint filter back in? But then I saw the eyes. Hmmm, a lint ball with eyes!



After staring each other down for a few moments, the little lint ball jumped to the side of the dryer, never taking its big eyes off of me.

I backed up in surprise and it once again used those amazingly long legs to launch itself right out of the dryer!

Never in my life had I seen anything like this little thing! What could it be? As it scampered across the top of the dryer and jumped down behind, I set my camera down and leaned over to investigate. And there it was, baby sock in tow, slipping into a small hole in the dryer vent hose.

It's a Sock Monster, folks! They really do exist! And I wouldn't be surprised if your house has one too.

Chicken Dinner

There is something about this time of year that makes everyone want chicken drumsticks with their custom orders! I've crocheted more of them in the past month and a half than I did all summer.

This particular customer asked for a chicken dinner, with mashed potatoes and green beans. I'm a big fan of mashed potatoes myself. I love them made with lots and lots of garlic and butter, and it's even better to leave the skin on, in my opinion. Not everyone shares my point of view, though...like Tim (my husband) who prefers that mashed potatoes be peeled. Of course, he doesn't like meatloaf or cooked onion either, so we already know he's wierd.

Another Hat

I couldn't resist the lure of the Nashua Ecologie Cotton that I've had squirreled away for a year. I had to make something pretty with it! So I crocheted up this sweet little baby hat. It's sized to fit 3-6 months, and has the most precious flower with a faux pearl button right in the center! I used a textured stitch pattern to make it a bit more feminine, and a crab stitch (reverse single crochet) edging to give it that polished look. I really love how classy and simple this hat looks!

It almost makes me want to have another baby girl. Almost.
I think instead of having baby #5, though, I'll just have to order more of this gorgeous yarn and make a couple for my two older daughters. I may try it in one of the other colors...I love how this one crocheted up with a very faint marbling, and I'd love to see what the other colors do!

Bitty Baby Hat

I took a break from making play food for an evening, and made this precious little hat. It's for a sweet mama who is expecting a very special girl in a few months. I made it with cotton yarn from my own pattern.

Sunspot Babywear Goes (even more) Natural!

For those who request it, I am now stuffing my wool and cotton playfood with fibers from the Great Kapok Tree. It is a wonderful alternative to the polyfil that I usually use, and it means that cotton playfood can be not only vegan, but all-natural as well!

These two lovely strawberries nestled in with their organic (edible) counterparts are cotton stuffed with kapok. They are available in my etsy store now!

School's IN!

Well, school has started and things have been a little quieter around here now that my oldest is in the 5th grade! We're working on getting into a new rhythm for our days.

I'm really looking forward to Autumn, my favorite season. I love it when the days are cool enough for long sleeves and everyone starts anticipating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and all of the other cold weather holidays.

In other news, I'll be reopening for customs soon! I'm still going to limit my customs list each time to three people, so you'll have to be quick to get a spot! Stay tuned for more updates.

New customs

I've been working on some customs for some great mamas:


A bagel with cream cheese, two maki-zushi (carrot and avocado) and a watermelon wedge!


Longies made with Cristal 100Purewool.


Yummy fruits and veg for a special boy's 2nd birthday.

Springtime Means Change

Lots of fun and exciting things are happening around here! I've been crocheting my little fingers off lately, and my lovely customers and friends will reap the benefits.

Get ready for a huge playfood stocking within the next month, as well as custom slots for woolies at the end of April, or the early part of May. I've got some gorgeous new yarns coming my way that I'm very excited about.

You'll also see some new items, as well as the last of my tie-dye stock in the next few weeks.