Sock Monkey!

I made my first sock monkey! I didn't use the traditional socks, I used mismatched ones that I have had forever...luckily I've had quite an addiction for neat knee-high and above-the-knee socks, so I have plenty to make more from. I think next I might try and make a sock dinosaur, or maybe a socktopus.

Alistair loves the little fella! I haven't named it yet, and I think it's a girl, seeing as how it's so pink. But, he thinks it is very funny, and loves to shake it, and I think he likes how well the long skinny legs fit in his mouth. It turned out a lot cuter than I thought it would. It looked like it would never work before I stuffed it, and then when I stuffed it I thought it would just be a misshapen monkey. But once you add the mouth and the ears, it all comes together. The eyes and nostrils really added life to it.

I used the guidelines I found at Sock Monkey Mall. I was thinking about attempting an elephant too, I have always loved elephants. Hooray for a whole other easy thing to make for Christmas!

Now to just name the cute little thing...

Baby/Toddler Scarf To Complete The Set

With some Jiffy El Paso yarn leftover, I decided to make a baby/toddler scarf to complete the little baby warmer set for Kylie Jean. I always loved the scarfs that had the little hole in the ends to loop the other end through with my boys, I have no idea if the have a specific name, but they're AWESOME! Man those scarves stayed on my boys! I still have some yarn leftover, I just might make an earwarmer to go with...this little lady is gonna be stylin! Anyway, here is the pattern I made up:

Kylie Jean Baby Scarf

Skill Level: Medium

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
hdc - half double crochet
tog - together
st - stitch

Size: Should fir anywhere from 12 months to 4 years old

Materials: J hook; Bulky Yarn (I think I used about 1 oz for this, maybe 1.5 oz); yarn needle for weaving in ends.

Instructions:
Row 1: Ch3. 3hds in 3rd ch from hook. Ch2, turn (3sts)
Row 2: 2hdc in first st, hdc in next st, 2hdc in last st. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 3: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 4: 2hdc in first st, hdc in next st and each st to last st, 2hdc in last st. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 5: Repeat row 3 (7sts)
Row 6: Repeat row 4 (9sts)
Ross 7 - 9: Repeat row 3 (9sts)
Row 10: Hdc2tog, hdc across to last 2 sts, hdc2tog. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 11: Repeat row 3 (7sts)
Row 12: Repeat row 10 (5sts)
Rows 13 - 16: Repeat row 3 (5sts)
Row 17: Hdc in each st to end. Fasten off.

(I restart the numbering here because it makes more sense to me, let me know if this gives you any difficulty)
Row 1: At the bottom of Row 13, attach yarn, ch2, hdc in same space. Hdc between each st across, ch2, turn. (5sts)
Rows 2 - 5: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 6: Hdc across through tops of both rows to join together. Ch2, turn. (5 sts)
Row 7: 2hdc in first st, hdc in next st and each st to last st, 2hdc in last st. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 8: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (7sts) I mark this row so it's easier to count rows later.
Rows 9 - 35: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 36: Hdc2tog, hdc across to last 2 sts, hdc2tog. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Rows 37 - 40:  Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 41: Hdc in each st to end. Fasten off.

(Restarting row numbering again...)
Row 1: At bottom of row 37, attach yarn, ch2, hdc in same space. Hdc between each st to end, ch2, turn. (5sts)
Rows 2 - 5: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 6: Hdc across through tops of both rows to join together. Ch2, turn. (5 sts)
Row 7:  2hdc in first st, hdc in next st and each st to last st, 2hdc in last st. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 8: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 9: 2hdc in first st, hdc in next st and each st to last st, 2hdc in last st. Ch2, turn. (9sts)
Rows 10 - 12: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (9sts)
Row 13: Hdc2tog, hdc across to last 2 sts, hdc2tog. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 14: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (7sts)
Row 15: Hdc2tog, hdc across to last 2 sts, hdc2tog. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 16: Hdc in each st to end. Ch2, turn. (5sts)
Row 17: Hdc2tog, hdc across to last 2 sts, hdc2tog. Ch2, turn. (3sts)
Row 18: Hdc3tog. Fasten off and weave in ends.


I hope this all makes sense, please let me know if you notice any errors!

Baby presents

One of my best friends, Petri (don't worry, that's not what her parents named her), is having her first baby this December. (Assuming the sweet little thing comes on time.) I've been working on presents for her for a while, so far I've made two teddy bears with an awesome pattern from Lion Brand (free membership required to view that one) and a blanket out of some cupcake yarn (also Lion Brand) that I conveniently edged in the left over teddy bear yarn. I made two bears, the second one I used a hook one size bigger but followed the same pattern. I think it turned out better, and was easier to work with. I can say, though, that I don't often check my gauge so that may have had something to do with the first one. Those all were all made out of a bag of yarn my lovely Aunt Sunnye found at Goodwill and gave me.



Recently, my mom gave me a bag of Lion Brand Jiffy yarn, because she loves me and decided she didn't like working with it. I've made some hats for the kids out of it, but decided that the El Paso color was perfect for little Kylie Jean presents. So, I've made her a hat, some fingerless gloves (something every baby needs) and some legwarmers. Everything was made in a hdc stitch with a J hook. The hat I started in a circle with 8 hdc, and increased for 4 more rows, and then just hdc in each hdc for 8 more rows and ended off. The fingerless gloves were made using Stuffing Fairy's fingerless child/toddler gloves pattern as a guide. I think I started with a ch of 15, for 13 sts total each row, and made 10 rows total before I went around the outside and joined the edges. The legwarmers I just kinda made up as I went. I can't imagine that the hat will fit her when the rest does, unless she has a tiny head. Here's the pattern for the legwarmers, as it turned out:

Kylie Jean's Babyleg Warmers

Skill Level: Easy

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
st - stitch

Size: unsure, I imagine they will fit her around 12 months

Materials: J hook; Bulky Yarn (I used one 2.5 oz skein for the hat, gloves and one legwarmer, so I imagine probably 1.5 oz of yarn would be plenty.); yarn needle for weaving in ends.

Instructions:
ch 20
Row 1: hdc in 3rd st from hook, and in each st to end. Ch 2, turn. (17 sts)
Row 2-11: hdc in back loop only in each st to end. Ch 2, turn.
Row 12: hdc in back loop only in each st to end. Ch 1, turn.
Joining row: Fold in half  so the beginning ch meets the row you are currently working on. *Sl st through back loop only of stitch and corresponding beginning ch. Repeat * to end. Ch 2, turn to start working on bottom edging.
Edging: *Hdc, dc in same space. Repeat * evenly spaced around bottom of legwarmer.

Make two. (obviously)

Please let me know if any of this doesn't make sense, or you notice any errors. Happy babyleg warming!

Day two of present making

I actually took a break from couponing last night and tonight! Feels good, especially because I don't have money for food until Thursday, so all of that can wait until Tuesday when the store circulars come out. I think I have enough yarn on hand to at least make winter sets for each of the kids.

So far I have made two hats. A blue and black one intended for Alistair (10 months), but it ended up being Kavan sized (he's 3). He saw it and asked if I was making him a hat, of course I said no because he won't get it for 2 1/2 months, and he started crying....asked me if it was for Daddy, and I said yes (I'm so mean) and he just pouted and stuck his head in a pillow. Daddy told him that's exactly how he feels when I only make things for the kids. Kavan didn't care though. After this one was finished, I remembered that I like to start hats in a circle with 8 sts, not with 6 sts. So, Madi's was started with 8 sts, in a hdc with a hook one size smaller than the skein suggests. I like to think this makes the hats a bit thinker than they would otherwise be.

I also made a pink hat for Madi (she's 5) out of some Lion Brand Jiffy yarn, then added a flower applique to it in a creamy colored Lion Brand Fun yarn. I made one of the larger flowers, using an H hook instead of the F they say to (yarn being bigger and all), and then a smaller flower. I've decided that the larger one is just fine all by itself on the hat, and I will add a couple of the smaller ones to a matching scarf.

I plan to make matching scarves and fingerless gloves for each of the hats. Probably gloves first, and then I can just make the scarves as long as my remaining yarn will allow. Pictures soon to follow. 

Where to start this year...?

A hat and scarf for Jasper I made last year

So many projects, so little time. I've started semi-extreme couponing, which takes up a lot of time. I realized yesterday that I'm about two months behind in making Christmas presents for the family, and I have until next July to get good at dressmaking to make my own wedding dress. Am I insane? Just a little bit. But, I have faith in my crafty abilities. I'll just have to see what I have on-hand and where i can go from there.

The easiest way I've found to start is with hats for everyone...starting with this basic circle crochet pattern (I usually change it to hdc instead of sc because it goes faster) until it's big enough around to fit whichever head I choose, and then just stop increasing and make it the right length to cover ears but not eyes. Sometimes I add earflaps, or appliques, or patches...they always turn out looking much nicer than I expect them to, and my kids always love them! And if I have enough yarn left over, a matching scarf comes into play.

Oh, quick and easy Christmas presents, how I love you...

In the meantime, I have to find some fabric and dress patterns, and dig out my sewing machine...I'm excited and scared at the same time! I've already tried on some dresses, and have a general idea in mind of what I want. Now I just have to practice with some patterns, and experiment with alterations! I've found two useful sites on making your own wedding dress, one from A Practical Wedding and one from The Curious Kiwi. Both seem to be extremely useful, and have helped me make my master plan on what I'm going to do.

And now, it is time to go dig through my yarn!

My latest mission

Since I was about 13 or 14, I've been collecting fabric, yarn, and other miscellaneous crafting supplies for when I grew up and had kids, and a house. Although I currently have no home, I do have a family and I'm somewhat grown up. I've decided that the boxes and boxes I now have of yarn and fabric have gotten as big as they can and I need to work up something out of all of them before I can rightly continue collecting more. There's no point to have all of it if I don't use it, right?

So far I have made a rug, a handbag, a mesh bag, and I just started my second rug. All of these are crocheted, and I will put up pictures with patterns on my next entry. For the intimidating task of finding and finishing projects with all of my stuff, though, I have a nice drink recipe to enjoy while you wait...

It's what they call at All Stars the "Wendy Special"

fill a tall glass with ice.
3/4 oz raspberry vodka (we use smirnoff but as long as you can taste the flavor of the vodka you're good)
3/4 oz vanilla vodka
fill with equal parts rockstar, 7up and cranberry juice.

Deliciousness.

Here We Go...

So... here's how long it's been since I've used the internet. My computer was old when I got it 4 years ago (a hand me down, thankyouverymuch) and it makes this awesome clicking noise through the speakers because I'm on a wireless internet connection. I feel like I showed up to school with a pad of paper and a pen and everyone around me is taking notes on a palm pilot or something. Someday when I am independently wealthy I will buy a new computer.

I like to think I am a pretty crafty Mom, and I figure that some of the shit I come up with could come in handy for other crafty moms. I am big on reusing things, because reducing and reusing are WAY more important than recycling. I just discovered, in fact, that the plastic bags that sheets and blankets come in (the sturdy ones with zippers on them) are amazing when you have a baby who likes to explore everything, especially your handwork, but you like to keep more than one ball of yarn around you.

Currently I'm working on a rug out of two different blue rug yarns I found in my giant collection of yarn. It all fits into this neat cube of a plastic bag. When I work on it, I just take out the one ball of yarn I'm using and the rug, and zip up the rest for Kavan to play with. Extremely awesome...he's entertained and I'm not getting frustrated with my 11 month old explorer.

So...As I have recently acquired internet access, I figure I will start a collection here of helpful things, my favorite websites, simple patterns, recipes, and new ways to reuse things...Also, probably a few good drink recipes, because those always come in handy. Here is my new favorite drink:

Fill a tall glass with ice
1 oz Absolut Pear Vodka
1/2 oz Pomegranate Pleasure DeKupper
Near Fill with 7up
Top With Cranberry juice

That's all for tonight...