Sharing your gift with others?

Land's End is apparently donating yarn to be used in creating squares for blankets for Warm Up America!. You can read about it here in the Crochet! magazine newsletter.  I've been wanting to get a group together to do projects for charity, but I'm not sure if I could generate any interest in the people I know.  I might see if I could get involved in this project.


Anyone else know of good charity projects that you don't necessarily have to be part of group to participate in?

Free Crochet Pattern of the Day: Half a Dozen Eggs

On the hook: Project for niece for Christmas

Days til Christmas: 88

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”- 1 Corinthians 2:14

The Joys of Parenthood...

I think I'm going to have to get me one of these:


 My son got a hold of my skein of yarn that I was using for his cousins blanket and basically demolished it.  I returned to find a rat's nest where I had left a perfectly fine (although slight floppy) skein of yarn.  Had to do a fair amount of detangling before I could proceed with my project.  The yarn tangles pretty easily as it is, the boucle-ness of it tends to get caught on other strands and can be annoying.  Maybe with the container, things would be a little less stressful.  Then if Aiden does get my yarn, he can still have fun with it and it will remain tangle-free. :)


I think I am about done with the project for my niece though.  Aiden likes it so much, I may have to make him one next, though I think I will have to insist on a different color than pink, haha.  Maybe I can find an orange.  He is so fascinated by orange.

Free Crochet Pattern of the Day: Pointed Granny Dishcloth

On the hook: Project for niece for Christmas

Days til Christmas: 89

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”- Matthew 6:33

While I wait...

While I eagerly await the next clue for the BMACAL, I'm working on a project for my youngest niece.  She is a month older than my little one. I'm using a gradient pink boucle yarn called Rainbow Boucle by Sensations (30% off at JoAnn Fabrics right now), and I'm liking how it is turning out.  

The pattern I am using is a v-stitch and the pattern is looking pretty interesting in the gradient pink.  The winter hat I was working on is kinda on hold until I finish the project for my niece.  

Free Crochet Pattern of the Day: Popcorn Potholder

On the hook: Project for niece for Christmas

Days til Christmas: 93

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”- Romans 5:3-4

Bernat Mystery Afghan CAL

Ok, so I started the mystery afghan. Following the directions, I started out with my Contrast A color which happens to be Fern. First things first, we start out checking our gauge. I fiddled around with a couple different hooks and tensions and wound up staying with the J size hook called for in the pattern, but with a lot looser grip on the yarn than I am used to. The gauge states that 11sc and 12 rows are 4". Here is my swatch:

After the getting the swatch right I started right on the squares. The pattern is one row of sc followed by a row of dc. It is important to remember that when you count the turning chain as a dc on the dc row, you must skip the first sc of the previous row. If you do not, you will end up with an extra stitch every time. I'm not going to post my finished square directly into my blog so I don't spoil the surprise, but if you want to see the finished square, you can click here.

I've finished my 2 squares and eagerly await next Wednesday for the next clue. Good luck everyone else on their squares. :)

And it begins...

Got the first clue for the Mystery Afghan Crochet-Along. Can't wait to get started... even though I can tell from looking at the pattern exactly what it will look like. A nice simple sc/dc pattern. I do have to start off with a swatch first. I'll post my progress on that later, I just wanted to post about the clue right away. :D

Free Crochet Pattern of the Day: Undercover Bookmarker

On the hook: Winter hat

Days til Christmas: 94

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”- Romans 15:7

Stuff to do with wool...

So I found out that I'm not really allergic to wool after all. I must have just reacted to the particular yarn I was working with. The other day I got an idea from a friend to make your own felted dryer balls to use in place of dryer sheets. She got the idea here. Because only animal fibers felt, I had to use wool. I think they turned out pretty well. A couple of them are going as Christmas gifts.

I finished my tote bag, I just have to write up the pattern and send it in. I am now working with another type of wool: Supersock Lace Semi Solids - Mango by Cherry Tree Hill. I'm using it to make a winter hat for my son and I'm also thinking about making him a stuffed animal out of it as well. He loves orange. :)

Free Crochet Pattern of the Day: Apple Blossom Placemat

On the hook: Winter hat

Days til Christmas: 96

“Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.”-Joel 2:23

Rededicate

Ok, so I haven't really been dedicated to this blog in the past year or so... but this is an effort to get rededicated.

"Big" News:

• Baby came in January. Bouncing 11lbs 4oz, 22" baby boy named Aiden. He's a cutie, but a handful and the main reason this blog has not been updated in forever.
• I got 2 patterns published in the 2011 Crochet Pattern A Day Calendar. (YAY!) Look for me on March 21 and the September bonus. I'm currently working on finishing my submission for the 2012 calendar. It's due Oct. 15.

I received yarn today for my entry in the Bernat Mystery Afghan Crochet-Along. The colors I chose are:

Contrast A – Fern
Contrast B – Aqua
Contrast C – Teal
Contrast D – Grass
Contrast E – Emerald

The Emerald is a lot more blue than I imagined it would be from the website. I hope it looks ok with my other color selections when the afghan is put together... Aside from any misgivings I have about the colors, I am excited to get the first clue so I can start making the afghan.

I have a few other projects I am working on as well for Christmas (again... 99 days left). I miss the time I used to have when I didn't have a kiddo, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. :)

Free Crochet Pattern of the Day: Soap Sack

On the hook: V-Stitch Tote Bag (personal design)

Days til Christmas: 99

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children”- Ephesians 5:1