Lucky Wings

Thanks to my very cool brother, a software engineering student, I now have a quirky new banner and a new blog name!
I'm seriously trying to think of something I should submit to CrochetMe...any suggestions?....

A Rectangular Thyng

On the Belle Epoque front, although I am not learned enough in the craft to convert it from knit to crochet, I figured that it can be broken down into rectangular panels, which anyone with enough patience can do. Here's my sketch: http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/pattern.jpg
See, there are two bottom panels, one top front, one top back, two shoulders, and two sleeves. The sleeves would be the last part, when everything else was assembled. You would just attach the yarn at the armhole and crochet in a round down, like you would a thumb on a mitten. The neck had me stumped so I asked the Craftster crew, and someone suggested finishing the panels and then crocheting around the neckline to create the scoop effect. If this is confusing, just wait; I haven't tried it yet either. However, my test swatches have turned out too bulky for this project..admittedly I was using worsted weight. I think I may have to break down and invest in some thin fluffy yarn for this. I may try knitting the rectangles, since that's the shape you learn with. Still, if I find a crochet stitch/hook/yarn combo that gives me a light enough material, I'll try that too. Let me know if you come up with anything, or if you have any questions at all. If enough people like this, maybe we could do a crochet-along? Drop me a line at thelibrarian18@yahoo.com if you'd be up for that.

Bunny Slippers

I needed slippers, and would you believe I couldn't find a single adult bunny slipper pattern on the net? Very weird. So I made one. I hope you wanted some too.

And the pattern in up on my patterns page, too.

The Belle Epoque

When I saw this knitted tea gown pattern in the winter Knitty.com, I knew I had to have it. Somehow. So my vacation will be spent on these activities:
1. Altering a Simplicity pattern to sew it out of stretchy flannel;
2. Learning to knit in the hopes that one day I may be able to attempt the tea gown;
3. Designing a crocheted version.

Because I need this tea gown. Very very much.

Feathers McGraw

I was on craftster, browsing around, and came upon this cute penguin ornament link. http://www.kreinik.com/PDF/crochet_penguin.pdf Given beads for eyes and a clever glove disguise, he's my very favorite claymation villain! You all know Wallace and Gromit, right? Because if you don't, your life is incomplete, and you must immediately obtain copies of the movies: A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave. Because they're heartwarming, dry, and hilarious with about four minutes total of dialogue in a half-hour. Your kids will love them too, as an afterthought....

Here's Alex with angel wings...

I've been crocheting some Christmas things....here's a holly collar I made for the household cats....the model here is Alex.

Here's my mom in a beret I made for her from a pattern from crochetpatterncentral.com...on her shoulder is a Christmas tree ornament I made of a little mouse holding a candy cane. I'll post the pattern for him later. The tree is covered with cool ornaments I've made, I used a bunch of Victorian Christmas cards for a pattern from jpfun.com. I love that old well-dressed animal style. You punch holes all around the card and do a picot ending in the holes....

Flying pigs and butterfly wings

Well, amidst the end-of-semester madness, this is what I've been doing. I counted up my Christmas gifts and realized I had so many things for everyone already, I actually had time to indulge myself.
The butterfly potholder is from this site: http://www.denisecrochets.com/
It's from a 1940's pattern, and it's under the Kitchen section. I swear with my hand on my heart this is the only potholder I have ever made, and I'm sure you can see why. It's irresistible in that "unashamedly-tacky-so-it's-really-sort-of-cool" way. I loved the colors and design so much that I made up this purse to try and capture the cheerfulness in portable form. I used that really simple granny square pattern, and added long sc and french knots...If I had not been in such a hurry to get it done, I would have made it more like the butterfly. I might even try making a miniature version of the bug to pin on the bag.

The pig exists because I had to buy a huge skein of pink Super Saver to make the bows for Ms. PacMan and I dislike pink. So I had to think of something to do with it.

Here's the pattern:
http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/piggy.html

I've been experimenting with sewn felt creatures lately, too...that isn't crochet but it's still real neat! I'll post them after Christmas, since one of them is a present for my brother and I can't risk him seeing it....I've got some major Christmas spirit this year!

Dawn made some neat Buddhas....wildyarn.blogspot.com
Neat idea to give him a flower. I was trying to replicate some of those tiny red wooden figurines I have from Chinatown, so it never occurred to me to embellish them. Neat!

P.S. All my free patterns are now accessible from one page.....look for the link at the bottom of this page.

These colors make me happy.

And a curly tail, too....

Never again shall I lack a comeback to "Yeah, when pigs fly!"

Giggety giggety giggety....

Here he is, everybody...you asked and we delivered.......back again after his European tour.....the one, the only, CROCHET BUDDHA PATTERN!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy.

http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/buddha.html

The perfect Buddha. Even more happiness!

Can it be true?

I am incredibly flattered. I recieved an invitation to publish the buddha pattern in the Crochet Pattern-A-Day calendar. And that is just from the silly warped one I have on here! Now I have to post the perfect one....I'm at school right now, so when I get home today I'll get on that...and some serious pattern-writing.

Ms. PacMan pattern is up

Here's the tutorial for Ms. PacMan and the ghosts. You know. I don't really want to sell my stuff...it seems mercenary....but I don't know if a charity would consider it safe for kids or not. http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/pacman.html

Craft Fair Leftovers

And boy, are there a lot of them. I made about $35 out of a possible $200. I think everyone was shopping for their parents for Christmas. Not that there were very many people there at all. So all the stuff in the pictures is up for sale, at these prices:
Gophers $4
Necklaces $3
Hats $6
PacMan $3
Flower pins and barrettes $3
Soap Savers $5
Fingerless gloves $5

I know you all crochet anyway, but if anyone doesn't feel like making the stuff, you can buy mine. =) Otherwise it will sit in a drawer somewhere, making no one happy. I don't have that many appropriate people to give them to.
If you're interested email me at thelibrarian18@yahoo.com

Shipping would be actual cost. (And I really mean that. Down to the penny.)

fingerless gloves

The display (with only one of everything)

They're hamsters now.

Ms. PacMan coin purses

My flower pins and barrettes.

Watch for new patterns on Monday...

The reason I haven't posted in a week is because there's a craft fair at my college on Sunday and I'm trying to get a table. I applied late, and it's still iffy if I'll get in or not, but I'm crocheting like mad to try and get up some stock.....but I made up a bunch of new stuff over Thanksgiving which I will post as soon as this scary experience is over. Such as:
Wooly Mouse christmas ornament
Jimmy the Cat
The perfect Buddha
Scary Gophers

I also adapted a hat pattern and a mitten pattern.

So hang in there, stuff will come.

Happy Thanksgiving!

After an entire adolescence of no holiday spirit whatsoever (other than greed) I've got it back and I'm so excited about making goodies and giving thanks...I'm trying this new recipe today for my family's dinner. Maybe you'd like it too! http://pie.allrecipes.com/az/pplBttrPmpkinPi.asp
It's called Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie. May you all have many, many people and blessings to be thank ful for today and always.

I feel like I just saw a real whale in the ocean...

I can't believe this! This incredible woman recycles sweaters to make her own yarn, and it's beautiful! And she is generous enough to put a complete tutorial on the web so we can do it too! I knew there had to be an affordable alternative to Walmart's stupid Red Heart!

Other than raising sheep, of course.....

http://www.livejournal.com/users/neau/7653.html

These are from this site: http://www.geocities.com/febmommy/openmitten.html

Well, that homework's really coming along....

I CANNOT seem to do anything today. I made cranberry orange muffins, which are the most delicious muffins in the multiverse, and I rolled all my yarn into balls, and I found these open mittens I want to make...
And that's it.
Crochet projects I found huddling in the bottom of my big messy basket today:
My mom's Christmas present which needs to be redone, now that I actually know how to crochet....
A Stained Glass afghan I started to use up scrap yarn, which also needs to be done over and finished....
A granny square hat that, midway, no longer appealed to me. Should I unravel it? Finish it? Leave it to moulder? Ha, we all know what's going to happen.
And Thanksgivingbreak starts Friday! I'm going home to my parentt's house, and since they work a lot, I'll be crocheting so much I'll have callouses like hamsters. I can't wait.

Isn't it scary that I really mean that?

Buddha

I tried making a stuffed Buddha, but he didn't come out like I'd imagined. I'm going to try to make one who's more spherical. Don't be deceived, this one has plenty of nips and tucks--he's not all plain crochet....I guess I still like him okay. But I want one shaped like the little happy buddha statuettes you get in Chinatown.
I have an English term paper, a lesson plan for the ninth grader I tutor, and an Oceanography test picking at my sleeve reminding me they're all due tomorrow. And what do I want to do?

Why, create silly crochet monsters, of course.

Where's my ambition when I need it.....

He could be a lot better...but he looks happy anyway.

Fingerless Gloves

Here are my fingerless gloves. These fit me, but I want to make some for my friend for her birthday and she has bigger hands, we'll see how that goes. Instructions: http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/gloves.html


I also put up a picture of the Hippie Scarf. It's just a long piece of a mesh stitch I found here:
done with a thicker thread (I think it's Aunt Lydia's denim) and an I hook. I tied it behind my ear.
http://crochetlegacy.com/Stitches/OpenMesh.htm

The flowers save it from being too "English hobo"...

I wish I'd made it a little wider.

Finally, crafts for cool people

Craftster.org is what I've been waiting for all my life.

Sea Turtle Soap Saver

Isn't he great? I can't wait to use him! And I made him all by myself. Here's my pattern.
http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/seaturtle.html

This turtle loves Rick Wakeman.

Victorian Bead Necklace

Victorian Bead Necklace

I wrote down my pattern for this, and here it is:
http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/necklace.html

Thelonius Monkey

My newest creation. Thelonius Monkey! My boyfriend named him after the musical genius because of his penchant for funny hats. He's a great way to teach yourself crochet design, I've tried to explain how I did it.
http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/monkeypattern.html

I love Thelonius..

Lovely lovely hat. I love this hat.

The Anthropologie Hat

I've got pictures up of a great hat design by Midnight Knitter! Check them out! There's the link for the pattern too.
http://www.geocities.com/thelibrarian18/hat.html

Coming soon to a shady grove near you...

In the next few days I'll be counting stitches, since I never wrote down how I was making my creations, and putting up patterns for:

Sea Turtle Soap Saver
Gem Choker Necklace
Fingerless Gloves (My pride and joy)
Hippie Hair Scarf
Butterfly Headband
Fur-Topped Slippers
Funky Monkey
Pretty Sachets

And a few links to patterns I didn't come up with, but you all should see, if you haven't run across them yet.

The Catwings.
Now, this pattern is definitely not my own creation. I used the bird body from this great pattern, Caroline's Birds. http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/birds.html
I left off the beak and added kitty ears, tail and whiskers and paws... so it's a catwing. I hope it's okay to adapt things as long as you give credit where it's due. I was really amazed by how clever this bird pattern is! The wings are of my own design, They bend either way and would work well for birds, angels, anything really.
Wings
Ch 4. Turn and do 1 sc in each of next 3 ch sps. Ch 1, turn.
3 sc, ch 3. turn. 3 sc on chain, 3 hdc on the three sc. Ch1, turn.
3 sc, ch 4. Sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 3 sc in chain, 3 hdc. Ch1, turn.
4 sc, ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 3 sc in ch, 3 hdc, ch 3 turn.
*Work 4 dc decreases down the edge of wing opposite the feaher ends. Ch 3, turn, repeat from * once. Fasten off.

Catwings.

Catwings.

Click Here

Front View.

Gopher Funk.

The Funk Has Arrived

This is one of my Funk Gophers. I was inspired by Sally George's Pocket Animals design, which is the most adorable toy pattern I've ever seen. I give full credit to her and this site for the body design. http://www.sarahanns.com/crochetworks/animals.html
So I've adapted the Funk Gophers from that pattern. They have egg-shaped bodies, long skinny arms, and every kind of funkalicious hairstyle you can imagine. I'm working on a mullet Gopher right now.
Here is the pattern:

Worsted weight yarn in any color you like. F hook. These guys end up being about 3 inches tall, but you could make them bigger or smaller by using a different hook and yarn. You don't join the rounds, it's worked in a spiral like a hat or any other egg shape. I've found a hairpin works beautifully to mark the end of the round so you don't have to count stitches. I stuff them with dried beans so they feel like hackysacks, but you could fill them with stuffing instead.

Body: Ch 2.
Rnd 1. 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2. 2 sc in each sc around.
Rnd 3-4. *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in the next one, repeat around.
Rnd 5. Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 6. * 1 sc in each of next 2 sc, 2sc in the next one, repeat around.
Rnd 7. Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 8. *1 sc in each of next 3 sc, 2 sc in next one, repeat around.
Rnd 9-17. Sc in each sc around.
Round 18. Decrease over every 2 sc around. That means insert hook into next sc, pull up a loop, insert hook into next sc, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.
Fasten off.

Bottom: Ch 2.
Rnd 1. 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2. 3 sc in each sc around.
Fasten off, leaving a tail to sew the bottom on with.

Fill the body with stuffing and sew the bottom on.

Arms: Ch2. 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook. One sc in each sc around until the arms are as long as you want them to be. Decrease around until the hole is closed, fasten off leaving a tail to sew them on with.

Feet: Same as arms, but much shorter.

Ears: Ch 2. 4 hdc in 2nd ch from hook. Join with a sl st, fasten off leaving tail to sew on with.

Eyes and nose: Use black yarn in a whip stitch to make little dots. You need a tapestry needle.
Nose: Ch 2, 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2-3: 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat around. fasten off leaving tail to sew nose on with.


Hair: Cut a lot of 3 inch lengths of yarn and attach to gophers' head like you would do a latchhook rug. Put your hook under and through a stitch, pull hair through by the middle, and pull ends through the loop. Cover his head, add beads or whatever, and style as you please. FUNK!

I honestly don't know what the copyright laws are regarding adapted patterns. I hope I'm not infringing on anyone. I've emailed the Pocket animals site to ask permission to link to it. I would never sell these little fellas and you shouldn't either--you should make them for all your friends. Because Gophers are for love, not money.

This is me.

Welcome to my room

I am tentatively working on this little page for the purpose of sharing some of my adventures in crochet. I just discovered the existence of crochet blogs, and I love the idea...however, I hope that I will be able to put a plethora of orginal patterns on here, and links to some of the truly lovely and fun patterns I've found on the web. I don't want to talk about my frustrations or tantalize you all with gorgeous designs that I decline to post the pattern for. I want to share, share, and share some more! I've got some wonderful little funky toys I invented, like the Funk Gophers and Catwings; cute hair decorations, sachets, slippers, and fingerless gloves. This is stuff people my age will enjoy, I hope. I'll also slip in some of the pithier thoughts I pick up in my classes. Here's one to start off:
"The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware; joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware."--henry miller

Patterns tomorrow!