Beyond

Last time I was here (which seems like a long, long time ago), I shared what I wanted to focus on for 2014. Recap: I want to step outside my comfort zone; push myself, regardless of fear. I had a heck of a time coming up with one word that encompassed the direction I wanted to take this year.

I had commented on a post on Melly Sews, and Melissa had e-mailed me some great suggestions. And I choose….

Beyond

Wow, have I stepped beyond my comfort zone.

It all started with Facebook. You see, I am not too hip to social media. I stayed away for so long, trying to protect my time from being lost to the internet. But then Irene from Serger Pepper invited me to be a pattern tester (more about that in a few days). She asked that I was on Facebook and I obliged. (Thank you Irene!)

Next thing you know I had crochet orders coming out the wazoo! Here are a few:

   

This is just a small sampling of the orders I have made in the last month. Add in school and a busy family, and that is why things have been quiet around here. (I do have some super awesome sewing projects to share too, if I can find time to sit and write up a proper post.)

I hope to post a little more frequently (we will see how that goes…). But in the meantime I will be studying my heart out and hooking my hands off. ;)

How is 2014 shaping up for you? Are you working toward any specific goals?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Few Completed Christmas Gifts

Is it already a week into December? My, how time flies when you are drowning in schoolwork. There is less than two weeks left in this semester, then life around here may go back to normal for a few weeks.

One of my 31 by 31 goals was to have Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving. That didn’t happen. I know a lot of people love shopping this time of year, but I despise it. I hate the crowds, the disgruntled store employees (no they are not all disgruntled, but it seems there is at least one), the rude shoppers, all of it. I would just rather stay out of the stores this time of year.

So instead of facing the holiday crowds, I have been busy trying to sneak in a few moments here and there making a few Christmas gifts. I thought I should share them with you guys, since they are all quick and easy this year.

Today is the crochet segment.

I highly recommend the Crochet Hipster Hat by Lorene of Cre8tion Crochet. This hat is a super cute and equally fast project. (I made two hats last night!)



I made the first one exactly as the pattern is written, bow and all. I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Oatmeal, and a size I hook. I love that the stitch looks detailed, yet is so simple once you get the hang of it.



This second hat is a request from my step-daughter….made last May. Oops! At least now I have a handmade Christmas gift for her. ;)

She had requested an orange hat with a brim. We went to a few different stores looking for yarn, and she choose Lily Sugar’n’Cream cotton in Hot Orange. Let me tell you, this stuff is magic for dishcloths. Horrendous for hats. I had crocheted and frogged three different hats from three different patterns before finding success.

This hat is also a Crocheted Hipster hat, with a twist.

I used a size J hook, and worked the pattern through the eighth row. Then I crocheted the brim from Lorene’s Newsboy Slouch pattern. *For more info, see my project page on Ravelry, or leave a comment below.



Next up is from Frayed Knot Crochet Patterns, Easiest Head Wrap EVER!!!

If you haven’t noticed, I am all about easy this year. And this pattern did not disappoint. I used Red Heart Soft yarn in Turquoise, and a size H hook.

The neighbor girls have been hinting about ear warmers, so I know I will be making a few more of these before Christmas.

What handmade gifts are you making this year? Please share any links! I will do all I can to avoid the Christmas crowds.

Crocheting 31 Hats in 31 Days, Week 1 Update

We have been experiencing naptime refusal around here. There hasn’t been a nap since Saturday. To add to (or contribute to) the nap-less-ness Zeke has learned how to escape his cell crib. His favorite place to escape is right into his brother’s crib. Xander would like a nap.

I know most two year olds are in toddler beds, but we have been prolonging the transition. It is so nice putting the boys down for a nap/bedtime and knowing that they are safe (and the potential for them to get into mischief is greatly reduced). Yet we knew this day would come.

Needless to say, my routine has been out of whack.

Here’s a quick update on my 31 hat project:

I used this pattern from A Crocheted Simplicity. The hat was crocheted with Red Heart Super Saver yarn. *Pattern comes with crochet pattern for Old English D. I choose to use felt like these ones.

The beanie above, and the three below are for customer orders.

These three are waiting for their “D” appliques. I used this pattern from Posh Patterns. The pink hat, and bottom blue hat is made using Caron Simply Soft, top blue hat is made with Red Heart Super Saver.

This is the Big Girl Bonnet by Karla Rae (free Ravelry download). I used Caron Simply Soft and size G hook. This hat did end up smaller than I had anticipated, but that always happens to me. (I never check my gauge.) This pattern was easy to work up, and is very cute. The pattern was a little confusing while working the brim. I believe this was due to our naptime quandaries. It was clear once I re-read the pattern a few times.

*I am short a couple of hats (five hats in seven days). I had figured this would happen, so I sourced a few patterns for ‘quick’ hats in case I had to play catch up.

Signing off, praying for naptime….

Theresa’s To-Dos Open for Business, and My Newest Challenge

So I finally did it. I have had enough of the self doubt and procrastination.

I finally opened my Etsy shop. It still needs work, and I don’t have everything listed, but I had to put an end to the excuses. If you would like to take a peek, click over here.

Right now I have my personalized bibs/burp cloths and gift card coffee cozies listed:

I hope to list more by the end of this weekend. Realistically, it may not happen until next week. I also have plans to list some crocheted hats.

*If any of my projects here caught your eye, and you would like them listed, please let me know!*

Oh yeah, I was supposed to tell you about my latest crazy challenge. #27 on my 31 by 31 list is to crochet a hat a day for 31 days. I have decided to attempt this challenge in August for three reasons. 1) I had a few more hat orders to complete (and more requests from the family). 2) I start school next month (and a hat a day may not be possible after that). and 3) There is a local craft fair in November that I would like to participate in.

I plan to post my progress weekly, so stay tuned!

Finally, I would like to thank all you guys for keeping me accountable. I love and appreciate your encouragement!

Detroit Hat Update, and Weekly To-Dos

Happy Monday folks! We had such a wonderful weekend finishing little projects that have been patiently waiting on our to-do list.
I have two of the six crocheted Detroit Tiger hats finished. (Two more are just waiting to be appliqued.) I thought I’d share those today since 1. They are so stinking cute. and 2. I am so stinking proud of them.
 
I used the Newsboy hat beanie pattern (108) from Posh Patterns on Etsy. These two hats are worked up in Caron Simply Soft. The D is cut from felt, and hand stitched on. The flower is a basic crocheted five petal flower.
The pattern is very clear and easy to understand. The method used to stiffen the brim was new to me, yet still easy to understand (even for a left handed, backwards, non-gauge checking crocheter like myself). Overall, this pattern was worth the investment (and I usually cringe at buying patterns).
Here are a couple more shots:

(I think Zeke may be a bit annoyed that I put a girl hat on his brother.)
Okay, lets get to business, my to-dos for this week:

• Write up a menu for this week.
• Finish other 4 Detroit hats.
• Finish gift sets. (I cannot wait to share these!)
• Use/freeze zucchini.
• Trim bushes around house.
• Spread mulch.
• Tweak Etsy shop policies, and open shop. (figure I should follow my just sew mantra, and tweak things afterwards)

What are you working on this week? As always, I love reading your comments!

Sharing here:
Quartered Heart Crochet

In Memory.

Last month while hanging out with a good friend, she asked me if I had seen the Detroit Tiger crochet hats floating around online. I made a mental note to look them up. By now you all know where my mental notes go…

Last week another friend asked me if I could make each of her kids “one of those Detroit Tigers hats she had seen online.” This time I asked for a picture (because we knew where that last mental note went…)

I found a pattern on etsy and got hooking. *This is the inspiration hat on etsy.

While crocheting these hats I kept thinking of my 94 year old Great Grandmother. She is a huge Tigers fan. We used to sit on her back porch in the green wicker rockers playing cards and listening to the Tigers game.

Shortly after finishing the first hat, I received a phone call. “Grandma is in the hospital. Doesn’t look good.”

The next day (Wednesday) my mom, brother, and I drove two hours to the hospital and sat next to her hospital bed.

She passed away yesterday.

She was my last living grandparent, and a very influential part of my life. This death is a hard one, not because she didn’t live a wonderfully long life (ninety-four!). Because I wasn’t deliberate about making time these past few years. I had so much I wanted to learn from her, questions I wanted to ask.

*Fun Fact: While at the hospital I asked my Great Aunt and Uncle why Grandma listened to the Tigers instead of watching them on the television. “As a girl she used to listen to them in the hammock with her father. She had tried to watch them on t.v. but she couldn’t stand seeing them spit and scratch themselves.” That’s my Grandma.

I go through periods of  vacancy and numbness for a bit, but I’m okay. I know I am lucky to have had a relationship with my Great Grandmother.

Thankfully I have four more Tiger hats to crochet. This means time to deliberately reflect on memories of Great Grandma.

Are you lucky to have had a relationship with your grandparents? If so, what is your favorite memory?

Earlier in the year I had started a little series Lessons from Great Grandma’s Kitchen. My goal is to pick up where I left off and document the lessons this wonderful woman taught me.

Happy Easter!

Has it really been a week since my last post? Yup. I found a surge of motivation and was super busy in the sewing dungeon preparing for Easter. I promise to post pictures soon. Here’s a snippet:

Hope everyone had as much fun as my “Little Bunnies” did.

Happy Holidays.

Crochet Creation, Menu, and Goals

Weekends fly by around here. Actually time in general flies around here. The good news is that I think I am out of my winter slumps.

I haven’t posted any of my crochet creations lately (mainly because I have forgotten to take pictures before giving them to their new owners). Here is my latest:

Ms. Multi-Personality Grey”

This is the second hat that I made like this (I wish I had taken pictures of the white one). The hat pattern is from Red Heart. I really wish I would have taken notes both times I made this. I had to change the increases, then frog it because it was too big, do it again, and on and on. I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn. Please don’t ask what size hook, that’s how early I quit taking notes…

I made up the small red flower, so no pattern. The pink flower is from this pattern. I used this tutorial as inspiration for the white flower (I didn’t stack the flowers, just made a larger center and crocheted both layers into the center). The larger red flower is made following this pattern.

I sewed a button to the finished hat. When making the flowers I used a chain 6 ring for the center. This ensured the flowers’ centers were the same size, and large enough to fit and stay on the button.

And because I have to, here’s the boring stuff:

MENU

• Sunday- Chili
• Monday- Red Beans and Rice
• Tuesday- Asian Chicken
• Wednesday- Spaghetti
• Thursday- Tuna Noodle Bake
• Friday- Pizza
• Saturday- Leftovers

*A little note about our menu: You may notice that some meals carry over from the previous week. My goal for our menu plan is to have everything in the house for 5-6 meals at the beginning of the week. Another goal is to have easy meals planned for busy nights (like nights of step-son’s basketball games). Usually I make way too much, so that meal turns into two, and another meal gets pushed to the following week. It’s what works for us.

GOALS

• Finish minimum of 3 etsy listings
• Make spare bedroom toddler-friendly (or at least walk-through-able)
• Clean out my closet
• Deliver maternity clothes
• Spend 30 minutes/day sewing
• Blog 3 times this week

Your turn, go make some goals.

Hope your week is wonderful!

Pinned it, Crocheted it! Am I Too Old For a Slouchy Hat?

I have a huge Pinterest addiction. I am positive that I’m not alone. This turns into a problem for people like me, people with to-do list issues. Like most other pinners, I pin, and then never do…
Well, I can finally mark off a to-do. I had pinned this slouchy hat pattern from Jenn Likes Yarn. (This has been repined over 125 times!) Since this pin was so popular, I decided to go for it.

Here it is, mommy’s totally selfish crochet project:



I used Lion Brand Micro Spun in Turquoise. This is a sport weight yarn, which was thinner than the yarn used in the pattern. I still used the recommended G/5.00 mm hook.

I tend to be a tight crocheter, so I usually have to add an extra row or two of increases. Combine this with the thinner yarn, I made 2 more increase rounds for a total of 88 stitches.

*I did make one mistake. I was worried that the hat was going to be too slouchy for my preference, so when I got closer to the crown, I decreased down to 80 stitches. This resulted in a tighter band. Too tight when I dropped down to the recommended H hook for the brim. I had to pull it out, and continue with the G hook.

This pattern is very well written. If I had used the same yarn used in the pattern, this hat would have been perfect. It is also a quick project. I was finished in a day (a day with twin toddlers), including figuring out additional increases, and ripping out a handful of rounds.

Here’s a problem, my step-daughter and I were watching the Disney channel. These hats were very abundant. (If you are looking for a teen gift, this is it!) This brings me to my question:

Is very-close-to-thirty too old to pull off this trend? (Okay, I know its not too old for most, but I am not a trendy momma.)

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Lil’ Monsters, and Christmas Plans

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope you had a good holiday. Ours was wonderful! Oh yeah, sorry for being M.I.A. this past week (not that you probably noticed, but anyways…).

Here’s a little peek at a couple of past projects, my lil' monsters:



These hats are what started my most recent crochet hat obsession. I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn, and this pattern. I had to add a strap to the green hat because boy 1 kept pulling it off.

Onto other things…I have been thinking about Christmas gifts. Bought some goods to make them, tried to stuff into one of my ‘hoarding spots’- and got completely overwhelmed. I have TOO MUCH CRAFTING STUFF! I know for my sanity that now is not the time to effectively deal with this though. So I’m just closing the door until the holidays are over.

Here is a glimpse of my Christmas crafting plans:

1. Faux fur and flannel blanket
2. Card Table Playhouse
3. Christmas Stockings
4. A personalized camo fleece blanket, per hubby’s request
5. Coffee mug cozies

I hope to at least finish the blankets, cozies, and stockings this week.

Wish me luck! Have you started Christmas crafting?

Crocheted Turkey Hats and Reindeer Hat

I have to say, I am feeling like a very accomplished crocheter (okay spell check, I sometimes make up my own words). My skills have improved drastically. I am able to dissect patterns, and then use the bits and pieces that I feel will make my finished product look the way I have imagined.

My boys are now ready for Thanksgiving (one of mommy’s favorite holidays). They have turkey hats!



Yarn used: Red Heart Super Saver
Adapted from these patterns: My Creative Side and Stitch11

I also whipped up a Rudolph hat. This is my most recent pride and joy. I used a pattern for the hat, and made up the rest. This hat is so stinking adorable if I do say so myself

Yarn: hat- Vanna’s Choice, Barley; add-on's- Red Heart Super Saver.
Earflap hat pattern: Alli Crafts

Here’s my dilemma, hubby is very insistent that I should making these items to sell. (Actually most people that see them say the same thing.) I love and appreciate his confidence in my abilities, because quite frankly I have my own insecurities. For instance, I am a naturally frugal person. I go to craft fairs and bazars to “project shop.” You know what I’m saying right, “I can make that.” Anyways, I have no idea what people would consider a reasonable price for the things I create.

This is where I need your help, if you were in the market for hats like these, how much would you pay?

Thank you for your input, I hope your week is wonderful!

Participating in this linky party, and this one.

Pink Cheetah Baby Shower Gifts

There’s a new baby on the way! It’s a girl. We don’t get many girls in this family. So of course, I have been crafting up a storm.
The color/theme is pink cheetah. I found this fabric at JoAnn’s, and used brown flannel as a compliment. We know her name, so that made these gifts really fun!
The first thing I made was a blanket. This blanket is about a yard widthwise, and lengthwise.

For this blanket I used this tutorial from A Feathered Nest.
Next I made my specialties; bib, burp cloth, and onesie.

I tried a new pattern:

This pattern is the Snuggler from Simple Sewing for Baby. (I’m not getting paid for this- just wanted to let you know where the pattern came from.)
Next up was some yarn work (fulfilling my crochet kick).

The hat on the left was made using this pattern (with some adjustments for 0-3 month size), the headband from here, and the hat on the right from this pattern.
Everything got the addition of handmade tags, including care instructions. I love giving handmade gifts! What are your favorite baby gifts to give?

Participating in these parties: TOO Cute Tuesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday

Elmo Hat

This has been a busy week. I have been working on gifts for a baby shower on Sunday. (I’ll post pictures of them as soon as they are done.)
I have also been on a crochet roll! Our nephew turned one this week. He was having an Elmo birthday. I have been coming across some adorable Sesame Street hats on Pinterest that I wanted to try. This was the perfect opportunity.

I wish I could give you a pattern that I used, but I can’t. I looked at a few, read a few, then just went with my gut.
It gets cold here in the winter. So I tend to prefer half double crochet to double crochet when making child-sized hats. The tighter stitch makes for a warmer hat (and I think dc looks girly sometimes).
Here’s what I did:
Crochet earflap hat in appropriate size. I used hdc. There are many sizing charts online if your recipient is not available to measure.
Crochet two white balls, and an oval orange ball. (YouTube is a great reference.)
Make pupils, and stitch onto eyes. Stitch eyes and nose onto hat.
Cut mouth out of felt, and sew on.
Finished.
This hat went extremely fast. Actually all of my crocheting has gone by fast lately. The only downside to my projects this last week is that I had to buy specific materials for them, so I haven’t been using up my stash…this week. I’m okay with this though.
Stop back tomorrow to see the baby shower gifts!

Happy Halloween, I’m Back!

I’m not going to write a long post apologizing for being absent in the blogging world.
It’s simple. I was spending too much time on my laptop, and not getting things done. I had to ‘unplug’ (although not a full unplug…). I was feeling overwhelmed with everything I wanted to get done, and the reality of what wasn’t getting done.
Good news- things are getting done! I have been “crafting away” my stash slowly but surely, finding egg-free meals for my allergic toddlers, settling into a cleaning routine, spending time with family, and much, much more!
Here’s to new beginnings!

(These hats were crocheted using Jack and Mr. Boo patterns from achickwsticks.com. (Personal mods on both.)
Happy Halloween!

Soothing Crochet

I have been SLOWLY crafting through my stash. I have a few reasons for this. One reason is to clear the clutter my crafting addictions have caused. Another reason is to have things to list in my (hopefully) soon-to-be etsy shop.

I hope that an etsy shop will help me be more productive and consistent in my crafting endeavors, and earn a little bit of money along the way. We'll see.

Anyways, enough dreaming, more doing.

I have been crocheting (one of my new found crafting loves). Yesterday I made an observation while crocheting. I have been using a yellow, green, and blue variegated cotton yarn (Lily Sugar 'n Cream) .

My mood changed as the colors changed. Not a full-on mood swing, more of just a twinge (which is good because the colors changed often). Yellow seemed to make me feel more energetic, green was a calm feeling, and blue was a happy feeling. Hmmm.

Does this happen to anybody else? Or should I be thinking about getting some help ;)

Have a lovely day!