Crocheted Sugar Skulls

This is what happens when you get a slight case of insomnia!!  I crocheted up five of these last night.  Who doesn't like sugar skulls??!! 

This afternoon I had an idea with how to finish them off.   I was completely distracted from my housework by this time.  LOL!  

I thought they would be cute appliqued on a granny square. 

And granny squares make perfect potholders!!!!  Now how cute is this??

If you would like the pattern for the little skull you can find it here.  It is an awesome little tutorial and will take all of 30 minutes to bang one out.  The fun part is adding the little flowers and bows!!

I thought they turned out so cute.  The would also be cute appliqued onto a crocheted cap, or a purse.  I have seen some blinged out with buttons and some embroidery too.  

I have also kept myself busy making more pumpkins.  I did a bit of experimenting.  If you use two strands of yarn and a larger hook, you get what you see below!  They mix well with the smaller size!

More leaves and pumpkins!  They are everywhere!  These are headed to a knew home at my sister's house!  

It is time to think about winding down and get ready to start a new week.  It has been a gorgeous weekend.  I hate to see it end!!

Everyone take care!

Pumpkin Porn

Welcome to my pumpkin patch!  As you can see, I have been busy with pumpkins and leaves. 

And what goes best with pumpkins?  Owlies! 

Last week I shared a link for the little crocheted pumpkins, and I see some of you have been making them.  I decided to add some leaves to mine I thought it dressed them up a bit.  I found this pattern for the maple leaves here.  The name of her etsy shot is Golden Lucy Crafts.  I love her patterns!  These leaves look complicated, but her pattern makes it so easy, I can make one up in about 40 minutes. 

 

I love the little green one.  With all this "pumpkin porn" I filled up my etsy shop and started making more for myself.   This is such a great way to use up that leftover acrylic yarn we all have.  I am tempted to run out and pick up some more yellow because I am just about out.  I keep telling myself I don't need it, but then the other side of my brain tells me I DO need it.  LOL

I did a search on pinterest for "crochet leaves."  Holy Crap!  There is some cool stuff on there I want to try. 

Just for fun I did a little Jack-o-Lantern to go with the "Franken-owl".  Notice the little bolts coming out the side of his head!  LOL! 

As promised, I wanted to share my finished sweater with everyone.  I have the buttons on it, it has been blocked, and I have even worn it once already!

 It fits me perfectly.  I can wear it like this..... or....

with the collar up.  I have learned so much from knitting this!!  If anyone is new to knitting sweaters I would definitely suggest this pattern.  Look, I even got brave and added pockets!

I am off of here for now.  I am sure I will be back next week with some more crochet.

Dawn

 

Pun-kins!!

It's Pumpkin Time!  And before it's all through I will have a house full of these little guys.  I love making them.  I want to put some bling on them, but just can't decide what exactly to do.

Last year I did knit some, which I will probably do again.  For now I am enjoying the colors of the yarn and my crochet hook.  If you want the pattern, you can find it here.   It works up easily and quickly!

Fall is in the air here.  It was down in the 50s last night.  Feels so good!  I finished my sweater, but still have buttons to sew in before I post it.  I can't wait to show it off!

After all the knitting I have done I am in a crochet mood.  Too bad I am not in a clean your house mood, because mine could really use it!  LOL!

I think I need some little acorns and some leaves to go with these pumpkins.  

I hope everyone has a good week!!  Back to the salt mines tomorrow!

Bye!!

The Bipolar Hooker?

So who does this???  I am moving right a long crocheting these adorable pumpkins (the pattern is here by the way!)

So pretty, and such crochet satisfaction!  Much faster than the knit ones, too!

I have even been cutting up sweaters and making little owlies, because they go so well with the pumpkins. 

Then Friday evening I get a hanker'in to make something....crochet of course.  I am pretty much blaming this on pinterest...pinning, and pinning some awesome crochet ideas.  

So what do I do???  

Now here comes the bi-polar part.

Are you ready????

Here it comes!

You got it!  I crochet up a Christmas Stocking.  How wacked am I!  Do others do this???  Actually, I couldn't help it.  I found a pattern that had a little picture of a striped stocking I liked, but when I started reading it, it was done flat then seamed together.  I didn't want that!  I wanted it in the round.  So, I just did it myself.  

It turned out so bright.  Mr. Snowman looks quite cute on it, too.  

So I ask, does this qualify for being all over the map??  One added piece of info, I have also been making scarves from recycled tee-shirts.  The daylight got away from me, so I have no pictures of the scarves...but I can tell you they are totally groovy!!!

I will be co-hosting a give away with http://www.simplysockyarn.typepad.com/,  
She will be giving away sock yarn along with my purse patterns, the contest is to start Monday.  

I have been scoping out her yarn and totally drooling!!! 

So my to do list has grown even longer.  Plus I have an afghan order to do, a sock monkey request, and helping a lady by making coffee filter roses for a birthday party.  My plate is full, and all I want to do is anything other than what I need to be doing!

Enjoy Your Week!

Dawn

Pumpkin LoVe!!!

Sweater Pumpkins!  Aren't they cute?  I have been busy making these for my upcoming craft sale.  It is amazing what you can turn an old thrift store sweater into. 

This one turned out so pretty.  I found one of those old sweaters from the 90s that were long and had the big shoulder pads in it.  $3!!  I still have some pieces of the sweater left to salvage.  It is so hard to photograph black, but you can get an appreciation for the bright colors of the pumpkin.

These are so easy to make.  I found the idea on pinterest (thank you pinterest!).  Here is a link on a tutorial for them.   I did mine slightly different.  At the top, I actually wanted to use the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater for a little ruffle where the stem comes out, so I gathered it just below the bottom ribbing, pulled it slightly closed and started stuffing.  The stem is a piece of the sleeve wrapped in twine and I just put in in the center when I pulled the top tight. 

I cut the leaves out of an old plaid throw blanket I got from the thrift store.  It is made out of that fleece stuff, so it is like cutting felt.  I just cut two leaves out, one green and a large black, layered them and stitched them with black embroidery floss.  I used coated floral wire for the stems of the leaves and the curly vines.  The wire will go right in between the green and black layer of each leaf.  I put a leaf at each end of the wire and wrapped it around the stem of the pumpkin. 

You can then use a pen or pencil and curl the wire around it, both ends, then wrap it around the stem. 

That's it!  You may want to secure the stem and leaves with a little elmer's glue. 

Oh, I also pulled yarn through the bottom to the top, around the pumpkin to make those little separations on the pumpkin (I don't know the technical word for it).  I made mine into six sections.

Someone had to get in on the picture.  LOL.  Look at those little feet! 

Okay, now this is the fun thing!  Using the little scraps.  I fashioned up this little pumpkin and the little owl from pieces of the sleeve.  I really like the bright striped sweaters the best (so far)!  I used pieces of old tee-shirts for the eyes and wings.

:-)  He makes me smile...I can't help it!  I do however have serious scissor thumb from using the pinking shears.  Ouch!  I had to give them up after awhile.  They were too dull for the tee-shirt fabric.  It is cute, but the pain in my right thumb has forced me to go back to regular scissors. 

Aren't they pretty with the crocheted leaves?  This was a pretty sweater, I almost felt guilty for cutting it up, if I hadn't only paid $3 for it I probably would have!

In between all this, I have still been knitting little pumpkins and crocheting leaves.  I changed up the pattern quite a bit.  Now I start with an icord and work down.  I like the look a lot better.  This one I did a little cable stitch.  Ouch, once again, the thumb!  LOL!

It is rainy and cool today, perfect for pumpkin production, so I am off to get back to it!

Crocheted Leaves

I am ga-ga over these crocheted leaves!  I want to crochet a whole tree full, LOL!  And I think they go perfectly with tiny pumpkins.

I was on the search for the perfect crocheted maple leaf last week.  Google-ing, searching ravelry, and etsy...and some pinterest.  Pinterest led me to this etsy shop, ka-ching!!!!  Her shop GoldenLucy Crafts, is full of patterns for leaves and seashells.  I purchased her maple leaf pattern and it is awesome.  Easy to follow and she also has step by step photos.  Right now she has a pattern for an oak leaf that I am seriously eye-balling!  I'll probably get it, but first I want to make more maple leaves.

I experimented with some different yarns.  It's too hard to pick my favorite, they are all so pretty.

AUTUMN-EEEE!!

I finally finished up my third shawl.  I had a hard time trying to figure out what kind of edging to put on it.  I knew it needed one.  

I had this chenille by Lion Brand that I picked up from a sale bin that worked perfectly.  It really made the blue pop.

It is very "fringe-like" and so freakin soft!!  I do want to make more of these, maybe for Christmas or my etsy shop.  If you are interested in the pattern it's a Lion Brand freebie, called South Bay Shawlette.  The pattern doesn't have an edging, I added that myself.  

Isn't it yummy as a scarf!

And of course, worn like it was designed to be.

That's about it for now.  Enjoying a rainy Labor Day, with homemade soup and movies.  There is a Mash marathon on TVland my husband can't step away from!

I hope everyone has a great week!  Now I'm off to make more leaves.  (That seriously sounded like a "Martha Stuart" quote!)

Bye

PUMPKINS!!!!

Fall is definitely in the air, I can feel it!  The air is cooler, the evenings just have that sound, and the trees have a tiny hint of changing color.  I am so ready!!!  So, you can see!  I have started by working on some pumpkins to set around the house.

Aren't they adorable!  You can find the pattern here.  It is quick and easy.  I did bling it up a wee bit with a crocheted leaf and some embroidered vines, and yes, of course, buttons!!!

And they just go with Owlies! 

I'll just add a small caveat here, you can't stop making them!  LOL!  I have started one in a cream color, which I think is going to be adorable too!

My Fall To Do List:

Knit more pumpkins

Crochet more pumkins

Crochet some fall leaves

Make more owls

Maybe make a little scarecrow

Knit more pumpkins!

It's not a bad list, totally doable!  

Can't you see a little pumpkin patch???  OMG...idea...sewing little patches on the pumpkins!!  How cute would that be???  

Well, as you see, my brain is in complete creative mode, so I best take advantage of it...I'm off to knit some more, and do a little cooking (Mexican casserole recipe I found on pinterest)!  

Here is a sweet little picture of Girlie I snapped this morning while taking pumpkin pictures.  She is such a sweet baby!

Bye for now!