More squares for "Share a Square" I will mail them tomorrow along with some skeins of black yarn

What is your Best Blogging Achievement Contest

Shelly over at www.thiseclecticlife.com has entered a contest “What is your best blogging achievement?”, prize is $100 which Shelly will use towards postage and yarn for the "Share A Square" project. I am all for supporting her effort in addition to the squares I am crocheting for her project by giving you my vote.

I read the blogs for the other eight contestants and had a hard time picking my second and third choices and none of them were on topics of which I have interest. I mainly check out blogs about crocheting, knitting, and crafts. But having said that I did find useful information on two of the blog sites:
www.tclian.com learning-my-best-achievement-in-blogging
and www.blog.lgr.ca and I have saved them to my favorites for future inspection.

I'm still learning how to do this whole blogging thing so I hope I have linked to
www.alltipsandtricks.com/my-best-blogging-achievement-the-entries/ correctly so my votes count

WIP

Last week I started a dolls head and then realized I did not have the right size eyes (all of them were too large). So I went on line to order more eyes. The site I found didn't have online ordering so I printed out an order page and was going to send in the order the next Monday. In the meantime, what to crochet? I pulled out a purse pattern and then went to search my statch of yarn for the right colors. As I searched I kept running across WIP (some over five years old). I then decided, no new projects until I finished the old ones. So I sorted through my yarn and orgainized the WIP, never knowing I had so many.

Well my resolve to finish WIP before starting anything new didn't last long. I found a pattern for Cranberry sauce and just had to make one for my nephew. And then I found a site putting together afghans for the kids at a cancer camp. They need 6" squares

Go to This Eclectic Life for updates

Cranberry sauce

I found this pattern at http://www.aliciakachmar.com/blog/ and had to make it for my nephew. Made a slight change by adding slices to the plate. There is also a pattern for Indian corn that I might do next

Stitch N Pitch

I hope to attend the Stitch N Pitch in Atlanta on 15 July

Precious Pals

Members of the Charlotte Knitting Quild clothed bears and donated them to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Domestic Violence Department. Here is a group picture

Here is a picture of the bears I contributed

Thanks again for the bears! Everyone was looking at them this morning! They loved them! Everyone did a great job! We truly appreciate them and will put them to good use!

Melissa
Domestic Violence Crisis Intervention Counselor
Providence/South/Independence Divisions
Domestic Violence Unit - Family Services Division
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Crocheter's Christmas

Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care'
Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.

And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.

"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.

I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe
And his clothes were hand crochet from above to below.

A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.

The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:

"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff. So I asked,
"Hey, Nick, did YOU crochet all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was just a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my crochet hook and yarn for a cap.
He began then to crochet, first one cap then 2--
For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!

He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!"

Commissioned Projects

I was commissioned to crochet a shrug and poncho for a 5 year old. Forgot to take a picture of the shrug but here is the poncho. The bottom was supposed to have two rows of eyelash yarn but the buyer didn't like it so I changed it to a scolloped edge. Took less than one skein of yarn and three hours. Sold it for $15

My crocheted Lucy (wrist bag) in Green loopi and Lion Landscape. I love the way Lion Brand Landscape felts

A large crocheted felted tote, in Loopi rust, green, gray and black. I put a pocket on the inside
















Mystery yarn. The strap was too long after I felted it so I cut it and put belt buckels on it to make it adjustable



















This purse was crocheted with black Lopi yarn and Lion Brand Confetti. Unfortuantely when I felted the black yarn dull the bright colors of the confetti (I sold this at the United Methodist Craft fair)








I crocheted a second bag but used RH WW and confetti. I love the colors in this one. I put inside zipper pockets in both

Felted Purses

Well I finally took pictures of several of my crocheted felted purses. I found Reynolds Lopi (bulky) when The Sewing Bird closed this year. I love it for my purses. The one to the left was made with red, black and teal. I got ambitious and completly lined it and put in two large zipper compartments.


My camera is responsible fot he two shades of red

Teddy Bears & Purses

I can't believe its been a month since my last entry. But I warned you.

The Charlotte Knitting Guild is making sweaters for teddy bears as part of their service project. So far I have made three sweater (two my own design) and one poncho. I will post a picture once I get a chance.

I have finally started lining the many purses I have crocheted. Finished one and have started on another. Still need to add the inside pocket to a third and the handles to a fourth. I have made a promise to myself that I won't start anything new until I get these finished. Too many WIP and UFO!

I gave a demonstration on hairpin lace and broomstick lace last night to the Charlotte Knitting Guild. It was well received. One disappointment was I did not have a completed project of the hairpin lace. Oh well.

Well hopefully before month's end I will have some new pictures to post

Completed Crochet Projects

Some of my crocheted items.

Pinky a crocheted elephant. I tested this crochet pattern for a member of the WAMY yahoo group ( which is now defuncted)

Easter Swap

The Cadbury chick. I crocheted it as part of an Easter Swap

Cleo the Frog

Cleo, my first minature crocheted animal. I gave it to Katie when she moved to Chicago with her husband and son. He was offered a church outside of Chicago

Sweet Potatoe

Earlier this week I crocheted the head and body of a teddy bear. I've done it in Patons sock yarn in an orange/brown color. To make it interesting I did the ears in olive green. Based on my color choice I have played with calling it spice or pumpkin but I think I will call it Sweet Potatoe.

Wednesday I started on one of the legs for my new teddy bear only made it as far as the ankel (the feet are also in the olive green, the legs will be orange). Last night I decided I should do the other foot so they would be the same size. I had noted I was using a size 6 crochet hook so thats what I used for the second foot. By the time I got to the ankel I realized I had used a 9 on the other foot!. So I started over. Kept the bigger foot for another day

I hope to finish it over the weekend. I am considering crocheting a vine to wrap around it if I can downsize the pattern I have

I have to do the head for class 4 tonight so I may not get much done on this bear tonight. Once I'm done I will post a picture