Ombre Chevron Crochet Baby Blanket

Wow, I know I keep promising that I will get back to blogging, but can I just say that I am not one of those awesome women who can balance everything! 

 
Adding little Dragon to my family has been incredible, but difficult. I'm figuring out how to be the mother of a stubborn kindergartener, independant "I'll do it by MYSELF" toddler, and a (I'll be honest) ridiculously easy-going baby. He may be easy going, but he is still a baby that demands a lot of time and effort.

With the 3 kids, I've been a bit overwhelmed and while I love blogging, it has taken the back seat for a while. I still make no promises about any regular blogging, but I will pop in to share something as the mood strikes.

The mood has struck! I made this adorable crochet baby blanket for my sister-in-law who is having her first baby in a few months. She's having a girl, but with it being her first, she and her husband requested something gender neutral.

I love the ombre effect that is so popular right now, so to give the gender neutral a bit of style I wandered around the yarn isles in JoAnn with my best friend for far too long, looking for just the right shades.

In case you want to replicate, here are the yarns we found, starting with the darkest yellow:

1: Vanna's Choice Baby in Duckie
2: Lion Brand Baby Soft in Lemonade ( This is a true baby yarn, and I had to double it, holding two strands together. But there is enough yarn in this skein that you still only need one. I spent the time at the beginning to wind a center pull ball starting with both ends.)
3: Bernat Satin in Banana
4: Vanna's Choice Baby in Lamb
5: Vanna's Choice in White
(Not pictured: I used some heather grey from my stash for the single crochet edging.)

I used this free pattern from Lion Brand Yarns. (The reviews are mixed, but I found it easy and liked the texture it created.) I read the pattern and figured that with my 5 skeins, I needed 9 rows of each color. Oddly enough, the three Vanna's were supposed to be the same amount/length/size skein, but I was a few stitches short with Color 1, more than a few stitches short with Color 4, but had plenty of Color 5. Weirdness. But what's awesome about the ombre fade is I was able to just start the next color to finish up the last row and keep going. If you look carefully at the pictures above, you can see close to the front where Color 2 starts in the last several stitches of the first color, but you only notice if you are really inspecting the blanket.

The mommy-to-be loves it, and I can't wait to meet my new little niece and see her wrapped in this yummy blanket.

Raining Cats and Dogs!

While it has been an exceptionally rainy few months, I'm not referring to the weather at the moment. Instead, I'm here to introduce two more sock creations!! First, using only one sock per animal, and the tiny ankle socks to boot, I made this adorable pair of kitties!!

I used the arm seam method I had seen while in Taiwan earlier this year. It was easy and I love the look it creates!

Then I added a little crochet flower with a pearl bead in the center to make one girl and one boy. The idea was for each of my kids to have one, but Pretty had other plans when she saw them.

One for the right hand and one for the left!

(this face was too funny to keep to myself.)

I had to take them from her and fight her off to get the shots of just the cats. They are just the right size for small arms to hug!

Then the "Dogs" part. I bought the cute little blue dog while in Taiwan, and always planned to recreate it, but it wasn't until my mom called me Sunday morning to tell me we were celebrating my nephew's birthday that night at dinner that I was inspired to go for it. I knew he would love a dog, so I went to work.

It turned out great. Obviously much bigger since I'm pretty sure the blue one was made from little kid (if not baby) socks, and mine was made from a pair of women's normal dress socks.

I added a few details not found on the blue one, like a little tail.

And some french knot freckles. This dog was so fun to make, and my nephew did love it. He even tried to share his ice cream with it. Now that's love for a 6-year-old.

Sweet Little Girl Hat

This is the little baby girl hat I made in case the newest arrival of my sister turned out to boost our tiny number of females in the family from 5 to 6. Instead we are slipping farther behind (now outnumbered 10-5), but darn! that boy is adorable!! Anyway.  This is my first time writing up a crochet pattern, so if something doesn't make sense, please let me know.

Items Needed:

2 coordinating sport weight yarns - mine are pink (A) and white (B)

Size I crochet hook

yarn needle

Hat:

Holding both yarns together, ch. 4, sl st in first st to make a loop.

Rnd 1:  ch 2 (counts as first hdc), 7 hdc in center of loop, sl st in top of ch 2 (8)

Rnd 2:  ch 2, hdc in same st, 2 hdc in each st, sl st in top of ch 2 (16)

Rnd 3:  ch 2, hdc in same st, * hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st* repeat from *to*, sl st in top of ch 2 (24)

Rnd 4:  ch 2, hdc in same st, * hdc in next 2 st, 2 hdc in next st* repeat from *to* until last 2 st, hdc in next 2 st, sl st in top ch 2 (32)

Rnd 5:  ch 2, hdc in same st, * hdc in next 3 st, 2 hdc in next st* repeat from *to* until last 3 st, hdc in next 3 st, sl st in top of ch 2. (40)

Rnd 6-8: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st in top of ch 2. (40)

Rnd 9-12: ch 2, hdc in back loop only in each st around, sl st in top of ch 2. (40)

Rnd 13: ch 2, hdc in both loops in each st around, sl st in top of ch 2. Fasten off.

Shell edge: 

Using A, fasten on any hdc, ch1, sc in same hdc, *sk next st, 5 dc in next st, sk next st, sc in next st* repeat from *to* 10 times, sl st in first sc. Fasten off. 

Use yarn needle to weave in ends.

Flower Petals:
With A, ch 5, sl st in first ch to make a loop.

Rnd 1: ch 1, 10 sc in loop, sl st in first sc.
Rnd 2: ch 1, sc in same st,  * 5 dc in next st, sc in next st*, repeat from *to* 5 times, sl st in first sc, fasten off leaving a sewing length.

Use sewing length to fasten petals onto the hat between Rnds 9-12.

Flower Center:
With B, ch 13.

Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, sc in each ch across. Fasten off leaving a sewing length.

Roll the row into a spiral, using yarn needle and sewing length, fasten through the bottom until secure. Use remaining sewing length to fasten in the center of the petals. Weave in remaining ends.

The Battle of the Bunny

About a year ago, just before Pretty was born, I was using a pattern from my favorite crochet book to make a car seat blanket for her. The book was on the floor and Hero started looking at the pictures. When he found the bunny stuffed animal he looked at me all cute-like and asked, "Can you make a bunny for me, please?"

How can you say no to that?! It was the first time he had ever asked me to make him something. So I dropped the blanket and went to work on this bunny!

Now, I know what you are thinking. "What's up with his eyes?" and "That doesn't look much like the picture."

I have a first edition of the Happy Hooker book and as such, it has a few typos. I didn't look up the corrections they have listed online until after the head was finished and didn't look quite right. By then, I didn't think it worth it to start over. Oh well. Hero was still thrilled with it!

A few months later, Hero found the bunny at the bottom of his stuffed animal bucket and told me it needed eyes. When I pointed to the buttons, he told me those were cheeks. So I snipped off the buttons and moved them.

And that's when the trouble started. Pretty noticed the cute bunny and claimed it as her own. Not just in a casual way, but the attached-favorite-special-toy kind of way. She sleeps with it, carries it around, and if someone else (Hero) is holding it, she drops everything to retrieve it.

For a few months, Hero didn't really care. But last week, he started getting upset that the bunny was his. Technically, he was right, but Pretty was attached. I decided it was easier to make a new one for Hero than try to convince Pretty to take a new one. After all, Hero would probably move on from it in a week anyway, right? So I told Hero that the bunny was Pretty's and he could get a brand new one. He picked the bear this time, helped decide the colors from my yarn stash, and the bear was born.

Pretty had a hard time with me taking these pictures. Here she is reminding me that the bunny is hers.

I tried to do the corrections this time, but didn't have the right sized hook, so I just did with what I had. I think it looks more like a mouse. Opinions?

Hero picked the eyes out himself. I was going to go with flat black ones, but I'm glad he stuck to his guns about these ones. I really like the texture and how they add to the homemade feel of the bear/mouse.

Hero was pretty happy when it was finished.

 "Take a picture of me sleeping."

Of course, two days later, he doesn't much care about it anymore, but at least the arguing over the bunny has stopped.

A New Baby.

No. Not for me.

I think, aside from holding your own new little one, holding the brand new baby of someone you love is the best. In this case, it is my sister Audrey's newest baby boy.

Pretty checkin' out the boy taking her "baby-of-the-family" title.

About a week before he was born, my sister was up to her elbows in her Before-the-Baby-Comes To-Do list. I offered to help with whatever she wanted, but all she wanted was a crocheted hat to take the then-gender-unknown child home from the hospital in. I made one boy and one girl hat. The girl hat was my own design (I'll get a picture and pattern together for you soon). But it was this little newsie hat that was needed when baby boy Graham appeared.

*taken by his Mommy. Doesn't he look like a doll?

*taken by his Mommy

Audrey put the hat on him for the ride home, and for these pictures, but told me that the hat is just bit snug. So while the pattern says for newborn, average sized Graham found it a bit small. Maybe it's premie/newborn sized. Because this hat is so adorable, Audrey (and her hubby) requested a slightly larger size to wear now through the crazy "Utah Spring" weather (which is not to be confused with actual Spring). I increased the hat by 5 stitches in the 4th row to make it just over an inch bigger around. Everything else is the same.

Well, except for the contrasting strap. I could say I did it to make it easier for them to tell the two hats apart. Or to match the blanket. But really, I ran out of the dark green yarn! (and I just realized that I didn't do the bottom border either...oops... would that look weird in the light green?)

The blanket is from this pattern here. It's a bit bigger than I would normally make crochet blankets, being crib sized instead of car seat friendly small. But this pattern was so pretty, I fell in love! 

Check out this border detail. An easy and great pattern.

 I love to crochet, and I'm always happy when I'm making gift for sweet little babies! Welcome to the world, Graham. We are happy to have you!

*taken by his Mommy

Remember this pile of squares? Well, after a bit more work, each pair became . . .

A Christmas Angel. . .

Pattern found here

Each angel was given a name tag with the year stitched on the back.

Each year, my parents give the whole family ornaments. When I was growing up we used to get 2. One from them and one from a great grandmother who had been dead for years. . . I know that sounds weird. But this amazing woman had crocheted so many little ornaments that there were enough for everyone in the extended family, down to us great grandchildren, for 5 years after she was gone. I'm not sure how she did that!

I offered to make these a year ago, as a bit of a return to days of our childhood. 14 Angels at almost 2 hours of work per angel = 28 hours of love! Good thing I started making these back in July!

I love the homemade ornaments. They add personality. Now, I may change my tune in a few years (like Vanessa over at V and Co. here and here, she cracks me up!) but I was super excited to have Hero bring home this cute little star from pre-school to hang on our tree!

He's so talented. *gush*

I'm opening a shoe making factory. and other stuff.

While I am sewing and working on projects every day, I don't really have anything new to share. As the title suggests, I'm currently making shoes. Tiny, adorable baby shoes. About 6 pair. . . This is what happens when everyone I know decides to procreate at the same time!

I am also working on Christmas ornaments for my advent calender AND real ones for my entire side of the family. I'll tell the whole story behind it all when they are done, but here's a bit of a preview.

Can you guess what they will become? If you can, you are amazing, because there is still a piece to make, then some assembly.

And lastly, I'm working on a cute little sweater upcycle thing that worked, but not quite. So I need to try again before I feel I can share with you how to make one. But let me tell you, it will be worth the effort (and the wait)!

Good night bloggin' friends!

The Much-Requested B-day Gift

My nephew's birthday was last week. He asked me more than a month ago to please make him a new animal toy, because he lost the one I had made him before. 

I promptly, and sadly, forgot. Luckily, when my mom wast asking him what he wanted for his birthday, he told her he wanted me to make him a new animal, and she called to remind me!

I have a little book with ten amigurumi animals in it call Vanna's Choice: easy crochet critters. I used this to make the other animals for him and his siblings. But I decided to try to find a new pattern he hadn't seen before. I went onto my favorite website for crochet patterns Ravelry.com. This site is awesome! It's easy to use and has tons of both crochet and knitting patterns. Some you need to purchase, but there are a lot that are free. Like the one I ended up making for the gift. Funny that it was also on the Lion Brand website...

Wiener Dog : free pattern

Here's a few shots with Pretty, just to show how big the dog is.

I put it in the gift bag with some shirts I had got him on top. Poor kid looked disappointed about the clothes, until he saw the dog underneath! I love it when kids light up like that! (hey, Aud, if you have a good picture of it, I'd love to put it up. . .)

A Bigger Hat

It may seem a little early in the season to be making a winter hat, but we went camping over the holiday weekend and I realized that the only hat Pretty had was the one they sent us home from the hospital with.So I decided to make this adorable hat from the Stitch N *itch Crochet: Happy Hooker book. I've made this hat for all of my nieces  before (2 of them... man, we need more girls) and love it every time.

Sadly, the first go 'round, following the pattern exactly, resulted in this too small hat:

It wasn't until I was done that I looked again at the size that says for 6 mo. and realized if it's like normal sizing that's 3-6 mo... So now I need to add the braids and give it away to someone.

So I added a row at the top where I continued to increase the circumference, too. So now it's a touch too big, but it will fit her all winter as she grows. I love the braids and the colors make me think of a watermelon.

I've already promised to make all 4 of my sister's kids new hats this year, and Hero would probably like one too.