Memorial Day weekend

Three-day weekends just make me wish for four-day weekends.  But I've been busy getting my crochet on, nearly finished a commissioned bag for a co-worker, plus I whipped out a simple shrug for myself.  When I have time, I'll take a picture wearing it and use better lighting, but you get the idea.

I also made another little figure, this time decidedly less sweet and adorable.  If you're familiar with Dr. Who, you might have experienced one of the most anxious, edge-of-your-seat tension inducing episodes ever, Blink.  Because I am who I am, I can't get enough of recreating versions of this episode's villain, the Weeping Angel.

Weeping Angels are cool.

A grizzly for my baby bear

I worked at the office yesterday morning, then did some minor yard work before it started to drizzle.  The rest of Saturday evening and this afternoon saw me working on a cute grizzly bear for Miranda.  This is one of the first patterns I've actually purchased instead of finding a free pattern.  bvoe668 has some really great patterns that I'm considering purchasing down the road.  Her pictures show a more golden brown bear with light yarn around the eyes, but I still think mine turned out pretty darn cute.  I probably will be making at least one more of these in a different color...I want a bear of my own!

A first for me

Today I made a pair of baby booties.  With two daughters and a decent number of nieces, you'd think I'd have made a pair before now, but no!  They were fun and quick.  Now I want to make more but Paisley will outgrow them and need new ones.  Besides, I found a super cute pattern for a pair that looks like uggs that I'll make her in the fall.

I got the pattern for these from http://iamstaceylynn.blogspot.com/ and I just love how they turned out.  The original calls for two colors, but I liked the solid pink for this pair.

the chingo

I went back to work yesterday, after a week off to recover from shingles, or as we like to say in this house, "the chingo".  I've discovered a crazy thing:  I don't like working and would prefer to stay at home and crochet all day.  Weird, huh!?!  It's all I can do to drag myself away from pattern searches and reading other crochet blogs to see what other people are working on, just so I can get ready to go back for another day in the office.  Makes me almost pine for the days of being a pampered housewife....almost.   I decided to take a break from little creatures and I'm working on a carrying case for my crochet hooks.  I could probably finish it in an hour, *if* I had an hour to work on it.  Maybe tonight......

bunnies, bears and battlestar galactica (or ladybug)

Ok, finished off a couple more little buggers....as it turns out, the last bunny decided he wanted to be a bear. This is the yarn Miranda picked out.  It's Princess yarn from Yarn Bee, and lives up to the name.

What a dream to crochet!  I'm not a fan of Red Heart yarn for anything wearable because of the scratchy, stiff nature of it, but you can't beat the price for making stuffies.  But Princess yarn....woo, it's like crocheting rich, dark chocolate.  So smooth and creamy!  If you do any regular yarn work, I highly recommend it.  No splitting or subby issues, like one can get at times with the softer yarns.  Just wonderful, beautifully soft yarn that works up quickly and performs well.  Too bad one little skein of it costs the same as two big Red Heart skeins!  Still, I *will* be using it again.

I think I might be tapped out on bunnies for a while and some of these little guys need to go to their new homes so that I have room on the movie case for new stuff.

You'll notice a certain black bug-like creature in the back of that group.  Definitely not a bunny or a bear.  That would be the ladybug I made for my sister, Julia.  He was going to be a surprise, but it doesn't work that way with Julia! Besides, I was stuck at home for a week recovering from shingles (ugh) and I needed some positive interaction, so I shared pics with her when I finished him.  Here he is in all his bow tied glory.
























Front and back. Pretty cute guy.  I'd followed a pattern I'd found online, which was ok, except I didn't like how she finished off the individual pieces.  If I'd realized earlier what her pattern was calling for, I probably would have substituted a more traditional amigurumi closure to the pieces.  I don't know that I'll be making a swarm of ladybugs, though.  Ladybugs are for Julia, not everyone.  I *did* see a really cute 'lady" ladybug pattern last night, though.  You never know.....

Now, instead of crocheting, I'm turning my attention to the rather serious task of purchasing a new coffee pot.  I've had my current one for probably 9-10 years now, given to me by a close friend when she's happened to receive an extra Gevalia brewer.  It kind of fell apart, and despite some serious effort, I cannot figure out how to fix it.  I'm sure there is a piece missing, but it's hard to concentrate without caffeine.  Must have coffee!

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, or some crap like that

I've decided to keep a personal blog.  Ha ha, I'm a blogger, I blog out.  Anyway, I've been thinking about how time keeps moving on and everything changes.  I'm thinking quite a bit about how much it will change when Miranda goes off to college in the fall.  She's not going to be a million miles away, but she is going to be far enough that I won't see her for pretty good stretches at a time.  It's going to be a major change for both of us.  This is my baby, who doesn't even want to go to school if I'm going to be home from work for some reason.  We're buddies.  We hang out together.  We share just about everything with each other.  I'm pretty sure that last part has made it more difficult to maintain my role as THE MOM, but eh, whatever.  I'm going to have to bother to get a cam again, so we can skype at each other.

I thought it might be cool to set this blog up and share whatever the hell I'm doing so that if she wants to, or if anyone else wants to, it's available.  There will probably be a lot of crochet crap on here because that's my favorite thing, and the semester is over so I don't have to feel guilty about crocheting just to crochet.  I have so many things I want to make.  I'm so enamored by amigurumi right now, it's ridiculous.  One more bunny and I think my family is going to have me committed!

Aww, 3 bunnies, what's the harm in that, you say?  These are just the first 3.  I'm not going to mention how many more there are.  Let's just say, my garden is overrun, ok?  I started out just wanting to make one because the pattern looked so cute.  Then my niece, Bri, mentioned that the baby chick I made her for easter was lonely and needed a bunny for a companion.  Since she asked so nice, I had to make one for her.  And since I'd also made a chick for Bella, her sister, of *course* I had to make a bunny for her, too!  Then Paisley needed one, and maybe I could sell some at a craft fair, and I really wanted a grey one for myself, then Miranda found a yarn she liked so I have to make at least one more!  Bunnies multiple.  It's what they do, I don't make the rules.
















At least I resisted the urge to make a Meerkat nation when I made a mate for Miranda's chemistry class mascot!  The pattern I used turned out to be a bit off, so this cutie had to be created on the fly.  Maybe when I'm feeling adventurous again, I'll have another go at making a meerkat for home.  In the meantime, I just have to finish up a bunny, or maybe 2, then it's time to move on to the next idea.....whatever that may be.  Only pinterest knows what the next big thing will be, though I *am* eyeing a really cute Benjamin Franklin amigurumi doll that really really wants to be made.

If you want to make bunnies of your own, here is the bunny pattern I used.  I modified mine a bit; also, I added some accessories to some to jazz them up a bit.