Super-Fat #15: Spring in Your Step

At first, I wasn't sure about this color combination...but it's grown on me over time.  Somehow, the white flower seems to offset the crazy colors just enough to create a sense of calm for me.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn and rattan handles. As with all of my bags, the flower clip is removable/interchangeable.

Super-Fat #14: Mayflower

You may remember a similar purse I did a couple of months ago...this is the same yarn, but with one twist: the handle section is all done in that beautiful dusty rose color.  I love how it makes the bag look, and I think I'll start playing around with this technique a little more often, now that I see how beautifully it can turn out.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn and rattan handles. As with all of my bags, the flower clip is removable/interchangeable.

My First "Official" Prayer Shawl

A few months ago, I ran across a book.  At first, it was just another pattern book with tons of fabulous ideas.  Then, I began to read it, and that is when I realized it was so much more than what I had originally thought.

I hadn't heard of prayer shawls before, but I was sold.  It just figures that the first story I read involved a child with autism.  Yep.  It had me in tears, right there in the middle of our local Borders.

After countless visits, the book finally became mine.  I had seen one pattern in particular that I wanted to modify and try on my own.  And I recently became aware of someone close to me who could really use a prayer shawl of her own.

I won't "out" her here, since it's not my story to tell.  All I can say is that creating prayer shawls is something I can see myself loving for years to come.  It really is a different kind of experience.

While I don't feel comfortable sharing the recipient's name here (with all my gazillions of readers - ha!), I would like to share the prayer that accompanied the shawl.

This has been taken from the Shawl Ministry web site, and the author's name is listed in the title section. 

This, my friends, is what it's all about:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer For Comfort © 2010 All rights reserved

By: Cathleen O'Meara Murtha, DW

http://www.shawlministry.com/

As you wrap yourself in the prayer shawl of comfort...

May the Mother of Mercy, the Father of Faithfulness and the Spirit of Compassion

wrap you in their all-encompassing love this day.

May you find comfort

from all that appears too much to bear at this moment

from all that feels as if it might be the breaking point

from all that seems to threaten your peace of heart.

May this prayer shawl be

a shelter for time of overwhelming grief

a shade in times of sorrow too deep for words

a shield from times of unimaginable loss.

May you be comforted

by the presence of those who love and support you

by faith in the eternal Loving One

by the memories of what you hold most dear.

May you be strengthened

in your daily comings and goings

in your tentative new beginnings

in your unfolding new memories.

Blessings of the Angel of Comfort be with you and all you love now and forevermore.

Autism Awareness Fleece Blanket

Yeah, yeah, I know...it's not crochet.  You've just gotta live a little, people!

Here's my first attempt at a home-made no-sew fleece blanket for The Princess's room.

Momma-created...

Toddler-approved.

Happy Halloween, y'all.  For pics of The Princess in her Trick-or-Treating garb, give it a day or two and then head on over to my mommy blog.



Not So Much

Did I sleep before the craft fair on the 24th?

Not so much.

Did I have any idea what I was doing when The Grumps picked me up that morning?  Kinda...but, really...

Not so much.

Did I have a hard time setting up?

Not so much.

Did the college advertise the fair properly?

Not so much.

Did I sell anything?

Not so much.

Did it break my will?

Not so much.

I'm chalking this one up to experience, folks, and you bet your sweet bippie I plan to do another fair or twelve in the future. 

Best part of this fair, hands down?  Seeing My Favorite Person and her hubby after far too long.  Almost made the whole damn thing worthwhile.  :)

"Simple Gal" Clutch/Wallet - Autism Awareness

I started this project with every intention of making another "Zazz" clutch, but it somehow turned into something else completely...

This is about as simple as you can get, folks, but I still dig it (not that I'm biased or anything).  I have a real soft spot for this particular yarn, which reminds me very much of the autism awareness puzzle piece motif.

This clutch/wallet measures about 4x8 inches, and features a silver puzzle piece charm.  It would also make a pretty fly glasses case.  Just sayin'.

Fatty #8: Creme de la Creme

Well, here I am, a day and a half before the craft fair, and I believe I've done all I can do.  Now, let's just hope some of this loot sells!

Here's the latest Fatty, which I've dubbed "Creme de la Creme." 

The entire bag has been lovingly constructed by hand using 100% cotton yarn with acrylic handles and an adorable (removable/interchangeable) sunflower clip.  The finished product measures approximately 7" high (not including handles) by 11" wide by 6" deep.

Super-Fat #13: Rainbow Sherbet

This bag reminds me of many things: Starburst, Skittles, but the best of them all is rainbow sherbet.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn and rattan handles.  As with all of my bags, the rose clip is removable/interchangeable.

Super-Fat #12: Weathered Rose

Love.  These.  Colors.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn and rattan handles.  As with all of my bags, the decorative clip is removable/interchangeable.

Super-Fat #11: Buttercream Candy

The colors in this one remind me of those buttery minty thingers they give you at the really snazzy hotels.  Or the ones in the questionable bowls at the bar.  Either way, good colors.  Good colors, indeed.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn and rattan handles.  As with all of my bags, the flower clip is removable/interchangeable.

Fatty #7: Hotsie Totsie

That's right...I said, "Hotsie Totsie".  What?  You got a better name for it?

The entire bag has been lovingly constructed by hand using 100% cotton yarn with wooden handles and an oversized wooden button.  Not sure if you can really tell by the picture, but the button is attached to a flap that is used as the closure for this bag - an alternative to the magnetic snaps that are usually inside the handles on this style.  The finished product measures approximately 7" high (not including handles) by 11" wide by 6" deep.

Fatty #6 - Espresso

The newest installment in Craft Fair Prep '10: the Espresso Fatty bag!

The entire bag has been lovingly constructed by hand using 100% cotton yarn, bamboo handles and an oversized flower clip.  The finished product measures approximately 7" high (not including handles) by 11" wide by 6" deep.

Super-Fat #10: brown multi with bamboo

Can you tell I'm having fun with the preparation for this craft fair? 

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using acrylic yarn.  Notice the oval bamboo handles, which give the bag a totally different look.  As with all of my bags, the flower clip is removable/interchangeable.

Super-Fat #9 With Alternate Handles

So, here I am, crocheting away in preparation for the big craft fair, when it occurs to me: the 9" handles I've been using may not be the only way to go.  I can only purchase them at one place, and they only ever have a few in stock at a time...which results in me hoarding the entire supply every time I step foot in the store, which is about 45 minutes from my house.  Yep, I'm a handle hoarder.  You would be too, if you had to drive an hour to get them every time!

Anyhoo...this is my first attempt at an alternate handle style.  It involved reworking a bit of my normal process, but I think it turned out pretty nicely.  I wasn't sure at first how the boho-chic handles were going to turn out, but I quite like the finished product.

Unfortunately, the pictures don't seem to reflect the actual color very well.  This bag is lavender and purple in real life.  :)  It measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using acrylic yarn. 

Super-Fat #8

Here's the bag I was talking about in my last post.  The backdrop is actually the wrap from that post, so you can see how well they go together.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn. The handles are 9" rattan hoops, and the flower clip is interchangeable.

Not Your Grandmother's Doily

Okay, so I've had this yarn for months.  I bought one of those 3-packs of coordinating colors with one multicolor ball, and I've been dying to make a purse out of two of those three balls of yarn.

What to do with the third...how about a lacy wrap inspired by old-fashioned lace doilies?  I also used the multicolor for the edging, which (I think) adds a nice little pop to the finished piece.

Pay no attention to the kitchen mess in the background...I was messing around with the timer on my camera, and this was the only place I could set it at the right height.  :)

This wrap measures about 48" across, and has been crocheted completely by hand using 100% cotton yarn.  Want one?  Let me know, and we can talk colors and materials.

My First Craft Fair!

So...the last couple of weekends have been spent at various craft fairs in the area, and I'm super-excited to announce that I will be bringing my crochet purses and some other various odds and ends to my very first craft fair in October. 

If you're in the area, stop on by.  The fair is at McHenry County College on October 24 from 10-4.

Super Fat #7

The Hubbs's grandmother has been hinting for months that she'd like her very own Super Fat.  Things keep coming up, and I keep telling myself that I'll get to it someday.

Welcome to someday.

This bag measures approximately 16" wide by 9" tall and 9" deep, and is lovingly handmade using 100% cotton yarn. The handles are 9" rattan hoops, and the sunflower clip is interchangeable.


Visit me on Etsy to order your very own custom Super-Fat!

Crochet Wine Charms

A good friend of mine got married in Maui back in May.  He and his new bride threw their wedding reception over Labor Day weekend, and I wracked my brain for weeks trying to come up with an appropriate hand-made gift. 

If it was a gal friend, the possibilities would be endless.  There are all sorts of cute girly things you can make as wedding keepsakes for the fairer sex.  But boys...boys are tougher.  I didn't want anything overly feminine, or anything too traditional.  R and D are more on the modern side, as opposed to The Hubbs and myself, who tend to be very traditional in our tastes.

I really wanted to come up with the perfect gift, but I kept finding myself at a loss.  Finally, I decided to try my hand at wire crochet with beads, making this set of wine charms.

Here's the closest shot I could get of all eight wine glass charms, each with their own distinct design:

And one larger version for the wine bottle itself:

Here's a shot of the whole shebang, including the wine and glasses, right before I packed it up for wrapping:

Not too bad for my first venture into the wide world of wire crochet, if I do say so myself.  I'm proud of how these turned out, and now I'm excited to try out some different jewelry techniques.  :)

Victorian Cuff Bracelet

Please forgive the yellowy-orange-ness of the pics where my hand is showing...couldn't get far enough away to use the flash without washing everything out.

Anyhoo...this is my latest project.  It was fun to make, and can be done in just about any color combo you could dream up.  Give me a shout if you'd like to have your own...I'm thinkin' about $12 each for these unique little cuffs.

Gromit

Behold, my niece's 2nd birthday present...Gromit!  I'm pretty confident that she's not cruisin' around on the Internet yet, and since her parents already know what I was planning to do, there's really no secret.

So...here he is.  You can't see his ears very well in the pics where he's sitting up, which is why I'm throwing in the cheesy one where he's laying on the floor.  ;)

I sure hope K likes this guy half as much as I enjoyed making him.  Fun little project, he was.