Chair Arm Remote Caddy

Hey, y'all!

As part of the redecorating process in our living room, I decided our old over-the-arm remote caddy simply had to be replaced.  I already had the yarn from the Lancaster Quilt throw I made, and I borrowed a striped granny stitch pattern from Bobbi Anderson's Simone Scarf & Blanket pattern in the May/June 2013 issue of Crochet Today! as a basis for this:

I worked the pattern until it was wide enough for my 5 remotes, fastened off and created the five separate pockets by slip stitching through both layers in matching yarn.  It definitely goes much better with the new color scheme than the old blue-and-red one did.


'Til next time,
OCB

Lancaster Quilt from Crochet Today

Hey, y'all!

Crochet Today! is the one print subscription I receive, and it's more than just a subscription for me...it's an addiction.  Remember how exciting it was to get mail when you were a kid?  I literally do a happy dance every time this magazine shows up in my mailbox.

That being said, I tend to make a lot of projects out of this particular periodical.  Today's project is the Lancaster Quilt throw blanket by Katherine Eng, which was featured in the November/December 2011 issue of the magazine.

Believe it or not, I followed the pattern exactly on this one.  The only changes I made were the colors.  The finished throw measures roughly 48" square and makes a great lap blanket.

We've just redecorated our living room, and I wanted to make some throws and other small pieces to help tie in some of the colors we've kept from the old scheme.  The variegated Red Heart Super Saver yarn in "Autumn" happened to have all of the colors I wanted, and I love the way it turned out.

Oh, and for those of you who aren't already acquainted with Butterscotch, he's one of my daughter's best friends.  A beloved uncle gave Butterscotch to The Princess for Christmas this past December, and he has quickly become an integral part of the family.  The only challenge is getting him to give up my favorite chair so I can crochet comfortably.  ;)


'Til next time,
OCB

Bulky Fiber Necklace: Dark Wash Denim

Hey, y'all!

Here's another color variation on my Bulky Fiber Necklace.  This shade of blue goes fabulously with every pair of jeans in my closet.

I used super-bulky yarn and a plastic Q hook to make this.  Pattern coming soon!


'Til next time,
OCB

E's Sunday Swing Coat

Hey, y'all!

My super-sweet little goddaughter recently turned one, and we had a fabulous time at her birthday party.  I wrestled with myself about what to make her...she has so many toys to play with, and I really wanted to do something special.

Enter the Sunday Swing Coat from the March/April 2013 issue of Crochet Today.  It's a super-cute little number that works up quickly.  I finished the whole thing in two evenings after work.

Here's my version of the coat, worked in Red Heart Fiesta yarn.

I absolutely love Crochet Today.  Out of the three major US crochet periodicals, it is far and away the most relevant to younger crochet artists who like to add a modern twist to their work.  I'd totally recommend it to any of you who are considering a print subscription.

And here's hopin' my sis-in-law sees this post and remembers to take a pic of lovely E wearing her Swing Coat.  With her permission, I'd love to share that with all of you.  ;)


'Til next time,
OCB

Bulky Fiber Necklace: Moss

Hey, y'all!

Here's something I didn't make as a Christmas gift, just to give you a change of pace.  One of my gifts is in the photos, though...how do you like my new model?

This necklace has been crocheted by hand using a P hook and super-bulky acrylic yarn.  It's available in a wide variety of colors, and it makes a perfect accessory for those chilly months when the HVAC systems in our homes and offices can't quite keep up with our needs.

One of the next things on my list is to update my Etsy shop, which has been empty for the last few months.  If you're interested in one of these necklaces, feel free to contact me directly for pricing and options.


'Til next time,
OCB

Massaging Soap Savers

Hey, y'all!

Christmas on a budget is never easy, but I was really excited about these little gifts this year.  I made one for everyone in my office and all the gals in the immediate family.

I originally saw these on Moogly's blog and made them what I thought was loosely based on her pictures.  Turns out all I really changed was the number of bumps on the front side.  For the original pattern from Moogly, click here.

Each soap saver is crocheted by hand using 100% cotton yarn and an H hook.  They're just the right size for a bar of soap, and each one has 15 little massaging bumps on one side.  I used scraps from old projects, and one of the fabulous things about the construction of this is that there is virtually no waste.  Oh, and they cost me nothing in materials, though I did have to buy the soap to put in them.

We use ours at home for old soap chunks...you know, the ones that are too big to throw out but too small to use effectively by themselves?  We're all about reducing waste around here, seeing as how we can never even seem to remember to take our garbage cans out to the street.  :)

'Til next time,
OCB

Bobbles and Cables Bag

Hey, y'all!

Holy poop on toast...Thanksgiving is tomorrow!  I can't believe how the time is flying.

Now, I'm assuming you are familiar with my purse obsession, especially given that about 1/2 of what I've posted on here is purses.  What you may not know is that I love big bags in funky colors.  Oranges, turquoises, hot pinks...for me, no color is taboo when it comes to purses.

Browsing through the local shops earlier this fall, I fell in love with quite a few mustard-colored leather bags.  You know, the ones that feel like butter and cost as much as a car?  Yeah.  Those.

Since I can't exactly justify spending a mortgage payment or two on a bag, I thought I'd raid the ol' stash and buy some new handles.

 

This project also helped me to begin the process of overcoming my fear of sewing.  I've never lined my bags in the past, but I think that's going to change...and soon...based on how well this one turned out.

Whaddaya think?  I may be in love.

Yarn: Caron no-dye-lot one-pound skeins in off-white and mustard yellow (100% acrylic)
Hook: Aluminum M
Handles: Nylon with braided detail from Jo-Ann
Lining: Modified standard pillowcase.  Oh, yes.  I did.
Total Project Cost (if I bought everything full-price and new): about $25-30 plus time



'Til next time,
OCB

Color Block Sweater

Ok, y'all.  This thing has been a work in progress for I-can't-tell-you-how-long.  One night last week, I decided to let it graduate to the next step: a finished project.

I saw the pattern for this sweater in Crochet Me a couple of years back and instantly fell in love.  Parts of it didn't work for me, so I tweaked and full-out changed quite a few things.  The result is this super-cozy, totally-me color block sweater:

For anyone who is interested, I made it with Caron one-pound skeins of no-dye-lot worsted weight acrylic yarn.  All of the stitching is done with an H hook, and there was a hell of a lot of sewing involved...not my favorite.  When I make my next one, I'll be modifying even further to remove that part as much as possible.

But, I gotta say, I had great timing.  The weather here is transitioning into that perfect sweater temperature, so I can see this baby getting a lot of use over the next few months.


'Til next time,
OCB

Holding Myself Accountable

It's Fall, y'all!  My favorite time of the year. 

Somehow, I just can't seem to find the time to finish this sweater I've been wanting for the last couple of years.  I'm really close...seriously, about half a sleeve to go...but I keep finding other things to do with my time.  Go figure.

This is my way of holding myself accountable, I guess.  The next time you see this baby, I'll be wearin' it.  :)

~OCB

E's Baptism Prayer Shawl

In January of this year, our family was blessed with a new addition.  My beloved sis-in-law gave birth to our second niece, E.

The cherry on the sundae?  She asked The Hubbs and me to be godparents.  Before taking part in her baptism ceremony back in March, I stitched up a special baptism prayer shawl for my sweet little goddaughter.

It's all acrylic yarn, and - of course - I don't remember the dimensions.  What I do remember is that I really enjoyed making it.  I really do love this little girl.

A special thanks to my mother-in-law for taking these beautiful pictures.

I'm just so glad Jello and her family are back in the area now.  It sure is nice to see them more often.  :)

Purses in Progress

I know I'm not the only one trying to figure out a more economical solution for round, wooden purse handles...someone out there has to have an idea.  My problem is that the 9" rattan hoops from Jo-Ann Fabrics are so darned expensive; I just can't afford to keep them on hand.

And so, until I come up with a brilliant idea, my completed Super-Fat bags look like this:

Not exactly ideal, but it's working out so far.  I figure I'll stash a few dollars away when I can, and each of these will get handles when I can afford to get them.

In the mean time, does anyone have any brilliant ideas for me?  The hoops I'm buying at the retail store are either $5.99 or $6.99 a set.  I'd love to hear any suggestions you may have.

Short-Sleeved Shruggy Sweater Thing

Mm-hmm.  I'm gettin' all technical on ya with the names, now.  :)

I love cardigans and sweaters of all kinds.  My problem is that I tend to run warm, so here's my solution...at least for the summer months when all I really need is a little something for when the office AC tries to turn me into a girl-sicle.

When I decided what I wanted to do, I visited the ol' Mountain-O-Yarn in the basement and picked out one of my favorite colors of Red Heart Super Saver.  It took about 3 of the 5-oz skeins to complete, and I'm typically a 2X or size 18-20.  In my neck of the woods, that would make the total investment about $9, plus time.
The really cool part?  I already had this yarn from a trade or previous craft store raid, so it was essentially free.  Bonus!

It's really comfy, too.  I think I'm going to end up making another one or two in different colors.

If you want one, you know where to find me.  ;)

Sam the Dragon Amigurumi Prototype

In case you haven't heard, The Hubbs is an aspiring comic strip artist - has been since he was a kid - and he's amazing (and I'm not biased at all).

My very favorite of all of the characters he's created is Sam the Dragon.  Sam was born in 1984 as a way to entertain The Hubbs' little sister, Jello, and he's been drifting in and out of The Hubbs' life ever since.  We are now working as a team to put Sam out there for the whole world to see, and I'm working on a new blog featuring Sam a few times a week.

Naturally, with Sam on the brain, he's managed to seep into my crochet as well.  Here are some (okay, way too many, but I can never choose) pics of the prototype.

I'm ridiculously proud of his fingers, toes and elbows.  They all turned out better than I had hoped, and all on the first try!

Some slight modifications are needed before I'm totally happy with the final product, but this little guy should do nicely as a fourth birthday present for Jello's little girl, K-Bear.  K recently found a book of Sam strips that The Hubbs published about five years ago, and she's been running around the house pretending to be Sam ever since.  Thanks to the wonders of the All-Knowing Internet, this post should be appearing on my blog as we are still at her party.  Here's hoping Sam and K-Bear will be very happy together. 

And if he ever gets lonely, he can always hang with the Totoro I made for her birthday last year.  :)