Tea kettle cozy

Ww yarn and "J" hook

Ch 3, sl st, 2 sc in each ch-6sc. Use stitch  marker to track rnds

1. Odd: 2 sc in each -12 sc
2. Even:  sc around
3. 2 sc in each -24 sts

Cont. in pattern for 8 rnds  (end with sc rnds)

9-11: sc -48 sts at end of end 11

12: sc in next 5, 2 sc in next, rep

13: sc in next 3, 2 sc in next, rep around.

14: sc around, sl st in first-70 sts for bottom

Begin upper:

15: ch 3, dc in each st

16: sc in next 3, dec  in next, rep around. -56

17-22: sc around, do not join

Row 23: In last st of previous rnd, ch 1 turn, s to 5th st from rnd marker, ch 1 turn leaving 5 sts unworked

24:sc around, ch 1 turn

25: sc in next 8, dec, rep around, ch 1 turn

26: sc in next 3, dec, rep around. Ch 1 turn

27-29:ch1, turn,  sc around

30: do not ch1, do not turn. sc down side of spout opening- 6 sc down side, 5 across lower, 6 side, sl st in next 2. Ch 2, hdc in 2nd sc from hk,*ch 1, sl 1 st hdc* around. Sl st in next sc,

31: ch 1 sk sl st. Sc across

Fasten off.

Crocheted Cookie Monster

With worsted weight yarn, I used Caron simply soft. I am unsure how much I used however it was less than half of the skein.
Size "F" hook

Make 4: Ch 2, 6 sc in first st. 

R1: 2 sc in each st around, 12 sc 

Sc around for 10 rnds, at end of rnd 10 sl st to 1st sc. (Leave long tail on 2 arms for sewing) 

When you have 2 legs, do not fasten off 2nd leg. Move marker, Cont. onto leg 1 with sc in same st as sl st. Sc around, 24 sts. 

Next rnd: sc 

Body inc rnd: 2 sc in marker st, 1 sc in next 4, 2 sc in next 3, 1 sc in next 4, 2 sc in next, 1 sc in next 4, 2 sc in next 3, 1 sc in next 4 -32 sts 

Sc for 10 rnds 

Neck shaping: dec, 1 sc in next 2 around -24 sts 

Neck shaping rnd 2: dec around -12 sts 

Head: 

Rnd 1: 2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc; rep from around - 18 sc. 

Rnd 2: 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc; rep from around - 24 sc. 

Rnd 3: 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc; rep from around - 30 sc. 

Rnd 4: 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc; rep from around - 36 sc. 

Rnd 7-11: sc around 

Rnd 12: Sc2tog, sc in next 4 sc; rep from around - 30 sc. 

Rnd 15: (Sc2tog) around - 6 sc. 

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Weave tail through last rnd and gather tightly. Knot to secure. 

Stuff and sew arms to body. 

Eyes: 

With black and magic ring: sc 4 in ring, pull tight- 

R2: 2 sc in each st around, sl st in first, fasten off 

R3: join white in same st as sl st. 2 sc in first, sc in next around 

R4: 2 sc in first, sc in next 2 around 

R5: dec in first, sc in next 2 around 

R6: dec in first, sc in next around 

R7: Dec around. Fasten off leaving long tail. Weave tail in and out of sts and pull tight. Then use the tails to see eyes in place on head 

Mouth: 

R1: ch9, sc in 2nd and across 

R2: ch 1, turn, dec, sc in next 4, dec 

R3: ch 1, turn, dec, sc in next 3, dec. fasten off leaving long tail. 

Sew arms, eyes, and mouth into place. Sew small hole closed between legs also.

Recent projects

Well although it has been almost 4 months since my last post... I don't have much to share with you. This year has been really busy... It is my last semester for my undergrad (Bachelor's) degree and I am trying to stay on top of assignments as best as possible.
Today I made a hanging closet organizer for my Miche bag shells... Miche sells them, but why buy one when you can make one? I'm sure there are plent more uses that can be thought of for it.. Such as diaper organization, small toys, or something else?
 Well that is what I did today. Yesterday I learned fair isle knitting and made my first fair isle project, a knitted mug cozy (yes I have one of those already, but I needed an excuse to try fair isle). It wasn't all that difficult once I got into the groove. I also have a couple more things I'd like to share... I dressed up this wipe case using material, ribbon, jewels, and a hot glue gun. I found the tutorial on Make it and Love it! (You can find a link to her page on the right --->)

Queen quilt complete!

Well it has been typical of me to drop off the grid for a little while... And I have been in that phase lately. I've been wrapped up with school work, but you know I still get my thread on! So here's a glimpse of some of the things I have been working on.
I finally got my quilt together and finished, this is the first one I went all the way through with from piecing to backing, batting, and quilting it. I free-motion quilted it, it took an entire 500 meters of thread! I have also been teaching knitting classes off and on, I started a pair of hand warmers while doing an open house this past week. Today I made a pair of his and hers pillows that match the quilt... I had some leftover material.

Quilting time!

Well I thought my last post was going to be it for this year, but we all know you can't predict when inspirations and creativity will strike. So anyway... You remember my crochet o'clock, idea/pattern curtosy of "according to Matt..." Well introducing Quilt o'clock!
First I'd like to note that I did not use batting. Just like crochet o'clock, I used a piece of cardboard and my glue gun (2 things I love to use!) then I went through my scrap stash and pulled out some strips of fabric that fit across it, I sewed the, and pressed just like any quilt piecing then I sewed the vertical side blocks. After that I appliqués this block to a background material (old sheet, love that too). Finally I quilted the block to say "quilting time," though time is hard to see since I didn't have a good contrasting colored thread for that material. Now the quilting part is done and on to the assembly part. I glued the excess background material to he back of my cardboard then I cut a hole in the center of the clock for the mechanism. Now proceed to follow the mechanism instructions to put it together. After the mechanism is together I turned the dial each time to figure out where the numbers should go. The next step was crucial to the clock.... You must glue the clock mechanism to the clock. Then glue all numbers in their respective positions. And that's it! Nothin to it.

Happy threading!

Last hoo-rah! (of 2012)

°Today I have something new To show you, and a few patterns to share. As apart of my final crafting for Christmas I made an elf hat, complete with a pom-pom on top. The best part I learned that pom-poms can be made without a pom-pom maker, Previously I have used a cardboard method tonight I learned something new. Pom-poms can also be made by wrapping yarn around index and middle finger several times, not too tightly, You want to be able to open your fingers so that you may tie a string around the center. Once the string has been tied very tightly, the yarn  can be slipped off the fingers and the loops are snipped to create the pom-pom look. Give it a little shake to make it look messy and you're done! °Both of the hats' Pom-poms were made that way.. The other method for making pom-pom sister to cut out to circles of cardboard with holes in the middle. You want them to be fairly small because most pom-poms are going to be huge anyway, To use this technique you would want to wrap the yarn all the way around the cardboard covering it completely. Then continue with the next step by tying some yarn around the outside towards the middle then cut the loops off the outside of the cardboard.
°My next project I'd like to share with you requires no yarn and no sewing. °Simply cut out a ring from cardboard and cut a Strip of wrapping paper. Glue the back of the wrapping paper to the back of every then wrap the wrapping paper around from the middle to the outside in a continuous spiral around the wreath. If you need more wrapping paper cut more strips the strip should be about 3 inches wide. Remember to clear the ends down on the back of the wreath.This wreath can also be made using yarn.
° I almost forgot about my snowman. He is as easy as spreading peanut butter! I say peanut butter because his whole body is made out of a peanut butter jar covered with a sock. You Empty and clean the peanut butter jar then you get an old sock put the sock over the jar and cut the toes off, You could glue the sock to the jar if you want to but it's not necessary. I used a hairband to keep the sock on the jar. Then cut out some eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and glue them to the sock (we added a hat, you could make a scarf). We used felt for the face. And the snowman is as easy as that!
° My final project I would like to share with  you is a pattern for my awareness ribbon quilt. I made mine using 3 inch squares, some of the squares were cut diagonally to create two triangles and thus sewn together, the rectangles are 3" x 9".
Happy crafting!!

Quilting updates, plus more!

Well I wanted to assure anyone out there that I have not dropped off the map. In fact I have been crafting just as much as ever, I'm just a little discouraged with keeping this blog. If anyone out there is interested in any of my works I finally have an update from that Sept. 13th post about the quilt in progress.... I finally finished that quilt at the beginning of this month!
More recently I have been working on christmas gifts and decorations. I also have a special little project to share... A pair of knitted socks with pink ribbons on them. The ribbons were knitted on the top so the wearer can easily hide the ribbons in shoes if they so wish, while keeping feet warm and comfy. Instead of binding off I single crocheted (sc) all the stitches off the needles so they would be stretchy but hold their shape and not become droopy. And now that you've seen most of my completed projects... This is what I'm working on now. My next quilt is a teal ribbon, hopefully it's going to be a queen size.