Baby Boy Hats

I was contacted on Facebook a while back by an online friend who wanted to get a couple cute hats for her first baby boy. She sent me pictures wondering if I could replicate them - I had a pattern for the little newsboy, but I had a blast figuring out the owl! I've since made a couple more and they're always a big hit!

Large Anya Doily Throw

I can't get enough of all things lacy and airy lately! I loved the first doily blanket I made, but it was kinda small. So I had to make another one that's big enough to snuggle with  - I used a much bigger hook than was called for in the pattern, and that did the trick! I didn't even have to add any extra rounds. This pattern is Anya from ohmygoodknits! Lace Love booklet.

Coral and Aqua

This afghan is probably my favorite so far. The colors just scream summer to me - I wish I could get them to translate well in a picture, but it didn't quite work out. Anyway, you can find zig-zag and ripple patterns all over the internet for free. I have made a few now - they're so easy, they make a great TV-watching project. I only wish I would have made this one a bit wider. 

Happy Fourth!

I never would have believed it, but summer has been much more hectic than the school year was! It's been quite an adjustment, having both my daughter and husband home all the time, when I'm used to being on my own all day!  I've been busy creating, I just haven't been so good at taking pictures and blogging. I'm working on it, though!

I didn't even think of doing any decorations for the Fourth of July until last week - I had already done a summer wreath for the front door, and didn't really think of changing it out till fall. But then I was cleaning out my bag and found this pattern for the Star Blanket from Bernat that I'd picked up at Hobby Lobby. I just love all those free patterns at craft stores! I had some red, white, and blue yarn sitting on the table from a previous project, and inspiration struck.

Now, the pattern is for a baby blanket, so I've just continued working in the pattern to make it bigger. In fact, at the point I took this picture I still wasn't quite done with it. I like big blankets to snuggle with! I love the star shape, it's somehing new and unique. I think it'll be great for baby blankets, as well.

I came up with the idea of making a star garland before I was finished with the blanket. I used the beginning rounds of the Star Blanket for the background star, and another pattern from a Red Heart afghan (Stars & Stripes Ripple Throw) for the stars on top. The pennants and letters I kind of made up as I went along, and sewed them all to a chain crocheted holding three strands of yarn together.

I did finally finish a wreath, but I don't love it so I didn't photograph it. I'll work on it some more and it'll be fabulous for next year!

Easter Lovelies

The awesome find of this lovely Easter dress for $6 at a local thrift store called for something to make it a bit more special - and so that my dress-loving girly could wear it to school. Since it's sleeveless, she just needed a bit of a cover-up. I bought three skeins of Caron Simply Soft in a peach color and got to work after finding the formula for a seamless top-down cardigan online. It was a surprisingly quick knit, since I made it short-sleeved and cropped so it hit at the same point as the empire waist on her dress, and it took less than one skein of yarn - which means this sweater cost less than $3! I couldn't believe it! I'll definitely be making more.


Because I had two full skeins of yarn left, I decided to make her 18-inch doll a matching outfit. The dress was very simple, using the top-down seamless formula for crochet on the top, but putting the opening in the back. Then I increased for the skirt to make it fuller and kind of ripply. And as soon as Averie saw the sunhats I made for my grandmas, she wanted one, too. So a peach hat with peach rose completes her Easter ensemble.



(Pictures taken in front of my brother- and sister-in-law's gorgeous new house in Phoenix, where we spent Easter this year. Thanks for your hospitality! We love you guys!)

A New Treasure

I have the best mother-in-law a girl could have! She and my father-in-law made the trip up north this weekend to visit the bird refuge with us, and if that wasn't enough she brought me this gem she'd found at a thrift store.


Any guesses? It doesn't look like much, and it's obviously VERY dated. I didn't even know something like this existed. It's a knitting footstool! The top opens up so you can store your knitting supplies in it!

I was so excited when she told me what it was! It fits all my various sets of knitting and crochet needles, as well as my various notions. I figured eventually I'd re-cover it, but didn't plan on it anytime soon. Then I found some gorgeous, cheap printed canvas at Walmart (2.50 a yard!), and raced home to "git er done." Lots of staples, hot glue, and just a little while later, I had this beauty.


I wrapped the fabric around the bottom, so I didn't need any trim there, but I did need a trim to cover my staples at the top. I didn't feel like going out to the store and spending more money, so I grabbed some cotton yarn from my stash and crocheted a quick trim which then got hot glued on. And voila, a custom, cute knitting footstool. I love it!!!

Grandma Birthday Hats

I recently came across a cute pattern for crochet sunhats, and the first thing I did was make one for each of my grandmas for their birthdays! This is my sweet Grandma Rae in her hat, done in white with a green band (her favorite color), and with a peach rose.

This is my fun Oma, whose hat is red with a purple band and bow for Red Hat Society. She wore it to their monthly function this past week and I now have an order for another for one of her friends. :)