Beatrice Shrug

The Beatrice Shrug is my latest project. My mom was looking for a stylish way to cover her shoulders in the evening. She found this free pattern online. When looking at the picture and reading through the pattern it seemed like an easy project. I soon realized that there were some mistakes in the pattern that made it a challenge. Not to mention, time consuming, because of all the loose ends that needed to be sewn in from changing colors every 3 rows: one of my Grandma Gidley's favorite things to do, but not one of mine.

I haven't told my mom this, but if I would have been working on this project for myself, I would have quit. I'm glad I didn't because the end product turned out beautiful! Doesn't it look awesome on my mom!

Crochet Rosette

My friends over at The Girls In Grey were the inspiration behind these little creations. I love the rolled fabric hair pieces that they create. I decided it might be fun to make crochet rosettes that resemble their fabric rosettes. I picked a yarn that has sequins so the hair piece has a subtle sparkle. Here's what I came up with last night, an elastic headband, an alligator clip and a 3-

stranded crochet headband.

The pattern is really simple.

Medium Crochet Rosette:

ch 51

Increase the number of chains depending on how big you want the rosette.

Row 1) slip stitch in each ch, ch 1

Row 2) reverse sc in each sc

Tie off leaving a long tail for weaving and sewing.

Roll rosette from the starting point not the long tail. Then weave tail through rosette several times to hold it together.

What do you think? I'm thinking GIVE-AWAY!!!!!!

Carter's 8th Birthday

Carter's 8th birthday party is tomorrow. When I asked him what he wanted on his cake, his reply was, "Captain Underpants!" I printed off a picture of Captain Underpants and sent it to the Confectioneiress. Here's what we picked up today! Isn't it awesome! The bottom layer is chocolate with cookies and cream filling and the top layer is chocolate with raspberry filling. YUMMY! I'm not an expert on cakes, but I will say that Mica's cakes are unbelievable. I can't wait to cut into this one!

You can follow the Confectioneiress on Facebook or her blog. Just click on the links.

Crochet Bodice Dress

My mom was going through her old clothes, gathering stuff to take to Good Will, when she came across an old skirt. She decided we had to come up with a use for the fabric, and I had been kicking around the idea of making Lillian a dress with a crochet bodice and a pleated cotton skirt. I told her my idea, we shared some measurements, and she sent me this picture (she lives 2 hours away so we worked together on this over the phone and by e-mail).

After I saw a picture of the skirt, I went through my yarns and found a perfect match for the orange flowers. Normally, I would not have chosen orange, but I was trying to keep costs down for this dress because we had no idea what we were doing. Here's the finished bodice.

I received the finished skirt from Mom in the mail today, and I couldn't wait to see the finished product. Here's the picture of them pinned together! Perfect fit!! Now for the sewing.

I was nervous about using my sewing machine to join the bodice and skirt (normally I would hand stitch these together). I have to say, it worked like a charm! Here's Lilly modeling her new dress! I thought it turned out pretty cute for costing us next-to-nothing!

Crochet Flower Hair Clips

I'm in love with hair clips for my Lillian. Her hair is just long enough to start accessorizing, so I decided to make some. Don't they look yummy enough to eat!

Here's what you need:

1.75" Alligator Hair Clip

3/8" Ribbon

Hot Glue Gun

Embroidery Floss

Size D Crochet Hook

Felt

Fabric Adhesive

Sew-On Gem

Nylon Thread

Covering the clip with ribbon:

Follow these instructions for covering the alligator clip with the ribbon.

Crochet Flower Pattern:

Rnd 1) Ch 2, sc in 1st ch, ch 3, sc in same st as 1st sc, *ch 3, sc in same st as other sc's*. Repeat 4 more times, so you have 6 ch 3 loops altogether.

Rnd 2) Ch 1, for petals, (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) in each ch sp around. Join with sl st in 1st sc while changing colors if desired.

Rnd 3) Ch 1, holding petals forward, sc around post in between petals on back of rnd 1, ch 3, *sc around post in between petals of next sc on rnd 1, ch 3,* repeat from * around, join to 1st st.

Rnd 4) Ch 1, for petals, (sc, hdc, 3dc's, hdc, sc) in each ch sp around, join to 1st sc while changing colors if desired.

Rnd 5) Ch1, holding petals forward, sc around post in between petals on back of rnd 3, ch 4, *sc around post in between petals of next sc on rnd 3, ch 4* repeat from * around, join to 1st st.

Rnd 6) Ch 1 for petals, (sc, hdc, 5dc's, hdc, sc) in each ch sp around, join to 1st sc. Fasten off and tie knots with loose ends.

Sew on gem with nylon thread

Applying the flower to the clip:

Cut a half dollor size piece of felt and use fabric glue to fix this piece to the back of the flower, hiding all the knots and loose ends.

Use the fabric glue to fix the flower onto the ribbon-covered hair clip.

Here's Lilly modeling hers!

Mommy Time

After the birth of my daughter, I felt the need to focus less on baby dresses and more on a dress for myself. My daughter was born in January 2010 and we were invited to a wedding that would take place in New York in May. I only had a few months to come up with something. In the past, I had made a few articles of clothing for myself but I had never tackled anything quite like I was about to.

I began the search for the perfect dress pattern. I found an elegant, trendsetting, yet traditional lace dress at http://www.interweavestore.com/Crochet/Patterns/Lace-Dress.html.

The dress looks intricate but is actually made up of very basic crochet stitches worked in horizontal bands. The tricky part was finding the perfect yarn. I chose Vanna's Glamour yarn because it has a little bit of sparkle and stretch, not to mention it is very reasonable priced!

I started the dress in March and finished it sometime in April. Here's me modeling my dress. I can't tell you how fun it is to wear something that you put a lot of love into. I will definitely take on a challenge like this again!

Newsboy Cap With Zipper Flower

After I posted the Lilly Cap on my Facebook Store I had lots of requests for an adult newsboy cap. Here's what I found in CrocheTrends etsy shop.

I like this cap with its ribbed body and accent color in the band. But what I love about this hat is the zipper flower! I can think of so many cool projects to add one of these to: headbands, bracelets, necklaces, pendants. Its a never ending list! The tutorial that came with this pattern is a little confusing. Here's a link to a video tutorial that is much easier to follow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WMz7j5eH8Q.

I can't wait to get started on this hat. It will be for sale soon! Good luck to all of you who are brave enough to try the zipper flower ;-)

Newsies!

Who doesn't like a kid in a cute newsboy cap? This is my favorite picture of Carter, my oldest son, wearing his when he was 3. Lately, I have seen so many fabulous patterns for newsboy caps, not just for kids but for adults too. Today, I'm going to focus on those little men in our lives. You know who I'm talking about. The ones that run around your house in their underwear with no modesty. They can't seem to hit the toilet, pick up their toys or talk in a quiet voice, but they sure do know how to melt this mamas heart!

It seems that everyone around me that is pregnant is expecting a little boy. I'll be honest crochet gifts for little boys are difficult. In the past, I have made blankets and newborn beanies, which are great gifts, but I think adding a trendy newsboy cap would be fun. I found a couple patterns at http://www.etsy.com/shop/adrienneengar?ref=seller_info that I'm going to try. I can't wait to see these on my friends' little guys!

A Teacher's Gift

My oldest son, Carter, has the best teacher this year. Her name is Mrs. Thomas. I have never met a teacher with more enthusiasm and love for the kids in her class. Carter wakes up on Saturday mornings and is disappointed because he doesn't get to go to school. When I visit the classroom, I don't want to leave either! There is something magnetic about her teaching style. The way she talks to the kids puts a smile on my face and makes me feel happy inside. Because Mrs. Thomas has a special place in Carter's heart, I wanted to make her something memorable for Christmas. I found this pattern in the October issue of Crochet Today. You can also find it at http://www.crochettoday.com/crochet-patterns/book-bag-apple-cozy.

I lined the inside of the bag and handles with a coordinating fabric. Then Carter and I went shopping for teaching supplies. He had a ball picking out stickers, pens, post-its and fancy paper clips. He would have bought Mrs. Thomas the entire store if he could have. He is my gift giver!

This project is very similar to the owl hats only upside down. I'm thinking the owl hats would make super cute bags also. They would be a lot smaller and fun for younger ones to carry library books or coloring supplies in. I think I'm on to something!

Dresses On The Brain!

It's hard for me to admit, but after having two boys, I had my heart set on a baby girl. Third time's a charm, right!? In my head I was thinking, "hopfully there won't have to be a 4th." Yes, I was willing to go that far for a girl. Don't get me wrong, I would have been excited and happy even if it was a boy. But that moment, when the ultrasound tech told us she was 100% sure we were going to have a girl, my heart skipped a beat. The thoughts of a mother-daughter relationship started taking over my brain. Not to mention all the dresses, bows and baby dolls. After finding out Lillian was on the way, my obsession with crochet took another turn. I could not stop crocheting baby dresses, hats, shoes........ you name it, I was making it! Even a mobile with crocheted birds to hang from her canopy!

I found the pattern for these 3 dresses at http://www.crochetgarden.com/. This website is a great source if you're looking for a little girl dress pattern. The middle one was Lillian's Easter dress last year. The great thing about this pattern is that the straps extend and she can still wear it today! I'm working on another purple one right now for my niece's 1st birthday. These baby dresses are my all time favorite gift to give! Okay, so who's having a girl?!

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!

UNCLE!!!!!! I don't know about you but I have had enough of this brutal Indiana winter. I'm looking forward to next weeks weather forecast! I know just like all the other winters past that we will have a brief warm-up and melt-down and then just when you think spring has arrived another cold spell with 8 inches of snow will arrive. YUCK! The closer March gets the more giddy I become about spring flowers, green grass and Easter. With that being said here's a picture of a few hats I have had my eye on for projects in the near future.

Once again I found these on Etsy. These patterns were written by Adrienne Engar. I absolutely love the bright, springy colors in these hats. And the flowers and bows bring it all together. I can't wait to get started!!!

Crochet Obsession!

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Stacy. I am a 32 year mother of 3 and the wife of a fabulous man for almost 10 years. Before there were kids in our lives my husband and I lived in Bloomington, Indiana. He was starting his first 2 years of medical school there. Without kids and without family nearby, I had lots of time on my hands. I always wanted to learn to crochet. My grandmother was an expert knitter and crocheter. I decided to surprise her by taking lessons in a little yarn store downtown. 9 years later, I am still passionate about crocheting. In fact, if you ask my husband, he would say that I am obsessed!

I have written a few of my own patterns, but mostly I find my patterns online. My favorite spots to look are http://www.ravelry.com/, http://www.etsy.com/, http://www.crochettoday.com/ and http://www.interweavecrochet.com/. Here's a picture of my latest project.

Love these owl hats, inspired by Miriah Gilbert's "What-A-Hoot Owl pattern, that I bought on etsy. Of course, I had to change the pattern a little. I don't think I've ever followed a pattern exactly. I love to change them so they fit just perfect. Here's a couple pictures of my youngest son and baby girl wearing theirs. I'll take one of those in an adult size please!