Craft Fair Is Over

WHEW!

I finally participated in my very first craft fair and while it was tiring it was very good and I learned so much and gained that initial experience. God is definitely good to help me out through this.

I did manage to get a few photos (not many, unfortunately) and while there were some hiccups it was a grand day. I'll try to post some more about my projects I sold and the fair itself later.

Thank you for your patience with this blog as I have been so busy preparing for that fair and just life itself. :)

Always,
Tamara

Dressing It Up without Costing a Fortune! - Stash busting alert!

Here's a recently finished project for the home that was desperately needed. Realized I didn't get it up when finished (just got back into blog--hooray) and so it's a little faded from washings.

My counters are about 30 years old and showing it, but Darling Groom and I are working to pay off debt and agree that right now renovations are not in the budget. It's okay, crochet hook tot he rescue! Anyway, if you have some cotton yarn (balls or cone) this is a great project to use that up!

Kitchen Counter Mat

~ Cone of cotton yarn (or quite a few balls). I believe this yarn is Peaches 'n' Cream
~ Size H or I hook
~ Stiches used - ch, hdc, sl st

(Since your counter space might not be the same, I won't write this out in traditional pattern speak, but will tell you what I did, you can adjust as needed for your space.)

I chained 99 then turned. In second chain from hook I made half-double crochet (hdc), in the next ch I slip stitched. I alternated these two stitches all the way across. At the end of the row, I chained one then turned and repeated (beginning in first stitch with hdc). For the top piece, I don't remember how many I chained in, but you can see, I stopped mid-row, and began a new row to make that little top piece to fit around the jars. NOTE: If you do this alternating pattern, use odd number starting point on your chain, like mine was 99. That way, you always start each row with hdc and end on a slip stitch. (end of row chain does not count)

I really like this pattern because the alternating stitches have a great texture--especially for kitchen use like this mat or dish cloths. It's so easy to do and looks neat.

Here's another example, of the mat I made for the top of the microwave to dress it up too!


You can see the pattern really well in this pic. For the finish on this mat, I went around in single crochet all around, then did a second round of picot stitches to dress the edges up a bit easier.

So, as you can see, while money may be tight, I was able to make the kitchen a little more comfy and dress it up a bit without breaking the budget. In fact, since then, our local Walmart had a yarn clearance sale and I was blessed enough to get another cone of matching yarn for $2!! I'm hoping to make another counter mat (this one without the top piece) so that if I don't get this one in the wash ASAP we'll be okay, lol.

Craft On!

S~N~O~W Day!

Officer Safety and the children are all tucked in their beds, the snow is gently falling outside and here I sit, unable to sleep. What a great time to blog!

Today will be a snow day and with hubby home I don't expect to get much accomplished even though my to-do list is as long as my arm. Maybe it's the SAH/Homeschooling Mommy in me, but when Daddy is home I just want to spend time with him.

That said, I'd like to work on some projects leftover from 2010 and also see if I can find the beige yarn I just know I purchased, though it could have been a dream--yes, I dream of yarn. Anyway, I'm in middle of working a really beautiful granny square but a) I need to rewrite the pattern to understand and b) need the beige yarn to finish it.

Until I can get to it though, here's a darling little crocheted flower I whipped up this weekend to attach to my dd's earwarmer. You can find the pattern at SkaMama's Bone Hook. It is layered and uses picot on one of the layers, adding some neat texture with the flower. My dd liked that the white layer is striped through the center of the black flower (I did too!).

This particular flower had a boo-boo that I think I like--the white flower has six petals (it was only supposed to have five). I used Caron SS yarn for both shades (off white and black) and a size "G" hook. I'd say it's about 3" in diameter (petal tip to petal tip).

I have another one in peach that I hope to get up for you this week (along with the necklace it was created for).

Well, maybe should try to get a nap in before they all wake up. Enjoy your day and don't forget to CRAFT ON!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star...how I wonder what you are.

This darling little dishcloth is not up in the sky, it can be found right here on earth--in my kitchen to be precise. It's the January CAL (crochet-a-long) with one of my groups on Ravelry. The star is a free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn (you do need to register with their website but it is also free).

The pattern name is Sylvan Star and has a skill level of "easy".

The Basics:

Used a size "G" hook (US), and about 1/2 skein of I Love This Cotton! yarn (from Hobby Lobby) in Woods Print.

I really liked how quickly it worked up and the final look. With the "G" hook, it comes to 9.5 inches from point to point (top to bottom), more than adequate to swipe a counter or clean a plate. I'm adding this pattern to my "need a gift quick!" file.

As for this particular dishcloth, well, it's in my kitchen right now, ready to work. Let's face it, nothing can make washing the dishes perfect for you, but at least you can have some fun while you work!

Craft on!

Tam

Happy New Year!

Well, it's 2011 and we still don't have flying cars or transporters (at least not that the government has told us about) but we thankfully still have crafts! :)

It's been a long time since I've kept a craft blog, so bear with me as sporadic messages come forth. I hope to have at least one a week, depending on what projects are being worked on. In fact, hoping to get some new posts up tomorrow with photos of some projects I've been working on.

Until then, craft on!
Tam