Jen's Craft Blog

Yes, I am still alive!

2009-03-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been about a year since I last posted on here. I don't know how much I'll be posting from now on, but I just wanted to update you all on some things!!

The Toy Archive is gone. Please don't send me messages asking about it; nobody offered to take over for me, and I needed to take if off of my server for space reasons; you can still find the free patterns at some of the other archive pages, and you can search places like Etsy to find the ones that are for sale.
In June of last year we moved and got a dachshund puppy!!
I got laid off in October, and have yet to find a job - full or part time. For a few months I tried getting my jewelry business going, but discovered that I hated a lot about it, including the whole business side of it, and also the whole feeling-like-a-factory-worker thing when you have to make multiples of the same thing over-and-over again; I still make and sell some things, but I'm not aiming towards it as a goal to live off of it anymore.
Because of the previous item, I did a lot of soul-searching and decided to go back to school for Graphic Design!! I started the beginning of January, and am enjoying it immensely!! You can see some of what I've been doing at this link.

I'm not doing a whole lot of knitting or crocheting lately, but I am getting close to being finished with the Sampler Afghan finally!!!

Colts Pillow Charts

2008-03-22T06:03:00.001-07:00

Just so I have a place that these are posted, because people ask for them a lot, here are the charts for the Colts pillows:

sigh

2007-10-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in a long time, and I know the toy site is really out of date. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that, actually. I'm graduated and have a real job now, and don't really have time for it - and it feels like a chore now. Someone could take it over if they want. They'd have to move it to their own web domain, as it couldn't stay on mine, but let me know if you're interested and we can work something out. I'm just so tired... And my time is so full of so many other things now. I barely even have time to knit and crochet, much less make a website about it!

I'm on Ravelry now!! My username is Aglaranna; add me to your friends list if you're on there, too! I hate that I finally got my invite DURING the first week of my new job, tho, lol, so now I don't have much time for it! I'm slowly getting stuff in there. I've got my past projects all put in now. Slowly working on my needle/hook list, and planning on doing my stash at some point.

I am working on some things. I've started my Christmas projects this week.

I HAVE been knitting/crocheting once a week, tho. I started a new knitting & crochet group! I'd been trying to find a good one down here so I could meet new people (I can't remember if I mentioned it in past posts - we moved to Indy in June), and I got so frustrated with finding stuff on my side of town that I just made my own.

Hope you're all having a good weekend!!

Creative Limits (or Horizons)

2007-08-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

Stole this from Ladylinolem's blog. I won't tag anybody, but you can steal it, too, if you like!

1. I have no interest in the following activities:
basketry (I had a bit of interest as a kid, but not anymore), participating in choirs (horrible stage fright), pottery (have done it, but it's just not my thing; I like to look at it, tho; this and this guys' works are awesome!), ice sculpture, spinning, hand-felting, lace making, wood carving/woodworking (again, not my thing, but neat to see other peoples' work!), leather working, marquetry, doll-making, play writing, acting, public speaking, welding/steel sculpture (hated doing this stuff in school...), large sculpture making of any kind, upholstery, flower arranging, mask making (tho this artist's masks are amazing!), digital collage, video game design, beading (did some as a kid, tho)

2. Would love to try these things:
tapestry weaving (have done some basic weaving), artistic/applique quilting, glassblowing (maybe, but it looks pretty scary to me), stained-glass, Precious Metal Clay, dying, batiking, carved candles, making my own cabachons (too scared to try faceted stones, tho!), Flash animation (if only I could figure out the stupid program, argh!), photography

3. I do or have dabbled in these things:
embroidery (I stink at it), weaving (floor loom), tatting (failed miserably), stamping & scrapbooking, sewing, painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor), serigraphy (artistic screenprinting), lithography, other printmaking techniques (intaglio, woodcut, monoprinting, etc.), chainmaille, felting (the kind where you make something out of wool yarn and throw it in the washing machine), latch hooking, origami, bookmaking, baking, cake decorating (would love to do more), graphic design, writing, Scherenschnitte, Celtic knotwork (at one point this would have been under #4; still up there, but I had to cut it off somewhere, and I don't do it much anymore), digital painting, one-stroke decorative painting (yes, I know... in highschool I had a connection with a basketmaker, where I painted on the baskets they made and sold)

4. Love it! These are my things:
jewelry making and metalsmithing (fabrication, lost wax casting, enameling, wire-working, chain making, etc.; not beaded jewelry - that isn't my thing), drawing, crochet, knitting, cross-stitch

I'm sure I forgot something. I'm always on the lookout for something new to try! :-) Sometimes I discover I hate it, sometimes I find something new that I love! But hopefully this tells you a little bit more about me!

Another Sock Monkey!!

2007-07-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made this bag to go with the sock monkey set:

I got the idea from a bag I saw on the internet, and modified this pattern to make it: Jewel Box Drawstring Bag

If I made another drawstring bag, tho, I would do the drawstrings a different way; to close this one you can't just pull it shut - you have to fiddle with it until it closes... Oh well!

The baby shower was today, so I got to give my sis-in-law the set! She loved it!! :-D

Charity Items

2007-07-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

I've been making some things for preemies; there's a woman collecting knit & crochet blankets, hats, & booties for preemies for the March of Dimes - they're for care packages they give to the mothers. Here are a few things I've made so far:

One blankets, some hats, and a couple pairs of booties.

Close-up of one of the hats and the white booties.

I thought that hat pattern was just adorable when I found it online! The first pair of booties I made (the pink ones) I think are too big for preemies; I had to change yarn and hook size to make them small enough. I'm going to be making more; I've started a second blanket (it's granny-square style this time). It's a great use for the massive amount of yarn I have sitting around that I don't know what to do with.

Patterns I Used:

Baby's Round Ripple Afghan
Loving Hugs Preemie Booties (this link is to a PDF file)
Sweetheart Roses Preemie Cap

Sock Monkeys!!

2007-07-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

I made the sock monkey set from the Happy Hooker book for my sister-in-law as a baby shower gift. Her and my brother-in-law are obsessed with monkeys :-)

Close-up:

For the matching sweater I used this pattern.

Also, I'm working on re-doing the toy archive website so it's easier for me to update. The new format will also allow you guys to search it!! Not sure how much longer it will be until it's up and running, but wanted to give you all a heads up! :-D

Crocheting Again!

2007-07-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well I got back into crochet this week!!! I've been crazy bored. A couple of weeks ago we moved to Indy. Donovan started his "real" job, I switched jobs within the transcription company I work for at home, and I'm stuck home all day. I've been trying to find a knitting/crochet group in the area, and found a couple of possibilities that I'm going to check out. I need to meet people!!!

So anyways, I finally finished my dad's Chicago Bears pillow as a late Father's Day present for him!!

The flash kind of washed out the blue, but yeah. I think it turned out pretty nice!! :-D

Oh, and I made myself a new username over at deviantArt just for my craft stuff!! Click HERE to see it. :-)

I am also making the sock monkey inspired baby blanket & hat set from Happy Hooker!!! I also found a baby sweater pattern online and made one to match the set! I'm going to be an AUNT this fall!! My brother & sister-in-law like monkeys, so I thought it would be a perfect present. :-D

Jewelry Blog!!

2007-05-18T14:49:00.001-07:00

I decided to set up a jewelry blog, to post about my pieces I am working on, and show in-progress photos and info. Check it out; I did some sketches today and posted them up:

Jen's Jewelry Blog

Websites!!!

2007-04-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

First, I have a new jewelry portfolio website:

JMW Jewelry

I will be graduating in less than a month, and then it's off into the real world where I have to try to make money selling my work!!

Also, Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive has a new web address:

Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive

For now it's a sub-folder of my portfolio; I had to move it because, since I'll be graduating, the site it's on now will be erased!!

I also added lots of new crochet patterns, as well as a few knit ones, today!!

Updated Site, Etc.

2007-02-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I updated Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive over the weekend and added TONS of new links to patterns, plus went through and took out all of the broken links and fixed some things. PLEASE do not e-mail me asking what happened to a pattern and if I can give it to you; I only archive links, I don't keep copies of everything that I link to, so I can't help if it's gone.

Found this adorable pattern while I was updating the site and am going to have to make some cuz they're just so darn cute:

Miniature Bear Rugs!!!

I'm almost finished with the Exchange Bag I posted about in my last post, and I'm onto my second piece for the cabled blanket!!!

Scarf Finished & Other Projects!!

2007-02-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

I finished my cabled scarf last week, and I love it! I've been wearing it every day :-)

I was taking quick pictures, so please excuse the sucky focus, but here's a close-up of the cabling:

I've started working on a cabled blanket that is on the cover of the book Cables Untangled:

Who knows how long it will take me to finish it, but I think it's gorgeous :-) I'm doing it in a kind of dusky green color:

I'm also working on the Exchange Bag from the book Happy Hooker:

I pretty much just have to do the handles now! :-)

What do you guys think of my new blog layout? I'm gonna try to put some of the extra info stuff that was on here before up somewhere, but I have to have time to fiddle with it first, lol...

Weaving & Knitting!!

2006-12-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

So for my second weaving class, on Twill, I made a scarf for my mom for Christmas:

Close-Up:

Close-Up #2 (this one isn't very true to the color; the last two are):

I designed the pattern myself on some software that my teacher had :-)

I also decided to re-teach myself knitting over break, because I love cables. I've been working on a cabled scarf. Here it is so far (picture quality isn't great, sorry):

I got the books Happy Hooker & Stitch 'N Bitch, and got the book Cables Untangled, which is where the scarf pattern is from. It has some awesome cabled patterns in it, as well as a dictionary of cable patterns!!!

Hope you are all having a great holiday season!!

New Pillow Pattern - Fighting Illini!!!

2006-10-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well I have been overcome by the desire to do crochet, despite my problems with my neck/shoulder. I decided to design a Fighting Illini pillow (like the Packers & Colts pillows I have already made) to make for my father for his birthday (it's his college team). The pattern is now posted at my pattern page:

My Pattern Page

I also have designed graphs for a Chicago Bears pillow, which will be posted once I make it.

Weaving!

2006-10-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

That's right, I have picked up a NEW craft! Weaving!!! I'm taking classes with a woman who has a weaving shop in the front half of her house :) I've already finished the beginner's class, and will be starting one in Twill soon! My first project was 4 placemats. I ended up making 2 sets of 2 placemats, to try out a little different technique. Here's pictures of them (I still have to wash them, so they'll shrink a bit & the weave will tighten up some):

Here's a close-up of the second set's detail:

It's still a plain weave, just over 2/under 2. I loved the different look, tho! The first ones look really boring to me now, haha!

Still in pain...

2006-06-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry not much updating... The neck/shoulder thing is still in the process of (hopefully) being resolved, so still no crochet for me... I also haven't been sewing much, just because of lack of time & been busy doing other things instead. I did start a pair of pants, but I have since discovered that I sewed them together wrong and have to rip a large part of it apart... FUN!!! lol...

I'm going to try to update Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive again soon. It's becoming harder for me to find new patterns to add, so it would really be appreciated if any of you know of any links I don't have that you would let me know! Plus I don't always have time to just browse thru the knitting & crochet forums, especially since it makes me sad that I can't make things right now!!

2006-06-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, so, I finally got back to sewing a little bit! My husband's cousin is graduating from highschool this month, so I made her a bag/purse as a present:

Not sure why my camera left a streak across the top... It's a cruddy camera. Some day I hope to be able to buy a nice one!

It was a Simplicity "It's So Easy It's Simplicity" pattern, #4625:

JMW Art Updated!

2006-05-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd let you all know that I updated my art portfolio website, JMW Art, in the last few days! You can see 6 new Metals pieces there.

Since I don't have a section for it on my website yet, to view my pieces from my Bookmaking class (there are five) you will have to see them at my Deviant Art site. My metals pieces are there as well, and you can leave comments on my pieces at that site!

Baby Romper Dress!

2006-04-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

I finished a baby dress for Elizabeth (my cousin's daughter)! And let me tell you, it was a pain, because I had never sewn in a zipper before... BUT it turned out really cute! Here's a pic, although it didn't turn out that great. You can barely see the collar. But I'm so excited with it's cuteness.

It's a little romper dress, so it had the "shorts" attached underneath the skirt. I also had to deal with elastic, lol, but it wasn't too bad.

The pattern I used is this one: (Simplicity, #5115)

2006-04-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

I finished my first shirt!!!! Unfortunately our camera is being dumb, so the pics are kinda fuzzy. And excuse the weird expression I have on my face in the second picture; I think he could me mid-way through smiling, lol...

Sewing!!!

2006-04-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

This week I made the plunge and bought myself a sewing machine! I've wanted to learn how to sew my own clothes for years, and now I'm finally getting to it! My first project was PJ Pants:

Changes to the website!!!

2006-03-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! "Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive" has undergone a change! I have now separated it onto two parts: crochet patterns & knit patterns. I've decided to expand the amount of knit patterns that I include, so anyone who also visits knitting forums, could you let them know it's available? I don't personally knit, but I know many people who do.

There are LOTS of new patterns, especially in the knitting section!!!

Also, don't forget that I have a mailing list so you can be notified whenever I add new patterns!!!

Enjoy everyone!

Oh, and there are now 196 people on the mailing list :)

---------

So I haven't crocheted in a while now. The last thing that I made was a baby jacket & some booties for a friend (shown in the below picture, along with the other two outfits I bought for her):

I've been cross-stitching instead. Although I probably shouldn't even be doing that, lol... I FINALLY got a diagnosis from a rheumatologist. I have tendonitis. I've been taking an anti-inflammatory, and I've been feeling like it's helping some. When I first started the medicine the pain got worse for about 5 days, but now it seems to be getting better. Lets hope that I can eventually get back to my crochet!!

126 Subscribers!

2006-02-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

The mailing list for Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive is at 126! And I get notification e-mails almost constantly! Crazy! I'm glad everybody likes the site so much! :)

I haven't been doing much crochet for a few reasons: too busy, motivation to crochet has kind of piddled down, plus my shoulder is still bothering me. I go to see the doctor again this Wednesday. The guy wants to do a CAT Scan; I've already had an MRI, and it showed nothing. I think the CAT Scan is a waste of my time and mine & my insurance company's money. I'm gonna try to get a referral to a rheumatologist.

What I HAVE been working on (slowly) is some things for my friend Mandi who is expecting her second baby (a boy!) in May. Not gonna say what, cuz she might read this. ;)

"Pattern" for Patrick

2006-01-31T09:40:00.000-08:00

I've been asked about a pattern for the stuffed Patrick that I made. Here is where I got the instructions; you have to go to page 2. It's more guidelines, really, so if you're the kind of person who needs to have step-by-step instructions, I can't help you out... sorry... But he was really easy to make, so I would suggest trying anyways!

Sick...

2006-01-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

So I haven't done any crochet since I finished all of my Christmas presents. Largely because I'm a bit burnt out, but lately because I am sick... I am fighting off bronchitis...

Someone asked me about the fish that I made for my dad and whether I made it up. I got the pattern from a booklet called "Hooked On Fish."

Sorry I don't have more to update...

Pics!

2006-01-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

Okay, so now that Christmas is over I can post pics of things that were Christmas presents :)

I made my brother a stuffed Taz. Let me tell you, he was a PAIN IN THE BUTT to make! But he turned out AWESOME! The pattern came out of a booklet called "Looney Tunes Bugs & Pals To Crochet." If I ever feel ambitious I might make the other three, lol (it has Bugs, Tweety, & Sylvester in it, too).

Remember how I made Lynnea that Spongebob halter top? (If you didn't see it, you should go back to the post here.) Well, I made her a stuffed Patrick to go with! It came from a set of guidelines that I saved to my computer and can no longer find on the internet; I'm pretty sure I found it at Crochetville, but I've tried searching and cannot find it. If anyone knows the link, let me know so I can share. Mine is smaller than the one that person made. He was pretty easy to make!

I also made a bag for Lynnea's mom, Bianca (my husband's cousin). I used the Honeycomb Crochet Purse pattern, and you'd THINK that since it's off of Joann.com that it would be a good pattern, right? WRONG! It is SO confusing, and the pattern omits things that should be repeated, so I had to do a lot of frogging and figuring out of myself... It turned out neat, but GEEZ... You have been forewarned if you try it! I skipped the top button/loop thing. The texture makes it really neat, tho, and it's really thick!

I also made some red & white dishcloths & a strawberry potholder for my grandmother; she says the dishcloths are too nice to use, tho, lol. I don't have pics of those to show, sorry! And I've already shown pics of the heart motif doily coasters I made for my mom, but I'll post that pic again cuz it's been a little while:

I also made a green hat for Scott, Bianca's husband, using this pattern.

I've decided that I'm gonna stick to stuff for me for a little while. I still have to finish my afghan, and I'm still in-progress on a couple of tops I started making. I might not do much for a bit, tho, just because I'm a bit burnt out after all of the rush to get Christmas stuff done!

Pillows!

2005-12-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been a little while. Lots of stuff going on! Now I'll show you some photos.

I made this Green Bay Packers pillow for my brother for his birthday that was last month:

This is a Colts pillow I just finished today. It was a commission by a friend for her boyfriend for Christmas:

And here are some mini Green Bay & Colts pillows:

I have patterns for all of these listed at my Crochet page here:
Jen's Patterns

I also made this fish pillow for my dad:

He has it happily sitting on top of his computer :)

Other than that, I am mainly working on Christmas presents, so I can't disclose any info about them ;)

Pillow Patterns Posted!

2005-11-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

I posted some of my pillow patterns on my Crochet page here! Hopefully soon I will find time to type up the pattern for the fringe purse as well.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Going to the mailbox soon!

2005-11-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

I'm going to the post office tomorrow to mail my swap purse and my aunt's Christmas stocking! I was going to do it today, but then I realized Donovan had all of our cash, and the post office on campus won't accept anything but cash cuz they stink... I learned that the hard way once. I had to have them hold onto my box while I ran down to the ATM down the street to get money... I don't understand why they do it that way, but whatever.

I really need to sit down and make a list of all of the stuff I have to make by when so that I can prioritize... Cuz I know I probably shouldn't be working on stuff for the sale with all of the presents to make, haha.

eBay Listings and K&C Club Winter Sale(s)!

2005-11-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to try listing a couple of personalized crochet items on eBay to see if anyone nibbles.

Personalized Crochet Christmas Stocking

Personalized Green Bay Packers Pillow

Both are starting at $40.

The K&C Club is having another sale. Well, actually we're having two. One will be the Wednesday & Thursday after Thanksgiving, which will be on campus. The second one is that Saturday at the Luminary Festival. We're renting a booth for $15. I'm just hoping people will actually make things. I'm trying to make as much as I can without sacrificing Christmas presents, lol... I was hoping to have the on-campus sale a week later, but the ceramics sale is that whole week, so we couldn't. Hopefully all will go well! All of my free time is spent working on crochet stuff, haha. That's okay, tho, cuz I like doing it. I've already made a pair of mittens, and I am going to make some small Packers and Colts pillows (about 6" x 6"). I also will probably make a few more plain hats, because those seemed to be in demand before. I can't remember how I made them, tho... I'll have to find a pattern I guess, lol.

Updated JMW Art

2005-11-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

If anyone is interested, I updated my art website today:

JMW Art

Got my purses!

2005-11-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

I got my swap purses yesterday :) She made me TWO!

And they're BLUE :-D

Too many secrets...

2005-11-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't been posting because almost all of my projects are going to be presents, lol... I'm working on the strap for my swap purse today; I should be able to get it done this weekend and mail it Monday or Tuesday; I will also mail my aunt the Christmas stocking at the same time, cuz I don't want to make two trips to the post office.

I made the scarf to go with the green hat for that one guy; having trouble getting a meeting time with him to get it to him, tho, as he doesn't check his e-mail very often... I also made a hat for a friend of mine on commission that is a burgandy version of the navy hat in my October 15th post; I'll take a photo of it before I give it to her so I can show you. I've also been sporatically working on my afghan; it's turning out quite beautifully :)

Other than that, I have Christmas presents to finish, which is what I will be working on pretty much exclusively after I finish the swap bag (except for perhaps the afghan, cuz I want to have it this winter...).

I haven't done too much crocheting lately, really, because I have SO much stuff to work on for my classes... I have a critique in metals this Wednesday, and I have a bunch of stuff that needs to get done...

YAY!

2005-10-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

EDIT: I realized that I didn't put the links to the pictures like I said I was going to...

Oh my gosh, the sale did AWESOME! We sold $290 in items, making $94 for Breast Cancer Research! I'm so excited! :-D I myself sold the most things; I made $93 after you take out the money for the fundraiser! :-D I feel kind of bad for the person who didn't sell anything (even tho she only entered 4 things). I'm not gonna tell the people in the club how much I made myself, cuz I majorly blew away everyone else in the sale, lol... I'm not sure quite how...? Oh well, it makes me happy! :-D Some of the things I thought would sell didn't, and some of the things I DIDN'T think would sell did. LOL...

So, the things I sold (click on links to see photos of the things):

BOTH of my daffodils sold
my green hat, and the guy asked me to make him a scarf to match
my brown ruffle hat (which I loved, but since I don't wear hats I parted with it)
the pink headscarf (I'm kind of happy the blue & white one didn't sell, lol; now I can wear it!)
my yellow hat
my plain blue hat
my blue sparkle yarn hat
the blue ruffle hat (the one that was SUPPOSED to be a baby hat, but was way too big, lol...)
and my ladybug purse; I haven't shown you guys a photo of this yet, so I will post one below:

(sorry the photo isn't too great; I had to snap a photo of it kind of quickly, lol...)
I got the pattern for this here; there is a bumble bee purse, too! They're called "Handbugs", lol. I didn't use the fuzzy yarn, and I had to make up my own dots because of it, but I think it turned out really cute :)

I started an afghan today. I know, do I really need another project right now? I've decided that I should make one, tho, and who knows how long it will take me, but I'll just work on it inbetween other projects. It's going to be a Granny Ripple afghan :)

Website Update and Photos

2005-10-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

I updated Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive today, and added a MAILING LIST for anyone who wants to be e-mailed when I add new links to the site.

I finally took some photos of things that I've been making lately, as well as some earlier things that I just never took photos of. The first is a photo of the two doily-coasters that I have made for my mother so far. The pattern can be found here.

This is a purse that I designed; I wrote down the pattern and will eventually post it. Too bad my camera kind of washed it out, lol... Hopefully I'll get a better photo for when I post the pattern.

This is a "baby" hat I made that didn't turn out quite how I thought it would. The pattern was a bit confusing, and for some reason it ended up really big even tho I checked my gauge, and the brim is completely wrong. The pattern is here if anyone wants to try to figure it out and see a pic of what it is SUPPOSED to look like. I didn't even bother to do the white part, since by then it was too messed up...

This ponytail hat didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to, either. It's pattern is here.

I wish this photo wasn't so dark. There is a better picture at the pattern site, here. Mine is dark blue, I swear!

This is a stuffed dolphin that I made this summer and never took photos of; I just kept forgetting! His pattern came from here.

This is an in-progress photo of the dog pillow I am making. I still have to finish putting his "fur" on him. Sorry the photo is so bad; my camera doesn't like to take pictures of dark things... This is a modification of this pattern.

Phew, that was a lot of photos!

I haven't worked on my swap bag since the last post; I've been working on making more things for the sale. It's this Wednesday and Thursday, and I really hope it goes well!

Almost done!

2005-10-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm really close to being done with my bag! I just have to weave in some ends and make the strap! :-D

Granny Squares

2005-10-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

There is a thread on Crochetville about what to do with Granny squares (here), and I thought that I would talk about the Woman's Day "Granny Squares" special issue (1974) that I had picked up at that flea market. I really want to make this sweater that is in it:

Hopefully I'll find time to make it soon!

Pattern Site Update, Etc.

2005-10-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

I updated Jen's Stuffed Toy Archive today! Check out the cute new patterns I found!

I ran out of one of my colors for the purse today, so I have to buy more before I can continue. I really should be spending more time making things for the sale tho. I need to figure out some other stuff to make, tho, and at the moment I can't figure anything new out. We shall see. I don't think we're going to have a lot of stuff to sell; most of our club members are new and can't crochet fast enough to make things to sell. I suggested wash cloths as something easy and quick. We shall see how it goes! I want to organize another sale at the beginning of December, too.

Oh, I've also been dubbed the club secretary as of this Wednesday. The girl who was supposed to be secretary hasn't shown up to any of the meetings this semester, and Emily (the president) doesn't know her last name, so she can't contact her. She decided that since I put so much work into the club (more than the vice president, actually) that I should be an officer. So now I'm in charge of the mailing list, and I'm pretty much in charge of the sales cuz Emily doesn't really have time. Dunno what else I'll be doing, lol. I guess we'll see!

Quick Update

2005-10-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ive been working on the swap purse :) It's coming along nicely. I decided to create my own rather than use a pattern :) I'm trying to make something that she will especially like, going from her interests listed on her blog :) No more info, tho, cuz she could read this ;)

Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I've been seeing a Physical Therapist for my shoulder, and it's been getting better. Hopefully it will be completely better soon!

Crochet Swap!

2005-09-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

I got my crochet swap partners for the Crochetville !!!

I was confused at first, cuz she gave me two names, and I thought that I just traded with one other person, but apparently it's a circle thing. So I'm making a bag for Stephanie :) I'm still kinda trying to figure out what to make, although I have a few possibilities. Her form she filled out says she wants a Tote. Hopefully I can pick something she'll like :)

Christmas Stocking - Finished!

2005-09-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's done! For the second photo I stuffed it full of plastic sacks to get what it will look like filled with Christmas presents!

I'm really happy with how it turned out :)

If anyone wants the pattern, it is at FreePatterns.com. You have to have an account to see the patterns, but it's free. Just go to the Crochet section, than Special Occasions; I think it's on the 3rd pages of patterns. I made a couple modifications, but it's basically the same.

Stocking Update

2005-09-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

An updated view of the stocking:

I wove in all of the ends so far and sewed on the Christmas trees. I also made the little tree that will hang from the top. I am going to e-mail my aunt and ask her about the extra motif before I do any more.

EDIT: I got the OK to do the extra checked motif, so I'll probably be finishing up the stocking tomorrow!

Christmas Stocking - In Progress

2005-09-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

So I've gotten really far on the Christmas Stocking. This is how it looks right now: (Sorry the photo quality is kinda bad; I'll get a better photo when it is done, tho; it's kinda angled, too, so the top looks smaller than it should.)

I had some trouble figuring out how to do the name. First I just crocheted it in, but it wasn't very legible. So then I decided to try to crochet over the top of that to make it more legible, and this is what I ended up with:

Ugly, huh? I thought so, lol. So then I decided to try to do just that part of the stocking with Afghan Stitch. The name was perfectly legible, but I stitched it WAY too tight (wish I could show you; I frogged it to save yarn; I can't believe I didn't notice it until I had finished the name...). I didn't have a proper hook for that, which is probably why it got so tight. So then I decided just to crochet the part white and cross-stitch the name over it. This is how the pattern had you originally doing the heart design that was meant to be on the white band. So I'm thoroughly chastised for not trusting and following the pattern, lol... Anyways, here is how it looks now:

Much better, eh? LOL... Teach me to not trust a pattern...

I still have the Christmas Tree to crochet and sew onto the big white part, and the little Christmas Tree that will hang from a string off the top, and the top has a little bit more that the pattern has you add at the end (another row of red, then two rows of white). I've actually been thinking maybe I should do another checked motif above the name, but I've gotta get my Aunt Sue's okay on that first. Then I have to sew the side up and weave in all the ends!

Beginning Commissions

2005-09-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

So I began some of the things that I HAVE to do, since I'm going to be paid for them. I am almost done with the dog pillow for Donovan's mom. It's taking a little while longer than the others, since I'm giving it fur by latch-hooking. I started it last night, tho, and am almost finished. Pics when I'm done :)

I also began the X-mas stocking tonight during K&C Club. It's progressing amazingly quickly! I am already halfway down the shaft of the sock (or whatever it's called; that's just how I'll describe that part of the sock).

More flea market finds!

2005-09-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hubby & I decided to check out a nearby flea market, and I hit the jackpot with crochet magazines/booklets! There were TWO stalls with them, and one had a corner FULL of them. I sat there all happy looking through them for quite a while :) Found some good stuff.

Coat's & Clark's "Baby Fashions to Knit & Crochet", Book No. 191 (co. 1969) - lots of cute baby patterns

Woman's Day "Granny Squares" (1974) - this one has a lot of promising patterns in it! :)

"Smart Crochet: Fashions & Home Decorating" (1955) - more cute baby patterns

"Modern Needlecraft" (Fall/Winter 1966) - has a cute top and some cute baby things

"Woman's World Knit & Crochet" (Spring 1973) - has a cute top I want to modify

"Smart Crochet" (1953) - more cute baby things

Leisure Arts "Christmas Stockings for the Family", Leaflet 301 (1984)

Leisure Arts "Crocheted Potholders", Leaflet 281 (1983) - some really cute potholders, including a chicken, a pig, an apple w/ a worm, a rainbow, slice of watermelon, a heart, and a few more

I'm quite thrilled :) Now I just need time and my shoulder to heal! LOL :)

There was another woman who came in and was looking for poncho patterns to make for her grandaughter. She didn't have time to stay and look thru them all like I was, so I told her to ask her daughter to look up patterns on the internet, and told her to have her pull up CrochetPatternCentral.com, and she wrote it down. Hopefully she'll find some things she likes :)

Daffodils!

2005-09-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

So I found a bunch of crocheted flower patterns, and I've made two daffodils:

The stems were a PAIN. I bought floral wire stems and some of that floral tape, and the tape was all sticky and annoying, so I coated them with a thin layer of glue. The center part of the daffodils isn't as 3D as I would've liked. Oh well!

In other news, I talked to Emily (the K&C Club president), and she agrees with me about the name for the sale, and we are going to change it. Yay!

Headscarves!

2005-09-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

I've finished 3 headscarves so far! Here are some photos. There is a pink one, a black one (which you can't really see, sorry...), and a blue one with a white ruffle.

The blue one with the ruffle is my favorite :)

Whatcha think? Think they'll sell?

Magazines and K&C Club Sale

2005-09-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

So I sent in a little while ago for a free issue of Crochet! magazine to see what it was like. It is awesome! It is totally packed with patterns! So I've signed up for a years subscription *grin* Hopefully it will be as wonderful as I think it will be! There's a dress called "Nightfall" in this issue that I'd like to think I'll make some day, and I'd like to try making the curling ribbon flowers.

So the K&C Club has set up a date for our next sale. It has been decided that we are going to give a percentage of the money to breast cancer research. Guess what they've decided to call it? "Knits for Tits"... No, this was not voted in, it was one of those spur of the moment jokes that someone decided to keep. I personally think it's a bit offensive. Donovan felt it was very offensive, and said that if he had a friend or family member with breast cancer he would be very offended and upset. What do you guys think? I think I'm gonna try to broach this topic with the club president, since she's one of my good friends... I don't think they'll change it, tho. Despite the derogatory name, and even tho I'll feel ashamed to sit behind the table running it, it is for a good cause so I am making some things. I've gone thru my patterns to find some simple things I can make up quick, because I don't have time to make any more major things. Today I whipped out a couple of headscarves (in solid colors, tho, not multi-colored like in the photo for the pattern). They each only took me a little over an hour. I'm gonna make more of them. I'm also thinking of trying a hacky sack, and if it's not too hard I'll make a few more, cuz I'm almost positive those would sell. We have some avid hacky-sackers in the art department here! If I have time I might also make some simple stuffed animals, like the Amigurumi Bunny & the Hello Kitty doll. If I can figure out where to buy flax seed I might make some Comfort Packs. I dunno how much of this I'll actually get done, but we shall see.

My shoulder is still bothering me... I really need to go into the health center, but I'm afraid I'm gonna sit in the waiting room for 90 minutes to have them just give me a pain killer and say to wait it out, even tho it's been 5 1/2 weeks since it started hurting & it isn't any better... I should drag myself in their tomorrow before my painting class... I need to pick up a prescription anyways... *sigh* I want it not to hurt when I crochet! I could get SO much more done...

My new books, etc!

2005-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

So now I'm gonna show off all of the new books/booklets and magazines I got last weekend! I took some photos of the things that I really want to make. Of course, there are more things. Here is what I got from the flea market:

"Ponchos & Parkas" - has 8 patterns; I'm not much of a poncho person, so I don't know if I'll ever use this one; I don't know what year it's from, but it's gotta be the 70s or 80s from the hairstyles
"McCall's Needlework & Crafts", Summer 1978 edition - this one it one of my favorites that I got; it has a lot of neat stuff!
"Craftworks for Home" August 1992 edition
"Crafts", September 1986 edition
"Better Homes & Gardens: Needlepoint" - don't know if I'll ever use this one, but who knows?
"Paula Vaughan's Rose Garden" - a very cute cross stitch book with flower patterns
"Pansies in Profusion" - very pretty cross stitch patterns
"Inspiration for Everyday" from the Stoney Creek collection - cross stitch
"Noah's Ark for Baby" - really cute baby designs; I might use this one some day!
"Sunbonnet Babe" - cross stitch patterns
"Think on these Things" - cross stitch booklet with verse-inspired patterns
"Cover Your Buns" - cross-stitch designs for cloth napkins
"Just CrossStitch", March-April 1985 issue
"Just CrossStitch", August 1993 issue
a leaflet for an "Old-Fashioned 'Windowpane' Knitted Afghan"
"Christmas Cross-Stitch Decorations & Gifts" - 1997 holiday issue of "The Cross Stitcher"
"Kitchen Stitchin" - cross stitch & needlepoint designs
"Shaker Apple Basket" - cross-stitch pattern
"Country & Colonial Stitches: Winter Solstice" - cross-stitch pattern
"Colonial Fruit Theorem" - stylized cross-stitch patterns of fruit
"United in God's Love" - 11 cross-stitch marriage samplers; I might make some of these
"Omnibook of Florals" - an awesome cross-stitch book of flowers

I might be interested in selling some of these, so if you are interested leave me a note and I will contact you.

The things I got from my grandma:

"The Workbasket", Aptil 1984 edition
"Coats & Clark's: Old & New Favorites" - some gorgeous crochet patterns for table linens and bedspreads; I don't know if I'll ever have the patients to do anything so intricate!
"Festive Tatting" - snowflakes and ornaments
"Woman's Day Book of American Needlework" by Rose Wilder Lane, 1963 (daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder!) - very awesome, and sure to be useful, book!

So I'm excited. Here are some photos of some of the patterns I want to do:

Cute stuffed toy patterns! :

I love the pink and white dress on the right! :

New Stuff!

2005-09-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was down in Louisville over the weekend and went to their flea market at the fair grounds. I was just kind of looking around to see if I might find some crochet pattern books, and I found one table that had a small stack of crochet, cross-stitch, and embroidery books and magazines. The woman there saw me looking through them and said she'd sell all of it to me for $2! So of course I took it, hehe. There are some cute patterns I want to try :) My grandma (who I was visiting) also gave me some old books that belonged to her mother. One of them was on tatting. Today when I was at Hobby Lobby I bought a tatting instruction book and a bobbin and some crochet thread and am gonna try it. Something new :)

First Swap!

2005-09-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

I signed up for my first swap yesterday! I'm doing the purse/tote swap at Crochetville. I thought it would be really cool :) We don't get our assignments until October 1st, tho, so I have some waiting to do. By then my shoulder should be all better and I can work on stuff! It hasn't hurt at all today. I'm just gonna keep avoiding overusing it. I tried to crochet two days ago and made it hurt again... Blah, this is so annoying! There's not K&C Club this weekend cuz the school is locking the Student Center for Labor Day weekend. Phooey on them. But it's okay, because my hubby and I decided last minute we're gonna go somewhere, so it's all good!

Oh, I also signed up for some crochet blog webrings :) I want to find other blogs to look at and have people come visit mine! So far I've been officially accepted into one of them.

An attempt at a crochet break...

2005-08-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

So I haven't done any crochet since K&C Club Sunday night, and so far my shoulder has not hurt since then, which is a record now, since I haven't gone even a whole day before it started to hurt for some reason since it started hurting 3 weeks ago. I think I'm gonna try to not crochet until next Sunday, just to see if this break might heal whatever was wrong. I am hoping so, because I don't want to go to the doctor for it!

Gobs of people!

2005-08-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

So we had TONS of people at Knitting & Crochet Club! Not as many as signed the sheet at the Activity Fair, but still tons! Last year we didn't normally have more than 6 or 7 people there. We had never done the Actitivy Fair before, so I think this is why, cuz it lets people know we're here, instead of just by word-of-mouth. It was exhausting, tho! I taught people how to crochet. It's hard work teaching people! Sometimes you get someone who picks it up amazingly quick, like they were born for it, and then you get people who just don't get it, and you have to repeat the lesson over-and-over-and-over-and... they just don't get it, lol. Two of the girls I had really weren't getting it. They're exchange students from England, which is really cool. I had a bit of trouble understanding them. Once I actually caught myself pronouncing a couple words like them, lol! :blush: I wonder how many people will return. Who knows! My Chocolate Eclair Cake I made was a hit! They ate more then half of it. Somebody else brought a dish cake, so it wasn't the only thing. I gave out a couple of copies of the recipe. :) They drank hardly any of the pop, tho. I had to actually announce that people needed to start eating, lol. Everyone got so involved in the lessons that they forgot about the food! I'm gonna save the pop for next week, tho.

Pillows and K&C Club

2005-08-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

I started ANOTHER new project yesterday, lol. I just keep seeing cool things that I want to make! They're Spike Stitch Pillows. I'm making them in 3 shades of blue to go with the living room.

Tomorrow night is the first meeting of Knitting & Crochet Club for the Fall semseter! Emily said that she got TONS of people's names & e-mail addresses at the Activity Fair last Saturday. She's a bit worried what'll happen if they ALL come, lol. I'm sure only a fraction will actually come, and only a fraction of those people will come regularly. But hopefully we'll pick up a few cool new people! I love to go and sit around and chat with everyone and show off all the stuff we've made. I have lots of stuff to show them that I made over the summer! :-D I don't know if I'll actually get to do any of my own work the first meeting, tho. I'm sure I'm going to be designated a crochet teacher, haha. I have to make a bag full of scrap yarn for people to use, since not everyone will bring stuff. I'm thinking of buying some of those cheapo plastic hooks to let people borrow, cuz I don't want to let them take my aluminum hooks and possibly never give them back...

Stupid advertising comments...

2005-08-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Apparently Blogspot displays a list of new blogs, because my last post had 4 comments that were all advertisements... How annoying...

I figured out how to put up Progress Bars in the left bar :) Anyone else who wants to know how, go here.

Progress on first pattern!

2005-08-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'm really happy about the progress I am making on my bell-sleeved top! I've never been able to find a pattern I liked that was in my size (most sizes stop at large, and I'm an x-large), so I decided to try to make my own by modeling off of a shirt that I really like. The plan is to make it in 4 pieces and sew them together: front, back, and two arms. I started shaping the arms today. I've been writing it all down so I'll have the pattern when I am done. I'm so excited! It's going rather quickly. The only problem is something is wrong with my right shoulder, so I can never crochet for a very long time all at once. I'm planning on going into the doctor on Saturday...

Craft Tote!

2005-08-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

I found the most AWESOME craft tote today! JoAnn's had an ad in the paper this Sunday with a coupon for 40% off any one regular-priced item, so I went over there today to see if there was anything I wanted. They had these totes, which were regularly $80, on Clearance for $40, and then with the 40% off coupon it was only $25!!! I was SO excited! It's one of those that's like a mini fabric suitcase with wheels and a retractable handle. I've been using plastic Walmart bags up to this point, so this is a big step up for me! LOL! I'll be the envy of the Knitting & Crochet Club, hehe :)

I also bought some more yarn at Walmart. Some more of the yarn I'm making my bell-sleeved top out of, and some chunky yarn to make another dog bone mat. Hopefully I'll have time to do all of my projects, since school started today!

To Do

2005-08-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

To Do:

* update my crochet page
* finish my stuffed animal crochet website
* finish my mom's doilies
* finish my bell-sleeve top
* make pig & doggie pillows for Lora
* make Elizabeth's Christmas Stocking for Aunt Sue
* make cute fluffy dog & possibly snowman

Recent Crochet Projects

2005-08-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of recent crochet projects I have done. If you want to see more you can go to my Crochet Page. Click the photos for larger images.

Spongebob Halter Top: (more photos here, here, and here)

I found a halter pattern and altered it and made it yellow, then the eyes are three different sizes of circles, the teeth are squares, and the black lines are backstitched on. The idea came from another poster at the Crochetville Forum.

Girls Shrug: (more photos here, here, here, here and here)

and shoes to go with here. The "pattern" for the shrug came from the Crochetville Forum. It's amazingly easy!

Baby Things: Nobody freak out! I am NOT pregnant; these are for that "someday" daughter! They were just too cute NOT to make :)

I found the pattern for the first dress here. The Daisy Dress came from a booklet called "Beautiful Baby". I found the pigtail hat pattern here.

Dog Bone Rug: (sorry the photo is bad; it's actually navy blue)

The pattern for this rug came from the Crochetville Forum. I'm planning on making a few more as Christmas presents for some family members :)

Well, that's all for now. I am currently working on two projects. I am making some doily/coasters for my mother, and also attempting to design my own top (not sure if this will be successful).

New Blog!

2005-08-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to start a blog dedicated to my crochet. I shall start by introducing myself. Hi, my name is Jen, and I live in Indiana in the US of A. I am going into my Senior year of college (I will be a Senior for 2 years, however). I am majoring in Art, with a specialization in Metals, as well as minoring in Ancient Studies and Consumer Finance. The Ancient Studies minor is for my enjoyment, because I really love ancient mythology and history, especially Roman, Greek, and Celtic. The Consumer Finance minor is for my benefit so I know what I'm doing with my money when I graduate. My dream is to one day own a shop in an artist community where I sell my jewelry and other art items (I was majoring in Drawing before I switched to Metals, so I also like to draw). Crochet is my current crafting hobby. I also cross-stitch off-and-on, and I did knit for a little while, but I found that I enjoy crochet a lot better, so have left off on knitting. I love to read, almost exclusively High Fantasy and books loosely based on mythology. My favorite authors are Mercedes Lackey, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, and Sara Douglass.

I got married on January 1st of this year to a wonderful man named Donovan. He is majoring in Geology at the same college as me. Here is a photo from our wedding day:

I hope you enjoy my blog!