Last Minute Gifts to Crochet

Has this happened to you lately? Last week, all of a sudden, I realized that there were only a few more weeks until Sparkle Season! And I still had presents to crochet! How could I get them all done? Well, I went through my patterns that have been published, and discovered that I have designed a lot of quick and easy accessories, for both children and adults, that I could make in no time. Problem solved! And even though I may crochet the same pattern for two presents, they wouldn't necessarily look alike because the yarn would be totally different. So I made a list of what I had to choose from, and this is what I came up with. If you're looking for quick and easy presents to make, all of these patterns are accessible on the web. You can download them, or order a print copy. Here they are:


Easy Hat at Annie's Attic; 

http://www.AnniesAttic.com/detail.html?prod_id=80331

This is a self-published pattern of mine, on sale through Annie's Attic - download only - and yesterday I wanted to see how easy the directions were, and how long it would take me to crochet one. One hour - that's all. From start to finish! Couldn't be easier! The pattern calls for bulky yarn, and an N-15/10mm hook.

Goldilock's Family of Hats at the Interweave Store

http://www.interweavestore.com/Crochet/Crochet-Patterns/Goldilocks-Family-of-Hats.html?SessionThemeID=19

This is what Interweave said about these patterns (there are 5):
Marty Miller has designed the Goldilock's Family of Hats to suit every member of the family, with distinctive differences in brims and details. The five hats have something for everyone, from simple details for a woman and man to cute stripes for a boy, flower embellishment for a girl, and a tiny hat for a baby.

Bonsai Shawl/Scarf in Interweave Crochet Accessories, 2011

http://www.interweavestore.com/Crochet/Magazines/Interweave-Crochet-Accessories-2011-Digital-Edition.html

I just made one for myself, in a light-weight wool self-striping yarn. It keeps me warm when I wear it tied loosely around my neck, without being bulky or getting in the way. I'm going to make more for myself! (Just as soon as I finish these presents!)

Totes for All Reasons - at Leisure Arts

http://www.leisurearts.com/totes-for-all-reasons.html

There are 7 different totes in this book. All the totes are made and shown twice - once with craft store yarns and once with yarn shop yarns. So no matter where the yarn comes from, you can make the tote and it will look great! You will also learn new stitch patterns, and how to felt crochet.

This booklet is available in print form, and also through the iTunes store and the Leisure Arts app.

So don't panic! You can get all your presents crocheted before Sparkle Season! And each one will be loved and appreciated, especially because it's made by YOU!

Sham Wow WOW!

I reported before about my trip to Houston, and seeing the International Quilt Show. What I didn't tell you about the show was that they had a BIG market place - with lots of quilting equipment and material, there were some yarn stores, and then they also had some side booths selling other stuff. We stopped at one booth selling ShamWows. These are cloths that are supposed to wipe up spilled liquids, and soak up water and other liquids really quickly. So, my friends and I stopped to listen. At first, we laughed - the salesman's patter sounded just like the ads you see on TV. You know - But WAIT. If you buy it now, you can get another one free! Well, that meant we'd get 6 ShamWows (3 to a package). But it was still just a joke! However, I was designing some felted bags at the time, and started to think how this ShamWow would help me when the bags were drying. Maybe it would make the drying process quicker if I stuffed them in the bag, instead of the newspaper I usually used. So, as we were walking away, I asked one of my friends if she would be interested in splitting the cost with me - we'd each get 3 ShamWows for half price. She agreed, and so we told our other friends where we were going, and amidst much of their laughter, we headed back to the ShamWow booth.
Now, fast forward another week. I felted a bag, and stuffed it with the ShamWow and some newspaper to let it dry. It dried overnight! Really! Overnight! I never had that happen before.
Then, fast forward another couple of weeks, to last night - Saturday. I had two more bags ready to felt. When they came out of the washer, I just put a ShamWow on the bottom of each bag. I didn't use any newspaper (my husband had thrown all the papers out just that morning). I followed the directions - wetting the ShamWows first. Then I squeezed the excess water from them and put them in the base of the bags. After a couple of hours, I examined the drying progress. The ShamWows were soaking - the bags were nearly dry! So once again, I squeezed the excess water from the ShamWows, put them in the base of the bags, and set them out to finish drying. This morning, the ShamWows were soaking again, and the bags were dryer. I couldn't do anything with them then - so I once again squeezed the excess water from the ShamWows and put them in the base of the bags. This evening, when I checked on them, the bags were dry, and there was just a little excess water to squeeze from the ShamWows.
So - all of you who laughed at my purchase (and you know who you are!) I have one thing to say. SO THERE!
I have to wait for the handles to finish drying (I didn't ShamWow them on purpose - they were the control!) And when they do dry, and I put the bags together, I'll post a picture of them!
Moral of this story - well, I'm not sure there is a moral. But ShamWows are great!

baskets, baskets, and more baskets

Sometimes in a designer's life, she/he is so busy meeting deadlines and completing projects, that there is no time to indulge in personal crocheting! Every minute is spent working or thinking about the next design to be finished, or the next proposal to submit, or the next pattern to write. When that all gets done, though, maybe there is a little time for us. What I find, though, is that often I am too tired to think of what to make for me. I want something quick, fun, easy. In the past, I've made scarves (I have a gazillion of them) and hats (ditto!), and North Carolina doesn't often get cold enough to wear hats and scarves for more than a couple of weeks. Maybe. So - what do I crochet? Baskets. Round, oval, square, short, tall, felted, cotton, floppy, sturdy. Lately, I have been able to use my current passion for baskets in my design proposals, and some have been published. Some will be published soon. One book that has just been published, with 2 felted baskets of mine (among other designs of mine), is Vogue Knitting on the Go, Felted Crochet. It's a portable book, with lots of great patterns in it! This is a picture of the cover:


Another book that won't be out until May 25th, is Quick Stitch Crochet, edited by Judy Crow and published by DRG. Here is a picture of that cover:


Now, look closely at the blue basket and the jute basket. And the table runner beneath them. Yes - those are my designs! It is really a thrill to see your patterns in print, but when you make the cover of a book - WOW!