calgon

We should be in the new place tomorrow. Well, we should get the keys to the new place tomorrow-we won't be in until who knows when. Hopefully next weekend.

Now that they have (finally) been mailed and received I can show you what that odd picture was. These (pattern)

and I sent along this too (pattern)

The booties are too big, the hat too small (which I knew it would be since I made it for newborn and the poor girl is over a month already). Other problem with the hat is the yarn is cotton so it doesn't really stretch. I am making her another one, this time bigger and it will likely be too big, but that is okay.

Adjustable Ring Video

So, here is a video of how to do the crochet adjustable ring. Most patterns don't call for doing the ring as adjustable so you need to adjust your pattern. Typically they look like this:
To Make:
[first line]Ch [chain]4,sl st [slip stitch]in 1st ch to form ring.
Rnd 1:Ch [chain]3(cts[counts] as dc),5 dc in ring.Join with sl st [slip stitch] to 1st dc(6 dc[this is telling you how many stitches will be in your ring]). [words in this color are added by me to clarify]
So, from the above pattern if you were going to do the adjustable ring you would skip the first line. Based on the second line (labeled Rnd 1) do the adjustable ring with your first stitch being 3 chains then 5 more double crochets in the ring. Pull the tail-end to close your adjustable ring and slip stitch your last dc into your first dc (which, in this pattern is the 3 chains--you would do the slip stitch into the top or 3rd chain stitch you created).
Edit to add:
Oh yeah, when you are doing anything round it will start as a disc. You will do increases to make it bigger. While doing the increases (by doing 2 stitches in 1 stitch) your disc will be flat. The flatter the better. Once you stop doing the increases your disc will start to get sides to it and start rounding out (after about 2-4 rounds of no increases).
And here is a video of it (not of the above pattern, that would have made too much sense). As a warning, I bite my nails and I don't take care of their beds. Oh and I have a nasty cut on my thumb from a knife incident a few nights ago:) Enjoy, hope this helps.

A tutorial

Well, not really. More of a go to these sites if interested. Some have expressed interest in learning to crochet/knit so I thought I would offer some helpful places (Shelly, I have completely taught myself and started crocheting about 2 months ago and knitting about 1 month ago, trust me you don't want lessons from me).
If you are wanting to learn both, I would start with crochet. It is easier and cheaper and much faster. Crochet is basically always started with a chain stitch. You then work back over that chain with your stitch always having just one stitch on the hook (and only using one hook). Working in rows means you go from left to right (think scarf-flat), working in rounds means you are going in a circle (think hats or balls). I went to the store and got one of those "Teach yourself crochet" kits. I wouldn't recommend it because it is hard to start by looking at pictures (at least for me). Just head to the store, get a ball of yarn (for starters I would recommend getting a plain yarn like Caron Simply Soft, carried at most stores, it slides easily; fun looking yarn is neat but can be hard to work with so for learning start with the easy stuff) and get a little package of crochet hooks (I prefer metal, I hate plastic but you choose) which come in different sizes, usually they have a pack with sizes F-K which is a good one. Now once you have your yarn and hooks (and coffee) head over to this site which has VIDEOS showing how to do different stitches. Stick with the basics to start (single crochet-sc, double crochet-dc, and half double crochet-hdc). You can find lots of free patterns online (just google what type of pattern you are looking for), print it up then go back to that site to again see how to do the stitch. For hats and things in the round learning the magic adjustable loop is a MUST. I haven't found a video of it but there is a site that shows in pictures how to do it. Perhaps if you are lucky I will make a video of it. Once you learn that, anything round is very easy, including those cupcakes, cookies and amigurumi dolls like her.
Alright, SP needs to be fed. I will do a separate post on knitting shortly.

Zero calorie treats

Is your New Year's resolution to lose weight like everyone else? Well, I have the treats (cookies AND cupcakes) that are guaranteed to not increase your waist size! Wanna see? Check out Jessica's post. {She also made some cute felt food}


Oh yeah, I meant to post this picture a few days ago. In the Christmas meme I mentioned Tug not liking our tree topping star. This year it was replaced with the snack helmet. Do we really have to wait until NEXT WEEK for the game??

Have yourself

A Merry Huge Christmas!
Here are the girls. Dig those hats (SP has hers too high in the pic)

Where's Ham you ask? He wouldn't participate...

And, here are the kids putting out the cookies last night. Funny how Ham would hang out by the cookies but won't pose for a pic.

Hi there

Hi, I'm Candy Cornina. Can you guess why Tug named me this? Regina didn't want to use any of her "good" yarn and she didn't want to buy more yarn because she wasn't sure she would be able to complete me. She says if I am lucky she might make my dress so I don't have to be naked but who knows. I wasn't really built for standing so that is why I am crooked-oh and because one leg seems to be longer than the other. Perhaps I should get some of those shoes with lifts in them?

Bye-bye now. Can you see my thumb? Regina really thinks my thumb is cute!

Thanks Amy for finding the cute pattern! See her creations here

Pattern here

The cobbler

I must say, I never thought this would become of me but here is my latest project. Sweet Pea doesn't have any shoes for her Christmas outfit so I made her some.

I clearly need to work on my tension since the sizes are quite different but not too bad for my first attempt!

Pattern from marthastewart.com

Candy Cornina is almost done. Perhaps her debut will be in the next few days.

Help needed

So, I made SP a new hat because the one with the beads was just killing me--totally don't like it. What I need help with is deciding whether or not to keep the flowers. I am thinking not, but what do you think? Tug doesn't like that it has so many colors, but I kinda do.
I think she looks like Amelia Earhart (spelling??). This was my first attempt at ear flaps. I don't think I am going to add any tassels to the ends.


And this is her Christmas hat. I am going to get a different ribbon. This one is transparent and I want one more satiny. Also the bow is tied too big but oh well, you get the gist.



Oh yeah, I changed my comments options so you can now leave them anonymously which means anyone can leave a comment and no account is needed. Be nice and sign your name though :)

Lions, Tigers and Toucans

Oh my.

Tug recently said I am obsessed with crocheting. I have finally come to terms--by George I think he is right (bye, buy?). It started with the hats. I took a shot at one of the ones for the girls and liked how it looked so of course I had to do another for the other girl. Tug started getting annoyed at Hammie putting on the flowered hats so I had to do his. Then I couldn't leave Tug out so I had to do his hat. This weekend the girls insisted on wearing their hats to mass so one had a coordinating scarf. Well yesterday I had to start on the other coordinating scarf and finally finished it today. I had plans to go to bed early tonight then made the mistake of looking at crochetme.com and found some adorable "safari sniffers". I thought they would make a cute present for Hammie and the girls (maybe stocking stuffers) but wasn't sure I could do it so I just had to try. I have finally finished the lion (at the very bottom). I need the orange, yellow and purples so I will have to finish the others later. But if I plan on giving them to the kids I can't do it when they are out here so I don't know when I will get around to doing them. Maybe I will just say they are for other kids when they ask that way I can do them during the day.
Oh yeah, my mom also wants me to do a hat for my aunt--though she lives in El Paso which never dips below about 80.
Oh and my sister wants one too.
Oh and Tug wants me to figure out how to do a Buckeye helmet one.
Oh and I thought I might do one for one of Tug's aunt who actually lives somewhere that it is cold enough to wear a hat.
Why didn't I figure out this crochet thing back in April or something. Of course I wouldn't have thought far enough ahead for Christmas present anyway but still...

****************

This was suppose to post last night but didn't for some reason so here is a pic of the lioness (for those who are too lazy to click the link)

For my critics, I tied them uneven but they are not sewn uneven.

Last night my mom asked me if I am trying to be Martha Stewart. Absolutely not, she went to prison--though that might be a fun escape, especially cupcake prison like the one where she was.

Creation

I suppose it only fitting that on this first day of Advent I have a creation post. First, here is our Jesse Tree with today's ornament (for lots of Jesse Tree info and ideas visit Jessica). I made the ornaments out of clay and the kids helped paint them. This is our first year doing a Jesse Tree and I am really looking forward to focusing on "the reason for the season" (I've always thought that was a cheesy quote).

And, here are my newest hat creations. We lucked out when we noticed that a scarf I made last year matches the hat Sugar is wearing (in the group photo). I am still working on a coordinating scarf for the hat Boo is wearing. The other pic is just a closeup of the flower. Daddy insisted Ohio State colors for his and Hambone's hats.

Hat Model

Here is my newest creation. I think it looks a little too homemade--trying to be creative with the beads but methinks it looks too cheesy!

Finally

I was finally able to complete a crochet project (more affectionately known around here as crotch-et). I think it was about 5 yrs ago when I first saw the most adorable blanket in a Martha Stewart Baby magazine which got me started crocheting. I should say it got me started on buying yarn and crochet needles. It turned out to be harder than I expected. Last year I made the girls some scarves (so I guess those were my first completed projects) which are easy enough but I have been trying for nearly a year now (off and on) to try and do a hat. I was having a TERRIBLE time getting the ring figured out--which basically starts the hat--so I would get nowhere. Finally after 2 consecutive days of trying, I got it. And here is the finished hat.



I feel an explanation of the colors is in order--as I said I was having a hard time getting the ring right so I finally started using the brown yarn because I was tired of wasting my other prettier yarn. Go figure, the one that finally works is with the brown. So I added the blue which seems to be in vogue these days and am going to send it to my brother for his newish born son. Oh and it is suppose to roll at the bottom, part of the design :)
Tug now has an order in for scarlet and grey ones for the kids.