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Finished Projects July 2011

The hook has been at work quite a bit lately so I need to stop and show you what I've been doing!

This is my first Winter Special Olympics scarf donation. I used half double crochet stitches and worked in the back stitch only at the color changes for a slight cable effect. The dimensions had to be 60" x 6" and I was happy with the way it turned out. The next one is going to be more of a sampler design or basket weave stitch - I can't decide. I'm using the foundation single crochet method for the first rows and it really makes a nice finished edge. Watch Alice Merlino, AKA Futuregirl show you how to do it!



I was also very flattered to receive a special request order from a reader in Australia for a cowl/scarf/hat pattern I showed on my blog last year. Christine of Golden Lily Crafts wrote: "Here in Australia it is blisteringly cold and as I walk my dogs daily this cowl would be perfect. I can start off with it wrapped around my head and as I warm up it can fold down to a scarf."

We exchanged emails sorting out color choices and shipping details and I was so happy to be able to ship it off! Word to the wise. When you buy postage online, double check the dimensions of the box you choose. I unknowingly chose a box that barely fit the cowl and hope it doesn't get too squished on it's journey across the pond. Thank you, Christine for being my first client! I hope the cowl gives you years of enjoyment!

Hitchcock on the Hill

Forest Park is home to so many amazing museums and events all year round from Ice Skating at Steinberg Rink to star gazing at the Science Center, to watching the prairie dogs at St. Louis Zoo. Every Friday in July, the St. Louis Art Museum hosts Friday movies outdoors on a giant, inflated movie screen. We couldn't believe our good fortune to have 90 degree weather instead of 100 degree weather this night. Four days before, I attended my son's swim meet at at balmy 110 degrees at 7:00 pm.



The movie was Rear Window and I hadn't watched it since college. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. Swoon! I'm sure January Jones took a cue from Grace Kelly for her role on Mad Men. I found myself noticing the amazing clothes and the sets. There's nothing like a Hitchcock thriller, in my book. Perhaps we'll check on Vertigo and North by Northwest and Dial M for Murder on the old Netflix. Notice I didn't say Psycho. Shiver.

Are you a Hitchcock fan? What's your favorite Hitchcock film?

Field Trip to Upcycle Exchange Equals Stash SCORE!

My friend sent me a link to a new shop that opened in south St. Louis, the Upcycle Exchange. It employs a new business model - you name your price for upcycled craft supplies, yarn, fabric, notions, scrapbooking supplies, art supplies, crafty books, magazines and more. Items for sale have been donated at the shop or at one of many indie craft establishments in the area. You pick the items you want and enter the price you want to pay in the store's Square-based checkout system. And 10% of the proceeds benefit a different local charity each month.



Autumn Wiggins, a St. Louis indie craft rock star and founder of the Strange Folk Festival, opened the shop in 2009. The open structure pricing model has proven to be sustainable and Wiggins is meeting and exceeding her overhead costs. There are already plans to open Upcycle Exchanges in Detroit and other cities.



And can we just say, how much fun it is to shop here? Autumn has a real eye for merchandising and terrific storage ideas. She used ordinary storage bins and jars, then painted a patch of chalkboard paint on them for easy labeling. Everything is stored in Ikea units and the place has a cool combination vibe of modern and pressed-tin-ceiling vintage.



There is such a huge variety of materials I had to stop myself and focus on key items I needed. Since I love to dabble in so many different crafts, it would have been sooo easy to go overboard.





My stash from today's visit included:

• 3 hanks of handspun alpaca/wool blend yarn
• Buttons (for seat belt cozies)
• Fresh water pearl beads
• Cotton crochet thread
• Buttons for softie cat eyes
• Scrapbook paper in basic colors
• Wine corks (for mulling spices gifts)

Now it's time to get busy and use some of this stash to start on Christmas goodies!

Crochet for the Winter Special Olympics

Special Olympians Wisconsin 2010, courtesy of scarvesforspecialolympics.org

Have you heard about this project to crochet or knit scarves for Winter Special Olympians? The scarves are given to each of the athletes and there are over 30 states hosting events. Last year, over 26,000 scarves were donated.

2010 Special Olympics Scarf Project website

The scarves can be any pattern as long as the finished dimensions are 6 inches by 54-60 inches long. The image gallery offers lots of inspiration. I love this scarf created for the Northern California Special Olympics and the combination stitches and patterns.


Image courtesy of scarvesforspecialolympics.org. Scarf created by Esther Hsiao Tsai

We were shopping over the weekend and I found the Red Heart colors needed for the this year's scarves (red and navy)and started hooking! My plan is to get our local crochet group and church folks involved and see how many scarves we can get together for the Illinois athletes participating at the Galena, IL games.

Check out this page for the list of states and the deadlines.

I'll post progress photos soon!

Crochet Apple Cozy

You knew this was in my future. Couldn't wait to use some of my cotton bits and bobs to make an apple cozy. Who doesn't throw an apple in their bags and take it out for lunch only to find nicks from keys and crochet hooks?

I used #4 weight yarn instead of DK as the pattern called for and a "G" hook. So I didn't need as many rows and kept an apple handy to judge my progress. This worked up so quickly! One thing I changed was instead of skipping a stitch to do the decreases, I crocheted two stitched together. The skipped stitches were too obvious with the larger gauge.

Funny how the simplest, quickest projects can make me so happy! What projects have you made lately that make you happy?

Crochet Finds Roundup

The house is quiet so it's time for a bit of blog hopping. It's so fun when I blog I read leads me to another and another and so on and so on. Here's where my hopping led me today:


Image courtesy of The Coral Reef Project.

Yarn Over Pull Through - video tutorial on invisible join using double crochet. This post was from 2008 so I clicked on the home page and wow! A hyperbolic crochet exhibit in Hawaii and one of Hypercycloid's crochet transverse coral pieces was included! I have admired hyperbolic crochet for a long time and demonstrating physics and crochet at the same time would be nirvana! It's definitely on my bucket list!

Image courtesy of Mollie Makes.

Molly Makes - This site is home of a UK publication of the same name. They just made a video to promote their latest issue and it was filmed at The Makery in Bath, UK. This shop is a dream! To have a place you can just drop in and work on your project with other crafty types, say during your lunch hour. Those crochet apple cozies are the bomb! So, I have a lot of catching up to do reading this blog/magazine!

Crochet Seat Belt Cozy and Free Pattern

Is anyone else bothered by their seat belt strap during the summer? When I wear t-shirts or tank tops, my seat belt strap feels like it's chafing my skin, especially if I get a bit of sunburn. Crochet a simple seat belt cozy that buttons onto your belt and viola! Problem solved.

Free Crochet Seat Belt Cozy Pattern

You'll need:
1 ball of cotton yarn, medium (4) weight (such as Sugar and Cream)
Crochet hook size G or H.
Two buttons with shanks, 1/2 to 5/8"
Needle and matching thread

Row 1: Ch 27. Turn.
Row 2: DC in second chain from hook and across to end of row, Ch. 2. Turn.
Rows 3 to 11: DC in each stitch; Ch. 2, turn at end of each row.
Row 12-14: DC across in each st, at end of row, sk last stitch, Ch. 2 and turn. (This will decrease rows to the end, making a tab.
Fasten off yarn at end of Row 14, weave in ends.



With same or contrasting color yarn, SC around outside of cozy.



For buttons, wrap cozy around your seat belt and mark button placement. Sew on buttons and enjoy your new comfortable seat belt!



What projects have you designed to solve an everyday need or problem?

What to do with a pound of vanilla beans!

The first time I saw anyone use vanilla beans was Ina Garten on Barefoot Contessa. She said vanilla beans were expensive so I dismissed buying them myself, putting vanilla beans in the same category as saffron. I'd also never seen them for sale in my usual shopping spots either.

The first time I saw/smelled/used vanilla beans was when a swap partner sent me some as part of my package. Could not believe how good they smelled! I promptly made vanilla sugar and won't be without it in my cupboard!

Vanilla Sugar

Take 2-3 vanilla beans and place them in a mason jar of sugar. Your sugar will be flavored with vanilla in a week or so. Just keep adding sugar to the jar; the beans will last for years.

I've read online for years about how to make your own vanilla extract. I just never got around to doing it until a co-worker asked if I wanted to be part of her online vanilla bean order. So, my pound of Tahitian vanilla beans arrived and we started our homemade vanilla extract.

Vanilla Extract

Ingredients

A bottle of cheap vodka (or other grain alcohol. I've heard rum is also delicious.)
3/4 pound of vanilla beans



Make a slit in each vanilla bean and drop into the alcohol. Let sit in your pantry for 3 to 4 months. Remove the beans, strain if desired and enjoy your vanilla extract!

Finally, I put some of the saved vanilla beans into homemade ice cream. (Slit open the bean, scrap out some of the seeds and add to ice cream base.) It's the same flavor boost as using orange zest in cooking. Very intense flavor and sooo yummy!

So I hope this inspires you to get some vanilla beans and enjoy using them in your kitchen!

Baby Baptism Embroidery Gift

This past weekend marked a special occasion in our family - the baptism of our nephew! To commemorate the event, I embroidered a shell and the date on muslin. I'm trying to decide if I want to frame it with his photo or create blocks for baby's first year quilt. I could embroider a baby shoe and the date for his first steps and some curly hair and the date of his first haircut. What to do, what to do?

Cotton Crochet in the Round for Summer

I've mentioned before that I love road trips and the chance to do a lot of crochet. These are three projects I've made in the car, no pattern, no reading required. Just cotton yarn and a hook. Also, a drink bottle or soda can helps for gauge.

One of my favorite cotton yarns is Cotton Tots. It doesn't split, it's sturdy and feels so rich and thick worked up. When I learned to crochet, one of the first projects I made were baby wash cloths with this yarn, yummy.



These can cozies and drink bottle covers were just crocheted in the round. I used the net stitch for the bottle cover with a chain three.



The coasters were made with Sugar and Cream tweed yarn. The coaster holder is just a coaster with decreasing rows to make the sides. My mom showed me how to add the edge by doing a front post stitch for the last row of the coaster. We use these all over the house and I need to make more when we hit the road this summer.



Hope this inspires you to pick up your hook this summer! These make great gifts, too!

Using Google Keyword Search to Increase Blog Traffic

Sometimes my day job spills over into my hobby pursuits ...

If you blog, you’re probably interested in getting more readers. Ever wonder what search terms are most commonly used to find more info about your area of expertise? I read an interesting article about tweaking blog posts to get higher Google search result placement on ProBlogger. Basically, you can use Google’s Keyword Search Tool to find you which words are being used to find websites and blogs like yours. By tweaking your posts slightly to use most-used search terms, you can increase traffic because your website will come up higher in the list of search results in Google.

Using my own blog as an example, I searched for “crochet” and got these results:



So I learned people are searching for crochet patterns, versus crochet tutorials or crochet directions. I could tweak a tutorial title or content, for example, to include “pattern” to get higher search result placement. Looking further down the list, “free” patterns and “baby” patterns and “how to crochet” are also common search terms for crochet. Do I have something to offer in these areas that would attract new readers? I’m reminded looking at this list that I never wrote a post about my new nephew’s teddy bear hat project.

You can also use the Google Analytics tool to see what keywords brought people to your blog. (If you’re not using Google Analytics, visit this link if you’d like to learn more.



Also, in the Blogger dashboard under Stats>Traffic Sources, you can view the keywords used to find your site:



There is a fine line between using keywords to dictate your content versus to focus and refine it. If I only followed a keyword strategy to create content, whether I was interested in a certain subject or not, it would backfire. But if I use Google Keyword Search and other tools available, to discover which topics my audience is interested in and choose the words that get them to my blog, I can increase readership.

How do you choose crochet project colors?

My crochet Japanese flower motif is growing by leaps and bounds as I add two motifs a night. As I work with the colors of cotton yarn, there are just no bad color combinations. I've seen these amazing creations online and thought there was some magical formula for making it all turn out well. The only secret, that I can tell, is to buy colors you really love and get going. There are eight colors I'm using in this project that range from light pink, to dark purple to turquoise and tangerine. It does seem that there needs to be a balance between light, medium and dark hues but otherwise, it's all good! I try to mix up the color combinations and join the motifs together as I go so I don't have a project at the end of my project. (Hate that.) I've also been weaving in the ends with the next row so the color changes don't drive me crazy.



Making this motif shawl has turned on the light bulb for my gardening also. I've never just tried randomly mixing colors and types of plants in our planters. This spring, I just bought a bunch of flowers that were full-sun rated and mixed them in patterns I liked. It was so joyful to just plant and not try to control the outcome so much.

How do you choose colors for your projects? Do you use a certain color theory? Have you ever just gone with your gut reaction to choosing colors that "go together?"

Got Loopy with Mary Beth Temple and Crochet Giveaway!

It was very exciting to be Mary Beth Temple's BlogTalkRadio show, "Getting Loopy." I volunteered to be her guest after she put out the call on Twitter. Couldn't believe I had enough to say about crochet to fill 40 minutes but before I knew it, we were out of time. Thanks, Mary Beth for making me feel so relaxed and welcome!

Mary Beth is also doing a giveaway for a free cloche hat and fingerless glove set I crocheted to one lucky winner. Listen to the show for details and good luck!

Mary Beth Temple is published crochet and knit designer. You can find her patterns at hooked4life.com.

Listen to the show here:

Listen to internet radio with Mary Beth Temple on Blog Talk Radio

Moms Who Rock the Hook

All my life, I have been surrounded by handmakers. This post salutes all the moms in my family who have created with crochet but I could easily do five more posts showcasing these same amazing ladies and their quilting and knitting.



This Crochet barbie dress was made by my mother when I was seven or eight years old. When I told her I was working to reproduce great-grandma's venetian lace collar, she said I was crazy. But look at the tiny stitches in this dress! This dress was taken on and off many a Barbie in the last 40 years, including my daughter's dolls. It's stood the test of time and wear and tear. I love the bright yellow thread she used and the sassy strapless pattern.



My grandma crocheted these flower trivets for Christmas this year. They are double layered and very thick for protecting tables and counter tops. She has always loved bright colors and combines them in unusual and wonderful ways. Grandma Marge also makes socks, slippers and all matter of useful objects.




Filet crochet is my Aunt Marlene's specialty. It boggles my mind to look at these stitches and the intricate pattern of this piece, which spells our last name and measures over 36 inches long. I cherish this special Christmas gift and think of my aunt every day.



My mother-in-law made this crochet bear for my son when he was a toddler. I think this was way before the amigurami craze. She passed away almost a decade ago and I regret not asking her more about her crochet projects. She also crocheted a beautiful broomstick lace afghan for our first house and we still cuddle under it on the couch. Her crochet is a lasting legacy for us.





My step mom crocheted this fun, granny square afghan as a Christmas gift for my daughter. I love her color choices and the yarn she used has withstood many washings and dryings. It is usually laying on the back of our sofa all winter and it is so cheery on a dreary day.

So here's to all the Moms who rock the hook! You inspire me every day as I appreciated you lasting gifts of crochet.

My crochet spot with the best helper ever

Anywhere is fair game to be a crochet spot. At a sports practice, in the car waiting for pick up, waiting room, lunch room, at a swim meet ... that's why I love crochet. It's the most portable craft! But, there's one spot in our house, "the wedge" in our family room sectional that attracts people and pets alike. The light is perfect, there is an end table at your right and outlet close by for charging laptops.



I've been bitten by the japanese flower motif bug! All the bright cotton colors for spring make me so joyous. This is going to be a crochet shawl to wear in over-conditioned restaurants, at work and to the Muny. I'm using dribs and drabs of Paton's Grace and Tahki Cotton Classics. Lovely stuff to work with!

Under Construction and the ABCs of Me

Progress on vintage crochet grape and leaf motif reproduction.

Thanks to Allyson of The Sweatshop of Love blog for the idea to fill in the ABCs of Me while my house, crochet projects and life are under construction at the moment.


Our basement two months ago. We are 85% finished and I'll post finished photos soon!

A. Age: 47.5
B. Bed size: King.
C. Chore you hate: Cleaning toilets.
D. Dogs: Had a dachshund named Heidi for 12 years from kindergarten to high school. Now we have two gray tabbies, almost two years old.
E. Essential start to your day: A shower to clear my head, i.e. the cobwebs.
F. Favorite color: Hooker green like the center of these blossoms.



G. Gold or silver: Silver.
H. Height: 5’4”
I. Instruments you play: No musical talent AT ALL.
J. Job title: Web developer
K. Kids: Mary and Matt
L. Live: St. Louis
M. Mom’s name: Marla. Our female family members' names start with “Mar” for three generations now. Margie, Marla, Marlene, Marti, Marian, Mary.
N. Nicknames: Martha Winger
O. Overnight hospital stays: Gallbladder surgery 11 years ago.
P. Pet peeve: The dishes that make it to the sink but not into the dishwasher.
Q. Quote from a movie: “Isn’t that a little excessive for the Carolina leagues?”
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: One sister, Marian.
T. Time you wake up: 6:00 am, weekday or weekend.
U. Underwear: Usually.
V. Vegetables you dislike: Jicama.
W. What makes you run late: Procrastination and a warm bed.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Broke my foot when my daughter was four months old. Smooth.
Y. Yummy food you make: Chicken enchilidas
Z. Zoo – favorite animal: Giraffes.


Bella is thinking,"What's all the racket, people?"