Free pattern!

Hello everyone, I am glad you could stop by today. I have been working on a few free patterns for all of you who are so kind to follow my blog. As you may know on my list of to do things this year is to create new patterns. Here are my first ones. Hope you enjoy!
I had a friend invite me to a baby shower she was giving for a friend of ours and she mentioned she didn't know what she all needed for the party. I gave her a few tips and then offered to make her some "distintivos" which are little appliques you give to each guest as they arrive. This is what I came up with.

Here is what you will need:
Crochet hook - E
WW yarn- any color
Safety pins
Scissors
Darning needle


Dress:
Chain 19
Round 1 - Slip stitch into the beginning chain to form a circle. Chain 3
1 Double crochet into each of the next 4 stitches, 4 double crochet in the next stitch, 1 double crochet in each of the next eighth stitches, 4 double crochet into the next stitch. 1 double crochet into each if the next four stitches. Slip stitch into 3Rd stitch of beginning chain 3. (24 stitches total)
Round 2 - Chain 3, 1 double crochet into the next 4 stitches. Skip the next 4 stitches and 1 double crochet into each of the next 8 stitches, skip the next 4 stitches and make 1 double crochet into each of the next 4 stitches.
Slip stitch into the third chain of the beginning chain three.(16 stitches total)
Round 3 - chain 3, 2 double crochet into each stitch around. (32 stitches total)
Round 4 - chain 3, 1 double crochet into the next stitch,

I have one one more pattern of a baby rattle to post but at the moment can not find my notes. Please subscribe so that you be notified when I update this post. Thank you and Happy Crocheting.

Summer Crochet Inspiration

So today I was scrolling through Facebook and someone asked what would be some good items to crochet for summer. Well that started me thinking and I started surfing on the web to find some pics for her and decided to make a blog post about it since I know that she is not the only one needing some inspiration.
The other reason for this blog is to link the pictures to the actual pattern site.  Here is what I found -

#1 Two Tone Shrug 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/two-tone-shrug

#2 Gladiator Sandals 

http://crochetdreamz.blogspot.com/2012/04/gladiator-sandals-crochet-pattern-for.html#.UxgGMPnxqNk

#3Blue Filet Netting House Shoes 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blue-filet-netting-home-shoes

#4Summer hat 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spring-is-here-crocheted-hat

#5Tshirt yarn necklace - video showing how to do the finger knitting/weave 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REaX0oYEIGo

#6Floppy Sun Hat 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/floppy-sun-hat-2

#7Tank Top Set - could not find pattern I will try to write out the pattern.

#8Flower Lariat - something similar but can be adapted 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/curly-bone-branches-an-asymmetrical-branched-lariat-scarf-worked-in-two-halves

I will try to post more by this weekend. Stay tuned, and have fun crocheting!

Here is the second part as promised and this is only scratching the surface. Hope you guys enjoy making these wonderful items because there are some beauts in here. Good Luck and Happy Crocheting!

#10 - Lace Summer Shorts - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-beach-shorts

http://www.etsy.com/listing/156266718/crochet-pattern-white-beach-shorts-and

#11 - Baby Summer Dress

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/swing-dress-or-top-pdf12-054

#12 - Granny Bunting Garland

 http://carinascraftblog.wardi.dk/2010/07/tutorial-crochet-granny-triangle.html

http://carinascraftblog.wardi.dk/2010/08/crochet-bunting-tutorial.html

http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/bunting-time/

#13 - Summer Cotton Crocheted Bracelet

http://windrosefiberstudio.blogspot.com/2011/04/summer-cotton-crocheted-bracelet-free.html

#14 - Crochet Beaded Bracelet

http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2007/7/crochet-beaded-bracelet_30.aspx

#15 - Crochet Lace Circular Vest - No pattern found

#16 - Links and Loops Shrug 

http://blog.knitting-warehouse.com/2012/05/free-crochet-pattern-links-and-loops.html

#17 - Little Girls Purse

http://zoomyummy.com/little-girls-purse/

#18 - Summer Shrug

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shoulder-shrug---bamboo

Project Tags, Need Them, Create Them, Use Them!

Today I want to talk about project tags. What are Project Tags? They are something like a card you can holepunch and attach to your UFOs (unfinished objects) so you can remember all there is to know about that particular project. 

So in a previous post I mentioned that I had started a blanket but could not remember what stitch or hook I was using before I put it down. In this post I will talk about what I did to take care of this problem.

I made some Project Tags! Here is a picture of what they looked like:

So if you like these her is what you need to create your own. You need some paper, printer, and a program to print out your layout. I just used what I had on hand and I had quite a few choices. I had perforated business cards that I got from a garage sale. I had plain white card stock pad and scrap booking paper pad from Walmart. I also had a few sheets of Avery perforated business cards that are the ones pictured above.

Next I decided that I would use the Avery.com template & software.

If you want to use 8 x 10 or 8 x 11 scrap booking paper or card stock you can but just keep in mind that you will have to cut them out by hand or with a paper trimmer.

Here you can type in your Avery template number and you will be taken to the template generator so that you can start your card.

This was the Avery product I had on hand 8373. I knew the number because each sheet of cards has the number printed on them. Here you select if you want to print double sided or one sided as well as tall or wide. If you don't have an Avery product on hand and just want to print them out on regular card stock, scrap booking paper, or typing paper you can. If you do use a Non-Avery paper then you are also free to choose a different size tag. As you can tell by the product list on the left, you have a lot of choices.

Next you will be taken to the next step in the process. Here you can select your design. You are free to start from scratch or if you want a quick way out then choose one of pre-designed forms. The choice is up to you. If you don't want to spend to much time creating them I suggest using a pre-made design. Don't worry they are not all boring like the ones you see here. There are some cute ones as well you just have to scroll down further to see them. 

The last and most important step is to customize your design. If you look at the left column you will see you have options to add text, images, shapes, QR and Barcodes, and even Sequential Numbers just in case you want to prioritize your UFO.

I do have to mention that on my tags I did leave off a few important things. I will need to add a line for deadline. This will come in handy if I have an order or if I joined a group and they have given me a deadline.

I will also have to add another line for Notes and another for website. 

I know that there are a number of other ways to make your own tags including the template maker on windows. I encourage you to take a look and see what you can create. I will also will try to upload a video doing this step by step so that you are able to follow along. If you create you own tag, leave me a link to your picture so that I can admire your handy work. 

Register through email, blogloving, or add me to your google+ or visit my facebook to get notified of when I post. Next topic will be on how to create your own graphic so that you can use it on your business cards, project tags, or any other place you need a graphic.

Lost in my WIP!

In a previous post I mentioned that we were expecting a baby. So today I would like to show you my current project for my baby. 

This is by no means a bragging post but a post about how much I need to be more organized and a call to action to myself. I'll show you a pick here:

So this is my baby blanket that I am working on. Now, the only problem is I can't remember what pattern I chose or what hook I was using.  Now my blanket is "doing the wave" as I continue to work on it. I do know that I got really tired of cutting off and having my tails all hanging around waiting for me to finally get them tucked in. You can't tell in these pictures but I attempted to carry my yarn to the next row but was not very successful!

So what is all my crying about? Well it's really about a post from winkieflash @ creative being.com and what she uses to keep her projects in working order. She created a tag that you can tie to your project that includes a project name, yarn being used, hook size, who the project is for, and room for notes like date you started the project. If you would like to look at her tags click on her name above and you can even print out a copy of her tags with her own design.

I will be giving this a serious try in the next few days and will even have a tutorial on how to make your own. This is one of my Crochet New Years Resolutions for 2014. So if you are interested in learning subscribe to my blog to receive a notifications of when I write this post. 

Until next time,  Happy Crocheting!

My mood blanket(s) 2014

So one of my things to do on my Bucket List this year is to get into making Blankets/Lapghans/Afghans. So when I came across this post  I was really excited and found it fairly manageable. You can also join the facebook fan page and post your pics. There are over 2200 members as of the last count.

Original pic from IG mummy_stacey

In this year-round challenge you get to choose if you want to make a block/square per day to end up with 365 blocks, or if you want to make one block per week to end up with 52 blocks. I thought "hey I can do that". I started to maybe make a blanket for the living room, then I changed my mind and thought I should make one for my daughter, then I remembered that I had twin girls. I decided to make two blankets at a time. 

So this is week two and this is my progress on these blankets. I went with the traditional granny square because I came across some photos on the web and they looked amazing. I started out by crocheting 3 rows and boy were they fast. Then I started thinking about a post I read were someone suggested making the squares bigger so that you end up with a bigger blanket. So I did. I crocheted two more rows to the squares I had already done but was amazed at how huge they were. I then went ahead and took a measurement. The bigger squares now measured 8". 

I still have to add a boarder to all the squares and join them,  but I'm still debating whether to do it in Beige, Off White, or  White. I also had to choose in what way I could join them. I have not decided yet.

I would like to know what you think would be the best way to join these lovely? Leave your comment below and let me know which technique you prefer to use for joining and what color I should use. Until next time!

My crochet new years resolutions.

So today is the end of the first week of the new year and I have yet to post anywhere My crochet new years resolutions. So I thought that here on my blog would be a great place to start. The following is my list of crochet resolutions.
1. - Blog at least twice a month
2. - Keep journal of Blog topics
3. - Keep posting Cast Off Crew Videos once a week
4. - Come up with at least 6 new patterns.
5. - Finish doing the 27 stitch tutorial videos series.
6. - Stay current on Linky Blogs.
7. - Promote my business through Facebook and other social media.
8. - Revamp Website.
9. - Keep a journal of projects you want to work on with picture and yarn ideas
10. - Start my Etsy shop
11. - Do more Craft Fairs
12. - Organize pics of crochet items 13. - Start/join a crochet group near you.
14. - Make project tags for new projects that you start.
15. - Organize yarn
16. - Organize crochet and knitting tools
17. - Come up with new earring tutorials
18. - Start a free crochet class at the local library!
19. - Organize ravelry page and use more consistently.
Some of them I feel are a little overwhelming but I feel energized by the thought of actually trying to focus on my passion. So my question to you is: Did you write down your Crochet Resolutions for this year? If you have I encourage you to share your list by commenting down below. If you have not, why not start now. Even if you don't have a full list, pick 3 or 4 (or more) things that you would like to accomplish this year and share them with me!

Color My Way

For most of you who are surfing the web you probably already know about Pinterest. You enjoy seeing crocheted creations that have lots of color, but do you ever wonder how they come about deciding what colors to choose. I  do! This is one of my biggest stumbling blocks. I love color but when it come to deciding what color combos will look good together I go blank. So I started looking up color combos. I found this site were they have color combo cards made out. Here is a link to www.colorcombo.com here you can sign up for a free account, click on a particular color and have many choices of color combo cards to choose from, and even search their color combo library. They also have an option to download a pdf of all the color cards in your particular choice. Here is a pic of their webpage.

This is not the only options here are a couple more:

 Adobe Kuler,  Color Scheme Designer

With adobekuler.com you have the option to really customize your color choice to match any swatch. You also have the option to choose if you want to see it in Analogous, monochromatic, triad, complementary, compound, and shades. You can really have fun and experiment with color here.

Colorschemedesigner.com is another site to play with color and color combinations. This site is somewhat a little more technical than others, but still pretty fun.

Two of my overall favorites are designseeds.com and letschipit.com. Designseeds.com. is not only beautiful but inspirational and I could be there all day pining away all the color combos I find. On this site you can easily pin any color combo that you come across to your pinterest board. Here is a pic.

Another similar site to designseeds is letschipit.com. Here you also have chip boards but the beauty of it all is that you can pick from any image on the web, your computer, or picture you may have on hand. All you have to do is scan in the picture and upload it. It is awesome to create this chip boards. Go on take a look and create some. Here are some of my chipboards I have created.

Well I will stop for now and let you get started on creating color combos. Good Luck!

Baby On The Brain! ;)

    Hello Everyone, I just wanted to show you some of my baby projects that I have worked on in the past and recently. As you may or may not know, I am expecting a baby girl come late March/early April, and I have crocheted baby items on the brain. Don't worry I won't be posting any pregnancy updates or baby pictures(that is until the baby arrives). I do however feel that a lot of crocheters tend to crochet based on what is going on in their lives, or because of the people who surround them. So today I will be showing you some of my work that I crocheted in 2013 and some of the work for this year. The first couple of pieces I want to show you are some baby sets I made back in the summer of 2013. These were made because I just thought they were so darn cute and I was helping out a friend with her shop and she would let me display items there to sell. 

This is a minion baby set that I crocheted for a customer. It was so fun but the diaper was a bit difficult because I was trying to adjust a pattern to fit an older baby per the customer's request.

This two mickey mouse baby sets were made without a pattern. I just crocheted and adjusted as I went. Yes they are different sizes but that was on purpose because the customer wanted them that way.

 

These five lovely sets were so much fun and supper easy. The pamper covers for all five were made using a free pattern from horsetownhooker on Ravelry.com and the flower on the pink set was from bobwilson123.com. The shoes on the teal and lime green set is a free pattern by Myshelle Cole on Ravelry.com. The baby shoes in blue were made using a free pattern from Ravelry.com. All baby beanies were all made with no pattern, just your basic beanie measurements that I tried to follow from this web page.

I also made these converse, and yellow flower booties. The converse baby shoes were a little tricky because I didn't have sport weight or thinner yarn but overall they were fairly easy to crochet.

 This baby aviator hat I made with no pattern  because it looked like a very easy hat that I could make. All I did was look at a picture on the web and mimic the look of it. I think the hardest part was picking out the right buttons. 

The baby capelet was a dream to crochet. It was a last minute gift for a family member and I'm glad I tried it. It had been on my bucket list to do for such a long time. The only down side for all of you is that this pattern is not offered anymore from Annie's Scrap Crochet Club. They closed the club down because not enough people were signed up. However I did find a seller on ebay that was selling the physical pattern page that came in the monthly kit. 

Do you have Blog Button?

I came across this wonderful blog tutorial on how to make a blog button. Now I had been craving a blog button for a while now, and just didn't understand how in the world to go about creating one. Well DP Nguyen from http://www.mypregnancybaby.com gave me what I needed. She has a few how to tutorials for bloggers.

Now I do have to say that if you are not familiar with how to work with html code it can be a little scary. I do encourage you to try it. The most you can lose is a little of your time. I thought I would give it a shot since I also think working with HTML code is scary.

Needless to say I forged ahead and after a few errors I finally got my button to look like I wanted it to and include the code for you to copy to your blog or website. If you look to your right that is where you will find them but if you still don't know what I am talking about, here is what mine ended up looking like.

Watermarking your photos

So I was at a point in my craft when I had accumulated a lot of pictures of my work. I was at the verge of paying someone to create a logo and a watermark.

At the last minute I decided to do a little research and see just how hard it was to create a watermark first. I found a few videos on how to create your own watermark but the best help I found was this blog, http://temptingthyme.com/2013/03/25/how-to-create-a-transparent-watermark/.

It went step by step and so easy to follow that I immediately started creating my own. I will try to post them here so your can see all the ones I created in a matter of a few minutes. The first 6 watermarks I made using Picmonkey.com and the last 2 I created with Ribbet.com. Because the watermarks are transparent and white I went ahead and edited them again with paint so that you would be able to see them clearly, but originally the background is white(transparent actually).

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 These are some of the few watermarks that I made for the holidays. I still have a few holidays to work out but I am really loving it.

 I will soon post a video tutorial on how I did my watermarks. A very special thank you to Shauna Tafelski for a wonderful tutorial on this topic. If you want to learn how to do other things for your blog or website, visit her blog.

No mistakes just great opportunities!

So I joined a group on Facebook called "Hookahs Day Out" and we challenge ourselves to create crocheted items or stitches that we have never done before. So our first project we used a stitch called "picot" stitch and we followed this video
by New Stitch a Day on YouTube  on how to do that. Here is a picture of a before and after steam blocking.


The challenging part of this pattern was  that we found this image on the web but no pattern. Well not until later that is. I searched with google image search to find out where it originated from and I found it on a picasa web album. So off we went to recreate this shawl.

I made a few videos explaining the process to some of the members so they would not feel so intimidated by the whole thing. I was doing great on my shawl or so I thought and when I finally finished I discovered that my shawl just didn't lay correctly. I tried it several different ways but no go. Finally I was about to frog it when I realized that I could actually turn the shawl into a shrug. This is how it came out.

 Needless to say I was very happy with it. I did how ever have to make a second one because I could not give this one away.

So, now we move on to our next project, a skirt! I have never done one before but I am very excited to get it done and try it on. If you would like to join our group visit us on facebook at Hookah Day Out.

Is Threading Beads Delightful? Maybe! You be the judge.

So I have a video on how to crochet hoop earrings and in that video I used beads with my thread. Now if you use beads when you crochet then you know that sometimes it.s difficult to find. Well in my internet surfing endeavors I came across a Nice lady, Brenda. She commented on the video about a certain needle we could use. My interest was peaked and so I went to her blog and looked at what it could be and this is what she was talking about.

The product she bought was GUM ease. It is a threader for your floss to clean between dentures or braces. Here is a picture of what they may look like.

This is fantastic, I think, since I always have trouble getting my thread through my beads. I have not tried it yet but will definitely be purchasing some in the very near future. For now this is what I also found useful is Beadalon. This is just regular beading wire used for jewelry making. I cut off about 6" piece and crease it in half. Then open it back up and slip in my thread between the two pieces and start threading on my beads. 

I got mine at my local Walmart and it is inexpensive and now has multiple uses. I keep it with all my other needles in my magnetic needle case also from Walmart. (Are you noticing the theme here) Here is a picture of what I have.

Give these two ideas a try and let me know how it goes. Do you prefer one over the other or do both serve equally as well? Until next time. Have a wonderful day.