Crochet Odds 'n' Ends

I've been doing a lot of crocheting and sewing lately. I reward myself for housecleaning chores by being able to craft afterwards. Most of the sewing has been smocks like that in an earlier post this month and bags. I've made a lot string bags similar to this backpack. They are easy and work up quickly. I could see them becoming the standard gift bag for the parties to which my children are invited.

My latest crochet project has been a toddler boy's sweater using the solid hexagons. I used two 12 rounds hexagons made with 6 skeins Moda Dea Cartwheel in the hazey colorway and a K hook. It's a 100% wool yarn and I loved working with it! I just joined them at the center front and back, with the seam on the outside as a design feature. I sewed the sleeves together at the top for about 3/4 of the way, leaving the neck area open. I left the top inch or two of the front open for a notched neckline and to make sure it will go over the head. I added some rounds to the ends of the sleeves to bring them in a bit and then a few rows of ribbing too. I added to the bottom as well. I really like the sweater and the construction is so easy! However, the sleeves end up extremely wide. I guess that makes it good for layering.

It's really hard to see the lines made by the hexagon pattern in the picture, but it looks really nice. I still have several skeins of the yarn left and am thinking of making something for myself. This sweater is being sent off to a deserving charity, after I weave in the ends.

I made a dragon bookmark as a present along with book. It will be given in one of the bags mentioned above. The pattern is available on Crochetville. I changed the tail a bit by making a long chain and making a curly-cue end with 3 dc in the first several chains as I worked my way back up. I slipstitched in the rest of the chain to get back to the body and continued as directed. It turned out cute and used up some leftover wool. I think I'll have to make some more for my own kids!

Finally, there's a really cute Christmas angel. I still need to put a ribbon through and tie it at the waist. It worked up really quickly and I am so excited to have found the pattern at Crochet 'n' More. I had seen the same angel on a site recently worked in worsted weight cotton as a prayer cloth (similar to a prayer shawl). I fell in love with it, but it stated the pattern was no longer available. I tried unsuccessfully to copy it from the picture, so when I was searching for Christmas ornaments and happened upon this angel, I was ecstatic.

Thanks for looking! I hope I've been able to inspire you to craft today!

BSJ: Baby Surprise Jacket

The Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ) is a famous pattern by knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann. It's really great because the only seams to sew are the two shoulder/sleeve seams at the top. This design is pure engineering genius and requires some origami-type folding at the end. This one is made with Patons Kroy Socks Jacquards yarn in the hip hop colorway (3 skeins, although there's some left of the last. A hat, maybe??). The edging is a heather gray Red Heart Super Saver, only because it happend to be close by and looked like it would make a nice finished edge. The buttons are years old. Thank you stash! And now for the real surprise...this is done with CROCHET! Yes, this is a crocheted BSJ! I pretty much followed the EZ pattern using single crochet and skipping the knit only rows. I think I ended up with about 60 rows. Although I can crochet other baby sweaters faster, I do like this one and will make more. I'm already planning my next one. ☺

2007 Crafting Year in Review

Sewing:

• several diaper bags for charity
• daughter's lunch bag
• daughter's dress
• 3 teacher's bags for end-of-school-year gifts
• purse/bag
• mermaid Halloween costume

Crochet:

• Husky afghan in tapestry crochet


• 3 apple necklaces for teacher goodbye presents


• snowman


• grocery bags


• doll's sweater/cape


• afghan for DH's grandmother


• school bus ornament and scarf


• spider ornament