Giraffe & Snowman

Good Afternoon! I've been busy crocheting lately. That Flowers in the Snow blanket is coming along quite nicely. Granted, it has been put aside for the moment in the name of gifts to be created, but really, it is quite beautiful!

 

I made this adorable little giraffe awhile back. There was no real reason other than I thought the pattern was cute and I wanted to use up scraps (the blanket wasn't using them up as fast as I thought). Unsurprisingly this did not use up many of the scraps either. Still, I love this guy and am totally saving him for a future child. This one won't be a gift.

 

 

It already looks at home on the couch, with the fleece blanket, quilt, and afghan! I am a woman of many talents (although the quilt was totally made for me, I am not that talented)!

 

Lastly, I whipped up this snowman ornament in an afternoon. It was a CED project (November 30) and became a gift for a fire wife sister. Fun. Right?

 

Headbands!

So I bought this adorable headband / ear muff thing from my friend the other day. I wasn't sure I could pull it off, but I was told that I can. You can't see it in the picture, but it has a fun crocheted flower stitched onto it. Yay! Then I remembered that I had some crochet headbands to make from my challenge. That's why I have been on a crochet headband kick lately...

Ten minutes made this adorable gray headband (Elizabeth), and I sewed elastic to the back so I didn't have to tie it. Perfect!! A bunch of friends fell in love with it, so I made more to give away!

 

The next headband was Laura's headband. I was going to do the elastic on this as well, but ended up using the crochet chain back. To see it worn a different way, check the original post.

 

Last up is this ear muff from Ashton. This is the second pattern that she gave me to review. I love how it turned out, even if the edges curl in a bit when I'm not wearing it (that may also be because I made it a little differently than her pattern). You should definitely check out more of her patterns on her Website, Etsy, or Ravelry. The baby booty patterns that she has are just adorable!

 

I think what I love most about this hat is how versatile it is. First off, it's reversible, so that already gives you two options. It's also designed to look knit, which I think is fun. I have a pink flower to put on it, but haven't attached it to a clip yet, and don't want to sew it on (because that ruins the reversibleness! duh)!

Woodsy Shower Gift & Pattern Review

I love to put together a bunch of gifts to go with a theme for my friend's children. This kiddo's parents are country to the core (John Deere and antlers and all), so I went all country on the gift. I gave them a combination of purchased, sewn, and crocheted items. The boots are camo + suede. So stinkin cute.

I love how it is a random combination of things, but still sort of flows. I still cannot decide which part is my favorite!

I do love the owl hat though. They are all the rage right now. I made one for another friend's daughter as well. The pattern is from Repeat Crafter Me. I LOVE her patterns. So many good ones! I'm making her reindeer hat soon for my cousin. So fun.

The cross strap slipper pattern is a new one for me. It was given to me by Ashton Leven to share on my blog. The slippers were so cute and the mom to be LOVED them! The pattern was easy to follow, although I had to go up a hook size or two as my crocheting is so tight!

You can find this slipper and many other gorgeous patterns on Ravelry and Etsy. She has lots of baby shoes, boots, and hats. I'm currently working on her reversible knit look headband. It's gorgeous (post to come)!

[I was given this pattern for free from Asthon Leven to review on my blog, but all opinions are my own.]

Scraps and Hats

I've been working on a few scrap projects! I finished up a giraffe (post to come), but still have a long way to go with my Flowers in the Snow blanket. All of the small circles are done and a bunch if rounds two and three are done I have at least one final row in place too. It's rather annoying having all of this scrap yarn out though!!

I also made these cute minion beanies for a coworker!!

And I'm working on this Starry Starry Night blanket. I started it awhile back and think it's just the cutest. 

Lastly, my friend sent me a pic of the dino hat being worn. Adorable!!

What are you up to?

Tasty Treats

I finished some of my projects last month. I absolutely love finishing things up, and posting here is like the final check on my to do list. I still have so many projects left to complete to finish up my challenge, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Will I finish by 2014? Probably not, but I will get everything made eventually! Click on the link for more project info and the pattern.

 

Below: Coffee Cup (Feb 5), Sushi / Cupcake (Dec 28), Donut (July 18)

 

This Frosted Donut (Feb 24) is seriously adorable. I just love it!

 

Lastly, another shot of the Bakewell Tart (Feb 23). I used a Gatorade bottle bottom inside the base, so it is actually pretty sturdy! So fun! 

 

Babies, Blankets, Pets & More

I love seeing people use the things that I make for them. Seriously, it brings me such great joy. I finished up this Hexagon Blanket in June and was not sure who it was intended for. When my friend Bobbi received her daughter last week, I just knew the blanket was for her. I have seen a few pictures of her laying on it, and I LOVE it. Totally makes my heart happy!

 

 

Little Rylee is the sweetest thing ever. I was privileged enough to visit her twice already, including at her Meet & Greet yesterday. I love holding little ones, and cannot wait for the day when I have my own in my arms!

 

 

When Kai is in the house, the kitties pretty much stay up on the couch / away from her. They are usually out during the day, so I don't feel bad about this. However when Kai is outside, they think they rule the house again. Here is Halvsies in my craft room, he found the perfect spot! haha

 

 

This picture is two months old, but I still cannot believe Kai was ever so tiny!

 

 

Lastly, any guesses as to what I am making with these pom poms??

 

Anniversary Trip

In March, Matthew and I took a trip for our anniversary. We wandered around the central coast and just enjoyed quality time together. It is so hard to believe that we already hit 5 years! Anyways, I made a fun Shutterfly album, and they made it easy to embed into a blog. Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.

Baby Animal Hats

One of my friends is having a baby in a few short weeks. She asked if I could make this Dino set for his Halloween costume. Of course I can! He will be about a month and a half old when Halloween rolls around, so I tried to size it accordingly.

I love how cute this little Dino set is!! I do not have a little one to test it out on, but hopefully it will fit her little guy well!

I chose primary colors, and I think they go really well with the gray. I searched ravelry and pinterest for ideas, and this is what I decided to go with.

I also made this cute little froggy hat, to check things off my list. A friend came over the day after I made it, wanting to buy a gift for a friends baby. She loved the froggy hat and I am so glad it has a new home!

I am also loving the idea of using a wine glass to hold beanies for pics. I saw it on Pinterest. Genius! 

What have you been crocheting lately?

Forest Blankey Love

I've been busy sewing lately, which is good! I had taken an unintentional sewing break for far too long! A dear friend just had her third sweet boy, and I sent this this blanket and tag blanket.

The picture doesn't do it justice. The fabric really is adorable. And word on the street is that the little man loves it! I love to make gifts for friends, so it makes my heart happy to hear that the gifts are loved as well.

Currently...

I really hate having a blog post without a title, but sometimes I just have no idea what to say! I've been working on a few projects lately that have taken forever to finish! I'm maybe halfway through a scrappy granny circle afghan, and a quarter of the way through a striped giraffe. I'm trying to use up scraps, but I swear they are multiplying!! 

I also picked up this tank top that I started crocheting last year. I'm still not sure about it, but it's turning out cuter than I imagined!

And just for fun, here's a pic of our adorable pup laying next to the cat -- it's a miracle!

What have you been up to? 

Getting Girly

My friend had a sweet baby girl earlier this year, and asked me to make a few things for her. My love language is gifts, so I was more than happy to oblige. After having two boys, she was ready for all things girly! She asked for the kisses hat and then I scoured her pinterest (okay, those are my boards)to see what else she wanted. Smart girl, right? haha

I decided to make matching mother / daughter t-shirt headbands as well as a pixie hat for the little Miss. Sadly, the mother headband was too small. But the baby headband has been getting tons of use. It makes my little crafty heart happy whenever I see her wearing it in pictures!

 

The pixie hat turned out really cute as well. I used up some scrap grey and pink yarn to make it. I love using up scraps!

 

Lastly, these bon bons were not for Baby V, but just seemed to fit the color scheme. Cute, right?

 

Giraffe-tastic

This post has been awhile in the making. I actually made these back in February / March. My sister in law is pregnant with my first niece or nephew and I have not been able to stop making things for him / her. Thankfully, they aren't finding out what he or she is, so I can only do so much. They said that the nursery theme was animals, like giraffes and pandas. So I decided to crochet a few giraffe things.

First I made this amigurumi giraffe from Lion Brand. I love how the little guy turned out. Although, I feel like I have to tell people that he is a giraffe. hahaha

Next up I created my own giraffe hat! That's right. I made a pattern. I saw a few things that I liked in pinterest, but not the exact pattern. So I just went for it. I'm working on typing it up, if you are interested! I'm kind of in love with it!

Any other animal things that I should make for my new niece or nephew?

blanket, clover, lemons & limes

According to my most recent count, I have completed 120 projects. That means I am 33% of the way through my Crochet Every Day completion goal..... and I only have a year and a half to complete 245 projects. Crap. I may have made this goal a little too lofty -- I'm not even halfway there! I may be giving myself an extension! lol Anywho, I have some finished projects to share!

First up, I finally finished my Hexagon Blanket. It sat around for over a year before being completed. Wow. That's just too long! But it sure is beautiful!

Next, this Four Leaf Clover (March 19):

Lastly, some Lemons and Limes made an appearance on my hook. These were another quick finish. So fun too. One day, my kids will have tons of crocheted play food. I wonder if they will like it!

 

What have you been crocheting lately?

Fourth of July Decor

One of my goals is to create something from this blog for every season. If I aim for just one thing, then I will slowly build up my seasonal collection each year. Smart, right? Last year I made a wreath and a hair bow and some flip flops. If you notice, none of that is crocheted! The year before, I held a patriotic coaster crochet along. A lot of you participated and it was fun seeing what everyone made. This year, I made up for last, with two crocheted projects!

First up, I made some patriotic coasters. These are round, not square, and finish up my set with the stars!

Second, I made a potholder. It's cute, but is it functional? I'm still not sure if I trust a crocheted potholder. Do you?

Did you make any fun decorations for this Fourth of July?

Winner!

Hello! I have failed to announce the giveaway winner, Linda. My apologies. I have been trying to find some cute current project pics to pass along, but there are not many. Here is a pic of a hexagon granny blanket that I finished (real pics on the computer, fail). My bad. 

I also made and some Seuss-esque burp rags and a tag blanket for a friend. Love it. 

What have you been up to?

Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Sorry, but this giveaway is now closed! The winner has been chosen -- commenter #1, Linda for the yarn! The fabric winner is comment #2 from the FireWifey post, Kristi. I will be contacting all winners shortly. Thanks!

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I need to clean out my craft room. It has become a disaster zone! A total and complete mess, if you ask me. I just keep buying more craft supplies and then not using them. So it is time to clean up! And that, my friends, is good news for you! I'm going to give away a box of yarn and a small box of fabric scraps. There will probably be other goodies thrown in too, because I am cool like that. If you are interested in the fabric, let me know what you are into. I'm just going to stuff the small box as full as I can get it!

 
I'm also trying to get a little excitement going on over at my new blog, FireWifey. I have been having fun over there, but am not sure how many of you know about it. So I will be picking one winner from this post and another from the post on FireWifey. Which means you have extra chances to win if you head over there. 

 

This giveaway is open until May 8, 2013 at midnight, pst! Here is the nitty gritty...

 

1. Leave a comment telling me what patterns you would like to see here. I only have five published right now, but I would love to make a few more! Also, let me know if you want to win the fabric or the yarn or if it does not matter.
2. Tweet about this giveaway (@themegababe) and leave a comment letting me know that you did.
3. Visit FireWifey for more chances to win!

Only two entries per person / IP address on this post. One comment per entry. Giveaway closes at midnight on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. The plan is to announce the winners on Thursday and get the packages in the mail on Friday. But we shall see what actually happens. :)

 

Coffee Cup Cozy Pattern

I started making these coffee cozies a few weeks ago.  I was going to use someone else's pattern, but just could not find exactly what I wanted.  I designed this after my french press cozy pattern.  I am really happy with how this turned out, and I hope you have the same results.

Pretty gorgeous, right? I have given these as gifts and people seem to really love them. I have sent them simple (below) or adorned (above). Men prefer the simple way, but I just love the cute adornments! I have crocheted both stars and flowers and attached them. Lovely, I say. Then again, the simple looks fabulous too!

Please feel free to use this pattern for personal or small scale sales use.  Just don't go mass producing these in a sweatshop. I would appreciate it if you linked back to my pattern if you sell a finished product online. If you sell it at a craft fair, no linkback is necessary. Enough of the small talk, here's what you really want... the pattern!


Coffee Cup Cozy
Supplies:

• Small amount of yarn.  I like worsted weight, but you can just use whatever you have and adapt the pattern accordingly.
• Size H Crochet Hook (I have also used G and I, like I said, the pattern is adaptable)
• Yarn Needle
• Flower Embellishment (I like using this pattern, but feel free to use whatever one you like, or none at all!) or Star Embellishment (pattern to come soon!)

Abbreviations:
Ch - Chain
SS - Slip Stitch
HDC - Half Double Crochet

Instructions:
Round 1: Chain 14
Round 2: skip first 2 Ch, HDC in each stitch across, Ch2  (12 hdc)
Rounds 3 - 22:  HDC in each stitch across, Ch2 (basically continue in the same manner until your piece is approximately 8" when laid flat). On the last round, skip the Ch2 and Fasten Off.
Finishing: Lay the coffee cozy flat, lining up the first and last row.  SS in both rows to seam together.

Flip right side out and attach embellishment.

Simple, right? And lovely! Go ahead and make one today! Pair it with a gift card to a local coffee shop and you will have an excellent birthday gift!!