Oh, Buttercup!!

So, remember the other day when I said I needed to make myself a new purse? Well...I've done it!

This purse was made using the free Buttercup Bag pattern from Made By Rae. It's super cute, but I don't know if I'm going to keep it or give it away to someone or something like that. It's pretty small and I like to have a bigger purse.

It was a really fun and easy to make pattern, though. Instead of buying a magnetic closure, I sewed an old hairband into the purse to stretch around the button on the front and close the purse. It works pretty well!

Here's a closer look at the fabric I used:

Psychadellic Washcloth!!

I decided to make my own washcloths, and I also decided to buy variegated yarn, but couldn't find a decent pattern to really show off the colors in the yarn and not make it look blocky and weird...until I found the Darrell Waltrip Washcloth pattern. I LOVE it!!
Didn't it show off my yarn beautifully? It was easy to make, too. I hadn't knitted in a while, so my bind off looks a little messy, but oh well. This is the only one I've made so far, but I hope to make another and a hand towel to go with.

I would highly recommend this pattern for anyone who wants to try a pattern that really showcases variegated yarns!

For this project, I used Peaches & Creme Fiesta Ombre.

Easy Crochet Beaded Necklace

I made this necklace the other day because I wanted something pretty to wear to my new seasonal job, but didn't want to spend more than $5. I decided this in the middle of Wal-Mart, so I didn't have my computer to look up patterns and lists of materials, but I knew from the beaded socks that I've made that you can easily incorporate beads into crocheted designs. This necklace was fast (took me about 30 minutes total) and extremely simple, using only slip stitch and chains. I was happy with the way it turned out. Not too fancy, but fast and cheap, and (in my humble opinion) pretty! If you'd like to make your own, here are the basic instructions:



Materials:

• Beads (duh!)
• Very fine gauge wire (I think mine was 35?)
• A small shank button
• A small crochet hook (Mine was a size 8/1.5MM, which was a teensy bit too big, but I worked it out.)

Directions

• Make a slipknot with your wire and place it on your hook as if you're about to start crocheting.
  
• Chain 10 and join with a slip stitch to the first chain to form a loop. This loop will eventually go around your button to secure the necklace in lieu of a clasp.
• Chain 10 more.
• *bead chain (see below), chain 5* Repeat that bit between the asterisks until your necklace is about an inch to an inch-and-a-half shorter than you'd like it to be.
• Chain 10, then attach the button in the same way you did the bead chains.

Bead Chain:
Place a bead on your crochet hook. Yarn over as if you're doing a regular chain stitch, but instead of just pulling your loop of yarn through the last chain, pull it through the bead and then the last chain. This will enclose the bead! After this stitch, follow the pattern with normal chain stitch.

If Your Crochet Hook is Too Large:
Of course it would be very nice to make sure that your crochet hook will fit into the holes in your beads, but since my crochet hook was at home and my goal was to spend as little money as possible, I had to make do with a larger hook than I really needed. How? Instead of leaving my wire attached to the spool, I cut off as much as I'd need to make the necklace (seriously, that's at LEAST four times the amount you'd think!). Then when it came time for a bead chain, I slipped my bead onto the free end of the wire, then chained around it as normal. More time-consuming than it would've been with the correct size hook, but it worked just fine!

Total Cost of This Project: $4.75, with plenty of wire left over for future necklaces!!

If anyone makes this necklace, I'd love to see pics!! And, of course, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my ability!

How to Make a Recycled Ghost

Like my ghostie? He was really easy to make, and I made him completely out of things I already had in my house. This project didn't cost me a penny! The ghostie body is an old twin size sheet that was here in our house when we bought it, and the head is an old ball. I used some white yarn to tie the sheet under the chin, and I threaded another piece of white yarn onto a tapestry needle and took one stitch into the top of the head. I tied this piece of yarn into a loop so that I could hang the ghostie on my porch. I drew the face out of red and black permanent markers. All together, I spent about 10 minutes on this project, including the time it took to gather up my supplies! Great for a last-minute Halloween decoration!

I'm in LOVE!

...With this hat. I love it so much that I'll probably wear it all day. I'm wearing it right now, in fact!
Please excuse the dorky face I'm making! The "buttons" on this hat are actually a couple of earrings I found at a local thrift shop for 50 cents! I love 'em!

I made this hat from the Durango pattern I mentioned yesterday. It was fantastically easy and it actually fits the person it was intended for (me)! I'm ecstatic!

I used Caron Simply Soft Brites in Blue Mint and regular Simply Soft in white. I did modify the pattern a tiny bit, as I realized it was going to be a little small once I was about 10 rows into it. You can read my modifications on my Rav page.

I am on such a crochet kick! Today I started a pattern to make a gorgeous Mosaic Scarf. It'll be white, with the blue I used for this hat, along with purple and pink, and by far the biggest project I've ever tried to make. I hope it turns out cute! Wish me luck!

What have you made recently??

Hats on the Brain

I'm learning to crochet, and my new obsession is hats. I made this one for my daughter, but crocheted it too loosely, so it ended up fitting me:

Then, I tried making one for myself, with a smaller needle, since I'd screwed that pink one up so royally. I guess my crocheting had gotten better by then, because it ended up the right size for my daughter! Isn't it cute though?



I'm bravely foraging on, and it's getting kind of addictive. My current project is a Durango hat for me. I hope it fits this time!!

Patterns Used

• Pink Hat: Olivia's Butterfly by Vallieskids, I used Caron Simply Soft Brites in Watermelon.
• Blue hat: Cheyenne by Catherine Lindsay, once again Caron Simply Soft Brites, but this time in Blue Mint.
• Pink Flower:Mandy's Favorite 5-Petal Flower from Little Birdie Secrets. Very easy!! I used the same yarn as the pink hat.
  

These patterns seem to work fantastically for more experienced crocheters (although the flower turned out great for me!). I've checked the Rav pages. Maybe someday my crocheted projects will turn out as I envision them...