You get a two-for deal right now over at the Crochet Dude weblog. First, you can download a free pattern for this very cool pink purse. Drew created it for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Then, while you are over there, leave a comment on that same blog post the purse pattern is linked from (making sure to include your email when you do so) and your name will automatically be included in a drawing he has set up that includes various breast cancer appliques and the same handle pictured above for the purse pattern.
About Family Crafts
Find a way to creatively celebrate everyday during the month of October by consulting this list of special days.
The Crochet Dude
Drew has designed a super cute crocheted pink purse for breast cancer awareness month. AND he’s giving away some cool pink ribbon appliques too!
Aileen’s Musings
Need a little Halloween inspiration? Check out Aileen’s past Halloween posts and get yourself revved up for Halloween!
The Impatient Crafter
Halloween is right around the corner and Madge kicks off the season with a stunningly spooky mixed media necklace and a bonus short story sure to send shivers up your spine!
Cathie Filian
Cathie shows you how to alter kids’ clothing into fun Halloween costumes.
The Artful Crafter
CD Ghosts – what an economical and easy project for Halloween. Let the kids make several to hang from a porch or trees to delight of your Trick or Treaters.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
At Craftside there are posts on how to have fun with word play and spice up your art, draw a pattern for a full size witch hat and make a tiny one, make a silverware spider and make a gather from a serged edge without a differential feed.
Cross Stitch at About.com
Connie has a free quick-to-stitch pattern that reminds you to “Let Your Light Shine”.
Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
A back pack resurfaces and reminds Linda that she hasn’t shared this project on her blog yet!
Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi shares the profiles of some spectacular mixed media artists, including our own Aileen Roberts!
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
A Buzzing Beaded Bead Bail using a wonderful tutorial from the book- Seed Bead Fusion by Rachel Nelson-Smith
Okay, “cooling off” may be a little extreme to use for October in South Florida. Perhaps, “not super sticky God-awful heat and humidity but still pretty darn hot” might be a better description of this month. We were actually told that a cool front was coming this week, but I guess the weather reporters are technically correct since very early in the a.m. it’s gotten down to 68 degrees. However, I still love the month of October because it’s when you do feel a little relief from the humidity.
I decided to go outside one day and snap a few pictures or our backyard and the dogs. Most didn’t turn out that great. In fact, I got a great photo of Rocky’s butt, but I didn’t think that would be aesthetically appealing, so instead, I am sharing this one of Jasper in semi-running mode. That boy loves to leap and hop and run around our yard, normally on the hunt for lizards.
Here’s another odd patch of basically weeds, but I like the fuzzies they have going on.
Here is my latest project, which was not really a planned project at all. I was working on a typical square for a donated afghan and as I was working on it, my two dogs continued to stick their noses in my work and walk over to the one blanket I’ve made for them. First one dog lounged on the blanket. Then the other dog until I finally realized they were trying to tell me that with two dogs I really needed to have two crocheted blankets for them.
Now before you think we’ve been making these guys share one blanket and that’s it, let me confess that they are also allowed to get on the couch that’s in the TV room. In fact, we bought the couch with them in mind! But still, the square is starting to grow and will eventually be another dog blanket for these spoiled boys!
As you can see, my squares are far from fancy because basically I consider them my “no brainer” crochet projects. I like to crochet in the evenings while watching TV, and after working all day, I want to work on something that doesn’t necessary require a pattern. Normally, these are the types of squares I make. The one of the left is all double crochet. The one on the right is a mix of granny square, double crochet, and half-double crochet.
The squares pictured are made with Super Saver in lilac, but I also make a lot in red and blue since many of the ghans go to families who have lost loved ones in the service. Typically, I also use a fairly large hook, a K normally. So if I’m energetic enough, I can usually get a square done in a couple of evenings. Like the squares pictured, I tend to stick to each stitches like single, double, half-double, and granny squares. I have done a few using actual patterns, and I will probably do some more eventually, but right now, this is a good way for me to relax and still be a tiny bit productive at the same time.
I’ve been keeping you up to date on one of my latest crochet crafting efforts, and there they are all finished, three preemie baby blankets. The blankets on the bottom are very similar with just different boarders, one in mint green and the other in light yellow. They are also about 20×20 inches. The top blanket in purple is very tiny, only about 12 inches with a picot edging around it. It’s amazing to think there is a baby out there (or will be at some point) who will be small enough to use this as a blanket, yikes!
Now I just need to find a box for these and pack them off to their new home.
Mixed Media Artist
Give your favorite building a new look by creating a fractured photograph!
Naughty Secretary Club
Join Jen on a week long screen printing adventure as she reviews books, plays with a YuDu, puts a unicorn on a onesie, plays with vinyl records and more.
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
Army men are melted into service to make this cute coaster using the wonderful tutorial from the new book Craftcycle by Heidi Boyd.
The Artful Crafter
Recycle artificial flowers into frilly fairies. Teens, tweens and kids-at-heart will love making and “hanging around” these little creatures.
The Impatient Crafter
There’s a brand new The Impatient Crafter YouTube video to inspire you to declare yourself an artist! Madge explores the Cricut Expression in this quirky new video offering.
About Family Crafts
Never run out of Halloween crafts, activities, and motivation. Get new Halloween projects delivered to your email box every day for 31 days! Find out how…
Aileen’s Musings
Aileen has a crafty Halloween project and template just for you.
Cathie Filian
Cathie has a quickie way to jazz up plain glass candle holders and it uses scrap ribbons!
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside’s got a crocheted pumpkin pattern, how to sew a shower curtain and towels, an interview with Tracie Lyn Huskamp author of Nature Inspired and a Mixed Media Dada Dolly TP cozy.
Cross Stitch at About.com
Louise is proud to show off her first project, a Peter Rabbit Cross Stitch Bookmark by Anchor. It’s a great first time effort.
Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Do you sell your crafts? Have you ever? Read Linda’s musings and share your stories in the comments section.
I was pleasantly surprised this week when I found the fall 2009 Lion Brand Yarn catalog in my mail box. I signed up for the site’s newsletter a while ago and have downloaded lots of free patterns from the site, but I didn’t know the company also published a hardcopy catalog. While you can access a digital version of it too, I have to admit to still enjoying the tangible feeling of print copies.
The 55 page full-color catalog includes yummy pictures and info of the brand’s various types of yarns, kits, and cool tools. A lot of the patterns I had seen before on-line, but some I had missed, yet another added bonus to having a paper copy to browse through.
This is a slightly blurry pictures of a bird I found hanging outside in our backyard this morning. I posted these on Facebook asking what kind of bird this guy was, and bam!, one of my FB friends was right on target with Kestral. I found some images on Flickr that match him perfectly.
Here are a few better pictures I managed to get while keeping the dogs preoccupied so they wouldn’t go bonkers:
Okay, enough of nature, I’m home writing, writing, writing today on a new super big jewelry project, but first I wanted to share my morning visitor with the web world.
EDIT: Okay, now a FB friend says this is not a Kestral but is a Red-Shouldered Hawk.
After looking at the fine print, I think this yarn sale over at JoAnn’s is good through September 26, 2009, but don’t hold me to that. I am eye-balling more baby yarn because I actually know someone who is having a baby, and I’d like to make a baby blanket for her.
Normally, I make baby items for charity groups, so while it’s nice to give, it is even nicer to give to someone I actually know for a change. There is some TLC Baby yarn on sale over there in a variegated pattern called “giggles” that looks great, a mixture of purple, blue, pink, and yellow. I’m not sure how much shipping goes for, so keep that in mind if you head over to the sale, but I think 30% off is a pretty decent sale.
