Baby Blanket - check!

The baby blanket is done! My mother commissioned a baby blanket for a coworker who just became a great-grandmother. She paid for the yarn. It was made from approximately 1.5 skeins each Bernat Baby Coordinates in Iced Mint and Lemon Custard. I used a shell ripple stitch for the blanket and a shell stitch for the edging. The edging has alternating yellow and green sides.

Baby Ripple Blanket

Started May 22 2009

Completed June 14 2009

The corners curled up until I added the edging, now they lie flat.

I actually managed to keep this one nearly fur free! That can be near impossible at times, what with Maybelline's penchant for laying on anything I am reading or working on. She loves laying on my crochet if I put it down somewhere without putting it in a bag.

Also, sorry for the week without posts - I was busy during the week so that I could go to Massachusetts with my Dad to visit family. I got to see my Grandmother, so I am really happy about that! I had a great time, and I have lots of photos to sort through from riding around Ware, MA on the back of my Dad's motorcycle. I'll post some soon.

Yay for the Weekend!

What a week! I am glad it is over. However, I am not going to rant. I refuse. This is a craft blog. Let's talk about crafts.

I ran out of yarn for the baby blanket I am making, but here is a picture of it so far.
Sorry that it is so dark - my flash shines off of the yarn.

I entered Kookie into a photo contest last week. I had to train her to sit still in front of the camera - she was initially afraid of it. I also had to cover that stupid green light that shines when you hold down the shutter button. As far as I can tell, it doesn't do anything except shine a green light in the eye of anyone looking at the camera right before the picture is taken. But my big bad belgian doesn't like the light, or the flash, at all.

I did manage to get some good shots of her to send in. Maybelline got jealous and wanted attention, too.

In the Land of the Frog

I have been crocheting, really! I had to frog the Michael's baby blanket pattern twice, so I looked around. I couldn't find something else I wanted to do, so I looked at stitch patterns until I found something I liked and now I am doing a baby-sized blanket in that pattern. I wanted to be half-done at this point. This is for my mom's coworker, who just became a great-grandmother. The baby is already born, so I am trying to get it done as quickly as possible. I'll post a pic later.

On a positive note, yesterday we went to Woofstock on Monument Ave. in Richmond. It was in the same area as the Easter Parade/Festival, but not nearly as many blocks long. They crammed a lot of vendors in the smaller space, though. We made off with quite a bit of swag: two cans of pet food, two reuseable bags, several things of treats. Kookie had a blast, just like at Easter! She had to say hello to every dog she saw. There was a doggie fashion show, which was cute and silly for the few minutes I watched. Mostly little teensy dogs in clothing. A basset hound was paraded across the stage in a hoodie that kept covering its eyes - not a smart fashion statement!

I couldn't bring my camera because I had Kookie, and my mother didn't bring hers. Sorry, no pics.

Baby If You'll Give Me All of Your Love

I'll hug you squeeze you tight as I can...

I started making this baby dress on Monday. Isn't it cute! Sorry for the dark picture, the flash of my camera shone off the yarn when I tried to use it.

Unfortunately, I will be setting this aside for now. My mother has requested a baby blanket for a co-worker who told her last week that she is now a great-grandmother! I would have a WIP pic of that, but I had to frog all the work I did last night and start over.
Yesterday we went to the super Jo-Ann's on Midlothian with coupons and picked out the yarn. Safe yellow and green Bernat baby coordinates. I am making this pattern from Michaels.com.

I love baby yarn! It's so soft and baby stuff is small and cute!

Blue Butterfly

My friend took the pictures for me! She also trimmed the antennae, which I ran out of time to do. Here is a handpainted butterfly I made for my friend's birthday! I decided to make it a pin, so that it could be multi-purpose. I love the color, so I will have to make it again. Unfortunately, I am running low of this paint, and I haven't been able to find a place to buy it. I need to look online. I may be able to recreate it by mixing paint, though. I am pretty good at that.
I mixed the paint for the monarch in the previous post because I don't own an orange I liked enough to use. I am not a big fan of orange, so I only have two bottles. I bought the second bottle after painting the monarch!

What was I doing?

Oh yeah, getting ready to write this blog. Oh, look, shiny blog written by someone else!

Sorry, I can get easily distracted.

Today, my Mom and I went to Williamsburg to meet an online friend of hers, Joan E. from Canada (123stitch.com)! We had a blast. We met her at The Village Shops at Kingsmill. We went to Haus Tirol/Stitching Well (cross-stitch), Knitting Sisters (YAAAAARRRRRRNNNNN), and Bead Haven (I love beads!).

I promised Joan that I would put up pictures of a bead project I made before starting this blog, and of the butterfly wings, which I haven't posted because they are not finished yet.

This is one I created last year for my mother.


I have been creating butterflies. I have handpainted the wings and am working on attaching them to bead bodies. I made one successfully, but had to give it away as a gift immediately - so there is no picture. I need to get the person to take a picture for me! At least so I can make it again. But here are the other wings I have done so far, as promised:






I find that the plastic I am using tends to curl, but I think that actually works well for the wings. I am basing them on real butterflies, like the monarch. I love the glasswing butterfly one, but am afraid to spray the acrylic sealer on it. I found that the sealer makes the plastic a little opaque.

Thank you, Joan, for showing me the chainmaille jewelry and how to make the rings. I am so hooked!

And finally, STUFF!

Hmmm...

I am looking at the pictures of my bag and I am wondering if next time I should use the opposing color to edge the sides of the panels. That way the pattern comes out a little more crisp? I dunno, just thinking.

I am pulling together stuff for a trip to Williamsburg, VA. My Mom and I are meeting an online buddy of hers from Canada. That's quite a drive! She's spending at least the long weekend in Virginia (maybe longer?) and wanted to meet her online buddies here while she was visiting.

I am bringing some of my finished beading and crochet projects, like the special effects bag. She has mentioned bringing her chain-mail projects (cool!), among other things. We'll also visit the bead shop, cross-stitch shop, quilting shop, and yarn shop that are all in one shopping center there. I forget which though - I am a little tired.

I didn't do much, except work my way through patterns for my third project. I am leaning towards something baby, to put away for the next baby shower. Or something else, as long as it uses up stash.