I’m starting to really enjoy these linkydoo posts (awesome name stolen from miss rae) I hope you don’t mind them too much. Since I’ve started to crochet, I’ve been on the look out for crochet blogs. I found this one (sc) recently and though I can fake reading french a little, really I have no idea what she is saying but her work is lovely enough even without the words.

Erika from fox and owl makes beautiful articulated teddy bears (and kitties and dolls too), but it’s this idea that I’m going to steal. Healthy and hilarious!

Another craft project idea on the list to steal (someone has a flickr set called “ideas I have stolen” that I always thought was fantastic) is this painted square set from mer mag.  Part art part toy and super fantastic all over.

From another blog I can’t read comes this project. Perfect for valentine’s day or mother’s day or just to use up the ridiculous amount of random art we have piled up in the house.

have a great weekend!

There have been a few crochet projects recently that I have just had to rip out–that cute and jumpy word “frogged” is just not going to cut it here, because I spent precious time working on them, they looked liked hell and then I had to start the fuck over. Here is one example:

This is what happens when you try and crochet over a paper lantern. I wanted a new light fixture for our bedroom because staring at a cheap paper lantern hanging from a bare bulb starts to looks extra crappy in the wee hours of the morning (when you are nursing and staring at the ceiling, wrecked from nursing all night long) but didn’t have any extra cash to get one, or really even make one. I thought lantern would look nice and cozy with a crocheted cover. I had some extra chunky white yarn from this project, so I quickly got to work. I’ve never really made up a pattern from scratch before and it was a little more frustrating than I thought it would be and it took a lot longer. And then because I was running out of yarn and stretching it just a little too tight literally with the very last stitch I broke the shade. Shit. Yeah yeah, maybe it a good thing, now when I make it again I might be able to write a pattern, but still, shit.

I am working on another crochet project (my sewing machine is gathering dust!) and it has not failed yet.

Hexagons for a bathmat. It’s a japanese pattern and my first project worked from a crochet chart (I found it on ravelry here and here is the original site). I’m warming up because I bought this book and I want to make every single project in it. Speaking of ravelry, it looks like there is a sewing equivalent getting going call The Woven! There are a lot of sewing forums out there that are great (craftster, cut out and keep) but this looks more like ravelry and it’s nicely thought out. It would be a welcome addition I think.

I know christmas is long gone, but I never got to show you all that I made, so just deal with it. It was indeed a very crochet christmas this year. I made earrings for all my crafty bitches (sorry, it’s just too tempting) I mean my friends from craft night. The first earring I made turned out waaaay too big, so I turned it into a necklace instead and liked it so much I made another. The other earrings worked up super quick and I think they are very pretty (and so did they, thankfully).  While I was in the jewelry making mood I crocheted a bow tie choker with some leftover alpaca I had. I thought it’d be a sassy accessory for new year’s eve, but they weren’t buying it, so I think some little boy has a new sunday tie. The alpaca was from another christmas gift I crocheted–that slouchy hat up there–for my brother in law. I think I did every single stitch wrong in the hat, but they are all wrong in the same way so it turned out. The used chunky alpaca for the black cowl (the pattern is called the the black hole cowl) and it’s so awesomely soft. If you don’t knit or crochet you should learn just because of alpaca. The last two scarves up there were for my mother-in-law and father-in-law–I’m sure you can tell which is which. The fancy one is made with the broomstick stitch, which is a super cool stitch that you actually use a broomstick for, or in my case a wrapping paper tube, and it’s made out of 100 percent cashmere (on sale) so it’s crazy soft. The one I’m peeking out from is just a quick, easy, man scarf, one I’m sure I will make again.  All the specs for all these project are on my ravelry page (you need an account to see them) and hey while you are there be my friend! I’m lonely over there on ravelry all by myself. There were two more crocheted presents and I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of either: I made 2 moustache hats for my brother in law and his girlfriend. The moustaches were a little droopy, but otherwise they were well recieved–and worn!  So yeah, I crocheted a lot for christmas. How about you? what did you make?

hello. it’s been a little while, sorry. A stomach bug came and destroyed us for a week, but now all has been washed and we are feeling much better, thank you. Nothing has been made, so I’ll show you what other people are making.

If I had a spot in my house for this, you bet your ass I’d be making it. via the always awesome brick house.

This beautiful gold necklace is made from squash seeds painted with gold leaf.   Super fancy and yet almost free!

Trula is a pretty new blog that shows off all the awesome kids clothes the mama makes. They are comfy and stylish and (thankgod) not just for girls. She has an etsy shop (and I’ve got my eyes on that bag).

I’m bummed that I was laid up all week with the sick, because I missed out on Lily’s week of shapes, but she mentioned she might host a week exploring line and one for shadow. Maybe if we all pester her enough it will happen soon.

1. gingham dress, 2. stripey dining room, 3. hat, 4. warren, 5. adele, 6. leaf crown, 7. one quilt: march, 8. summer girl, 9. corduroy coat, 10. earrings, 11. pointy hat, 12. patch on

We welcomed the new year with a big pot of fondue, the everyone promptly got the flu (not from the fondue). So I sort of missed  the first few days of this new year. I’m happy it’s here though, flu and all. Last year was a little rough (me and pregnancy don’t really like each other much) still a few things got made and some good ones at that. I put my favorites up there–that baby being the best thing I made by far. I hope to rework this little blog in the new year and maybe even get going on some patterns I’ve been meaning to work on. We’ll see. This little baby just learned to roll over and crawling comes quickly to my boys, so I’m guessing all sewing time will soon be gone.  I have ambitions though, three days in to 2010 and my list is already long.

Happy New Year to you and yours!