10.19.09
And Now For Something Completely Different
Ok, not completely… it’s pretty similar. Crochet!
My dear friend, Val, taught me how to crochet this summer, and loaned many books for my crafting edification. I did a few sample swatches to learn the stitches…
First swatch with different stitches
In the round!
…and even made a finger puppet to play with one she had made.
I made the red one
And then I borrowed her book, “Amigurumi World” and made the cute ice cream cone…
Cone with rattle inside
…which I made into a baby rattle by including a vending machine bubble full of coffee beans & pistachio shells. I’ll be giving it to my new nephew, when I see him around Thanksgiving. =) (I want to make the eyes less spider-like, by then, though! Curse my rudimentary embroidery skills! Val loaned me an embroidery book, though.)
I’m currently working on a second ice cream cone (banana this time!) for Val’s little boy, who requested I make him one, too (only without a rattle, please!) This one can have button eyes, since he’s old enough not to chew and swallow bits off his toys. 
I’ll post that here, too, when it’s done. =)
I’m excited to make more amigurumi and some clothing and whatever else! Thanks for teaching me, Val!
01.17.08
Wrist Cuff
Sera again, modeling one of the wrist cuffs I made for her and her sister, Kati.
Kati’s were a dark blue/purple variegated yarn.
Each cuff in a set is the same yarn, but a different texture. One is plain knit 1 purl 1, and the other is a ribbed knit 2 purl 2. Because I like asymmetry. =)
I’ll see about getting close-up pics, soon.
Fluffy Ear Warmer Headbands
My first ever real give-away project (well, besides the bookmark)! I knitted these ear warmer headbands for a couple of my best friends, for holiday gifts.
My daughter Sera is modeling the one I made for Selena, in the picture. Michelle’s was green, blue, and light pink.
On Selena’s, I used my old wrong-way-to-knit stitch (which works fine, but isn’t knitting or purling) with size 5 needles. Then I learned the proper knit and purl stitches, and made Michelle’s with size 8 needles, exclusively with the purl stitch… because I love to purl! Size difference didn’t matter.
Just a simple scarf-like project, where I bound the ends together as I did the bind-off. It only took one skein of the fun fuzzy muppet yarn, which I don’t know the brand of, but I will when I go buy more at the dollar store. =) It’s very easy to use!! You’d think it would be hard to see what you’re doing, in all that fluff, but it wasn’t really a problem.
I might try to figure out how to not bind the ends together, but make a button closure, instead, before trying to sell this product. Then one wouldn’t have to muss one’s hair to put it on.
I’ll have to see if I can get Michelle to pose in hers, to post a pic here. =)
