Our 1st Donation of 2012

Healthy Baby Dorian Snuggling in his Crocheted Blanket

In between new crochet designs, family tragedies, and getting through the holidays, I have been busy prepping another dozen crocheted afghans and quilts to donate to the local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in memory of our little Rowan.

I gave a full bin of blankets to friends who recently stayed in one of the NICUs we have donated to in the past. Thankfully their baby is healthy and home after 10 days in the NICU. But I figure by now they know everyone in the NICU, and might enjoy bringing the blankets in for our Remembering Rowan Project. They delivered them yesterday and told me they loved them.

These blankets included several of the Rowan's Sampler Afghans we made during the Crochet-Along last summer. I gifted the original mint and aqua Sampler I designed for the CAL to little Dorian, who did not get to take home a blanket after his stay in the NICU.

I suppose most of the blankets we donate go to the Bereavement Department, for those babies who do not get to go home. Perhaps we need to get busy making more blankets so that every baby who stays in the NICU can go home with a blanket...

My Very First Award!

Thank you so much to Barbina, over at Little Things Made With Love. Check out her blog! She was the first crocheter to finish my Sampler CAL this summer. She gave me the Liebster Blog Award. What a sweetie!

The award goes to lovely blogs with less than 200 followers, the rules are:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people in the blogsphere - other bloggers.
5. And, best of all – have fun and spread the Karma.

Now that I got through the holidays, sent in several magazine submissions, and my About Crochet contest entry, I can finally do my part to spread the good Karma... It is my pleasure to pass this award on to these 5 very talented ladies!
I enjoy visiting your blogs, reading your posts and admire your beautiful work!

Jill over at Stocki
Alisa at Y(arn) O(ver) Mama
Karen's Crocheted Garden of Color
Jenn at Creatively Crafty
Liz at Crochet in Color
Now it's your turn to pass on the Liebster love...

10 Ways To Wear a Sharf (Shawl & Scarf in One)

Now for the many ways to wear my "Watercolor Sharf" made for Elisabeth Andree's blog contest... The long thin triangular shape and the stretchy fabric of the single crochet chain stitch makes it easy to wear as a Shawl or a Scarf!

As a Shawl it can be worn...
Around Shoulders
With a Collar











Over the Shoulder
Take special notice of the lovely Shawl Pin hand-carved by Jimbo Price, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Crochet Liberation Front retreat last October. Check out his blog, Jimbo's Front Porch, just 2 more days to enter his Hook Give Away and Auction!

The long ends can be wrapped around and tied into a Shrug...











As a Scarf it can be worn...
Wrapped once
Wrapped Twice
Pulled Through










As a Hood
A Cowl










Or even a skirt!

I am sure there are many more ways to wear this garment I have not even thought of yet, the possibilities are endless...

Watercolor 'Sharf' (Shawl & Scarf in One!) - Contest Entry

Elisabeth Andree of About Crochet challenged 20 bloggers to design a scarf, shawl, mitts, or cushion cover using one of three stitch patterns with "Chain Single Crochet", also called "Extended Single Crochet". I tried all three stitch patterns and decided I liked Pattern #3 best.

With three recent losses in my family, I have been thinking a lot about designing Comfort or Prayer Shawls. I have also been intrigued by the recent trend toward long thin triangular scarves worn bunched around the neck. So I decided to combine the two.

By starting with just a few stitches in one small corner, I slowly increased every other row on just one side to the desired height of the triangle, then decreased. The final Sharf measures 74 inches wide by 18 inches long. This shape combined with the natural stretch of the stitch pattern makes it easy to wear spread across the shoulders as a Shawl or bunched together as a nice warm Scarf. The long, thin ends of the triangle allow the wearer to tie the ends together when worn in a variety of ways.

This design used three skeins of Lion Brand Tweed Stripes yarn. The long self-striping colorway worked perfectly with the ridges formed by working in the front loop only. I tried to join each new skein so the colors would blend without interrupting the pattern, and began the decreasing rows at a point where the color stripes would mirror each other from the midpoint.

The Tweed Stripes yarn is a thin #5 Bulky weight which I worked up with an I hook. Another #5 yarn which was a bit thicker created a stiffer fabric with an I and worked better with a J hook, so it would not require as many rows to get a similar size.

I debated adding a border to the bottom edge, but thought it worked better as a scarf without the added bulk. I also found that working into just one loop of the turning chain at the end of each row, created sort of a natural shell edging.

I love the versatility of this design which can be worn as a shawl, scarf, cowl, hood, and even a shrug! I had so much fun finding new ways to wear this simple triangle, that I had to create an entirely separate Blog post on 10 Ways To Wear a 'Sharf', check it out!

I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn and design with a new stitch. Thank you Elisabeth for running this fun contest. I cannot wait to see what everyone else came up with!

Making Holiday Cards...

Every year I wait for creative inspiration before I can begin making and sending holiday cards. Sometimes this means they become New Year's cards. This year I was off to a good start, inspired by the annual "Stowell Report Card" my Grandmother sent out every year. I jotted down the highlights of each month from the year of 2011, and added several small pictures to print on the inside of blank cards.

I wanted to include my kids in the process, but it was a bit of a challenge to find a craft enjoyed by both my 6 1/2 year old and not quite 2 year old. I found felt stickers at a local craft store of snowmen, trees, gingerbread boys and girls, penguins with santa hats, and snowflakes. With a little torn white cardstock glued on the bottom of the card, the kids created fun snowy scenes, and I just added a few loopy dashed lines to make the flying snowmen and trees look like they were doing flips.

My Grandmother passed away the day after Thanksgiving this year, so after nearly 60 years, there will be no more "Stowell Report Cards" (called the "Stowell Newsyear" before my Grandfather passed away, because they always read Newsweek). Each year she summarized the happening of her children, grandchildren, and an ever increasing number of "great-grands", to send to her many friends and acquaintances around the world.

As the co-founder (along with my Grandfather) of Amity Institute, and many years volunteering at the International Center at UCSD, she touched the lives of countless people. I hope that I am able to continue her tradition of sharing my family's experiences each year with those who have touched our lives. Most were mailed before the new year, but a few had to wait until after my trip to San Diego for my Grandmother's service last weekend.

Holiday Cards Kids Can Make:
Materials - 5"x7" Cream colored Blank Cards and Envelopes, White Cardstock, Glue Stick, Felt Stickers, and Fine Black Pen

1. Print your message and/or photos on the inside of the Blank Cards.
2. Cut White Cardstock into 2"x7" strips.
3. Tear Strips in half to form Snow.
4. Glue snow to bottom edge of front of Card with Glue Stick.
   
5. Place a few Felt Stickers to make a picture.
6. Add dashed lines with Fine Black Pen from ground or through the air to indicate stickers are flying or flipping through the air.

Depending on their ages, kids can complete most of these steps on their own. I helped with tearing the snow and adding the dashed lines.

Christmas Angels

Merry Christmas! Every year I help my son make his own gifts to give to his Grandparents and Aunts. I prefer to give handmade gifts myself (made by me or from local crafters), and enjoy teaching my kids to do the same.

On Christmas Eve, I spent the morning making "Kitchen Angels" for gifts with my 6yo. I picked one up at America's Largest Christmas Bazaar down in Portland a few weeks ago. I found matching sets of dishtowel, washcloth, and pot holders at the $Tree. Wash cloths and potholders were in 2-packs, so each angel took just $2 worth of towels and a little ribbon from my huge ribbon stash.
How-To Make a Kitchen Angel:

Materials: 1 Dishtowel, 1 Washcloth, 1 Potholder, 4 feet of 1/4" Ribbon in a coordinating color.

1. Cut 16" off length of Ribbon, set aside.
   
2. Wings - Pleat Potholder with front folding back at the top and bottom. Tie a tight knot around the center with longer length of Ribbon.
3. Arms - Fold Washcloth in 1/2, roll tightly with edges on the inside. Tie a tight knot around the center with ribbon, next to wings.
4. Head/Dress - Lay Dishtowel out flat, printed side down. Tightly pleat center section, fold at center, adjusting bottom edges to same length. Tie a tight knot about 2 inches down from center, around the pleated and folded Dishtowel, forming the head and neck. Tie remaining Ribbon in a bow with long tails.
5. Fold ends of Washcloth around to meet in front. Tie Shorter Ribbon about 3/4" up from edge to form hands. Tie in a bow.
6. Trim ends of Ribbons on each bow to the same length.
7. Attach a Poem to the skirt of your Angel, and it is ready to gift.

Here is the poem I used, and a couple more I found online to print out and attach to your finished angel:

I am your Kitchen Angel
I'll watch over all you do,
Baking all those goodies,
And snitching one or two!

And if you ever tire of me,
Or some help is what your wish is,
Just untie my little ribbons,
And I'll help you with the dishes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An angel in the Kitchen
Watching the stew
Blesses your cooking
And all that you do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also, a tutorial with great pictures on how to fold the Body and Wings (although I prefer the rolled arms myself), as well as yet another possible poem you could use.

I hope everyone is having a Very Merry Christmas! Enjoy!

"Have you ever been paid to do what you love?"

A friend asked me this yesterday, as she listened to me go on about all of the exciting new design ideas I have buzzing around in my brain. I realized that although I have been paid for my crochet work in the past, making the same things over and over to sell at craft fairs or even for custom orders was really not what I love about crochet.

As a crochet designer I find every day brings a new challenge, my brain is always "working". I got a massage yesterday, and got inspiration for a new baby blanket pattern, as well as an article. Tonight was my "night off", leaving the kids with Dad, and how did I spend it? Sketching out the next two designs I plan to submit to magazines.

When I found out that my ideal yarns are being provided by the yarn companies for three of my 1st designs to be published next year, I knew I have found the perfect "job". You mean they send me free yarn (much of which I could never splurge on) and PAY me to play with it?! How awesome is that?!

My sister pointed out that I have finished more crochet projects in the past few months, since I started submitting designs for consideration, than I did in the entire year before that. With an end product in mind and concrete way to share my passion with others, I find it easy to continue working on projects which previously might have lost my interest and become yet another UFO.

And all those extra left over swatches to test out pattern and design ideas? They make perfect blankies for my daughter to tuck in her dollies at naptime.