Knit sweater ornament patterns - "Minutia" by Berroco

(This post has been edited to avoid the confusion that I have actually made these sweaters. I have not... just yet. ;D The photo was borrowed from Berroco.)

I always look forward to Berroco's e-mail newsletter.
The latest one really got me excited. :D
How cute are these! I just LOVE them!!!
I'm definately going make these sweaters when I have time.

The pattern is FREE at Berroco website!


"Minutia" and the above photo by Berroco

Corsage

We recently went to a close friend's wedding reception at a country church.
We only had one day (Two days to be exact, but one day didn't count because it was Thanksgiving, and we were busy eating, etc. :D ) to prepare so I put together my outfit quickly. It ended up really plain and boring so I decided to whip up a corsage.


Pattern: Lion Brand "Crochet Rosettes / Flowers"
Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Navy
Hook: J/10/6mm
It took only about 30 minutes to make this corsage!
I sewed on 3 small black buttons in the center.


I have 2 more colors of this yarn, and I'm thinking about using them to make some more flowers. :)

Ornaments

I've been cooking all day today for tomorrow!
Finally sat down and decided to update you all with my X'mas ornaments. :)
I made all except one ornament (skate) from the leaflet.


Again, the patterns are from Leisure Arts #4241 "Ornaments to Crochet 3 Ways".
The yarn I used was Red Heart Sport, and the main stitch was slip stitch.

The ornaments have been mailed out to my nephew and niece already. :)
They haven't received the package yet so I really should email my sister to tell her not to peek. :D

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!

Fashion Cable Knit Bag

I finished this bag more than a month ago...


Pattern: Fashion Cable Knit Bag from Michaels
I knit this bag with 2 strands of Patons Classic Merino Wool held together so the bag is nice and thick, and it was a quick project.
I'm especially proud of the lining. :D


I can't help but to knit this year because I just LOVE traditional knitting, and it seems to be back! :)))
I couldn't resist these Patons booklets when I saw them: Big Chill, Snow Country, Cables.

Does any of you know a good wool yarn that doesn't felt?

If I lived in a state where it snows some, I'd be knitting sweaters... I was still wearing T-shirt today, and it's NOVEMBER! This is just crazy. :(

I have 4 more FOs to post (both knit & crochet projects), but later. ;D

What am I making now

I love this leaflet!!!
All of my friends who come to my crochet classes wanted one too when they saw mine, and they all ordered one. :D


Leisure Arts "Ornaments to Crochet 3 ways"
I've made 7 ornaments already, and I'm working on 8th. I'll probably end up making all of the ornaments in this leaflet. They are our current projects as well for my crochet classes.
You can use worsted weight / sport weight / #10 thread for these ornaments, and I chose sport weight. The main stitch used for these patterns is slip stitch unlike the traditional single crochet stitch used for many small projects.
My ornaments are going to be a gift so photos will be posted after they have been received by a recipient. :)

*****
By the way, I found some nice crochet & knitting patterns (Click the Adobe icons below project photos): http://www.clover.co.jp/hand/hand54a.htm
I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to answer pattern/diagram questions..., but hope you like them! :)

Last one and a half months

Ok... I know it's been way too long since the last post... AGAIN. *sigh*
Trust me, it's really embarrassing that I almost feel like I should just shut this blog..... but maybe not just yet. :) I started this blog more than 3 years ago, and I really hope I will be able to keep it like... forever. :D

The crochet & knitting season is in, and I currently teach crochet twice a week at my house. I've also been crocheting & knitting like a mad woman and finished 2 bags, 2 simple scarves, and some other small items. I bought a few books which I LOVE. I also experimented SPINNING with a drop spindle!! I plan to crochet & knit as many winter garments as possible this year.

I'll post later for the details of the things I mentioned above. Right now, I'm overwhelmed. :D I'll try to do photo taking and posting as soon as I can, I promise!

Today, I just want to announce that I'm finally at Ravelry and also Crochet Me!!! You can find me by the URL of this blog, although I need to warn you that I don't have much on them yet. :P

Knit urge

I got this great knit dishcloth pattern last night, and I finished it last night too!
I just HAD TO knit last night, and once I started on this project, I couldn't put my needles down!


Rachel created this cute dishcloth design, and I'm now trying to decide which one I'll get next from her website. :)

I got to knit more since my knitting skill has gotten really rusty. :(
My cast-on is a little floppy, and it was hard to keep the same tension. Let me just blame it on the cotton yarn, ok. :D

Felted Cache Bag - Free crochet pattern

PLEASE NOTE: This pattern has not been tested. Please email me for errors and suggestions. Thanks!

 
***************************************************
Felted Cashe Bag
~This pattern and items made with this pattern are for personal use only and not for commercial use. ~

Materials
5 skeins Moda Dea Cache
L/11/8mm hook

Gauge
Not important.

Finished Dimension
Approximately 15” wide and 12” tall from the bottom of the bottom of bag to the top of handle.

Bottom of Bag
Ch 28 loosely.
Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (26 dc)
Note: At the beg of each dc row / round, I did (ch 2, dc in same st) to avoid having "holes" on the bag after felting. Do not work into the ch-2 (except on Rnd 1 of Bag), and do not count as a st.
Row 2: Ch 2, dc in same st and in each st across, turn.
Row 3 - 11: Rep Row 2.

Bag
Rnd 1(RS): Ch 1, sc in each st and 2 sc in each row around, sl st in 1st sc. Mark this rnd as the right side. (96 sts)
Rnd 2 - 15: Ch 2, dc in same st and in each st around, sl st in 1st dc.
Rnd 16: Ch 2, dc in same st and in next 2 sts, ch 30, sk next 22 sts, dc in next 26 sts, ch 30, sk next 22 sts, dc in next 23 sts, sl st in first dc.
Rnd 17: Ch 2, dc in same st and each st & ch around, sl st in first dc. (112 sts)
Rnd 18 & 19: Rep Rnd 2. Fasten off on Rnd 19.

Handle Edging
Join yarn in any st of a handle opening.
Sc in each st around, fasten off.
Rep on other side of handle opening.

Weave in ends.

Felting
Put the bag into a pillow case with a zipper, then put it into washer with a couple of pairs of old jeans/some towels and a small amount of liquid detergent/dish soap. Put the bag through hot-water washing cycles for approximately 10 minutes, and check the bag. Felt it more if necessary, but check the bag often and do not let it rinsed in cold water until it is felted as you like. After the felting is done and the bag is rinsed & spin-dried in washer (This does not ruin your bag!), lay the bag flat, pull it to reshape if necessary. Let the bag dry completely.

Copyright©2007 Chie O'Briant. All rights reserved.
*******************************************************************************

Your support will help me keep offering free patterns.
Thank you so much and happy stitching!

Felted Cache Bag

Do you remember this post..... and how it ended up?
Well, I made a felted bag with the yarn! :)


Yarn: Moda Dea Cache
Pattern: None
I only used double crochet stitches so this bag was one evening project, which I LOVE! Last year, I experimented felting with a project for which I only double-crocheted, and it felted just fine so since then, I like to just use dc for my own felting projects (although I love the Tunisian crochet stitches as well).
This bag is thick and sturdy, and I think it's perfect for carrying around materials for crochet & knit projects!
I got to say, my felting is really going well. :))

*****
I recently went to one of my local craft stores first time in a long time, bought some yarn to make 3 more bags, and also found they now carry the Red Heart Soft Yarn(About time)! Yay!!! I only bought 1 skein this time just to try this yarn, but I know (& I knew), this is going to be my favorite yarn! I'm already dreaming about soft and comfy afghans and such... :)
Well, they wait way too long to have this yarn in their store! :(
We need new yarns more quickly, down here in Mississippi!!!!!

Felted Entrelac Handbag

The Entrelac Handbag is all felted and completed!


"Felted Entrelac Handbag"
Pattern from: Gourmet Crochet
I just love the entrelac pattern, and this bag was such an easy and quick project!
This time, I made the strap thinner, but I'm not sure if it was necessary.
Next time, I will probably try using a smaller hook and see how much faster the bag will felt than this one. I also think it would be fun to make a bigger bag by crocheting with 2 strands of the yarn.

I feel all like felting now that actually, I've made another felted bag with the yarn I had in my stash, and it's drying now. ;)
Oh, and I'm planning to put lining on both bags before I start using them in winter, and I really need to find out where my sewing machine is! :D

WIP - Tunisian crochet

Between other fun projects, I've been enjoying crocheting this Tunisian crochet piece so much!


The pattern I'm using is "Felted Entrelac Handbag" from Gourmet Crochet. Carolyn is one of my favorite crochet designers. I'm a big fan!
This one requires only a regular crochet hook because the rows are short, and it's just great.
I'm going to felt this after all the crocheting is done, and I can't wait. :) I believe I've never posted any felted project here before, but I did some felting last year, and I loved it. I think it's just perfect for bags.

This bag is such a quick project, and I'm hoping to finish it soon. :)

Award ?!!!

My friend Kelly at The Crafty Cat nominated me for this award! I think this is my first award I received as a blogger, how cool! Thanks Kelly. :) *hugs*


Now it's my turn to nominate some Rockin' Girl Bloggers. :)
Gosh, I have so MANY favorite blogs I visit regularly as you can see on my feeds at Bloglines, and it's really hard to choose just five out of all...

But... ok... Here are my nominees! :)
They are all very talented crafters and their works are very inspiring! I know you will be regular visitors like me (Or maybe you have already been their visitors). :D
I haven't checked if they have been nominated already, but I don't think anyone will mind being nominated for this award more than one time. :)

Mimi @ Crochet and Other Stuff

Myla M @ my little mochi

Chelle @ Luv 2 Crochet Blog

Julie @ with a hook

??? @ BitterSweet
I'm sorry I don't know this blog owner's name, and I'm assuming the owner of the blog is a girl. :)

Oh, I almost forgot about the rules. :D - If I've nominated you, please be nice, play along, and nominate 5 other really cool blogs that you enjoy. :)

Warning - Big post

Hi ! ! !
I bet you all thought I was gone to Japan... for good. :D

First of all, THANK YOU all who emailed me/left a comment for me before/during/after the trip, and I sincerely apologize I had not been able to either thank each of you personally or post on this blog to let you know how my Japan trip was... I was just too tired from the trip... I also started working on the first weekday after we came back (I love my job!), I was trying to re-adjust to the time and the summer heat here, my 6-year-old has been home for summer, and Hubby just had a-week-long summer holidays too so I was so busy and just couldn't find the time and energy left to email or to post here.

Well, the trip was exhausting, but of course GREAT!!!
We first flew from Jackson, MS to Detroit, MI (2 1/2 hours in the air), then from there to Osaka, Japan (14 hour). I know it was hard for my son, but he handled all that flying really well. - He only had to get up ONCE to go to the restroom in the airplane (I still wonder how he could do that! :D ), and the rest he played his Nintendo DS, did some origami, colored, read some books, watched movies, slept & ate. :) I was also very thankful for the 9-year-old boy whose seat was next to his. They both had the Nintendo DS and Japanese moms :) so they kept each other entertained playing games and speaking in English sprinkled with Japanese words, and listening to their conversation was really fun. :D Oh, and I managed to make five of the potholder below, which I gave away four of them later and kept one.


"Watermelon Slice Potholder"
Pattern from: Leisure Arts "Kitchen Basics in Cotton"
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream
I just love the bright colors and the watermelon potholder is just perfect for summer, don't you think? :) This was a super quick, fun project, and the pattern was easy to follow.

Anyways, here are some photos from the trip!!! :) I'm not really a camera person, and I found I only have 144 photos total which include the ones my family and friends took.

*Kasai Flower Center*Not even one of the plants there were wilted or sick. We enjoyed their gorgeous flowers so much!





*Himeji Castle aka White Heron Castle*This castle is a World Treasure and 400 years old. The link above explains the castle's history.



*Universal Studios Japan - USJ*Popeye and Olive welcomed us at the gate, and there was a parade with Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Sesame Street, and Shrek! USJ was a lot more like Disney Land. - Very kids-friendly.









*Clamming*Clamming is a great activity for children! I used to come to this beach for school excursions when I was 6-8 years old, and it had not changed a bit... the old beach houses and everything! :)





We found a bunch of clams and took them home. Mom cooked them next morning, and wish you could see my son's face when he saw his precious clams in miso soup!!! :D :D To him, they were his new pets, and nope, he would never eat them!
By the way, I am in the last photo with my 5-months-old niece (The newest addition to our family!) enjoying the cool ocean breeze inside of one of the beach houses. She is just so cute, I call her "Ohime-sama (princess in Japanese)"! :D

My hometown is Hyogo prefecture in Japan. If you are interested, read about it at Hyogo International Tourism Guide.

My baby sister wanted me to crochet her a drawstring bag badly. :) When she took me to a small craft store, she picked up a couple of white and black cotton yarn, and I also found this bag design on one of the crochet books I skimmed at the store and later made this for her. I love it that the stripes are swirled. :):


The design was in a Japanese crochet book.
Oh, you know what, that was the ONLY time I went to a craft store in Japan. I thought I would be going to yarn stores buying many yarns and crochet & knit books and tools, but all I bought was just 2 crochet books, 2 origami books, and I picked up just some acrylic yarn at a 100-yen store to make some tawashi(crocheted scrubber) to use at home. They have acrylic yarns that resist bacteria & odors, and they are just perfect to make practical tawashi with.
I also made three simple hotpads for Mom, but I forgot to take a photo of them. :( She actually uses and keeps my crocheted gifts really well, which makes me very happy. :)

Other than what the photos above show, we ate LOTS of yummy food (Still, I came back weighing 2 lbs less!), visited relatives, went shopping, and spent great time and laughed with family and friends. I miss them so much already, but I'm also very happy to be back home having our rather slow, normal life with my family here in Mississippi. :) Since we came back from Japan, we've enjoyed tomatoes and edamame(edible soybean) from our garden, and I'm waiting anxiously for the day when I can harvest radishes! Ahhh, I love life!!!

Flying tomorrow

I'm still here at our home in Mississippi, but tomorrow morning we are flying! :)))
Our first flight will stop at Detroit, then the next one will reach Osaka Kansai Airport at about 5AM on 28th Central Time so that means the whole trip from this house to Osaka, Japan will take about 23 hours! I will survive..... :D

I've packed a coloring book, some story books, crayons, origami, Nintendo games, a set of my boy's clothes, etc. etc. to keep my boy as comfy & busy as possible while we are in the sky. And of course, some yarn and a couple of leaflets of crochet dishclothes for me! :)


I have been SUPER busy during last couple of months working, taking care of my family when they caught stomach virus... and myself. :( I had the worst symptoms this time with terrible stomach cramps followed by vomiting, fever, and knots on my neck. :( We seriously thought I had something a lot worse than the common stomach virus, but it ended up it was just the virus and the infection which some antibiotics took care of.

I'm almost done packing and starting to feel relaxed. :) I don't remember the last time when I felt this relaxed.
It's been 3 years since the last time I was in Japan, and I'm very excited to be able to be able to spend some time with my folks there. :)
I miss my family, and I really gotta meet the new members of our family too (in-laws my niece)!

I will be back in mid June, but I'll try to post some photos of Japan while I'm there!

Busy, busy

I have been really busy lately especially since my computer broke last Wednesday! :(
I just got it back today all fixed, but I still have some upgrading left to get done. I ordered some computer parts today, and as soon as I receive them in the mail, I'll take them to my local computer guys to get them installed. My 3-year-old computer should perform really well then. :)
I'm just so glad that my daily trip to the local library is over... I really like the library and the people who work there, but it's just not convenient to have to go there just to use the computer.

I'm currently working on a hairpin lace project, and my pretty-but-itchy yarn has been put aside... but I will probably knit a felted bag minus the ruffles with the yarn. :)

Oh, and I'm finally going to Japan to visit my family and friends!!!
My son and I are flying before the end of May (Hubby is going to stay), and we will stay there until just before the Father's Day (mid-June). I'm so excited about the trip. I can hardly wait. :)

Update on scarf

*Sigh* I started thinking the yarn which I'm using for the scarf is a little too itchy. I adjusted the width and made it narrower so that it doesn't touch skin when worn over a turtle-neck sweater... but still, I'm not sure if I should keep knitting scarves with the yarn... :(
I thought about making a shawl instead, but the color the yarn to me is too flashy to make a bigger item such as a shawl with...
I don't know what to do now. :(

Knitting a scarf

Can you believe I lost this post TWICE after typing everything up?! Also it was automatically publishend a couple of times when I was only trying to save! :(
Anyway, here is my 3rd attempt... I'm so patient. :D I'm going to save every 2 rows as I go this time. *sigh*

*****
I'm knitting a scarf! :)


*Click for a bigger view*
I'm using Moda Dea Cache in color "Smartie". One of my friends and I got this great deal at our local Michaels last week, and each of us bought 4 skeins of the yarn. Today I went back and got 6 more skeins. :D I was surprised to find they still had the yarn left!

Anyway, the friend who went to Michaels with me - said she had not knitted for a long time, and she didn't have needles, but I knew a good solution for that! :) It was:

K every row (garter stitch) using 2 needles in different sizes !

I love this technique for bulky yarn with lots of character such as Cache.
I'm sure her hands will remember how to "K" quickly, and using this technique, we only need a pair of a size and a pair of another size for both of us, and I can just lend mine (I have only a pair for each size). I thought it was great that she didn't have to buy a pair of needles especially because she doesn't know if she will knit more after this scarf. :)

Because it's garter stitch, both sides of the scarf will look identical which is great, and by using 2 different-size needles, you can make it look more exciting than regular garter stitch. :) Also, because big needles are used, this scarf works up so quickly that I think I can finish it in 1 day if I wanted to, and OH how little the amount of yarn it requires! It's shocking to me because I have just crocheted and crocheted and have hardly knitted for a looooong time. :D
By the way, I'm using a US #15 (10mm) and a #35 (19mm). I especially LOVE my beautiful #35 needles and stoppers that fit them! If you are interested, you can find them at Stitch Diva Studios.

I'll be knitting scarves until I finish up all 10 skeins of the yarn. :)

Fun day

I had a fun day today!!!
I made a standard-full-size title banner and a new button. They are simple, but I spent hours to make them, and it always feels great to complete something!
Oh, and please feel free to steal my new button. ;)



*****
We went to a Japanese/Chinese buffet restaurant and enjoyed their food very much. :) I have been on a diet, but tonight I didn't stop myself. :D I ate bunch of sushi, sashimi, sesami chicken, little cakes, etc. etc... I already feel like I have gained back the lost lbs, but it's okay. Tomorrow morning, I'll start exercising & walking again, and I'll watch what I eat. ;)

After the great dinner, we went to a coffee shop where our friend's birthday party was held and met other friends there as well. :) The BD boy had his band there, and we listened to some of their songs. My 6-year-old son loved their songs! :)
I was going to get a piece of the BD cake, but that's what I was thinking only before the dinner, and I had absolutely no space in my stomach for even just a piece of cake or a cup of coffee after making all the food on my dinner plates disappear! :D

We didn't stay at the party long because we had an important thing left to do... COLORING EGGS! :) So we came home and enjoyed doing that. :)

H A P P Y   E A S T E R !!!

Too late for Easter preparation?

Thank you so much for all who left me kind comments on my doily and great tips for losing weight!!! *hugs* I hope you will forgive me for not replying to each of your comments... I'll repay you for trying to be a better blogger with more frequent posts, would that work? :)
Anyway, I decided not to worry too much about greatly reducing the amount and types of food I eat... Instead I choose to eat sensibly and a little less than I usually eat, and also I forgive myself if I eat a bit of sugary or greasy stuff. This way, I don't get angry, and it saves everyone around me!!! :D I still walk - not every morning but almost, and I started to see the effect of it... just really little around my waist, but it makes me so happy. :) I feel that I have a little more energy, and pushing around a heavy shopping cart (Shopping carts here are a lot bigger than the ones they use in Japan!) in grocery stores is not as annoying as it used to be because I can think of it as just additional calorie-burning exercise! I'll continue to walk in the morning and hopefully start seeing actual weight loss soon.

*****
I am trying to find if there is anything I want to crochet for Easter. Easter is right around the corner so I need a quick project. As I always do when I look for free crochet patterns, I visited Crochet Pattern Central to find some cute Easter projects, and there they were! :) I think I'm going to try this, and... these are great too! I also fell in love with Crystal's Egg bunny babies. :) I'm probably not going to have time to make these bunnies, but some of you might like to try. ;)
There are so much I want to do and so little time!

*****
By the way... LOTS of things are going on at Stitch Diva Studios... including the exciting Stunt Stitching opportunity! Check out the latest newsletter. ;)

A doily

I finished a doily!!! :)


* Click for a larger view *
The pattern is from a Japanese book one of my crafty Japanese friends sent to me from Japan more than a year ago. I made a couple of mistakes, but I don't know where they are now. :D I really just can't see the stitches well anymore when I crochet with thread... :(
I still LOVE thread crochet though because really, crochet stitches are whole lot prettier when done with thread.

I feel like crocheting/knitting, but I just don't know what to make next... I recently bought a bunch of sport weight acrylic yarn without a plan, and they are still in a box sitting in the living room. I still don't know what to do with them...

*****
I really need to lose about 30 lbs (I am now back to my pregnancy weight without being pregnant!) and strengthen my muscle so I started walking last week. I also watch what I eat, but I've been having a hard time staying happy. :(
I feel so tired for the rest of the day after walking approx. 2.5 miles in the morning, and I get angry for not being able to eat like I want. :D
Yesterday, Hubby went and bought a dozen of donuts, and that made me so mad that I haven't talked to him since. :D It's just not fair he can eat whatever he wants and he never gains weight!!! :(

To those who sit and work for hours everyday, but manage to stay fit - PLEASE share with me your secret. ;D I'm serious! Just email me, ok? :D

Butterfly pattern

**********
Crocheted Butterfly
~ This pattern is for personal & non-commercial use only ~

Materials
* Small amount of yarn or thread
* A crochet hook in suggested size for the yarn/thread you are using.

Gauge
Not important

Stitch Note
tr = treble crochet

Butterfly
Ch 3, sl st in 1st ch to form a ring.
Note: 1 round completes the butterfly. All of the stitches on Rnd 1 is worked in the ch-3 ring, and stitches need to be pushed toward the beg of the rnd as you crochet.
Rnd 1: * ch 3, 2 tr, ch 3, sl st **, [ch 2, dc, ch 2, sl st] twice, rep from * to ** once, [ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and next 2 ch, sl st] twice.
Fasten off.

Yarn ends can be used to attach the butterfly onto various things.
**********

The above pattern was tested only by me once so if you notice any errors, please let me know. I hope you enjoy my pattern! :)


Your support will help me keep offering free patterns.
Thank you and happy stitching!

Improved patterns

Hiya. :)
Today I did what I have been thinking about doing for a long time already.....
I revised the two simple patterns I wrote in the past!
I have learned a lot since I first wrote them, and I believe they are much better now. :)

... So here they are!

* Dishwashing Tawashi    New photo!!!
http://chiescrochetandknitting.blogspot.com/2004/11/my-tawashi.html


I still have lots of people visit this page everyday, and I'm really thankful for that. :) I made a small change on this pattern, and also I made one today with a different color combination. Hope you like it. :)

* Skateboarder's Beanie
http://chiescrochetandknitting.blogspot.com/2005/11/very-simple-skateboarder-beanie.html


This beanie is comfy and very easy to make. Hubby loves it. :)

Heart Dishcloth

I love to decorate my kitchen with a seasonal dishcloth!
The Valentine's Day is near, and I just had to make this heart-shaped dishcloth.


I used "My Heart Dishcloth" pattern

I omitted ch-1 on straight lines, and I added a loop.
I had to add my boy's little snowman art he did at kindergarten in the photo. :) I thought it was so cute, and I love how they used popcorns for the snow! Also, a little shell is the mouth. :D

Have a great weekend!

THE Amigurumi Neko

I finished THE famous Ami-Neko (amigurumi cat).
I think I like it a little too much. :D

Since I first saw this neko and its pattern that Nekoyama-san created, I have been wanting to make one.

Look at this amazingly peaceful facial expression! :)))


This kitty can sit fabulously well!
  

She needed a little rest...


I couldn't help it, I just had to dress her up a little! :D


The pattern in English can be found at Nekoyama-san's website).
- Stole pattern not included.
This is THE famous Japanese amigurumi neko. As some of you probably know, they even have its published pictorial in Japan!

The yarn I used to make this neko is Bernat Softee Chunky, and it's approximately 12 1/2" tall when sitting.
I made this amigurumi for my newborn niece in Japan, but I almost don't want to send it to her. :D This cat to me is an ultimate zen cat, and I just have to make another one ASAP for myself!

1st post - Year 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! - Shinnen akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. :)
I hope everyone had a happy holiday season! Mine started out in a very special way.....
My sister had a beautiful baby girl on Christmas eve! I really wanted to crochet something for the baby before she was born, but I was so busy with my contracts, and I had given up on it, but...... it was so strange... about a week before the baby was born, a good crafty friend of mine gave me a skein of pink Red Heart Baby sport weight yarn! Also, my busy schedule had some changes which allowed me pick up some time here and there to finish this baby set!




I used "Soft and Sweet Layette" pattern on Leisure Arts' "Baby Layettes and Afghans" booklet, and I love how this set came out. :)

Also, I'm working on an amigurumi.


I am using THE famous Japanese amigurumi pattern, and I'm sure many of you can tell which one I'm talking about, but I will not go into the details until this one is finished. ;)

I must finish the amigurumi ASAP so I won't be away too long. ;D
Wishing everybody a happy and crafty new year!