Huggable Horsey Well Appreciated

Opening the box..

Throw it on the floor

Ride the horse, take off the bridle...

Is this really my own horsey?

Love the horsey....

Huggable Horsey

When I heard that a 2 year old in the family loves Nay Nays.., I knew I had to make this horsey. The pattern came from the book Huggable Crochet by Christine Lucas. You can see the other wonderful patterns at her website,  Scare Crow Originals. She sells on Etsy, too. The saddle, halter and reins were added separately. It was one of the hardest pieces I have done, mostly due to assembling all the components to make it actually look like a horse. I think it will work for the 2 year old, and she will probably try to ride it as well. Merry Christmas, little Lyddy.

Seasons Greetings from Dobby Road

Here is the motley crew of four house elves that have been created by 3 women in our crafts group, Kyla, Carolyn and Kristy. We were amazed and delighted to see how the faces all came out differently when we left the pattern behind and went into "freeform". Our other craft group member, Anne, became the group photographer which we now realize is a perfect role for her. She knows her way around the digital camera for sure. No doubt we will capture these creatures of delight in various poses and situations as time goes by. After all... THEY ARE FREE!  They have made one friend already in Carolyn's house, or maybe they stole Deets the cat's favorite napping spot.

Punchneedle Ornaments

Thinking about Christmas theses days and since I was working on a punchneedle project, I decided to design and make some punchneedle ornaments.  Here's a few that I've worked on so far.  Now I need some backing fabric and ribbon for a tie.  Most of all, I enjoy coming up with the designs.  The actual punching takes a while, so my plan of having a lot by a December 1st Craft Fair is probably not going to happen, but at least I'll have a few to add to the other things on my table!

House Elf Gets a Friend

The first house elf, Dobby from the Harry Potter stories, inspired others in our craft group to try their hand at crocheting in 3 D. This is not easy when it comes to making a face, ears, eyes, mouth, etc. The fact that these two elves came out looking quite different shows that working without a pattern can be pretty challenging. There were many rip-outs and re-designs, and there will be more to come. The reactions from friends and family has been mixed. We in the group think they are adorable and others do, too. But we have also heard...."creepy". To know the Harry Potter story is to know Dobby. Dobby is free! .... and will keep inspiring some of us for a long time.

Rustic Tables

Three tables from one board. The table tops were cut from one slab and the legs were added by Josselyn's in Jeffersonville, NH in Sept.Then we stained and urethaned them. Not only does Josselyn's stain and caulk log houses, they build rustic furniture, and rent out cute rustic cabins. Our house will finally be stained and caulked after 8 years! Not bad. 

Dobby Redux

Better photos of Dobby from the internet revealed that he does in fact have...some hair on top of his head.

Printing cards...

With the garden slowing down, I've squeezed in a little time for printing and I'm thinking it's time to make some new Christmas cards.  This design idea came to me while I was out picking tomatoes and couldn't wait to come back inside to try it out!  I'm experimenting with different papers and colors and welcome any suggestions!

Sunflower Bouquet

Since I've been busy gardening and not had much time for crafting lately, I decided to post a photo of some sunflowers that have finally begun to bloom in my garden.
They had been growing taller and taller and I was beginning to wonder if they would just keep on gowing and not produce any flowers, but then one day, there they were!  I think they were worth the wait!

small crocheted containers

I've been needing some little containers for holding various small things and these crocheted bowls serve the purpose very nicely!  They are so easy to make and it's fun choosing the different color combinations.  I've filled one bowl with some flower appliques which are quick to make with the leftover yarn.

Dobby Meets Sock Monkey

A recent trip to western Massachusetts gave me an opportunity to introduce Dobby, the House Elf to Sock Monkey. My best friend Susan posted this picture on her blog, http://westernmassfengshui.blogspot.com/ . I had to post it here to show off a couple of my crochet projects that ended up somewhere else and provided much amusement. Another house elf is under construction by a Kingdom Krafter in town. And another sock monkey will be given to my friend Susan for a gift. More adorable pictures to come when Dobby meets another sock monkey.
This is silly, but somehow "such fun".

The World

Ocean

Beaver Pond

The crocheted world, became Ellie's World recently. Once she understood the different habitats, the world became populated with a variety of creatures and things. From the beavor pond, downstream to the cranberry bog, Christmas tree plantation, wheat field, flower garden with beehives, veggie garden, and finally to the rocky shore and sandy beach of the ocean, creatures, aliens, and miscellaneous objects filled the world and became a play stage for all sorts of activities, including the Teddy Bears picnic, sung by me.

Crochet cotton facial pads

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been enjoying making little crocheted drawstring bags and then I found a nice scalloped pattern for these little facial pads that fit perfectly in the bags, so I made a set of 6 in coordinating colors.  Rather than being thrown away like disposables, these eco-friendly facial pads can be placed in a washer and used over and over again.  They are made from 100% American grown cotton and are so soft and absorbant!  They are available for purchase at RebasPrints.etsy.com or on the etsy link on the sidebar of this blog.

Crocheted Lobster Buoys

The weather turned on us during our vacation on Grand Manan Island this week. With so many lobster buoys to look at here, I had to crochet a few. I don't think that crochet is done here, just knitting, so many people came up to look at them in the cafe today. These are very easy, make use of left over scraps of yarn, and look best with pieces of bamboo skewers. They are about 5-6 in long and the base is somewhere around 14 SC in circumference. Would be good xmas ornaments, too. 

Crocheting pouches

I've been enjoying making these little pouches with leftover balls of cotton yarn,

They make ideal gift containers for round facial scrubbies, but could also contain

various other small items.  It's fun experimenting with different colors of yarn for 

the trim and ties.  I'd like to look for some large wooden beads that could be used

to fasten the ties.  The pattern was free on a ball of Coats and Clark's, "Creme de la 

Creme" cotton yarn.

Table Weavings

The weaving that I did on the rigid heddle loom, see earlier post, was finished and used on the table tonight. 2 placemats and a table runner, turned sideways on the end of the table. That way I can still keep the lazy susan. It is very satisfying to weave something and then actually use it in the house. I suppose "real " weavers that I know do this all the time, but for me, brand new to this, I find it extremely satisfying. So much so that I am going to get another loom, one the folds and can travel, only 24 in wide, but perfect for table runners and placemats. I plan to take it on vacation with me, sit and weave looking out over the ocean, etc. glass of wine...etc. So this weaving thing is just about the best craft that I have discovered, thanks to good friends who encourage me. 

Dobby is Free

 The famous house elf that we met in the Harry Potter stories is my most recent crochet project. I decided that my house needed a house elf and that I would crochet one and give him clothes, freeing him from any obligations with any unsavory types. Meet Dobby. If you are not familiar with his endearing behaviors, watch these videos from the movie. First, Dobby meets Harry. Then below, Harry sets Dobby free from Lucius Malfoy's control. The outfit was made from a pair of slipper socks, including the leather sandals. He is snapping the fingers in his right hand, which he does to magically make things happen, good or bad. (hopefully only good in my house!)This was a very fun project and when Kyla finishes hers, you will get to see yet another crocheted Dobby, the House Elf.The pattern used was purchased on Etsy.com. However, the head was designed and created by me.

Practice Pillow

This pillow is made from the practice weaving on my rigid heddle loom. Lots of mistakes, but then there is much learning that goes with it. My neighbor, Norma, made the cover for an extra pillow I had. It is just the perfect color for our vehicle that has a worn out passenger seat.

Weaving is Done

The day finally came when I could remove the 6 yards of warp. Some of it was just practice. I did manage to make a table runner and 3 mats. 

Stand up Weaving

The best idea I have had recently was to remove the stand from my rigid heddle loom so that I can weave standing up. Most crafts that I do keep me seated and I prefer to not spend so much time sitting down. The loom had to be raised with shims so that I can move the heddle into the down position. Notice the blue grip clamps in the corners. The piece I am working on is will be a table runner. I had lost interest in the warp, plain white cotton, until I decided to work with rags again. I have sliced up yards of fabric and I now I am ready for this piece. Rags work so well and look very good with the white warp. So I am pleased to say that I have rekindled my interest in weaving again and look forward to the day I can unwind the warp to discover so many little projects that I started/finished and rolled away. 

Embroidery Project Complete

After many months and hours, my embroidery project is finally completed! It will soon be on it's way to California and it's home at St. Christina's Orthodox Church. This project has been a big part of my life these past months so it's bittersweet to see it go, but it's a joy and an honor to be able to serve the Church in this way.

Embroidery Project Update

The major portion of my embroidery project is now finished, so now it's on to the next phase, which is to embroider the letters which will go around the border. My next update should be of the completed project!