The Shtick I Do

Happy Halloween! I hope all you ghosts and goblins (and zombies, how can I forget zombies) are being safe and having a great time. Speaking of zombies, my son and daughter are both participating in something called Fright Nights at Glade , a haunted attraction in the area. It runs every Friday and Saturday during October and on the 31st, rain or shine, or snow, they've had snow before. Here's my son, Michael, guess what role he landed for this month?  This is after a Saturday night of scaring tons of people, he's tired and in pain. The attraction for him is Zombie Lazer Tag. He takes his role seriously, so much so that when he gets shot and falls down, he doesn't cushion his fall. His elbows and knees look like they belong on a zombie.   My daughter is part of 3-D Nightmare, it's about a circus that goes wrong. Yes, you got it right, clowns! And it's in a blacklight setting with strobes and neon. I'm sorry I don't have a shot of her in t...

A few weeks ago a very special memorial scarf arrived at a local hub for arts and crafts in my town. Tamarack, the Best of West Virginia , is hosting the Breast Cancer Awareness Scarf , the world's longest pink scarf, for the month of October. I saw it last year and just marveled at how awesome it was in it's sheer size; then I thought about all the hands that went into making it quickly followed by thoughts (and some tears) for those that this very special scarf is made for. There are albums filled with cards expressing the thoughts and prayers of survivors of breast cancer, family and friends of those that have passed and well-wishers that have a special place in their hearts for Breast Cancer Awareness. The scarf itself is a marvel in it's own right. If I was amazed by it's size last year, all I can say is I was awe-struck this time around. It grows every year as people are invited to bring sections to be added and even sit and make a section while you're visit...

I just wanted to post a quickie and help a fellow crochet crafter celebrate  100,000   subscribers on her YouTube channel . . .  Congratulations to Clare at +bobwilson123   !!! What a wonderful achievement !!! I think she's also having a GIVEAWAY !!! So head over to her channel on YouTube and get entered !!! (I'd post the link to the giveaway video but I can't find it) Clare, I'm looking forward to many more videos from you. Much love, Karen =^_^=

Meet Tomas Turkey! I wanted to make a turkey hat for a friend of mine but couldn't find a pattern that was adult sized. Oh sure, I found the cooked turkey hats for adults, but I didn't want that. All the ones I found (that looked like a turkey) were for infants and children. So I made one up, what else could I do? And look . . . it's 3D! The eyes stand up giving this cute little guy a look of surprise. His tail feathers stand up, too. Maybe he's a bit shocked at what he's seeing on the dinner table?  Update! This pattern is now available as a free PDF download from Ravelry. Click here  for the pattern! Be sure to follow this blog with Bloglovin'! The button is over there somewhere -------> As always, peace and blessings, ~~Karen~~

Did you know that there was a day to celebrate our love of YARN? I didn't know until I ran across a post a couple years ago from CraftYarnCouncil . If I remember correctly, I was looking for some standard sizes for socks and ran across their site in my research. Their site also has free patterns as well as party ideas and tips for teaching others how to Knit and Crochet. By the way, I never got those socks made, it was a last ditch effort in trying to love knitting. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate knitting, I just prefer crochet (and I'm better at it than knitting =D).  Tomorrow, Friday, October 11, 2013, is I LOVE YARN DAY . The following information is from their site at www.craftyarncouncil.com/I-Love-Yarn . "Whether you knit, crochet, craft or just adore fiber, October 11th, 2013 is the day to affirm your passion for yarn. Show it off, tag with it, carry it, gather with friends. Declare your LOVE! Get involved. Create an I Love Yarn Day badge ...

I haven't done much crochet since Wednesday of last week when I finished up those adorable baby booties , surgery tends to knock me on my own bootie. I had a somewhat minor procedure done on Friday and wasn't fully awake until sometime Monday afternoon. Ugh, all that wasted crochet time. (hehehe) One thing I was able to get completed is the hat I'm showing you today! I love it because of it's silliness! (I'll chalk up the inspiration to post surgical drugs.)  Begin with any beanie pattern you wish as long as it isn't an open weave pattern. This is a Jack 'o Lantern with a twist. I like to imagine he's just gotten back from holiday in the Big Easy and is showing everyone how much he loved Mardi Gras! (I know, Halloween and Mardi Gras aren't even close but we're pretending here.) SO - get that beanie ready and lets have some fun! VooDoo Jack Hat Pattern Materials : crochet or knit beanie in orange size H/5MM and a size G/4.25MM croch...