The Shtick I Do

As you can tell by the title of the post I have one gift completed and ready for Christmas! Of course, if I keep looking at it I'm going to want to put beads or buttons or something  else on it. But what crafter doesn't do that? This is the Granny Cocoon Shrug that recently went viral in several Facebook groups. I decided I wanted to make one - I also decided that instead of making it for me I was going to gift it! I kinda sorta  followed >> THIS << video but I changed a couple of things - the arms for one. However, I LOVE the way it turned out and I think the recipient will love it too!  Stay safe this Halloween and remember it's all about FUN!  Peace and blessings. ~~Karen~~ 

I got it into my head that I wanted to make a doily so I went in search of patterns that would be 1) quick and 2) easy. I was browsing around on You Tube and found several that looked really good but for some reason I just wasn't feeling like they were the right ones for me. I've made several so making a doily wasn't intimidating, they just didn't fit into my two requirements. That's when I stumbled upon  Jeego Crochet . This guy has so many fabulous doily patterns and I couldn't take my eyes off them. The more I looked at his channel the more stunning I found the work. But again, I was looking for 1) quick and 2) easy. He has a two part video series for the Beautiful Mini Doily - Pineapples Pattern that fit the bill. He uses a #3 crochet thread for this one   (I think)  but I wanted a more delicate piece so I opted for what I believe is a #10 nylon or acrylic thread. I can't be more certain than that because I've tossed the label that came on it ...

Written Instructions: 3 out of 5 stars I find it frustrating to have to dig through instructions looking for what I need. Video Instructions: 5 out of 5 Mikey knocks this one out of the park! Explaining and demonstrating every stitch in a fashion that anyone can understand. SO ... if you've been reading long enough you know that people all around me are having babies. Almost everywhere I turn, I run into another lady ready to have a small bundle of joy. But that isn't a complaint by any stretch of the imagination. I absolutely LOVE babies!  My youngest sister is getting ready to have her second in just a few weeks, she's due sometime around my son's high school graduation date at the end of May. I searched around a while, looked at and tried a few patterns for baby dresses (she's having another girl) but I wasn't too happy with the way they were turning out. I'm sure it's because I went and bought yarn before I decided on a pattern. Let...

Have I mentioned that there are a LOT of new babies coming into the world around me? Well, if not, now you know. I wanted to make something a bit different this time around. It's not THAT different I mean it's still a blanket, but instead of a square, I made the Super Star Afghan from Mikey and the guys over at The Crochet Crowd! Here's my score for the pattern overall: Written Pattern Score : 4.5 out of 5 due to a mistake in Row 3. Video Pattern Score : 5 out of 5 - This one is a home run! I used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton yarn in White, Pink Sparkle and Cotton Candy. My thoughts: I went to The Crochet Crowd site and easily located the blanket pattern. I'm happy they revised their site to make finding the patterns easier. It works up quickly! Easy to understand. The pattern is easily followed from memory once you get past the first 3 or 4 Rows. Since I'm a fairly seasoned crocheter, I thought I'd just use the wri...

I came across this video for a headband while I was looking for, you guessed it, a headband pattern. My beautiful daughter, Maeghan, modeling one of the headbands. It's from Donna at Naztazia.com  and I love it! The pattern is easy to remember and it's pretty easy to follow along with the video. One note; she crochet's fast so you may need to pause it in order to catch up. There are also written instructions if you'd like to follow those instead. She goes over how to make the increases you might need for making a larger headband than what she makes in the video; they're simple and easy to remember. Her instructions are clear and concise the entire time even going so far as to put instructions up on the screen for you to read as well as watch. She has a BUNCH of free videos for you to follow along and/or grab the written instructions. I encourage you to browse and see what you can find that strikes your fancy. (I have my eyes on this one ) I do ...

So, this week I’m trying something different. I want to make some videos for my mother (who lives over 900 miles from me) so she can learn some of the tricks I’ve picked up along the way. Mostly shortcuts that make some stitches easier and others that just make the stitches look better. Most of them I’m sure you guys already know. This video is one of those tricks. I picked it up on the internet, and much to my chagrin, I can’t remember where I learned it. I didn’t save the link so I’m lost as to the site name. If someone knows where that might be, please, comment below and provide the link or the site name. That would be very much appreciated! Along with not being able to remember the link/site, I can’t remember what she called it! But it needs a name, right? I think I’ll call it a Modified No-chain Starting Double Crochet . I know it’s a mouthful but that’s what it is. Previously I’d tried to make some videos using one of my kids as a cameraman (riiiight) and that didn’t turn o...