Saturday, February 28, 2015

I finished the Easter Bunny girl this afternoon. The sun hid behind a bunch of clouds so I could get a shadow-free picture. I made this rabbit from a book of crocheted animals, Annie's Animal Amigurumi to Crochet by Teri Crews,  and now I do not know which one to make next. I started on this on Wednesday, had a day and 1/2 of cleaning that left me in great pain but I was able to work okay today. I may redo the hat. I think the one in the book is better. Or maybe I should make another one with the other idea for a hat. The Easter eggs I made the other week did come in handy as props and to prop her up!

Monday, February 23, 2015


I just realized the other day that Easter will be here in a week and a month. So I had to try out crocheted eggs! Successfully making this one now I have plans for a basket, eggs and a little yellow chick. I get all these great ideas and then lack the time or energy to complete them all. We will see what I can accomplish. 
I did try a second egg but for some unknown reason (I did it Saturday night) I made it bigger when I should have either made it smaller or the same size as the blue one. To me it looked like a duck egg so I  put these ducks with it which really emphasize its wrong size.

Yesterday I worked on my little doll which you can see on my brand new blog at (let me find it again!drat!). After much fussing, here it is. http://janesdollydaze.blogspot.com/

Sunday, February 22, 2015


I tried out my idea to make a small bird that was not round like a chick. I think I did it though I do not like these eyes!  I may have to make it again just to put better ones in. I was going for little black beady eyes but these are too big and all wrong. I am amazed that I can see the loose thread in the photo! I really need to get my eyes checked.

This is the mouse I made first. I used the mouse-shape (up ended) for the bird. This feels too fat for a mouse but maybe making him fat makes him cuter! The tutorial did not have whiskers on it. I think the shorter whiskers are better and will trim the other side to match today. Also I hope to remember to unravel the yarn in the whiskers. 

One shot of the mouse with the latest turtle with attitude. 

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The turtle family grew as the day progressed. Actually there were two more than are shown here by sunset. I got too tired to make the face right on the last one so did not take a new photo. I much prefer the sage green I had (a whole cone full) to the bright green. I  had wanted to make a frog from the Hello Dolly book but felt my sage green was not bright enough and that I should get a lime green for the frog. Suddenly the sage green is looking good to me.
I also like the golden shells even though that yarn is roving and rather thick. I only have a tiny roll of it left from the hat, so maybe it is good to give it to the turtles. I love the high humped shell shape but it is not very realistic. . . On YouTube I found a tutorial of a turtle with a highly decorated shell in turquoise, orange, reds, yellows purples but it had the same shape. Hm. . .

Friday, February 20, 2015

While watching You Tube I saw how to make this tiny turtle and in my usual way, had to do it, also.  I am enjoying this phase of craziness. How else would such a tiny turtle come into my life? It would be perfect for a key chain and I have gobs of rings for them left from beading projects. . .
I so easily get enthused about a project and then when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of  making the things I run out of energy to follow my flying heart. By the time I have a new day and its dose of energy, something else has captured my attention.
Maybe the Universe is giving me a message about this, though. Yesterday a package with two balls of green used on the turtle body arrived. I had forgotten I had ordered that weird green. Maybe this is why?
Also in the mail, I had bought a doll on eBay not really knowing its size. It turned out much smaller than I thought so I will not be going down that road! Thankfully I only paid $4. for it so that part feels okay. I am crocheting a body for the body parts. Soon I can show what is keeping me from the turtles! a key chain baby?

Monday, February 16, 2015


The stack of squares for the afghan continue to pile up.  The bluish hues tell you I took the photo before the sun got close enough for a golden shot. I am enjoying seeing how the patches get better as I repeat them. That encourages me. I am at least capable of learning!


 I almost forgot to show you the newest animal from the Hello Kitty crochet book. This is Sugarbunny with his Oreo cookies. He is so fat he has no legs - just feet. I do love the animal eyes. In all my doll-making I have never had them but getting 50 from Amazon keeps me making the beasts just to add the eyes. While making the ears I tried and tried to embroiderer the pink inside and it just did not work. Finally I got the idea of crocheting the patch of pink and sewing that in. That worked great.

Friday, February 13, 2015

The yarn came from Amazon just in time for me to want to do an afghan in the popcorn flower pattern. This stoke of luck made sure that I had enough green (sage green on the cone) to do the whole piece in one color. The yellow cone assures me that that color too will be a match. I have so many different yellows that I could not match them even at my best. I feel so rich with the white cone and its matching greens and yellows. The flower is rather hard to make as it is so tight to get the 8 petals on on the magic circle middle, but I am getting better at the job. I am open to seeing how many squares I can make before I either get tired of them, have too many hand cramps or want to start another dolly.

Yesterday Werner suggested Jenny may want to listen to some music when she is alone in the night. I looked everywhere for my ear-buds. I found the case where they should be but it was empty. So I loaned her my extra headphones. I think she looks happier.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

I had these two cones of variegated Sugar N' Cream cotton yarns and some scraps from other multi-colored balls. I often felt slightly guilty for buying these simply because I loved the colors and combinations. For some reason I found them hard to use unless they became potholders. While stumbling around on YouTube I found several patterns for granny squares for afghans. Ah, the variegated yarn would be perfect! So the past two days, in off moments, I have been doing these squares. I think I will have enough for a whole blanket but I am tempted to get some other colors! I am pressing down those thoughts and making myself use up what I have.  I do have a cone of white (it is so cheap) so am thinking of adding some all-white squares to the mix to quiet things down. . .

Monday, February 9, 2015


I have been working (crocheting) on my entry in the May "celebration of home" show at Gualala over this stormy weekend. I have done the Hello Kitty twice. The first one was too big. I am trying to break up the blackness of the strap without giving up and tucking it underneath. I feel I need a hint of it for the realism but I wish I had known that some strollers have a pink belt.
The stroller was delivered by UPS during the storm on Thursday so in the journey from the truck to the house the box got so wet I had to open it to get things inside to drying. That got me jump started with seeing how everything fit together. 
This pillow I had planned to use turned out to be ugly and the flower granny squares, though colorful showed up too amateurish so I redid the pillow with white popcorn flowers. I am very happy with the new flowers. I plan to cover this and put it away but we will see if I get new ideas before May.  

Monday, February 2, 2015


I could not resist showing the label, too. I am getting faster at this or else Mondays are longer than Sundays. I got this hat done today. I enjoyed the touch and heft of the wool and knowing where it came from added to my pleasure.
Also my computer seems to be meeting halfway. I can find the photos and sometimes have the option of making corrections.

Here is a hat made from the wool B. brought me from Iceland last week. On the loom is the next hat made in the other color she brought me. I am getting better with working on the loom (I can say after undoing 5 or 6 earlier versions!). Last night, while watching something else on YouTube, I found a new way to hold the yarn so it does not unwind. I feel quite smart today and it goes faster. I never could knit a round object this completely and evenly without the loom. So these looms are good for children AND old women!
Last Friday I finally got the bloom loom from China via Amazon. It smelled so moldy I threw away the instructions and box. I washed the plastic parts in a Clorox solution and dried them in the sun. Now they are okay. I am eager to try them. That is why last night I was watching tutorials on YouTube. All of this is so much easier on my old eyes. I even noticed that I missed some dusty places around the house that I did not see last week! That is good too!