Crochet ornaments

I love making homemade ornaments for our Christmas tree. And it gives me an excuse to try a new crochet project!  I saw these bright, fun ornaments on the Red Heart yarn website and wanted to give the pattern a try.  I had to order the celebration yarn on the Red Heart website, because I couldn't find it at the local craft shops.  These ornaments are bigger than they looked in the pattern photo, but they are still pretty cute.  Here's the patten if you want to make them yourself. 

Crochet Nook case

I took advantage of a pre-Christmas sale last winter and bought myself a Nook e-reader.  I still check out good ol' paper books from the library, but I use the Nook when I'm traveling.  (By the way, if you're thinking about buying an e-reader, I suggest spending the extra money to buy the Nook color, because it's better for downloading cookbooks and magazines.  I wish I had known that before buying the black-and-white version...)

After buying the Nook, I didn't want to spend more money on a cover for it.  I did a quick google search and found this pattern for a crochet Nook cover.  I just used leftover yarn, and it was very quick to stitch.  The pattern calls for buttons to secure the cover flap in place, but I left the buttons off because I didn't want to mess with them.  Now when I'm done reading, I just fold the cover around the Nook like an envelope.  Very easy.

Leave the flap on top or....

...fold it inside.

Do you have an e-reader?  Have you made a cover for it yourself?  Would love more suggestions for a homemade Nook cover.

Cozy crochet

It took me almost a year, but I finally took the time to finish up a large crochet project I've been working on since last winter.  I made this crochet blanket, my largest crochet project to date, from a pattern I found in Crochet Today magazine.  Not sure if I completely like how this striped blanket turned out, but the soft, fluffy yarn is very cozy.  It's a great blanket for snuggling up on the couch.

After such a large project, I wanted to do something quick and easy.  I used some leftover yarn to make these crochet snowflakes, also from Crochet Today magazine.  I think they'll make cute ornaments.

I'm already looking for my next crochet project for the winter.  Hopefully, it won't take nearly a year to finish!

Weekend project: Crochet washcloths

Hello, everyone!  Hope you're all enjoying the weekend.  I spent the afternoon with my hubby, who talked me into actually leaving the house today, even though I didn't feel like venturing out in the 18 degree temps.  But we bundled up and headed to a local mall to check out the winter sidewalk sales.  Then we stopped at one of my favorite restaurants, Monterrey, where we dined like royalty on enchiledas and fajitas.  It's wonderful how spicy food makes you feel a little warmer on a cold day.

Even though I'm spending a lot of time indoors, I'm trying to keep myself busy instead of zoning out in front of the TV.  I just finished up my first crochet project of 2011, a set of handmade washcloths.  I found the pattern in an old issue of Crochet Today magazine, my favorite source of crochet inspiration. (You can buy back issues online.)  I used Eco-cotton yarn for this project and was pleasantly surprised to find that these washcloths ended up very soft, not scratchy.

A few months back, I visited a southern Iowa knit shop, where the owner told me her grandmother used to knit everyday. The shop owner said she still has the washcloths that her grandmother knit many years ago; they have held up wonderfully despite years of use.  So great to find a craft that is both decorative and practical.

If you're interested in learning to crochet, I recommend the book "Teach Yourself Visually Crocheting."  I also watched You-Tube videos whenever I got stuck on trying to learn a new stitch.  The nice thing about crochet is it's quick and inexpensive.  I can usually finish a project in less than a week, depending on the size.  The hardest part is trying to find the supplies when you live in the middle-of-nowhere Iowa.  I've actually started ordering the yarn, crochet needles and other notions on Joann.com. Yes, I have to pay shipping. But it saves me an out-of-the-way trip, especially when the store might not have the yarn I need.

So what's your favorite winter craft project?  Are you a knitter? A quilter? Or do prefer to spend time in the kitchen?

A cozy project

Before Thanksgiving, I worked several late nights traveling to meetings across the state.  (Can you tell by how sleepy I look in this picture?)  I knew I had a crazy couple weeks ahead of me, so I spent my weekends trying to do as little as possible so I would be rested and ready for my travels.

To force myself to sit still, I decided to crochet a scarf.  I taught myself to crochet a couple winters ago, although so far, I haven't finished many big projects. 

I was determined to finish this scarf in one weekend.  Well, I didn't meet my own deadline, but I did finish this project in a week.  I'm happy with the results.

I followed the boyfriend scarf pattern in the Nov./Dec. issue of Crochet Today magazine.  I loved working with the chunky, colorful yarn.

This scarf isn't mistake-free.  I had trouble making the single crochets into the initial chain stitch because I was working with a larger hook and wider yarn than I'm used to.  Somehow, I doubled up on some of the single crochets, and the scarf was 20 stitches longer than the pattern called for.

So the scarf ended up really, really long.  But my hubby told me to tie it around a couple times and no one will notice. 

My sister has already asked me to make one for her.  I'm waiting for a blizzard to get started on another project.  But let's hope there aren't any blizzards this year :)

Tied in knots

I finally got around to finishing my latest crochet project.  It's a shawl that actually ended up being way, way too long for me.  So now I have it on display draped over my living room couch.

I taught myself crochet last winter.  It was completely on a whim.  My husband had mentioned years ago that he thought I would like crochet.  I was looking for a new hobby to keep my hands busy while I caught up on my favorite TV shows.  (Lost, 24 and Grey's Anatomy are my favorites now.) 

I visited a Barnes and Noble with a friend over Christmas break.  She was looking at quilting books, and my eye caught a glimpse of the crochet book section.  I found a book called, "Teach Yourself Visually Crochet," and I bought it on the spot.

I spent at least three months practicing almost every crochet stitch in the book.  Whenever I'd get confused, I would turn to YouTube to find a instructional video demonstrating the stitch.

I've only completed two projects: a cowl and a shawl.  The pattern for this shawl came from the January/February 2009 issue of Crochet Today magazine.  It's a great source of modern crochet projects.  I especially love that it lists all the yarns used in a project, so I can order them online instead of traveling to multiple craft stores located many miles from my home.

Here's a few more pics of my shawl.  It turned out OK for my first big project: