Art, Craft and Needlework, February, 2013

[Harriet]

Welcome! Here's the place to chat about the project you have at hand, compliments received, struggles to balance work and play, and your creative direction!

"Defriefing" needed? - Remember to add any notes you want to make for next year to the Holiday Planning Thread 2012. It will be un-stickied and drift down the forum, but still be available.

In January...

Ivy crocheted a dress, pixie hats and flower headbands for her baby granddaughter.
BookSaver worked for her sewing group and enjoyed their monthly meeting.
Harmony posted photographs of her five lovely 2013 quilts.
Nancy used team colors to knit a shawl.
Harriet posted a photograph of her dd's winning entry in the holiday art contest, and a photograph of their Zentangle bookmarks.
Lilac came in to chat and encourage!
Sunny came in to chat and encourage!

[Nancy]

Thinking in Feb. I might do an egg gathering apron with nice large pockets!
I'm working on a knit stocking cap it's done.

[BookSaver]

Last month I started crocheting Ivy's beret/slouch hat pattern 3 times. Each time I got further into the pattern before running out of yarn. Unfortunately, I didn't have any yarns at home that coordinated to be able to switch colors.

Luckily for me, one thing we had available to sell last Saturday at the library fund-raiser event was a table full of yarn. Since they were only $1 per skein, I bought 3 of "blue mist" Wool-Ease and 3 of gray alpaca blend. They had lots of pretty colors, these are the ones that work best with my dark purple coat, and will also go with my dark blue spring jacket.

So I have started the hat pattern 1 more time with the gray. It's so soft! The alpaca blend seems a little thick, but the gauge is working out so far.

[Ivy]

Booksaver, The beret-slouch in grey soft yarn sounds so beautiful and feminine.

I made the beret-slouch in dark red, but after I finished it, it just wasn't attractive on me. The off-white softer one at Thanksgiving for DD, looked good on me, but the red one was hideous. I don't know if it was that dark color against my white-skinned overly high and wide forehead, which caused it to not look good or not.

However, there IS a hat on-line, which I look GR8 in and so have several of my Dfriends. It's just a hat that's attractive in how it hugs the head, frames the face, and it's rich-looking, too. It is called "Ugly But Warm Hat", by Dot Matthews (bythehook), but her site's not managed by her anymore, but the gals at Crochetville have it. Also, I believe it's still at:

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com Here's the very L-O-N-G Crochetville URL: LOL!

http://www.crochetville.com/community/index.php?app=cores&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=12653

If those don't work, a "Google" will bring it up for a short-cut. Edited Here: I just clicked on that last long, very long URL and it doesn't take you anywhere, at least, you GO somewhere, but there's no hat there. However, at the first link I gave you, just click onto "hats" and it's on the hat page in alphabetical order way down on the bottom part of the right-hand column.

It's a beautiful hat, I've made it with 2-strands Caron Pound and 2-strands Red Heart Super Saver. However, ♥ I have 1 skein of soft brown Homespun and 1 skein of off-white Homespun, so it will make a very unusual-looking hat in brown-off-white mixed, but I believe the Homespun will make it very attractive and very warm, too.

[Harriet]

The third photo in this 21-photo essay of Beatles photographs in color, most never before seen, shows Paul McCartney wearing a Granny Square vest to be interviewed by Time Magazine. I found the whole photo essay wonderful, but I especially wanted to show this one to our crochet folks.

The postman came to the front door with a package and was complementary of my hanging quilts.

I got an emailed offer for a subscription to Quilter's World magazine for $1.00 per issue. That is very difficult to refuse but so far I have. I'm amazed at all magazine offers lately - just very low prices. But they clutter my home since I feel they have value beyond the month and can't seem to let go. Also, I need to finish some UFOs, not get excited about new projects. One thing I regret is that I could be missing new methods and ideas.

[Harmony]

That's a riot! If you click on the link and the wrong picture is up, (when I looked there was John in a madras plaid shirt) click on the #3 picture below, that is Paul in the granny square vest!

I spent some time looking around the internet for a specific fabric and couldn't find it. I have some ideas for Christmas next year, but not long long projects. Right now I need a rest from all that. I am enjoying having all the sewing paraphernalia put away. I do miss it a bit, and I'm sure I'll get back to something later on, but right now I'm just enjoying sitting quietly with my book!

[Nancy]

I've been working on a crochet piece I am thinking a hat or a bag with this project.

[Ivy]

Tonight, before and after dinner, during the Grammy Awards Show, I crocheted baby Megan a Red Heart Baby Econo white variegated in pastel colors sleeveless dress. The sleeveless arm holes were plain DC, so I added SC, Ch-3, SC in next stitch around, then SC on the bottoms of the armholes. It made the sleeve holes look ruffled and feminine. I made the dress 2 rows longer because Megan's longer now and the dress seemed too short. I sewed a white apple button on the back and sewed 3 apple buttons down the front empire bodice. I didn't quit there! I tied a silk ribbon white bow, which has little 4" tails and sewed it on at the waist! It's all ready to ship and looks so adorable! She'll be cute wearing it, when she grows into it. It was for a 1-3 month size baby and she's 1-month old, but still a preemie, now.

I do Pray-Crochet while I crochet for others, too. ♥

[Ivy]

I'm currently crocheting kitchen mats for our kitchen. Then, I have a BFF who has a b-day upcoming. I want to crochet her some potholders, but it's a complicated pattern, which I've crocheted before, so will give it another try. Also, I want to do some matching dishcloths to match her kitchen, too. Her kitchen colors are white and grey. I have white, light grey, black, and Dalmatian kitchen yarn. The kitchen set I'll make for her will look nice in her kitchen.

I'm thinking about crocheting a cardigan and dress for dgd. A matching set.

Happy crafting to All!

[ellyphant]

Ivy, that little dress sounds so sweet!