I made these from this pattern: http://crochetcurbsidecouture.blogspot.com/2005/01/crochet-mary-jane-slippers.html
It was pretty easy to follow, but I had to add a few rows at the end because the pattern writer apparently has tiny, tiny feet. But that's fine, I know my feet are huge.


I like 'em. They're made with red heart and a K hook.

I'm not sure that this is the best place for it, and it's pretty simple, but I like it so I thought I'd share.

I have really been getting into wearing scarves and wraps lately, and I bought a bunch on my recent trip to Thailand that are really nice and I both wanted to display them and have a place for them where they wouldn't get all wrinkled. So I cut some pieces of wire and got to twistin'. This is what I came up with. I may spray paint it later.



A far view, so you can see the scarves...


And a closeup. I like swirlies


I dunno, it turned out classier looking than I expected (always good!), and I think I really like it.

My first ATC of the year (I was in Thailand for a month, couldn't do much there.), entitled "it came as quite a surprise". I love simple stuff like this. I was going to erase the pencil lines, but somehow they seemed appropriate.

Here it is! Sorry for the delay, I had no camera batteries for just ages.


Thanks again for the wonderful tut!

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago I taught myself to crochet. Here is what I made first, a misshapen ball type thing. I gave it to the cats, that is why it is now gross and hairy.


Well, later that day I felt ready for something a bit more intense. So I found this tutorial http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=92096.0 and decided I wanted one. It took a bit of time since it was only my second crocheted thing ever. A few days later I had this cute new purse!


It's actually even, I don't know why it's so lumpy in those pictures. Anyway. I made a matching wallet, too, which is sewn but hey it matches the purse.



Well, then one of my gloves tore! So there was nothing for it but to make some mittens.

They both have flaps, I just folded one under for that pic. I used this pattern: http://www.geocities.com/febmommy/openmitten.html

yeah, when I made the right mitten I had no idea how to join rounds. I did better on the left mitten, I swear. Thumbs a bit wonky on the right one, too.



Well finally (and this is also sewn but crochet related) yesterday, I was looking at all the awesome crafty goodness that I got for christmas (quilter's cutting set, tons of crochet hooks, glass penguin beads, four kinds of kitty fabric, a new set of jewelry pliers/tools) and I realized I needed something to hold all of my crochet hooks, so I made this.



I think it turned out really well. It has 15 slots for hooks, so one slot for each size B-P (10 smaller slots, 5 bigger ones) and a pocket for yarn snips, blunt needles, etc. It also has a felt needlebook with a safety pin in it holding a couple of penguin stitchmarkers that I also made.

Whew! Did you read all that? Congrats. I've been a busy bee, haven't I? Well anyway, thanks for putting up with my blather
Comments, criticism, etc. very welcome! I'm so new at crochet, and sewing too for that matter, and I love to learn!

Here's my first ever non-scarf FO! It's a Christmas present for my mum, so shhhh don't tell her.  She has arthritis and gets cold easily, but she likes to do embroidery and stitching so I wanted to make her something to wrap around her shoulders that would leave her hands free.



It's the "Easy Triange Shawl" from Lion Brand Yarn. You're supposed to use Lion Brand Homespun but I didn't like the way it looked, I wanted it to be a tiny bit lacier, so I bought 5 skeins (and used 3.5) of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush, which is, I believe, 90% baby alpaca and 10% acrylic. It is the softest thing I have ever touched in my life, and was like knitting with dreams. And I adore the plum color.
The pattern was super simple- a YO at the beginning of each row, and then knit knit knit- but it gave me a bit more confidence in doing stitches other than knit and purl.
Here's a horrible picture of the pretty edge detail!



And finally a picture of it on me. It's quite long, which I like, so it won't point at my mom's butt when she wears it. Some people don't like that with triangle shawls. As you can sort of see it stops at my elbows, which is perfect for not getting in the way of her hands.



Comments and criticism appreciated! I did mess up a few places, and I'm not sure if you can really block alpaca. Can you? and if so, should I block it?
All in all I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. Thanks for looking!

So, here is my Christmas present for my friend Nicole. Nicole, if you browse this forum, do not continue reading! Go away, so that your present will be a surprise! Good. Ok. Now, here is the present.







It is a zombie ornament! Nicole is doing her honors project on zombie movies, so I thought it fitting to give her a little moaning, brain seeking christmas cheer.
It's completely made out of felt except for the ribbon hanger and the sequin/seed bead eyes. It's all layers of felt. There's a green layer with the ears in the back, then a red layer, then the eyeballs and teeth, then the top green layer, then the bloody mouth and hair, and then the hat. The hanger is sewn on between all of the layers.

And here is how it hangs- I thought it would be good to have it a bit crooked, since it IS a zombie after all.


Flash makes for shiny zombies.
I sure hope she likes it!

Well, mine has no theme at all. But I'ma post it anyway because it's my boyfriend and my very first tree together in our apartment. I made the star on top and posted it elsewhere, but here's the whole thing- ignore the bacardi box, I'm not a lush, it's still holding all my movies from when we moved, we don't have an entertainment center yet.


a closeup of the star


And with no flash so you can see the lights


The cats have already broken one of the gold glass ball ornaments  silly things.

I asked Sewpixie to make me one of her gorgeous copper wire tree pendants, and I absolutely adore it! My picture isn't the greatest (and then the camera ran out of batteries) but here it is against the background of my Beatles shirt:


Isn't it incredible? Sewpixie, if you have a better pic, please post it!
I love the color (I've been wearing more red lately) and it's made so perfectly! Thanks so much Sewpixie!!!

Yesterday, my boy and I bought our very first (fake) tree together. It was extremely exciting for one such as I, who is completely obsessed with everything surrounding winter holidays. We're going to decorate it (and every other available surface of our apartment) tomorrow, and tonight I suddenly realized that while I have a ton of ornaments, I had no tree star, or any kind of topper at all! I couldn't be having with that, so I whipped up this one. It took a while, mostly because of the beading.



It's about 10" by 9", including the bit that goes on the tree. I made it thus:
First, I made a wire star. I outlined it on the back of my velvet, and cut out two (plus seam allowance). I sewed up the velvet and hemmed the bottom, and then realized, d%@* it, I should have put in the armature first. So I scrunched up the wire armature and stuffed it into the velvet, and then somehow managed to unbend it while it was inside the star. I don't know how, but it worked. Then I stuffed it lightly, and then beaded the pattern on the front. I put a cardboard cone in the base for the branch to go in, and put a chopstick (high tech!) through the whole thing to make it sturdy.

I think it came out pretty nicely. I might make a new one next year, and do better, with more interesting fabric and better beads- this was all stuff I had around- but it's still pretty!

I'll add a pic of it on the tree once our tree is up.