Storm-, er, Sandtrooper

And now for a post about something *I* actually crocheted! I haven't hooked much this summer and fall--too busy with work. But I wanted to make my brother a Sandtrooper for Christmas. So I dug out my hooks, and after two evenings, I had this little guy ready to be wrapped up and put under the tree. :)

I used LucyRavenscar's Stormtrooper pattern.

Pinterest

I signed up for Pinterest a few months ago, but I haven’t poked around on it much since signing up. Are you on Pinterest? How do you use it--inspiration, storage area for projects you like or want to try, clipboard of beautiful things you want to share with others? What do you like most--and least--about it? And are you addicted? :)

If you’re on Pinterest, leave me your info so I can follow you. I’m here, but as you can see, my board is bare!

Crochet funnies

I found this on Crochet Me Crazy, of the crochet blogs I enjoy reading, and adapted it a bit.

You know you’ve been crocheting too long when ...

You need to a separate room just to house your yarn, patterns, etc.

LYS, WIP, UFO, BLO, and other acronyms all make perfect sense to you.

You have lost the family cat—more than once—among the boxes, bags, and stacks of yarn in your yarn room.

Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s, Herrshner’s, and Yarn.com send you personalized birthday and Christmas cards as a favorite customer ... and a friend.

You keep a crochet hook and crochet project in your car for long stoplights.

Family, friends, and even strangers send you yarn and unfinished projects without asking first.

Your family has learned not to speak aloud phone numbers, account numbers, times, dates, TV station numbers, prices, etc. while you’re counting lest you use count of your stitches.

Your cat has seen so much yarn flying around, she’s lost interest and doesn’t even chase it anymore.

Your computer’s memory is maxed due to the number of crochet patterns you’ve saved to your Crochet folder.

Your email inbox is full of more crochet-related email than personal or business email.

The IRS and state tax authorities allow you to declare your yarn, pattern, hooks, etc. as dependents on your tax returns.

You have a separate bookcase dedicated to (and overflowing with) crochet books, magazines, and printed patterns.

You have had to explain the difference between crochet and knitting more times than you can count.

You crochet in bed.

You once found a crochet hook you’d stuck in your hair earlier for safekeeping ... and wondered how long it’d been there.

You call yourself—and your sister-in-law—“hooker” ... with pride.

You count among your friends editors of crochet magazines and authors of amigurumi books.

The employees of your LYS cheer your name, à la Norm at Cheers, when you walk in the door.

Instead of counting sheep to fall sleep, you count stitches.

Your family has learned to decipher the unspoken language you use to respond to them when you’re counting stitches.

You have crochet and yarn apps on your iPhone.

You look at everything—wire, packaging twine, dental floss, weeds, tinsel, etc.—as a potential crochet medium.

You find a cool scarf, hat, sweater, bag, set of handwarmers, etc. in a store or online and immediately start mentally figuring out a crochet pattern for it.

You have a crochet playlist on your iPod. Maybe two. Okay, six.

You silently chastise people who call a crochet hook a “needle.”

You crochet during staff meetings, movies, dental appointments, sporting events, ....

You nearly broke up with your significant other when he slipped and said you “knit.”

You have a WIP in each room of the house.

You win the lottery and spend the whole payout on Lion Brand Yarns’ stock, a sheep farm, and spinning lessons.

You read the title of this list and thought “Too long? There’s no such thing!”

Alicia Paulson

I read lots of crochet and crafty blogs, and although I've actually met or conversed with next to none of the bloggers, their daily or weekly posts, inviting me into their craft rooms, their homes, and in small part their lives, makes me feel like I know them a little. That's especially true with Alicia Paulson, of Posie Gets Cozy. Her crochet initially drew me in years ago, and her sweet little dog Clover Meadow won my heart at first glance. So when I read this, my heart broke for Alicia, Andy, and their sweet family.

Weaving in ends

Haven't been doing a lot of crocheting lately due to big work projects, but I did recently finish a ripple for my very best friend in the world's baby.

I finished weaving in the ends the day of the baby shower. :)

Angry Birds, pig version

I'm slowly working my way through The Itsy Bitsy Spider's Angry Birds patterns. I finished the Angry Cardinal recently, and finished the pig Sunday.

K seemed to like it. :)

Edited to add: Karla has said, "I wish I could offer the patterns for free, but I'm afraid I'd still be in violation," and I don't want to be any part of getting her in trouble, so I'm not going to share the copies I have. I'm sorry, and I wish I could, but I don't want to risk anyone coming after her.

Angry Birds

Keith has an iPhone (I do not), and sometimes he'll let me play a game he has on it called Angry Birds. You launch birds--angry birds--and try to knock down structures protecting green pigs, who have stolen the birds' eggs. Imagine my delight when I saw this free! Angry Cardinal pattern over on Karla's blog, The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I couldn't download it fast enough, thinking I'd make it for Keith. I'm really pleased with the results. I'm giving it to him tonight for Valentine's Day. :)

But then Karla had to go and make patterns for an angry pig, angry goldfinch, and the bluebird of angryness. Looks like I'll be busy crocheting for quite a while! Thanks, Karla! Please go check out more of her yummy work in her Etsy shop.


Edited to add (if you don't read the comments below): Karla has said, "I wish I could offer the patterns for free, but I'm afraid I'd still be in violation," and I don't want to be any part of getting her in trouble, so I'm not going to share the copies I have. I'm sorry, and I wish I could, but I don't want to risk anyone coming after her.

Crochet a Yoda you will

Keith asked me to crochet a Yoda to go with his Wookie. How could I say no to a request like that? (Not that I'd ever say no to him asking me to crochet something for him!)

So I found and showed him a few patterns, and he picked the fabulous Ms. Lucy Ravenscar's, who also wrote the pattern for his Wookie. I finished it yesterday for his birthday.

Edited to add: Yoda and Wookie seem to be getting along--on Keith's desk at work, where he keeps them ... and sometimes gets requests for me to crochet his coworkers things, too. Aw!

International Crochet Day

Today is International Crochet Day!


To celebrate today, since I finished the ripple baby blanket I was working on yesterday (sitting around not feeling 100% gives you lots of time to crochet!), today I'm going to try to figure out how to make a rattle to go along with the blanket. I should have bought Mamachee's birdy rattle pattern when it was available.


While I'm excited at the thought of figuring it out myself, I wonder what I should use for the rattle. A plastic Easter egg inside the bird's body with beads inside it? Hmm. I wonder where I can find a single small plastic Easter egg in September .... Some Google searches will tell me what to use, I'm sure.


Anyway, happy International Crochet Day! How are you going to celebrate it?

Martha Stewart Pets

It's a good thing I get out of the house every once in a while to hear about things like Martha Stewart Pets, Martha's new line of toys, beds, bowls, clothes, carriers, etc. for dogs for PetSmart. (Why not cats, Martha? Why?)

The crochet critter and foodie toys are pretty adorable.

Crocheting dog toys for Martha Stewart sounds like a pretty good gig.

(Thanks to Regina for telling me about these!)