Dishcloths and Potholders: Stash-buster Cotton

These quick and fun little projects have busted my cotton stash "Big Time". I only have three little balls of cotton yarn left! I'm so glad I joined the "2013 Stash-buster Challenge." Now, I can't wait to go shopping and pick up some new colors of cotton.




Dishcloths: These are so fun to make and I love the stitch.







Love this set Made with Hobby Lobby "I Love This Cotton".  These are so soft. Better than Sugar-N-Cream cotton. The potholder is made holding two yarns together. I used the plain yellow and the variegated.  It is nice and thick and worked up super fast. The Dishcloth is the same as above.

I'm not sure where I got the Potholder pattern below but when I find it I will post it here.  



Love these Potholders/Trivets: These were made holding two yarns together.  It was fun using any variegated yarn you have and yellow and then change to pink and switch back to yellow.  Tons of fun to make and it turned out a lot prettier than I thought it would.



Another Dishcloth same as above...






Have you been Stash-busting lately?


Happy Crocheting!

Stash-Busting Crochet Cotton: Mandala Crazy

Here's what I've been up to...

Mandala Crazy!!

The two on the right and the cute red/yellow flower dishcloth were already done.  I just added three more to my wall.

The one above is just a regular crochet Granny Mandala. This is from the pattern by Crochet with Raymond. 

Below is my Easter African Flower Mandala front and back.  This pattern is also from Crochet with Raymond.

and one more front and back...

I really enjoy making these and giving them as gifts. They make wonderful potholders or hot pads and cute kitchen decor. I have to warn you... they are very addicting! They work up so fast. I make the front one night in front of the TV and the next night I do the back, and sometimes I work on the back and joining them together in the mornings before work, if I have time.  I am going to make one more African Flower Mandala for the 2013 Ravelry Potholder Swap.  I better hurry, the deadline is April 1st!

Before the Overlayed Crochet Mandala CAL and all the above Mandala's made this week....

to after...

Can you tell the difference? Seriously?? I feel like I've barely made a dent into my cotton stash. I do have to make the back for the Overlayed Mandala because I am going to make it into a pillow. More on that later...I'll be bored with this pretty soon and then I'll have to move on to more fun with 2013 stash-busting challenge!

Happy Crocheting!

A Simple Crochet Mandala and A Potholder Swap

I am so excited to show you my Simple Granny Crochet Mandala that I am going to swap in the Ravelry 2013 Pot Holder Swap.

The Mandala pattern is by Crochet with Raymond




Who knows...I might keep it and make a different potholder for the swap. I need to make 3 potholders using the same pattern but different colors to send by April 1st. I love swaps because you get such a variety of items and a chance to get to know other crocheters. 

I also made this cute flower. I call it a hybrid because it is part Japanese flower and part plain flower. I'm going to keep working on it until it is what I want it to be.

Have a great weekend and Happy Crocheting!

A Couple of Mandalas

I just love making these African Flower Mandalas. Probably because "anything goes" with the colors.

In the winter months I like to whip up a couple of quick and colorful projects just so I can say I finished something! Usually this time of year I am working on afghans, etc. Of course this year I will be making my first cardigan sweater. Anyway...here they are for your colorful enjoyment!

Of course the top three are the mandalas. They are so big and double sided and that makes them my go-to potholders/hot pads.  Someday I will have my kitchen wall full of colorful potholders! Oh, here is the link to the pattern, it is from Crochet with Raymond on Ravelry.

Pinterest Crochet Inspiration: Pot Holders/Dishcloths

Happy Labor Day to all of you! Before we get started with my Pinterest Crochet Inspirations for this week, I want to thank all of you for the sweetest, kindest comments you wrote for my first grand child...Baby Emma! You are all so kind and I do appreciate each and everyone of you. I hope to have some pics ups later of what I've been crocheting lately.

For now here are my latest Pot Holders/Dishcloths Crochet Inspirations from Pinterest...

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: hakenenmeer.blogspot.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: maggiescrochet.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: designsbykn.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: bestfreecrochet.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Now if you are wondering what to do with all of you new lovely creations...

hang them on a wall and you have instant art in your kitchen! I'm so going to do this!

Source: finelittleday.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Happy Crocheting!

Lost without a Crochet Project

Okay, here we go...



First of all, this last week I have been floundering...yes floundering, lost, without purpose, sporadically searching for something, anything that I can lose myself in, a crochet project that will be big enough to last more than a day!

For a few days I thought maybe I lost my mojo...I was panicking that I would never get back into my crochet groove again. This was a horrible feeling. I looked on pinterest, ravelry, your blogs, crochet magazines, and even the hundreds of patterns I have printed from my computer and are somewhat organized in protective sleeves in binders. I realized several of those are duplicates and definitely need organized by projects, big, small, potholders, granny squares, shawls, baby stuff, etc.


I looked and looked and looked and nothing grabbed me, well some things grabbed me but I didn't have the yarn needed to start or finish many of them and I CANNOT BUY MORE YARN. So, I was floundering.


Here's what happened...


I finished my angel dress and my first Just Crochet sweater and bonnet for Baby Emma, (she will be here soon, August 20th).

So...I didn't have another project lined up. I didn't want to just weave in all those ends on my Ripple and my Blues afghans. Not something I can get excited about but I was so desperate for a project I dare say I almost did it!



So I started with some small things...


My favorite easy potholder pattern, it was fun but didn't last long enough. 

Then, being inspired by Made in K Town post for Beyond the Square Motifs, I thought I would do some of those...

They were pleasing to work on but again...didn't last long enough.


So...I tried some more baby booties! Ugggh! I HATE doing baby booties. I have tried several different patterns, even bought one hoping it would be better than the freebies but oh no...I just can't do baby booties. They never come out the same size!




Either I can't be consistent with my tension or I just add a row or leave off something or one is turned wrong side out and the other is correct! Ugggh! Baby Booties Suck!! I'm feel very strongly about this as you can tell so I am going to show you all of the baby booties I have made but couldn't give to my daughter for Baby Emma.

 This is very sad...it looks like a bootie graveyard...
I'm so ashamed to show you all of my mistakes but I am curious...has anyone else had this problem with baby booties or is it just me?


Anyway...back to my mojo or lack of mojo...I had some scraps so I made these cute little granny squares and they didn't do it for me either.

So...I made a cute little flower coaster. Kind of cool but not something I wanted to do a whole set of.

Finally...


Finally yesterday I put all my scraps away and cleaned off the couch and thought...What have I been putting off making because I've been so busy with baby stuff??


Ah Hah!! That's right, an Ah Hah moment!




The Sidewalk Shawl...

This has been in my queue forever!! I had even bought the 6 skeins of the Debbie Stoller yarn in the Mercury for this pattern. Why it didn't dawn on me before I don't know but...it did the trick. Its back! That wonderful feeling of escaping in a new pattern that I have to pay attention to what I'm doing but not so difficult I can't watch TV and work on it. The yarn is lovely to work with, no splitting and so soft. It already is looking so pretty and I am excited because I will have to block it!! I know that's crazy but I've never made anything that is elegant enough to need blocking!! Woo HOO!


I think I have made it past the hump. Now I have a project that I can't wait to work on and don't want to stop. It's so good to not be lost, floundering. wandering around aimlessly. I have focus again and can get on with the rest of my life, happily knowing that waiting for me is the comfort of lovely yarn, beautiful pattern, and a soothing color anytime I want to pick it up! Ahhhh! Life is good again!


Happy Crocheting!!