For many knitters and crocheters in the northern hemisphere, September 22 is an auspicious date. Having taken a hiatus from the beloved craft because of the heat, September usually brings cooler temps, for some, only slightly, but it’s enough. Out come the hooks, the needles, patterns and yarn, and the crafting season is on!
I found this particularly cool crochet hat pattern while perusing Pinterest – of course! Originally designed in conjunction with Lion Brand yarns, Jennifer created this pattern for a Stomp Out Bullying campaign. I found it a bit too late to contribute, but I still had to make it. This is for a good cause, and even if we can’t send the hats in on time, we can sure spread some love.
Meanwhile, some lucky child of my friends’ will be getting this hat!
Up here in the mountains, the night temps are just on this side of less than comfortable and, even though there hasn’t been any color changes yet, the leaves are starting to litter the driveway a little. Yes, we do have a few warm days ahead of us, but all these signs herald the coming of autumn and a much busier crafting time, not to say anything about it being my favorite time of year. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve lived the better part of my life in places where the summers are incredibly hot, whether being a redhead, I have a genetic propensity to enjoy the colder climate, or that I just like bundling up in cold weather fashions. And possibly, quite probably, it’s that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, even Valentine’s Day, are not so far away on the calendar.
To mark our annual celestial trek through space and time around el sol when it crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, or autumn (could have saved some bandwidth there), I compiled a list of some really neat free pumpkin patterns. When they started popping up in my Google feed, I knew it was official. If these aren’t to your taste, fear not, as they are quite a few options out there. Whether you intend to make one or not, feel free to peruse these artists creations – they’re so cute! Enjoy!
Hi, there, dear reader. Glad you could drop by after my long absence. It’s been awhile, I know, so let the excuses begin!
The last several weeks I have been caught up in spring. This season makes me feel light-hearted and yet, ready to take on the world. Out in the garden everyday, buying flowers, potting soil, and seeds, spring cleaning, clearing out the fountain and raking away the tons of pine needles that threaten to take over my roses, and in general, just being outdoors; enjoying the sun after months of a typical gloomy Californian winter. Granted, in just a very short while, I will be posting about summer’s relentless, grinding heat and moaning for autumn; however, in the meantime, I will bask in this mindset and weather.
I finally finished the flame stitch bag and gave it a strengthening liner to turn it from a bag to a purse. I didn’t do the pom-poms because I am really tough on my purses. They’d need to be taken off after a week! For the handles, I purchased some at Joann Crafts and Fabrics. Attaching the handles did turn out to be problematic, but I went with it anyway!
I was supposed to get the $2.99 rings only. $65 later….eeesh!
With the temperatures climbing higher on the thermometer, all the fresh, new growth has attracted deer, especially to the aforementioned roses. I’ve babied those bushes because they have to be; the pine trees block all but about 5 hours of sun, even on the summer solstice, so I’m always sure to prune them, nourish them, ensure they’re disease-free. Anyone who has had a serious interest in roses knows how hard this can be. With the drought conditions we’ve been having, my roses have become a food mainstay for the hungry deer. To combat this, I’ve been using Must Garden natural deer repellent. During the winter, it didn’t work so well. The deer were starving. So my poor babies were beat up. I didn’t think they would make it this year. But lo, and behold, they’re blooming. Not a whole bunch, but it’s a start.
Colors are Malabrigo Ravelry Red and Spun Right Round Newsprint
And now that we’re finished with my easy purse, I’ve moved on to another Malabrigo project. I know, I know. I love that yarn and it was on sale. At least, today’s purchase was on sale….But I digress. I’ve been working on a pattern for a sweater that I bought on Ravelry, Zweig, and I can’t wait to finish it. I’m realistically shooting for November, when I’ll need it! I intend to do some more planned pooling on a new brand of yarn – I will report the results! I’ve also got some more fan art to do. Never thought I’d be that kind of a fan at my age! LOL Life’s too short not to do the things you want when you can.
About 1/3 of the way through my Autumn Wrap and I’m already doubting myself yet again. I’m
Basket weave!
not sure I like the color combos. I adore the colors, but the way I’m putting them together just doesn’t seem to click. Before I get too rash and throw away what I have done so far – ahem! – I will use all the colors and see how I like it then. I understand that sometimes you need to have a little faith in your vision. Maybe I’m jittery because this is the first time I have ever used two yarns at once and made the very simple basketweave pattern? I don’t know. We shall persevere.
On a more decidedly upbeat note, I have finally written down the pattern for my cute little baby booby beanie. Back in December of 2014, I posted a pic of this:
Baby Booby Breastfeeding Beanie – sorry about the alliteration!
I promised to post the pattern. Being that it was December, my crafting life was definitely busy, and this simple little project was put aside. It’s simple and quick and makes a great gift for the expectant/breastfeeding mother. I’m sure you could also make this as a gag gift for an adult, but you’ll have to figure that out yourself – LOL! The instructions are for up to 12 months. Click on the picture to get the pattern, or go to the Crafting Links under Crochet and find it as Baby Booby Beanie.
There is an old saying in my neck of the woods that goes something like this: When you fall off your bike, you gotta get right back on. The message being something along the lines of don’t give up because you’ve fallen down, or made a mistake, or truly screwed things up. For me, that means I’m starting on another project, just a simple wrap. I will be trying something for the first time, but I feel fairly confident I can handle it, and that’s using two strands of yarn throughout. Nothing fierce. My biggest question is how wide I should make it, and should I keep it a simple garter stitch or stockinette or combo?
This is the color that will run throughout the wrapThese are the contrast colors
I really do love my Halloween crafting, but the cooler weather heralds that most busy time for all of us who have crochet hooks or knitting needles: Christmas. I haven’t really started on anything yet and my hopes for having enough inventory for that big crafts fair in December dwindles with each passing day. Boo-hoo! Anyway, I had some fun making up this pattern. I totally love how the horns came out…not too keen on the eyes. I used Red Heart’s reflective yarn for those, and yes, they do glow when lights shine on them! Of course, you can use whatever moves you. If you want it but are already in the middle of the Christmas frenzy, I have it on my Etsy shop. The links are:
For many knitters and crocheters in the northern hemisphere, September 22 is an auspicious date. Having taken a hiatus from the beloved craft because of the heat, September usually brings cooler temps, for some, only slightly, but it’s enough. Out come the hooks, the needles, patterns and yarn, and the crafting season is on!
