Alright, so it's been a really long time since I have posted pictures of my crochet work. I've done a good bit of it lately, but just haven't bothered to post anything. Right after Thanksgiving I'm going to be a part of a craft show and sale at the Red Canoe, my favorite local cafe. So I'm trying to get the word out and "pimp" myself a bit, as my yarn-shop-owner-friend says. Pimpin' ain't easy. It does not come naturally to me. My friend J is great at telling other people, "hey look at MK's stuff! She made this purse, can you believe it??" and things like that. She's my agent. I usually wait until people ask me, and then they say, "Oh, do you sell this stuff? Do you have a website?" and then I feel uncomfortable and like a complete slacker. Maybe someday...but I just can't spend the mental energy to load it all on the web and put up with the inevitable computer glitches that make me curse myself blue in the face. Plus I have a cold. And it's more cost-effective to sell the pattern than to make the stuff, honestly. But I hate writing patterns. Just can't please me, you know! It's like I don't want to make money or something.
So above and below are some crocheted items of note that were lots of fun to do as well. Up top is my mini-guinea pig, about the size of a fat hamster. He's pretty much a tube with a bit of strategically-placed tapering. Once the eyes and ears go on, the character really comes out.
Below is the Hello Kitty doll I made for my best friend's little girl. I crocheted outfits for the four seasons, and attached her bow with a magnet, so she can interchange the bows as she likes. Pretty clever, if I do say so myself! The real issue was trying to stop making outfits. It was addictively fun.
Sandwiched between crochet projects is another time-consuming piece of sculpture: A's birthday cake! In keeping with the Lego obsession, I decided to make a lego cake for him. I took a big rectangular cake and cut it into squares and rectangles, then cut marshmallows in half to make the knobs, then iced the whole lot and put it on a board covered in green icing, and then even more knobs to look like a platform. A few of the pieces started sliding precariously but it was fun and homemade looking. I also made a little person out of cake (and tons of toothpicks to hold him together). Sheesh I'm sick of icing. It was a real hit with A, who didn't want to eat it at first, because he just wanted to keep it like it was.
The birthday was fun, though packed to the gills with activity. He had cupcakes at school, lunch with friends and then his hilarious karate class, then a nice long drive home (to make him fall asleep) through beautiful trees at Loch Raven, a nap, then pizza and presents with family! At the moment, he's playing the Lego Batman game with D, after putting together a new set of real Batman legos with me today. He's getting the hang of reading the directions, checking to see which pieces are missing compared to the next picture, but the Batmobile was a bit too much for him. I took care of that one.
And finally, the project I'm finishing up tonight is a shawl for my friend's wedding this weekend. A will be the ringbearer (again, poor kid has done this a lot!), and my friend asked me to make this to go over her dress. I got the lace pattern from one of my Japanese crochet books, which is an 18-row repeat of a pineapple stitch. Below is the copy I made and highlighted to help me keep the rows straight. Yipes it was confusing sometimes.
After the piece was the length I needed (or just about), I had the most satisfying blocking experience. Blocking is when you wash the item, squeeze out the water and then pin it to a board to dry. All the fibers relax into their proper places (instead of looking all bubbly and tense), and then one can go on from there. I have turned the piece into a
mobius wrap, and am putting teeny seed beads along the edge to give it a little bit of pop. Here's hoping that it fits, looks nice, and keeps the bride happy.
...and my sister and her family will be here for a week-long Thanksgiving visit! Last year was so much fun, and my nephews and A really had a blast every day. I am hoping for more of the same!
