Crochet Scarf

A friend of mine saw a scarf online that she asked me if I could make her.  I said I would give it my best shot.  She brought me this blue yarn (chunky) and a jumbo button.

The yarn is Yarn Bee's Effortless Chunky in blue jean.

This is a chunky yarn, but I wanted it to be really chunky (like the pic she showed me).  So I used 2 strands of yarn and crocheted them as they were one.  (I used yarn from both skeins at the same time.)  It took almost both skeins, but there was some left over.

I love this button!

I put a penny next to it so you could see how large the button really is.

Here is the finished scarf.  I wish my friend were here to model it for me.

For not having a pattern, I was really pleased at how it turned out.  It was really close to the picture she showed me.

Showing my Independence

It's a little late for Independence Day, but here you go anyway (better late than never right? - Nah, I don't agree either, just thought I'd try).

I made this Stars and Stripes Pillowcase Dress. I love the fabric because it looks antique-ish (I just made that word up, but it sounds good). The blue fabric has off-white stars in it, the red, striped, ticking fabric looks tea-stained, which gives it an aged look. A little girl could wear this any time, it doesn't just have to be worn on the 4th of July (but it does look Patriotic).

I love pillowcase dresses for several reasons...

1) The first is the history behind them. They used to be worn by peasants and poor people. They made use out of what they had. Nothing went to waste.

2) They grow with the girl. Since the ribbons can be tied tighter when she is smaller and looser as she grows, it is able to be worn longer.

3) The pillowcase dress can be worn as a top (this kind of goes with #2) when the dress gets too short. It can be worn with little bloomers, capri pants or jeans.

4) It can be dressed up or down depending on what you make it out of. Pillowcase Dress with lace trim in white with white leather patent Mary Janes makes a very cute Easter dress. Make it with a casual fabric and flip flops and it can be a summer play dress.



Here was a simple Patriotic table display. I had red and white dishes that I mixed up, I used red and blue bandanas for inexpensive place mats and napkins on a plain white table cloth. I had red and blue enameled buckets (Target $1 aisle) and American flags (Hobby Lobby half -off) about $0.25 each. Quick, Easy and Inexpensive!

Summer Fun

Still having fun with my Cricut!

I bought this cute red tub at Lowe's and I used the vinyl for the Cricut machine and this is what I came up with.

I used the Plantin Schoolbook Font cartridge (that came with my Cricut) and cut out Happy 4 in navy blue vinyl using 2 inch letters with the shadow effect. I cut the th (in 4th) out in 1 inch letters - the rest being the same.

Then I used the Plantin Schoolbook Font and cut out Happy 4 in white vinyl using 2 inch letter w/o the shadow effect. I cut the th (in 4th) in 1 inch letters - the rest being the same.

I then layered the white over the blue. I measured the center of my bucket with a measuring tape and marked it with a dry erase marker. Still using the dry erase marker and measuring tape, I drew a line so that my letters would be straight.



Using the Accent Essentials cartridge (that also came with my Cricut) I cut some stars out of the white vinyl and the blue vinyl. I did some plain with each color and some using the shadow effect also of each color. I layered some stars and others I did not as I placed them randomly around the words 'Happy 4th'.

This can be used for self-service while picknicking, by filling with ice and drinks. Another great thing about it is, after the holidays I can remove the vinyl and have a plain bucket or add other decorations on it (eg. Merry Christmas in green vinyl letters and put poinsettias in the bucket - you get the idea).

Cake for Cub Scout Blue & Gold Ceremony

My DH volunteered me to make the cake for the Cub Scouts Blue & Gold Ceremony at a committee meeting (I don't go b/c he's the Pack Master and needs to go, so I keep the kids at home so he isn't distracted). A friend of mine on the committee called me a day or two later to let me know what Frank had volunteered me for. It's a good thing to b/c he didn't tell me until a few days before. (She figured this might happen and gave me a 'heads up' - what a friend, same friend that consoled me here.)

(The Blue & Gold ceremony celebrates the Cub Scout Organization's birthday.)

I couldn't find navy food coloring so I did the best I could to make my own (if I had planned better, I could have ordered it online).



If you look at the top picture, there are navy and gold dots on the sides - just so it doesn't look so plain.

It's Finished! - finally

I saw the cover of the book Crochet Collection by Leisure Arts and I fell in love with the afghan.

The 4th picture is the afghan draped diagonally across my queen size bed. The 5th picture is the boys lying in the floor next to it (to get an idea about the size of it). It is huge! I didn't expect it to be so big.

I bought the book in 2006, but after I bought the book I was afraid to buy the yarn (I had never done a project as big as an afghan before and didn't want to purchase the yarn and then never start the project). Shortly after I bought the book, Frank's sister said she bought a bunch of yarn and wouldn't be able to use it and wanted to know if I was interested. I said sure (not knowing anything about the yarn - I figured I could find something to do with it). When she brought it to me it was white, burgandy red and navy blue. I knew immediately what I was going to do with it. I only had to buy 1 skein of white (and I had a skein of red and blue left over).

I started the afghan in early 2006 (when the weather got warm I quit working on it). I put it aside for the summer and I forgot that I had it. I found it the other day and now it is finished!!!!!!!!!! It is my first afghan. I am redecorating the basement and I believe that it will go with it perfectly.

What project are you working on?

~Jena