Some Small Projects and a Free Pattern

Last time I shared some of the larger projects that I completed in the last year or so today I thought I would share some of the smaller things that I have also completed.

Last Halloween, I crocheted part of my youngest son's costume. He wanted to be a knight so I made him a 'chain mail' hood and sleeves. He loved it, and I think it turned out great.

My bff gave me a Star Wars character crochet kit for Christmas. The designer is Lucy Collin and the characters are completely adorable! I made the Chewbacca first, and I have plans to make R2-D2 and Boba Fett next.

I also made an owl hat for a friend's daughter who is turning 3 soon. The pattern is from Repeat Crafter Me. I made a few small changes, and I love the way it turned out! So did my friend and her daughter. :)

My new little great-niece got a sweet hat too.

I also have four other WIPs sitting in my little sweater basket (another gift from by bff). One is a beautiful yellow mesh scarf that I haven't worked on in ages. The other is my tunic. You can't see it but it's buried down there. :) It's actually finished but I need to block it and sew it together (the parts of a project I dread doing - haha).

The last two WIPs are both Sophie's Universe by Dedri Uys -- I'm making them both with Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable. I love how the color changes work so well with this pattern. The color pictured below is Sunrise. With just one skein, I made it almost all the way to the end of the 25th round (not bad!). I shouldn't refer to these as small projects, but they're small for now! :)

Speaking of small projects, I have this little shamrock pattern to share with you.

Shamrock Motif:

C hook
Green Cotton Crochet Thread

Using 2 strands of crochet thread held together, ch 4, sl st in 1st ch to join and make loop.
Round 1: Ch 1, 7 hdc in loop, sl st to 1st hdc to join.
Round 2: Ch 1, *(2 dc, hdc, 2 dc) in next st, sl st in next st, rep from * 2 more times, sl st in next st, ch 3 (this will make the stem), sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, sl st to connect stem to bottom of shamrock.
Finish off, leaving long tail for sewing if desired.

Please do not copy and redistribute my pattern as your own. Feel free to sell finished items -- please give me credit though for the original pattern by linking here. If you have any questions or problems with the patterns, please feel free to leave a comment here. Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Updates on Life and Blankets

In the last couple of years, I have really let this blog stagnate. Uhhhh. And it's not because nothing is going on, crochet-wise, but more like because so much is going on. Busy doesn't even seem to cover it, but that is what I have been. Busy with my family, busy with work, busy with projects, busy with ideas. Just, busy. And in the back of my mind, this blog silently nags at me...

I have come to a place where my crochet focus is changing. This has been simmering for awhile, in my head at least, if nowhere else. I am starting to see the fruits of this change start to take shape, and nothing is more exciting than that.

Stay tuned for some exciting new things that are percolating on the horizon. :)

In the meantime, I will share an update on my latest crochet projects. Last November, my second great-niece was born so of course, I had to make two blankets for her (just like I did for her sister)!

(Be Unique Chevron Blanket by Mamachee)

(Happy Throw by Mamachee)

I also made a Happy Throw for my sister's boss who gave birth to a baby girl last year. This is such a great pattern and has become a go-to blanket design for me.

I also finished a huge blanket for my husband. He served in the US Navy, so I used gray, white, and blue in a nautical-inspired pattern. 

I have three other blankets in various stages of completion. I'm trying to finish at least one before I start anything new, but...well, that might not happen. :)

These are just the big projects. As usual, I have also been working on plenty of smaller projects too. And in case you think I just have an encyclopedic memory, I don't (ha!). I use Ravelry to keep track of my bigger projects. This really comes in handy when I have put a project down for awhile, and when I pick it up again, I can't recall which hook I was using!