A Hat for Theresa...

Using some stash yarn and made a hat for my cousin who will be living on-campus at LeMoyne College.

I liked this pattern and the front post double crochets reminded me of the Bella Twilight hat that I made for myself and my sister.  I added a few more rows at the bottom to make it cover my ears.  Another cool thing about this hat is that it looks good baggy and tight on one's head.

A sweater for Hazel

A sweater for Hazel made with Lion Brand Yarn Wool-ease in the colors of dark rose heather and gray heather (please excuse my toes that are in the shot).  

The pattern is from Rima Aranha and is called the Bombay Love sweater.  I am currently making another one for my friend's baby in the colors of pea green and mink brown. 

I just love the buttons!  Notice the fleur de lys???  I bought these buttons a long time ago and was waiting for something really special to put them on.  I can't wait to see Hazel in my creations!  She is still a wee bit too little and it's still summer to put her in anything heavy anyway.  I am sad to say that some of the handmades for Hazel may be too small by the time she'll be able to wear them though but maybe the next baby will be able to wear them!

Kittehs on Crochet

Phish on my pillows

Chips in my Grandma Polifroni's blanket

Chowder on my pillows

Wish List

• I wish I had more time to crochet
• I wish I had the time to learn to knit
• I wish there was a crochet group in Syracuse to stitch with

www.nataliedee.com

....okay, bratty post finished...

Organized Decisions or What's in my project bag?

Here's a sneak peak at what I just finished for my friend.  I have decided to give this gift for her birthday so she has it all ready for the winter months although, I'd probably use this more as a decoration and you'll see why once I post more pics.

So last year I went to the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York (mark your calendars people it's October 16th and 17th this year!) and never posted the pic of the cool crochet case I got in one of the booths.  I had a case already but it was small and ugly:

You know the only kind you can find in a chain store like Michael's or Joann Fabrics.  I have a ton of hooks in various sizes and material and this little hook holder just wasn't cutting it!  

Ahhhh... look at all the room for my needles and such a sweet design.  The woman's business is called Crippenworks and if you go to her site you can find crochet cases, knitting cases, and bags to hold your projects in.  I like how their fabric is always changing.  If you liked my case - too bad - it's all gone!  However, there are new and spiffy fabrics that took it's place.

Here's a bag I like to use for my buttons, thread, sewing needles and stitch counters.  Got this at Razzbarry in downtown Syracuse but if you go here you can find even more from Ann Millie.

And lastly, another little bag that I couldn't resist (mostly because it has French on it) that I purchased at Razzbarry's and it holds my Crochet Answer Book (super helpful).  Is it necessary that I have a little bag in which to hold a pretty sturdy book?  The answer: BIEN SÛR!

As for what's on my hook?  I decided to pause a moment on Christmas gifts and start the Bombay Love sweater for Hazel Jean.  Check out Rima's blog - it's awesome!  I spent a couple of hours reading all her posts and if you love to crochet or even knit, it's worth the time to peek into the life of a creative woman!

Granny Square Afghan-An Update

I'm done with the afghan and the finishing process begins!  Sometimes the finishing takes me just as long as the actual project.  I started this blanket in February so hopefully weaving in ends won't take me till November!  I may just tie knots and cut the ends off (as Michael suggested) which is a crochet no-no according to real hardcore crocheters but it will be our little secret :-D.

I'm wondering now whether to give this as a birthday gift or christmas present to the recipient...  I'm also wondering if my next project should be something for me or continue on this early Christmas gift kick.  I hate having two projects going on at the same time; it makes me a little crazy so I have to make a decision.  What do you think?

Love discounts!

A shot of what I bought the other day at Jo Ann Fabrics.  Bought two skeins of Lion Brand Nature's Choice yarn, crochet thread, three crochet needles and picked up a free pattern off the rack.

Just when you thought crochet needles were big enough they come out with the speed hook which is US S-35!  Holy crap!  I figured I needed it though.  For those big chunky sweaters that I have oh so much time to make.  Ha!

I love me some clearance items!!

So I'm not crazy about the color or the handles but I do like the overall design which I may use for something else (when I have all that free time).  The ruffles kill me!  Thanks Red Heart!

Happy Belated B-day America!

Speaking of crochet being in fashion this summer...  If you look real close, you can see crochet flowers and lining on Hazel's hat.  Crochet totally goes with 4th of July themed bathing suits too!

Book Review #1

So, I noticed this whole trend in book series based on certain crafts like knitting, quilting and most recently crochet.  Because I love all things crochet no matter the cheese factor, I had to buy this book.  It was a nice, enjoyable read (perfect beach book) that held my attention so much that I got the next two in the series...  

The main character, Molly Pink, doesn't know how to crochet but learns as she befriends the Tarzana Hookers (crochet group) who meet in the book store she works in.  They get together weekly to crochet for charities and such.  Molly's boyfriend is a cop and somehow Molly gets tangled up in the latest murder in Tarzana.  The person murdered just happens to be the head of the crochet group and known to have a complicated past with Molly!  

The characters are believable, even down to the crazy chick that wears colorful, crazy crochetwear and I could totally see these people in my mind.  What I didn't believe was that these women crochet in sunny California and not like the northern part of California...ick!  I'd be sweating my tush off!  

The book gives a pattern to make a granny square wash cloth and a recipe for pound cake with buttercream frosting.  Because as we all know crocheting and yummy desserts go hand in hand.

Mall

I went to the mall tonight to pick up a pair of shoes for an interview I have tomorrow.  I walked through Macy's to meet my lovely sister so she could give me her fashion expertise.  We always meet by the scarves and on my way to our spot I see this:

Then I looked up and saw these:

Crochet is in this season, people!  

Teensey Capelet - Revisited

My wonderfully beautiful friend Jen sent me a pic of her wearing (modeling) my Christmas gift! You can see the flower with the little sparkly charms I sewed on which I didn't capture in my post about it back in January. Hmmm, I wonder how it looks on René...

Some additions

Now that Hazel is sleeping a tad longer during the day and going down for a lot longer at night (I'm sure I just jinxed myself), I've been able to peruse the internets for crochet sites and patterns. I'm adding a new link to Sites I Frequent called the Daily Crocheter. It's got free patterns, talks about the best yarn for crocheting and a list of local yarn shops in the United States!

I also added two new patterns to my queue in Ravelry. This cute little baby sweater and this skirt. Obviously the baby sweater is for Hazel and the skirt will be for me but probably a little shorter. I'm into the skirt over the jeans look. I'm also thinking of making this one finally, it's kinda like a hip cozy of sorts. If all goes well, I'll probably be making a bunch with all the super sweet yarn that Gretchen spun for me!

Crochet Flashback #5/Christmas in July!

Well, it's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the temperature is in the eighties and nineties, the stores are putting their summer items on clearance... Yes, it's Christmas in July time! And in honor of this giving season, I'm posting some Christmas crocheted doilies. These ones are not as refined as the others that I posted back in the day but still kitschy cool. As with most of the crochet flashbacks, these were made by my late grandma Polifroni. Just some simple stitches in the round and a cute ruffle of triple crochets.