Bowl cozies or bowl hot pads

A nice lady called me and asked if I would make her 20 bowl cozies for gifts for Christmas.  I said yes and began making them.  I had so much fun that I made several extras to give as gifts of my own.  Tomorrow I take these to her and she can choose the 20 that she wants and I will have the rest for my own gift stash.

These work well with cold food like ice cream just as good as they do with hot food like soup.  They are washable and reversible.

My latest crochet projects

I have made several hot pads but I thought these two were cute because one looks like a watermelon and the other looks like candy corn.

I saw this on Facebook when I was still on there and recognized both the stitch and the yarn.  I copied the picture and I love how it turned out.

This baby afghan is done in white I love this yarn from Hobby Lobby.  The pattern is called, Call the midwife.

This pattern is the virus pattern and is a pink and gray baby afghan.

This is a C2C or corner afghan.  The completed afghan is below.

The completed C2C afghan.  I made this for my daughter Brooke on the occasion of her marriage. 

I also made this afghan for Brooke and Alex on for their wedding.  They get married one week from today.

This is another C2C afghan.

I have also been crocheting hats for children who are less fortunate than us.  I will try to take a few pictures of the hats one of these days.

Learning Math

I saw this idea on Facebook and made one of these math helper games up this morning.

                      I will replace the cardboard piece with a craft stick as soon as I can find mine.

                                  This seems like a fun way to learn addition and subtraction.

To use, just have the child place the correct clothes pins on the cardboard or craft stick for the addition or subtraction problem you give them.

This math tool can easily be stored in a zip lock bag.

I printed the numbers on both sides of the clothespin to save time when setting up.

 

Giant Paper Clips

Today I embellished these giant paper clips.  They are 4 inches long.  I think they will work very well in my planner.  Of course I will pick a favorite or two to use and Joy wants a couple.  The rest will most likely find homes soon too. 

To make I cut the shank off the back of the buttons with a side cutter plier thing.  Then I cut a piece of felt just smaller than the button.  I laid the felt down then the paper clip (making sure to place it so that it can be slipped over paper) (you don't want to glue the button to the wrong end), then I put some E6000 glue on the button and placed it on the paper clip and felt.  I then picked the paper clip up carefully and pressed the felt on real good.  Now they are laying in a place where they wont be disturbed for the next several hours.

I would take better pictures but I don't want to disturb the paper clips until they are good and dry.

 CAN YOU BELIEVE TOMORROW IS FEBURARY FIRST?  What happened to January?  I think it only lasted two weeks instead of four.  I must be getting old  because time sure flies.  If I was ninety years old I bet I would get up and  it would be the next day before lunch.  He ha

Baby afghans

Lately I have been crocheting baby afghans.  I am working on a very complicated one for a sister in law and when it gets too much for me I put it down and work on something not so intense.  Since I started the fancy one I have completed two more simple baby afghans.  Both in the Call the midwife pattern.  The latest one is the gray, pink and white one which I added a fancy border to.  The white one can easily have a fancy border added either in white or other colors or left as is. 
I seem to go through phases where I sew a lot, weave a lot, crochet a lot or whatever.  Right now I am crocheting.

My new knitting machine

I recently purchased the Addi professional knitting machine.  I've been having a lot of fun with it.  I wanted to use up my bits and bobs of yarn.  This is just the ticket.

First I made socks.

And then I made ear warmers.  They work up quickly and are using up all that yarn.  I still need to make lots though.  There is also another knitting machine that is much larger and makes more things, but for now I will be satisfied with the smaller version.

 

Virus pattern

I have been wanting to learn the virus crochet pattern for a while.  I tried it once and just couldn't figure it out.  I had some time a couple of weeks ago so I printed the instructions out and then watched a video and figured it out.  I figured a baby blanket would be a good small project to start with.

I ran out of yarn so while I waited to get more I started another blanket in lilac with yarn I had on hand.  In the mean time I found out that the variegated yarn I had used in the first afghan had been discontinued so I decided to finish it in pink.  Here is the finished pink and variegated baby afghan.  I should finish up the lilac one today.

The virus pattern also lends itself well to a shawl.  I may try one of those now that I have the pattern figured out.

RFID blocking wallet

I used this tutorial to make an RFID blocking wallet for my credit cards today.  Instead of using heavy duty aluminum foil I used Mylar.  I didn't have any pretty duct tape so my wallet is zebra striped.

As soon as I find some pretty duct tape I can make another one now that I know how to do it.  I used to carry my credit cards in an ugly mylar pouch in my billfold so this at least is an improvement.

Hannah takes a glass blowing workshop

Hannah began a glass blowing workshop this week.
  She seems to be a natural and is enjoying it.  Her father was a professional glass blower.

 Here she is picking up color.

 Keeping the glass hot and fluid at the furnace.

Shaping the glass with a wet wooden mold type thing.

Making hair bows

After spending way too much on professionally made hair bows for my granddaughter I decided to try my hand at making some.  They are sure harder to make then I thought.  I did get fairly good at a couple of simple designs.  I will keep trying and  I will get better.  These are my first tries.

Crochet

In addition to these last month I crochet 15 hats for our mission group and 14 this month as well as a few gifts.  I guess you could say I like to crochet.

Crocheting for charity

I belong to a mission group of ladies who do several service projects.  We make hats for homeless, soldiers and shoe boxes.  This month I was able to make 15 hats.  There are special criteria for making the hats for the soldiers, color, size etc. so they are pretty plain.  We want them to be plain because they wear them under their helmets.  I would never want them to wear something that would catch the enemies eye.  But the other hats I made can be as fancy or plain as I want to make them.  I always try to make them as nice as I possibly can.  I make pom pom's for them or flowers with blingy button centers.  I pray that they brighten someone's day.  The picture above is my idea of a candy corn hat.  Its whimsical.  I love it.

Walker bag

I was privileged to be invited to a dear friends 90th birthday party.  I wanted to get something for her but at 90 you pretty much have everything you need.  WELL, she called me a couple of days ago and asked if I could make her a new bag for her walker.  Of course I said yes.  She doesn't know it but now I have a useful gift to give her.  I went over to her house and picked up the one she has now and loves but its just worn out to use for a pattern.  I like the way it turned out so much that I am thinking of making a few more to sell.

                                                       This is the front of the bag.
                                                    The straps attach it to the walker.
                                                     There are two large pockets on the outside.

                                                  This is the back of the walker bag.

This is the inside of the bag.  There are two large pockets.

Her party is Saturday.  I will try to get a picture of her with her new bag attached to her walker.

 

Love and money looms

A friend loaned me her love and money loom and another friend loaned me a different size loom.  Once I learned how to string it up and tie it off it was quit easy.  Here are a few centerpieces and hot pads that I made.
I also bought the wood to make my own looms so I can return these to my friends.

The top set is yellow tied with brown, then purple tied with white, red tied with white and turquoise tied with red.  I've made a few other colors but didn't want to get too many made up as I have a tendency to overdo things.

Crochet

I have been so busy with crochet orders.  I had thought that after Christmas I would be done but I tjhink I have more orders than I did before the holidays.
Who knew?

Sewing and crocheting

Ive been keeping busy sewing and crocheting.  I had an order for 30 dish cloths and that is competed.  I also have an order for 100 neck coolers.  I am just getting started on that one.  I have also been making purse pockets.

 These are the purse pockets.

This is a pillowcase I made for myself.

 

 These are the two pillowcases Courtney made for herself.

This is a sample of the jewelry I have been making.

Kastyns Birthday gift

I think I overdid it with the adorable.  My daughters showed me a picture of an outfit like this and I went to town on it.
I made her an outfit to wear to the party and a bib to wear when she eats cake.  Then a hat to wear because its cold.
Her momma said she already has a pair of black tights and black shoes.

Sewing, crocheting and knitting

My sister showed me the first picture of an apron and asked it I could make one like it.  I said I probably could and then promptly forgot.  She reminded me two days ago so yesterday I made the one on the bottom.  Now Hannah is going to tie dye it.

I also too one pair of jeans and made two aprons from the top part.  I am in the process of making two childrens chefs aprons from the legs and some extra pockets.


I also  started a facebook page to showcase and sell my crafts.  Please go there and like my page.  When I reach 100 likes I am going to do a giveaway.  Im just a few likes from it now.

You can see more of what I have been making there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/259350770842109/443190442458140/?comment_id=444661422311042&notif_t=group_comment#!/pages/Handmade-Crafts-By-Debbie/526361814113600