Thursday, August 28, 2008

Finally, something special just for ME! :)


I'm always crocheting things for everyone else. FINALLY, I took a little time tonight to crochet something up for me. :) I can't wait for the colder weather to get here now, so I can wear this! :) YAY for snow! :)


Pattern can be found here.

Jack Skellington (pattern)

Crochet pattern for a Jack Skellington ball


Tools needed:
H hook
K hook
Darning needle
Stitch marker (an off colored piece of yarn can work for this if you don't have a marker)

Yarn needed:
White worsted weight yarn
Black worsted weight yarn

Estimated difficulty and time needed:
Very easy. Takes about an hour to make one, depending on your ability.

Note: This is done in amigurumi style. There is no joining with a slip stitch at the end of a row and then chaining one like working in rounds usually goes. When you have completed a row, you just keep going into the next row with the next sc, so your work ends up looking more like a spiral instead of a circle. Use the stitch marker at the end of each row to mark your spot if you are afraid you will lose count with your stitches.

BALL
-WHITE YARN-
(This makes 1/2 the ball. Make 2 of these)

With K hook SC 6 on with the Magic Adjustable Ring.

ROW 1: 2sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
ROW 2: 2 sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
ROW 3: *1 sc, 2 sc* repeat 13 times (36 stitches)
ROWS 4-6: 1 sc in each stitch (36 stitches)
ROW 7: 1 sc in each stitch. FO after last stitch. (36 stitches) Leave a long tail so that you can use it to sew the two 1/2 of the ball together later.

---------------

Eyes (make 2)
-BLACK YARN-

With H hoook CH 4
ROW 1: 2 DC in the first chain (4 ch from hook)
ROW 2: ch 1. Fasten off. Leave a long tail so that you can use that to sew it on later.

------------

Now you have 2 halves of a ball and 2 eyes created. On one of the halves, line up the eyes how you would like them and use the tails to sew them onto the ball.
Put some black yarn on the darning needle and sew two small lines on for his nose. Sew a mouth onto the face.

Now turn the other half ball inside out and place it over the face so that they are cupped one in the other. Line them up so that the long pieces of tail are about 1-2 inches from each other. Thread one of the tails onto the needle and start sewing the one 1/2 of the ball to the other. When you get almost all the way around and there is only 1-2 inches left of open area (and you have reached the other long tail) knot/fasten off. Now turn the ball right side out. Stuff it tight with polyfil or whatever stuffing you choose. I even put a rattle type thing in the center of mine to capture the baby's attention even more. Use the last piece of tail to sew up that last 1-2 inches left open. Knot/fasten off and weave in ends.

Enjoy Jack Skellington!

COPYRIGHT - Catrina Usher - 2008

Cookie Monster


Nom Nom Nom!

Crocheted Elmo Ball (pattern)



Tools needed:
H hook
K hook
Darning needle
Stitch marker (an off colored piece of yarn can work for this if you don't have a marker)

Yarn needed:
Red worsted weight yarn
Orange worsted weight yarn
White worsted weight yarn
Black worsted weight yarn

Estimated difficulty and time needed:
Very easy. Takes about an hour to make one, depending on your ability.

Note: This is done in amigurumi style. There is no joining with a slip stitch at the end of a row and then chaining one like working in rounds usually goes. When you have completed a row, you just keep going into the next row with the next sc, so your work ends up looking more like a spiral instead of a circle. Use the stitch marker at the end of each row to mark your spot if you are afraid you will lose count with your stitches.

BALL
-RED YARN-
(This makes 1/2 the ball. Make 2 of these)

With K hook SC 6 on with the Magic Adjustable Ring.

ROW 1: 2sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
ROW 2: 2 sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
ROW 3: *1 sc, 2 sc* repeat 13 times (36 stitches)
ROWS 4-6: 1 sc in each stitch (36 stitches)
ROW 7: 1 sc in each stitch. FO after last stitch. (36 stitches) Leave a long tail so that you can use it to sew the two 1/2 of the ball together later.

---------------

Eyes (make 2)
-WHITE YARN-

With H hook SC 6 on with the Magic Adjustable Ring.

ROW 1: 2 sc in each stitch (12 stitches). Fasten off. Leave a long tail so that you can use that to sew it on later.

--------------

Nose
-ORANGE YARN-

With H hoook CH 4
ROW 1: 2 DC in the first chain (4 ch from hook)
ROW 2: ch 1. Fasten off. Leave a long tail so that you can use that to sew it on later.

------------

Now you have 2 halves of a ball, 2 eyes and a nose created. On one of the halves, line up the eyes how you would like them and use the tails to sew them onto the ball. Line up the nose and sew that on using the tail left on that.
Put some black yarn on the darning needle and sew some black into the center of the eyes to complete the eyes. Sew a mouth onto the face.

Now turn the other half ball inside out and place it over the face so that they are cupped one in the other. Line them up so that the long pieces of tail are about 1-2 inches from each other. Thread one of the tails onto the needle and start sewing the one 1/2 of the ball to the other. When you get almost all the way around and there is only 1-2 inches left of open area (and you have reached the other long tail) knot/fasten off. Now turn the ball right side out. Stuff it tight with polyfil or whatever stuffing you choose. I even put a rattle type thing in the center of mine to capture the baby's attention even more. Use the last piece of tail to sew up that last 1-2 inches left open. Knot/fasten off and weave in ends.

Enjoy your elmo ball!


COPYRIGHT - Catrina Usher - 2008

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Sweet, Soft Bunny


I was inspired by this post on craftster to make a bunny like this. I screwed up on the face (for some reason I couldn't get the needle through the fabric while embroidering very well) but otherwise it turned out nice. My little one has grabbed it up and is snuggling it right now. :)

Transformers, ROLL OUT!






We spent the whole weekend creating this awesome new bedroom for my ds.

We stripped, painted, sweated, cursed, painted some more and then fell to the floor in exhaustion, but the "Transformers" bedroom is now finished!! (I am going to put a couple Transformers posters up on the walls later, but for now we are done).

I made the curtains (short so the fan can work best). I painted the huge Autobot logo on the wall to protect my 4yo from any and all bad guys (monsters). The room is painted yellow and black after Bumblebee, my 4yo's favorite character.

My son is in love! Smiley I think my dh is too. He wishes his parents were as cool as us and made him this cool room when he was a kid.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Friday, August 15, 2008

Pretty peach purse!


This pretty peach purse was made for a friend on a forum I frequent. (Woo.. alliteration!) I lined it with some offwhite fabric and put a little pocket in. Not shown (because I have yet to do it) is a snap to close it! :)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Pads a plenty


Yep, that is 18 pads. Almost ready to go out to a sweet friend that helped me out. :)

Monday, August 11, 2008

A visor beanie for my sister :)

I crocheted this up this weekend while at my family reunion. Didn't take very long at all and it looks cute. It is for my sister. I was just modeling it to show it off. It looks much better on her.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Some sculpey swapping!



These goth s&p shakers, cherry earrings and skull earrings were made for a swap on craftster. The lady collects s&p shakers. One is of a spider & bat. The other set is of skulls. I took some glass shakers, covered them in sculpey, then put the design on the sculpey I wanted. I baked them and then painted them up. I tried to make them look sort of stone like, but that didn't work well. I sealed them with modgepodge.
The cherry earrings ~ I made the leaves out of sculpey, baked & painted them. The cherries are actually some green wooden beads I had that I painted cherry red.
The bones ~ These are just freestyle sculpey. :)

It was odd for me to do a whole swap out of sculpey stuff, but they turned out okay. Took me forever because it definitely isn't my fave craft to do.