A New Family Member

I got great news this morning! The caregiver of a dog up for adoption called to ask if I wanted to come meet the dog and if it went well, I could take her.  Her name is Maggie and she is just too cute. Everything went well and we now have a new Westie-Lhasa Apso mix puppy. This picture doesn't do her justice, but she has been running around checking out the place, so she is difficult to catch for a good photo. The only thing I got to crochet today were a few scarves. one for the person caring for the dog. Well back to the puppy for now...

The Slouchy Cap Dilemna

I have been trying for a few days to make a slouchy hat for little girls. For some reason, I just can't seem to get it just the way I want. Today I tried a new pattern and it is better, but I think I just want it to be a little more slouchy so maybe I need to use a softer, looser yarn or just add some straight double crochet rows. I guess I'll keep working on it.  Here is the hat I made today:

 I had some left over yarn, so I made this cute little headband. I found the headband pattern by The Lovely Crow on Ravelry.

For the Guys

I have five boys and let's just say there doesn't seem to be much they are interested in in the way of crochet. I really wanted to make something I thought they might like. I found this Jeff Cap tutorial on Youtube. It's a great tutorial that is really easy to follow. I love the finished project! I made mine toddler size using Vanna's Choice Oatmeal Yran and a size I hook.  Now all I need is a little guy to model this for  me. Do you like?

Catching Up

Yesterday was a stay at home kind of day after all that walking around in a hot, hot NYC. I have some must do projects for other people that need to get done, so I spent the day trying to get caught up. First, I made a deep purple chunky infinity scarf for an order that I need to ship today. Then I worked on a chunky basket for a family member. You can find the pattern here at Crochet in Color (love this blog). I had a little left over yarn, so I made an ear warmer that I am sure will be put to good use by someone in my family.

Today, it's a rainy summer day and a perfect tome to finish all the must do projects. Hopefully, I will complete them all becauseI have some really sweet yarn waiting in my stash for experimenting and creating. I think I might even break out the knitting needles and have at it. Fun times await...

New York City

Just got back from a trip to NYC. I was visiting family in Brooklyn, and had a great time. The first day, my son and I spent the day in Bryant Park with his grandmom. We strolled through Rockefeller Plaza and had a great day, with the exception of the 95 degree temperature. On day two we went to Spa Castle with his Aunt. Now, that was a fun day! If you visit NYC, you should definitely add this to your agenda. They had several pools, hot tubs, saunas, and delicious food. It was like being on a mini-cruise.  The last day, we took a very short trip to Soho. It was so stinking hot and humid, it was impossible to walk for more than two blocks without ducking inside a shop for some cool air. One of the shops we stopped in was The Loopy Mango. (I love that name) If you are a knit or crochet fan, I highly recommend a visit here. They had beautiful yarns and handmade goods. I sometimes feel intimidated in specialty stores, but not this one, the salesperson was very sweet and helpful. I fell in love with this soft cotton yarn and she shared a pattern for the Brigitte Top (shown on their home page) with me. 

She told me about a dress she was making for Jennifer Connelly using this same pattern and assured me that drop stitches were part of the attraction in the pattern. Well, for someone who crochets more than knits, that just took all the anxiety out of attempting to make this beautiful knitted top. We'll see how that goes....  Another thing I found in the store was their Big Loop Yarn. I have seen those big loop yarn rugs and throws on Pinterest but haven't found a place to purchase the yarn until now. I will definitely be ordering that in the future. Have you ever been to Loopy Mango? I can't wait to go back.

Phillies Fans Abound

You just have to love the Phillies even if they are struggling this year. Well, my sister's friend, and her husband are big sports fans, so this seemed like the perfect gift for their newborn baby.
To make this cap, I found this pattern on Etsy and then I added my own letter P. The cocoon was a pattern that I just made up on the fly. It is just a series of double crochets, I formed a bit of a pattern by working in the back loops of some of the rows. It gives it sort of a ribbed look, but it's hard to tell on the white. I think I made it a little too long. Oh well, that's what I get for winging it. I sure hope the new parents like this little set.

Hmmm... What should I work on next?

Welcome to the Crochet Stop

Recently I have been on a chunky yarn kick. I have had this giant crochet hook staring me in the face. I had never used it before, but was curious to give it a go. Wow, it is super fun to crochet with. I have made so many scarves/cowls and now I'm addicted to that big hook.
 The other day, I stopped into my local yarn shop (big mistake), and my eyes spotted this pale pink ribbon yarn. Well, I had never used a ribbon yarn before, but I recently purchased a soft pink chunky alpaca blend for making scarves and cowls. I thought the two yarns combined might make a pretty scarf. This is the result. The ribbon yarn is super soft and I like how it turned out. I will definitely be looking for some more ribbon yarn to spice up some winter cowls and scarves. What do you think?