Monday, August 29, 2011

Baby Boots Patterns Giveaway!

Over at Living Craftily Ever After there is a fun giveaway. Wouldn’t you just love to win some wonderful baby boot patterns? I know I would! Head on over to Living Craftily Ever After and enter to win! :D The following is just one of the wonderful patterns you will win from The Lovely Crow!

image

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Moo Cow and Panda

My recent creations.  Patterns from Etsy. My daughter wanted animal hats for her kids to wear at Halloween time. Gramma Rita got right on it, and the hats are finished!  :) Here are my cutie patootie grandkids modeling their new hats. :D

IMG_2051

Watch out…this panda might get ya!  ;D

IMG_2052

IMG_2059

IMG_2061

IMG_2070

IMG_2072

IMG_2073

Friday, August 19, 2011

Leaving Feedback

OK, fellow crocheters/crafters, I have a question for you.  Whenever I leave feedback for various things I always try to leave positive feedback.  Right now I’m having a dilemma.  I bought a pattern recently from an Etsy shop.  I won’t say what shop, but I will say I had not bought from this person before so didn’t know what to expect.  Based on my experience buying from other Etsy shops, I was expecting a very nicely written pattern with detailed instructions.  Well, I have come to find out that is not always the case.  The pattern I bought was about twice the price of patterns I’ve bought at other Etsy shops.  Another reason I was expecting a well written pattern.  IMHO, this pattern is horribly written.  I have crocheted for 37 years, and have been reading patterns for almost as long.  I am pretty sure I have not come across a pattern as poorly written as this one. If I hadn’t been crocheting for this long, I know this pattern would drive me nuts.  I’d probably toss it aside and just not make the item.

I have looked at the Etsy shop for other reviews to see if others might have had this problem. For the pattern I bought these are the feedback messages from those who left feedback:

  • Great pattern! Thank you! Very quick response!
  • Sweet Pattern

I don’t want to be dissing somebody’s pattern, but I can hardly fathom I would be the only person who would find this pattern lacking in so many areas.  So…should I leave feedback and, as gently as possible, let her know that I find the pattern lacking and point out why?  Or do I just not bother leaving feedback?  Part of me wants to just forget about it, but the other part thinks she ought to know. To charge that much for something, the pattern should be well written and not leave the maker wondering what is meant. And I don’t mean I have to wonder occasionally.  There are lots of places where I literally have to stop and then from looking at the picture and knowing what I know about crochet, I have to pretty much interpret the pattern so I know what she means.

So, I ask you….what would you do in this situation?

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Wedding Cake

I crocheted this cake about 17 years ago. (If my calculations are correct! LOL) I made it for my in-law’s 40th wedding anniversary party. I used pink and blue for the flowers because those were the colors for the wedding. It was put on the table with some other things, and then not too many weeks or months after the party it was delegated to a storage room. That’s where it’s been up until now. My father-in-law has since passed away and mother-in-law remarried a couple years ago. Recently she returned this cake to me. Well, I have decided to feature it in this post.  This way it can be seen in all its glory and not be shoved away in a dark room somewhere. I have always thought it never really got the recognition it deserved. Not that I wanted people to do cartwheels about it, but I have to say I was proud that I crocheted this cake. Kind of thought that my fellow crocheters might be able to appreciate it. Thanks for looking…I appreciate it. :)

IMG_1734-1

IMG_1738-1

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Diamond Shell Afghan

After my post last week where I was whining about starting several different projects and not sticking with any of them…this is what I ended up making.  I bought a book of crochet stitch patterns at a yard sale a long time ago.  Paid a quarter for it, and let me tell you it has been well worth the .25 I paid. It is called A Treasury of Crochet Patterns by Liz Blackwell, copyright 1971. I looked through this book and decided on a stitch pattern that I thought would look pretty done in various solid colors.  This is what I came up with. It’s a small afghan.  I suppose it could be called a lapghan, or could be used for a child. I enjoyed making it, and working with all the pretty colors. For the edging I simply did two rows of sc and then one row of shell (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) and sc.

IMG_1482

Some close-up shots of the pattern stitch.  The book doesn’t have names for the stitches, just numbers.  I’m calling this my Diamond Shell afghan as the pattern stitch reminds me of diamonds. :)

IMG_1488

IMG_1489

IMG_1493

This next picture shows you a close-up of the edging.

IMG_1491

As always, thanks for looking.  I appreciate it.  :)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Apple

Came across this pattern today. Such a pretty apple, and the pattern can be found at Salihan Crafts.

Crochet apple pattern on blog

Friday, August 5, 2011

Summer Lace Doily

I finished this doily the other night.  The night before my last post.  I was all excited about finishing this because I just knew what I was going to start on next.  LOL  As you all know, that fell through, but never fear I have another project in mind.  Hope this one turns out more like I am expecting. ;)

My daughter was here last night and she thought my Japanese flowers were pretty.  So apparently I am doing fine with the “all colors” thing.  Now if I could just get myself to not mind tucking ends in so bad.  -sigh-

As always, thanks for checking out my blog.  I appreciate it and enjoy all of the kind comments that are made. :)

IMG_1191-1

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Do You Do This?

I’m rather annoyed with myself right now.  LOL  I spent hours today looking for the perfect project for some colorful yarn I have.  I bought several different skeins at JoAnn’s recently, all in solid, rather bright colors.  I tried at least four different projects today, and none of them suited me.  I thought I wanted to make Japanese flowers. I like to experiment with putting various colors together, but when *I* do it, I don’t think it’s as pretty as when others do it. Also, it turns out I just am not that into changing colors constantly. I knew that, but thought surely I could pull myself up by my bra straps and go for it. I love to see those that others have made, and was inspired to try it for myself.  But changing all those colors was really getting on my nerves.

So, I tried another pattern for a granny flower square.  Again, didn’t like changing colors constantly.  It’s not the changing colors that bothers me…it’s the incessant weaving ends in that gets to me. I am not a patient person. :p

After that I tried two more patterns, but again, was not enjoying the color changes.  So, here it is almost bedtime and I have pretty much accomplished nothing today, along the lines of crochet. Nothing to show for my hours and hours of searching and crocheting. Just wondering if other crocheters do that.  Please tell me I am not alone.  Please.  :)

So, I guess my new mission is to find a colorful project that doesn’t have a gazillion color changes.  Wonder if such a thing exists.  Hmmm…