Category: Crochet

Although I’ve spent very little time (if any) with horses, I always heard that they could be feisty and unruly at times. I may have to rethink this particular stereotype now based on my encounter with a particular blue buck that spent some time with me recently. True, one situation is hardly a fair judge of all others, but he was so gentle and completely tame, it’s hard not to atleast wish this type of personality the rule, not the exception.

For hours we enjoyed each other’s company, and not once did his goofy yet charming smile falter. Even when I couldn’t find a proper bit of hay for him to sleep on, he didn’t seem the least bit upset. Not the least bit fussy, everything I had to offer suited his temperament just fine, and he insisted that special treatment was never necessary.

If only all my human guests could be so courteous!

All dressed up with no place to go, what’s a sweet dancing bunny to do with herself?

Well, I guess she could always do a bit of reading. Not exactly what I might have guessed, but with a head that size, I’m sure she’s got quite the intellect! Besides, I’m not sure that with such short, rounded legs she would be such a fantastic ballerina… But don’t tell her that. She just loves her blue tutu, wearing it around the house even when she’s only planning on sitting around to read the newspaper all day.

I wonder where she got such a vibrant blue flower to place behind her ear, though. Considering the time of year, it must have cost nearly as much as my monthly yarn bill! Trust me, that’s a truly formidable amount.

I would love to take care of some breed of tiny dog some day, but I’m afraid that I would never be able to keep up. Little dogs have so much energy, I’m sure I would tire out long before they would. I’m lucky that my own companion has settled down a bit after leaving the hyperactive puppy years, but every now and then, she can go a bit crazy. Usually if there is ever an issue involving food, going for a walk, or seeing other animals, she will run around, moaning and whimpering as though she had rabies.

But today, the crazy dog I’m thinking of is a whole lot smaller, and happens to be composed of the fiber of the gods: Acrylic yarn.

He would barely sit still long enough for me to tie on his very stylish bandana, wanting to explore every corner of the house and attack any foreign invaders, IE, anything that moved. I couldn’t even figure out where he had gone at first, until the high-pitched alarm coming from his tiny voice box reactivated after he had found a very threatening flower pot on the table.

Fearing for the flowers’ well being, I quickly scooped the ancy pup off the table and took him outside to calm down a bit. Saying that this didn’t work would be a gross understatement. Climbing onto the porch railing, I watched in wonderment as he preformed some crazy balancing act across the length of it. There was no stopping the ball of energy; The least I could do was hope he didn’t hurt himself or anything else.

After this whole ordeal, I feel so very thankful that my non-acrylic puppy is typically so sedate. In fact, I think I’d like to go take a short nap with her right now, and forget I ever thought I wanted anything different.

A couple weeks ago now, seemingly out of the blue, Eva emailed me to say that she was preparing to part with some of her crafting books, and would I like any? As if that’s really a question. I was so taken aback by her kindness, I couldn’t believe I could get these mint-condition texts for free. I thanked her profusely and waited, expecting the books to take their sweet time in arriving, considering the expense of shipping heavier items quickly, especially across the border.

Hardly a week had past when I was surprised by a phone call from the post office, asking for someone to pick up a package that had my name on it. What a shock! I rushed down to discover a large bundle containing all sorts of goodies.

The two largest books in that pile were the ones I had picked from the line up in a photo Eva sent me via email. I was completely beyond myself when I pulled those out, and yet there were still books in the over-sized manila envelope! In addition, 3 various Japanese craft books had been included, as well as some really spiffy jewelry made of telephone keys! Talk about winning the lottery here!

Although she insisted nothing was required in return, I felt obligated to send some sort of thank you after having received such a generous gift. So I picked up my yarn and did what I know best.

Not just any stuffed animal would do, so I figured that a crocheted bunny that was in the act of knitting would be rather fitting. I had trouble making the tiny scarf at first, because the thin metal posts kept on bending out of shape after just one row. After some trial and error, I finally found my brain and set about knitting it on size 0 needles, and then I transferred it over to the miniature set the bunny would hold.

I still don’t know that I’ve fully paid Eva back, I feel so indebted to her kindness. I rarely have enough money left over after buying yarn to afford any actual craft books, which is why I usually use the free ones found online. This was such a treat, I can’t wait to clear some time and work through every last page!

No, there wasn’t anything remotely frustrating or hellish about this project, but I just felt the need to play with words in the lamest way possible. Now that I’ve done so, I’m ready to move on to the actual content of this post!

Okay, so who doesn’t love Hello Kitty? My own facination with this imaginary feline used to be far more intense in my younger years, but I will admit to still owning a fair number of t-shirts with her likeness printed on them. It’s just so cute, how could anyone resist? Just about all of my friends and even much of my family loves Sanrio as well, even if it’s not a specific preoccupation with Kitty. Why is it that absolutely everything created by the Japanese is so much cuter than anything other nations are capable of producing?

Anime and general Japanese pop culture is becoming increasingly popular lately, but Hello Kitty has got to be one of the most recognizable characters of our generation, right up there with (Barf) Ronald McDonald and even Santa Claus. Seriously, there’s no escaping this icon! Even at Joanne’s Fabric, they have a whole section dedicated to Sanrio merchandise.

Sadly, even the smallest Hello Kitty items such as stationary and pens tend to cost a couple more dollars than I’m really happy parting with. How lucky was it when I stumbled upon this huge file of various patterns involving the famed cat? Most are for stuffed animals, but I was particularly taken with the concept of a Kitty-head purse, and thus, my imitation was born. The angle of this picture isn’t the best, so in case you’re not so sure, those are cherries with the stems tied in a bow secured below her ear.

I would happily point the way to that treasure chest of crochet patterns, but I feared that it would be deleted (Uploading all of those copyrighted images must be illegal…) so I saved them to my computer with haste. They still may exist somewhere out there, but I just couldn’t say where for sure… Sorry!

Where, oh where has my patience gone? Or maybe a better question would be, when have I ever been patient? People tell me, “But you must be a very patient person because you knit!” For me, it’s a very different situation, since I see knitting as a sort of meditation while still being an conscious activity. It captivates me, holds my attention, as opposed to the drudgery and repetition some non-knitters think it is. Anyway, waiting really isn’t something I’m very good at, especially when I’m not sure how long my plans may be kept on hold. Such is the case right when anxiously anticipating new patterns on some of my favorite craft sites.

It is just me, or does anyone else share similar feelings towards the fact that the Anti-Craft seems to never update? Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept and their very original projects to death, because what could possibly be better than punk rock crafting? This is why I’m dying for more of their patterns. Shouldn’t the new autumn issue be up by now??

Attempting to alleviate my frustration, I’ve been poking through the archives periodically. Something that caught my eye a while ago was this gorgeous choker, but at the time I had only just begun attempting to wield a hook, so I shied away from the challenge. Now, with still hardly any more skill than when I originally spied it, I decided that at the very least it would be a learning experience.

Well, needless to say, it turned out better than I could have truly even hoped for. I am so pleased that this intricate length of lace was borne from my own hook. Maybe I’m finally starting to get the hang of this whole crochet thing after all.

With such a gorgeous design, the only problem I’ve found is that there are few occasions to wear jewelry quite so ornate. Although I don’t have an issue with wearing mismatched or “unusual” outfits, so on second though, it’s absolutely perfect.

Many thanks to Collett who kindly agreed to model it for me, as I discovered that it can be very difficult to get a clear, centered picture of your own neck.

Oh, and there is one small detail that makes my choker somewhat… unique. I couldn’t get my hands on any hook and eye closures to finish it off, so I did the only ration thing I could think of that would solve this problem. I went through my dresser draws, dug out an old bra already due for the trash, and simple “borrowed” a hook and eye from the back. [Don’t worry, it was all clean.]

…So has the site been updated yet??