BLOG.CROCHET-CRAFTS.COM

Baby Blanket

Chris — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:06:12 GMT

I just finished making a baby blanket for a new grandbaby. They are so much fun to make. (I mean the blanket, although babies are fun to make too). This one is made with the yarn called jaquard because it's supposed to make a certain pattern of colors, but I was a little disappointed with the way the colors came out, it looked the same as variegated colors to me. And since we already know it's a boy, there was a lot of pink in the colors, I thought more pink than blue, and it didn't look that way in the store, it's hard to tell until you get it crocheted up. Anyway, the pattern is very easy to do you just do 4 double crochets on the front post of the last row, then 4 double crochets on the back post of the last row. It makes the fabric very thick and sturdy to keep the baby warm. And since they live in Oklahoma, it should be a cold winter. The baby is due in Dec. I got the idea from a sweater shown in The Knitting & Crochet Bible, so I just made up a pattern for a blanket using this stitch.

That is Lucy behind the blanket. She loves blankets, and wishes it was for her. Maybe next time.

Freeform Crochet

Chris — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:29:31 GMT

I really like the way freeform crochet looks when you put a whole bunch of scrumbles together. It is very time consuming, I see now why some of the projects are so hard to do, and why they charge so much money for them. They take forever! But I think it's worth it. I found a website I just can't get enough of, it called www.knotjustknitting.com. Prudence Mapstone is the name of the person who makes all the wonderful scrumbles there, and she makes wall hangings, and purses and jackets, and lots of other things too.
Well, I made my first purse, and I am basically pretty happy with it, whenever I look at it, I can see more things I could have done to it, but it's finished now and I'm leaving it just the way it is.

Crochet Dollhouse Bedspread

Chris — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:31:00 GMT

This is my crocheted dollhouse bedspread. I found a picture of one like this in a dollhouse magazine, and I wanted to make one because I thought it was so cute.

This bedspread was very east to do. I just made little tiny granny squares with some fine size 20 crochet thread, then crocheted them together with black and put a border around it. It only took a couple of hours to make. I like the way it looks on the bed too, like a real afghan!

Crocheted Lamp Shade Cover

Chris — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:21:00 GMT

I finished this crocheted lamp cover quite a while ago, and it's been on my mind to blog about it. It is a very easy pattern to do. And it does not take much crochet thread to make. I might put it on Etsy if I can get some better pics of it. We got a new camera, and it takes me forever to figure out new tech things!! Why can't they make them all the same? Anyway, I would like to make this again, only with some different colors. And how much should I charge for this? I ordered some new crafts books and I can't wait to get them. Oh the inspiration! I need it. Right now I'm working on beaded, knitted coasters. Too much fun!

Needle Felt Alpaca

Chris — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:11:00 GMT

I finally finished my needle felt alpaca. It's made with the alpaca wool that I got last month, and I'm really slow at making things lately!! Hopefully I can make some more little animals with the wool, but I would like to make something easier!!

Alpaca Fiber

Chris — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:01:00 GMT

I was on Craigslist, looking for craft supplies, and I found an ad for 100 lbs. of free alpaca wool. I couldn't believe my good luck! But then I started wondering how much 100 lbs of wool is, and if I had room in my car for that much. So I called and asked if I could have less than 100 lbs of it, and the man was very nice, and said he would fill a large trash bag and leave it by his driveway for me. Believe me, it was enough!! I have never had raw wool before, and it really puffs up when it gets out of the bag..
The place is called All American Alpacas, it's in Menifee, CA, and they were giving away their seconds, which is perfect for needle felting, I can't wait to try it.
When I first opened the bag, the first thing that I noticed was the smell, not a bad smell, but it smelled like a farm, and my dog loved it. She dove right in, she rolled in it, and tried to pull pieces out of the bag, and drag all over the house! After I got her under control, I put the wool in 2 large tubs.
I got some white, brown, and black.

Then I spread out some for washing, and picked out all the sticks, and seeds, and pieces of junk.
Then I washed it. (I got all my directions from the internet)\

It washed up real nice, then I picked out more stuff from the wool.Then I carded it.

And I carded it some more.

And now its all finished and ready for needle felting. The wool is really soft and it doesn't smell anymore.It was a lot of work, but I'm happy with the results.
I think I'm going to make an alpaca first.

Dollhouse Teddy Bear

Chris — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:21:00 GMT

I just finished making a needle felt doll house teddy bear. He was so much fun to make, and easy too. I like the way his face came out. He will look good in a doll house!

available at http://ladybuggun.etsy.com

Springtime Place Mats

Chris — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:13:00 GMT

These are my springtime pink and white placemats, they are crocheted flower motifs, they were very easy to make.

Crocheted Placemats

Chris — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:53:00 GMT

I made some placemats to put on Etsy, and I had a lot of trouble finding the crochet thread, because I guess Michaels isn't going to carry crochet thread anymore, and I don't know why. They must not sell it much anymore, I guess crocheting is going out of style again. I like making thinks with the thread, they can be so dainty.
These placemats were very easy to make, and only took a couple of days to do.

Needle Felted Dashound

Chris — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:44:00 GMT

I just finished my needle felted doxie, he turned out pretty good, I think each one is getting easier. They take a lot of time though, but thats okay, I like felting, and watching their little faces come to look like a real dog. I'm still having trouble getting their head size to match their body size. I can't decide what to felt next, maybe another dog? or something else?

Alice in Wonderland Rabbit

Chris — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:41:00 GMT

I just finished my needle felted rabbit. I tried to model him after the white rabbit in the movie Alice In Wonderland, and I think he's close, but not exactly the same. But when I made him, I had'nt seen the movie yet. We went and saw it yesterday, and I liked it a lot, there are a lot of cool animals that would be fun to needlefelt, but they all take so much time!! Anyway we liked the movie, and here is my Rabbit.

Needle Felted Bunny

Chris — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:00:00 GMT

I was working on a new fairy, but I didn't like the look of her face, I need to try some other things, to make her look better. Faries are so hard to do. So, in the meantime, I made a little bunny, and it was much more fun to do. He has a yellow hoodie, and blue pants, and I made a little basket to carry his easter eggs.

Needle Felted Lion

Chris — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:49:00 GMT

I just made a needle felted lion. I'm really getting into needle felting, it is so much fun. And it is easy if you have a lot of patience. I started out making a cat, but it wouldn't be a cat, so I went ahead and made it into a lion, which I really like a lot.

Fairy

Chris — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:52:00 GMT

I finished my needle felted fairy. It was VERY hard to do. Fairy faces are hard to do, and I wanted it to look pretty. Fairy bodies are hard, I wanted it to look feminine. Fairy clothes are hard to do, and fairy wings are hard to do too!! It also took a lot of felting, and a lot to poking myself, and a lot of trying different things. But, all in all, I'm very pleased, I like her a lot! I cant' wait to start my next one!!

She is also made with a wire frame and is very poseable.

Needle Felted Bulldog

Chris — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:15:00 GMT

This is my needle felted Bulldog I'm really happy with the way he came out. He was a lot of fun to do. Bulldogs have so much personality in their faces. He is built around a wire frame and can be gently posed. He is wearing a chain. His eyes are gemstone beads, and his nose is sculpted by me out of clay. Needle felting takes lots of patience, and lots of poking the wool with a needle. I poke myself all the time, but I'm getting better at saying "ouch!!

Needle Felted Yorkshire Terrier

Chris — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:22:00 GMT

I should'nt have left my needle felted bunny laying around where my dog Lucy could get at him, because she thought I made it just for her!! But I didn't. She has a great big basket of toys all her own. I guess it's not enough, she wants more. Or maybe she thought I wasn't doing it right, and she was going to show me how. All I have to say is, Lucy is a lot faster than me, she did this in less than a minute!

Here she is looking very satisfied.

And I have been working on a Yorkshire Terrier all weekend, but I'm not really that happy with the way it looks. Plus it took forever to put on all that fur. I still need more practice. Next time I'll make a dog with not as much fur.

Needle Felted Boston Terrier

Chris — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:15:00 GMT

I just finished my Needle Felted Boston Terrier. It was a lot of work. It really takes a lot of time to needle felt. At first I was very excited about the craft, but I can see now that it will be a lot of time and practice. I can only imagine how hard it will be to make a face or arms and legs. I want to make a fairy soon, or TRY to make a fairy. At least the supplies don't cost very much.
The Boston Terrier was kind of hard to get the body shape right, maybe dogs with hair are easier, but anyway Boston Terriers have a lot of muscles, and they take a lot of shaping. Here it is.

Needle Felted West Highland White Terrier

Chris — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:13:09 GMT

I made my first Westie with wool by needle felting it. I love the way it looks. Just the way I wanted it to look, I can't get over how long it takes to make it tho. Adding the fur is really hard, it took the longest, and now I think I know how to do it better, and that is to not put too much fur on, without trimming it up as you work. But I'm real happy with it, and I've already started making a Boston Terrier.
Shaping the body is hard too, but I learned that you don't have to shape as much, if you're adding a lot of fur. The face took a long time too, and I made it separately because I had to turn it so much and look at it from all sides. Well, here it is.

The actual needle felting is pretty easy, you just get some wool, and poke it with a needle until it sticks to itself. The needles are real sharp, and have little barbs on them, and they grab the wool, and that is what makes it form together. I know how sharp the needles are. Ouch!! You have to be real careful doing it.

Needle Felted Irish Terrier

Chris — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:46:00 GMT

I made my first needle felted dog. It took a long time to do, lots of needling, lots of adding wool, and a lot of poking my fingers. I think the head is too big, and I need a lot of practice with adding fur, but I'm happy with the way it turned out for my first one. I'll keep trying to get better. I admire the ones I see on Etsy, and other sites, I sure would like to make one as good as those!

Needle Felted Bear

Chris — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:42:00 GMT

I made a little needel felted bear, I didn't have much choice of colors, because I just bought the starter kit, but I liked doing it, I think I'm getting the hang of it a little better. The actual felting is very hard to to, for me anyway, I'm trying to shape and felt as I go along. I can't wait to order more felt in better colors. Here's my bear.