Category: Making

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Almost Easter

Wow, time flies, doesn’t it? Here we are in the last week of March. Hoping that snow disappears and doesn’t come back. Looking forward to Easter.

At the end of the week I fly to San Francisco to spend ten days with my kids in Santa Clara. I am so looking forward to the sunshine and warmth!

I’ve also been busy. Last year I made two little owls that I mailed to Mina for Easter.

coffee table mess
coffee table mess

This year I came across a very cute bag on the Red Heart website and just had to download the free pattern and make it. Here is my version (I opted to leave the wings off).

owl bag
Owl bag

Yarn used: from my stash – mostly Caron Simply Soft, in a blue/aqua/pink variegate, purple and pink. Crochet hook size 6mm for double-strand bag body and strap and 4mm for the rest.

As well, I came across a bunny pattern on the Drops Design website — I love making toy animals; I have a big box full of them yet from when Simon and Trina were little. I had to make this one too:

Easter Bunny
Easter Bunny

Yarn used: again, from my stash – Patons Grace (beige & purple), Schchenmayr Catania (pink & black), hook size 2mm.

These items will go in my suitcase to be given to the wee girl on Easter morning.

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A Shawl for Cheryl

My sister, Cheryl, asked if I would make a shawl for her. She wanted pure wool, Canadian sourced, so she ordered DK wool (Emerald, #s-13) online from Grand River Yarns. The downside of this order was that she was not given a shipping choice — the order was expedited, arriving just a couple days after ordering it. Cheryl would have been happy to wait a little longer to spend less on shipping.
I didn’t follow a pattern, I just started crocheting with a 4.5mm hook. The downside to this is that I finished the yarn with a shawl that was not long enough to wrap around my little sister. Cheryl's Shawl*sigh* I pulled it all out and am starting over. This time I am making it a bit more narrow and am using a 7mm hook so the shawl will be less dense and the yarn will go a bit farther.
begin again

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Recipes Collected

Another project that I’ve wanted to take on for a long time, and have just begun is taking my favourite recipes and putting them together in one place. At the moment they are often on various scraps of paper in a folder, or in certain cookbooks. But I usually have to sort through the whole folder or take a couple of my cookbooks to the couch, because I don’t know exactly which one it is in.

About a year ago Apple came out with a program called iBook Author – to help make it easy for people to write their own books. And so I have started my recipe collection. But it isn’t fast! I have three recipes written out so far. I have a long way to go.

Here is a sample page:

Thumprint cookies
A page from my “recipes collected” book.
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The Troll

Mina and I have been having a lot of fun with the story of the Three Billie Goats Gruff. I found a picture book at Barnes & Nobles. We like to act the story. We can use My Little Ponies or other toy animals for the goats. But I wanted a better troll — so I crocheted one:

the troll
the Troll

“Who’s that tramping on MY bridge?”

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Lalaloopsie

Mina loves Lalaloopsie dolls. She already has two  “little sisters” and will be getting another “big sister” and a “big brother” for her birthday on Saturday.

On a trip to Daison I picked up some crochet thread and cotton. I made a dress for each of Mina’s “buddies”:

Mina's buddies
Mina’s buddies in their new crocheted dresses.

Trina is making her new dolls clothes – much more sophisticated that what I would make. Mina tried so hard to make the new pajamas fit on her buddy. I finally helped by putting some tiny hair elastics on her arms and legs so they would stay on. Mina particularly like the “party dress.” I think the fact that it is a long dress is what made it a party dress. When the new clothes disappeared overnight the poor girl was heartbroken. So I decided to make her ‘little sisters’ new party dresses. I used scraps from Trina’s makings to hand sew the first one. I decided that, for me, crocheting was much easier.

party dresses
Mina’s buddies get party dresses

I hope Mina has as much fun playing as I had making!

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