Housekeeping

For the past two days I've been uploading my photographs to Photobucket and Flickr. I started on Photobucket because that's the site I've used the longest, but I soon realized that you don't get very much space. I was able to go from 2 GB to 10 GB by downloading the mobile app, but when that filled up I went over to Flickr which gives a whole terabyte without any hoops to jump through. What's up with that? I guess I'm kind of a picture hoarder. I'm not really sure why I'm saving many of them, but they're backed up now! For the next time my hard drive dies... Here are a few random pictures I'm saving, just for fun.

Chunky Crocheted Basket by Elizabeth Trantham

Once again found a pattern on Ravelry that I just had to make. This is the Chunky Crocheted Basket by Elizabeth Trantham, pattern found here. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease® Thick & Quick in the color Oatmeal, two strands held together for structure. 

The pattern is a bit hard on the hands since it's supposed to be worked tight, but it does come together really quickly. I see more of these baskets in my future. Definitely going to give it a try with t-shirt yarn.

Winter Whites

My mom is a really good present-giver. She got me a bunch of white yarn and dye packets. I haven't been adventurous enough to try the dye yet, but I did go crazy on the yarn.

The first is Lily® Sugar'n Cream® cotton yarn which I used to make a handbag from this pattern found on Ravelry. (Aran Sampler Tote by Ruth Shepherd)

I haven't lined it yet because I still can't decide if I want to dye it - I'm really digging it in white, as impractical as that may be. 

The other yarn I received was Bernat® Tizzy™ which has a really fun texture. Turned it into a soft and fluffy rug, no pattern, just kind of a shell stitch. This I definitely do want to dye.

Carol's Wedding Card

Andrew's sister, Carol, is getting married at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas in 4 days! Her color theme is based on a beautiful necklace by Color Obsession.

She also has a painting of a tree with empty branches and I was asked to make leaves that everyone who is attending the wedding can write their names on. So I used 6 colors of paper to match the colors of the hummingbird above and sewed the edges by hand with complimenting thread. I think they turned out pretty nice!

So of course I wanted to stick to the theme when making a card.

Used Cricut Stretch Your Imagination cartridge on blue, green and white paper, a little ribbon, some tiny star brads and some darker blue thread. (Now how am I going to make an envelope the right size?)

Catching up - starting with an Owlie Blanket!

Let me start by saying that my intention was to make a granny square blanket using the random skeins of yarn I've been hoarding for too long. Well, you know, the best laid plans... I think I ended up back in the store 2-3 times to buy more yarn.

I was inspired by the pattern from the Repeat Crafter Me blog, pattern found here. But, I wanted to do something in fall colors (my secret goal was to get rid of the yellow yarn) with a little bit of a retro feel. I finished right around Thanksgiving.

It was 10 squares by 10 squares, and I think the hardest thing about it was arranging them - I must done have done at least 12 different color combinations. All of the yarn was worsted weight, most of it Red Heart Super Saver, some Loops & Threads® Impeccable™. 

But eventually it really did come together - I used a chain join described in this pattern.

And finally, four little owls in two opposite corners. It's pretty comfy, too!