Crafting from the Heart Giveaway

For those of you who like to enter drawings for free stuff, Creating from the heart is also doing a giveaway right now for a hand full of items - including a $150 giftcard to Michaels!  Head over and check it out

http://keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-annual-end-of-year-christmas.html

Give Away

One on my NFL hats is being given away in a drawing by Latter-daycrafters.com.  I am going to add my own little contest for viewers of my blog and facebook page - limit 1 entry per person. 


Enter the drawing per terms listed below for Latterday Crafters, then leave a comment on this post with your email address telling me how you entered and I will do a second drawing on Jan 3rd for a hat of your choice. (I will not limit it to NFL hats for my drawing in case you are not a football fan) I will verify with Latter-daycrafters that you have qualified for their drawing first.  I will use Random.org to select the winner.


Good luck and spread the word.  The more participation this drawing receives, the more likely there will be another one in the near future.


To Enter:

Just in Time for the NFL Play-offs!

FREE DRAWING

NFL HAT GIVE-AWAY

3 ways TO QUALIFY to WIN.....

SHARE THIS LINK with your Friends on FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/latter-daycrafterscom/201188603248105

OR

"LIKE" Latter-daycrafters.com ( Go to our Home Page @ http://www.latter-daycrafters.com and click the "LIKE" Button)

OR

BECOME A MEMBER and either list your items to sell, or Purchase an item from us

The winner will be announced Monday, January 2,2012

LOGOS AVAILABLE TO CHOOSE FROM: Raiders, Broncos, Cowboys, Steelers, Cardinals, Titans, Bears, Saints and Packers.

In these sizes: newborn, toddler, youth(or small adult) and Adult

Toddler Hats

I finished a few more toddler hats this week and I think they also turned out cute.  It's time to stop making stuff for my girls - they wont be able to wear them all, so I must move on to having items ready to ship and to put in the boutique in town. 

Christmas shopping is complete and I have started the Holiday Christmas candy cooking.  Monday I wrapped 200 old fashioned carmels and made a batch of Boston Cream.  Today is another couple of batches of different flavored carmels and then Old fashioned fudge and penuche.  My crochet projects will be my relaxation time tonight after a long day standing at the stove - but I love it!

I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season

Toddler Hat with Pompom

A friend of mine wanted a hat to match her daughters new coat for winter.  The colors on the coat don't really match the hats that are out there right now, but I'm sure there is yarn that will.  She purchased this pattern from "Inner Hooker" http://www.innerhooker.bigcartel.com/product/basic-earflap-beanie-crochet-pattern and I tried it out last night for Brooklynn.  It works up really quick and I think it turned out darling.  I have to make another one for Taylee and then as soon as we get the yarn, I can make one up in a jiffy for my friend.  This website has a bunch of really cute patterns.  If you are looking for some, go check it out.

I took a picture of her wearing it, but it wasn't light enough and she wouldn't sit still very well, so this is what you get.  I love pink and black and have another one made that I will post after christmas since it's a gift, but I think it's darling.

NFL Steelers Hat

This is the latest addition to the collection of NFL hats.  Sometimes it's not easy to match yarn to a sports team color.  For instance, the Steelers color is a yellow, which the logo is, but yarn colors lately have been quite bright and I haven't been able to find just the right tone.  The closest I could get was "Bright Yellow" and it's almost flourescent and I personally didn't think it looked to great next to the logo.  As I went shopping today, I saw this "Gold" color and it fits the best with the logo.  In the store, it seemed a little more orange than I wanted.  I'm actually quite happy with how it matches up now that the hat is complete. 

NFL Bears Mohawk hat

Another NFL hat order complete.  I'm getting quite the collection of logos :)  Once I have all my orders sent out, I will be able to start on extras to sell at the local boutique and leave some ready to ship here on the blog. 

My sister had an idea for her father in law - and I'm sure it's one that may be out there already, but I'm going to make a hat that has the mohawk going around the middle of the hat so that it looks like a balding guy hair. (clown wig comes to my mind)  Now to decide on the colors...hmmmm.  I also have a panda hat pattern that I want to try.  So many ideas - so little time.

Have a great weekend everyone.  I hope you all stay safe from stormy weather.

NFL - Saints Mohawk Hat

Finally!  It took some searching, and help from one of my fabulous sisters, but I found the material for the Saints and was able to make some hats for a customer.  The store that ended up having it is about 100 miles away from where I live, but my sister was headed this way for Thanksgiving so she picked it up for me. 

Making these hats has been a fun little adventure. It's interesting to find out which teams will release their logo for fabric prints and which ones will not.  One of the teams I was asked to search for, I was able to find yet it was over $100 a yard.  WHAT is up with that? 

Now, I'm off to make a Steelers hat.  I hope everyone had a good weekend.

Denver Broncos

The rivalry between my brother and his 3 sons is Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys.  I admit that I enjoy watching sports on tv, but have never had a "Favorite" team.  It is entertaining to watch the fanatics while their team is playing though.  These Mohawk hats are a great way to show team spirit! 

 Christmas is just around the corner and a team hat would make the perfect gift for the sports fan in your family!  I have many team logos available - college and NFL.  If you are looking for a specific team, email me at craftingfriends4you@yahoo.com and I will let you know if it is something I have or can get.  There are 4 sizes available: Newborn, Small (toddler), Medium (up to 24") and Large.

Kroger Brand Cookies - Bzz

The latest Bzz Campaign I have been involved in is for Krogers Brand cookies.  "The truly Awesome homestyle chocolate chip cookie" as it is called.  I personally wouldn't call it "Truly Awesome", but they are a good cookie if you like hard cookies.  I received 2 free boxes to try out and give my opinion on.  There are 8 good sized cookies in each box and they retail for $2.79 which is comparable to others I've noticed.  The flavor is good and you can warm them in the microwave.  The plus side of these cookies is that they are free of added preservatives and artifical colors - if any of you watch this stuff on ingredients. 

I, as most of you know, love to cook and therefore am quite picky when it comes to food.  I refuse to cook boxed cakes (there is no comparison to a homemade cake) and other than oreos, I rarely buy cookies at the store.  I prefer soft cookies.  I would consider buying Kroger's "truly Awesome" cookies again for picknicks or get togethers. 

I do have coupons for $1 off a box.  If you would like to give them a try, let me know and I will send you a coupon.


<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/krogerTACookies.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=2960275186&Campaign=3564413534&Uid=1212185&token=3ec2816291d2df00afa9a2f730a871fd" alt=""/>

Blue Angry Bird

I finished the Blue Angry Bird last night.  I had sewn on the beak before I realized that it should go over the eyes a bit, but I think it still turned out ok. 

I also was able to get more soft yarn the other day, so I made another newborn owl hat.  The first one was red - and I thought really cute, but was told it looked a little more boyish than for a girl. My thoughts when I made it were Christmas, but the green was a little to much.  It's a good think it doesn't take me long to make these.  What do you think? 

Black Angry Bird Hat

My friend wanted a Black Angry Bird hat for her grandson and this is what I was able to come up with.  I made the eyes different than the red one and I like it better.  Now, off to make the blue one for her other grandson and my sister told me I should try a penguin, so that will be coming eventually. I love trying new things :)

Owl Hat

I finished my first owl hat this morning for a newborn girl.  I didn't have any Caron Simply Soft in pink, so I just used what I had.  With Christmas on the way, it should work for someone.  I like the hat pattern I have, so I didn't think it was worth the money to buy a pattern for an owl - just for eyes and a nose, so I made it up myself.

What do you think?

I also took a picture of my 1st version of the Red Angry Bird.  I will be making a few changes on the next one, but I like it a little better than the pattern I tested.  Which do you like more?

This is the tested pattern

My version

Angry Bird Hat

I had the opportunity to test an Angry Bird hat pattern for someone last week.  It wasn't one of the easiest patterns I've tried to follow and I will most likely be banned from testing her patterns again, but here is the result. 

As you can see, my girls were thrilled!  I have since made another one, but used a different hat pattern and changed the eyes and feathers on top.  The eyes on this pattern just poked out to much for me and I wanted the feathers on top to be connected.  I'm not completely satisfied with the changes I made and will probably adjust it a little on the next one.  I have 3 hat bases completed today and will finish a Black Angry bird and an owl this weekend.  I'll post pictures when I'm finished and would love to hear some feedback. 

Tomorrow we will be having a birthday party for Brook (3), so it should be a great start to the weekend for us.  I hope you all have a fabulous weekend - go out and have some fun!

49rs Hat

I am in love with this Red color from Red Heart.  It is called "Really Redand is extremely soft - yet it is just the regular Super Saver yarn.  The richness in color makes me want to make an afghan for my bedroom. (hmmm...I just might).  It was perfect for the San Fransisco 49rs hat and I'm thinking of making some with my daughters High School letters with it. 

This next hat is a toddler size hat which was requested by a customer.  They wanted blue for spiderman, but as I was making it, I was afraid that it was going to be to small.  It is a snug fit for a 20" head, so I made the Medium size for the customer (which was a better fit) and needed to finish the small somehow.  I had 1 more set of logos for patriots and left-over verigated patriotic yarn.  The end result:

The material I ordered for Raiders and Cowboys logos was received at the store yesterday, so I will plenty on hand for more orders.  Each hat sells for $20 shipped (cont US)  To order, leave a comment on the blog, or email me at craftingfriends4you@yahoo.com with the information.

Thank you to all of my followers and customers!  You make my day :)

Appliques

It's official!  After making my own applique for my daughters hat today, I will no longer be ordering them off the internet - unless I'm in a bind.  It is a little time consuming to cut everything out, but it seems to be a little stronger than what I have received so far.  This will give me way more options than depending on ebay. 

I have logos ready to make Utes, BYU, Steelers and more CareBear hats.  I have material ordered for Raiders and Cowboys and if the logo for my nephew's Broncos hat works, I will order Bronco's material also.  Not all teams have material available and some that is available wont work for a hat applique, but if you would like to order a hat for a different team, let me know and I will see if it can be done. 

I charge $15 for each hat and $4 shipping if it needs to be shipped and can usually complete it in a day or so if I have product already.  I have patterns for 3 different sizes and they would make a fabulous gift for anyone!

3 More NFL Hats

I have been able to make a few more NFL hats and have requests for other teams.  There are quite a few team logos that I am unable to find appliques for and I'm thinking of making my own.  I just need to go shopping at a few different stores to see what material I will be able to find, but I think it would be cool to have a collection with every team hat.  Let the hunting begin.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

NFL Hats

So, after the first mohawk hat I made, I had a bunch of people comment on it and decided to make some more.  I have a few nephews who love football and thought it would be cool to make some for them.  This is the first of many to come.  I have a bunch of logos on their way.  I will be selling them for $20 shipped (cont US).

Baby wears black?

I've been told that babies should not wear black.  What do you think?  There is something about black and white with a splash of color that I love. 

Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap

My friend shared with me the recipe for Homemade Powdered Laundry soap, so I made some this morning.

The original recipe is: 1 Cup Borax, 1 Cup Washing Baking Soda (must be washing) and 1 Bar of Ivory Soap shredded. 

We added 1 Cup of Oxy Clean also (because we love it) and I went a little extra and added a little bit of Fabric softener crystals (because I wanted the smell)

Stir it all together and use 1 TBSP per load of laundry.


Cost???  I bought a 4 lb box of Borax for $3.36
                                1.3 lb tub of Oxiclean for $3.86
                               55 oz Box of Washing soda for $3.24
                               3pk of Ivory soap for $1.50
                               28oz Purex Crystals for $3.97
          I've only made one batch, so I haven't broken down exactly how much this will all make yet but the cost is much lower than what I had been paying.  I also have the recipe for the homemade liquid laundry soap.  If you are interested in that, leave a comment and I will post it.

Mohawk hat

Back to crocheting!  A friend of mine loves all the funky crocheted hats that are out there.  She purchased a pattern from etsy and asked if I would be willing to make it for her to give as a gift. 

I've made the cute little hats for preemies and even hats on the loom for humanitarian projects but nothing like this.  She had the pattern for a silly hat, but wanted the mohawk - I didn't think she should buy another pattern, so we just used the base of the silly hat and added our own spikes.  It worked out and is bright enough that this little boy will not be missed!

Now it's off to the store to stock up on some more yarn for baby dresses.  I have some requests for long blessing dresses and dresses for a little older babies.

Happy Friday everyone!

Style Find Bzz Campaign

The 3rd and final Bzz Campaign I'm in right now is for Style Find.  To be honest, I'm not much of a shopper, so I wasn't sure how I would like this one.  Now, after checking it out for a while, I really like it.  I receive emails of great deals on clothing and shoes and accessories.  At first, I was bummed because it seemed like everything was still really expensive even though they were at SALE price.  Then, I noticed  a bunch of stuff from places like Old Navy...Ok, I can deal with that.  And the shoes - oh how I wish I had a ton of money to just blow on shoes!  Check out this link and let me know what you think
<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/styleFind.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=7651681814&Campaign=9169591276&Uid=1212185&token=917b2fcf5e7231596903b01ffb74202b" alt=""/>

Burt's Bees Bzz Campaign

The 2nd of 3 Bzz Agent campaigns I am lucky to be in right now is for Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions.  Prior to joining this campaign, I didn't know that Burt's Bees had facial products.  I was just use to their lip stuff.  I received a full size bottle of both the cleanser and moisturizing cream to try.  My daughter has sensitive skin and breaks out easily, so she was really excited when we received the package and claims they are only for her.  They have worked really well for her and I will be purchasing more in the future.  For more information, check out this link
<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/burts.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=8693751420&Campaign=6466804197&Uid=1212185&token=266e24137d950fe571d7ca2a4888da16" alt=""/>

Bil Jac Dog food Bzz Campaign

 As some of you know, I am a Bzz Agent and occasionally I receive free products from companies to test and give my opinion on.  One of the campaigns I have recently been in is the Bil Jac dog food campaign. <img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/bil-jac.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=1960507928&Campaign=5847563306&Uid=1212185&token=acc16824659e5afcccc96d8a1718632d" alt=""/>

I received a free 6lb bag of dog food to try out.  A few weeks ago, I purchased a bag of Purina dog food and was surprised that the dogs didn't want it when we put it out for them.  So, when I joined this campaign, I was curious to see what the dogs reaction would be.  It took me a while to get it, since the local stores don't carry it, but I made a trip to Pet Smart and was able to get some.  The dogs reall liked it.  It seems to be a really good quality.  It's a little on the spendy side, but it is worth the money.

Sunshine Daisies

While searching for dress pattern, I came accross this beautiful lacy dress on this site http://sarahsweethearts.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-white-dress.html

#34 Lacy Shell

It is Beautiful!  I tried it that night, but was confused, so I put the pattern away.  Last week, I decided to give it a try again.  The skirt on mine doesn't seem quite as full, but the dress turned out ok.  I'm not sure if I like the spacing on the top.  I need to try it on a baby to see how it will sit.  To me, it looks like the arms will sit on the edge of the baby's shoulder and that just seems odd.  Maybe I'm wrong and it will fit perfect.  Only time and trial will tell.

I started making baby dresses on August 15th (just 2 months ago) and have 35 within that time.  How addicting is that??? I love it!  Here are the 2 Dresses I call Sunshine Daisy.  The first #33 is using the Snapdragon stitch and the second #35 is using similar stitching to the dress above, but I used my top pattern. I think my next dress will be similar to #35 only all white and long for a blessing.  I just need a trip to the store first. 

#33 Yellow Sunshine Daisy

#35

Thats it for now, so go out and have some fun!

Left over Yarn

It's funny how I never have just the right amount of yarn.  There is always to much, or not enough and then you have to buy more and end up with left overs anyway.  I had some extra Blue left from the Cobble Stitch afghan I just made, so I decided to make this baby dress with it. Pattern for this dress can be found here: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/angel-wings-pinafore.html

Even after the dress, I still have some blue yarn.  I gues I will be making a diaper cover or headband.  Hope you are enjoying your week :)

Sand & Water Baby Afghan

Months and MONTHS ago, I wanted to try a different crochet stitch and came accross the "Cobble Stitch" on this blog http://goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.com/2009/09/crochet-cobble-stitch-pattern.html.  I wanted the puffs to show better, so I chose to use 2 colors of yarn instead of the 1 shown in the blog picture. 

This pattern is extremely easy!  All you have to do is chain the length you want in mulitples of 2 and then 2 extra.  The first row is just Single Crochet and the second row you SC then TR alternating those 2 stitches to the end of the row.  Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until you get your desired height. 

Simple...Right?   It really is, but I seem to get bored easy with single crochet because it takes forever to reach the desired size.  Needless to say, this is one that sat on the end table and I would pick it up here and there and crochet a row or 2 and put it back down.  This week, I decided that enough is enough and I just needed to get it off the table and finished it this morning. 

Christmas is in the air!

The season is definately changing.  It has been raining here for the last few days and it snowed in the mountains (which isn't that far away).  Oh how I'm wishing a had a baby girl in the family to spoil with dresses! 

This first dress has 100 clear beads on the skirt.  It reminds me of snowdrops melting.

#29

I have always loved Red and Black and Cream!  I think it is such a rich combination of colors.  For a while, that is what my wardrobe mostly consisted of, but luckily, I have branched out.

I wanted some red dresses out for Christmas and noticed the black ribbon in my stash, so Naturally...I couldn't resist.

#30

#31

That was my week's work of crochet.  Off to try out a boy's sweater pattern.  Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Pink Delights

I saw this cute little pink and white flowered ribbon at Walmart the other day and knew I had to use it for some dresses.  I really wish I would have started crocheting baby dresses 3 yrs ago...I wouldn't have had to buy any for my girls.  Now that I am out of spring colors, I will be working on Christmas dresses.  I hope everyone is having a good week.  Stay tuned for the Christmas results.

#27

#28

 

5 New Dresses

I made it to the store over the weekend and stocked up on ribbon and buttons.  I was able to complete these 5 dresses yesterday.  I really like the flower buttons on the yellow dress and I will use more like this in the future.  What do you think?

#22 Back

#22 Front

#23

#24

#25

#26
165 Beads

Green & Cream Dress

#21

This is one of my latest dresses.  Once again, I have many more that are ready to post, but have run out of ribbon.  I think I just need to buy out the store next time I go so I will have enough on hand. 

10% Discount

I am running out of room for all the items I have been making.  I wanted to get a booth in the local craft fair, but there isn't any more space.  I decided to offer a discount for my friends and followers, so right now in my Etsy shop, you can receive 10% off any order by using code: MYGIFTTOYOU
http://www.etsy.com/people/KatesCraftsnMore?ref=si_pr
Thanks for your support!

X Stitch Preemie Hat

I decided I better type up my pattern for the X Stitch Preemie hat before my toddlers destroy it.
These are really tiny, so if you want a variety of sizes since Preemies vary in size depending on how early they were born,  you can adjust your hook size to a larger hook. 

X Stitch Preemie Hat

Hook Size: G                                                                                        Gauge: 4 SC & 4 Rows = 1”
Materials: 1-2 oz Caron Simply Soft Yarn

Chain 2
Round 1: 6 SC in 2^nd ch from hook, join w/ sl st in 1^st SC

Round 2:  Ch 3, turn, 2 DC in 1^st SC, 3 DC in each of the next 5 SC, join w/ sl st in top of
                 Beginning ch 3 (18 stitches)

Round 3:  Ch 1, turn, 2 SC in each st around, (36 stitches) join with sl st

Round 4: Ch 3 turn *sk  next SC, DC in next 2 SC, DC in back in stitch just skipped*
                Repeat *to* around, (12 x stitches), Sl st in top of ch3

Round 5: Ch 1, turn, Sc in each st around (36 stitches)

Round 6-11: Repeat Round 4 & 5

Round 12: Ch 3, turn, DC in each SC around, join with sl st

Round 13: Ch 2, turn, DC around FP of next stitch, *DC around BP of next stitch, DC around FP of next stitch*  
                 Repeat from * around join with sl st in top of ch 2, Fasten off and weave in ends.

Butterfly Dress

I just created this Butterfly Dress over the last few days.  It took a few times of crochet and unraveling to get it how I wanted it.  I liked it as I was making it, but now that it's complete, I'm not sure what I think.  It looks different than I imagined...Anyone else run into this?  Maybe it will grow on me. 

A few more dresses to the closet

I have been so busy with canning spaghetti sauce and this coming week will be peaches that I lost track of time on my posts.  In between the canning, I have been able to make a few more dresses. The first one (purple) I used a pattern in a book that I have.  To be honest, I wasn't sure I liked all the ruffle when I finished it, but looking at the picture now,  I think I do.  I am one for simple patterns and while I liked teh look of this dress, I hated keeping track of which row I was on in the pattern.  So...the next 2 dresses were my own version of the pattern.  The blue and cream one, I like, but it is quite slim.  The Green and White one, I decided to try and make it a little more flowy and I think it worked.  I wrote the instructions down as I made it, but need to test them on another dress to make sure they are actually understandable before I type it all up.  If you would be interested in the pattern, please let me know.

Forest Green & White

The 4th dress I had seen on one of the websites that I frequent and loved it so I decided to purchase the  pattern from http://www.gocrochet.com/ to make for my girls.  It started out for my 1 1/2 yr old and I even used a smaller hook than was called for and I decided I must crochet much larger than the creator of the pattern.  As I finished the Yoke of the dress, I realized it would fit my 3yr old, so I comprimised and just adjusted the rest of the dress for her. So, I didn't actually follow the rest of the pattern - though I plan to on the next one. We tried it on her several times along the way to make sure it was still working.  This is the end result (minus the buttons...I don't have any large enough for the button holes yet)  I think it turned out quite cute, but I will be making up my own pattern for my younger daughter.

#19

Red Bead Dress

I finished this dress this morning and LOVE it!  There are over 200 red beads and I used a red ribbon to tie the back...The difference is, the others are left completely open in the back and this one I connected at the waist.  I am now in search of different color beads in order to have a good variety.  I almost purchased green the other day...I gues I should have...I might have to make a trip to the store and see if they are still there.