I crocheted a little hat today and placed a ribbon through the loops. I made it for a special girl turning 8.  The ribbon has little pink purls along the edges.  The ribbon has wire in it, but I snipped the last 1/4 inch off so it would not scratch the skin.  The pictures do not do the hat justice.  It is actually 2 red strands with one ballet pink fancy ribbon plied to this manufactured yarn.

Finally you get to see the completed pumpkin pillows.  The stems are made from cotton fabric with a little rick rack decoration on it.  The pillow in the back is a brick red, but it shows up as a magenta.  The dark pumpkin pillow is one from Pier 1.  I think it looks classier; however, I do like the orange color of mine better.  I was able to make 3 of my version for about the same price as one from Pier 1.  I used 1/2 a yard of baby dot fleece fabric for all 3.  I started with 18" squares and cut circles out of the squares. Then I gathered the tops about 1/2" from the edge.  I used fabric glue to hold them in place after I gathered them with 4 threads.  Before I glued the tops, I stuffed the pillows with polyester fiberfill.  I figured the pillows would not stay gathered if they were used with normal wear and tear.  (We are not too delicate at our home.)  All 3 tops were made with one fat quarter of fabric.  (For non-sewers, a fat quarter is 1/4 of a yard of fabric measured as an 18" square.  I sewed the stems with a sewing machine, stuffed them with polyester fiberfill, and sewed them onto the pumpkin bases by hand once the glue dried.  I used less than 2 packages of polyester fiberfill for the pillow bases and stems.  No pumpkin or stem is the same as another, so I didn't care if one had a lump here or there or a stem was bent.  

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Blessings to you and yours!  Dawn

Pumpkin Batt Table Decoration

I was going to make a pillow using a velvet-like fabric for the  pumpkin and cotton fabric for the stem.  All would be stuffed with polyester fiberfill.  I purchased one from Pier 1 about a month ago and is a wonderful pillow, but not real big.  I thought 2 or 3 would be nice to have for the holidays.  As I started looking at the fabric, I remembered that I made an orangish  colored batt to take to Twist, my local yarn store.  (For those people that do not spin, a batt is a group of fibers combed together and ready to be spun.)  I haven't made it there yet, but I thought this batt would make a perfect table decoration.  It has a little Mylar in it, so it catches the light and gives off a pretty shine.  I also put some gathered orange tulle under it to add a little orange pizzazz.  I will post the pillows a little later, but I had to share this pumpkin now.

Blessings to you and yours!  Dawn

Knit and Crochet Markers

All the questions about knit and crochet markers you were afraid to ask.  (Probably you were afraid to ask just in case I would engage you in a long conversation you didn't want to have.  LOL)

If you knit or crochet, sooner or later you will use a pattern that will require a marker.  Sometimes it is just to mark the beginning of a row, and other times you will need several markers.  The best markers are more individualized in taste and project.  A safety pin, an o ring, a plastic ring, or a ring of yarn will work, but usually I look for something a little prettier.  Since I buy  pretty knitting needles, I want my markers to look nice too.  I prefer one that does not get caught in my yarn, so snag proof is best, but not the only criteria.  I may desire something to match what I am making, so I can look for a certain color when I choose one.  If I am knitting with wool, I like to use the individually made sheep markers --- black and white.  I have purchased markers in the past to match the needles before.  The pink flamingos had matching needles.  The needles and the markers were not made by the same artist, but they were closely matching.  The needles did not last long because the skinny legs of the flamingos popped off of the needles.  Some markers are sold individually and some are sold in sets.  Through the years, I usually loose one or two, so it adds a little fun to a project when you mismatch your markers.  I have received free markers when I purchased a magazine.  It is always nice to get free things.  (I always wondered what happened to the markers that were on magazines that were not sold.  I guess that is another blog.  LOL)  There are stitch markers just made for knitting.  Those are usually o  shaped, but can have decorations hanging from them.  The ones with a little hook are intended for crocheting.  There are some made as an o and they also have an opening.  These intended for both knit and crochet projects.  One of the samples in my picture has a wire going into a bead, but it does not go all the way through.  Each side just goes through the bead a little way.  Those markers loose the beads since the wire is not stiff enough to keep from bending easily.  Plastic and metal are the normal ring materials, but beads can be made from a variety of materials.  (glass, plastic, stone, Sculpey)  My favorite markers are the ones with the tiny pink cameos dangling and the hand made glass sheep markers, both the white and black.

Do you use markers and what are your favorites?

Blessings to you and yours!  Dawn
 

Priceless Photo and Much More

Dylan and Joy.

Dylan and Yang

We all have those pictures that warm the heart and then we have those that bring a smile to the face.  You know the goofy ones.  All of us have had a photo taken where we looked like the village idiot.  Tonight I have one of the heart warming and one of the other to show you.  We purchased a hat and scarf for Yang, one of our dogs.  Yang was modeling the hat for the camera.  The hat has two light reflecting stripes on the top, so the camera light gives off a glare from this hat.  Both of our little dogs are from the pound and each of them are missing a couple of teeth.  When teeth are missing in a small dog, his or her tongue tends to slip out of the usual place.  Yang also has a little bit of a cataract, so it shows up a little different too.  Due to the cute little tongue sticking out of Yang's mouth, my son calls Yang his "special little boy." 

I also finished making a knitted scarf.  The yarn is one of those I picked up at a store that buys store close outs.  The yarn is a pretty blue with little black specks on a thin netting type of material in the yarn.  I made a caterpillar type scarf with a loop on one side to slip over a vintage black button embellished with rhinestones on the other side.

I am blessed to work a large apartment community which is surrounded by a lake.   Even though we are still in the city, we are surrounded by the lake, mature trees, and a couple of farm fields.  This keeps out or buffers some of the street traffic noise and allows me to maintain a calmer disposition.  (Something I really need.)  I am sending you a calming photo.  

Gardening Idea:  Let the squash climb over the porch swing and shade the top when the fabric top wears out.

May the Lord Bless You and Yours!  Dawn