Crochet Me Crazy

Sewed the button on my coffee mug cozy and made the other towel topper...



Here's the pattern I've been using as a guideline for my coffee cozies: Cup Cozy Tutorial

Then, I decided instead of making another mug cozy and towel topper for a gift, I changed it to fingerless gloves instead. I made two pair.



I sewed the buttons on the Mickey Mouse hat so this one is ready to wrap up...


1 hat - have to finish by Christmas

1 button neck cowl - finish before Christmas

I feel a lot better now that got that out of the way. Now all I have left to do is a buttoned neck cowl and the red/white hat. Then next week, we'll get on with the Christmas fun! We're going to decorate cookies and make Gingerbread houses!

Yesterday, was a busy day. I cooked chicken and dumplings and we decorated the christmas tree and wrapped presents. I woke up feeling a little icky so I was having a hard time. We had a big mess all over the house and we had to get it all cleaned up.

Alison is so sweet. How many 16 year olds do you know that buy Christmas presents for all of her family and friends with their own money! And she buys good presents too! She was wrapping her presents. She's always so thoughtful.



She saw this Mickey Mouse hat for her "new" nephew and wanted him to have it early so he got to open it yesterday. He LOVES Mickey Mouse!



It was so fun and easy to shop for Brennan this Christmas! I think Alison ended up buying him 4 presents and I bought him 4 things and I crocheted him a Mickey Mouse Ears hat...speaking of which, I need to take a picture of that! It's fun having little ones around for Christmas! Mine are not so little anymore!

Today I got a big order from a friend for Christmas presents. Mostly of stuff I had already crocheted but I had to make another Cluster Stitch Cowl (just like the brown one I already posted). I'm also busy trying to get stuff made for Christmas presents.

I've got a scarf for my son's wife and the cowl I made today to get pictures of but I did get this Christmas gifts finished tonight and managed to get a picture before I head to bed. I'm going to try to get another one of these sets made this week for Alison's dance teacher. And I also have to get another scarf finished by Friday that is a Christmas gift.



I will put something in the mug...either some coffee or I'm thinking of making these Cream Cheese Mints...I vaguely remember having something like this as a kid and thinking they were wonderful. Anyway, worth a try since it can't get much easier!



Cream Cheese Mints

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
exactly 1/2 teaspoon peppermint or spearmint extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth,
add the extract and some of the powdered sugar and
mix until combined well. Then add the remaining sugar
and mix until well combined.

Shape into 1/2" balls and place them on a parchment
lined cookie sheet. Press flat with a fork and then
chill until ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator
in an airtight container for up to two weeks or
freeze for up to two months.

Recently, in November, a photographer friend of mine generously took our pictures. She took some amazing photos for us. I love this picture of Alison with her horse she posted for us today....depicts Alison and her horses bond beautifully.

What a nice day today was...Jeff was off today and we took it easy most of the day. Alison took went riding on Magic....



Piddled around most of the day and got a few things done but nothing stressful. Jeff added wire to the rest of the fence in our yard so now Gracie has the whole yard to roam around in. She ventured out into her new area a little bit. Now she has more grass to graze on. She tried to follow me out the gate when I left tonight and Jeff said after I left she ran around the yard for 5 minutes. She ran to look out the gate and then ran to the other gate. Are you sure she was looking for me or did the car starting scare her? Jeff said he's pretty sure she was looking for me. I'm going to have to take this deer with me wherever I move now. This adds a degree of difficulty to things now doesn't it? I love her so much though.




I even crocheted a little bit today. Alison makes cards that she sells in a shop in town. I decided to see if I could crochet some stuff for her to use on her cards. I'll post some pictures of the cards when she gets them made.



I took pictures of these potholders that I made a few weeks ago....



Here are a couple of new things my son has made recently...great job again!

Our boss just told us that we only have to feed the horses one time a day for a little while because there is grass in the pastures -- well, this couldn't come at a better time! I was going to have to try to feed the horses earlier... then take Alison to the stables... then come back home and let the horses out...then clean the stalls...then go back to the stables and work. Now, I don't have to worry about the morning feeding so I won't have to come back home after dropping Alison off. This is good news! Summertime will be a different story...I just hope we can manage to keep them happy out here where we live this summer with us being gone all the time during the day!

Today was a completely yucky and COLD day! Yesterday, it was warm enough to wear shorts and then all of a sudden, the wind started gusting and a cold front blew in and we had a storm last night. It was either hail or sleet. Jeff said it was still piled up on the roads when he left this morning. Well, there goes the plan for bathing the white horses today! Can't do it now that it is cold and I hate to see how muddy they all are today! We are supposed to get some more rain. That's good but bad too. The trail rides start tomorrow and the weather is not cooperating! Alison is so excited to work at the stables this week. We lose an hour of sleep tonight plus I have to get up earlier so I'm going to bed early tonight!

I have made a couple more of these that I haven't taken pictures of yet. Just something that I can sit down and do for a couple of minutes here and there. I guess it's a potholder? LOL!

FRONT:



BACK:

Well, I've pretty much decided to give up on the particular afghan pattern I was working on. The pattern is extremely confusing. My edges are un-even.

I haven't had this problem since I first started crocheting! I'm going to take this all out and either go back to the drawing board or I'm going to start on the one from the Crochet World Mag.

Here is a picture of a potholder that I finished.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!! May the new year be full of happiness and health!

I only added one more row to the wool eater pattern I had started. Here's what I ended up with. I'm about to go back to this and turn it into a pot holder.



I wanted to use up some yarn scrap balls so I started another one. I made two of them and crocheted them together and made this potholder.

Here's the front:



Here's the back:

We've been really busy doing some projects around the house. Jeff re-textured the bedroom walls and we're painting in there and the kitchen. It's taking me forever because I have to do it a little at a time when I get some free moments. I have gotten some crocheting done at night. I finished another baby blanket. I still haven't taken a picture of that or two hat and scarf sets that I finished a long time ago but forgot to take pictures of.

Since I have a shiny, newly painted kitchen I figured I need some new potholders to go along with it! My old ones were some of my very first crochet projects and I made them out of worsted weight acrylic yarn. They've seen better days!



I'll probably make a few more and whatever I don't use, I'll throw into the tub with the rest of my completed projects I've got saved.

I'm trying to finish up some project I've got going before I start anything new. Finished this last night and a bath mat. I haven't taken a picture of the bath mat yet. Then, I'm going to dig to see what else I need to finish before I start on any new inspirations! I hate having a dozen unfinished projects around!

I plan on getting out of the house today to visit the homeschooling store. I'm planning on a change in curriculum next year for the kids. I've been spending lots of time online reading reviews and trying to narrow my search down. The kids are will be winding up this school year soon and are right on track to finish at the end of May. We are using computer based Alpha Omega Publications - Switched-On Schoolhouse this year but I believe Alison needs a little variety next year. Doing everything on the computer is convenient for me and has probably been okay for 1 year time but that's enough of that!

I made this kitchen towel for myself! Seems like I hardly every make anything for myself! Maybe the kids won't walk away with this one since it is attached!


Crochet kitchen towel