Blog slacker for sure

I seem to forget that this is here. So much has happened...divorce, new male friend, new hobbies/business. I have branched out to jewelry making. It is a great change for my hands and eyes.

Slacking off again

Well again i have been slacking off blogging. SInce my last post my daughter gave birth to my second grand daughter Ava Esmeralda in August. She was due in July but decided to wait and grow much bigger. Born at 8 pounds 13 ounces she matched her Uncle in size. I managed to make her a lovely blanket a modified baby tree of life. I am making a trip to see her in person in October until them i have to be satisfied with pictures posted on facebook by her mommy and daddy

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

So many times listening to music channels on night when nothinn is on tv i found myself on the classic christmas channel and at least once a day i heard the song "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" so when buying patterns for African FLower animals i had to have Happypotamus. and inspired by the song i give you Mistletoe. Made with size 10 crochet cotton in white, victory red and shaded christmas. He is 5 inches from to to top of ears and 10 inches from nose to rump.

Another Jelly Bean gift

Anyone who knows my daughter will understand. From her first birthday Melissa has loved ducks. Every holiday another duck came into my house. Well now that sheis expecting i decided to start early. I found as many duck crochet patterns i could and the first product off my hook booties. And of course as soon as big cousin Alexis saw them she had to have a pair too so off Meme's hook came a larger pair. THe baby pair have rattles in the heads and the bigger ones have hot glue lines on the bottom for a no slip grip. the pattern can be found here. The rattle is easy i took two small plastic bead boxes, put a few beads in them and taped them shut with packing tape. Once they were taped tight on all edges i wrapped the fiberfill around them and stuffed the head. So here is Alexis with her slippers and a close up of the baby size

Another critter

I shared the Fatty Lumpkin gift i made for my daughter with a military mothers group and got a request for a dinosaur for her upcoming grand son. So from this pattern i came up with this little guy named Steggy. He is done with size 10 crochet cotton and a 1mm hook. COlors are Kerry Green, GOlden Yellow and white

Jelly Bean's first picture and first Present

As promised i am spoiling our little "Jelly Bean" we have a first picture

and Jelly Bean's first Meme Present is a mini Fatty Lumpkin pony from this pattern made with size 10 crochet cotton and a 1mm hook. I call her Glory. My daughter calls her Fatty Lumpkin Jr.

Christmas gift

My Oldest daughter is in the Army. She is only 19 years old and joined right after graduation. THis year is the first that she is away from home. I miss her dearly but her gift to us this year is a precious and priceless one...she is pregnant! This Meme is over the top excited. We have had our beautiful Alexis for 3 and a half years and she is going to be joined by a cousin in July. THough she is far away...South Carolina....i plan on spoiling my "jelly bean" a small gift each month for the rest of his/her life.
No baby pictures yet but here is the expectant mom at her graduation from basic training in 2013

Sweater finished

I think i know why the Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots...i was busy making this Green Bay Packers sweater for a friend's grandson during the game. I am a bad fan. But the sweater turned out great the pattern is from Maggie's Crochet designed by Patti Davis designs called Go Team Go and can be purchased here. I used Red Heart SUper Saver in Hunter green and I Love this yarn in Yellow with a size E/3.5mm hook. The snaps  are from KAM Snaps the color is from the tugboat collection B10 SUnset yellow. You can order your own snap setter and snap set here.

Pony Mayhem

Well my goal to finish Christmas gifts before Thanksgiving is not going to be met. For a good reason....special requests. I did manage to get the two BIG things finished before Thanksgiving. African Flower Ponies. Many of those who know me know that i rarely spend money on a pattern but these patterns are well worth the price. Heidi Bears patterns are well written and easy to follow The three ponies are for Emerald, the photographer who took my son's senior pictures and Harlee. Their names are Orchid, Baby and Raspberry. All made with Red Heart Super Saver so they are about 19 inches from toe to top of head and about 22 inches form tail to nose...totally huggable.

I know i said i would blog a bit more! I am really not sure who would want to read about my life but well i'll give it a go. As a yarn artist...ok stop laughing those who know me...as a crocheter and knitter on a budget purchasing patterns is not always an option. So what do you do when you are asked by one of the people in your life to make something and you can't find a free pattern for it? Well in my case design my own. So that is what i did with these Christmas stockings. They were made to stuff and send away to military personnel  away from home at the holidays. a bunch of mini stockings were stuffed with candy, and Christmas novelties and shipped to Ft. Sam Houston to make a few Medic trainees smile. A larger one was shipped to a single sailor in tech school in FL who has no family support. and yet another went to a soldier in Washington state who could not make it home for Christmas. they are easy, fun and when stuffed with goodies can put a smile on any face.
They come in two sizes 4 inch perfect for gift cards or an ornament on a tree and 9 inch great for stuffing and sending

 this one is 4 inches tall made with Red Heart Holiday yarn green and silver

This one is 9 inches made with Red Heart Holiday yarn Green and gold

Now for the pattern
 Please do not represent the patterns as your own. Feel free to sell the finished items but consider making one or two to donate as well.

Mini Stocking

Mini Stocking
finished size approx 4 inches tall and 4 inches wide at toe
Worsted weight yarn two colors stocking color and white
H hook
Stocking make 2
Chain 11
Row 1 working through both loops sc in 2nd chain from hook and each across, ch 1 turn (10 sc)
Row 2-6 sc in each sc across ch 1 turn (10 sc)
Row 7 decrease at beginning and end of row ch 1 turn (8 sc)
Row 8-9 sc in each across ch 1 turn (8sc)
Row 10 sc in each across at end of row ch 6 then turn
Row 11 skip the first chain sc in each ch and sc across ch 1 turn (13 sc)
Row 12 sc in each sc across to last sc 2sc in last ch 1 turn (14 sc)
Row 13-16 sc in sc across ch 1 turn (14 sc)
Row 17 decrease at beginning and end of row ch 1 turn (12 sc)
Row 18 sc across do not ch (12 sc)
finish off leaving long end for sewing
whip stitch both halves together
crochet a chain of 10 for a hanger with the end of the yarn used to whipstitch and weave in ends edging
Rnd 1 Holding stocking with toe away from you attatch yarn with sl st to front loop of any stitch ch 1 sc in each sc and
joined space at seam around slip stitch to the first sc ch 1 ensure you have an even number of stitches
rnd 2-4 sc in each sc around join with slip stitch
Rnd 5 ch 2, 2 HDC in same stitch as sl stitch skip next sc slip stitch in the next (ch 2, 2HDC in same stitch) around join with a slip stitch in the first sl stitch finish off weave in ends and fold cuff over

Large Stocking

Large Stocking
finished size approx 9 inches tall and 8 inches wide at toe
Worsted weight yarn two colors stocking color and white and H hook
Make 2
Ch 21
Row 1 working through both loops Sc in second ch from hook and each ch across ch 1 turn (20 sc)
Row 2-15 Sc in each sc across ch 1 turn (20 sc)
Row 16 decrease at the beginning and end of row ch 1 turn (18 sc)
Row 17-19 sc across ch 1 turn (18 sc)
Row 20 sc across ch 11 turn (18 sc and 11 ch)
Row 21 sc in second ch from hook and each ch and sc across ch 1 turn (28 sc)
Row 22 sc in each sc to end 2 sc in last sc ch 1 turn (29 sc)
Row 23-32 sc in each sc across ch 1 turn (29 sc)
Row 33 decrease in beginning and end of row ch 1 turn (27 sc)
Row 34 repeat row 33 (25 sc)
Row 35 sc in each sc across finish off leaving tail for sewing
Sew together and use the tail to sc a hanger of ch 20 sew it down
edging With White
Rnd 1 Holding stocking with toe away from you attatch yarn with sl st to front loop of any stitch ch 1 sc in each sc and
joined space at seam around slip stitch to the first sc ch 1 ensure you have an even number of stitches
rnd 2 HDC in each sc around join with slip stitch
Rnd 3-4 HDC in each HDC around join with slip stitch
Rnd 5 ch 3, 2 DC in same stitch as sl stitch skip next sc slip stitch in the next (ch 3, 2DC in same stitch) around join with a slip stitch in the first sl stitch finish off weave in ends and fold cuff over.

©2014 Christine Frazier. This pattern is for personal use only. Please do not post the pattern on the internet or claim it as your own. Items made from this pattern be made by you for charity, gifts, or sale. DO not claim the pattern as your own. Please give credit to me as the designer with all sales

if you prefer a PDF of this pattern it can be downloaded from Ravelry

well i am going to try this again. I am really a slacker but i would love a place to host my free crochet patterns and to perhaps get some more exposure for causes and other designers. So look for my free patterns to appear as i manage to figure this blogging thing out!

I am a blog slacker

I feel like a blogging failure it has been forever since i posted anything but the holidays kept me busy. How busy you ask well...I made scrunchies for all my cousin's little girls, well the older ones. The youngest got a tea set. The boys got little ami critters from Gourmet Crochet Snips and snails

and for the uncle whose name i picked for Christmas...my own design of his favorite sports team the New England Patriots.

Finished another item for Harlee

I finally finished a pattern by Crochetsal on Crochetville called Neeneer and here it is on Harlee.

Finished Item

this is the back of Harlee's dress this is the front of Harlee's dress

Well my brother in law returned from Iraq June 10th. Now that there is a new addition to te family...my niece Emerald the family needs new pictures. SO I decided to make Harlee the 2 year old a "princess dress" for the portrait. I picked out a beautiful pattern from Annie's Favorite Thread Projects, my sister bought the threaad color she wanted and away I go. Well now it is about 3 months later and the dress is done. I am proud of myself for finishing it in plenty of time and hopefully it fits.

Scorpion Test

Another great perk of belonging to Crochetville is the exposure to great designers like Kathryn White, Sally Ives and others. They like to have a pattern tested by a few fresh eyes to make sure that the patterns are mistake free before they sell them. This month I tested a scorpion doll for Sally and i have to say that this is another great design by Sally. I have tested for her before and also purchased soem of her patterns here and she is one of my favorite designers. well Her design used red google eyes that were a bit smaller than the ones I had on hand but I like the big ones i used, they make him a little less scary. This guy is going to live with my Nephew Spenser by way of Grandma's house this weekend.

Summer Secret pal Swap

Crochetville is an amazing online community of Crocheters. We chat, support and spoil eachother. This time of year is Summer Camp Time...not real camp but virtual Crochet camp and I am happily a Muskego Mosquito. Another Mosquito is sending me secret packages of camping goodies and look at what she sent me. I got stickers, snacks, games, pranks, yarn, notebooks, great candles that smell like cherry blossoms, a pretty little porcelin tea set and goodies for my Alpaca Allie. So I am getting spoiled by someone i do not know and in return I am spoiling someone who does not know who I am. Secret Pal get it? It is so much fun trying to figure out who it is while also trying to keep my identity a secret.

Kit and Kaboodle 2

Cat is amazing...she sent me the perfect hook set from motion magique . it is an interchangable set with an egg handle. so comfortable and no more hand fatigue.

Thanks bunches Cat.

Kit and Kaboodle Part 1

So there is this great place called Crochetville where crochet addicts like me get together and talk crochet, trade tips and ideas and join swaps. My most recent swap is the Whole Kit and Kaboodle and all I can say is wow. My partner for this swap is Cat (Catlizg on the ville) nad she is sending my kit and kaboodle in three stages. this is about stage 1.

First the note tells me that this is the first of three boxes and that I am to use the items in this box to relax and get ready for the rest of the boxes. Ok now i keep digging on top is a package of rawhide toys for my dogs..that should keep them busy while i relax. now teas from Gloria Jean in yummy flavors and some Arizona Iced tea tubs green tea and caffiene free green tea. some chocolate bars, facial masks a very pretty brightly colored terra Cotta pot with a tiny bottle of perfume in it a nicely colored crocheted bookmark, a pretty black and white journal and the best gift anyone could give me...a Jimbo Chophook. Jimbo is a very talented woodworker who handmakes wooden crochet hooks and the one i got is one he carved out of a wooden chopstick that he gives for a donation to help Axe Ataxia . And Cat sent me one. I am so thrilled and honored that she did this for me. so the picture is my very own chophook laying on the pretty fabric that it was rolled up in. I have already used it to make a rectangle for the 6x9 rectangle charity for wounded soldiers and omg it is lovely to work with. Thanks again Cat.

Another day in the life

Today started bad...another job that i did not get. My phone rang at 9 am and it was the office i interviewed at Tuesday morning. It was a thanks but we hired someone else call. again. So off to browse openings and send out more resumes. and good news I have a phone interview tuesday morning. yay!!! now on to crochet...Currently I am trying to finish a dress for my two year old niece. Her Daddy is coming home from Iraq soon and my sister wants the family to have pictures taken not too long after. So TumTum (me) said well I can make Harlee a great dress..So off to Walmart for thread my sister went and five skeins of peach DMC traditions came to me...did i mention that DMC traditions is not mercerized yuck. Now three and a half months later the dress looks like a dress. but far from done. I am plugging away

Also in progress...A bikini for my 13 year old daughter. I wil post that one when finished on the model. Wish me luck

First post

Well I have decided to join the blogging world. I always thought that nobody would want to read about me and my "stuff" but what the heck at least i can keep track of things that happen to me right? So here goes.

Today we decided to adopt a one year old Jack russel terrier. Whitey is currently in a home with an older couple and he is bored and lonley. In our house he has another dog, our Baby Girl a nine pound chihuahua/terrier cross, two kitties, Uma and Boo, three older kids well 17 13 and 10, and he has me since i am not working right now and not sure when or even if I am going to.

As for our Baby Girl well she is definitly asserting her dominance and letting him know who is boss. This is as close as they would get together today.