Hats, Scarves & Mittens For The Family – Published

My newest booklet of patterns is out! Hats, Scarves and Mittens For The Family through Annie’s Attic!

Oh I am so thrilled with this! The family looks incredible… the photography is phenomenal.. that little guy steals the show though!

Look at those baby blues on that little guy! So adorable… Here is another one of the photos on the inside of the other set not shown on the front:

Looks like this is ready and available for purchase! To see more of the photos on the inside, go to the the pattern page here, and then click on “view more photos.”

Pattern Spotted

Thank you to one of my Moderators- Sarah for spotting this publication for me…! This is the Granny Afghan I made and it looks like it ended up in the hands of Mary Maxim!


What I really like about this afghan is the border.. brings out the colors in the flowers. I had a lot of fun designing it- and it was my first time designing an afghan of square motifs. Looks like they are selling it as a kit. You can see it here: Baby Granny Blanket 

Garter Update:

I really did not think that this garter would have been such a hit.

So guess what is in testing?? This garter! So to all of you who have written me, this pattern will be released :) I cannot give a time, but I know one of my testers is about finished with the testing.. so only a few more to go, and then I will rephotograph the one I have remade since I made a few minor changes. Nothing drastic, just a few small details from the original. So keep on the lookout for it. Any suggestions for a name? Let me hear ’em if you have any! Post them here, or email me.

Do you think I should make this into a set? What other kinds of patterns (wedding type) are you seeking? I was thinking maybe a ring bearer pillow… maybe a little purse? Let me know your thoughts!

More to come soon!….

Wedding Update

The wedding was beautiful.. My sister looked beautiful.. Too bad I “forgot my camera” at my parents house when I went to the wedding. Later, I realized, it was with me, just at the bottom of the bag!!! Note to self, buy camera bag. That shall be going on my wishlist!

As for the dilemma with my top, I have to give major thanks to Lara’s (the bride) hair/ makeup lady, Ryan. Ryan was a life saver. She went to the bridal shop, found a different top that had the back raised enough to hopefully allow a bra. Unfortunately, it was strapless, but  by that time, I did not care and was desperate. She got the  first pink one in the set of top photos:

It worked :) In addition to getting me the top.. she got me 3 bras- and wow.. I never knew such contraptions existed! She brought it to me, in a perfect size, and geesh, there were more parts to this thing than to my kids’ lego sets! It had extenders, clear straps, adjustable straps, ways to make it criss cross, over the shoulder, use as a strapless.. the whole works!!  She did warn me, once it is on, it will be staying on.. and wow was she right.. had to have my mom help getting it off, crazy, but wow… talk about a lift.. Ryan was a magician. I kid you not…

When the dress was sort of slightly showing the bra, out Ryan pulled some double sided tape, that sticks to the bra, then sticks to the dress… I sort of whimpered about one side being a bit bigger than the other.. and what did she pull out of her magic bag? Some sort of plastic baggy blown up thing that you can sit in your bra to have some sort of balance. Can I say wow? I dared peeking in her bag to see what other goodies she had, but most likely they would end up being beyond my grasp..

anyway before I go into any more detail for those readers that may be squeamish.. THANK You RYAN for coming to my rescue!!

Here are a few snapshots though that I got of the rehearsal and the morning getting ready :)

Here is my grandma (the one who taught me sc and dc) with my daughter:

And here she is with my son (yes, he is quite tall, surpassed me at age 10! And lookie! His hair has grown back!)

Here is the phenomenal priest. He is from Kilimanjaro in Africa. He was amazing.. For a moment, I wasn’t sure where I was.. His words were so wise, and so uplifting. At the reception, he amazed me further. He sung an African song, and I cannot remember the name of it, but I was taken away. The moment he began singing, everyone at the reception began clapping to the music as each one was carried away… I wish the song lasted longer as I was captivated.

Later at the reception, he sat down and chatted with me for a bit, and I told him how in awe I was at his song, and how interested I am in learning about other cultures. He told me if I ever come to Africa, he would be my guide. So now, I need to email him (I got his email and address in Africa) and find out what that song was and learn more about it.

It is kind of neat, learning about other cultures and practices. I remember when I was a kid, maybe 6 or 7, and I would beg my parents every time we went to Wisconsin Dells to take me to the Indian Ceremonial.. I just could not get enough of it.

I do know they had a videographer.. So I will need to get permission from the taping people to see if I could post him singing that song on my blog :) Keep checking back, because I assure you, that is something you do NOT want to miss!

Tada.. here is the bride, getting ready that morning- and that is Ryan, doing her hair.

And here is the little flower girl and ring bearer at the rehearsal :) They were playing some ‘jammin tunes!

And lastly, here is another shocker (something is always new when I go to Chitown)… They now have TVs at the gas pumps! Err, yes, if you did not know that.. you can now watch TV, hah! I was blown away.. my mom was laughing her head off at me, but I tell ya, I just could not believe it.. So I guess it is their way to get your mind off of how much $$$ is going into the tank… Here is my mom by the TV (?!? TVs at the gas pumps!)

I will keep you all posted on that song from the priest.. and more publication stuff to tell you about that is coming out and that has already come out!

Lara’s Heirloom Wedding Garter

My sister is getting married this weekend, for those that have not read previous posts. The entire wedding is handmade, pretty much. Everything from the Bridal Shower invitations, to her wedding dress… I totally jumped right in and volunteered to make her garter. I would have also liked to have made my daughter’s flower girl dress, but they got one for her. I wish I had thought of it earlier, as I am sure I would have been able to make one…

Anyway, I had been working on this garter for a while and just was not satisfied. Yesterday I finally came up with an idea and it just kept going and going, and going. It is going to be a Catholic wedding, and they are very devout Catholics, so I somehow wanted to incorporate this.

I attached a sterling silver cross to the garter, with 2 bows on each side. In the center of each bow is a light blue swarovski pearl. Each pearl signifies one of them, with the cross between uniting them. This cross can then later be removed, and used for their first child’s baptism. Then the garter and cross can be passed down as a tradition. I really hope she likes it :)

I have not made this into a pattern, though I could, if there is enough demand. Or, maybe I could write a pattern up similar to this one. Hah, I kind of want to keep this for myself!!

Busty, ouch….Flat pancakes.

I got the dress in for my sister’s wedding (which is next weekend) and tried the dress on. My sister chose a particular color, and they were all mix and match separates. Unfortunately for this color, it was very limited in the kinds of tops one could choose, at least for my body style. All sleeveless. (My arms are definitely not state of the art). You could choose spaghetti straps, or halter straps etc. I chose halter straps, they were thicker, and I hoped would provide for more coverage.

Looks like all the tops are backless (could not see the backs online in the preview- they only showed front.. silly if you ask me)… I am quite busty, and after nursing my daughter, I still have NOT gone back to pre-nursing size… I think they are here to stay, which is not such a bad thing.. but for this dress… it is a bad thing. I ordered a size 16. I normally wear a 14, (which is also what I wear in jeans, and is also I always wear an XL/1X in tops). My sister is up in Chicago, so I had to order..

Welp, can we say squished pancakes? This is a nightmare. On top of it, it is a Catholic wedding (that means l.o.n.g. wedding). When I first saw the dresses, I saw one bolero that I could have possibly got, but eh, it was to me, not very flattering, so I opted not to get it. It just looked like 70’s airplane wings ready to take off. Well, maybe not.

So, since I had to order, could not try it on before ordering.. I did not want to go too big, so figured one size up (16) from a 14 that I regularly wear. I do not know if it is this style, but the top is very constricting.

Here is what I had to choose from:

Here were my choices:


I chose second from the last (the center red one). Looks like the most coverage, and maybe the possibility of being able to wear a bra…

Nopers.

Now mind you, I was really pleased we were able to choose something, maybe have an outfit or something we “could” wear again. And they ARE beautiful tops and quite a choosing..! Unfortunately, all of these styles, just were not working with my body.

Getting worried about the dress and my arms in dire need of some attention, and the possible bra situation… I asked my sister if I could make something to wear… So, I have um, 5 days to design myself something, in plus size that will cover me, yet not make me stick out from the rest. Sigh. Wish I were a size 2. Well, no, which I were a size 8, I think that is a nice size :)

I could just make a stole.. I do have plenty of size 10 thread. Bolero? Shrug (I really do not like shrugs). Have NO idea how I will even be able to fit a bra in a space that a molecule cannot even fit into. I have been online all weekend, looking for something that may work, but the back of this dress is so low cut, not even a strapless will do… Backless?!? Is there such a thing in my size? Something tells me the forces of gravity will more than happily intervene with that.

Stole may also give me some coverage in the belly area.. if I wrap it around myself a few times and mummify myself. Maybe there is a bra with a clear back strap? Wonder…
This is going to be one interesting challenge for me to figure out by Friday. Please send any thoughts your way or suggestions… post em here.. email, this is going to be quite, quite interesting.

I’m just going to chop off the straps of a bra and the back and super glue the cups to the dress . They definitely will not be going anywhere! (So much for the accuracy of my previous post of me being the Prophet Soul… : “No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way…”)

What Kind Of Soul Are You?

You are at the right place (maybe?)… Playing around with templates so you may be seeing things 😛

Every so often, I like taking these little quizes.. here is one of them… I would have to say that I think it is right on. Except for the last part about not necessarily being a doer.. I am quite the doer, an impulsive one at that… So, now, the bigger question is… Any single bright stars or dreaming souls out there?? :)

If you take the quiz, let me know what you get!

What Kind Of Soul Are You Quiz
You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone.

Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people.

Sometimes this faith can lead to disappointment in the long run.

No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way.

You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle.

Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people’s feelings.

A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning.

You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer.

Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind Of Soul Are You Quiz

Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away…

I love Enya, especially Orinoco Flow.. Anytime I see a photo of water, or boats, that song just echoes in the back… I think I have all of Enya CDs. So soothing, so relaxing, and it just plain puts me in a darn good mood!

This photo was sent in to me by Shannon. She worked up the Chimes Of The Sea pattern (overalls for boys and girls). He looks like he is ready to go on an adventure across the sea! I thought she used black and white for the colors, and told her I would have never of thought of that color combination.. but actually, she used navy blue. (Need to get a new monitor one of these days!!). Turned out incredibly adorable, yet “manly,” and the setting right by the river just captured a little story of this little guy… Ahoy! Thank you Shannon for sending this in to me!

Publication: Interweave Crochet, Summer 2008

Summer Daisy Sundress

Is now released in the summer of 2008 issue of Interweave Crochet!

Summer Daisy Sundress On Ravelry 

(Cover of this issue- I LOVE that shawl!)

Summer Daisy Sundress:


I had a lot of fun designing this dress. For a while now, I had a dress sketched that would begin at the top with little flower motifs, and then work down into the front and back panel, and then work from there in the rnd from the waist down.

Originally, I had an eyelet rnd right below the motifs on each panel. But I decided to scrap that, as the idea came to me of an embellished ribbon. Weaving this embellished ribbon through the eyelets was just not working. Some of the flowers of the ribbon would end up behind a post of a st, and just look all wonky and out of shape. I liked this idea more, not only because my little string of ribbon daisies did not look all crinkled in any old way, but that it gives a lot of versatility to the crocheter when choosing an embellished ribbon.

I then debated- should I have the ribbon below the motifs, or right above the waist? To be different, I chose right below the motifs, since so many patterns (including my own) have the “eyelet” portion at the waist.

What is also nice, is that since this dress works from the top down, the length is highly customizable! Babies and tots come in so many shapes and sizes, so this works out great. I also decided to go with ties at the shoulders… This not only makes it customizable, but very versatile.. She can wear this all year round, whether as a jumper in the spring and fall with a little tee or shirt beneath, and as a sundress in the hot humid days of summer.

My favorite part of this dress is the little scalloped daisies at the bottom.. The “pleated illusion” just sets the tone for the eye wandering down to these dainty little flowers at the bottom.

This issue of Interweave Crochet is fantastic! There are so many wonderful patterns… First, my favorite, is the Flirty ’30s Tank Top! By Mary Beth Temple.

I am so in love with this top, and the bigger sizes took me in… Up to a size 50 bust! With the dainty scalloped straps with a ribbon woven through, and just the sheer drape of it, this tank is totally my style, and it will actually end up being the first garment I ever make for myself :) I will show photos when I get it done. I think what closed it hands down of me making this was Mary Beth Temple’s suggestion of wearing a little top beneath! (ya!) Now the waiting game for this issue to arrive in my mailbox!

I love Sir Stephen, The Bunny.. I want to make him for myself.. so cute! I also love the Queen Anne’s Lace Blouse, another garment exactly my style. What was neat is that they had this special include a section on babies! (Hence, the bunny) But also, Ellen Gormley has a baby dress in there, Baby Blues… and there is the Just Enough Blanket. There are so many great patterns in this issue.. but then Interweave does rock :) Be sure to get your hands on an issue if you have not already subscribed!

A little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That…

I have been getting photos in my email from a customer, Cindy, of something very unique and different. She has combined 3 of my dress patterns into one to create her very own christening gown.

I love to receive photos of my patterns being worked… Always makes me smile to know people are enjoying my creations. But this one made my jaw drop…

Here are some photos of what she has done. She took The yoke and overlay from the Princess Of Twilight pattern, the sleeves from the Fairytale Keepsake Dress, and then finally, the body from the Seaside Fairy Sundress pattern and combined them all into one. She also added in some unique beading into the yoke overlay- absolutely exquisite!

Here is a link to her post on her blog: After One More Row


Pretty neat, isn’t it? I think it is turning out absolutely beautiful, and I cannot wait to see the final finished results, and on the little darling!! Her stitches are remarkable, and this will definitely become an heirloom to pass down!

On another note.. the blog has gone through a face lift. I am not so sure I am crazy about the colors, but I think they may grow on me. It is definitely more simple than my last template… I do like this one a lot more. What do you think??

I think giving this blog an updated theme will also encourage me to blog more. It is just a matter of spacing out time for things, and this is one place that has been neglected. I think I have figured out a way to do this, with my schedule and (hah or lack thereof) … I have so many things to write about.. So when something comes to mind, I have a little notebook.. then I will make a goal (a certain # of times a week to blog) and choose one of my topics I have jotted down. We shall see how well this works :)

Have a happy Sunday all!