Baby Owl

peek-a-boo!

This is my newest creation! I made this baby owl to go along with some burp cloths I plan to sell on Etsy. I figured that having a little baby rattle to go along with them might make the items stand out from the crowd (there are lots of burp cloths for sale on Etsy!)

I had so much fun trying to translate the cute little owlets from the fabric into a 3-D ami... and he turned out just how I wanted!

I love everything about him, right down to his round belly and little toes!

Blog Review - Cocoa Cream's Craft Closet

Today we're exploring the world of Cocoa Cream's Craft Closet. Cocoa is a crochet aficionado, photographer, seamstress, and designer. Her blog shows off her finished projects, patterns, photos, tutorials, and her lovable kitties (along with other, general, life-stuff). We're focusing on the crochet side of her blog today, but be sure to check it all out for inspiration in other areas!

Cocoa has a long-time love for crochet. She often uses her talents to produce gifts for family and friends, while still working on a thing or two for herself! She doesn't have a huge repertoire of patterns available to the public, but the patterns Cocoa has posted on her blog are all beautiful!

Below you will find Cocoa's email interview.

How long have you been crocheting?
I started crocheting when I was about 13, so I guess that would be 14 years ago now. My grandmother taught me how to crochet rugs using a hand-carved wooden hook and strips of old material sewn together. I didn't begin crocheting with yarn until college when a friend taught me how to make a scarf. After that, I just started teaching myself basic stitches using old pattern books my mother had.

What's the project you're most proud of?
Hmmm...that's a tough one! I am very proud of the first wearable I made, a Circle Jacket from Caron designed by Doris Chan. It was a big step for me to go beyond the basic rectangles and circles and make something lacy and feminine to wear.

What's your favorite thing about crochet?
I love the forgiving nature of crochet. I am a huge perfectionist, so if I can see a mistake in something I made I feel very frustrated. When I crochet, even if I miss a stitch or misread part of a pattern, the finished product usually still looks great. And if the mistake is too obvious to go on, it's easy to just frog back to the mistake and fix it!

What type of projects do you enjoy working on the most?
I really enjoy making things for other people. Whether it be baby afghans, hats, scarves, or kitchen sets...I just get the most gratification out of making things to give as gifts. I seem to have more motivation to finish a project when it's a gift, too, which helps me crochet more quickly!

What's your favorite design you've ever created?
I think it would have to be shawl/wrap I designed for a craft bazaar a couple of years ago. It was a simple design, but it turned out looking so elegant and feminine that I didn't want to part with it!

How do you go about designing?
I usually design things out of necessity. It starts with a specific project I have in mind, and I begin searching the internet for pattern to fit my idea. When I don't find what I'm looking for, I often go to my stitch pattern books, looking for inspiration. Once I have decided what stitch pattern and colors I want to use, I just start crocheting what's in my head. Sometimes I write out what I'm doing as I go so that I can post a pattern for it later, and other times I just shoot for the final product. I'm not very organized or professional about how I design things, no charts or graphs or anything like that. I just go where ever inspiration leads!


What else are you interested in?
I also enjoy other crafts besides crochet, such as sewing, embroidery and paper projects. Cooking is become more of a hobby for me since I quit my job to be a full-time housewife. I also enjoy blogging, obviously, and exploring on the internet. Music is a huge part of my life...it was my major in college, and my husband is the full-time Music Minister of our church. I love to sing, and I also play the piano and clarinet. My faith is the center of my life, so I am very involved in my church, not only in the music program, but women's Bible studies as well. I also love working with children, so I'll probably be getting plugged into our children's ministry soon, as well!


Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
Not much, oh, except that my three kittens Molly, Max and Maggie want to say "hi." They will probably be trying to take over my blog any day now, so watch out!

Thanks to Cocoa for joining the Blog Review!

Fourth of July Giftset

My mom has a co-worker getting married this weekend. With its close proximity to Independence Day and my mom already giving a grilling gift basket, she thought some Fourth of July themed handmade items would be a good finishing touch. Mom provided me with some Lion Brand solid red and blue and white variegated cotton yarn and these were my final products. I used all free patterns (hot pad, oven mitt, dishcloth) except the star on the hot pad (improvised!). I always love coming back to these easy and quickly satisfying types of projects.

Balance

So I know I've been a little lazy with my blog lately. I somehow find it difficult to balance, producing objects, trying to be creative, and actually reporting on my progress all within the small amount of time I have to do all that each day! I have been busy behind the scenes working on several things. I'll try to get them up here and on Ravelry to prove I've not been just lounging around enjoying my summer (ok, I've been doing a lot of that too!)

Oh, and if you are of the creative persuasion and want to join in some fun, I'm going to be participating with my friend Christin in her new collaborative effort called InJoy! I plan to InJoy every minute of it! (sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I can hear the groans from here)