Category Archives: crochet

A Hot Month For Linus

Linus Quilt, August 2010

Tomorrow is the monthly meeting of The Linus Connection, which means this is the day of the month where I gather all the things in my house that have been accumulating to take to Linus for donation.  The quilt above made from the leftover pieces cut from a Storm At Sea quilt that was set on point. It’s the same quilt I call Electric Amish. I’ve been hand quilting it for an interminable number of years now, and I sometimes wonder if it will ever be finished. Completing this toddler version with the leftover pieces of Electric Amish is a small victory and it gives me hope to finish the mama quilt some day.

Linus Quilt, August 2010

This next quilt I’ve dubbed Stash Monkey and is made from what I have left from the Log Cabins For Linus collection I held in the earlier part of 2010. There are still a few orphan blocks in my bag, and I hope inspiration will strike again and I will come up with a quilt that’s just as fun as this one! Made from orphan blocks and scraps from my own stash.

Linus Quilt, August 2010

Brand new in my life this month are quilts quilted by me on a long arm machine! Dianne, the owner of Honey Bee Quilt Store, where I have my day job, very generously allowed us to use the store’s HandiQuilter to finish up some Linus quilts. Not bad for a beginner! I also quilted the Baby Storm At Sea.

Go Get Granny Linus Blanket

This granny block ghan is made from the very last of the donations from Go Get Granny (the yarn half of Log Cabins For Linus). All of these blocks were donated. I joined them all together and wove in the ends. As you can see here, I’m experimenting with hanging afghans the way I do quilts. It works…sort of. I just love photos taken in natural light, but afghans are not a fan of being hung. Shared in this TTMT.

Quilt by Laci for Linus

This gorgeous quilt was made from a top donated by the ever lovely Laci. She sent this to me some time ago and it ended up going to a professional long arm quilter that donates her skills to Linus. It’s all done now and the quilting is just lovely. It was featured in this Talk To Me Tuesday (sans binding), where you can see the beautiful quilting close up.

End of 2009-2010 carpool 'ghan

My very last offering this month is my final Carpool ‘Ghan for the 2009-2010 school year (also featured in the video linked above). Both of my kids are musicians and honor students, which simply means they carry a ridiculous amount of stuff to and from school. I drive them back and forth, as well as taking them to music lessons, rehearsals, etc. That leaves me sitting in my little car all by myself more time than I care to count. What’s a girl to do? Well, if she’s crafty, she brings something to work on! I make afghans for Linus when I’m waiting, keeping a bag of yarn and a crochet hooks in the car just for that purpose. You’d be amazed how much I can get done sitting in my car every day! It’s a good thing I finally finished this one, seeing as how the new school year for my kids starts on Tuesday!

The Linus Connection meets the third Saturday of every month at St. Phillip’s in Round Rock, Texas. Check out the website for more information.

Happy Crafting!

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Ravelry Shoppe: Bubble Cloche

Bubble Clocke

Free pattern

It’s not that I procrastinate.  Okay, maybe I do.  But mostly it’s because I get myself so very busy that I occasionally forget something important(ish).  Like this hat.  I ❤ this hat, which I call Bubble Cloche.  I made a whole stack of them in December and January and even enlisted pattern testers!

It took a gentle reminder nudge from the fabulous Pren Wilcox for me to remember that I’d neglected this poor cute hat for these many months.

If you make a Sew Awesome Craft or any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked,  I’d love to see a photo.  Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting!

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5 Minute Baby Booties

5 Minute Baby Booties

Well, okay, you’ve got me.  Five minutes might be a bit of an exaggeration.  Even so, I’d say 10-15 minutes tops to make these sweet little booties that I designed to accompany some loom knit baby hats I’ve been making to donate to a hospital where a friend works.

Make them for a baby you love or a baby in need!

queue on ravelry

printable version

You Need:

  • small amounts of 1 each – baby yarn and worsted weight yarn.  I used I Love This Yarn and Bernat Baby Jacquards. You can also use two stands of sport/medium weight yarn.
  • K Hook

Ch 3, join in first st to form loop.

Round 1: ch 3, 8 dc in loop, join with sl st at top of ch 3.

Round 2: Ch 3, dc in each st around.  Join with sl st at top of ch 3.

Round 3: Ch 3, dc in each st around.  Do not join.

Round 4 – 5: ch 3, turn, dc in each st around.

Cuff: Continuing from round 5 and working along the side of the previously worked stitches which make the opening of the bootie:

5 minute baby bootie detail

Ch 3,  2 dc in each of the next three dc.  Dc once in each of the next two dc from round 2 that the beginning and ending sts of round 3 are worked in.  2 dc in each of the next three dc.  Join with a sl st to the top of starting ch 3.  Cut, leaving about an 8″ tail.  Whip stitch the back closed and finish off.

Five Minute Baby Booties

Hat & Bootie set for beshneela

Hat & Bootie set for beshneela

Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!

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sew awesome: The Princess

Being blessed with friends the way I am, I guess it’s no surprise that I have royalty on my side!  This sewhooked Sew Awesome award is looong overdue and well deserved.

When I put the call out for for help with blankets for Linus, The Princess, aka Amber of Amber’s Originals, not only made and donated blankets to The Linus Connection, my favorite charity, she designed this brand new pattern just for Linus!

And then she posted it for everyone to share…for free.

made by hp5freak

The Texas Brick Blanket, from Amber’s Originals

I’ve been working on my very own version of this awesome blanket.  The technique is different than anything I’ve ever crocheted and I just love the way it’s turning out!

Texas Bricks in progress

My version, in progress.

Amber, you ROCK, thank you for sharing!  See more of Amber’s original, creative and downright cool work here.

If you make a Sew Awesome Craft or any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked,  I’d love to see a photo.  Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.

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vlog #49 – TTMT – Something Old

In which I wax about old things and show you some new ones, too!

If you make a Sew Awesome Craft or any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked,  I’d love to see a photo.  Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.

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Strawberry Ice Cream Baby Blanket goes Knit Picks!

Strawberry Ice Cream Baby Blanket made by Knit Picks

Strawberry Ice Cream Baby Blanket, made by Knit Picks

Some days, the good news can’t get any better!

On Friday, Knit Picks, a site that any yarn lover will know, published one of my crochet patterns, Strawberry Ice Cream Baby Blanket!

How exciting is that!?

Download the pattern free from Knit Picks

Strawberry Ice Cream Crochet Blanket for Linus March 2009

The original Strawberry Ice Cream Baby Blanket was donated to The Linus Connection in March 2009,  blogged.

Thank you Knit Picks, for publishing my pattern and making my day!  Thanks to Stacey for making it easy as ice cream!

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vlog #48 – TTMT – A Great Big Box!

In which I ramble about ATCs, awesome Linus donations and publishing!

If you make a Sew Awesome Craft or any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked,  I’d love to see a photo.  Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.

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Go Get Granny Update #1

Starknuts Ghan for Linus

I’ve finished the very first Go Get Granny afghan for for The Linus Connection. All the blocks for this blanket were donated by members of the Livejournal community Starknuts, who decided to have their own block drive in support of Go Get Granny!.

The ends aren’t woven in yet, but I’ll get that done tonight and then it’ll go out with other donated blankets this coming Saturday.

It includes blocks by dragonsinger954, archerpren, hpfan_poa and ladyoflosttimes. (I hope I didn’t miss anyone!). Thank you all so much!

2010 UFO Round Up

I’ve decided 2010 will be the year I finish some long-standing UFOs.  I’ve made a list and added to the dry erase board I keep in my sewing & craft room.  Here’s a more visual version to keep me inspired!

To Be Quilted:

  • Grannie’s Autograph Quilt – This was my Grannie’s and was previously a tied quilt.  I’d like to hand quilt it, but I’ve been reluctant to start until I finish my Electric Amish project (see below).
  • Friendship Quilt by Jen's Grannie & friends

  • Lost and Found Flour Sack Quilt – A quilt top my mom found when she inherited my Grannie’s house.  It was originally much longer with holes in several of the squares.  I removed a few rows across the bottom (which is not how it was pieced, so it was a pain!) and the damaged fabrics, then replaced those with some of that fabric salvaged from the bottom.  The border is muslin, which is also what I’d like to put on the back.
  • Lost & Found Flour Sack Quilt

  • Yellow/Green Linus X-Quilts (from fabric donated by Laci L) – made from the Layer ‘Em Up book by Sharyn Craig.  Easy peasy tops made from just 2 yards of fabric, both are baby-size.  To finish by the next Linus meeting, January 16, 2009.
  • in progress quilts for Linus

  • Electric Amish (hand quilting project, about 1/3 complete) – modified Storm at Sea pattern.  This is the first large quilt top I completed that I intended to keep for myself.  I’ve been quilting on it for at least five years.  To say that hand quilting is not my strong point is an understatement!
  • Electric Amish by Jen

Tops to Finish:

  • Brown Bear (blocks are done, need more borders and to be pieced) – from a pass around with my bee.  We made the bear paws for each other.  I’ve pieced the units, which still need borders.
  • Bear Paws in progress

  • HP swap received (blocks are done, need layout, piecing) – from various online quilt block swaps 2007-2008.  Not all of these will go in the finished quilt because a few were the wrong size.  I’ll save those for something else.
  • HP block swaps all together

  • Christmas Cottage swap received (blocks are done, need layout, piecing) – blocks received from the 2009 All About Paper Piecing Christmas Cottage Swap.  I’m not in a huge hurry for these since I just got them all, but they’re officially a UFO, so they’re on the list.
  • Christmas Cottage Swap, blocks rec'd Christmas Cottage Swap, blocks rec'd Christmas Cottage Swap, blocks rec'd Christmas Cottage Swap, blocks rec'd Christmas Cottage Swap, blocks rec'd

  • Layer ‘Em Up 2 for Linus (blocks are pieced, need to be squared and top pieced) – To finish by the next Linus meeting, January 16, 2009.
  • Layer Em Up for Linus

  • Batik Beauty (finish blocks) – this will likely be my quilt retreat project for March.  I’d like to have this top done by April in order to show the NYB class I’m teaching at Honey Bee.
  • New York Beauty Block

Sewing:

Crochet

  • Twilight Crafts Black & Red Swap Received (layout and finish) – knit and crochet squares.  I might make a few more, or I might just border these and make them into a lapghan.
  • Black & Red Swap - Received

  • Turn Around Granny Square ‘ghan (more rounds? and finish) – Oh geez, these have been sitting for at least a year.  I’m uninspired as to what I need to do next.  More rounds?  Just put them together?  No idea!
  • In Progress - jeweled "Turn Around Granny"

Do you have a list of UFOs to finish in 2010?  I’d love to see!