It sooths me.

Crocheting sooths me. I find it connects me with a generation of women in my family. That's a good thing since I have more often felt the great divide. It's also such an amazing tangible experience. I like making these blankies for people I know will really appreciate them. It does my heart good.

Going solo

The zipper tutorial that Kelli gave me came in really handy as I tried this on my very own. Now I need to set up some sort of assembly line... ALs are essential in any work I do.

Azul e verde

This is just the right style for me. It keeps the blankie quite even and square.

Look Momma ...

I learned how to sew zippers!

My friend, who has made many things with zippers from herzipperstach, heard my calling and invited me over for a quick tutorial. Et voila, my prized yellow pouch.

I left with gifts, fresh off the oven bread, and more books to look through. My Momma would be proud.

Happiness is ...

Finishing a project... The pocket was the hardest for me. The curvy parts of the mitten shaped pocket took some care. But here it is, my new apron.

Apron front view. I'm not showing you the back...

A bedside clicker and magazine organizer. Really handy for those who cannot keep track of their remote controls. I used fabric I had because I HAD to make one that day, but it really needs something a bit sturdier.

These two projects can be found in Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter.

This baby blanket is now finished and I have one like it close to being half done.

Because I am always so busy with work, and running around with Snowden and Grasshopper, I do a little crochet everyday. I am happy with 30 minutes if that is all I can squeeze in. But I must do a little everyday, or I feel my day is not complete. I am on a mission people.

Argolas

Argolas = Loops

I noticed this at Lucille's BBQ last Sunday. I remember doing this sort of thing as a wee girl. Yes, my Momma taught me how to crochet fill the loops. I'll have to post pictures of the intricate pieces she created.

What's a girl to do...

With all these :-) ?

I'll make more backpacks and I'm hoping to find someone to show me how to do zippers. My Momma did not show me how to do that.

For the baby girl

This blanket will be mailed to NJ as a gift to a girl due to be born in April.

I really like the BERNAT yarn. It is easy to control and maintains a nice even shape. I have a tendency to get off track . I don't follow patterns, I invent as I go along. I learned to crochet at around the age of 8. My momma taught me in Portuguese ... I can tell you what I am doing in Portuguese and have yet to fully understand the English terminology.

Softies

Ms. Green Tea Bag

A softie for Grasshopper. She's very fond of small things she can handle, cuddle, and store. I found it in Softies by Therese Laskey. It involves some embroidery. I have not even began to feel confortable with this skill, but I'll do anything for this girl.

Thinking and Preparing

I am looking for projects to work on in 2008. This book illustrates many techniques. Every time I sew, I have flashbacks to moments in childhood when I watched my mother sew from a distance. I wasn't allowed to help her, but I always watched, and I am always amazed at how much I learned that way. Later, during adolescence, when I lived in Portugal, my mother's cousin taught me a thing or two. She was a seamstress, and made amazing clothes.

Me and my new best friend SINGER, will spend time together in creative bliss.

Fleece - The Wonder Fabric

Fleece backpacks. I was looking for books at Jo-Anns and memorized the instructions for this backpack. I made three this morning. I made one for Grasshopper, one for the friend, and one for Snowden. They got to pick out the fabric pattern (dogs for Snowden and the other for Grasshopper).

The handles in the back.

The front.

Quilted Stockings

The stockings were made several years ago. I was into simple quilting, using only plain squares. I used a lot of left over fabrics. This is this year's look. It's a warm up area for Snowden and Grasshopper after an outside stint with water spraying bottles.

Sir Greenwald's Garb

Snowden's Webkinz is a frog named Sir Greenwald. We set about making him a small quilt.

Eight squares and batting.

Turn right side out.

Finishing it off.

Sir Greenwald has a bed, a quilt, a pillow, and an outfit fit a Sire.

Grasshopper learns to sew

She decided she wanted to make a blanket for her Webkinz dog. I had the workstation ready and waiting for a project. I loved when the women in my family, mostly my mother's side, bestowed me with a piece of knowledge or skill that had been handed down through the generations of women before me. So, the moment for me to pass it on was upon us and I was game. I showed Grasshopper how to sew. This 8 year old is a fast learner, and a risk taker, and I was pleasantly surprised when she listened to my instructions.

Her hands guide the material. There is batting in there, with the purple and green squares.

Her foot presses on the pedal underneath the table.

Turn it right side out.

Et voila! The dog has a blankie and a pillow. Grasshopper is on her way to being a seamstress.

A crochet backpack for Grasshopper

I just started crocheting was turned out to be a too small blankie. I decided to make a backpack instead. I knew to make the straps much smaller on this one. Snowden's backpack, my first one, turned out to have way to long straps that made it dangle too low on her back.

I'm thinking that I may try a lining next.