Christmas Cookies.

So, on Sunday, I decided to make some Christmas cookies.  But if you know me, you know that A) I try to tailor things very specifically to the people they're for and B) I don't do anything halfway.  So there would be NO ORDINARY COOKIES!  Well, except one batch, someone's favorite cookie is Sugar Cookies.

I had 4 cookie gifts to make and this is the criteria I was up against.
1) Sugar Cookies are Tom's favorite.
2) Marnie loves Chai Tea.
3) Dane specifically asked that I make my Chocolate Cherry Cayenne Cookies again.
4) I needed something Super Special for Eric, who had given me NO HINTS.

So, grab for the Cooky Book (I have a reprint of the 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book) but it's NOWHERE.  GONE.  Probably packed up in the basement.

But that's what the internet's for, right?

Search:  Sugar Cookies.
Found:  Allrecipes.com Easy Sugar Cookies, that though bookmarked, I can't find again because the bookmark apparently directs to All Recipes Argentina, even though it didn't 2 days ago.  And a new search yields the same error.  But at any rate, they turned out to be chewy, sweet, perfect sugar cookies.
Result:  I'm not sure Tom's kids actually got any of them, because I don't think they survived the day at work.

Search: Russian Tea Cookies.  I'm thinking that these are a pretty bland cookie on their own, but could easily be changed into a Chai Tea Cookie.
Found: Betty Crocker's Russian Tea Cakes.  We mixed some good cinnamon from Penzey's into the powdered sugar for rolling them in, subbed chopped almonds for the usual walnuts or pecans, and used Trader Joe's Spicy Chai Latte Mix instead of most of the powdered sugar in the dough.  After accidentally throwing a few on the floor, we discovered an awesome, mild, spice cookie with a hint of black tea.
Result:  Marnie loved them!  And shared with Carol who agreed!

Search: Nestle's White Chip Chocolate Cookies.  I have it here somewhere!  Ah, there's the bag of white chips.
Found:  After tearing the kitchen apart, I found the recipe I based my Chocolate Cherry Cayenne Cookies on.  I use the same recipe for the dough, but Semi Sweet Chips instead of the White, and then I add Dried Cherries, more of the cinnamon from Penzey's and ground Cayenne.  Except this time we had Cherry Flavored Cranberries instead of Cherries.  (Oops, grabbed the wrong thing in a hurry)
Result: I already know that Dane loves these cookies.

Search: Unique Cookie Recipes.  I still need something for Eric and I'm out of ideas.
Found: After a few false starts, (I didn't have parchment for Meringues, and so on) I settled on Thumbprint Cookies thinking I had to have some kind of interested thing to add to these.  And I found it in the pantry: Blueberry Limoncello Jam from Bittersweet Herb Farm.  I added a few packets of True Lemon to some water to dissolve it and added that, plus a bit of extra flour to the cookie dough and topped them with the Blueberry Jam.
Result: I haven't heard from Eric, but everyone else who's had them loved them!

So all in all, a successful cookie baking day.  I'll get some of the details of the recipes posted over the next few days, but for now, I need to get onto the laundry I've been avoiding.

Our New Friend

While it remains to be seen whether he's staying with us or not, I thought that I'd share this with everyone!

Miraculously, we never lost power during hurricane Sandy.  A dear friend of ours, Dave Chase did however, along with half of everyone else we know.  After a few days of trying to tough it out, Dave decided he was sick of cold showers and not being able to charge his phone, so he decided to stay with us for a night or two.  

The catch is, Dave doesn't drive right now.  (Super long story, don't ask him.  Trust me.)  So I had to get up at 5am to run him to work on Saturday.  And it's a good thing I did!  When I got home, this guy was sitting by the neighbor's porch.  He cried and ran up to me and I scratched behind his ears a bit and started to walk away.  And he followed me.  And when I started up our front walk, he ran ahead of me to the door and cried to be let in.

Which presents a minor problem:  I know nothing about this cat's temperament or health and we already live with a 12 year old cat.  This guy:

Who is used to being the only fuzzbutt in the house.

So we took the new guy to the vet, and got him checked out to make sure he's as healthy as he is friendly.  He's about 3 or so years old, feline leukemia negative, and overall, pretty healthy.  No fleas, no ears mites, and neutered.  So we got him a rabies shot and snuck him into the 3rd floor so we can introduce the boys to each other gradually.  We're thinking of calling him Chase, if we keep him, after Dave, since he's the reason that I was outside in the first place.  (Sorry, Dave, I just don't think that "Dave" is a great name for a cat.  Or at least not this one.)

I'm totally sold on keeping him, Carl's pretty convinced, but Galen gets the deciding vote.  I'll keep you posted!

Etsy Success!

So the Etsy shop (http://adriennecongdon.etsy.com) might actually be starting to pick up.  I sold a brain slug and got a few more favorites!

In preparation for winter, I've been working on some super cute novelty hats and scarves.  I've got a few snake scarves done (well, mostly, they still need eyes) and I'm working on designing a jellyfish hat!  I can't wait to get the details wrapped up and get this stuff posted.  I hope you love it as much as I do.

Any specific colorways or critters you'd like to see?  Let me know, but please don't suggest anything licensed, I can't sell if I don't own the rights.

Appalachian Trail Adventure, or Abort Mission.

Let me first say, we did not make the whole 22 miles.  We didn't camp out, we didn't go out the second day.  There was no way Dave could have done it.  We did however, cover approximately 14 miles, in one day.

Since I was a little kid, I've often seen hikers on a particular stretch of PA 248 and thought they must be having an amazing adventure.  I love the Appalachian Trail, but have mostly hiked and rehiked the same section and always assumed I'd never hike a big enough piece to brag about it.

A couple of summers ago, Dave and I decided to change that.  We were going to hike 22 miles - from the Smith Gap Crossing out to Bake Over Knob.  We planned to take the Winter Trail at Lehigh Gap to avoid the sometimes near vertical descent into the gap, well aware that it would add a bit of distance.

The first summer we were going to go, I go a jury duty summons.  The next year, house fire and dislocated knee for me.  The next year, broken elbow and surgery for Dave.  This year was it.  We're going to do it.  Rain or shine, come hell or high water, nothing's going to stop us!

We decided to start in Smith Gap and head south for several reasons.  It put the longer distance on the first day, but it also put the descent into Lehigh Gap on the first day, and allowed us to leave my car at The Knob, where there's an actual parking lot.  Smith Gap Crossing only has 3 parking spaces along the road.

Friday night we dropped my car at the parking lot near Bake Oven Knob, went out for dinner and headed to Dave's house to pack.

Saturday morning, up at 5:30 am, we double checked our packs, filled our canteens and Dave's dad dropped us off at the Smith Gap crossing.  

7:38a to All We are officially on our own!

I sent our first check-in text out when we were about 50 yards down the trail, we didn't want Dave's dad to think we had run into trouble already.

The morning was pretty uneventful.  We hadn't even opened our canteens when we got to Stempa Spring, so we didn't even head down to check if it was running.  Same at the Delps Spring.  In retrospect, we should have checked anyway, it would have been good information to pass on to hikers passing in the opposite direction.

Our first good photo op for something we haven't already photographed a zillion times.  Crossing under the tower lines always bugs me, you can hear the electricity humming in the wires.

8:53a  to Jesse  Brought my camera, extra batteries, bought a dry pack to keep it in.  Forgot my memory card!

Also, a chance for Jesse to have a laugh at my expense.  Out comes the cell.  Apparently, there will be sparse photos for this epic adventure.  Oops.

We've stopped for a bit of a rest, and a joking text to a co-worker.

11:40a to Tom Passed a girl in a bikini top a while back.  Thought you'd want to know.

We're happy with our progress so far.  Resting as we need to. Covering a lot of ground.  Greeting other hikers who had more information for us that we did for them.

As we made the final approach to the Little Gap crossing, we see a hand-written sign, promising there is running water just a bit down the road from the crossing.

12:50p to All Stopping for lunch at Little Gap crossing.  Having a blast, greeting lots of other hikers, making good time.  Will check after lunch on a lead for a water source we hadn't counted on!

The water source lead didn't pan out.  This went a long way towards making the day much harder than it would have been.  Then we packed up our bags, made sure we had collected all of our trash and started in on the next segment.  Only to be greeted by a sign notifying us that due to the Zinc Company Superfund Bioremediation Site, the next 4 miles of trail have been relocated.  

Oh, well.  Off we go.  And immediately stop.  To allow a 4+ ft black snake to cross the trail.  This was the largest animal we encountered the entire day, with the only others worth mentioning being several small toads and a fire newt.

As we're getting further and further out, we're beginning to realize how short we are on water and how much longer the relocation has made the trip.  Instead of crossing through State Game Lands, we're skirting the outside edge, making the trip almost 2 miles longer than we had planned for.

But we had a great view of Palmerton, even if the photo doesn't show it!

3:20p to Jesse Closing in on Lehigh Gap slowly, but surely.  Dave is not having as much fun as I am.

Dave was getting cranky and the sight of a small but sprawling town slowly panning by was not helping his mood.  By this point we were beginning to separate a bit, he was charging ahead ("At this point I only have 2 speeds: stop and go."), while I was chugging along at a comfortable pace for me and my knee and taking rests as needed.

4:45p to All Not as close to the shelter as we'd like to be, but I've conquered one of the sections I was afraid of with little difficulty.

We're overlooking the Lehigh Gap Bridge here, knowing the river is our first access to additional water, and that it will take 30 minutes once we're there to make it potable.  Dave is giving in at this point, calls his dad to see about meeting us with water.  Not that I'm not suffering to, but I'm not willingly to give in as easily.  I know we can be ok, not comfortable, but safe, with what we've got until we can get to the river.

5:14p to Lisa I'm beat, Dave's exhaused.  We'll get there, but we lost a lot of time, energy and water to the path relocation.

5:16p to Lisa Nowhere to camp until the shelter.

We finally made it to the East Lot at Lehigh Gap. 

 To me, it's a victory.  Just across the bridge and above the tree line is the shelter, lack of water be damned, we'll make it.

To Dave, this is the chance to give up before we hurt ourselves.

We dropped down from the lot onto Rt 248, taking those few steps I had so often envied hikers for taking and crossed the bridge to the West lot, just below the spring and shelter.  Over the course of crossing the bridge it becomes obvious that Dave will not make it to the shelter.  Too tired, too thirsty, too achy.  He's got blisters and sore knees, a bruised ego.  His parents can't come pick us up until much later, so I call my mom.

We sit, waiting for my mom, and I'm staring across the road at the last set of blazes we made it to.

We've been gifted most of a Gatorade from another hiker, who's just heading out and didn't want to carry the bottle on the trail.  I give Dave most of it.  He needs it more.

I text everyone from my mom's.

 7:48p to All Decided not to camp at the shelter.  The trail relocation due to the Superfund Bioremediation Site added unexpected mileage and Dave couldn't make it any further.  He's sleeping at home, I'm at my mom's.  Depending how he feels in the morning, we may try to finish up anyway.

In the morning, Dave's not much better off.  I feel like I could do it, and my mom is seriously considering coming with me so I can, in spite of having injured her foot last week.  After much consideration, it's not worth the risk to my mom's foot, and it feels wrong to finish without Dave somehow.

We head out to get my car and take a few minutes to make the short climb up to Bake Oven Knob, which would have been the last vista before the parking lot had we made the second day.

I'm a bit disappointed that we couldn't finish, but it was the right choice for both of our safety in the long run. And hey, it's not like 14 miles in one day, in the mountains is anything to sneeze at.

We'll try again, with more water, and better shoes in spring.

Been getting out.

These days it's been all about Etsy items and getting out of the house.   I am planning a Zombie Brains How-to, but I need to decide how I'm going to handle it.

In the meantime, I've been out hiking quite a bit more than usual this year and I couldn't be happier.  I know the pic doesn't show it, but that was taken at dawn and I'm not a natural early riser.

I've been working on some quirky little pieces for the Etsy shop, like Apple Cozies.  They seem incredibly silly, but they do actually help prevent your apple from bruising while it's in your bag.

And I've been putting together some terrariums with various Tillandsia Ionantha plants in them.   They're a great "small space" gardening option for window sills and desk areas and well as being incredibly easy to care for.

Plus, who doesn't love a plant that requires NO DIRT!

Another Custom Request: Roast Turkey!

A friend's husband has a birthday coming up and he asked for a Nook EReader as his gift.  So he needs a case.  

She and I talked a bit about his interests and things and I told her I would think on it and come back to her with ideas.  When I saw her next I suggested a Scooby Doo-esque giant hamburger with the opening under the top of the bun.

She said "Perfect!  Next to turkey, grilled hamburgers is his favorite meal."

And another friend said "Why not make the turkey then?"

The response comes:  *gasp*  "Could you?"

"Of course I can."

***

I delivered this Sunday, and everyone who saw it loved it.  His birthday is July 17, so I'll hear his reaction next week.  If she manages to keep the secret until then.  ;-)

***

The turkey has been delivered and it was a HUGE HIT!!!!!

Terrible at this.

I'd like to say that I've been excusably busy and that's why I haven't been posting weekly like I promised.  I'd like to regale you with tales of adventure on the high seas so you'll know why I haven't been around.
I'd like to share amazing photos of my death defying feats so you'll understand that it's not you, it's me.

But the truth of the matter is, I'm apparently terrible at blogging on a regular basis.

I've got quite a bit new posted on my Etsy shop.  

Oliver Octopus, who actually does have suction cups on his legs, so he can hang out on any smooth surface.

Wearable Alien Mind-Control Brain Slugs (alligator clip underneath works with most hair types/lengths) because awesome is even better when you can wear it!

Bracelets available in custom sizes and multiple colors.

And for good measure a couple of tiny Tilly terrariums.  The glass cube containers are 2.5" on a side with the plant sticking up just a tiny bit past the top.

None of this is an excuse for not posting anything, but at least you know I've been doing something.

Stupid Wisdom Teeth and other news.

So I had my post-op check for my wisdom teeth today.  I'm healing well, but slowly.  We had hoped to do my "annual" cleaning today, but it's going to be about 2 weeks out.  Turns out the reason that my lower left is still so sore is because they had to remove a small piece of my jawbone to get the tooth out.  OUCH!  Good news, I was too busy being a geek about my Xrays to have the usual dental-related panic attack.  Not the high point of my vacation, but not as bad as it could be.

I've gotten my garden basically planted, which is awesome, and if anybody wants to come over and help me get rid of a walnut tree that has miraculously grown 4 feet(!) this year, that would be even more awesome.  Seriously, this tree wasn't there in February and I don't have the yard for one or I'd keep it.

I'm getting quite a bit of needlework down, lots of hardware bracelets, work on a baby afghan and a scarf commission, as well as a few more Kindle/Nook cases.

I posted 5 new items to the Etsy shop today, which is great.  And hopefully, by the time I go back to work, there'll be a few more.  I'd like to get a least a couple of the bracelets posted in the next few days.

By the way, I don't often remember to mention it, but I am willing to do custom/commission work, within reason, just drop me a note.

Hope your summer is getting off to a great start too!

Sorry about that.

So much for a post every week.  I've been busting my hump trying to get an Etsy store up and running and I did!  It's small, not a whole lot of items yet, but it's up and it's getting traffic.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/adriennecongdon  Go check it out!

I had my wisdom teeth out this week, all four of them, and if I knew now what I new when I agreed to do all at once, I wouldn't have, that's for sure.  I would have done the bad one separately from the other three.  On the plus side, time to crochet and to nap with the cat, I've got the crochet work portion done on two more Kindle/Nook cases for my Etsy shop, just need to do the details.

Also, I have to finish a bracelet for my dear friend Jesse, the first one was too big.  Silly me, I assumed he wears a bracelet with the same loose fit that I prefer.  I didn't think about the fact that since he does a lot of wood and leather work that he would wear a tighter bracelet for safety reasons.  Well, once I have his bracelet done, I'm gonna get the one I need to post them on Etsy finished.

Will let you know when things get rolling!

Nook/Kindle Covers

For those of you who don't know, I recently got a Kindle Fire. And I love it! But I needed a case for it. So of course I made one. And of course, then my mom wanted one for her nook. Then a coworker-friend wanted one. And it seems I may have stumbled on to the flagship line for the Etsy store I'm getting ready to open.

So it all started with the relatively simple blue monster case I made for myself.

Then my mom wanted one, and I couldn't very well make an identical one. Where's ther creativity in that?


Then my coworkers saw the pictures and one that I'm close with said "I want one, but a Zombie and I'm going to pay you for it because it wouldn't be right to not pay for a custom piece!"

And I thought 'how am I going to design a zombie, where the opening placement is both hilarious and adorable?' and after a few minutes consideration, I had it! HEAD WOUND! So with this stroke of genius in hand, (um, mind maybe?) I bought some mossy green yarn and got down to business.

I deliver this one today, but she's already seen pictures and is completely in love with it!

Tilly Suncatchers and Facebook Timeline

So, if you follow me on Facebook, you know that the Crochet Pages page on Facebook is getting the Timeline treatment at some point today. And I have to say, I have mixed feelings. It's a got a really sharp look to it, it really does. I know a lot of people who love it. I know it's meant to make older posts more accessible, but I feel like it does so at the expense of a clear timeline. (No joke intended.) It just seems like after the first few posts, it get hard to tell what order they're in, especially if they include photos/video or are especially long.

I guess it comes down to this. I don't like not being given a choice. They're taking away something that works and replacing it with something that no one has been able to prove to me is actually better.

But on the plus side, with a little luck, my Tillies will be here today! I ordered last Friday via priority mail and was hoping to have them Wednesday, but they didn't ship from Florida until Tuesday. So, today should be the day. Once I've got them and I know they're healthy and will remain so, I can start to design some suncatchers and hanging gardens for them. I'm excited.

I've always loved the little tillandsia Ionantha, even though I didn't know what the species actually was, just that it's an "Airplant." These are the little guys that are glued on top of ceramic or plastic jack o'lanterns at Halloween. But I fell in love all over again at this year's Philadelphia Flower Show when I came across a vender selling the giant-sized tillandsia Xerographic. Xerographica is sometimes referred to as "King of Tillies" and can reach up to 12" across.

It's actually grown somewhat since I snapped this pic, but this is a pretty average Xerographic by all accounts. It's about 8 or 9 inches across and I have it hanging, in a hammock style hanger I made for it, near our bedroom windows. Did I mention I LOVE these plants?!?! Super easy to care for, a little bit of light, a little bit of love and tiny little bit of water! Plus, since they weight next to nothing and don't need soil, you can put them anywhere. I've seen them in seashells glued to bathroom mirrors and in magnets stuck on refrigerators. I'm dying to get started on the suncatchers!

Short Post/Tendonitis.

Not a whole lot happening around the house this week. My tendonitis has flared up, yet again (it's a chronic issue for me) and I've not got a whole lot of use in the "bum paw." Of course, I'm a lefty and it's my left hand.

Gonna take the opportunity to get some web work done (I moved quite a few patterns over from the old site the other night) and catch up on the laundry, since I can still do that with my splint on. I may try to whip up an Epsom soak with peppermint or some such to super charge my soak time, but I don't see much else happening.

Trying to set a routine

So I'm posting from my kindle, even thought typing is a total pain in the ass, because I'm feeling like I need to try to establish some kind of posting routine. I feel like it's not enough to only post here when I have a pattern to share. They happen too erratically because, like it or not, I still have a commitment to a fulltime job. One that I can't financially afford to walk away from right now.

I need to come up with a posting schedule, so if there isn't a pattern, you all still get at least a laugh or a rant
I'm thinking that montly isn't often enough, and biweekly is going to make it hard for me to remember if I owe you a post or not. Trust me on that one. It's how the newsletter ended up being a blog in the first place. I can't commit to daily, I'm too overextended and too easily distracted to do that, so I'm thinking weekly. If I don't have a pattern, I'm going to post something every week. My day off varies based on whether my department has requests off to schedule around, so I have a hard time committing anything on the same day every week.

So that settles it. On my 1st day off every week, I'm posting something, anything. Because even I'm tired of the sporadic nature of my content.

Snowbird Hat! (Infant Size Hat)

materials

size "H" hook

small amount of dark sage and soft white Red Heart Super Saver yarn

yarn needle

pattern:
with green, ch 4,
Rnd 1: 8 dc in 4th ch from hook, join w/ sl st
Rnd 2: ch 3, dc, 2 dc in next st (2 dc, 2 dc in next st) 2x, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo
Rnd 3: ch 3, 2 dc, 2 dc in next st, (3 dc, 2 dc in next st) 2x, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo
Rnd 4: ch 3, dc, 2 dc in next st, (2 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo
Rnd 5: ch 3, 2 dc, 2 dc in next st, (3 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo
Rnd 6: ch 3, 3 dc, 2 dc in next st, (4 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo
Rnd 7: ch 3, 4 dc, 2 dc in next st, (5 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo
Rnd 8: ch 3, 5 dc, 2 dc in next st, (6 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo
Rnd 9: ch 3, dc around, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo
Rnd 10: ch 1, sc in same st and next 3, 14 dc, 7 sc, 14 dc, 3 sc, join w/ sl st
finish off

earflap:
Row 1: with soft white, join w/ sc to 2nd dc on either side of hat, sc, 8 dc, 2 sc, finish off
Row 2: with green, join w/ dc to 1st dc of Row 1, 2 dc, dc dec, 3 dc, finish off
Row 3: with soft white, join w/ dc to 1st st of Row 2, dc across, finish off
Row 4: with green, join w/ dc to 1st st of Row 3, dc, dc dec, dc, dc dec, dc, finish off.
sew or tie end of Row 4 together to make a "hole" at the end of the earflap
repeat on other side
with green, join w/ sc and sc around bottom of hat and earflaps, placing 3 sc in the "hole" in the earflap, join w/ sl st and finish off.

for braids, cut 9 15" strands for each braid (3 green and 6 soft white), thread through hole in earflap and fold in half, separate into 3 sections and braid. Tie a knot in the end of your braid and trim ends to make even.

Snowbird Pattern

I found my notebook! That was easy. Also, his hat is great for an infant hat!

materials:

size "J" hook

size "H" hook

Red Heart Super Saver White

Vanna's Choice Worsted in Linen (2 balls)

a small amount of tan or cornmeal in worsted weight for beak and feet

Worsted weight in two colors of your choice for hat (I used Red Heart Soft White and Dark Sage)

one pair 28mm wiggly eyes

yarn needle

polyfil

pattern:

body:

with size "J" hook, holding white and linen together, ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, join w/ sl st

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in same st and ea sc around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, (sc, sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, (2 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, (3 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in same st, 3 sc, 2 sc in next st, (4 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in same st, 4 sc, 2 sc in next st, (5 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 8: ch 1, sc in same st, 5 sc, 2 sc in next st, (6 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 9: ch 1, sc in same st, 6 sc, 2 sc in next st, (7 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join/w sl st

Rnd 10: ch 1, sc in same st, 7 sc, 2 sc in next st, (8 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 11: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 12: ch 1, sc in same st, 8 sc, 2 sc in next st, (9 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 13, 14: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 15: ch 1, sc in same st, 9 sc, 2 sc in next st, (10 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 16 - 21: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 22: ch 1, sc in same st, 9 sc, dec, (10 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 23,24: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 25: ch 1, sc in same st, 8 sc, dec, (9 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 26: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 27: ch 1, sc in same st, 7 sc, dec, (8 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 28: ch 1, sc in same st, 6 sc, dec, (7 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 29: ch 1, sc in same st, 5 sc, dec, (6 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 30: ch 1, sc in same st, 4 sc, dec, (5 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 31: ch 1, sc in same st, 3 sc, dec, (4 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 32: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc, dec, (3 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

stuff with polyfil

Rnd 33: ch 1, sc in same st and next, dec, (2 sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 34: ch 1, sc in same st, dec, (sc, dec) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 35: ch 1, starting in same st - dec around, join w/ sl st

finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

sew body closed

head:

with size "J" hook, holding white and linen together, ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, join w/ sl st

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, (sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 5,6: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, (2 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in same st and next 2, 2 sc in next st, (3 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 8 - 12: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing

tail:

with size "J" hook, holding white and linen together, ch 7

Row 1: starting 2nd ch, sc across, ch 1, turn

Row 2: sc across, ch 1, turn

Row 3: 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, ch 1, turn

Row 4: sc across, ch 1, turn

Row 5: sc, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, sc, ch 1, turn

Row 6: sc across, ch 1, turn

Row 7: 2 sc, (2 sc in next st, 2 sc) across, ch 1, turn

Row 8: *(sc, dc) in 1st st, (dc, sc) in next st, rep from * across

finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing

left wing:

with size "J" hook, holding white and linen together, ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, join w/ sl st

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, (sc, 2 sc in next st) around

Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, sc, start 1st feather

(1st feather) 7 no-ch sc, turn and sc back across 'foundation' of no-ch sts, sc in next st in Rnd 3, turn

(2nd feather) work 6 sc on first feather, turn, sk 1 sc, 5 sc back across, 2 sc in Rnd 3, turn

(3rd feather) work 4 sc on 2nd feather, turn, sk 1 sc, 3 sc across, 2 sc in Rnd 3, turn

(4th feather) work 2 sc on 3rd feather, turn, sk 1 sc, 1 sc,

working on Rnd 3 (2 sc, 2 sc in next st) around, join w/ sl st

finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing

right wing:

through Rnd 3, work same as left wing

Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, (2 sc, 2 sc in next st) twice, work feathers same as left wing, 3 sc, 2 sc in next st

finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing

feet: make 2

using size "H" hook and tan yarn

1st toe:

ch 2,

Rnd 1: 6 sc in second ch from hook, join w/ sl st

Rnd 2: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc in next st, (sc, 2 sc in next st) around

Rnd 3 - 9: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

finish off

2nd toe and foot:

work same as 1st toe through Rnd 9,

Rnd 10: ch 1, sc through 1st st on both toes, sc around 1 st toe, sc around 2nd toe, join w/ sl st to 2nd sc of this row

Rnd 11: ch 1, sc in same st and next 5, dec, 6 sc, dec, join w/ sl st

Rnd 12: ch 1, sc in same st and next 4, dec, 5 sc, dec, join w/ sl st

Rnd 13: ch 1, sc in same st and next 3, dec, 4 sc. dec, join w/ sl st

Rnd 14 - 18: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

stuff foot lightly (you may need to use your hook to get the stuffing all the way down the toes

Rnd 19: ch 1, sc in same st, (dec, sc) around

finish off and sew closed

beak:

using size "H" hook and tan yarn

top:

ch 2,

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, join w/ sl st

Rnd 2: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, join w/ sl st

Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in same st and next 2, 2 sc in next st, 3 sc, 2 sc in next st, join w/ sl st

Rnd 4: ch 1, sc in same st and next 2, 2 sc in next st, (2 sc in next st, 2 sc) around to last st, 2 st in last st, join w/ sl st

Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, sc, 2 sc in next st, 3 sc, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, join w/ sl st

Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in same st and next, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, 3 sc, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st, join w/ sl st

Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in same st and around, join w/ sl st

finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing

bottom:

work same as top, skipping Rnd 6

using photo for placement,

stuff head and sew onto body

sew tail onto body

sew wings onto body leaving feathers loose and placing bit of polyfil in the round part of the wing

sew feet onto body

glue eyes on

hat:

with size "H" hook and dark sage yarn,

ch 4,

Rnd 1: 8 dc in 4th ch from hook, join w/ sl st

Rnd 2: ch 3, dc, 2 dc in next st (2 dc, 2 dc in next st) 2x, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo

Rnd 3: ch 3, 2 dc, 2 dc in next st, (3 dc, 2 dc in next st) 2x, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo

Rnd 4: ch 3, dc, 2 dc in next st, (2 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo

Rnd 5: ch 3, 2 dc, 2 dc in next st, (3 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo

Rnd 6: ch 3, 3 dc, 2 dc in next st, (4 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo

Rnd 7: ch 3, 4 dc, 2 dc in next st, (5 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo

Rnd 8: ch 3, 5 dc, 2 dc in next st, (6 dc, 2 dc in next st) around, join w/ sl st - changing to soft white with last yo

Rnd 9: ch 3, dc around, join w/ sl st - changing to green with last yo

Rnd 10: ch 1, sc in same st and next 3, 14 dc, 7 sc, 14 dc, 3 sc, join w/ sl st

finish off

earflap:

with size "H" hook

Row 1: with soft white, join w/ sc to 2nd dc on either side of hat, sc, 8 dc, 2 sc, finish off

Row 2: with green, join w/ dc to 1st dc of Row 1, 2 dc, dc dec, 3 dc, finish off

Row 3: with soft white, join w/ dc to 1st st of Row 2, dc across, finish off

Row 4: with green, join w/ dc to 1st st of Row 3, dc, dc dec, dc, dc dec, dc, finish off.

sew or tie end of Row 4 together to make a "hole" at the end of the earflap

repeat on other side

with green, join w/ sc and sc around bottom of hat and earflaps, placing 3 sc in the "hole" in the earflap, join w/ sl st and finish off.

for braids, cut 9 15" strands for each braid (3 green and 6 soft white), thread through hole in earflap and fold in half, separate into 3 sections and braid. Tie a knot in the end of your braid and trim ends to make even.

sew hat on if desired.

Photo Journal: Snowbird

As soon as I figure out where I misplaced my notes too, I'll be typing up the pattern for you all!

Day 1: Not a great shot, but the body is basically done. Two strands of worsted held together, white Red Heart and Vanna's Choice Linen. Need to pick up Poly-Fil and some more of the taupe-y colored yarn tomorrow.



Day 2: Body is stuffed and finished. A good start on the head.



Day 3. Head is finished and sewn on/stuffed. Added wings and tail. Still a lot to do, but he's taken shape pretty well. Finally convinced my sister that it's not an albino pig.



Day 4. Nearly finished now. Beak and feet have been added. Hat is done. Need to decide on eyes and whether he gets any hair under that hat. Distinctly NOT A PIG!



Finally got some eyes on the chubby little bugger. You wouldn't believe how I agonized over how to do them, especially considering that they're half hidden by the hat. I wanted crocheted eyes so badly, but I couldn't get it to work out. I ended up with 28mm wigglies.

Photo Journal: Basic Teddy Bear

So a friend posted on Facebook about a week and a half ago about a young woman who had died in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn son and a 3 year old daughter. Even though, I didn't know her, I decided that I wanted to make something for the kids. So I've been working on a couple of small projects for them for about a week now. I finished the last item last night.

Perhaps it was a bit opportunistic of me, but I also took pictures of the teddy bear along the way, so I could share a little bit of the design process.

Day 1: two of the legs are done and a start on a third. Mostly when I make bears, I stick with making the legs are arms the same. I'm working the bear in Loops and Threads - Country Loom, Shale. It works up pretty similar to Lion Brand's Homespun, but a bit chunkier.



Day 2: All the legs/arms are finished. Legs are joined together and body is started. Tail is complete (it's worked right in over the course of 2 rounds).

Tail: add ch 7, just before the join of desired row (start a row lower than you'd like the tail to end up. on next row, sc in ea ch, and join on next row, skip tail sts and join to first sc of row.

It does leave a very small hole in the bear's bottom, but if it bothers you, you can always sew it closed.

Day 3: Most of a bear. Body is stuffed, head is started. I'm trying to get this one done as soon as possible for someone, so I've been working like a madwoman. (Also, I was up way to late watching old episodes of a favorite TV show.)

Day 4: Bear is finished. Ears are the only part that required sewing on. Face is embroidered in plain old Red Heart Super Saver in whatever the Dark Brown I had laying around is. Ready to be mailed out!