Are your wrists warm?

I'm still trying to use up all of my yarn since I still haven't had a chance to go on a yarn shopping spree. I've been doing a lot of searching for patterns to spark a creative spurt. I've been looking for Christmas Runners and centerpieces. Today I stumbled on these wrist warmers. I thought they were really cute.

 The pattern is just the basic shell. I added the fun fur to make them a little bit different. The colors remind me of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.          

   They are actually quite comfy. I wish I would have had these when I worked at my old job in the winter time.  They are perfect for working on the computer.

The possibilities are endless between colors and kinds of yarns.

I'd love to know what you're working on! Send me some pictures!!!

Yarn is everywhere!!!!

My husband and I attended the Merry Member Mixer for Disney Vacation Club members. We've been Vacation Club members since 2002. Now that we live here in Florida we are only 45 minutes from Disney it's our favorite thing about moving back to Florida. Every weekend since we've been here (5 mos.) we trek on over and walk around the hotels, the parks (we got our year passes as soon as we got here (the deeply discounted ones) and the Marketplace.

The Mixer was so fun. They opened a exhibit hall and had a huge party for DVC members. We got our picture taken with Minnie and Mickey and Goofy and Pluto. The had apple cider and gingerbread cookies. And...they actually had fake snow blowing in the wind as you entered the building. I'm sure my friends and family in Michigan are laughing as they await the first big snow of the season tonight.  We even received a complimentary Christmas ornament. Very nice.

The entrance to the event. Notice the snow floating through the air?

Here we are with Goofy and Pluto. I had my prescription sunglasses on and left my regular glasses in the car. So I had to attend with sunglasses the entire event. Thank God they were at least prescription or else I would have been stumbling over things! HA!

Here I am next to the Candy Canes at the entrance. It was lots of fun!

Here's the pretty ornament. I've been looking for a Disney ornament dated 2011. I collect them every year. This will be a nice addition to our tree.

Of course the reason I bring the Mixer up at all is that wouldn't you know it, right there on the main stage was an installation with a train and kids toys and a HUGE BALL OF YARN!! My husband says “Only you would take a picture of a big ball of yarn!!” He's right and here it is!!!!

One HUGE BALL OF YARN for all of my crocheting friends. Can you imagine what you could create with all of that?

I've also been going through a phase this week where all of a sudden I've realized that Christmas is upon us and I have no Christmas projects in the works. I want to make a Christmas table runner for a friend. I've been searching patterns and have found a couple I'm interested in. I'm working on my hats and started displaying them on my Etsy account. See http://www.etsy.com/shop/valerierehrman.

I guess the name of the game is just keep busy! Warm crochet needles are happy needles because it means you are working on something wonderful!!!

Leftover Results!

It is possible to make something out of nothing. Well not really nothing, just scraps to be matter of fact. Here is the result of my scrap adventure. On my way out the door to go yarn shopping!!! Happy as a clam! Check out my Etsy shop in the right hand column next to this blog!

This is another made up pattern made with all of my scraps from recent projects.

The front view. Looks like candy corn eh?

Leftovers!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. This was the first time we had Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws in probably 10 years. We were always up in Michigan so we never could get together. Now that we're all in the same house it was great. My husband got up at the crack of dawn to begin working in the kitchen with his mother. This had a two-fold purpose. One, my husband is studying to become a chef so he needed the kitchen time, and secondly, it was a chance to bond with his mom and learn her recipes and procedures.

My husband was up early to begin cooking Thanksgiving Dinner. He is a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. This apron was given to him from a fellow Flotilla member. He is a member of the Aux Chef program and cooks at various Coast Guard stations.

The house was full of wonderful smells all day. There is something about the smell of onions sauteed in butter that makes me remember my grandmother and all of the wonderful food she made. He worked all day. My contribution was a banana custard pie with meringue. It turned out beautifully until I put in in the oven under the broiler to brown the meringue. Suddenly we all said do you smell something burning? We opened the oven and smoke came out and the whole top of my beautiful pie was black. So scrap that attempt. I'll try again. I only went to set the table. One minute tops!!!

Turkey & stuffing. Yummo! Let's hear it for leftovers!

Now that Thanksgiving is over and Black Friday has passed (which I did not partake in), every year I say I'm going out there but I never get it together in time, I'm ready to take on the Christmas holiday. I'm not really in the mood but I'm going to try. It's been a very rough year for me and I'm just not all warm and fuzzy about it this year. But I'm hoping to get out the decorations and try to coordinate with my mother-in-law where and what we'll be decorating. Maybe it will help.

In the meantime I'm out of yarn still and I really want to make another hat. So this is what I pulled out of my yarn basket (LEFTOVERS) to try to put together some sort of design. So let's see what I'll come up with.

These are the colors I'm going to use to create a new hat. Let's see what I come up with.  Hunter Orange, Carrot, Cornmeal and Aran Fleck.

I opened my Etsy shop this week. I only have 2 items in it so far, but that's because I'm still trying to learn the process. I'll have more stuff loaded in this weekend.

Here's my link  http://www.etsy.com/shop/valerierehrman

Oh and my pug Baron, my patron of crochet, would like to say hi too!!

I like to lay by my mommy's desk while she works on her crochet. Happy Holidays everyone!

I have the whole day to create. So many projects that I need to do but all I want to really do is create another pattern of my own!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

These boots were made for walking through Wildflowers!

I am an avid Facebooker!! It's become an addiction. It's my only connection to the outside world beyond my little office where I do my graphics and crochet my hats. I am a graphic designer by trade. A crocheter as my passionate pastime. So when my graphic work is done I move onto crocheting. I'm constantly searching for ideas, seeing what my old workmates are up to and trying to figure out how to find a job through networking with BranchOut, Beyond and Linkedin. I've found no success with any of them.

Anyway, when I opened my Facebook page the other day there was a posting from Lauren Alaina, the runner up on American Idol this past season. I liked her page so whenever she posts I get to see what she's up to. I had entered a Boot design contest for Justin Boots about a month ago. I had almost forgotten about it. Lo and behold there were my boots on her Facebook page. So exciting. The voting begins on November 30. So go on her Facebook page and vote for my entry. I think she'd look really cute in this design!!! A lot of good feedback!

Here is a screen capture of the page.

If you type in the link before the picture you can see where to vote etc.

Back to crochet for a minute...I have been fooling around with a new design. It's kind of funky and I still have to work out the kinks. Hopefully I can read my writing as I jotted down the stitches.

We'll see how it all turns out.  I'd love to hear what some of you are working on. I'm not in the mood for Christmas this year so I'm trying to get my mind around doing some Christmas projects. Here's hoping.

Snowboarder - The first design

My yarn has been put through the ringer! The Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn called Kansas City Wheat and Fun Fur Chocolate were my choice. I've enjoyed working with these yarns. The Hometown USA is nice and thick so you can see a hat come together quickly. I'm still not sure about the final design. There may be another approach in the works coming up. I still want it bulkier and I want to try to apply a mohawk of some sort.

The Snowboarder from the front.

The Snowboarder from the side. I added a small detail. I was going to add buttons but because the yarn lends itself to it I made the button out of the yarn.

I also added a button on the back side.

I had a lot of fun making this hat. Now I have to write out the pattern. It's really warm and bulky and would look so cool coming down the slopes not to mention just hanging out by the fire.

The Snowboarder at the beginning

I am still trying to perfect my Carrot Top pattern. It's being tested and it's getting me testy!!! Who knew how intricate it would be to write a pattern. Things you take for granted have to be written out move by move. So I should be ready this week to post the pattern.

In the meantime, I bought the yarn to start the Snowboarder hat. So excited. The possibilities are endless. If I can capture the vision in my head we should be golden.

My yarn haul this afternoon. So excited to start the Snowboarder. I've been working on an Owl pattern hat with scraps in the meantime. I'm doing them for a set of triplets. I think they are cute. Still have some last minute touches to put on them. I'm doing each one in a different combination using the same colors.

The owls are a fun pattern I found on a blog called Slugs on the Refrigerator. www.slugsontherefrigerator.com.  I've gotten this far.

The owls are coming to life. This is a published pattern, not for resale, but so cute. My sister has triplets on her husbands side of the family so I'm going to make them for the kids. I can't wait to see a picture of them all wearing them!

I have a great evening of building a pattern from scratch. Anyone want to take bets about how many times I'll be ripping out stitches and starting over. You just wait, when I get done it will be a masterpiece!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

I have rounded up all the yarn I have left to my name and sad to say I can fit it all in one basket!! It's so sad...only because I love to have skeins of yarn in every corner of my office. I love to have a basket of it in my bedroom. I love to have a basket of patterns and yarns in the living room. But now...I'm down to one little basket. Scraps of cotton from wash cloths, Red Heart medium weights for my hats and afghans and a couple of rumpled up patterns I printed from the internet.

The moral of the story...I need a yarn shopping extravaganza!! Once for my birthday at a family gathering my sister's sister-in-law gave me a birthday bag full of yarn. 8 whole skeins for an afghan. She might as well have handed me a diamond ring!!! I was so excited. So the shopping extravaganza will happen this weekend. Of course being unemployed, I won't go over board. Just a couple of skeins to make my Snowboarder hat.

My last scraps of yarn!! They look so lonely, crying out to be made into something.

I finally finished writing the pattern for my hat design. The pattern is for the carrot and chocolate colored ski hat. I called it Carrot Top. I tested it one more time to make sure it was right. I then emailed it to my sister (my crochet partner in crime) and she's testing it too. Then I'll post it for you all to try. The pattern may be called Carrot Top but use any colors your little heart desires!!!

The final tester hat. I love that furry yarn. It's called Fun Fur by Lion Brand. It just adds such a punch and makes the hat look cozy.

As I was surfing through my Facebook page this afternoon I enjoy seeing postings from www.slugsontherefrigerator.com. It's a blog written by a woman named Kat Goldin who is an American transplanted to Scotland. She does incredible crochet patterns and work. I enjoy her blog and I came across this pattern for an iPhone cover. I quickly whipped one up for my husband's phone. I did it in a nice blue because he's a Coast Guard Auxiliary person. I see Christmas presents in a lot of my friend's future!!! HA!!!

Here's the iPhone cover. So easy and so cute! I never have buttons laying around but I was able to find a few clothes I have purchased that have extra buttons attached in plastic. So now I have to add to my list...shop for interesting buttons.

I see an interesting weekend ahead of me. I plan on beginning the Snowboarder hat. I have such a vision in my head. I only hope I can do it justice. If I can then I'm off to the races.....

Testing one, two, three!

This has been in interesting experience. Writing a pattern. I'm a creature of habit. I usually crochet by using published patterns. I follow them to the letter, except for colors. So this experience has taken me completely off the beaten path.

I am so happy to see the response to my blog for one and then for ear flap hat I posted. It's been so much fun to communicate about crochet. So many degrees of experience etc.

I have had the best time testing this pattern. I have been writing the pattern and photographing it along the way. I tested it without the furry yarn just to see what it looks like. Definitely use the furry yarn. I think it looks cozier. I'll have the names of the yarns etc. in the pattern. I hope I can read my chicken scratch!! When I get it finished I will be sure to post the pattern.

Now that this one is finished I'm looking forward to making the hat I really want to make. It's going to be called The Snowboarder. I'm looking for the chunkiest of yarns and the furriest!! It will be a masterpiece. But it's going to take me awhile!!!

My next dream is to go yarn shopping. Whenever I come around the corner and see all the colors I get so excited. If only I had an endless budget right? My dream is to have an extra $100 and spend it all on yarn!!  Ridiculous eh? Not when you have a million ideas rolling around in your brain.

Baron is asleep on the couch next to me as I work in what I call my COMMAND CENTRAL.

I put my new portfolio together today to get me ready for my appointment Wednesday morning. I hope this leads to a job. I'm praying and crossing my fingers. It's an opportunity of a lifetime.

Anyway, when I get the pattern done I'll post it. It's a great feeling to know that I accomplished it!

Here is the hat before adding the ear flaps.

Ear flaps added, check!

Adding the tassles. I find that if you add about 6 extra inches of yarn to braid and create tassle it's easier to grab the yarn and tie the knot.    

The finished piece. Here's the ironic part, I live in Florida now. These hats would have come in so much more handy in Michigan!!!

Do any of you hold allegiance to only one yarn company? I love Red Heart and it's my “go to” yarn but I also love to mix and match different textures so I go up and down the row picking up things from all different brands. Is that wrong? Can't we all just get along? HA!!!!

So now I'm off to get this pattern written up and add a little bit of graphic design to boot!!!

The Mad Hatter and Dog Whisperer!

The search for the perfect hat pattern goes on!

I stumbled across this pattern this afternoon. So I chose the yarn I have and started to work. It's cute.

I'm making a trip to the store tomorrow to purchase new colors and new textures. Can't wait!!!

While I work I have a fan club. The dogs come from all four corners of the house and have to be in the room at my feet or laying nearby. The calm of crocheting must relax them. They just have to be nearby. So funny.

This little hat has a wave pattern.

A view from the top.

This is my pug Baron the patron of Crocheting! He's always nearby when I work!

Here's Harry my in-law's dog. He had to know what was going on too!!

 I plan to spend the weekend continuing my research. I'm also putting together a new portfolio of my graphics work. I have an interview on Wednesday. No guarantees but at least it's an interview. Send good vibes my way!!!

Now there are two!

The little hat factory has begun!! I now have 2!!! The possibilities really are endless. I can't wait to go and buy yarn this weekend for the hat I really want to make. It's almost going to be sculptural!! So happy to be inspired again!!

The twins!!!

Winter Hat Extravaganza!

I attempted the Sherpa, Ear Flap, Mohawk hat today. It ended up a Sherpa and Ear Flap hat. I started the top from a pattern and then once I had about 4 inches of circle I started to make up the stitches. It's my first attempt at creating something from my head or is that for my head!  I'm a “follow the pattern to the letter” gal. (Not colors, just stitches). So this was off the beaten path for me. Not to mention, it's not an afghan. Let me tell you, pardon the pun, I'm hooked.

I have no idea how to make it bigger or smaller but I'm going to keep at it. I'll do some research and make more and more. My ultimate hat will be with big chunky yarn and a Q sized hook. I want it to look like a Russian Hat with ear flaps. Big and furry!! Something that snowboarders would wear. Funky and cool.

I had a great time using the furry yarn too. Usually that kind of yarn is hard to work with for me being that I have bifocals and it's hard to see the stitches sometimes. Luckily I didn't have a problem with this yarn. By the way did I tell you all that I'm old just now? Just turned 50!! Bifocals are the norm now!!

Here's how the hat turned out.

Red Heart is my “go to” yarn so I chose this appropriate carrot color for the season. The furry yarn was a lot of fun to work with.

I like the shape. The next hat I make needs to be just a bit bigger.

Well I'm going to try to write out the pattern so that I can attempt the next hat. Look for more hats to be posted as I try to figure out different shapes and sizes. The crazier the better!! You have to get noticed on those slopes!!!