Candy Corn Dish Towel

I loved the candy corn dish cloth that I made for the Halloween swap so much that I made one for myself this past week.  I finished it just in time for Halloween.  The free pattern for it is here.

Halloween Kitchen Items

I finished crocheting this Halloween hot pad set this week for myself.  I was inspired by the colors of candy corn.

Here is the pattern for these hot pads.

Here is the pattern for these hot pads.

These Halloween coasters were easy to make, and took only 1 day to crochet.

Yesterday I knitted this candy corn dishcloth.  Here is the pattern for it.

Halloween Swap Gifts for LadyKatka

LadyKatka (ravelry) was my other partner in the larger Halloween swap.  She received her package recently (in Canada).  Here is what I made for her.

A treat bag / project bag made from 3 large M&M wrappers (donated from a restaurant) and skull duct tape (more pictures below), a knitted dish towel, a crochet plarn scrubby, a google eye picture frame, skull stitch markers, gauntlet style fingerless gloves, toilet paper tube treat containers, a cork witch...

Some small goodies like a skull stamp, parachute black cat, spider rings...

A magnet made from a wooden Halloween piece (the toad warts), a plastic bottle ring crochet wreath ornament, pumpkin decoration, a bat ATC, Halloween pencils, Peanuts Gang activity pages, and a card.

Here is my video tutorial on how to make this google eye picture frame.

Gauntlet style fingerless gloves, which I am currently making myself a pair.

This wreath ornament was made by crocheting around a plastic bottle ring.

The pattern for this ornament is:

- Chain 20 stitches.

- Take a plastic bottle ring and half double crochet around it.

- Join with a slip stitch.

- Triple crochet twice in every stitch around, and join with a slip stitch.

- Chain 15 to 20 stitches, and tie to the other chain length.

- Then just add accessories.

Here is my video tutorial on how to make this bag.

Modfied Feather & Fan Hanging Dishtowel

The plarn scrubby pattern is just simply crocheting a basic circle:

- chain 2
- crochet 8 times into the 2nd chain from the hook
- single crochet twice in every stitch = 16 sts
- 2 sc in next stitch, 1 sc in next stitch, repeat = 24 sts
-  2 sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next 2 stitches, repeat = 32 sts- repeat until it is the size that you want. 

I used 1 Kohls gray plastic bag and 1 small black plastic bag to make the plarn.

These were the first stitch markers that I had ever made.  I loved them so much that I made myself a set.  The skull beads were found at Michael's Craft Store.

These cork witches were based off of this  Korknisse pattern.  I just modified the pattern slightly.

This artist trading card was made by watercolor painting on watercolor paper and then drawing on it with a black fine tipped sharpie.

Here is my video tutorial on how to make these toilet paper tube treat containers.  I put all of the smaller items in these containers.

LadyKatka said that she wants that skull duct tape.  She loved the skull stitch markers, especially since they are piratey.  She was hoping to get a cork witch and an ATC from me, so its good that I made some for her.  The magnet is already on her fridge.  Not pictured above, because it was a last minute add, was a red Kool Aid juice pouch notebook.  I had so much fun making things for her.  

8 Rainbow Cork Elves

Here are my rainbow cork elves so far.  I can't wait to have the whole rainbow completed. 

I made this little guy last night.  I just had to take a picture of him next to this plant, because of the similar colors.  I'm starting to run out of corks with blank spaces on them (for the faces).  However now I have a few more people who will save corks for me.  I don't drink alcohol, so all of my corks are donations.

Yes, More Cork Elves

I've been busy making more cork elves.  This time with smilie faces.

I finished knitting the red one's hat at the Farmers' Market yesterday, which is where this picture was taken.

Here is the yarn that I have been using:  Bernat mosaic acrylic yarn: Calypso.  I want to make the whole rainbow of cork elves.

4th of July Weekend

Sunday I finished knitting a 2nd iPhone hoodie, this time with worsted weight yarn.  I like this one better, even though it isn't as pretty.

I also finished sanding the 24 cardboard tubes that I had cut for my bangle class.  This is the parts that I had to peel off before sanding.  A friend came over today while I was sawing a 2nd tube.  She asked to try it, and the next thing I knew the whole tube was sawed.  Wow!  She was enjoying herself.

My in-laws were visiting this weekend, and my mother-in-law asked for help learning how to crochet.  After showing her some basics, she said that her mother, an avid crocheter, wanted to learn how to make a fanciful flower potholder.  She enjoys figuring out patterns on her own.  So I started making the potholder for her last night, and this is how far I got when my in-laws left this morning.  My mother-in-law took it with her unfinished, because it would be easier for her mother to figure out how it was made. I did show my mother-in-law what I did and what needed to come next so that she could relay it on to her mother, plus she can send a picture of the one that I made for her along with this one (to Puerto Rico).  It is strange not finishing a present for someone.

Well it was 4th of July yesterday, and hanging on my door is my plastic bag patriotic wreath.

It uses about 150 plastic bags, including blue newspaper bags.

We went to the beach on Sunday and here are some of the pictures that I took there.

Then Sunday night and Monday morning was my town's County Fair.  

Here are just some of the pictures that I took there (while volunteering to help with the recycling).

My church makes fresh "Holy Donuts" that they sold on Monday.  They are yummy.

My local quilt shop had patriotic quilts on display.

The image on the right is of someone reporting on the 2 mile race and on the parade.

I hope that all of you who celebrate the 4th of July / Independence Day had a great 3 day weekend.