Dishcloths and Cat Toys

Over the last 2 months I have slowly knit these 3 dishcloths.  I've worked on them during movie nights, because I can knit these simple dishcloths with my eyes closed.

We love going to Hershey Park every Summer, so I couldn't wait to make this Hershey Kiss dishcloth in memory of all of the fun that we have had there (including when I was a kid myself).  Here is the free pattern.

I made 2 cat toys that can hang from a door knob.  Inside of the ball part is a plastic jingle ball cat toy.  We just got 2 new kittens this month, and they have had fun playing with their new toy.  Here is the free pattern.  I just added 10 more chain stitches to the blue area to make one of them longer.

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.  

Crayon Swap Package & Other Items

Before the Summer I lead a swap called the Crayon Swap.  We each picked a color that we wanted someone to make things for us in, and then we each made items in that color for the other person.  Recently I found out that one person's partner never followed through with the swap; so, I made her a bunch of things with her color in mind (turquoise) as an angel gift.  An angel gift is when someone sends something to another person without wanting anything more than a thank you in return.  The diamond patterned item is a notebook made from a juice pouch cardboard box.  There is a crochet soda tab flower pin, a plastic bottle cap pincushion that looks like a flower, a juice pouch notebook, a juice pouch coin purse, a small drawstring bag made from a t-shirt sleeve, 5 paper bead stitch markers, an artist trading card (my drawing), a crochet cotton scrubby, a crochet cotton dishcloth, and a crochet cotton floral hot pad.  She received everything last week and loved them all.  I'm so happy that she liked everything and that she got something from this swap.

Here is a close up of the hot pad.

Here is a close up of the scrubby.  Normally I knit scrubbies, but I found a crochet pattern for them.  It works the same way as the knit one: increase on one side and decrease on the other side, then do a running stitch on the sides to make the top and bottom like a circle / spiral.  Very easy.

The top stitch markers are the blue paper beads ones that I made for her.  I'm new at making stitch markers, so they aren't perfect. I found some cool skull beads at the craft store, and made some fun Halloween stitch markers for myself.

Here is the front of a card that I drew and mailed to a friend recently.

I then took an out of date calendar and made an envelope out of the October page.

Here is one of the Summer months calendar page turned into an envelope.

Here is a recent artist trading card (ATC) that I made using watercolor paints and a black pen.  An ATC is 3.5" x 2.5" - the same size as a baseball trading card.

ETA: Here are more photos of the swap package.

New iPhone Hoodie & Bangles

Last night I cast on another iPhone hoodie, this time with Vanna's Choice yarn.  The stitch markers were a gift from someone on ravelry.  They are made with blue paper beads.

Today I got started on prepping for a bangle class that I'm teaching next week.  First I take a mailing tube and I mark it in one inch increments all the way around.

Then I saw it.

I have 12 of the 25 bangles cut so far.  After that I need to sand them.  Here are the bangles that the girls made in my class last year.

My husband has been having fun doing motion capture and animating his clay creatures.  This is what I found in my refrigerator today.  I should probably hide all of the chocolate, lol.

Here is my fortune from today.  It seemed fitting for how my day has gone.

Flowers, ATCs, and Gifts

Yesterday it occurred to me that I haven't even started making end of the year teacher gifts.  My kids have 2 weeks left of school.  Yes I know its late, but they say that its because of the snow that we get here.  I need to make 3 in total, one for a male teacher and 2 for female teachers.  The male teacher's wife is having a baby soon, so I'll be making an amigurumi item for him for the baby.

For the 2 female teachers I made flowers pens that go in a terra-cotta pot.  Six pens each.  To make them you need fake flowers, scissors, pens, and floral tape.  Next I want to make some egg carton tulip flowers with a lollipop center, and then I'll tie a nice bow around the pot.  This is something that they can keep on their desk.

I've been working on these artist trading cards recently.  I found some super cute fish stickers that look like playing cards.  I put them on the pre-cut cards that a friend sent to me.  Then I found some ocean themed haikus and watercolor painted over them.  The picture above is of me adding some glitter glue to them to spice them up a bit.

I have the best online friends.  Yesterday I received 2 packages from 2 people in my ravelry group.  This was from my friend Gekko who lives in Australia.  Gekko and I were Christmas swap partners, and we are Doctor Who lovers.  

It is AWESOME!!!  She did not make it, but she thought that I could use it as a template.  You bet I can!  She also packed it full of tea and buttons.  I am floored by this gift.  Thank you so much Gekko!

My 2nd package was from LadyKatka who lives in Canada.  She was another angel who sent me blue items for the Crayon swap.  Angel = someone who sends something out of the goodness in their heart and wanting nothing (but maybe a thank you) in return. 

She went through my ravelry queue and found the pattern for a knitted globe that I had wanted to make but was to intimidated to make.  It is fantastic!  Then she made me some blue paper bead stitch markers and a crochet beaded bracelet.  Just lovely!

Then she took the first artist trading card that I had made and made a needle felted version of it.  OMG!  I literally had tears in my eyes when I saw it.  This image, unknown to her, is the wallpaper on my cell phone.  I can't believe she did this for me.  It is AMAZING!  I want to frame them together.  It is incredible!  Thank you soooooooooooo much LadyKatka!  I am just blown away by your package and kindness.

I just wanted to share some pictures that I took yesterday from my back yard.  This spider just would not get out of my seat.

Here is the roadrunner sculpture that my uncle made for me out of railroad spikes.  He camouflages well in my flower garden.

I did finish a crochet projects yesterday that I LOVE, however it is for a swap so I can't show it off just yet.  I can't wait to share it with all of you.  I consider it a work of art and not a crafty item.