The Feisty Hooker

Syrah Wrap

2010-09-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

This was from a pattern that was supposed to be half knitted and half crocheted combined. My A.D.D got the better of me and just couldn't finish the knitted part and decided to crochet the whole thing instead. What can I say, I'm not a knitter, I'm a crocheter at heart and can do it much faster than knit. I'm out to prove that your projects don't have to look like your grandmother's.

Forever In Blue Jeans

2010-09-29T12:28:00.001-07:00

I was making a purse out of this yarn and decided it was a big waste of this pretty yarn. I frogged it and decided to make the Feathers and Fans scarf my girlfriend was making. This was also my first attempt to wire block anything and so far it’s doing good. However, I wanted it blocked immediately and asked for tips from a GF. There was no way I was going to be able to get blocking wires in time and decided to scout the house for wire. Low and behold, I found jewlry/floral wire, 24 guage. It worked fine. I put it in the end of a big needle and wove it in and out of the edging of the scarf. I was able to spool out as much wire as I needed for the length and it stayed pretty good. Love how it came out.

Sweet Caroline Wrap

2010-09-29T12:26:00.001-07:00

I fell in love with this yarn. My bff took me to the cutest little yarn shop up in the Big Bear Mountains and saw it there. The multi colored had some of the gray in it and thought it would make a lovely combination and it did. Amazingly enough, this pattern was only two different stitch patterns that anyone can do. The multi-colored (top) is the berry stitch and the gray (bottom) is only a 3 shell,1sc stitch pattern with a 5-shell pattern that makes up the edging on the bottom. I had it in my head and it actually worked out. I love it love it love it!!!

Hint: Get yourself a big book of shell patterns and you can put anything together.

Cracklin' Rose Scarf

2010-09-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

My bff was knitting a shawl and I thought it was really pretty. Since I don’t have the patience to knit a whole project, my crochet wheels were turning and decided to copy her shawl called the Saroyan by Liz Abinante using Malabrigo worsted weight yarn. It’s not exact, the edging had to be a little different and found a really cool ruffly edging for it and decided to use wooden beads that fit the project perfectly. It was so in my head and came out exactly to the picture I pictured. I like when that happens.

The Bag Lady Strikes Again

2010-09-29T12:14:00.001-07:00

Crazy Head

Purple Passion

Pink Pursuation

Jungle Fever

Isabella

Flower Garden

Evening Show

Denim Blues

Licia

2010-09-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Introducing Licia, named after the Goddess, Alicia, who was known for her yarn dying, knitting and sewing skills and was said to weave garments out of pure gold. It is written that Athena enslaved Alicia and used her to make Athena’s many battle outfits and evening gowns until one day Artemis, Zeus’ daughter, rescued Alicia from the clutches of Athena and set her free. She lived in the forest with Artemis and spun and dyed yarns out of all the natural resourses Mother nature gave to the earth. Because of her kind ways and generous heart and talents, Zeus named Alicia Goddess of Fiber.

Crocheted Helmet Liner

2010-01-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend Michelle has been knitting helmet liners for her son who is in the army. When he recieved his first one and used it, he was so excited and asked her to make 40 more for the rest of his unit. A good mother as she is, said yes (I hope my son will be that lucky in time of need). Of course, this was not an easy task, and asked for assistance through our LYS. She had an overwhelming response, however, there were a few crocheters who were left out in the cold, so to speak, without a crocheted verson. Michelle asked if I would come up with one and I happily did so. I really didn't think it would take as long as it did. I was able to crochet it alright and store it in the filing cabinet in my head but to put it on paper was a whole different matter. I soon realized that writing a pattern is definitely a community project. Thank you Judy and Rita for helping with the fine tuning. These liners are intended to keep the soldiers warm in the subzero weather of Afghanistan and other areas that they will be protecting our fine country.

If you are interested in making liners for Michelle's son or if you have sons of your own that you would like to keep warm, please make sure you keep to the guidelines of the fiber. For example, the pattern calls for Cascade 220(found at your local yarn store) or Patons Classic Wool (found at Joann's), however, if you cannot find either of these (can also be found online), and would like to use a different brand, please feel free to do so, but please make sure you give it a burn test. The strict requirement is for safety reasons only. If it has any other fiber in it besides wool or it could be an inferior fiber, it could melt in extreme circumstances and we don't want that, neither will the soldier.

Burn test: Using a lighter, burn the end of the yarn and if it ashes, then it is a good wool to use. If the yarn melts, then you'll know that they put another fiber in the content and it is not 100% wool, or the sheep got lucky with an inflatable, not so lucky, sheep.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/26003343/Helmet-Liner

Little Hippy Boy

2009-03-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Since I've been crocheting, I've had many orders from my kids of what they've wanted me to make for them. I'm constantly making things for my daughter Ashlee, so of course my son Andrew wanted me to make him something special as well. He asked me to make him a bookbag. So one day, I took Andrew to Walmart and picked some camiflage yarn. I knew that his dad wasn't going to be too happy with him carrying this crocheted bag around school so I told him that I would make an overnight bag to put his things in when he goes to his grandmother's. He was cool with it and I started working on it. It turned out like a duffle bag with a drawstring at the top and a long handle to hang over his back.

He was so proud of his sack. He wanted to take it to school one day and I let him. He put all his books in it and his jacket. He wore it on his back like he was the cool kid of the block. When we got home from school that day, his dad was home early and witnessed him with his duffle bag. He was not too happy with me and told me that he was going to get beat up one day for taking that to school.

My response to him, "Well then I guess he'll have to learn to protect himself. All he has to do is put a big rock on the bottom of it and if someone bothers him he can swing around like David and the slingshot and fling it at them. If the bullies get hit with that, they won't bother him any more."

He never took it to school again.

Spring Has Sprung

2009-03-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been taking a break from blogging and have finally decided to start up again. I've been motivated by the coming of Spring and decided that if I didn't do something else besides crocheting all day that I would eventually get burned out. The first sign of sring, of course, has been the warm weathere we've been having and Spring Break just around the corner. The other sign of Spring happened just this morning when my son came running in the house, screaming, "Look at the pool!!! Look at the pool!!!"

Our two little friends make another visit this year. I'm guessing they stopped by for a rest on their way to their summer home to start their family once again. I hope we'll get to see them again tomorrow, at least to stop by and say hi.

Spring also brought forth some inspiration through my purse designs as well. This purse had been a project I was doing for my mother. She wanted a black and white background with lots of flowers on the front. Ok, that's exactly what she got, but it wasn't quite what she saw in her head. I have learned since not to custom design purses for special orders. I'll sell it to someone who loves it and can't live without it. Actually, it might just be another purse for me.

The whole purse was felted. The flowers were of course felted seperate then later attached to the purse. I'm pretty happy with the turn out of this purse, it will definately catch lots of eyes.

Psychedelic Peace Purse

2009-01-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Gag Gift Triumph

2008-12-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Every year my family is invited to my house to celebrate our Christmas season with a White Elephant game. We bring a $10 gift to be put in the middle of the room while we all sit in a circle around the pile of gifts. We all pick a number and choose a gift accordingly in numerical order. This year however, I had two gifts. I had crocheted a ski cap for an aunt and decided to put it in the pile as a gag gift. My cousin Yvonne and I sat together on the couch, when she told me that she had number one, I thought her to be the perfect person to grab my gag gift. I, of course, having such a trustworthy face (ha ha ) coerced her into taking my gift. So, when it came to starting with number one, she got up to pick her gift. She himmed and hawed and looked over all the gifts, faking an attraction to the others and reached down and picked mine up. With a big smile, she unwrapped the pretty paper, and low and behold, the crocheted ski hat, pom pom included. She told me that her first thought was, "Oh shit!" but she played it off pretty nicely, saying how beautiful it was as she put it on, while we all rolled on the floor laughing. She even slugged me in the arm for talking her into picking my gift. However, after we all calmed down from laughing our asses off, I gave her the real gift. I knew she would love. A jewelry box with beaded embellishments over sari silk, made in India.

This was after I got slugged in the arm for making her pick my gift, but then pleasantly surprised after opening her real gift.

Russian peasant girl who lives in Siberia. The only thing keeping her warm is her ski hat, shawl and her O'Riley's white chocolate liqueur, which goes perfectly in a cup of hot coffee.

Ooooo, sexy Russian girl posing for the camera. Uh oh, getting into to the white chocolate, she's throwing out all her inhibitions.

That's it sexy Russian girl, feel the camera, be the camera, love the camera. Give me sexy eyes. That's good, now think nasty thoughts. MMMMMMMM good girl, that's the look.

Tis the Season To Be Nutty

2008-12-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas I make and sell butter toffee and dipped pretzels. This year I decided I was going to take a break from the mess and stress of making my, soon to be, famous candy. However, people heard about it and were, lets say, less than happy to hear of the disappointing news. I felt like Santa, deciding to postpone Christmas. One person asked then another, then another, pretty soon I had orders and lots of candy to make. In a weekend, however, I managed to pull off 50 lbs of toffee, 30 lbs of pretzels and 10 doz. of my special buttery shortbread cookies, and that is only 1/4 of what I normally do each year. I'm glad I decided to do it though, it seemed to brighten up a lot of faces.

My Business Card

2008-12-05T09:39:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd share my cool business cards my genius brother created for me. Are they perfect or what. I am so tickled as to how they turned out, I had to post them. Thanks bro.

Got Red Heart?

2008-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

I, like many stittchers from the past, have collected oodles and oodles of acrylic yarn such as Red Heart. Where did it come from? WalMart, Target, Michael's, yard sales. Yes, I am guilty of swerving the corner after seeing the infamous yard sale sign posted out on the main street, just to see if they have any yarn. And yes, I have bought many a yarn from these yard sales. $.50, $.25, 5 for a $1.00. Leaving with bags of yarn, Red Heart, Home Spun, Caron. As the saying goes, one man's (or woman's) junk (yarn), is another man's (woman's) treasure (yarn). And yes, I have ended up with ton's of "less than fabulous" acrylics.

So, the other day, I had just washed and felted a couple of bags. As I was scanning the garage, searching for the perfect object to stuff into my wet felted bags, to form them as they dry, I came across two large bags of my "l.t.f.a. (less than fabulous acrylic) yarns, sitting there waiting to be donated to our "Warm Up America" blanket charity, and cancer hats. Then DING, the light balb went on. I grabbed some skeins of the l.t.f.a and stuffed them into the bags. Wow, I had just found a use for them and was so proud of myself for coming up with such a great idea to use to form my felted projects. It works great. There is plenty of air going through them even as they sit inside the wet bags, this way they will be able to dry on the inside as they dry on the outside. After the bags are done drying fully, pull out the skeins of ltfa and they will dry in no time. Put them away until the next time. Ok, now I have a question... how am I going to donate my ltfa's when now I actually have a use for them?

Mom's Birthday Bag

2008-11-18T08:37:00.001-08:00

Mom's birthday present this year was (surprise!) a felted bag. I used different colors in it as you can see but I also mixed in a little gold cord for a little contrast to the wool. The front flap goes to the side for a different look and is covered in felted flowers. It was a lot of fun making this bag but lots of work that turned out to be worth every minute I spent on it. I think she liked it... She's asked for another, which is on its way of being completed, although it is taking a long time for me to figure out exactly what I want on it. Sometimes good things take a little longer to transpire.

Enjoy the bag mom, stay tuned for your next one.

Roving... New Possibilities

2008-11-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you Cheryl, Acorn to Oak, my favorite stitcher, for showing me new possiblities. I am so excited to start needle felting and using this technique as embellishments for my purses and bags. You are such an inspiration, and Saturday was just so much fun. Thank you again for alowing all of us to get our hands... soapy!!!

Bags, Bags, Bags

2008-10-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Daisy Mae

Lined with Denim this bag measures 17w x 14h not including handles. Soft faux fur bag with silver embelishments.

Ashlee Ann

Made of Chinchilla faux fur, metalic and wool fibers and very soft fringe, lined with gold sari fabric. This measures 11w x 9h.

Daniella

Crochet with multicolored fibers and an offset rose and wooden handles. Lined with silk sari fabric. This measures approx. 13w x 14h, including fringe but not including handles.

The Garden Party Felted Bag

2008-10-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by the "Julia Roberts" bag that someone snipped out of a magazine. I saw the copy of her bag one day at a little yarn boutique and wanted to make my own version of it. Instead of silk flowers, I felted my flowers and added a few extras to it. At the time, I was experimenting with dying my own wool yarn with Kool-Aid and started working on this purse. It was so much fun and the creative juices just flowed out. And of course I had to use some "fun fur". I wore my bag to a baby shower and a cousin loved it so much that she wanted me to make one for her just like it. I explained that I couldn't duplicate the bag but if she wanted, I'd gladly sell it to her. She agreed and I sold my first purse. I later took it home and lined it for her. The "Garden Party Bag"is my pride and joy.

Enjoy it Cec and wear it in good health.