Snowflake Table Runner

7:53 AM Posted In , , Edit This 0 Comments »
Well,

I just got back from Christmas in Iowa, where I got to donate my table runner to the dinner table.   Here's a photo of how it looked, complete and beneath a gorgeous centerpiece:


I definitely recommend giving that one a go if you're looking for some wintery charm around the house.  The link to the pattern is right here.  I also promised ages ago that I'd post the picture of the completed lace doily I did as my first lace project, so here that is:



I've also been crocheting like mad lately to get several projects done for other people, as well as to fundraise for my dog's upcoming leg surgery.  So far I've completed four cowls, six dog sweaters (with a seventh and eighth on the way, and a ninth promised upon receiving measurements), two beanie hats.....and I think that's it.  I've also got to finish a piece of cover art for a local company, so I've been a really busy bee!

BUT!

Not too busy to post pictures, patterns, or recipes!



The dog sweaters are too complicated and varied to really give instructions on, but here are some of my faves:





All made either from free patterns on the web or improvised designs based on what I learned from practicing those free patterns.  Once you get the hang of how the sweater fits, it becomes a lot simpler and faster!

Hats are just about the easiest thing to make, though.  All yarns are different, so you really have to improvise your hat and constantly fit it to make sure you make the right size.  For the two hats I made over the break, I just increased in every stitch to keep the top flat until it started to ruffle, then increased less and less until the top of the head was done.  Then you just work the sides in rounds (I did the whole main piece in double crochet, one color) without increasing until you get to the brim, which I worked in alternating front post and back post double crochets for 2 or 3 rows.  Voila!  You have a beanie.  Here's how my first one looked:


The cowls are even easier.  Just chain the width you want (slip it over your head - it can be SUPER loose, or super snug, it's just up to you!), slip stitch to join, chain two, turn, and double crochet back across (don't twist the chain!).  Turn if you want, or work in the round - it's all up to you.  You can keep it all one width or decrease toward the top to keep it up on your nose like a scarf.  You can pretty much do whatever you want with it.  Here's a couple photos of one I made for myself and one for my fiance:

All one width, made with scraps of lion brand ruffly yarn.  Homespun, maybe?

This one decreased slowly and steadily from bottom to top so it would stay up on the nose in the cold.

Both yarns are wool and alpaca blends, if I remember correctly.  Very soft and warm.  Remember not to throw wool in the washer - it will felt!

You don't have to be too picky about the shape - cowls are meant to be carefree, loose, and cozy.
There you go - a ton of crochet stuff.



What about a recipe?  Here's one for kringla, a Norwegian type of cookie, passed down generations in my fiance's family (the Henrysons):

Ingredients:
2 c. sour cream
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 c. butter, melted
4 1/2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
about 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix dough and chill.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  You may have to add more flour until the dough is workable - then layout some flour on the counter and put a small bit of dough on that.  Pull off a small section and roll it out into a long tube (about 8 inches or so), then fold it on a baking sheet into a figure eight.  Fill pan in the same fashion, then bake at 400 until VERY lightly browned (about 9 minutes in my oven).  The browner, the crispier - which is fine unless you love tender, soft kringla like me!

Extra dough or cookies will freeze just fine - but fresh kringla is best shared with as many people as you can!


-MM

Recipe time!

3:23 AM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
Tonight my fiance decided to make pasta, but wasn't sure what to do about the sauce.  I tried to give him a recipe for one, but wound up experimenting over the stove instead.  Here's what I came up with - a very simple white sauce with a citrusy flavor that goes great over angel hair:

Ingredients:
1/4 stick salted butter
1 cup or so whole milk (depending on how thin you want it)
1 egg
1-2 tbsp flour (play with it)
1/4 cup parmesan
Artichoke hearts
Capers
Lemon juice
Powdered garlic
Parsley (fresh or dried)
Salt

Directions:
1.  Melt butter in small pot over medium heat.
2.  Add milk and heat through.
3.  Add flour and parmesan, stir constantly from this point on to avoid cooking the egg.
4.  Add milk or reduce as needed to maintain consistency you desire.  Add in the artichoke hearts and capers so they can start mixing in their flavors.
5.  Once you have the thickness you want, season with lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and salt, all to taste.  That's it!  You have sauce now.

I'm sorry I didn't measure specifics, but honestly, it's whatever tastes right to you.  The salt will counteract any leftover flour tastes (which you should try to work out before you put in the artichokes, or they'll catch all the flour.  I freaking hate using flour in sauces.) and will bring out the lemon, the lemon will compliment the garlic (don't ask me how), and the parsley adds nice color and garnish.  I always have trouble melting the parmesan fully, which is why it's added early on, and using grated over shredded helps, too.



By the way - I'm SO close to finishing that lace doily I started ages ago, have several tiny glass doilies I ought to get around to posting photos of, and I completed the snowflake table runner but haven't sewn in the ends yet or blocked it.  Pics soon, I promise!

-MM

Snowflake Table Runner

7:55 AM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Hiya!

I injured my hand a short while ago, leaving a lace project of mine sitting on the table unfinished.  In the meantime, I decided to pick up a big hook again and do a project with actual yarn for the first time in quite a while.  I settled on a table runner that will eventually look like this:

(photo from free pattern instructions on Coats and Clark)

Nifty, isn't it?  I thought it would be the perfect thing to bring to Christmas dinner in Iowa, when my fiance's family get together.  It's working up very quickly, is a very simple pattern, and is really easy on my hand.

You can probably knock it out in a day of crocheting, but I'm moving a bit slower than normal.  I'll post a photo when it's complete and blocked out.  I'm making it with a 5.5 mm hook in white Bernat Softee yarn, which will hopefully be able to handle stains and washings provided it's done so gently.

The pattern is available for free PDF download here.  I might be making a more delicate, lacy version if I get bored of making lace doilies once my hand heals up.

Enjoy the early burst of Christmas!  I normally don't get started this early, but the pattern was just so cute I couldn't help it.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, though, so you can bet the coming weeks will be full of fun autumnal inspiration.  :)

-Miss Mouse

Another Post about Peppers

3:27 PM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
I've been having the most frustrating run-ins with plant problems lately.  Just when you think everything is going perfectly, your peppers start curling over themselves.

It's only happening to my red chili peppers.  They're coming in curled and wonky, seamed and lopsided.  It looks like they took LSD.  The best I can figure is that they've hybridized with my cayennes, much to my dismay (thank you, fruit flies, now get the heck outta my house and stay out), and the worst I can figure is some sort of disease of which I'm totally unaware.  I'll cut one open at some point and see if I can glean any information from its insides, or perhaps from the interwebs.

The good news is someone told me they heard deformed shapes meant hotter peppers.  Not totally sure if I can trust that or not, but would it really be so bad if it were true, or if they had hybridized?  They'll likely never leave my kitchen, so they aren't a risk for other peppers.  Meh.  At the very, super, absolute least, it's frustrating.

My basil also took on spider mites, and my organic pesticide does not seem to have the oomph needed to run the little guys outta town.  Good news?  I can fight them by keeping the plant watered frequently (something I have slacked off on these past two weeks unfortunately).  This, and these bizarre and to this day unidentified yellow-white spots on my parsley kept a perfectly excellent harvest from hanging up to dry.  I'm disappointed, but I look forward to turning my little kitchen garden around again.

The best part about indoor gardening is not having to end the seasons when the weather feels like it!

On a happier note, I've gotten back to lace at last after crocheting a baby blanket for a friend's shower.  I'll post a picture of the blanket if I think of it later on, and the lace when I've finished it.  I'm making a collection of glass doilies to experiment with some 30 and 40 weight lace I picked up a month or so ago.  :)

Alrighty, I've got to get back to business.  See you around!

-MM

Airbrushing

11:10 PM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
I was recently asked to airbrush a piece of metal for a friend, and I'm really excited about it.  My compressor is a couple of hours away at the moment, but I can't wait to get it back and start arting it up again.  :)


It's been a while since I could pull out my airbrush and really get into anything, but I used to have a dream.  I wanted to airbrush motorcycles.  Like most of the hobbies belonging to an attention deficit chica, this one fell into the background after several months of passionate studying and practicing.  The love for it never went away, though, and it's going to be great to pick it back up again, even if just for a little while.


Airbrushing on metal is a bit different from airbrushing on papers/canvas/posters/t-shirts.  The first obvious difference is the kinds of paint.  The second would probably be that one doesn't usually need to prime t-shirt material.  Then there's the issue of sanding, which also doesn't come up all that often otherwise.  Clear coating between layers becomes an option, well, really clear coating in general.  Plus, with what and how you paint is affected by what the metal is going to be exposed to, as well (is it going to get really hot?  is it going to get wet everyday?  etc.).  Okay, so it's really different!  It's also really exciting, and an art form that's hard to match.


I say that about most art forms.  :p


If I had to pick just one book to absorb a good intro on airbrushing metals specifically, it'd be Craig Fraser's Cheap Tricks and Special F/X.  I'm not getting paid to say that, by the way (but wouldn't it be nice if I was?  Heh).  I picked it up in high school when I was first getting interested in painting bikes and helmets, and just opening it inspires me to this day.  It explains the basics and walks you through several full paintings on different surfaces.  While just copying him probably isn't what you should take away from it, the techniques you learn can be applied to any number of projects of your own and are just really inspirational.  The way you go about airbrushing is just so different from any other form of painting, and the step-by-step pictures help give you a feel for how to layer what you want, and how not to stop before it's perfect.


That's probably my biggest problem with any art piece - wanting to stop before it's really done.  You see how great something looks, and you're so proud of it that you don't want to risk screwing it up by adding the final touches, but in airbrushing, that's what really makes a piece POP.


Okay, enough babbling out of me.  I'll include some pictures, techniques, and advice once I get the project really moving.  :)  See you later!


-MM

Peppers!

6:32 AM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Thought I'd write a bit about peppers today.  :)

I grow two varieties of hot peppers indoors - cayenne and red chili.  They're perfect for hot-hot-hot weather, but hardy enough to do well inside as well.  Mine sit in a window in full sun and thrive.  I believe I've heard that picking peppers quickly may contribute to a better yield - something about the weight of the peppers determining how long the growing season should be?  In any case, I have a truly exciting amount of peppers for my kitchen, and it's time to string up the cayennes that are ready and start the drying process!

Whether you're crushing them or saving them for later use or rehydration, drying is usually the first step with these peppers.  Since I don't have a dehydrator and I can't afford to run my oven for a long time, I strung up my peppers in a rista in the sunniest, hottest window I have.  Unlike decorative ristas, it's important to leave at least an inch or more between peppers to allow air circulation.  All you have to do is take a little string on a needle and run it through the stems, tying a knot off after each one so they don't slide around.  Then just hang it up in a hot, dry, ventilated space and leave 'em there for at least 2 weeks (or until they're dry - you'll be able to tell).

Peppers can hybridize, and they can also spread tobacco mosaic virus between plants (don't handle your peppers after touching tobacco), so it's important not to grow different pepper varieties against each other or to handle them consecutively.  It's a good idea when hanging them to keep them separate as well, if only to remember which shriveled red pepper was which.  :)

Last bit of advice - if you decide to crush your peppers, do so in a very well ventilated space or outdoors and gloves and goggles might not be a terrible idea.  The fumes can be extremely irritating, and most people only make the mistake of touching their face with pepper-hands once.

I can't wait to start making spicy things!  :D

Drink Mixing

3:23 PM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
I used to be seriously against drinking, and for my sake, I'm glad I forced myself to get over it.  It's allowed me to explore another realm of hospitality and serving people that I really enjoy - drink mixing.

For my 22nd birthday party, the first birthday party I'd thrown since junior high, I rented a motel suite with a wet bar and bartended for all of my friends.  I learned all the basic drinks, invested in dishwasher-safe pour spouts and all the garnishes, and had at it.

Now that it's been several months, and now that I have a place I don't mind inviting people over to, I've started to explore all sorts of other drinks.  You can make almost any alcoholic drink non-alcoholic, and vice versa, so I'm finding it to be a great skill to have.  I recently came up with a delicious tropical flavored cocktail involving cherry, coconut, pineapple and orange together with a lightly carbonated texture and however much zing you feel like adding.  I'll add it once I've perfected it - and once the thrill of being the only person to serve it to people fades.  ;)

While discussing drinks at one point with a good friend of mine, an interesting one called the Singapore Sling came up.  I don't have the proper ingredients and I'd be surprised if any bars here could make it, so I haven't had a chance to try it just yet.  It's got an interesting story behind it that you can read about here.  The recipe listed there is different from just about every other recipe you'll find, since very little was written down and preserved.  Even the recipe that's called "standard" is likely fudged and altered a bit by relatives.  Interesting, no?

Hmm.  I'm kind of toying with the idea of creating a "signature" cocktail for my wedding.  A book I was flipping through recommended doing so as a way to save money on the bar - since the bartender only has to bring the ingredients instead of a full setup.  Our main color is going to be blue - how about a tropical, blue cocktail?  :) 

Whatcha think?

Sweet Basil's sweet!

5:24 AM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
My basil is quickly becoming my favorite indoor plant.

The cats leave it alone, it grows beautifully and fully, it doesn't mind being inside, and it produces so much more than I use!

A couple of weeks ago I got up the guts to make the decisive snip! and "harvested" my beautiful, fresh, sweet basil.  I'd never done this before, and I really worried I'd kill it by cutting so low on the plant.  I actually didn't cut as low as it recommended, either.

I was told to snip the middle branch off JUST above the intersection of the bottom two leaves.  Mine was more like the intersection of the next-to-last two leaves.  :p  But it any case, wash rinse repeat and I was clipping off the other three plants in the set.  Speaking of wash...if you can, it's best to rinse the leaves off at night before you plan to cut, so by morning the leaves maintain that sweet smelling oil.

So I had four severed stalks of basil, looking pitifully up at me like I'd murdered them.  'Cause I did.  I tied them together at the bases and strung them up to a nail in my cool, dry pantry to dry.  Next time I'll try the freezing method, but I wanted to see how this way would work out for now.

Long while later they were deemed sufficiently crinkly, and I brought them all down and separated leaves from stalks.  I chopped them into a useful and universal size and started dropping them into a clean baby food bottle I'd kept around for such things.  When all cramming and pushing and capping was done, I had one entire bottle full of homegrown basil!  I was so proud that I labeled it, then called my mancreature to tell him what a good little domestic I was!  :)

It's only been a few days but it's clear that the basil just really responds extremely well to pruning.  And repruning.  And repruning and repruning...  I've already had to space out the new-found bushiness of the plants (luckily I was making that killer marinara that day!) by pruning certain leaves.

So, yes.  Basil is my baby.  Points for personality, however, goes, to Fennel!  *cheers*

Fennel, while not being used very often in my particular kitchen, has the most hilarious response to stimulus.  "Water if soil is dry to the touch" does not apply to this fella.  I water him twice a day, because if I miss he droops right over and smacks his head on the basil.  Water him, and poof!  Reaching right toward the stars again!  What a silly goose, right?  Definitely the personality winner.  Sure wish I knew of some kind of inexpensive recipe to put his nummy leaves in.  Ideas?



In the other sects of horticulture today, my red chili peppers are still gettin' bigger and bigger each day, and it looks as though some new flower buds are going to try and follow suit, before the old ones are even off the plant!

My cayenne plants have all flowered like crazy, even the ones Sam the cat knocked down and damaged, and I *may* have done a little flower-to-flower dusting to help along...  It looks so far like a couple of the dying flowers might result in new cayenne peppers, but we'll just have to wait and see!

My oregano may have seen it's last battle with Sam's tushy tonight.  I'll check on it tomorrow, but I think I need to pull it up and plant something bushier and less easy to sit on in its place.

My parsley really ought to be checked on and clipped back, too.  It's become so incredibly bushy, and with Sam sitting right next to it whenever we're not looking it's growing pretty heavily toward the basil.  I don't think the basil will mind, but I worry about lower parsley leaves getting blocked from the sun.

Last addition to the herb and pepper container gardening festival is a little scrawny mint plant.  The hardware store did not believe in him, but we knew with a little love and a bigger pot with better soil he'd thrive.  He's really beginning to, and I'd like to get to know him.  Silly, though, I don't really use mint much either!  One of these days I should get a plant I use more, like dill or rosemary.  :p  Eventually!


If you haven't tried gardening in containers, it's great!  I've never been able to have plants before, and the apartment frowns on farming their yards, heh, so this has just been so nice for me.  If you have the space and the time to care for them, I would definitely try it out and watch what they give back to you!  :)

Have a great Friday!

Cereal Bars and Lace

8:07 PM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
Bonjour!

Last night I couldn't sleep, so around 5 AM or so I got up and started devising a breakfast for the man-creature.  I knew he'd only stick around a few minutes before rushing out the door to work (today was a really crunched day for him), so I wanted to make something he could grab and go.  I got the bright idea to make cereal bars - but his cereal was SO old it had gone bad!  I grabbed my brand new box of cheerios and got to experimenting.

An hour later I caved and looked up online what I was doing wrong, heh.  It turns out I ALMOST had it, and it's really very simple!  In the future I'll experiment with different textures and flavors, since just cheerios and sticky is a little on the...overwhelmingly sweet side.  Nuts might be nice, or dried fruit even...or maybe a different cereal.  ;)

Here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups cereal of your choice, and other tidbits mixed in if you'd prefer

Directions:
1.  Bring sugar and honey to a boil in the pot and keep it boiling for, eh, 3-5 minutes.
***If you want to test it how tough or chewy the bars will be when you're done, drop a tiny bit into a cup of cold water.  If it's hard by the time it hits the bottom, your bars will be on the tougher, more cohesive side (this comes from boiling longer).  If it disperses and swirls around on its way to the bottom of the cup, your bars will be on the very soft, pliable side (this comes from boiling it less than enough).  I boiled mine maybe 2-3 minutes and they keep their shape well yet were easy to cut, chew, and tear apart.
2.  Add peanut butter and mix in, then dump in your cereal and other ingredients of choice.  Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly coated, keeping the heat on so it will remain easy to work with.
3.  Pour whole mix into a non-coated (non-stick will get damaged when you need to cut them out) pan - how large will depend on how thick you want them to be.
4.  Allow to cool completely and then cut into bars.

Neat idea - wrap each bar individually in clingwrap for a snack you can grab and take with you!



I'm also working on a bit of lace - my very first lace project to be exact.  I'm kind of amazed at how easily lace works up.  I thought for sure I'd have trouble seeing it or working with the thread!  When it's finished it will be this doily, but for now it looks so ruffled I just can't see it ever laying that flat!  The pattern assures me, however, that it'll iron out flat when it's through.  I certainly hope so...otherwise I'll have to find some hilarious use for an extremely ruffled circle of lace.  Ideas?

See you soon!

Best Marinara...Ever

5:38 PM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Hi guys!

I'm sorry about the break - I was sort of swamped for a long time.  I also revamped the blog, in case anyone remembers it, heh.  My fiance (eeee!) and I moved into a bigger apartment and I caught the flu right before moving day.  Combine that with some nasty job-hunting failures and loads and loads of boxes to unpack, and I've been a busy bee!

I'm back, though, and I hope this blog is as exciting as I am envisioning.  :)

I found a terrific marinara recipe the other day, and I tweaked it just a bit.  AJ (the man-creature) has been raving about it since, so I thought I'd share the recipe here!  One batch goes over about two-three plates of pasta or chicken, so if you're serving a bigger crowd I'd double or even triple it.  Just remember to use a big enough pot!


Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes (I'm sure fresh would be even better!)
1/2 cup red wine (I used merlot and really recommend it)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
3 fresh basil leaves, torn
Sprig or two of parsley, torn

Directions:
1.  Put oil in a large saucepan or skillet and heat on low.  Sautee garlic until it just begins to brown - about 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to burn it!
2.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Add tomato, wine, water, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes
4.  Remove lid and continue to simmer (reduce, really) until you've reached your desired consistency, then remove pot from heat and either serve or can.


Voila!  It's so simple, but it's absolutely delicious!  I made extra and put it in jars in the fridge for future use.

Enjoy!

Crochet-Along

7:12 PM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Hey!

So I've been working on a crochet-along from Lion Brand for a little while now.  It's a beach cardigan, and each Thursday they explain a little more on part of the pattern.  It's a pretty simple pattern once you understand the basic stitches and how to count it out right for your size.


This is what it will look like, ideally:



I'm using a different yarn than called for, since the total price was a little hefty originally.  I'm using Eco-Ways by Red Heart, and I'm really pleased with it.  It's 30% recycled, very soft and constant, washes well, works up smoothly, and has a wonderful color right between olive green and goldish brown.  The color name is Fern, and this is the best picture I have to demonstrate it's gorgeous color:


The coolest part of it for me so far has been learning how to do a "no-chain" foundation.  Chains are pretty convenient, but they're never as stretchy as the rest of the material, so I find they really limit the end proportions.

The no-chain foundation basically forms the "chain" row and the first row all in one, and since it's explained really well on the Lion Brand CAL blog, here's a link.

So far, I have the body and one and a half sleeves complete.  This is about what it looks like now:

I learned two important things here - first, since this pattern doesn't close in the front, the circumference should match what you need when relaxed and not stretched.  This, along with an incorrect gauge (which I knew about but elected to not correct for based on the small amount I calculated it would affect my final measurements).  Second, stretch REALLY needs to be accounted for in the length.  I made mine to stop at the mid-thigh, but the weight of the material carries it all the way down to my knees!

The latter doesn't bother me so much, because the length is really arbitrary.  The circumference being too small though is really getting to me, so I'm going to be crocheting a separate, lacy little strip to attach to each side to bring it a bit more around before I block it for good.

Anyhoo, it's been a lot of fun to do so far, and I can't wait to have it finished!  I know several groups put on crochet-alongs or knit-alongs, so if you haven't tried one before I'd definitely recommend it!

I'll post a picture up when it's finally finished!  :)



-MM



P.S. - I'm thinking about crocheting up something real quick for Mother's Day, anyone have any ideas?  It's for a science teacher.  :)

Tiny Cupcakes

6:47 PM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Bonjour!

In an effort to teach a friend how to crochet, I shrunk a pattern by Ana Paula (I HIGHLY recommend checking out her awesome blog here) to teach her to make a tiny amigurumi cupcake.  I would have made the full version, but I needed the project to be a little quicker to complete.  I've also made the full size one, following the pattern listed at the link above, and I highly recommend it!  Very cute!

I'll post up a cuter picture when she stuffs hers and makes a little cupcake platter, but until then you'll have to imagine my little grey-sprinkled cupcake is as cute as a smiling little army of them:


Here's the pattern I used, which is just a shortened version of Ana Paula's and for which I take absolutely no credit.



Materials and Abbreviations:
- two colors of worsted weight yarn - one for the bottom of the cupcake and one for the frosting
- beads if you want to use them for sprinkles
- 5 mm hook (really any that works for you, though)
- needle
- fiberfill or other stuffing

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
inc = increase (two single crochets in one stitch)
dec = decrease (one single crochet over two stitches)
R = round
rep. = repeat

Pattern:
Bottom
Ch 2, sc 6 in second ch from hook
R2: inc in each sc around (12 sts)
R2: *1 sc, inc*, rep. (18 sts)
R3-5: 18 sc
Bind off, leave loooong end (for sewing together)

Top
Ch 2, sc 6 in second ch from hook
R2: inc in each sc around (12sts)
R2: *1 sc, inc*, rep. around (18 sts)
R3: *3 sc, inc*, rep. around, 3 sc (21 sts)
R4-5: 21 sc
R6: *3 hdc in 1 sc, sk 1, sl st 1* rep. around - makes the frilly edge
Bind off

Sprinkles:  beads, French knots, little lines, whatever floats your boat

Sew 3/4ths around (attaching the row before the frilly edge on the top, to the last row of the bottom), stuff with fiberfill, cotton balls, or your stuffing of choice. Finish sewing up.  Tuck in ends.  Sew in a little face if you'd like.



Once again, I'd highly recommend visiting Ana Paula's blog, it's really great and she has several adorable free amigurumi patterns!  :) I really am working on several different projects, and I can't wait to write about more of them!  See you soon!

-MM

Catching Up

5:57 PM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
So, just to recap, my last blog only covered a couple of things so far.  It's pretty young.  My recent projects have mostly been about crocheting, although there are a couple of other interesting happenings.  Here we go!

Outside of the world of yarn, I recently made a hay basket for my rabbit out of spooled wire.  I didn't want to go buy one that may or may not fit on his cage, but I happened to have the wire on hand.  All I did to create it was make a frame first, gluing it together with hot glue (it works, oddly enough), then clipped pieces to connect it and make a grid across the front and sides.  The back is made of screen-door mesh (which I also had on hand), but you can make it out of anything, just thicker than the grid so a minimum amount of hay falls out of the cage.  I wish I had a picture, but I don't at the moment.

Another great pet project is hot gluing popsicle sticks together to make little playgrounds for rodents.  For more on that bit, see my pet post here.

I think the rest of my recent projects have mostly been crochet.  I made a scarf for the boyfriend using a waffle stitch, and two media cases for my family (Gir and Gameboy themes).  Rather than retype those instructions, please check out this blog post for the general idea on how to make your own.  They're very cute, I'd go give them a look!

Lastly, I'm working on a few projects now I'd love to share with you in the very near future, along with a couple I have just finished.  :)  We'll get to them in the next post, because I've got to run now!

Happy creating!
-MM

Welcome!

5:43 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Hello and welcome!

I started a little craftsy blog over on Thoughts a while ago (http://www.thoughts.com/MissMouse/blog) but it wasn't really a great format for it, so I'm moving it here!  You've really only missed a couple of posts, honestly, and I'll try to redo them over here for your reading/viewing pleasure.  :)

I'm writing this in the hopes of inspiring others to do all sorts of creative things.  I do everything from construct home made pet toys to paint, draw, airbrush, design tattoos...pretty much everything, and my latest addiction has been crocheting.  I hope to offer some free patterns now and then, or at the very least easy-to-follow instructions to making your own.  :)

I run a couple of other blogs here as well, including one on pets and one on science news - yes, I'm quite nerdy!  Alright, well, let the blogging commence!  If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, let me know!  I'd love to hear from you!

Laters!
-Miss Mouse

P.S. - Oh, and I have a ravelry for you ravelers out there.  You can find me here:  13Wednesdays
Newer Posts