Welcome 2014!

So it's been more than awhile since I have posted.  I have just been so very busy.  I'm a high-school Math teacher and the fall is just crazy.  I also have all my craft shows during that time, too.  But enough with the excuses!  I have time to post now, so here we go!

First, I see I did not update everyone on my participation in scrappyblanket.com.  I was able to work with the lovely Rachele (BabyLoveBrandKids - Now CypressTextiles) on a site devoted to scrap blankets.  Of course... we both got busy and...  We're putting it on hold for now.  However, we have quite a few things up, and it's still a neat site to see other's work.

Secondly, I was featured on another talented artist's blog:  Spincushions.  I've been following Shelley on Instagram, and when I saw she was doing a tutorial on joining, I had to let her know about my favorite one!  The tight join!  You can see that post here.  Stop by and say hello to Shelley!

Even though I have been absent from the blog, I have certainly been crocheting away!  I would love to show you all a few highlights of what I have been up to...

Let's first start with the Wooden Button hat.  I bought all my buttons from Pymatuning Crafts.  

Great customer service.  I highly recommend them.  

I used to workout with Mary and Jamie.
Since they (as well as Mary's family) are so beautiful, I asked them to show off their hats!

Of course I worked on many, many cowls.  I just have a few pictured here...

I made a cute little hedgehog for my coworker.  She is sewing me a bag in exchange!  

I can't wait to see it...and hopefully show all of you!

By the way, I nabbed that pattern from a great etsy seller:  oneandtwocompany

I've also been into tag-making, too.  I don't know why... but it's small and fun!  

Finally, I made quite a few blankets...  

I think there may be some I am missing since it's been so long since I have talked with all of you.. but here are a few:

This one was made for my friend Jamie.
You can find the pattern from Nittybits here.
You can learn the continuous join-as-you-go from Rachele here.

This was just a traditional granny square made of scraps for my friend's mother.
It was also my first time using the continuous join-as-you-go method.

Again, Nittybits came up with the pattern of this blanket.  You can find it here.
I learned the pom pom border from Robin at Once Upon a Pink Moon here.
And because I love it so much, this is also the continuous join-as-you-go method.

This green and blue blanket was purchased by my friend Carrie.
It's called the Gumball and the pattern can be purchased from BabyLoveBrandKids/CypressTextiles here.
I really enjoyed doing the reverse single crochet on this blanket!

This little baby blanket was made up of some of my leftover yellows... Doesn't it make you happy?
If you're interested in the pattern, you can again find it at BabyLoveBrandKids/CypressTextiles here.
The edging was simply a hdc around with a fpdc, bpdc for a few rows.

Well, it's probably up to negative 5 degrees outside now that it's almost 1 PM here...  Hello Polar Vortex of 2014.  So I should shove off and finish up all my tasks I want to get knocked out on this cold day that I have off from school.  I hope that wherever you are that it's much warmer there!

Until next time, enjoy this goofy picture of me.  My friend Andrea... her daughter found a way to use my yarn scraps.  She's such a clever kid!

YARN NERD!

Game Playing, Flowery Orders, and Blue Herons, Oh my!

On the last blog post I was so busy showing you how to make a hoop that I forgot to show you two recent purchases I was very happy with!  I went out to McHenry, IL with my friend, and we checked out two shops we've never been to before. 

The first was A Peek Into the Past Vintage.  The owner was super friendly, and this antique shop had tons of items in it!  I felt like I could have been there for hours and still not see everything.  The shop was immaculately clean, and everything was organized and displayed so nicely.  I'm thinking of going back before the holidays and getting my sister-in-law a few things, as she's been into vintage quite a bit lately.  Let me show you my great find...

An old cribbage board... with wooden pegs!  Only $8!  SCORE! (Do you like my bad pun?)

My husband loves cribbage, but dislikes the board I bought at some discount store years ago.  When I saw this, I knew I couldn't wait until November to give it to him.  We've already used it, and he was impressed with the fact it had wooden pegs.  So, if you're in McHenry, I really suggest stopping by A Peek Into The Past Vintage... it's a really neat store.  I can't wait to go back. 

While out and about, across the street was White River Junction.  What a neat shop.  Spacious, clean, organized!  There were tons of items I wanted to buy here.  Plenty of home decor and jewelry.  Local artists selling their handmade products, too - which is right up my alley.  My day of shopping in downtown McHenry closed with me purchasing this little guy from them shop:

He can hold a little business card or sign!

I haven't had much time to do any other shopping because this week I had some orders roll in... 
Let me share them with you!

20 large pink crochet flowers!  Interested in some of your own?  Click HERE!

Every time I make these little booties, I smile.  So small and sweet!

A mouse hat made with peach!  You can get one of your own by clicking HERE!

Other than that, I've taken up the sport of long-distance cycling.  It's not very crafty, but I wanted to leave you in this blog post with a picture I took just yesterday on the trail.  Until next time...

Great Blue Heron on the Des Plaines River