Key Chain Hat

Whoa....it's Saturday! A post from me on Saturday?? :o) Yes!! Because I have a pattern to share with you! This is my youngest sister's birthday present. Made with love from her big sis. If you find any errors or have a question just let me know k?

#10 thread - any color you desire with a short amount of contrasting color
B/1 - 2.25mm hook for majority of hat
#8 steel hook for contrasting color around brim

1) ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook
2) 2 sc in each sc stitch around
3) 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc around
4) 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc around
5) 1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc around
6) 1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc around
7) 1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc around
8, 9, 10 & 11) 1 sc in each sc around
12) 2 sc in each sc around
13, 14 & 15) 1 sc in each sc around
Fasten off.

In the row of the 2sc in each sc (#12), using contrasting thread & #8 hook, make slip stitches all the way around to where you began (1 round). This round sits on top of the hat and separates the head part from the brim. When you get back to where you started make 3 picots (ch 4, sl st in first ch). Then chain 20-25 (depending on how long you want the key chain loop). Slip stitch back down the chain and when you get back to the bottom of the chain put your hook into the middle of your picots and the end of the chain(beginning of slip stitches) and slip stitch the loop together. Fasten off and weave in ends.




Well the weather has changed here again. It was up to 86 yesterday afternoon and then some bad, quick storms came through. This morning it was 46 when I went outside and sunny. Now it's 52 and cloudy and they say we'll get more rain tomorrow. I was hoping to be able to put all of my plants outside this weekend but I guess not now. :o( So here I sit crocheting. Watching CMT. :o)

I hope your weekend is super and everything you want it to be! Cya soon!!

TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Tuesday Love!

Today is my Monday. I had yesterday off and to tell you the truth I could have taken quite a few more off! :o) I got quite a bit accomplished over the weekend. Below is the little jacket I was working on. It is so dang cute. I love these colors together!




And that goes with the turtle shell and cap. Isn't it adorable?



And the card below goes with the little doll I made. I love this card.



This is my desktop on my computer at work...isn't it beautiful? Go to digitalblasphemy.com and you can download some for free. I have quite a few on all of my monitors here in my little corner of the world at work. I have 6 monitors. They add new ones all the time.



I bought this yarn at Hobby Lobby, and although it was $5.99/skein, I love the colors. It's Yarn Bee First Love and the name of the color is Kisses. I believe I will be going back for more. I love the colors...oh, I said that already didn't I? lol But I do. They're gorgeous together! Of course the iPad doesn't take a true color pic either. Dang it. The colors are very vibrant. If you've seen it at Hobby Lobby you know. Mostly color drives me in my choices of yarn.



Well not much else is going on with me today. Work is a tad slow but that's ok because I'm sure it won't be long before it's not. Gotta take the good with good. :o) It's good to be slow, good to be busy.

The weather is kinda coolish today. The sun is not out. I was hoping to put my plants back out this last weekend but nope, it got down to freezing yesterday morning. This next weekend is supposed to be 60's and 40's. Maybe after that I can put them back out. We usually have one last cold spell before Easter so we'll see. It's only the endish of February. Although I saw in Wally World that they have Easter stuff already on display.



I hope your week is productive and full of warmth. Cya soon!

TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Second time.....

I had quite a lengthy post almost done on this here blogpress on my iPad and lost it when I tried to add my pics to it. I'm so bummed. I'm not going to try to rewrite what I wrote, it's too much. I'm not too happy with this blogpress.

My other post was about my work week and that lead to me being late with Valentines Day and a swap I was involved with on Cindy Bee's blog. I was paired with Beth aka Granny Bee. I received from her two hearts, both hand made, and one was a brown heart with wire around it. It was perfect because it symbolizes my own heart, kinda sorta. If you know me then you'll know why I say that. Thank you Beth! I love them both. I haven't heard if she received mine, I'm assuming she did. Hope so anyways!




I also have been working on what is going to be a late, damn it, birthday present for one of my besties in FL. I don't know why but for the last few years I have thought her birthday was the 22nd of February. The other day I saw it said on FB it was the 21st!! Dang it. And I had started something for her for her birthday and just wasn't feeling the love in it so I stopped working on it and started working on another and now it's going to be a day late. :o( It's been just a very stressful week.....



On a better note, we finally have gotten some rain! Over 2 inches overnight from that storm front that came through. I was outside yesterday raking and burning until my back couldn't stand it anymore. I got about half raked and maybe a fifth burned. Better than none I suppose. My back was killing me when I got done. I took a shower, sat in my chair and took a pain pill. I hated that because those pills suck. But it helped my back for a while. I was very stiff getting out of bed this morning. Sux getting old! lol

I am also working on the little jacket in Sweet Pea and Chocolate to go with the turtle shell and hat for my friend Debi. I should have that done today or tonight. I love how it's coming together. The pattern is on page 80 of the newest Crochet Today!



Also in the future wip's are two dolls that I've been commissioned to do and an elephant! So I am going to be busy. These are in addition to the 24 hats and trying to get inventory built up. Below are a few more hats that I've done.



The colors aren't good dang it...the top one is a seafoam and dark rose heather, the second one is a dark rose heather and a Vanna color that I can't recall the name of, it was in my stash. And the last one is a red with colored flecks in it and a gold color.

I hope all of these pics are ok. It's hard to tell if they are clear on here because they're small. I guess the only way I'll know is when I post.

So....sorry I'm delayed in posting...life has a way of getting in the way of the leisurely things in life. My life is full, that's for sure. I hope your life is a ray of sunshine right now and for always! Cya soon!!


TTFN
Kat
xoxo

Monday You Say?

This is my least favorite day I think. I haven't been sleeping well and last night wasn't any better. We've got 'overseers' coming here from one of our other offices and it always makes you wonder whether they are coming here to spy and maybe make it so that you won't have a job anymore because 'your job went away'. Paranoia will destroya. I don't think my job is in jeopardy but it's kind of funny that someone is coming to see my procedures. Really?? After I've been in this same job for 12 years and this company 7?? I've got written up procedures that I have sent them so it's not that complicated. At least I HOPE my job isn't in jeopardy. That would suck big time! I'm keeping my fingers AND my toes crossed. I was almost debt free until I bought my car. Figures huh???

It's cold here. It was 19 this morning when I left the hacienda to make the work trek. It was cold yesterday too. But at the end of this week we'll be back in the 70's.  Crazy weather we're having this year.

I know what it was I was forgetting in my last post. When I was in Hobby Lobby getting the yarn for the turtle shell I found packages of crocheted flowers in different colors. I can't remember how much they are charging for them.....I don't think it was over $4 a bag, but I could be wrong.

I was surprised when I looked up and saw them. Spare parts. Hmmm.

So other than that I don't have a whole lot. I have been working on a birthday present in between other works in progress and almost got it done when I decided I didn't like it. Why do I do that?? I started something else and I'm running out of time because the birthday is the 22nd of this month! I think I'll be ok though. I started one of my little thread dolls and they usually go pretty quick. But I was a little bit perplexed as this doll was smaller than the one I started earlier (so I could write the pattern down). You know....the one I'm procrastinating on writing the pattern for? I pulled out the instructions just to double check what I had done so far, and actually changed some rounds. But I used the same hook, a #3 steel, and some #8 ecru thread (which I had used #10 on the first one) and the #8 one is smaller. What's up with that? I am perplexed. Sigh......

Anyways...I have decided that I will open an etsy shop, but not right away. I'm trying to build up some inventory for it. I have been looking at other shops and what they have to offer and how much they are charging and what their policies are....yada yada. I was going to back down because there is sooooo much crochet out there, who's going to buy mine? But then I started thinking that my hats are different. I haven't seen any like them. My marble key chains are different, I haven't seen any of those. I'll give it a go. It won't be too much of an investment if I don't do very well.  How do I know if it will or won't succeed if I don't try right? I am, however, going to go to craft fairs once my Leo is gone. I'll be able to travel weekends without having to worry about him. So I have plenty of time to build up some inventory. Lord knows I need to bust some of my ever growing stash. I just thought it would be nice extra income and hey, wouldn't it come in handy if I did lose my job? I think that right there is my motivation.

OHHHH, I almost forgot. GUESS WHAT??? Remember the doc that bought 4 of my hats for $80? OMG, I received an email from my friend who got me that lovely job to begin with. The doc wants 24 hats in December to give as gifts!!!! 24...can you believe it? I about fell out. So I know I have that at the end of the year and probably the rest of my hats will do good at the end of the year also. We'll see. I just had to tell you that. I was so excited when he told me.

Ok, I best get off here now. I wanted to check in. I have jury duty Wednesday. I'm a bit nervous about that. But I get paid for the day from work and $25 from the county so it's all good. Maybe they'll pick their jury pool early and I won't have to be involved! :o)

I hope your week is full of love and sunshine! Cya soon!
TTFN
Kat
xoxox

Turtle Hatchling! Turn Off The Lights!

Happy Monday!

Many of you may not know it but in FL during turtle hatching season DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) wants you to turn out your lights at night if you live on or very near the beach. This is so when the baby turtles hatch, they won't get confused and go the wrong way toward the light instead of toward the ocean to swim away. I suppose this probably applies anywhere there's a beach that turtles lay eggs, not just FL. I only knew that because I lived many years in FL.....30 of my double nickels to be exact.

What does this have to do with crochet you ask? Can you say ooooohhhh and aaaaahhhhh? Baby turtle hatchlings of course!

Is that not just the cutest thing ever??  One of my friends that I 'grew' up with in FL posted a pic on the dreaded facebook last week and I was like awwww...that's so cute!  So she came back with a message...do you think you could make this for me to give my daughter? How could I refuse? So I went back to find the post in facebook and it was gone! I hate facebook. Have a I told you that? lol. Several times I'm sure. Well then I had to go searching.

First I went to Pinterest and couldn't find it. My next go to place for all things crochet was Ravelry. Tah Dah!  I found it and the pattern belonged to Calleighs Clips. You can either find Elisabeth on Ravelry if you have a free account, or you can go to her blog and click on patterns at the top right. In her collage of pics if you will look all the way to the right on the top you'll see it. She has quite a few different baby patterns like this turtle hatchling that are soooo cute. But I like this one. :o)

I sent Debi (my friend from FL) the same two pics as above. I can't wait to hear back from her. I also told her that with the leftovers from the 4 skeins (the pattern calls for crocheting with double strands of each color) that I am going to make a little shirt/jacket and hat that are in my new Crochet Today! mag that I got last week. I was going to make a blanket and actually started one but that wasn't going too good so I frogged it. I wouldn't have had enough left for a big enough blanket and I would have had to go back to Hobby Lobby for more yarn.  I'm sure I have enough left for this shirt and hat. I'll do the yoke of the shirt in the Sweet Pea and the bottom in Chocolate and trim in Sweet Pea and do the hat in both colors.  I'll post it when I'm done.

I have a couple more things that I crafted but will have to wait to post them as the recipient may read my blog and I don't want her to see them before hand.

So on to some other news. Tara has taken up residence in my hallway between my two spare rooms and 2nd bathroom. I actually have her positioned so that if someone came to the door and was on the porch they would see part of her and think maybe someone was there. (I know that's lame because she doesn't move or talk but ya never know) I live way out and back in the woods from the road. Anyways....quite a few times this weekend I would either be in  my chair or somewhere else in the house and I would hear Leo bark, and he wouldn't quit. I'd go see what he was doing and he would be standing in the one spare room, just inside the doorway barking up at Tara, like he wanted her to give him a treat or something!  I laughed at him but I cried....literally.  He can't see well enough to know it's not me. I would say something to him and he'd come running when he saw that I was standing there. If I called for him while he was barking and I was out of his sight he couldn't hear me and come. I am beside myself because I know what's coming. And I don't want it to.

I found a site that my ex-step-sister has 'liked' on facebook. The Gentle Barn. It's a place in California that takes in rescues of dogs, cats, goats, horses, cows, pigs, peacocks, turkeys...you name it. They also have a blog. I was reading last week the entry about the lady having to put down her terrier that was a rescue and the last year or so of the babie's life before that and how she knew it was time to put him down. I cried. But some of what she said brought me to the realization about some of what I've seen in Leo in the last year has been happening. So...............yea. My last tie to Jeff and PeeWee and Misty is on his way down. I honestly don't think he's going to make it to the end of this year. Not after what I saw this weekend, and what's been  happening all along, slowly but surely. I've been having a problem with him not drinking all day while I'm gone at work. I don't know why he's doing this. I have two bowls of water out for him, one on the front porch and one on a little stand I made him next to his dog house out back. He knows they are there, I showed them to him. He insists on not drinking until I come home. When I open the gate to come in the yard he runs to the house as fast as he can and he's at the door waiting on me to open the door and he hauls butt to his waterbowl and drinks until it's gone before he greets me or wants a treat. I know this isn't good for him. He is so dry that he's licking his lips the whole time he's at the gate waiting for me to get out of the car and open the gate and then again while we are at the door and I'm trying to get the door unlocked and open so he can run in the house. I can't tell you how I feel right now. About Leo. I do know that I have felt so bad about putting PeeWee down when I did and wondering if it was the right time but after reading about the little terrier and thinking back on some of what PeeWee was doing I kind of feel better because he wasn't himself either. He had gotten real skittish, wouldn't let me hold him or touch him and that just wasn't PeeWee. Dogs actually lose their mind like humans do. And reading that after seeing PeeWee and thinking back on the whole thing made me think that I probably did put him down at the right time. I probably should have sooner.

PeeWee was almost 14 when I put him down...he was 2 months shy of his birthday. Leo will be 14 next month on the 30th. He has made it longer than his mom and dad. But he is declining and I can see it. I'm trying to enjoy the time I have left with him. I hate death.

I thought I had something else I wanted to share with you but it escapes me at this point. I have a lot rolling around in my head so it's no wonder it escapes me. :o)  The weather was wonderful here this weekend. I had both doors open yesterday. It got up to 77! My bulbs are starting to come up and I noticed on the way home from work Friday that a lot of the trees are blooming with leaves. Lord help us if we get some really bad cold weather.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that this week will be good to you. Cya soon!

TTFN
Kat
xoxoxox

Meet Tara

 

                                                              

Meet Tara, my new model. I bought her pretty reasonable and brought her home yesterday. I’m very happy to have her as part of my family now. Leo was a little apprehensive about her. And she actually scared me one time when I caught her out of the corner of my eye right after I got her home. I’m not used to some-one-thing being there with me and little Leo. 

The first order of business was to get some clothes on that woman! This dress is a dress that I wore back in 2001. I love that dress but as big as I am now there is no way I can fit into it so Tara can wear it for now. I actually will probably change her clothes soon because I need her to have form fitting clothes on so I can experiment with crocheted stuff (the blue dress actually takes away from the first hat too). And she willingly is going to model all of my crochet creations for me. How about that? ;O)  I kind of wore her out last night with our photo session of all the hats I have done so far. I took pics until my phone started using the flash because I was losing daylight. And I was surprised at how a lot of the hats’ colors in the pictures were not what they actually are.  The light was good so I don’t understand. But I’m not a photographer so, whatever.

The hat she has on is one that I made with some ILTY wool that caught my eye.  (We have a Hobby Lobby in Statesboro! It’s almost the same drive there as it is to Savannah from my house.) It’s actually a much more pleasant drive than the one to Savannah, and it probably is a few miles closer than going to AC Moore. Michaels and Joanne’s is actually the furthest from my house.

                                                           

                                                           

Next is a hat that I am allergic to. Seriously….I am allergic to the yarn I used to make it. And I’m bummed because I love the color!  It’s Bernat Alpaca and the color is Tomato. The pictures don’t do it justice but it’s a copper/rust color and it’s beautiful! But as soon as I started crocheting my eyes started itching and burning, my face itched and my sinus’ filled up. And so I would have to put it down for a while and go back to it. Also, as I crochet hats I try them on as I go. My head itched from putting it on to try it for fit. I was so glad to get it done.  I don’t know if it’s the Alpaca or some chemical they use in joining the Alpaca and acrylic to make the yarn. But I am definitely allergic to it. Other than the itch and burn from it, it crochets up very nicely. Has anyone else used this particular yarn? Did you have a problem with it too? I used the whole skein on this one hat so I could be done with it totally! I don’t like the rows of sc that I did on it but guess what? It’s staying!  I learned that you can’t do that…start with hdc and then do (I think 5) rows of sc and go back to hdc. It just doesn’t look right. Ya don’t know til ya try!

                                              

                                              

                                              

This next hat is one that I actually like really well. I think what I like about it is the colors I used and where I used them.  I think if I had used the light blue in the center with the purple outside of it I wouldn’t have liked this hat as well.

                                               

                                                          

 

Happy Friday eve ya’ll! The weather is nice here in the south. I hope it is where you are too! Cya soon!

TTFN
Kat
xoxox