Everythings better when its Free!

So here is the deal. I have been wanting to run a sale/discount for my etsy shop for some time and have decided to go a slightly different route. I am giving anyone who follows (you can start following by clicking the Follow button on the right) my blog free shipping on any one item in my shop, and 1 dollar shipping on each item after that.

To be qualified you have to choose Other as your payment option when you buy and mention this with your screen name in the message to buyer. This is only valid until Labor Day, or until my shop runs dry.

Hurry and buy before someone else does.

Hand Warmers

So it is starting to get cold in the mornings at my house. It wouldn't really bother me except that my hands get so cold I want to just curl up in a blanket, which makes it hard to crochet. I was so close to breaking down and buying one of those blanket backward robes... snuggie I think, when I decided to search for hand warmer patterns. I searched ravelry, crochet pattern central and found some, but none that really made me love them. Then I did what I do best, I made my pattern. This is what I came up with:
I really loved the look of ribbed knit work, but I hate to knit. Good thing I recently rented a book from the library that shows you all sorts of Stitches and Techniques. (the book is called The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches, by Reader's Digest) This book is awesome. I found the technique to make a fake rib in this book.
I really love how it turned out and cannot wait to make the matching one to finally be able to crochet, even when it is cold. I will be selling this pattern online once I iron out the kinks. Let me know what you think!

Giveaway??

I am thinking about hosting a giveaway closer to Holiday season and wanted to know what you all would like to see given away. I am thinking a nice scarf, or maybe a custom hat. Tell me what you think.
I would love to hear more from you all. I just finished an afghan that had been taking up all of my time, so now I am free to do more blogging and crafting. I also want to know what other free patterns you are interested in.

My Craft Corner Cricut Giveaway

Hey all you crafters,
There is a new site in town. My Craft Corner. I have already signed up. You can add pictures of your crafts, blog about anything, and chat with other crafters. Right now they are giving away a new circut expression by provo craft. You know we all want one of these. All you have to do to enter is join the site (you already want to) and comment in the forums. How easy is that! I want to win so bad. Oh... If you join... tell them I sent you (craftytortoise).
www.mycraftcorner.com

Knitting....

Oh how I hate it. I don't think it is too hard, or complicated. I really like all the patterns you can create I just hate knitting. I think my hate is stemmed from the knitting needles. They are so pointy and get in my way, and my stitches are always falling off.

I decided to give knitting another try last night. (I never learn) It went no where. I have been working on a bright pink gorgeous easy scarf for etsy, or myself (we will see when its done) for like 8 months. I just cannot knit more than ten rows, and this is a tiny scarf, without poking and screwing up. I just frustrate myself.

I think the reason I just keep trying is that my Great Grandmother was a fantastic knitter. When she died I got all her crafty stuff (mostly knitting and thread crochet). I really want to enjoy knitting and keep her tradition alive, I just get so darn frustrated. Maybe I am just a true crocheter at heart.

Another Treasury!

"I have no idea.... What to call this treasury" is where you can find my recycled magazine coasters! They were featured today in another treasury with some other great items! Make sure you check it out before it disappears!

Baby Baby Baby

There is nothing better than babies, especially when they are not my own!

I just found out that both my cousin, and my sister in law are pregnant! WHOO HOO! I am so excited for them... and for me! This means i get to crochet them baby items... and buy new yarn!

I went yesterday to buy yarn with my husband (bad idea). Don't get me wrong, he is patient, but I like to look at all my choices and after asking him 3 times if these green's went together he was trying to figure out why they were different than the last ones.
I don't want to give too much away, just in case the mommies try to sneak a peek, but I will be showing a little bit in the posts to come!

I really love crocheting for etsy, but being able to crochet and then see the look on their face when you give it to them is priceless!

What's Red, White, and Black all over?

This great hat of course! I started creating flowers a few months ago. I loved this one made by crocheting a long strip and then stitching it together in a circle. I added the red button to spice it up a bit and then when I crocheted the hat (for of course a different project) I realized that the two were meant to be one. That was when this hat was born! I just love it, and wish that I would have made it in my size. This one is a Child size hat and is available in my Etsy shop, but I am willing to make the same hat in a different size. Don't you just love the simplicity!

Alien Beanie Pattern

My favorite pattern to date! I just made this for a group of MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers). I wanted to make something that was neither boyish, nor girlish. I had a lot of trouble thinking of something great. Then it hit me. Alien Hat. Super cute and fun to create this pattern is available here for just 6 bucks for 4 different sizes.
I love it!

I'm in another Treasury

I was featured in another Etsy Treasury called "Drink's on me". My recycled square coasters are up there along with a lot of other great coasters. Take a look at the Treasury Here! If you don't know what an Etsy Treasury is here is a brief explanation. It is a mini list of items that the etsian believes are worth showing the world. Anyone can make a Treasury as long as there are less than 333 in existance. This one will time out on Friday at about 7pm. So hurry up and take a look!

Unravel me

While at a GoodWill store (we were looking for shelves to help our new house become a home) I happened to pick up some sweaters. I had heard that you could unravel them to harvest the yarn for future projects. I had also heard that you can find really nice yarn/sweaters for next to nothing at charity shops like GoodWill.
I bought 3 sweaters the cotton variety took them home, washed them of course and started away.
"How hard could it be to unravel a sweater"
HARD
I then searched the internet for tutorials. I found a great one HERE that included pictures and step by step instructions.

Once I followed that I was able to salvage most of the other 2 sweaters. I got a ton of yarn and though the process is time consuming and you get littered with little yarn bits It was worth it to get high quality yarn for next to nothing.
I even used some of the yarn to make the flower on my free hat pattern.

I encourage others to repurpose yarn this way. It helps give old sweaters a new home. Just read the instructions first.

Back to School

School is getting ready to start whether we like it or not. It's time to get ready! Here are some things to make DIY style for your little ones that are about to go back to school.

• Make book covers from paper bags. I loved this because I got to decorate my own book cover. A good tutorial is here: DIY
• Sew your own pencil case out of their favorite fabric. I guarentee they will want to carry this one around. DIY
• Start crocheting them Hat and Scarf sets before it gets too cold. DIY
  

Don't forget to label EVERYTHING. Have fun with it buy some fabric paint for the fabric items and let your kids get artistic as well.

Hat Pattern

So I made a hat for a friend today. It is adorable! I used a soft acrylic chocolate yarn for the hat, and recycled sweater yarn combined with a soft acrylic pink yarn for the flower.
This is the pattern. I warn you it is not perfect and you may have to customize it to fit your own needs.

Made to fit 3-6 months with a finished size of 15 inches around, and 6 inches in length.

Hat:

1. make magic ring, sc 8 in ring (8 sts)
2. continue around marking the beinging stitch with a stitch marker, 2sc in each sc (16 sts)
3. *1 sc in first st, 2 sc in next* repeat around (24)
4. *1 sc in first 2 sts, 2 sc in next* repeat around
   
5. *1 sc in first 3 sts, 2 sc in next* repeat around
   
6. *1 sc in first 4 sts, 2 sc in next* repeat around
7. *1 sc in first 5 sts, 2 sc in next* repeat around
8. *1 sc in first 6 sts, 2 sc in next* repeat around
9. sc around until you reach approx. 5 inches in length
10. join to next st. chain 3, (from this point you will be doing a twisted dc stitch also called a crossed dc stitch) dc in st behind your chain 3. *Skip 1 st, dc, than dc in the skipped stitch* repeat around. Forming a twisted dc row. (look online for a tutorial if you have trouble)
    
11. join. Make a shell border by: chain 1, sc in same stitch, *Skip 2 stitches, 8 treble crochet in next stitch, skip 2 stitches, sc in next* around. Adjust skipped number of stitches in the end if needed.
    

Finish off your ends and tuck any loose ends in.

Flower:

1. make magic circle, sc 5 around
2. in each stitch *ch 4, cluster 3 treble crochet, chain 4 join w/ sl st to next st.* repeat around
3. Fasten off and tuck in any loose ends.

Let me know if you have any problems. I will try to address any issues in the pattern you have.