I love Christmas and shopping for the perfect gift for everyone on my list. It’s a special time of year to show those close to you how much they really mean to you. I have several people on my list who love crafting as much as I do. Since we all dabble in about a 101 different projects at a time it’s sometimes hard to know what supplies to buy and stick beneath the tree. So, for the yarn lovers I crocheted this gift card holder that will be home to a gift card from one of my favorite yarn shops. This quick project adds a handmade touch that your creative friends are sure to love!

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While digging through my boxes of holiday decorations I found garland after garland of holly. So, this week’s pattern is, you guessed it, a holly applique. I think this would look so sweet around the hem of a child’s dress. It could also be used to spruce up your Christmas gift tags. You could also turn it into an ornament and send it in your holiday cards as a small gift. If you give baskets of baked goods to your neighbors, you could sew this applique on the towel lining the basket. Your creativity is the only limit to the uses for this pattern. Have fun!

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It’s that time of year again! Time to pull out all the Christmas decorations from the attic and spruce up your home. Every year I love searching for the perfect wreath for my door. As a special treat, I like taking a walk through the woods and cutting my own greenery. I bring it home and wire wrap it onto a grapevine wreath for an inexpensive but beautiful and welcome sight on our front door. This week I made a Christmas wreath applique, which is a great project when you need a little holiday embellishment quick. You could use it on cards, clothes and linens.

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Fall to me is beautiful leaves, the smell of wood smoke, apples fresh from the orchard, pumpkin pie and a handful of candy corn. Growing up I could not wait until the stores started carrying this delicious seasonal treat. So when my mom came to visit this week we made a candy corn pocket, which has a million uses! It’s perfect for holding your cell phone, dollars and small necessities! Children love this project. Make up a few for your favorite little friends and fill them with the real deal: candy corn! Perfect for fall bazaars and harvest festivities too.

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There’s a candy store just down the street that sells huge lollipops in every color of the rainbow. Wide eyed children try to reach for the heavenly treats that are just out of their grasp. I suppose the manager has had a few broken lollipops over the years and so keeps them safe on the counter for the splurging parent to snatch. So, in honor of all those little ones who grow teary eyed for lollipops I created this sweet applique. It’s prefect for sewing on onesies or toddler shirts! You can make this project as large as you want by adjusting the chain and yarn weight!

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I have two cats at home who are crazy about catnip. I’ve made felt cat toys in the past and filled them with my kitten’s herb of choice, much to their pleasure. I’m away from home on a business trip now and so in a fit of homesickness I crocheted this mouse for my comedic kitties, Crazy and Maggie. I know they will have as much fun with this as I did making it. I can’t wait to watch them! This mouse is jumbo sized for a heaping helping of catnip, but you could also use this as a child’s toy (minus catnip). If you want, you could add beads for eyes too!

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I love essential oils and learning more about aromatherapy. Occasionally I like to put a little essential oil on my pillowcase before drifting off to dreamland. Since I travel so much, and don’t want to drag my scented pillow along with me, I decided to whip up this pattern. Simply slide the mini “pillow” inside your pillowcase before hitting the hay. The felt inside the crocheted enclosure will keep your essential oil’s fragrance for days. These little pillows, lightly scented with lavender, also work great in the pockets of wool coats in storage to keep moths away!

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There is nothing more frustrating than setting aside time to work on a new project and not be able to find your pattern, yarn or hook. You can spend precious minutes that could have been invested in your project while searching for the needed tools to begin. After accumulating an assortment of crochet necessities I finally decided it was high time to get them in one organized space where I could turn to and find what I needed in a matter of seconds.

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I fell in love with sheep, spinning and crochet at a very young age. Every year my parents and I made it a goal to attend a fiber festival that gloried in all things handmade and homespun. With these cherished experiences in my young memory I came to treasure craft skills just like heirlooms worthy of great value.

It became my goal to raise my own sheep, spin the yarn and crochet this handspun fiber into a finished project. Years later I have my own small flock of shetland sheep, the wool is waiting to be cleaned and processed and I now know how to spin. I can’t wait to get my crochet projects going this winter with yarn that found its start in my own backyard.

Do you enjoy crocheting with natural fiber? Do you have your own flock? Please share!

I love to work with color combinations. I think it makes crochet all the more interesting, homespun and personal. At times I find myself stumped at what might compliment a beautiful shade of yarn that I’m just dying to add to my collection. I don’t want to mar its stunning hue with a color that might distract from my finished project. It’s hard to judge what a finished project might look like while holding an armful of skeins. So, I have found a solution to this color quandary in the pages of a book from 1900. Here are some suggestions that are just as useful today as they were over 100 years ago! read more »