Crochet Shawl

I don't usually do big projects like afghans or in this case, a large prayer shawl. I mostly enjoy the instant gratification of hats! My mother-in-law has this shawl and her friends wanted ones just like it. After seeing a picture, it looked easy enough to replicate. Although this one below will soon be on its way to Puerto Rico, it would be fantastic for staying cozy warm here in Colorado!

**My shawl was made by copying a photo but if you would like to make one, I found a very similar free pattern at Yarnspirations. If you prefer my larger dimensions, this may help, each of my rows has 11 of the 5DC shells and the length is 111 rows total. I used Michael's Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn, 6.5mm hook.

**I prefer to take my own blog pictures but since I didn't have a model...I was informed I HAD to give proper
photography credit to my husband Jose. Thanks Babe!!

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Crochet Baby Gifts: Afghan and Amigurumi Bunny Set

If you want to give a unique and meaningful gift, you can't go wrong with handmade! 

This afghan and amigurumi bunny set is for my soon to arrive niece or nephew. I've always wanted to try a star afghan and as soon as I saw this new pattern book for amigurumi animals, there was no doubt I was trying one of those too!

Since seven has long been believed to be a lucky or magical number, I was absolutely set on making a seven point star. Unfortunately for me, there are limited patterns to choose from. I ended up finding a pattern in a book called Geometrics: A New Way To Crochet, by Ruthie Marks. I followed the pattern except I did double crochet throughout instead of the front post double crochet it calls for.

I also got the bunny pattern from a book. Everyone's been talking about Edward's Menagerie, by Kerry Lord of Toft Alpaca Shop and for good reason...it's beautiful! All the animals in here are super cute and I can't wait to try more! If you decide to try the animals in this book, take a look at Toft Alpaca Shop's YouTube Channel for some great tips. 

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100 Days T-Shirt Idea

We are celebrating 100 days of Kindergarten with 100 snowflakes! 

So this is my third child going through school and it's the first time there has been a 100 days of school t-shirt request. The teacher suggested we look on Pinterest for t-shirt inspiration and holy cow, there are lots! I wanted something cute and a little girly that my daughter might want to wear again. I figured a winter scene with snowflakes would work great. 

• dollar store t-shirt
• dimensional fabric paint
• acrylic paint
• fabric medium

 Once in a while you can find exactly what you need at the dollar store. I was so excited they had the right size t-shirt and a color I could work with that day! I put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt so there wouldn't be any paint bleeding through. This also gives you a smooth flat surface to work on. 

I mixed a little fabric medium with my acrylic paint and painted on the ground and trees with a paint brush. Next I added the little stick figure with dimensional paint. The last thing to do is add the 100 snowflakes! Little tip here, count as you go! It's kinda hard to count wet, randomly placed snowflakes. I had to start over so many times!

Congratulations, you're 100 days smarter! Happy 100 days of school!

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Crochet Elsa Crown With Hair

Frozen madness continues! This Elsa inspired hair idea is all over the internet on crowns and on hats but I couldn't find a pattern for exactly what I wanted. After looking around, I found a great free crown pattern. I changed it up a little so that I could add the hair and I'm sharing it with you! 

Some months back my daughter was going to her friend's birthday, which happened to be a Frozen party. Her friend (also our neighbor) has gorgeous red hair. She inspired my Princess Anna Hat pattern. Well now it's her older sister's birthday, also Frozen theme, and what better to make than something inspired by Elsa?

Instructions:
I used the Toddler Princess Crown pattern from Hatting Madly Crochet found here and modified it a little. You must visit Hatting Madly Crochet and reference this pattern, the changes I made are listed below.

The suggested starting chain for this pattern is is 84. It states in pattern, you can adjust beginning chains by multiples of six. I reduced the size because I wanted it to fit pretty snug(for a 7 yr old) since I was going to add hair and I didn't want it falling down. Originally I reduced to ch 78, put the whole thing together and still felt it was too big. Oh NOOOO! I sure did take the whole thing apart and started over. Don't mind me and my OCD!

Red Heart Yarn Super Saver(hair is Aran, crown is a turquoise blue, don't know exactly because this was in my stash not labeled)
Hook 3.75(original pattern says 3.5, but this is what I had)
US crochet terms

Ch 72(white yarn), join to first chain
Row 1: ch1, sc across in white, join(72)
Row 2: Change to blue, ch1, hdc around, join
Row 3: ch1, sc around, join
Row 4: ch1, hdc around, join
Row 5: ch1, sc around, join
Row 6: begin V stitch(row 3 of original pattern)
Row 7: option 2 shell(row 4 of original pattern)
Row 8: join to top of beginning chain, sc in same, sc, hdc, ch2, sl st in first ch, hdc in next stitch, sc, sc across the top of shell. Skip over the sc in center of shell from previous row and continue across top of next shell(sc, sc, hdc, ch2, sl st in 1st ch, hdc, sc, sc) Join and tie off.

Cut strands of yarn for hair twice as long as desired length. This will be folded in half. The length will depend on how long you want your braid. The length I cut was approximately 75-80 inches(you can trim this later). I know Elsa's hair isn't this long, I just thought it was fun to make it super long. Also, think about when you pull the hair to one side for the braid. You'll want to make the strands that are far away from the braid longer. That way the end of the braid won't be as uneven and you'll have less wasted yarn to trim.

Take two strands of the yarn and fold in half, giving you the center point. Insert hook through two loops at the base of crown. Grab the two strands folded at the center point and pull up. Now pull the rest of the yarn up through loop, pull tight. I started doing two strands in every stitch but it was getting way too thick. I thinned it out a little by pulling just one strand of yarn through about every 3rd or 4th stitch. It's up to you how much hair you want.

Now just twist and braid hair. It's very helpful to have a head to put this on while you're styling! I secured with a rubber band(a real rubber band, not an elastic hair tie) this way it's very secure but I could take it out and make adjustments if needed. Snowflakes are sequins I found at Michael's, sewn on with needle and thread.

>>>If you make this crown to sell, please be courteous and give credit to me as the designer with a link back to this post. Do not copy and post this pattern or claim it as your own. Do not try to sell this pattern. Do not re-publish photos as your own.

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Please take a look at my free Princess Anna Hat pattern too!

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Shrimp Mousse

If you're looking for something a little different for your holiday parties that's sure to impress, this is it! Don't be afraid, I swear it's awesome! Shrimp mousse and variations of it have been around forever. This spread always makes me think of my grandma. Which could be because she used to make it or the jello mold presentation is reminiscent of 50's housewives. Either way it's great and you'll definitely want to hold on to this recipe.

• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. Knox gelatin
• 1/4 c. chopped onion
• 1/4 c. chopped celery
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. cooked shrimp, chopped

In medium saucepan, combine tomato soup and cream cheese over low-medium heat. Stir in gelatin and remove from heat. Add onions, celery, mayonnaise and shrimp. Mixed well, pour into a mold greased with mayonnaise. If you don't want to use a mold just pour into a container you can cover and place in refrigerator. Chill for at least a couple hours to allow gelatin to set.

This makes enough for a crowd, so get lots of crackers to serve with your shrimp mousse! 

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