Not Exactly Plugging Along

It was quite a surprise this morning, when I went to the Berroco website, to check out some shade colors of Suede, to see that they now had they own version of the now famous Martha Poncho. It was designed by Belinda Carter, and is made in Berocco Suede in the color, Wrangler. It is very pretty. Check it out here.
Speaking of Berroco Suede, I have gone through three different colors of it trying to come up with the right mix for my Zen purse. I first tried Texas Rose, which was very nice, but did not have enough 'pop', then used Annie Oakley, which was also pretty, but still wasn't quite right. I am now trying Belle Star, which I like, but almost has too much 'pop'! lol If only there was a 'pinkish' color in between Annie Oakley and Belle Star, that would be perfect! I might go back to Annie Oakley, but for right now, I am at a standstill. I need to set it aside for now and get back to work on the Gingerbread Country Cutie, which is what I should have been working on in the first place!

Gone Froggin' Twice Today

 I absolutely love the color pattern of the Berroco Zen, but have had to frog the purse twice already! Sometimes it just doesn't come out the way you think it should. Actually the first time I made it too big, and realized I was going to run out of yarn before I was through, and the second time I wanted to change the stitch pattern. But I am on track now and loving the color pattern! It is so pretty! It must be froggin' time, though, because the same thing happened to me when I started to knit the scarf last night. I did not like the way the pattern was coming out, so I ripped that out also! So, I thought this little 'gone froggin' pic (thanks karmah!) was appropriate for today.

More Yarn Goodies

I just got back from Ben Franklin where I spent $60 on yarn. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that I purchased alot of yarn! lol
But I always enjoy myself at this Ben Franklin. It is a locally, independently-owned shop, and he has taken a step out of the norm of larger craft stores and is trying to stock a wide variety of both lower priced yarns and upscale yarns. His variety of yarns is incredible, so it is a real treat to visit (and shop!) his store.
I can find any color of Red Heart that I might need for a new design for my website; yet he has most of the new Berroco yarns (I know, I know), they are expensive......, but so delightful to work with.......and most other brands of yarns that you can think of. It makes your crochet head spin!
Anyway, I can't take any pictures today, as we are again expecting up to six inches of snow! (I can hardly believe it). I need to get a flash for this new camera, but I so much prefer natural light anyway.
The Messenger Bag from Suede is nearly complete. I can't wait to begin on the new purse from the yarn pictured below. I also have been itching to knit again. Maybe I will alternate crocheting the purse and knitting a scarf next.

Yarn Goodies

Working with luscious yarns is sometimes the biggest treat! Berroco Suede has proven to be no exception! I am almost finished with the Messenger Bag, and it is coming out just as I had hoped it would. In the meantime, I came across a lone skein of Berroco Zen I had purchased to 'play' with, and realized it matched the 'Texas Rose' Suede very nicely.

The fun part is now going to be coming up with a new design with the leftover Suede (if there is any) and the skein of Zen! Isn't it pretty? Of course, the design will have to be on the small side, but that is fine with me, since quick and easy projects are what I specialize in!

Jacob's Easter Basket

I found out today that re-formatting my computer will not fix the problem from two days ago. (see previous post) My only alternative is to get a new hard drive or get a new computer. It is a good thing I had already decided to get a new computer, or I might have been more upset than I already was!

I loaded the Image Mixer photo program onto Angela's computer, so I can now upload some photos.
Here is Jacob's basket:

Gina was very happy with it!
It is made with 4-1/2 oz. of Red Heart Baby Teri #9180 Mint and an F (3.75mm) hook.
I still have not loaded the photos for the Elephant Bib or the Duckie Bib yet. I hope to do that shortly. As soon as that is done, I hope to be able to post the free patterns for them also.
I am working on re-making the Messenger Bag in Berroco Suede. It is coming out very pretty in Texas Rose #3719! If the sun is out tomorrow, and it doesn't snow, lol, I will try to get a picture of it.

Seems Like Spring

Officially at 1:45pm today, Spring Break began for us. Yeah! It is so nice outside today, that it makes it even more official. It doesn't matter that everyone was complaining today that it is supposed to snow on Sunday, when it is really the official start of Spring! Even though I have been here for 12 years, I don't think that I will ever get used to living in upstate New York, where it can snow a week before Easter!
I am almost finished with Jacob's Easter Basket. The body is completely done, and I have one handle completed. I just need to complete the other handle, and sew it together, with plastic canvas sandwiched in between. My husband saw the handle last night and said, 'How are you going to get it to stay up?' The stiff plastic canvas works really well for that!
I would have had the basket completely done yesterday, but I spent the entire afternoon and evening working on a problem that should have never happened. I came home to find I could not get on the internet. Before I had left for work yesterday morning, I had downloaded a so-called Critical Update from Microsoft. After spending several hours on the phone with Road Runner from Time Warner Cable, it turns out that the update was a bogus one. It had fried several components on my hard drive and permanently changed my IP address, so that Road Runner did not recognize it to let me on the internet! This is all so very upsetting, especially because I have downloaded updates from Microsoft for years and never had a problem. I had heard about people now being able to duplicate Microsoft's Websites and make it look so real, but I just never thought to try and be sure that it was authentic before downloading anything from Microsoft. How would you try and authenticate it anyway?
Needless to say, I am very upset about this and I either have to reformat my whole computer or buy a new one! Why are such intelligent people who are capable of doing such things so malicious? Why aren't they putting this intelligence to work for good things instead of bad things? I will never understand it.
Anyway, I think I will go crochet the other handle and finish the Easter Basket. Crocheting always makes me feel better.
Just like Spring......................!

Finally Crocheting Again

So glad I have finally been able to take the time to crochet again! I have been working on Jacob's Easter Basket, and I am about 3/4 of the way done with it. I think I might be able to finish the body of the basket tonight, (if I get off this computer) , but I don't think I will get the handle done. That should not take too long, though. I am not sure I am going to design the Duckie Booties after all.
I want to get started on the Messenger Bag. I am going to re-make it in Berocco Suede. I am hoping that it will go pretty fast.
Interweave posted their Martha poncho pattern Monday after Lily Chin appeared on the CBS Morning Show. It was so nice to see her promoting crochet the way that she always does! Great job, Lily! If you click on the link to view the Freedom Poncho, make sure you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, because Interweave updated it, and revealed who the original creator of the poncho is! I wonder if all of this is going to die down now, since all the ponchos have been created?

A Productive Saturday

Well, true to it's word, Lion Brand has produced the look-alike to Martha Stewart's poncho on their website already! It looks very quick and easy to do, using Homespun Yarn and an N hook. It will be interesting to see what the other Yarn companies are going to come up with! Check the links below in the previous post for more possibilities.
I have been crocheting all weekend, and working on the html pages for my website. Hopefully, I will get everything that I have new uploaded by tonight!
While I was crocheting Jacob's Easter Basket, I had a brainstorm for a Duckie Set for him also. It is funny how when I am crocheting or working on one design, ideas for another always seem to come to me. So, when I was halfway done with the Basket, I decided to put it down and try the Duckie Bib. It worked up perfectly, just as I had imagined it. I was so pleased, but that was the easy part. I now have to try and figure out how I am going to do the Duckie Booties I want to go along with it! They are not going to be so easy! The Bib took almost no time at all, though; I was quite surprised. So now, for sure, I have something homemade to go into his Easter Basket!

Update on Martha's Poncho

Well, Martha's poncho is in the NEWS big time now. The yarn companies are competing to see who can come up with the best replica first! Lion Brand has promised a 'Welcome Home' version SOON on their website.
Bernat was the first to post a pattern, but unfortunately, there is no picture. Herrschner's is offering the poncho in a kit, though!
And, not to be outdone, Interweave, is having Lily Chin design a poncho that will be posted on their website by Monday.
If you can't wait for all this, and you want your poncho pattern right away, you can find a pattern for sale right now on Ebay that is patterned after Martha's Poncho.
Now matter how short-lived it is, all crocheters should be thrilled with the national publicity crochet is receiving right now!
What do you think?

Finished

Bookbag Bunny is done! She actually came out better than my mind had imagined her, which does not usually happen! So I am pleased with my crocheting tonight. I do have to finish typing up the directions, but they are already half done, so that should not take up alot of time. And since I finished 2 days ahead of my own schedule, I am happy!
Now I can start on other projects sooner than I thought. I just have to decide which ones I am going to do next...................

Martha's New Poncho

Apparently Martha's Stewart's new poncho has all the Crochet Groups
buzzing..........but that's not all. According to this story, Martha Stewart's people have also been flooded with emails and phone calls
about the now famous crochet poncho! Even though crochet and
knitting has been in the limelight for some time now, this could be
the best thing that has happened to crochet yet! We will all stayed
tuned!

New Button

I now have my own button! Please feel free to take it and link it to my blog at:
http://crochetcafe.blogspot.com if you would like to.
I am steadily working on my column for this month and am pleased to report it is nearly complete! It is nice how writing down my projects here help me to keep track of where I am at, and what I have on the drawing board. That is a good thing! hummmm...... did someone else we know once say that???

Plugging Away

I just continue to plug away at all that I am working on! I finally finished Jacob's bib and Gina loves it! I hope to be able to post it for free either here or on my free website at Geocities. Yahoo changed alot at Geocities, so I don't know if I am going to be able to continue to post free patterns there or not. I will have to check it all out there and see. I just might publish the free bib here, I am not sure yet.
I am continuing to work on my column for this month, as well as the html pages for my website so I can post the new patterns that I have finished. I forgot how much time creating webpages takes! I had to create a new Piggie category, so that will take longer than normal.
I also want to continue to add to my newest venture here, but I must put all that aside until I complete the most important work that I have to do!
Speaking of which, back to crocheting..............

Mary's Hat

I am so happy with how Mary's hat turned out! It is so soft and the Paton's Bohemian yarn worked up so quickly and so nicely. It should be very nice as a chemo hat for her. I was finally able to get a picture of it today, when the sun peeked through the clouds for a few minutes. It had been snowing steadily for the past two days here! All of the other designs for my website are completely done and photographed! I just need to find the time to write the html for the new pages and upload them to my website. I am pleased with how everything came out. In the meantime, I am continuing to work on my next column for this month, which is actually due soon. The designing deadlines never stop, but that is usually the way I like it!