Additional fuel for my short attention span is my love of books.  Pattern books to be specific.  Not only do I receive terrific titles in the mail for review, but working at the library I can not resist browsing the catalog and borrowing anything - make that everything - that strikes my fancy! That's where I came across this quick and interesting project. In One-Skein Wonders; 101 Yarn-Shop Favorites I found Knitted Coasters with Charms.  I thought that it would be a great way to combine John's beading with my knitting.

This is just a peek at one of the many projects that's been keeping me busy.  I've been doing a whole lot of crafting, and not very much blogging.  Time to get back in swing!  I used to wonder what I was going to write about, not any more! I've got plenty of finished projects, works in progress plus don't forget the books to review and giveaway.  I think you're going to be seeing a lot of me!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

"A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles."
     ~ Washington Irving (1783-1859)

Perfection.  We strive towards it.  We practice to achieve it.  In matters of the heart it is often elusive.  But in crochet, all things are possible.  And so I set out to crochet a perfect heart.

There are patterns that make them in the round and those that work them in rows.  Some came close, but nothing gave me exactly what I was looking for.  I knew that creating a perfectly symmetrical heart was a matter of diligence, patience, and little geometry.  I learned a lot from all the different versions I made. Using the elements that worked the best from other patterns and through lots  of trial and error this beauty came to life! 

I made my thread hearts into bookmarks, and I included the instructions here so you can make them too.  If  they're not your style there are lots of other things you can do.  Thread hearts can be attached to a card with ribbon and given as a lovely Valentine.  Sew them onto a shirt, hat, jacket or pants pocket.  Sew 2 together and stuff for fluffy hearts.  Add a little cat nip to make a treat for you favorite kitty.  Attach one (or more) to a hair clip, barrette, or head band.  Hearts made with worsted weight yarn and an H hook are the perfect size for a coaster.  Add personalization by stitching you and your love's initials with embroidery floss.  Embellish them with terms of endearment (like the Sweetheart's Conversation Heart candies). Or just make them because they're fun and easy!

The heart in the pattern is made with #10 cotton thread and a #4/1.75 mm steel hook.  It measures about 2.5 inches x 2.5 inches.  The large heart in the picture above is made with worsted weight acrylic and an H/5.00 mm hook.  It measures about 5.5 inches x 5.5 inches.  You can make them with whatever yarn or thread and hook makes you happy.

No matter what you do with your heart, I hope it fills you with gladness and brings you a smile!

It's easy to loose your place when working rounds 3 and 4 so I created a PDF that you can download.  I point the corner of a sticky note at each step/stitch and move it to the next after working it.  Then if I  have to put my work down I know where to start!

Thanks so much for spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings friends and Welcome!  I feel like it's been ages since we've gotten together.  I've been working hard on holiday projects and as much as I love celebrating with family and friends I'm looking forward to settling down in the new year and getting back to a regular blogging schedule. 

Today I have something cool to tell you about - it's called the Sharp Crochet Hook.  A handy little hook that makes adding crochet edging to fabric a breeze. It allows you to work on the fly without pre-poking holes or sewing a round of the blanket stitch onto your fabric.

I've been working with thread a lot lately, but I had never tried to add lace trim to a piece of fabric. That is until Jessica Taufer got in touch and asked me to give her product a try. Jessica sent me the Starter Pack.  It arrived in a simple white envelope shortly after our conversation.  The picture above shows what I received.
The packaging is professional and it's clear that a lot of thought was given to the layout and design of the printed materials.   The Pattern Book has 18 different projects for apparel, accessories and items for babies & kids. The Edging Handbook contains 15 trim patterns that range in complexity from easy to advanced.  I was a bit surprised that neither book provided a section on how to use the sharp hook.  All of the patterns seem to start with "SC around the fabric".  While that is pretty self explanatory, as a newbie to edging I was hoping for a bit of guidance.  Especially when it comes to determining how many stitches I would need to make a particular pattern repeat work.  (More about that in a minute.)  As for the rest of the items, there is the hook itself.  It's a steel hook that does indeed have a more significant point than any of the ones I have, but not so much that it feels dangerous.  I'm not sure what size hook it is as it doesn't have anything stamped on it.  In the booklet it says, "Always use the Sharp Crochet Hook to crochet through fabric and paper, then switch to a size 3 (2.1 mm) crochet hook and continue using size 3 crochet thread, which is used throughout this book, or switch to a larger hook and use the yarn of your choice to complete the project."  I used size 10 thread and switched to a size 4 hook for my projects with no problems.

There is a set of 12 crochet hooks that range in size from 2.00 mm to 8.00 mm.  The common US letter sizes are not indicated, but I don't think that should be a problem since most patterns list both the letter and the mm size.  The hooks seem to be good quality and make a nice collection for a beginner (or starter) who want to have a selection of sizes to choose from.  I'm quite taken with the sewing snips and dropped them into my travel bag straight away. Scissors with a cap are a plus in my book.  The Yarn Wraps are a nice way to round out the kit.  They're just stretchy fabric sewed in loops, but they do the trick and I haven't had to worry about my balls of thread coming undone when I carry them back and forth to work.

Overall I am pleased with the entire presentation.  I'd like to see greater detail in the instructions, but that can be remedied easily enough with a simple flyer about "Getting Started".  I found that Jessica's web site provides additional information in the form of FAQs. The most important question though is how did it work?

The answer is really well,  once I decided what I was going to make!  To start with I made a coaster.  I had a bunch of cotton fabric hanging around so I cut a few squares.  I started at the edge and worked the single crochet across.  It was so easy that I thought, I wonder if I can crochet two pieces of fabric together to make a thicker coaster?  I grabbed two pieces and gave it try.  Imagine my surprise when I was easily able to poke through both layers at the same time!  I worked the single crochet along one edge.  I went back and counted my stitches and then worked that many on each of the three remaining sides.  I ended up selecting my trim pattern from the book Around the Corner by Edie Eckman.  Mainly because in Edie's book she tells you how many multiples the patterns are worked in so it was easy to pick one that would fit. 

Once I completed the coaster I was ready to give something else a try.  I've been working on bookmarks and thought one made of fabric would be a great idea.  Turns out I was right and it wasn't hard at all.  I cut two pieces of fabric the same size.  Then I cut a piece of cardboard from a cereal box a little smaller than the fabric rectangles.  After I pressed the fabric I used a glue stick to hold the fabric and cardboard sandwich together.  Using the sharp hook I worked a single crochet all the way around using the same number of stitches on the short ends and the long sides.  For the lace edging I worked (3dc in the same sc, ch 2, skip next sc) along each side and 5 dc in each corner.  Voila! A nifty double sided bookmark to go along with all the others I've been making!

Whether you are a seasoned thread crocheter looking to add trim to fabric, or you are a beginner interested in learning this beautiful and timeless technique the Sharp Hook is easy to use and makes a great addition to your crochet tool box.  I already have plans for adding trim to a vintage hanky, a denim jacket, and an apron.  With just a little time and effort you can easily turn a plain item into an one of a kind heirloom.  For more information you can visit Jessica on the Web and check out her full line of products.

I couldn't resist including this picture of our kitty getting in on the action.  She always has to be the center of attention!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  I hope that you'll come back and see the awesome projects I've been working on.  There's lots of thread crochet, hats, gloves, and accessories for the home.  I'll share patterns I designed and finally finish up the Granny Square Project.  In the mean time, I hope your holidays are wonderful!

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings friends!  Oh, what a busy month it's been!  No matter how early I get up or how late into the wee hours I toil there never seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done! Honestly I'm not sure how you do it.  I suppose the up side of all of this activity is that I have plenty of projects to share with you!

If you've been visiting for a while you know that recently I've been working with thread.  I absolutely love this medium.  The delicate detail, the feel of the fabric, the sense of accomplishment when I've finished a piece.  Today I want to share a story of crochet,  kindness and social networking with you.

Like so many new bloggers, when I started this adventure I thought all I had to do was publish my posts and readers would flock to my site making me an internet sensation and overnight success (well, not quite...). But the reality is if you want people to visit you have to network.  That means visiting others on a regular basis and sharing thoughtful comments.  Taking part in on-line activities like CALs, a Year of Projects, and Blogtoberfest. Participating in some of the many groups and forums you find on Ravelry.  Creating boards of your favorite things on Pinterest, and following people you find interesting.  Tweeting your activities and posts.  And of course the big one, the one that I avoided like the plague - joining the world of Facebook.

Most of these have proven easy and fun to do.  I've met some of the nicest, most talented people you could ever imagine.  And while I admit that I don't really understand the whole Twitter craze I can say that I have come to enjoy my time on Facebook.  In fact, that's how I met Bonnier Reiner.  Bonnie is a fiber artist from California where she creates this beautiful hand-painted thread.  We don't know each other well at all, but Bonnie sent me a message asking if I would be interested in giving her thread a try.  Naturally  I said yes and about 10 days later a small package arrived.  To my delight there were (2) 50 yard skeins of a bright blue, purple, teal, and green thread, plus one with pastel shades of pink, green and yellow.  She calls them Rainbow Threads and you can reach her at [email protected] if you'd like to know about availability and pricing.  What I can tell you about is appearance and quality.  I tried the #10 thread (but she has others).  The colors are rich and vibrant (please excuse my pictures, it was too sunny and the color washed out).  The thread is mercerized (I think) and has a nice sheen.  It is easy to handle and flows smoothly on the hook.  It doesn't snarl or get knotted while you're using it.  The only thing I had trouble with was winding the skein onto my bobbin.  I think that's more from my inexperience though because I always buy my thread in balls or cones.  Once I had it wound into a useable form I set to work making these coasters.  They are about 4 inches in diameter.  The one on the right is finished.  It's 2 pieces that are joined on the final round.  From the one 50 yard skein there is enough thread to make at least 3 and maybe 4 coasters this size.  It really does go a long way as long as you use a second color for the back piece. In case you're interested the pattern is Safari Coasters and is available online from Leisure Arts.   I found it in the October 2001 issue of Crochet with Heart magazine. I'm always on the lookout for old magazines and I bought a stack of these at the thrift shop a few years ago!

I don't have any experience hand painting fiber, no doubt it takes time and talent.  I'm pleased to have had the chance to give Bonnie's thread a try,  and thankful that she sought me out and offered to send a gift to a stranger across the country.  For a long time Facebook felt like a cross between a high school cafeteria and a seedy bar after last call.  I was really hesitant to create an account.  As it turns out, there's a bounty of great folks looking to share their talents, ideas and knowledge. Who knew?? 

This has been a terrific experience.  I wish that I had more details on Rainbow Threads to share with you.  It's good stuff and if I've peaked your interest at all, please get in touch with Bonnie. 

I can't write a post on a Wednesday without telling you the latest book chat now can I?? Of course not!  Last week I read the new book by Kaya McLaren called How I Came to Sparkle Again.  It's been a long time since a book hit me the way this one did, and I hope that you'll check out my review to find out why!

Earlier today I finished the Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell.  This is the 20th Scarpetta novel.  I have been a huge fan of these books for years, but the last few just didn't do it for me.  It seemed like the magic was gone.  So I had mixed feelings when I started this one.  If you want to know what I thought, drop by Robin Reads & Writes later in the week for my review.

Allrighty folks,  time to say goodbye for another day.  I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone and that we're on the countdown to Christmas!  I miss having the time to write and I'm looking forward to that quiet time that comes during our New England winters.  A cup of tea and my favorite projects equal lots of stories to share!  And speaking of sharing, today I'll be linking up with a few of my favorite.  Please stop by and add yours to the mix.  The more the merrier!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the Friday edition of Crochet Nirvana. I've been waiting to share this project with you, hoping that I'd have another blissfully sunny day to photograph the rest of these guys. Don't you just love this shot of the river?? Unfortunately, Mother Nature has other ideas and gray skies and steady rain prevail.  Luckily I brought this fellow along for a walk  last weekend.  It was a perfect autumn day with a nip that made a sweater necessary and the scent of fallen leaves in the air.  I was with my teenage son, Seth and while he usually  humors me, my crochet obsession and my desire to take action shots of my yarn creations, he can be easily embarrassed if not down-right mortified by my behavior. While we were in the woods he was patient as I posed the owl in shot after shot.  He drew the line when I ventured onto the front lawn of a local real estate office (on Main Street)  to take advantage of their lovely pumpkin display.  He swiftly walked away  while admonishing me for trespassing and generally making a spectacle of myself!  I assured him they wouldn't mind and kept on snapping. In the end, he survived and I got a fun picture!

These too cute owls are intended to be coasters, but I'm considering using them as decorations (either just about the house or for the Christmas tree).  You can find the pattern and other details on my Ravelry project page.
I don't know about you, but I usually have a hard time sewing things like eyes and beaks on to the body with yarn.  It always leaves the backside looking messy and unfinished.  In the past I've used regular quilting thread to attach elements.  This takes a bit longer but I end up with a neater backside.  For these owls I'm going to try stitching on a fabric backing. My plan is to prepare the fabric like you would for an applique (with a template, basting, pressing,  and hoping!) then sew it to the crocheted piece. It may be more trouble than it's worth, we'll see.  My other thought was to crochet another owl using  one color and sew that to the back with yarn.  I think that would be too thick for an ornament, but might be perfect for a coaster.  What do you think?  I'd love to hear any tips or suggestions you have to give these cuties the finished look they deserve!

In addition to my fiber offerings, I like to participate in Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Baker's place. It's writing in the raw and if you've never done it, why don't you give it a try? It's really easy - you just:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on this week's prompt with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking - then post it just as it is!
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

Here's what happened when I spent five minutes writing on the prompt "Look"

What do you choose to surround yourself with?  The objects that we live with everyday are things that bring us comfort, have a purpose, meet a need or maybe just make us smile.  What do you see when you look around right where you are?
I see lots of crochet projects in bright colors that make me happy.  I see books, books and more books, they make me feel secure and comfortable and always bring me joy.  I see a plant - it's more like a tree now.  I've had for more than 20 years.  It's been with me longer than my husband and my son and I don't even know what kind it is! I see colored pencils and wicker baskets,writing paper, my journal, chap stick, the checkbook and calculator.  The sewing machine is waiting and ready to use should I have the urge to sew something.  Here is a bookmark that my best friend in high school gave me for my 17th birthday.  Funny that the bookmark remains, but I haven't seen the friend in at least 20 years.
All of these things I see everyday, I know that they're here when I want or need them.  But how often do you really look at the trinkets that make up your space?

While doing my five minutes of writing the UPS man delivered two packages.  Now I see two unopened boxes in my space that should contain yarn and thread in brilliant colors that I will use to decorate my weekend!!  Before I get to that I'll be joining my bloggy friends for these awesome link parties.  I hope you'll come along and check out the amazing projects with me!

Here's another happy surprise I have to share with you!  While creating today's links I learned that my Making Crochet Pumpkins post is being featured this week on Petals to Picots! Here's a heartfelt thank-you to Kara and all of you who came to visit. What a fantastic way to start the weekend!

Look what I made! Quick, easy and fun, these Album Coasters are a great way to use up bits of color, while finding a use for the black acrylic I had hanging around. They're not the most intricate design, but I think the concept comes across clearly. Plus there's the happiness and satisfaction that comes with finishing a project - no matter how small!  This week I noticed that several of my blogging buddies have made the knitted ear bud wraps (like these from Crafts from the Cwtch). Do you see my naked ear buds? I desperately would like to cloth them, but I still don't knit.  Ravelry to the rescue! I had an idea of how to get it done, but this pattern should help me if I get stuck. I'm thinking of using rainbow embroidery floss for a sleek, shiny look.

I've also been seeing hexipuffs running rampant.  Knitters everywhere are making these adorable little puffs. But how am I going to join the craze? Thankfully Valerie Lawson has created the Apiary Puff pattern.  Her crocheted interpretation is available for free. Thank goodness! Now I can find out for myself what the fuss is all about!

In addition to these new ideas, I have couple of things still on the hooks that I hope to finish soon - really, how many times can I show you my unfinished Juliana Mod Wrap as part of Wip Wed??  I also need to decide what to work on next for my Year of Projects.  I've narrowed it down so I'll either be working with thread or fabric.  We'll see. Check back Monday to see what I decide!

In addition to my fiber offerings on Friday, I like to participate in Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Bakers place. It's writing in the raw and if you've never done why don't you give it a try? It's really easy - you just:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on this week's prompt with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking - then post it just as it is!
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Here's what happened when I spent five minutes writing on the prompt "Enough"

That’s it! I’ve had enough!  There’s just never enough_____. Do you have enough? There are so many ways that you can use this word. But it either implies that you’re lacking (never enough) or have plenty (more than enough!) I hope to lean towards having more than enough or even just enough to get by.  After all, I don’t need anymore than that.  More becomes excessive. And in our world it is easy to have that become negative.

Today I have been fortunate to have gotten enough sleep.  I’ve had enough to eat.  At work, there was enough to do to keep me busy and enough help so that I wasn’t overwhelmed.  I have enough time with my family and enough money to pay the bills.  I haven’t always had enough. At least I didn’t think that I did.  Now I know that I can be happy, very happy with what I have and do and think and feel.  And that really is enough for me!

There you have it friends. Another Friday is upon us.  It's been a really long week at the library, and I'm looking forward to some R & R. Moving is hard work! Our website has lots of pictures if you're interested in what I'm doing when I'm not crafting! Now it's time to settle down and get to visiting! I love seeing what you've been up to this week! Plus, I always make a point to stop in and meet someone new.  Why don't you come with me? I promise we'll have a great time!

Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings friends! So happy to see you this fine Wednesday. As you know, I don't knit, I crochet. Today in addition to the 3 fun crochet projects I'm working on, I have 2 books themed around knitting to share with you. I recently received a copy of Knit with Love: Stories to Warm a Knitter's Heart from the author herself, the funny and charming Lisa Bogart. I've only just begun, but already I feel a connection to the people and their stories as Lisa tells them. I'm looking forward to this one, and to sharing my review with you next week.

On the hook with this week's book is another washcloth. This one is a square and it goes quite nicely with the circle I made last week! The pattern, I Love this Washcloth!, is a simple cobble stitch. It's working up quickly and is producing a fabric that's sturdy and flexible at the same time. 

Cast on, Kill Off by Maggie Sefton
June 2012 - Berkley Publishing / Penguin Group

I really wanted to like this book. I tried really hard, but it just fell short for me. The gang at House of Lambspun are excited to be planning a wedding for one of their regulars. All the events have been organized, menus are finalized and the ladies are putting the finishing touches on the shawls they're knitting to go with their bridesmaids dresses. Everything is perfect until Zoe, the seamstress making the gowns turns up dead. Who would want to murder the dressmaker? Everything points to her abusive, alcoholic husband.Or is it her sister Vera who steps up and takes care of finishing sewing the gowns and slips easily into running the shop. Then there's Leann who publicly accused Zoe of stealing her (award winning) wedding gown design.

There are plenty of suspects for amateur sleuth Kelly to ponder.  All while balancing her flourishing accounting career, rekindling her love life,  playing softball, knitting the shawl, and drinking copious amounts of coffee. (They're all very busy people!)

So why didn't I like this book? Because of the dialog. It's stiff and proper and way to formal for a group of young friends hanging out at the yarn store, or at dinner, or driving in the car. It made the characters all feel flat and phony. I just didn't believe anything that they told me. It was like a poorly acted Sunday movie - you know the kind I mean.

I know there are lots of you who will love this book so I won't tell you who did it. Sadly, as much as I love fiber arts this one has way too many dropped stitches for me!

At the library Tuesday, my co-worker suggested that we should start including my book reviews on our web site.  I was surprised and flattered. Surprised because I didn't know she read my blog, and flattered because I do know that she reads a lot of reviews! For her to deem my book thoughts worthy is a great compliment, and I'd love to share them with our patrons.  In the meantime, I'll continue to write honest, uncomplicated book reviews for regular people who read regular books, and share them here with you!

There's so much to see and do on Wednesday.  I link up with my friends at their wonderful blogs, and then I like to stop in and visit the other crafters. I always find inspiration and encouragement in the variety of projects people are working on. Why don't you join me?

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!