newest bookmark thread crochet design - daffodil Fairy

I often get asked where my ideas come from for my various bookmarks.  This one came from my garden.  I was looking through my spring garden of daffodils.  I realized that the trumpet for the flower would make a fantastic shirt and the petals would work naturally into a skirt.  I had wanted to design a fairy bookmark for a while now and I saw exactly how I could do it.

She is available pre-made at my AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.  Her head and flower can hang outside the book to remind the reader there is more story to come.  What a fantastic achievement award for anyone who loves to read.

 

One of the trickier parts of the pattern is how to make the flower petals.  Flower petals are usually worked down one side of a chain and then down the second side of the same chain.  When you start at the waist with the chain the end of the petal ends up at the opposite end of the chain then the waist.  I also needed a way for all the separate petals to be joined to each other.  I decided to use the front loop of the petal to slip stitch back to the waist.  I then worked another chain for a second petal and joined the two petals with a slip stitch in the unused back loop behind the slip stitches going down to the waist. 

 

I also needed to come up with wings.  There are so many possibilities.  I could have bought pre made wings but I wanted to make something in crochet.  I love how her wings came out using a variation of a rose leaf.

Of course I had a to design a daffodil cap to go with the curly hair underneath.  (I used Caron Simply yarn for the hair which is cropped close to the cap and unraveled which gives the hair its curl)

My pattern testers really enjoyed making this pattern which works up quickly.  One tester had never used thread to crochet with and she really loved making this.  I use a larger hook than is normally used to get the bookmarks to a "good" size and to encourage others not to be afraid to work with thread which I love working with.  My pattern for this bookmark can be found at LoisLeigh's Ravelry shop.  It is also available at AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.  If you are from Canada or the European Union I now have the pattern available at Loveknitting shop (Lovecrochet shop)  Or you can use the buy now link at the left of this post.  This button will take you to your PayPal account.

 

I really love how she came out and I am going to be designing more fairy items.  There are so many ideas running through my head with out enough time to design them all.  I add them to a list and work on my present design.  I often get requests for characters to make into bookmarks.  So many good ideas but they need to be generic so that I don't run into copyright or trademark disputes.  Nature seems to be one of my primary design inspiration.

 

What do you think of my new design?

 

 



New crochet pillow top pattern

I have just finished a new crochet pillow pattern that features Raggedy Ann on one side and Raggedy Andy on the other side.  It took a long time to design this pattern but it was totally worth it.  My pattern testers really enjoyed making this one. 

This pattern is now available on my Ravelry store, at my lovecrochet store for  Canadian and European Union readers and in my etsy shop.  If you don't love to crochet but would like to purchase the pillow, it is available here.

The pillow is based on my Raggedy Ann bookmark.  She is made out of thread and it really a quick crochet project for anyone who loves Raggedy Ann.  The pattern is available on here on Ravelry or at my Etsy shop in the left side section called crochet patterns.  If you don't like to crochet in thread and love the bookmark, you can purchase it here. 

The back side of the pillow was based on my Raggedy Andy bookmark.  This thread crochet bookmark pattern is available at my Ravelry shop, at lovecrochet shop or on etsy.  Would you like this bookmark already made for you?  It is available here.

I used a spike stitch to add interest to the background of the pillow.  Spike stitches are fun and easy to make.  I used half double crochet in groups of 3 with a chain one to separate them. The middle hdc is made in the chain one space in the double crochet row below.

I used a love knot stitch to make both Raggedy Ann and Andy's hair.  All my patterns are tested by at least 2 other people and the feedback I have gotten from them is that it is a fun and well written pattern to make.  I use picture tutorials on stitches that might be new to a maker.  The pattern is rated for ambitious beginners who like would like to learn new stitches.

 

This pillow will really add a new flair to your home décor or nursery décor.  The twelve inch motifs could easily make a wonderful baby blanket for new arrivals by joining to squares together in whatever size you would want to make the baby quilt.





Pillows are such an easy and great way to freshen the home or nursery décor and work up really quickly.

Summer crochet and knit patterns.

We had had so much rain this past month that everything is blooming.  I love this time of year.  Flowers are so inspirational.  Here are some pictures of our various gardens and the patterns that they helped to inspire.

Iris are so beautiful and was the inspiration for this luxurious iris lace scarf.  You can find the patterns on Craftsy here or on Ravelry with the buy now button or from this link. 

Morino wool and silk long scarf

This is very long scarf [100 inches (254 cm) long] and is made with a wonderful yarn that is not only soft but also has the wonderful shimmer than goes with silk.  The scarf keeps the iris alive all year long.





 Columbine are my absolute favorite flower and so I had to try and make some accessories that included this flower.  In honor of our granddaughter I made a headband or hair clips that include this wonderful flower.

Pre-made hair clips on Etsy

This pattern includes instructions for making the headband for any size head and can be found with the buy now button on the right, or on my Ravelry store or at my Craftsy store. Of course I had to make some bookmarks for my Etsy shop.  I love how they came out.

 

Another favorite flower is the rose and with our recent rain, our roses are blooming like crazy.

I love to crochet roses.  They are fun to make and they never lose petals to the Kansas wind.  Here is a doily pattern at my Craftsy store or on Ravelry.

already made for you on Etsy

 

Here is a pattern that has more blooming roses. If you follow the instructions and add a prism you will have rainbows on your wall when you hang this from a southern facing window.  (I love rainbows on the wall.)

pre-made window sun catcher

 

If you would like to make one of these for yourself, using the colors you would like to see, the pattern can be found at my Ravelry shop or on my Craftsy store.

 

With Father's Day coming up, how about making Dad a pair of fingerless gloves?  I made this pattern for my husband who wanted a pair using cotton yarn which is so much easier to launder. 

 





pre-made for you in my Etsy shop

 

If you like to make cable knits, this fingerless gloves pattern has both a chart and written instructions and as with all my patterns has been tested by two other people to find mistakes in the instructions.  The pattern can be found in Craftsy here or at my Ravelry store.

 

 

I am still designing bookmarks and should have a new one out soon.  In the meantime, I just found a Russian blog that is featuring my bookmarks.  The Google translate does a pretty good job and I was so honored to be featured.  Here is the here,  My designs are now international, lol.

 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful spring and that you are now ready to for summer.







Valentine's patterns and spring time lace knit and crochet patterns

With the weather just beginning to warm up in Kansas, I thought I would do a post on some of the wonderful knit and crochet patterns I have available for the spring.  Because it is just starting to warm up, there are a lot of times a beautiful wrap is just the needed accessory to stay warm.

One of my favorite designs is this lovely knitted lacy wrap called Pretty in Hearts.  Made in colors of your choosing, it works up quickly.

.

click this link to buy from Craftsy or choose the buy now button to by from Ravelry

 

Another exquisite wrap design, that is a little more difficult because it involves nupps, but just as great for staying warm on cool nights is my 2 hearts together wrap.  My pattern have all been tested by others and include picture tutorials of stitches.  This pattern also includes instructions on how to make it without the nupps.

to buy from Craftsy use this link, to buy from Ravelry use the buy now button on side bar

 

I also made a scarf for lace knitters who love the iris flower.  This delightful scarf will provide warmth around the neck and head with the promise of spring coming.

click to buy from Craftsy. Use the buy now button on the side bar to buy from Ravelry

 

If you would like to get this beautiful scarf already made using Merino wool (a very soft wool) and silk, I have it my etsy shop. AndersonsCreations.etsy.com

 

I love knitted lace designs.  I also love to crochet.  I have many different patterns that would work well with the Valentine's Day or a spring time theme.

 

One of my favorite items in my own home in the winter time is my sun catchers in the window of my kitchen.  It catches the winter sun shining through the prism and creates rainbows all over the walls.  Here is the pattern for my sun catcher.

To buy from Craftsy, use this link. Ravelry use the buy now button on side bar

If you would like to buy this premade you can find it in this link.AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.

 

If you love doilies as much as I do you will love this pattern.  The doily will add that special touch to any display you have in your home.

 

To buy from Craftsy use this link. EU buyers please use the buy now button on the side bar

If you would prefer to buy it ready made it can be found here.  AndersonsCreations.etsy.com

 

Of course, I had to make a story bookmark to celebrate Valentine's day.  Here are two patterns that can be made for Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy lovers the world over.

Use this link to buy from Craftsy. EU buyers please use the buy now button on the side bar

 

Buy the ready made bookmark here.

 

I couldn't leave Raggedy Andy out, so here is what this bookmark looks like.

Craftsy pattern site. EU buyers, please use the Buy Now button on the side bar

 

Buy a premade Raggedy Andy bookmark here

 

Naturally, they gave each other heart shape Valentine's. 

 



My husband and I got married in February and so beside Valentine's Day this time of year is very special to us.  What do you like about this time of year?



 















Babys first christmas ornament

There is so much to be thankful for this month.  On October 30, our new granddaughter, Ayme Elizabeth, was born.

She is so darling and so opposite her older sister, Naomi, who had no hair and is platinum blonde.  (The story of Rose Red and Snow White is what comes to mind.)  I wanted to design a pattern for her older sister when she was born. 

Columbine headband or barrette pattern

 

This pattern is a more advanced pattern with picture tutorials on how to make the stamens.  I wanted to design something a little simpler for our new grand baby.  Since Christmas is coming up, I thought of a Christmas ornament.  Here is Ayme's new ornament.

 

 

Once I got the pattern figured out, I decided to make one for each of the grandchildren including our grandson, Ethan.

 

This ornament has no glass for young hands to break.  The backside has a perfect spot to transfer name and date of birth onto. I will be transferring the information onto a piece of cotton material and then sewing the material onto the back.

 

The pattern is back from my pattern testers and has been checked for errors.  It is a fast and fun Christmas crochet pattern to make.  You can find the pattern here in my etsy shop. Here is the pattern in my Ravelry and Craftsy shops. 

 

Not only would this ornament be great on a Christmas tree but when the season is over, it would make a wonderful wall ornament for the nursery.

I hope everyone has a fun and wonderful holiday with lots and lots of blessings from the Lord.









Custom orders

It has been a while since I was able to blog.  We had two wonderful vacations this summer.  One to see our darling grandchildren and one to see the Colorado mountains where I get so much inspiration.  When I got back, my computer broke.  After the purchase of a new one it is finally up and running.  Then came the loss of my father in this world. (I know I will see him, again, one day.)
 One thing my father taught me is, when life gets tough, start looking at everything I can find to be thankful for.

I thought I would do a post on one of the wonderful serendipities to selling my knit and crochet on line.  That is custom orders.  They always challenge me.  One concern I often have is in using words to describe what a customer wants can cause confusion.  (i.e., they want a tree.  When I think tree, my mind envisions a Ponderosa pine tree.  Is that what your mind envisions?)  Most of my customers are not artists and so sending a simple drawing to show me what they have in mind is not an option.

A few months ago, I had a customer who was an artist.  She could define colors to the shade and sent simple drawings.  She also loved my rendition of columbines and she was wanting different versions of what I had in my shop with color variations from what was already there.  She loves dark columbines and she wanted barrettes using these colors. Here are the pictures of the barrettes she wanted.

She also wanted a set of traditional colored columbines.

 

 

Custom orders give me an idea of what others are looking for and so I often make more to add to my shop.  Here is what I am currently offering but color variations are an fairly simple request.  current supply of barrettes in my etsy shop

 

Besides this particular item, she also wanted columbines made into bookmarks and I came up with this design.

 

 

current columbine bookmark in my shop

 

Finally she wanted a columbine necklace in various shades.  I added this particular variation to a columbine pattern that is available in my pattern stores because I love how it came out.

current columbine chocker necklaces available in shop

 

If you would like to make your own choker necklace in the colors of your choosing, the pattern for it can be found here.  columbine necklace pattern  The pattern includes picture tutorials that explain any stitches that might seem challenging.

 

It is amazing what ideas can spring from one customers order.  I am very grateful for custom orders.  I love making just what the customer had in mind and it sparks all sorts of ideas in my mind to do for future shoppers.

 

 

 

 











April Showers bring May Flowers

After a very long winter and a very dry spring, we finally got some rain in Kansas.  I thought I would show some of the spring flowers in my yarn.

The red bud trees are putting on their bloom.

The iris are glorious.

Peonies are popping out all over.

daffodils are almost done.

My first bloom on my new rose bush.

I found a fabulous artist in a shop on etsy.com called ClaySoul.  She makes some wonderful stoneware clay toad houses.

ClaySoul Toad House

Encourage toads to eat the harmful insects in the garden

www.claysoul.etsy.com

What a delightful way to add color to a garden when the color of the flowers is gone.  She is a wonderful artist to work with.

What does this all have to do with fiber art?  Flowers are one of my main sources of inspiration..  Their color and beauty is so amazing and I just have to pick up a crochet hook (or knitting needle) and see what I can make that will imitate them.

Right now I am working on a large custom order of Columbine hair accessories and bookmarks in specific colors.  This is a fairly advanced pattern and I love the results.

What is your favorite thing to do with May flowers.