Mother's Day ideas

I have been super busy with business taxes, custom orders and some other tasks.  I am done with taxes and have a bit of time to write in my blog.

I did want to share a link to an online magazine, Mental Floss, that is showing different bookmarks.  My cowardly lion is in the round up with a wonderful review.  http://mentalfloss.com/article/63057/11-beautiful-bookmarks-bibliophiles-will-love  What an honor to included in this article.

Is your mother a reader?  Does she have a favorite character from a book that is not trademarked?  Here a link to some bookmarks that are already made.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/AndersonsCreations?section_id=6209177&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2

I just finished a custom order for someone who wanted an Alice in Wonderland with the flamingo so she can play a game of croquet.  She is going to put it in a shadow box and not use it as a bookmark, so I was able to stuff the body of the flamingo.  Here is the finished product.

I am really happy with the result.  I enjoy custom orders as I get some really great ideas from them.

If you would like to make your own bookmarks I sell patterns at my Craftsy store, Etsy bookmark patterns or use the buy now buttons on the side to buy them on Ravelry.com. I also have some of the patterns bundled for better prices at my Etsy shop.

Etsy bundled sale patterns

If you don't see the group of patterns you would like to purchase, just ask me in my Etsy shop and I can set up a group just for you.

 

Does your mother love roses and doilies?  Here is doily she will love.

Rose budding hearts doily



Want to make it for her yourself?  Use the buy now button to get it through Ravelry.  On Craftsy, doily pattern or in crochet patterns at my Etsy shop.

 

Does your mother love rainbows?  Here is a sun catcher that looks wonderful in a window and includes a crystal to create rainbows on her wall.

sun catcher in Etsy shop

If you would like to make your mother a sun catcher, this pattern includes instructions on how to attach a crystal drop to make the rainbows on her wall and can be found Ravelry shop pattern, and in my Etsy shop or on Craftsy.

 

Does your mother like columbines as much as I do?  These wonderful chokers would make the perfect addition to her spring wardrobe.

etsy shop pre-made columbine chokers

Would you like to make these beauties in the colors she would love.  Click the buy now button to find the pattern on Ravelry.com, at Craftsy.com, or in my etsy shop.

 

With spring comes the up and down temperatures from day to day and sometimes hour to hour.  For that special mother who deserves only the best, this glorious shrug is available in my shop.

spring shrug

This one is made for a woman size small to medium and is made using wonderfully soft Merino wool and silk yarn.  It is nice and long.  If your mother needs it in another size and color combination, here is the same pattern with the same glorious yarn for women up to size large. 

marsala and charcoal shrug

 

Hopefully, I will have the pattern back from the testers soon to offer that in my shops as well.

 

With mother's day right around the corner and spring in the air, I hope this round-up gives some great ideas for items any mother would love.  What do you think?





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.

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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?



 















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.

 

 

 

 











St. Patrick's Days gifts to make or buy from Etsy

February flew by and it is March already.  I am almost ready for my new lace knit scarf design to go to the testers.  I thought I would showcase some of my favorite Etsy sellers gift offerings in this post.

If you want to make you own Lucky Irish Leprechaun bookmark, just hit the buy now button on the top right of this post and you will get the pattern.  If you would rather buy it pre-made,  the link below will take you to my Etsy shop.  Here is what he looks like.

Lucky Irish Leprechuan bookmark

 

There are some wonderful Etsy artist who have some great gift ideas for St, Patricks Day.  I love this baby outfit in QuinnysCrochet shop on Etsy.

 

baby girl emerald green outfit

 

She has some darling headbands and hats with shamrocks on them.  She does some wonderful work.  Well worth the visit.

 

Another Artist's shop that I love is Crochetbymsa on Etsy.  She has some wonderful doilies.



Lucky Shamrocks N Lace doily

She has a couple of doilies that feature shamrocks.  I love how the one above came out.

 

NadiasKnits has this delight green tam that is adjustable for head sizes.  Just the bit of green needed for St. Patricks day.

adjustable emerald green hat

 

knitbypearl on Etsy has this wonderful Emerald green bow headband which should keep all the "pinchers" away.  I love how it looks.

emerald green bow headband

 

PennyRugsPlus in Etsy has this gorgeous kit that comes with everything you need to make this delightful table mat including the floss.

 

shamrocks table mat kit

 

Another shop I love is SnowNoseCrafts on Etsy. This shop features some delightful kitchen towels that are made to hang on a draw pull or stove handle.  This one features shamrocks.

shamrock kitchen towel

What a gorgeous way to brighten your kitchen in time for spring.

 

Etsy is full of some wonderful fiber artists and it is hard to narrow the list of my favorites down to just a few.  With spring just around the corner, St. Patricks Day makes a fantastic transition between winter and spring and it is so full of fun traditions.  What is your favorite tradition around this holiday?

 

 

 

  

 









Valentines day lace knitting and crochet patterns

It is almost the end of January and still very cold in Kansas.  I love it.  We have a wonderful fireplace and I love to sit near it and design a new lace design. I adore lace knitting.   I am currently working on a purple lace knit scarf out of some home spun Moreno wool and angora bunny fur.  I love how it is coming out.  I will show pictures of the new design when I have it all blocked out. 

With Valentines coming up, I thought, why not showcase some lace knit and crochet designs that have roses and hearts as a theme.  I designed a warm wrap few year ago using Moreno and  angora bunny fur.  Any lace weight yarn will work with this pattern and I used size US 11 - 8.0 mm needles.  Hearts and Diamonds wrap is a simple design for anyone who has done lace knitting before.

Along the same theme I designed Pretty in hearts using Kid Seta yarn and size US 8 - 5.0mm needles.  It is a wonderful wrap that will take the chill out of summer evening and dress up an outfit with no sleeves.

 

The next wrap pattern, 2 hearts together, is just as light and airy using the same Kid Seta yarn and needles but uses nupps in the design.  This pattern is for the more experienced lace knitter.  I think either this pattern or Pretty in Hearts would make a wonderful wedding wrap for those strapless wedding dresses in a white lace yarn.

 

 

I also love to crochet and I love roses.  Unfortunately, I do not have a green thumb and have had a hard time getting roses to bloom outside my home.  So I designed a sun catcher using roses as a theme.  If the crystal prisms are added to the pattern as suggested then all winter long I have rainbows on my walls from the drop crystals.  I love the effect and it certainly brightens a winter home.

 

 

Finally, I created a thread crochet doily pattern that includes both hearts and rose buds.  I love how this pattern came out.

 

 

 

What is your favorite activity for this time of year?

 

 









Christmas knit and crochet patterns.

Time has zipped by here in Kansas and it is now my favorite time of year.  The weather is very nice and cold and I get to sit by my fireplace and knit and design another scarf, fingerless gloves and other warm accessories. Here is the set I designed last year.



Right now I have these two patterns at a special price for those who would like to buy them both at my Etsy shop bundle price sale.  I have several patterns at special bundled prices in this section including the wizard of oz series of bookmarks.sale patterns

 I love the lights on houses and Christmas trees.  I love getting the nativity sets out and using them all over the house.  I have so many that I had to design a new one that can work as either ornaments or as a wall hanging.

 

 

I  love the old Christmas carols that are playing everywhere. Naturally, I had to make a wall hanging to commemorate that love.

 

 

What makes Christmas so special to me?  I think it is the wonderful and very powerful message sent to us via angles to the shepherds on a hill many, many years ago.

 

 



 

The gift that our family celebrates at this time of year is God's gift of His Son to us.  What a miracle He gave us. When the world looks like it is spiralling out of control, I have learned to lay it at God's feet and sit back to wait and see how he weaves it into a beautiful solution.

 

 

What is your favorite part of this very special season?





Bride bookmark and Solomon's Knot tutorial

It has been a while but with vacations and some home repairs, I haven't been able to work on the computer much.  Luckily, it doesn't mean I haven't been designing.  I love knit or crochet because I can take with me.

I am currently designing a bride bookmark.  This is part of a commission wall hanging.  I love how she came out.

 

I decided to give her an overskirt on her dress of Solomon's knot or Love knot lace because of its fantastically lacey look.  So I thought I would do a picture tuturial of this particular stitch.

 

To start,  pull up a loop.  My pattern calls for a loop that is 1/4 inch long.  (Most patterns will tell you how long a loop is required for their pattern.)  

 

Yarn over and pull a loop through.

 

  Now comes the "tricky" part.  Sc in back strand of the long lp created by pulling a loop through above.

 

Below is a completed Solomon's knot or Love knot.

 







 Generally, a pattern has you make several on top of  each other as shown below. 

Future rows are generally worked in the sc stitch on top of the knot.  The stitch is not a hard one just a little confusing if you have not run into it before.

Here is a back view of the overskirt to show how neat this stitch works up.

I love how it came out. 

I think crochet and knitting are wonderful.  They are so mobile that they can be taken on 16 hour drives to see the children and the work isn't put on hold until we return.  What do you like about these arts?

 





Designing for new blessings

I have a new granddaughter that arrived this past year.  What a blessing she is.  (Of course, so is her mommy and daddy and big brother.)

 

She arrived just after we had spent a week in my Colorado Mountains.  There were Columbine flowers all over those mountains.  I took these pictures because I just wanted to try to design these wonderful works of art.

 Here is another shot from the side view.

 

These wonderful flowers are so much larger than the domesticated variety but they do not come in all the wonderful color combinations as the tame ones.  I always try to grow these in Kansas.  Here is a shot of one of my efforts.

Now, something that seems to hold true with all my children and now grandchildren is that they are all bald.  I spent two years taping bows to my oldest girl's head just so people knew she was a girl.

 

I just knew I had to design a beautiful headband for my new granddaughter that would accentuate her beauty.  I have always wanted to crochet Columbines because they are so wonderful so I got to work.

 

First came the flower which can look so different when it is a side view or a front on view.  So after many, many hours of frogging steps I came up with the flower from both the side view and the front view.  My daughter loved them and suggested just making them into clip barrettes that she could add them to an already existing headband.  (I wish I had had headbands like these when my children were young).

 

So the pattern continued.  It included instructions for just making the clip barrettes and I continued to work on the band. 











It calls for really soft elastic because babies head are so tender and I chose to buy some of the baby headbands and cut them up to fill the elastic gap.

 



The pattern has a lot of picture tutorials to help others through the process of making this work of art.

I love how it came out.  God gives us so many examples of his love.  For me, His gorgeous Columbine flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow are one example.  Daughters and now grandchildren are are such precious blessings that even when I doubt that He cares, I just have to look at them and know my doubts are lies.  What have you found that proves God's love in your life?