2nd Pair of Baby Slippers

This is the next size up from the first pair I made--this time with crocheted rabbits!

rabbits on the run!

Still Working on Skulls

and I'm not done yet!

Crocheted Devil Horns

I made these thinking my granddaughter wanted to be a devil, but she changed her mind---so I might wear them!  I found a pattern for the horn on Ravelry by Diana, then made a head band to attach them to.

Crocheted Skulls

I found this crocheted skull pattern on Ravelry by Arolie MarieMad
Making one leads to another...

I used a tiny crochet hook and some crochet thread.

Day of the dead hair clip...

purple hair clip for my granddaughter...

more!

Baby Slippers

His ankles need to thin out a bit and his feet need to grow a little longer, but they do fit, and they stay on!

I ran out of this yarn--so one opening has a lighter purple--I also sewed some black elastic around the back edge of the openings.

Crocheted Slippers

My granddaughter chose pink--these work up fast--and fit her nicely.

 The yarn isn't anything special--some acrylic I had as scrap yarn---this crochet project teeters on the edge of being one of those depressing things you could buy at a church bazaar, but oh well... (I have ambivalent feelings about crocheted items), yet here I am finding some peace and joy in making these.

Already getting a little worn in.

Slippers

I crocheted myself a pair of slippers--I followed a pattern, but had to change it a lot for the shape of my long foot and to have them stay on my feet.

Now to make another pair for my granddaughter who just about fits in these!!

Washcloth

I found this pattern for a washcloth on Ravelry--very easy and fun to knit--this might end up way too big so I"ll have to experiment with a different size cotton yarn.

More Cupcakes!

Even though school is in, the cupcakes are still being made--these were for a small Sleeping Beauty performance put on by my granddaughter's dance class--she used these colors for the three fairies.

Chocolate with chocolate icing--here she was striving for a moist cake with a thicker icing--she was pretty happy with this batch----mmmm----me too!

A Felted Diaper Cover

I thought I'd try out a diaper cover with some left over wool I had on hand.  I'm not an avid knitter and it was the first time I did this brioche stitch (the very large ribbing going down the length of the diaper cover)  I had some trouble understanding the pattern.

After a few days, I finally sewed the side seams and came up with a long and very stretchy diaper cover--here's the front.

and back.  I noticed that all the diaper covers that work well are felted--this pattern didn't call for the felting, so I was afraid it would shrink too much, but I closed my eyes and tossed it in with a regular warm water wash--scary, this felting process!!

It really did shrink--it just might fit my grandson today, maybe not tomorrow!  You can barely tell the difference between the stitches--the brioche panel running down the front and back is thick and padded, which is good, but the waistline and leg openings are not very stretchy, so this might not work!  I did soak it in a lanolin solution after the washing, so as not to soak up too much wetness from the baby.  I'm experimenting--perhaps it would be better to felt the diaper cover, then add the waist and leg ribbing later.   Making sure from then on to wash in cold water by hand?
I guess this is an old time method of covering cloth diapers that has made a come back.  I don't remember having anything like this when my kids were babies--we had plastic diaper covers that would get brittle and scratchy with a lot of use,especially around the waist and legs.

The back.  We'll see if this fits and if it works!

Children's Crafts Fair 2014

Once again--time for the Children's Crafts Fair, put on by the Los Osos Library--it's free for the kids to set up their tables and they can keep any money they made--a very great idea!  This is our fifth year--you can see our past years, here--here--here and here.  This year, my granddaughter and her friend made the crafts.  I've often posted about how I tend to help out a little too much--so much so, that the crafts turn into my creations flavored with the artistic designs of my granddaughter, but I have to say, this year I only helped with some exacto knife cutting, putting O-rings on the charms, and helping with the table and display--not bad for me!!

They sold all these pressed flowers...

People could make their own charm bracelets...

with Shrinky Dink charms!

We sold some left over items from last year's booth,

I bought a pair of round needle nose pliers--my granddaughter learned how to make nice round little loops for making her earrings--I did have to help her by twisting the wire around pretty tightly and clipping close with the precision wire clippers, that I also bought--(I like crafting tools!!), But that's all I did---really!

She and her friend got together numerous times to make batch after batch of play-dough--we came home with just a handful of these left.

Because I really took a back seat this year, I could tell that she and her friend felt a greater sense of accomplishment, pride in their work and had lots of fun--plus they made some pocket money!  Then there's  the mad dash of trading toward the end, which is fun to watch!

Summer of the Cupcakes

4th of July cupcake

We've been watching DC Cupcakes and Cupcake Wars--my granddaughter has been trying out frosting nozzles--baking minis and regular size cupcakes--cooking from scratch--some exploded in the oven--our attempt to melt a chocolate bar in the microwave went up in impressive billows of smoke, but these chocolate cupcakes came out delicious!

The frosting was a little too runny and these look sort of like they're topped with fried eggs, but don't be fooled these were very good!

Here is my granddaughter's favorite frosted mini.

On the Beach at Morro Rock

I did play with the colors a bit...

More Pots

I'm making those little eucalyptus pots again---I'm heating up the mixture of tree sap, charcoal and beeswax to seal the ends of the toothpicks on the outside and inside.

Lids and strings and beads attached.

These are small--can only carry very small things, like seeds, tiny shells and such.

Why do I make these?  I don't know--There is something very satisfying to me, to finish a little handful of pots.  My older pots are holding mostly flower seeds and beads--I lose track of what's inside and have to open them all up before I find what I'm looking for--kind of a drawback, but a fun one--I don't want to write any labels on them.

Book Mark

helps..........pass the time on a summer day.

Music in the Plaza

A free outdoor concert at the mission in SLO--(each Friday evening throughout the summer).  My grandson's second music festval--Music by,  Burning James and the Funky Flames

Sleeping Baby

Sound asleep.

FINAL Dancer Drawing.

okay the art show is tomorrow, so I squeaked this one out, sort of last minute, but I wanted to draw a boy dancer, there are only just a few.
Charcoal about 9"x 11" on Bristol paper

Father and Son

Two weeks old....

Final Dancer Drawing?

I finished this drawing today---I'm not sure I'll have the time to do another before the art show that's going up the first weekend in June.  I've enjoyed drawing and painting this subject of dancers--I have more that I want to do...we'll see.
Charcoal on Bristol paper  15"x 10"