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I am determined to crochet a snowflake this year. Preferably more than one, but after the first hot mess I made, I would settle for just one. I used a Martha Stewart pattern and it was actually quite clear, but my thread was too thin and I couldn't work with it at all. These linen ones make me want to try again:

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Crocheted snowflakes just look so lovely hanging in a window...

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or strung together to make a garland...

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or crocheted around a bit of wood...

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or crochet together to make a christmas scarf.

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Crochet totally beats out knitting when it comes to making snowflakes (oh I'm totally keeping score). Most of the time crocheters get the short end of the stick (and the shaft at yarn stores---seriously what is the deal?), but those beautiful, delicate snowflakes are all crocheted.

Of course crochet can't stay classy for very long, oh well.

snowman toilet cozy : :  santa toilet cozy

Sorry I disappeared from the internet last week: school holiday, crazy children, broken camera, blah, blah, blah. The camera will be in the shop for a good two weeks, so you are stuck with my dressed-up-to-look-like-a-polaroid camera phone shots for a while. That's me up there, trying to look all stylish in my cozy new cowl.

It has been a loooong while since I picked up a crochet hook--10 months to be exact. Needless to say I was rusty. There was a lot of ripping out at first, but then the crochet neurons began firing again and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. The cowl pattern is the chunky circle scarf  from people webs.  Not only is the pattern free, but Lindsi talks you through every bit--lots of people had questions about different steps and she answered them all in the comments section. How awesome is that?

Now I'm dreaming of my next crochet project.  I think Cal's new shawl pattern is definitely on the list. Or I might try my hand at some amigurumi, but I can't decide elephant or bear/mouse?  Or something totally different. What do you think?

p.s. taking pictures of yourself is hard. Happy Halloween!

I have been dreaming about crocheting the kids some afghans for a while now (like this one and this one or this one). I knew I should have started in the summertime, but the thought of a big pile of yarn on my lap when it was 100 degrees out just made me gag. It's cold and of course they need a warm blanket and now I want to make one, but at this point it will be done for next fall. Dammit. Old lady thrift store to the rescue!

Seriously, those old ladies are the bomb. It's the only thrift store in town that hasn't been hipsterfied. Things are a little smelly and odd, but they all are priced like second hand goods, not like it's oooo vintage. This super amazing rainbow afghan was three bucks! But (big but) none of the end were woven in. Do you see all those color changes?!

How could I pass it up? I had been looking at this exact pattern to use for an afghan, because of this beautiful specimen. So last night, I happily sat on the couch with the afghan warm from the dryer and wove those 200 ends in. It's like the satisfaction of finishing a huge project without having to actually do the huge project.  Thank you whoever made this gorgeous afghan and abandoned it almost done!

p.s. see that little bit of a map up there? the room is (still) slowly coming together--might even get done.

We are headed to the beach tomorrow: the real beach, the ocean beach, the hawaiian beach. I was planning on making this rope bracelet for the trip, but then I spotted this broomstick lace cuff on pintrest and changed my plans.  Kirsty made a nice little tutorial for this beautiful cuff. Mine is pretty sloppy (late night crocheting) and made out of string, but hers looks lovely in a warm gray yarn.

The blog will go on while I'm gone!  I've got some stellar guest bloggers lined up for you and I can't wait for you to meet them all. They will be writting little bits about winter, because I do love winter and will miss it. The wisconsin winter will still be here when I get back, but it probably won't recognize me with a tan.

I'm trying to focus on the doing instead of the getting done these days. Yes, my list is long and wow, it is not long until christmas, but if I actually do what I am doing instead of thinking about the next thing, then the tasks suddenly become enjoyable. And oddly I find I have more time. Time to sit in the comfy chair and crochet a little pink hat, for a little cold head that needs it.

This ottoman is obviously in rough shape. It used to be sort of wabi sabi, beat-up chic, but sometime ago it crossed a line and now it's just plain beat up. I've been meaning to recover it properly, but as I have no idea how to do that it's been shoved in the back of my closet.  After seeing this crochet covered ottoman (ravelry link) I pulled it out from it's hiding spot and made a cover. That is obviously the before shot...

and here is the after. Not bad for no planning--just some yarn from my stash and a free pattern off ravelry.  I wanted the cover to be all puff stitches, but I only had super bulky yarn and the puffs were getting too out of control puffy. I used a hat pattern--a really ugly hat pattern--and made it fit. So really I made a hat for my ottoman. Ha! Here is the project page on ravelry if you want the specs.

After I made it, I saw this ottoman and now I want to find some crazy super chunky yarn (or maybe even roving?) and make another cover.  The making never ends.

I'm nursing a pretty brutal cold that seems to be going around (and around and around), so I'm doing some quiet crocheting while the baby naps. I started this project for Erin's pillow week, but even though I was (and still am) very excited about the idea I got bored with the actual making of it.  I may be getting ahead of myself--seeing as I'm not even done yet--but I'd like to make up a pattern for the pillow. But again, I have to finish first and then felt it and then see if it even turns out and probably test it again. So don't hold your breath.

1. linen snowflake (ravelry link) 2. acorn shrug (login required, here's a finished project) 3. jam jar cozies 4. granny basket

These patterns, on the other hand, are finished and free for the taking. They are all crochet and all dead easy. It seems I only start crocheting in earnest when the weather turns cold (last year I went crochet crazy) and today it feels a little like winter outside. Anyway I think all these projects would make pretty gifts (to yourself even) and would quickly satisfy the need to work with yarn. It becomes strangely addictive that yarn.

I know I talked up my advent calendar the other day--which I have to dig out of the basement this weekend--but I rediscovered Sarah's very simple and infinitely adaptable blank advent calendar she so posted a few years ago. I think I may make a photo version for the grandmas.  Not that I don't have a thousand other things to do! I'm working on some handmade ornament tutorials and patterns for next week. There will be 4 for sure and maybe if I kick this cold 5! So stay tuned and have a happy thanksgiving!

Since I crocheted over a stone a while back I've been working on little crochet projects here and there.  It's nice to have a little project to work on for no other reason than it's enjoyable to do. Crochet can be so odd and sculptural, like this potholder: it looked like some leggy sea creature when I was working on it and then with the last row it suddenly came together and became a beautiful flower with folded petals.  (Here is the ravelry link if your interested in the specs)

I'm not sure if these projects will be gifts or not, but the baby seems to think we're keeping this one. Crochet can get very crazy, very quickly and this very apparent with potholders for some reason, but these bears are restrained enough to be just the right amount of cute.

Though I failed horriblly at facebook, I'm kind of enjoying twitter. If you would like to listen to me blather on about nothing at all there, I am elsiemarleyblog. Hey, have a good weekend!

We are going to the lake next week to swim and sit on the beach and do lots and lots of nothing.  I saw some beautiful linen towels online and thought I could pick up a couple yards of linen and make my own to take with us. I wanted to get 100% linen, but this striped rayon/linen blend was too awesome to pass up. I got 2 1/4 yards, left the salvages as is and hemmed the raw edges, then using this helpful tutorial (by the fabulous cal patch) I crocheted right into the fabric.

The edging pattern comes from the book Crocheting on the Edge* by Nicky Epstein, which has tons of edging patterns (duh) all given in both charted and written directions, which for me is super helpful.

*I have joined the amazon associates program, so if you follow this link and then buy the book you will also be putting a few pennies in the elsie marley cup. I've wanted to do this for a while, but been quite hesitant to because I don't want to get all advertise-y on your ass.  But I'm not going to link to any random thing--wow, that be annoying.  I have books that I genuinely love and want to tell you about and, all told, the profits I'll make will probably be enough to buy a cup of coffee.  So if you'd like to buy me a cup of coffee :) you can go over to my amazon book store and check it out!

Back to the project: I obviously haven't finished the pattern yet--I have to put the fringes on, do the other side of the blanket and block it. It is a little more shabby chic then I would have liked, but next time I'll just make the edging a little simpler.  The "yarn" I used cotton twine and I freakin love it: it's smooth, just the right thickness (I'd say worsted weight size, but I could be talking out by ass here) and cheap as all get out.  I have already started another--bigger--project with it. And with any luck it will be full of sand and finished by the time we get back.

I crocheted this sweet little stone for a friend's birthday this weekend.  Margie Oomen makes beautiful covered stones and kindly wrote up a pattern for this one: little urchin crochet covered sea stone.  It was my first time using crochet thread and it was a little difficult, but very satisfying--I see many doilies in my future. This was a great first project because it doesn't have to be perfect and in fact it looks better when it's not.

(I think I might even like the back better than the front) The rock came from schoolhouse beach on Washington Island in Wisconsin: a beautiful beach covered in stones, that we found out later you aren't supposed to remove from the beach. oops.