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.