Angels, Angels

 I think these angels make wonderful present decorations! I have enough for presents now, so of course, I had to get a great idea for another project! An angel door wreath! It's still in the planning stage. I have to get busy making angels for it and I still don't know how many my girls will want...... I'll post pictures when there's something to show.

I've been busy with this runner, also. I can't stand to waste time waiting for an appointment, so I always take some crocheting. White thread projects stay home where it's clean. Colored thread projects travel. The other evening, while I was visiting my daughter, my son called her. She told him, "Mom's here, crocheting." His answer? "Of course she is." Apparently, their childhood memories of me are that if I sat down, I was crocheting. I suppose that's better than some other things I could have been doing......

So, this is where I am on the runner now. 2 strips to go! I doubt my projects will be ready when I start Christmas decorating the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but I will have them out before I pack my decorations after Christmas.

Future Heirlooms

The white strip is nearly ready to fasten on. I have the second green strip started and I need another red strip and another white strip. Why does it seem to take me so long to finish a project? Partly because crocheting is time consuming, those stitches ARE small! Also partly because I'm a perfectionist. When I see a mistake, I will unravel back to it. When I spend so much time on a project, I want it to be perfect!!
I do hope my projects will be used and enjoyed for many years. I think of them as future heirlooms for my children and grandchildren.

 Let's look at how well some of my projects have aged. This afghan is 4 years old. I guess it doesn't get much wear on the back of the couch, although, I do pull it down if I get cold while reading or crocheting.

 This is one of my "month" doilies. The oldest of the set is 7 years old. This one is 2 years old. I finally started the 12th (and last) one this year.

 This afghan is 10 years old. Again, it doesn't get much wear on the back of the couch.

 Doily, 10 years. It usually sits under a lamp.

 Mom doesn't always have this out, but she's had it for 6 years.

 My daughter wore this frequently for several years. I'm saving it for a granddaughter-if I ever get one!

 Afghan, 1 year. It's warm.

 9 years. It went to my older daughter's apartment, where it perfectly matched the green paint in the living. Her landlady asked if the doily would stay. Well, no! I like it under a vase of flowers.

 Rug 20 years. When it's dirty, it goes in the washer. I expect lots more wear from it.

 15 years.

 15 years.

 11 years. Gold doily.

 8 years.

 5 years.

 3 years.

25 years.

 18 years.

My Grandma made this, Mom thinks in the late 1940's or early 1950's, so it's at least 60 years old.
Crocheted items will last a good many years, so I think the hours are well spent. (Plus, I enjoy it!)

Christmas Project Progress

I have a few angels made. Not nearly enough, though. I'll probably still be making these angels on Christmas Eve!

 The angel on the left has been stiffened, ready to use. It looks finished, polished, even. Proof, if you needed it, that these last finishing touches add so much to crocheted projects.

I'll blame my daughter for my slow progress. She asked me to make another grocery bag for her. I told her it's easy, just single crochet. "But I'm so busy!" Oh, well, there go any spare moments I had!

Working on Christmas Projects

It's not time to decorate for Christmas, yet. But, I need quite a few of these flat pineapple angels to tie onto presents, so I need to get started on them.
I found this pattern at priscillascrochet.net
She has lots of free patterns. This is the only one of hers that I've tried. It's easy. In fact, the hardest part was finding the rings for the head. On her web site, scroll down to the free patterns. It's called "flat pineapple angel ".

 I felt that I had looked all over town before I found the rings at Hobby Lobby. I bought all 4 bags they had out. I'm not going to run out for a while!

Then, I still have to finish my pineapple runner.
Unless I find something else I want to make for Christmas, THEN I can go back to working on all my unfinished projects!

Using Sea Shells

 I've used a variety of items for pull tabs on coin purses. The blue one has a plastic ring I found at Goodwill. The red, green, and white one has a "diamond" ring  favor from an engagement party. The orange one has the tab from a Coke can.

 While visiting my brother and his wife on the coast, we took a walk on the beach. I found these lovely shells. My brother said a predator "drilled" the holes through the shells to eat the creature inside. I'm not sure of the details.
I gathered some, thinking they'd make a lovely wind chime, which I never got around to making.

 So, if I wanted to crochet with these shells, I quickly saw that my usual 00 hook was too big to pull a thread through the hole.

 A size 13 hook was just right.

 Won't it make a cute pull tab for a coin purse?

 It turns into quite a process.

 Then I see that this small hole will only hold 3 single crochets, not enough for each chain to fasten to the shell. By fastening each chain to one of the 3 sc stitches, it works.

This was purely an experiment, to see if shells could be worked into a project as more than simply decoration. I'd say it was successful.
There are many natural (and not so natural) items which can be successfully worked into your projects. You just have to be looking creatively. Celebrate your uniqueness by using something in an unusual way!

Thread/yarn thickness and hooks

 Thread comes in several weights. I have samples here of 5, 10, and 30. I usually use size 10 and a 00 hook. Usually, patterns call for a size 5 or 6 hook. I crochet so tightly that I have to use a bigger hook. When I make a gauge swatch, I find that I have to use a hook 1 to 4 sizes larger than the pattern calls for because I crochet so tightly.

 Compare hook sizes: 00, 9 and 13.

 Embroidery floss is just a bit thicker than 10 weight thread, and a bit thinner than 5 weight thread. A size 00 hook worked just fine.

 I've never used 30 weight thread. All that I have is left over from my grandmother. She used it to make flowers and edgings for handkerchiefs.

 I've bought size 5 by mistake. It makes lovely ornaments. It takes glue well to be very stiff when finished.

 Sport weight yarn for lighter weight sweaters and baby items. I use g or h hooks.

 Worsted weight yarn, I, j, or k hooks, only because I crochet so tightly.

Plarn. G or h hook. You might need a size or 2 smaller.
You'll know what size to use after making a few gauge swatches.

More thoughts on craft fairs

Another big problem I have with craft fairs is that I spend so much time before making items that I hope will sell.

 I thought I had a nice selection.

 I finished this angel. It looked so pretty standing there...until a kid picked it up and bent the skirt until it was no longer stiff.

 I already had a nice selection of ear warmers/headbands, in several school colors.

And then the miscellaneous Christmas ornaments.

 But then, I made several more coin purses and another key caddy. Oh, well, they'll make nice gifts.

 Even with the items I made for the craft fair, I did manage to finish my grey grocery bag.

I still have all those unfinished projects: a salmon pink doily...a yellow handbag...a plarn handbag of hobby lobby bags...a green granny square afghan...a denim rag rug...a Christmas pineapple runner...a star afghan...a round ripple baby blanket....
I guess that will keep me busy this winter!