widgets May 24, 2013

Love this widget  on the left with the cat
http://sachsenrose.blogspot.nl/2011/10/verschiedenes-gewerkelt.html

 studying widgets now. bear with me.... see bottom of blog for the Suzy cat.. so cute
UPDATE: she removed the cat that was so cute but her blog is sweet.

Micro Knooking May 3rd, 2013

I became interested in Knooking (knitting with a crochet hook and a satin cord) because I needed  to be able to knit and couldn't teach myself. Knooking offered a way for me to call it knit. But I have small 4 to 6 inch dolls and Hittys, so the ones they were offering in Walmart or JoAnns were way too large... I needed one for fingerling yarn or string even. 
So I thought up this:

I had my dh go to the shop cause i knew he would never let me use his tools *wink, one way to get him involved...* and flatten one end with a vice of a size 10 metal crochet hook and the same for a size 7.
This is what he came back with... wow wonderful! So I also had him make one of those metal caps that go on the ends of a Crochet hook. This is so I can change the size of my knook hook.
this is the photo of what he made

This works for what I needed. add a smaller diameter satin cord or something that not only fits thru the hole but also when you transfer the work in progress loops over the string double.
I experiment with all kinds of loop cord or thread and right now some lacing.

So i will give you a pattern for my SHAWL for Hitty...

Start with a LOOSE crochet chain of 40. 
turn and first row. I want you to pull a loose loop through each chain and leave on the base of the hook like this below:

 then gently pull onto your cord.

* Turn and 1 set of 2 loops, condense and make one loop and then make a loop for each one until the end and take the last two loops and make one. 

Pull out the cord from 1st row and put the new loops onto the cord.
turn and repeat to *
It will decrease as you go.
When you get down to the last three loops on hook so a Single crochet.

I like to make a hdc around the whole project. with my regular cro hook seen below in photo in which i found on YOU Tube instructions to make those fimo handles to relieve some of the death grip one gets during too much crocheting and causes of hurtful hands after time.
Below are some of the projects i have made  doing the crochet Knook method and a combo of each. Anywhere where it straight, like the skirt of the dress or pinny, I use the knooking hook.

March 8th, 2013, Make your own Mini Bear Rug

I used to make crocheted and fabric minibears under the name of Meribears. And also I not only made them but i designed the patterns also. Then came  along a person who said that this was their pattern, even though she came on the scene 8 years after me and the pattern i created was the first one I had ever made. I would like to share some of the minibears i have made with my own patterns. and then below is the pattern for a bear rug for a dollhouse or just for fun for you to enjoy.

The Easy Bear Rug (for beginner bear makers)

Easy Bear Rug Body by Marylou of Meribears©

Use a size 10 crochet thread..with a size 11 or 12 hook...

Use white for Polar bears

brown for brown bears..

black for black bears

reddish brown for Grizzly bears..

***And** you don’t have to use thread..you can use yarn (The larger sized yarn or thread

the larger the rug will be and visa versa).. just make sure

When you size your hook there arent many gaps in the rug body itself..

If there are ..you need to downsize your hook and make your stitches tighter.

* ALSO* I have the rug in picture turned different than in the previous picture to show you

you can do it either way.. Put the head and tail on the long sides to make the rug stretch

out or put the head and tail between the two sets of legs..So its legs stretch out in front of

him. Either way is good..

ch - chain sc - single crochet

st - sttitch hdc - half double crochet

sl st - slip stitch dc - double crochet

sk st - skip stitch tog - take two stitches dec to one

dec - decrease. Make sure you see all the photos at the bottom of instructions, please

ch 29, do not twist the chain.

row 1 - in 3rd chain from hook start hdc.. counting the two start ch as one hdc.

hdc each st in the ch.. ch 2, turn over (27st)

row 2 - hdc across, ch 2 and turn over(27)

row 3 - hdc across, ch 2 and turn over (27)

row 4 - sl st 7 st, sl st in nx st and ch 2 (counts as one hdc), hdc 12, ch 2, turn over. This

makes the middle of the body. (13 st)

row 5 - 13 hdc, ch 2 turn turn over (13 st)

row 6 - 13 hdc, ch 9 turn over (13 hdc,9 ch)

row 7 - keeping ch straight, hdc in 3rd ch from hook (counts as one hdc, 6 hdc, 11 hdc, ch

9 turn over (18 st, ch9)

row 8 - hdc in 3rd ch fm hook(counts as one hdc), 6 hdc, then continue down the body part

and do 11 hdc, and over to the other leg continue and make 6 hdc , ch 2 turn. (24 st)

row 9 - hdc across, ch 2 and turn over ( 23 st)

row 10 - hdc, ch 2 and turn over

row 11 - 1st 2 hdc tog, 6 hdc, last 2 hdc tog, ch 1 turn (8 st)

DO NOT tie off.

OUTLINE

You want to give your rug a finished look.. so we are going to outline it.

First fold back legs to find a center and mark it with a small piece of different colored

thread for later.

*now go back to your hook and place a sc all around the exterior of the rug..when you

come to a corner.. 3 sc around each corner..

* * Tail.. when you come to that piece of string.. in one st, sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, sc and go on

with your outline.

This should be noted as the top of the bear body.

Now you have finished your body rug.. lets do the head.

Head of the bear for the bear rug

Leave a tail in string for pulling through and use for counting rows.

Row 1 - ch 2, in 2nd chain from the hook, 8 sc, continuous rounds.. (8st)

row 2 - 2 sc each st (16 st)

Row 3 & 4 - sc each st (16 st)

Row 5 - 4 sc, 2 sc each st x 8, 4 sc (24 st)

Row 6 - 8 sc, 2 sc each st x 8, 8 sc (32 st)

Row 7 & 8 - sc each st around

Row 9 - 10 sc, 2 sc tog, 6 sc, 2 sc tog, 11 sc (29 St)

Row 10 & 11 & 12 - sc each st around

Stuff partially

Row 13& 14 - Start decreasing.. * 2 sc tog, 1 sc* repeat from *

Row 15 - sl st every other st to close..tie off

Ears:

ch 2 - in 2nd st from hook; 2 sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, 2hdc, 2sc, ch 1 and turn

row 2 - sc in back loop only to end .. tie off leaving a string tail of 12" for sewing onto bear.

Attach the ears to head.. make sure they are straight.

sew on two black beads for eye.. Placement of eyes.. use 2 ball headed pins.. replace with

beads..

nose: use a straight stitch from: . _______ .

and then go around it: clockwise till full and give it a line in center down to a mouth..you

can add a small upside down " Y " or leave it straight.

Attach the head to body...place head on the top of the bear body.

Congratulations..you have made your bear rug...

You may use this pattern to make as many as you like.. and yes you can sell them.

But no part of this pattern MeriluOriginals© may be sold as it is copyrighted..by

Meribears™

March 2005

NOTE* Because a friend made a mistake and turned the body so its

outstretched arms were in front of the body instead of on the side..We decided this was

good too ./.. simply put the tail inbetween the two back legs like the directions state.. only

turn the body..* I liked this way so much better its how I make them nowadays.

Either way is great..ML

Please make as many as you want, sell them, trade them or give them away, just dont sell

my pattern.

February 27 2013

I didnt do much of anything yesterday because my son came to visit and we went to every thrift store in town ...
So last night i got a head start on crafts for today.. this is as far as i got.. more shrunken goodies from recyclable clear plastic containers and 3 Hitty collars made, adding buttons now. Then will poke holes  for necklaces in the shrunken tiny pendants..  These are sitting on top of one of these containers on its top and you can see thru to the bottom and see the larger seahorse. I took it and made another 2 from it to the size of tinier on top of the container.

February 25, 2013, fun fun fun

Im still having fun with this shrunken recycled plastic..
this is my treasure making for the day...
I've researched out what others do with Aileen's shrink-it and this stuff, some are pretty. Some have no imagination of what you really can do with this stuff. I'm like floored.
so in this next pix, I drew out the seahorse, but if you can't draw, use a picture. You know you could even trace a child's pix from under. Watch copyright laws but if you wanted to trace a pix from a special book or photo or picture published, (I like children's books) Its ok as long as you do not sell this or sell as your own..  Look up copyright laws. What I like to do is poke a hole with a red hot pin and add a chain loop and put it on a chain and wear it.. or a pin back glued on.. or charms on a charm bracelet.
That's why I draw my own, so no-one can say i stole it... 
So make things of for yourself... you can never have too many things you made yourself for yourself and the pride of doing it.
The others the dragonfly and butterfly were made from my Sizzix punches pictured so you can see the size of these tiny things that are fingertip tiny. There is about a 65 to 75% shrinkage from my recycled plastic containers. 

February 24th, 2013, Shrunken Hitty Heads

I've been playing with this clear recyclable plastic containers and shrinking it for other uses. So much fun. Yesterday I was making Shrunken Hitty heads. thought i would poke a hole in the top of the head where i have these small circles and add a chain loop for necklaces. Then I got the idea to try and make cameos . the first ones I added the head to a circle or mis-shapened square punch i had, and i painted them with pearl nail polish and the head stuck up too much, but it melted into one form alright, but the polish  turned yellowish in the oven. hmmm so next time i got the brilliant idea to paint the back of the so called cameo and put the silhouette on the front.. hmmm lets see what i can do with this? I will show the finished item later. the finished cameo came out to 3/8 of an inch after the plastic shrunk it. Tiny heh?