Booties

Here are some new booties I made from weaving thread. They turned out nice and soft--not what I would have expected from weaving thread. I was looking for a cheaper alternative to standard crochet thread. I don't think I would use this again for crocheting because the thread did want to separate, rather than stay wound . It was nice, however, to have a variety of colors to choose from! The thread came from http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/knit/mcotton.htm I would recommend this company for it's quality & service.

Daisy Yellow Baby Dress

This baby dress is made with yellow & green red heart lustersheen yarn. The yoke is pretty much a circle, folded in half. The pattern stitches are shells made by 3 dc with one chain between. A really quick project once you get started.

Baby Booties

Well, I was stuck at home for a couple of weeks after my tonsillectomy. (Not a fun thing at 43!) I didn't want a big project to do, but I found out a my son grew up with is having a baby boy! Now you would think having 4 boys of my own I would groan at the thought of making something blue. No sir, it brought back a whirlwind of pleasant memories that I hope she will have too! I didn't want something big, just a little something to get my mind off myself while I recovered. A few weeks earlier I found a copy of the only crochet book I owned when I first learned to crochet. I remember trying the patterns, but most of them wouldn't come out right. It was nice to see I have learned something in all these years. I have to be honest and say that I was reminded why I gave up making booties so many years ago ~~I have a devil of a time getting two the same size! Here they are, with the booklet the pattern came from. Gee, I don't remember it costing 35 cents! I guess that was before the inflation of the Nixon years??

(yarn: Red Heart ersheen)

Christening Dress

I finally found the thread, & finished my first Christening dress! It was easier than I thought it would be. I used Aunt Lydia's #3 thread. My goal was to make something worthy of entering the NC State Fair in October. I would love some feedback on whether this is good enough or any tips from someone who has entered a fair before. The bonnet has flowers on each side like the ruffle on the bottom of the dress. I will take some better pictures of the dress off the doll so you can see the dress better. I am wondering about the off white thread. Do Christening dresses come in off white? Or should I make another one in white thread? Thanks to all who respond!

Johnny Cash Blanket

Well, my oldest son left for Marine Boot Camp on Mother's Day (sigh). He plans on being in the reserves until he graduates college. A while back he drew this picture of Johnny Cash. We all liked it so much that I had it framed. Recently, I saw some crochet portrait afghans that other people had made so I thought I'd give it a try with this picture. I uploaded the drawing on knitpro:
http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/
This site will make any picture into a graph then you can cross stitch, needle point, crochet---whatever! The blanket is not perfect--but it was my first attempt, and more importantly, kept me busy the first 2 weeks he was gone.

Vintage Baby Sweater

Lately I have been hard at work on a Christening Dress which I hope to enter in the State Fair if it is good enough. It is taking much more thread than I anticipated & all the stores around here are sold OUT! So...I had to take a break. I bought several vintage crochet books off ebay & figured I would try one of the easier patterns to take up some scrap yarn. Here is the book and original pattern photo, along with my version:

Vintage Pattern Dress & Bonnet

Mom just celebrated her 82nd birthday! For part of her present, I crocheted a vintage-looking dress & bonnet for one of her old dolls. I was hoping to bring back memories. My mom was raised in a large family during the depression & didn't get her first doll until she was 16! This is what lead her to be such a doll collector in her later years. She said it did remind her of the old days, which is what I was going for. The stitch pattern I borrowed from a 1940's pattern for a baby sweater (free on the internet). I have searched & searched to find the link, but it is now gone. The thread came from Camilla Valley Farm in Canada. It is mercerized cotton, probably meant for weaving, but was much more cost effective than what I was using. Here is the link: http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/knit/mcotton.htm I used the 4/8 thickness. BTW: Yes, she desperately needs a slip--Do babies not wear them anymore?? I raised boys, but I do know my modest mother made us wear slips! I couldn't find one for this dress in time for Mama's birthday.
ADD NOTE: Here is the link for the bonnet, booties & sweater for the dress:
http://www.freevintagecrochet.com/baby/no101-baby-set-pattern.html
This is a FREE pattern from 1950. I altered it to make the dress & bonnet you see here. The pattern is very easy to follow (not all vintage patterns are) & fairly quick to make. 4/29/08