Baby Zebra Hat for a Rockin' Friend & Her Sweet Little One.

You know when you meet someone for the first time but feel like you've been friends for years? With joy, you're so excited when you cross paths with someone who gets you so well, and is so fun to be around. Someone in the last year has been that person for me. She's wonderful, and although we haven't been able to spend tons of time together, she always makes me feel at ease and really see the humor in everything. Light of heart with lots of wit, I felt compelled to make something for her that was equal to her uniqueness when I found out she was having a baby.  

I created this little infant zebra hat using a few variations of crochet stitches and alternating super soft acrylic blend black and white yarn.  Normally,  I'm a huge fan of using natural fibers especially when projects are created for infants. But I've made a few hats in the past for my boys with these yarns and they were not only the softest, but the boys didn't have any skin reactions, even though both had major skin sensitivities when they were little. The yarn has enough give to allow stretch over a smaller cotton cap too.

My creative process is very free and fluid. I just create as I go- no patterns, and I don't record what I do. It's a form of meditation for me, and as I create, I allow my mind to focus happy, peaceful thoughts on those who will be receiving the project.  And there is usually lots of moments of joy and humor, like the instant I realized I had finished creating the mane in a way that would go seamless into my design and convey that adorable "rebel" vibe I was wanting.

For those interested in finding a pattern that is similar to this, there is one by Etsy shop, Emie Grace Creations, owned by Miriah Gilbert of Washington. She has lots of entertaining animal hat patterns, with great pictures of her designs.

A Polite Hat for a Polite Mind.

Grief. Not something you may want to encounter, but just like love, it’s an emotion we all experience at some point. At 98 years old, my Great Grama was a pillar of joy and strength. She inspired me from an early age through her love for color, costume jewelry and even jewel-encrusted sandals. But what she passed down to me was a deep reverence for faith and humanity. Her firm, yet polite ways of reminding my sister and I to be nice when we were kicking each other under the table during lunch as children were (although probably a huge reason I tend to err on the side of being overly polite), such a clear message to me about how interconnected we all are. We all deserve respect. We all have something unique to offer.  So in my grief over my Great Grama’s exit from this physical world, I found myself honoring her through my craft, creating a soft wool hat that I know she would have politely said, “Well done, Angela. I love it.”

My Great Grama & Grampa Leuppie.

Rosy Ring Around My Neck

Not to be confused with the nursery rhyme, "Ring a Ring o' Roses" or "Ring Around the Rosie" by Kate Greenaway from the 1790's, this necklace was created to beautify my wardrobe and not ward off black plague as some historians may attest.

In need of something pretty for a fantastic dinner engagement with some new friends, I pulled a heap of yarn scraps together and was inspired by the warm rainbow of bark, burgundy, red, orange and coral colors. At first attempt, this necklace started out shorter, but as I worked on it, I came to see the folly of having a scalloped petal collar around my neck. 

A clown, was not the impression I wanted to portray (although, my goofiness still shined through out the night as I challenged a new pal to a "Running Man Off". Yes, there is video evidence, and no, you may not see it.). So, I lengthened it by adding a burgundy single stitch chain that weaved through the top of each petal. The fringe, was a fun afterthought, as I liked the idea of incorporating more of the rose bud colors into it.

The yarns I used were Michael's Loops & Threads Charisma 100% acrylic yarn in Mountain Majesty and a super soft acrylic/wool blend from Bernat Roving Collection in the color bark.  
 

Who Says a Kid Can't Safely Rock a Scarf?

Inspired by repeated requests from my son, Dimitri, to dress like his Daddy, I dedicated a few hours this  week to crochet a safe scarf he could wear that matched his new favorite beanie. A major fan of Yo Gabba Gabba, I had special ordered Dimitri a Muno beanie (& Solbug a Brobee beanie) from an awesome Etsy shop in Indiana back in the fall. With winter in full stream right now, it became apparent how uncomfortable a traditional scarf was for our little boys as they found it more fun to drag on the ground in puddles rather than try to wrap it around their little necks.

Using some acrylic black yarn with vibrant all cotton red yarn, I created this simple cowl neck scarf using single crochet stitches and a larger crochet hook.  The scarf took less than an hour, and Dimitri was happily parading around the house wearing it over his pajamas. His excited smile & repeated "thank you Mama" comments through out the rest of the day has been a reminder to me of the simple joys and comforts we all need and deserve to enjoy the winter time. Now, when Dimitri goes to play outside, he's happy to be warmer, I'm happy to see him unhindered in his outdoor adventures and also grateful that it's one less thing poor Dominic has to wash. ;)

Cold Nose but Cozy Toes!

The weather is cold, crisp & clear here in the Northwest and I have been in need of replacing my worn out slippers. As I warmed up with my favorite morning brew, Velvet Oolong, a Taiwanese milk oolong we sell at our shop, I thought about the lovely shade of soft grass green suede with lavender leather bow ties. They were a Christmas present that treated my feet well for almost 3 years, but the time had come to branch out into trying to make my own.

Using Michael's Loops & Threads Charisma 100% acrylic yarn in Electric Blue and Lion Brand Homespun acrylic blend yarn in Lagoon, I decided to crochet myself some slippers. They have three ankle straps with wood burned Iris flowers and a reinforced double yarn sole layer.  I didn't follow a pattern, but choose instead to let my imagination guide my stitches. Using mostly single crochet stitches with a variation of longer stitches for the toe sunburst designs, I came up with a style that was both unique and yet simple enough to finish in an afternoon.

My creative & inspired 3 year old son, Dimitri, took these photographs for me.

These slippers definitely suit every need I have for warmth, comfort & breathe-ability while having some rich colored Angelbaby flare to them. Now my little boys each want some new slippers... looks like a few new inspiring projects just got added into the mix!