Simple Crochet Statement Necklaces

I am excited to share these necklace patterns, but also my trick for changing out the chain. I love the past necklace I made, but I thought it would be a little tedious making a new chain for each one. So, why not make these projects interchangeable?

First up, the statement pieces. I first saw this one on AllFreeJewelryMaking.com. I love this site. Hoping to get my pieces featured there soon.  This pattern was created by The Little Treasures. She used flat wooden rings for the loops. I had some really inexpensive plastic rings 3/8" and 3/4". I think they might have been stitch markers, but I can't remember.

As in the pattern, I simply single crocheted around each ring with embroidery floss and slip stitched to finish, weaving in the ends. Here, I used lavender, purple, and beige. After laying out the rings to create the design, I sewed them together on the back, being sure the thread did not show through. Then, I sewed hooks from hook & eye closures found in the sewing department, to the ends of the crocheted piece where I wanted the necklace to attach. I should have sewed them a little further in on the back to help hide them, but hopefully you can do better.

The second piece is simply 3 double stitch crochet chains braided together. I began with #8 crochet thread. Chain 52. Do not turn. Instead, double crochet into the loop on the underside of the chain, beginning with the second loop from the hook. This allows both the top and bottom of the finished chain to look the same. Weave in the ends. Once all three chains are finished, tie the beginning end of all three together with the crochet thread.

Gently braid the chains keeping them all flat instead of folding them over each other as you braid. I used a crochet hook held between my knees to keep it stable while I braided. Tie the finished ends together as the beginning and weave in the ends. You will want to pull gently on the braided chains on one side to make the piece curve. If not, it will not lay flat against the neck. Sew a hook (as before) to the back of each end and hook to the necklace chain.

For the chain, I created a necklace using Vintaj chain and clasp from Hobby Lobby. Then added large jump rings to the end. You could also use a chain from a necklace you don't wear. Find the center and remove a link. Add jump rings, and voila!

These are so simple. I hope you enjoy wearing them. If you make them, share pictures with us. I would love to see your color combinations.

Cowl Crazy

I'm ready to "wrap up" winter with a couple of final crochet patterns for wearables. Today, it is with 3 cowl patterns. The past couple of winters I have fallen in love with several cowl patterns I found through Pinterest. I have made three of them, and hope to make more. 

The first two patterns are available for free, but I'm warning you, I nearly always have to tweak patterns a bit. Maybe it's because I sometimes use yarn I have on hand and it doesn't match the type used in the pattern. Also, sometimes, my gauge is different or I want it to fit differently. That's one more thing I enjoy about crochet. I have control over how it turns out.

First up, this crochet cowl with infinity loop from JJCrochet's Blog features the Herringbone Half Double Crochet stitch which was fun to learn. I love the look of it. I made one for me and one for my daughter. I chose to make them a little shorter than the pattern, using a beginning chain of 75 for mine (which I made in a round instead of sewing the ends together, but then the herringbone stitch did not turn out right - not recommended). The original pattern has nice pictures of what it should look like.

Next, I made this pullover cowl from Night and Day. This isn't the original site I pinned the pattern from, and I can't seem to navigate it to find out any background. Hope it links for you. What I like about this one is the gentle way it lays in the front. And it's soooo warm! Again, I changed it a bit because I chose a chunky yarn (I Love This Yarn, and an I hook). I tried making it with 2 strands, but it was way too bulky. So I made the following adjustments:

Begin with a chain 62. Follow pattern for rounds 1 through 3. For round 4, chain 3, *double crochet in next 2 stitches and dc2tog in next stitch*, repeat between *s around to end. For row 9, repeat the directions from row 4 except you skip 3 stitches between the decrease stitches. For row 14, repeat the directions from row 4 except you skip 4 stitches between the decrease stitches. Complete the last rows as written.

This is a good time to mention choosing colors. I love the yarn color I used (no pun intended, hehe), on its own. But, it is a little harder to coordinate it with my wardrobe. I can only pair it with my simple black long sleeved T or white. If you want to match an outfit, please take it with you to choose your yarn. Or at least, have an idea of what you would wear it with before choosing a color. I am bad about picking a yarn based on what I love in the store, and I don't think about what I would wear it with. Not smart.

I haven't gotten to wear this final cowl, yet. I finished it up a little late in the season for Oklahoma. But, I might this week, as we have another cold spell on us right now. This one I improvised a bit. I repinned a picture of this before checking it out. The link goes straight to an Etsy site selling not the pattern, but the scarf. And, I found out it was knit, not crochet. Bummer. But I think I came up with something close. I used I Love This Yarn with an I hook.

Begin with a chain of 99. Follow with a foundation chain - my version is to NOT turn, but instead to crochet the next row into the single bars underneath the beginning chain. 

Start this row in the 3rd chain from the hook. Double crochet in each chain across.

For the next and all following rows, chain 3, double crochet in back bar on the top of the previous row of double crochet.

This pic shows to yo for the double crochet, and slip the hook in the back bar of the stitch.

 This pic shows the yarn from the next yo pulled through back bar.

In the 10th row of double crochet, skip the 7th stitch, single crochet, then continue double crochets as before in the 8th stitch and across.

Complete 2 more rows of double crochet (total of 12 rows).

Wrap the cowl around your neck to measure where to place the button. Sew on button, and enjoy!

Let me know if you decide to make any of these. And be sure to let the original designers know, too. They would love to hear from you!

How Refreshing!!!

Took a few minutes today to update the layout of the blog.

• Refreshed the color scheme, trying out the "Pantone Color of the Year" - or my version of it.
• You can easily recommend Created in AWE with a g+ button.
• Added buttons to follow me on Pinterest and Facebook.
• Placed links on the sidebar to my most popular posts.
• And finally, put my lables/tags on the sidebar.

Hoping this helps you navigate with more options and help spread the word about this little blog.

What do you think?

My 1st Attempt at Washi Tape

Not so great. That's my first impression of washi tape, but it might just be me - or the fact that it's designed to stick best to paper, not wood :/   I have seen A LOT of washi tape projects recently, and I really liked a project I recently pinned, a Washi Tape Wall Art project from Living Locurto.  Using large wooden letters (I found some I liked at Hobby Lobby for about $3.50 - before coupon) they created a diagonal stripe design with 3 different washi tapes. I know you will say I'm stingy (I prefer frugal), but I didn't want to buy 3 rolls of tape. I found some 2-packs at Michaels (I think it was $3 for the pack), and thought I'd add a narrow ribbon for a bit of texture and contrast.

As they did, I began placing the tape pieces on the letter, but left a narrow space between each for the ribbon. First problem; The tape did not stick well at the ends, as it wrapped around the sides and back. I hoped finishing with mod podge would fix that, but the ends were finicky and needed a lot of coaxing.  I also planned to use the mod podge as a way to hold the ribbon onto the letter between the tape strips. My next problem; The mod podge puddled on the washi tape. Grrrr. I made sure to allow it to dry after placing the ribbon, then do a second coat in the opposite direction hoping to disguise and obvious puddles. That did look a bit better.

Now for problem number 3, which is my own fault. The ribbon, being so narrow, was a little too stiff to be held down in the back solely with mod podge. So, I needed to secure it with tape while the mod podge set up - all the way around . . . including around the inside holes! Way too tedious! I do not recommend using this type of ribbon.

These only show the finished back. But, imagine trying to tape all of those ribbon ends while the acted like they had wires in them that made them keep popping up!

I do like the finished piece, but take these recommendations to heart: Instead of mod podge, use something like a tacky glue on the ends as they wrap around the letter, it should give you better hold. Also, do not use a narrow ribbon, possibly a wider ribbon or just the tape.

So, let us know if you have tried washi tape - and what is your favorite way to use it? And, if you tried this project, how did it work for you? Hopefully better than for me :)

Valentine Mantle

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I wish this could have been finished a week ago, but alas Mommyhood prevails. So, I get to unveil this on the Sweetest day of the year! I wish you all love, peace, and happiness!

The wreath was my biggest challenge. I learned Tunisian Crochet just for this project. Mainly, because I was going for a look based on a wreath by Crafts 'n Coffee. I loved the use of the dark dark red (and now I'm wondering if I went a little too dark :/) and the look of the repurposed sweater. Knowing I couldn't recreate the sweater, I thought I'd try Tunisian crochet to have a close-to-knit-look.

I found a great YouTube video by Naztazia. I made a piece approximately 7 inches wide, with a beginning chain of 23 stitches. Somewhere along the way, I dropped 2 stitches, backed up to find one, but By the end, I only had 22. Not bad for my first attempt.

Since it needed to wrap the full circumference of a 12 inch wreath form, and wanted it to stretch a bit to avoid ripples, I made the piece about 34 inches long. I whip stitched the ends together, then stretched it around the wreath. Then I whip stitched the length of the piece on the backside of the wreath. I am thinking about removing the finished crochet piece to reuse the wreath. Then, next year, I can simply stitch it back on.

The hearts were all made from a pattern from Sarahndipities. The one thing I altered in the pattern, is; I started with a magic circle, see this YouTube video, instead of the chain 4, and crocheted all of the first round stitches in the circle. For the wreath, I made one full heart, one heart of only rounds 1 and 2, and one heart of only round 1. I made each in a sport weight white (G hook), and a bulky dark grey (I hook). I layered the matching sizes of two colors and stitched them together, then to the wreath. I finished it off with a chain in the dark gray yarn with a heart pendant and "crystal" gem in the center stitch, attached to the back of the wreath, so the charms hang in the center of the wreath.

The garland was the full heart pattern. I didn't want a bulky chain stretching across, so I simple wove them onto the yarn. They turned out so sweet!

The flowers in the cute little silver bud vase were clearance from Michaels. Talk about sweet - or should I say sweet deal!

I LOVE IT!

Please, let me know what you think. Did you make any decorations for Valentines Day this year? Share with us.

This post has been linked up with: 52 Mantles

A Touch of Vintage Mantle

I'm so excited to share this project with you. I've been working for 3 weeks on this mantle. I have to say for the past 18 years, I haven't had a mantle worth showing anyone. Oh, some Christmas mantles have turned out nice, but I just haven't been inspired to give it a true style. Well that began to change a few moths ago when hubby indulged me with a trip downtown to the antique stores. His patience was amazing, for when I go antiquing, I have to look at EVERYTHING, and SLOWLY!

On that trip, I fell in love with a pair of old paned windows. But, I held back. The budget didn't allow for a purchase like this, I mean they were $40 a piece. So, I was good, and waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. I wouldn't even allow myself in the stores. It nearly killed me.

Then a few weeks ago, I was given some of the most lovely birthday gifts. They were all lovely, and a few allowed me to once again enter these beautiful shops. I was in heaven! I shopped and shopped. Driving to my own downtown area, and a nearby antique hot spot in Jenks. I first found the perfect windows, at the perfect prices! I got all three of these beauties for less than the cost of one of the windows I found back in October. Booyah!

Then I determined the look I wanted and hunted for little treasures to finish it off. Hope you like it. Now that it's done, I'm excited to change it up for different holidays and seasons. I already have Valentines Day planned.

But, let me give you a rundown on what I got and what I made.

The windows came from River City Trading Post in Jenks, America (actually Oklahoma, but we all say Jenks, America). It's a quaint little suburb of Tulsa full of adorable antique stores. This one is more of an antique mall. It's amazing! The lace curtain was mine, so happy I kept it after all these years. I just used thumb tacks to secure it to the back of the window.

This, I made. I purchased the white styrofoam cone, wide ecru lace, and heart buttons from Hobby Lobby. The bird and green gem are brads by Spare Parts, leftover from my Lace Brooches project, along with the dark ecru lace and white lace. I found the silver trim in my stash. Finally, the aged pearl necklace was from my grandmother. I was always afraid to wear it, just sure the strand would break, but now I can feature it for all to see! Everything was secured with small sewing pins.

I started with the cone and lace, then slowly found more and more to add. The buttons needed a piece of string tied through for the pin to go through.

Found these plus all of the pearls at My Papa's Barn in Broken Arrow, OK.

 Both bud vases and this oil lamp came from The Hitching Post also in Broken Arrow.

 These were past gifts. I had them on the mantle before, and I'm so glad they work into the color scheme.

The candle stick came from Hobby Lobby and the candle from Michaels.

The silver trim, again, came from my stash.

It make me so happy to look at this. Hubby just smiles and says he's glad I am happy with it. I've promised him it won't have this romantic look all of the time. After Valentine's Day, it will get a Spring makeover, then move into a simpler look for Summer. Can't wait to share them all with you.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What treasures have you hunted down? What would you do, or do differently?

This post has been linked up to the following parties: 52 Mantles, Six Sisters' Stuff, Shaken Together Life,  One Artsy Mama, Create Craft Love, Uncommon Designs, and Petals to Picots.

I Want To Journal!

I really do. Ever since I bought my daughters Smash Books last year, I have thought about it. What's funny, is that these journals were created and marketed toward their generation, but I was the one to find them and found myself more excited about all of it than they were. I'd ask them periodically if they had been "smashing" and I'd usually hear "no." Then, we would be leaving an event, and say "You should keep that ticket (or that napkin, or that wrapper) for your Smash book. They seemed excited, and then I find the items laying around the house a few days later. I have to remind myself, "who was it that started all of this, not them!"

So, I've decided to stop living through them. I'm making my own. Not a Smash book, but my own type of journal. I can't limit it to just memories, or travel, or dreams, or prayers, or ideas (shall I go on? - nah, I won't bore you). A journal á al carte, so to speak. I want this to be for anything, truly random. And, this is also my way of getting around the New Year's resolution thing. I definitely set goals each year, but never keep track of them. so this is how I can keep track of my scatter-brained ideas and thoughts. Because, I hate more than anything else, that I forget . . . everything. Some people say they have a lapse here and there, heck, I can't remember a time when I didn't forget things (wait . . . was that a double negative?) Anyway. My husband really worries about me at times, and other time he just laughs.

So, I'm hoping this journal will be my way of keeping some of my thoughts from fleeting. And to inspire more of . . . anything! I want to fill this with ideas, memories, pictures, dreams, prayers, anything I want to hold onto. I'm getting more excited by the minute. And, thanks to my lovely class, I have a pocketful of birthday money to spend on making it, and making some of those dreams come true.

So, I'm off to shop and create - and I will report back with my results. Wish me luck!

Oh, and tell us whether or not you journal and what about, I can use more ideas!