December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

It’s not technically the last thing I made, just one of the more recent projects I’ve been working on. The very last thing I made is a Christmas present, and while I don’t think this person even knows about my blog, you never know who could be reading.

So you get this… I think most of you will recognize it right away. For those of you who need a little help, it’s a scarf that is made to look like a piranha plant coming out of a pipe from Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. One of the derby coaches posted a picture of one on her facebook, and I rose to the challenge of figuring out how to create one.

It definitely works out for me too… My boss saw it, and asked me to make a couple for his daughters for Christmas. Boom, $50 in my pocket. And now, I get to make another one in exchange for a massage… and lovely, lovely massage that I have been desperately needing but unable to afford. SWEET.

Lookie what I did! I took a break from eating enough holiday food that I would seriously consider a colon cleanse, to start crocheting again. I made these two dishcloths. Obviously, they’re not done yet, since they’re being held together with crochet hooks, but all they need are buttons sewn on!

I like the pattern on the one on the left, and the topper on the towel on the right. I’m going to tackle another one and attempt to merge the two patterns. I already adjusted the towel on the left because I was going to run out of yarn (it was going to be HUGE) before I was finished.

Not much, but I hadn’t seriously crocheted in a looong time, so I’m happy with it! Let’s just not talk about the baby blanket I started at least 2 years ago that is still about a third finished…

I wasn’t making any progress on the basket weave blanket, and I wasn’t wanting to work on it… so I started a new project! That will help, won’t it? Hehe. Anyways, this is a blanket I’ve started for myself. I think it’s going to be really pretty!
I really should be cleaning today, but I think I’m going to sit down with my Tivo remote and my crochet hook instead. Sounds like a lovely way to spend a snowy Saturday afternoon! Maybe I’ll clean up enough stuff to run the Roomba first so I feel less guilty lounging about on the couch.

Look! It’s finally growing! When I got home from Vegas, I knew I had to get moving on this blanket. Both because I hadn’t touched it in awhile, and also because the baby it is intended for is due in just a few weeks. But also because Miss Cass yelled at me. See, I took it to Vegas with me, intending to work on it on the plane, or in the airport. When Cass saw it, the first words out of her mouth were “Jenn. That doesn’t look like it’s getting any bigger.” Oh yeah. Oops?
Well here you are, Cass… it’s gotten quite a bit bigger. Aren’t you proud? And to remind all of you where I was before– the previous two progress pictures.

This is what it looked like the last time you saw it:

Not as much progress as I would’ve liked, but there has been movement on this blanket, so I’ll take it. As you can see, I’ve now started the second block of the basket weave. Only about a bazillion more to go. I need to work at a much faster pace or this blanket won’t be ready by the baby’s Christmas Day due date!

I know I’m a couple days late, but I hope that’s okay. Especially since I forgot the last two entirely. It doesn’t help that I hadn’t hardly been crafting at all over the last couple weeks. Not only did I start something last week, I finished it. What you see there is a crochet hook holder that I made for my mom. I have one of my own, and my mom’s been wanting one ever since I made mine…. about 3 years ago probably! So she asked me for one, and I finally made it.
Below you can see what it looks like rolled up. I couldn’t find the hook I wanted, so I had to use a different one, so this project gave me fits. I started with the pattern, and eventually had to just make it up to get it to be big enough to fit the hooks. Worked out in the end though, and mom likes it!! I want to (find my hook and) make a few more of them.

Okay, I’m off to see what everyone else has been crafting this week!

There’s a brand new meme out there, and I’m jumping in. Cass and Loretta put their clever, crafty heads together and came up with an Online Craft Club (click the button above for more details). I have so many projects in various stages that it was hard for me to pick one to feature first. In the end I decided to snap a picture of the most recent baby blanket. My cousin is having a baby girl, due on Christmas day, so I really need to get working on this one. (Shh… I started the pink baby blanket before we had any idea whether it was a boy or a girl.) There’s really not much there to see, but it’s a basket weave.

Hopefully soon I’ll get motivated again, and I’ll be able to show you a little more progress on this one! Okay, I’m off to see who else has participated this first week!

That’s the status of my blanket as of 4pm this afternoon, picture taken on one of the (very comfy) leather couches at work. The cleaning woman that came in as I was taking the picture was very confused. I felt no need to explain. Obviously I’ve got a long way to go, but it’ll get there eventually. If I can stop being ADD when it comes to working on it for more than 5 minutes at a time, of course.