Crochet Archives - Page 2 of 19

Posted on October 13, 2018January 9, 2020 by Karen Stewart

Life

Life keeps happening here. Do you ever feel that your life is one frustration after or another or that the frustrations are all stacked up like so many building blocks? Life has been rather that way here in Oklahoma. Looking out the studio window has been really rare these days. First one thing and then another pulling me away from what “I think” is more important-only to find out it isn’t that important after all.

The continuing saga of the water leak is over. The last little bits done have been done for several weeks now and they don’t seem like that big a deal. Which is good! We have another construction issue starting this week.

Learning Applied

There have been some learning experiences from all the construction taking place in the house. Painters- have you ever seen professionals at work preparing to do their job. Here is what I am learning from their work and why I am even telling you about all the work we have had done.

Clear out the old
Plan
Prepare for the work
Make sure you have the right tools
Lay the groundwork or frame work to the best of your ability
Be careful and neat while you are working
Finish the job
Clean up and put your tools away when you are done.

This seems to be a lesson I learn over and over. I tend to dash in and get started without counting the cost, having the yarn or finishing other projects first. This creates a huge backlog of projects in my WIP stack and projects get forgotten.

How to Crochet like a Professional

If we apply all the lessons listed above we can come up with a short list of how to apply this to crocheting.

Clean your yarn bags and baskets out of the old work and yarn from previous projects first
Plan your work, play with the color pegs or yarn to find good color combinations or determine your color range.
Write down or photograph the combinations you want to use.
Practice any new stitches until you are more confident.
Gather all of the tools you need and put them all together in your project bag.
Read through the instructions at least twice to make sure that you have everything.
Check your gauge and crochet
Weave in your stitches as you go. It does make it less tedious at the end and makes it easier to work.
Finish your work completely. Ask for any help you need before you reach the point of no return on the frustration.
Clean up your tools when you are finished working.

When you take a break in the middle make notes on the pattern where to begin next if the work is complex, or at least finish the row or color you are using before you set it aside. Tie off any ends firmly if the color is done so you can continue work later. Tie it off loosely or use a stitch marker (or safety pin) so it doesn’t get frogged if someone picks up your work to Ooh and Ahh over. (Forgive them, they just don’t know any better.)

Crochet

Crochet HAS been happening here in the studio, though I have spent a ton of computer time the past few months getting things set up. Though I have to admit that it hasn’t been at the top of the list. There has been a ton of painting happening. While I love crochet sometimes I need a vacation from it and we lost the remote to the television for a week or two. Living a healthier lifestyle has also been a huge contributing factor.

Painting

Painting has been happening and it is going extremely well. Here are a few photos of finished projects.

LIfe

The armchair is for sale at an art store in town and the stool has already made a customer very happy.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on August 24, 2018January 9, 2020 by Karen Stewart

A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

Today we will learn a few tips and tricks that help me with my crocheting. They are in my tool bag. It has been awhile since you have seen my tool bag. There are a few new ones since then.

My Newest Crochet tools

This post contains affiliate links .

The Handy Dandy fringe board

This is quite simply a floor laminate sample from my neighborhood flooring store. I bought mine at Lowes. Originally, we bought it to check out new flooring for one of our rooms but it was hijacked into the tool bag.

Here it is in all its humble glory. It replaces the paperback book that was being used.

See the grooves at either end. You can cut a long 8″ fringe or a cut it at both ends and have a shorter 4″ fringe. The scissors fit in the grooves at either end. It makes fringe making so easy. A few Tools and the Blue Monday Scarf

The Clover Pom pom makers

These tools are bought and are available online or in the craft shops. I purchased mine at Michael’s. They are the Clover pom-pom makers (affiliate link) in two different sizes.

These are great and so easy to use. If you are going to make several pom poms then they are worth your money. They come two to the package. The smallest size pom pom maker is in the crochet tool bag and not in the photo. (FYI I am not being paid for this endorsement of Clover products. There are other pom pom makers out there that may be better, study up and get the best for you.). There are instructions on the back and then you wind the yarn around the little

wings, fold it all together and then cut the yarn and tie off the pom pom so that it doesn’t come apart.

The tool bag

The tool bag is essential to keep all these little bits and pieces corralled. A zipper pouch works great, a pencil bag would also work. Here is my tool bag. It has grown over the years but it helps keep the crochet hooks, a pen, my large eye needle and everything else altogether in one place.

The Blue Monday Scarf

Here is the Blue Monday scarf. Why is it named blue Monday? It was started on one of “those” Mondays, when nothing was going right. Crocheting this scarf was such a joy. The rows added up quickly. Yarn was being used that would some day make someone very happy as opposed to it sitting in my yarn stash gathering dust and adding guilt. Looking at the changes in the colors and how it was so bright and beautiful that I just couldn’t helping smiling and it just changed the whole day. This is why it is named Blue Monday, it can help you overcome the Monday blues!

The luscious fringe and rich vibrant colors just make a beautiful scarf. The best part is that it doesn’t take that much yarn if you choose to buy yarn just for this project. Though, there are plenty of beautiful yarns out there that would also crochet into your own version of Blue Monday. It is ready to go and in the Etsy shop and the Studio Shop.

The background

While there doesn’t seem to be much happening here on the blog these days. Quite a bit has been happening in the background and under the surface. I took an online course or two. I’ve been busy uploading all of the photos from the beginning of Chocolate Dog Studio to a new photo manager, sorting and attempting to make them more manageable.A new computer just made this necessary and I couldn’t put it off any more. Home repairs have been huge in the past 6 weeks. A water leak has morphed into this huge now we have to fix this and then that. Also another repair has shown that some major home repairs are on our plate for the coming weeks. Life has been running fast around here.

This has also been a time of planning and thinking about the future and what it holds. Hopefully, there will be some new crochet coming up soon if I get a chance to sit down.

Take care,

Karen

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Karen Stewart

The Labor Day Sale

Today is the beginning of The Labor Day Sale!

Why is there a Labor Day Sale? It’s time and there will be a slight increase in item costs in the Etsy shop after September 2. Instead of just increasing the prices, here is a sale to let you take advantage of the lower prices.

There is a new pattern and new pattern bundles available in both the Etsy shop and the Chocolate Dog Studio shop.

Blue Monday Scarf

New Pattern Bundles

There are new pattern bundles on the horizon. I love pattern bundles. They save money and allow you to really explore a stitch combination before you move on to another. These new pattern bundles are obvious pairings. Like the two eyelet scarves. Many of the same colors are used in both and the stitch is the same. Since neither scarf uses a whole skein of yarn, there is no reason not to crochet both!

The patchwork heart afghan and patchwork pillow are another pattern bundle that just makes sense and saves your $. Together they make a great statement for Valentine’s day or to show someone that you love them. Pick their favorite colors and your favorite yarn and get started.

These are two of my favorite new pattern bundles and I hope to put together many more.

Check out these patterns at the Etsy shop!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on August 14, 2018January 9, 2020 by Karen Stewart

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

Do you remember the Use Your Stash Challenges? Earlier this summer I started the Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge all at the same time. Yarn and partially finished projects have been filling my Studio boxes and making it hard to work, find what I need and let’s not talk about the GUILT.

from not finishing that afghan.
from wasting money on yarn that I will never use.
from too many unfinished objects (UFOs) filling up my crochet space.
from ____________ you fill in the blank.

It is bad when the guilt is so obvious that my friend noticed. She looked at the stuff. Heard my plea for help and said “You need another Challenge” and something that sounded like “you have already started the challenge by crocheting all those scarves this past week. Why not give do another?”

It’s good to have an encourager in your life. She is one of mine and she is awesome.

Here is the Challenge. Ta Dah……

The Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge.

No acronym, no cool title, no rules- except just get started. The goal is to use your yarn,get things completed, out of storage and to get rid of the guilt. Here is what I have been working on during the challenge. It is totally unplanned, fun and random. Crochet by the seat of the pants with some creative repurposing of crochet blanket starts and several”why did I Start this project”. There were also several “Oh I have tons of this yarn left…. what can I make out of it” – projects that look nicer than I could have dreamed. I have also been buying yarn to finish projects as I go. It is nice to finally have so many finished projects rather than the huge storage box of UFOs that I did have.

Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge

There are three of the black granny square scarves but one photo works for today. There are at least 4 more scarves in the works. They need everything from borders, blocking to photography and listings written. Several new patterns have developed that need writing and editing but the yarn backlog is finally getting smaller.

Life

Life is more chaotic than normal this summer and is wiping out the time spent on pretty much everything to do with the Studio. Just normal everyday things like water leaks, birthdays, going to lunch with your Mom, spending time with Grandkids and then an unusual one or two like Hubs had surgery. He is doing quite well but the recovery is going to take a longer time than we had planned. While crochet has been happening there just hasn’t been a bigger span of time to write a blog post, edit a pattern or photograph the scarves. I hope to get the chaos resolved in the coming weeks.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. You can read one of the other challenge rules here if you like more structure: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/?s=Use+Your+Stash+Challenge

Posted on July 19, 2018January 9, 2020 by Karen Stewart

How to Use Your Stash Inventory – The Sampler Afghan

How to use your stash inventory – The Sampler Afghan is a great answer to the question of how to use up your leftover bits and pieces of yarn and odd and end Granny squares and swatches.

This post contains affiliate links

Why create the swatches you crochet to try out new stitches? The Sampler Afghan also answers this question.

Why save all those little odds and ends of skeins if you aren’t going to use them? The answers to these questions are ahead of us for the next several weeks.

Why waste all that work to crochet gauge squares if you aren’t going to do anything with them? What are you going to do with all those practice granny squares?

How to use your Stash inventory -The Sampler Afghan

How to Use Your Stash Inventory - The Sampler Afghan

How to use your stash yarn inventory can be confusing. What to do with all those bits and pieces of yarn and odds and ends of granny squares and sample bits that you have crocheted. There are several different ways to solve this problem.

Today we’re discussing two of my favorite methods of using up both stash yarn and leftover samples and bits and pieces; Sampler Afghans. There are two ways to make a sampler afghan.

Create one Afghan using all the bits and pieces of leftover yarn you have.
Create one Afghan with all the gauge swatches you have leftover from crochet things.

This is the second of these granny sampler afghans that I have made. They are my favorites. The colors interplay with each other and make wonderful sampler afghans.

How to Use Your Stash Inventory - The Sampler Afghan

Here is my current stash of odds and ends of yarn skeins that I keep in a rolling cart (link to one like mine), add in some other storage in another room and everything is full to overflowing. I take left over skeins and roll them into yarn cakes using my yarn winder. The yarn cakes then go in this little color coded drawer unit (link ) according to color. It makes storage a breeze as the little yarn cakes don’t roll around and get all tangled up into a mess. As you can tell the color coding has gotten out of hand. The colors are all mixed up, simply because there isn’t room in some of the drawers. (Don’t get the idea that everything else is this organized, it’s really not. Crocheting is more fun than untangling a mess of yarn)

How to Use Your Stash Inventory - The Sampler Afghan These are usually the beginnings of a big granny square afghan or an afghan like the sampler above or little projects that don’t take much yarn.

Another Sampler Afghan

How to use your stash inventory- The Sampler Afghan

Here is the second idea for creating a sampler afghan. It started with a simple idea. Create some washcloth patterns for free from Chocolate Dog Studio for you. It quickly evolved into this afghan. If you are going to create all these patterns for washcloths, then they need to be crocheted at least twice. Once out of cotton dishcloth yarn and once out of any yarn you choose. The sampler afghan started a year ago. You can find almost all of the patterns here on the blog and they will work for the afghan, but the idea is simple and adaptable for the many other gauge swatches we crochet.

Try to crochet them in the same size, gauge and yarn weight. Then when you have enough squares you can assemble them into an afghan, table runner, or scarf. If you use the same colors over and over then you have a coordinating look. If they don’t coordinate then you have a scrap look afghan. This idea works best if you work in one type of fiber, wool or acrylic. It is hard to mix the two since the care for both is different.

I hope that this helps you create one of your own.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on July 17, 2018January 9, 2020 by Karen Stewart

Using Your Scrap Yarns Part 2

Using your scrap yarns part 2! This can be so much fun. Cleaning out yarn and creating new things all at the same time. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Use a little imagination and revise a project to fit a new use.

There are a number of scarves that are great scrap yarn users. Here are is one of my time honored favorites. The Granny Square Scarf

Using Your Scrap Yarns Part 2

It doesn’t take much yarn and the squares themselves can be all different colors and yarn skeins as they are here. There are also granny square scarves that use a variety of different yarns in each square. The photo below is from an afghan, but you get the general idea. Simply tie all the colors together with one color and skein of yarn. Add a fringe or tassels as a finishing touch. Keep in mind that the longer the scarf, the more yarn you may need. The denser the stitching takes more yarn, too. Striped scarves work great to use scraps as well. Side to side stripes work for smaller amounts and long stripes for bigger amounts. Using Your Scrap Yarns Part 2

The Newest Pattern

Here is the newest pattern. This pattern wrote itself after I challenged myself not to create another pattern this summer. I am pleased to introduce The Brown Ombre Stripe Scarf. The truth was that it was going to be an afghan but when it took 21 colors I decided that enough was enough! It requires 21 skeins of different colors but it is so lovely I couldn’t resist making a pattern for you.

Studio News

The month has been busy. I’ve been busy taking not quite finished objects and giving them new life. About 6 scarves will hit the Etsy shop in the next couple of weeks. IF you follow Chocolate Dog Studio on Instagram then you have seen the progress happening on several scarves. It has been fun to finally move some of these WIPs out of storage and into the shop. Wool is fun to crochet but not usually my fiber of choice and these granny squares have been sitting for a couple of years looking for the right project to finish them out. Scarves work well, finish quickly and fit most everyone’s budget. I have started a Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn challenge but there are no rules and no timeline. It is really similar to the USE YOUR STASH challenge from previous years. I will keep going until I run out of steam, projects, time or inspiration.

Using Your Scrap Yarns Part 2

Here are three of them being blocked and almost ready for their shop photos.

Two acrylic scarves have also made it to the shop. I’m thrilled. The colors are bright and cheerful. The Brown Ombre Scarf and then this one. The white scarf makes great use of scrap yarn. There will never be a pattern for this but I am pleased that it is finished. Feel free to imitate this scarf all you want. There are no plans to write a pattern for it. If my memory is right, there are 20-30 stitches between each dash of color. Each dash of color has 15 stitches in it. Thankfully, it has moved out of the WIPs stack to the FP or finished projects stack and is ready to go home with someone soon.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on June 28, 2018January 9, 2020 by Karen Stewart

Little Things Matter and the Ombre Granny Stripe Revised.

Little Things Matter and the Ombre Granny Stripe is revised

Little things matter; like the button on this tea cozy. It looks perfect and brings a touch of whimsy to just another granny square tea cozy. The little touches that make life great. Little things matter like a wave and a hello from a neighbor. Like the use of your right hand. Not being able to use your right hand really brings this home to you. As my hubs found out last week. His arm is in a sling but it’s not broken and not sprained. He doesn’t appear to need surgery, just rest- so all is well.

Little Things Matter and the Ombre Granny Stripe Revisited

The Ombre Granny Stripe

The Ombre Granny Stripe afghan has been updated to reflect improved yarn quantity and an additional border option. I have never been that fond of the black and yellow in the original pattern so I crocheted another with a lovely brown border and it looks so much better in my eyes. This pattern is newly released, (everywhere we sell the pattern) and the shop has 1 beautiful Ombre Granny Stripe for sale. If it has been calling to you then now is the time to buy. It might not be there again for a long, long time. The new photos show the beauty of this afghan in a much better light. Whether you want to make your own with the Ombre Granny Stripe pattern or buy the one afghan in the Etsy shop.

Little Things Matter and the Ombre Granny Stripe Revisited

Studio News

Here is the latest news from the studio. My motivation and creativity has settled back down after almost a years worth of stagnation. Do you ever have stagnant times? I hit a road bump and a well meaning and loving detail person said “you have too much going on. You need to simplify and work on one thing at a time.” Bad idea, I tried it and it doesn’t work well for me. At this current time. There are 4 or is it 5 current crochet projects all in a partially completed state plus one chair and two paintings also in progress. There will be another one starting soon, when we hit the road to a family reunion. Three new patterns are also in process and two revisions are also in the works. Just a few shots of the wips:

All of these make me happy to work on and the frustration level is very low.

Keep your frustration levels low and work the way that suits you best. Listen to your heart and follow the pattern that works for you! Remember that little things matter and the Ombre Granny Stripe revised is ready for purchase.

Take care and have a good summer.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. I’ve been praying for God to give us rest. We both have been feeling stretched very thin. I’m not driving right now while some medication things get sorted out and he is not driving until his shoulder gets a bit better. The kids are pitching in a bit more while their parents are recovering.

Posted on March 26, 2018January 30, 2020 by Karen Stewart

The Adapted Lemon Peel Dishcloth Tutorial

Here is the next crochet washcloth/dishcloth pattern; The Adapted Lemon Peel dishcloth.

(This post has affiliate links)

The super easy Adapted Lemon Peel Dishcloth is fun to crochet. It creates a lovely nubby texture without too much thinking about repeats or counting. It has a soft bumpy look which is great in a dishcloth. This pattern would also make a wonderful spa washcloth for an easy crochet Birthday or Christmas gift. Crochet 2-3 in different colors, add the washcloth to a few lovely soaps and you have an inexpensive and lovely gift for a new mother or a special friend.

The Adapted Lemon Peel Dishcloth Tutorial

Here is the washcloth first finished.

The Adapted Lemon Peel

Supplies

Cotton dishcloth yarn (link)
Size G crochet hook (link)
Scissors

Skills Needed

single crochet = SC
chain
double crochet = DC
Weave in ends

The Adapted Lemon Peel

Crochet 32 stitches in your cotton yarn.

Foundation Row

SC across the chain to create a foundation for your washcloth. (I am using a different color cotton yarn for these instructions.)

Row 1

Single crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook. Double crochet in the next chain,

sc in the next 4 chains.

Alternate between the double crochet and 4 single crochets across the washcloth.

Chain 1 turn

(The double crochets will to need to be on one side of the washcloth, poke them through to whichever side you pick for the front.)

Row 2

Sc in the first stitch of the previous row.

3 sc in next 3 stitches, DC in the next stitch

Alternate 4 sc, 1 DC across the washcloth.

Alternate row 1 and row 2 until the washcloth is square.

I like to unplug and have paper patterns at times, so there is a free download for The Free Pattern :Adapted Lemon Peel Dishcloth in the shop.

Other Stuff

We have been helping a chick fly out of the nest this week and build another nest in a first apartment. Part of me is so excited and the other part of me is a tiny bit anxious. Mom’s tend to do this; be anxious, happy and excited all at the same time. The other part of the excitement is that the studio will finally get to move into a more permanent home with a door and nothing but studio items inside. I truly can’t wait but feel wrong to be too excited. Is it wrong to want your chicks to leave the nest?

I spent some time watercolor painting with a friend as we both needed the nudge to do something out of our normal routine. I attempted to paint roses again. These are really simple and today they look much better than they did yesterday. I need to go and look at the other paintings I finished. They might look better as well.

I’ve been working steadily on this afghan but have had to take a break on it due to the busyness of life and some arthritis issues this week.

Take care and enjoy your week. The sun is shining here even though the temps dipped a little lower earlier this week.

This beautiful daffodil is blooming in my garden and bring a great touch of spring to the yard.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. I would like to think that I invented The Adapted Lemon Peel stitch, but I am pretty sure that I didn’t. If you know the name of it, let me know and I will change the title and credit the stitch. The nearest I could find was the Lemon Peel stitch. There are so many outlets for finding new crochet stitches; from magazines, books and the internet that it is difficult to search back and find the source of your inspiration.

Posted on January 25, 2018January 10, 2020 by Karen Stewart

Business Boutique and Chocolate Dog Studio

Business Boutique

If you have ever wanted a little behind the scenes look at the how and why I started Chocolate Dog Studio, today is your chance. A couple of years ago I attended a Business Boutique seminar in Nashville Tennessee. Business Boutique is a wonderful conference for women that have ever thought about starting, wanted to start, or are entrepreneurs. There were women there from all walks of business from the Multi Level Marketing groups to women starting businesses in everything from gluten free crackers (that were delicious), to physical therapists. Everyone is so encouraging and nice. Just plain nice and interested in why you are there and you business idea. It was amazing.

There was an opportunity for a podcast interview and I seized the opportunity. I was so very nervous during this interview. It was really way outside my comfort zone. Now two years later hearing it for the first time this morning, I was totally overwhelmed. I sound so confident and in charge and I must admit that many times as a creative person; I am more of a mess than organized but there is a method in my madness. If you only want to hear my bit of the interview it starts about the 39 minute mark and last for about 4-5 minutes, not long at all.

https://www.businessboutique.com/podcast/how-to-use-storytelling-in-your-business/

This podcast interview was recorded by Christy Wright at a Nashville Tennessee Business Boutique conference. If you are a woman starting a business then go and soak up as much information as you can. I highly recommend the conferences and her book. It is uniquely tailored to fit women and their needs in running and starting a business.

Yarn

I intend to spend it crocheting and patterrn writing, so I’ll leave you with an inspirational photo or two of yarn! I have to confess that I did buy yarn at the post Holiday sales and drastically increased my stash, but that means that I can crochet more!

Business Boutique

Some new stash that came in after Christmas

And then there is the old stuff that keeps hanging around no matter how much I use it, it never seems to decrease in mass. It never ever goes away, the more you use it up the more you have left over. I think a scrap afghan is in my not so distant future.

talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. I have to say that I am not paid by Business Boutique either for the interview or this blog post today.

Posted on December 28, 2017January 10, 2020 by Karen Stewart

Temperature Afghan

Temperature afghans-if you have crocheted any length of time at all, then you have seen them all over the internet, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram at the first of the new year for the last several years. If you do a search for Temperature Afghan you will probably come across a variation of this photo. This afghan wasn’t created primarily to be a temperature afghan, though someone on the internet did use this photo to portray one.

Temperature Afghan Tips

What is a temperature afghan?

It is an afghan crocheted one row a day with the color related to the temperature of that day. Blues and Purples for cold weather and yellows/oranges/reds for warmer temps. Greens for the middle temps. When completed there is a visual representation of the year’s daily temperature and 365 rows of beautiful afghan.

Problems with a temperature afghan?

They can be huge! 365 rows of huge crochet blanket.
It is a long commitment. You must know that you will stick with a project for every day of the year (not my thing.)
They can be ugly if your regional temperatures zoom up and down like ours in Oklahoma where it can be 80 degrees F one day and below zero the next.
It can be boring.

The answer to fixing the boring part and huge commitment is to crochet last year’s temperatures. Find the temperatures for last year on the internet. Print them out and then you can sit down and crochet the whole thing in several weeks! Which is what I would do if I were going to crochet one.

How can you adjust the temperature afghan to fit your crocheting style?

There are so many ways that you can use to crochet a smaller version.

It could be the temperatures for the month a baby was born or your birthday month.
A scarf illustrating the temperatures for 3 winter months.
It could be a granny square blanket with 2 or 3 daily temperatures.
Crochet a special year to memorialize someone’s life.

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Life is Fun

Right now, life is fun. I am figuring out how to get around and do daily living activities while not putting any weight on my right foot. Which means that I am not getting around much at all.

Before Christmas

I spent my time crocheting these dino hats for the Grandkids and then also finishing up their sequined Christmas Stockings. Which did need me to be down and immobile for several weeks to get them finished. Sometimes I go without the boot when I am sitting around but it doesn’t mean that I am walking on it yet! I am still following the Doctor’s orders

The looked cute on the grandkids with the dino tails to match. The dyno hats crocheted up quickly and are fun to make.

The tails are wonderful and were created by www.etsy.com/shop/kidhub. She did a great job and I was able to custom order the colors to match yarn that I already had on hand.

Beautiful Moments

There have been (what deceptively looks like) beautiful moments like this.

Where it looks like I spent all day snuggled under a crochet afghan drinking yummy hot drinks. When I got about 3 micro seconds of this bliss before I spilled the coffee in my lap. Which goes to show that photos do not often tell the whole story.

The second photo above makes it look like I am incredibly organized, and getting some work done. I am not sure about the quality of my work due to the pain meds I was taking at the time. It is time to go back and review my work. We have had a downturn in the weather this week and we went from shorts weather to a dusting of snow before Christmas and it is now brrr cold with a bit of ice due on Saturday.

It was beautiful, and I bribed a child to go out and take some snow photos for me.

I also got in my pre-Christmas yarn order that I forced myself not to open until the hats and stockings were finished. Sometimes I need a big carrot to get the job finished. This is always fun and if the colors seem odd, I was filling in some missing colors from Yarntopia. I did miss some vital colors that will have to go in another order.

After Christmas

Since Christmas, I have been doing a ton of organizing paperwork, thinking, planning and talking with friends. I haven’t had this much sit down or chat time in months. I just move too fast and jump from one thing to another without stopping to force myself to slow down and do nothing. It is good to be able to sit and think but it also means a certain amount of boredom has set in. Binge watching tv is now done and over, I have seen all I want to see on Netflix or Amazon. So, I have moved on to business planning and thinking about coming new year.

So now you are caught up with where I am and what is going on at Chocolate Dog Studio. Things are good, and the foot is healing as quickly as can be expected. I am thrilled at the thought of a New Year and the new crochet projects ahead of me.

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. I hope that your Holidays have been wonderful and relaxing. I would love to know what is going to be on your list of crochet projects to do this year?