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Rainbow Granny Stripe

It is now almost December and I have been sadly missed posting. It has been the Thanksgiving and Christmas rush around here. I finally got my camera out and took a few snap shots of my newest favorite.

I am about three quarters of the way finished, at least I think I am. It is definitely over the halfway mark. It is a wonderful five feet long and of the softest yarn. When it is finished I will be adding it to the shop!

I have also been selling quite a bit at the Etsy shop and it has been keeping me busy. We had a wonderful visit with our oldest dear daughter (home from college) for Thanksgiving. She brought her room mate and we had a great time watching Dr. Who on netflix. Only a few more weeks and we will have her home for three weeks. I have done absolutely NO Christmas shopping. So I will have to get busy and get on with it!

See you later,

Karen

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Shop Local

I really want to encourage you to shop local. Buy from businesses that are owned in your area. When you shop local, money stays in your town, county and state. You help people keep their homes and pay their bills. When you buy from a small business; you  have a direct influence on your community. So this Christmas season buy from the small business owner and crafts person. Here are a few made in the US shops for you to check out.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63986997/aromatherapy-palm-wax-candle-14-oz-cube

K at Delicatebynature.etys.com has wonderful soaps, candles and lotions all handmade in Colorado.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/113175818/lace-shawl-in-burgundy-and-pink-wool-red

This beautiful shawl was hand knit in Michigan by a master knitter, Linda. She was a stay home mom and is now a Grandma. She is my friend Rose’s neighbor and friend. Linda knits for the pure pleasure of it and has a few items for sale in Rose’s shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewEcological. Rose sells customized Harry Potter sweaters and also upcycled infinity scarves. Check out Rose’s shop for lovely hand knits and upcycled items.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/105091604/harry-potter-sweater-custom-weasley
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77950346/vintage-little-red-riding-hood

This is a small sample of the tote bags that my friend Lesley creates in her shop Whimsybags.etsy.com. There are bags for every taste and style. They are sturdy and beautiful. This is a perfect practical gift for teachers, friends and neighbors.

 

These are just a few samples of items that are available online. Anything you order will be delivered directly to your door or mailbox.

See you next time,

Karen

 

 

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Boot Cuffs…

Yes, I am excited! I finally got the photos done of the newest Chocolate Dog Studio items…Boot Cuffs. I can make them in wool, acrylic and blends. They can be any size from petite or teen to larger sizes.

Here are a few photos..

Boot Cuffs

Thanks for looking. They will all be posted to the shop in the coming week!

See you later

Karen

P.S. If you are a beginner and you want to crochet your own boot cuffs you can find the pattern here on Etsy and here at the Chocolate Dog Studio shop!

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November Already!

Yes, it is November already…am I ready?  NO! There is so much I want to finish before the end of the year. It has been a hard year and I won’t be sad to put it behind me and start with a fresh clean slate. It has been a year of changes.

  • We have moved: packed everything we own and moved it 7 hours South and unpacked it yet again…plus unpacked the boxes we hadn’t unpacked yet the first time. No, we aren’t done yet and there are still boxes left.
  • Put one kid in college (and then drove off and left her five hours away from home)! Don’t laugh that has been one of the hardest things to do and also one of great joy. She is doing fantastic, even when she thinks she isn’t…she is!
  • welcomed a son back home until the wedding so he can save money…That has also been hard and continues to be hard simply because I forget he is an adult, but he has been an incredible help and I have so enjoyed this time.
  • preparing to have a wedding….no they haven’t picked a date or have a minister yet…but there is the Dress, so things are moving forward.

Well, that is a small list but there has been some good news. I found my camera last weekend. So, I will once again be able to show off some bad photos of things I have finished unlike these that my live in photographer took last weekend.

I added up the things I have done lately and here is my list. November Already

This is the stack of afghans I have finished this year that haven’t been shipped off. That is a huge stack of crocheted blankets. It doesn’t include the two granny square blankets that I shipped last week or the custom baby blankets I have been crocheting lately. The pretty one second from the bottom is headed out tomorrow after I get a box. We did braces today and then some comforting and hanging out. I would love for all of these blankets to find a home. Some crocheting is so repetitive that I find myself praying for the person that will receive them. That it will comfort and warm them when they need it most. I have also made tons of Christmas ornaments and I am just going to share one photo of them.ÂNovember Already

I love these star ornaments. I was trying to come up with a way to use small bits of yarn and ended up crocheting  too many of these stars. Then last week, I had a great idea…so these happened. Spontaneously, and now I have about eight pairs and could easily make tons more.

November Already

Boot Cuffs! Aren’t they cute? I don’t usually wear boots. I love these cuffs. I have so many different colors now. So, that is some of what I have done. I am also in the painting mode. I am in the process of finishing a house project that has been in the unfinished stage for more years than I would care to count. I have done the prep and just need to get the motivation to finish. You know, it is painting a bathroom cabinet. The downstairs bathroom cabinet and I keep putting it off as I know that I WILL get paint all over me when I forget that I painted in there.

See you later,

Karen

P.S. You can crochet your own boot cuffs from this pattern here on Etsy and here in the Chocolate Dog Studio shop.

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Blue baby blanket

Who needs anymore stress on Monday? So here are some beautiful photos of a blue baby blanket that I just finished and shipped off on Saturday!

Blue baby blanket

Blue baby blanket

I simply love the beautiful colors and it is wonderfully soft. It is 36″ square.  It was a custom order and started from these beautiful yarns. It was a super quick crochet job as I started it on Sunday and shipped on Saturday!

Blue baby blanket

I am working on another custom order now and it is huge. I believe it is going to take 150 crocheted granny squares. Yes, 150! Yikes, I have a plan though and it is happening pretty quickly. I have about 80 centers worked now. I will show you more at a later this week.

See you on Tuesday!

Karen

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Baby Granny Blanket

This is a fun little granny square baby blanket that I crocheted up quickly a week or so ago. I started it during the move and then ran out of yarn as I only picked up one skein. So I added the green and pink to make it large enough. It starts with a 20 round granny square of the multi-color yarn. Then it has a row of green, another variegated round and two rounds of pink. I then added sweet little two round granny squares to the ends to make the blanket a rectangle.The whole thing is bordered with two rows of green and the pink scalloped border. Here is a detail photo of the cute little granny squares. 

I apologize for the snap shots of the baby afghan. I have lost my good camera sometime during the move. I really think it is hidden in a box that is not unpacked yet. Hopefully it will turn up soon. This pretty little blanket will be in the shop as soon as some decent photos are taken. It was really just a quick little fun project! The good news is that I used up the variegated yarn.

What have you been working on?

Talk to you later,

Karen

P.S. I can always make one in blue and white for that baby boy in your life!

 

 

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Granny Stripe Ta Dah……

I know this sounds like so many other Ta dahs that you read about in the crochet blogging world. Actually, there is no other way to celebrate a wonderful finished project, aside from a party, but who goes to a finished project party?

Here you go the newly finished Granny Stripe!

I love the chocolately richness of the zig zaggy border.

This was created with soft new yarns from England. Yes, I actually ordered in enough yarn to finish this crocheted blanket. The yarn is so incredibly soft that it puts our American yarns to shame and the colors are bright and cheerful.

I love the way the granny stripes vary from one section to the next, always with the same  seven colors bordered with the chocolate brown stripe. It is big, twin bed sized.

It is 72 inches long and 45 inches wide. A perfect size for a throw at the end of the bed or couch. The yarn is 100% washable on gentle and low temps with a low temp dry. Yes, it is for sale in the Chocolate Dog Studio shop. https://www.etsy.com/listing/108330486/crochet-blanket-crochet-afghan-granny

See you later,

Karen

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Future plans

Ok, so here is where I tell you all my great and wonderful future plans….

I am going to make at least one large size afghan like this one.

I am going to finish this diagonal afghan. The brown one in the middle.

I know that the above picture leaves a lot to be desired but the afghan is so incredibly soft and beautiful. I will have better pictures soon. I am also going to make some more football team cup sleeves. Like this one only different teams than what I already have…

https://www.etsy.com/listing/89660331/coffee-cup-cozycoffee-cup-sleeve-coffee
https://www.etsy.com/listing/82106339/cup-sleeve-cup-cozy-green-bay-packer-cup

I am going to clean out the studio…well, unpack it better and set it up. I am going to get ready for the Christmas buying season by creating more Christmas ornaments and cozies. All of this planning is making me hungry and tired at the same time. So I best get to work.

talk to you later,

Karen

 

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New baby blanket

I just had to show my newest creation Noelle’s baby blanket. It is a custom order baby blanket and I just love the colors. They are a bit daring and different for this part of the country. It completely updates the granny square afghan and in beautiful modern colors. The yarn  is soft, cuddly and completely washable. Pop it in the washer and the dryer and have it out clean and ready to go in no time. Perfect for new babies.

Check out the bright and beautiful granny stripes.

Completely bordered with granny circles. This beautiful baby afghan is finished with beautiful scalloped edging and a ChocolateDogStudio tag. There is a teeny tiny baby bonnet with flower to go with it. I am so excited that it turned out so well. It was tricky to get it finished while moving from one state to another. So finishing it on time was the icing on the cake. This one won’t be in the Chocolate Dog Studio shop but I sure hope to make another in a similar style also complete with bonnet! So keep checking back and I hope to have the next one up quickly.

You can find the pattern here.

talk to you later,

Karen