Back to crocheting!

Before I get started on some major writing time, I am finishing up some new projects!

A while back I had a contest on my Facebook page to come up with a new design. I chose ten "finalists" and the winner, ultimately, was Sue Sylvester. I made Sue and sent her away to the winner, Jennifer. After that I had a list of dolls I had sketched and planned out that I still really wanted to make! Dwight Shrute, from the Office and played brilliantly by Rainn Wilson, was one that I just couldn't leave as a drawing.

The pattern is available here and the doll is now up for sale too!

A custom order that I really LOVED doing recently was that of Bob Ross. Everyone knows Bob Ross, right? The Joy of Painting on PBS is one of those shows that suck you in. Before you know it, you're yearning to get out a canvas and decorate it with happy trees and fluffy fluffy clouds. Bob's soothing voice and amazing talent have cemented his status as a modern-day pop culture icon. I was thrilled to recreate him in yarn.

I don't have a pattern for Bob out yet, but I'm working on it today (and I'll announce when its ready on Facebook and twitter). Until then, you may see Bob on stage with the musical group We Are. Yay Bob! And here's a ton more photos of him! Do you notice anything different from the photos below and the one above? Eyebrows! Yes, I forgot his eyebrows until after I took most of the photos. Bob Ross has expressive eyebrows and I couldn't leave them off.

Thanks for dropping by my blog!

What a trip!

I've got to share some highlights of my trip to LA last week. When I was asked to submit artwork for the iam8bit show, my husband and I decided to make a trip out of it. As soon as the opening date was confirmed, we booked our hotel reservations, bought plane tickets, and secured spots at a taping of Conan!

Here's a quick video of me being interviewed by Aaron Bleyaert for the Team Coco Fan Friday! Everyone at Conan was SO NICE. That's what stuck with us. Here you go...

Instead of boring everyone with a play by play, I'll just share some photos of the trip. 

Alice has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So there.

This is something I had to see in LA. It's a wall that Elliott Smith took a photo in front of for the album "Figure 8". I stood there and cried like a baby! All the lyrics people had written up there...it was touching.

Here's a photo of me and "Billy Wins", one of my pieces in the SUPER iam8bit show featuring Billy Mitchell on a DK skin rug.

I'm playing Galaga, projected onto a giant screen at the SUPER iam8bit show! The high score won the actual game, and I was just a *little* short!

"Dust of Hyrule", my other piece in the SUPER iam8bit show. It played ocarina music from the very first 8bit Legend of Zelda NES game.

My Andy and Conan dolls were hoping to meet Team Coco!

Paul and I on the set of Conan!

Look! Aaron Bleyaert (Bley) and I after he interviewed me for Team Coco's Fan Friday!

Oh yeah! Those smiles started to hurt after a while and lasted for hours!

This is just a random RED VELVET PANCAKES shot. The Griddle Cafe in LA: you must go.

Do you know how long I had to wait to take this picture? OK,  two minutes, but it seemed like a while.

It was an amazing trip! I loved LA. Coming from Austin, where the high was 107 all last week, the weather was absolutely spectacular and all of the places we went were beautiful. I'll go back anytime!

First Friday Free Pattern and BIG surprise!

Happy birthday to my husband! It's a milestone birthday, and a big deal, so this post is dedicated to him. Did you know it was his idea to start writing my patterns? He's the one that suggested I make a Conan! I owe him a lot, and he's given me a precious little family along the way. So happy birthday, Paul! I love you and you are an amazing husband and father.





In other news, it's Free Pattern Friday again! I'll tell you the truth: I've had this pattern and little book made for weeks, just itching to post it, but I want to stick to my schedule, so here she is!

This is no ordinary little crocheted book. She has a face, super cute lining, and even  little pages inside. You can personalize your little stitch-a-book however you want. Is it someone's birthday? Stitch, "Happy Birthday, Paul!" Someone get a new job? "Congratulations, Kendra! You're awesome!" Tired of waiting on your boyfriend to pop the question? "Marry me already, won't ya?!"

Whatever you make and whatever message you put inside, could you PUH-LEEEEZE post it on the CraftyisCool facebook page? I'd love to see them and I'm sure others would too!

My own? My Stitch-a-book has a special message for you all...

Yes, I'm writing a book! Since I started writing patterns it has been my long term goal, and now it's happening! I can't give you too many details, but it is going to be amigurumi (duh), it is being published by Lark Crafts (hi Thom!) and it won't be out until Fall of 2013. That seems so far away, huh? That's the way things work in this business, apparently, and I can't complain. I will have plenty of time to make sure it's the best book we (Kate and Thom and I) can come up with! I'll still be putting out new stuff all the time, free patterns and tutorials, designing and blogging. I can't wait! Thank you all for your support and helping me get where I am now. Totes 'preciate it. ;)

Now here's that pattern...

Stitch-a-Book

Here's what you'll need:

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn (I used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Baby in Aqua
White, black and red felt
Coordinating fabric for lining and matching thread
Black embroidery floss

Tools:
Size E crochet hook (or your favorite size)
Yarn needle
Embroidery needle
Craft glue

Key:
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
sl st: slip stitch
FLO: crochet into front loops only
BLO: crochet into back loops only

Book Cover:
R1: With E hook and yarn, ch 15. Sc into 2nd ch from hook and next 13 ch (14)
R2-13: Ch 1, turn. Sc into next 14 st (14)
R14: Ch 1, turn. Sc into FLO of each st (14)
R15: Ch 1, turn. Sc into BLO of each st (14)
R16-27: Ch 1, turn. Sc into both loops of each st (14)
* You will now crochet along the outside of the book cover to make a clean rounded edge.
R28: Work 2 more sc into the last st of 27, turning. Sc into next 26 st along edge, work 3 sc into last st, turning. Sc into next 13 st along edge, work 3 sc into last st, turning. Sc into next 26 st along edge, work 3 sc into last st, turn. Sl st into next 12 st, fastening off at last st. Weave in ends.

Lining:
Lay book cover out flat. Cut a piece of fabric a little smaller than the cover, rounding the corners. Pin to inside of cover and stitch or glue around edge.

Pages:
Cut two long rectangles slightly smaller than the book lining. These are the pages of the book. After embroidering your message you will glue or stitch them together to hide thread ends.

With a pencil or very faint pen markings, write your message on the inside pages or the outside of the bottom piece of felt. Use black embroidery floss to straight stitch your message.

Glue or stitch the layers of white felt together. Using the thread that matches your fabric, stitch the pages together at the center fold, then stitch them into the cover of the book along the inside spine.

Cut two small circles from black felt and glue to the front cover. Cut one half-circle from red felt. Glue to front cover. Ta da!

Hope you like this one! It's very dear to my heart ;)