Cloche hat for baby/child/adult

I started looking for a new pattern to work on today. I wanted to make a cloche style hat. I always look for free patterns because I think if you're going to pay for the yarn and work, you shouldn't have to pay for the pattern. HOWEVER, I found the perfect hat pattern, and it was only $1.99 so I bought it.

The pattern starts out with the "Magic Circle or "Adjustable Loop" to create the top of the hat, and this video showed me very quickly and easily how to do it. I always use Youtube when I need to learn a new stitch or technique. It's so easy to follow.

 

So here's how mine turned out:

 The baby one is actually my variation to the pattern. I used the same stitch I used with the infinity scarves in my earlier post, so it forms a circle look, rather than the scallops with holes, which the one on the left has.

Just wait until I upload the photo of this one with a little yellow flower and maybe some yellow ribbon!

Sorry about the photos- I couldn't find my camera, so I used my phone

Wouldn't you like to know how to turn this:

 Into this:

 This is my new FAVORITE thing!

 I love these so much I had to increase my font size to express it!

But really, these are so cute. I decided the other day that I want to start a tradition of making homemade Christmas ornaments every year, and gifting them to my family! So I Googled it, like I always do when I'm wondering about something, which happens to me about a billion times a day. I decided to make these adorable fabric covered styrofoam balls!

...
That last sample of fabric is actually the same fabric my mom and I used to cover the jars of jam that I made for our wedding favors, so I decided to make some ornaments just for us to remember our first Christmas married : )

What an amazing year it's been!

 This is my new favorite scarf to crochet. It's so simple and pretty and I love anything with scalloped edges.

I got the pattern from Etsy.

It's really easy to make and it's gorgeous. I have been using Caron Simply Soft yarn, with a size J (6mm) crochet hook. There were a few changes I made to the pattern after I made my first scarf. If you'd like my amended pattern, please message me and I would be happy to email the changes to you.

My first 1/4 sheet cake

I've been practicing with different tips for a while now on cookies, but since today is my mother in law's birthday, we're surprising her with a cake, and my husband asked me to make it. I'm pretty happy with the outcome! I've included pictures of the tips I used. At the bakery I worked for (NOT as a cake decorator), we called that a reverse shell border. It's pretty and swirly. I won't pretend to know what I'm talking about here, since I don't.  I just say what I think I know, so correct me if I'm wrong. Also, I used the ribbon tip for the swirls of "ribbon" (tip # 103)

The latter picture is of the tip I used for the rosettes, and for the border. This tip is my mom's. She's been decorating cakes since before I was born, and this tip shows its years.

I LOVE the adorable rosettes, and I got the idea from an amazing blog called iambaker.

Not bad for a first timer  :)

New year, new news, new crochet projects!

 These little flowers are made with a baby weight yarn and would also be great for potholders or dish cloths

 My favorite little rose. The flowers above and this rose are from the LittleBirdieShoppe at Etsy.

An assortment of the flowers I've made

It turns out that I don't crochet until it's cold outside, and once it turns warm, my attention is immediately diverted to gardening  and all things outside. This single little crocus was one of those such things.

And these daffodils

 AND we planted 30-some tomatoes in our raised bed

 And I canned 87 jars of strawberry-rhubarb jam

 

Also, we got engaged on Easter, and then married in September! So it's been a busy year, to say the least. I'm starting a few exciting projects this week which I will be posting about soon!

Baby Booties!

My baby blanket *mostly* finished!

So it's been done for a couple of weeks now. I plan on adding a few or maybe several clustered crocheted flowers in the same colors in one corner of the blanket. Is this not completely adorable? I love it. I figured I ought to show you how it's coming along since I finished it.