Just Keep Swimming

Michigan summers are amazing! The sunshine, lakes, flowers, etc. I love every single thing about Summer. I don't even mind the heatwave we just had where it felt like 102 degrees almost every day. I love going to the beach, but with two kids it is A LOT of work. We bought our kids a cute little pool and they love to play in it! I can't say that a lot of "swimming" actually goes on, but they love to splash and play. 

I've spent the past few days watching my kids play and crocheting outside. I can get some work done & they can get their sillies out! It works perfectly for all of us. Here are some photos I snapped of them playing outside this morning:

Elliot was trying to run away as quickly as possible, but I got a pic of him on the fly! I just love his bright blue eyes and curly hair. He is such a stud!

Genevieve likes to do different poses. She won't ever just stand still and smile at the camera. :) Right before I took this photo, she had a bucket on her head and called herself "Bathing Suit Girl."

Little Lion Hat

"I'm afraid there's no denyin' / I'm just a dandy-lion / A fate I don't deserve / I'm sure I could show my prowess / Be a lion, not a mouse / If I only had the nerve."
 
I am trying to crochet as many items as possible so I can sell them at a local artisan's market. It is turning out to be a lot of work, but I am hoping it will be worth it. I made a list of different animal hats I wanted to make, and I knew the lion hat would be the most fun to make. I have made a lion hat before, but I changed it completely. I think this one is so cute! I wish I had a baby to model it for me, but my daughter's doll (that she has named Carlos) will have to do!

This Little Lion Hat is made out of Yellow Acrylic yarn. The mane is made with Homespun yarn. It is textured and has different shades of brown and black in it. It is much more beautiful in person! It is soft and silky and made with an Acrylic & Polyester blend. To make it even more fluffy, I combed it with a comb after attaching it. 

 
You can purchase this Little Lion hat in my Etsy shop.

Toy Story: Woody the Cowboy

 "You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
You've got a friend in me..."



My one year old son loves anything Toy Story related. He has all the movies, all the figurines, Toy Story sheets & comforter, stickers on his walls, clothes, etc. I haven't seen a bigger fan of something since my daughter went through her Abby Cadabby phase. I knew a very long time ago that I wanted to make an Amigurumi Woody doll, but I had to get the courage first. I knew it would be a pretty difficult task. The hardest part is trying to make yarn look like what you intended it to be. After a few days of blood, sweat, and tears...

Obviously he doesn't look *exactly* like Woody, but that is OK with me. My son knew who it was right away. He was SO excited to see the finished product. He wanted to play with him before I even attached his arms! I haven't decided if I wanted to list him on Etsy yet. Mainly because I'm not sure I want to make this multiple times. But, we'll see. :) 

Crochet Frenzy

I've been trying to crochet like a mad woman so I could have enough items to sell in a local art fair. I feel like some items won't take me very long, and then I remember that I have two small children to deal with in between stitches. :) In between playing outside, coloring with sidewalk chalk, watching movies in the air conditioning, and dancing to the Lemonade Mouth soundtrack, I surprisingly haven't had as much time to crochet. That is OK though, since my first job is being a mommy. 

The things I have managed to make in recent days couldn't be more different. I knew that if I made Harry Potter dolls I would need to make his enemy, Lord Voldemort. It was really difficult to make him look creepy. I kept thinking he just looked like a cuddly little evil dude, if that's even possible. I decided that I didn't want him to be completely ugly. I wanted him to look a little on the cute side. Here he is, in all his glory:

I also made these items:

I guess I could make a game out it, like: "Which Of These Items Doesn't Belong?" :) If you would like to purchase any of these, you can find them in my Etsy Shop.

Harry Potter Doll #2

A customer on Etsy asked me to make a Harry Potter doll wearing the Quidditch uniform. As I've said before, I have never seen the movies or read the books, so I had to Google it. :) I came up with this:

He is wearing a sweater in Cranberry with a Yellow stripe, black pants, and the hooded Quidditch coat. 

 The back of his coat says "Potter" in felt letters, with the number 7. You can find this Harry Potter doll in my Etsy Shop.