Oh, Hello There!

Hmm... I think I mentioned that I would be back in, what was it, April?

Oops. Sorry about that. Really. I work as a substitute teacher both in town and in the next town over, so I can get a little sidetracked and busy. Okay, a lot sidetracked and busy.

I don't have any pattern round-ups for you, but I do have a few photos of what I've been working on. Sadly, it's only been one project (not counting the order I'm still working on), but I can say that I've made my first "real" clothing item.

This is the Amelia Toddler Sundress. It was meant to be a birthday gift for one of my nieces (I have two little  bitty ones now), but I foolishly made a mistake when reading the pattern and had to restart the entire skirt the night before the party. So, I've decided that it'll be a Christmas gift instead, which is fine because that gives me time to finish it properly (and go buy more yarn that I ran out of, of course).

Here is a couple of Work In Progress photos. I'm actually nearly done with it now. It's super cute and I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and make one up for my other darlin' niece for Christmas as well. I'm super proud of this!

Isn't this just the cutest thing? I love it already. I can't wait to make another in a different set of colors. (This is currently being worked up in Peaches and Creme's Happy Go Lucky.) Takes up a fair amount of cotton yarn, but it's well worth it.

I'm on the fence about taking orders for Christmas at this point. I've got a commission to finish and my own gifts to work on (they're a little more complicated this year).

However, regular commissions are still open. I'm more than happy to make something without a tight deadline (like Christmas), so feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to order something.

No promises as to when I'll post again, but I do hope to post again when I'm finished with this dress and maybe even add a sneak peak of what I'm giving away for Christmas gifts to all the women in my family this year. (So maybe next month?) Going to aim for a Halloween/Fall themed pattern round up as well, seeing as it is that time of year.

Until next time, my dears! :D

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

So, I've been utterly swamped this year, since it's my first year with a job. My advent calendar fell short of what I wanted it to be this year. It is currently day 13 of my calendar and I haven't even posted for days 11 or 12.

Due to this unplanned/poorly planned scheduling issue/not being prepared enough - I'm stopping the calendar. I'll find something for days 11 & 12 - to round it out, but I will not be continuing it further this year.

I did not plan correctly, didn't get information out soon enough, didn't work hard enough to get all 25 days filled. I will constantly be days behind schedule and I can't deal with the stress of "OH crap, I didn't get one for 'Day x' finished, let me panic and stay up all night trying to make something". I will have to do better for next year, starting now, otherwise this may be the last time I do this.

I will still post anything I have made this holiday season, however none will be assigned specific "days". This will hopefully allow me to make up for unfinished gifts and do about two weeks of work in the span of one.

I sincerely apologize and hope that you can understand. I will do better next year, if I decide to repeat this. Thank you for reading and your time.

COMMISSIONS:
These will reopen mid-January, if you are interested. Send me an email or drop a comment down below.

(bonus points to anyone who knows where the title came from)

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

Day 10 and these cuties finally arrived to their new home. My dear friend "Jazz" (the woman who I featured a few days back) ordered these for her two little boys.

Again, I have learned so much from making little stuffies like these. The blue/green one is a little thicker than the red/orange guy - stuffed him a little and it seemed to make his head a little more stable. I have also learned that hair is a pain in the butt sometimes. "J" has a slightly crooked face, but I think he looks heroic. "C" has the written mouth, while "J" has a mouth made similar to the stitch used for the eyes. (Can you guess which one I like better?)

They may have been a little difficult, but they are well worth it. I love them so much. I may make some next year for my nephews. I really hope Jazz's little boys love them as much as I do. These will forever go down in my book as a favorite pattern that I'm totally willing to repeat.

Standing guard over my yard - or at least until they move to their new home!

The pattern can be found at RedHeart.com under the name Boy and Girl Super Heroes. They're adorable and not as difficult as I had originally thought. And they actually work up rather quickly too, since the head and body are one single piece. The thing that took the longest was the cape, but even that wasn't too terrible. Learned so much about weaving in tails for these guys too.

I'd like to remind you that anything that you see within my blog I can make custom for you. And almost every pattern I find is available to you on the Free or Paid pattern pages at the top. Feel free to contact me or dive into the pattern pages! If you make something from any of those pattern, I'd love to see! I'll even give you a free feature just so that others can see the amazing work that you've done as well!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

Day 7 - and look, it's a Sunday! 

Many of you know that my mother was diagnosed with "Non-Specific Breast Cancer" back in early February. If not, I'll do a brief rundown. She's been a trooper since day 1. Never really let pity and doubt and worry nag at her. She had her brief "I have cancer" cry, but shrugged and said that it is what it is. She even refuses to let others pity her because of it. The only thing she could do was talk to her doctor about treatments and what they could do to fight back.

And fight back she did! Since February she has had chemotherapy and radiation and several surgeries. She had a double mastectomy (meaning she's lost the gals), but is looking forward to getting her new ones after she's finished with radiation. She even said she wanted them to be bright pink, but knows that's now how it works. 

So, back to today's photo - she's lost some hair, thanks to chemo, but that's normal. She found a photo of an older woman who lost her hair to cancer as well and had knit herself some hair. After posting the photo to my page and a strong hint, I did some searching myself. And I found a cute pattern, pictured below. And of course, I've got to make it in different colors so that she can wear a different "wig" every day of the week!

I've made a blue one as well, but didn't grab a photo of it at Thanksgiving, which is when I had made it. She loves it, and that's all that matters to me. :) Makes me super happy.

She can be a natural blonde now!

This paid pattern Funny Halloween Pink Wig Crochet Pattern can be found at Ravelry, of course. It says it's a "Halloween" wig, but you could totally wear it at any point of the year! I may even make a wig for myself to wear this winter and surprise some of the students I sub for! Wouldn't that be fun?

If you make some "hair" for a friend or family member of your own, send me some photos! I'd love to see the crazy colors y'all come up with!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

And today is Day 6! Half way through the first 12 Days of Christmas!

One of these days I'll jump into a craft fair of some kind and sell lots of stuff! But until then, I'll just make random things and either save them or wear them myself. I've already lost one beanie I've made to my darlin' husband who just took it and began wearing it. Totally doesn't match is uniform (as a cop), but he doesn't care. He may be mad at me when I steal it back and stick some holly on it.

Holiday cheer guaranteed!

This set, however, I got to keep for myself. Hadn't really planned on keeping it for myself, but it got super cold one evening and I had to go feed and water our dogs, and I needed something to at least keep my hands warm. So, I pulled out this magical little set and went about my merry business.

The hat is the usual "Hat Hugger" pattern (can be found on the page "Free Patterns") that I go to on a regular basis. I just did a couple of front post stitches and dc on the front to give it a different type of brim. It's a lovely hat, and that little bit of texture makes the whole thing.

The wristers are a new pattern that I found looking for something easy and simple. They can be found on Ravelry (for free!) and they're called Simple Wrist Warmers. They really are simple. Silly simple. They work great with any of the foundation chains too, so you don't have to do that silly chain.

For the hands that they're on currently, I had to google hand templates for a while and found one I liked. I then printed them out (after a few hours of trying to get them just right on Word) on cardstock so they're a little more durable. I do have to remember to print out a right and a left next time (or maybe just two lefts) since I made two rights this time. Oops.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

Day 5! Moving right along! (Explanation for why this is late will follow down below)

So, I've been struggling with this beanie for a year, a YEAR. I wanted to make it for a friend last year, but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. This year, however, a fellow crocheter on Facebook posted her troubles with this particular pattern in a group we're in. I figured I'd try and help her out, since I was stuck too. So we began to work "together" on it (separately, but sharing notes and issues via Messenger on FB).

And that's not where the troubles stopped. After I had completed the hat, I realized it would fit my niece better than my friend. Well, that wasn't in the plans. Okay, we'll try again. Tore it out, and discovered (thanks to my new buddy) that if you work the hat in one hook, and then go UP a hook size for the owls, it works out a whole heck of a lot better. I would probably even recommend going up a hook size than require for the hat and go up a hook size from that for the owls, but then again, I crochet a little tight.

This pattern may have kicked my butt for a while, but I can say that I am happy with it and I now know how to work cables into my work. It was harder than I thought, but that's how you learn. I would be willing to make this again and again.

The pattern is called It's a HOOT! and can be found on Ravelry. I actually purchased my copy from her website, but Ravelry is always a good place to buy and get patterns. They'll automatically store your receipt so you don't have to worry about losing it. And you'll get to download any paid pattern you bought over and over if your computer crashes or something. I use Dropbox to save all my stuff, so I'll never lose it.

This is late because I was working all day Friday and got home and just could not find this photo. I had one, but GOD BLESS was it horrible. Didn't show the color well at all. I will try to keep up with this the rest of the Advent Season, but I do have to work and get stuff made. You can help me out GREATLY by dropping by my Facebook page and

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

Day 4 of the Advent Season

Today is about Angels and dishcloths. Even better - Angel Dishcloths in time for Christmas! This is a super cute pattern, and (depending on the yarn and hook you select) they come out in different sizes!

The big one by itself is made with Peaches and Creme's "Yuletide" and a size "K" (6.5mm) hook. It actually turned out rather nice. I really like it, maybe more than the other two.
The smallest one (hard to tell, I know) is the one in the large photo, bottom left is made with Red Heart's Mistletoe and a size "H" (5.00mm) hook. The one on the bottom right is the same yarn, though with the "K" hook - and it's no where near the size of the one in cotton.
The two smaller ones will probably be wall decorations, but I can actually use the largest one as a potholder or a dishcloth. Either way, it's really pretty. I love it!

The pattern can be found on Ravelry - Christmas Angel Dishcloth. And it's a free pattern! I'll be sure to update it and put it on the Free Pattern page, so y'all can find it all year long. And, of course, you don't have to make this only at Christmas time. These in a solid would be good all year long.

On the Second Day of Christmas

FINALLY!! Here is Day 2 of my lovely Advent Calendar!

Day 2 brings us what I've made for my nieces this year. There is a purple one that matches this one, with a pink bow and nose of course, but I haven't gotten a snap shot of her yet. The skirt is just some lace I picked up at Wal-Mart and sewed it on. I thought it made the bunny cuter. I've even been told I should make a guy bunny with a little tux, give her a veil and look! A bunny wedding set! I may just have to try that.

The pattern for this is easily found on Ravelry. It is called "Bunny JÄNKS". I would advise you sew the nose on before continuing with the body. I did this twice and I sewed the nose on afterwards both times. It was crazy. Also, I'd get some regular safety eyes (and maybe even a safety nose?) instead of the buttons I used. I mean, I adore this cute little thing, but I know what I would do differently now.

I have opened up spots, as many as I can, this year in hopes of getting more people who would like some free advertising. If you'd like to be featured this year in the Advent Calendar, stop by Kota's Crochet Creations on Facebook and send me a message. I'll let you know what I need from you or even just give you more information. I'm starting my free advertising tomorrow with a very special friend of mine, so be ready for it!

On the First Day of Christmas

And here is the first day of my Crochet Advent Calendar 2014! Are you guys excited as I am?

I've mentioned a couple of times that I decided to give gifts to all of my nieces and nephews this year. Last year, I only got around to making one gift for the niece who lives with her grandparents (my in-laws), the purple cat scoodie. This year, I made each one of them a stuffed animal.

The boys got little teddy bears, Keoni in green, his favorite color, and Micheal got blue (since he's only 2 and can't make that kind of decision yet). I made a boo-boo when crocheting Keoni's only because I didn't use the same yarn I used to make Michael's to make Keoni's. Michael's is made from Bernat Baby Softee yarn and Keoni's is made of Red Heart Super Saver. Though, the scarves are made of BBS yarn, since I'm trying to use up some of my scraps.

They're adorable little bears that are super easy to make. For your own teddy bear, check out Lion Brand's Bear in a Jiff. It's an adorable little bear and it is super easy to whip up. This was my first amigurumi and I can't believe how easy they were. I'm definitely not used to crocheting in what is basically a spiral, but it was easier than I thought it was. If you don't have good stitch markers (like me, oddly enough), a safety pin works marvelous. It's what I've been using for a while now. Cheap too.

Tomorrow you'll get to see what my nieces are getting for Christmas. :D I won't ruin the surprise because that won't be any fun. (Though, if you've been following my Facebook page, you may already know what they're getting. Don't spoil the fun for anyone else!)

Remember to spread the word about my Crochet Advent Calendar! I'm also going to be posting links to various other artists who crochet and create marvelous items and share their patterns with the whole of the internet.

I'm Horrible - So Have Some Updates

I haven't posted in so long, I know. I've been up and down and working (Substitute Teacher in San Angelo Independent District, so that's several schools that I can go and sub at. It's fantastic!) and a bit sick. Oh, and my husband has a job now (starts on the Oct. 20), so life will be a little more crazy in the coming weeks (or month).

If you'd like to check out some patterns, I'm doing a whole months worth of round-ups and free pattern offers on my Facebook Page: Kota's Crochet Creations. I've got several round-ups and a few free pattern offers (though they have most likely expired by now).

I have gotten my PayPal account up and working, or at least I think I do, so I can now accept payment through PayPal. Huzzah!

I am working on my Advent Calendar for this year. I've gotten a handful of things done, though I am in dire need of things to make for it. Oops... Kinda slacking on it. So much for trying to get a head start on it. Got my first Christmas order of the year, so that's great. Speaking of...

I am taking orders up until Thanksgiving of this year. Sooner if I feel like I'm overwhelmed and may not finish all of them in time.

I'll post a photo of what I've done this month in a few days, just to prove that I'm still crocheting, though I'm terrible at posting. Thank you all who have stuck with me and even glanced at my blog. I'm trying hard to keep up with it and my new crazy life. I'll try and post at least once a week, on Saturdays, if nothing else. I greatly appreciate everyone who has stayed with me and will continue to do so!

Keep Hookin' y'all!

A little donation button for me, if you feel like it. To all who do, thank you very much. I greatly appreciate it.

Crocheting New Things!

Welcome back to my blog! So, since my last entry, I’ve been a little busy bee and crocheting a bunch of different things. Down below is a spiral scarf made with Red Heart’s “Stars and Stripes” yarn. Festive enough for 4th of July or any other holiday, yet practical enough to wear whenever!

I do realize that I don’t have any “step by step” photos… I hadn’t thought of that before I started this blog. I’m in the middle of another project at the moment, however, I do plan on taking a couple of extra pictures to show you my progress.

I have completed a few other projects as well, but haven’t placed tons of pictures of them all over here. Most of them are scarves or beanies, which were two of the easiest things to teach myself. But I’m getting way past those now, on to slightly more complicated things, such as headbands and afghans.