My Most Favorite Pattern

The other day I posted a swatch of this project ~ my most favorite pattern of all time ~ the loveliest of tissue box covers.

It is from the magazine I posted on the same day as the swatch: Women’s Household Crochet Spring 1994. The pattern was created by Katherine Eng who seems to still be designing. Recently I visited a friend’s cottage in Idaho and was thrilled to discover that the cover I had made for her was lovingly displayed in the guest bathroom.

All of the covers I made with this pattern were to give to friends, so this weekend I whipped one up for my living room and started another one to add to a little stash I am hoping to earn a little money with. I recently became a grandma and would love to visit my little mister in California often! I’m also thinking of a trip to Houston next January with a good friend. It’ll take a lot of crocheting, but then again I have a lot more patterns and a little more yarn

From the cottage, with love

Tina

Tina’s Treasures

Downsizing from one cottage to another wasn’t easy and we still have some things in storage. On a rare occasion I was with DH while he was paying the bill for the storage unit so I asked if we could take a peek.

Of course I had an ulterior motive … I’ve been looking for a favorite pattern and thought maybe it might be in one of the boxes that was stowed away. I also knew I had yarn and thread safely tucked away in plastic totes

Five totes later we were on our way home only to discover that the pattern I was looking for wasn’t in the box I thought it was. Bummer. But moving things around the unit had inspired my hubby and in his travels through a storage room at the house, he came across my Crochet Stitch Bible. That was a great find too and I asked him where he’d found it.

He also mentioned there were other books and patterns in the box. Could it be…? Yes! The magazine with the pattern I wanted was in there! Along with some other treasures … not the least of which are several old Workbasket magazines that belonged to my Nonna. Here’s the one I was looking for:

I’ve been dying to make a tissue box cover that is in this magazine, and because the magazine is out of print … well, there was no finding the pattern. Believe me, this magazine is not going back into a box anytime soon! With my enormous stash now safely home, I started in right away:

The reddish tint to the swatch is my phone flash I think but I should have the finished project ready to view tomorrow. Oh, how I have missed crocheting in the cottage! Tomorrow is Crochet with Jane day … a new harbor friend and fellow blogger. I can’t wait to settle with some tea and a have good long visit over our hooks (hers might be those pointy ones …) and see what we shall see!

Hope you’re having some fun today too! From the cottage, with love,

Tina

What’s a Blogger to Do?

So after that last thrilling post some three years ago my crochet habit just waned. It isn’t that I haven’t crocheted at all in the past three years, I just didn’t find the time or inclination to blog about it. No great loss for you really but even so … why have a blog if I’m not going to use it, right? So what’s a blogger to do?

Well, just pick up where I left off, much like any other work-in-progress. Speaking of which, I was looking through some old posts the other day and realized I haven’t finished my Bye Bye Birdie Blanket. Oh, Chloe would be pleased to see that done!

I also have some other unfinished projects (no big surprise there!) that I am systematically planning to tackle. A couple of baby blankets that I will probably donate to CareNet, a doily or two, a scarf, some dishcloths. Okay! So I’m really hooked here … pun intended.

I am hopeful though that many of these projects are going to get tackled this year. Partly because I am going through a process of organizing at home and partly because I have some motivation from a group of friends who also love to crochet and knit. We held our first Crochet and Pray the other day, and have plans to get together again soon. We found a great Groupon for yarn!

So like all good works-in-progress, don’t give up on the Cottage yet. I think we have a great year ahead of us!

A New Cottage

Today's title is a reflection of the many changes of this past year. After a year's absence (not so constant, eh?) The Constant Cottage is back in a new home. A lot has happened since I last wrote and it is so hard to believe that we have moved from our cozy cottage in a small town by a river to a bigger community in a harbor . . . still in a relative cottage. My New Year's resolution is to write more - lucky you - and possibly pursue a writing career, perhaps as a magazine contributor or something like it. You know, work from home and make lots of money. Right. Well, at least I resolve to write something every day. So new cottage, new focus to the blog, and we'll see what else is new in the New Year. Happy 2008!

Blogged Down

I am a little behind in blogging this week. Aside from the fact that I haven't actually finished a have only completed one project this month - I haven't been feeling well. After a gi-normous migraine and two weeks of vertigo-like symptoms and little after-thought headaches, my doctor decided to run an MRI/MRA on my brain. Nothing turned up. Well, I do have a brain (a very young looking one according to the technician!) but nothing is wrong with it that can be determined by actual scientific methods. Drat! Now I can't use that for an excuse! I am still awaiting blood tests to see if there is anything amiss otherwise.

When I got home from the test last night, I found that Chloe's mom had sent me a new set of Korean teacups. Aren't they just beautiful?! What a treat to come home to. If there's anything I love more about the Cottage, it's the fact that it is just my style. In the post below you can see where I display my teacup collection - handed down to me by my Italian grandmother who used to go to Vancouver, British Columbia, with my grandfather and an aunt and uncle every year. Each year my grandma and aunt would bring back a teacup to commemorate the trip.

I've added very few to the collection of my own, but I have a few that are very special to me. One was purchased at a friends yard sale that used to be her grandmother's. (I tried to tell her the value of such a piece but she wouldn't accept the price) Another was given to me by a friend who had me babysit her teacups until she had a place of her own to display them. This one was also her grandmother's cup. One was a lovely memento of a Women's Retreat put on by our church. I was one of the speakers that year and what a memorable time it was. I'm sure this cup must have belonged to someone's grandma once - and by the time it gets passed down, I hope I will have been a grandma. Although as young as my brain is right now I'm really not ready for that yet!

Where Teacups and Crochet Converge at the Cottage

Completed projects in 2006

A running list:

January

• Woven stitch scarf
• Homespun Neckwarmer
• Homespun Shawl/Wrap
• Jiffy Baby Blanket
• Checkerboard/Tic Tac Toe Game
• Sunflower Potholder
• 'Little Boy's Blue' Homespun Hat

February

• B's Valentine's Purse
• Michaela's Purse
• Chloe's Purse
• Beatrice Shrug (for Crochet Olympics)
• Receiving Blanket
• Nathan's Blanket
• Morning Star Doily

March

• Fabulous Felted Bag

Fabulousy Felted!

Doing a little jig for the felting process! I think it turned out nice. Michaela says it's the cutest thing I've ever made (qualified with 'I wouldn't carry it') so it must look alright - she's the fashion guru of the cottage.

Speaking of the cottage - this pic is taken on one of the many rock-themed items in the yard. I took the advice of a CP-er who recommends using natural lighting to photograph one's work and thought this background would highlight the method of felting. Gives it an outdoorsy quality, eh?

About the bag, the off-white yarn did not felt as well as the darker colors (which I had presumed would happen because of the dyeing process of lighter yarns.) But I like that it has a different texture. The textured handle and upper blue portion (woven stitch) made interesting felt qualities which I love. So I will try unique stitches again in the felting process.

While it was in the washer I could hardly stand to leave it alone. I ran it through three times on hot. I agitated it with towels which I think helped it with the friction needed. And, yes, definitely love to felt so you will see more of this in the future! 

Pre-Felted Bag

I have no idea how this is going to turn out. Whatever happens, I'll be glad to know I tried. I worked mostly in sc, making it up as I went along - I used a relief sc, a woven stitch and finished the edge with reverse single crochet. I hope I didn't get too daring in trying to get some texture to it, but I saw the most gorgeous felted items at the yarn store yesterday and did not want to end up with just a plain piece of felt! I also crocheted a flower to attach after felting, which is what I will do with the strap as well. I don't want to take any chances of some areas felting well and some not. It's off to the washer now - wish me luck!