Cherry Pink Hexagon Dishcloth

I have been wanting to try making this dishcloth for a little while.  Now that I am done making Christmas presents, I can.  Here it is:

I didn't have enough yarn to add a scalloped border on the second one.

This was a fun and easy pattern to memorize.  It worked up quickly too!

Supplies:
Pattern: Crochet Hexagon Dishcloth by Mary Ellen Wells
Yarn: Peaches N' Creme #218 - Cherry Pink
Hook: US 7/G

Crocheted Ponytail Holders

Here's a cute little stash buster project:

Here is the close up of one of them:

In all honesty, these took maybe 10 minutes each to make by using the scraps of leftover cotton yarn from my dishcloths.  I can't wait for my hair to be long enough to use them myself.  For now, I am giving them away to my co-worker's that have daughters.  I need to make more purple ones by request though!  LOL!

Supplies:
Pattern: Ponytail Holders from All Free Crochet
Yarn: Leftover Sugar N' Cream Yarn
Hook: US 8/H

Mistletoe Granny Dishcloths

Here are some festive holiday colored dishcloths:

Here is a close up:

There are 8 dishcloths here.  Four are for my hubby's co-workers and the other four were a special request from two co-workers to purchase.  I do want to try and make some more just to see how many I can get out of one 12 oz skein of cotton yarn.  I am thinking that I may be able to get 2 or 3 more out of it, we'll have to wait and see.

Supplies:

Pattern: Granny's Diahcloth #2412

Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton #W277586 - Mistletoe Ombre

Hook: US 7/G

Scrap Granny Dishcloths

This is the final set of dishcloths for my MIL:

I love that the striped yarn worked out this way.  I did not plan it but I am glad that it worked out like this!

Supplies:

Pattern: Granny Dishcloth #2412

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Solid #108 - Morning Glory Blue, #112 - Poppy Red and Lily's Sugar N' Cream Stripes #23705 - Americana Stripes

Hook: US 7/G

Morning Glory Granny Dishcloths

Okay, I'm getting to the end of my yarn to make dishcloths for my MIL for Christmas.  Here's another set of blue ones:

Here is a close up:

As you can tell, I really love this pattern.  I think it is my go-to crochet dishcloth pattern.  I can complete one in under an hour.

Supplies:
Pattern: Granny Dishcloth #2412
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Solid #108 - Morning Glory Blue
Hook: US 7/G

My Winter First Hat

Here is a hat that I made for my hubby:

He announced in Webs a couple of weekends ago that he wanted me to make him a hat with three colors, gray, black and red to match his snowmobile.  I told him that I need to find a pattern first and I wanted to wait for a sale on yarn instead of buying it at Web's for $4.99 a skein.  These were on sale 2 for $5 at Michael's!

This was my first time making stripes!  After reading about making jogless stripes, these came out perfect!  I am so happy with it!  I now have enough yarn to make several more of these by mixing up the colors since I only used about 100 yards for one.

Unfortunately, this hat was too small to fit hubby.  I have figured out how to adjust the pattern and I will be trying again to make it for him.  This hat was bought by a co-worker to give to her nephew for Christmas so it will be put to good use.

Supplies:
Pattern: Regular Guy Beanie by Chuck Wright
Yarn: Loops & Threads Impeccable #01532 - Claret, #01040 - Black and #01044 - True Grey
Needles: US 6 on 32" Cables

A Plain and Fancy Christmas - Cynthia Keller

Summary from Good Reads: Raised in a Pennsylvania Amish community, young mother Rachel Yoder has led a simple life within her close-knit family. Widowed three years ago, she has moved back in with her parents, attempting to raise her daughter, Katie, without further emotional upheaval. Meanwhile, four hours and a whole world away in New York City, Ellie Lawrence is laser-focused on a high-powered public relations career, with too little time for her family, her friends, or even her boyfriend.

Then one fateful day, these two very different women receive shocking news of a mistake made three decades earlier and long kept hidden: Shortly after their births, the two were accidentally switched in the hospital. Shaken to the core by this momentous news, Rachel and Ellie are plunged into an exploration of who they are and where they really belong. While Ellie is eager to learn more about her Amish family and their life in the countryside, Rachel cannot help but feel jealous as she watches the only mother she has ever known bonding so easily with her natural daughter. But Rachel also knows that her own biological family is out there, and with Katie at her side she heads for Manhattan, where she establishes a connection with the raucous, spirited Lawrences.

As Ellie and Rachel make their way through unfamiliar landscapes, they face life-altering challenges and grapple with a crucial question: Will their old conventions and desires give way to new customs and yearnings? With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, it takes the love of two families for Rachel and Ellie to discover their own paths to fulfillment and happiness.

Rachel and Ellie were switched at birth in the hospital by accident 28 years ago.  The nurse who discovered the secret was protecting her alcoholic husband from losing his medical license if it got out sent a letter to the two girls explaining the situation.  Rachel tucked the letter away to be forgotton but Ellie wanted to meet her other family.  They both got a taste of their life that should have been and both came to some realizations about their lives and its affect on everyone involved.

This is the first book that I read from Cynthia Keller.  I really enjoyed it!  It was a nice and different Amish story that was a pleasant change from most other Amish stories.  I am looking forward to reading An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller next!

Hershey's Cloths

Here are some little paw shaped washcloths for Hershey:

I used some leftover scraps for these.

Supplies:

Pattern: Washcloths for Dog Tear Eyes by Sara Sach

Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream #19014 Chocolate Ombre

Hook: US 8/H

Meet Hershey!

I have been meaning to introduce you to Hershey, our new puppy who is a 14 week old chocolate labradoodle.

This picture was taken on the first day we brought him home.  He has been a wonderful dog!  He is so stinken smart too, that's the poodle in him!  He has already learned sit, stay, come, to play fetch and is working on how to stand up on his hind legs.

Here is a picture of him hanging out with me on Monday:

I am so glad that he is a part of our family!  He has helped both of us heal from the loss of Simba.

Red Ribbed Dishcloths

Here are a set of knitted dishcloths for my MIL:

Here is a close up:

I can't believe how long it takes to knit dishcloths instead of crocheting them.  I'm making her last two sets by crocheting them!  LOL!

Supplies:

Pattern: Dishcloth - Ribbed

Yarn: Lion Brand Lion Cotton Solid #112 - Poppy Red

Needles: US 7 on 24" Cables

Soft Pink Clapochet

Here is my first clapochet:

Here is the full length of it:

I made this for my mother for Christmas.  I started this on 11/14 and I ripped it apart on 11/15 and started all over.  After looking at pictures of other finished ones, I realized that I was counting my last 2 TR incorrectly.  No wonder it looked funky!  I also changed my hook from a J to a E!  I love the way it came out!  It is much tighter and neater!  I need to make one of these for me now!  LOL!

Supplies:
Pattern: Clapochet by Crochet Kitten
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft #9719 - Soft Pink
Hook: US 3.50 mm/E

A Plain and Simple Christmas - Amy Clipston

Summary from Good Reads: In the tradition of her widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery series, author Amy Clipston tells the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an Englisher (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.  So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother's wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae's visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it's God's will for the family to heal.When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, she doesn't receive the welcome she expects and her world begins to fall apart, leaving her to question her place in her family and her faith in God.

A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one's family, and the determination to follow God's will regardless of the outcome, A Plain and Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next right to the very last page.

Anna Mae and her Englisher husband, Kellan, want to visit Anna's family at Christmas.  They are expecting their first child and wants the child to know her family.  After being shunned from her family for three years, she longs to see all of them and have them back in her life.  She contacts her sister-in-law, Kathryn, to discuss the idea and to make plans for their visit.  Will her family welcome her with open arms?  Will it be a Christmas miracle to reconcile?

I loved this story!  I have read several Amish stories that involved shunned family members and this one showed how a shunning affects the whole family.  Some family members welcomed her openly, some were reserved and others forbidded to even talk to her.  In this story, Anna Mae has a wonderful, loving and caring Christian husband who care for her dearly.  Since he has no family of his own left, except for a sister in California, he is willing to help make ammends with Anna's family.  It shows how families can come together and reconcile with upcoming births especially at the holidays.  Thanks Amy for another wonderful Amish Christmas book!

The Christmas Singing: A Romance from the Heart - Cindy Woodsmall

Summary from Good Reads: After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes?

Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve.

Three years later, will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?

Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration.

When Mattie loses everything athat she had worked so hard for in a fire, she returns home to visit her mother around the holidays. When she arrives, she runs into Gideon, her former boyfriend, which she has not seen in three years. They ended on hard term believing that he was in love with an Englisher. Yet he was hiding the truth to protect Mattie. Will Mattie find out the truth? Will she forgive him and reconcile?

I really enjoyed this book! It is the first that I have read from Cindy Woodsmall and it will not be my last. But I must admit one thing, this book made me hungry. As Mattie describes the different cakes she made for Lizzie and Beth to sample for their wedding cakes. I wish I cold have sampled them! LOL! The was a delightful Christmas story that warmed my heart.

Naomi's Gift: An Amish Christmas Story - Amy Clipston

Summary from Good Reads: Take a trip to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, where you'll meet the women of the Kauffman Amish Bakery in Lancaster County. As each woman's story unfolds, you will share in her heartaches, trials, joys, dreams ... and secrets. You'll discover how the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle can clash with the 'English' way of life---and the decisions and consequences that follow. Most importantly, you will be encouraged by the hope and faith of these women, and the importance they place on their families.

Naomi's Gift re-introduces twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love and has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches---a time of family, faith, and hope for many others---Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family's quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a 7-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside-down. Naomi's story of romantic trial and error and youthful insecurities has universal appeal.

Author Amy Clipston artfully paints a panorama of simple lives full of complex relationships, and she carefully explores cultural differences and human similarities, with inspirational results. Naomi's Gift includes all the details of Amish life that Clipston's fans enjoy, while delivering the compelling stories and strong characters that continue to draw legions of new readers.

Naomi King has been heartbroken twice and has been labeled as an "eager" woman.  Caleb comes into town for the Christmas holiday to spend time with his family in Lancaster County.  He is a widower with a seven year old daughter, Susie.  Susie meets Naomi at the famer's market while she is working at the quilt stand for her family's store.  Susie is instantly connected to Naomi and their friendship blossoms the more time they spend together.  Caleb wants to meet Naomi but his nosy sister Sadie has someone else in mind for him.  Will Caleb and Naomi become friends?  Will Caleb go back to Ohio?  Will Naomi's heart get broken again?

I love these books!  The characters are so well developed!  I loved how Amy brought the familiar characters from the Kauffman series back for this festive holiday read.  After the holidays, I am going to sit down and finish the Kauffman Bakery series because I fall in love with them each time.  There are several Christmas Amish books that I would like to read before the holiday first.  Thanks Amy for another great story!

Americana Granny

Here is another set of my MIL's Christmas dishcloths:

Here is a close up:

I'm still not sure how I feel about this pattern of dishcloth with striped yarn.  I guess that I am expecting it to work out evenly and it never will.  I'll have to get over it!

Supplies:

Pattern: Granny Dishcloth #2412

Yarn: Lily's Sugar N' Cream #23705 - American Stripes

Hook: US 4.5/G