I make a lot of swatches when I’m working on patterns. You know, working out patterns, figuring out the count. The color combo. When I was making the library tote for this month’s Craft Leftovers Monthly, it was same as usual. This time, instead of shooting for “coaster” sized swatches, I went for dishcloth sized!

I was cleaning out my studio yesterday and a print out of this quick dishcloth pattern fell out from between two knitting magazines. Perfect! The Garterlac Dishcloth by Criminy Jickets on ravelry here and on his blog here.

For one of the first times this year I sat outside on the front stoop to work. As I put my sun tea down I had a deep seated fear that I was going to crack the bottom on the concrete… no good. So what to do? How about crochet my own little spot for my sun tea.

This sweet little bunny was first published in the spring of 2008. It’s a unique construction because the base of the little hopper is knit like a heel flap. The first time I made him, I used some vintage acrylic and the last few times I used leftover cotton. You can use just about any worsted weight yarn for this project. I’ve even seen people use faux fur with some pretty fun results.

Last week while eating a tasty greek salad at Panera, I thought, “I should enjoy tasty salads more often.” Then I wondered, “Why don’t my salads taste this tasty?” Dressing! That’s the difference. Seriously, it’s that easy to take a salad from “meh” to “delicious!” Dressing is pretty expensive though. What’s a thrifty lady to do? [...]

I had so much fun crocheting up this little dishcloth. I was looking for something to brighten up the dull chore of washing the dishes. I had quite a few little bits of orange, blue and white. And a whole lot of pink and gray. I love the way it turned out.

In fall 2008, I made this really sweet neck warmer inspired by the autumn trees. Since we are heading into spring, I thought it would be a good time to dust it off, spruce it up, and re-release it.

This little box is a great way to keep all your note paper in one place. Cut mis-prints and other scrap paper into quarter sheet size and slip it right in. Grab it when you need it, store it when you don’t. Cover it with fabric or paper and it’s a nice decorative box to [...]

Keep your ears warm with this quick project. It can easily be made in one evening. Using just 50 grams of worsted wool it’s great for using up those balls of yarn residing too long in your stash. Jazz it up with some of your favorite buttons and you are ready to go.

I have a very bad habit of loving new pencils. When my pencils start to get short and stubby, they tend to get forgotten in the bottom of my art box. Well no more. I made this cute little pouch just for my short pencils. Now I’ll slip them all in there and make sure [...]