Doors' Jim Morrison Afghan

People at Crochetville suggested a Jim Morrison afghan so here he is!
(Images are clickable for enlargement).






This is huge! It's 60" by 50"

It's done in tunisian afghan stitch with a size N cabled afghan hook.
The yarn is Caron One Pound in white and black and
Red Heart brand is Ocean.






I had difficulty taking photos and trying to fit it all in. (Oh dear. Look at my end table there. It's a miracle I can find anything at all on it). LOL!!






I had to try from different angles so you could see his arms too.


Then I had problems trying to upload the photos to photobucket because they are too huge, (even with cropping).
In fact, I'm still trying to upload the last pics as I type this.

Here's the front once again, and the back.






I've also attached a label to the bottom right with my name on it.
This will be up for sale on ebay soon.

John Lennon Self-Image Purse

Yes, another John Lennon thing. He's great. What else can I tell you that you don't already know? LOL!!
(Images are clickable for enlargement).

I made this bag similar to the Mad Tea Party bag from January. It has a crocheted self-drawn image John once drew on the one side, and bold vertical stripes on the other.






It is all one piece like the teapot, only instead of starting on a side and working through the teapot graph and then the stripes for the back; this time I began with the graph up-side-down so, from the top of John's head. Stitched the graph to the bottom of his head. Then continued to what would be the back and made stripes. That's why these are horizontal whereas the teapot's are vertical.






I used the wiggles purple yarn and lots of bold colored left-over yarns from previous projects. The handle is flat this time, (I didn't make it into a tube and stuff it like last time.) The button. Can you see it in the last picture? It's a green apple. Hee hee!!!!! (I love it when things all work out just right!) This bag is really neat!

My New Etsy Store - Pop Art Yarn

Just wanted to let you-all know I've opened up an etsy store called Pop Art Yarn
I'm loading these stitched purses in there right now. It takes forever!

Stitch & Zip card Cases - Slytherin Style

I love Hobby Lobby. When they have a discontinued item, they immediately mark it down half price. And they always have great stuff!

Last month, I was in the cross stitch aisle and saw some Stitch & Zip kits on sale. I grabbed them all. I couldn't help but notice that, althought the teapot ones were cute, they had a dark green velvet back to them. Slytherin green.

And the one with the black velvet back was supposed to be all these items you'd find in a ladies purse. Well, not for me. Not when I have a gridded Snape pattern waiting in the wings....

They are not done in a true cross stitch. It is more like a half-cross stitch. (Like you would use for plastic canvas or tapestry embroidery.)

So, here are my finished card/coin purse cases...






I took a ton of pictures. As you can see, there are two with the Slytherin snake mascot on them and one is a portrait of the Potions Professor Severus Snape. (The picture is from the first movie during the Halloween Feast when it is announced there is a troll inside Hogwarts somewhere. Snape looks very concerned)






These are the backs. It feels like velvet. I'm not sure about the actual material. And the other shot shows one with a zipper open. All the zippers had to open along the side because the images I chose were long so I couldn't make them with the zipper starting at the top.




The snakes are exactly the same. Just different backgrounds. (I like to think of it as Slytherin wallpaper). LOL!!




Here they are unzipped all the way so you can see the insides. Lots and lots of thread. Snape's was the hardest with tons of colors. I will probably sew my new lables inside here but I'm not lining it. The threads are all secured underneath other threads as best as I could do. I don't think they will come out. I think it's important to see the work that goes into these.

I'm thinking of selling them at etsy. I have a pattern for each of the house mascots, so, if I see any Hufflepuff (is it blue?) or maroon (gryffindor), or yellow (Ravenclaw), I can make some of those too. These are a lot of fun but the kits, full price are expensive (as you can see from the link at the top of this post.) I don't think I'd ever do another Snape. He was way too hard.
And to really appreciate him, you need to step back a bit from the purse and look. But he is really awesome!

Yop! We Are Here! Afghan

I'm late. I wanted to finish this in time for Dr. Seuss' birthday, (March 2nd, 1904). But better a week late than never so here goes...




(Click on photo for enlargement).
It needs some explaining for those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Seuss books.

It represents a pivotal moment in a book by Dr. Seuss called "Horton Hears a Who".

In the book Horton, (an elephant), stumbles upon what he thinks is only a speck of dust; only to find it is actually a whole other world full of people, (Whos).








The turquoise in my afghan represents the "dust speck", (planet); the orange is the outside world, (Horton's world).
I chose these colors because they were popular colors used by Dr. Seuss in his many books.

When the Whoville scientist searches high and low for more people to make a sound so that their world doesn't end up boiled in a soup, he finds little Jojo, (the quiet child not making a sound, but simply playing with his yo-yo), and pleads with him to make a sound. Any sound. To be heard.

The word "Yop!" is the word spoken by little Jojo.

The words "We are here!" are shouts by the other Whos who finally get heard in Horton's world thanks to Jojo's tiny voice.

I love this book. It's one of my many favorite books by Dr. Seuss. It's the book you want to read and reread with your kids to show them that one person's voice does matter. One person can make a difference. (Be he Jojo or Horton.) And that we don't need ears as big as Horton's to hear the cries of help from people. We just need to listen better.

When I designed this afghan, I had to download a Seuss font first. (Yes, there is a Seuss font!) Then I made the picture in my "pictures" section on my laptop. When my laptop completely failed last year, I thought this was lost. But I have recently begun finding a lot of things that were and are still stored inside the laptop. I downloaded the graph and started working on it. I didn't want to lose it again.

I think Dr. Seuss, (Theodor Seuss Geisel), was a genius and a fantastic author/artist, (no matter how controversial). (How many people can we not find fault with now-a-days?) I know he helped me to read. I think Green Eggs and Ham was the first book I ever read. I also love The Lorax book and many, many others.

This afghan can be interpreted by anyone to mean anything they choose, (just like the story itself).

As for me; I hear Whos all the time. (They are all around us, really).
I am the little child in the room not making a sound. (I am probably crocheting something.)
I guess this afghan is my "Yop!"

Look out world!
I have yarn and a hook, and I'm not afraid to use them!

Postcard From The Edge (of a Shelf)

This came a couple of days ago and I had to share it with you.





(Click on the pic for enlargement).

A beautiful e-mail postcard of our New Snape perched atop the shelf in North Carolina with his new Moose friends.
Enclosed in the e-card were these words from New Snape's new Keeper of the Keys...

"The infamous wizard known as Severus Snape, formally
the Potion Master of Hogwarts and recently accused of
assassinating Albus Dumbledore, has been sited! After
the terrible events at Hogwarts, Snape disappeared
from the scene, sparking much controversy and a
man-hunt as large as that conducted on behalf of
Sirius Black several years ago. Magic folks and
Muggles alike have searched in vain. However, some
secret sources fortunately did manage to track the
clever wizard's freedom flight through informants,
chocolate frog wrappers, Amazon.com receipts,
discarded shampoo coupons, a half-eaten meat-pie, and
alert, postal service workers [wizards and witches
disguised as Muggle mail clerks] who will remain
nameless.

Having successfully eluded the Ministry of Magic,
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Rita Skeeter, a
tax-collector, US Immigration, an encyclopedia
salesman, a cheeky "evil" twin, and three sassy,
single American waitresses who fell in love with his
British accent, Snape found the perfect hideout: the
shelf of a sweet, unsuspecting, Southern Muggle
knick-knack collector who loves to display all her
best treasures. Aided by an enigmatic woman known as
Madam Kelly and using some ancient, home-grown magic
arts and spells, the crafty Snape transformed himself
into a hand-made doll and allowed himself to be mailed
to the Murphy Muggle. Apparently, there was some type
of love-at-first site spell in play because the Muggle
became especially enamored with her new "doll," giving
him the highest place of honor that she had in her
home.

When asked how it felt to be mailed via the American
Muggle post, sources say that Snape simply smirked and
replied, "Best rest I've had in years. The benefits of
sleeping on packing peanuts should be explored
further." Our sources continued to probe Snape for
details indicating concern over his unusual choice of
hideout. Sources say that Snape smirked again and
said, "The Moose doesn't talk, and as for the rat,
well, I've dealt with his kind before..." [ See
picture] The plaid bear and the baby moose refused to
comment.

So, as the Magic and Muggle world are gearing up for
the final showdown against He Who Must Not Be Named
and his followers, the man of the moment--the wizard
to watch--waits quietly on a shelf in a sleepy, rural
town. It is still to be determined exactly which side
Severus Snape is on--die-hard death eater or loyal
Phoenix spy? The trademark smirk reveals no secrets
about those theories. However, sources can confirm:
he likes the artificial fish bow simulator, the fact
that his new hideout offers shades of Slytherin green,
and the unsuspecting Muggle's admiration of her brand
new wizard "doll," although he isn't quite used to
receiving that many hugs... "

Original Snape especially likes the little Slytherin-green moose and hopes his personality matches those traits common to all Slytherins. I'm sure New Snape will be very happy, (well, as 'happy' as Snape can ever be), in his new home.
Thanks for the picture!

A Tale of Two Snapes

This all began, about a month ago now, when a Potter fan from North Carolina requested a Snape doll like the one I first crocheted about two years ago.
Snape was the first doll I had made.
He was the simplest one to make too.
No flashy, sparkly yarns or clothes. Just black and a palid color for his skin.
How could I refuse this request? Snape is also my favorite character in the Potter series and I can totally relate to anyone who also feels connection with him.
So, this is my Snape doll for K.T.








New Snape is to the left, original Snape is to the right.




But it wasn't long before things got ugly. This new Snape was quite a sly-looking, crafty individual. An all-too handsome foe that Original Snape had a hard time dealing with. How could Original Snape be expected to share the limelight with this,...this,.....Imposter!!!




When he got a nice fancy label sewn to his back, (something Original Snape had yet to receive), that's the moment my original Snape started harboring bad thoughts about this "Imposter Snape", (as he would call him).




Clearly, the town of Carmel was not big enough for the likes of two Snapes. Original Snape was begining to plot disasterous scenarios involving both Snapes atop my crocheted Hogwarts castle.




(check my archives for tons more pics of the castle and dolls)

And, being the only Snape with a wand, Original Snape had every intention of eliminating his slick, albeit devilishly handsome, adversary.

Luckily, I received payment for New Snape just yesterday and he will now be apparating his way to North Carolina today.
Original Snape is very pleased to find out that New Snape will be sharing a shelf with a stuffed moose.




Revenge is sweet.