What a year!

Today Hubby and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It feels like the wedding was just last week. It was exactly what we wanted! The only thing that could have been better would have been if the friends and family who we invited and couldn't be there could have shared it with us. I love him even more today than I did a year ago, and I think that I am without a doubt the very luckiest!!!

When it comes to anniversary gifts, I don't really go for expensive and dramatic gifts. I prefer to do something and build happy memories - a nice meal out, a weekend getaway, a show....something we can enjoy together. So we spent the weekend celebrating. We had hoped to finally take our honeymoon, but with him still in school, and me having just started a new job, that didn't work out. On Friday night we went to see the Blue Man Group - and we both loved the show. Then we spent the weekend enjoying each others company. On Sunday my parents took us out to dinner to celebrate.

Today I worked and he had school, so we just had a casual dinner locally. Nothing special, but a nice relaxing evening. Of course memories are great, but presents are also fun, so we decided (inspired by my niece) to go the traditional gift route. This being our first anniversary is our paper anniversary.

I treated my Honey to some paper - a subscription to his favorite magazine, and a mushy book about how much I love him. He treated me to a funny new Hiaasin novel and the BEST GIFT EVER!!!

I happen to be a fan of Sponge Bob, and my Honey made me a gift so cute, so sweet and so incredibly romantic! I'll cherish it forever!!!

When we first started dating, he told me that he loved me. Without losing a beat, I asked "why?" I wasn't being a smart-ass - I really wanted to know. Now, whenever he tells me he loves me, I ask why. It's one of those little nauseating things we do.

So today, my wonderful husband gave me an adorable pinata (paper) of Sponge Bob, and inside he filled it with about 120 colorful little pieces of paper upon which he wrote reasons why he loves me! I think it's the BEST gift EVER!! It came from the heart, it's beyond romantic, and it was so much fun to read all the little notes. And mixed in with the papers where Riesen candies - one of my favorites - not a gift - just packing material - chocolates aren't paper.

So my gift was lots of riesnens why he loves me, and just another reminder of how many reasons he gives me each day to love him!

I'm very very lucky! I married a wonderful man, and I look forward to building many more memories with him over the years.

Many thanks to all the friends and family who have wished us happiness, and who have shared our happiness with us!

Little Boy Blue Cap

Since most of my prior hat designs are a bit “girly”, I had set out to design something for little boys. This is what I came up with.

Little Boy Blue Cap

2 colors of baby yarn (I used Bernat Softee Baby)
G hook

Main Color – color A
Contrast Color – color B


With Color A
Start with a magic loop
1) ch 2, 7 hdc in loop (8 hdc)

2) 2 hdc each st, join w/ slip stitch to complete row – (16 hdc)

3) ch 2, 1 hdc in same stitch, ( 1 hdc , 2 hdc next ) around, join w/ slip stitch – (24 hdc )

4) ch 2, 1 hdc in same stitch, ( 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch), join w/ slip stitch – (32 hdc)

5) ch 2, 1 hdc in same stitch, ( 1 hdc in next 3 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch) around – (40 hdc)

When joining – switch to color B – start your slip stitch as normal, but when you pull up your loop, pull up color B instead. Do not cut color A – let the yarn hang loose inside your cap.

6) ch 1, sc around (40 sc), join w/ slip stitch and change to color A (let color B dangle)

7) ch 2, hdc around (40 hdc), join w/ slip stitch and change to color B (let color A dangle inside work)

8-13) repeat rows 6-7
at the end of row 13 do NOT change colors – you will be working with color A

(the last row of the pattern may be a bit challenging for beginners. You will be doing alternating stitches with color A and color B. All of your stitches with Color A will be hdc, all of your stitches with Color B will be Back Post HDC. You can find an online tutorial on how to do a back post hdc here.)

14) With color A chain 2 (this counts as your first hdc), now switch to color B and do a Back Post hdc in the next stitch, pick up color A and do a hdc in next stitch. Continue this pattern all the way around – this will create a ribbed edge to the hat with each stitch alternating between colors.

I called this hat Little Boy Blue, but little girls can wear it too!

As written, this cap is for newborns, but it can easily be modified for larger kids or adults. Just adjust the size of the crown as needed before starting the pattern rows. By making the crown larger, and by adding pattern rows as needed, this hat can be made in any size you desire.



Please feel free to use this pattern for charity and/or personal use.
I ask that if you use this pattern please donate one finished cap to:

Marine Corps Kids
1570 LaCosta Drive West
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027

You can read more about Marine Corps Kids here.

Tiny Twins

With the help of my friend Angie, I finally finished the second blanket for the tiny twin girls in Texas. It's my hope that they girls have already outgrown these little sweaters, and can dress their dolls in them in a few years.

Credit for the patterns goes to Lyn from Angelcrafts for her sweater and hat design and for inspiring the flower trim on the blankets, and to Norma's needle design for her 8" square pattern.

Baby Baby!!

More great hats for Marine Corps Kids!!! Crochetville's laurah4200 sent these three hats. The purple and yellow hats are my O Baby pattern. The lilac hat is a GREAT spiral design! I haven't seen anything like it, and I just love it!!! I'd love to try that pattern myself!!!

Thank you, Laura, for your support! Your work is beautiful!

More hats for Marine Corps Kids

I just received two more caps for Marine Corps Kids. These two come from Ft. Payne, AL.

I love the color you chose, and the pink bows are an adorable touch!

Thank you so much for your support!

I continue to get requests for this pattern. Thanks to everyone who has shown interest!!!

New job

Well, I've been on my new job for over two weeks now, and I'm very happy to be there. Don't get me wrong, I have to learn a lot, and the company just moved - it's just me here full time, and everything is in the air, supplies are packed, lots of fires to put out, and I go home at night tired, stressed out and with a headache. It feel GREAT though to be involved in a start up, to be really productive, and to be working with intelligent, hard-working people. I'm really pleased!

It's cutting into my crochet time though. I'm working on some blankets using my edgerydoo, and will post pictures over the weekend. I'm just too tired to deal with it now.

Donations to Marine Corps Kids!

Today I received my first two donations for Marine Corps kids! I'm delighted. It's so exciting that people care and are sending their beautiful crafts for the kids.

The four hats were donated by Christi from Mississippi. The yellow hat is for a baby and the other three for toddlers or young kids.

The candy colored hat was sent by Tabitha from Missouri. The colors are so cheerful and I'm sure it will be adorable on a baby girl.

Thank you both for your donations and thanks to everyone who is crafting for this great cause and showing your support to our troops and their families!

Marine Corps Kids projects

These will be going to Marine Corps Kids.

Using the graph pattern for the logo, I made this Carriage Cover. It's a very small blanket, but should be just right for over the carriage or car seat.

I also used some iron-on transfers to make these bandanas to send to some of the older kids.

Cindy's Ripple

It's been a really long time coming, but my dear friend Cindy bought some beautiful yarn and asked me to make two afghans for her to donate to the clinic where she volunteers. I've finally finished the first. This is the first ripple design that I've ever done. It's a very easy pattern, but this one is done in all single crochet, and for an adult size blanket it took forever. I'm going to see Cindy this week, and will give this to her. Then I'll have to start working on the second. It will be the same yarn, but I'll need to see if she wants it to be the same pattern. I can do another, but if I do a granny square pattern or a different design it will be done faster.

All in all, I think this came out very nice, and its very soft and warm. It's done in three shades of Lion Brand Homespun Yarn.

Marine Corps Kids Logo Graph

As I blogged a few days ago, I've been working on a bulldog pup chart pattern for the Marine Corps Kids Logo. The chart is above. Please feel free to use this chart for Marine Corps Kids charity projects. This chart should work for crochet, knit, cross-stitch, or canvas projects. I am working on making a carriage cover from the square that I have made.





If you would like a copy of this chart in a pdf file, please send an e-mail request to delia.mck@gmail.com

Back in the saddle, again

I started my new job yesterday, and it feels good to be back in the saddle!

For the last 4 1/2 years I worked for a very nice man, but I had a job where I was horribly under-utilized and had no chance for advancement. I did get some good experience, and it was a good job, but it was time to move on. Now I have a new job as Director of Operations and Administration for a company that was just purchased. We have existing business, but it's a new company and its exciting to be involved with starting something new.

There will be some frustration and long hours in the beginning as we get set up and deal with the transition. This will no doubt cut into my crochet time, and thats quite annoying, but it feels great to be productive again and to have a chance to learn and advance.

Now I have to get back to my crocheting.