More often that not, my kids do not enjoy cleaning up their toys (shocking, I know). But I have found that turning it into a game will win over even the crankiest toddler. One of our favorite games is pretending that toy bags/containers are hungry monsters. A fine tradition inherited from my father, who was the master of the toy monster game. When the bag for our magnet blocks got completely destroyed, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take the toy monster game to a new level with a lovable yet hungry crocheted monster. So this pattern is basically a crochet project AND a parenting hack, all in one. Score. 

Summer is in full swing, and in the US that means county fair season. I've always wanted to enter a county fair and last year I finally did it. It was a fun experience overall and everything I entered ended up with a ribbon, which was neat (although I still have zero clue what to do with said ribbons). So why not do it again? This year our local fair has a special crochet category for an item inspired by a vintage style. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try my hand at crocheting a cloche hat. The hat is fairly simple looking, so it probably won't be a ribbon contender. But I don't really mind because it's an excuse to make the cloche hat I've always secretly wanted. 

Sometimes I like to pretend to be the Yarn Whisperer. A large portion of my yarn stash consists of unmatched skeins and I'm never quite sure what to do with them. So I'll often pick up a skein, look at it for a while, and ask it what it wants to be. This particular skein was quite insistent that I show off its stripes and that it have a nice soft drape. (Don't worry, the yarn doesn't actually answer back.) A moss stitch seemed like the perfect solution. But what to make with the moss stitch? Well, I needed to make a lovey anyway, so why not? Then something about the colors whispered, "paaandaaa" and thus this lovey came to be! Whether or not your skeins speak to you, you can benefit from my crazy and enjoy this cuddly panda lovey pattern. 

A couple months back, I put together a photo tutorial for the C2C Moss Stitch. And you all have been rocking it! I've loved seeing your finished washcloths and hearing about your ideas for using the stitch. But the original tutorial only included instructions for making squares. Since I've been getting a lot of requests for a rectangle photo tutorial, I finally put one together! So now you can make quadrilaterals to your heart's content. (Just like last time, this is not a stitch that I invented; this is just another resource for anyone else like me who prefers photo tutorials. I've been told that Polly Plum is the inventor of this stitch, so full credit to her for this clever construction and be sure to check out her site and send some crochet love her way.)

I've always loved rainbows. I mean, who could resist all those lovely colors? Even though it's a simple matter of light and water droplets, they still seem somewhat magical and mystical. And they make a very fitting symbol of hope, creating beauty after a storm. I'd like to think that they're a quiet reminder that after tragedy, joy is still possible.
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After some personal ups and downs recently, I found myself contemplating the nature of grief. I won't bore you all with philosophical ramblings; suffice it to say that I kept coming back to the mental image of a rainbow. And I felt like I should crochet a rainbow. A huggable rainbow. 

Strawberry season is upon us! And I could not be happier. I LOVE strawberries. But there comes a point when maybe you shouldn't have bought yet another flat of strawberries...because now what are you going to do with them? And that, my friends, is where Strawberry Padeedledunk saves the day! This classic treat is super simple to make and doesn't require any special baking know-how. The filling has just the right amount of sweetness without being overpowering and the crumble topping is what dreams are made of. So what are you waiting for?