La la la la Elmo's World

I couldn't help but get that song stuck in my head as I did this hat on barter with a friend.  I get a swank carrying pouch for my crochet hooks in trade for this hat. :D  I'm so SO excited!  She always makes the most fantastic things and I can hardly wait to see this one too!  BTW her link is, as always, on the right side of this page.  Leila owns Binding Threads Embroidery and does so much more than what's on her page.  If you have an idea, email her and she'll try to craft it up for you!  Leila knits, crochets, paints, sews and she's a fiber artist like no other.

Ok, now that I've given my girl a big head and mad props, on to her hat.  She's doing several projects right now and offered up a trade.  I am in need of something other than a small coffee can to put my things in for my "habit".  I've seen crocheted Elmo hats and they are adorable.  I wasn't sure if I could do one up myself.  In her email she mentioned her baby might like pompoms on it for the eyes or something.  Being that I suck with pom poms I offered to do a big pom pom for the nose instead of eyes.  I ran right down to the pom pom store in search of a giant orange one for the hat.  By pom pom store I mean AC Moore of course. :p  It took a good deal of looking though because, believe it or not, they're not a hot commodity these days.  I know.  Baffling.  hahaha  They really did have lots more than I expected and did have two large orange ones in a bag with others.  (Hint, I have an extra for another hat if you'd like one.) 

As it so happens I did not have my usual Red Heart yarn for this project.  I thought I did.  All I happened to have is Cherry Red Sport.  It's beautiful but but I wasn't expecting it to be so light so I got half way through the hat and realized it was just too darned big, unraveled the whole thing and started again.  I love what I do and I certainly want it to look as good as it looks in my head.  This one will look better after washing and air drying of course but heeeeeeeeeeeere's Elmo!

I had the eyes way too far apart and took them off and re-did them.  They really do look perfect when I don't squish the pom pom a bit upon moving the hat.  sigh.  I don't have anything like a wig holder or styrofoam head yet so I'm using whatever is handy.  Today it's a cd spindle. :p  If you would like one they are $20 and can be washed before they leave me unless you would like to wash them yourself (because some have allergies and use very specific detergents).

My Only Hope

"Han Solo: Well Princess, it looks like you managed to keep me here a while longer.
Princess Leia: I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for anyone to leave the system until they've activated the energy shield.
Han Solo: That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight.
Princess Leia: I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

Oh Leia, don't lie :p

What would be cuter than a Princess Leia wig? We all pretended to be Leia at one time or another. I saw a page a week or two ago with a felt hat that looked like Leia's hair, braided sides and all. After much thinking I realized I could whip one of those out in no time! I used the Coffee colored yarn again and on the sides I remembered a pattern for making an amigurumi snake, modified it and used that for the sides.




 I tried it on Lil Bit, which he hated because it's for girls, and the sides fit over the ears like ear muffs. Lil Bit loves to wear it around the house now. I did pull up the front a bit to make it look more like a hair line in the center. This little number is $25 and would be fantastic for Halloween or all winter long!

The spot on the top is flatter than it appears and once it's washed and air dried will settle just right. :)

One Eyed Wacky Monster

My kids come home with the strangest things sometimes.  For a couple of years we've had this little rubber/plastic finger puppet with an alien head.  It's very small but really funny.  The kids adore it.  They likely got it out of some dentist basket, "hey kids I'd love to give you candy so you'll be back quicker but the ADA asked me to stop doing that so here's a toy!"

I thought it was so funny I'd make a hat.  Two actually.  One is very large and fits an adult and another that fits Lil Bit and smaller.  Roughly ages 2-6 I would venture.  I was making this one for my nephew but since Lil Bit doesn't want to part with it, I may have to make another. :p


Two horns, one eye and a tooth.  The tooth is the funniest part I think, but one thing I noticed most about when the kids put on a hat ... they have it on sideways.  The tooth reminds them that it's the front.  And that they look goofy but really that's just a bonus.

Here's Lil Bit now.  The eye does seem a bit too puffy but I can either make it smaller with less padding or just make it flush with the hat.  That's up to you.  Please be sure to specify that when you order.  All hats are $20 unless otherwise specified.  I can change the colors on this one if requested.  Colors used are White, Spring Green and Coffee

Pumpkin King

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas came at an interesting time for me.  I was in high school and a friend of mine invited a LOT of folks over to his place to watch this movie when it came out on video.  What's so interesting about this?  Well it was a very cold evening and it was viewed by  a group of 20 or so teenagers...in the second floor of their barn.  It was actually really really cool.  AND I got to hang out with my very cool foreign exchange student and friend, Priscila Costa from Brazil.  (I've looked for her but do you have any idea how many Priscila Costas there are in Brazil?  Don't look, there's too many to name.)  So when I was looking through Etsy, as I SO often do, and came across another of so many great hats on Cutie Hats Etsy page.  Good ole Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King.  Not only as a beanie but as a beanie with ear flaps.  I had to try it!

Behold!

 I don't happen to have my young model here at the moment but this hat is for my nephew and is sized for a child between the ages of 2-6 or so.  (Lil Bit has a big head for his age and it's close fitting for him.)















I can make another in a jiffy for $25 with earflaps, $20 without.  (Halloween is coming and YOU could be Jack too!!!)