Boob beanies available

Be it in support of the importance breastfeeding

or breast cancer awareness, people are wearing boob hats.
What a phenomenon it has turned out to be!

So, thanks to a pattern from Inner Hooker,
I've been making and selling them for a few weeks now.
You can find them in many sizes in my Etsy shop
or you can email me directly at redhenstudis@aol.com.

Newborn to child sizes are $18-20 plus shipping.

They can be any natural skin color combination or all pink.
I have cute little pink and black skull tattoo appliques
that can be added if you would like.

Tween, adult and extra large sizes are $23-25 plus shipping.
Again they can be any natural skin color combination or all pink.
They come with a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness.

Are you man enough to wear a boob hat?
My neighbor Joe is showing support for his wife
who has had numerous breast biopsies lately.
I hear he rarely takes it off and proudly wears it everywhere.

Going roving

Awhile back I experimented with felting bowls

I'd crocheted from recycled sweater yarn.

It was an absolute failure.

Our new high-efficiency washer combined with unknown

yarn content and they didn't felt very, well, efficiently.

So I've bought some wool roving to try it with next.

The solid color yarns are Bernat Roving and

the multi-colored ones are from Crystal Palace Yarns.

Can't wait to show you what I have created!

Dog day afternoon, in January

Beautiful spring-like weather we have been having

here in upstate New York lately.

For most of the winter actually.

Since the sun was shining, I headed out to

a local park with the dog on Saturday.

None of the kids wanted to come with us,

preferring instead to play with new Legos.

Perfect day out for me with my camera

and Alice getting the chance to make many new friends.

Next time I am going to focus on "shooting" the dogs.

Here are some of my photos from that day.

Don't forget to click on the images for larger views.

Granny's homespun blanket

Hubby and I had a date night last week -- to the craft store!

Some women might wonder how I convinced him to go.

He was the one who need to go and I tagged along.

He needed some illustration board for a project,

and I got some to help with my company rebranding.

(More on that at a later date.)

While there, of course I had to look at the yarn aisle.

Not that my yarn stash needed any new additions.

Really couldn't resist these bright jewel tones

in Lion Brand Homespun Yarn though.

They were at a great sale price after all.

Having used the turquoise one for a hat in the past,

I was drawn to that colored yarn first.

The others fell into place after pulling out hue after hue

to see what would work best with each other.

Feeling its super-soft texture I knew I would make

a thick and comfy granny square afghan from it all.

Loving it so far!

This pattern works up so easily and quickly

and the bright colors are so yummy.

Thrift shopping

I went after-Christmas clothes shopping a few weeks ago.

Most people close to me know I really hate retail

and won't be surprised that my spree was at the thrift store.

TOTAL SPENT:

$77 (which is a lot for me in one outing)

WHAT I GOT:

7 pairs of boys' jeans -- Old Navy, Levis and Ralph Lauren

and Lucky Brand (retails for $100)

2 hoodies for the two smaller boys

Columbia ski coat and snowpants for the young teen

3 dress shirts for husband -- Eddie Bauer and Stafford

Eddie Bauer sweater and slacks for me

BEST DEAL OF THE DAY:

This West German gray wool pea coat for the older teen.

Thanks to Google Translator I know it's from the 1960s

and was made by Bulag of Auerbach.

"Bund ZB" stands for German Civilian Civil Protection,

whose members worked toward disaster preparedness

like as firefighters, EMTs, etc.

How cool is that?
He has a one-of-a-kind coat with some history.

Glad he likes vintage as much as I do.

Restocking the shop!

Now that the holidays are over, decorations are put away,

I'm well on my way with year-end and income tax paperwork,

and I have a new camera to photograph with,

I am ready to list new items in my Etsy shop once again.

Sets of beautiful silverplate flatware to reuse patina and all, 

or polish up and put to use at your dining room table.

Couple of real kitschy pieces, including this Moo-Cow Creamer.

I remember one just like it in my Grandma Johnson's hutch.

Vintage curtains and drapes are some of my best sellers.

Two new sets coming, both with a classic 70s color scheme.

This heavy wool blanket has been given

a new lease on life with a colorful rosy border.

I have dozens of plain blankets to give a similar treatment.

Another best seller -- floral sheets from the era my childhood.

Put them to use in your daughter's bedroom

or reuse in all sorts of home and fashion projects.

Beautiful Art Nouveau desktop calendar from 1911.

Such stunning graphic elementss and text!!!

I haven't decided if all pages will go together

or if it will be split up into multiple listings.

More paper ephemera will be coming soon too.

I've also decided to part with some of the charming

illustrated children's books from my own library,

including this famous one by Patten Beard from 1924.

Have fun shopping!

One last Christmas post -- with crochet directions

I know I'm running a little late on this,

since I am posting even after the Epiphany

but I don't think it can wait a whole year.

These are the Christmas-themed crochet projects

I worked on during the month of December.

For my son's kindergarten holiday party I made three hats

with the super-easy elf hat pattern from CrazySocks Crochet.

The other homeroom mom and I didn't dress up for Halloween

so we agreed to kind of get dressed up for Christmas.

The teacher and the two of us looked very festive!

The pointy crochet idea kind of stuck with me,
so  I started making decorations red and green too.

Specifically 75 Santa hats for immediate family members.

Yes, I said 75. I am one of 6 and my husband is one of 9.

Between our siblings, their spouses and their children

the numbers have really risen in the last few years.

Each red and white hat was packaged with a gold hook
for hanging as ornaments on the recipients' trees.
A nephew put his on a nutcracker from his collection.
(He's allergic to nuts, so how ironic is it
that he has a bunch of nutcrackers?)

Since I made quite a few of them while watching
"Gnomeo and Juliet," I want to make gnomes with beards.
I could also adapt my leprechaun hats this year!

As the holiday season wound down,
I used the same stitch pattern to make a few evergreens,
adorned with white buttons and glitter snow.
I simply stuffed them with polyfiber with unfinished bottoms
but felt or fabric could be sewn on as bases.

 CROCHET SANTA HATS OR TREES 

I used a H hook and worsted weight yarn in the appropriate colors. The ch 2 at the start of each round doesn't count as a stitch. At the end of a round, join to first stitch not the ch 2. (The best way of hiding your seam.)

Ch 4 and john in first ch to make a loop.

Round 1: Ch 2, 6 dc in loop, join with sl st to first dc. (6 dc)

Round 2: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 2 sts* twice, join. (8 dc) 

Round 3: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 3 sts* twice, join. (10 dc)  

Round 4: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 4 sts* twice, join. (12 dc)   

Round 5: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 5 sts* twice, join. (14 dc)   

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 6 sts* twice, join. (16 dc)  

Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 7 sts* twice, join. (18 dc)  

Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 7 sts* twice, join. (20 dc)   

The Santa hats are 8 rounds tall, 7 in red and 1 in white trim. The trees were anywhere from 6-9 rows tall. If you prefer something taller, continue on with the increase pattern until it is the size you would like.