I haven’t been able to post anything in *such* a long time … have moved, twice now;  am working more hours at the office, and a host of other things …

About a year or so, I discovered a new craft – loom knitting … I’ve since bought a set of Provocraft’s Knifty Knitter Round Looms and a set of their Knifty Knitter Long Looms.  I have also bought the AKB 10″, 28″ and sock looms.  I never could get the hang of knitting with needles, and it always took so much longer than crocheting, but I can’t seem to put these down.

I have also recently taught myself the Tunisian Knit Stitch as well as the Afghan Stitch, aka the Tunisian Simple Stitch.  I prefer the Tunisian Knit Stitch, and plan on creating something with this stitch … someday … hopefully, sooner than later.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of things I’ve made in the last year.

Loom Knit Hat & Scarf Set for Office Holiday Gift Exchange

I will upload these pictures once I find which box my external hard drive was packed in.

A Co-worker’s 1st Grandchild’s Bear and Blanket

My co-worker became a grandparent for the first time in the past year.  His grandson’s name is Max.  I wanted to crochet a teddy bear  with fuzzy yarn, but discovered that my eyesight wasn’t good enough to see the stitches to crochet the bear.  So, I ended up loom knitting a small blanket with this fluffy yarn instead.  Here is a picture of the blanket and the bear before I personalized it:

Max's Bear's Blanket

Max's Crocheted Bear

Max Is My Hero

I wanted to personalize the bear for Max.  I couldn’t come up with exactly what I wanted to say, but my business partner, Mark, thought up the perfect phrase.  I made a cross-stitched ‘badge’ which I attached with velcro so that the bear could be washed, if necessary.  The ‘badge’ says “Max is my hero!”  Here are pictures of the Bear with the Badge and another one showing the full Bear and his blanket.

Max's Personalized Bear w/Blanket

Another co-worker’s Baby Gift Set

At the same time I was working on Max’s bear and blanket, the place where I work hired a new employee who was several months pregnant.  I would have loved to make her a bear, or some other amigurumi as a gift, but I didn’t have time to do that before her scheduled baby shower.  I also had LOTS of fluffy yarn left over from Max’s bear’s blanket, so I decided to loom knit a Baby Cacoon, a hat, a pair of booties and a ball.  Here is the picture of this Baby Gift Set:

Jaime's Baby Gift Set

Crocheted Dishcloths

As I soon as I figure out which box the crocheted dishcloths are in, I will be updating this post with pictures of those as well.   I hope to have these pictures really soon.

Here is another one of my cross stitch charts that I have digitized.  The PDF contains both a color chart as well as a symbol chart.  I worked this cross stitch design up on 14 count Aida cloth.  The grid size is 113 stitches wide by 103 stitches high.  If worked on 14 count cloth, the finished design is 5.07 inches by 4.21 inches, making the design 71 stitches by 59 stitches.

While going through my homemade cross stitch graphs, I came across this poem which was given to me 25 years ago .when I was stationed in Hong Kong while serving in the U.S. Navy.   I received this poem on May 15, 1985 while praying for those I knew who had not yet received Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Title: The Invitation
Grid Size: 150W x 210H
Design Area: 9.14″ x 13.43″ (128 x 188 stitches)

The Invitation

Stop longing and seeking
For that which you’ve sought
It’s here and it’s yours
And it cannot be bought.

For it’s paid for in full
On the cross of Calvary,
And I give it to you
And your whole family.

All that is required
Is that you believe.
Then ask Me to fill you
And then you’ll receive.

No one who asks
Shall be given a stone,
No one who seeks
Shall ever be alone.

I am reaching out to you!
O what will you say?
Will you let Me love you?
Or will you turn Me away?

Copyright 2010 – StitchMeKnot Designs – All rights reserved.

You can purchase this cross stitch graph here.

I just finished this crochet teddy bear for a co-worker who just passed her bar exam.  I took it into the office late last night to put it on her desk with the cross stitch design I made for her.    Looking forward to getting her reaction when I go into the office tomorrow!

You can get the pattern for this crochet teddy bear here.

I’ve learned a lot since making my first amigurumi just a few weeks ago.  I’ve learned how to:

• use the magic circle;
• make invisible decreases; and
• how to crochet tighter so that the polyfill doesn’t show through the stitches

These techniques definitely work at making a much better end result.  I’m quite pleased with the results.  I hope you are, too.

My friend / co-worker gave me permission to show the crochet teddy bear holding the stitched sampler I made her.  Here it is:

I’ve made another free Cross Stitch graph … this time a large cross.  I used only three small motifs throughout.  This is just another mini tutorial to show you how using a few very small motifs as ‘building blocks’ can create much larger, more interesting pieces.  The possibilities are truly endless.

This graph is 150 stitch W by 223 stitches H.  If this cross is done on 14 count cloth, the finished project measures  approximately 8.71″ x 15.29″.  I have graphed it in two colors, but you can do it all in one color, or use more colors.  You’re only limited by your imagination.

Feel free to use this graph to jump start your own creations.  Just leave me some feedback and/or a link so I can see your wonderful creations!

This graph can be downloaded in PDF format here.  Enjoy!  Please let me know if you like it, or whether it’s helpful to you to create your own designs!

I’ve just finished this collection of simple cross stitch circles and animal faces.  This was intended as a mini tutorial.  It’s just a wee collection to show you just a few of the myriads of ways to create some pretty neat creations with just a very small simple motif.  There were so many more that I wanted to share, but the file was getting a bit large.  My intent was to spark some creative ideas of your own.  I hope you enjoy, and are inspired by, this little sampler.  I hope to upload more soon.

Included in this sampler are just a few examples of how to make animal faces for those amigurumi projects that we are all so in love with.

This sampler is available in PDF format;  you can download the file here.  Please feel free to use these little samples to get your creative genius flowing to create your very own designs and graphs.  I would love to hear about what this sampler inspired you to create, so please leave me a comment and/or link to your own designs based upon this sampler!

Just finished digitizing another of my designs.  I haven’t yet decided whether to sell this one, or to leave it available to all who may like to have it.

The pattern is 47 stitches long by 155 stitches wide.  It takes approximately 779 yards of Cotton Thread No. 20 with a Steel US Size 9 Crochet Hook, and measures 34.1 inches wide by 11.3 inches high.

The PDF file is available here. Enjoy!

While praying about creating a project that would be encouraging to my customers and visitors,  the Scripture in Jeremiah 29:11 came to mind.

I pray that this pattern is a blessing to all those who come across it.

This pattern can be purchased for $2.00 in either my Bluejay Store or my e-Crater Store.  Thank you for visiting StitchMeKnot Designs!

I took this little guy to the office and he was a *big* hit! I was really pleased with how well he turned out for just my second amigurumi. I slightly modified the arms, and the next time I make him, I’m going to modify the muzzle a wee bit as well.

My business partner wants me to make him one. Just before taking the pictures he was carrying Squeaky Mouse around on his shoulder. Can’t get much of a better recommendation than that.

Since making Squeaky Mouse I’ve learned how to do the magic circle and the invisible decreases, so the ears will turn out better, and I’m now using a smaller crochet hook and crocheting tighter in an attempt to keep the holes to a minimum.

This pattern* was so easy and fun to make. I’ll be making more of him to give away.

* PLEASE  NOTE:  The pattern link is not broken.  The pattern is located at http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet_amigurumi/Squeaky-Mouse.  You may need to register an account or login to favecrafts.com first.

I am so happy to finally post an original design. As you most probably have figured out by now, I just LOVE roses. So I started playing around with my Rose Logo motif and this is what I came up with. I have a few more ideas stirring around in my head as to what else I can do with this. I’ll post a few of them as I tweak it some more.

Approximate Finished Size:

Crochet Cotton No. 30: width = 12.6 inches, height – 10.1 inches

The PDF pattern file contains graph, symbol graph, finished image, written instructions and instructions on basic filet crochet, as well as basic filet crochet increasing and decreasing.

Please leave me feedback about this design.  Do you like it?  What, if anything, would you change if you could?  Any/all suggestions or ideas are welcome!

THANK YOU!