Just in time for Valentine's! Cupcake Clutch Coin Purse Released today

Who doesn't love a cupcake? How about one that lasts a long time and is zero-calories?! :) I present to you, the Cupcake Clutch Coin Purse!

I love making little, sweet projects - especially ones that work up quick and make an excellent gift for the people in my life! This little cupcake is a perfect pouch for the little things you want to take with you - from money, lip gloss, toys, but my favorite - I used it for all of my little travel sized bottles of essential oils when we went on vacation! Made it smell great! ;)

No matter what you use it for, or who you make it for, this cupcake is a delight to work up and the written pattern contains lots of great tips and tricks and includes info on how to add your beads as you crochet and how to add your kiss clasp to your finished project!

Visit the Ravelry listing for the supply list and to grab your copy! And follow my Jules Loves Yarn facebook page to be kept up to date on what's new and any promos I am running in my Ravelry store!

Happy hooking!
--Jules

P.S. This pattern is just $2CDN until 2/14/17, so grab your copy today to take advantage of this SWEET deal!! :D No coupon code needed - price will automatically adjust at checkout.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cupcake-clutch-coin-purse

Chata Swirl Hat {Crochet Pattern}

Mmmmm, Rum Chata is delightful and was a perfect companion while designing this new hat! :)
I know that there are no shortage of messy bun hats to choose from right now, but as a gal with long hair (who wears it up as much as down), I truly do love the concept. That being said, I like functionality and don’t want a hat that can only be worn half the time, so this one can be worn cinched up when your hair is down or cinched tight around your bun/ponytail.

This hat uses a chunky yarn and works up super fast (and who doesn’t like fast)! I'd love to see your creations too - be sure to head over to my facebook page to share your finished hats or post them in your Ravelry projects!!

www.facebook.com/juleslovesyarn

And grab your copy of the pattern here:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chata-swirl-hat

 

{Crochet} Flower Wreath

As with most of the crafts I do, I had inspiration! This wreath was inspired by the very talented Sarah from Repeat Crafter Me. If you have not checked out her blog (and liked her on facebook), you should! When I saw her Spring Wreath, I thought it was just so bright and fun, I had to make one of my own.

With my Mom's birthday coming up, I thought it would be a great project and a thoughtful gift, so I got to it. I decided that I wanted to use a grapevine wreath (instead of crocheting a cover around a foam insert), so I picked one up at Michael's for a whoppin' $5! And I liked the idea of a fuller flower, so I searched Pinterest until I found one I liked. You can use any flower pattern (in any colors you like).  Not only do the flowers work up very quick, it is great for using up small amounts of yarn!

The main flower I used was this one here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/10-minute-crochet-flower

I used this leaf for a couple:
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/triple-layer-flower.html%20

And some smaller ones:
http://www.lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/yarn/crochet/free-crochet-patterns/little-leaf-crochet-pattern/

For the little round flowers, I simply chained about 40-45 chains, then double crocheted in the 4th chain from the hook and to the end. Then fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing it together. Wrap it around itself until it looks like a little rosette. If you want to get creative, on a couple of the little rosettes, before fastening off, I went back along the row again and sc, ch2 into each stich to give it a little bit of dimension on the top. Go crazy - have fun!

Once I felt that I had made enough flowers, I also made a few butterflies:
http://www.finecraftguild.com/butterfly-free-crochet-patterns/

I made one with only the first round and last round so that it would be smaller than the others. I also put a little piece of wire into their antennae so that they would stick outwards.

Once I had finished all of my crochet, I glued them into my grapevine wreath with my trusty glue gun! Easy peasy!

Let me know if you have any questions!! If you make one, I would love to see your finished products!

Craftily yours,
Julie

{Needle Felting} Gigi the Giraffe

Meet Gigi the Giraffe! He stands about 7 inches tall and was a labor of love! :) Once again, this little critter was inspired by Jackie Huang's Woolbuddies.

His legs have wire in them so that they are bendable and it helps keep him stable so that he can stand on his own. Love this little guy so much - I may have to make him a friend!! <3 br="">

Thanks for looking!!

--Jules

I {heart} Needle Felting!

A girl can never have enough hobbies, can she?! Along with crochet, scrapbooking, jewelry making and my many other loves, needle felting is at the top of my list. I was originally inspired to needle felt thanks to the very talented author and illustrator (who happens to be a good friend of my sisters), Ashley Spires (check out her amazing books here)!! Ashley was a vendor at our local Flock and Gather Handmade Market (possibly the best handmade market EVER) and aside from showcasing her amazing books and original artwork, she had little needle felted finger puppets that were just to die for!! Being the crafty person that I am, I couldn't resist and asked her "How did you make these adorable things?" and being the crafty woman she is, she pulled out her raw wool and her barbed needle and gave me a 2-minute tutorial! Once I saw the process, I had to try it, so off to my local Wool Emporium I went and I have never looked back! 

This is Suki. His character was inspired by Jackie Huang's Woolbuddies Sea Turtle.

Some of my first creations were a little crude, but the great thing about needle felting is that you can keep poking until your creation takes the shape you want. And you can always add a little more wool. :) Also, you need no pattern - just an idea or picture in your head and you just poke until you get the results you desire! It is also a great way to get out any pent up frustration (nothing like repeatedly stabbing raw wool to form shapes)! Note: the special barbed needled for felting are VERY, VERY sharp. I cannot tell you how many times I have poked myself a good one!! Won't stop me though...

These are a few of my felting needles (the holder is quite handy) and what the wool looks like before you poke it into shape.

When I had my bunion surgery last October, my sister (always nurturing my creative side) brought me the most fantastic book - Jackie Huang's Woolbuddies.  I have made many of the amazing little critters in this book (including Simon & Fredric) and cannot wait to make more. :) If you are new to felting, or want to try it out, I would highly recommend this book as it not only showcases some of the cutest critters around, but there are lots of great tips and techniques outlined within.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments!  And happy crafting!!

--Julie

Chunky Crochet Baskets

I always need baskets/containers to tote things around and when I saw this pattern on Pinterest, I HAD to make one (or three...)! I made a few modifications to the pattern - found here.

You can use any kind of chunky yarn - I used the roving wool from Martha Stewart Crafts. It has a rating of 5 - Bulky, but to make the baskets a little thicker/sturdier, I used two strands at a time. I also used an 11.50mm hook, as I crochet quite tight. Gauge is not important here, so do what works for you. :)

Also, instead of working in the back loop only on rows 9 & 13, I continued working through both as I normally would and changed up my color as I felt like it. On my Navy/Purple and Aqua/Gray baskets, I did the recommended 6 rounds on the bottom. On the Coral/Mint basket, I did 8 rounds. It doesn't hold its shape quite as well as the smaller ones, but it sure does hold a lot of yarn!!

Can't wait to make a few more!

Thanks for stopping by,
Julie

 

 

Time for a change!

Hello friends! It has been a LOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGG time since I have paid much attention to this little blog of mine! Between my photography blog - Photo Jules, facebook and Pinterest, I haven't got around to posting much about my crafting. I used this blog primarily for scrapbooking in the past, but that is all about to change (for better or worse)! I still LOVE to spend time paper crafting, but my other crafty loves deserve some attention too! So, I will *try* to post pics and patterns of my crochet projects, some pictures of my felting and maybe a little Rainbow Loom and other crafts now and then. I am very excited to share some of my other passions here and I hope that you will enjoy it too!

Thanks for following me!
--Jules