Heart CroMander

The little CroMander balls have been one of my most popular posts.
For that reason, I've decided to share another one with you all.
As with the previous one, the idea and the pattern are quite simple. But it is quite versatile and it can be embellished quite a bit according to your personal taste and the use you will be making of it.
Here's the pattern for the heart:
Beginning row: With a worsted weight variegated yarn or cotton thread and F crochet hook,
ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook.
Row 2- ch1 and 1 sc in first sc, 2 sc in next sc. Ch 1, turn.
Row 3-1 sc in same space as ch1, 1 sc in next 2 sc and 2 sc in last sc. Ch 1, turn.
Row 4-1 sc in same space as ch 1, 1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Ch 1, turn.
Row 5-1 sc in same sp as ch 1, 1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Ch 1, turn.
Row 6-1 sc in same sp as ch 1. 1 sc in next 7 sc, 2 sc inlast sc. Ch 1, turn.
Row 7-1 sc in same sp as ch 1. 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 1sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Ch 1, turn.
Row 8-1 sc in same sp as ch 1, 1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in last sc.
Row 9-1 sc in each sc across.
Row 11- First side:
Row 1- 1 sc in 7 sc after ch 1. Turn, don't turn ch 1 at end of row, simply turn the piece around.
Row 2-In sert hook in second sc from the loop in the hook and draw another loop, pass yarn through both loops on hook. 1 sc in next 6 sc. Turn.
Row 3-Ch 1, 1 sc in next 4 sc, 1 dec sc in next sc. Turn.
Row 4- Ch 1, 1 dec sc at beg of row and then 1 sc across.
Row 5- 1 sc across. Fasten off. Rep on the other side, reversing direction.
Repeat with the back of the heart. Fasten off.
With both front sides facing each other and back side facing you, slip stitch all around to join, leaving a small hole to stuff with Fiberfill.
Once stuffed, close hole.
Make blossoms as follows:
With petal color of your choice: Ch 5, slip sti to close. Ch 3, slip st and then make 2 dc in round, ch 3, slip st, 2 dc, ch3, slip st, rep around until you have 4 petals. Fasten off.
Sew blossons to heart randomly or following any design you like.
Sent with your favorite fragrance and enjoy!

If you missed the pattern for the CroMander balls you can get ir FREE

at any of these links:

http://craftybegonia.blogspot.com/2009/03/cute-frangrant-cromander-pattern.html
http://craftybegonia.blogspot.com/2009/03/cromanders-part-2.html
If you would like to see more of Craftybegonia's work, go here:
http://craftybegoniagallery.blogspot.com/2009/02/craftybegonia-art-of-crafts-and-crafts.html


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CroManders Part 2

If there is a word I could use to describe Craftybegonia, it would be "Imaginative."All of us crafters who work with our hands are creative people. All of us enjoy making beautiful things that people will enjoy, and Craftybegonia is all about that too. But all of us look at things in our own personal way, our personality shines through our work. And perhaps, in many ways, it characterizes is, it brands it, until it just shows us a little bit too.

Craftybegonia is all about making beautiful, one-of-a-kind, imaginative things, and making them with as much quality as possible so that the person who later owns them will be able to enjoy them fully. From sculptured crochet, to handpainted items, and from fun toys to delicate, almost dainty "clothing" for your tables, to gorgeous things for your walls. The aim is to make it not only handmade, but fabulous, and not only fabulous but inventive, ingenious, if possible innovative while at the same time, maintaining a high quaility standard. Craftybegonia is constantly growing in different directions. And don't be surprised to find new items, new ways of doing things, new "inventions" on things handmade.

One of those "Inventions" is the CroMander.

What is a CroMander? A crocheted pomander. I give these as a thank you gifts to customers. They are very useful and easy to make.
Spritz your favorite fragrance under the petals of the flowers and place the little ball at the corners of your lingerie drawer and everything will smell of you, not of laundry detergent or fabric softener.
You can also place them in your linen closet or just sew a ribbon to the top of them and hang them on your side of the closet where your everyday clothes hang. It will be a welcome site and scent in the morning!
Do you know a bride-to-be? Make a couple of these and she can put them in her suitcase.
You can make them larger, and perhaps hang one over your cat's litter box. . .The pattern is simple. Here it is:

CroMander

Materials:
Scraps of yarn in flower petal colors of your choice
Scraps of green yarn (you can make them in cotton if you like, I prefer to give them a green background as it it was the greenery under a real pomander)
2 2-inch Styrofoam balls
F hook

With petal color of your choice: Ch 5, slip sti to close. Ch 3, slip st and then make 2 dc in round, ch 3, slip st, 2 dc, ch3, slip st, rep around until you have 4 petals. Fasten off. Make as many as these little blossoms as you would like to cover the ball. I sometimes make them really tight, overlapping each other slightly, or I leave small spaces of green to be seen, you can do whatever you like. You can make them all of the same color or of different colors. You can place little pearls at the center, or sew little ribbon bows between the blossoms if you want to pretty-it.up, especially, if you are giving it away to a bride or a special friend.

Ball: With green, ch 2, 4 sc on 2nd ch from hk. Round 2: 2 sc on each sc of round.
Round 3: Ch 1, 1 sc in same space. 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc, around. Round 4: Ch 1, 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc, around. Continue this way, measuring your shape with the little styrofoam ball and adapting your crocheting to the contour of the ball. Once you are reaching the bottom of the ball, begin to decrease the amount of sts as follows:
ch 1, 1 sc in next 4 sts, insert hook into next sc and pull a loop, hold on hook, insert hook on next sc and pull a loop, finish sc by slipping yarn through both loops on hook (1 sc dec). Repeat this until you have only 2 sc left at the very bottom of the ball and then just pull the loop through them to colose them and fasten off. Sew all your flowers to the green covering in whatever design you like or randomly.

In this second installement of the pattern I wanted to include leaves not only so that you could see them incorporated to the pomander, but also to give you a complete pattern with them. Leaf: Ch 9, sc in 3rd ch from hook. 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 treble in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch and 1 sc in last ch.
In opposite side loops, repeat the same, ending with a slip st at the tip of the leaf and fasten off. Sew the leaf on any spot of the CroMander that you like.
You can make as many as you like, I decided only to make two for this ball. But you can make as little as 1 or as many as you want. You can also make all the blossoms of one single color or use various colors as I have. You can also use variegated and single colors as I decided touse inthis one. Enjoy!

This pattern is mine, do not sell it or distribute it as if it were yours. The term CroMander is mine, do not use for commercial purposes or attribute it to yourself or to your site. Thank you!
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To see the first installment of this pattern, go here:

http://craftybegonia.blogspot.com/2009/03/cute-frangrant-cromander-pattern.html

An Inspirationtal True Story
Back in 1932, I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little
apartment on Chicago 's south side. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis , where I was to
be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go.

Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis . I kissed Nettie good-bye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66. However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie
sleeping peace-fully.. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music. The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.

People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I
rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was 'Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead.'

When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and
joy. Yet that same night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart.

For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him anymore or write
gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well. But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis . Something
kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died. From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Malone's Poro College , a
neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, once into my head
they just seemed to fall into place:
'Precious Lord, take my
hand, lead me on, let me stand! I am tired, I am weak, I
am worn, through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light,
take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.'
The Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when
He will take me and gently lead me home.

-Tommy Dorsey-

Are you down of discouraged? God loves you, that is why he opened his arms and died for you. Real love is one Person: Jesus! If you want to get to know Him better, there's no other book like Steps to Christ. A sweet, short, beauttiful book. Read it online for FREE, here: http://www.stepstochrist.us/
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Granny Square Sweater Without a Pattern

If you want to make a special garment for a little one who is special and don't have a pattern, don't give up. It takes a little figuring out but you can make it! If you have granny squares lying around which you started for a project but got sidetracked and never finished enough of them for the project to be completed, you can make some cute sweaters with them. Let me tell you how. This is not a pattern, but more like guidelines which you can follow every time and not only for children's garments, but for any garment at all. When I was a teen, I wanted to make myself a crocheted dress. I had never made one before and had not pattern. Only mercerized crochet thread in a color I liked. My mom, who had been sewing for years, made me a pattern with brown paper. Took my measurements and transfered them to the general outlines of a dress in brown paper, and left me to fill in the space with the stitch of my choice and I did make the dress in a week! I later on unraveled it and made a cardigan with the same thread and wore it. And I also made it without a pattern. I love to work out of a pattern, but let's face it, we don't always have one for the garment we want to make, so, make one yourself! Here are the ways you can make the garment without a pattern. Method 1. If you sew or know how to make your own schematic, take the measurements of the child you want to make the garment for, transfer them to your drawing and then, enlarge them into a brown paper life size pattern and follow that. Method 2. You can take a sweater which belongs to the child, which fits him or her well and place it on top or a large sheet of brown paper and trace the shape. Then add the measurements you need to follow. Method 3. If you do not have a garment that belongs to the person you are making the sweater for, and do not have ready access to them to take measurements, or would like it to be a surprise to them, you can purchase a sewing pattern for a top for a child of the age and size of the one who will receive your gift, cut out the pattern, and trace the pieces in brown paper. Then use the brown paper pattern to make the sweater. Method 4. If you are going to make the garment in motifs, you can go to sewing chart sites online and copy the measurement for the size you are making it for. If it is a woman, size medium, for example, you can jot down the measurments, then, draw an outline in brown paper for the measurements you have copied and make the motifs to fill in the outline, pinning them to the brown paper and joining them with Irish Crochet filler stitches or just by sewing them together, much in a freeform style. There are many variations of these methods. Let's say you already have your pattern in brown paper lying on top of a clean table. Okay, decide how you will be using your granny squares, and using pins, attach them to the brown paper. Then, using dc, sc or hdc, crochet to fill in the space that is leftover. Follow the shape of the pattern for the sleeves, and join everything into a garment! That is all you need. You can do the same with skirts, jumpers, dresses, tops, cardigans, you name it. I will not tell you that this style of crocheting will take patterns out of your life, remember, I do love a good pattern myself, but it will free you like you wouldn't believe to be creative on your own and to MAKE your own patterns. I made a sweater similar to the one I am showing here, with a circular granny square in the middle of the back and it turned out gorgeous,and I gave it to Warming Families. You will be surprised at what you can accomplish. try it! It is safer than working out of your head, because you will be following the general guidelines of a design. If you have access to a garment, I have used that too, and it is nice. But you can improvise and use these tips the way that is more practical for you.

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