Monster Baby Booties

 Knitted Monster Booties- Size 0-3 months

Supplies:

Pattern
Suede yarn (other yarn for the sole with work too)
Fuzzy yarn
Double pointed kitting needles US size 6/ 4mm
Scissors
Darning needle
Pencil

Instructions:

Sole:

• With the suede yarn, long tail cast on 10.
• Row 1-16: stockinette stitch*
• Row 17: k2tog* k6 k2tog
• Row 18: purl
• Row 19: k2tog k1 k2tog k1 k2tog 
• Row 20: Cast off using the purl stitch
• Repeat above so that you have 2 soles 
• Use the darning needle and weave in ends

(the sole on the left is the purl side up and the sole on the right is the knitted side up)

Bootie:

• Switch to the fuzzy yarn to pick up stitches on the purl side. 
• Use 4 double pointed knitting needles to spread the stitches around the boarder of the sole. Start with picking up 8 on the heal, 11 on the right, 7 on the toe and 11 on the left.
• Row 1-8: knit
• Row 9: k19, skp*, k3, k2tog, k11
• Row10: k17, k2tog, k5, skp, k9
• Row11: k16, k2tog, skp, k1, k2tog, skp, k8
• Row 12: k15, k2tog, k3, skp, k7
• Row 13: k3, k2tog, k3, start the ribbing: k1, p1 alternate
• Rows 14-18: alternate k1, p1 (for the ribbing)
• Row19: bind off with k1, p1
• Use the darning needle and weave in ends

Claws:

• use darning needle to stitch on the claws

Please do not sell. This pattern was created with a friend of mine and is for personal use only.

*NOTES:
stockinette- alternate knit and purl stich
k2tog- knit 2 together
skp- slip1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over
ribbing- alternate k1, p1

If you need help with knitting or knitting terms http://www.knittinghelp.com/ is a great website that I used when I learned to knit.



This is my 5th time making these baby monster booties. I love this pattern because it is a adorable, quick and an easy knitting project that packs a punch. I like to space the project over 3 days. It takes me about 1 hour to make the soles and 3 hours for the each booties with the claw detail. (I would say I am not the fastest knitter and knit at a medium speed. So it may take you less time.) This project can be done in a day, but I would not recommend it. Your hands will be tired. My favorite yarn to use for the fuzzy part is the Red Heart Buttercup yarn. I get it at a Michael's craft store. It comes in pink, blue, and multi colors. This most recent time I use the multi color with pink, green and yellow. As for the suede, I got that at a local yarn store.



Here are the different styles I have made:

Enjoy!

Baby Shower Madness!

There are many times when I feel like nothing eventful happens. Just the normal hum drum of life; working, cooking, walking the dogs, cleaning, sleeping, etc. Not to mention the occasional exercise when I am not completely exhausted from the day and when time permits. For the most part, I feel like my life can get pretty monotonous with my daily routine. Then, all the sudden, my life changes and does a 180 on me. It becomes a whirl wind of madness.

Since the end of February, my life has really been a blur. I got another job as an arts and crafts teacher for seniors which I am very excited about. My mind has been flowing with many creative projects for my lesson plans. My first project for them will be a replica of an Anthropology necklace.

Also I have been planning my best friends second baby shower with family. This time it's a girl! Yay for tutus! And, upon her request, I am matching the amount of gifts I made for her first child. Supposedly people tend to slack on the second child, and I can honestly see why. I think I went a bit crazy for her first child. I knitted monster baby booties, knitted an alien plush, knitted a lamb, made three receiving blankets, and a quilt. But, to be fair, this was the first baby of my friends and family. So for her second child, I made a plush fox with a removable tutu as an accessory, a jelly fish mobile, and the one of my personal favorites the monster baby booties. Whenever a baby is on the way, I can't help make them. They are just so adorable.

On Sunday, I felt a large sigh of relief as the last of the baby showers were complete. (Knock on wood...it's still just the beginning of the year.) As for the two twin size quilts that need to be finished/worked on, I have plenty of time since they will not be using it right away. As long as I get it done by the baby's first birthday.  ;)

I have been quite busy crafting away for the many baby showers. For the first the event, I made a super hero giraffe (my own personal design), monster baby booties, and finished the front and the back of a twin size quilt.

For the second shower, a whale which you saw from my previous post.

And last but not least; monster baby booties (again), a jelly fish mobile, a fox wearing a tutu (also my own personal design), and picked the pattern for the soon-to-be quilt. There were some late nights due to my procrastination, but I pulled it off and finished the majority of the gifts.

Overall, I am feeling pretty good about crossing off my craft projects. Now, as long as I am able to keep my focus, who knows, I just may check everything off my to do list.

*FYI- I will be posting these patterns for the craft projects soon!

Whale Plush

As I am getting older my friends are settling down and getting married. A few even started a family. But this year in particular has had a baby session. Everyone is "a pop'in". I love making unique homemade gifts for friends and family's baby showers. Many times I use Pinterest for inspiration but this year has been challenging with all of the baby's being born all around the same time. My cousin is having a baby girl and they live near the ocean, so I thought it would be perfect to create a whale plush. This time I decided to go with a pattern I found online instead of creating my own. I found a very cute pattern online by Googlie Momma (http://googiemomma.blogspot.co.il/2013/03/a-whale-of-awhale-free-pattern.html).

When I began I figured it would take me a few hours and volia. Boy was I wrong.

I started by printing out the pattern and cutting it out. Then I traced the pattern on to the fabric with a white chalk pencil, which by the way took for ever because I wanted to make sure it was dark enough to see. I pieced the right sides together, pinned and tried to sewed. The white chalk was barely visible with the light from my sewing machine shinning on it. So now I need to re-chalk the outline. I should have not been lazy and searched for where I miss placed my yellow Clover Chaco Liner Chalk Wheel. (available at quilting stores or amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Clover-Chaco-Liner-Chalk-Wheel/dp/B00BELY1F4)

I found it after a quick search and remembered why I love how quick and easy it is to use. After I sewed the flippers together I realized I had not flipped the fin pattern over and made two left flippers. Ugh. -_- At this point it felt like one of those nights where no matter how hard I tried to do things right it would just back fire, but I decided to push through. That was a mistake. I then realized as I am trying to pin the tail together it was not fitting right. Sometimes I can not follow the simplest of instructions. I cut where I was suppose to fold and folded where I was suppose to cut. Luckily I had enough fabric to finish the project but I cut it close due to all of my errors. At this point I had only gotten to the third step with the fins attached and the large body piece sewn. I spent more time than I would like to admit and went to bed.

The next morning was more successful but not with out its challenges. After using the seam ripper 5 or more times I successful sewed the whale together and before stuffing it, I added the eyes which I was inspired by an other Pinterest picture I had found.(http://s11.photobucket.com/user/TokyoBunnie/media/Blog_3/il_fullxfull-1-1.jpg.html)

Then I stuffed the whale and sewed it shut. Done! Finished my whale.

I have to say for all of these issues I had I really loved how the whale turned out. It is very adorable. The pattern was basic and easy to follow. As it goes for my issues that was user error.

(I just had my chiropractor tell me that I need to be in the present and to stop think of what is to come and that I would stop tripping and running in to things. Which made me laugh because it relates to my whole life and especially my challenges with this pattern.)  

Just don't forget to flip the pattern over for the fins so you get a right and left fin.

About

Hi my name is Samantha Lucas. I am 27 years old, married and do not have any kidlets. I have been crafting and expressing my creativity as long as I can remember. My mom has always encouraged my creativity and pushed me to explore my passions. She was not a seamstress, but she is a talented hot glue gunner. Often I learned from trial and error or from others around me. I am a bit spazzy when it comes to crafting. I love all types and need to switch them up so I do not get tired of one type of craft. I am always thinking of my next projects. I never like paying more than I have to for something I can easily make on my own. (For my wedding I made everything from the favors to the flowers on my cake.) I think in the third dimension and love taking things apart in my mind in order to create my own version. Procrastination is my fatal weakness. I often start a new project before finishing another. One of my favorite sayings is "Procrastinate because if the world ends tomorrow won't have to do it." Currently I am working as a Art Teacher and I am enjoying every minute of it. Ultimately, my dream is to make a difference in the world. I’m still discovering how to make a difference, but I hope to share a little bit of joy and laughter through my blog.