Crochet Cat Bag Holder that is Fun and Functional

 

This  crochet cat bag holder is adorable and ranks among the most fun projects I have made!   I love it when I can take an old idea or pattern and give it a new twist!

My daughter used to keep a grocery bag holder over her baby changing table back in the days when her life consisted of babies and diapers.  It was convenient to have the bags right at hand when she changed the baby, and the monster theme bag holder she had was a fun thing for the baby to look at while being changed.  This is what gave me the idea for this crochet cat!  Who doesn't love a goofy cat hanging around that makes a baby coo and smile?

The original idea for this project actually came from Pinterest which links to this Ravelry page.  I initially made the pattern as written to hang over my grandson's changing table.  It was cute, but after a bit of thought, and giving free reign to my love of bright colors, this adorable crochet cat began to form in my imagination.  And I just love it!

I'm thinking that this project could be easily adapted to any of my yarn varmint patterns.  What could be cuter than a crib softie and a matching bag holder as a baby gift?!    And if you are really motivated, how about a matching baby blanket?  Or perhaps you know of someone who would just love to brighten up that little corner of the kitchen or utility room with a fun character bag holder.

I hope this post will inspire you to  get your creative juices flowing!   There is still time to make this cute projects before Christmas.  It only took me a few hours.  If you make this crochet cat bag, I would love to see your comments and pics of your finished project in the comment section.

Blessings~
Reny

Playful Christmas Cards for a fun Greeting!

I'm feeling very excited this year as I design and make  playful Christmas cards for the people I love this year!  It all began as I made cards for a couple of my grandkids who do not live near us.  As I worked on these cards, I could just imagine the smiles and giggles.  Of course this thought just spurred me on and I continued this theme on nearly all the rest of my cards so far!

I can make some pretty hefty dimensional greeting cards, and I have learned form past experience that the post office likes to get more postage for heavy, thick cards.  So in the spirit of my playful attitude, I endeavored to make these cards adorable without too much bulk.

[caption id="attachment_955" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Playful Gorilla handmade Christmas card.[/caption]

I know gorilla's get a bad rap sometimes, but this one is just having some fun!  I think he will bring a smile to my grandson Paul's face, and that is my goal.

[caption id="attachment_954" align="aligncenter" width="225"] This cat is into some serious Christmas mischief. You can just tell by the look on his face.[/caption]

Keeping with the theme, I made this card for my grandson, Sam.  To add to the playful Christmas fun, I included a short true story about cats and Christmas trees from his Mama's childhood.  In case you don't already know, cats and trees can make for a very playful Christmas indeed!

I just can't tell you how much fun I am having making these cards!  If you've never tried making your own greeting cards, I highly recommend it.  And if you're like me, you'll be sitting at your craft table with a silly grin on your face as you look over all your playful Christmas designs!

Blessings!
Reny

Only Five more weeks till Christmas!

Time is winding down  and Christmas will soon be here!  Like most households, there is always a flurry of activity here at this time of year.

Now I realize that we still have a major holiday coming up before Christmas.  And I totally adore Thanksgiving!  But while there is a certain amount of hustle and bustle that goes along with Thanksgiving, it seems to be mostly centered around meal preparation.  And since the Thanksgiving meal is essentially the same every year, it is a bit more simple to pull off.

But Christmas.....!  There's the cleaning, the decorating,  purchasing or making and wrapping gifts plus all the meal preparation and readying the house for overnight guests in many instances.  In addition to that, many of us still like to send Christmas greeting cards, especially to friends and family who do not live nearby.  What a wonderfully busy season!

I enjoy the busyness of this time of year.  But I do try to keep things from getting hectic and stealing the joy from the holidays.   So as Santa makes his list and checks is twice, so do I.  My 'to do' list that is.

This is the time of year that I get to double my satisfaction, making lists, even if only in my head, and  checking things off as they are completed.  And I  love the satisfaction of sitting back and gazing at the multitude of finished projects.  It gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

So my latest crochet project is finished, and I am so happy with the way it turned out!  I have fallen in love with the Big Head Doll patterns,  If you  haven't seen them I encourage you to go to Pinterest and look them over.  They are sooo adorable!  Here is my finished project, and a closer look at the booted feet I substituted for the feet in the original pattern.

[caption id="attachment_944" align="alignleft" width="200"] Christmas themed Big Head Doll[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_947" align="alignright" width="218"] Crocheted booted feet for Big Head Christmas Doll[/caption]

 

Crochet Angel Free Pattern for a Merry Christmas!

[caption id="attachment_935" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cute little crochet angel perfect for the holidays![/caption]

I have been working on this free crochet angel pattern for a couple of weeks now.  Crochet and frog (unravel), crochet and frog.  I have remade the head about 5 times before I was happy with the size and shape.

The wings on this  angel were an even bigger challenge.  The first set was too small.  The second set, while a nicer size, were too plain.  But the third try finally seemed right.  Not too flashy, but not to plain.

I chose a sparkly acrylic yarn for this pattern, and while I am usually drawn to multiple vibrant colors in my creations, this one just seemed like it should be mostly one color.  I did add a sweet crochet halo in gold yarn just for fun.

With the holidays sneaking up on us it is a good time to get those holiday projects done.  This crochet angel pattern is intentionally simple and works up fairly quickly.  Picture several of these as a table centerpiece, or add a hook or loop and hang them from your tree.

This little angel would also make a cute toy for your own little angels.

To change the size, use a lighter weight yarn and smaller hook for a smaller version of this crochet angel, or a heavier weight yarn and a larger hook to make a bigger one.

This pattern can be found as a free download in the Varmint Market.

Blessings~
Reny