A Gift of Peppermint Soap and Quasi-Vintage Holly!

Sooo, you know how I adore Bath and Body Works foaming hand soaps?  Well, I do.  A lot. Did you know that they currently have TWO different peppermint foaming hand soaps?  I know, awesome, right?!  It's like infusing holiday spirit directly into my skin every time I wash my hands!!!  I love it!  

You know I love this soap when I buy them by the bag full!  In fact, one of my very first free patterns was a foaming hand soap dispenser cover, and I've been fine tuning it ever since.  Well, you will be happy to hear that finally I think I've broken the code and come up with a perfectly sized cover that's only 15 rows long!  Awesome!  I can whip one of these babies up so fast that I can change them out for every holiday, including Squirrel Appreciation Day (January 21st, but don't worry, I'll remind you when it gets closer!).

Or, I suppose, the quick pattern would make these into some pretty awesome handmade-but-not-TOO-handmade Christmas gifts that pretty much everyone on your gift list would adore... *wink!* So, if you'd like to make a bunch for your home, or for awesome holiday gifts, keep reading!

The Best Bath and Body Works Foaming Hand Soap Dispenser Cover (so far!)
Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn in 2 colors (I used Lily's Original Sugar N Cream 100% cotton in White and Sage Green)
Size G hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

**I alternated colors every row, starting with white.  I did NOT add the color changes in the pattern for pattern reading ease**

ch 26.  Being careful not to twist chain, sl st to first ch to close loop.
R1: ch 2, hdc in the back loop of each ch around, sl st to first st to close round (26 st)
R2-5: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (26 st)
R6: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 11 hdc) 2 times, sl st to first st to close round (24 st)
R7: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (24 st)
R8: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 10 hdc) 2 times, sl st to first st to close round (22 st)
R9: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (22 st)
R10: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 9 hdc) 2 times, sl st to first st to close round (20 st)
R11: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (20 st)
R12: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 8 hdc) 2 times (18 st)
R13: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (18 st)
R14: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 7 hdc) 2 times (16 st)
R15: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (16 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.  Slip cover over soap dispenser and enjoy the pepperminty goodness!

But wait, there's more!  I live in an old farmhouse.  I think I've mentioned that before.  I love it, but we have push button light switches, 4 doors into (and out of!) the kitchen, and no central air conditioning.  The good part is that we've got some awesome crazy antique awesomeness, like a hair collector (never heard of one?  It's a little porcelain bowl that has a lid with a hole in it.  Women used to collect their hair every day after brushing it, and collect it in these little bowls to use later for stuffing pin cushions.), and some really fun vintage holiday ornaments.

I decorated our tree this week, and became completely inspired by the glitter and felt ornaments of the past and just desperately needed to make some of my own.  So, if you'd like to add some quasi-vintage flair to your soap dispenser cover (or hats, or packages!) you can make some too!  Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for the glitter glue to dry!

Quasi-Vintage Holly Decoration
Supplies:
Green felt - 1 sheet of eco-felt will make at least ten 2-leaf decorations
3/8" red pom-poms
3/8" grosgrain ribbon (I used red, but if you've got white it would look cute too!)
Red glitter glue
Crystal Gel fabric paint (or iridescent glitter glue)
Scissors
Hot glue (or fabric glue)
A bobby pin, safety pin, or other item to put on the back of your decoration to attach it to other things
Parchment paper (optional)

**Junior Dynamos, please don't use the hot glue gun without adult supervision! Be safe!**

 Cut some holly shapes out of the felt.  I recommend drawing several holly leaves onto a sheet of paper and then picking the one you like best to use as a pattern.  The leaf is really just a series of U-shapes that meet to form the spikey points. It's so simple, I didn't upload a template for you to print out.  This is a really simple, basic shape.

I made my leaves in a variety of sizes, with the smallest about 1 1/2" long, and the largest about 2 1/2" long.  They look better if you don't make the leaves all the same size.  Don't worry if your leaves look a little wonky, no one is going to even notice!  We're going to distract everyone with the next step.

This would be a good time to lay out a sheet of parchment paper, if you're using it.  It will protect your work surface, and if you get a little crazy with the glitter glue in the next step, the glue won't stick to the surface and you can just cut off any wayward glitter (instead of it being forever glued to the top of the table!).

Now grab your Crystal Gel fabric paint squeezy bottle (or iridescent glitter glue) and draw a holly leaf shape on top of the holly leaves that you just cut out!  Kinda follow the outline of the leaf, but don't worry if it's not perfect.  Once it dries, it will get all sparkly and no one will even notice.  Add a line in the center to finish the leaf.  Set the wet leaves aside and wait for them to dry (maybe up to 24 hours, depending on the weather).

Once your leaves are dry (don't they look awesome?!), match them up with another leaf and using your handy-dandy glue gun (or fabric glue for those of you who want blister-free fingers this holiday season) glue them together at the base of the leaves. Glue 3 of the red pom-poms in a cluster just above where you've attached the leaves together (leaving a small area below to attach a bow in the next step).  Once your glue is dry, and everything is safe to handle again, use your red glitter glue and add some glitter to the tops of the pom-poms and on the leaves underneath the pom-poms.  Vintage-y awesomeness!

Using your grosgrain ribbon, make a bow!  I used about 12" of ribbon for each bow, but if you'd like your bows to have shorter tails, you can use much less ribbon for each bow.  You can heat seal the cut ends of the ribbon by running the flame of a lit match over them for, like, 2 seconds.  That will keep them from fraying!  Attach your bow using hot glue (or fabric glue) in the little space you left below the holly berries.  You can actually attach the bow going either way, so that the holly sprig is up, or hangs down.  Whatever you prefer!  Both look cute!

Attach a bobby pin, or safety pin, or pin back to the back using whatever method your prefer.  I glued the bobby pins on mine, so that I could attach them to hats and soap dispenser covers.

You're done!  Attach away!  Show off your vintage flair and awesome holiday style!

xoxo

These FREE projects were sponsored by Crochet Dynamite ebooks!  Perfect for your new holiday tablets and ereaders!

Do you love my free patterns?  

Support an independent designer!  

My ebooks are available in the Kindle Store on Amazon!  

(And the Kindle software is FREE for your computer, tablet, smart phone and other techie devices!!!)

Go HERE to check them out! 
And, my books are part of the Kindle Lending Library,
so if you're an Amazon Prime Member, you can download them for free!
Check them out and try before you buy!!!

Thanks! xoxo Jaime

Lovely Donations this Week!

Whew!  I am probably the only person on the planet who is saying "Thank goodness it's December, because now I can relax!"  Ahahahaha!

I want to send out a great big Thank You!! to everyone who downloaded my new ebook, Crochet Dynamite: Fun and Games, this week.  I really, really appreciate it!  I was able to give away nearly 1,300 copies of the new book!  Awesomesauce!!!

An even bigger THANKS goes out to Vic, 1tigermom, and Choppy for taking the time to review it on Amazon!  As an independent, self-published crochet designer those reviews mean the world to me!  (and a extra shout out to Knitalatte for the awesome review today on my previous book, Crochet Dynamite: Gifts for Your Besties, also available in the Kindle Store on Amazon.com).

I also got some amazing donations this week for the charity project that I'm doing with Kristy Belton Bleau.  I am really, really overwhelmed by the generosity from my friends around the globe!  (Oh yeah, I said around the GLOBE!)

My friend Carol from MALAYSIA (!!! Yippee!!!!) sent us the most gorgeous butterflies!

All of the butterflies are so gorgeous, but I just wanted to point out how adorable the butterflies with the pearls are!  Awesome idea!

My friend Stacey from Indiana sent gift-wrapped donations that were so beautiful I hated to unwrap them to shoot pictures!

It felt like Christmas when I opened up Stacey's donations!

You guys know my friend NyanPon from NyanPon's Knits and Crochet?  She sent us the most amazing box that, like, exploded open with awesomeness!!!  (Psst! Go check out her blog, she's got a ton of cool - and free - patterns too!)

The center picture is all of the items together,
and the outer pictures are close-ups of the items!

And a very special Thank You goes out to my 91-year-old Mema who donated 2 hand knit scarves!  I'm going to put up her (chunky yarn, huge needles) pattern later this month!

Check out the "To Make a Crochet Donation" button in my sidebar if you're interested in donating finished items to this project (and to check out our awesome donation stats!).

TODAY, I'm putting up a new page filled with amazing people who have agreed to take commissions based on my designs.  These Dynamos are all incredibly sweet and talented people, and I'm listing them in order of their response.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by your holiday gift list, why not hire one (or two!) of them to make your stocking stuffers?  Keychain Lipbalm Holders anyone? ;D

Ah, now that all of that is done, I can get back to designing new awesome patterns!  I've got two that I'm adding this week (hint: check out the blog header!), so check back later!

xoxo

p.s. Thank you for all of the kind words, prayers, and support last month when my Mema got so sick.  It has been very challenging to find a balance between my life here, and my life online.  I so appreciate all of the love that has poured out of this community!  You guys are absolutely the best! Love, love, love to you all.

Fun and Games - My new ebook is OUT!!!

It's rainy and cold, and I'm just getting over being sick, so of course that means that I've been without a voice for the last 3 days.  Thankfully, it's just a little cold because I let myself get run down, and not FULL BLOWN PLAGUE!!!  I'm kinda bummed that I've pretty much ensured my demise in the 12/21/12 Mayan-Zombiepocolypse, but maybe the survivors in a thousand years will unearth my computer, laugh at it's primitive technology and then use it as a wave skimmer... :D

But seriously, it is rainy and sad outside, and I really don't have a voice, but I'm not really bummed out.  Why?  Because my new book (you know, the one that I didn't tell you about... Oh, shoot.  Blog fail.) is available in the Kindle store!  And it's chock-full of awesome indoor games that are perfect for a day like today, when the weather just makes you want to stay inside with a warm mug of cocoa and chuck bean bags at your children... Or is that just me... Okay, so don't aim for their heads...

Click HERE to check it out!

There are other projects in it too!  In fact, there are 10 patterns for 7 different projects that I've never shown anyone before.  How's that for awesome?!  It's an all exclusive pattern book, only available through the Kindle store!

You'll get patterns for:
-Juggling Balls and Hackey Sacks
-A Travel Chess and Checkers set
-A Flying Disk (you know, an indoor Frisbee! Safe for all but the very-most-schmancy living rooms!  And yes, it flies awesome outdoors too!)
-Family Game Night Snack Mats (perfect for little snacks, clean up is as simple as throwing them in with your next load of kitchen laundry)
-Poker Chips
-A Foxtail (Hackey Sack with a long tail to hurl it LOOOOONG distances! Uh, not indoor safe.)
-A Bean Bag Target Game (and the bean bags can also be used as Hopscotch Markers!  Woot!)


But wait!  There's more!  (Heh, I feel like I'm selling Ginsu Knives here! Or that awesome knife that can cut through a soda can AND a tomato... Wait, that's Ginsu too, right?)  You CAN get my new amazing book today because you can't wait another minute to start making awesome holiday presents for, like, everyone you know, BUT if you wait until tomorrow, you can GET IT FOR FREE!!!!

Yep, you don't have to shell out $2.99 of your hard earned cash for all of these amazing patterns!  You're special!  You're a Dynamo, and that means something around here!!!  The free promotion is running all day TOMORROW (Friday, November 30th), from Midnight PST to 11:59pm PST. So grab it then!  Tell your friends and family!  Brag about your freebie on Facebook!  Remind your crafty co-workers that they don't need a Kindle ereader, the software is FREE for their computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones!!!  Share the love!!!  (And remind them to LIKE Crochet Dynamite on Facebook, and sign up for emails, so that they'll get notified in the future too!!!)

As with all of my books, this is an exciting experiment into the world of self-publishing, so if you'd like to review it on Amazon (so that other smart, creative, and beautiful crocheters like you can find it and come join us) I would love that.  Or, if you believe in the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" school of thought (thank you, by the way, that makes me love you more!) then would you be willing to shoot me an email at CrochetDynamite@gmail.com to tell me what I've done wrong?  I try every time to produce the absolutely highest quality books that I am capable of, so your input is extremely valuable!

xoxo

Thank you to everyone who has sent me contact information for my new "Buy Finished Items" page!  I am currently working on it, and hopefully will have it ready to go this weekend!  Love, love, love and giant e-hugs to you all!
xo Jaime

A question for you Pro Crocheters...

Hi Dynamos!

Recently I've received a few different emails from people who want to commission me to do crochet projects.  They love my designs, and very sweetly ask if I'd make things for them.  I want to, but I'm a busy bee over here in Crochet Dynamite Central.

Now, I know that some of you have Etsy shops and are full time crocheters to support your families.  I LOVE that.  (btw, like I've told some of you before, if you want to use any of my designs, you're more than welcome to...) I was wondering what you guys thought about doing some sort of information exchange on the site, so that the people who needed crochet projects made could get in touch with the people who crochet for a living?  (my passion is designing and writing, and I just don't have the time or energy to get into the production side of the crochet world)

I was thinking about starting with a page dedicated to people who are selling items made from my designs (amongst their other items... I don't need you to be ALL Crochet Dynamite... LOL!!!!) so that I can direct interested paying customers your way.  What do you think?  Free advertising for you, and I don't have to feel bad that I just don't have the ability to make the items myself.  I would feel really good about it, because it breaks my heart to say no to anyone...

So is anyone interested in taking this community to the next level?  Email me directly (CrochetDynamite@gmail.com) if you want to be included in my list, and let me know if you have a shop that actually sells items from this site, or if you'd be willing to do special requests (even if you don't normally 'stock' my designs).    In the interest of sending all traffic your way, I'm going to take down my Sample Shop (its moderate success has been more stressful than I expected -- I'm just going back to donating everything...).

Anyone have an opinion?  Is there a better way to do this? You guys know I love to experiment...

xoxo

... It looks like my new ebook, Crochet Dynamite: Fun and Games, is on track to come out this Friday as a Kindle exclusive...  It's my first book with ALL NEW PATTERNS that have not been published anywhere else!! (More experimenting!!)  I'm so excited by how awesome it's turned out, that it's going to be available for FREE for the first day... So mark your Google Calendars and tweet your friends!!  Friday, November 30th!!  Free!!  So if you haven't already, go download the free Kindle Reader for your computer, tablet, smart phone or other awesome techie device that lets you download apps.  So much free goodness, you won't want to miss it!!!
xo Jaime

It's about time!

So, I was on Facebook this morning (are we friends yet on Facebook? I'm Jaime Maraia on FB and you can also like the Crochet Dynamite page. Come find me!!!) where I saw the most amazing clock linked by KasalaInk, Ladyink Lankasirkus, Maarit Österman...

It's a knitting clock!!!  It knits as it goes around and after a year you have a scarf!  

Holy Schmow!!!  My clocks are seriously lazy.  They have never given me a gift beyond making sure that I am awoken in the morning by the most annoying noise in the world...

You can read a whole article about this clock HERE.  It's worth checking out just for the awesome pictures!!!

xoxo

Butterfly Wings

It's getting cold around here!  We've had a very hot fall this year in SoCal, and it's lovely to have some brisk (and occasionally rainy) weather!  I'm absolutely loving it.

My friend Kristy does not share my enthusiam for our current chilly weather. She's been very concerned for the homeless community in our area, who do not have fluffy down slippers (like I do!) to wear when it gets freezing cold at night.  She's been on a crusade this month to collect as many scarves, hats, gloves, hand warmers, and coats as she possibly can so that she can distribute them to the homeless/motel families in our area, like her little friend Sofia:

Her goal is to collect 100 scarves to distribute this holiday season.  I designed a scarf pattern for her project.  If you'd like to crochet one (or two!) to send to her this holiday season, I know she'd really appreciate it.  And I would too!  You can click the "To Make a Crochet Donation" button over on the right to get my contact details.

abbreviations used:

ch - chain stitch

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

st - stitch

Butterfly Wings Scarf

Supplies:

5 oz skein of worsted weight yarn

Size I crochet hook

Yarn needle

ch 25

R1: 3 dc in 5th ch from hook, skip 3 ch,[ (sc in next st, ch 3, 3 dc) in next stitch, skip 3 ch,] 4 times, sc in last ch

R2-84: 4 ch, 3 dc in first st, skip 3 st, [(sc in next ch 3 space, ch 3, 3 dc in the same ch 3 space as the sc), skip 3 st] 4 times, sc in last st

R85: 1 ch, sc in each st and ch sp across (20 st)

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

This pattern is really fun and it works up crazy fast (because you're crocheting into ch loops, not actual stitches).  One of the women that comes to the outreach breakfast even offered to pattern test it for me!  I had a lot of fun putting together a supplies kit for her!

If you'd like to crochet one (or two!) to send to her this holiday season, I know Kristy (and the families she helps) would really appreciate it.  And I would too!  You can click the "To Make a Crochet Donation" button over on the right to get my contact details.

You may have noticed that there was a little butterfly on Sofia's hat!  The butterflies are being so well received, and they're spreading a lot of smiles, especially with the kids!  I am so grateful to everyone that has helped us with this project!

Speaking of which:  Holy Schmow!  I got a package from Wendy in PA this week that knocked my socks off...

I will save you the eyestrain and just tell you that it's 66 butterflies!  Thank you, thank you, thank you Wendy!!!

**Hey, as a little side note, if you have a local charity that you donate to and you'd rather donate a Butterfly Wings scarf (or two!) to them, Kristy and I don't mind at all.  I would love it if you wanted to send me an email so that I can add your donation to our list of items donated though, because we're trying to keep a count...  Also, this scarf is super cute, so you don't have to just make it for charity, you'll want to make a couple for gifts this year too!!!**

Kristy and Sofia say THANK YOU!!!!

xoxo

Amazing donations...

This week has been hectic, full of highs and lows.  My grandma was getting better, walking like a champ and feeling perky, and then yesterday was unable to walk on her own.  It's so hard to see someone you love feeling sick and in pain.  If she's not better today, we're going to have to go back to see her doctor.

But on a super bright note, I got a chance to run by my mailbox and discovered TWO amazing packages in it!!!!  Holy cats!  There were so many butterflies!!!!

A very special THANK YOU goes to Teeni and Edith for their amazing donations.  There were over three dozen butterflies all together, which should keep Kristy in butterflies for at least a month!  I am overwhelmed and humbled by your generosity.

And thank you, Dynamos, for your wonderful comments full of love and support for my family, both here on the blog, and on Facebook.  You guys are my happy thought today.

xoxo