Hi and a belated happy New Year to all my crochet friends! Hope this finds you happily crocheting away at something special and fun! 

It has been many months since I have been here... the medical drama continued in a big way from our last chat in November through the present time. The "highlights" include a very serious fall in January which caused a head injury, bruised ribs and a fractured spine. I've also been struggling with my neuromuscular disease, myasthenia gravis, and fighting my insurance company for months to obtain needed medications. In short, my whole winter has been one big medical drama/nightmare. I'll be checking into the hospital later this week to receive more treatment that will hopefully get things on the upswing for me. 

I think it's about time for a contest! Who wants one of my for-sale patterns for free?  It's very simple... all you have to do is give me an idea for a new crochet pattern design! Be specific - don't just say "doily," for example... say something like "3D flower doily of an Iris" or "floral table runner with roses" or whatever your vision dictates. The top three choices I make from your suggestions will win each submitter a pattern! Just email your submission idea to: SheilaSchnauzies@gmail.com.  

You may be aware that the purpose behind my for-sale patterns is to provide a source of funds for my Miniature Schnauzer Rescue, Sheila's Schnauzies. Here is a photo of our latest rescue, Sarge, whose case we took on last October. He was a puppy mill breeding dog who never experienced life as a dog in his 7 years, and was in horrendous medical condition. In December he went to a wonderful forever home! It's why we do what we do.  You can visit his rescue campaign here to read his whole story. 

Sarge, well and happy now!

Although I haven't been writing up patterns nor publishing any for quite some time, I have still been keeping busy crocheting when I can! Here are a few of the things I've completed since November. 

Pearl wearing a sweater I designed out of Bernat's Baby Blanket

A sweater I designed for myself out of an ombre boucle yarn

Work in progress at the time... a blanket i made as a Christmas gift for my new son in law, Russ. I made it about 4.5 feet wide and almost 7 feet long! Done entirely in Bernat Blanket, it was so heavy toward the end that I could barely flip the work each row! But the good news was it was one of his favorite Christmas presents ever and he really cherishes it. 

Rescue boy Sarge wearing a sweater I designed for him using my

PrettiPants pattern. Done in 100% cotton Peaches & Creme.

A gemstone and crystal bracelet I designed for a friend. I'm planning to do a matching necklace. 

If you ever need a special gift for a friend just let me know – I do only custom designs using real gemstones and Swarovski crystals, real sterling, gold or copper hardware. 

Well, that's a few of the pieces I've done. Hopefully there will be lots more when my health improves. The myasthenia affects my eyesight and hand dexterity when it's bad. The arthritis in my hand makes it painful to crochet when it's flared. So I work when I can and am grateful for what I can do! 

If you'd like to pick up some of my free online published patterns, just click here and it will take you to the index of my free patterns. 

Just Checking In... My Crochet Hook And I Are Still Here!

It's been a long year. This year started with a shoulder reconstruction and that recovery proceoss lasted for months. Toward the end of winter I started getting cellulitis infections in my legs requiring a couple of hospitalizations. In April while I was in the hospital I was injured by a tray table and ended up with a very serious wound on my lower leg that just will not heal. I've been enduring weekly treatments at a wound care clinic since then. It will take many more months to heal. To be honest it's been a very challenging and difficult year mostly highlighted by intense pain from the leg wound on top of all the normal chronic pain I deal with. It's been rough.

In May, my daughter had her fairytale wedding and my son and his wife relocated to Louisiana.We made a trip down to see them the end of September. In mid-September my best friend of 35 years nearly died and spent about 7 weeks in ICU. Thankfully she's able to be cared for at home now but faces a long, difficult recovery as she is currently paralyzed in her arms and legs.

In October I finished a baby set including two dresses, a hat, booties, a shawl sweater and a blanket. It was done in gray and white sport weight chenille. I also did a blanket for my new nephew out of Bernat's Baby Blanket.

Also recently completed this PrettiPants© outfit for our newest rescue dog, Sarge.

Peaches & Creme Cotton

   

Sarge, our newest rescue - a puppy mill survivor.
See his story at http://www.gofundme.com/Sarge1015

Baby shoes I designed

I've kept sane through all this by crocheting. I haven't been patterning everything up but I did write down patterns for a couple of more special projects. I made a big shawl I intended to wear for my daughter's wedding and ended up not wearing it... but thankfully I designed it so that it can be used as a ginormous heart shaped doily! That project took about 3 months to complete. I still haven't glotten around to blocking and starching it yet. When I do I'll put up a photo. It's done in America's Best Rayon and took 23 balls of the stuff.

Crocheting With A Busted Wing!! / March Contest!

Back in late October I was doing one of my favorite things, frying up a mess of fried chicken dinner with all the fixings for company. Just as dinner was going 'critical' I went to wash out one of the chicken skillets at the sink. When I flipped the skillet over to rinse the underside I felt a horrible tearing sensation in my arm, so painful I almost blacked out. It turned out I had ruptured my long biceps tendon in my right arm. After a couple of months my arm and hand function were still not good so my ortho doc ordered a ct scan. That's when I learned I had large full thickness tears in three of the four rotator cuff tendons. Ruh-roh. I was immediately scheduled for surgery for January 28. My very talented surgeon was able to make the needed repairs but told me everything in there is tissue thin. That means I have to have the shoulder immobilized for at least six weeks. At this writing I will have gotten through four of those weeks tomorrow. I just started PT where they are lifting my arm in limited movements. I'm told it's going to be a very long road of many months before I get my arm back.

One of the few good moments about this was figuring out on my 3rd night home that I could crochet!! (I'm allowed to move my hand and wrist as long as I sing lift anything). I started out by crocheting a nice soft bag for my ice packs out of 100% cotton. After that I designed an oven mitt my daughter in law wanted. Then I started a set of placemats for my daughter. After that I found some thread I wanted to make a wedding doily for my daughter's upcoming wedding. I designed and patterned that but I won't be showing it until it's been given to her. Then I started something really major to keep myself busy! It's a round shawl in mint green rayon thread (with a size 10 hook). So far it's up to about 13" diameter.  I figure I have just under 3 months to finish it and I may make it if I work on it nearly every day. 

February Blog Contest Winner!

For February, I asked my readers to suggest a flower for my next doily creation. Many of you submitted flower ideas and I appreciate that! The one that intrigued me most was Liz's suggestion of a Peony flower and I have chosen her entry as the winner. Liz won my "Floral Ornaments To Crochet" e-book and the pattern of her choice from my My For-Sale Crochet Patterns At Craftsy.com site. Congratulations Liz and thanks again to everyone who entered! 

March Contest 

For the upcoming month of March, I need a very special idea from my readers! My daughter is getting married in May. She still needs the "something old" item. I'd like to crochet it, or embellish it with crochet, whatever "it" is! It needs to be something that can be easily worn, carried or sewn into her dress on the inside. She suggested using some of her old baby dresses or some sentimental fabric from another special dress I made for her once. SO... any ideas? Winner will receive the pattern of your choice from my for-sale pattern site and a copy of my "Floral Ornaments To Crochet" e-book (and my undying gratitude!) 

Just leave a comment below with your suggestion and an email where I can contact you if you win! 

Just Off My Hook/Upcoming Surgery/New Blog Contest!

January is half gone and I don't know where it went! I know I have been busy crocheting, which is a great thing. After my long hiatus, I feel energized now and my motivation is back! I just finished crocheting a hat for my son out of Sugar n' Cream which is a liner for his welding helmet or whatever it's called! Made a potholder which is the start of a wedding gift, a kitchen set for a friend of my daughter's. I've finished the two front panels for a vest I'm doing that may eventually turn into a sweater or poncho - not sure yet! It's done in Bernat's Alpaca in the Seaside colorway, a beautiful mint green which is my favorite color right now!

Made two sweaters for little daschund doggie friends of mine for belated Christmas! The red one was designed the way it is so that it can easily be put on and taken off of Lucey, who is disabled. She has a left front leg that is useless and regular sweaters hurt her to put on. Here she is modeling her new sweater (made in Bernat's Blanket chenille) along with her sister Sadey. Sadey's sweater is hard to see because it matches her! Hers is done in JoAnn's Angel Hair in black, with trim done in a yarn called Pelt. It very closely resembles rabbit fur, love it!

Lucey in her new sweater! 

Lucey's sweater slips over her head then the long piece wraps
under her abdomen, comes back up and buttons on top. 

Sadey and Lucey are happy wearing their toasty new sweaters!

Sadey's sweater is a simple slip-on design. 

The next project on my hook is going to be an infinity scarf done in Red Heart's Chic yarn, the one with the pom poms. I'm not sure why, but this yarn confuses the heck out of me just trying to unwind and work with it! I did a scarf out of it for myself in the Shadow colorway and adore it, so it's totally worth the effort... but it took me about an hour to unwind the skein and rewind it into a usable ball. Even then I struggled with the pom poms getting tangled up and creating knots! Sigh... my goddaughter saw my scarf, fell in love with it and just has to have one! So I picked up two skeins of it in black. Although I'm dreading it, at least the yarn feels amazing to work with.

My Red Heart Chic infinity scarf in Shadow (2 skeins). It
is incredibly yummy to wear! 

I'm going to undergo rotator cuff surgery on January 28, would appreciate prayers and good thoughts as I go through this. I have full thickness tears in three of the four rotator cuff tendons, plus a ruptured biceps tendon. I have lost some of the use of my right arm but thank God I can still crochet! Not sure if I will be allowed to for awhile after the surgery. I do know my arm will be in an immobilizer for 4-6 weeks and then I start physical therapy to get it all back.

I think it's about time for a new blog contest, don't you? I want to work on a new doily while I recover from my surgery. I'd like it to be a floral, my favorite thing. SO... leave me a comment indicating what flower you'd like me to feature in my next design. I will select the winner with a drawing. The winner will receive their choice of any one of my for-sale crochet patterns at Craftsy.com AND my Floral Ornaments To Crochet e-book. So think of your favorite flower and enter now! I'll close the contest in two weeks and choose the winning entry.

Happy crocheting, everyone!  xoxo – Sheila

Christmas Crocheting/A Tiny Brag!

The tiny brag first – I am very honored that author Kathryn Vercilio has featured my work in an article at the About.com crochet website!

I haven't started my annual Christmas 2014 design yet! I haven't had inspiration strike me yet. I guess I just need to do a bit of brainstorming. I'm thinking it may be an ornament this year. Last year was the Christmas Candy Canes Doily.

I started a scarf for myself out of Red Heart's "Chic" yarn last winter and ran out of yarn. I found another skein online a few weeks ago and finished my scarf. LOVE the yummy feel of it! But I admit I find the yarn extremely frustrating to work with. I guess I just don't get the way they wind the skeins. I fought with both skeins trying to untangle them and rewind them into usable balls. Even then, those silly pom poms want to tangle up! But the finished product is so worth it! My fairy goddaughter wants mine so I guess I will have to brave the yarn once more and make one for her.

Red Heart "Chic" Scarf in Shadow

I have been busy designing some Christmas gifts for friends and family, here is one of them... a simple cowl. It's actually just a long strip, I've fastened the overlapped end with a pretty brooch. I kind of like it! It's made out of JoAnn's Rainbow Boucle yarn. It has a nice light feel and a pretty drape to it.

Cowl With Purchased Brooch

My rescue Schnauzer Whizzer is my little old man, he gets so cold and needs to have a sweater on. I had some leftover yarn lying around and whipped up this little sweater for him. It's very soft and he seems to enjoy it!

Whizzer Enjoys His New Cozy Sweater!

I'm still behind on my crocheting - I owe my potholder exchange partner a potholder still! So hopefully will get that done this week and off in the mail.

I've been so busy for the past few months I feel like I've been chasing a whirlwind! The work has been ongoing with editing and tidying up links on the move of over 300 crochet patterns and other articles to the new site. It's nearly complete now and the index now contains correct links.  I'm sorry if you had any trouble accessing my patterns. The auto-link forwarding the new site promised didn't work. If you tried the index and hit bad links trying to find patterns, try again now. They should all be working!

Well, I'm off to crochet something! Hope you are all having fun doing lots of holiday projects! Remember if you need a fast gift, try the Warm Mobius Scarf! You can whip it up in a couple of hours! Or check out my pattern index for other ideas.

New Location For My Free Patterns!

I have changed the location of all my free patterns on the internet after the closing down of the Squidoo.com site where they were previously housed. All of my patterns can now be found at HubPages.com. The link to my pattern index is here. If you have any trouble getting to a specific pattern from the index, you can drop me an email at sheilaschnauzies@gmail.com. There may be some of these issues until I get through the process of editing several hundred articles I had to relocate to HubPages. But all of the patterns are available and all you have to do is drop me an email if you have problems.

After several months of what I can only describe as "medical hiatus," I finally have a new design to share! Just in time for Thanksgiving, it's my "Pecan Pie Potholder." It can be a single thickness decorative potholder or a double thickness usable potholder.

I tried to design the stitches to look like pecans as best I could. The yarn part was easy – Peaches n' Creme has an awesome new brown variegated yarn that I used. It was fun designing the piecrust edging. This was designed for my potholder exchange partner who will be receiving the prototype in the mail this week! I hope she enjoys it...

Pecan Pie Potholder Front Side

Pecan Pie Potholder Back Side

Right now I am in the middle of designing a little purse designed to be worn as a belt (or could be a cross-body as well). It's out of Premier Yarns Jeweltones in the Moonstone and Opal color ways. I'm trying to design it to hold my own specific essentials for when I want to travel light without the "big purse." We were out at a wonderful campfire recently at my son's house and there I was, lugging "Betsy" the purse out there. It seemed silly somehow!

I'm hoping to make a little cowl out of the same yarn as the purse to go with the fingerless gloves I made out of it last winter. I really adore this yarn!

Hope all of you are having fun crocheting something wonderful!

Feels Great To Be Crocheting Again... Or, A Little Mess Is A Good Thing!

I've always thought of crocheting as "pick-up work" – something I can keep beside my favorite chair and pick up whenever the mood strikes. Well, when my leg injuries back in March happened, I had coincidentally made one big change in my environment! At around that same time, I'd just finished doing a big clean-up of my work area (which is a large corner of my living room, at present). I put absolutely everything away where it belonged in the craft room. No more being surrounded by bags of yarn. My crochet hooks all neatly organized in a holder on my desk rather than stuck into various projects in the works. I quickly found myself being hesitant to drag anything out in order to avoid making a mess! So rather than crocheting to distract me from the pain I was going through, I was doing other things... nonproductive ones, like eating junk food and watching a lot of TV! No wonder I kept feeling more and more awful.

A few days ago I managed to get hurt yet again. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and I was out on the back patio "putzing" around in my containers of flowers and veggie plants. I barely bumped into the side of a big container with my leg, and ended up with a 7 X 1 cm. laceration, just half an inch above the topmost prior injury we've been trying to heal up for months. It was, and is, a big setback. It means another 4-6 months before this one will close up and heal. More pain, more frustration... but I'm going to deal with this one differently. I'm going to deal with it the same way I dealt with all my surgeries and everything else I've gone through - I'm going to crochet, design, and write.

A Sunflower For Betty Potholder

I started with my "to-do" list. I belong to a monthly potholder exchange group for fun. I still owed a partner a potholder for May, another for June, and here July is looming with another deadline. I also have some crocheted snowflakes I've promised to folks. I knew my May partner liked sunflowers, so I got my favorite hook out and got to work. The result, a couple of days later, is "A Sunflower For Betty." It can be used made double thickness as I did for a potholder, or it could be used as a round floral motif for something else. I hope she will like it! I'm planning to get it patterned up and published as one of my free patterns after I get the rest of my "to-do's" done. People are waiting, after all!

A Sunflower For Betty Potholder Back Side

I think I will learn to live with just a little mess surrounding me. It's always "how I've rolled" and I need to have pick-up work where I can instantly get to it.

As I write this, I have my idea for the June potholder and have started crocheting on it! I'll come back here and show you when it's done.

Still Here...

It's been a long time since I posted. I've been taking a little hiatus from my usual crocheting and writing. Mostly because of injuries I had to both legs in march which caused some big problems. Trying to heal pwies when you're diabetic is a real struggle. There's a lot of pain involved and I've been in a kind of survival mode I guess. I will be back with new ideas soon I hope! But for now I'll be healing up for at least several more weeks. Hugs to all my crochet friends out there!

Signs of Spring are finally appearing here in Nebraska! I'm on Crocus watch... they are up a few inches but not blooming yet. We're having that usual manic weather that has you in the 70's and dropping to the 30's in the same afternoon... crazy. Anyway the weather does influence what I'm designing in crochet, of course. With Spring in mind I am just finishing the new Watering Can Potholder I've designed for my potholder exchange I participate in each month.

All finished on side 1!

I've done side 2 in a simple stitch of SC/DC repeated in rows, then reversing the pattern on the next row. With my arthritic hands I'm having to crochet the two sides together in sessions doing a few stitches at a time - it's tough going for me for some reason. Oh well! I hope my recipient will be pleased.

I'm still working away at my big project, another wearable afghan convertible scarf/poncho thing that I haven't even thought of a name to describe yet! It's going to be cool, and I've never seen anything like it. It's done all in JoAnn Angel Hair yarn which has an amazing feel, in practically every color it comes in. The yarn has kept me busy finding JoAnn coupons to keep the cost down!! Yikes it's been a yarn eater. Hopefully it will all be worth it! Tell you what, it'll be a perfect project to eat up scrap yarn when I make the next one! The stitch is simple, the yarn's color patterns and the overall designs are the stars. Can't wait to show you when it's finished - hopefully another week or two!

Other than that, I've still been fighting a bad myasthenia flare the last couple of months, having frequent transfusions to get my muscle strength back. I'll get there eventually!

Happy crocheting everyone! I'm off to write an article about a new pattern for doggie boots to publish in SoCrafty this week.

The "Each 1, Teach 1 Crochet" Challenge Starts Now!

Today I started a brand new challenge called "Each 1 Teach 1 Crochet!" It's in celebration of National Crochet Month, which goes thru the end of March. But this challenge will continue on the whole year round! Check out the article about the challenge here.

So sorry I have been absent from my blog for awhile. A combination of things caused this - most notably the long illness and passing of my beloved Scrappy Jack Schnauzer on February 10. I've kept crocheting all along, and there are lots of new free patterns up... I just haven't told anyone about most of them except through SoCrafty online magazine.

Scrappy Jack contracted a horrible MRSA infection during a dental procedure the day before Thanksgiving. He fought a brave battle, enduring awful procedures and lots of medications. We kept him as pain free as we could, believing eventually they would find the right combination of antibiotics to get him well. Sadly, on February 9, SJ suffered a stroke that left him half blind and unable to walk. He gave me "the look" that said, "Enough, Mom." That was that. I spent most of a night and morning cuddling him and giving him lots of treats and love, and then we gently sent him on to Rainbow Bridge. My heart is still broken but of course my other furry kids keep me "in the game." Here is my baby boy as I want to remember him.

Scrappy Jack cheerfully puts up with yet another ride to the vet.

We have an old friend back with us, Mr. Whizzer! He is a 13 year old Miniature Schnauzer who was adopted out from my rescue back in 2011. He was returned to us recently because the owner's life situation had changed. Whizzer had been being kept in a cage 20 hours a day for God knows how long. Thankfully the owner made the decision to return him to me. At first, he was very stiff and got around very slowly. It has been a joy watching Whizzer come back to life and remember how to be a real dog! Now he is fascinated with his motion activated animal noise ball and my biggest job is keeping it in batteries! He is going in this Friday for his dental procedure and of course, I am terrified of a repeat of Scrappy's illness. I just have to have faith that all will be well because he is in pain from his rotten teeth and they need to go.

Whizzer

On the crochet front... I am working on a project I'm very excited about! I have owned this particular scarf design for several years (actually, several of them) and I decided to recreate it in crochet. It will be unique because it can be used as 1) A full scarf/poncho; 2) Unbuttoned as a single long scarf; or 3) laid out flat, as a wonderful lapghan! I am about halfway finished with it. It's done almost entirely in JoAnn's Angel Hair yarn, which feels amazing, in a rainbow of colors with a black background between. Loving this project! It will be beginner level easy, too!

My current work in progress

On a personal note, another reason I've been less visible is that I've been going through a flare of my neuromuscular disease, Myasthenia Gravis. Last week I had five consecutive IV transfusions and will continue to have them weekly for a couple of months, which will hopefully kick me out of this flare. It causes me difficulties with vision, hand dexterity, and the ability to sit up straight! Hate that... but I can still crochet! But seriously, prayers and/or good thoughts are much appreciated! I hate it when I get down this far.

That's about it for the moment... please check www.squidoo.com doing a search for SheilaSchnauzies and you will turn up all of my crochet and other articles. You can also visit my free crochet pattern index here although I need to update it with the recent patterns! Workin' on it...

My First Crochet Pattern Book Is Available Now! Still Time To Win December Blog Giveaway!

I'm very excited to announce the publication of my new e-book, "Crochet With Sheila Volume I - Floral Decorations To Crochet." It is available at this link. It contains 16 of my floral motifs, ornaments and mini-doilies – some previously unpublished!

Thanks to the unique features of e-publishing, once you purchase the book you can automatically receive updates when they are added to your book! I've already run across about another 10 patterns I need to add to this book. The next volume, which should be ready in January, will be "Sparkling Crochet Jewelry." If you are inclined to share, I would sincerely appreciate sharing the info about my book! It is the realization of a lifetime goal for me. I have 12 more volumes planned and my goal is to complete them all in 2014.

I hope all of you have enjoyed your holidays and crocheted lots of special things! If any of my patterns were included in your crocheting, I am honored!

I really enjoyed Christmas and was blessed to have both of my children and their dear ones here with us. We had a "snack feast" which is our Christmas Eve tradition. Then on Christmas Day we all went out to a superb buffet at Harrah's, one of our nearby Iowa casinos. They put on quite the spread. We also celebrated my daughter's birthday so it was truly a special day.

Last Saturday, we woke up to a very sick SueSue, our 8-year-old rescue girl. We rushed her in and she was hospitalized for the day on IV fluids with severe pancreatitis. She is slowly improving now, thank God. Our Scrappy Jack, who has been fighting a cellulitis infection since Thanksgiving, is also making slow tiny improvements. He has battled so hard, bless his heart.  Thankfully Ladybug is happy and well!

Susie

Scrappy Jack

Ladybug

You still have time to win the December blog giveaway! Just leave a comment below to enter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! -Sheila

December Blog Winner! New Giveaway for January! Crocheting for Warmth!

Baby, It's Cold! 
At this writing, it is -6º actual outside! If you walk out without something over your face, you instantly freeze! I've been busy crocheting some new fingerless gloves with cover flaps you can flip over your fingers for warmth. I found the warmest yarn, Hobby Lobby's Yarn Bee Riot Eyelash Sparkle, in a pretty turquoise and I am crocheting a neckwarmer/cowl out of it right now! I refuse to leave the house until it is finished! Yesterday I had to go out to take my Scrappy Jack to the vet. The wind has been brutal here creating wind chills in the -30º range! He wore TWO doggie coats and a blanket. I had on my usual two fleece jackets, my mobius scarf which is the warmest thing ever, and my fingerless gloves (without the flaps). I FROZE. Needed something more, the neck warmer. I'm even considering making leg warmers, something I have never owned! It's just awful here. It will be a huge relief that we are going to climb into the 20's today!

Help For My Eyesight! 

I'm very excited that my neuro-opthalmologist has found some help for my eyesight issues! I'm very farsighted to begin with, I have constant double vision from myasthenia gravis, and a stroke in 2009 made me half blind in my right eye. It has been a huge frustration trying to see to do my close-up crocheting, my writing on the computer, and so on. He told me we can't correct my vision properly with one pair of glasses and bifocals anymore. So he has prescribed two different trifocal glasses, one for computer and one for walking around. I've picked them out and ordered them, and they should arrive in a few more days. I am so excited at the possibility of seeing better to do my work! 

Scrappy Jack In His Crocheted Sweater

Scrappy Jack Update... 

Not much else to tell right now - I've been busy caring for my sick Scrappy Jack Schnauzer. He is very slowly improving but he's been sick with this awful cellulitis infection in his jaw since Thanksgiving Day. Prayers and/or good thoughts are much appreciated!

December Blog Winner! 

OurJoy is the winner of my December blog contest! She won her choice of my crocheted Hexagon Snowflake or Dancing Angels Snowflake, along with her choice of any pattern offered on my Craftsy.com site. Congratulations! 

January Giveaway!! 

For January, the contest will be to win the prototype for my "Sweet On You" Valentine motif, (not yet published), along with the winner's choice of any pattern offered at my Craftsy.com.  All you need to do to win is leave a comment below! 

Happy Crocheting! 

– Sheila

New Reversible Scarf, Slippers, Holiday Crocheting!

It's late evening and I'm doing another marathon gift-making session! I've had so much fun this week making special things for the ones I love! While I was at it, I made myself pattern everything up rather than just crocheting fast. I'm glad I did, because I really love how some of the things turned out!

One of my new patterns is the Reversible Windowpane Scarf & Headband Set. It is a blast to crochet in fun yarns like Riot Eyelash Sparkle and Enchantment sequin yarn. I did it in turquoise and red – an odd combination but I've been seeing it everywhere and loved it.  A few people on my gift list may be getting these in their favorite colors.

The front side of the Windowpane Headband... 

And the reverse

Another new pattern from last night results from my husband's request for new crocheted slippers. His mother, God rest, made everyone in the family these amazing slippers almost every year. She knitted hers and they were thick, cushy and wonderful. Well, he finally wore his pair out. I had just picked up some of Lion Brand's Hometown yarn and decided to make them out of that. I crocheted one entire shoe, then ran out of yarn. I'm glad about that, because at that point I decided to make a pair of slippers for myself. I did mine in Buttercup baby yarn (If you have not felt that yarn, you must!) I loved how they turned out and they feel amazing!

My husband's slipper in progress... all finished now and he loves them

My slippers

Well, dear husband saw my new slippers and said "Hey, why didn't you make mine like that?" Okey-dokey then! Off to the store to pick up more yarn. Tonight I'm frogging his first shoe and remaking him a pair like mine. I'll put up a pic when they're done. Here are mine. Let me take this opportunity to show you what happens when you mix die lots on yarn! I glanced the yarn in the store, said yep that's the color. Got it home and yes it was the color, but a vastly different shade! You can see that in the pictures. Since they're just for me, I don't care. The yarn I had started with, I'd purchased last year or the year before. Dye lot really does make a difference!  My feet do not care if there is a shade difference and believe me, with it 16º here right now, they are very happy in them!  As soon as I get time to write up the pattern, I will.

We received some very bad news from Scrappy the Schnauzer's lab cultures. He has Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA). They changed his antibiotic last week and the last couple of days he is worsening. We go back to the vet tomorrow when they will put him on an antibiotic that kills MRSA. She said I may have to give him antibiotic injections depending which drug they go with. This boy needs some relief. He is such a sweet baby and puts up with everything I do to him - warm compresses on his face several times a day, cleaning his nose, and so on. Thank God he has a great appetite and drinks tons of water. He also enjoys eating snow - I think the cold snow helps clear out his nose and throat. Your good thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated. The fundraiser link for his vet bills appears in the previous blog entry if you'd like to share it with your friends.

I did manage to decorate my Christmas tree this afternoon! It was a lovely time, my son dropped by for a surprise visit and we had a great chat while I hung ornaments. One of those picture-perfect moments you treasure.

Well, off to do something completely different - need to crochet a couple of snowflakes! Happy crocheting to you all!

Win Or Buy My Ultimate Decadent Luxury Scarf! New Holiday Patterns! Blog Winner... New Giveaway!

A Sneak Preview Gift Holiday Pattern For You And A Chance To Win My Crocheted Doily! 

Greetings to all my fellow crocheters!! I have a special gift for you, a brand new doily pattern for Christmas 2013! It's the Christmas Candy Cane Doily. You are the first ones to hear about it, it was just published today! 

Christmas Candy Canes Doily

WIN The Design Prototype of the Christmas Candy Canes Doily!!! 

The doily described above - win the actual doily!! Paypal a donation to sheilaschnauzies@gmail.com with the word Scrappy in the notes (minimum $25). (See reason for Scrappy's fundraiser below). Winner will be drawn on Wednesday, December 18, and will receive their doily later that week in time for Christmas! 

 A New Twist On An Old Favorite! 

I crocheted up a variation of the old Magic Potholder pattern. Added what I think is a unique border using Bernat Handicrafter in their holiday variegate. I haven't published a pattern for the border yet, but here's how I did it: 

SC in border of potholder. Ch 2, go backward and SC in ch 2 space just made. SC in border where hook falls next. Super fast edging and I think the little points are cute! 

Magic Potholder With New Border Design

New 2013 Snowflake Patterns! 

I have two new Snowflake designs for you this holiday season! They are the Hexagon Snowflake and the Dancing Angels Snowflake. I hope you will enjoy them! 

Hexagon Snowflake

Dancing Angels Snowflake

Dancing Angels Snowflake in size 80 thread with crystals - for brooch

Dancing Angels Snowflake in Size 10 Gold & Silver With Crystals

November Blog Winner & December Contest!

Congratulations to JD from St. Louis, who is the winner of the November Blog Giveaway! 

For December, the contest will be to win any pattern from my Craftsy.com site plus your choice of the crocheted Hexagon Snowflake or Dancing Angels Snowflake. 

As many of you know, I donate about 95% of my crochet design patterns and publish them free online. (Here's an index!) I sell some of my patterns (see Craftsy link below) and all my handmade jewelry and crochet creations,  along with using my own money to support the vet expenses of our Miniature Schnauzer Rescue, Sheila's Schnauzies.(link below). Two of our Schnauzer fur kids, Sue and Ladybug, are rescues. Scrappy Jack is our 11 year old Miniature Schnauzer who we've had since he was a baby puppy. 

My Scrappy Jack, Battling Cellulitis & Respiratory Infection

Scrappy had to have 13 teeth removed the day before Thanksgiving and came down with a serious Cellulitis and respiratory infection that he is still battling. His dental surgery and treatment for the infection have run up a vet bill of over $600 so far (not covered by his preventive plan) and treatment is still ongoing. He will need another procedure this Friday to culture to determine what antibiotic would work best - another $80 plus more medications. 

Get My Ultimate Decadent Luxury Mobius Scarf Just $49!

To help with Scrappy's vet expenses, I'm offering a special hand crocheted item (by me!) It's my Ultimate Decadent Mobius Scarf. Guaranteed to keep you toasty warm while feeling silky soft against your skin! It is created with three different premium yarns together in your choice of color theme. I'm even offering free shipping anywhere in the US! Some examples of my scarves are attached. You will have your own unique creation that you'll enjoy for years to come in virtually any color theme! If you'd like to get your own special scarf, just email me back! I accept Paypal or any major credit card, or checks/money orders.

WIN The Ultimate Decadent Luxury Mobius Scarf!

The same scarf described above - win it!! Paypal a donation to sheilaschnauzies@gmail.com with the word Scrappy in the notes (minimum $10). Winner will be drawn on Monday, December 23! Winner will receive their scarf the first week of January. 

My friends, I am humbled to need to ask for your help to help our Scrappy - just share this link to Scrappy's GiveForward fundraiser with your friends. The well is dry. You can make a difference just by sharing! 

There are other ways you and your friends can help - if you're looking for the perfect holiday gift, check out my jewelry creations here.

Thanks so much! Holiday blessings to you and yours, 

– Sheila

It Snowed! Great Day To Crochet A Snowflake!

The late morning sun is setting off a thousand sparkles on the snowy yard out my window! We had our first snowfall of the season last night. Actually it started out as an ice storm, which is very bad. I'm hoping the roads are better when I venture out later on today! Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the view from indoors while I crochet some snowflakes for holiday gifts!

I just published my latest design, the "Dancing Angels Snowflake." It works up very quickly, having only four rounds! It's prettier if you can add some crystal beads as I did. I worked this up in several sizes of thread. Did one up in sewing thread with crystals to make a pretty pin. Thought I'd go blind in the process! One of those is enough. In size 10 thread it works up around 3.5" size. I really recommend doing it in three colors because it makes the angels stand out more.

Still plotting and scheming on my design for my special 2013 snowflake. I try to design one really special one each year, then give it to my special folks for Christmas. Right now - haven't a clue!

Are you crocheting snowflakes for holiday gifts this year? Or perhaps potholders? You might enjoy doing this one.

A New Winter Hat And Poncho Coming Soon!

Afternoon, everyone! I've been hard at work the last two days crocheting! We had a sharp drop in temps the other day and of course I had to make something outdoor and Winter! So I designed this little hat. It's done in my favorite yarn, Red Heart's "Kiss," in the cruise blue color way.  It feels yummy and warm! My Ladybug agreed, said it was the best nap ever!  I'll be publishing the free pattern next week, so do check back for the link.

I'm working now on a poncho in Paton's Divine. It's turning out a bit heavier than I expected, so it will be a warm one!  That pattern, too, will appear in the near future in SoCrafty magazine.

The weather has warmed up a bit, which is wonderful! Looks like two new rescue Schnauzers are coming into our rescue, Sheila's Schnauzies, this week.  Now, off to do my errands! Happy crocheting...