The Reason I Do What I Do... It's All About The Dogs!

My grand-doggie Winnie tries on Bailey's new sweater!

This week I'll be releasing the free crochet pattern for what I call the "World's Easiest Dog Sweater!" Some of you may not know that I have had a Miniature Schnauzer rescue called Sheila's Schnauzies since the late 1990's, when I first became disabled. During that time, with the help of a few very dedicated volunteers, we have rescued and found new homes for more than 50 Miniature Schnauzers. When I first started in rescue, I could not believe anyone would ever want to get rid of a Miniature Schnauzer – but believe me, they do. 

Since our rescue operates as a nonprofit organization, we rely totally on donations and whatever funds I can raise from the sales of my crochet patterns and finished objects (mostly jewelry pieces I make). By buying one of my crochet patterns at Craftsy.com, or a piece of my handcrafted jewelry at my Etsy store, you might just be helping to pay for a $200 dental surgery for a rescue dog! You just never know. But the need is always there.

Winston, left, with his new friend Bailey (Who is wearing his new sweater,
the pattern for which is coming out later this week!)

The little guy pictured here, Winston, was the victim of tragic circumstance when his elderly mom passed away and he ended up in a shelter, then placed in a new home, and a few months later put back in rescue when the new owners faced financial trouble. It's a story we hear all too often in rescue. 

Due to my health issues, I've had to make some changes. I used to take in dogs and keep them in my home until I could find a permanent placement. In the past few months I've been recruiting volunteer foster parents so that when a dog like Winston comes along, they have a place to go! There are those of us who help animals by directly working with them, but there are others equally important who help these animals by giving of their resources to support those who do! If you are interested in making a tax deductible contribution to our rescue, you may Paypal to: SheilaSchnauzies@gmail.com. Or you can email me at SheilaSchnauzies@gmail.com to discuss your contribution. 

If you're interested in volunteering to work with rescue dogs, the easiest way to find your local rescues is to go onto Petfinder.com and search for a dog in your area in the breed you're looking for. The rescues will be listed on each dog listing, then you can contact them.

Now... back to crocheting... that OTHER thing I do! 

Project Proliferation!

Yesterday is a good example of how I get sidetracked, ending up with four or five projects going at once! I'm working away at my new doggie sweater as planned, then I see Martha Stewart's dog Sharkey wearing this incredible getup to protect the owie on his paw that I simply must try to recreate in crochet form for my Miniature Schnauzers! I really should try to develop some type of regimen to my crochet workflow, but it just never seems to work out that way for me.

I guess that's part of the real fun of crochet designing! You see a need, or get a flash of inspiration, and you must run, not walk, to grab hook and yarn to make it real. If I'm not lucky enough to be home with all my stuff when this happens, it's time to grab pen and paper and start making drawings and notes.

So along with Sharkey's bizarre outfit,  I'm finishing up the pattern for what has to be the world's easiest dog sweater to make, put on, take off, and wear (from the dog's point of view!) The sweater is a version of one I whipped up a few years ago for rescue boy Bailey. You see, Bailey (who is now 12) is our problem child. If you attempt to do things like groom him or dress him up in pretty clothes, he will bite you! Undaunted, I decided Bailey must still have a sweater, but it would be one that I could put on him (and take off) so fast he wouldn't know what hit him!  Surprisingly, Bailey adored his sweater and has worn the same black one for years. (Who knew Patons Voo-Doo would wash and wear so very well!)

Bailey had his t-shirt on when I needed to take the picture, so Winnie got the honor of modeling Bailey's sweater.

Also in the works are a scarf for my grand-goddaughter Lacey out of that new self-ruffling yarn. I finally found a way to work with it that does NOT drive me insane! I'm making it lengthwise rather than vertical, and in only two rows. That way it is not so full, and not so hard on my very weird eyes! It's a gorgeous gold metallic and I can't wait to give it to her though.

Just finished a purple scarf and matching fingerless gloves for my goddaughter Laurie, out of Princess chenille from Hobby Lobby and Enchantment in gold from JoAnn. The yarns are gorgeous!

Made two fun fur mobius scarves for Laurie's other daughter, Chelsea, out of Lion Brand Fun Fur in neon pink and yellow. She can wear them separately or together. I still need to make her matching hair scrunchies! Hey... Chels loves neon!

Dug into my "fancy yarn store" up in the attic and pulled a bunch of pretty blues and purple soft fuzzy yarns to make my friend Heidi and her daughter Nicole each a mobius scarf with 3 strands of yarn held together, nice and incredibly soft and warm. Worked up with a big hook they take me about three hours apiece to make.

The last of the late Christmas gifts was a set of a mobius scarf and fingerless gloves for Melissa, the wonderful girl who works at the infusion center where I get my weekly "fill-up" (transfusion) to keep me pumped-up. She is just a doll, so fashionable and sweet. Her set was done in the white Enchantress sequin yarn held together with Deborah Norville's Jeweltones in Moonstone. Loved how that turned out (so did she!)

In between the Christmas gifts, I managed to whip myself up a scarf to go with my fingerless gloves I made last year. It is the softest, warmest scarf I've ever made and I love it! Yarns were Enchantress sequin, Jeweltones Moonstone, and Buttercup in white (I forget the mfgr, sorry!)

Right now I'm on the border rounds of the Backward Rose Round Motif, which also would make a nice snowflake! It was supposed to come out for Christmas, and my sudden trip to Kansas City delayed that.  I published Celia's Winter Rose Snowflake as my snowflake for 2012 instead, in memory of her Sean, my nephew, who we lost just before Christmas.

There are two new scarf patterns coming out this next week! One will be the "Chain-Chain-Chain Scarf," which is easy enough for the beginningest-beginner but fun enough for anybody! The other is the Treble Lacy Scarf, which works up lightning fast and looks very pretty I think. Watch for the announcements. If you don't get announcements of my new pattern releases, just email me at SheilaSchnauzies@gmail.com with "mailing list" in the subject line. I'll make sure you get the news!

I Believe The Magic Of Christmas Must Transcend Tragedy Somehow...

This year I was really "up" for the holidays! I was feeling pretty good, decorating early, planning lots of crochet projects... then my world came to a screeching halt when we lost my very dear 25 year old nephew Sean on December 3. It just totally rocked the earth off its center.

When I was packing for the trip to Kansas City, I tossed in a few balls of perle cotton and some silver thread, a size 8 crochet hook, thinking I might want to work on my annual snowflake during some downtime.  I also have been making birthstone angels out of gemstones and copper wire, so I put in a ziploc bag of copper wire in various colors, a bunch of amethyst beads I'd just received, several different crystals, and my round-nose pliers. Busy work.

While I was sitting at my sister's house after I arrived, I pulled out my angel supplies and decided to make an amethyst angel for Sean, since that was his birthstone. Before I knew it, I had made several as keepsakes for his parents and for my kids. It was a small gesture but something I could contribute at a time when you feel like there IS nothing you can do to help.

one of Sean's angels

Thank God for crafts and for crochet, which keeps me centered and allows me to think and keep my hands and mind busy even during the worst times.

After my week in Kansas City, I had a long drive home to reflect on how all of this would affect the way I spent the rest of the holidays. My sister and I had lost our mom on my daughter's birthday, the day after Christmas, three years ago. Despite that, we decided to continue to celebrate Christmas and of course my daughter's birthday.  Our mom would have kicked our butts if we didn't. There's a lyric from a Paula Cole song that kept running through my head that day, and it kind of fits how I feel now...

(From "Be Somebody" by Paula Cole)

"And oh my god what is this madness?

I will not let it kill my gladness

And oh my god what is this madness?

My joy inside will send this message"

"I want to be somebody

I want to make a difference

For we all are children of the mother

I want to be somebody

I want to make a difference

For we all are children of the father"

So... the night I arrived home, I had my own emotional thermonuclear meltdown... and then the next day, I threw myself into "Ho-Ho." I "psycho-cleaned," decorated, played Christmas music... and it felt healing.  I guess the way I will view the holidays from now on is that I will celebrate them FOR the ones I have lost, in their honor.

My little work area, which is too embarrassingly cluttered to photograph right now, is adrift with sparkling objects. My grand-puppy Macie, the 10 month old White German Shepherd, thinks they are all presents for her! She loves anything yarn, anything that sparkles, and the combination of sparkly yarn is just too much for her to resist! She has done a very good job of leaving the pretty Christmas tree alone and I'm very proud of her! She can't help it if now and then her 2-1/2 foot long huge tail sweeps off an ornament here and there.

I'm off now to put the final touches on my 2012 snowflake, my annual tradition. Here it is so far. In honor of my sister, it is called "Celia's December Rose Snowflake."

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Busy Designing Some Holiday Sparkle!

Around the holidays, my love for sparkle kicks into high gear! Whether it's decorating my home, the accessories I wear, or the crafts I make – they all have high sparkle factor!

I'm busy writing a tutorial on how to make my little "guardian angel" ornaments, which I make out of hand coiled copper wire and crystals. They are SO much fun and everyone loves them. I just found some amazing huge beads to use for the little angel heads and I can't wait to make some with them!

I've discovered my new "favorite" yarn, it's called Enchantment and it's in the Sensations line from JoAnn. It feels like the softest silk and is awesome to crochet with! It has a nice subtle sparkle that looks expensive, if you know what I mean – not gaudy, in other words. Just pretty. That's what my new crochet design that I'm working on is made with. What will it be? Hopefully if all goes well I'll be sharing the pattern in a couple of weeks.

I also think this yarn would make some beautiful doggie accessories for the furkids! If I have enough time, that design will be done and coming out just before Christmas. I promise you it will take no more than a couple of hours to crochet at most, so you'll have time to whip up one for your furkids! This yarn, by the way, also comes in silver and a neat hot pink, not pictured. I guess I'll have to pick up those colors too. I'm really bad about that – if I love a yarn, I have to have it in every color! I'm never sorry, though – it's wonderful to be able to go "yarn shopping" in my stash when I'm considering a new design.

Back in 2008, I designed this Poinsettia Fantasy Doily which always has a place of honor in my Christmas decorating. I will be including this pattern in my crochet pattern book, which is now hopefully going to get finished by early winter!

We are all in the midst of crocheting up wonderful gifts for our loved ones! Here's a free pattern your favorite guy might enjoy! It's a Men's Neckwarmer, super easy and fast to crochet. You can also read my article about it in SoCrafty Magazine here.

Just added a couple of new patterns to my for-sale pattern store! You can check them out here: My For-Sale Patterns At Craftsy.com

 

Wishing you a happy week of crocheting all things beautiful!

Getting Ready for Christmas yet?

I'm never ready for Christmas! Usually it will dawn on me what handmade gifts I want to make around Thanksgiving if I'm lucky! If not, I'll be burning the midnight oil the week before Christmas trying to finish and wrap everything. And have anything ready early enough to mail? Forget about that!

Now there's really no excuse for my procrastination except that... I have to be inspired. If only that were easy to find!

Sometimes the inspiration ends up coming from a request from a friend. Last year all my girls got möbius scarves in really special yarns. That started with one friend asking me to come up with a special scarf for her.

Other times, like this year so far, I just don't have a clue what I'll make for my special gift list yet.

So... Where do you go for inspiration when you're stuck? I usually end up going to my favorite craft or yarn store. Almost inevitably, something there will catch my eye. In addition to crocheting, I love to make jewelry... not like there aren't plenty of beads to choose from at JoAnn! Holy cats, they have a lot.

I'd love to hear what YOU would like to receive if you were getting a hand-made gift from someone! Need some inspiration here!

Finally, A Crochet Garment I'm Going To Love Wearing!

I've crocheted a sweater or two here and there, but I've never done anything that I wear more than just occasionally. This project is going to be different!

I'm busily working on my newest design, which will be simply called my "Sleeveless Reversible Sweater." It's being done entirely in Vanna's "Glamour" yarn, and I am loving how it feels! I am crocheting it wih a size H hook which gives it a bit looser, more flexible texture. It is going to turn into my favorite go-to sweater, I know that already!

One side is done entirely in Silver. The other side is done in color blocking and stripes of black, gold, white and silver. I think it's so pretty! I thought about adding her brown and red too, but decided it was just a bit much for me. My next one, which I'm already planning, will include those colors for sure.

Here's a sneak peek at what I've done so far. There will be a side inset secion added after I complete both sides.  Eventually the sweater will be about 26" long, I think. I want it to be hip length.

Would love to hear what you think of it so far!

On My Hook Today!

Just had to share what I'm crocheting with you! I'm so excited about it, can you tell?? I have always wanted a reversible (front/back, not inside out) sleeveless crocheted sweater, and I have never gotten around to it in all these years.

I mentioned the other day how my Dickie pattern gave me inspiration for the sleeveless sweater, and I just wanted to show you how it's going so far. I'm liking it a lot! I'll probably leave the silver side all silver, not sure yet.

I will be incorporating some color blocking on the back side shortly as I add length to the sweater. It is going to include red, gold and brown - and more black, provided I can find it in my attic stash!

Also wanted to share a link with you to my Craftsy.com pattern store!



Just wanted to mention that I haven't forgotten about my pattern book, which I've been hoping to get done in time for Christmas... I'm afraid my 2-month fight with cellulitis delayed that. But it's right there on the back burner, believe me.

Hope you are all safe from the bad storms that are going on right now.

Happy Crocheting,
– Sheila