Hocus Croakus

Here is my newest creation for Halloween. This is called Hocus Croakus! It is a pattern by Kylie Slee... also known as ComplicatedKnots. She puts up a new pattern every Thursday on YouTube. But she also sells these patterns on Ravelry and other places. When I first saw it, I thought it was so cool. It only took me three evenings of watching TV and crocheting to finish it off. I did make a couple of changes though. The eyes are different color, the candle flames are black candle flames, and I gave the mouse/rat some hands and feet. I also wanted to add a little skull, so I used her skull pattern. Her skull pattern would normally be about the size of a baseball, maybe a little smaller. But I used crochet cotton size 10 and a very tiny Boye metal size 10 crochet hook, & it turned out just the right size this scene. Oh and I also added a spoon for the frog to be holding during her cauldron! I really really like how it turned out and I think it is so cute!

Something new for Halloween

I was recently thinking about trying to make some new Halloween tatted patterns. I had a couple of ideas. Then, I was looking on Facebook, on which I have a group membership in a Halloween group that is basically people showing where you can buy Halloween decorations. They have been going crazy over this cute little ghost walking a dog that they are selling at HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and places like that. Unfortunately, there are no stores like that in my town...the only thing we have is Walmart. But anyway, these cute little ghosts with the dog are all the rage. People are going crazy trying to find them… Reminiscent of when people tried to find cabbage patch kids. I do find them very cute, but, as I said, they do not sell them around here and even if they did, I cannot pay the extravagant prices they have on them. So I just had this bright idea today to try to make a tatted version. I quickly scrawled out a sketch, and tried one out of both the dog and the ghost. And on my second try, I think I have a version I really like. So I give you my version of the cute tatted ghost walking his dog...

Oh yes there is also a female version that has flowers around her head I might try to make one of those, too.

2024 County Fair!

oh my! I was so excited, happy and surprised at my results in the Fair this year! I had 20 entries...and here is how they "faired". (wink wink) In the knit and Crochet department... my Skull granny square afghan won Sweepstakes & 1st!

This was a very big surprise as I entered the Afghan just because I made it, and I thought,why not? I in no way ever thought it would win a prize, maybe a third at most, because I had seen many beautiful Afghans in previous years. The comment tag read that the judge was happy to see something different. I created this pattern after seeing so many skull Afghan squares that had many many cuts and ties. I did not want to do all that cutting and tying, so I came up with a way to make the skull in one pass. Sandworm hat... Judges choice, sweepstakes and first prize! Again, an odd entry that I didn't think would win. So excited at how well it did!

next in the tatting category… bird that swims ( a misfit toy). Another surprise considering he is so small, and another tatted item I entered did not win at all.

Alongside the bird you can see my filet crocheted pumpkin doily. It won second prize in the household category. Next up, my little screaming opossum. I think he is adorable! There is a free video on YouTube of how to make him. He won first prize in the toy category.

my last two entries in this department were Zed the zombie, second prize, and Seymour the spider, from HR Pufnstuf, who won first prize!

In the crafts department… Another fantastic surprise! My "Witch Hazel" sculpture. She won judges choice, sweepstakes and first prizes! I was very very happy about this because she was such a labor of love. She was one of my favorite characters in the Bugs Bunny cartoons when I was a kid. Her cute little cackle, always chasing Bugs with her little ax, and every time she would run, her tiny hair pins would fly out of her hair. In the sculpture you can see that Bugs has left his mask and candy to escape her, and you can also see her hair pins on the floor. She is about 14 inches tall.

Another very exciting win in the craft category was my Queen Bee. She won sweepstakes and first prizes. I patterned her after a sculpture by Scott Smith. I really love the things that he makes, and I can't afford them because they go into the thousands of dollars, so I make my own versions. This Queen sits on her hive with her honey scepter and sovereign orb in hand. My 3d tatted Christmas ornament of the Mad Hatter was a bit disappointing. I really love him and I love how he turned out, but evidently the judge did not, so he did not win any prize.

You can see him here next to my Baby Grinch... who surprisingly won first place. And in the recyclable categories… Here is my Hocus Pocus Spellbook made from an Altoid tin. It did not win a prize. And also here is my Frankenstein Halloween candy jar made from a dog treat canister... he won third prize!

Another little sculpture I did is the bat in candy corn costume. This is patterned after a Wee Forest folk sculpture, again, not something I can afford, but all of her sculptures are mice and I decided I wanted a bat. He did not win, but that does not make me love him any less.

Finally in the jewelry category… I made the Maitlands from Beetlejuice! They won second prize!

So those were all of the handmade items. In the antiques department here are all my entries... Witch Teapot no prize.

Jam Plate...2nd prize

Milk glass bowl.. no prize. But I don't feel bad because only ONE out of the MANY entries in the milk glass category won prize...and it was third. I guess the judge didn't like any of the entries.

Another surprise for me… in the cookie cutter category… I entered this cute little Droopy the dog cookie cutter from the Tom and Jerry cartoons. He won second place. I mistakingly put woody woodpecker on the card. Whoops!

And last but not least, this celluloid button with a metal ornate cap, won third prize. I know it is a bit hard to see, but it is a yellowish color, and quite pretty.

As I said, I am so very happy with all my winnings and very very surprised at some of the ribbons they received. I have already begun to make a list of what I might want to enter next year! I hope you had fun looking at all my creations!

Getting ready for The Fair!

wow it's hard to believe I haven't posted since December. I have been busy working on a few things for the fair though. Our fair is in July, so I only had a little over a month to finish up several items. I need to get on the ball! I have a few things to choose from I'm not sure what all I will enter... Working on a couple of different sculptures, a jewelry piece, a tatted ornament, Plus I have a few things in the back of my mind So far what I have finished,(but don't know whether I will enter or not) Screaming Opossum

sandworm hat

Seymour from HR Pufnstuf

Luci...from Disenchantment

like I said I have several things in the works and several things possibly planned. So keep checking back to see what I come up with!