Crochet Pin Cushions (Fantastic Finds)

I'm in love with the beauty, simplicity and function of these little cushions. No creative corner should be without one!

Image courtesy of huebycrafts

Image courtesy of MotivesAndPatterns

Image courtesy of namolio

Image courtesy of thepinqueen

Image courtesy of emmablackie

Image courtesy of TheBoughandTwig

Such useful, pretty little things. A great way to display a motif!

What are you hooking this weekend? Making a motif, or something bigger? I have about four projects I'm in the midst of. Notta clue which will win out yet! Happy Hooking!


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Organic Cotton Yarn (Fantastic Find)

No pictures now. First, a story. Then pictures. Good ones, too.

Before my son was born in 2008, I never really cared about organics. Even after he was born, I didn't give it much thought... until he started solid foods. And, suddenly, the idea of my little boy ingesting a chemical coated anything was reprehensible! I could not, in good conscience, continue to turn a blind eye to this issue.

So our family moved towards organic foods (thank you, Food Inc!), and gradually cleaning products, personal hygiene products, and so on. We (try) to ditch the plastic bags and bring our own. We prefer to eat local (read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle). We can't wait to start out garden. We have chickens -- no eggs yet. (Any day now, right?)

You see then, we've set off on a path. And naturally there would be talk - especially after watching the documentary Tapped - of us going plastic-free.

I suspect some are having an "ah-ha" moment and know where I'm going with this. The other half thought they were in a crochet blog, but must have been mistaken...?

Perhaps you're familiar with "acrylic" yarn? Know that that is? Of course! It's cheap, it's consistent, it lasts forever! Oh. It lasts forever. It's plastic. It's *not* biodegradable.

Initially I fought this reality. No, not my cheap yarn! But I loves it. *sigh*. This can't continue.

I've moved on. Well, am moving on. This responsible living is a process- it surely doesn't happen over night. I still have a bit of acrylic blend left in the stash upstairs. And that's okay, what can you do? But I wanted to move towards pure wools, bamboos, silks and organic cottons. Especially cotton, because: Cotton is the most heavily sprayed crop on the the planet. Yuck.

Fortunately, I'm not the first to realize this. Below are some Fantastic Finds: Organic Cotton Yarn! Who knew responsible living could be so much fun? =)

Image courtesy of quovadishandspun

Image courtesy of ScarecrowOrganics

Image courtesy of ThoughtfulGemsCrafts

Image courtesy of Blue Sky Alpacas

Image courtesy of Knit Picks

Image courtesy of Lion Brand

Hope you've been inspired!

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A Cozy Cup of Coffee (Fantastic Finds)

There's nothing like a warm, delightful, social, cozy cup of strong coffee! I'm loving the Autumn colors, the variations in styling, and of course, the buttons!

Image courtesy of chicnwarm

Image courtesy of KnitStorm

Image courtesy of Ladymelisse

Image courtesy of mikisknits

Image courtesy of ParasolDesign

Image courtesy of TheSunshineStitch

Time for another cup!

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Pumpkins & Pumpkins (Fantastic Finds)

Next summer, when our garden gets going, I'll be sure to plant a wide variety of pumpkins! For now I'll just enjoy them in their (superior) crochet form. (And how cute are these kids? Every single one is gorgeous!)

Image courtesy of bloomingjasmine

Image courtesy of customcrochetbyterri

Image courtesy of littlemargie

Image courtesy of luvbuzz

Image courtesy of MandicraftCo

Image courtesy of myknittingworld

Image courtesy of seventytwostitches

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Image courtesy of misslis81

Hats, Coasters, Stuffed (for play or display)-- Crochet Pumpkins are today's Fantastic Find!

Summer Days Are Gone Again

So long, Summer!

Image courtesy of bysol

Image courtesy of CrochetBabyBoutique

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Image courtesy of jamiesondesigns

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Image courtesy of missusD

Image courtesy of nerina52

Image courtesy of OliviaRoyale

Image courtesy of zolayka

Image courtesy of VaiZONE

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day! =)

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Sea Creatures (Fantastic Finds)

It's nearly Autumn and as exciting as that is -apple orchards, cool walks, gorgeous trees, open windows, the return of footie-pajamas (for the boys, not me)- I feel the urge to go to the sea one last time before we get too deep into the season.

Image courtesy of awkward

Speaking of the sea, check out these adorable creatures from some very talented Etsians.

Image courtesy of daveydreamer

Image courtesy of edafedd

Image courtesy of LadyLilliput

Image courtesy of Lazymuse

Image courtesy of Lazymuse

Image courtesy of OohLookItsARabbit

I love every last one of these sweet little sea creatures! If it weren't a holiday weekend, I'd be packing up the car for a beachy weekend. But that's madness. And so, I'll wait another week and hope the leaves and cool weather waits just a bit longer...

Choose Your Weapon (Fantastic Finds)

One random, snowy day last December, as I was perusing a book store, I stumbled upon some pencil cases.

Image courtesy of Barnes and Noble

I left the store with this guy (and a receipt). The medallion in the center reminded me a crochet pattern in symbols and I had a bit of a problem with little hands grabbing my hooks. This little "pencil case" was one of my better crochet purchases. 

Image courtesy of brighterday

Etsy has a ton of gorgeous crochet hook pouches. I love this one above because of the motif stitched onto it.

Image courtesy of DownZipper

These chickies make me happy! We got some chickens last month and they are so much fun!

Image courtesy of HandMeDownDesignsME

This adorable pouch has been made from recycled materials. I love some good-for-the-earth-crochet-goodness!

Image courtesy of HandMeDownDesignsME

(The interior ^^^^^. Love!)

Image courtesy of KnitterBag

I love the natural, clean look of KnitterBag's cases. Plus it's got pockets, a zippered section and magnetic closures. Perfection!

Image courtesy of MontclairMade

I love that this case has one purpose, and that is to contain your crochet hooks. :)

Image courtesy of NausicaaDistribution

There you have it- my latest Fantastic Finds.
Choose your weapon!

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