This Shit is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S

This banana keychain is making me hungry... and happy!
Find it at Ma Chat Noir

I always eat so much fruit in the winter time. I think I must not be getting my vitamins so I crave it. I was once told that bananas were the perfect food because they are so nutritious and come in their own wrappers. On my cereal, baked into banana bread, or just peeled and chomped on, bananas are pretty darn good. So why not crochet a banana? It seems like it should be pretty straightforward and there are so many beautiful colors of yellow yarn available!

Check out all the banana action after the jump!

Birdwatching

Tooooooo cute! Find this guy over at Yarrrn It

My grandmother's favorite bird was the cardinal. She was from Vermont and she loved seeing the cardinals on the snow-covered branches. I think of her often this time of year and seeing cardinals always brightens my spirit. It's great to see that vibrant color this time of year, too.

Foxes!

I have an addiction and the only cure is more crocheted foxes.
Find this guy at Liukenko (I'm also finding some inspiration for photos of  my amigurumi)

I can't help it, I just love foxes. Their faces are the epitome of cute. Their big ears and fluffy tails get me every time. Plus, the red/orange/yellow area of the color spectrum has always been my favorite. So here are some more foxes!

Hit the jump quick before they sneak away!

Dashing Through the Snow!

This little guy just defines "doe-eyed"
Find him over at Wool and Whims

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season! As a promotion for one of the local grocery stores, a nearby farm brought their reindeer for kids to take photos with. Have you ever seen a Reindeer up close? They are beautiful animals! Red-nosed or not, this majestic beast is definitely crochet-worthy. Santa's caribou come in many different crochet shapes, sizes, and interpretations.

Hit the jump for all of the other reindeer!

I would keep my brains away from the one on the left if I were you...
Find these zombie-and-nice reindeer at Hey Hea Handmades

Rudolph the Reindeer-Puff! Come on over to With Knots of Love to find him.

Oh, the tininess! If he's pulling the sleigh, santa better take a running start!
Find him over at Handmade by Justin

Who's ready for the winter weather? This guy! Find him over at crochAndi

OMG it came right out of my TV! Serious Clown has the pattern
for this posable, jointed Rudolph. Check it.

Mitten Patterns Galore!

The pattern for these stunning mittens can be found at Luba Davies Atelier

Keep those hands and fingers warm this winter with some mittens you made yourself! They come in so many styles and if you lose one, you have the pattern to make another. Accessorize while you keep warm in mittens of every shape, size, color, and embellishment. We even have some fingerless mittens so you can wear them while you crochet!

Hit the jump for tons of mitten patterns to keep those hands warm all winter!

Curl Up with a Book

A rose by any other name will mark your Shakespeare collection as sweet.
Find this bookmark at KhinsBoutique

The weather outside may soon turn frightful (or maybe it already has for you), but a book is so delightful! I received a handmade bookmark from my boyfriend's family for Christmas last year and I use it every day. I never know what to buy the bookworms in my life--I don't know what books they have or haven't read or even what they would really enjoy. A bookmark is a great, handmade way to please your favorite reader and they will think about you every time they open a book!

Hit the jump for tons of creative, beautiful bookmarks of many shapes and colors!

Flake Out! (Free Snowflake Crochet Patterns)

The pattern for this beautiful, complex flake can be found for FREE at Orb Weaver

As much as I hate to admit it, winter is well on its way. I grew up in Wisconsin, and I can clearly remember wearing snow boots with my Halloween costumes more often than not! It hasn't snowed yet where I am (knock on wood), but I'm into the swing of crocheting snowflakes as ornaments and appliques for my winter projects. I was hunting for great free crochet patterns, and I found a few I'd like to try. Some look more complex than others, so let's try them out and see how they do.

Snowflakes like these make great additions to anyone's winter decor and they are also nice as a little bonus gift wrapped around the bow on the top of a package :).

Hit the jump for some more FREE FLAKES!

Craft Fair!

I'm prepping for a great craft fair in Iowa City, IA this coming weekend (Saturday, Nov 17). The Local Makers' Market will be featuring Absolutely Darling Crochet and I will be debuting many new crochet ornaments, housewares, decor, and of course, amigurumi friends :).

Check out the details on the Local Makers' Market facebook page.

I Want Your Two Cents!

Stick these magnets to your photos and write a funny caption (right after you leave a comment on Yarnacles, of course). Find them at Blue Sheep Goods

So I had a few people mention to me that they were having trouble posting comments. I looked into it and (silly me!) I had my settings all wrong. I fixed the problem and now everyone can comment! I will, of course, moderate to edit anyone posting ads, bad links, spam, or anything hateful. But I think all you readers are awfully nice people and I don't really anticipate any problems.

Point is, want to hear your comments and suggestions!

Fire!

Safety first! Don't forget to crochet your extinguisher and check it every year!
Find the pattern for this pair at Sky Magenta

Usually I lean toward the cute-and-cuddly in crochet, but I like the juxtaposition of crocheting something cuddly that represents something decidedly not cuddly. Fire, for example. As one of the many people who put their hand on the stove as a child, I appreciate fire that I can touch without having to cover myself in butter afterwards.

Burn it up after the jump!

Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger...

Awww, what a cutie! Find him lurking through the grass at nutsaboutcrochet13

A snaaaaaake! Some people think snakes are evil, slimy, creepy, scary and all manner of other bad things. I'm here to tell you snakes are great! They're quiet, relatively clean, cheap and easy to care for, and even cuddly (and not slimy at all!). I have had a corn snake named Bernard for about two and a half years. I also call him "squiggles." There are lots of ways to have your own crochet squiggler! Maybe with enough crocheted snakes around you'll realize snakes are just the best.

Hit the jump for some legless reptilian adorableness! (And some awesome Bernard action)

Trophies

I'm pretty sure hunting polar bears is illegal, so here's a nice way to have one on your
wall without going to jail. Find it at Smished Dominion

Here in Iowa, hunting is a way of life. I've never been hunting, myself, and I find mounted animal heads to be a bit macabre. However, as with most things, crochet makes it all better! Whether big game, fictional game, or downright bizarre game, you can crochet it and mount it proudly without bothering anyone involved with animal rights.

Find some great crocheted mounted heads and adorn your walls after the jump!

Can't See the Forest

Apple, birch and pine! I love the variation in bark and leaves.
Find them at Mamachee

I am working on a large Christmas crochet project that involves a tree (not a Christmas tree--a deciduous tree). I have been waffling on what type of bark, how to create the leaves, and whether to make it hollow or solid. So, what's a girl to do? InvETSYgate! Ha, just made that one up. I found tons more inspiration than I thought I would. Crocheted trees can be found in accessories, appliques, amigurumi, and even as a home for your ami-creations.

Find a lush forest after the jump!

Fantasy Land

Gnobody can crochet a gnome like Fresh Stitches

 Sometimes you just have to escape to another world; a world where dragons and gnomes and fairies exist. I have always been fascinated with fantasy stories. I loved reading about myths and legends and fantastical creatures when I was a child. I have collected here some "fictional" animals created with crochet. I use quotes because you can never really be sure! Personally, I think there must be a gnome living in my dryer stealing my socks ;).

Find more legendary creatures after the jump!

Technical Difficulties

I think CraftyDebDesigns' TVs are getting better reception than I am.

Sorry for the gap in posts everyone! I have been having some hellacious problems with my network connection and no one seems to be in a hurry to fix it. It looks like I'm up and running for now. I'm practically bursting with post ideas, so as long as I can keep my internet juju working I'll be posting!


Thank you all for reading Yarnacles. I have some goodies planned for November and December--think free patterns and a give-away!

Pins and Needles

This teacup pin cushion is so prim! Find it (and more) at Dreamspirations

I dabble in sewing and I'm always looking for the perfect pin cushion. I'm also constantly losing my yarn needles. I looked around and found a bunch of really creative ones that I could make on my own or buy on Etsy. They're not voodoo dolls--they're amigurumi pin cushions!

Hit the jump for some places to put your pricklies!

My Favorite Deadly Sin

This little guy is just hanging in there! Find him at Mysterious Cats

Sloth, of course! To borrow from my favorite cuteness blog, Cute Overload, they have such moist nosicles! They are fluffy and slow and oh-so-adorable. I looked around for crocheted sloths and din't find many. (I even searched for--gasp!--knitted sloths). I collected the best of what I could find, and now I want some more. Perhaps my next amigurumi project?

Hit the jump sllllllowwwwwwwly for some more sloth action, and hit up the Costa Rica Sloth Sanctuary Blog for some real-life sloths in need.

Be Someone Else for a Day

Yarrrr! Anyone can be a pirate in this great crochet costume!
Swashbuckle on over to Kylie's Crochet Corner

Halloween is now less than two weeks away! If you still don't have a costume, be sure to check out these crochet costume creations. (Or even if you do have a costume... They're really neat). It was difficult to find crochet costumes for adults. If you have a baby, Etsy can sure hook you up but I'll let you search for that on your own time. Most of the crochet costumes are hat-based, which I suppose makes sense, but I was hoping for a little more full-coverage. Regardless, any of these crochet costumes would make for a very festive Halloween!

Hit the jump to transform yourself into someone or something completely different!

Heart-Felt (har har very punny)

I want to try felting and I hope I looooove it as much as Christie's Stuff

I try to keep up on the trends in crafting and over the last couple years I have seen an explosion in the popularity of felting. Whether just straight up felted wool or crocheted-and-then-felted, the texture is awesome and the pieces created look so cool! I would like to take it up (it's on my long list of crafts to try), so I thought I would investigate some crocheted felting.

Hit the jump to see what I found. Fluff-tastic!

Organize it!

The pattern for this rainbow crochet hook holder can be found at Living in Amethyst.
Never lose your hooks again!
 

I have tons of crochet hooks, scissors, needles, stitch markers, and other bits of crochet equipment. They often get separated from the group and then I have to spend all afternoon looking under the couch and various other places because I need that size H hook for this or that particular project. I have seen various cloth and plastic crochet hook holders in craft stores and online, but none caught my attention enough to actually purchase.

As a crocheter and a big DIY'er, I thought it wouldbe better to make one of my own! To search for inspiration, as always, I turned to Etsy. Most of the holders/organizers are made of cloth, but of the crocheted ones ther is tremendous variability in design. Some fold, some roll up, some hold just hooks, some all of your crochet equipment, and they have tons of different colors and textures.

Hit the jump for some major inspiration that could lead to some major organization!