Ready... Set... Crochet a Turkey!

This turkey is so cute I want to gobble him up (har har)! Find this pattern at Owlishly

 

Only 42 days to Thanksgiving--you better get to crocheting! As always, there are a ton of ways to express your Thanksgiving cheer with crochet. To help you along with inspiriation and even flat-out instructions, I have put together a collection of fall and Thanksgiving patterns from Etsy. Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, these patterns make adorable, wonderful fall creations.

Check out this great collection of patterns after the jump!

Boob-tober

Find the pattern for this whimsical awareness handbag at bubbihund

 

It was the end of the summer before my sophomore year of college. It had been a normal day of work as a "pack-and-ship pro" at the UPS store, followed by dinner with my parents. After the usual TV time with the 'rents, I told them I was going up to bed.

"Hold on a minute, your father has something to say to you," said my mother.

I stopped in the doorway to the living room and turned around.  "What?" I asked, irritated in that way that teenagers are whenever their parents tell them to do anything at all.

"Come sit down." All of a sudden I knew something was up.

I sat next to my father and he said to me: "I went to the doctor last week and it turns out I have breast cancer."  I was floored. As a biology major, I knew men could get breast cancer but I never thought it would happen to my own dad. "They caught it early and it looks like I won't need chemo or radiation, just surgery," he said.

It turns out he had felt a lump the winter before and though it was just a run of the mill cyst. In the spring, he slipped on some ice and fell on his chest, which left the lump irritated and red. Being a man (and a physician to boot) he did not go see his doctor until several weeks later. They scheduled a biopsy just to be sure it was nothing, but they found exactly what they weren't expecting.

My dad opted for a total mastectomy and his lymph nodes came back negative. After five years of Tamoxifen and multiple negative tests, it seems he is in remission. While his course of treatment was very short and the result was good compared to many other cases of breast cancer, it was still an intensely emotional experience for me. I was faced with my dad's mortality as well as fears about my own health. And tons and tons of questions: Will I get it? When should I get tested? Do we have the gene? Will the cancer come back in my dad? How did he get it?  Unfortunately there are no easy answers, but with my physicians on my side I feel confident that if I do develop breast cancer we will catch it early and treat it.

October is breast cancer awareness month. So many women (and men!) are affected by this disease, you are almost sure to know one of them. So take some time this month to give them a hug, remember those we have lost, and crochet something!

Hit the jump for ways to raise awareness with your crocheting in every aspect of life: Accessorize, keep your drinks warm or cold, jazz up your iPad, you name it. Let's get the word out and find a cure.

It Was a Monster Mash

Here's a Halloween decoration/pin cushion beautiful and functional enough to use all year!
Find it at ievish

Halloween is less than three weeks away! I know I have to get started on making my costume. Is there any holiday more exciting for crafters? I think not. I love the variability in Halloween themes: scary, cute, sexy, gross, funny. You can be anything or anyone you choose. I hope I have enough time and resources to really make a great costume this year. I feel like I phoned it in last year. At least now I have plenty of All-Hallows crochet inspiration!

Hit the jump for the Halloween gamut: From eeek! to awww-so-cute, decor, costumes for baby and adult, toys, you name it!

Gutsy

Breathe easy knowing your lungs are safely in the hands of the
undisputed Etsy Queen of Crochet Anatomy An Optimistic Cynic

 

Having personally disected many animals including a human, I think anaotmy is amazing. It has always been one of my favorite subjects. So why not crochet some? Some might find the subject matter a little morose, but with Halloween coming up I think it's just right. Not to mention you can learn a lot without all the squishy-wet-smelliness of real disection. No gloves needed!

Hit the jump for a head-to-toe (literally!) depiction of the human body in yarn:

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Even this polar bear can't describe how sorry I am. Source

I don't have enough excuses to fill up my absence. Suffice to say it has been a busy and at times difficult summer. I hope to fill your day with crochet blog posts now that I'm set up at work and have day-long access to my computer.

I also finally broke down and signed up for Pintrest. I'm finding it to be a convenient way to hold on to a piece of inspiration (inspiration which will certainly turn into more Yarnacles posts!) so I can go back later and turn it into something. Find my "Crochet Ideas" Pintrest board here.

Open Wide!

Find the pattern for "Morris Mouth"over at  Ess Haych
and don't give me any lip about it!

As a dentist, the mouth has always been fascinating to me. However, when I crochet i usually take the cop out of making an upside down "Y" with backstitch. I want to make more sculptural mouths with more potential for expression and shape. I have collected some of my favorite mouths under the jump--toothy, open, lippy, monstrous. It's a veritable oral menagerie.

Hit the jump and don't forget to brush your teeth tonight!

One is Silver and the Other's Gold

Don't explode just 'cuz I posted a knitting photo :).
Find this pattern and lots more over at cheezombie.

I'm back with a vengance. Let's get this blog party started with something we all need--friends! I'm intrigued by the idea of making pairs of crochet pals. So many possibilities: ketchup and mustard, raindrop and rain cloud, bear and honey bee, flower and watering can. I hope these friendly photos inspire you to try a pair of pals yourself!

Hit the jump below for more pics