Frog Kisser

Crocheted Frog with a mouth that opens

Be a FROG-KISSER.  According to the Fairy Tale, and my former Pastor Judy, kissing a frog turns him or her into a Prince or Princess.  From a frog to royalty is a big frog jump and an improvement.  Soo kissing a frog simply means that your kindness to the "frog" makes him or her a better person.  As we know some forgs are easier to kiss then others! Don't let that stop you.
   I found this frog pattern on the internet, tho I can't remember to whom to attribute design.  It is quite clever because the mouth is a bag, and the long red tongue is the drawstring!
   Though I think I can crochet a cuter frog, I can't beat the clever mouth.  Of course the bug eyes are cute.
   The original pattern had crocheted flies to put in the mouth, and I hope that doesn't happen when you kiss a frog.  Don't put bugs and irritants -- that does not make a better frog, nor does it make you a better kisser or person.  Remember the person who kissed the frog in the fairy tale was already a princess - princess' don't give bugs instead of hugs.  They give good stuff, like gold coins, little crowns and tiaras.  One of my frogs has a clicker in it - not sure what that means, but I really like clickers and they fit nicely into the mouth.
    Please kiss as many frogs as you can.  This will result in many more Princes and Princesses in your life.
   Wait til you see the next frog I am crocheting.  If you know the designer of this one, tell her thanks for me.

Crochet Words

Another innovative crochet word: Guerrilla Yarnfare. Found on Kim Werker's website. This word is used to describe the crocheted artifacts on a NYC fence.

Positional Crocheting

Do you know that you can crochet while flat on your back? My ole back problem started up again and one of the rare ways I can get pain relief is by lying flat on my back with a couple of pillows under my knees. Boring!!! So I tried crocheting in this position. Yes, it's possible. Arms get tired quickly tho. I made a flyer advertising my Pinky No Drinky dolls for sale at $20.00 a pop, which is cheap considering they take about 5 hours each to crochet. But the cause is good. I am looking for a cheaper way to promote my Designated Driver cause tho. I would like to give Pinky away, but they just take too long to make. If anyone reading this, wants to crochet a Pinky to help the cause please do so. If you don't know to whom to give it, I will give it to some university students before Spring break.

Pinky No Drinky Pattern designed by Dorothy P. Schmidt

Pinky No Drinky

Pinky No Drinky is the only pink elephant the designated driver will see when driving the crew home after partying. Whomever has Pinky isn't served alcohol.

MATERIALS: 3 ozs pink sport weight yarn. Size E crochet hook. 1 pair 9mm doll's eyes, small amount of fiberfill stuffing or scraps of yarn. 1 stitch marker. Small amount of red embroidery thread. 1 yarn needle. (Warning: This is NOT a TOY and should not be given to small children who put things in their mouths).

GAUGE: Not important. For a larger Pinky use worsted wt yarn. Use one size hk smaller than normally used for type of yarn. This is to create a tightly woven fabric which keeps the stuffing inside the doll.

DIRECTIONS: Join each rnd with a sl st. Mark end of rnd with st marker. Use pencil eraser to push stuffing into fabric. Twist eraser as you stuff and push.

HEAD & BODY: Start with the head. Leave an 18 inch tail. Ch2.

Rnd 1: 6sc in 2nd ch from hk. Place marker in sl st. Move marker at end of each rnd.

Rnd 2: 2sc in each sc around. (12 sc).

Rnd 3: (sc in each of next 3sc, 2sc in sc) around. (15sc)

Rnds 4 - 6: sc even (15sc). Insert eyes in fabric on rnd 4. Make sure tail is on outside of head.

Rnd 7: (sc in next 3 sc, dec 1) around. (12sc)

Rnd 8: (sc in next 2sc, dec1) around (9sc). DO NOT FASTEN OFF. Stuff head.

Rnd 9: sc even (9sc).

Rnd 10: inc around (18sc).

Rnds 11 & 12: sc even. Mark rnd 11 with small piece of scrap yarn.

Rnd 13: (sc in each of next 2sc, 2sc in next sc) around. (24 sc).

Rnds 14 & 15: sc even (24sc).

Rnd 16: sc in next sc, dec 1) around. (16sc). Mark rnd with scrap yarn.

Rnd 17: sc even. Stuff body.

Rnd 18: dec 1sc around (8sc)

Rnd 19: rep rnd 18 (4sc).

Leave a 10-inch tail. Fasten off. Add more stuffing if needed. With yarn needle weave tail through sc of rnd 19. Pull closed. Secure with 2 bk sts. Cut yarn.

ARMS: Make 2.

Rnd 1: ch2, 5sc in 2nd ch from hook (5sc).

Rnd 2: 2sc in each of next 5sc. (10sc).

Rnds3-5: sc even. Stuff.

Rnd 6: dec 1 sc around. (5sc). Leave a 12 inch tail for sewing arm to body. Fasten off. Add more stuffing if needed. With yarn needle weave tail thru rnd 6. Secure with 2 bk sts. Don't cut yarn. Use tail to sew arm to rnd 11,

LEGS: Make 2.

Rnd 1: ch2. 6sc in 2nd ch from hk. (6sc).

Rnd 2: 2sc in each of next 6sc. (12sc).

Rnds 3-7: sc in each sc around. (12sc). Stuff

Rnd 8: dec 1 sc around. (6sc). Leave a 12 in tail. Fasten off. With yarn needle weave tail thru rnd 8. Pull closed. Secure with 2 bk sts. Use tail to sew legs in place, starting with rnd 16 of body.

TAIL: Ch6 and attach ch to lower part of body at the back. Fasten off.

NOSE: Start from narrow end of nose.

Rnd 1: ch2. 5sc in center of circle formed by joining ch2.

Rnds 2-6: sc in each sc around. Note: if you have problem finding sts, push a pipe cleaner thru center of circle.

Rnd 7: sc, 2sc, sc, 2sc, sc.

Rnd 8: sc in each sc around. Leave a 12 in tail. Fasten off. Sew to face just below and between eyes.

EARS: Make 2.

Row 1: ch9, sc in 2nd ch from hk and in next 7 chs, ch1, turn (8sc).

Row 2: sc2tog, sc in each sc across to last 2sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn (6sc).

Row 3: sc in each sc across, ch1 turn.

Rows 4 & 5: rep rows 2 & 3, at end of row 5, do not turn.

Row 6: sc around edges in row ends, and in row 5, join with sl st in 1st st of row 1. Leave a 12 in tail. Fasten off. (18sc). Sew to side of head.

HANGER: Use beg tail on top of head. Sew free end of tail to top of head to form a lp for hanging.

FINISHING TOUCHES: For mouth use red thread and bk st a mouth under nose. Optional accessories: a string of beads around the neck, a pair of doll glasses on nose, a jump ring or earrings in ears, a ribbon around neck or on end of tail.. http://www.crochetkookie.blogspot.com/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/"> This pattern is copyrighted under the Creative Commons License. Please link to this url to see how and that you may copy and use it.

Christmas Presents

Michael's is selling GLOW IN THE DARK yarn. Of course, I had to have it. It is expensive but I bought it with a 20% discount coupon. I am starting to crochet Christmas Presents. I finished a scarf which I crocheted with HOMESPUN, and another with Caron's Simply Soft. Both show evidence of my different emotions. One evening I was really angry, I couldn't sleep. I crocheted and crocheted and crocheted fiercely. I look at the scarf now and I can see the stitches from that night! Great outlet and a lot easier than scrubbing floors. I wouldn't get an A on gauge.

I am taking a course called MEDIA TECHNOLOGY, and am reading the Non-Designer's Design book by Robin Williams for the course. It is good and I have already applied some of the knowledge to both my crocheting and my work. However, Robin, the author, really has a couple of things wrong, and I am sorry she is talking as if she is the expert in the field because if she were she would know better. She inisists that only one space be placed after the period of a sentence instead of the two we use now. She says this applys to typing on a PC. How wrong she is!! A PC is a lot easier to use, but the end result is a printed page for both ways. And two spaces is more pleasing to the eye and more organized to the eye. She also has a couple of flyers which she considers better than some others, but I sure don't. Anyway, I found out that I am actually using colors in appropriate combinations. She should stick to colors and design not punctuation rules for text.

Entries from Crochet Challenge, Aug 2008

Which one of the following crocheted entries motivates you to conserve water?

Runny Nose Scarf

A friend of mine, Addie, broke her wrist. A year or two ago I gave Addie one of my Runny Nose Scarves. It is a crocheted scarf with a pocket at one end. I designed it for myself because when I go out in the cold my nose starts running and I have to run after a tissue to catch my nose! Usually the tissue is buried in my purse - and its just too cold to take off my mitten and do a search and rescue in my overloaded purse. What's the saying? Pracitcality is the mother of invention??? Anyway, I designed a scarf with a pocket at one end. I made the pocket a contrasting color so I didn't have to figure out which end of scarf had the pocket. In the pocket I put a few tissues, ready to grap when I had to catch my runny nose. It turned out to be the perfect solution. Quick and easy tissue. No more hunting, and no more (when no one was looking) wiping my nose on my sleeve. Yuk! But what's a lady to do...
Anyway, after Addie broke her wrist, she couldn't fit a glove very that hand -- but having an inventive, creative crocheter's mind -- she used the pocket to keep her ungloved hand warm!!!

A Brain Crochet Design (A B C D) or I hate dentists

I don't like going to dentists or doctors or sitting in

Waiting Rooms. I especially don't like

dentists - I've fainted in dentist chairs more

than once, so great was my fear- I can

actually use the word "terror" to describe

how I used to experience dentists. That's not

the case now-I worked hard to overcome that

sense of terror - but I still don't like them.

One of the ways I use to keep myself calm and "relaxed" in the dentist chair is A B C D crochet. I design a crochet pattern in my mind! And yes, it works. I've been doing this for about four years - and have produced some unique and pretty crochet pieces. After I design them in my head- I go home and crochet them!!! This makes going to the dentist a creative tolerable, almost welcome challenge. I've tried thinking about other things at the dentist - relaxing in the sun, sitting in front of a warm fireplace, all the comfort spots I've ever experienced - but nothing absorbed my mind - until I tried Mind Crochet. I don't plan ahead for this-once I'm in the dentist chair-I go to the Design Studio in my head-I picture myself walking into Dodie's Design Studio, surrounded by colorful yarn and crochet hooks and gadgets. Then I sit down in my very comfortable (dentist chair) recliner (and even I have to admit those dentist chairs are comfortable). Then I start crocheting.

....

My first Mind crochet project was what I call a recliner wrap because I shaped it to keep me warm and comforted and protected in the dentist chair recliner. It is now covering my recliner at home! I didn't have time to finish designing it in the dentist chair, but it was enuf of a start for me to go home and sketch my Recliner Wrap in color on paper, and then crochet it in reality. Way to Go! My next Mind Crochet project was a pair of earring crocheted with dental floss. Later, I went home and crocheted several of them, and gave some to my dentist and his staff during my next dental visit. I never did tell him how I crocheted these in his office uding Mind Crochet. Another project, by this time, I've lost track of the order in which I dentist chair designed them was a stuffed animal to hold in the dentist chair. You get the idea... it's all in the mind. My next visit is in May-wonder what I will crochet in his dentist chair then.....