Clem's Little Secret

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Everyone has their dirty little secrets... some are dirtier than others.

Take Clem, for example. It started off with a long summer walk through a dusty Texas town. Clem was hungry. He stopped at a diner. The menu read ham-burger...

Isn't ham supposed to be pork?

One bite and Clem was in love. Two bites and he realized his mistake. Three bites and it was impossible to go back.

Now - when he thinks the rest of the herd isn't looking - Clem sneaks off to that diner. He is oh-so-careful in keeping his little secret... he even makes sure to bring his little bib so that he doesn't dribble on his sweater.

Oh, Clem.

The pattern (called "Clem's Little Secret") is now available for download on Ravelry ($3.00) or you can purchase from my Etsy Shop and have the pattern emailed directly to you for $5.00. As always, the pattern is loaded with step-by-step instructions and photos to help you create Clem, his little bib, and the fateful cheeseburger.

And for those of you who would rather purchase without creating a Ravelry account ($3.00 download), just click the Buy Now below!

Dragon Pattern Update

To contact us Click HERE

 I hope all of you are having a great summer and are hooking up lots of amazing projects. For my part, I have been working through some new stuff -- but also trying to re-work some of those patterns I lost in my great computer crash earlier this year.

One of those patterns is my all-time most popular, the amigurumi baby dragon.

Well, it's taken a while, but the pattern is finally ready. Those of you who purchased through Ravelry should be receiving an update notice shortly with information on how to get the new pattern. If you purchased through Etsy, or if you didn't get the notice through Ravelry, you are -- of course -- welcome to email me for a new copy (see instructions, below).

Way better... right?

So, what's different between the old pattern and the update?

• I've switched yarn brands. I'm just loving Knit Picks' new line of acrylic yarn, called Brava. The yarn is softer than Red Heart but still has the same sturdiness I need for a good amigurumi doll. Plus... they have SPORT WEIGHT! I don't know about the rest of you, but ever since Red Heart stopped selling their Designer Sport in stores, it's been hard finding good sport weight yarn. So, kudos Knit Picks on picking up that market!

• Updated photos. Back when I did the original dragon pattern, I was using a crappy little point and shoot camera. The new photos should be clearer.

• Updated format. The new pattern is in an updated 2-column format. This means fewer pages to print out 

• Clarifications on tricky spots. Yes. I finally sat down and put together all my notes from emails with you and added detailed instructions for those tricky back legs.

• Proofread, proofread, proofread. I cannot believe how many typos were in the old pattern! Hopefully, I got them all this time. But, if you find one I missed, please let me know -- there might be a little pattern prize in it for you ;-)

I think that about covers it. It's the same dragon-y goodness with some much needed tweaking. I hope you'll like it. And if you don't have the pattern already... what's holding you back?

Only $4.00

Instructions for Receiving an Updated Pattern
Email: ibscrochet [at] gmail [dot] com
Please attach your original PDF as proof of purchase or reference the Ravelry/Etsy invoice number. I will try to respond within 24 hours but may take a little longer if I get hit with too many requests at once!

Ninja Attack!

To contact us Click HERE
I've often said how my Little Miss is an inspiration for my crochet -- she's a little muse, bundled up with more energy than the Engerizer battery factory. But more than anything, my Little Miss is a fighter.

So rather than designing another doll that was just for the Little Miss to play with, this time I decided to design a doll that was completely inspired by my little miss... wouldn't you know, it came out a ninja?

And the more I think about it, the more I like it... because really, ninjas are awesome. I mean, what could we do if we each had a few ninjas in our lives?

That guy driving 55mph in the fast lane and talking on the cell phone? ------- NINJA ATTACK!

That lady who clearly saw you waiting in line — yet felt it was her right to jump ahead of you when the store finally opens a new register? ------- NINJA ATTACK!

I can see my Little Miss now, leading a pack of pink-clad ninjas, her little black braids trailing behind as she runs forward to fight for justice...

NINJA ATTACK!

Ok... so I got a little caught up in the moment there, but how can you resist?

And since I know you're just waiting for the good stuff anyhow, I'll get to it... the pattern is ready for you to launch your own ninja army -- complete with instructions for making girl or boy ninjas.

Plus, this time around, I have an added bonus for you. I included a special section at the end of the pattern that gives you the basics of working with two color yarns at the same time (you'll need this technique on the ninja's faces). The technique (sometimes called colorwork or crochet intarsia) can seem intimidating, but it's really not. So, I hope this pattern is a great excuse to get you on your way.

Speaking of which, you can get the pattern through all the usual outlets. My Ravelry shop has the best price ($3.00 for an instant download) -- or, if you would like to have the pattern personally emailed to you for a little bit more, visit my Etsy shop.

And of course, if you want nothing to do with either of those venues, here is the magic button for you:

$3.00

Now go out and take up that fight for justice -- ninja style!

Bento-Style Carrier

To contact us Click HERE
This past week I struck out on something totally new and different for The Itsy Bitsy Spider... I made a crochet project that was NOT amigurumi!

I know... *gasp!* Right?

I'm not saying that I'm done with amigurumi -- far from it. But I had so much fun with this project that I decided to write up and release the pattern. I give you... my bento-style lunch/leftovers carrier!


The carrier is my attempt to solve a couple of common problems. First off -- if your family is anything like mine, you have a ton of these:


I swear... re-usable plastic tubs were invented just for the people in my family. We probably eat at least 15 meals a week out of them! The ones I've shown here -- in particular, are the freebies you get when you buy deli meats from Hillshire Farms. I'm not even going to try to count how many of these we have, but given my husband's love for sandwiches, I'll just concede to say we have a lot.

But here's the problem with these containers... first off, EVERYONE has them. If you put that sucker in a crowded fridge at work it is definitely NOT the easiest thing to find. Secondly, they don't have handles... so, you plunk it in a plastic grocery bag which then falls over and the top pops off and... ugh. And did I mention that they're just plain ugly?

So, I got to hooking and came up with a little tote that disguises all the ugly parts of those plastic tubs -- while still giving me the convenience of take and toss. Plus, it even has a nifty edging on the handles to hold your favorite pair of chop sticks -- leftover lo mein, take that!!

You can get your pattern today on Etsy (for $5.00) or through Ravelry (only $4.00 with automatic download). Or use the Buy Now button to purchase without logging in to either site.

$4.00

And when you're done, I'd love to see how your carriers come out. Just swing on by my Facebook page and post your pic!

Lil Fishy

To contact us Click HERE
Some time ago, the lovely Gail (of Stitch n Frog) sent me a link to Amelia Beebe's free "Lil Fishy" pattern. Gail had been making technicolor counting fish and instantly thought of my Little Miss for this fun (and educational) way to use up scraps.

I loved the pattern, but unfortunately, it sat on my back burner for quite some time... until the perfect use for a couple dozen Lil Fishies landed right in front of my nose.

I haven't said much about this out here on the interwebs, but my daughter was diagnosed with autism earlier this year. After a long search (and lots of soul searching to boot), the hubs and I decided to enroll her in a school specifically designed for children with autism and developmental disabilities.

The school aquarium and fishy friends

A couple weeks ago, the school received generous donations to set up a fish tank. I watched the kids' growing excitment over the tank each day when dropped my daughter off for school -- and then I had an inspiration...

Unlike her typical peers, my daughter is often unable to recall and relate details about her day. We've developed a system of visuals and prompts to help her and we continue to work on this skill. Unfortunately, I know that many of the parents with children at my daughter's school are in the same boat. So, I decided to create my own prompts to help the kids tell their parents about the school's new pets.


The day after the school's four new fish were welcomed to their new tank, one of these went home with each and every child enrolled at the school:


The school's seretary had typed up a note telling parents about the new fish tank and offering suggestions that would help parents prompt their kids to talk about the new aquarium. If the little fish made a difference for one child, then making them all was worth it.

A special thanks goes out to Gail for turning me on to the pattern and a super special thanks to the designer, Amelia Beebe!

Clem's Little Secret

Everyone has their dirty little secrets... some are dirtier than others.

Take Clem, for example. It started off with a long summer walk through a dusty Texas town. Clem was hungry. He stopped at a diner. The menu read ham-burger...

Isn't ham supposed to be pork?

One bite and Clem was in love. Two bites and he realized his mistake. Three bites and it was impossible to go back.

Now - when he thinks the rest of the herd isn't looking - Clem sneaks off to that diner. He is oh-so-careful in keeping his little secret... he even makes sure to bring his little bib so that he doesn't dribble on his sweater.

Oh, Clem.

The pattern (called "Clem's Little Secret") is now available for download on Ravelry ($3.00) or you can purchase from my Etsy Shop and have the pattern emailed directly to you for $5.00. As always, the pattern is loaded with step-by-step instructions and photos to help you create Clem, his little bib, and the fateful cheeseburger.

And for those of you who would rather purchase without creating a Ravelry account ($3.00 download), just click the Buy Now below!

Dragon Pattern Update

 I hope all of you are having a great summer and are hooking up lots of amazing projects. For my part, I have been working through some new stuff -- but also trying to re-work some of those patterns I lost in my great computer crash earlier this year.

One of those patterns is my all-time most popular, the amigurumi baby dragon.

Well, it's taken a while, but the pattern is finally ready. Those of you who purchased through Ravelry should be receiving an update notice shortly with information on how to get the new pattern. If you purchased through Etsy, or if you didn't get the notice through Ravelry, you are -- of course -- welcome to email me for a new copy (see instructions, below).

Way better... right?

So, what's different between the old pattern and the update?

• I've switched yarn brands. I'm just loving Knit Picks' new line of acrylic yarn, called Brava. The yarn is softer than Red Heart but still has the same sturdiness I need for a good amigurumi doll. Plus... they have SPORT WEIGHT! I don't know about the rest of you, but ever since Red Heart stopped selling their Designer Sport in stores, it's been hard finding good sport weight yarn. So, kudos Knit Picks on picking up that market!

• Updated photos. Back when I did the original dragon pattern, I was using a crappy little point and shoot camera. The new photos should be clearer.

• Updated format. The new pattern is in an updated 2-column format. This means fewer pages to print out 

• Clarifications on tricky spots. Yes. I finally sat down and put together all my notes from emails with you and added detailed instructions for those tricky back legs.

• Proofread, proofread, proofread. I cannot believe how many typos were in the old pattern! Hopefully, I got them all this time. But, if you find one I missed, please let me know -- there might be a little pattern prize in it for you ;-)

I think that about covers it. It's the same dragon-y goodness with some much needed tweaking. I hope you'll like it. And if you don't have the pattern already... what's holding you back?

Only $4.00

Instructions for Receiving an Updated Pattern
Email: ibscrochet [at] gmail [dot] com
Please attach your original PDF as proof of purchase or reference the Ravelry/Etsy invoice number. I will try to respond within 24 hours but may take a little longer if I get hit with too many requests at once!