I've Been Inspired!

and I think, so has Mark!

When in McCall, Idaho Mark and I both eyed this book:

so I got it, keeping in mind that of course I would have to try out making some of them to be sure they weren't too tricky! I started with this little dog (making him brown to look like Mark's chocolate lab Chubby.

Then I got hooked! (Pun intended, you can't NOT make that pun when speaking of crochet!) So I gave Mark the book when I got to Oregon, so he could get started on a project. He began work on an octopus right away.

The final project is Oc...or Awk. I'm not sure if spelling was confirmed!

He did a really great job! To think that Mark has only been crocheting for about a year now! Then I got started on this cute little pear! I had to finish the green part of a shrug I'm making for my sister to be sure I would have enough yarn, but I got the green done, and did indeed have enough yarn for this pear ornament!

The Rogue Valley is especially known for their pears. They have a big Harry and David plant and store, as well as countless pear orchards. Luke's mom Neola can dehydrate pears like none other, and I have even brought some home with me! They're delicious! Also an amazing base for fruit leather! Anyway, since Luke's family is about to relocate to Grand Junction, Colorado I made this pear ornament to add to their "Remember Oregon and Pears" basket! Haha.
Then I made this cute little cupcake for my dear friend Cindy! She's sort of been on a cup cake craze suddenly aware of everything cupcake! This little guy was definitely in order! The purple yarn is one of Lynda's custom hand dyed yarns just for me, and Jay (Luke's youngest brother) helped me pick out the pretty crystal beads for sprinkles on one of our outings!

I picked out yarn for my happy lion on my first visit to The Websters in Ashland. He is made out of cotton yarn and for some reason makes me giddy! I searched many Michael's and JoAnn's for just the right yarn knowing I would want yellows and oranges for the lion and the duck, but if a line of yarn had an orange they didn't have a yellow and vice versa. It was very frustrating. BUT I knew that it would most likely be a safe bet to hold out for The Websters. Boy was I right. I had a hard time choosing between all the combinations of oranges and yellows! Some lines even had more than one option for both colors! I had a hard time choosing but every time I picked up the lion project the yarn and colors just made me giddy! My three favorite parts are his mane, mouth and tail!

Pictured below: Awk, Chubby, my stuffed black lab that Luke got me on an outing named Calusa after a golf course (super soft) and the turtle head is resting in Awk's arms. I had to include the turtle head for two reasons. 1.) Because he looks adorably like a little pea. and 2.) Because Mark got the perfect greens for the turtle at The Websters on our second trip there. I can't wait to see how it turns out! While at The Websters, he also got some rich brown yarn to begin a horse! He's on a roll ladies and gentlemen.