taste the (yarn) rainbow?

ok, that title doesn't quite work, and i apologize if i've given you a vicariously fuzzy tongue. what i really meant to say is, "hey guys! i've made another crocheted granny stripes purse in rainbow shades, this time for niece lindsay's eleventh birthday!" but that's kind of long for a blog post title, dontcha think? hey i know what, how 'bout if i stop talking and just show you the purse? yeah, that'll work:

you probably remember that i made a rainbow striped purse (based loosely on this pattern) and some crocheted headbands for niece madeline's birthday in may, and it was quite popular. when polled, the rest of the girls (and some of the (unpolled) adults!) immediately chimed in with, "yes i'd like one for my birthday, too, please!" luckily, these are super-easy and lots of fun to make. i also made some headbands for lindsay, in both girl and doll sizes; plus i've included yarn and instructions for a few more of those since she's actually a pretty good crocheter herself, now!

i always use lion brand's vanna's choice for kid projects because it's a nice acrylic yarn that comes in lots of colors, is easy to find, washes well, and makes a nice tight sturdy fabric, especially using a J hook; all of which is very helpful when making amigurumi and other small doll/toy items. i like using one brand consistently because it means that leftovers get used up, and i never have to run out and buy an entire skein just to make two small grey goggles for minion dave.

last year, i made a palette of my vanna's choice colors, which has been the subject of some (ok, lots) amusement (and teasing!) amongst my acquaintances. i defend it with the knowledge that it's often saved me ages rooting through the big yarn basket trying to figure out if i have a particular color, if that color will match this color, and if i do run out, what was that thing called, anyway? also, in my personal pantheon of "weird stuff i've done in life" frankly this would not even make the top 40. so there! :)