Top 10 of 2012~ Ta-dah!!

So, inspired by all of the other crafty bloggers in the world, I'm going to share my top 10 posts from 2012, you know, in case you might have missed one and will feel left out if we all show up and talk about it and you don't know what we're talking about.  See, I'm thoughtful like that.

Top 10 Posts of 2012: in order of Awesomeness 

(as determined by your pageviews!  Democracy in action!)

1. The Hook makes the Project (project: Jaime's Butterflies)
The project based on a crochet butterfly from my childhood is the number one most-viewed post of the year.  It's also the post that inspired my friend Kristy to find a way to used crochet projects into her work with childhood cancer patients and the homeless/motel families in Orange County.  I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people all over the world who have made incredible crocheted donations to help us as we try to make the world a better place with crochet.  Thank you!  We love you all!

2. Make a Hat Day (project: Dynamite Beret)
I love this beret so much! In fact, I loved it so much that I put it on the cover of my very first book, Crochet Dynamite: Fancy Schmancy (available in the Kindle Store on Amazon.com.  Software for your computer/tablet/smartphone is FREE!).  It looks soooo good on everyone!

3. Boho Hairstyle (project: Boho Headwrap - multi-stripe)
I had seen so many scarf-based head wraps all over Pinterest that I got all inspired to make a crochet wrap for Mims and me.  This was my first experience using Mims as a model, and she was delightful until I accidentally bobby-pinned her in the scalp.  Then the photo shoot was much less fun.  She still likes wearing the headwrap though, but as a headband now.

4. Better Than a Sock Bun (project: Bun Shaper)
This came out of my love of crazy colored hair.  I love my completely unnatural pink/red hair, but it's hard to find styling aids that 'blend' in and look, um, natural... I know how it sounds, just let me have this.  So when my bright pink bun was looking a little wimpy, I created this add-in to boost the oomph of my little bun so that it would be as dramatic and impressive as my personality! LOL!!!

5. Monster Beanie (project: Newborn Little Monster Beanie)
Jake's cousin Ro was having a baby shower, and I wanted to put a handmade present in with the stuff that I had picked out from her registry.  Her baby, A, was due at the end of September, so I knew that he'd need a cozy hat for most of October whenever they left the house, so I created this Little Monster beanie to make Halloween Month more fun.  It did!  He even wore it as part of his Halloween costume!

6. Lipbalm Keychain (project: The Lipbalm Keychain - Quick and Easy)
My sister-in-law S, not to be confused with my sister S, had a cute sewn lipbalm keychain that she carries everywhere.  It had a zipper and was completely adorable.  I wanted to see if I could make a crochet version that would be just as cute and functional.  Turns out, it looked better (and worked better!) without the zipper!  And now that I've been using mine for 6 months, I don't know how I lived without it!  It's a must-have!

7. The London Crochet Bag (project: London Crochet Bag)
This is the first project that I made that went viral.  It showed up everywhere!  There was a while where I couldn't go on Pinterest without seeing it several times as I scrolled through the DIY & Craft section.  This pattern's success was what really gave me the confidence to keep designing and creating and building Crochet Dynamite.  It also inspired the Tardis Bag, which is so awesome that I believe The Doctor himself would approve!

8. Life at the Old Farmhouse (project: Kitchen Door Bumper)
Okay, if I'm completely honest, I made this project because I was annoyed.  I saw this cute idea three or four different places but as a sewn project.  Of course it's a great idea and I would have wanted to make a crochet version anyway, but one of the versions that I saw (that looked just like all of the other sewn versions, btw) had a threatening note attached to the picture, claiming legal action if anyone 'stole' their idea.  How do you steal an idea that's been around for decades?  We had bumpers on the doors when I was a kid.   Of course, my crochet version looks NOTHING like that person's sewn version,  but it still makes me happy every time I see it.  I'm perverse that way...

9. Star Spangled Everything (project: Star Amigurumi)
I like a project that you can use lots of different ways.  A multi-tasking project, if you will.  Something that is fast and easy, but still impresses the heck out of all of your friends.  This is one of those projects.  Mims still wears them in her hair!

10. Gratitude Stones (pattern: Gratitude 'Stones')
This project came out a very bad week, in a very challenging year.  In fact, it was one of those weeks where it was hard to remember that good things happen too.  I had watched a documentary about the positive things that happen when you focus on the positive things in your life, and I thought it was worth a try.  I'm glad I did, because when I started carrying this little beanbag around with me, it reminded me to be grateful  for what was going right in my life.  And somehow, the stuff that was going wrong didn't seem so bad.

Okay, so there you've got it!  The Top 10 of 2012!  Had you seen them all?  Did YOUR fave make the list?

I hope you all have a fun and safe New Year's Eve and I'll see you next year!

xo Jaime