Welcome to Handmade by Peggy K

Hi and Welcome!

       I'm Peggy and I love to make cute, little crochet and sewn creations. My daughter convinced me that I had something worthwhile to share, so I hope that you enjoy my posts and pictures as much as she does. .  I love crafting, and have been crocheting since I was about 7 years old. I am self-taught., but I learned to sew in Junior High School in Home Ec. I hope you enjoy browsing through my work. I make my own creations with patterns I create and dream up. On this page you will find updates about new crochet ideas, information on my upcoming craft shows, and links to my Etsy Shop, Facebook page, and contact info.

I currently sell through Etsy and  Annie's Little Pots (in Princeton, IL)  Feel free to contact me with any questions about my work.

A little more about me..

      I have been married to Ed for 30 years and have 2 daughters. Cheriz is my oldest, she has a Bachelor's from U of I and is now in the process of getting licensed as a Real Estate Broker. Ada is my youngest and is a music teacher. I loved that she only lives an hour away from me.


What all do I make?

I make my own patterns and come up with ways to make new items that I dream up.

I make matching sets, ear warmers, scarves, neckwarmers. I make regular scarves, smaller more delicate scarves and the infinity scarves! I even make beards that hang around your ears. They are fun to wear and keep your face warm. My crowns are a hit with little ones. And like the neckwarmer shown to the left, some are adjustable with ceramic handmade buttons (Annie from Annie's Little Pots makes my buttons). I use a variety of colors and patterns and love finding multiple ways to wear each scarf!

Some of my favorite creations are my hats. Character hats, animal hats, baby hats, holiday themed hats, and so much more! Some have the tails, typically Owl Hats and Sock Monkey hats always have the tails. Hats are
always a big favorite with customers and mine!  Soon it will be halloween, so I'll be selling a lot of my pumpkin and frankenstein hats. Gotta start thinking about Christmas too!


Sometimes I make purses to match hats too! I make crocheted purses and sewn purses. Some are reversible, have zippers, buttons or clutches. Some have wooden handles, while others are material or ribbion. I make lots of styles too. regular purses, handbags, tote bags, hobo bags, wallets, cell phone pouches, and a lot more!

Kids love the toys the most. I make lots of animals: cats, dogs, worms, owls, fish, jellysih and so much more!  Some people have said they use for pet toys, but I know all my grand-nieces and nephews love to play with them too! The little toys can be the prefect companion to keep your lil one entertained in the supermarket!


And obviously my number 1 favorite thing to make is larger dolls and toys. I create theze dolls as I crochet. After a doll or two I'll have a pattern perfected and add it to the inventory. I love making ballerinas, mermaids, ninja turtles, ninjas, larger dogs, and anything I can think to make!

Below I'll be posting more pictures, tips, and info about my work! Take a look and let me know what you think! Thanks for visiting,
                                 Peggy

Types of yarn can make such a difference:

I have been crocheting baby hats. I must say this yarn called "Baby Blanket" by Bernat is so soft that it is like crocheting with wisps of clouds. The hats turned out so fluffy soft and cute. I wish you could touch them because they feel just like little, puffy clouds. This yarn is ideal for making baby products!

What's your favorite brand or type of yarn? Have a certain yarn you think I should try?

Making matching Sets:

I really love butterflies; I have been making butterfly purses for a while now. But, I find it logical then to make a matching hat. What do you think?  I think it's an ideal addition to make the perfect gift for a little girl.

I also make matching earwarms and scarves, along with hats and scarves! Here is a set I love! It reminds me of the fall. Of course, I make my daughter be my model for them. She actually stood outside in the hot weather putting on all different scarves and hats for me to take pictures of and I'm sure everyone who saw while driving by though we were crazy!


What else could I make a matching set out of? Do you have a favorite pair you make?

Animal Hats:

I have been making more hats for my upcoming craft shows. I try to do a couple a season. I think animal hats are absolutely adorable. Most pople, especially kids, have a favorite animal. The owls have always been a big sell and are unique. I can use lots of colors to make each one specila suited to certain people. I love my animal hats and hope you do too. I just finished a Bear and a Puppy hat too. I make the puppy hat with and without the tongue sticking out, so people can pick. What's your favorite animal? What animal hat would you like to see on here?

   

What to do with your scrap yarn:

Have you ever wondered what to do with your scrap yarn besides Granny Squares? Well, one of my favorite projects that I make from scraps is snakes. I make 3 different sizes Large (6 feet long and 10 inches diameter), Medium (4 feet long and 7 inches diameter), and Small (12 inches long and about an inch in diameter.

The small snakes really make me smile when I get a whole pile of them done and they are all together. They are just so darn cute laying in a basket together. Much better than a basket of scrap yarn.

The medium snake, pictured above is a great seller because kids just love them. I don't have a picture of the large snake because I have only made a few and gave them away to family members. I have a great nephew who sleeps with the snake I gave him. I have been making scrap yarn snakes since I was a teenager. I developed the pattern because I got bored with always making Granny Squares. What do you do with your scrap yarn?