yarnaway: a crochet scrapbook

in the eye of the beholder

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 19:59:00 +0000

This is the most beautiful crocheted coaster I've ever seen:

It's stained. Felted. Torn. Mushed and misshapen. A bit burned. Melted, maybe? Absolutely, completely worn out.

But this coaster, given to a friend several years ago (and made when I had just started crocheting!), has had an awesome life. It served its owner every single day, holding up thousands of cups of coffee. Keeping his desk safe (well, not much any more!). And, mostly, I hope: constantly reminding my friend that someone cares about him.

I can't think of anything I wish for more when I crochet something and give it away. I want it to be loved to death! Just like this sweet little coaster was. There's nothing better than knowing someone appreciated your gift and truly wanted to use it.

And now my friend has asked if I could make him a new one. Um, yes!!!

I don't know what pattern or yarn I used back then, so I scouted out a pattern for a spiral crochet pattern that seemed right (believe it or not, that's what the old coaster used to be!) and asked my friend what colors he'd like (light and dark blue). I'm on it!

Wonder how long this new little guy will last? I hope it has a fantastic life, too.

yarn - BODY: Loops & Threads Capri Tencel in Dark Blue (used just third, maybe? of one skein for the body - did rows 1-13 of the pattern)
yarn - EDGING ROW: Patons Grace in Navy (did a single row of sc, then a single row of crab stitch, to try and get the body less floppy!)
hook: G/5 - 4mm
pattern: Crochet Leaf's Simple Spiral Crochet Pattern (this is a free pattern)
dimensions: about 5 1/2" diameter

pretty in pink (and cream and tan and white and rose)

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 21:32:00 +0000

A friend is having a fundraiser for a dear friend who fighting cancer and I wanted to contribute something. Here's my something! I didn't have a ton of turnaround time (and if we haven't met: Hello, I am the Turtle-Speed Crocheter!) so I went for a lapghan (is this a word? let's say it's a word) and used an old favorite, Maggie Weldon's Lacy Floral Wrap, for my squares.

I found some pink yarn (on request from my friend!) and used a variegated one to give it variety. And here's the result. I am pretty pleased -- most of the color changes (most!) worked out in a pleasing way and I only had to order extra yarn, frantically, on my phone at 2am, once. OK, twice. But totally worth it.

The sun refuses to shine here in upstate NY so I apologize for the sad photos. And please pretend my yard (the best light I could find) is full of lush green grass and healthy plants. Work with me here.

yarn: Loops & Threads Barcelona Big! in Blush Rose (used almost 4 full skeins - 410 yds. each - with very long tails on each square and four fat tassels)
hook: J/10 - 6mm
pattern: Maggie Weldon's Lacy Floral Wrap (this is a paid pattern)
dimensions: 48" x 48" - 25 squares

This may be the MOST HIDEOUS crochet photo ever taken. But I wanted something that sort of, kind of shows what the whole thing looks like. I do not have photo lighting. I use the good ol' sun (conspicuously absent this week) and my bedside table lamp. A true professional. The grey spooky shadows just add to the ambience, right?

on time

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 19:01:00 +0000

I have learned a lot about myself since I have begun crocheting. One thing is that I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better at finishing a project if there is actually a deadline and/or the project a gift for someone. Otherwise it languishes, unloved and dusty, in my spare room closet. Sad, but true.

Since my cousin is having a second baby any time now (meaning this gift has not only a deadline but is for TWO someones!) I have been working to make a baby blanket for the new little one. The new arrival will have an older sister and so I wanted to make a matching baby blanket for her as well, to make the adjustment just a little easier.

The "official" blanket is almost done but the mini version is finished! When the time comes I'll send it to the new big sister along with a doll (a much-loved doll who is a handed-down gift from her beloved cousins!) and a few baby-doll necessities.

I can't even begin to describe how soft this yarn is, and how the pattern accentuates that softness and texture. I think I might make myself a scarf with it, after this is all done.

Here in the U.S. it's Christmas Eve. I hope that, wherever you are, if you celebrate a winter holiday, that it's a lovely one.

yarn: Bernat Baby Velvet in "Misty Green" (1.5 skeins - 3.5oz size) and "Purple Pansy" for border
hook: I/9 - 5.5mm
pattern: Hooked on Tilly's "Basketweave Baby Blanket" pattern (free) - followed as written, with a starting chain of 44+2 (46) AND a row of sc all around the blanket in the body color (to tighten up the edge) before adding the border AND 2dc, ch2, 2dc in the border corners

Toby isn't sure about our new little friend.

Milo will be glad to keep this if the recipient doesn't want it.....

This gift will not include a cat's paw.

keeping it simple

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 16:54:00 +0000

I've just made a scarf for a colleague as a holiday gift and, after some embarrassing (and hastily-abandoned) tries at other complicated patterns, I went back to an old friend: the corner-to-corner (C2C) scarf. I switched up my patterns, though! Formerly, I used a pattern that left a sawtooth edge that I had to fudge with at the end. This time I used The Crochet Crowd's C2C scarf pattern that starts with and ends with a clean, squared-off edge. No finishing required except for sewing in a few ends. Now that is my kind of pattern! Life is a little harder than it used to be these days (ok, a LOT harder) and being able to easily crochet something pretty while mindlessly watching 80's British mysteries (right now I am binge-ing A Touch of Frost) is right up my alley.

I used a variegated yarn that is so beautiful and soft -- no color changes required! Again, right up my alley.

The only thing that made this scarf complicated was a certain orange, furry, adorable thing with paws who shares my house with me. My little Milo does not like to share my lap with a work-in-progress. She also enjoys eating yarn. But how can one resist a lap full of tangerine sweetness?

My only worry with this scarf is that I made it too long. I would rather err on the side of too long than too short, but I don't want my friend to look like she's Dr. Who (or is that even a bad thing??). But I can't ask her without giving away the surprise, so Dr. Who she is.

I hope you are all holding up in these crazy days. Sending love.

hook: I-9 (5.5mm)
yarn: Red Heart Roll With It Melange in "Autograph" (1.75 skeins)
pattern: The Crochet Crowd's C2C scarf pattern (I made this with 12 squares across, exactly as the pattern directs)

a proper topper

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 02:19:00 +0000

Here is a list of things I hope to never do again:

eat Brussels sprouts
use a gas-station bathroom
take an algebra test
make ears for a hat using the double-loop stitch

I think I used more swear words in the making of this hat than I have in my entire lifetime.

But it was worth it!

A friend of mine asked me if I could make a Paw Patrol® character hat for her. In a week! For her to wear as part of a surprise Hallowe'en costume for her 1st-grade class! Of course I am a glutton for punishment and said yes (plus she is a very kind person and I couldn't help but try, could I?).

I am not familiar with this Paw Patrol® character but the pattern my friend had found seemed to lay out a very clear plan of attack (it's a great pattern - with lots of images to go with the text and tips as well).

The hat shell? Easy-peasy (good thing, because I ended up making two hats so my friend could try them both on and pick one).

The goggles? Umm, not so easy. Many strands of pink cotton all at once! Lots of yarn! Sewing it down! Making it look normal! Lots of swearing!

The braided straps? Except for the fact that I cut the yarn about 86 times as long as necessary? Not so bad. Actually, pretty darn cute.

But the ears. The EARS! Whoever came up with the double loop stitch is a genius. An evil, sadistic genius. But I found some good videos (thank you to you kind video fairies!) to help me out and even though I plan to never, ever use this stitch again (I know I'll eat my words someday!) I think I actually got the hang of it by the end of ear #2. I also created some new swear words along the way.

All in all, the hat came out really well. My friend looked absolutely adorable in it. Her kids loved it! And that, my friends, is all we're really after in the end.

hooks: I-9 and J-10 (as indicated in pattern)
yarn: Lion Brand Yarn Basic Stitch Premium in "Charcoal," Lily Sugar 'n Cream in "Hot Pink," Big Twist in "Cream," and Red Heart with Love in "Blush"
pattern: Paw Patrol Skye Crochet Hat Pattern (paid pattern from KismetCrochet on Etsy)
videos: Maggie's Crochet "Double Loop Stitch in Rows" and Stacey Trock's "How to Crochet the Loop Stitch"

ensconced in velvet

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 12:52:00 +0000

Why didn't any of you tell me about the basketweave stitch?!?!? I am obsessed. Like, stay-up-until-midnight-and-your-shoulders-hurt-but-you-must-keep-crocheting obsessed. This stitch is glorious!

I have a family member who is expecting a baby and OF COURSE I am making a blanket for the new arrival. I Googled "baby blanket crochet" (as we all have done, ten thousand times) and scrolled through a ton of great candidates before finding Hooked on Tilly's "Basketweave Baby Blanket" pattern. It struck me not only because of the sweet little baby in her photos but the way the yarn she chose highlights the basketweave design. This was the one!

Now if you have read my blog for more than 1 second you will know that I am a sucker for new yarn. I have a shameful stash and instead of "shopping" it I immediately (Seriously! I literally put pants on, grabbed my mask, and ran to Michael's! I really did!) went to the store to find some of the Bernat Baby Velvet that Tilly uses in her pattern. And I am NOT sorry (my wallet is, but I am stubbornly not). This yarn is like velvet. Oh, wait, I guess that's why they call it "velvet" yarn, hmm.......

Tilly writes a clean pattern with clear notes and even provides a video to demonstrate the front- and back-post double crochet (I needed a refresher and watched this video - so helpful). I am one skein in and can't wait to see how this looks as a full baby blanket.

I don't know if I'll model Tilly's border -- I have something else in mind. If it works. More on that later.

Now I have to get back to Michael's to pick up more yarn. They had a ton of this on clearance in a silver grey color and I can just picture it as a lap blanket. Please don't be mad at me when you get to the clearance aisle and see a big ol' hole where I have been.....

Friends, I hope you are surviving this pandemic with both your health and hearts sound and strong. These are hard times, but we are all in this together. Much love.

yarn: Bernat Baby Velvet in "Misty Green" (the photos make it seem blue -- it's a light, mint-y green)
hook: I/9 - 5.5mm
pattern: Hooked on Tilly's "Basketweave Baby Blanket" pattern (free)

alone together

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 17:43:00 +0000

Well. Social distancing is not for the faint-hearted. Even professional hermits, like me, are finding it hard to stay home and isolate from others. We are in very strange times, friends.....and I will be glad when we are looking back on this situation from a long distance.

And now, instead of travelling to JFK for a long-time planned trip to Morocco, I sit at home in pajamas with a cat in my lap and a crochet project in my hands. Crochet is definitely a source of comfort these days and yarn is one thing of which I have no worries of a shortage! I have more yarn, sadly, than any human needs.

So I bought some more, of course.

Because I am a yarn addict and when something variegated with great colors and a tweed-y finish shows up on my Facebook feed..........well, I am powerless. And when I saw this yarn being used for an adorable hat (never mind that I don't wear hats because my head is the size of two basketballs and my ears make an elf look normal) I needed to make said hat. And I needed those furry pom-poms, too.

So I bought some, of course.

Friends, I have never pretended to have self-control. And so I begin my hat. It's requiring row-counting for the first section, and my dear friend Milo doesn't like that I am concentrating on something other than her royal self. So I am using an online counter (a cool free Google Chrome app, "Simple Counter") to help control the counting end of things while fighting off Milo's merciless yarn swiping.

I'm only a tiny bit into this hat, but I love how the colors flow together already. I'll keep you posted.

And I hope you are all doing ok out there. We may be all alone, but we're in this together.

pattern: The Macy Beanie (NOT a free pattern) from Mrs B's Custom Crochet on Ravelry
hook: 4.5 mm (just for the hat band; will increase to 5.5mm for the hat itself as per pattern)
yarn: Red Heart Roll with It Melange in Hollywood

Milo is planning her next move. She's not too subtle about it.

And now we have her crazy-face, in which she contemplates on when to act on her plan.

how do you solve a problem like Mandala?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 16:45:00 +0000

Have you seen Lion Brand Yarn's Mandala line? Gorgeous colorways, soft hand, and quality yarn (I have always been a Lion Brand Yarn fan). Well, let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time I saw the Mandala yarn at the store, fell in love, bought a few skeins, and we were joined together for all eternity. And then the darkness came. Somehow I got the impression (was it a vision? A rogue fellow customer? Who knows) that the line was being discontinued so I bought an inappropriately-large amount of this sweet yarn.

Then I tried to make something with it. I had envisioned granny square scarves -- no color changing needed -- with perfectly-matched colors (you know how I stink at colors) and a soft drape. Well, what I didn't realize is that the color changes are realllllllllllllllllly long. So one granny square ended up being a solid color. And the weight was a little too fine for me. Not thick enough for the heft I wanted in a scarf, not robust like a worsted yarn.

So my poor Mount Mandala sat in the corner. And made sad faces at me every time I walked by. But one day, after a lovely conversation with a sweet fellow crocheter (Lily, if you are reading this, hello to you!) I got a boost of crochet mojo and decided to make this Mandala work for me after all.

I had been eyeing a simple waffle stitch pattern and wondered if the thick texture would address my fine-yarn problem, and the in-the-round pattern would actually welcome the long color changes. Well yes, friends, it does. It totally does.

Remember the Catherine Wheel pattern I tried a while ago (still love this pattern)? This waffle reminds me a little of that. A mini yarn-eater with a great fluffy texture. Almost edible. Loving this so far! Good thing, because Mount Mandala is not small. Yet.

yarn: Lion Brand Mandala in Gnome
hook: H/8 - 5mm
pattern: Buttonnose Crochet's "Squared Waffle" on Ravelry (I found the linked video from YARNutopia easiest to use, even though I am usually a written-out pattern girl)

gift-wrapped

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 18:55:00 +0000

Even though I haven't made anything in a loooooooooong time (as evidenced by the lack of posts on this blog!) I have been crocheting. A little. Sort of. A group of third-graders at my school started a crochet club (!!!) and I am helping them out. Which means that once a week I am surrounded by about 8 little girls at one time, each asking me to help them with (insert crochet thing here). It's absolutely adorable and I think a few of them have actually got it.

But now I'm home on summer break and making a quick lapghan as a hostess thank-you gift for a friend who's invited me to visit. I chose Maggie Weldon's Lacy Floral Wrap as my pattern. Not only do I LOVE these squares but they are fairly fast to make and also create a lighter-weight product (in my case, a lapghan). My friend lives in Southwest US so it's hot there! But who can't use a fluffy pink flowered lapghan, right? I hope she can.

So far I have about 12 squares made (one full skein with a little left) and will start sewing them together pretty soon. I plan to follow the same model I used for the "long-distance" throw: 25 squares, cutting extra-long tails to sew the squares together with, and edging in simple dc.

I'll let you know how it goes.....

yarn: Stitch Studio by Nicole "Earthtone Brushed" in Mauve (so far getting a full 12 squares per skein, each with very long tails)
hook: K 10 1/2 - 6.5mm
pattern: Maggie Weldon's Lacy Floral Wrap (this is a paid pattern)

Milo is so very very very helpful. Ahem.

won't quit my day job

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 16:52:00 +0000

Does anyone recognize this doll?

(image from Worthpoint)

I wanted the "Pretty Cut & Grow" doll like nobody's business back when I was a kid. Santa was kind enough to bring her to me and I immediately set to making her hair look like, well....

these pom-poms.

Pom-poms in a cute cup to distract you from their shaggy horridness.

I was terrible at cutting that poor doll's hair, and I am terrible at making pom-poms! Apparently they require some trimming after they've been formed and I just don't know when to stop. I feel like Edward Scissorhands. More here? How about over here? And maybe a little off the side? There is no end. And they still end up bedraggled and shaggy. Let's just say I will not be taking on any full-time pom-pom work anytime soon. I am also not entirely certain that my pom-poms can handle a strong wind, or even a faint breeze. They may be pom-poms that need to be stored in a glass cabinet. And certainly stored VERY FAR AWAY from my little orange kitty Milo, who has been attempting to steal them for about an hour now.

Who is this weird lady, and does she have any treats???

I feel like I should name them. Larry, Moe, Curly, and Bill, that one on the bottom left with his innards showing.....

But I think they will work for the simple single-crochet scarf that I made. As long as no one ever actually wears it, touches it, or even breathes on it, of course. But it's completed. I ended up putting the scarf through a wash cycle to try and soften it up a little bit (this yarn is not scratchy, but very firm so it doesn't drape like I want it to) and then added the pom-poms to each end. Not bad, I think!

I wonder where that doll went, anyway? I kind of wish I could apologize to her.

hook: 5mm - H/8
yarn: Bernat Mosaic in Pink Poodle (2 skeins for the scarf, plus a little from a 3rd for the famous pom-poms)
pattern: as written in my previous post, but if you need something more official, try this great tutorial from The Spruce Crafts!
pom-poms: made with the Clover 1-5/8" small pom-pom maker, with help from Sonia Jones Crafty Life's video

those who can, teach

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 20:25:00 +0000

I am teaching an 8-session winter crochet "camp" for fifth- and sixth-graders in a couple of weeks and wanted to make some prototypes of simple, beginner projects they might want to choose from. I thought it would be more fun to look at real items than just pictures online or in pattern books (but I did order two pattern books for kids; still waiting on them).

Therefore, I am making this, a simple single-crochet scarf in a quasi-self-striping yarn. I will not lie to you, friends: I originally started making a scarf like this with several different colors of yarn and it looked so hideous that I almost gave myself nightmares. I don't know why -- maybe it's because I wear black all the time and never have to match colors in real life -- but I STINK at putting colors together! Variegated yarn is my friend, and so I went through my stash and picked this yarn instead to make my scarf. Much better.

I've chained to no particular number; just kept going until the chain was long enough to wind around my chubby neck the number of times that I like. Single crochet back and forth (don't forget to chain one as your turning chain, and sc into the first stitch to keep your edges even), and I plan to finish with some pom-poms on each end (what fifth-grader doesn't like pom-poms? For that matter, what middle-aged, cat-loving, Diet-Coke-drinking, crochet-crazy librarian doesn't like pom-poms? A serious question for another post).

Note to self: figure out where on earth you put the pom-pom maker thingie. And learn to use it.

Any suggestions for really easy, beginner crochet projects that kids might like?

hook: 5mm - H/8
yarn: Bernat Mosaic in Pink Poodle (1 1/2 skeins so far)
pattern: as written above, but if you need something more official, try this great tutorial from The Spruce Crafts!

do not adjust your television set

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 19:51:00 +0000

Nothing goes together better than watching Dirty Harry while crocheting something soft, pink and fluffy, don't you think? And no, you don't need to adjust your color monitor: this might look suspiciously like the green afghan you saw me start last week... but in fact it's a new pink version! I decided to make a second one as a holiday gift as well so I now have two matching afghans in progress.

Plus one annoyed orange cat ("why can't I sit in your LAP?!?!?!?!").

Oh, and four more Dirty Harry movies to go.

yarn: Red Heart "Dreamy" in Rose
hook: I/9 5.5mm
pattern: Red Heart's "Corner-to-Corner Guest Throw"

an abandoned hook gathers no moss

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 20:06:00 +0000

I haven't crocheted in so long that I was surprised to find that my hooks weren't moldy. Or rust-covered. Or encased by moss. Shrouded in cobwebs. You know, smothered in something that grows on abandoned and never-used items. But no, there they were, only a little dusty, patiently waiting for me to come back to them.

It was a sweet Red Heart pattern that caught my eye and got me hooking again -- the "Corner-to-Corner Guest Throw" -- and I even let myself buy some new yarn to make it with. I may have promised (to no one in particular) to NOT BUY MORE YARN ANYMORE because my house is basically becoming insulated by yarn alone.... but that new Red Heart "Dreamy" yarn looked, well, awfully dreamy. So I had to have me a little. Or a lot. Ok, so I needed five skeins (the pattern calls for four but I trust no one).

Here I sit with a little starter triangle (this one works up as a triangle, which is weirdly hard to hold on to when crocheting. Just saying.) of a throw in my lap along with a plump orange cat who DOES NOT UNDERSTAND why I can't hold her and a crochet project at the same time. But I am wondering why it this little afghan called a "guest throw." Can only guests use it, like those pretty hand towels that one is never allowed to use in the guest bathroom? Or is it that the afghan is so small that guests won't be warm enough and will not overstay their welcome? Does one take this on a trip and use it when they are a guest at someone's house? A mystery. So many questions. Luckily, I have about a thousand-and-one more stitches to make before I am done with this thing so I have the time to contemplate this, one of life's many big questions.

I'll let you know what I come up with.

yarn: Red Heart "Dreamy" in Celery
hook: I/9 5.5mm
pattern: Red Heart's "Corner-to-Corner Guest Throw"

lunch is ready

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 22:59:00 +0000

I am a terrible cook. But I can make a pretty yummy-looking crocheted sandwich! And this is no ordinary crocheted sandwich (wait...is ANY crocheted sandwich ordinary??): each "ingredient" is actually a dishcloth. It's a birthday gift for my mom, and I hope she finds it as delicious as I do.

Once I'd determined what I wanted to make, I wasn't able to find a sandwich pattern that was dishcloth-sized. All of the (undeniably) sweet patterns were for child-sized, play sandwiches. I wanted to make something that would not only be cute, but useful, so I decided to modify a few patterns to meet my dishcloth needs. In the end, I just looked for patterns that had the look I was going for and then tweaked them to make them a little bigger.

Ok, a lot bigger. This sandwich is larger than life (I am not kidding). It is a family-sized sandwich. It is a sandwich for a giant. Perhaps two giants. But that's ok, right? The better to wash dishes with.

Meet the ingredients!

The bread slices are modified from Twinkie Chan's "Bread Loaf Letter Organizer" pattern. I am not 100% certain that, when separated from their sandwich family, that these guys even resemble bread. However, I did test one piece out on an unsuspecting friend of mine and she knew what it was (and I didn't even prompt her, I promise). Let's hope my mom does, too.


Let us pretend that wonky divet-thing on the right is a deliberate attempt at more-realistic cheese. Thank you.

My Swiss cheese (please, please tell me this looks somewhat like Swiss cheese?) is perhaps the least-useful dishcloth anyone has ever crocheted. It is full of holes. Random holes. Big holes and small holes. It's hole-y. Great for cheese, not so for dishcloths. I will forgive my mom if this one lives out the rest of its life in the bottom of her kitchen drawer.

Lettuce now admire my lettuce together (you saw what I did there, right?). This is my favorite ingredient -- just a simple circle with an overly-ruffled edge and yet it's insanely adorable. Granted, it's the largest piece of crocheted lettuce in history, but that's for another day.

My little pot-scrubber tomatoes were absolutely no fun to crochet (have you tried weaving in the ends on this Red Heart Scrubby yarn? How about seeing your stitches? IMPOSSIBLE) but after a few rotten tomatoes these two made the cut. Even though we aren't speaking to each other I will admit they are pretty cute!

This thing looks good enough to eat. Ok, that is a lie -- but I do kind of want to hug it. Time to dig in!

Basic (before modifications) pattern/yarn/hook information (if you'd like my notes on the pattern tweaks, just e-mail me):
lettuce: PinkMambo’s “How to Crochet Flat Circles” pattern (5mm hook - H/8, Sugar n’ Cream cotton yarn in hot green)

bread: Twinkie Chan's Bread Loaf Organizer pattern (5mm hook - H/8, Sugar ‘n Cream cotton yarn in soft ecru (3/4 skein) plus scrap dark brown cotton yarn)

cheese: Solid Granny Square with random holes (5mm hook - H/8, scrap cotton yarn)

tomatoes: Yarnspirations' “Playtime Sandwich” pattern (5.5mm hook, Red Heart Scrubby yarn in cherry)

lacy gingham baby blanket

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 23:38:00 +0000

Whew.

I have completed some serious marathon-length crochet sessions to get this blanket done! My poor kitten is a lap cat and can't understand why she couldn't sit on my lap even just ONCE today (or yesterday, or the day before...you get the picture) -- but now it's all hers! I was not only rushing to make my deadline (tomorrow night) but also racing the sun today so I could get some decent photos of this blanket tonight before giving it away. I pretty much lost the sun race so please forgive the quality of these photos. The color is a little inconsistent in the photos; the true colors are white, soft peach, and a darker apricot/pink color. Just lovely.

I made the body of this blanket using Daisy Farm Crafts' "Crochet Pink Gingham Blanket" pattern, and as I mentioned in my previous post, I discovered a mistake (two extra rows in the first block! ACK!) after I was almost 3/4 through the body of the blanket. I was also unhappy with my foundation row (I really should have used a smaller hook for that row!) being so loose. I seriously considered frogging from the bottom but after finding just as much information on why one shouldn't do this as there is about why one should do this....I decided to be safe rather than sorry and leave my first rows alone. This error will be our little secret!

I hemmed and hawed about which border to use and finally picked the edging found on Sharon Blignaut’s “Bohemian Blanket” (free Ravelry pattern). She incorporates some of her own design plus a pattern from Edie Eckman's Around the Corner Crochet Borders book (which I have). I did a little modification of my own (I started my border at round 3 of Sharon's, and then left out round 3 of Edie's). I was worried it would be too fancy for the blanket, but I am really rather pleased with it in the end.

My blanket goes to little baby Poppy's mom-to-be tomorrow night....I hope she's pleased with it, too!

dimensions:
(with border) 34"x34"
(without border) 29"x29"

total blocks: 15x15

body pattern: Daisy Farm Crafts' "Crochet Pink Gingham Blanket"
border pattern: Sharon Blignaut’s “Bohemian Blanket” (slightly modified)
hook: G / 4.0mm
yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in white (1 skein), soft peach (1 1/2 skeins) and soft red (1 3/4 skeins)

at sea

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 15:21:00 +0000

I've been working like crazy on this gingham baby blanket (I want it done by next Monday - yikes) but it's slow going. I have been on vacation in Maine over the past week and got some serious hooking time in (an eight-hour drive each way will do that for you!). But there are still a few rows of blocks left, plus a border (which I haven't chosen yet).

In the meantime, I have two pieces of news for you:

1. I have discovered a life-changing technique. No, I am not exaggerating! While working on this blanket, I have been spending as much time un-twisting my skeins from each other (from the color changes every ten stitches) as I have been crocheting! Arg. But then the life-changing happened. I found a video (this is a Facebook link; sorry to those of you who aren't on FB) on how to keep your skeins from twisting. I am a little bit slow, apparently, because I COULD NOT GET IT from the video. But everyone who commented on it DID get it! So I knew it was possible....I just needed a different tutor. I found this photo tutorial and that's what did it! A very, very, very tiny addition to the color changes....but a HUGE improvement in the Great Tangle Situation. If you are not aware of this, check it out! I guarantee you will be a happier crocheter, too.

2. I have been considering FROGGING the first three rows. I have never done this before, but I see online that it is do-able and there are a few methods for doing this. Am I crazy? Will I undo hours upon hours of work? I am not sure if I am brave enough. But I HATE the loose foundation row, plus I think I did 2 extra rows of sc in the first row of blocks. I know no one but me would care, but......well.... you guys get it. I'll let you know what I decide.

Back to the hook!

Amy

surfacing

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:07:00 +0000

No, I did not move to the Center of the Earth or run away with the circus.....I have just not been crocheting for a really long time! But suddenly I am, and am smack-dab in the middle of four projects (isn't that always the way?). The main one (meaning the one that needs to be done soonest!) is this sweet apricot gingham baby blanket for a friend of mine. I'd like to have it done by August but since 1) I chose weirdly fine yarn and 2) I am using a weirdly small hook and 3) I crochet like a turtle would if a turtle could crochet......well, you get the picture. I shall carry on, though!

For this gift I chose Daisy Farm Crafts' "Crochet Pink Gingham Blanket." It's such a lovely pattern and actually quite easy (except for the carrying-of-the-colors part, which isn't hard but makes this a non-portable project for me). I haven't decided on a border yet. My friend's baby will be named Poppy, so I thought of doing a flower border (like this one) with the darker apricot color (sort of poppy-ish!) as the flower color. But then I also thought that I might want a lacy white border. Or something else altogether. The border is so fun to choose so I will wait until my turtle-self actually FINISHES this thing before going there.

I am not pleased with the foundation of this blanket. The pattern author writes that you should do the foundation row in a smaller hook than the rest of the blanket. I, apparently, am just too proud for that (or crazy, not sure which) because I didn't and now the bottom edge is looser than the rest (I even have a corner that isn't attractively square). If you have read my blog at all you will know that I am not only the turtle-crocheter but also the anal-retentive-crocheter.....so it's purely in the interest of time that I'm not re-doing this. I also believe that borders hide a multitude of sins. But if you are going to try this blanket for yourself, FOLLOW DAISY FARM'S INSTRUCTIONS! Do not be a dolt, like me.

pattern: Daisy Farm Crafts' "Crochet Pink Gingham Blanket"
hook: G / 4.0mm
yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in white, soft peach and soft red

Milo really, really wants to crochet.

reveal: sea breeze

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 16:54:00 +0000

It's done! A few months late (promised as a birthday gift in August, oops) but it's done! My shell-stitch afghan in peaceful ocean colors is done.

As the afghan grew, it became more and more unwieldy to work on (how do you all crochet? I am usually sitting in my chair in front of the TV, but am thinking for bigger projects it's easier on a table or maybe even a long sofa). I found that just keeping it folded for working on and then turning was a big job! I wish I had thought of it sooner in the game, but I started doing two rounds at the same time -- huge time saver! I even did three rounds at the very end. Something I'll remember for next time, definitely.

final dimensions: 60" x 60"
yarn: Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn in Ivory (1.5 skeins), Linen (1.75 skeins), Arctic Ice (1.75 skeins), Soft Blue (1.75 skeins), Medium Blue (almost 2 full skeins) and Glacier (1.75 skeins)
hook: I/9 5.5mm
pattern: shell-stitch afghan at MyPicot.com

long-distance

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 14:48:00 +0000

Someone I love very much is having surgery next week and I can't be there to be with her. The next best thing that I can do is send her a crochet hug! I didn't have much time to put this together, so I had to put in some marathon crochet sessions to get it done! I found some super-soft, fuzzy, broken-in-like-your-favorite-sweatshirt heather grey yarn and got to work.

I decided to make a lap blanket/throw, and since my aunt lives in a warm climate I knew I wanted it to be on the light side -- still cuddly but not where she'd be sweating underneath it! So I chose a very open square (yes, you have seen this one before as a mystery item and also as an almost-poncho) that I knew from experience would work up fairly quickly and be just the right kind of square for this throw.

I experimented a little with making the center petals a light pink -- not an attractive experiment. But the solid squares, in their sweet simplicity, worked for me. I whip-stitched them together (25 squares total, arranged 5 squares x 5 squares, each square about 9"x9") and put a plain dc border around the outside (2dc, ch-2, 2dc in the corners). I also experimented with a final border row of reverse single crochet which looked really nice....but make the blanket too stiff. It didn't drape as well with that extra edging, so I frogged it.

The hardest part of making this throw was sewing the squares together -- not just because I don't really like doing this (I prefer to join as I go, but couldn't see a way to do that with these squares) but because my little kitten, Milo, wants to be with me At All Times and yet she makes for a terrible crochet assistant (she wants to eat the yarn, literally). So I had to close her out of the room while I did it and listen to her pathetic cries from the other side of the door the whole time. Poor baby. But we are reunited now!

The blanket will fly South with my mother to be hand-delivered to my aunt with much love. A fuzzy, soft, long-distance hug.

hook: K 10.5 / 6.5mm
yarn: Hobby Lobby's Yarn Bee Tender Touch in Rain (10.5 skeins)
pattern: Maggie Weldon's Lacy Floral Wrap (layout: 5x5 squares, simple dc border, totaling about 49"x49")

the fuzzy purple scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 17:19:00 +0000

What do you do when your sweet little niece asks you for a "fuzzy purple scarf, the kind with no holes, Amy" (she means no granny squares, of which she -- unlike her aunt! -- is not a fan)? Why, you drop everything, get some fuzzy purple yarn from the store and make a scarf, of course! She even sent me a pattern that she likes, with the message, "I love infinity scarves!" Apparently all the hip 9-year-olds these days are wearing infinity scarves. Who knew.

I don't often work with super bulky yarn and now I remember one of the awesome things about it: it builds up in like 3.5 seconds. I finished the scarf (well, most of it: I had to go back to the store for another skein since I had about a half-row to go when I ran out of yarn, but those final stitches only took me a millisecond to complete) in less time than it takes to watch an Hercule Poirot mystery on Netflix.

I wasn't sure if I should make the scarf exactly as long as the one in the pattern, since little Ana is only nine and the scarf pattern is for an adult....but I took a chance and decided to stick with the original pattern length. Since my yarn was twice as bulky as the yarn used in the pattern, I only needed 8 rows to get to the desired width (foundation row, three rows of sc/chains, four rows of dc groups).

I also made one small change to the pattern. For the middle dc cluster rows, I put a ch-1 between each cluster (but not on the final row of dcs). It made the scarf a little less compact/stiff/dense and more flexible in the center.

With some of the leftover yarn, I made a mini infinity scarf for her American Girl doll (25" foundation chain, just one row of dc in each chain). Without an American Girl doll of my own I had to test it out on Eloise (see below). She was not impressed; let's hope Ana's doll likes it a little more!

I am weirdly pleased with this fastest-scarf-ever project -- just hope my favorite 9-year-old is, too.

yarn: Loops & Threads Country Loom Colorburst in Purple Power (3.5 skeins)
hook: N / 9.00 mm
pattern: Dabbles & Babble's "Crochet Infinity Scarf"


Eloise looks less than impressed.


"A little more to the right, Amy -- there! That's it!"

dive right in

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 15:58:00 +0000

I'm in the deep end now! I've taken a chance and am trying out planned color pooling in crochet. I've been seeing great examples of this technique all over the internet but it wasn't until I saw Sewrella's YouTube video using a gorgeous Lion Brand Yarns colorway (Color Waves in Playground) that I was hooked (pun intended).

I ran to the yarn store because according to the Great and Mighty Web my local yarn store only had three skeins of this colorway in stock (sorry, all of you other crocheters in my area who tried to buy this and were thwarted by me getting there first!). I grabbed the last three (Sewrella suggests this as the probable number of skeins you'll need for a scarf) and found some matching yarn and a pom-pom maker as well (Sewrella's scarf has pom-poms on it and I heart them).

Back at the ranch, I had to wait a few days for enough time to test this out. But finally I was able to sit down in front of my computer, video playing, hand on hook, impatiently ready for the magical pooling and gorgeous argyle pattern to appear before my very eyes. Magic may commence NOW!

Um, nope. Frog, frog, frog.

Ok. I am again ready and waiting for the magic.

No magic for you!

More frogging. More waiting. A little aspirin. More frogging, and perhaps a swear word or two. No magic, no argyle. What was I missing that everyone else was getting?

Finally, after frogging EIGHT times I thought I might have it. I grumbled my way through another row. Hmm....seemed right....another row.....a hint of a smile....YES! I am color pooling like everyone else!

I still can't tell you exactly how I got it right, but it has something to do with the end of row two where you have to frog a chain and a sc so that the colors won't "stack" on top of each other. I tried frogging more, frogging less, frogging, frogging all over the place. So apparently I finally hit the right count in the end.

After all of this I am now on my way but I will admit I am not 100% in love with planned color pooling. Since yarn isn't exactly made for this purpose (although some yarns can pool while others won't at all, I hear) each color segment isn't of perfectly uniform length and so the colors don't always cooperate and line up like they should. That means that every once in a while you need to do some really tight stitches to get the new color to "show" sooner or some very looooooooose stitches to get the color to wait a minute. I am VERY persnickety about tension and evenness and basic all around ridiculous and unnecessary perfection... and having a fabric that has loose spots and tight spots does not warm my anal-retentive heart. But the magical argyle is beginning to appear and for a few minutes, I can forgive my gappy, wavy fabric and love it, just a little.

Have you tried color pooling yet?

pattern: color pooling as explained by Sewrella
hook: 5mm / H8
yarn: Lion Brand Yarns "Color Waves" in Playground

christmas is coming

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 25 Nov 2016 16:42:00 +0000

My sister and I are making some "Christmas Morning" baskets -- one for our mom, and one for her mother-in-law. We're putting in some special coffee, homemade muffins, a Christmas CD, a special mug....you get the idea. My sister suggested that a crocheted holiday dishcloth would be a pretty item to tuck in there, as well. Great idea!

As you know I love to pattern-shop so I jumped on Google images for some holiday dishcloth ideas. I love, love love Red Heart's Holiday Scrubbie patterns, but the one I liked best (the Santa square) is for knitters (I would love to pretend I am one; I am not) so I kept looking. I considered some sweet gingerbread houses (too much after-crochet sewing/embroidery), a crochet reindeer cloth (too lumpy), crochet stars (been there, done that) and some others but what finally caught my eye was a pattern I'd actually seen many times before: this sweet snowflake dish cloth/potholder.

It turns out to be a very quick and easy pattern -- and the magic really happens when you join the second (darker) color to the white snowflake. The double crochet stitches in this row are done *into* the spaces between the dc's of the previous row so the snowflake gets a delicate icy edging that is quite pretty.

I followed rounds 1-7 of this pattern, and then added 1 row of sc (2 sc, ch-2, 2 sc in corners). To finish off, I chose to add one row of reverse single crochet/crab stitch (1 reverse sc in each ch-2 corner space) to give it a nice defined edge without detracting from the lovely snowflake.

pattern: Linda's Snowflake Potholder
hook: H/8 - 5mm
yarn: Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Cotton!" in white and red

My stylist, Toby, who is busy pretending he is *not* sitting on a pile of snowflakes.....

it gets better with time

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 01:59:00 +0000

What's even more beautiful than a newly-finished, ends-woven-in, washed, blocked, and tied-with-a-ribbon crochet blanket? That same blanket a year later, worn, wrinkled, and frayed around the edges, with a few ends poking out.

I just spied the little heart graphghan I made for my cousin's baby in a video she posted to Facebook.
Not only was Blankey (yes, it has a name now) snugly crumpled into a lump between the baby's arm and her high chair, but it was visibly weathered from lots of snuggles, cuddling, and nectarine juice (this is evidenced by the video). I can't tell you how much it made me smile to see that blanket again! That rumpled, sticky (at the moment, at least) blanket is so much more beautiful now than it was when I made it because it's been loved and enjoyed.

Whenever I give a crocheted gift there are NO strings attached (well, except for the actual *yarn* strings, haha). I hope that the recipient will enjoy it and use it, but I can never be sure where and how it will end up. To discover -- so unexpectedly, especially! -- that something I've made has brought someone so much pleasure is a real gift to me, in return.

Has this happened to you? I hope so. You sure can't beat the feeling.

sea breeze

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 18:07:00 +0000

I started an ocean-color ripple blanket a while back and haven't wanted to pick it up again. It wasn't the pattern, it was my old nemesis: COLOR. I just didn't pick good colors, and the blanket didn't speak to me (literally and figuratively!). But the other day I came across a beautiful yarn color palette (why don't I lean on these more? I am so inspired when I see the gorgeous colors put together) on Facebook and it got me thinking about trying this project again with different colors.

I can't find the photo I used on the web to plan my colorway, but here's a similar version of it at DesignSeeds.com (OMG what a lovely site!! Inspiration abounds!): http://www.design-seeds.com/summer/color-escape27/

I pulled the colors together and searched for a new pattern, while I was at it. I really tend to prefer in-the-round work (not sure why) and was hoping for something that could be done as sort of an ombre, where the colors melt into each other (I didn't succeed in finding something like this -- do any of you have suggestions?). When I couldn't find anything, I went for this sweet pattern at MyPicot.com. It was a little tricky to follow the pattern (it's written in a slightly confusing way) but once I got the idea it was so easy and such a beautiful design!

I am enjoying this one so much - can't wait to watch it grow.

yarn: Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn in Ivory, Linen, Arctic Ice, Soft Blue, Medium Blue and Glacier
hook: I/9 5.5mm
pattern: shell-stitch afghan at MyPicot.com

across the universe

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 07 May 2016 18:46:00 +0000

You may remember my plans to make a shawl for my mom for Mother's Day. Well, because she isn't the size of a newborn baby it isn't ready for her yet. But I do have something else for her! I have been home much more than usual for the past few weeks (my little cat, Georgia, is terminally ill and I want to be here with her while I can) and so crochet has been a kind and helpful friend during these hard days.

One pattern that has been on my mind is Sophie's Universe, designed by the very very very talented Dedri at the Look What I Made blog. I was at first tempted to buy some Scheepjes Stone Washed XL yarn (I saw the version made in that and knew my mom would love the colors!) but then I remembered the ridiculous yarn stash that I have (it doesn't bring me joy; it makes me feel guilty!) and decided to work from that.

Does anyone recognize these colors?

Yep. It's the yarn from the Lily Pond Blanket CAL by Jane Crowfoot. I made one, measly, painful, tedious, horrible block of this blanket (I don't mean the design is bad, it just didn't fit me at all: the constant hook changes, the tiny hooks, the multiple pieces to be joined.....our relationship didn't go well) and left it in WIP-land.

As you may know I am really, really bad at choosing colors. But this yarn was already matched for me! It was designed to go together! And, luckily, many of the colors matched one of Dedri's colorways for the Sophie so I didn't even have to make many substitutions (I hope I did ok with that, by the way!).

I made this square over the course of this past week and had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. Here's what I mean:

I LOVE the pattern. Dedri is a master at this. The perfect choice of illustrative images, the links to every kind of stitch as you encounter it in the pattern, the helpful notes before each round (based, I think, on feedback), and even little "checks" to let you know that your stitches are in the right place. I don't think that I have EVER used a pattern as well crafted as this one. It's the first time I've not found a single error, or didn't have to frog because of pattern confusion. She is amazing!

I HATE this yarn. My apologies to those of you out there who use and love this but it doesn't fit me at all. It splits, has an inconsistent thickness across colors (the green was much thinner, the yellow very thick), and I think the colors are a bit muddy. I also prefer to use a 5mm hook or larger and this yarn needs a smaller hook (I cheated and used a 4.5mm when I should have used a 4mm. I admit, this is not the yarn's fault!).

Even though I didn't enjoy the yarn, I LOVED being able to use some of it up. I've felt guilty that I bought it and never made the Lily Pond blanket. I do have a ton left.....thinking a giveaway might be in store.

I HATE half-double crochet stitches. I hate them. Short, squatty little stiches that don't want to come off of my hook. Truly my least favorite stitch, and they abound in this pattern! There's so much hdc, actually, that I stopped at one point to make sure I was using the pattern with US crochet terms, not UK or something!

I LOVE that I've learned some new stitches! This pattern is kind of like a sampler -- lots of unusual stitches, neat textures, and creative integration of stitches. I learned some great new things (my favorite is the standing single crochet -- so much nicer than how I've been doing it)!

I LOVE how Dedri made it so clear what color changes she did/didn't make at each round -- no guessing (I have to do this with some of the "thin" rows in other patterns that I am mimicking -- so frustrating). She even offers it in several colorways so you can see how it affects the pattern. Can I just say, again, that this is BY FAR the best-written pattern I've ever seen??

I LOVE that this pattern challenged me but wasn't too hard. Every once in a while I got a tiny bit overwhelmed but it felt good to stretch my crochet muscles a little bit.

Ok, there was a lot more LOVE here than HATE but I had to whine to someone, right?

I'm giving this to my mom tomorrow (Mother's Day here in the US is May 7) and I hope she likes it! I might ask her if she wants to become a co-conspirator with me and fashion it into a table runner with some additional quilted squares on either end or something. I think it can stand alone (if it does I think I'll add tassels at each corner) but it might be something fun for us to do together.

hook: 4.5mm (the whole time, even though the designer mentions sizing up/down)
yarn: Stylecraft Life DK in cranberry, fuchsia, lily, rose, daffodil, fern, teal, olive and aqua
pattern: Sophie's Universe by Dedri at Look What I Made

Notes:
-followed the pattern exactly except that I didn't make the "optional flowers" after Row 36.
-whenever the pattern offers a row as a BLO option (to increase texture) I did that. I love the look.
-at Row 24 suddenly all of my counts were off. (later: it turned out to be right!! How, I don't know!)
-at Row 28 - should have used a bigger hook -- the green is thinner than the other yarn -- all of those ch2 spaces made the middle of the sides pull)
-only did row 1-36

The only thing I'd change if I were to do this again would be to leave out the popcorn stitches in row 19. I think that row needs some visual interest, but the bobbles, especially in the pink shade I used for that row, look to me like, well,

nipples.

There, I said it. They really do! And I have nothing against nipples but I think I'd rather a butterfly stitch or a picot or, ok, ANYTHING else there.

Advice:
Read the freaking directions. The ONLY times I had to frog my work (luckily, her "checks" made it so I never got too far before realizing I'd gone wrong) were when I didn't read the directions thoroughly. Doh. I need to go back to 2nd grade and learn that "read the directions" skill again.