Category Archives: Afghans

Sweet 16 Afghan

Julie's Sweet 16 AfghanThe first project of the year is finished and delivered! My Niece Julie turned 16 in January and I wanted to make her a nice, grown-up afghan.  With her favorite color purple, I started in on a corner-to-corner afghan.  This is a very simple pattern that you can easily google instructions for.  It works up perfectly square, or rectangular with very little effort and I really like how the variegated yarn looks in the pattern.  (We know I just love variegated yarn.)

My own creativity comes into play with the edging on this piece.  I did not write down the pattern for this one, but I will include a very rough account of it below.

Julie

This is Julie with her afghan after she received it today. Sorry it was late for your birthday!

Edging

Join all rounds with a sl st in beginning st.

Round 1: A round of single crochet. Two sc in each ch 2 at the end of each row and 3 sc in each corner.

Round 2: Dc in each sc. 3 dc in each corner.

Round 3: Dc, ch 2, sk 2 dc, dc in next dc around.  Dc, ch 2, dc in each corner.

Round 4: Dc in each dc around, 2 dc in each ch 2 sp. 3 dc in each corner.

Round 5: Repeat round 3.

Round 6: (Dc, ch 2, dc) in each dc, ch 2.  (Dc, ch 2, dc) in each corner.

Round 7: (Dc, picot, ch 1) 3 times in first ch ch 2 sp, ch 1, dc in next ch 2 sp, ch 1. Around. (Dc, picot, ch 1) 5 times in each corner.

Round 8: Dc in ch 1 between first and  second picots, ch 5, dc in ch 1 between second and third picots, ch 1, (dc, ch 2, dc in next dc, ch 1. Around.  Dc in ch 1 between second and third picots, ch 5, dc in ch 1 between third and fourth picots, ch 1 for each corner.

Round 9: Repeat round 7 with 5 (dc, picot, ch 1) in each ch 5 sp.  (Dc, picot, ch 1) 7 times for each corner.

Teal Signature

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Filed under 2016 Project List, Afghans, Gifts, Patterns

Afghan Order Complete

Ribbon CrossHere it is, all ready to package and mail out!  It’s a good thing I got this order actually because as I was working this up I found and corrected two errors in the pattern.  I got an updated PDF loaded to Ravelry and sent out to those who have already purchased it. Fortunately (and unfortunately) that’s only 3 people.

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Filed under Afghans, For Sale on Etsy

Afghan Order

Afghan 3

Well I was started back up on the Granny Square project, but then I got an order for an afghan on my Etsy shop.  So now I’m working this up again real quick this week to ship out. Then it will be back to the grannies again, again, again.

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Pattern – Basket Weave Baby Afghan

1Here is the afghan I have been working on in payment for my new graphics.  I really like how it came out.  It is a basket weave stitch with a faux ribbon edging similar to the Ribbon and Pearls Christening Afghan.  It also has a double ruffle in two colors with a picot edge.

2The pattern for this afghan is now available for sale on Ravelry!  I’ve set the price for it at $5.00.  I would love to hear from anyone who purchases the pattern and see pictures of your completed afghan!  I may even post your picture on the site here!  Click on the picture to see the Ravelry listing, or just the “buy now” link.  Enjoy!


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Filed under Afghans, Baby, For Sale On Ravelry, Patterns

Design Submission

AfghanI’ve mentioned previously that I’d submitted the pattern for the afghan I made for Greyson’s Baby Blessing for publication.  It was not accepted and I’ve been meaning to get the pattern uploaded to sell on Ravelry myself like I did for Persephone’s Ribbon and Pearls afghan.  Somehow I just haven’t gotten that done and now I’m glad.

I got an email the other day from Crochet World calling for design submissions for their Spring 2015 Special issue “Blue Ribbon Crochet.”

The issue will “showcase a variety of award-worthy projects that reflect some of the most popular fairy-entry categories for crochet designs.”

The email said, “We want fabulous, prize-worthy designs that are exceptional in style but not difficult or intimidating to make.”

My design goes perfectly with what they’re looking for both with its simplicity and coincidentally with the blue ribbon.  I’ve submitted the design and I’m anxious to find out if they’ll use it.

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Filed under 30 Days of Blog - 2014, Afghans, Baby, Designs

Persephone Belle

I hadn’t realized it had been so long since my last post here.  I haven’t had a lot of time since the baby was born, but I do have several  projects that I need to post, so here’s the first catch up post…

This is Persephone Belle on the Ribbon and Pearls Christenting Afghan that I designed in her honor in her newborn photo shoot.  Doesn’t she look cute on it?!  (Thanks to Krista for the shots!)

Incidentally, I’ve sold 5 of my patterns for this on Ravelry since posting there.

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Project Linus

I have joined a new organization!

Project Linus is an organization that “Provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.””

And here is the first afghan I have made to donate!  This baby afghan is a fairly simple pattern.  The pattern stitch is made by alternating a wrong side row of double crochet + slip stitch, with a right side row of straight double crochets.  The combination of the double crochet followed by a slip stitch creates an interesting textured bobble type stitch. 

This stitch gives the simple 12-row repeat before changing colors some pleasant detail without complicating the design.

I continued the simplicity to the edging where I completed one round of single crochets in white, followed by one round of the pattern stitch.

I have added the websites for both the National and Kansas City chapters of Project Linus to the Links menu if you are interested in more information!

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Filed under Afghans, Project Linus

Ribbon and Pearls Christening Afghan

As promised, I designed an afghan in honor of my baby girl and I just love how it turned out!  I even submitted this one to Leisure Arts to see if they wanted to publish but they didn’t.  Oh well. 

I think I’ll sell the pattern for this one on Ravelry.  So I won’t post it for free here, but I will get the link added to the item on Ravelry once I get it posted there.

I loved how the ribbon and pearls turned out.  I was initially going to use white pearls but I’m glad I used the pink.  This pattern could be real pretty in reverse colors too with pink yarn and white ribbon and pearls. 

Update:   I have added the pattern for sale to my Ravelry store!

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Hooded Baby Blanket

So I made this afghan a few weeks ago.  I had been holding off on crocheting anything for the baby for a couple different reasons.  First, I felt so crappy during my first trimester that I didn’t even feel like crocheting anything for two full months after I found out I was pregnant.  And second, I wanted to wait until we found out if we were having a boy or a girl so that I could crochet in appropriate colors.  But fortunately I started feeling better at just under 3 months, and at about a week before my sonogram at 19 weeks I couldn’t stand it anymore and had to crochet something.

A fellow blogger had posted this baby blanket (pictured at right) she had designed on The Blue Brick and a few of us who commented on the post were able to convince her to write out the pattern.  She did so, and graciously shared the pattern!  Click on the picture with the yellow hood to see the pattern.

Since we didn’t yet know the sex of the baby I didn’t want to crochet my traditional Ripple Baby Afghan yet.  So I opted for this great little piece in neutral colors.  It’s very simply done in rounds of double crochets with shell increases at the corners of each round, and was very enjoyable to work on on my bus ride into work a few days that week.  Once I got up to the last round and the hood I decided put the piece down for a few days until after the sonogram and then do it in either peach or blue.  As you can see I did peach.  Yes, we are having a little girl!  I did struggle with the pattern on the hood a little bit and I could not get it to come out quite like the original picture, but it’s a really cute piece and lovely for the first afghan that I have crocheted for my daughter!

This did get me thinking though.  I’ll still do my traditional  Ripple Baby Afghan, but I should probably also design my own baby afghan in honor of my baby girl.  I think I’ll do something in white that we can use for her Baby Blessing – perhaps with some pink ribbon embellishments.  But I can’t decide if I want to do something square or another version of a ripple afghan.  We’ll have to see about that.

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Filed under Afghans, Baby

Ripple Baby Afghan

Alright everyone.  Here is a project I have made probably more than a dozen times for so many friends and family when they were expecting a baby.  I’ll of course be making one for myself now – as soon as we figure out if we have a little boy or a little girl.

If I have made one of these for you, PLEASE send me an email with a picture of it.  If you have one with your child using it that’s even better!  I would love to do a post with pictures of several of these gifts!

I taught myself to crochet from this pattern book.  Some of the patterns in this leaflet are rather dated as it was originally published in 1989.  Certainly not new anymore, but it still works for beginners.  I even wore out my first copy and bought another.  You can still order this leaflet on the Leisure Arts website for just $6.95.  Click on the picture for the link to the listing.

The ripple baby afghan was one of the first afghans I’d ever done, and has been one of my favorite patterns for a long  time.  It is made with double crochet stitches and shells, skipping stitches to make the ripple effect.  I like to use Caron Simply Soft yarn to make this, although I have been very disappointed to find that they have discontinued the very pretty Victorian Rose color that I like to use for the pink.

I hope to see many emails here shortly of your pictures!

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Filed under Afghans, Baby, Gifts, Pattern Book Recommendations