It’s pattern rewrite time today! I’m hoping to get everything planned out and start frogging the black thread tonight so I can start getting this thing moving! I feel like this is taking forever!
Category Archives: Gifts
30 Days of Blog 2017 – Two
Time to do some frogging. I know it can be painful, but it’s for the best. I did not like how the neckline came out on the top of my Mermaid dress. It was just way too low cut, so I need to frog the straps and all of these vertical rows and redo them. The pearls will also come off and I’ll redo them with more beads that are closer together.
Frogging, counting, and writing down the pattern for how I need to rework it will start this evening!
Filed under Gifts
Felted Handbag
I’m finally getting back to being able to crochet a little bit after #3 was born. I’ve got several things to post, including the afghan I designed for him.
Right now I’m working on some end-of-the-school-year teacher’s gifts for my daughter’s preschool teacher. I had a kit from Annie’s Attic for this felted bag and thought I would use it for one of the gifts. I’ve never done any felting before, aside from making my wool dryer balls.
Unfortunately, when I got this felted, I fell in love with it and I don’t think I can give it away. I think I’ll be using it as a bag to carry small crochet projects in. It’s not often that fail in giving away something I have crocheted.
Filed under Gifts
Sweet 16 Afghan
The 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.
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.
Filed under 2016 Project List, Afghans, Gifts, Patterns
Christmas Stockings
I’ve got three down and two more left. I’m trying to decide what colors to make. The red ones are supposed to be for the kids. I think what I’ll do is let my daughter pick which one she wants to be hers, and then make a duplicate of the other one and have both the boys’ stockings be the same, except for their names. The green one is my husband’s, and I think I’m just going to make mine with green stripes like the red-striped one. Although, I could do mine in solid green two. Then I would be able to line them up on the mantel with the greens on the outside, the boys matching ones next in on each side, and then my daughter’s in the middle. (I kind of hope she picks the striped one so I don’t have to make another striped.)
The names will be back-stitched in yarn on the cuffs at the top, and then I’d like to add a holly berries and leaves embellishment to each of them.
In any case, the new baby and my stockings will wait until next year (early in 2016) before I start them.
Filed under Gifts
Wrapped Up
And here it is! This is my Aunt Ruthie with her Granny Square Project afghan. Ruth has made my family and I several quilts over the years including when my Husband and I were married and when our Daughter was born. She also tells me that she has a quilt on the machine right now for my son! I wanted to send her something in return so she was the first person I thought of when deciding who to give the finished Granny Square Project to.
Filed under Gifts, The Granny Square Project
Make Me a Pillow
When your 3-year-old daughter asks you to crochet her a pillow, you stop your other projects and crochet her a pillow.
I had a pillow I had used for nursing when she got too big for the Boppy. Once we weaned, she commandeered it for herself. It was just a rectangular gold-velvet pillow I had picked up at a thrift store to support my back in my desk chair at work while I was pregnant for her. It was actually pretty tacky looking. I meant to take a picture of it before I covered it, but got excited about finishing the cover and forgot until I’d already had the cover closed around it.
I used the same yarn that I did on her Easter Cardigan from my super special stash of free yarn that my sister obtained for me. I had always wanted to try the Catherine Wheel stitch, so I dug out one of my stitch books 101 Stitches for Afghans by Jean Leinhauser. The Catherine Wheel is stitch number 75. Of course, there are many tutorials and free patterns on the internet as well. I made two panels the size of the pillow and then joined them with a round of single crochets through both layers all the way around. Then I did a round of reverse single crochets, or the crab stitch to add a nice rolled edge.
I finished the pillow about 11 o’clock last night and she was already asleep. So I was just going to leave it next to her on the bed when I kissed her goodnight before I went to bed. But she woke up when I went in and saw that I had left the pillow next to her. She wrapped her arm around it (she had watched me working on it so knew it was coming) and went back to sleep with a great big smile on her face. It was so cute.
Filed under Gifts
Easter Cardigan
I never understand why they make sleeveless Christmas and Easter dresses for babies and toddlers. It’s generally not warm during those times of year. So I had to make my daughter a sweater to go with her Easter dress this year.
This is the first chance I’ve gotten to dip into a HUGE stash of free yarn that my sister brought to me after a de-stash event she participated in. My daughter’s favorite color is purple and there were several skeins of a nice soft purple yarn in one of the FOUR boxes of my sister brought me. There were also several skeins of dark purple fun fur that my daughter has particularly had her eye on, so I used that to fancy up the edging once I finished the sweater.
I used this pattern for the sweater, which is only sized to 18 months by changing yarn weight and hook sized. I needed closer to a 3T so I tried a much larger J hook. I worked up the yoke and tried it on her and it was just the smallest tad too tight, so I frogged it and tried again with my K hook. This worked much better. The sweater has a pretty picot edging on the hem and the sleeves, but left the collar and the sides plain, so that’s where I added the fun fur.
My daughter was so excited when she saw the finished sweater, particularly because of the fun fur. It will look very cute on her for Easter!
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Garland
It’s that time of year again. Do you need some St. Patrick’s day decoration? Visit my Etsy shop and order this shamrock garland now!
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Garland
$7 on Etsy! Decorate your front door, kid’s bedroom, or even your cubicle at work for St. Patrick’s Day with this delightful strand of festive shamrock garland. Seven lucky shamrock’s adorn this 48″ hand crocheted strand of garland. Click on the picture to purchase on Etsy!
This garland is made with variegated yarn therefore each strand will be completely unique.
Price INCLUDES first class shipping via USPS to the United States.
Need something longer with more shamrocks? Contact me and we can talk!
Filed under For Sale on Etsy, Gifts
Boot Cuffs Facebook Special
Now taking orders for boot cuffs at $20 a pair for the first 10 Facebook Fans only! FREE Shipping (Continental US.) Share with all your friends who want their own pair of custom, handmade boot cuffs!
- One size fits most – cuffs are 11.5 inches around unstretched and 6 inches long.
- You will be invoiced via Paypal (Don’t worry, you can pay on Paypal even if you don’t have an account.) Work will only be started after payment is received.
- Available colors include light brown (top left pic), white, black, dark brown. Other colors may also be possible, just ask!
- Cuffs will be made-to-order on a first-come-first-serve basis. It takes me 2-3 days to make a pair so if you want yours sooner than later, order now!
- I am only committing to 10 orders at this time. If I receive more than 10 orders I will let you know.
- PM me your orders now via Facebook with your color choice and email address for Paypal billing!
Filed under Christmas Presents 2014
Stitched In Love Crocheting 