Category Archives: Pattern Book Recommendations

March 27, 2011 · 11:12 am

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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February 21, 2011 · 3:49 pm

Fisherman’s Crochet Pullover

I made this sweater for my Husband’s birthday this month.  It turned out great!   The pattern comes from the Craft Yarn Council’s website here.    Instead of white yarn, I used Fishermen’s Wool from Lion Brand in “Oak Tweed.”

I’ve made this sweater three times now and it is still the most difficult pattern I have ever used.  The cable stitches in the Celtic Knot are challenging themselves and are created by using front-post double crochets, skipping stitches and working in front of or behind previous stitches to pick up the skipped stitch.  But it is difficult to follow the pattern itself as well as some of the raglan shaping is not very clear.  I need to just rewrite this pattern for myself. 

In addition, the pattern for the Celtic Knot itself is actually not accurate.  The knot is supposed to weave “over-under-over” or “under-over-under” for each cable.  However the given pattern does not do this.  Some of them go “over-over-under” and vice-versa, and even “over-over-over.”  They have actually updated this pattern since the first time I found it on the site and it now includes a diagram of  how the cables are woven for the knot.  It appears, according to this diagram, that the given pattern is intentional – not a mistake.  Fortunately, I have another pattern book with cable patterns which includes this same Celtic Knot – woven correctly.  So I worked from both patterns as I made this sweater.  I actually did not even realize that the pattern for the knot was incorrect until this time around.  I must have made the previous two “incorrectly.”

But regardless, my Husband has a new sweater – challenging or not.  And I have to say that it looks great on him!  Happy Birthday Baby!

(Most Definitely) Stitched in Love,

Tatha

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January 2, 2011 · 7:28 pm

Lacy Afghan

This is the Christmas present that I gave to my Mother-in-Law this year.  I just love this pattern, it’s so pretty.  I’ve done three of these now, one for my Aunt Becky, one for my Sister for her wedding, and now one for Mom.  The thing that makes this afghan is totally the edging.  The first time I made this I had never done picots before.  I initially found those pretty challenging, but now I’ve also made them with thread.  I hate making them with thread, but I find making them with yarn to be much easier.

The pattern didn’t call for it, however I used cones of cotton yarn instead of worsted weight yarn.  It gives this afghan a really great weight and looks very nice with the picots.

I’ve been trying to think of something really amazing that I could work up to enter in the CGOA contest at the conference in July.  Looking at this I think it would be really neat to create similar pattern for a wrap or a shawl.  I’ll keep you posted on that front.

Stitched in Love,

Tatha

UPDATE: I had someone ask where they could get this pattern.  It’s from a Leisure Arts pattern book: “Best of Terry Kimbrough Afghans.”  The pattern name is “Timeless Lace.”  I did not find the book on Amazon, but you can get it on the Leisure Art’s website for $12.50.  There are 26 afghan patterns in this book and I have made several of them.   Click on the picture for the link to the book on the Leisure Arts website.

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