Changes

For those of you who regularly check out my blog, you may have noticed things are a bit different. After almost 3 years of blogging, I thought it was time for a new look.....I hope you like it. :)

In between posting my work, I am going to occasionally look for some feedback from my readers by asking some crochet questions to which people can post their answers. I thought this would add a little depth to the blog. :)

For my first question, I am going to ask what are you all working on right now? I started working on a summer top....the Sea Breeze Top. And I just bought the thread and beads to make the Beaded Cobweb Lace Scarf....looking forward to starting that.

Crochet, Away!

A New Video

I was asked on Ravelry if I could explain how to do cables in crochet. Rather than just do step by step photos, which you can already find online, I decided to make my second video on the subject....

This is the most common method of doing cables, but you can make wider cables or narrower ones. I am currently working on an afghan with a 3 stitch cable, with only one crossover. Cables are a great way to add texture and interest to a pattern. If you have never tried making cables, maybe my video will help. I hope so. :)

Crochet, Away!

And Now For Something Completely Different....

I like thongs and was lucky enough to come across THIS pattern for this one. It calls for crochet cotton and a B hook. Being a little on the larger size, I used a C hook and sock weight yarn. I started one in Panda Cotton, but didnt have enough yarn to finish, so I found a skein of Sockina Cotton in my stash and tried using that. This is how it came out.

I made a couple changes in mine. I made it in one piece and connected the sides instead of using ties and I left out the side straps in the back. But it fits....and comfortably! I am going to finish the other one as soon as I get some more yarn.

If you dont like thongs, you could make the back the same as the front, only a little larger....the pattern is repetitive. There is also a chart that makes the pattern very easy to follow, however it is hand drawn and very small, so you might need a magnifying glass or a way to enlarge it, but it DOES help. The link page is in mostly in German but at the bottom there is a PDF link for the pattern in English. I hope you give it a try.

Crochet, Away!

My Spa Cloth

I am very into spa items. I like a little luxury in my bath. So I wanted a luxurious face/body cloth that would be soft, yet be textured enough to exfoliate. I made this up myself and have put it on my pattern page, if you want to try it. It makes a thicker cloth, which I prefer. And I wanted to make something I could sell without needing permission from a designer.

I like this pattern so much, I will probably make a face towel and maybe a soap saver. If I do, I will post those as well.

Crochet, Away!

Heirloom Baby Blanket

The first time I saw this blanket about 3 weeks ago, I just HAD to make it. Fortunately, someone asked me if I could make a baby afghan for them to give as a gift. So I sat down and started working on this beauty. Everything went smooth.....till row 9. Then I was totally confused. I did a little research and found out that others had been confused as well. I tried a couple suggestions...still didn't work.

So I was browsing in the grocery store a few days later and found that Crochet Today had published a magazine with their All Time Best Blankets, and what should I find inside but the same blanket pattern. Well, I thought that, perhaps, the pattern had been revised and I could have give it another try. No such luck.....still stuck at row 9. I was ready to throw the thing in the trash when I happened to see something in the pattern notes, which read, “Refer to the stitch diagram while working this pattern. which will clarify the complex instructions.” And I said, "Diagrams? What diagrams?" So I turned a couple pages and there they were....the charts for the blanket. It was a cloud parting moment. I went to row 9 on the chart and Ah HA! THAT'S what she means! And on I went. I didn't look at the written instructions again.

And this is the result. I am very pleased with how it came out. I used sport weight yarn instead of baby yarn and a G hook. You can find the text pattern HERE. If you need the charts, you will have to get the magazine. but its worth it. If there is a baby in the future for you or someone you know, this blanket will be treasured.



Crochet, Away!