Summer Flies

As many of you know I have been fiddling with the needles a lot recently in addition to the crochet that I have on the hooks. Because of this, I have had a few different "wins" as far as getting things off the needles.

With that said, I wanted to share with you my completed "Summer Flies" shawl.

It did not take long at all to knit up - a few days, 5 at the most. In fact, it was such a fun knit, I cannot even tell you how long it took. I would start a section and in no time (it seemed), I'd be finished with that section.

I knit it on size 9 needles using Patons Lace with Sequins. Yup - it even has a little sparkle to it.

I would recommend this pattern for any knitter. I cannot believe I had a good time knitting it.

Year of Projects: Initial List

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Pattern Review: Yellow Puffs Baby Cocoon and Beret

This is a review for a pattern found inside the Leisure Arts book called "Dreamy Cocoons." This is not a pattern I can link to directly and I can only link to Amazon because it is a book you have to buy.

Here is a link to the pattern book on Amazon.

The pattern that I chose is called Yellow Puffs and starts on page 18. The pattern itself was meant for 0-3 month old babies and was suggested to be done in yellow. If you go to the Amazon link and look at the "back cover" image, you will see the yellow cocoon, which was the one I chose to do.

In the spirit of how well I've always followed patterns, I did it in pink with a dark pink trim.

Pattern Review: Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket

Finished June 24, 2012 (c) Cris

This post is a review of the pattern Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket created by Celeste Young. Celeste has made this pattern available through Ravelry so you must be a member to view the link.

Pattern Link: Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket

I was faced with needing to make a gift for a baby shower. Now, I admit - I haven't gone to a baby shower in quite some time and the last one I went to, I was asked to paint a picture of a giraffe. But - that has no place in today's review.

As I fumbled around Ravelry looking for the perfect pattern, I found Celeste Young's Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket pattern. It was free and the picture on the main pattern page was quite stunning.

Crocheting for Your (my) Man

A not so clear photo of the man and our son

We are all (mostly) crocheters here, right? I think its time we had a serious conversation... especially with Father's Day looming.

So let's be frank - it is harder than heck to crochet for a man.

Recycled Into Yarn

My Plarn Pot Scrubber

Us yarnies often sit down with a skein or ball of yarn to create - but what else can we create with? Are you interested in helping to save our environment through upcycling of products into yarn followed by the creation of a useful item?

A new website has launched and I am proud to have some patterns listed among the many creative patterns. The website, called Recycled Into Yarn, www.recycledn2yarn.com, is a growing directory of patterns and instructionals from various individuals looking outside the box and as a consequence, helping the environment.

I look forward to seeing how this website directory grows and what others are coming up with that I can try too!

Be sure to check out the website, browse the directory, and subscribe to the blog.

A Review of 30s Cloche Hat

Have you ever looked for that hat that was "just the right one?"

I began a search for hats over on Ravelry a week ago after my craft show. I got an order for one hat I had. The story the woman told was touching - I wanted to send along a second hat with her order. A bonus hat.

The color she requested was "somewhere between blue and green" followed by her pointing to a crazy lime green ornament on a nearby wreath. I don't know about you, but lime green has never been somewhere between blue and green. When I went out that night to grab yarn for the order, I held lime green in hand - but I knew that hat she ordered would not look good in lime green. I knew it. So what do I do?

A Review of Sherry's Headband Pattern

If anyone watches my YouTube channel or knows me personally, then you may know I got my hair cut. You also know I have seriously curly, thick hair. In fact, I refer to it as "the mane" when its this short. I didn't expect it to be cut this short, but that's just the roll of the dice with hair stylists.... unfortunately.

So, with this new found plight haircut, I now have need for headbands. I prefer something soft - ie not plastic. Growing up, my dad called me Conan.... and not after Conan O'Brien. Yes - Conan the Barbarian. If I get a plastic headband, consider it snapped in two. So plastic is completely out of the question. The cloth stretchy ones from stores slide right off my head. So - crochet is my only real option for quick hairbands. I know that if I crochet a headband, I'll end up needing to use bobby pins to affix it to my head, but that's ok - anything to control the mane.

So I did what any good crocheter would do - head off to Ravelry to find a great pattern to solve all my hair woes.

I looked at several and decided upon Sherry's Headband by Sherry Lichtenwalner. You will need a Ravelry account to view this pattern. I did not see a link to the pattern on a blog or anything like that, so I'm using the direct link her Ravelry listing.

So, first thing's first - I liked the pattern and overall design. It was simple, not too wide, and easy to work through. If you can work a granny square, you can work this head band pattern. It reminded me a lot of working through my Pointed Granny Scarf pattern, without the points.

I think the pattern, as a whole, is written fairly well. There were a couple places that did not specify to turn. Since I had not turned previously, the assumption would be to not turn; however, to work the pattern (knowing from experience) I had to turn between Row 2 and 3. The pattern did not cover how to handle that transition between rows. Maybe I wasn't supposed to turn but because she did not write in how to transition between the rows, the natural instinct was to turn. I worked through it; however, it would be nice to have that area clarified a bit, but the pattern did start out saying that if you can make a granny square - so if the person did find themselves in trouble, they could easily look up a granny pattern and muddle through.

I think the size is good and the recommendation of using sock yarn is a good one. I used Red Heart "Heart and Sole" sock yarn in the color Tequila Sunrise.

I also like that at the end of the pattern, she shows a variation of her headband as more of a head scarf. The only problem is that she states on the Rav listing that it's easy to extend it out to make it longer, but does not tell you that you have to extend in multiples of 4. She tells you an exact number for the foundation chain for the head scarf, but I think that would have been good for people with larger heads (like myself) or people who want to make the head scarf instead of the smaller headband to actually give the multiples of 4 increase number.

One other change to the pattern I will make in the future, and does not count against her in the review, is that instead of dc'ing into the 6th chain from the hook when starting row 1, I will dc in the 5th chain from the hook and then at the other end, I'll have 4 dc's in the last cluster. This is so the band will be more even.

Allow me to explain - With Sherry's Headband, one side has a large ch 5 space followed by a dc cluster of 3. The other side has a dc cluster of 3 that you have to split into a chain space with a cluster of 2. I would just do it more for evenness of the pattern - Both ends of row 1 should have a dc cluster of 3. with a ch space to work the next row into.

But that is all just personal preference and has nothing to do with the pattern itself.

I am getting ready to go put on the headband and head out for dinner. I'm happy to have something quick and easy to maintain the mane (thanks, Sherry!).

I have to average this pattern's rating out because  I would rate this pattern 4 balls of yarn for simplicity, speed, and aesthetics. I would say a 3 for the couple little areas in the pattern that could have used some more explanation, that I got through based on experience. I would also give it a 5 for pure practicality and just that I like it very very much. With that being said, the total rating for this pattern would have to be 4 balls of yarn.

I will make this one again with the modification mentioned above. I would not have a problem making this as a gift for someone or even recommending it to my intermediate+ crochet friends or those beginners that have made a granny square before.

Review of the Coming Home Poncho

image (c) Lion Brand Yarn on Ravelry

Today's post is something I have not done in quite a while - it's a pattern review.

I am going to be reviewing the pattern called the Coming Home Poncho. The pattern was written by Doris Chan and published by Lion Brand Yarn.

Ravelry Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/martha-stewart-coming-home-poncho-crochet

Honestly, I was a little surprised to find this pattern on one of the "free - take me" sheets at Michael's. My oldest had shown interest in a shawl I had made myself but indicated she'd much rather have it in a poncho rather than the open-front shawl. I must have tucked that tid bit away for future reference because as soon as I saw the free pattern, I immediately thought of her.

While you can replace the recommended yarn out with whatever you prefer in the same size, the recommended yarn is Lion Brand homespun. I don't know about all of you, but I for one am not a fan of this yarn. I love the colorways but the yarn itself is a bear to work with. It is very splitty, that little thread in the middle just seems to catch on everything except the hook, and quite frankly, when I'm crocheting it seems to fuzz up a little.

I do like that the yarn is washable, it's very soft, and like I said before - the colors are gorgeous.

I chose to do my eldest's in "prairie" which is a gorgeous mix of browns with a splash of blue and green mixed in. I thought it was perfect autumnal colors and she would love it.

The pattern works in the round, and as you can guess by the nature of the yarn, it was a beast to get going from the starting chain. Once I got the first row of double crochet finished, the remaining portion of the body of the poncho was easy enough to finish.

The edging is nice but I have to sheepishly admit that I thought the poncho was going to be a little short so I added a couple extra rows to the main portion - so when it came time to do the edging I had to modify it a bit so the numbers added up and the peaks made sense visually.

Working the color last was fine and presented no issues.

As I said, I ended up adding a couple rows because it didn't seem like it was going to be long enough. Granted, I did not come out to Ravelry to see if they had the poncho posted in different sizes so in a way, that's 'shame on me.' Had I went to Ravelry, I could have seen the published the poncho for all sizes and I could have picked a pattern that fit the eldest instead of modifying the freebie pattern to fit my needs. I genuinely didn't even think of it - I figured a free pattern was all it was. Lesson learned!

my eldest in the "Coming Home Poncho" I made for her

What happened in the end is that I didn't finish the last row of the edging, although I think that it ended up looking pretty darn good.

The colors are definitely very autumnal and while it was meant to be a Christmas present, I gave it to her early so she could enjoy the benefits of the garment before it was too cold.

Overall, I would say the pattern was well-written and worked up pretty easily. I started it and even with limited craft time due to work, school, and family - I felt that it didn't take too long at all.

I believe this pattern is good enough for a beginner to complete although knowledge of basic crochet through making double crochet stitches is needed. If a new crocheter is going to try this yarn, I would suggest they use something other than the homespun.

In the end, I rate this pattern 4 balls of yarn simply because the pattern cannot be increased easily and it was recommended to use the homespun yarn. Both of these are easily resolvable by looking up the pattern in different sizes and using a different yarn; however, a person that doesn't know either of these options are viable would probably not think the pattern goes as smoothly as it does. I'm sure that if I came back to make this again and used a different yarn, I'd rate the pattern higher.

I will make this pattern in the future and know that it'll work up even faster once I get way from the suggested yarn.

*excited face*

APOLOGY: I swear I had this posted before but when I went to blogger tonight, it was listed as a draft. I thought when I published it, it would go to the original date, which was 5/17.. but it didn't. My apologies for it being a double post/read for some of you.

------------------

First of all - I am excited because the "recent posts" area of blogger seems to be working. I have spent a good amount of time going back and reading. I hope to be all caught up by tomorrow. There are some absolutely lovely crochet and knit items I missed out on when my blog-buddy posted them originally. So for not commenting the day you posted, my apologies. BUT - all is well now.

Celebrate the Square Dishcloth Trio

Second - I have posted a pattern for sale at Ravelry. In all my 30 years of crocheting, I have never once sold a pattern. I don't know why - I have been writing my own designs for a while now. Perhaps I thought it was too simple to do or worried someone would say it was too silly of me to think the pattern was worth selling.

The pattern I have for sale is called "Celebrate the Square Dishcloth Trio." The document, delivered as a pdf file, contains the patterns to three dishcloths. All dishcloths are textured, thick, and study.

Right now the pattern is only for sale on Ravelry, but I think I may expand out to Etsy soon.

My plan is to write up a few of my patterns to sell, but not quite in the proportion of the free patterns I provide on my blog. I still like offering free patterns and that will never change.

This is just a new endeavor - an exciting one, to boot!

If you are interested, here is a direct Ravelry link to the pattern: (Rav Link)

However, if you are not a Ravelry member and you want to purchase the pattern, you can do so here: (Buy Now)

*excited face*

First of all - I am excited because the "recent posts" area of blogger seems to be working. I have spent a good amount of time going back and reading. I hope to be all caught up by tomorrow. There are some absolutely lovely crochet and knit items I missed out on when my blog-buddy posted them originally. So for not commenting the day you posted, my apologies. BUT - all is well now.

Celebrate the Square Dishcloth Trio

Second - I have posted a pattern for sale at Ravelry. In all my 30 years of crocheting, I have never once sold a pattern. I don't know why - I have been writing my own designs for a while now. Perhaps I thought it was too simple to do or worried someone would say it was too silly of me to think the pattern was worth selling.

The pattern I have for sale is called "Celebrate the Square Dishcloth Trio." The document, delivered as a pdf file, contains the patterns to three dishcloths. All dishcloths are textured, thick, and study.

Right now the pattern is only for sale on Ravelry, but I think I may expand out to Etsy soon.

My plan is to write up a few of my patterns to sell, but not quite in the proportion of the free patterns I provide on my blog. I still like offering free patterns and that will never change.

This is just a new endeavor - an exciting one, to boot!

If you are interested, here is a direct Ravelry link to the pattern: (Rav Link)

However, if you are not a Ravelry member and you want to purchase the pattern, you can do so here: (Buy Now)

[Video] Granny Square Beret Tutorial

The videos below walk you through the entire 'granny square beret/cap' pattern found on headhuggers.org. I have written permission from Sue of HeadHuggers.org to do this tutorial.

HeadHuggers.org is a charitable program that brings crafters of all kinds together to create hats and get them into the hands of people going through chemotherapy, which causes the individual's hair to come out. The belief of HeadHuggers.org is that the person has enough to worry about with worrying about their head being cold.

In order to follow along with these videos, you will need to use the written pattern located here (will open in a new window):
http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/cpatt08.htm

Hopefully this pattern will help those struggling with the pattern get through it and have a wonderful hat suitable to give away to someone who can use it.

Video 1: Creating the Granny Hexagon


Video 2: Creating the Granny Square


Video 3: Joining the Granny Pieces Together


Video 4: Adding the Brim

[Video] HDC Turban Pattern Tutorial

The videos below walk you through the entire 'hdc turban' pattern found on headhuggers.org. I have written permission from Sue of HeadHuggers.org to do this tutorial.

HeadHuggers.org is a charitable program that brings crafters of all kinds together to create hats and get them into the hands of people going through chemotherapy, which causes the individual's hair to come out. The belief of HeadHuggers.org is that the person has enough to worry about with worrying about their head being cold.

In order to follow along with these videos, you will need to use the written pattern located here (will open in a new window):
http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/cpatt22.htm

Hopefully this pattern will help those struggling with the pattern get through it and have a wonderful hat suitable to give away to someone who can use it.

ROWS 1-3



ROWS 4 and 5



ROWS 6 and 7



ROWS 8 to end

Luck O' The Irish: Multiple Pattern Reviews

Hi and welcome to a St. Patrick's Day installment of Crochet With Cris - I decided to make small lapel pins for folks at work and was looking around for a tiny shamrock pattern that would suit just my purpose; however, I found a LOT of shamrock patterns. I decided that since I couldn't decide, I should make lots of them - and what better way to work through them than to review each for my blog.

Now, in all fairness, not all of them asked to be made with worsted weight yarn - I decided to make all of them using Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Paddy Green and a US 7 hook (given to me by my wonderful Crochetville friend, Deb).

So, please do remember that not all of these are originally intended for use with yarn - I just decided to do it this way.


SHAMROCK PATTERN #1
Shamrocks By Allison Weaver

Pattern Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shamrocks-3

Allison's pattern includes instructions on how to make 4 different shamrocks. Shamrock 1 and 2 in her pattern are pretty much the same other than the number of times you chain for the leaf of the clover.Clovers 3 and 4 use a cluster technique that I ended up (surprisingly) preferring on the 4 leaf clover.

I will say I did not like that shamrock 3 had a "ch 3 or 4" listed as part of the actual pattern. I think she should have given a definitive number and then included, as she did, in the notes on how you can go up a chain for the loop if you have problems with working into a smaller circle.

I am not convinced that I like how the stem of this pattern works up; however, if you weave your ends right and make sure you work the last chain closest to the clover on your return of slip stitches, then the stem looks great. If you miss the last hump or do not weave your ends in appropriately, then the stem has a weak spot up by the clover and it kinda flops around a little bit. I just made sure to weave my end around the center stitches and all was well.

What I definitely liked about this pattern file was the notes section. Allison took some time to let you know how you can use these little shamrocks. I personally will be making pins for my coworkers *smiles* Of the 4 shamrocks in her pattern, I definitely preferred the 4 leaf clover with shamrock 1 coming in a close 2nd.

Oh - as for time, I worked all 4 of these lovelies up in about 15 minutes.

I give this pattern 4 out of 5 balls of yarn (mostly cuz I adore the 4 leaf clover)

SHAMROCK PATTERN #2
Tiny Four Leaf Clovers By Julie K
Pattern Link: http://www.kundhi.com/blog/2010/02/26/tiny-four-leaf-clover-pattern/

Julie posted her pattern on her blog in February of 2010. I have to say that perhaps if I had some more practice in making these, I may enjoy it a little more; however, with that said - I must admit I was not a terrible fan of this pattern.

I was looking for quick and easy and got a pattern that started with using the magic circle. Granted, the magic circle is something I can do it is just not something I "prefer" to do and I recognize that not all crocheters are familiar with the technique. Heck, I've been crocheting for a while and I rarely use it (in fact, I avoid using it as much as I can).

As for technicalities, I think it is a very tight squeeze working all the stitches requested into the 5 stitches created by the magic ring. Things got tight. My other complaint was the stem just gets lost in the entire design. If it were a little longer, I think it would stand out more and really add to the overall appearance of the clover.

This was not a quick and easy pattern in comparison to the others I tried although I do give props to Julie using a little different technique for her pattern. I would have to rate this one 3 balls of yarn out of 5.

SHAMROCK PATTERN #3
One Piece Crochet Shamrock By Jan
Pattern Link: http://wiremysoul.deviantart.com/journal/23692448/

After turning around and saying I detest the magic circle, I was thrown another shamrock pattern using this vile technique *laughs* Oh well, serves me right, eh?

I think the biggest difference between this pattern by Jan and the one above by Julie is this one allots one more sc into the magic loop. I was a little concerned when I started the first leaf on this one because you are working 6 stitches into one; however, it did turn out for the better.

I wish the stem had asked for the slip stitch to go into the back loop of the chain, but it did not. This is one adjustment I will probably make for my pins; however, this clover was well received by my husband and for that, I give this pattern 4.5 balls of yarn out of 5 (it would have been 5 if it weren't for the magic circle and the stem not slip stitching in the back loop)

SHAMROCK PATTERN #4
Shamrock Pin or Fridgie By Catherine

Pattern Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shamrock-pin-or-fridgie

I was glad to see this pattern did not use the magic circle; however, I have got to say that Round 1 left me scratching my head. You see, it says to repeat a pattern 3 times but at the end of the row it says you should have 4 ch-3 spaces. This was not so if you follow the pattern directly. I had to modify to adjust for this considering the picture shows a 4 leaf clover.

Another issue, while you cannot tell by any of my pictures, is that this clover was HUGE compared to the others. It was a good 3 inches across while all the others are around an inch. Obviously, this one is not going to make it as a small pin. This may have a lot to do with my using regular yarn and a larger hook. I just think it would have been nice to give a size on this one.

I had issue with the stem - you are to chain 8, per the pattern, and then sc into 6 stitches, skipping the first chain from the hook. Well, 7 is less than 8 which leaves you with a gap between the clover and the thicker portion of the stem. I went ahead and did the final sc to close the gap; however, this is something that should have been addressed before posting the pattern (unless they were going with the gap as part of the desired look).

My final issue with this pattern is that the stem and leaves are curling. This is partially due to size and then the combination of stitches. If it were blocked, perhaps it would lay flatter, but for this quick project, I was not wanting to block anything.

This review may sound negative but its not. This pattern does not fit my needs for the mini pin creation project I'm working on, but it does look nice. I think that there are a few flaws in the pattern which causes me to rate it a little lower, but a beginner crocheter could correct the math on this pattern and get a nice looking shamrock.

I rate this one 3 balls of yarn out of 5.

SHAMROCK PATTERN #5
My Irish Baby Shamrocks By Cheryl
Pattern Link: http://flowergirlcottage.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-irish-baby-emerys-shamrocks.html

I must admit, I was hesitant to work so much into a magic circle (yes, ANOTHER magic circle). Instead of starting the pattern with a row of single crochet stitches, this one jumps right in and asks you to build the entire shamrock into the circle and then pull the circle tight when you are through.

I was hesitant but somehow it worked. I think it would have been nice if the pattern let you know you should leave a larger circle to work into, although if you read your patterns before you start working them, you would have known you'd be working a ton of stitches into it. Of course, when you go to pull it tight, there is a bit of a moment when you aren't quite sure it'll close. I had to pull my circle's yarn out using a hook to give it a good tug. It finally went (with a sigh of relief).

Of course, when you pull it closed, all the stitches on the ring ruffle up. I'm not sure if this is the desired appearance by the pattern designer, but I must admit, it takes away from the definitive shape I'd expect my shamrock to have. I do like that the stem is worked with a thicker stitch at the tip and a narrower stitch near the clover leaves. It reminds me more of a clover stem than the other patterns I have worked.

I believe this pattern is worth 3.5 balls of yarn out of 5 simply because I was not a fan of pulling a magic circle closed with that many stitches on it and I would have preferred the pattern to maintain the shape rather than have ruffled leaves. I am considering going to 4 out of 5 balls of yarn because of the creativity of the pattern being so different in technique from all the others.

SHAMROCK PATTERN #6
Crochet Shamrock Magnent By CraftBits.com
Pattern Link: http://www.craftbits.com/project/crochet-shamrock-magnet

This pattern had me going back and forth throughout the 5 or so minutes it took to make it.

It is slightly larger than many of the shamrocks I have made; however, it was not so big to be a negative. I actually like the size in the end.

This one works up by dc'ing in the round and then adding a second row which combines hdc's and sc's to make the bumps of the leaves.

There are a couple things though that caused me to rate this pattern a little lower than I originally thought I would. I am not sure that this shamrock is quite defined enough. If it weren't for the green and being close to St. Patrick's Day, I'm not sure people would recognize this as a shamrock. The overall shape, if you take away the St. Paddy's day element, looks more like a flower (and I do think it would make a lovely flower).

I did not like how the stem worked into it. It almost felt like an after thought - such as it was a flower converted into a shamrock.

So, while I like the size and overall speed of how this one worked up, I am going to have to rate this one 3 out of 5 balls of yarn.

SHAMROCK PATTERN #7
Four Leaf Clover By Karrie
Pattern Link: http://www.girlontherocks.com/knit/blog/2008/03/17/luck-o-the-irish/

Ok - this one leaves me perplexed. I wouldn't think that something so small could be made as complicated as this. I think the complexities stem from reading the pattern. There were a few things I found was not easy to read on the pattern.

Karrie said it was intermediate, and I would agree - but not because it uses the magic circle.

I really was not overly happy with the shape and would like to think it is because I made my stitches too tight or made a mistake in the pattern. I don't think I did but it is possible. I also gave afterthought that perhaps Karrie is from the UK and her treble should have really been a double - this could have set the shape off oddly.

What I do like about this pattern is what goes into the magic ring. Karrie used a combination of sc/ch to create small spaces which allows for more of a floral appearance in the center. I liked the effect of the spaces as opposed to straight stitching into a ring or the magic circle.

Because I'm not sure of this, I think I can safely give this pattern 2.5 balls of yarn out of 5. If this were a UK written pattern (which I looked all over the website for some indication of Karrie's origin) then I would up it to 3 balls of yarn.

SHAMROCK PATTERN #8
My Shamrock Pin By Suzetta
Pattern Link: http://suzies-yarnie-stuff.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-shamrock-pin-pattern.html

This is my final shamrock pattern review and I do think it may be the oldest posted and perhaps in my top 3 of all the patterns I worked for this review.

I did not like the little bit of extra space on the leaves and I think the stem could have been a wee bit longer; however, I like the stem was worked with sc near the tip and sl st back down towards the main piece, making for a more triangular, realistic stem shape. I just wish it were longer.

I liked that it worked up quickly and required no expert or intermediate knowledge to complete.

I think that this pattern is worth 4 balls of yarn out of 5.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. If you have a pattern you would like me to review, please contact me via email. I would love to hear from you!

Do you have your own comments to make about these shamrocks? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think.

Review of Bernat Baby Bobble Blanket

I have blogged about this baby blanket before and if you must know - I finally finished it. Yup... I did. This is the finished product of all the hours I put into it....

 

Yup... after putting 8 hours into this blanket, I frogged the whole thing. Having gotten such little return from the pattern in so much time, I couldn't get into the pattern and I decided to start over with a different pattern.

Photo By Bernat

Here is a picture of the "real" pattern posted by Bernat.

It's a lovely pattern and I fell in love with it visually. Unfortunately, I didn't consider time and functionality of this blanket. I say functionality because I am not sure how much good a blanket with so many little bobbles all over it is going to do - especially since a baby could very easily get his or her finger snagged in the blanket, either warping the blanket or hurting the finger.

I spent around 8 hours or so and only got an 8 or so inch return. I was not a fan that the back of the blanket did not match the front. The back seemed "unfinished." I wish I had taken a picture of mine before I frogged it - but honestly, I was ready to be done with it.

I think the blanket would make a stunning heirloom type blanket but not one that would be used regularly. I think Bernat saw a pattern that was lovely and took full advantage of it; however, I think the pattern would have been just as stunning if they had done a diamond pattern using the bobbles around the edge of the blanket and left the middle flat and functional.

I personally think that if you are wanting to make a blanket that is great for photo ops and heirloom purposes, it's a fabulous pattern - just expect to put a lot of time into it. If you are looking for a functional baby blanket, then steer clear of this one.

I rate this pattern 2 and a half balls of yarn out of 5 mostly because it is such a slow pattern to work.

Stocking Cap Done

When I'm faced with needing to make an item for someone, I really don't prefer to re-invent the wheel. I had made a scarf for a co-worker which prompted him, within 5 seconds, to request a matching stocking cap. While this normally is no major challenge, I was faced with making a hat in blue and orange. Yup - Illini colors strike again. If you remember from previous posts, I had made an Illini lapghan for my husband. Those colors excited my co-worker who asked for a scarf who has since asked for the hat. I cannot seem to escape the blue and orange!

my finished Illini stocking cap

So, to make life a little easier, I want on a hunt for a stocking cap pattern that would be somewhat modifiable to address the two bold, non-complimentary colors I needed to be using. I found this gem: Easy Crocheted Hat.

I read through the pattern and it seemed doable other than the two color situation I was facing. What I chose to do was half double crochet in back loops in blue for the main portion of the hat, just like the original pattern. The main modification I did here was to cut back how long the piece was. I made room for the brim which was added in orange as half double crochets, not in back loops only. I edged the orange in a little blue, added a puff ball to the top and called it a night.

I can't say that I'm 100% happy with the results but it turned out well nonetheless.

Do you do the same - modified patterns to fit your needs? Start from scratch, making your own pattern as you go? Find an exact pattern that fits your needs?

say that 3 times real fast...

Image from Bernat.com

Bernat's Baby Bobble Blanket
Bernat's Baby Bobble Blanket
Bernat's Baby Bobble Blanket
Bernat's Baby Bobble Blanket
Bernat's Baby Bobble Blanket....

*whew*

Well, it's on one of my hooks with no end in site. (Here's a LINK to the pattern).


A friend's wife is pregnant and due in 3 months .. hmmm, is it still 3 months or are the calendar pages falling off quickly? Well, at the beginning of January I decided to make them a lovely baby blanket. I figured I'd take the easy way out and find a free pattern. This lovely from Bernat caught my eye and quickly caught my hook. I think it is absolutely lovely and the soft baby green I am using looks amazing... in the 8 inches I've completed in the last month!

That's right - 8 inches! I don't think I'm a very slow crocheter, but I have got to say, this pattern has slowed me down to almost stopping. And of course, anyone who knows me knows that I have a problem with taking too long to do one task. If I have ever made you a full-sized afghan this means I really really love you. I get bored so easily and this baby blanket is pushing my limits. I am not sure how many times I have wanted to frog it and start over with a quicker pattern. The only thing stopping me is the time invested in the 8 inches I currently have done. I like the pattern, although I admit I am not sure how much I'm going to like the entire blanket being textured, and I really want my friend and his wife to have this amazing little heirloom-esque baby blanket.... but my patience is wearing thin.

Do you have this problem? Is it just me? What would you do?

UGH - I know I had better just finish the darn thing.... I've tried to think of a million non-time related reasons to frog the darn thing but nothing seems to justify tearing up all that work. I know I should just finish it and look forward to the day I can put a picture on my blog of the finished product next to the mailing envelope.

So... in the comments - tell me about your "project that never ends" - have you ever worked on something that seemed like it would never go away? What was it for?

Review: Sidewinder Dishcloth

Finished Dishcloth

I frequent Crochetville and noticed a new pattern posted by Heather who writes "The Good Life" blog. The pattern is called the Sidewinder Dischcloth.

I saw the pattern and remembered I had just purchased some 100% cotton on one of my recent trips to Michaels. The pattern is simple enough so I thought I would make the pattern and give it an honest review here.

I created my dishcloth using "Sugar 'n Cream" cotton yarn in the color "earth ombre." I used a size H hook, as recommended by the pattern.

The pattern says it is "Easy" and I could not agree more. My only comment here is to new crocheters - the pattern is simple using basic stitches; however, you may find the edging a bit awkward at first simply because you are working a single crochet in the stitch behind your hook rather than the stitch in front of your hook. This does not, in my opinion mean this pattern should be listed as intermediate. I think Heather was spot on in marking this pattern as easy - once the new crocheter works through the awkwardness of the edging, he or she will find that it is a simple edging that gives a great effect. Simply: don't give up just because it feels a little awkward - you can do it.

I have one other note specific to the new crocheter - it can be very easy to get a lopsided dishcloth by missing stitches at the end. The "hump" created by the slanted v-stitch can be deceptive and it is easily dropped when doing the single crochet row above it. Make sure you always have 29 stitches working and that you have 9 humps created by the slanted-v stitch row. You want your dishcloth to be square, not trapezoidal *smiles*

The primary stitches for the main part of this dishcloth is the single crochet (sc), ch (chain), and double crochet (dc). The actual pattern of the dishcloth repeats between 2 rows: a row of single crochet and a row of the slanted v-stitch. The pattern does not reference the slanted v-stitch, only walks you through it without calling it by name.

The pattern states that gauge is not important, and I do agree; however, if you crochet tighter, be sure to measure your width after the first few rows so you know approximately how far you should go. The pattern states make it about 8 inches tall in completed rows, but because I crochet so tightly, if I had gone 8 inches, I'd have a rectangle instead of something that resembles more of a square. My finished dishcloth was 7 1/4" x 7 1/4". I was highly impressed at how symmetrical the stitches worked out. I think this is fabulous planning on Heather's part.

Another benefit to my crocheting so tightly is that I did not use a full 2 ounces of the cotton yarn, which tends to be a wee bit more expensive. I will most likely be able to get a second dishcloth out of the same 2 ounce skein of cotton yarn.

I would definitely recommend this as a fast work-up pattern that is great for quick gifts. The stitch is nice and tight (few holes) so it makes a perfect dishcloth. I even gained a few ideas from the slanted-v on what other projects it would be ideal for.

I would like to take a bit of a side bar and say that there are more great patterns other than this one on Heather's blog - it's a definite "must follow" for anyone who crochets as a resource website.

Links:
The Good Life Blog
Sidewinder Dishcloth Pattern
Reversed Single Crochet Tutorial: coming soon

Quick Review Summary:
Great pattern - I'm making more!

I would give this pattern 4.5 balls of yarn out of 5.

Making Hats...

Hello, Readers!

It has been quite a bit from my last post. The year has come and gone and so have many new crochet projects. I am not sure how much yarn I have gone through. I know I have two afghans in progress (one star shaped and the other a scrap-ghan). I have made so many scarves and have discovered the beauty of cowls. I am definitely expanding my crochet knowledge and having a blast while doing it. I apologize to all my readers who started following what seemed to be a blog I was never going to forget to wondering where the cobwebs and dust bunnies came from. Well - hopefully 2011 will bring about a bit of change in that. My only sadness with this blog is that I specifically made it for crochet - and not other crafts.... and I've been painting like a crazed lady as of recent.

Anywho... let's get back to Crochet. I'll worry about that other stuff later.

I have a new love for the "I Love This Yarn" brand of yarn. For such a low price you get a quality yarn that is pretty soft and versatile. The color choices are awesome too. My new favorite color is "oatmeal" which is a light tan with flecks of browns and blues.

I have also been a bit crazed about making hats the last couple weeks. This is one of my favorites:

Blue Bobble Beret

I was looking for free patterns online and found a pattern for the bobble beret:

Link HERE

The website is called "Patterns by Dot" - Dot shares a lot of patterns and all are pretty well written. She is another blogspot blogger so please, do give her credit for a great pattern and enjoy her other offerings.

I will say her explanation of how to do the "bobble" was a little confusing. Basically I figured it out (or translated it as...) as this: to do 1 bobble stitch, YO and put your hook through the stitch, YO and pull a loop through (leaves 3 loops on your hook the first time through). YO and pull through 2 of the loops (leaves 2 loops on the hook). Now, instead of finishing off the stitch as a double crochet, YO and put your hook through the same stitch again. YO and draw a loop through. YO and pull through the first three loops on the hook ... repeat this so you have done 5 partial stitches in the same stitch. After the 5th partial stitch, you will have 6 loops on the hook. YO and pull through all 6 loops. Do a single chain stitch to lock the bobble stitch in place.

Now, another thing that kinda "got" me in the pattern is that when you do the row of single crochet's after your bobble row, you will actually come up with a LOT more than 60 stitches. You cannot blindly stitch otherwise you will have increased your hat size by almost double! What I did was for the single crochet row, I would do a single crochet above all the double crochets and then a single crochet in the locking chain stitch of every bobble. This means you will be skipping every 3rd stitch in the bobble row. I had extra stitches and I'm not sure why. Perhaps I was doing the bobble wrong, but in the end, as you can see in the picture, my hat turned out pretty darn good. It only took me about an hour and a half to two hours to complete. It was a pretty good project that went fast. It would make a great gift.

I'd be interested to know if I didn't do the pattern right.... Dot? You there? hehehe

So that is a bit of an overview of a free pattern that I got through and wanted to share the results and my interpretations of the pattern. If you have a pattern you'd like me to try, I'll give it a shot!