Trying On Cross Stitch -or- F*CK EM!

One of the big reasons I love crochet so much is because with some yarn and a hook the possibilities are limitless.  

...until you want a small project with words in it...

I started this as filet but it was just too much.  I had been resisting cross stitch since I was a kid.  It's my mom's craft and shes exceptional at it.  So I never ventured.  

My friend Rebecca makes very cool geometric style cross stitch, I love this stuff, it's totally up my alley. 

I also love dry crass humor.  

This is something my younger brother tends to tell me.  I often need to be reminded I live this life for me, my kids, my husband and my family.  In that order.  

It's 2.5 by 3.5.  My first completed cross stitch. 

Adopt-a-Monster! Adoption complete

One of the first things I put in my library on Ravelry were these cute little amigurimi guys.  

Well, that was at least a year and a half ago and I finally made some for Alley Art.

Before I could get them to Alley Art a good friend adopted them to take back to a good home in NY.

They all have names and personalities in my head.  I'll miss them.  :sniff:

My "I need a break" mini afghan

I've been working on lots of small size and priced cute things for Alley Art Fest. This is my "I need a little break but I cannot simple stop crocheting" afghan.

As a very pregnant woman, there is nothing better than a good root beer float.

Bow Pattern, Now For Sale!!!

Hi everyone!  It's finally complete.  My sweet little bow is now for sale.  Please head over to Ravelry to purchase a copy.

You will be able to make this dainty little guy.  I love this bow.  It's something that took me many of my newly acquired crochet skills to complete.  

I'll also be making about 12 of these to sell at Alley (ART) Fest.  If you don't crochet you can pick on up there.  ;)  OR, just lemme know and I can make you one custom.   A completed necklace will be $25.  I accept cash, paypal, Visa, mastercard, discover and AmEx.  And, of course, craft trade.  :D

I really just hope you think it's as cute as I think it is.  

Thank you!

Pixie Hat. OMGTHATSCUTE.

I've been working and very focused on my ideas to put up for sale at our annual art fest, Alley (ART) Fest. 

Working with thread can be a little painful after a bit, so I decided I needed a break.  Not a break as in I wasn't going to make something tonight.  HAH!  That would be a waste of a night!  
I found this pattern and knew Violet had to have one.  

It took me an hour.  I sized up to a Bulky size yarn, it's Lion Brand Tweed Stripe (on clearance at Hobby Lobby) and a H hook. 

She's sleeping so she can't try it on.  But it looks perfect for my 20 month old. 

Perfect Puff Bow

I had this idea...
that I would make little bows and turn them into necklaces. I've seen this idea and I'm not sure if it was completely mine. I'm going to claim it though cause why would I have seen it if I didn't do a search for it. Crafter logic.

So I haven't found a bow that I really liked and looked like what was in my head so I came up with one.
Here are the prototypes.  They sizes are slightly different, and can all be used for different things.

The best mod was adding those pellets.  :)

Update:  The pattern is done and for sale!

I made one more modification here.  I switched from dc to hdc.  It made it slightly more compact and it holds the pellets a bit better.

First Friday Free Pattern: Simple Modern Afghan

I love Mod.  The fashion, the hair, the lines, the structure, the colors.  Yum.  As a crocheter I see a lot of pretty flowery or complicated color worked afghans.  Don't get me wrong.  Its nice.  I love me an good doily.    But I just want something simple and interesting.  I hate variegated yarn.  I love neutral and neon.

I have a smallish Tiffany blue velvet love seat in my living room.  A love seat needs an afghan.  I decided on gray on gray.  But I still wish I had used lime.  I first made a baby blanket with this design.  I call it Pear Creamsicle. <333  (it's for sale....)

Materials
Measureing Tape
K hook
Darting Needle
Worsted Weight yarn

• 2 skeins of color 1 (Hobby Lobby's I love this Yarn in Graphite)
• 1 skein of color 2 ( Hobby Lobby's I love this Yarn in Lt. Gray)

Let me explain this huge hook.  This stitch is very simple and creates a beautiful texture.  You can use a smaller hook, very easily, but I like to use the bigger one to make it less heavy and more soft.  It's like there is more air in the stitch. Cause, well, there is.

Stitches
hdc - Half Doublt Crochet
dc - Double Crochet
ch- Chain
sk ch - skip one chain stitch
ch sp - chain space
( ) - this means to do all the stitches into one space or stitch

Techniques
changing colors

Firstly, I decided how big I want this blanket.  The baby one above is 35"x35".  The small afghan below is 50"x50".  You will need to figure out how big you want the inner square.  It's simple math really and then paying some attention as you go.  (I do see that this doesn't match up to 50.  It's really just an about 13 and about 22 and even about 50. Because the hook is so big it will stretch.)

I choose this odd size because I love anything square and it's the right size for my Tiffany Blue Velvet love seat in our sitting room. 

The stitch is called a Rope Stitch.  I'm sure you would be able to find it online.  I've seen it in a few different places.  If you happen to have the Crochet Stitch Bible it's page 74.  :)

Begin by chaining multiples of 3 until you have reached the desired length.  The following pattern is what I did to make my "Gray Squared Lover's" afghan.  (I like to name things.) 

Row 1 - Ch 135 + 3 for turning chain.  

Row 2 - dc into the 4th ch from the hook.  *ch1, dc in next ch, sk ch, dc in next ch* Rep*to * until the last ch sp and dc into that last ch sp. Turn your work. 

Row 3 - Ch3, *(dc,ch1,dc) into the ch-1 sp* Rep* to * until all spaces are completes.  dc into the ch-3 space of the turning chain. Turn your work.

FYI - This is called a "rope stitch".  

Row 4 to 18 - Repeat Row 3

Row 19 - Ch3, *(dc,ch1,dc) in the ch-1 sp* for the next 11 ch-1 spaces.  Change from color 1 to 2 between the 11th and 12th spaces.  Continue.  Change from color 2 to 1 between the 32nd and 33rd space. Continue until the end. dc into ch-3 space.  Turn.

*Tip* I used two skeins for two colors.  You can use three is it makes it easier, and it might.  I didn't cut the middle color at all, but carried it up.  The outside color needs to be cut so that you can connect it to the other end.  Leave at least 4 inches so you can sew it in really tight, if one of these comes loose its going to be a pain to fix. 

In theory you can carry the dark color over the light color but you are going to waste a lot of yarn and it makes it hard to hold onto cause it bunches all up.  

This is a little odd at first but you will get used to have two skeins going at once.  When I cut I didn't crochet on top of the cut yarn because I knew I was going to be sewing it in later anyway, so I didn't bother, plus this way I can pull it a bit tighter to make sure that the stitch matches well.

Row 20 to 36 - Repeat row 10.

Row 37 to 55 - Repeat row 3.

Finish off after Row 55.  

Your blanket is complete.  :)

The last thing you will do is tie in the million little 

Border:  (if you so choose to do a border)

It's just half double crochet all the way around.  
Start in the center of the last row, attach and chain 2, half double crochet twice in each space until the corner. 4 hdc in the corner. Continue with three hdcs in each space for the sides.  4 hdc in the corner. Continue around, join and finish off.

This blanket has become our favorite morning cartoon snuggle blanket.  Its soft, comfy and not too warm.

If you use it, here is the pattern on Ravelry and Pinterest.