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.

Lil Chevron. Part 2.

I'm going to get this right.  I finally got enough sleep that I could make a simple one dip chevron pattern.  Don't ask me why that was so difficult.  

I picked up a couple more Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread.   I've got the gray and now the warm teal and plum. From the Fashion 3 collections.  

Also, I'm currently experimenting with the photographic lighting.  We are in the basement for another few weeks.  So I will soon be able to take MUCH better photos.  Please excuse this for now.  If I'm still taking horrible toned photos in a month, call me out.

I want to participate in the crafty shows we have going on around town and I think that these little guys would make cute necklaces.  

Here's my super complicated Chevron pattern that took me days to figure out.  (sigh)

Ch13 plus 3 for the first DC
turn and dc into the 13th ch
dc into the next 4 ch
dc decrease over the next 3 chains
dc into the next 4 ch
2 dc into the last ch

Here I still have the second half of the dc on my hook because I'm going to switch colors.

Switched.  

Do the same thing as the first row.  
Ch3 and dc into the same stitch as the ch3 (increase)

dc into the next 4 dc
dc decrease over the next 3 dc
dc into the next 4 dc
2 dc into the last dc (increase)

You are increasing on the ends because we need to make up some of the stitches we are losing when we decrease in the center.  It makes the shape a nice "V" and still gives a nice flat side.

Switch colors and repeat this row.

You can do this forever.  I decided to stop here.  I sewed in my ends.  I felt like I could have more control over the tension of the edges if I sewed them all in instead of carrying over.

Looks a little wonky, huh?  As a larger project these curves are just fine.  It's often the beauty of crochet.  But this is a small lil thing and I want it to be perfect.  At this point I'm going to stretch it a bit and pin it to a piece of cardboard.   Then blot it with some Mod Podge.  

Much cleaner lines....  

Stay tuned.  

Embroidery Floss as Yarn

I've been really interested in making statement jewelry with yarn.  I've also been obsessed with chevron and ripple stitches ( like most of the craft world at the moment).  

The problem I'm seeing with the yarn that is at my disposal is that there is no gradient of color.  It's dark blue, light blue.  Nothing smooth.  However, embroidery floss has this beautiful gradient.  

Tonight I gave it a try.

I used this pattern from my handy dandy crochet stitch bible.  The difference is that I add 3 dc.  So it went more like this :  VIIII^^IIIIVVIIII^^IIIIV.  Get it?

I used a 1.9 hook.  justalilguy.

I'm not sure what to do with him.  Or even to use him for anything.  I redid the pattern a few times and it still just isn't looking right to me.  When its this small its hard for me to see.  It's 3 inches by 1.5 inches.  Smaller than a business card.

It seems that I need to make some swatches......

***A FEW HOURS LATER***

I couldn't stop feeling like I didn't accomplish this idea today.  So I made this one.  The colors!

It's weird how one side of the circle is bigger on the inner and outer but the middle seems fine.  Hmmmm.