Temperature Blanket - The Beginning

I have a new project in the works!

I know many of you may have seen information floating around about creating temperature blankets.  I looked into it, and decided that it would be a great project for 2017.  :)

For those who aren't familiar with the concept, a temperature blanket is based off of the daily high temperatures for the year.  In my case, each row will correspond to the recorded high temperature of the day in my hometown.  Since I'm running with the recorded temperatures for 2017, this will end up being a year-long project.  I think I can handle crocheting a row a day!

Anyway, here's the color chart I have set up for the project:

• 0-10*F - White (Caron Simply Soft)
• 11-20*F - Soft Blue (Caron Simply Soft)
• 21-30*F - Mid Blue (Red Heart Soft)
• 31-40*F - Turquoise (Red Heart Soft)
• 41-50*F - Deep Sea (Red Heart Soft)
• 51-60*F - Guacamole (Red Heart Soft)
• 61-70*F - Sunshine (Caron Simply Soft)
• 71-80*F - Tangerine (Red Heart Soft)
• 81-90*F - Really Red (Red Heart Soft)
• 91-100*F - Berry (Red Heart Soft)

I'm looking forward to seeing how things end up turning out!

Commission in Progress!

Time flies when you're having fun!  I've been keeping myself busy this winter with commission work.  I have a lovely afghan in progress for a friend, and I think it's going to be awesome when finished.

The first steps - 1/18/15

She said she wanted neon pink and black, so I went out yarn shopping and got her okay on this color combination.  As I started work on the afghan for her, I realized that if I stuck to just the above 3 colors, I would have to get more yarn.  I'm a bit lazy, so I wanted to avoid that.

There's almost a full color pattern established! - 1/25/15

I found the purple and blue colors buried in my yarn stash.  They were leftovers from another project, and as luck would have it, they matched the variegated yarn!

It's getting there - 2/11/15

I was hoping to have things completed by Valentine's Day, but I just started working full-time again at the beginning of February.  I'm hoping that working on this in the evenings and over the weekend will mean it gets finished before March hits.  We'll see.  ^_^

Winter Projects

I can't believe it's already almost the end of January!  Time flies when you're having fun, I guess.  To anyone who follows my postings, I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates since the fall.  Life has been hectic, and the crafting and blogging managed to fall by the wayside in the process.  I'm renewing my efforts to post more regularly with updates and photos of projects, so please don't give up on me!

I have a couple of fun projects in the works right now.  I have two friends who requested scarves, so I have two different scarf projects in process.  It's fun for me, because I get to work with two vastly different yarn types for two special people.  I'm hoping both finished projects are a huge hit!

I will definitely update with photos and progress as soon as I can.  Thank you all for your patience and support!  Happyn crafting!

Suncatcher Dishcloths

I found a great pattern for dishcloths via Craftsy.com!  They are so pretty!  I will post more photos soon.

 

My first two suncatcher dishcloths

Current Projects

It's been entirely too long since I last updated!  There are still several projects that are ongoing.  I've been terrible about working on anything lately, partly due to being busy with a new job.

Anyway, here's a list of what I have in progress!

- Crochet -
Garden shawl
Card bag
Sparkle mitts
Hexagon throw

- Knit -
Cool tone scarf

- Sewing -
Drawstring bag

I have a lot to do!  My goal is to finish as many of these as possible before Labor Day.   We shall see how I do.

Hat and Glove Set

This is an older project of mine, but one I'm fond of.  Last winter, I crocheted a set of fingerless gloves and a matching hat for myself.  Here are photos of the finished set!

Fingerless Gloves

Double crocheted Hat

Finished Hat and Glove set

More Card Bag Progress

The first of the two card bags is finished!  I'm happy to share a photo of the finished product, and the friend who commissioned the entire project is extremely happy with the first of the two crocheted bags.

Finished bag, complete with a button to keep it closed!

The bag itself is a modification of another pattern I found online awhile ago.  I will share the original pattern when I complete the entire project.  As for this bag, all I did was alternate single and double crochet stitches to create the pattern/texture of the bag.  It creates a tight enough pattern that the bag doesn't really need to have a lining, which is awesome.

I'm also happy to report that the second bag is coming along nicely.  I believe I'll have a finished product by the end of the week, as long as I don't slack off at all!

Front panel of the second bag

Overall, I think things are going well with my crochet projects.  With a new job starting on April 1st, keeping up with things may end up being a bit difficult.  I hope to keep updating and sharing crafted goodness with everyone despite the job and its demands.

 

Crochet Card Bag - In Progress

Once again, I have a lovely project in progress.  This time, it's a commission for a good friend of mine!

A while back, I experimented with a scaled down version of a crochet tote pattern I found online.  The result ended up being a nice little clutch style bag that I use to hold playing cards.  I showed this little bag off to a friend of mine who fell in love with it and asked if I would make a couple of them for her.  So, we made a trip to our local JoAnn Fabrics for supplies, and here we are!

It's really a simple project and I'm quite happy with how it's turning out.  I've included some progress pictures below.

Front and Back panels of the card bag

Close up of stitching for the body of the bag and the decorative border

Pre-assembly of the finished product

 This is actually getting pretty close to being finished already!  There's just the gusset, assembly, and finishing touches to go on this first bag.  Photos of both crochet bags and a bonus sewing project will be added when I'm done with them.  ^_^  Happy crafting!

Crochet Shawl

Finally!  After all of this time I remembered to take pictures and post the finished result of the shawl I was working on!  I'm happy to report that it was a smashing success.  ^_^

Full view of the finished product

The only difficult part for me with this project was remembering to keep stitch markers handy so I could keep track of my stitches.  Stitch count really is important for this piece, so don't be silly like I was in the beginning.  You can only recount your stitches so many times before it drives you crazy.

Closer view of stitching and border

The border was a little bit difficult as well, but only on the edges where I couldn't match up stitch for stitch.  Again, patience and stitch markers are your friends here.  Overall, I give this pattern high marks for the finished product.  Now I just need an outfit to wear it with!

 

Crochet Shawl - In Progress

Good morning, world!  I'm taking the time to let you all know that I have a lovely crocheted shawl in progress.  I found a lovely pattern on LionBrand.com that I decided to give a try.  It's a half-moon/half-circle pattern, which I'm finding to be both interesting and a bit of a challenge as the shawl nears completion.  Expect pictures and a link to the pattern when I'm finished!

(As a teaser, you can go to Lion Brand's website and search for "Emily Shawl" to find the pattern.  Just click here!)

Projects in Progress

So much to do and so little time!  It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was working diligently on another knitted scarf, a crochet tote, an afghan, and goodness knows what else!  I've hit a bit of a slump with my work as of late; mostly because I've been moving around and under a lot of stress the past few months.  The good news is that I'm starting to settle back in and create again.

As of right now, I have three projects in process.  The first is my ongoing battle with the motif-based hexagon throw I've been working on.  I'm at a bit of a standstill with it again because I managed to lose most of my crochet hooks (including the hook I was using on the project) in one of my recent moves.  The second is another knit scarf that I started months ago and just never got back to.  The third is another dishcloth collection that I've started.

Pictures of completed projects will be posted as soon as I can get decent photos to upload.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring!

Crochet Cotton Tote - In Progress

I'm making significant progress on the crocheted tote bag I've been working on.  I don't have much more to go with making the gusset, and then I have two side pockets and the straps to crochet. Then, it's time to play with the sewing machine to finish things off!

I figure I'll have this finished before the end of the week.  ^_^  I will definitely post pictures when I have it finished.  Look forward to it!

Crochet Rainbow Beanie

Yet another productive day!  I crocheted this beanie while running laundry at my in-laws this past week.  Overall, I'd say this was about 4 hours worth the crochet work, including the assistance I got from Felicia, the in-law's cat.  XD

Rainbow beanie, modeled by yours truly!

 I really like how this one turned out.  It's all double-crochet, following a very simple hat construction formula I got from a crochet magazine.  (I can't remember which one right now...I'll have to find it!)

Lacy Dishcloth Pattern

Here is the pattern for the third dishcloth in the sampler.  I used a green self-striping cotton yarn from Lily's Sugar 'n Cream collection.

Materials:  1 ball (2 oz) of cotton yarn; Size 5mm (US H or 8) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge:  14 sc and 14 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)

Pattern Instructions:

Ch 41

Base Row:  1 dc in 3rd ch from hook.  1 dc in next 2 ch. *Ch 1, skip next ch, 1 dc in next 3 ch.  Repeat from * to end of row and turn.  (You should have 39 stitches)

1st Row:  Ch 2.  *1 dc in each of next 3 stitches.  Ch 1, skip ch 1 space.  Repeat from * to last 3 stitches.  1 dc in each of last 3 stitches and turn.

2nd Row:  Ch 2.  *1 dc in first stitch.  Ch 1, skip next stitch.  1 dc in next stitch.  1 long dc (insert hook in ch-1 space 2 rows below).  Repeat from * to last 3 stitches.  1 dc in next stitch, ch 1, skip next stitch.  1 dc in last stitch and turn.

3rd Row:  Ch 2.  1 dc in first stitch.  *Ch 1 , skip next ch-1 space, 1 dc in each of next 3 stitches.  Rep from * to last 2 stitches.  Ch 1, skip next space, dc in last stitch.  Turn.

4th Row:  Ch 2.  *1 dc in first stitch.  1 long dc over next ch-1 space.  1 dc in next st.  Ch 1, skip next stitch.  Repeat from * to last 3 stitches.  1 dc in next st, 1 long dc over next ch-1 space, 1 dc in last stitch.  Turn.

Repeat 1st to 4th rows until work from beginning measures approximately 11 inches (28 cm).  Fasten off.

Edging:  Work 1 round sc evenly around outer edge, having 3 sc in the corners.  Slip stitch in 1st stitch.

Next Round:  Ch 2.  1 dc in each stitch around, having 3 dc in the corners.  Sl st in top of turning ch.  Fasten off.

As I stated earlier, I used self-striping yarn for this pattern.  I just like the way it turns out!

Circular Dishcloth/Coaster Pattern

Hello again all!  Just in time for the holiday season, I present to you my pattern for the circular dishcloth in the sampler.  It's very quick and easy to make, as long as you can work in the round.

Materials: Cotton yarn, crochet hook of choice (I prefer a US G or H, but you can use pretty much any hook you want)

Pattern Instructions:

Chain 4 and join with a slip stitch in first chain to form a loop

Round 1:  Ch 3 (this counts as your first double crochet), 11 more dc in loop for a total of 12 stitches.  Join with a sl st in top of ch 3.  DO NOT TURN.

Round 2:  Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 1 dc in top of previous round's ch 3.  2 dc in each dc around (24 stitches), join with sl st in top of ch 3.

Round 3 and on:  Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 1 dc in top of previous round's ch 3.  Increase stitch count of round by 12 stitches, spacing as desired.  Join with sl st in top of ch 3.

Finishing: After joining last round with sl st, fasten off.  Hide ends, and you're good to go!

My average coaster is 3 total rounds.  The dishcloth in the sampler was 4 rounds.  Obviously, you can change this pattern up to suit your tastes.  The important thing to remember is that whatever number of stitches you use in your first round is the number of stitches you increase by in each subsequent round.  (This is also very handy when making beanies, by the way.)

Enjoy!

Crochet Dishcloth Pattern

I found the patterns that I used to make the dishcloths in the dishcloth sampler, so I have decided to share!  Today's pattern is a very basic dishcloth pattern that was used to create the purple/red/green/cream dishcloth in the sampler.  Enjoy!

Materials: Size 5mm (U.S. H/8) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge; 1 ball (2 oz) of cotton yarn

Gauge:  12 sc (single crochet) and 13 rows = 4 in/10 cm; Gauge is not a huge deal for this project

Pattern Instructions:
Ch (Chain) 37
1st Row: RS (Right Side).  1 sc in 2nd ch from hook. *Ch 1, skip next ch, 1 sc in next ch.  Repeat from * to last ch.  1 sc in last ch and turn.  (You should have 36 stitches)
2nd Row: Ch 1.  1 sc in first sc. *Ch 1, 1 sc in next ch-1 space.  Repeat from * to last sc.  1 sc in last sc and turn.
3rd Row and on: Repeat 2nd row for approximately 10 in/25.5 cm and fasten off
You can also add an optional sc border at the end of this project.

This pattern was taken from the label of a ball of Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn.  Any cotton yarn can be used for this project.  Self-striping yarn is recommended for an unique and fun look!


Enjoy the pattern!

Dishcloth Sampler

As you can see, I have a dishcloth sampler!  The patterns for all three of these are really simple.  The two square dishcloths were patterns I got off of the labels of the Sugar n' Cream yarn I used for each.  The circular dishcloth is just a simple double crochet in the round that increases by 12 stitches each round, starting the first round with 12 stitches.  It can actually double as a coaster or hotpad as well.

If anyone is interested in the actual patterns, I can definitely post them.  Of course, if you don't want to make these yourself and you'd like to have a few, I'm more than willing to make a few on commission for a reasonable price.  ^_^  All you have to do is ask!