Evergreen

This is the One Skein Scarf from Stitch ‘n Bitch: The Happy Hooker.  The pattern is so easy-peasy, and I liked the chart included in the directions.  The ends curl a bit, but I can see why this scarf pattern is so popular. 

The yarn is from a garage sale, so I have no idea what brand it is.  I’m 99.9% sure it acrylic yarn (but soft).  I really like the teal color, which is actually a combination of blue and green fibers.  If you recognize this yarn brand, please comment! 

Purely for the blog, I took my camera on a short hike to Cascade Falls in Moran State Park.  The flash was actually really useful, since it is very shady under the forest canopy. 

*That’s cool* a random fact

A tree branch is not actually attached to the rest of the tree. It is held in place by a series of interlocking “collars”. Collars overlap and mesh to form a tight woven pattern of tissue.

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Double trouble

I’ve been in a crochet funk for the past couple of days.  Instead of actually crocheting, I found myself going around in circles about what pattern to start and which yarn to use.  So I -gasp- took a break from yarn.  It’s been an interesting change of pace, but now I’m back with a fresh mind and a new dishcloth! 

This is the Double Trouble Dishcloth, made with Sugar ‘n Cream in Hot Purple.  With four different rows, the pattern stitch was entertaining enough without being difficult.  I added a couple single crochet rounds to the border to square off the dishcloth.  In hindsight, a simple shell border or even a picot stitch would have been a better option. 

The whole FO is on the large side.  If I crocheted this pattern again I would use a smaller hook size to get a firmer fabric.  The shells feel a little loose, but since no gauge is given I can’t say for sure if the designer intended for the dishcloth to be more compact. 

The Origami Hot Pad is a fast crochet pattern that makes a sturdy and practical hot pad.  This is the type of pattern that makes a great mindless project, since it is made completely of single crochet.  I used Sugar ‘n Cream in Hot Green and Key Lime Pie.

The hot pad is started with a chain of thirty-five and made by crocheting continuously in rounds.  By folding the resulting pouch, the ends meet and you get a double thickness hot pad.  I’ve seen other versions that have a little loop added to hang.  I’d love to make more of these with lots of coordinating stripes. 

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Abominable snowman

These Abominable Baby Slippers are for my cousin Lindsay’s little boy who just turned one year old.  I went ahead and made the 18-24 month size so he’ll hopefully get some use out of them. 

I’m pretty sure that the loops stitches are too long.  The slippers look sort of mop-like.  The first time I made the body of the slipper the loops were way too short.  I guess I got a little overzealous the second time around.  I think the loops will shorten slightly with wear, though.  The crochet loop stitch does not secure the actual loops very well. 

The inside of the slipper is reinforced with another matching layer of crochet to prevent the loops from shortening.  Although this made the actual crocheting and assembly more time consuming, I really like how shoe-like the slippers feel.  If I had enough gray, I would probably have made a double-crocheted sole too. 

This pattern was so well thought out.  The claws, pattern stitch, crochet reinforcements and a BLO folded cuff all come together easily, making a structually sound little slipper. 

I would make these again in another color scheme like Andreacrochets.  You can see her blue and orange ‘monster’ version on Flickr.   

*That’s cool* a random fact

 Quatchi, a young Sasquatch, is one of the three official Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic mascots. 

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Dishcloth-o-rama

Maybe it’s because I spent so much time restitching the border, but I really do like this Lacy Round Dishcloth.  I frogged the last two rounds a few times trying to match the pattern to the picture beofre I gave up and wrote my own border pattern.

The directions are clear until round 9 when the pattern directs you to put 9 dc in every ch-5 sp.  This will give you twice as many shell lobes as the actual dishcloth has.  Plus, round 10 is missing brackets around “ch 1, sc in next st”.  I’ve written the last two rounds according to how I crocheted them:

Round 9: sl st in ch-5 sp, ch 3, 8 dc in same sp, *ch 1, sl st in next sc below in round 7 and around ch 5 of round 8, ch 1, 9 dc in next ch-5 sp, rep from * 6 times more, end ch 1, sl st in next sc below in round 7 and around ch 5 of round 8, ch 1, join rnd with a sl st to top of ch 3.

Round 10: ch 1, sc in same st, *[ch 3, sc in next st] eight times, sl st in ch-1 sp, sl st in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, rep from * 7 times more, end [ch 3, sc in next st] eight times, sl st in ch-1 sp, sl st in next ch-1 sp, join with a sl st to sc. 

These pattern revisions are probably a little more complicated than they could be, but I liked the slip stitches in round 9 to accentuate the shell curve.  (Beware: these directions are not tested!) 

Also, if you’re past the ‘beginner’ stage of crocheting, it’s not impossible to come up with your own guess-timation for the border rounds.    The extra work was well worth the final product though and the border reminds me of Lion Brand’s Sweet Scallops Shawl.

This Textured Stripes Dishcloth is one of the most durable, functional dishcloth patterns I’ve crocheted.  The crunch stitch rows make this dishcloth very sturdy and the size is big enough to get a grip without being overly large.   

The only downside to the crunch stitch is the difference in gauge compared to single crochet.  The crunch stitches are very compact and single crochet is comparably loose, making the two of the edges curve.  I used a crochet hook two sizes smaller for the single crochet rows, but I could have gone down another hook size. 

You can see in the picture below that I accidentally crocheted the border facing the wrong side. Oops!  Next time I’ll pay closer attention to which side I’m on. 

Overall, this pattern makes a great little dishcloth.  I’d love to see a matching Swiffer cover.  The crunch stitches would be perfect for catching dust bunnies. 

If you don’t like, use or enjoy crocheting dishcloths, but still want to try the crunch stitch, check out the Pirate Clutch on Craftster.  It’s an easy crochet purse with a shell detail. 

Finally, the Simple Dishcloth uses v-stitches and shells in the round.  This pattern really is easy and the resulting lacy dishcloth is very pretty.  I would use a smaller crochet hook next time because the stitches are not as solid as I expected. 

Also, I’d like to try using stripes of different colors.  The first three rounds would be perfect for a flower and leaf color.   

Watch out for my next post!  Katrina got my swap package, so I’ve got the go ahead to blog about all the crochet goodies I sent her.  Check out her blog, Sewalicious Designs for a sneak peak of her Swap Swap Gals package.

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A sheep, a duck and a rooster

My Canon PowerShot A530 took a turn for the worst. While attempting to replace the batteries, I dropped my camera (again) and it broke. I was actually surprised, since this point-and-shoot model is really sturdy and has survived some pretty traumatic falls. This time the height of the plunge wasn’t astronomical, but the retractable lens took the brunt of the impact. Apparently, lenses are really integral to camera functions, so I’m dumb out of luck. A new camera is in the mail but, for now, I’m stuck sifting through my Flickr account for old project photos like this baby hat.

There’s no pattern for the newborn beanie since I just made it up as I went along. I used a partly filled party balloon and Bev’s sizing list to determine the number of increases. The hat is half double crocheted with a size G hook and a row cluster stitches. I used some scraps from my Grandma’s old wool stash so I don’t know the yarn brand. Most likely it’s virgin wool from the Mill End store, though.

This Boy Beanie v2.0 was made for my brother. Shh, I haven’t tucked in all the ends! The hat is a revised edition of the Boy Beanie published in Stitch ‘n Bitch: The Happy Hooker. I wasn’t impressed with how the pattern was written. For one, I was never sure which rows were meant to be made in the back loops only. Plus, there’s an odd ch 2 maneuver that I didn’t like since it made the seam stiff and shorter than the rest of the hat.

I do like the color changes and overall style of the hat, though. There’s not a lot of yarn required and with all the double crochet it takes very little time. And free is a very good price for a pattern.

My brother has requested a ‘less holey’ version that fits his head. He does have a big noggin so I can’t blame the pattern for the size issue. One of these days I’ll get around to making him a custom, single crochet version.

Another pattern pattern designed with guys in mind is The Husband Hat, available for free at Crafty Christina with a folded brim and minimal single color trim.

*That’s cool* a random fact

The first passengers to ride a hot air balloon were a sheep, a duck and a rooster in 1783 as a royal demonstration for the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

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The spiral effect

 

The front post dc and shell stitch combination in this Divine hat really caught my eye.  The pattern uses asymmetrical shells to force the front post stitches in one direction, making the spiral effect.  To me it looks complicated, but the pattern stitch is surprisingly straight forward and very easy to create. 

If you’re a knitter, the Odessa from MagKnits is a similar design.  I like how the beads are knitted into the spiral.  If only I was that advanced!  For my hat, I used Caron SS Heather in Denim.  The color is closer to a bluish silver than a denim, though. 

 

I made the Cable hat, below, for myself.  My double crochet hat is starting to show signs of wear after several loyal years.  Plus, with all this snow and freezing wind I needed a sturdy hat.

Compared to my old RHSS hat, this thing makes my head look huge!  There’s front and back post stitches, so it has the thickness of three layers of crochet.  My brother thinks it looks like those Russian Ushanka hats, especially if I added ear flaps.  I tend to agree, but it’s very warm.  And the hat is made with Caron Simply Soft Heather (in Charcoal), so it’s soft too. 

I learned a new technique for a nearly-seamless front post stitch join with these hats.  The pattern calls for a ch-2 before making the first front post stitch in the round.  When you come to the end of a round, you ignore this ch-2 and join directly to the front post stitch. 

This means that instead of chaining for a stitch that should be a front post, you hide this chain behind and there’s barely any difference between the join and the rest of the hat.  You can see the seam of the hat in the picture below, on the left of the cable.   

 

These patterns are both from the same designer, which are written with minimum detail.  They’re easy enough to understand if you’ve ever followed a hat pattern and there’s a stitch count at the end of every row.  Don’t be scared off by the cables in the second hat either.  The directions for cables are really clear. 

I ran into some problems with gauge and my yarn selection.  I originally used Red Heart Super Saver, but the connected front post stitches looked jilted.  Not that you can’t use Red Heart, but the cables really shine when you have a smooth yarn like Caron SS. 

The other problem was gauge.  I had the gauge with the suggested hook size, but it was mammoth in size.  The gauge is based solely on the width of the front post cable.  What I found was this gauge could be true with about three different hooks.  

Also, the cable hat especially, really stretches because of the front post stitches.  So if the hat does feel a little snug, just remember that it will ease up a bit with use.  If you want to use the official gauge, I would go with the smallest hook size possible.  I ended up using a size H crochet hook with a gauge of  13 dc and 7 rows = 10″.   Even with the size H hook, it’s still the teeniest bit loose, but I’m glad I have it for this snowy Northwest winter. 

*That’s cool* a random fact

Russia has twice the number of chess Grandmasters as Germany, its nearest competitor.

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By any other name

This is a small sample of the Progressive Pattern Stitch Afghan with Bernat Baby Coordinates Sweet Stripes.  I had some yarn left over from the Chromium Star Blanket and ended up using one full skein before the warping upper left hand corner got to me. 

Maybe a heavy border would help the misshapen corner and plump the size a little.  I guess I could also try blocking it, but I’ll most likely put it in snooze mode and try to find a charity that would take it.  I really don’t feel any drive to improve or finish this particular blanket.   

I do like the way the blanket is worked though, similar to a mitered square.  You crochet a bunch of chain loops on two sides of the square and turn.  The second row uses granny-style shell groups in each chain loop.  Because there are only two different rows the pattern is easily memorized. 

Plus, I personally am partial to exponential blanket construction.  It’s relaxing to watch a blanket grow, knowing that you can use the maximum amount of a skein without worrying that you’ll run out.  Using this pattern in the round would probably hold the shape better, like Robyn‘s  Baby Blanket on Flickr.  I like how her color changes compliment the pattern. 

*That’s cool* a random fact

Yellow roses symbolize friendship and sociability. 

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Word of the day

The word of the day is blustery.  It’s very windy here in the tip top corner of the Northwest.  I was holding the door ajar for the dog this morning and I actually had to use force to keep it from swinging.  It felt like this massive vacuum was pulling the door closed. 

You would think with all this stormy weather it would be miserable outside, but apart from the hurricane force winds it’s actually a beautiful winter day.  There’s sun coming in through the windows and the sky is mostly blue.  I’m happy if I see a patch of blue in between the clouds this time of year. 

Craftwise, I’m knitting a scarf from Bernat Soft Boucle in natural.  I wanted badly to crochet this stuff, but I was going nuts.  Unless I used a large hook the yarn caught every bulge and and was a nightmare to frog.  I just didn’t feel like fighting with the yarn.  Knitting with ‘fun’ yarn is easier than crocheting, in my opinion, and that also goes for this border-line difficult boucle. 

 

The pattern is Melissa’s All About The Yarn scarf, using a k5 vertical border.  Mine’s not alpaca, but I think it’s turning out well.  There are problems with the border curling inward so I guess I’ll try blocking it.   Acrylic doesn’t have a superb reputation for yielding to pins and water though.  Still, the boucle is hiding my uneven stitches and it feels light but warm.  I am considering putting an edging or embroidery to spruce it up. 

Here’s my first knit swatch from way back in 2001, when I was a seinor in high school.   I spent a saturday afternoon watching an Omen marathon and trying out different purl/knit combinations from my stitch dictionary.  If you look closely you can spot attempts at ribbing and cables.  

You may remember this yarn from a series of scrap yarn squares I made earlier this month.  This swatch would be perfect for the kind of knit graffiti Knitta started.  You know, where they fasten knit UFOs to random stop signs and car antennas.  Maybe next time I’m in Seattle… 

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Oh christmas tree

I dug this out of the family ornament collection looking for a handmade skate ornament I commented about on My Tangled Threads.  (No luck yet.)  I did come across some crochet snowflakes and a couple cross stitch ornaments, though.   

I’ve been so busy with crochet lately I put the joy of cross stitch to the back of my mind.  It really is a shame you can’t cuddle up to a cross stitch piece of card board.   Considering how much time I put into this little guy as a high school-er I probably could have crocheted a nice hat or a long, fluffy scarf.

I really do enjoy those little dollar cross stitch kits though.  It seems these days that they avoid including the nice metal frames you see in vintage kits.  Instead they have red plastic frames or worse, they package it as an ornament.  No accessory needed.  I suspect this coinsided with the descent of Cracker Jack prizes.  The little plastic clothes hanger is the cross stitch kit equivalent to a Cracker Jack mini-baseball card. 

Here’s your blog prize: a photograph of the back for kicks and giggles.  Look ma’, no knots!

*That’s cool* a random fact

Early Native American tribes in New England preserved corn by coating it with heated maple syrup.

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Bullseye

This is another version of the Chromium Star Blanket made with Red Heart Super Saver in Ranch Red, Pumpkin and Dark Orchid.  Here you can see the adjacent double crochet stitch (adc) in action.  The point is to add height without chains or large holes in the stitch below.  I’ve added a new tutorial for the first three rounds of the Chromium Star Blanket in the tutorials section.    

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