Baby Parker Blanket

My neighbor is having a baby boy later in May :) so I started an afghan for them using Hobby Lobby's Baby Bee yarn in Baby's Blue, Naked and Chocolate. I wanted to use a soft acrylic so the blankie could be tossed into the wash and not worried about. Go ahead and spit up on it...then toss it in to wash!

I got a late start. The baby shower was yesterday and I only had 21 inches crocheted on the blue part. I want to have about 36 inches before I start the border. I did a quick corner to show how it will finish out before I wrapped it for the shower. I'm loving the color combo! AND it goes great with his room. YAY!!

I felt terrible taking it back after the shower but she loved it!

The blue section is just a granny square bordered in off white single crochets. The brown edging is #212 from The Complete Crochet Border Designs by Linda Schapper.

I've got a month to get this thing done...gotta get off the computer and get to work (after I rip out the corner work).

Yarn Nightmares

Every knitter has a stash. Usually an incredible stash of magnificent proportion. We never buy just ONE skein of yarn...we always get 2-3 skeins of that color just in case we want to knit an octopus a sweater. You never know what you will need! It's always better to err on the side of caution and get extra skeins.

Well today, it happened. With ALL my tubs of squishy goodness I call my stash and all my "hidden" stashes in baskets and drawers and suitcases and bookcase shelves and in/out trays on my desk, I ran out of yarn for a project. Yes, the unthinkable happened. Go ahead, pick your jaw up off the keyboard. It's going to be okay... I think... I hope... I pray.

See, I'm trying to finish up a baby granny afghan I started back in March. It was going to be for a worker in the deli at the office but then she left and we've lost touch. But then my new neighbors across the street are preggers so I thought... PERFECT! I've got plenty of time to finish it. Guess what. She had a bouncing little boy this weekend. UH OH!!! Baby blanket had been put on the back burner and I only had 30 squares completed out of the required 81. ARGH!!!!!

Time to reassess.

Using 81 squares is going to make this blankie about 55 inches square (9x9 with 4-inch border.) That's big. SOOOOOOOO now I think I'm going to make it an 8x8 with a 3-4 inch border requiring only 64 squares. That's do-able because I've already got 30 squares done AND another 30 center squares done. There is hope. Finished size will be about 36 inches square plus the border. Plenty big.

I was cruising right along this evening adding the white around all the color squares. Got 14 blue and yellow squares finished. YAY!!! I could have this done by next weekend. Moved on to the green squares but when I got to the 13th square, I noticed that my white yarn was disappearing. O.O  NO!!!! Very carefully, I started the 14th square watching the end of the yarn quickly approaching my hook as I crocheted around the square. Will I have enough? Can I make it to the end of this row? Those are questions that always haunt knitters and crocheters. I MADE IT! I got the 14th green square done...BUT ...BUT ...shit. shit. shit. dammit. I still have pink and purple squares to add white rows to. I looked in my project bag. (Yes, I have a bag for every project. I'm anal that way.) There was no more white yarn anywhere. Not even in all the tubs and scattered stash. dammit!!!! 

Guess you know what that means now. Means I have to go buy more yarn. shit. What a torturous thing to do...to go buy more yarn. The horror! The atrocity! The unthinkable agony! damn.

Needless to say, progress has come to a screeching halt. I can't even sew squares together cuz I ain't got any off-white worsted weight yarn. ::pout::

I laid out the squares I have so far to see how it looks and measure. It got JackCat's approval. Thank goodness! I'd hate for him to disapprove. It's not a pretty sight. I'm anxious to get it all seamed together and get the border on it. I think it's going to be really cute.

Hope there's a yarn shop open tomorrow!!!

End-of-Month Wrap Up: March

March had my fingers busy!! Like most knitters and crocheters, we can not work on just one project at a time. It's not possible! No matter how hard we try, we've got at least 2-3-4-5-6-7 UFOs (unfinished objects) in our project bag at a time. 

This month was no different. I had good intentions. HONEST! I was going to get the back of my Victor-Victoria Sweater finished. HA! I think I knitted about 2 inches on it. I'm almost finished with the first ball of yarn with about 1-inch left to go before a pattern change at 17 inches...UNLESS I decide to add another 1-2 inches to make it a tad longer. 

Then there is the Canopy Cardi I am crocheting. I haven't worked on it much at all this month. I got about 6 rows done this week...I won't get it completed this year at that rate!! There's about 15 more inches to go before a pattern change. :( I've only crocheted 5 inches. I'm such a slacker!!

BUT...to make up for not getting much done on my two sweaters, I finished TWO projects and cast on another!! ROFLMAO! The first UFO for March was a TOP SECRET need-to-know project. All I can tell you is that it was squishy soft and made with lots of love.

My second finished project was a test knit for a wonderful friend and fantastic designer. She has created a beautiful Jane Austen-esque cap called Lady Chadwick Cap. I just love it! I used Louisa Harding's Kashmir Aran. mmm mmmm good!

Then there was the NEW cast on...a Baby Granny Blanket. I've crocheted about 30 squares so far with about 50 more to go. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MYSELF!?!?! Think of all those ends that will need weaving in!!! o.O  Oh well, it will look wonderful. It was originally intended for one expecting mom in my building but now I'm thinking it's for my new expecting neighbor. We'll see. I might just end up making two. O.O

Guess you can say March blew in like a knitting frenzied lion and will definitely be going out like a relaxing knitted woolly lamb!

Wavy Red White & Blue Lapghan

Have you known a knitter or crocheter that only had ONE project going? Of course not!! I'm the same way. I've got my Stained Glass Window socks going. (I must have socks on my needles and I love fair isle.) AND...since I finished my Uber Granny Square lapghan...I had nothing on my crochet hooks. :( Total sadness. LOL

So...I started a new lapghan for Give A Stitch. It's red, white, navy and light blue in a zig zag, wavy pattern. It's going super, super fast. I'll do a 30x30 zig zag square then add a border until it's about 40x40 square.

The yarn was all donated to Give A Stitch. THANK YOU Beth, Penny and Gail!!! Give A Stitch is making lapghans to donate to wheelchair-bound vets at Brooke Army Medical Hospital in San Antonio.

GAS Uber Granny Lapghan

It's DONE! I finished a Give A Stitch lapghan -- The Uber Granny! I had some yarn left over from another lapghan so I started a granny square and this is how it ended up. It will make some Miami Dolphins fan happy.

I used Lion Brand Vanna's Terra Cotta and Red Heart Soft Teal and Seafoam. It finished out at 40"x40".

Afghan finished!

I finally finished the afghan I've been working on for Give A Stitch. The colors are just marvelous! Not bad for my first ever!!

Crazy, crazy week!

I got a LOT of crocheting done this week...thanks to my darling son who had nose surgery. All is fine; he's recovering now. BUT, I got to get a couple of washcloths done and some squares for my afghan completed, too! I'm loving the washcloths because they are so quick and easy.

While in waiting room, my crocheting was definitely a conversation starter. Is that knitting or crocheting? What are you making? I've always wanted to try. Is it hard? I love your colors. See...knitting and crocheting are cool! It's not an old fuddy-duddy thing anymore! Especially with such wonderful yarns and fibers out there lik Malabrigo, Cherry Hill, Berocco, and on and on and on.

My First Afghan -- Free Crochet Pattern -- Granny Square

I'm sure everyone has seen or used a Granny Stitch pattern crocheted square. But this is my twist, my colors and my first afghan! :) This afghan is being donated to Give A Stitch. This Fall we plan to donate a bunch of afghans we have made to a local charity. I have just a few more squares to make before I'll crochet them together and finish it off. Because I'm donating it and want it to last and be able to be loved, washed and lived in, I'm using Lion Brand Yarn Vanna's Choice. Lots of great colors to choose from and it crochets wonderfully! It will be very durable.
Here are some of the Granny Squares I've already crocheted. I made a heart into a square with no pattern to include in my afghan. I'm halfway there!


My First Afghan – Free Crochet Pattern
Granny Square

5 different colors of Lion Brand Yarn Vanna's Choice for squares
(3 skeins each) (I used Sapphire, Brick, Mustard, Purple, and Fern)

3-4 skeins of black for border and binding

J-hook (6mm)

Finished size: Approximately 58" w x 72" l
(Twenty 12" squares with 2" border)

Crochet 12" squares from each color and skein creating 15 solid colored blocks. Use left over yarn to create 5 multi-colored squares. These twenty squares will make a 4 square by 5 square afghan.


Start off...the Granny Square...

CH6. Join with a SL ST to form a ring.

Row 1: CH3, 2DC, CH1, (3DC, CH1) 3 times, SL ST to join to the 3rd chain stitch from foundation loop.

Row 2: Work 3 SL STs in the next 3DC so that your crochet hook is adjacent to the space formed by the closest set of chain STs. CH3, 2DC in space, CH1 to form corner, 3DC in same space, CH1, (3DC in next space, CH1 to form corner, 3DC in same space, CH1) 3 times, SL ST to join to the 3rd chain stitch you crocheted at the beginning of the round. You should have the beginning of a square now.

Row 3: Work 3 SL STs in the next 3DC so that your crochet hook is adjacent to the corner space. CH3, 2DC in space, CH1 to form corner, 3DC in same space, CH1, (3DC in next space, CH1, 3DC in next space, CH1 to form corner, 3DC in same space, CH1) 3 times, 3DC in next space, CH1, SL ST to join to the 3rd chain stitch you crocheted at the beginning of the round.

Continue adding rows until your square measures 12" square. Each subsequent round will follow the same basic procedures used in the preceding rounds. You'll start with 3 chain stitches substituting for the first double crochet. In the corners, you will work 2 sets of 3 double crochet stitches separated by 1 chain stitch. Otherwise, you will work 3 double crochet stitches in each space, separated by 1 chain stitch on either side.

Final row: CH1, SC round completed square -- with 3SCs in each corner.

Weave in all loose ends. You may also want to block the granny square.

Note: When working crochet in rounds, 3 chain stitches are often used as a substitute for the first double crochet stitch in a round; that is the case here. In the first round, the double crochet stitches are worked inside the ring. In subsequent rounds, the double crochet stitches are worked inside the spaces previously formed by chain stitches.

After all twenty squares are finished, lay them out to arrange in what order you want them in the afghan making sure you don't have two of the same color in a row OR column.

DC around each square in black. Working row by row, start crocheting blocks together.

Row 1: With RIGHT sides togther, SC to join the two squares. Take the third square and with right sides together, join it to the first two squares. Repeat with the fourth square.

Repeat Row 1 for the other 4 rows of squares.

You now have five rows of four blocks crocheted together. Next, crochet the rows together.

With right sides together, clip or pin the two rows of squares together before crocheting. Take note to try to line up squares. Now, SC the two rows together. Repeat for the remaining three rows being sure to put right sides together and clip to secure while crocheting.

Once all rows are crocheted together, SC around completed afghan. Weave in all ends.

Heart on the mend

YAY!!! I figured it out all on my own (except with a pointer from Skully)!! ::doing happy dance::

It took LOTS and LOTS of frogging but I got it!!! I turned my cute heart for my afghan into a square without a pattern. I can't tell you what I did or how I did it but that it's done and it doesn't look too shabby. Who knows...maybe I'll do more of these. HA! Not anytime soon!!! :)
I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Broken Heart

Hearts can suck! And my crochet skills are just not there yet. I crocheted this great little granny square heart for my Give A Stitch afghan with the intentions of turning it into a granny square block to match the rest. NOT! Well...at least I haven't mastered it yet. The heart looks great. It's the transition to square that's got me whipped. Skully gave me some wonderful pointers and pattern but I think I'm too dense to know how to use it. She just laughed at me. :) I've ripped out upteenhundred times now. I'm hoping the upteenhundred and one time is the charm.

Give A Stitch Afghan

Well...I'm about halfway done with the granny square afghan I'm working on for Give A Stitch. I think the colors are turning out fantastically!!! My intention is to bind the squares together with black to help the colors really pop. I just crocheted a granny heart that I want to incorporate into a square. All our afghans have a heart in them somewhere. <3>