For The Table

I've been using all my scrap yarn making potholders.

It's an easy pattern, make a chain about 27 stitches long depending on the size of potholder you want.

I used Red Heart 4-ply with an "I" hook. 

Ch 27, turn sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across, 3sc in end ch, sc in other side of beginning chains, 3 sc in end chain and sc around and around, and it will draw together into a square. Leave a long enough tail on the end to  sew the opening shut. 

I like cloth napkins because I have a really hard time throwing away something we use everyday.  The ones we are using are white and getting SO disgusting, I found some material to make new ones.  These are 12", cut on the square, so they can be fringed 1/8" or 1/4". The fringe tightens up in the washer and dryer and won't ravel anymore.  These look like they won't snow stains very soon.

Crocheted Baby Afghan

I found an afghan with this pattern being used for the babies that visit this house.  Done in soft yellow, it is gorgeous and I wanted to work up a doll afghan to give to some little girl who is now a big sister. I also made a "pattern" afghan because I couldn't find the pattern in my stuff and wrote up the pattern in my pattern blog here, to keep it. It is so pretty worked up, and nicer probably in one color of yarn, but this is what I had. I can't remember who gave it to me, but I seem compelled to work up yarn that I am given as soon as possible. 

Both afghans--doll size and the pattern

Close up of the edge

Complete pattern afghan 

For pattern go here.

Purply/Pink Afghan

This afghan is destined for a gift.  I picked a pattern from this book, and made stripes.  I was nearly done when I wondered what I would do for the edge, but I just used the pattern around and I'm very pleased with the result. 

Corner

Close up of the pattern

Neutral Afghan

My current afghan project.  I enjoyed making this sampler afghan, and I made matching brown tone ones for a bedroom.  I adapted a pattern I got from someone else to make it fit a twin bed, and also changed some of the stitches for less aggravating ones.  I then wrote up the pattern with what I did for a tryout on writing my own pattern.  It helped that I was using a partly made one already.  But it was still a chore!!

Skirt to Scarf

My latest rags to riches project. It was my daughter's idea.  We have had a skirt around here for 5 years, one of those unfinished edge tiered ones with a lot of different patterns.  My oldest daughter wore it until she was tired of it and the bottom piece was ragged, so we cut it off, and my youngest daughter wore it until she wanted it shorter so we cut off the bottom to make it knee length and she had the idea to make it into a scarf.

We found a tutorial here.

This is what we cut off the skirt.

 Basting along the sections with visible thread.

Gathered ready to sew. Which was a little difficult by the way.  You need concentration and patience.

The finished product. 

Scarf for Cyndie

I was needing some handwork to do, so my friend bought the yarn and I made her a scarf. I love this yarn and now I have a skirt that would go with it, but it isn't mine!!

This yarn is one of those fuzzy thread like ones.

The pattern for this is CO 15 on 11 size needles.

Knit 3 Rows.

Row 4: Knit, yo 2 times, across.

Row 5: Knit, drop yo.

Row 6-7: Knit

Row 8: Knit, yo 3 times, across

Row 9: Knit, drop yo

Row 10-11: knit

Repeat Row 4-11 until desired length (about one skein), Knit three rows at the end and BO.

I'm doing another one now, where I'm just doing the yo three times every time to make the pattern.

May Projects

The scarf on the left is made in a very easy ripple with two strands of crochet cotton, and the one on the right is another one of these, with the added bright pink from my own stash, since the yarn wasn't quite the same and didn't have any pink it it, and that was one of the things I liked.

DeEtta's Afghan

I REALLY need to be a little more forehanded on making graduation afghans.  I made another one of these, because it is quick and easy.

The only difference is the border.  I did one row of the pattern around the outside and called it good.  I like the way it looks and I was running out of time.  I finished it an hour before leaving time.

Stained Glass

I've been working on this one quite a while. It was my project when I didn't have anything else to do.  It is really pretty anyway.  I used up leftover yarn from a brighter project.  The pattern is, sc1, ch1, all the way across and on the next row, sc in the ch sp, ch1, etc.

Large Crocheted Afghans

I started two new big afghans, the one below is a gift, It should be twin bed size when I'm done.  It's an easy pattern. The first row is sc2, ch2, sk2, sc2 and the next row, is 4dc in each ch2 sp.  The colors are really a little darker than this, but the sun was shining on it when I took the photo.

This next is a sampler afgan, I'm making in twin bedspread size.  I didn't plan this, or set out to do it this way, I was going to make in either soft white altogether, or "white on cream", but I found a bunch of leftover brown yarn, when I made one before so I'm choosing colors as I go. I'd still like to do this in the one
color and see what happens.

Knitting Scarves

I love knitting and I'm discovering expensive yarns.  This particular one, I'm embarrassed to say how much it cost, and I had 20 % off.  It is a skein of yarn with different fiber types hand tied together. I made two scarves out of one skein, since the fibers repeat themselves, once. I fell in love with it, so I used it as my birthday present. 

This scarf is knitted long ways with the length of fiber making one and a half rows.  I wanted it a little wider and I thought it would be too long with one row per fiber length.  I wish it was a bit longer, but it works fine.  I ran out of yard about 10 inches from the end so I raided my stash for some pretty yarn that matched to finish. 

Here is a close up of the fiber changes.

The other half I made into a skinny triangular scarf.  It is about 6 feet long, which seems too long, but it worked really well to wrap up.  However, someone saw it, and I sold it, so I need to make another one for me.   This pattern was easy. Cast on, three stitches, Row 1 knit to end, cast on 4 stitches. Row 2, knit to end, cast on 4 stitches.  Continue until it's the size you like. I used size 11 circular needles.

This scarf is similar, using a double strand of fancy thick cotton thread. I think I only cast on three at the end of every row.  It is a little wider at the end, and shorter.  I knit one or two extra rows even at the last, to make the points wider, and finished with 5 double crochet shells all around. (sc in between each shell)

I'm really happy with the way this turned out.  I was using thread I tried to make several things out of and didn't finish.  It drapes really well.

I used the size 11 needles on this as well.

I used these same needles with some worsted wool, doubled to make a mobius scarf. They are easy and fast. I used Cat's video to help me cast on, it's a bit tricky.  I can't find the scarf at the moment to take a picture.

Felted Coasters

The only experience I've had with felting is felting knitted slippers in my old top loader washer.  My sister in law knitted the slippers, I just felted them.  So, after she gave me a bunch of wool.  I wanted to try a quick and easy project so I crocheted up a bunch of circles to make into coasters.  I started with a ring of four single crochets into which I put 10 double crochets, the first one being the ch 3 that starts a round.  I want to work up a decent pattern sometime.  The holes were not a success, and I need a better way to make the circle flat.

 

 

I didn't know how well a front loader washer would felt wool, so I googled it and found this website, and gave it a go.


Here are the results.  The original circles were about 7" across and the finished coasters about 4".

This was a fun project.  Most of them turned out well. A couple of my circles weren't flat enough so they didn't turn out at all.