Purple, Of Course

Starting up a baby afghan. (Giant granny.)

Yet another wee one about to make an appearance in the family.

Shades of blue, green, gray, cream AND purple, of course.

Using liberal doses of my niece's favorite color!

:-)

Interlocking Ripple Baby Afghan

I can finally reveal the ripple baby afghan I made

to give to my daughter at the baby shower.

 This is the first time I've made a ripple 

and I'm delighted with how well it turned out!

I used Baby Bee Sweet Delight yarn in 7 colors:

Peapod, Mint Charm, Baby Blue, Infant Teal, Surf Baby, Sunkisses, and Angel. 

I used  a 6/G/4.25mm hook.

I made ripples (hills and valleys) with sets of 14 stitches.
My initial chain was 14 sets of 14,  plus 2.
It's 80 rows long.
And has a row of single crochet all around the edges to finish it off.

I found inspiration for the interlocking ripple design at Lucy's Attic24.
And I learned how to crochet the ripple with Mikey at The Crochet Crowd.
He's a wonderful teacher.  I highly recommend his youtube videos.



*  *  *  *  *



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Little Basket For The Nursery

The baby shower is just a couple of weeks away

Actually, there are two of them.  Showers, not babies.

Very lucky Little One to have so many people celebrating along with us.

I'm using all the spare time I can find to finish up my projects and get ready for company. 

Can't show too much yet, in case she looks here.

But this one little thing won't matter.

A simple, yellow, crocheted basket to hold odds and ends in the nursery.

(baby nail clippers, thermometer, diaper pins etc...)

I used  Lily, Sugar and Cream cotton yarn in Vanilla Cream and White. 

It's about  5.5" across and 2.25" high, after it was folded down. 

(But you could keep adding rings to make the basket any size that suited you.)

The bottom is a simple chain 4 slipstitched into a ring, with 8 singles in it.

Then put two singles in each stitch.

Next, single crochet in one stitch and two single crochets in the next. Repeat for that round.

Then two singles in every third stitch,

and then two singles in every fourth stitch,

etc...

Switch to all singles when you are ready to build up the sides.

Add any border you like to finish it off.

For A Special Little Someone

A very SPECIAL little someone will be making an appearance this spring.

So there is a flurry of yellow, green and aqua sewing and crocheting

going on around here.

(All gender neutral colors, as we won't know 'til birth day.)

So excited to be joining the Grandma Club!

Smiling from ear to ear!

:-)

Baby's Blue Granny Square

Finished up one more afghan, a blue baby-sized granny square

because we had a 5th sweet baby join our greater family at the tail end of 2013. 

I love babies!

I used my go-to baby yarn, Baby Bee Sweet Delight, in 12 colors:

Baby's Blue, Surf Baby, Meema's Blue, 

Pea Pod, Infant Teal, Mint Charm, Baby Sage,

Angel, Toy Elephant, Bashful and Sunkisses.

I crocheted 50 rounds and a simple border with a G/6/4mm hook.

(I needed a second skein of Surf Baby and Baby's Blue.)

Now I can get back to work on that ripple I'm working on.

Crocheted Snowflakes

I crocheted snowflake ornaments to give to the girls in my book-club.

I found the free instructions here.  

It's a Russian you-tube, with English subtitles. 

(So now I know how to count to six in Russian.)

I used a much thicker yarn (Baby Bee Sweet Delight) and larger hook (F) than she did,

because that is what I had on hand.

My stars ended up being about 7 inches across; a nice size to hang in a window. 

I starched (spray starch) and blocked by lightly pressing them between cloths.

After drying overnight, I sewed a few sequins and beads to the points 

to add a wee bit of sparkle. 

By George, I Think She's Got It!

By George, I think she's got it! 

Ripple crochet, that is.

I've been working with some leftover yarn to try to learn how to zig and zag.

After  messing up and pulling it back out three times

I think I may finally have the hills and valleys figured out.

So, I'll be starting on another baby afghan this weekend.

Now,  to figure out how many sets of 14 chains I'll need....

:-)

I like having a cozy project to work on when the weather is cool.

Don't you?

Blue Granny-Stripe Baby Afghan

Another baby afghan complete; A blue granny-stripe.

I finished this one just in the nick of time.

The baby shower was last night, so now it's in the new Mommy's hands.

 I crocheted a granny stripe rectangle with horizontal stripes

 (84 rows, with colors in varying widths) 

then added a border (10 rounds)

and finished it off with triple-V-edging. 

Hook:   F / 5 / 3.75mm 

Baby Bee Sweet Delight yarn in 10 colors: 

Meema's Blue, Baby's Blue, Infant Teal, Surf Baby, Surf Mommy, 

Sugar Plum, Sun Kisses, Angel, Baby Sage and Mint Charm.

(I used two skeins of the Meema's Blue.)


Now it's time to plan what to make next.

Bright Granny Stripe Complete!

 I finally finished up the bright, granny stripe, baby afghan 

I started making for my niece and her new baby.

I'm very happy with how it came out.

Next time I will have to learn to play with rows of different sizes.

Baby steps...  

All this crochet stuff is a challenge for me.

No, the baby is not named Joseph...  

just in case you were wondering.  

;-)

I used Baby Bee Sweet Delight yarn in 11 colors:

Meema's Blue, Surf Baby, Surf Mommy, Teal Too, Mint Charm, Baby Sage,

Bashful, Apricot Jam, Sugar Plum, Lil Princess, and Sunkisses.

Meema's Blue was the color I repeated most often and used on the border.  

(I did start a second skein of that color.)  

I wanted vertical stripes, not horizontal,
so I made my starting row as long as I wanted the sides to be.

I crocheted 45 double rows of grannys using a size F/5/3.75mm hook.

And I finished it all off with double V edging.

(Thank you to Bunny Mummy for that super easy border!)

Granny Stripe In Progress

 I'm working on my third crocheted baby afghan for this year.

(And a fourth niece is expecting a baby later this fall, so that means one more to go.)

A colorful granny stripe this time.

I'm 30-something rows in and have about 70 (?)  more to go.

It took several very frustrating starts, stops, counts, recouts, and redo's 

to figure out how to make this granny stripe.

 I admit that crochet is not easy for me.  

But I finally got it to work, by following what common sense told me I had to do 

instead of obeying the count in the written instructions.

(Have you ever run into that with  crochet patterns?) 

What projects are you working on right now?

PS-  Happy Canada Day to my friends up north!

* * *
Update-  See finished blanket here.

An Afghan and A Sandwich

The pink baby afghan  (a giant granny) that I started a few weeks ago is now finished.

And ready to be sent to my grand niece.

I used Baby Bee - Sweet Delight yarn in 8 colors:

Boo Pink, Little Princess, Pink-A-Boo, Bashful, 

Sugar Plum, Mint Charm, Teal Too and Angel.

I crocheted 45 rounds with a size G/6/4.25 hook

and then added a scalloped border.

My pinks were done in double rows and the other colors in single.

I ran out of Boo Pink yarn 11 scallops away from the finish 

and had to go buy another skein.   

That sounds like Murphy's Law to me, so that makes this an Irish afghan!  ;-)

* * *

Make sure you're enjoying your share of corned beef and cabbage this week!

A reuben sandwich from one of our local Irish joints:  O'Neills.

Anybody know how to say "Yummylicious" in Gaelic?

Crocheted Bowl

Today I made a little crocheted bowl.

I found a picture online, but it didn't include a pattern.

I searched online for other crocheted basket instructions, for help with the bottom.

From there I was able to do it on my own.

I knew I wanted it big enough to hold sunglasses and cell phones.

 I made a circle with single crochet,  increasing stitches till it was 5-6 inches across.

When it was wide enough, I just single crocheted around and around 

until I had sides high enough to fold over.  (I used up the entire skein.)

Then I added a scalloped edge.  

I used Lily "Sugar and Cream" cotton yarn in Green Twist and White

and a size G/6/4.25mm hook

I'd like to try to make another one. A really BIG one!

With stripes!

:-)

* * * * *

It's snowing again.

We were warned that starting about midnight, we would be hit by a blizzard.

So far it's just little stuff, but by morning we may be snowed under.

Several Shades Of Pink

Off to a good start with my latest crocheted baby afghan.

I'm using several shades of pink in this one, as it's the new Mommy's favorite color.

(I'll show a picture of the whole thing after I finish.)

Crocheted Baby-Sized Giant Granny

I never showed you the finished version of the baby blanket

that I crocheted for my great niece.

(the one I had the baby shower for a week ago.)

So here it is.

A (baby sized) giant granny in purples and blues.

I used Baby Bee - Sweet Delight Baby yarn 

in Sugar Plum, Meema's Blue, Angel, Surf Baby and Mint Charm.  

I crocheted 40 rounds with a size G/6/4.25mm hook 

and then added a picot border. 

I'm still very much a beginner when it comes to crochet. 

It took me two days to figure out how to do the border. 

I turned it back to front between each row 

and didn't have any issues with twisted, gnarly corners this time.

Yay!  So glad I got that figured out. 

And now I am getting started on a pink baby blanket for yet another great niece.

I tell you, it's raining babies in this family!

I'll share pictures of that one in another post.

Crocheting Projects

The crochet bug hit me this week.

I'm making small felt valentines with crocheted edging.

And a baby sized giant-granny.

 (For my great niece, born just a few days ago.)

I'm using Baby Bee yarn  and a size 6 (G) hook. 

The baby shower is next week, so I've got to get crackin'!

Are you working on any projects?

Pretty Crocheted Hearts

 Some of my readers asked about the basket full of crocheted hearts 

in the background of my last post photos.

(I did a post about these a couple of years ago, but it's time to do another.)

These pretty hearts were originally used as pincushions or drawer sachets. 

The largest was probably a decorative pillow on a bed.

Some are in good condition and still have their satin ribbon.

 Others are rather old and tattered looking.

But I love them all.

A few were found at estate sales stuck full of hundreds of  pins and needles.

 And I pulled every single one out. 

Let's just say it was a good thing I was up to date on my tetanus shot.

* * *

I'm linking to:

A Favorite Thing at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

* * *

Update:

I did not make the hearts in my collection.  However, I do have a pattern for 

crocheted pineapple hearts from an old issue of Annie's Crochet Newsletter.

Giant Granny Completed!

I finished my giant granny!

Learning to crochet has been a huge challenge for me.
So this was a major accomplishment.

It's not perfect. 

I still have some of that wonky twisting going on.

 But I don't think the wonkiness will matter this winter 

when it's freezing cold outside and I need something to cuddle under.

Someone suggested that I try turning my project around, from front to back,

 between each row.  Have any of you had success doing that? 

 I will try that on my next granny and let you know how it goes.

Yes, I want to make another one!

I used a size  I/9 (5.5 mm) hook and "I Love This Yarn" in soft blue, medium blue, 

turquoise, pistachio, limelight, soft pink, pink, cream and white.

Mine has about 50 rounds and a scalloped border to finish it off.

I used two skeins in the colors I repeated most often, soft blue and white,

but only needed one skein for each of the other colors.

Three Thank You's.

Look at the sweet surprise I received in the mail the other day! 

Lady Linda wrote to tell me she had found something that needed to come to my house. 

Oh, I do think she was right!

She's the cutest little blue and white pottery doll 

wearing a headscarf and carrying a basket of berries.

The stamp underneath says she was made in the USSR.

She is so similar to the Polish cheese ladies I collect.

She looks perfectly happy here with her "cousins"from across the border.

Thank you, Linda!

I love her!

I'm making pretty good progress with my Giant Granny afghan.

After that first disastrous attempt, I read all your suggestions and started over. 

I ditched two yarn colors, loosened my tension and added an extra chain to the corners.

I am still getting a bit of a twist,  so it's not perfectly square.

But it's not nearly as wonky as before.

I'm on row twenty-something and I like the way it looks.

Thank you so much for all your help!

And last, but not least....
Do you know what these two words say?

No?  Me neither.

Which is why I am pleading with you to
please please please turn "Word Verification" off.
It's so hard to figure out what the letters are.  I type it wrong almost all the time.
It's a huge source of frustration for anyone who wants to leave a comment for you.
I do think it's a good idea to use "Comment Moderation" instead,
and change your blog settings to accept comments from "Registered Users" only.
For a really good explanation about how to turn  "Word Verification" off
and "Comment Moderation" on,  please visit this post over at Run Around Ranch.
Thank you for helping to make Blogville a more pleasant place for all of us.

Wonky Granny Square! Send Help!

I need help from you gals who know how to crochet. 

 I have tried multiple times to teach myself to crochet. Without much luck.

But I really want to make a Giant Granny.

Reading crochet pattern illustrations is like Greek to me.

And I barely know the names of the stitches.

But after watching eight really bad crochet instruction you-tubes, and finally one good one, 

 I think I kinda-sorta-maybe got the hang of making a loop, changing yarns, 

turning corners and "three double-crochet in the gap".

Now I am on row #15 and my edges are wonky and this square won't lay flat.

What on earth am I doing wrong now?

Help!

(I need more work on choosing color combinations, too. But a girl has to start somewhere.)

* * *

PS- for those who are trying to help me figure this out, this is what I am currently doing:

For the sides- three  double crochets and chain one

For the corners- three double crochets, chain two to turn the corner and
three more double crochets in the same corner.

 To go up to the next row- I pull through (slip stitch) in my new color of yarn and then chain two more
to make a chain three and that becomes the first section of the three double crochets on that row.

My sides are larger than the middle. And it seems twisted.
The corners don't usually seem tight to me, although I do notice in the photo it looks like it in the top left corner. 

* * * *
Update:
Someone suggested that I try turning the work from back to front between each row.
And that seems to have solved my problem.
Thank you so much!!

Time For A Giveaway!

Ok,

I'm finally ready to reveal the project I have been working on!

I'm having a little giveaway here at Garden Of Daisies!

No milestones. No particular reason.

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for reading my blog! 

This giveaway includes:

Lilac & Lavender soap and lotion made with goats milk by Sisters Five Soap and Lotion Works.  Some of you may already know Michaele of Sprout 'n' Wings Farm, who blogs about raising a family and goats and chickens on her Nebraska farm.  I love reading her goat posts and was excited to try some of her products.  I ordered extra so I could share with you. Be sure to visit her blog and online shop.

A sunflower spoon bracelet made by Iowa Artist, Dan Kemp. (Actually this bracelet may have been made from forks.)  Dan makes unique and beautiful jewelry.  He also has a great sense of humor!  His etsy shop, Dank Artistry, is filled with truly lovely bracelets, rings and pendants.  I hope you will stop by his etsy shop and look around.

And two small pouches made by me.  One is crocheted in lilac yarn, lined in a fun floral fabric and tied with a satin ribbon. The other is a drawstring petal pouch, using the fun floral and complimentary dot fabrics.  They are the perfect size for carrying small items in your purse or luggage.  Or for keeping things organized in your glove box or school locker.

And.... 

There is a second giveaway.  This one is a mini version.  

It includes Lemon Verbena soap and lotion made by Sisters Five Soap And Lotion Works.  Another petal pouch (made by me) features a soft green fabric to compliment the bright floral.  

HOW TO ENTER

For a chance in the giveaways:

Follow my blog and leave a comment on this post.  

(Long time or new followers are welcome.)

If you want a 2nd chance in the giveaways:

Share my giveaway in a blog post or on your sidebar.

(leave me a second comment to let me know you did that.)

If you want a 3rd, 4th or 5th (etc) chance at the giveaways:

You can receive more chances to win with each new follower that 

leaves a comment on this post and tells me you sent them. 

Giveaways end at midnight on Thursday, February 23.

Two winners names will be drawn on Friday, February 24, 

one for the main giveaway and one for the mini giveaway.


Yes, you may borrow these pictures to share the giveaway.

Please make sure that there is a direct link from your comment to your blog, 

so that I can reach you if you are the winner.

It does not matter where you live.  I will ship to you.

Once again, thank you for reading my blog

and for leaving such lovely, heartfelt comments. 

Having a blog has been so much fun, because of you!

GOOD LUCK!!

(Both pouches were inspired by pictures I saw online. I did not use a pattern, 
or have any measurements available, but just did my best to create something similar.)