Category Archives: Crochet

Crocheting Day 7

Posted on by
2

The blanket fever continues apace. I even took this to a crafty lunch at work and my coworkers went GAGA over it. I am just now adding Day 7 mini from this 2021 Queen City Yarns advent calendar.

Thus far I am doing okay at managing my edges and keeping a consistent stitch count. Counting the clusters helps. I also find that I must keep eye contact with this project 90% of the time and I can’t watch and craft. So for this project I am re-watching old shows or listening to media to compensate.

I adore the contrast stripes, but find I am 40% way through the blanket days and over 50% done withe my full skein. I have been weighing to watch the yarn disappear. I may have to go stash diving to find something that compliments this to help me get through all 24 days….

Happy Crocheting!

A New Tool

Posted on by
4

A package arrived this week with a new crochet tool. I did some looking around on Etsy for an ergonomic crochet hook and I found this one local-ish to me. I found the AMysticalFarm out of Missouri and loved how quickly the hook would get here.

The hook really feels good in my hand and fits better than the metal one. It also warms as I work and that is nice as well. Not to mention it is gorgeous.

The hang-up is that this hook is not a great fit for this granny stripe project. I am having trouble with grabbing the yarn and splitting the yarn. I am a lot slower with this hook. Probably just need more practice with it or need to dry a different yarn? But for now I want to ZOOM on this blanket so I am going back to my metal hook and going to find a cushion grip to slip on it.

Happy Crochet!!

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Posted on by
3

This granny stripe blanket is quickly becoming an obsession. It it literally the only thing I want to work on all day long.

This new skill is really itching something in my brain that is brining so much dopamine. I have just started the day 3 mini skein. And I actually really like how the red/green/white stripes are looking between the minis.

I am working on this so much that my hand is hurting a little bit. So I have added some stretching, compression gloves and I have looked online for more ergonomic crochet hooks than this Joann’s $2 special. But in the meantime….I’ll be crocheting!

Getting The Hang Of It

Posted on by
2

I am so proud of this blanket. I have really dug in and focused on this new skill and made great progress in just two days. To say I am obsessed is an understatement.

I have the first advent mini added and the second (super Christmas-y) separating stripe. The second mini is wound and waiting for me. I just need life to quit with the adulting of work and house chores so I have more time to craft!

Happy Crochet!

A Crochet Cast On

Posted on by
4

I have been sitting on a 2021 advent calendar from Queen City Yarn circa 2021. I tried and failed to make a shawl with it. It has been sitting in a closet ever since. I have been full of new year energy, new project ideas and an idea of granny stripes WILL NOT GET OUT OF MY HEAD.

I have never made a granny square or granny stitch before. But I sat down in front of a warm fire and turned on YouTube and taught myself. I went down the Ravelry rabbit hole and found the Sock Scraps Granny Stripe Blanket from Leila McCullough (Rav link) to use as a pattern base.

I mostly used the pattern for gauge and stitch count. I am not 100% following it’s granny stitch instructions as I found the YouTube videos more helpful and intuitive for my crochet skill level. I started with the full 100 gram skein and worked a couple of rows and now I’m adding the first day of advent.

I will continue in this pattern of full skein skinny stripes in between each day’s color. Unsure how this will look in the end but it’s the only way I could contemplate using this full skein in this blanket in a meaningful way.

Happy Crochet!

Airport Art

Posted on by
2

I snagged some cool photos on my airport adventures yesterday! Portland, OR had some art installations on the wall and my head snapped around when I realized it was crochet!! (Oh and the sun was shining…it was a great PNW day!)

I know the PNW is all about the fibery goodness. But this takes the cake. I was was one of many admiring the handiwork. From a distance you can barely tell this is crochet!

I snapped a photo of the artist information in case anyone else wanted to check her out!

Happy Crafting!!

Practical Crochet

Posted on by
Reply

I only did a little bit of gift crafting this past December and it was mostly crochet. I had picked some Red Heart Scrubby up on sale from Joanns for some kitchen cloths. I was pretty happy with what came out!

No plan, no pattern I just chained a whole bunch and worked the cloth in half double crochet. I crocheted until I used half the skein of yarn and cast of. Then I would make a matching one with the last half of the skein.

I gifted these to my coworkers as a little post Christmas pick me up. It felt good to share a little cheer with people I see everyday!

Happy Crochet!!

Easy Crochet Blanket (Minimal) Progress

Posted on by
1

I’m in the mood to empty some yarn bins and use up some yarn that has been patiently waiting its turn. And my favorite way to use up yarn and still create a usable object? Break out the crochet hook and hold yarn double!

Awhile back I had cast on in a fit of productivity all my Caron Simply Soft single skeins into a washing machine friendly crochet blanket. I am still only in the first skein but I’m pretty happy with the fabric I’m getting. I am doing my version of a half double crochet border and then I’m going to pop in some decorative eyelets.

Right now I still need to look at my crochet as I work so I can’t watch super suspenseful TV shows. This is great podcast crafting! I have set an internal goal of finishing this by Thanksgiving to get my stash worked down.

Happy Crochet!

Cast On: Easy Crochet Blanket

Posted on by
1

My next cast on is a strategic stash busting project that will hopefully earn a lot of points in the Down Cellar Studio Pigskin Party KAL. I had a lot of baby-ish colors of Caron Simply Soft kicking around in my stash from my early knitting days. I played around with my colors and came up with a sequence of colors that please me.

I’ll begin and end with off white and then have a sequence of colors in the middle. I usually do my crochet using half double crochet stitch. I may go wild and add some eyelets this time?

I pulled out a 7mm hook to start with. I really don’t want to fuss with gauge so I will just start working and see how the fabric develops. If I don’t like it I can rip it out and start over!

Happy Crochet!

FO Friday: Baby Dreams Blanket

Posted on by
Reply

Ten out of ten skeins are complete and my Baby Dreams Blanket is in the books!

Pattern: Cast on 100 stitches and worked a half double crochet

Yarn: Knit Picks Biggo in Garnet Heather (I used 10 skeins or 1,100 yards)

Hook: US L hook (8mm)

This blanket is soooooo soft. And it has really kept my lap warm these past few evenings. I need to give this good bath to wash off all the schmutz collected as my two year old drug this around the house.

I think I will tuck this one away in my gift box for a future special baby. The yarn is superwash so it can be machine washed which is nice for sleep deprived parents and leaking babies, lol. And the icing on the cake is this was completed in time for the Down Cellar Studio podcast’s Pigskin Party KAL and it counted as a blitz project because it was over 1,000 yards!

Now that this is off the hook, I’m not sure I have a hankering to cast on another one. Just not yet anyway. Maybe I have thoroughly scratched my crochet itch?

Happy Crocheting!!