Christmas 2011 - The Year of the Scarf! Celtic Hearts Scarf!! Nov 2011

A few weeks ago I learned the Celtic Hearts pattern in a class and decided I would use it in a scarf pattern.  Unfortunately I cannot share the Celtic heart pattern because it is not my own pattern.  But the scarf itself is a different story.  I found the neatest green variegated yarn (light worsted weight, 100% cotton) and thought of a particular person.  When the Celtic heart class came I knew it was all meant to be.  I could imagine a better scarf for this wonderful person!

As I said before, I cannot share the Celtic Hearts pattern.

The scarf itself is 20 stitches wide alternating 2 single crochet rows with 1 double crochet row.  This combination allows the variegation of the yarn to change position and create a digital camo effect with this yarn.

Blessings and Peace in this Christmas Season!!

Christmas 2011 - The Year of the Scarf! Grannie Stitch Scarf!!!! Nov 2011

A simple and quick project, this scarf was the ideal direction for someone who doesn't have a favorite color.  By be able to mix all the different colors I had been using thus far, I was able to give a fun and colorful gift to a very special person!

The "Grannie Stitch" is simply the combination of stitches used in the traditional Grannie Square (dc3, ch3, repeat).  I started out trying to Ripple the Grannie Stitch, but it shortens by about 2/3... by the time I had the second row on it was WAAAAAY too short for a scarf!  I figured this would be a better alternative.  I think this looks better, too!

Grannie Stitch Scarf:

Using a variety of yarns, make 10 to 15 4-round Grannie Squares, attach them together end to end until it's long enough for a scarf.  Then use the Grannie Stitch (dc3, ch3, repeat) to border the Grannie Squares attached together.  It's okay if you run out of yarn, it's supposed to be multi-colorful, attach another yarn!

Grannie Square (4-round):

ch 4, connect with sl st.

Round 1: ch 3, in center of circle created by first step dc 2 st, ch3, dc3, ch3, dc3, ch3, dc3, ch3, connect with sl st, turn.

Round 2: ch 3, in space created by ch3 in previous round dc2, ch 3, dc3, ch3, dc3, ch3, dc3, ch3, connect with sl st, turn.

Round 3-4: repeat round 2.  Cut yarn, tie off.  Weave in ends (if tail is not needed).

To attach Grannie Squares:

Option 1: "Sew Me Together"

Make all grannie squares desired leaving tail of yarn 3 to 4 times the width of the square for sewing together.  Using a yarn or darning needle, sew square together at the top of each stitch, tie off, weave in ends.

Option 2: "As You Go" 

On last round of joining Grannie Square have previous Grannie Square in hand.  Weave crochet hook in top stitches of previous Grannie Square at top of stitches in joining Grannie Square.  (It may take some playing to get the yarn to join smoothly, but keep trying and don't give up!)  Cut yarn, tie off, weave in ends.

Alternative for variation:

Instead of connecting the Grannie Squares together, use a slip stitch or single crochet to go around the border of the scarf and leave the edges between the Grannie Squares free.  Then go around to border with the Grannie Stitch.

Merry Christmas, Blessings, and Peace too all of you!!

Christmas 2011 - The Year of the Scarf! The Spiny Scarf!! Nov 2011

I will not lie.  This scarf is more challenging than the others.  But it still looks really cool and it's fun to make!  I really like the two colors in this scarf.  I'm not sure what inspired this scarf, I think it was a thought followed by a complete experiment, but it really worked out!  The pattern may be hard to follow, but remember, there are three mini-rows between each of the spines before moving on to the next section.  I hope you enjoy!

Spiny Scarf:

Spine:
chain 130
Row 1: ch 1, sc 10, chain 4, sc in second chain from hook, sc 2 (makes "rib"), sc2tog (joining back to main chain), repeat until end, turn.
Row 2: repeat row 1, cut yarn and tie off.

"Meat":
join second color at one end as if beginning a new row from the spine.
Round 1: ch 1, sc 9, sc2tog, sc up "rib" to top, make 3 st from one, sc down "rib" to bottom, sc2tog, repeat until end of spine and "ribs", make 3 st from one and continue repeating from previous side to beginning, make 3 st from one, join to beginning of round, do not turn.
Round 2: ch 1, sc to first "rib", join with sl st, ch 1, join to "rib" with sl st, turn, sc to beg st, turn, sc to "rib" (three mini-rows between beginning and rib), sc over and down "rib", continue making 3 mini-rows between each set of two "ribs" to end of first side, ch 1, sc across end, make 2 st from 1, repeat on second side.
Round 3: ch 1, sc around making 2 st from 1 at each of the 4 corners. Cut yarn and tie off.

Border:
join original color. Sc around scarf making 2 st from 1 at each of the 4 corners.  Cut yarn and tie off.  Weave in ends.

Merry Christmas!!
Peace and Blessings!!

Christmas 2011 - The Year of the Scarf! Ripples and Chevrons! Nov 2011

These are the first three crochet projects I have made with the Chevron/Ripple effect.  It's exciting for me to expand my pattern abilities!  Inspired by a project and conversation with Ms. Carol (in SC) I began to understand the workings of Ripple (and Chevron) stitches.  By making two stitches from one and one stitch from two alternately with a consistent number of regular stitches in between a Ripple is made.  The Chevrons are simply making two stitches from one in the middle to make a peak.  Try it for yourself!  Patterns below.

I used bulky yarn and size J hook for all three of these projects.  Each project used 2 to 5 skeins of yarn, check your yards!  (The wider the scarf, the more yarn is needed.  200 yards is a good start!)

Ripple Scarf:

chain 130 to 150 (the scarf will shrink by about 1/3 because of the Ripple)

Row 1: sc 10, make two stitches from one, sc 10, make one stitch from two (crochet 2 together [sc2tog]), continue until end, turn.

Row 2-end: continue pattern, sc 10 between hills and valleys, in valleys c2tog, on hills make two stitches from one, turn after each row.  Cut yarn and tie in ends.

Chevron Scarf (pictured above and below):

Beginning square: 

chain 12, turn, sc across until there are 12 rows.

First half:

Row 1a: sc2tog, sc 10 along one side of square, make 2 stitches from one, sc 12 along second side of square, turn. 

Row 2a: sc2tog, sc 10, make 2 stitches from one, sc 11, turn.

Repeat row 2a until approximately 36" long.

Second half:

join new yarn to side three or four of square so it can be sc across like the other side.

Row 1b: sc2tog, sc 10 along third side of square, make 2 stitches from one, sc 12 along fourth side of square, turn.

Row 2b: sc2tog, sc 10, make 2 stitches from one, sc 11, turn.

Repeat row 2a until approximately 58 to 60" long.

I hope everyone was inspired by this post!  Merry Christmas!!!!

Blessings and Peace!

Christmas 2011 - The Year of the Scarf! Plus Hat!! Nov 2011

So 2011 is the year of the scarf.  This is a post about a scarf plus hat! I have enough yarn to also make matching socks... and maybe mittens or something... but this is the start for now!  (And, yes, this is a Christmas gift!)

The scarf, pictured below, is very simple.  It has a basket weave pattern in the middle and is bordered on all four sides with garter stitch.  I used two lighter weight yarns held together (each about #3 on bulkiness; one solid and one variegated) and a pair of 5.5 mm knitting needles (regular straight, flat knitting).  See pattern at the bottom.

The hat was a different story.  I found the pattern in one of the knitting books I found somewhere... wonder where it was... Knitting Made Easy by the Red Heart yarn company (more information and patterns at www.redheart.com).

As you can see, the first attempt was a learning experience.  I didn't quite understand the pattern.  It's supposed to be about 9 inches tall from top top bottom before closing off the top... and the pattern is written for flat knitting, not circular.  So my first attempt at making this had didn't come out quite right... but it'll make a great baby hat!!

The next two pictures are the second attempt at making this hat.  I think it came out MUCH better this time!  It's tall enough AND you can see the pattern made with the pearl stitches against the stockinette background!  The lucky recipient of this hat will be happy, I just know it!!

Basket Weave Scarf pattern:

Cast on 25 stitches.  Knit 8 rows in garter stitch.

Set 1:

Row 1: knit 5, purl 5, k5, p5, k5

Row 2: k10, p5, k10

Row 3: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 4: k10, p5, k10

Set 2:

Row 5: k10, p5, k10

Row 6: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 7: k10, p5, k10

Row 8: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Repeat Sets 1 and 2 until the scarf is about 58 inches long.  Knit 8 rows in garter stitch.  Cast off.


Blessings!

Christmas 2011 - The Year of the Scarf! The Hidden Cross Nov 2011

So, with the inspiration from the last post I proceeded to knit up a storm.  This first picture doesn't show the details at all, but I used two strands of yarn and knitted them together; one black and the other a purple-green variegated yarn.  Made with love for the young man who will receive it, the scarf also has a hidden design (see lower picture), hence I call it the "hidden cross scarf."  Clever huh?

If you look closely at this bottom picture you can see the design I knitted into the scarf.  You can also see the various colors of the variegated yarn.  I especially liked working this project because it was a chance to explore what I could do with yarn and knitting!  So exciting to have it come out so nicely!

I hope my friend enjoys this scarf and stays warm this winter!

Hidden Cross Scarf Pattern:

Cast on 25 stitches.  Knit 8 rows.  All odd numbered rows are wrong side facing (WS) rows.

Set 1: 

Row 1: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 2: k10, p5, k10

Row 3: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 4: k10, p5, k10

Row 5: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 6: k10, p5, k10

Set 2: 

Row 7: k25

Row 8: k5, p15, k5

Row 9: k25

Row 10: k5, p15, k5

Set 3: 

Row 11: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 12: k10, p5, k10

Row 13: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 14: k10, p5, k10

Middle: 

Row 1b: k5, p15, k5

Row 2b: k25

Repeat Middle rows 1b and 2b until 56 inches in length.

Set 4: 

Row 1c: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 2c: k10, p5, k10

Row 3c: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 4c: k10, p5, k10

Set 5:

Row 5c: k25

Row 6c: k5, p15, k5

Row 7c: k25  

Row 8c: k5, p15, k5

Set 6: 

Row 9c: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 10c: k10, p5, k10

Row 11c: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 12c: k10, p5, k10

Row 13c: k5, p5, k5, p5, k5

Row 14c: k10, p5, k10

Knit 8 rows in garter stitch.  Cast off.

Blessings!

Christmas 2011 - An Adventure in Gifts! Nov 2011

Since it's been a while since my last post, I figured I'd let you in on what's going on here!  I've been knitting and crocheting like MAD!!  I decided I'd make some projects for my pastor's family back home and that put me on a time crunch.  But!  That means you get to see all the nifty little projects I made here through this blog!  Without further adieu, here is the project that started it all!

I had this yarn for a LONG time before I FINALLY found a pattern I liked for this particular person.  After many weeks of working on this poncho, I was wondering if I would EVER finish!  Since I did finish it with barely enough time to do something nice, but not too big, for the rest of her family all before Christmas I decided to do that.  So I buckled down.

The good news about this project is that the favorite colors of the person I made this for are black and red.  I think it worked out quite well!  Plus, I think these colors will look amazing on her!  To think, this amazing and precious young woman (I certainly can't call her a little girl anymore) inspired such a beautiful project and spurred the making of many other projects!  What a little catalyst!

Blessings!

Man Coasters - An Adventure in Coaster Making - October 2011

So, Justin is prayer leader of the church's men's ministry and has decided that he wants to host a few events, including a breakfast (upcoming).  One of the things I realized is that we don't have enough coasters for the number of guys they want to have in attendance.  With this in mind I grabbed my yarn and a Tunisian crochet hook and got cracking.  I have only made 8 squares and 1 circle so far, but there will be more (for future events).  The circle one was an experiment to see how it would work out.

For the circle, (round 1) chain 5, slip stitch together, (round 2) chain 3, through the center double crochet 14, connect with slip stitch, (round 3) chain 3, double crochet 22 [increase evenly throughout the round each time], connect with slip stitch, (round 4) chain 3, double crochet 32, connect with slip stitch, (round 5) chain 3, double crochet 42, connect with slip stitch, (round 6) chain 3, double crochet 54, connect with slip stitch, cut yarn, tie in ends.

For the squares, use the basic Tunisian stitch.  It is 20 stitches across and 18 vertical bars (rows) plus the casting off row.

I hope this inspired you today!

Blessings!!!!

Knit Needle Storage and Organizer! - October 2011

I found a crochet hook organizer at the yarn shop in town and I LOVED IT!  So... I took the idea and expanded... quite literally... for knitting needles.  Here's MY pattern for making a DIY hook/needle organizer.

First, cut out the material.  You'll need enough lengthwise to set your needle or hook in the middle with the bottom folded up and the top folded down and still have some overlap (about 3 inches) and enough widthwise for each of your needle pairs or hooks to have about 1/2" to 1 1/2" of space side to side.  Also, you'll need two strips for ties, about 14 inches in length and 3 to 4 inches wide.

First, iron out the two tie strips.  (Tip: use water to make and keep crisp creases.)  This will be like the bag handles I have made before, the only difference is one end will be left unsewn and the other end will be sewn because it will be the "free" end.

Iron each tie strip in half (for a midpoint to measure the width of the tie).

Fold out the tie strips and measure the width of the ties from the center (mine were 1" wide ties from 3" wide strips).

The "free" end: trim the edge at an angle then cut a slit along the ironed seam at the middle.  Iron a fold into the end similar to the sides so there are no fringes when it's sewn together.

Extra tip: iron the ties before you sew.  

Sew the ties together along the edges (as close to the edge as you reasonably can).

Now for the body.  Fold the top and crease it twice.

Sew a seam across the top.

Measure the two folds at the top and bottom as folded around the needles/hooks.  Iron the two folds.

Sew the top and bottom creases to give stability.  The sewing should be as close to the edge as possible.

Fold and crease (with iron) the sides twice.  Sew the sides.

Pin the two ties together to one side and sew them on.

Below is a picture of the pre-pocket version.  The sides have not been sewn together, only creased in preparation for the last step.

Measure 1/2" to 1 1/2" (depending on the size of the needle or hook) and mark.  Safety pins will work for this, or fabric markers (or a pencil).  Sew from the bottom to the middle starting on one side, working across the bag to the other side for the pockets.

Once the organizer is sewn together, insert needles or hooks and...

... roll it up!!  Tie the ends to to keep it from unrolling.

Hope you enjoyed this idea!

Blessings!!

Hot Pads Again - October 2011

I wanted to take a break from the projects I have been working on, and since I found the huge bag of yarn for $5 at the church's thrift shop, doodling seemed like a great idea!  I am super excited about these because this is the first yarn I've worked with in a while that actually shows pattern well!  No, seriously, when I post for the hoodie you'll understand why!  Both of these are so super simple I can't even take credit for the patterns.  So, I'll just list the patterns as patterns and say have fun!

Little Squares Trivet
needle size - 9.00 mm
yarn weight - worsted
gauge - 4x4" 12 st x 13 r
finished size - approximately 10 x 10 "

Using yarn from two skeins (or balls) of yarn, cast on 31 st.  (I used one variegated and one solid.)
Knit 8 rows in garder stitch.  (There should be 31 stitches in each row.)
Set 1:
Row 1: k5, p3, k3, p3, k3, p3, k3, p3, k5
Row 2: k8, p3, k3, p3, k3, p3, k8
Row 3 and 4: repeat row 1 and 2
Set 2:
Row 5: k8, p3, k3, p3, k3, p3, k8
Row 6: k5, p3, k3, p3, k3, p3, k3, p3, k5
Row 7 and 8: repeat rows 5 and 6.

Repeat sets 1 and 2 until approximately 8 3/4" long.
Knit 8 rows in garter stitch
** Last 2 stitches of last knit row, leave on needle:
    Handle: k2, turn
        repeat until there are 10 to 12 rows of handle.  Cut yarn (at least 3"),
        (with tapestry needle) sew handle to body, tie in ends.



Diamond Trivet
needle - 9.00 mm
yarn weight - worsted
gauge - 4x4" - 12 st x 20 r
finished size - approximately 15 x 20" (by diagonals)

Note 1: can make this pattern shorter by using fewer rows.  End on even row.
Note 2: I changed colors on this one because I ran out of maroon yarn.

With yarn from two skeins (or balls) cast on 2 st.
Increasing:
Row 1: inc 1, knit to end, turn  (3 st)
Row 2: inc 1, knit to end, turn  (4 st)
    repeat to row 6  (8 st)
Row 7: inc 1, k2, p1, k4, turn  (9 st)
Row 8: inc 1, k to end, turn  (10 st)
Row 9: inc 1, k2, p to 4 from end, k4, turn  (st in row = row # + 2)
Row 10: inc 1, k to end, turn (st in row = row # + 2)
    repeat rows 9 and 10 until there are 50 stitches on one needle (end on even row # 48).
    (can change yarn here)
Decreasing: 
Row 1: k2tog, k3, p to last 4, k4, turn  (49 st)
Row 2: k2tog, k to end, turn (48 st)
    repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are 2 st on needle.  (decreased st by one on each row)
Last row (without handle): k2tog, cut yarn (3-4"), tie in ends.

Optional handle:
Last row is first handle row: k2, turn
    repeat until there are 10 to 12 handle rows, cut yarn (3-4"), sew handle to body
    (with tapestry needle), tie in ends.

Athletes! Get A Load of This! Cold Pack Bags - September 2011

So, I've been irritated because of no good solution for cold packs sliding around.  It's a pain to use an ice pack when you need it!  And for all the stuff that's happened in the las couple of months, we've needed ice packs a lot!  

Here's the how-to:

Step one: cut out your material so you can put an ice pack on one quarter of it nicely, and cut out ties.  Here I made four.

Step two: start with the tie.  Iron it and get the folds out.

Step three: iron the tie in half to preserve a crisp crease (you'll need it later).

Step four: iron the (two) ends in so you can sew around them.

Step five: iron the sides in (depending on how wide you cut the ties they can be from 3/4" to 2").

Step six: make sure the ends will sew together well.

Step seven: sew the tie together (end, side, end) to make it look like a small tie-belt.  (I used straight pins to keep my work even.  The material I worked with was terrible about going through the machine.)

Step eight: get the bag material out and iron it smooth.

Step nine: iron a crisp crease in the vertical center of the bag.

Step ten: pin and sew the tie to the bag. (It should be centered where the ice pack will settle.)

Step eleven: pin the tie out of the way.  This will help keep from sewing it somewhere it doesn't belong!

Step twelve: iron the top down to sew a seam.

Step thirteen: sew around the outside (with it right-side-out, this is the first part of a French seam).  This should only be the bottom and one side.  We don't want to sew it shut!

Step fourteen: turn the bag inside-out, iron and sew the second sewing for a French seam.

Voila!  You have made a cold pack bag!

Now all you need to do us insert a cold pack...

... and put it to use!!

I hope this proved helpful to someone!  I know this would have been a handy thing to have after the car accident!

Blessings and Peace!