One Down and Two to Go

Pregnancy is running rampant on one branch of my family tree. Three brothers and a sister got married in the last two years. Now, two of them are pregnant with three babies! Yes, that means that one of the identical twins is having twins! Should be interesting. Imagine all the pranks pulled by identical twin boys. Now imagine his children doing the same to him! He should know many of the tricks, but with the creativity of kids I'm betting they will still give him a run for his money.

Anyway, I have only been able to find out one of the due dates, May. The twins, who will surely show up early, have an unknown arrival date which I am praying is not imminent. No matter how fast crochet works up, I simply cannot crank out another blanket in two days. I am proud to have generated one in a week! Wish me luck. =-D

1. Yarn: 3 Skeins of Bernat Baby Softee Sparkle
2. Pattern: None...I just made it up as I went.
3. Diameter: 37 inches including the ruffled edge
4. Time: One week! My fastest ever.
   
   

Alliteration Run Rampant

Cozy Crocheted Caps to Cuddle Kids Craniums and Combat the Cold. Yea, Caps for the Capital!

Preparing for the Future

I saw this on Kat's blog and thought it was an interesting way of looking back at the year that had passed before stepping into the new one.

Take the first line of the first blog entry for each month of the year and list it out. I haven't be bloging for a year yet so seven months will have to do. :-D

JUNE: My first blog!
JULY: Version 2 of the Pi Shawl was born yesterday and has grown to a whopping 10 and 1/2 inches in diameter.
AUGUST: Come to the Boston Common for the Knit and Crochet Out!
SEPTEMBER: Meet my new crochet basket.
OCTOBER: Thank you to the twenty or so people who offered an opinion on which stitch would make a better scarf.
NOVEMBER: A fine time was had by all at the Grand View!
DECEMBER: A string - wool, cotton, soy, silk, acrylic

Interesting, no? Wishing all a happy and healthy new year!

Tagged x2

I was double tagged for this one by Jackie and Stitch Witch! So, here goes.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blogSix "weird" things about myself:

1. I have a four footed fuzzy alarm clock of the feline variety. In fact it is my second one! I don’t know what it is about the black cats I’ve owned, however, if I stay in bed too long after my alarm goes off they nudge and walk on me until I get up…
2. I was part of a show choir when in high school (sing, dance, perform). It was a real blast and I sometimes wish there was something like this for adults.
3. Twelves run in my family. There are twelve years between my sister’s birth and mine. There were also twelve years between my mother and her sister. Then there is the twelve years between my cousins and myself...
4. I am a morning person. I LIKE to be up early and I miss the sun’s glow in the morning sky during the winter months.
5. I like to mix applesauce into my cottage cheese. It looks gross but tastes delicious!
6. I like to color mandalas for relaxation and fun. Would you believe high school students enjoy it as well? Research shows that it is a form of meditation because you are doing only one thing at a time and focusing on it completely. Also, if you color from the outside edges into the center it will help you focus. However, if you color from the center out it will help expand your thinking. I don’t know if it is true but the idea is fascinating.

As to tagging others for this list of "weird" things I don't think there is anyone left in my immediate circle who has not yet been tagged so...I'll try some of the blogs I visit and see what happens! Tag, you're it: Brenda, Erin, Dorene, Faery Crafty, Loribird, and Lesley.

She's Baaaack!

Hey there blog fans. Contrary to popular belief, I did not fall off the edge of the crochet universe. Rather the holidays landed with a thud leaving little time for anything else. So, to catch up a bit, here is my favorite recent project. I have wanted a blue and white "santa" hat for YEARS. Not that I crochet it occurred to me I could MAKE one. The character modeling the hat is my beloved sister who was so thrilled with the idea that she bought the jingle bells and wanted to know right then and there how soon it would be ready! The pattern is a mix of several I found on the internet and my own ingenuity. The blue is Caron Simply soft which turned out to work best for its soft flexibility and sheen. The "fur" is Bernat Softee Baby Sparkle held together with Patons Cha Cha. It makes one fun hat!

I have also been a lucky girl. Gina's wonderful adorable son Ben chose my name from the "hat" in her latest podcast contest. If you haven't heard this podcast yet go check it out!




See that? It is my first ever skein of Socks That Rock! That was my prize! The picture doesn't quite capture the subtlety of color present in this colorway. I have no idea what it will become but this I do know: it will be cuddled and appreciated until it whispers what in my ear what it wants to be. :-D








Lastly, meet Gertrude. Yes, the squirrel has a name. This is the squirrel who has adopted my parents. It runs up to the sliding glass door on a regular basis and stands up on its hind legs with front paws tucked up in a "begging" posture! Right on cue someone in the house will break open a few peanuts and toss them to her. It is wonderful fun to watch Gert munch up close. This picture was taken from the safety of the house just two feet from where she was eating! Just adorable.

Fingerless Mitts - Crochet Pattern

It's here! My first ever crochet pattern! If you try the pattern please send me pictures, corrections, and feedback. I hope you enjoy making them.



FINGERLESS MITTS

Hook: Size G

Yarn: DK Weight

Stitches:
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
fpdc = front post double crochet
shell = sk 2, [*dc, ch1* three times, dc] all in next stitch, sk 2, sc in next stitch
Double foundation chain = Ch 2, sc in second chain from hook. Insert hook under the left hand thread of the sc just made and complete next sc. Continue in this manner until chain is desired length.

Tips:
- Adjust base chain length as needed in multiples of two (i.e. Even # of stitches)
- Try mitt on after completing the first few rows of ribbing to make sure it will slide on easily.


Ribbed Cuff
ROW 1: Double Foundation Chain 30 stitches, join into a ring being careful not to twist, ch3 DO NOT TURN

ROW 2: Work dc into the bottom loops of each stitch around, join with a sl st into first dc (30 dc)

ROW 3: Ch 1, turn so right side is facing you. *Sc into join, fpdc around next st* repeat around then join with a sl st into first sc. DO NOT TURN

ROW 4: Ch 1, *Sc into join, fpdc around fpdc of previous row* repeat around then join with a sl st into first sc. DO NOT TURN

ROW 5 - 12 Repeat row 4 (cuff can be made shorter or longer as desired by subtracting or adding rows of ribbing)

Begin Lower Body:
ROW 1: Ch 2, hdc in join, 2hdc in next stitch (this will be in the "valley" of a rib), hdc in each stitch around to last two, 2hdc in next to last stitch, hdc in last stitch. Join with a sl st to first hdc. DO NOT TURN

ROW 2: Ch 2, hdc in join, 2hdc in next stitch, hdc in each stitch around to last two, 2hdc in next to last stitch, hdc in last stitch. Join with a sl st to first hdc. DO NOT TURN

Repeat row 2 until body is long enough when tried on for the fabric to meet when gently pinched together at the base of the thumb where it meets the rest of the hand. For my hands this was 11 or 12 rows.

Insert a stitch marker in this location through both layers to determine a comfortable location for joining the thumb.
(click picture for larger image)

Thumb
ROW 1: Ch 2, hdc in each stitch around to where you placed the stitch marker, hdc through both layers then continue around. Join with sl st to first hdc. DO NOT TURN

ROW 2: Ch 2, hdc to within two stitches of the where the hdc was worked through both layers, hdc 2tog, hdc in next stitch, hdc 2 tog, hdc in each stitch around to beginning. Join with a sl st into the first hdc.

ROW 3: Ch 2, hdc in each stitch around, join to first hdc.

Repeat row three until thumb is desired length.

FINISH - work a loose slip stitch into each stitch around. Join and end off. Weave in end.

Upper Body
ROW 1: Join yarn with a sl st at the base of the thumb. Sl st through both layers for the next two stitches. Ch 2, work hdc in each stitch around. Join with sl st to first hdc. DO NOT TURN

ROW 2: ch 2, work hdc in each stitch around, join with a sl st to first hdc. DO NOT TURN

Repeat row 2 until within a row of the desired length. Count stitches. Adjust by increasing or decreasing to yield a multiple of five stitches.

Edging
Ch 1, sc in join, shell around, join with sl st to first sc and fasten off.

Too Cute!!

Is this not the cutest? Heather of Senerknity made this cutie and then put it on the end of a wooden crochet hook for me! I just love it. It was part of my prize for naming her adorable angora bunny. Heather makes the most beautiful stuff including yarn, decorated knitting needles, dyed roving, stitch markers, and orifice hooks! Need a gift? Get shopping!

I LOL when I turned rotated the hook to discover the tail sticking out in back!







COMING SOON: Fingerless Mitt Pattern (I hope to have it up tomorrow...)

Of Sticks and String

A string - wool, cotton, soy, silk, acrylic
An instrument - loom, needle, hook
and a Dream
Create
Love

It struck me yesterday that too often we humans don't state the obvious. We keep our wisdom hidden away because, of course, everyone knows that. However, there is an incredible power in stating what we Know. The words bring to light in others, many times, what was known but not fully acknowledged. So it is with sticks and string. Whether your tool be a loom, needle, or hook you are taking something simple, a piece of string, and creating beauty. Creating art. Creating warmth. But, most importantly, you are sharing love. Family, friends, animals, and those who are in need that you have never met, and probably never will, learn of love from the work of your hands. They wrap up in it knowing, someone cares. Yes, creating is about the joy of bringing something new into the world that never existed before. More importantly, it is about spreading love.

Hugs,
Gigi