August Flowers Blanket

This is the little blanket I've been working on...

I'm calling it August Flowers.

The square is Grandma All Square from the Royal Sister's blog.  

I did six squares across by eight squares down.  

It's a nice size to go over your legs while you watch TV.  

I think I'll put it in our guest room though...

it will add a little vintage charm to the room.

I really enjoyed working on this.  

Flowers won't be in bloom much longer, but I'll have a colorful array in the spare room all winter long...

Hope you are having a great week...

Happy crocheting!

HDP

Little Boy Blue Baby Blanket

My husband's niece and her husband welcomed a baby boy into their family the week of Christmas.  I wanted to send a little something to them, so I came up with this blanket.  

It's a very simple design, but I think the stitch pattern makes a pretty fabric and texture.  I wanted to have it for future reference, so wrote it up and thought I'd share it with you.  

If you go to joliprint and plug in the web address for this post, it will create a PDF of this pattern for you.  

Hope your new year is off to a great start!

Little Boy Blue Baby Blanket

by Heather Prusia

©2010-2012

Size:  24" x 24"

"J" and "H" Hook

Worsted Weight Yarn (I used Caron Simply Soft)

 MC:  Off White 8 oz

 CC:  Blueberry 3 oz

Gauge:  4" square = 15 sts x 13 rows

With "J" Hook and MC ch 80

1.   sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn (79 sc).  

2.   ch 2 (counts as sc and ch-1), sk 1st 2 sc, sc in next sc, *ch 1, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc, repeat from * across, turn (79 sts).   

3.   ch 2 (counts as sc and ch-1 now and throughout), sk sc and ch-1, sc in next sc, *ch 1, sk ch-1, sc in next sc, repeat from * across, turn (79 sts).

4.   repeat row 3 to desired length, turn; do not fasten off (the body of mine measured 20" x 20").

Border (I used an "H" hook):

Round 1:  Ch 1, sc evenly around work with (3 sc) in each corner, sl st in beg sc, fasten off, do not turn work. 

Round 2:  Attach CC in any corner, ch 1, sc in each sc around with (3 sc) in each corner, sl st in beg sc, do not fasten off, do not turn work. 

Round 3:  Ch 1, sc in each sc around with (3 sc) in each corner, sl st in beg sc, do not fasten off, do not turn work. 

Round 4:  Ch 1, sc in each sc around (omit 3 sc in corners on this round), sl st in beg sc, fasten off, do not turn work. 

Round 5:  Attach MC in any corner, ch 2, hdc in each sc around with (3 hdc) in each corner, sl st to beg hdc, fasten off, do not turn work. 

Round 6:  Attach CC in any corner, ch 1, sc in each hdc around with (3 sc) in each corner, sl st in beg sc, fasten off.

Weave in ends.

Note:  Going down a hook size (or two) on your border, will keep it from ruffling and will create a more firm edging for your blanket. 

Abbreviations:

beg - beginning

cc - contrasting color

ch - chain

hdc - half double crochet

mc - master color

sc - single crochet

sk - skip

sl st - slip stitch

sp - space

st - stitch

sts - stitches

HDP

Tiramisu in Blue...

is through. 

I just finished up a baby boy blanket for one of my husband's nieces.  She had a little boy a couple of weeks ago.  I used the Tiramisu Baby Blanket pattern for the body and just did single crochet for the edging.  I had this pretty blue in my stash, it's Red Heart Designer Sport and the white is Bernat Softee Baby that I also had on hand. 

It's a simple blanket, but will be good for every day use and should wash and dry well.  

 It's a beautiful day here in southern Ohio.  Perfect autumn weather.  The sun is shining brightly and there is a crispness to the air.....perfect.

Hope you are enjoying your day today.  

HDP

Sherbert Shells Baby Blanket

This is one of those projects I started back at the beginning of the summer and have finally completed it.  The blanket is a simple shell back and forth to desired width and length.  

I used my Gingham Border (which I've edited for clarity) to complete the blanket .  

Dear husband comes from a large family and we have three nieces (and their hubbies) expecting babies between October and January.  We know one of them is going to be a girl and I'll set this aside for them. 

I used Bernat Softee Baby in "Tulips" for the body of the blanket and in white for the border.   

One down, two to go!  

HDP

Log By Log

I built my log cabin...

AND IT'S FINALLY FINISHED!  

Some of you may remember, I started this blanket waaaay back in June as a vacation project.  Well, I'm not sure why, but it drug out month, after month, after loooong month.  I can't tell you how excited I was to finally start stitching the squares together and put a border around it.  

It's been a scorcher today in the 100's and my neighbors were probably wonder what I was doing lugging around a chair and heavy afghan in the heat.  

But, that's part of the fun, taking photos of the finished product.  Most of the afghans I make get a gentle washing and shipped off to someone, so it's nice to have the photos to look back on...

Details about this project can be found HERE.  I used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn for my blanket.

Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful three day weekend...

and...

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

HDP

The Fisherman Wedding Afghan Tale is Complete!

The Fisherman Tale is now complete!

I just finished up the fringe on The Fisherman Wedding Afghan this morning...

just in the nick of time...

the wedding is THIS weekend!  

I wasn't sure if I'd get it complete in time.  But I finally got down to business and started making progress. 

I did end up blocking it as the popcorn stitch really "pulled" even with a larger hook.  Thankfully, I used a wool blend (Wool-Ease) and it blocked just fine...

I really enjoyed the challenge of it.  

 

 It rained all day yesterday, so I wasn't sure if I would be able to get any outdoor photos...

but thankfully, the sun came out today

and I was able to get in my "photo shoot".

I hope the bride and groom will enjoy their gift...

Whether they end up using it at the foot of their bed...

or to keep them warm as they watch a favorite movie and enjoy some shared popcorn...

As always best wishes to the happy couple and many blessings to them for a lifetime of happiness.

The End!

(But, another project is soon to follow!)

:-)

HDP 

Little Update...

I wanted to give a little update on the Eugene Throw I've been working on...

With Christmas, and doing things with the family, I haven't had a whole lot of time to crochet...but, I'm grabbing a row here and there when I can...

It's been a lot of fun to watch the cables emerge from the yarn......to watch them join, intertwine and become individual lines again....it's a kind of dance......a rhythm of movement.....poetry of sorts...

 

Crochet is my art....so please bear with me.....

:-)

All romantic notions aside, it is very stubborn to photograph.  

Or, it could be my color of yarn....

Maybe once the weather turns, and it's not so wet outside, I'll be able to get some better photos in a daylight setting.  

Until then, Joy in a little progress and enjoying a beautiful project.

HDP

Fireside Cheerful Complete

There is a chill in the air and the skies are overcast and gray......

But, no matter the temperature outside, the warmth and coziness of a blanket can always be close by.....

This is my Fireside Cheer or "Cheerful" as I like to call it.  The colors are bright and cheerful and favorites of the person for whom this was made.

The pattern is Fireside Cheer designed by Anne Halliday, one of my very favorite designers, and can be found in Afghans For All Seasons  page 106.

This particular blanket is headed to upstate NY to a lady that used to babysit my sister and me as infants.  I hope it will bring her lots of warmth and happiness through the cold north country winter.

This was a large project.  I'm happy to have completed it.  I just need to give it a wash on gentle with a little Woolite and get it packaged to ship to it's destination.

Joy in completion.

HDP

Fair Isle Update

Yesterday, I got to a point on my Fair Isle project to update the lady for whom I'm making the blanket.  I wanted to be sure she was happy with the direction I was going.....

Originally, we had decided on this pattern, but as I started to make it, I really wasn't happy with the way the design within the blanket was forming.  The yarn I'm using has a very definite stitch definition and the long double crochet "X" that you make was looking really "hokey".  I think that pattern would look good in a more "fuzzy" yarn or perhaps a sport weight.

So I headed to another fair isle style pattern that I've made before.  It's called Fireside Cheer (pictured below)...

This is a blanket pattern I'm very fond of and I think is quite pretty.  I made the above for myself several years ago. 

If you remember, the colors we chose for this project were turquoise, mauve/pink and an aran.  I started the blanket using the turquoise as the main color, as this is the recipients favorite color.  I'm using the aran and mauve as the accents.  

I sent her an e-mail last night to show her my progress.  I also wanted to see if she would like the aran as the master color instead of the blue.  I felt I was at a good point, and had enough time, to start over and do the pattern with the color switches.   She replied to my e-mail not to change a thing.  So, with that being said, I'm moving forward!

I hope this will be something the receiver will like and enjoy using.  This blanket will evolve as the additional bands are formed, the ends woven into the fabric, and a pretty border crocheted all around it.

Joy in a day full of crochet!  :-)

HDP

Tweed Stripe Finished!

I finished my Tweed Stripe Ripple blanket last night.  I waited to take pictures until today in order to take them outside and I'm so glad I did! 

It's a beautiful fall day with pretty blue skies.  

This afghan is made from a free Lion Brand pattern and can be found HERE.  

It's a simple pattern, and lets the yarn take center stage.  

I used Tweed Stripes, which is a newer yarn;I really like the earthy effect these colors make.  

I just need to give it a wash on gentle, package it up and get it off in the mail to the recipient.  Hopefully, they will enjoy using it, now that cooler weather is upon us. 

Joy in a completed project AND, a gloriously beautiful day!

HDP

Tweed Stripe Ripple Update...

Well, I'm happy to say that I'm finished with the body of the Tweed Stripe Ripple I've been working on.  I did however, run out of yarn.  So I'll need to hop on over to Wally World in the next day or two so I can purchase an additional skein and crochet the border.  Weaving in the ends will keep me occupied until I can get to the store.  I'll post a few pictures once the project is complete.  :-)

Joy in an "almost" complete project!

HDP

On the Horizon...

...a new project!

I had a nice lady contact me recently about making an afghan or blanket for her mother for Christmas.  After many e-mails about patterns and yarn colors, we have finalized a decision.  I'll be making this beautiful afghan pictured above.  The pattern is from Mosaic Magic Afghans Made Easy by Lily M. Chin; one of my favorite afghan designers I might add!   

The colors we chose are very feminine and pretty.  The mother's favorite color is turquoise and we decided to pair it with mauve, using aran, a soft white, as an accent color.  It's a winning combination and I hope both the giver and receiver will be thrilled with the blanket.

I always enjoy the planning stages of a project.  Getting out the calculator, figuring out how much yarn will be needed in each color, finding a good buy on the yarn, and looking for coupons.  It's all part of the fun.  In this case, I was excited to see that Michael's is having a Family and Friends Sale and has a coupon out for 20% off your entire purchase; good through today.  Yipee!

My current project is about two weeks from completion and then I hope to get started on this.  My goal is to have the fair isle completed by the end of November so I can ship it to the giver in plenty of time for Christmas.

Joy in the planning!

HDP

Tweed Stripe Ripple Update

Life has been busy lately, so my hobby time gets crunched down to a few minutes here, there, or anywhere I can find the fleeting moment.  That being said, I have made decent progress on my Tweed Stripe Ripple and since it is a Christmas gift, I'm not in a huge rush....

I really like the woodsy effect of the self striping yarn in these colors.  I'm doing three rows of each and then repeating.  I'll be thinking about doing a border, or not, in the next couple of weeks.  Ripples don't really need a border, but I like the finished look a border affords. 

I need to think of other projects that I can make with this yarn.  I absolutely love it!

HDP

This is fun...

......and easy!  I'm working on the above afghan with my new yarn I talked about yesterday.  The picture above is from Lion Brand's website showing their finished pattern.  I really like the subtle tweed look.  The pattern is free and can be found HERE.  It's a simple ripple pattern and has been working up fairly quickly. 

By the way, the Tweed Stripe yarn is really nice to work with.  It is similar to Homespun in the way it looks in a finished project, but has a different texture and is MUCH easier to work with.  I think it would be really pretty for winter accessories too.

Once I get a little further along, I'll post some pictures.

New project joy! 

HDP

I got a new book today...

I saw it, as I was pulling into the drive yesterday evening.  That little brown box on the front door step.  Written on it, were the magical words that read....."Amazon".  (Big smile, toothy grin inserted here.)

I love Amazon; they have great prices and I even had a $5 off promotion code they had sent me for some reason.  So I got got an exciting new crochet booklet at a VERY good price!  Here it is...

It's a new Fair Isle afghan pattern book with 5 gorgeous patterns.  I'm especially drawn to the Southwest Warmth one pictured on the right.  I've never tried the technique that is used to make these.  And, I'm thinking this might be something to start once all the holidays are over.  But, I'm so excited to have it and be able to drool over the beautiful patterns. 

Joy in a new booklet!

HDP

Good Progress

I did get an opportunity yesterday to do a little work on the Moorish Mosaic Afghan. 

I have all the shapes laid out on the bed in the spare bedroom and have taken a little time, here and there, to work on "sewing" all the pieces together. 

Lately, I've been using the slip stitch method for joining my motifs.  This way seems to go more quickly for me vs. the whip stitch method.  I have one side seamed and a portion of another side started. 

Joy in a little progress! 

HDP

Puffy Pink Progress

Have I mentioned how much I love this pattern?

My Puffy Pink Cotton Candy Tiramisu baby blanket is coming along quite well.  I'm two thirds complete on the body of the blanket and should get into the "icing" of the "cake" by Sunday.  I call the border on baby blankets icing as they really add the finishing touches to a project.  Just like cake, by itself, it's well, cake.  But with a glaze or icing, it's dessert in all it's decadent glory.

What makes this blanket so special, I believe, is the breathable texture that is created as you crochet your stitch pattern.  With each row you are creating soft little cushions in which to swaddle a new little one.  Ahhhh, I can almost smell the sweet light scent of baby powder right now. 

I'll post a final photo once I complete the project and before I get it ready to mail out to it's recipient. 

Joy in crochet bliss!

HDP