Crochet project - ripple blanket

I have decided to bite the bullet. I am starting a crochet project that will look unfinished until it is finished. In the past I have made small/baby size granny square blankets that were finished when I was done making squares. But now I am starting something that is big. I measured me and a similar sized blanket. I crocheted a sample. I measured and multiplied it until I knew what I was making. Start with 227 chains. Double crochet 114 rows. Starting with 5 balls of yarn (or the equivalent...more later), with more to be bought. 

I'm making a blanket that I can snuggle with while reading in the chair in my bedroom. It will be roughly 67 inches long and 56 inches wide. I am using colors that match my duvet cover of greys and taupe. 

The colors I chose are by Lion Brand. From back to front, they are:

Vanna's Choice Charcoal Grey

Vanna's Choice Silver Heather

Vanna's Choice Linen

Vanna's Glamour Moonstone (this is a sport #2 weight yarn, so I am doubling the strands to match the worsted #4 weight of the other yarns)

The pattern I am using is from attic24.typepad.com. Lucy has several lovely ripple designs, and I chose the interlocking ripple. 

So as I sit here at McD's waiting for a call from the mechanic telling me they are on the way to pick me up after doing routing maintenance on my car, I have finally started this epic project. See how far I have gotten?

I am using an app on my phone to help keep track of stitches and rows. We will see how it works, as I haven't used it before!

I will try to post every couple days with my progress. I am hoping this will help with my stick-to-it-iveness, as in the past I have dwindled down and not finished large projects. There are the remains somewhere of a baby blanket (not grannys) for a friend's baby who is now almost 24. I think it measured about 30 inches by....maybe 6 inches. Not even a good scarf. But it was a pretty pattern!

Wish me luck...

Work in progress...

Believe it or not, this is a sweater. Or rather, a sweater in the making. It is a granny hex shrug I found at this site (http://www.kootoyoo.com/2010/05/how-to-make-granny-shrug.html) after following a link from a comment on another blog...or something like that. I figured since I can make granny squares, granny hexes shouldn't be too difficult, which they aren't. For this sweater, I think I'll need to make the hex about twice as big as it is, then make another one like it. I then attach them to each other and to themselves, and voila, I'll have a sweater. 

The pattern calls for a chunky weight yarn, to make a chunkier sweater. I opted for a worsted weight cotton, and a size K hook (which is several sizes bigger then usual for this weight yarn). By using the big hook, the stitches are softer and looser, allowing the piece to drape better. This is my first time using cotton yarn, as I usually have gone with the more budget-friendly acrylic. But cotton yarn has a more defined stitch (it's less fuzzy), and I thought it would make a nice sweater. I like the feel of the yarn and the way the hex feels, but the yarn takes some getting used to, as it doesn't slide as well while hooking.

I will post more as it progresses...this is also my first garment created by hooking, so I am interested to see if it turns out!

Crochet bug...

See a theme? Yes, I love green. Since I made the baby blanket for my friend (he was born a week ago today! Yay for babies!), I have been crocheting all over the place...instead of doing homework :-/ Oh, well. The goodies in the pic are for three different projects. The rectangular piece will be a wrist warmer (fingerless glove). Once I make the rectangle large enough, I'll fold it in half, and stitch up the side, leaving a hole for my thumb on the side. The circle will be a springtime wreath once done. Two more rows around the circle, a matching set of circles on the back sandwiching some thin cardboard for firmness, then some cute flowers on the front. The heart will be paired with two or three more (number depending how they look)to make a shamrock for St. Patricks day. I will accent it with some darker green and probably a button. I will post pics of everything once they are done...wish me luck!

All these adorable patterns are from attic24.typepad.com (the shamrock is mine, but the hearts are hers) :)

Baby afghan!

I decided a week before my friend's baby shower that I wanted to crochet a blanket for her baby. So I decided to make a granny square lap blanket that can be tucked around him in his car seat. Figured I could get that done in a week...and I did!

I got the pattern on a blog (http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/summer-garden-granny-square.html). I used a variegated yarn and didn't switch between rounds. Once I mastered the bobble stitch, it was pretty brainless :)

The blog also gives instructions elsewhere on how to crochet the squares together, and how to do an edging. I did most of the edging...it was two rounds of chain loops and then a round of scallops. I skipped the scallops, partly due to time constraints (the shower is today at 4!) and partly because I wasn't sure I had enough yarn for the round of scallops and don't have time or money to go buy another ball of yarn. I think it is pretty cute with just the chain loops :)


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Crocheting!

A friend had a crocheting class at her church this morning. My grandma taught me to crochet a gazillion years ago, but my daughter hadn't learned yet. So I figured this was an opportunity for someone other than me to teach her (I knew we would end up hissing and fuming at each other :P ). I was right. Not only were there several ladies there to teach, but one was left handed like my girl, so some of the potential issues were averted.

My friends goal was for everyone to make a panel to attach together to make a crocheted "quilt" for Warm Up America. Many of the new crocheters didn't get them done yet, but I finished mine (using a shell stitch). I then tried a little yellow "x and o" pattern my friend told me about. I then tried a summer garden granny square I found some time ago online (http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/summer-garden-granny-square.html). I also showed my girl the curlicue my grandma used to make for my hair.

Now all I need to do is get the girl to keep working on it, realizing that the more she practices, the easier it will get! She wants a blanket for her doll...we will see who ends up making that :)