The Saga of the Blue and Gray Afghan

 

Pattern

Here is another afghan I made this year. I recently finished it although it took me a very long time. Was it a difficult pattern? Nope, as a matter of fact it was easy peasy to make. I started this way back in June and was probably about 2/3 to 3/4 finished with it by the end of the month. Then my fur baby Nellie Belle crossed the rainbow bridge. We surprised ourselves when we adopted a new little girl the next day. Her name is Sadie and she loves this afghan. In the first few days she was with us, she tried to eat it and knotted up the yarn. With a big sigh, I put it away for several months. Now, Sadie still gets into mischief but I was able to finish it with her in my lap. When I wasn't working on it, she was sitting on it or curled up under it if she could get to it.

Here she is--

Stay safe my friends.

Sharon

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family

I recently finished reading Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.  Here is a quick synopsis:

INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

The first, epic and true story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s life together, finally revealing why they chose to pursue a more independent path and the reasons behind their unprecedented decision to step away from their royal lives, from two top royal reporters who have been behind the scenes since the couple first met. Finding Freedom is complete with full color photographs from Harry and Meghan’s courtship, wedding, Archie’s milestones, and many more unforgettable moments. 

When news of the budding romance between a beloved English prince and an American actress broke, it captured the world’s attention and sparked an international media frenzy. But while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have continued to make headlines—from their engagement, wedding, and birth of their son Archie to their unprecedented decision to step back from their royal lives—few know the true story of Harry and Meghan.

For the very first time, Finding Freedom goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan’s life together, dispelling the many rumors and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond. As members of the select group of reporters that cover the British Royal Family and their engagements, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have witnessed the young couple’s lives as few outsiders can.

With unique access and written with the participation of those closest to the couple, Finding Freedom is an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple who are unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a profound difference in the world.

I found it to be an interesting read but most of the information has already been published in tabloids and various news sources online. Harry and Meghan were painted as victims which they are not. I wanted to like this book, but I found little in it to be excited about since excepts have been posted and they have had many articles printed about them since before they were married. If you do not keep up with them then you may find this an interesting read. 

Time to Crochet an Afghan for Christmas

 Where has the time gone? Autumn is here and the leaves are falling from the trees and the birds are headed south. Temperatures have cooled off considerably and shorts have been replaced with long pants. 

You may be asking yourself where has Sharon been? As usual, I have been a bit negligent and then my beautiful Nellie Belle crossed the rainbow bridge. Ray and I were pretty torn up about it. The vetrinarian, encouraged me to get another fur baby as soon as possible. He said it would really help. I asked if he knew of someone with a chihuahua for a reasonable price. He did and that is how Sadie came to be our furry little girl.

Sadie is going through the puppy stage. She chews on everything--fingers, toes, chins, noses, furniture and kitchen cabinets. She also cuddles and gives good puppy kisses. Here's a recent picture of her with her toys and a pair of slippers she has developed a fondness for:

The object of today's post is to direct you to some patterns that are for Christmas afghans. There should still be time to crank out a few. Here's the list:

• 25 Free Christmas Crochet Afghan Patterns
• 187 Christmas Crochet Afghan Patterns
  
• Christmas Afghans
  

If you really don't want to bother with a pattern, it is always nice to have a grannyghan made with Christmas color yarn.

I hope all of you are doing well. I know it is hard to be in the house for most of the time but this too shall pass and life will be better.

Blessing to all of you,

Sharon

 

Blueberry Pet Bed

Many more beds for your furbaby

She Shed Update for May

The she shed's completion is in sight! Husband has had plenty of extra time lately so he's done a great job finishing it. I have on order some shelves, drawer handles and a desk chair for it. I'm dreading the moving of all my toys out there but it will be so great when it is all put together. It will also be great to have 2 bedrooms that can function as bedrooms again.

Here's a quick video clip I made today for you to have an idea of what's going on with it.

Thank you so much for visiting.

Stay safe,

 Sharon

She Shed Update

It has been a very long time updating you on the progress of the she shed. With poor weather, wanting to put aside a little money to pay cash for everything, and husband fitting it into his schedule it has taken more time than I expected. He is spending more time at home now so he has more time to work on at home projects. The walls and ceilings are primed and painted. I used a good quality paint (Kilz interior satin) because I knew that no one would be happy about repainting  in there anytime soon with all the things I will be stuffing in there. Paint was a bit of expense and we had most of the painting paraphernalia already. Didn't need to worry too much about dropcloths because the flooring hasn't been installed yet.

The next major thing will be to finish installing the lighting and put a floor in. I still need to get curtain rods and make the curtain for the door. It is so much fun thinking about being able to move in!

I have been asked why I feel like I need a she shed when I don't have kids at home and have spare bedrooms. The answer is a little complex, especially when I try to think of what to say. I want a space that is all MINE! I also want to tidy up my house by moving the large amount of yarn and crocheting tools out of the house and into the she shed. It is similar to older women collecting dolls; they're really not played with but they do bring back memories of happy childhood times. My she shed will be my adult version of a blanket fort.

I have really rambled on today so I will pause to show you a quick walk through video I made today.

Cute She Shed Signs

Slippers for Christmas Already

When I don't know what to make, a go-to project is these slippers. I can finish a pair in a night or 2. These slippers seem to be a popular gift at Christmas so I tend to make quite a few pairs to gift. Here's the pic--

There are many crochet patterns and pattern books for cute slippers. Amazon has a plethora of them, some may even be out of print and hard to find.

Stay safe and healthy,

Sharon

Almost Forgot to Share this with You

I had a nice sized bunch of yarn left from one of my afghan projects so I decided to make a scarf from it. This is an easy pattern to make and even the name for it is simple-- Free Crochet Pattern Ladies Scarf. The yarn I used is DK weight, as the pattern called for but I have also made a scarf from this pattern using a worsted weight yarn and it worked out fine. Without further ado, here's the picture:

I hope everyone is happy and healthy. Sending out happy thoughts to everyone with plenty of affection too.

Sharon

Painted Desert Seafarers Cap

Hi everyone,

 I'm back again with another completed project. I was having a difficult time with an afghan I was making so I took a break from it and made another cap using the Seafarers Cap pattern. It took a tiny bit less than a 5 ounce skein of Red Heart worsted weight yarn in the painted desert color. I love this hat pattern and I can see myself becoming obsessed with making many more of these. It is a warm, basic hat that can be left as is or dressed up with pompoms, buttons or flowers. I like that the brim folds over and keeps the ears toasty warm. Enough with the gab already, show the the picture!

I hope that everyone is staying home and not going stir crazy. Many of the craft stores sell things online with either curbside pickup or delivery for their customers safety and convenience. Maybe it's time to break out the board games that have been gathering dust. What ever you do, please stay safe.

Hugs,

Sharon

Booties for Great Nephew

My niece had the cutest little boy right before Christmas. I sent him a blanket but I started thinking his toes might be cold this time of the year so I made him some booties. I still need to wash them and then it's in the mail they go. I wash most things I make with a hypoallergenic laundry soap and softener.

The pattern is found here. I didn't have any problems making these other than remembering how to count. 😞

This is a great project to make with odds and ends of leftover yarn. Seems like I frequently need something for a baby and these might be a great thing especially for winter babies.

Stay safe...

Sharon

My Take on the Seafarer's Cap

When I was in the navy, we had a winter hat similar to the seafarer's cap. We called it a watch cap. It was a basic head covering worn in the winter to keep one's noggin warm. I remember freezing in one particular winter in Great Lakes, IL. I wore my watch cap on liberty to keep my ears from freezing. I have always liked the simple style of watch caps.

A somewhat comparable crochet pattern for this style of cap that I very much like is the  seafarer's cap pattern because it is great for men or women without looking "frilly." I wanted to modernize it a bit hence the faux fur pompom I attached to the top.

Hope you enjoyed this.

Stay safe,

Sharon

Afghan Obsession Continues...

I have continued making making afghans using the Gigi’s Block Party Blanket pattern. Here are the latest 2.

The next rendition of this pattern has a more sedate, traditional look to it. There are 2 different yarns used, they are the same color but the second has a "fleck" look to it. I did the afghan in 4 sections alternating the yarns after repeating round 15.

With the leftover yarn, I made coordinating slippers.

Hoping that you are well. Times like we are going through now are trying. I hope that you have found things to keep you occupied at home to ward off the tedium of staying in 24/7.

Take care...

Sharon

Turquoise Block Party Blanket

I promised you that I had another blanket ready to share with you and here it is.

Pattern was a little confusing the first time I used it but this is the 3rd 4th time I used it and it is getting easier to make. I love the way the use of colors changes the look completely. I only wish I was talented enough to design something like this. 

I used Red Heart yarn for the turquoise and a bargain yarn from Herrschners for the multicolor yarn. This was one of those mystery yarns that you know what kind it is but not the color. It is kind of fun to receive it and decide what to make with it. I have enough left  over to make another blanket and I think I might just coordinate it with red. That will be a little bit later in my blanket making marathon. First I need to make something that is needed before Christmas. 

Three more rounds on the current blanket I am making. It is taking me about 2 weeks to make one of these. I am soooooo addicted!

Take care my friends and stay healthy and safe. Wishing all of you good health and happiness...

Sharon

Another Gigi's Block Party Blanket

I am totally addicted to this pattern even if I have to remind myself to count as I'm doing it. It has been very easy for me to lose a stitch here and there, hence the need for me to count. This project looks intricate but it is not. The stitches used are simple to make but add a certain pizzazz to the project.  You can find the pattern here.

And now for the pictures 👀:

I hope that all of you are staying healthy. Keeping your hands and mind occupied will help relieve the boredom and tedium of hanging around the house 24/7. With the threat to our health the corona virus poses, please take care of yourselves.

Hugs and prayers, 

Sharon

Cute Multicolored Scarf

Today's finished object is a multicolored scarf. This is made from Lion Brand Mandala Yarn. I am not sure what the color's name is because I threw away the wrapper. It "might" be Thunderbird but like I said, I am not sure. I used the Maureen pattern to make this. It was an easy pattern to make and I leisurely made it in 2 evenings watching TV.

Here are the pictures:

Thank you for visiting. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Sharon

Guess Who Is Back? --> ME!

I am a slow poke about posting but I am finally back. A project that I started before my couple year lose of crochet mojo is finished. Also finished is a beautiful throw in awesome fall colors.

Pattern

I left some of the fins off because I thought they would interfere with the user's comfort. I am not happy with how mine turned out but I will probably make another one in the future to see if I can improve on the first one. This was a major ufo (unfinshed object) for a couple years after Dad died and I really had a hard time picking up my crochet hooks until just before last Christmas.

Next is a beautiful throw. I am in love with the fall colors of this. The yarn is one of Lion Brand's Mandala colors.The pattern called for worsted weight but this yarn is dk weight. To compensate for the "thinner" yarn, I used a smaller hook and made several additional rounds to keep it adult size.  I gave this to a great friend I've had since high school (I am 63). Here are the pictures:

Pattern

Suggestions about making this throw. I recommend that you keep a pad of paper handy to make notes on. The main thing I found out about this was that it was easy to have the stitch count off. I did much recounting and sometimes the count was off because I got distracted or once in a while it was really off and I didn't know why so I would frog a bit and do it over. This would usually take care of it but one time, I had to throw an extra stitch in on a side. 

I have a few more projects to show you but I will post later on. 

Please stay safe and don't take any chances with the corona virus especially if you have other health risks. It's a great time to pick up your crochet hooks and put them to use.

Hugs and best wishes to all.....

Sharon

Housewarming Present for Son

My younger son bought a house last year and moved in a couple weeks before Christmas. I am so proud of him buying his first house. He has a spare room now that he uses as a study to read his bible and have a bit of quiet. I thought that an afghan would fit the bill as a housewarming present. Here are a couple pictures of it.

Pattern for the squares is found here. I fell in love with the gray yarn. It is a Caron yarn and the color is dalmatian. I wanted to use gray colors because the curtains in his study are gray.

Thanks for visiting,

Sharon

A Smidgen Challenging

Granddaughter of my heart has a half-sister who is going to be a mom in the spring. I decided to take the time and try something a little challenging to make a baby blanket even though I don't know her. I made Gigi's Block Party Blanket (go about 1/3 down the page) rounds 1-50. I found that with this pattern, I had to keep count because somehow I would drop a stitch or add a stitch and my count would be off. This is a beautiful pattern. Although, I do have a bit of a complaint about the pattern. After a good start, the pattern stops adding totals of the various stitches  such as popcorn after a while. My insecurities with working a new pattern go into over drive. The other problem I noted was that the pattern would tell you to repeat a previous round and going to that round, the instructions would say to follow instructions for yet another round. This was frustrating for sure but I will probably make this pattern again because of how beautiful it is. I kept a notebook handy to jot down notes to keep track of where I was in the pattern and other important data.

The yarn I used was Caron Cakes in the cherry chip color. This is a very pretty yarn and easy to work with. I was fortunate to get a deal on it at Michaels when I bought 2, I got 1 free. I used a little more than 3 cakes.

Hugs, 

Sharon

Finally Posting Pics of Slippers I Made for Christmas

I have finally gotten around to posting pictures of slippers I made for family and friends this last Christmas. I may have missed a few pairs. This is my go to pattern for slippers that I have used for many, many years. Pattern is available here. I used the trial of Animoto software to make a slideshow. It is very easy to use but the trial has the watermark on pics. I like the software but too expensive for me to purchase.


 

Hugs,

Sharon

Baby Blanket for Sweet Baby Boy

My niece had a beautiful baby boy last month. I wanted to make him a traditional baby blanket to cuddle and snuggle with. I decided on the Midwife Blanket. This pattern is based on a baby blanket seen in the television show Call the Midwife. I liked the vintage look and the light blue color I used is a traditional color for baby boys. I did use worsted weight yarn and added an additional "set" of stitches so that the blanket would not only be suitable for a baby but also for a toddler.

Enjoy!