What this Crocheter Does When Uninspired

Sometimes I just have no idea of what I want to make. With the onset of the pandemic last year, I made quite a few afghans for gifts. I have created a good size stockpile of crocheted slippers to give as gifts this year. Now, I am a little stumped as to what I want my next project to be. A simple, mindless thing I make during these times is solid granny squares out of the odds and ends of leftover yarns. One day, I will then assemble into lapghans to donate. I like to use solid grannies because they are warmer than the traditional granny. When looking for a pattern online, there were numerous ones with different counts. Here’s how I make mine.

Solid Granny

I use G hook and ww yarn scraps

Chain 5 and join with sl st to make a ring.

Round 1--3 ch (Counts as 1^st dc), 1 dc into circle (2 ch, 2 dc into circle) 3 times. You will have 4 sets of three DC separated by 2 chains. 

Slip stitch into 3rd chain of starting set of chains

Round 2--  3 ch, 1 dc in same place as 3 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, (2 dc, 2 ch and 2 dc into next corner, 1 dc into each of next 2 dc) 3 times, 2 dc into next corner

Slip stitch into 3rd chain of starting set of chains

Repeat Round 2 until it is the desired size. Each side of the square gains 4 DC stitches every round. example, 1st round is 3 DC. 2nd round is 7 DC, 3rd round is 11 DC and so on and so forth. 

This method of making solid granny squares works out fine for me. For every solid granny square pattern you take a gander at, there are noticeable differences. Recently I made a pattern and used someone else's instructions to make a solid granny and it was a definite failure. Since it was a large "square" the corners started getting to be an extended, pointy length. I was very disappointed.

I'm Back!

I have been very concerned about what is happening in Ukraine. I have been thinking that maybe I could crochet some things and sell them and then donate the proceeds to an organization that is helping the people over there with basic necessities. There are several organizations that  seem worthy and I am going to choose one to donate to. How I am going to do this I am not quite sure yet but I am stockpiling crocheted items that will be relatively inexpensive to purchase so people may be more likely to spend a little. Today's items I am showing you are dishcloths.. Everyone needs a dishcloth right? Even people with dishwashers can use a dishcloth to wipe down their table and counters.  I have quite a few dishcloths made so I thought I would put the pictures in a slide show.

 Hope you enjoyed your visit. If you are interested in the pattern you can find it here.

Glad to be back and I hope to see you again.

Hugs,

Sharon

Another Hat and Scarf Set

 I had finished this hat and scarf set a few months ago. See, I really am slow about sharing things. This set is for a little bit older young lady than the one I made the pencil scarf set for. I love the hat, it seems like slouchy hats are warmer because you can pull them waaaaay over your ears. This scarf is a bit on the small side but the lady I made it for is petite. I like scarves like these because they are easy to wear as an accent accessory with a sweater or turtle neck if you prefer. Enough gabbing for now and here come the pictures.

Pattern

Here's a close-up of the stitches--

And here's the hat and a link to the pattern--

Pattern

Close-up of stitches

Stay safe,

Sharon

A Hat and Scarf Set Is Finished

 Howdy Folks, yep it really is me. I'm getting tired of moping around and feeling sorry for myself so I have finished some crochet projects. I am working on things for Christmas. I made this scarf and hat for a sweet young lady. Here's the pics:

Pattern

Pattern

I enjoyed making these. The only thing I had issues with was the pencil scarf rows angled a bit and I'm not sure why. I do like both the scarf and hat and I may make both of them again sometimme.

Stay safe folks. 

Hugs, 

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!

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern

I love round afghans and there are many patterns available to crochet a variety of styles done in the round shape. If you look at this blog's header, I have a page full of these patterns. A new link I recently added to this page is for the Star Mandala Afghan. Check it out and let me know what you think. I always love to see how others make things and add their own special touches and colors.

Hugs,

Sharon

Lion Brand Comfy Cotton Blend

Monday's Link to Free Crochet Pattern (13 May 2019)

Today I was pondering how I could display some of my Barbie dolls and then the ol' brain took a side trip down Crochet Lane and I started looking up crochet patterns for Barbie and her friends. Today's link takes us to a pattern for a dapper outfit for Barbie's guy Ken. Check out the pattern and let me know what you think.










Barbie and Ken Cafe Set

Barbie and Ken Dolls

Cute Shawl to Warm the Shoulders

Hi everyone, I’m back like I promised. I will do my best to be upbeat from now on.

Ta da! I finished a shawl and now I can share it with you. It is done in a lovely variegated mossy green. I added a few extra rows to make it longer and edged it in a shell pattern instead of the edging called for in the pattern. I gave this to my daughter-in-law as a surprise. I think shawls are great on chilly evenings when you just need a little something to help you stay home watching television or perhaps going out.  Depending on the yarn used, these can be dressy or casual enough to wear with jeans.

Since I downloaded this pattern, it has disappeared from the regular net. A cached copy is available at:

This Link

I hope you enjoyed this.

Sharon

Assorted Shawl Pins