knitting and crochet blog week

Have you guys heard of this?  It's the 

2nd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week

Seems like a pretty cool idea!

I'm not going to be joining in this year

but I thought you guys might enjoy reading about other yarn adventures.  

Anyways - just wanted to share!

Hinterland Throw from Crochet!

Have you guys seen this yet?!?!!?!?  You can find it at Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hinterland-throw  and at Crochet! Magazine http://www.crochetmagazine.com/inthisissue.php

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of a ghan for my daughters BFF.  She loves plants and flowers and nature.  When she was over the over day she asked for something with "leaves, please".

I had seen this before at the CGOA website http://www.crochet.org/ (The Crochet Guild of America).  It was a 1st place winner from last years design competition.  I thought it would be perfect for this child.  Imagine my surprise when I saw it in this issue of Crochet!

Unfortunately, I've already come across an error in Round 3.  It's easy enough to work around but for a beginner who has to follow a pattern - it's enough to make  you want to pull your hair out.  The large close-up pic on Ravelry is amazing in it's detail.  There's an errata alert at the shibaguyz group on Ravelry.  Same link as below.

It should say (dc, ch1) in ch sp instead of see pattern notes.

If you have a nature lover in your life - this may just be a perfect gift for them.

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Edited to add Link to CAL at shibaguyz Rav page http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/shibaguyz-designz-fanz/1590115/1-25#22

New project idea

Good morning all of my dear friends in yarn.  I just got back from taking DD to school.  It's pea soup fog out there.  Slow going to be sure - except for the people that didn't notice that you couldn't see!  Or maybe they did and did not care.  I don't know.

I doubt that many of you know that I am also into herbs.  I make teas and infusions and medicines.  I think it's a wonderful way to support your health.  I'll make 2 or 3 quarts and maybe a pint or 2 of all different things all at the same time.  I have to say that a towel wrapped around the jars looks pretty awful on the counter.

So - I think my newest project will be canning jar covers.  Acrylic is a must for holding in the heat.  I played with the idea of cotton for a moment or 2 but cotton won't hold the heat like a nice afghan yarn will.

It's so wonderful to have an idea bouncing around inside my head again!  whoohooo

I mentioned in my last post that recovering from surgery is slow going.  Just going to a doctor's visit is enough to put me out for 2 days.  It's being upright that gets me - whether it's sitting or standing.  Walking is a little better but not by much.

So - I have my yarns collected and waiting at the foot of my recliner.  I have the basic pattern in my head already.  Now to think about the best ways to dress it up.

I do have to say - it's wonderful to me that my thoughts are returning to yarn today!

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Don't give up on me yet!

My dear friends in yarn,

Many of you know I recently went for back surgery.  The recover has been harder and longer than I first expected it to be.  They ended up doing more surgery than what was first thought necessary.

Between recovering from surgery and life - mom, wife, crochet - something had to give.  My darling daughter just got her permit - I have no room to give there with a hormonal teenager.  My wonderful husband has a very demanding job and the hours are tough - there's been some give there. 

Between recovering and being mother and wife I just simply don't have the energy left to crochet.  Let alone design right now.  Tomorrow I have an hour drive (one way) to my one doctor.  This will be the furthest I've gone since the surgery and I'm nervous about taking that long of a drive. 

I have the list of TUTs that I want to prepare for you guys.  I just need this time right now to heal and to take care of me.  I don't want to give you guys any less than my best work and I'm not at my best right now.

HUGS!
Michele

Poll Results re Tutorials

I am so happy that spring is finally here down south and around the corner for my friends up north. It's been a long, long winter this year.

Anyways - there was a very nice turnout for the poll. I would love to give you guys the content that you actually want to see here and can use. So, I thank all of you that have participated in the very first poll here at RoseRed Designs.


And now for the results!

32 votes - How to tie hidden knots

26 votes - Straight seams when working in the round

tied at 23 votes each - my version of the simple granny square and the Russian join

19 votes - simple bracelets

8 votes - old fashioned pom poms

and 10 votes for 'other' listed in the comments
round ripples
basketweave st
detailed tut on cables
Irish Rose from my header
reverse sc

Looks like I have my work cut out for me. I'll be posting TUTS as I get them done.

Webbing 4 Spidey Style Round Ripples TUT

 

Lots of people LOVE the look of the Spidey Style  Round Ripples

but don't really know how to do the webbing.  

This TUT (or tutorial) will show you how to add the surface crochet 

that creates the webbed look on the front side of the ghan.

You can click on any picture to see it full size.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Fig. 1

 

 Determine which side will be the front side of the ghan.

Begin in any point.  With black slst in any ch-2 sp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Fig.2

 

 (ch2, sc in ch-2 sp of next round)

This is the repeat that will create the webbed look.

Work towards the center.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 Fig 3

 

 This picture is simply to show you that in order to keep your

webbing looking neat to make sure that you sc BETWEEN 

the dcs that create the shell or Vst of the round.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 Fig. 4

 

 When you get to the center - insert hook thru the center

of the 1st round and slst in place.

Once you complete the slst, ch2 and sc in the next round.

You will be working UP towards the next point to the left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Fig.5

 

 This picture shows how it will look after several (sc, ch2)s

working UP towards the next point towards the left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Surface crochet all the way to the last ch2-sp.  

Tie off  and leave a tail long enough to weave in later.

Begin the next section of webbing in the last ch-2 sp 

of the next point to the left of where you tied off.

(sc, ch2)  toward the center.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Fig. 6

 

 When you reach the center insert hook under the previous

V of the surface crochet and insert hook into the very center

of the ghan once more.  This will secure the webbing tightly to the center.

Continue as you did previously, working (sc, ch2) 

towards the outer ch-2 sp of the point to the left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

WEBBING REPEAT

Begin the next section of webbing in the last ch-2 sp 

of the next point to the left of where you tied off.

(sc, ch2) to center, attach with slst to previous Vs in center to secure,

(sc, ch2) toward last ch-2 sp of the next point to the left.  

slst in last ch-2sp, tie off and leave tail for weaving.

Do NOT tie off the last section of webbing!

(See Fig 7. below for attaching webbing in center.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Fig. 7

 

Now that the center webbing is firmly secured, 

insert hook  beneath previous V's of the surface crochet.

slst around these and continue to (sc, ch2) towards 

the outer ch-2 sp of the next point to the left.

Attach in this manner until webbing is completed.

Do NOT tie off the last section of webbing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fig. 8

 

 When last section of webbing is completed:  slst in outer ch-2 sp, ch1,

face work so that the back side of the last round of dcs is showing.

2hdc in same ch-2 sp to the left of slst, 

{hdc around round ripple,  working shell in ch-2sps and 

skipping 2 sts in center of valley}

crochet around to where you began.  

(2 hdc, ch2) in same ch-2 sp as slst, 

slst into 1st hdc to join, turn

Next to last round - sc in each st around, 

working (2sc, ch2, 2sc) in each peak

and skipping 2 sts in center of each valley

Last Round - with right side facing - rev sc in each st

(The last 3 rounds are hdc, sc and rev sc)

Spidey style 5-10 pointer is FINISHED!

STATS

Just a touch under 5 feet across from point to point

Caron Pounder in Scarlett

Red Heart in Royal

Red Heart Black

J hook (Bamboo handle Bates)

About a skein and 1/2 of Blue

About 3/4 pound of Caron Red

just under a skein of black

NOTES:

I'll never combine brands of yarn for this type of ghan again if I can help it.  The blue is one of RH's thinner colors and the red is one of Caron's thicker colors and I can tell that it's a little too off.  I'm hoping that it'll blend better after it's washed.

I always do the first round of a spidey ghan in black.  It makes the webbing look better.

I did a simple color technique.    Each block of color grew by 1 round.  

4 rounds of blue

5 rounds of red

6 rounds of blue

7 rounds of red

I also place a back round every 4 rounds.  This makes for even webbing and I think a very cool pattern to the blocks of color.  The first and last round are always black.  

So - that's the spidey ghan.  Onto my next project - not sure what that's going to be yet.

The pattern for the 5-10 Point Round Ripple can be found at

RoseRed's Designs @ Etsy

Spidey style 5-10 pointer wip

What's on your hook today?

I have a spidey style toddler ghan on mine today.  

It's been on there for a few weeks now :B  I've been busy doing a lot of computer stuff, setting up RoseRed Designs, taking classes, designing, having back surgery - it all adds up to eating a lot of time I'd much rather spend crocheting.  So - without further chit-chat

 

 I know - not the best picture I've ever taken 

but I'm just glad that I finally took one.

STATS

Caron Pounder Scarlet and Black

Red Heart Royal (blue)

Bate Bamboo handled J hook

Right now it's about 3 feet across.  I want it to be 4 1/2. 

I do have to say that mixing Caron Scarlet (which is one of their thicker yarns) with the RH Royal (which is one of their thinner yarns) makes for a notable difference.  Once it's washed and softened up it won't be as bad but these 2 yarns do not combine well.

Looking at the pic - I wonder if I should go in later and backstitch around the added points.  I'll have to wait and see until after I surface crochet the webbing onto it.

I could kick myself (if I could lift my leg that high lol) for not doing the black round in hdc.  They're done in dc like the rest of the ghan but I think the hdc matches the topstitched webbing better in size.  It's a minor thing but something I just totally forgot until I was too far into the blankie to change it.

So - what's on YOUR hook today?

Are you happy with it's progress?

Plans for it when it's finished?

Feel free to post your replies in the comments section.

(I've seen several blogs that have a lively and happening comments section going on.  It seems like so much fun - I'd love to try something like that here)

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