yo-yos and saltines

This is a repeat of the Crafty Corral blog, so if you've read that one. I hope to return to making squares soon. If anyone was following along with me, I apologize for the delay. I didn't hear from anyone though so I assume you are all doing your own thing - which is perfectly fine. After all, that is what I'm doing too! LOL

I've been keeping myself busy with small projects, trying to use up all my little balls of yarn.

Here are some pictures of the double yo-yos for Crafting for a Cause. These will be made into afghans for Native Americans. The double yo-yos are Rnd 1: 16 dc in ring, Rnd 2: 2 dc in each stitch for a total of 32 in the round. I like these because there is more place in which to weave the ends.




Here are some red, white, and blue saltines that will be made into afghans for Fisher House. These were made as part of a contest at Bev's Charity Challenge. I would have made them anyway, but it's a nice incentive to move forward. In the first batch, I concentrated on blue and white, and in the last batch which I'll be mailing tomorrow, I concentrated on red. If you look closely, you can see that there are two colors of red included. The "real" red is that messes with my camera. The darker red looks like it comes out fine.

These are simple to make, just two rounds of a granny square. For this effort, I work a ch-2 in corners and a ch-1 on the sides of Rnd 2. I also use a ch-2 for my beginning chain up on Rnd 2 because my dcs are short. You can see pictures at my tutorial http://www.crochetcabana.com/yoyo-grannysdau-saltines.htm

Here's how I make mine.
Rnd 1: ch 3, 2 dc, (ch 2, 3 dc) three times, ch 1, sc in top chain of beg ch-3 to join (12 dcs)

Rnd 2: ch 2, in same sp work 2 dc, ch 1, in next ch-3 sp work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc), ch 1, in next ch-3 space work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc), ch 1, in next ch-3 space work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc), ch 1, in next ch-3 space you already have one shell worked, in same space work (3 dc, ch 2) then join to first ch-2 either by using the invisible finish off or by joining with a slip stitch in top chain of beginning ch-2. (8 shells - 24 dc - 4 ch-2 spaces, 4 ch-1 spaces)

I was so excited that my little Amazon thingie started working, that I thought  share with you some crochet books I've found. I periodically search the store for things of interest and my wishlist is pages and pages long. I'm sure many of you are in the same spot.

Learn to Yo-Yo Crochet - I'm starting off with this book since I am talking about yo-yos, although this is not strictly speaking the traditional yo-yos. These are made by using long chains and the yo-yos are joined together as you go, working half the yo-yo in one pass, and the second half of it in another. That is my explanation. You may look at it differently. I made a scarf using this method which you can see at the Cabana blog.

The Crochet Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask (Answer Book (Storey)) - I have this book and it's small enough to carry with you in case you ever get confused or need a quick answer to a question.

Teach Yourself Visually Crocheting - I also have this one and since I am more a visual learner, I like to have a number of reference books on hand as I find sometimes a person will phrase things just so or have a photo that is just right to answer my question or confirm what I think I need to do.

The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: *All You Need to Know to Crochet *The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert Crocheters *Comprehensive Guide to ... Charts, and Photos for 200 Stitch Patterns - You all know I have this one. I've been using it to do different squares over the past months over at Crochet Cabana blog. This book is  different than other books in that the foundation row is not counted as Row 1 or Round 1. The pattern begins with the next row. Skill levels are given, symbol crochet for the pattern is shown, and multiples are supplied. That's a lot of information included.

Lily Chin's Crochet Tips & Tricks: Shortcuts and Techniques Every Crocheter Should Know - I love this book. We all have heard of Lily Chin, of course. The book is small enough to throw in your purse, if your purse is a good size like mine is, to flip through while waiting at the doctor's or while stuck in traffic. Be careful not to get so engrossed you stop traffic yourself. LOL She covers the basics, but also gives a lot of tips you'll wish you'd discovered a long time ago. Even as I'm typing this, the book fell open to the page on joining and I had to stop and read it, though I've read it before. If you're like me, sometimes things go in, but they don't STAY in. LOL

That's all for today. I don't want to overwhelm you. There can be too much of a good thing. :-)

Happy crocheting!