more square sharin'

I've finished more squares, using the patterns I came up with for Share a Square. Here are the squares I've finished. The patterns are just about done. I'll probably post them tomorrow. Remember that if you use the print friendly you can make a pdf file. Not sure if all the photos will come through on those  though. 

I used an H or I hook for all of these and worsted weight yarn. Note that WW yarn is not the same for all manufacturers, nor even the same within the same manufacturer really. The light sage colored yarn is worsted Red Heart Super Saver, but it is stiff and thicker than the others. I had to make adjustments. The white and navy are I think I Love This Yarn, and were slightly thinner than the others. The red was a "normal" thickness, in my view. These were mostly leftovers so no label to verify color name or type.

Happy crocheting!

The colors did not show up well on the previous post. The green looks more grey to me in the post. It is a light sage in "real life".

Someone recently asked me about how much yarn for different projects. As I was looking through my leaflets for something else, I ran across this little pamphlet which I will admit I've never used, but it might be useful to someone looking for amounts. It is the The Crocheter's Handy Guide To Yarn Requirements. Amazon has copies at different prices. This was the least expensive I found. It is published by Interweave Press. It gives gauge and amounts (in yards) for various projects like scarves, afghans, caps, bags, skirts, baby sweaters. Amounts for different sizes are given and there is a conversion chart for other stitches than single crochet.

Of course, how much yarn you need depends on your pattern, but if they are accounting for single crochet across on the projects, that should give you enough for just about any project of that type as that is a dense stitch.

Also, I received my Crochet Me newsletter and there was an interesting article about tying scarves. I thought you'd enjoy seeing it. I've always found knots interesting, though I am not clever enough to know how to make more than your basic fundamental one. My son wasn't in Boy Scouts sadly.

I am still working on the patterns for those squares, but should have it done shortly.


Happy crocheting!

reworked square

I kept looking at the squares I showed you previously and I still wasn't sure about the orange so I consulted my color expert. We decided to change one of the squares. So here is the before and after on Square #4.

I like the maroonish one much better and now I can move on. :-)

I also wanted to share this tutorial video by Teresa. It shows how to join a round. This is something I think many people have trouble with and her video shows it up close and with great explanation.



I sometimes have people refer to me as an "expert" in e-mails. While I am flattered and appreciate the compliment, I can assure you all that I am no expert at virtually anything - well, I'm pretty good at getting stains out of clothing but that is Zout really, not me. LOL Just like you all, I am learning what I can and using what I know.

Teresa has some wonderful videos. I enjoy watching them and often learn something new too. There are so many wonderful crocheters out there. Kim Guzman, Dee Stanziano, Lily Chin, Margaret Hubert, Bendy Carter, Rachel Choi, Randy Cavaliere - are all names that pop right out at me when I'm looking for "experts". I don't count myself in the same group as these amazing people.There are many more - too many for me to name them all, but if you pick up a crochet magazine you will see their names out there.

I'm glad others like what I have to offer though and I hope to continue providing what I can to help.

Speaking of which, did I share this scarf pattern already? It's too wide for Special Olympics, but if you're looking for something pretty for yourself or as a gift, very nice. http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/europa/europa.pdf

Also, please note that I put the scarf patterns I've referenced recently at the top of the charity patterns page rather than the bottom, and I've added the Special Olympic scarf pictures to help you find them. A few people were having trouble locating them. I've also added a few bits in the pattern for those trying to get these to the right size for that effort. You can find them at http://www.crochetcabana.com/charity/charity-patterns.htm . Also note that any of the scarf patterns can be used for any effort that accepts scarves and don't specify a particular pattern must be used. You may need to adjust the size if there is a size requirement. I have the Knit Your Bit ones separated but that is just for my own use. There's no real significance to it.

Guess that's all for now. Back to the hooks and yarn.

Happy crocheting!

more squares to share

The other day I was going through my craft room and I discovered a bunch of small squares that I'd made for a class I conducted. The squares were to demonstrate different joining techniques. Most of them were plain granny squares, three rounds. Four gold ones had a single crochet edging around them.

I decided that these squares should become useful members of the crochet society, so I set about making them into 6" squares. I'm not sure how successful I was in the color choices - my daughter is much better at that than I am. But I think children will like the bright colors anyway.

I still had some of the orange yarn with which I'd made eight of the squares so I just continued those with the same color. I know it was the same dye lot because these skeins were all bought at the same time and honestly, I hated it (the color) . Personal preference. I prefer a deeper orange. But they're going to be just as warm as any other color and, as I said, I think children will love the bright color.

There were six pale gold - I think the color might have been cornmeal. I added dark green and a light sage to those. I know it looks almost black in the photo, but it was not. There were two dark green centers and I added the sage to those.

Because the gold ones were already edged and tails sewn in, I needed some time to think about what to do with those. Tuesday evening I decided I would play with them a bit. Here you see the results.

Last post I said I wanted to use the 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans. I didn't lie. heh I decided to use the pattern Corner Granny since I was starting with a granny already finished. It is on p. 37 if you have the book. It was really easy to transition the square and here you see the result. I am thinking I probably used an H hook for the granny square. I used a G hook for the V around it. I didn't like the unfinished look along the one side, so I brought the orange round onto all four sides. This is a different orange than the one above. I like this one. Not sure how it works with the gold. What do you think?

I continued working with those colors for the next square. I worked one round of orange shells, going into the middle dc of each gold shell and working a ch-1 between them. Then I took the green and worked a round of single crochets, but with a twist. In between shells I used a long dc, placing it into the sc gold round below. My thought was to bring the three colors together by the join. Did it work?

The orange was iffy, but I think the green and gold play well together, so I stuck to those for the last two squares.

On this one I first worked a round of sc with a long stitch in every other stitch, except at either end of the corners. 3 sc in the actual corners on this round.

The second green round was dc in each stitch. I also did the corners a little differently, working (dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in each corner. I think this simple one came out best and it's my favorite.

Lastly, I worked two rounds of the green on this one too. For the first round I worked (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in corners and in the center dc of each shell I worked (dc, ch 1, dc) for a V-stitch with a ch-1 in between each V.

On the last round, I worked hdc with long dc between each shell on the previous round.

I may actually write these out in pattern form later, but it's past my bedtime as I write this. It will post tomorrow morning. :-)

These squares are 6" and will go to Share a Square.


Happy crocheting!

Special Olympic scarf

I finished the scarf made with squares from the Refreshing Throw over at Coats and Clark. (I used a G hook rather than the suggested H) The width is about 6 1/4" but close enough. Length is 58" which is right between the 54 to 60" requirement for Scarves for Special Olympics. As you can see I used four Turqua and five blue squares. I did not edge it because of size. Had I been making it for another effort where size was not important, I'd have edged it just because I prefer to edge most of my stuff.

It's really a pretty square. If you used a sc or hdc for the last round, I think it would work well for the Share a Square program also. If you're on Facebook, my daughter's squares are the featured profile picture this week at Share a Square *proud Mom*.

For the next scarf, I am thinking of trying the dragonfly scarf. There are two patterns that I know of. I'll have to see how wide it comes out.

I also want to pull out my 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match. I've seen it referenced a number of times for Share a Square and other projects so I want to give it some attention. Then of course I still have many patterns from The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet... Charts, and Photos for 200 Stitch Patterns that I haven't tried yet.

Another book I've been thinking about in relation to squares is an old one I've had for a long time called 101 Crochet Squares. I've pulled it out many times in the past years and always seem to come back to it. Great price on it now.

Are you all like me and print out patterns, the copy of which you instantly lose and you have to keep printing them out over and over again? So you end up with like a dozen copies of the same pattern all over your house. When I was doing a cleanup to get the craft room in order, I found many of these. Shhh. I did shoot some of them away and put others in folders which I've been referencing for squares and scarves. I like being reminded that I liked a particular pattern and saved it off, even if I didn't get to work on it right away.

Oh regarding the Master's Course, no I didn't hear, but my friend did. Her swatches have gotten to a reviewer and I'm about a month behind her so it's getting closer. :-)

Guess that's all for today.
 
Happy crocheting!

Share a Square

 I happened across this afghan pattern from Red Heart called Refreshing Throw. It is pattern LW1669. I liked the squares and though it said 7", I thought it would make a nice scarf for Special Olympics, or possibly a square for Share a Square.

With the H hook which is suggested, I used a single crochet on the last round and it came out 6", perfect for Share a Square. I then changed to a G hook and working to pattern, it also came out 6", so I'm going to continue to make enough of these for a scarf. Should I get tired of making them, I can always send to Share a Square or to Sandy Holladay for her square project, Give a Square.

This only reinforces the idea that whatever you want to make, there is somebody out there who can use it. :-)

I will, of course, post photos of whatever I end up doing.

Happy crocheting!