National Crochet Month

I just realized this is National Crochet Month. You can read a bit about it at Crochet Today. Since I'm always crocheting, I'm not doing much different this month than I usually do.

It feels strange to be talking about normal things when so many are suffering in Japan. Please keep those folks who went through a terrible earthquake and tsunami and will be feeling those effects for a long time to come as they rebuild. We in Louisiana know all too well what that feels like.

I can't help but be excited, however, that my yarn has ALREADY come in from Knitting Warehouse. I love how quick they are with the orders. I ordered this Monday and here it is already! Fabulous service.

Here you can see Jack investigating. He gave his approval to the pretty colors.

I am pleased with the yarn and I think these colors (Vanna's Choice scarlet and pink) will work well. Hopefully I ordered enough of it.

Now I can start the Reversible Sweetheart Ripple.  This is for the CAL by Kim Guzman. Yay! I am going to make a smaller afghan. According to Kim, you can increase or decrease in multiples of 13. She suggested a starting chain of 155 for a baby afghan. That would also be a good lapghan size I'm thinking, so I will do that. Fingers crossed that I can do it!


Next week I hope to do another video so stay tuned! My husband has removed most of his stuff (from the paint job) from my "studio" so I should be able to get in there and work. His office looks great with the new colors. I plan to do the craft room soon too, but I'm not going to actually DO it. I think I'll hire it out. I am thinking sage greens. Nothing in concrete yet. Of course I will have to remove all MY stuff when that time comes, which will not be fun.

That's all for today.


Happy crocheting!

Share a Square...

My hubby has been doing some painting in his office so all of his office things are in my craft room. That has limited what I have been able to do the past few days crafting-wise, so I've been working on taxes instead. Not NEARLY as much fun.

Took a break for that to make a few more squares for Share a Square. Shelly Tucker, the coordinator, would like each afghan to have only one square from each volunteer so she is in need of a few more square to fill up the last afghans. I promised to send 10 more and I'm well on the way to that so here are a few pics of what I have so far. I chose to use orange for most since these are going to children with cancer and you know that particular color doesn't show up very well, so sorry in advance.

The first square is my blueberries pattern. I did a video demonstrating how to do that one. You can find it at the YouTube channel.

The middle ones are mostly Susan Smith's Filet Granny Square which comes perfectly for me using this Caron One Pound orange yarn and an H hook.

The next is my very favorite square pattern - my daughter Kate's X stitch square. You might remember her V Stitch scarf I posted a month or so ago. These two patterns (and more as time allows me to get them up there) will be available at Crochet Cabana on the Other Designers pattern page.

Lastly, is a V stitch square, also my daughter's pattern.

I'll be making one more orange square and then these will be winging their way to Share a Square.

Another item I wanted to mention is Reversible Ripple Afghans.
Kim Guzman will be doing a CAL (crochet-along) using a pattern from this book called Sweetheart Ripple Afghan. The pattern is reversible (as the book notes) with hearts on one side and a straight ripple on the other. The Sweetheart Ripple appeared in Crochet World February 2009 if you happen to have that issue or subscribe to the digital issues where you have access to the archives. I actually forgot I have this pattern and ordered the book and yarn. I went with Vanna's Choice yarn because I am not a big fan of Simply Soft, which is the yarn specified in the pattern.

I know the book is available at Amazon (per link above) and also Knitting Warehouse and Annie's Attic that I've found. I'm sure it is other places as well.

I don't think I've ever done a CAL with anyone else so I'm rather interested in seeing how it goes. I've already joined the Yahoo group. I'm thinking to make a lapghan rather than a full size afghan, but I'll determine whether that's an option after I look at the pattern more closely.

In the Crochet Spot newsletter they featured a nice edging I thought you might like to try. You can see it at http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-block-edging/ . I thought it was a nice way to make a block at a time and add an interesting bit to your edging. 

That's all for now.

Happy crocheting!