SOL finale

Lookit! I had a scarf about a third done in straight sc. I didn't think I'd have time to finish it before heading to deliver them, but I did. After it was finished, I decided to add a little surface crochet to it. I have been wanting to try that and I was pleased with how it turned out. It's not a fancy pattern, not planned. Just went where it went.

You can see both front and back in the photo.

Finished size is 6" x 58".

All of the remaining scarves will be delivered to Special Olympics Louisiana. Then I will be moving on to other projects.

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

new scarf / copyright infringement

Tada! #30 scarf is complete. Whew!

Finished size is 6" x 59".

The pattern I used is in the leaflet Ruthie's Easy Crocheted Scarves by Ruthie Marks. It is called Lace and Spirals. I didn't do the spirals part. :-)

It uses V stitch and a 3 dc bobble for the center section. The pattern does not call for edging, but I used an edging of one round sc in blue, a round of dc in red, then a round of faux picot (sc, ch 2, sc, sk 1) in blue. I really like the finished product. Oh, and I didn't count rows, but the pattern says 58" long so I must be close.

It was very simple to do once you got into the rhythm of it.

In other news, I discovered that some of my photos were taken from Crochet Cabana without my permission and used on another site. The site owner placed their "name" on the photos. Since these were from one of my earliest tutorials, I did not have my copyright notice directly on the photos. They are definitely my photos as my notations were kept.

The site is in Arabic but translation is available, though it is difficult to understand. My video is also embedded on site.

I have written a polite note using their contact form asking them to remove the photos. I have not had any reply as of yet. It is possible the person did not realize they were doing something wrong. I know it doesn't seem like it could be, but many are not educated about copyright laws and just don't think of intellectual property as something owned.

Truthfully, this is so discouraging and once again makes me wonder if I should just give up and shut down the site. This is not the first time I've had my materials taken and used without permission. I am not alone in this. I know other designers and charity sites have had similar experiences.


Oh well, I guess they are the ones who have to live with their conscience.

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

afghan

I've been busy, busy, busy the past week finishing up an afghan as a wedding gift. I wove most of the tails in during the four hours coming and going to the wedding shower. The assembly did double duty as I made videos during the process (which I will be uploading and annotating today).

It is being washed, then it will be wrapped for the upcoming wedding on the 8th.

The details - the finished size is 49" x 56 1/2". Here is a photo of it laid out on a queen size bed.

There was no planned "pattern" for the squares. I just made squares until I ran out of yarn. Then I scattered them into the largest size I could make with those squares. I purchased four skeins of the beige for the assembly and edging.

Yarn is mostly Vanna's Choice though I think one of the blues is a different manufacturer.

The whole thing was assembled using the continuous join. I'm pleased with the result. I hope the newlyweds will like it and enjoy it for many years to come.

I am hoping to deliver the Special Olympic scarves this week. I have one more to complete to meet my self imposed goal.

Happy crocheting!
Sandie

60 Scarves in 60 Days challenge

I've been so busy with... well, everything... that I forgot to keep track of my scarves for Dee's challenge. If you've never participated, you might like to have a look at the blog post about the 60 Scarves in 60 Days challenge. Once again, the dates are actually 90 days (Sept. 1 to Nov. 30). You can make any scarf pattern and donate it to whatever cause you wish. There is a Ravelry group (link in the blog post) where counts are kept, but if you are not on Ravelry that is not a problem.

I enjoy doing challenges. I guess I am competitive by nature. :-) In any case, many good causes are helped by this one so if you like to make scarves, this is your chance to hop on the bandwagon.

I went back through my September posts and found 7 scarves made since the 1st. As you know, those are going to the Special Olympics. I also made the Doctor Who scarf, but that does not count as that was for myself, not a charity. The scarves that are counted must be donated to a charity.

You can post photos or a link on the Ravelry group if you want to.

If you don't know where to donate them, here are a few suggestions from me.
Special Olympics Louisiana (be sure to read guidelines regarding size and yarn)
http://www.scarvesforspecialolympics.org/states/view/18

Knit Your Bit  (veterans)
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/knit-your-bit/index.html

The Bridge and Beyond (homeless)
http://homelessbridge.blogspot.com/

Threads of Compassion (victims of sexual violence)
http://threadsofcompassion.bravehost.com/

Christmas at Sea (mariners)
http://www.seamenschurch.org/christmas-at-sea

Crafting for a Cause (accepts many types of items, including scarves, for Native Americans)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CraftingForACause/

Scarves from the Heart (cancer patients)
http://www.scarvesfromtheheart.com/

The above are all efforts that I have personally donated to and have corresponded with someone associated with it so I know them to be legit. I have actually visited the Special Olympics Louisiana office and met the dedicated people who work there. The wonderful lady who coordinates Knit Your Bit has visited in my home. Of course I have known Sandy at the Bridge for many years and she is one hard worker and dedicated to helping the homeless in her area.

Kudos to Dee for keeping up this fine tradition and challenging us to keep those hooks moving to help others.


Happy crocheting!
Sandie

wavy scarf

Yesterday I was piddlin' around trying to decide what my next scarf would be. I looked through a few books and finally I thought to myself, you know I have never worked an entire scarf in triple crochet. All that thinking to come up with something so simple. LOL So here it is the simple triple crochet scarf.


I used the Red Heart Soft Really Red for the center triple crochet piece. Then for the edging I decided to do something different that I've not done before. Have to keep those creative juices fed.

For the edging, I worked one round of sc as a base, then I did a wavy border using (sc, hdc, dc, tr cr, dc, hdc, sc). Around the corners I fudged where needed but it really worked out pretty well.

There are 16 triple crochets across and 66 rows, but I really didn't count the rows as I was working. I just measured to be sure it would be within the guidelines. The finished size is 6" x 57 1/2".

I will be making one more scarf for this organization and then I will be moving on. I'm sure you'll be happy to see the end of the red and blue! I know I will - especially the blue with all its woes - though I will still have some yarn left so I may yet make other things with it.

The skein I used last night had a few knots in it, but not so much as to make me irritated. I did rip out a couple times after cutting out a knot or otherwise problem piece when I ran into another problem nearby, but that was my choice to make for fewer tails to sew in rather than cutting two pieces and joining so close together.

Now to decide on the next one. :-)

In other news, here is a video from Red Heart yarns demonstrating how they make yarn. I really enjoyed seeing the process.



That's all for today.

Happy crocheting!
Sandie