Late Post

Sorry for not posting for the past few days.  October is an insane month, with some sort of celebration at least once a week, with both mine and my daughter's birthday being last week.

But I wasn't idle.  Or...I guess I was a little bit, which is why I was able to get all of the panels for the second pattern done and start on the third.  I have since finished one panel of the third pattern and I am starting on the second.  Time for the picture!

This panel is seven stitches across and done in only two colors instead of the three of the other panels.  There are four of these to do, it's done in the same tunisian knit stitch as the others, and then I get to start the duplicate stitching on the white parts of the other panels. 

In other news, I am getting the last bits for the Pattern Request that I was given, so that should go up later today or tomorrow.  Also, I have an idea!  I am thinking about doing a Mystery Stitch-Along!  Once a month, I will give you a list of yarn and things that you're going to need for a project, but I won't tell you what we are making.  I'll post pictures of everything as well.  After about three days, I'll post the first part of the instructions.  All of the instructions will come with step-by-step pictures to follow along with in case you are just learning how to crochet.  I'll even write out the full names of the stitches so that I don't confuse anyone.  The patterns will be written out in US terms, but I will make certain that in the beginning I do a step-by-step of all of the stitches used in the pattern so that everyone can follow along.  Just go back and reference the Stitch Glossary as needed. 

Because you won't know what you are making until it's finished, it's safe to say that we won't be making anything that specifically needs to be sized.  A lot of the ones that I have selected are charity items, and at the end, I'll give you an address for you to send them, if you would like.  It's always nice to give something to someone in need, and learn a new skill as you do so!  I'll try to incorporate new techniques as we go as well, that way you're ready for harder patterns.

If you have a request for a pattern for our first Mystery Crochet-Along project, go ahead and leave me a comment.  Try to keep it a genre, like *Hats* or *Afghans* or *Gloves* as I don't want anyone knowing the pattern until they're done.  Who's all looking forward to this one?

Reader Request: Little Girl Clothes

One of the most interesting (or annoying, either way) things about me is if I really like doing something, I like to give myself as many ways to do it as possible.  This is why I tend to collect crochet and knitting patterns.  I honestly plan on doing each pattern to try it out and see if it's something that I would recommend to my friends.  This also means that I have a huge library to go to when I'm looking for something specific.  So, I absolutely love it when a reader or friend asks me if I have any patterns for anything.  The answer is always YES!

Today's request is for Little Girl Clothes.  Do I have any?  That's a silly question!

For a little hoodie, since the nights are starting to get cold, Lion Brand has this Child's Hooded Cardigan that is really easy to make up.  Homespun has really cute "girl colors" and it's nice and warm.  The yarn is prone to split though, so if you use it, be wary of that. 

The Kiddie Car Coat looks like it would be really warm, and it's done in a chunky yarn, so it makes up pretty fast.  Bernat yarn is a little more forgiving when it comes to yarn splits, and it's fairly soft.  I'd personally do it in a different color, but I'm pretty sure that they have enough chunky colors that you can make something suitably girly.

 

This might be something that she would really like, especially as she gets older.  It's a cowl and wristlet set, and it's very quick and easy to make. 

 





 
I know that it's starting to get cooler in most places on the map, but a little halter top to run around the house in is always handy.  And, if you make it a little bigger than she is, she can always wear it next year.

 

This pencil skirt is absolutely adorable and easy to make.  I highly suggest using the elastic for the waistband.  Just crochet over it and you won't even know that it's there.

 

 

This Lemon Drop Dress is way too cute, and I love the colors that they picture it in, which is rare.  I made this for my niece, since we call her "Treefrog" in these same colors and it turned out really cute.  It comes together pretty quickly, and I really like Caron for inexpensive yet silky yarn. 

 

 

This Bobble Dress is really cute, and the website has the instructions so perfectly laid out, with pictures every step of the way, that it's easy to follow.  If you haven't done a bobble before, it can be kind of tricky at first, but it does get easier with practice.  One way that I have learned to slip your hook through all of the loops without a hitch is to make certain that you rub your hook with wax paper before you start.  Watch your tension, and this little trick will make it really easy to make those bobbles.

 

 

This Halter and Skirt Set is another good one to have on hand around the house, or a perfect summer outfit.  I like the colors already, but it's easy to change the color scheme around.

 

 

This Gypsy Blouse is really cute on little girls.  I made this one in pastels for my niece, but the bright colors work out just as well.

 

 

 

This cute little sweater has got a lot of character to it, with it's little openwork row near the bottom.  It's bobbles again, so don't forget to wax up your hook. 

 

 

So there you have it, 10 free patterns that are easy to work up.  If you want more patterns, or have an idea of what you're looking for besides just girl clothes, let me know.  I narrowed it down from hundreds, so I have a lot more to choose from.

 

And if you are looking for a pattern but don't know what to look for, just drop me a request in the comments.  I can always look through my stash and see what I have to provide.

 

 



The Pattern is Revealed

And this is pretty much the pattern for this Strip; just rinse and repeat.  If you've been following along, that's 26 Tunisian Knit Stiches across, 26 rows.  I added the extra row per color change because I wanted a slightly bigger afghan.  The white blocks are th eones that will have a pattern stitched onto them.  That's where I think my time is going to be sucked away the most.  We'll have to see.  In the meantime, I just work row after row of this pattern.  It doesn't take too long to get a strip done.  I should be able to finish this strip today and then start on the 3rd pattern.  Then we can start on the decorating.  Once that's done, all ends will be woven in and then the afghan will be sewn together.  Then I put the border on it.

For those that are curious, yes, Tunisian Stitches all make a fabric that tends to curl at the ends.  This can be alleviated by blocking or by adding a border stitch, for the most part.  Some blocking after that may be necessary, but usually only a steam block.  When you're sewing strips, however, the curling effect goes away once the border is on.

So, without further ado, the pattern:

Pattern 2, Strip 2

Finished the first strip of this next pattern in the strips last night while friends were over.  One thing I love about my friends is that they know that I can hold a conversation, play a roleplaying game, and knit or crochet all at the same time.  It's called multitasking!  This strip is pretty much the same as the first, no differences from the other pattern either except for the placement in colors.  That means it's basically a mindless repeat, which is fine.  The real thinking will come in with the duplicate stitching.

So, here's the second strip.  All in all, about 115 rows were done yesterday between the first strip and this one.  It's coming along very nicely, and hopefully I will have this strip done today so that I can get to work on the last pattern, which has 4 strips in it.

I'm definately going to get this done in time.

Pattern 2, Strip 1

I worked on my afghan last night and got mostly done with this strip.  I should have the strip done by today, at least, and move on to the next one.  I only have one more strip to do in this pattern before I move on to Pattern 3, which has 4 strips in it.  Once I finish the strips, then I have to go back and do some duplicate stitching before I can sew everything together and start on the border.

Before the questions start coming in, no, this really is done in crochet.  This technique is called the Tunisian Knit Stitch, and it makes the fabric look like it's been knitted instead of crocheted.  It makes for a softer, thicker fabric than if it was just knitted, and it uses the same basic technique as Tunisian Crochet.  If people ask for it, I might put a tutorial on here for those who are interested.

I didn't get a whole lot done, only about 25 lines, but I didn't have a lot of time, either.  All of the lilac and the starting line of royal purple is what I got done yesterday. 

Projects

So this is the other thing that I do in my spare time besides work.  My crocheting is very important to me, and I've gotten pretty good at it in the two years that I've been doing it.  I mostly crochet for other people, though I knit as well.  I just don't like to do it as much.  I guess it's just because I'm not as good at it yet, but I'm working on it.

So this post is mostly about what I am doing right now.  I'm working on three blankets, all for friends.  One of them is supposed to be an anniversary present, which I only have about a month to finish.  I'm about a third of the way done with it, but I'm not too worried about it.  It's in Tunisian, which I go really fast at, so I should be done with it by the time that their anniversary rolls around.  I will post pictures of where I am with it at the end of the day, when I stop.  I'm hoping to have the next part of it done today so that I can get the new set of strips started tomorrow.  Once I am done with the blanket, then I will post the link to the pattern and start talking about the next project.

So, anyone else crocheting or knitting?