I'm still alive . . .

but covered up with graduate work! This latest class is taking up a lot of my needleworking time. Grrrr!

However, I am pursuing my knitting -- that is, whenever I get some free time during the day at the various schools where I've been subbing. It's difficult, though. I tend to lose my place very easily if the pattern is any more difficult that K or P the entire row. I really need to get cracking with the camera so I can post pictures of the various scarves and hats I've completed this fall.

I've even started one of those knitted Prayer Shawls in Homespun. It's taking me forever (over a week) just to get through the first skein of yarn even though I'm knitting it on size 17 needles. I'm not accustomed to taking this long to somplete a project -- the crocheted Prayer Shawl pattern takes me just 8 hours. Of course, I've been crocheting a heck of lot longer than I've been knitting.

I'm baaack!!!

I finally finished those two grad classes and have started another one (only 3 more after this one)! To celebrate I decided to crochet this Star Coaster from Crochet Fantasy's Christmas Special, Sept-Oct 1984, Vol. 3, No. 7. It's really easy and quick to make so I think I'll probably finish out a set of 8 in the next few days.

Busy, busy, busy

I've been really busy this month with my grad classes. I managed to get my 2 papers submitted on time and now just have the final exams to take before Thursday night. Not much needlework has been done this session and my stress level is really high.

I did finish crocheting a hat for myself and a cover for a coffee container I've been using to store my crochet hooks in. Both were done in Jaded Ombre by Dawn Sayelle (100% Sayelle Acrylic worsted weight). I think I picked this skein up on clearance at Michael's a number of years ago. There was a clearance tag listing the original price at $1.49 and the clearance price of $0.75. Anyway, so much for my efforts to clear out some of my stash.

Knitted Texas Dishcloth

What can I say? Once I saw this pattern on the internet, I knew I HAD to make it. The only problem is that I kept making mistakes in counting my knits and purls. I frogged the darn thing 4 times before I finally managed to get it finished. I tried to knit on it during the Ravelry Bayour City Knitters meeting on Thursday night a couple of weeks ago but failed miserably. It took another week before I could get my nerve up to try it again. Maybe it was sitting there and watching the Olympics while I knitted. Maybe it was Pippin lazing there next to me. Who knows? Who cares? It's done! Huzzah!

What to do next?

That's the question, isn't it? Do I finish inventorying my stash of yarn and thread or start another project? Do I rush out to buy more bamboo knitting needles to complete my set or just work with the aluminum ones I already have?

I'm already frustrated with Ravelry's library option. I've been trying to put my magazines in but you can only put a book, magazine, booklet, etc. in the library if someone has already posted a project from that book, magazine, booklet, etc. ARRGGGHHH! And I haven't been able to find out if there is any way of listing the projects available in any particular book, magazine, booklet, etc. (That's a lot of etcs!) OK, so it's still in beta but it's something they really need to consider. (Grouse, grouse, grouse!)

I think my heavy load of grad classes this summer is making me irritable. It's certainly NOT helping my needlework output any.

Ah, schoolwork!

It's coming between me and my needlework! And that's a very dangerous position to be in!

I have, however, begun to inventory my yarn and thread stash. I had no idea I had so many types of yarn and thread -- and a lot of them are by companies that are no longer in business or have been bought by other companies! That means the skeins are different sizes than what's already in Ravelry. ARRGGHHH!

I've also put a few of my magazines into my library on Ravelry. Should have started with books -- I have fewer of them. The main problem here is not only do I have so many magazines, books, leaflets, etc., someone has to have already posted a pattern (or maybe it's just a project that used one of the patterns) from the book, magazine, etc. in Ravelry. HISS! SPIT!

Oh well. I'll just keep slogging away at it. It will all get done . . . someday.

It finally came!

My invitation to join Ravelry! I am so stoked about this! I spent most of the afternoon and evening looking around and entering information in the website. There's just so much to see and dream about.

Spent part of the evening working on Janelle Schlossman's Textured Squares Dishcloth. I had an unopened skein of Lily's Sugar'n Cream in Delft Blue that I wanted to use with size 8 knitting needles. I did well until it was time to bind off. Silly me, I had taken my work downstairs to watch some TV. I should have come back upstairs to sit in front of the computer and review a video on binding off before I attempted it. So it's done now but it looks a little weird and I don't really like what I did in the binding off.

The best part about knitting is that it takes considerably less yarn than crocheting. I decided to make another Textured Squares Dishcloth with the remaining yarn in the hopes that I will be smarter at the end of this attempt and watch the video before I bind it off.

I'm still here . . .

. . .but I'm on this weird knitting kick recently. I have this incredible stash of yarn and thread that I've collected over the past mumble-something years and I've decided since I'm low on $$ right now that I might as well start using it. I find that I start knitting something -- a scarf, a shawl, a dishcloth -- get about 10-20-30 rows into it and decide I don't like it. Maybe the needle size is wrong for that yarn or I really don't like the color or something. So I frog it. RIPP-IT, RIPP-IT, RIPP-IT! So now I have several skeins of yarn all undone because I frogged whatever it was I thought I was going to knit. And this is following the pattern instructions! GRRRR!

On a happier thought, I requested on July 16th an invitation to Ravelry, the knit and crochet community people keep talking about. At this point there are only 374 people in line before me and 2243 people behind me. Since the "before me" number hasn't changed since Friday afternoon I'm hoping that my invitation will come later on today, tomorrow at the latest.

In the meantime, I've been cleaning house in between working on my grad courses. It's amazing what all I'm finding stashed here in boxes all over the house. I found 3 more bags full of yarn in the master bedroom closet as well as a large plastic sweater box cram full of crocheted doilies and granny squares in all different colors I had made almost 10 years ago. And those were just the things I could get my hands on easily. There are two rows of boxes stacked about 4-5 high in that closet as well as what's up on the shelf overhead.

I keep thinking if I could just get all these UFOs in project bags I could just pick up the next project bag on the way out the door and run with it until I finished that project. Then I could go on to the next one. Yeah, right. Who am I fooling more -- me or you? I have so many UFOs right now I'm NEVER going to be able to die.

Hooks and needles

I spent some time yesterday entering all my crochet hooks and knitting needles into an Excel spreadsheet. I was amazed to find that I own more than 50 of each! Even so, I don't have one of every size available so I persuaded hubby to buy me a couple of pairs of bamboo knitting needles while he was out running errands -- No. 13 (9mm) and No. 15 (10mm).

I dug out an old skein of American Thread Co. Dawn knitting worsted in 100% virgin wool - rainbow color - to practice my garter stitch by making a narrow scarf. I've always loved that yarn - all basic colors. My sister and I used to cut it up in long pieces and leave them on low bushes so the birds would take them for their nests. It was so much fun to spy a bird's nest made with the yarn woven into it. I wonder if kids still do that?

Anyway, the bamboo needles are great. They're light in weight and make the most wonderful clicking sound. Soooo relaxing! Aluminum needles can make a sound but it's just not the same.

Lite Blue Doily

That's what I'm calling it even though it's #6 on page 8 of Magic Crochet Gifts. I found this 1985 booklet in a local Half Price Books this week. What a find! And everything has the international symbols!

I also picked up several back issues of Interweave Crochet and Crochet!

And I couldn't resist a copy of Stylish Scarves Made from Stunning Yarns: Easy Knit Stitches and Techniques for the Yarn Enthusiast by Carri Hammett. This book starts you out with the simplest scarf knitted in the garter stitch and progresses different fibers and techniques. All of the projects have a generic yarn description as well as the listing of the specific yarn used in the demo photos.

Knitting

After long saying I would never knit, I have finally actually completed a couple of knitting projects. I never seem to be able to remember how to do various things (like purl or bind off) so I bought a copy of Coats Knitting Made Easy CD from Hobby Lobby. I like being able to replay certain sections over and over so I'm sure I've gotten the technique.

Of course it doesn't help that this means I have to buy more yarn or more knitting needles. I have scads of knitting needles inherited from various members of my family plus a couple of handfulls I've purchased over the years, intending to learn how to knit. So there I was in Hobby Lobby AND Michael's today, buying more yarn. OK, I already confessed to hubby that I bought more yarn today -- I just didn't tell him I bought another pair of rosewood knitting needles (clearance - US$9.99) and 6 balls of Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Cotton (on sale - US$1.29 each). At least all of the yarn I bought today was either already on sale (US$3.39) or on clearance (US$1.00)!

Now I just need to set aside a large plastic box somewhere so I can stash my completed Christmas gifts and still find them to gift them this year!

Small oval doily

I started out with good intentions to finish this doily full size but had some problems with it so it finished out only 2"x5.5". It was crocheted in pale jade Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Cotton (#10) with a Susan Bates USB1/2.25mm aluminum hook. The picture is really bad. :(

I have a tiny Waterford desk clock that would look nice on it so I think that's how this one will end up on a small desk shelf somewhere.

Exuberance

Another doily (item #10) from the January 1995 issue (#43) of Decorative Crochet. Once again, it's crocheted in Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Thread #10 white and edged in lilac. It was part of a larger runner of the motifs but I decided to make it into a smaller doily.

Sweetheart

This crocheted "Sweetheart" is from the February/March 2007 issue of Crochet Today. It's done in Southmaid 100% cotton thread - size 10 - color cardinal - with a Susan Bates USB1/2.25mm aluminum hook.

Book Recommendations

The first one is The Complete Book of Crochet Border Designs by Linda P. Schapper. The second one is also by Linda P. Schapper: The Complete Book of Crochet Stitches. Of course, they both contain the international symbols as well as the written pattern so I knew I was going to like them. As a matter of fact, I was so taken with my purchase of Crochet Border Designs yesterday that I went back and had hubby buy a copy of Crochet Stitches for me today!

Another thing I like about her books is that she includes the necessary stitch count for repeats in each motif. For example, you would chain multiples of 4 + 2 to determine how long you wanted to crochet a particular border (edging) or stitch. This is particularly helpful when edging a piece of fabric such as a tablecloth or pillowcase. I can see lots of edgings in my future . . .

Round Flower

This little cutie, Round Flower, is another motif from Melody Griffiths' 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas. In Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Thread (#10 white) it only measures 3.25" across but would look equally nice in a sport weight yarn for a scarf.

As you can probably tell, I'm gearing up to start working on scarves for (Shush! Don't tell!) Christmas presents by collecting and trying out different motif patterns. I'd also like to crochet some edgings to put on pillowcases. A few years I visited a friend in Baltimore, MD who had the most wonderful linens in her bedrooms -- all adorned with crocheted edgings! I guess you could say those linens inspired me to continue working on my crocheting.

Silhouette Flower Medallion

Here's another piece from Melody Griffiths' 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas. This one is the silhouette flower medallion crocheted in Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Thread - #10 white. I used a Susan Bates B or 1 USA 2.25 mm aluminum hook. At 4.5" across it's probably too small to be of much use as anything except a coaster -- but it would still need something to edge it.

I think it would look great done in heavier cotton thread -- like you would use for a potholder. Maybe in white on a solid blue background as a snowflake or even a red on a solid green background as a poinsettia. You'd have to have a solid background to show off the pretty design but more importantly, to protect your fingers from slipping through the mesh and getting burned accidentally. Hmmmm. I wonder if I have some more heavy white cotton thread . . .

Flores en negro . . .

is the title of this block but as you can see, I did it in #10 white cotton thread. Originally it was done in black fluffy yarn with a number of these blocks lining up as a scarf. I wanted to try the pattern out in thread first, thinking I might make a runner or placemat out of it.

I don't know exactly who to credit the pattern to as I found it on another blog in Brazil. The pattern was written in Spanish with international symbols.

It has really been hot . . .

here in Houston these past several days. That is, until the rains come in the afternoon. Then it's nice and cool for a while. But it doesn't stop me from wanting to see a little S*N*O*W!

I picked up a copy of Melody Griffiths' 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas at the library earlier today and crocheted this snowflake this evening. While she does include the international symbols with her wonderful patterns, she omits the round or row numbers from the diagrams. ARRGGGHHH! Since I love her designs I can see that I'm going to have to buy my very own copy and mark it up a bit for my personal consumption.

Anyway, the snowflake was very quickly crocheted in Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Thread -- #10 white cotton -- with a Susan Bates B or 1 USA 2.25mm aluminum hook. It measures 4.5" across, large enough to work as a coaster. I'm sure it would look just as nice crocheted smaller in #20 or even #30 thread.

Mom Filet Bookmark

This is another pattern whose author is lost in space and time. I tried to google "mom filet bookmark" and "crocheted mom bookmark" and check the patterns I saw listed but none of them are the same as this one. Maybe I made it up myself?

Another mystery is why I made it in variegated purples if it was really for my mom; her favorite color is blue. In any case, it looks nice. It measures 2.25" x 5.75" and was crocheted in #10 cotton thread.

It's not the best picture I've taken . . .

but it will do in a pinch. Here is a little yellow doily I crocheted mumble years ago. It measures about 6.25" square and was crocheted in #10 yellow cotton thread. Why I chose yellow is a mystery to me. I probably had bought a spool of yellow to make flower centers with and then just grabbed it in desperation just to crochet something. As you might surmise, yellow is NOT my favorite color.

On the brighter side of things (ooh, bad pun!), I do have a WIP (work-in-progress) right now that's coming along nicely. It's a filet crochet piece from the September 1989 issue of Crochet Fantasy (Vol. 8 No 5) called Jacobean Filet. I've been working on it for several days now and hope to finish it up this weekend.

Easy Eyeglass Case

OK, so I'm trying to work my way through a ball of variegated blues right now. This Easy Eyeglass Case was item #7 in the July 1999 Crochet Fantasy magazine and caught my eye because, well, it's easy! This is actually just one side of the case. I think I will just tack it on top of a pale blue body because just using it with all those holes and semi-harsh thread would be hard on glasses. Something softer right next to the lenses is definitely called for here.

Make your Mark Bookmark

I love the name of this bookmark. You see, DH's name is Mark and this one is for him. Now if I can just get him to use it and not lose it.

Anyway, it was designed by Jackie Karp and presented in the July 1999 issue of Crochet Fantasy as item #17. I crocheted it in #10 variegated blues cotton thread with a Boye 6 USA steel hook.

And the redwork mini-quilt I've been doing? Well, it's on hold right now while I'm trying to find just the right fabric to use for the sashing. This may require a trip to a fabric shop (Shush! Don't tell DH!) but I may just be able to work it in because I need to check on some insulating lining fabric for my den curtains. We'll see what happens this weekend . . .

Redwork mini-quilt - Part IV

OK, on to Part IV of the mini-quilt. Yet another design from the luscious LadiesinRed.org. I added my initials and the year so I could maybe keep track of what I've been doing . . . besides learning how to bake bread and writing technology-laden lesson plans.

I spent some time (ok, a couple of hours!) this evening looking at other needlework blogs and downloading still more free redwork designs. While cleaning house this week I ran across some little Christmas bags. Some were in fabric and some were in felt. A number of the designs I downloaded tonight would be suitable for decorating small Christmas bags. (I do so love the foil wrapping papers on presents but they've gotten soooo expensive! Plus, wrapping gifts in paper is not exactly PC these days.) Maybe I can work in some appliqueing this summer also?

Redwork mini-quilt - Part III

Part III of this redwork mini-quilt is thimbles from LadiesinRed.org website. I have to admit I'm not particularly fond of thimbles . . . until my fingertips start hurting from pushing a needle through fabric a lot. I own several -- mostly metal ones from Germany. My favorite one, however, is a green plastic Bionic thimble I found in a quilt shop years ago. I can wear it for hours at a time; it doesn't come off my finger as easily as the metal ones do.

Redwork mini-quilt - Part II

I chose buttons as Part II of my little redwork quilt. Again, the pattern came from the fabulous LadiesinRed.org website in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A little redwork mini-quilt . . .

. . .is what I decided I would like to make next. So I downloaded this tomato pincushion from the Ladiesinred.org website to start out.

I love kitties

So I was delighted to find this filet crochet bookmark online (somewhere). Of course, I had to make it in size #10 thread instead of #20 so it came out a big larger than the pattern called for. No problem! I'm either going to have it framed or I'll tack it to some satin ribbon so I can hang it on the wall.

I think these kitties would be cute facing each other on a pocket. Or maybe they could be mad at each other and face away. What do you think?

Christmas coaster

Here's another coaster in heavy cotton. Again, I don't remember where I got the pattern (probably off the internet). It was fairly easy and quick to do. (I'm sure I have a set of them somewhere but I only found this one today in a box of needlework and table linens I was sorting through.)

That's the thing about cleaning house -- you never know what you're going to find! What makes it so difficult is that I just have to sit down and leaf through that magazine, that book, that notebook, and dream/scheme about my next few (many!) projects. Not to mention sort things to go back to the various rooms in the house where they really belong (instead of where they are), trash a lot of junk, bag books to sell back, or box things to be donated. Whew! And that's just in the den!

A funny thing happened . . .

at school on Thursday. It was the last class day for students and an early dismissal day as well. I had been contacted by the computer to sub from 8 AM to 10 AM. I thought that was a bit odd so I went ahead and showed up at 7:30 AM as I normally would for this school. When I got there I found out there would only be two class periods -- 2nd and 5th -- and 5th period started at 9:55 AM (5 minutes before I was scheduled to leave). On top of that, the teacher I would be subbing for didn't even have a 2nd period class. I ended up spending two hours in the teachers' lounge doing redwork before I was asked to go on ahead to the classroom and stay for the 5th period class! I was able to get quite a lot accomplished on this Jacobean-style redwork flower. (I actually was in the classroom about 15 minutes before the teacher arrived and relieved me. )

Anyway, I worked on this piece off and on during the rest of the day at home and finally finished it late at night. It's amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it (and have a little "down time" in which to work)!

More redwork completed

I started this redwork heart a couple of days ago and finally got it finished yesterday. I wasn't really paying to much attention to the fabric -- just wanted to get something embroidered and completed -- and found that a cat had previously wet on the fabric. I've hand washed it several times now but think I'm going to have to soak it overnight to get the stain out. At least it doesn't smell.

Oh, the joys of the internet!

I've spent the last couple of days viewing, downloading, and printing free redwork patterns from the internet. (Don't tell hubby!) In fact, I've printed out so many that I had to start a new 3" binder to keep my patterns. I did trace off several of the new ones onto white muslin so I could start work on them in between schoolwork and housework. I've just about finished another large piece. Will have to wash and iron it before photographing and posting to this blog.

And yet another tidbit

From the mixed up files of Mrs., um, well, anyway. It's just the right size to go on a pocket. That is, if you like cream colored crocheted tidbits.

A number of years ago I heard about pattern books that held snips and tidbits of crochet in them. The books were made of cotton fabric and the tidbits were then attached to the pages with sewing thread. I guess fabric was more plentiful than paper at that time and wouldn't leave marks on the tidbits. I keep thinking I'd like to create one of those pattern books for myself -- that's probably one reason why I've kept my snips and tidbits all these years.

The other reason is I want to get back into crazy quilting and you need lots of things to embellish a crazy quilt. I've been collecting photos from the internet of various crazy quilts to use as inspiration for my needlework. Hopefully this summer I'll be able to get more needlework done than during the school year.

It's really just a pineapple tidbit

but it does look somewhat like a butterfly in J. & P. Coats' Lilac Knit-Cro-Sheen thread. I was playing around with Josie Raber's Pineapple Persuasion pattern (#6 in the July 1989 issue of Crochet Fantasy magazine). The pattern is actually for a wearable shell but since I don't like to crochet clothing I thought it might work for a tidbit or maybe even a bookmark (if I repeated the pattern a couple of times).

Here's another piece of redwork

This time it's a kitty in a watering pail -- another one of my finds on the internet. I just love how she's leaning on her arm and sticking her tongue out. I can't decide whether she's taking a bath or making a comment on being stuck in the watering pail.

I needed another bookmark . . .

so I stitched up this one from leftover #10 white cotton thread and edged it with J&P Coats Knit-Cro-Sheen cotton in Lilac. In the mess that is currently my study I've managed to misplace my ruler but I think it's about 7" long by 1.5" wide. A little bit of filet crochet, it's just lots of white dcs and alternating dcs & chs, with scs all around in lilac.

I liked this design . . .

of a kitty in a shoe but I'm still having problems with the eyes. I wasn't particularly fond of what I saw in the pattern and haven't come up with a solution as of yet. Anyway, this is redwork from Vogart's pattern #626. I found a copy of it on Floresita's blog. I think the URL is http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/367502140_9b4097f66e.jpg?v=0.

Gauge is very important . . .

. . . when you are doing filet crochet. At times I'm right on with it and at other times, well, I miss the mark. This was one of those times. This coaster measures 4.5" x 5" when blocked and should have been either 4.5" x 4.5" or 5" x 5" square. So, back to the various bags and boxes that I keep my crochet hooks in to find another hook in a slightly different size. Maybe it will turn out properly next time I crochet this coaster. (It's my own design!)

The redwork is coming along nicely. I've finished a couple of pieces, traced a few more on fabric, and will post pictures in the next couple of days. Until then . , ,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star . . .

well, maybe not this little star. It's another tidbit from my box. It measures 2.25" from point to point, crocheted in 100% cotton thread (size 10).

This is just filling in while I embroider some really cute kitties in redwork. I spent a couple of very enjoyable hours last night downloading free patterns from the internet. This afternoon I traced several of them onto white cotton muslin and have already started embroidering them! Hopefully, I'll have something to photograph and post in the next couple of days -- maybe even tomorrow! (I always was pretty fast with my needlework. Used to drive my hand quilting/embroidery instructor, Alice, crazy.)

I found this doily stashed . . .

. . . in a box of tidbits I had completed a while back. It's in #10 cotton thread and measures 9" from point to point. Other than that, what can I say? It's a crocheted doily!

I'm still washing, blocking, and photographing needlework on top of all my other life duties but I think I'm going to do a little redwork embroidery for a while.

I love to read . . .

. . . and I usually have several books going at the same time. Therefore, bookmarks like this one are at a premium in my household. I used to use paper bookmarks but I just kept losing (er, donating) them when I sold my books back. I'm a little less likely to lose a crocheted bookmark even if, like this one, it doesn't have ribbons or a chain hanging off of it. (I guess I do need to finish that righthand side a little better!)

This one is 1.5" x 9" and crocheted from Aunt Lydia's yellow 100% cotton thread in size 10.

I love coasters . . .

. . . because they're quick and generally easy to make. They don't take much thread or yarn either. So, here's another 4" quick coaster in #10 white 100% cotton thread. I'm still looking for the pattern again so I can make some more as gifts.

Is it watermelon time yet?

'Cause I'm ready with this nifty watermelon hot pad. OK, I know it looks like it's a potholder but it's really a hot pad. Remember all those old CDs (AOL, etc.) you didn't know what to do with? Well, there's one stuck in between the two layers of watermelon! It's a great way to recycle those CDs.

Oh yeah. Heavy cotton in black, pink, cream, and light green. 7" in diameter. Can't remember who wrote the pattern but I'm sure it was someone on the internet.

Back to the needlework

Tip for surviving final exams: Do needlework! It helps to greatly lower your stress level.

Having done that (and received an "A" in the course - YAY ME!), here is what I crocheted during that time period. This is "Cookie Corner," item #6 from Magic Crochet, June 1997, Issue #108. It's deep rose colored in Aunt Lydia's Puritan Heirloom Crochet Cotton (size #10) and measured 8.5" in diameter.

Been busy here . . .

. . . trying to finish up another grad course and remodel my kitchen so the needlework has been put aside for the moment. I need to wash and block a number of pieces as well as weave in all those pesky little thread ends that bedevil every needleworker. I have a very bad habit of doing a piece and then tossing it in a basket without weaving in the ends. (Bad kitty! Hold our your paw!)

So, bear with me as I finish up my kitchen (took the final exam Thursday night so that's done - YAY!) and try to prepare some completed needlework for photographing this weekend.

Red and white edging

Digging around in one of my snippets boxes I found this red and white edging I crocheted last December. Judging by the size, .75" x 6.75", I think it was destined to go on a pocket. The red is actually a metallic thread woven in with the white cotton thread. It's still a #10 thread.

It's been hot today . . .

. . . so I decided to post a purple fan. I've had the a/c off and the windows open for the last several weeks because the weather has been so cool here in Houston (Shhhh! Don't tell anyone! It's our little secret -- Houston really does have more than a couple of nice weather days each year!)

I don't remember what thread I used. It's a single strand so it could possibly be just plain ole sewing thread on white 100% cotton muslin. The pattern I found at Ladiesinred.org.

Sometimes simple is best . . .

. . .like this potholder I crocheted in rows of hdc (half double crochet) and sc (single crochet) stitches.

I actually prefer this shape to the traditional square potholders. This gives me just enough coverage so my hand won't get burned but not so much coverage that I can't find the pot!

Measuring 8.25" x 5.50" in a heavy weight variegated 100% cotton yarn, it's a totally mindless piece but great to do while watching the telly or sitting in a waiting room. Plus, it's easily cleaned in the washer & dryer! A win-win situation all around!

Why'd I do that???

Did you ever do something and later on ask yourself why you did it? Well, I did it and now I'm asking myself why I crocheted 30 inches of lace in heavy cream-colored cotton.

Was I going to put it on a pillow? Maybe as a collar on a sweatshirt jacket? Who knows? It's in my stash for now . . . at least until I figure out something to do with it.

Wish me luck . . .

I'm trying to get a wiki put together for a class but I'm being hampered by a very slow running computer. (It took me 15 minutes just to get this far!) No time to edit a pic for today's posting -- which should have been on Friday instead a few minutes after midnight on Saturday. GRRRRR!

Better late than never! Here's a shamrock fridgie crocheted in green yarn.

Tickling the ivories . . .

. . . in needlepoint, no less! This fridgie was done in black and white yarn on plastic canvas. Very quick, very simple. Great for a little "thank you" to a friend or a teacher at school. You could even hot glue a ribbon rose on top of it to dress things up a bit.

Another white doily

OK, here's another white doily that isn't exactly as the pattern was written. Well, mostly. I was running out of thread so I modified Rnd 10 by not including a sc (single crochet) between each of the 4 dc (double crochet) stitches and ending the doily on Rnd 10. Nothing fancy here but I think it finished out the doily nicely.

This was Doily #8 from Classic Crochet magazine - January 1987, Volume 2, Issue 1. The thread was Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Cotton #10 in white crocheted with a Susan Bates US B1/2.25mm aluminum hook. Diameter is 6.5".

Sometimes we goof . . .

. . . and this is how it turns out. Oh well. It still looks nice.

This little white coaster is crocheted in some white cotton with sparkly stuff already in it. You can't really see the sparkly stuff in this picture; you just have to take my word for it. Anyway, the coaster measures 3.5" x 3.5" and was very easy to make. Now, if I could just find the pattern again so I could finish a full set . . .

Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home . . .

. . . and here's where she landed! Right on my refrigerator as a crocheted fridgie minus her antennnae.

She's 3.25" x 2" in good ole Red Heart yarn. Very, very simple to make and great as a little tuck-in to a card or letter. (You do still write cards and letters, don't you?!? Of course, you do!) Alternatively, you could stitch her to a hat or a bag or a sweater or . . . well, you get the idea.

My favorite color is . . .

PURPLE! So I embroidered this cute little angel in purple stem stitches, cross stitches, straight stitches and colonial knots on 100% cotton white muslin with 2 plies of DMC cotton floss (#???). She measured 4.5" x 2.75" on 7.5" x 5.75" fabric.

Sorry, I haven't a clue as to where I found the pattern other than somewhere on the Internet. (Note to self: Cite those sources!) I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her yet. I've thought of making a quilt (that takes a lot of time!) but I'll probably just make one of those tiny little pillows that has a cord attached so I can hang it on a door knob in my bedroom. She's just too big to be turned into a pincushion.

She'd also look nice in a smaller size using regular sewing thread or some fancy metallic thread and made into a tiny pillow ornament to go on a Christmas tree.

Pippin on my pillow . . .

. . . makes me happy (apologies to John Denver!). So does doing redwork.

A classmate of mine asked me about redwork yesterday so I promised him I would post some of mine. Redwork is simple embroidery done in red, or more properly, "turkey red." If you're familiar with DMC floss (available at any good craft store), #321 is fairly close to turkey red. The embroidery is usually done in an outline or stem stitch with colonial or French knots (and sometimes satin stitches) thrown in for good measure.

Red dyes were not always colorfast so when a colorfast red first hit the market, it was being manufactured in Turkey (or so I'm told). Hence the name, "turkey red." Women would order squares of 100% cotton with pictures printed on them for a penny apiece from various magazines. (These squares were imaginatively called "penny squares.") The idea was to embroider the squares (keeping those idle hands busy!) then stitch them together to make quilts for family and friends.

I don't remember where I acquired this square -- probably a kit in resale shop because it's on a polycotton blend fabric. (I prefer to do my redwork on 100% cotton.) While the design is 3 1/2" x 7 1/8", the square itself is 8.5"x8.5". (You do the decimal conversions. I never was very good at math. I'm a writer, not a mathematician!) The subject matter was what caught my eye -- a kitten asleep on a pillow.

What can I do in 30 minutes?

Well, I can crochet this cutie.

"It's a Small World" was Project #26 in Issue 66 of Decorative Crochet published in November 1998. Crocheted in #10 variegated yellow cotton thread with a Bates USB1/2.25mm hook from Mexico, it measured 3.5"x3.5". I was trying to finish up a ball of thread but ran out so I ended the coaster at Rnd 5.

Still, I think it looks nice even if yellow isn't my favorite color.

Live and learn

Did you ever get all excited about a pattern, buy the materials, and start working on it only to find that you didn't really like working the pattern for one reason or another? That's what happened with these Peppermint Coasters.

Designed by Wendy Bennett, the pattern was published in Crochet Home Magazine, No 62, page 22. I had seen the pattern in the magazine and liked it so when the Annie's Attic website offered a free PDF of the pattern on their free pattern of the day page, I decided to download the PDF and make some.

Following the pattern instructions I used worsted weight cotton yarn and a G hook. The top coaster came out 3.25" in diameter. OK, that was a little small. I increased the size of the hook (don't remember now to what size) and I ended up with a diameter of 4.25" (the bottom coaster). That was a much better size for a coaster.

After finishing the second coaster I decided I really didn't like the technique of dropping loops and picking them up again in Rnd 4 to get the swirly red and white effect. Plus, when I compared my coasters to the ones in the magazine, I saw that I had a lot of room between each of the red and white spokes where the originals didn't. ARRRRGGGHHHHH!

Well, they are cute and I guess they'll look nice under a couple of my Santa mugs (regular and miniature sized) like they styled in the magazine but I'm NOT going to make any more of them.