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!