To My Anonymous Commenter

Here is the stitch I used to make this blanket! If you make one, I'd love to see.

Foundation chain - Multiple of 6 sts + 1

Row 1: 5 DC in 4th ch from hook, *skip 2 ch, 1 SC in net ch, skip 2 ch, 5 DC in next ch, repeat from * ending 1 SC in last ch. Turn

(I just picked up the next color as I turned each row, not cutting the previous color and worked them up so that I didn't have a gazillion ends to weave in)

Row 2: 3 ch, 2 DC in first sc, *skip 2 dc, 1 SC in next dc (the center dc of 5), skip 2 dc, 5 DC in next sc repeat * ending 3 DC in 1 ch. Turn

Row 3: 1 ch, skip first 3 DC, *5 DC in next sc, skip 2 DC, 1 sc in next dc (the center dc of 5), skip 2 dc, repeat from * ending 1 sc in 3rd of 3 ch, turn.

Repeat rows 2 & 3 until desired length.

Super simple, fast, but oh so mind numbing. Beautiful end results though which makes it all worth it.

Best of Luck!

Mr. Benjamin's Blanket

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for this to arrive to it's new owner before I could post pictures here. I'm sure that he has been waiting and waiting for me to finish this, so I guess we are even.
Poor little guy, he had to wait a few months (or several) for me to kick it into gear and get this finished. Well, it finally happened... and I am in love with the end product! I don't know what took me so long. Okay, I do know what took me so long. See all of those rows? Each stitch is the same thing over, and over, and over.... which means it is very mind numbing. I got half way through this months before his due date and then I just stopped (i.e. I started this in April of 09 and didn't finish it until Nov. 20, 09. I'm a slacker!). I knew I needed to get it finished but I just couldn't force myself to work on it. But I finally did, and it is finished! YAY!!! This is just a simple shell stitch pattern (can be found in this book) with an H crochet hook. I changed colors every row, alternating between the three so that I didn't have to weave in any ends. I did a simple DC edging around it to hide all the color changes. This is made with Red Heart Soft yarn in navy, tangerine, and white. I'm not sure of the size because I forgot to measure it before I sent it off. I used two skeins of each color and just worked the pattern until they were gone.

I hope Mr. Benjamin likes it and that it helps to keep him warm through the crazy cold Utah winter.

PS - Are you excited to finally see something crocheted on this site? It has been a while. Plus, this is number three on the list of UFO's to finish before the end of the year. Only six more to go!

Beginner Scarf Finished!

I'm on a roll! This is the second project finished in the Joy in the New Year Challenge. I actually finished this last week, but I'm just getting around to taking photos of it.

I started this scarf last February. Yes, I'm ashamed to admit it, but it really has been that long. I'm just glad that I finally got it finished. It really only took, me a couple of hours to finish this once I sat down and decided to finish it. Amazing how that happens!
I used three skeins of Patons SWS in the Natural Geranium. I love this yarn! It is a little bit scratchy but I think it works great for a scarf, and is super warm.
I didn't have a pattern for this, I just cast on (I think) 45 stitches, and then knit across. The next row, I knit three and purl to the last three stitches where I knit three. Simple. Easy.Great for practicing and beginners. I think I did about ten rows of garter stitch to start and end. That's it! I love the way it turned out and really want to start another one, but I think I might try to finish a few more UFO's before starting a new project.

One Down...

I finished one project for the Joy in the New Year Challenge. Yes, I realize that I started with the simplest one (it really only took me 20 minutes to finish) but it is done and that is one more thing off my UFO list! And it frees up the knitting needles so that I can start another one, only after I finish all these other UFO's first, of course.Yipee! One down, 8 more to go.

Joy In the New Year Challenge

Jacquie is hosting a Challenge - Joy in the New Year. At first, I really wasn't going to join, mostly because I was scared to count all of my unfinished projects. Then I decided that it was better to take on the challenge and hopefully get one UFO finished rather than none at all.

So I took stock of all my UFO's (at least the ones I can think of- I didn't actually hunt them down) and I have 9 unfinished projects that I would like to get done before next year. NINE! That is a lot considering I only have a couple of months to get them finished, but I am hopeful. I did include one project that I actually haven't even started yet but it must be finished by the end of the year. But I also included one project that I can get finished in an hour. Something to give me a boost to keep going when I need it. Wish me luck!
Go here if you'd also like to join.

Soiree Charm Square Quilt

I finished another quilt. This one is also a quilt that I will be keeping for me! Now I have two quilts that were made especially for me by me! I'm so spoiled, I know!
I really liked this pattern from when I made it the first time, and decided that I'd also like I quilt for me. So I used two charm square packs of Soiree by Moda and whipped this quilt out in no time. It went super fast since I already knew how big I wanted it and did a lot of chain piecing which made the process faster. The final quilt measures 58x80 approximately (I actually think it shrunk up quite a bit after washing.)

For the backing, I used a light green Kona Cotton. Plain. Very plain. I had two charm squares left over, so I threw them in the mix to add a little something. And I kinda like it!

Since I normally end by saying "I LOVE IT", I should probably confess that I didn't love this quilt. After I got the top pieced and the quilt basted, I wasn't sure if I was totally in love with it. I decided to quilt it anyway. I did a basic stippling since I just did a straight line quilting on my last quilt and wanted to mix it up a little. I got about 25% through the quilting and decided I really didn't like it at all. In fact I didn't like it! I set it aside for a few days and debated weather to become best friends with the seam ripper or just keep going. After a few more days, I decided to just finish it and at least get some use out of it. I think I decided it was the colors, they just weren't working for me. So I finished it...pouting the whole time, and I threw it in the washer and dryer. As I pulled it out of the dryer, I just started to smile because I was so very happy with what I was seeing. I laid it out on the floor and just sat and stared at it for ever. I LOVE IT!!

My conclusion - the best part of quilting-- the crinkle goodness! It can change a quilt!

A New Favorite Pattern (or a close second)

I think I might just have a new favorite dishcloth pattern. Or maybe just a second favorite. I got the pattern for free here and I must say I LOVE it! Super fast, fun, simple, and so very cute. I just love all the ridges -- super scrubby!It was nice to have a break from the grandmother's favorite dishcloths pattern that I make, but I couldn't resist making a few more, I just love that pattern.
*I think there was a total of twelve in this batch.

Quilts at the North Carolina State Fair

Last weekend, Dustin and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. It was quite the event! So much to see and do. Of course, the first thing I did was find my way to the quilt entries. They had the quilts set up on racks that turned but they had a fair worker that had to sit there and flip through all the quilts. One at a time...very slowly... while me and some other ladies sat and took photos. They were pretty far away so you couldn't really see much of the details on the quilts or the quilting, but at least you could see them. I must say I was kind of disappointed that you couldn't see all of them lined up, but I understand why they had it set up the way they did. I don't know if I'd like that many people touching a quilt I worked hard on. I think I sat there for thirty minutes while the lady flipped through all the quilts.

These are just a few of my favorites. To see more, check out my flickr page. I know they are not the best pictures in the world but they are the best I could do with the crowd, the lighting, and my little point and shoot camera.

I think this cathedral window quilt was my absolute favorite. Can you imagine how long this took? I definitely do not have that much patience. It was stunning. The lady that made this, also made the eyes for all the fishes. Super cute. And close up you can see that each fish is really detailed with seams that look like gills. Very impressive and another favorite of mine.

I just loved this one! Super cute.

One day....one day, I will learn how to make one of these. They are so amazing!

Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme

My mom made this quilt for a friend who is having a baby but sent it to me to quilt it for her. This is the second one that I have quilted for her, and I must say, I feel so honored that she would even consider me good enough to quilt them for her. Thanks mom for letting me do this, I really had fun with it. Of course, I did warn her that I am not a professional at all and if she doesn't like it she would have to unpick all of it. She just wanted a simple stippling for it, but I decided to try something new. I stuck with the stippling but I added some loops to it. I must say this might be a new favorite of mine. Super easy and fun! I think it turned out super cute! And the best part, she chose flannel for the backing! I just love flannel! And it was a super cute gingham - a favorite of my moms!

Blogger's Fall Quilt Festival

I participated in this quilt festival last April when Amy organized it. I had so much fun looking through all the blogs of everyone who had also participated. Seriously, there is so much inspiration out there. So many talented quilters! Go here to see all the great quilts for this years festival.

Park City Girl has organized another quilt festival. My favorite quilt is a new one. So new, that I just finished it! I have been working on this for a while and finally got it all put together. I am totally and head over heels in love with Moda's fabric line "nest". I originally made a quilt for my sister-in-law's wedding with this fabric. I loved it so much, that I purchased more to make a quilt for me.

(*just a side note-- one of the sponsors of the Quilt Festival is Wish Upon a Quilt, a local quilt shop here in Raleigh. This store is fantastic! I love it! This is also the place that I purchased all the fabric for this quilt. And it was all on sale! How great is that? If you are ever in Raleigh, NC you must stop by this shop. The ladies are super friendly, the fabric is fantastic, and prices are competitive.)

Inspiration for this pattern came from many different quilters. I have seen this pattern several times on Flickr and knew that I would eventually make one for me because I just loved it. This fabric was perfect for this pattern.
For the construction of the quilt, I used three charm square packs and about four yards of white fabric. I made them into half-square triangles and then placed them into the pattern. I even took the time to pin them so that the points would match up perfectly (most of them did, others not so well) and I must say it was worth the extra time that it took to make sure they matched up. I also added a five inch border around the edge to tie it all together (and to use up the rest of the white fabric. Let's just say, this white fabric is not my favorite and I didn't want any scraps left over.)

For the backing I used the paisley pattern from the fabric line. I added the remaining blocks that I didn't use for the front. What else was I going to use them for? Plus it makes the back a little more interesting.
To quilt it, I did a 1/4 straight quilting along the edges of each diamond (colors and white). On the border, I did a free motion quilting pattern with loops. (Sorry, no close up pictures of that).The binding is a teal green print from the line, also a favorite. After I finished it, I immediately curled up on the couch with it and watched a movie. It is perfect! Final measurements are about 65x80. Perfect for snuggling! I LOVE this quilt.

The best part -- I finally have a quilt made by me just for me!