Dish Cloths, Wash cloths, or....

as my grandpa would call them Warsh Cloths. I have been busy making some because I am planning on gifting them for Christmas. So I thought I should get to work and get them done. Here are a few that I have made. Just simple patterns, nothing too fancy, mostly just clusters of dc or granny square. My favorite is the basket weave, I think I might make an extra for myself. I got the design from June Diehl.


I got the cluster pattern from Priscilla Hewitt. There are five different patterns and I used number four. I am still hoping to try the other four patterns.

I got this great star pattern from Janelle Scholssman. (I can't find the link, sorry) Although I did make some modifications, you know just putting my special touch on it. I kinda like it.
Has anyone done a dishcloth in this pattern? I really like it, I think it will be next on the list of to-do's. I think it is growing faster by the day.

Well, that is about it for me. I have been busy with other things and haven't had much time for crochet. But I love it when I do get time to do it. I have been working on my ripple bag. I am getting closer to being done. I am at the flap part so hopefully soon it will be finished. Then that will just give me another excuse to start one more project.

Thanks for all the comments and words of encouragement! It makes my day!

Progress

I know what you are thinking. Another post? But look at what I have done today. My husband can only tell me it looks great so many times before I start to drive him crazy. But doesn't it look great? I'm just so excited about this pattern and it is really simple and fast. I can't wait until I am further along. Until then, here is what I have done so far.

Only three rows, but I guess it is a small sense of accomplishment (Jane Austen anyone?)
Thanks for looking.

Center Pull Ball of Yarn

I went from this....



to this...

just by using this...

Yep, it's a turkey baster. It works miracles - it doesn't just help you to get a perfectly brown turkey, but also helps to turn hanks or skeins that are not pulling from the center into a center pull ball of yarn. I learned this trick from my friend who buys lots of fancy yarn that comes in hanks. You just shove the end of the yarn down the center of the turkey baster, and start to wrap the yarn around the baster. I kind of spin it as I wrap so it stays in a nice ball shape. And the more you can put down the center of the baster the easier it is. When you are done, just tuck in the end. and push off the baster. Since the top is slightly larger than the bottom, it comes off nicely. Then just pull from the center string and viola! A center pull ball of yarn! What a life saver. My DH loves it because it cuts out his job of pulling yarn for me.

It came! It came! It finally came!

I am the new proud owner of How to Make Easy Tunisian Crochet Entrelac by Carolyn Christmas.
I am so excited that this came today. I ordered it off of eBay and it was shipped out super fast. It has very easy to follow instructions, and lots of pictures so you know exactly what to do. I love it! I have already started a baby blanket. I know, I know, another project. But I did finish the receiving blanket yesterday, so I feel like I am justified. Plus, it is a new cool pattern. I would say "don't tell my mom" but she is just as bad as I am, and is probably where I get it from. Anyway, here is my sample swatch. I will start the real thing tomorrow. I am using the same purple and white as my ripple bag (that is yet to be finished) , but my camera really distorts the colors so this looks blue. It is actually a really pretty bright purple. I had extra.


Anyway, it was a good day! And the baby shower went okay, at least she said she liked the blanket, so I took that as a good sign.

Happy Thanksgiving...and Day After!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a nice time shopping the day after sales. I know I did! I realize that it is pretty crazy to get up extremely early, stand out in the cold, and wait for a store to open just to purchase ... stuff. But it was really fun! And we got some steller deals.

But more importantly, I have finished another project. Yippee for me! I know it is nothing great, but I really enjoy crocheting around edges of receiving blankets. This one even has a purpose, a friend of my DH is having a baby girl and so this is for her shower tomorrow. (I know, cutting it kinda close). I just did a simple shell stitch around the edge, since I was short on time but I still think it turned out nicely.

Close up of stitch

Blanket folded, but still needs to be ironed and wrapped

That's about it. I had a wonderful holiday and hope you all did too.

Nothing new

I haven't done much crocheting lately because I have been busy with work, my sister's birthday (Happy B-day!) and getting ready for the Holidays! This is the first year since me and my husband have been married that we will be having our own Thanksgiving. Just us! Everyone asks if we will be lonely, but we think of it as a great opportunity and I can't wait. And we will still get to see family throughout the week. It will be a nice relaxing day and hopefully I will get some crochet time. It seems like getting to a short work week is the hardest thing. But I have finished my major report for the week and am ready for a new one. Just in case you don't know, I am a trainee for commercial real estate appraising. Just finished my year of work (kinda like an internship) and I am ready to be a licensed real estate appraiser.

In other good news, I have ordered two new books for crochet and I can't wait for them to come. Mostly they are just books of different stitches but I am really excited.

Dear Ebay person I purchased them from: Please send them quickly! Thanks, Me.

And my mom let me borrow this.


Leisure Arts Make One For Baby Leaflet. I know, more patterns, just what I need.

That's all, I'll post pictures when I have something to show. Until then, here is an adorable picture of my blog helper, Sophie. She checks my spelling ;-)

Just another weekend!

I love the weekend. It is really the only time I get for me. Which means, all I have done so far is clean the house and crochet! And I did a bit of sewing. My dear Aunt gave me a box full of flannel squares. So I made some baby size rag quilts from them. There was enough flannel to make four blankets. It was so kind of her! Now i have tons of projects ready to gift for the next person that has a baby. I made two girl ones and two boy ones. I have already given away one of the girl ones to a co-worker.


I also learned how to do Tunisian Crochet or Afghan Stitch. I had never even heard of this until I found something on it on Friday on Annie's Attic (here). I thought I would give it a try. Notice, I have started another project before finishing one. Typical. I did finish two baby blankets so that must count for something, right? Anyway, I love it. It is so neat how it works and it turns out lovely. And my hubby likes it because they are no holes it in. That is all he asks for when I make stuff, is that there are as few holes as possible. Plus, I had extra yarn in my stash, so I only spent $1.50 on the hook (I love Robert's Crafts and the 50% off coupon). What do you think? I am planning on making a bunch of different square and then sewing them together to make a big afghan.

I really like it. I guess we will have to see if I ever finish it, that seems to be the hard part for me.

I did work on my Ripple Bag. But didn't get much accomplished. I didn't take another picture because it still looks the same as before, only with 5 more rows. But here is a picture from when I last worked on it. I am thinking of gifting this for Christmas, so I need to get it done. Good motivation.

First Enrty!

I have started a blog! Can you believe it? I have been posting most of my crochet stuff on Raverly and have loved being able to show off my work. I thought this would be a fun way to include all the stuff that I have been working on or made. It has helped me to be accountable to someone, anyone, that I have started a project and Finished a project. I am super good at starting, but I get bored and just don't have the will to keep going until it is finished. I usually get sidetracked with starting a new project. I call it "itchy fingers." So being able to show what I have been working on and the progress has helped me to actually finish stuff. It's so exciting. So, thus, the purpose of this blog. I hope it all goes well.

Just to start off, and prove that I have a hard time working on just one thing, or even two, at a time. This is what I did last night.

It is just a simple granny square washcloth, but i made it instead of working on my granny square baby blanket that I am making for a friend. But this turned out cute, right.? It is actually purple, and not blue, but my camera messes with the colors.

So, I guess my goal for this blog is to be able to show off my crafts (ie. crochet, quilting, scrap- booking) and be able to accomplish more. Hopefully with practice it will get better.

Thanks for looking.