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!

Slow progress

I don't think that this afghan should be called Jacob's Ladder but it should be named "the longest, easiest, most time consuming afghan you will ever make, but it will be beautiful". Okay, maybe it is a little long, but it describes it wonderfully. This pattern is super simple and easy. A good beginner pattern. However, it takes a long time. You must be patient in making this and be willing to accept inches instead of feet at a time for progress. All I can say is "thank goodness for color changes." If I was doing this pattern out of one color instead of three, I think I really would go crazy. It is taking longer than I anticipated ( I guess I thought it would only take me a few weeks, but it hasn't). It will be large enough to fit our bed though, so it will be worth it. I started it because I had extra yarn I wanted to use up. But now, I need to go buy more because it is going to take a lot more than I had. It is coming along nicely though. If I stopped working on it today, it would be big enough to cover my shoulders down to my belly button. I don't think that will work, so I must be content with the slow progress I am making on it. (I have been braiding it as I go, maybe that is what is taking up all the time. Do you think?)

My motivation for finishing this afghan is this afghan. I just love it! I love the colors, the pattern, the shapes, the front and the back. Everything! I oh and awe over this photo weekly. (Is that considered stalking?) I just love it. Have I mentioned that I love it yet?

Okay. Enough said. Who knows if I will ever get around to making one, but I do love to stare at this one on flicker. I have bought yarn for me. Me! For the purpose of making a project for me! I can't decide between something like this or the wool eater. I love them both. But I think I will only have yarn enough for the ripple. Time will tell, I must finish my "the longest, easiest, most time consuming afghan you will ever make, but it will be beautiful" afghan first, before I start one more project. I just like to look.

Still Alive

Just wanted to check in and say Hi! (Yes Mom, I'm still alive!) I haven't been feeling very good lately so I haven't been doing much. Still have a gimpy hand. No new projects to report, no new yarns to show off. I do have plenty of ideas whizzing around in my brain. Always thinking. I do think I have found a pattern for the inherited afghan. I saw a post on Crochetville and asked the lady where she got the pattern. I think it will help, if not, I'll just un-crochet a few rows and write it down as I go. Or make it up as I go. Either way- they are all good options.

On all the blogs I read, everyone has been posting their new years resolutions. I've enjoyed reading them and have also been inspired to make some of my own, or add to the list I already had. I do have new years resolutions, but I'm not going to post them. I'd rather keep them to myself. That way, if I happen to not accomplish them, I don't look so silly. And if I do accomplish them, I can share and be proud of myself. I have quite a few of them this year. Some are crochet goals, some are spiritual goals, some are intellectual goals, etc. So far so good, but it is only the 4th day of January. I'm usually really good at the start and then it dies down. But I have taken the time to write down what I want to accomplish this year and hopefully that will serve as a reminder for me.

Out of Order..

Or commission... or however you would like to put it, but I have a muscle strain in my right hand and can't really do much crocheting, which is a major bummer. I'm sure I'll be fine, no time for a sob story, but I probably won't have many crochet projects to show. I'm going to try and take a break for a while (sniff, sniff) to try and give my hand some time to rest.

I do have a neat project to show, though I can't take credit for it. It was an afghan that I have inherited, or it has inherited a home with me until it gets finished. The parents of my high school friend passed away and this was all they had left of their mom. So they gave it to my mom to finish. She is left handed and wasn't' sure it would look the same. Anyway, somehow it found it's way to my home to be finished. Silly me, I was certain that I knew the pattern and could do it. I wasn't as smart as my Aunt and Grandma who said they couldn't figure out the pattern (who have been crocheting for... forever). Anyway, I guess it will have to wait until I get more time, and a hand that works properly. Won't it be gorgeous when it is done?

Dimitri has already claimed it for himself. Surprise, surprise!

Jacob's Ladder Afghan

This is my newest project. I guess since I had finished a hat, the washcloths, and a ripple bag I was entitled to start something new. My husband had mentioned that he would like a second afghan. Thus, my new project! This pattern is super easy and works up really fast (with the exception that I am making this afghan extra wide and extra long by request). And I had some extra RHSS yarn, so why not. My great grandmother had made an afghan like this and I have seen my mother work on one just like it. It is really easy and is just DC and CH. Then you pull the loops up through the one above and it makes what looks like braids. Here is a site that has a pattern for this, but I used what my grandmother had told me. It is pretty much the same thing. The first picture shows some of the chains looped already and the chains out. The second is just a close up of the stitches. One day I will have a nice camera that will make my photos much more presentable. Until then, these will have to do.

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.