Dreamin' Of Pretty Things

New Hat For Faith

2008-11-18T10:22:00.003-05:00

Christine tried calling me last night but the phone was busy. I was talking to my sister Nancy (and boy, can we talk)!! So Christine sent a text to Hilly asking her to ask me if I could make Faith a Hat. Christine crochets too, but has never done anything in the round. That is why she didn't make it herself. She brought Faith and some yarn over and I whipped up a hat for Faith. It is a 2 strand hat, so it worked up in no time. Faith knows I always take pictures of my creations, so she modeled it for me. Here she is in her coat with her new matching hat.

She left smiling wearing her hat, then they came back in and she asked me in a timid voice if I could make her a scarf to match the hat!! So I made one last night. I need to try it on her to make sure it is the right length. Once I have a picture of her wearing it, I will post that picture too.

My 30th Round Ripple Afghan

2008-11-17T00:08:00.002-05:00

Here is my 30th (yes, I have made 30) round ripple afghan.
I made this one using MicroSpun yarn. I used the colors Buttercup, Lime, Mango and Cherry Red, with my Susan Bates Bamboo Handle H Hook. I love how soft this came out, but it was very trying. This yarn splits like crazy, so you have to crochet slow with it. And since I am not a slow crocheter, I had to keep reminding myself to slow down. I don't know if I will ever use this yarn again. Will have to decide later on. If I do use it again, it will be to make a scarf since that doesn't take very long to make.

Squares For Charity

2008-11-17T00:00:00.003-05:00

I have been busy this past week making squares for Charity. Sissie on Crochetville has picked Victory Junction Gang Camp as her charity project for 2009. Since I am a huge NASCAR fan, this charity is right up my alley. I don't have pictures of all of the squares I have completed, but thought I'd post the ones I have pictures of. They want bright cheery colors for the afghans and I believe these will fit right in to make cheerful afghans. These (and all the squares sent in) will be put together to make afghans for each camper to take home with them.

I will post more pictures when I get them taken.

My First (Of Many) Spiral Ghans

2008-10-27T14:47:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd take a minute and post a picture of my latest creation. I have made a spiral afghan. I used Hobby Lobby's brand of yarn I Love This Yarn in Toasted Almond and Ivory with an I Hook. I had single skeins of each and had no idea what to do with it, so this is what I came up with. I am trying to use up my stash of ILTY since the quality of it has gone downhill (while the price keeps going up). Anything made with it will not leave this house. I refuse to give a gift with yarn that doesn't hold up.
This will probably end up a Kitty Ghan, since I have found Andy laying on it when I had put it down while working on it to go do something.

A Dishcloth Pattern I Tested

2008-10-23T13:01:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of testing a new pattern for a member (Ldyjarhead) of the crochet forum Crochetville. She named it Gentle Ridges Dishcloth. It was very well written and is a very easy pattern. I love how it turned out. You can find the pattern HERE.
I used Sugar 'N Cream yarn in the color Violet Veil and used my Susan Bates Bamboo Handle H Hook. I will be making more of these!

Baby Round Ripples

2008-10-14T00:53:00.004-04:00

I have completed 2 baby Round Ripples. These are my Ridged Round Ripples. I love how the ridges give them a little something extra.

This one is made with Peaches 'N Cream in Shaded Denim. It will be going to Florida. My sister will be giving this as a gift for a soon to be born Baby Boy.

This one was made with Peaches 'N Cream Spring Meadows and White. It will be going to a hospital's NICU. I hope it will bring joy to a little babies family while going through a rough time.

I have a few I haven't posted yet, and have one on the hook right now. I love making them, especially with the ridges.

2 New Shawls

2008-10-13T15:03:00.007-04:00

A friend of mine was going on a cruise and wanted a shawl to take along. She crochets, but knew she wouldn't have enough time to make one. She wanted something in a neutral color that was lacy and not too thick. I had the perfect pattern for one, so I whipped up a Sweet Pea Shawl for her. I used Hobby Lobby's brand I Love This Yarn in white. Here she is modeling it:

When I got done with hers, I looked across the room and there was a skein of Peaches 'N Cream Shaded Denim just begging to be made into a shawl, so I made my first Sweet Pea Shawl in cotton. I love it and can't wait to make another one in cotton. Here it is:

I have more projects finished, just need to get pics taken first.

Nine Patch Baby Quilt--New Design I Made

2008-09-21T16:07:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I posted anything here. Life has been hectic lately.
The ladies over at Crochetville have gotten their hooks into me once again (pun intended). They have persuaded me to make a Saltine Afghan. What is a Saltine Afghan you ask??? It is basically a quilt that is crocheted instead of sewed. It is made out of small granny squares--the ones we use are 2 rounds of a granny square.
One of the ladies--Cara--has a site called The Happy Yellow House. You can visit her site HERE.
She has a lot of beautiful patterns for the quilts, but they were very intimidating to me since they were so big and I have never made anything with squares that had to be sewn together. So I decided to try my hand at designing my own. And this is what I came up with and made.
It is a Nine Patch Baby Quilt.

I had so much fun making it that I have designed a few more. I am almost half way done with my 2nd design.

I have more pictures to share, but don't have the time right now, so they will have to wait till another time.

Miss Tutti Frutti Round Ripple

2008-08-17T16:01:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd post a picture of my latest creation. This is the last of the projects for the Crochet Games at Crochetville.
I made this baby RR for a NICU. I wanted it to have ridges to emphasize it a little more. It took lots of trial and error, but I finally hit on it. This is my new favorite pattern. It is a little tough on my hands and wrists, so I just take my time on the ridged rows.

Presenting...............Miss Tutti Frutti

Here is a side view to see the definition of the ridges a little better.

Some Of My Games Projects

2008-08-16T15:43:00.004-04:00

I have completed my projects for the Crochet Games at Crochetville. I thought I'd post a few of them.

Here are the 2 scarves I made. The variegated one is made from Bernat Softee Chunky and the black speckled one is made from Icelandic Jewels. These 2 scarves, along with a few more that I am making, are going to a charity for abused women. I hope they bring comfort to someone in need.

Here is the 2 strand rug I made for Nancy. It will match the 2 that I made for her when I was done in Florida visiting her last month. This one will go in front of her couch. It was made from RHSS yarn.

Crochet Games At Crochetville

2008-08-09T14:25:00.003-04:00

Over at Crochetville.org we are having The Crochet Games of Ancient Greece.
We all picked projects to challenge our crocheting.
I have picked a 2 strand rug for Nancy, a baby Round Ripple to go to a NICU, and 2 scarves that are going to women that have suffered abuse.
I will have pictures to post as my projects get farther along.
I may have them all completed way before the end of the games, and if I do, I will either make another Round Ripple or I will make more scarves. I may also make some squares to be used for comfortghans. It all will depend on how my neck and hands hold up!!!

Been A Long Time Since My Last Post

2008-08-04T21:17:00.004-04:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted last. I have moved to a new apartment, been crocheting up a storm and been creating new things. I have made a Baby RR, purses, jewelry pouches and lots of dishcloths.

Here are a few of my latest creations:

Bumpy Textured Dishcloth-My First Pattern

2008-05-06T22:53:00.009-04:00

I was searching for a pattern for a textured dishcloth and wasn't happy with what I was finding on the internet and in my pattern books. So I grabbed my trusty Susan Bates Bamboo Handle size K Hook, some Sugar 'N Cream cotton yarn and started experimenting. It took a little while, but I hit on something and worked it up. It has a nice texture to it and is good for getting off 'stuck on stuff'. Yes, I already tested it out. It is an easy pattern and works up pretty quickly. I have made 4 tonight in various sizes.

The picture on the left is how it is made. The picture on the right shows the texture and ridges.

I have never written out a pattern for any of my creations, but a few people on the 'Ville wanted it, so here it is. I hope you can understand it.

BUMPY TEXTURED DISHCLOTH

Any Cotton yarn and hook size of your choice. I used a K hook so it wouldn’t be such a tight weave.

Make a chain the length you desire (it will be the width).

Row 1: SC in second chain from the hook and each chain across. Chain 1, turn.

Row 2: SC the first 2 stitches together. *Insert hook into the last stitch of the sctog stitch, yo and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), insert hook into the next stitch, yo and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), pull hook through all 3 loops on hook. Repeat from * to the end of the row, sc in last stitch (there will be 2 stitches in the last sc). Chain 1, turn.

Repeat Row 2 until desired size is reached.

Last Row: sc in each stitch across.

If desired, you can put a sc border on all 4 sides, or any other border you choose. The sides are even with this pattern, so a border is not necessary unless that is your preference.

Created and Designed by

*Melanie Henderson*
Pattern may be copied for personal use, but is not to be sold!

Extra Note:

When I do my first row of sc, I like to go into the back bump of the chain. It gives the beginning edge a more finished look. Plus when you do the last row a sc row, the first row and last row matches. That way you don’t have to do an edging unless you want a more finished look. For my dishcloths, I don’t normally put an edging on mine, since it makes it easier to wring them out without one.

If you like this pattern and happen to make one, please let me know.. I'd love to see a picture of your creation.

My Scrapie Varie Wave Ripple Afghan

2008-05-06T11:15:00.003-04:00

It is finally done!! Here it is.

This was my 'No Brainer' project. I would work on this when I wanted mindless crochet time. It was a way to use up my leftover variegated yarn, but that didn't happen. I have enough variegated yarn left to make a few more of these.

It is so long that I had to take this down to the clubhouse and use the table there to be able to get a good picture of it. I don't have enough empty floor space right now since we are in the process of packing up to move to a different apartment. Right now it is on display on the back of the couch, and it is almost as long as the couch. Yep, I like my ghans long!!

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Linda (crochetingfool on Crochetville) for sharing this wonderful pattern. You can find the pattern here.

Brittany's High Plains Round Ripple

2008-04-21T20:43:00.006-04:00

This is the Round Ripple I made for Brittany, the Assistant Manager at my apartment complex. She has been so sweet to Hilly and I and has become a good friend. She recently moved and told me she was changing her color scheme, so when I found out what colors she was using, I went stash diving and found the perfect colors for her. I made this one bigger than the last one, so that it is more functional. The last one I made was smaller because she said they needed something to put on the back of the couch for decoration. I wanted them to be able to cover up with this one, and they can!

I love the picture of it folded in half on the railing. I am going to figure out how to make a round ripple into a shawl. It would be too thick and heavy to wear one like it is pictured, so I need to figure out how to make it thinner. Maybe in thread?? I'll have to think on it a while and do some experimenting to see what I can come up with.

As you can tell by all of the pictures in my posts, I love to make round ripples. This is number 22. I have also made 4 round ripple rugs, so all together that is 26. Oh, I have also made a few in thread, but I don't count them since they weren't real big.

Patio Pink Ripple In Cotton

2008-04-21T20:30:00.002-04:00

Here is a side to side ripple that I did in cotton yarn. I used Sugar 'N Cream in the colors of Patio Pink and White. I did this one in the back loops to give it a little texture. In the picture it is folded in half over the railing of my balcony. I've been using this one quite a bit since I am still on bed rest, but at least I can get up a little more now. I have had plenty of time to crochet, and I am taking advantage of the time to make things for ME!!

This is the second afghan I've made in cotton. The first one was a Round Ripple and it is now in Florida. I liked the Round Ripple in cotton so much that I started one for me, but it has been put on the back burner so many times I am sure it is feeling very neglected. I will eventually get back to it. I will be keeping that one for myself. When I find good deals on cotton yarn, I take advantage of it. I will be making more afghans in cotton, especially ripples like this one. It is just so hard to decide what colors to use since there are so many pretty colors in cotton now.

Ryan's Zebra Round Ripple

2008-04-08T14:14:00.005-04:00

My oldest Son Michael brought my Grandson Ryan over to see me Sunday. It has been quite a while since I have seen him. I have had a Round Ripple done for him and was waiting to see him so I could give it to him in person. I have made quilts for him but not anything crocheted. I was looking for the right pattern and the right yarn. He saw me working on a RR when I first started making them and he said how 'Cool' it was so that is when I knew I had to make him one.

Here he is sitting on his new Zebra Round Ripple. He really likes it and said it was just the right size for him. I didn't want to make it too big for him, and I told him when he outgrew this one I would make him a bigger one, and he could pick out the colors for it.

Bed Rest Project -- Part Two

2008-04-01T21:20:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm still on bed rest. The numbness and pain in the leg is getting a little worse every day. So I lay here on the couch and crochet. This is my latest 2 strander afghan I've finished. I was gifted some yarn in the colors of Periwinkle and Ocean by a 'Fairy Godmother' from Crochetville. I wanted to make a ghan, but didn't have enough to make what I wanted to make and I couldn't find any more periwinkle. So I looked through my stash and found some Light Raspberry and this is what I came up with. Now every time I use it, I will think of the special person that sent me the yarn, even though I have no idea who the special person is. So if my Fairy Godmother reads this, Thank You so very much.

My Bed Rest Projects -- Part One

2008-03-29T20:33:00.008-04:00

I have been on bed rest since March 5th and I am going a little bit bonkers. I have degenerative disc disease, and it has gotten much worse in the past year. I had excruciating pain in my right leg along with numbness and weakness, so I made a Doctor's appointment, It usually takes a week to get in to see my Orthopedist, but I was able to get in 2 days after I called. I was put on bed rest and was given pain pills and muscle relaxers. When that didn't work, my next option was to have an epidural, and since bed rest and medication wasn't working, I had the epidural. It did take most of the pain away, but I have more numbness in my leg than I did before, which makes walking difficult when you can't feel part of your leg. So when I walk, I have to either use crutches, one crutch or a cane. I don't get out much and when I do go out it is usually to the Doctor, the pharmacy or to the grocery, and I don't go anywhere alone. I have been mainly camped out on the couch, since I feel so lonely in the bedroom.

I have been able to crochet quite a bit and do some stash busting. Luckily I have a lot of yarn. I think I would have gone over the edge if it wasn't for my crocheting. I have made dishcloths, washcloths, a camera case and 4 afghans, with 2 more afghans in the works. I made a regular ripple, a round ripple, a big lapghan, and a 2 strander. I wasn't able to get a picture on the ripple yet. I have a ripple and a 2 strander in the works, along with other UFO ghans that have been sitting here for a long time, Maybe I will get to those soon, since it looks like bed rest will continue for a while longer.

Time to grab my hook, yarn and get hooking. I hope to have the 2 strander done soon, but I am not sure if I will have enough yarn to make it the size I want it to be. I will work on it until I am out of yarn, then see if I can find anymore of the colors(s) I need to finish it. I hope to have pictures of my latest projects soon.

My New Couch With MY Ripple Ghan On It

2008-03-03T16:38:00.004-05:00

My couch was delivered this morning, and here it is!! They called me on Saturday and told me it would be delivered between 8:50 and 10:50 AM, and one of the delivery guys knocked on my door at 8:45. The couch was in it's place and the guys were on their way by 9:00. They had a little trouble getting it in here since it is a pretty good size couch and they had to tip it this way and that way to get it in the front door, dodge the railing on the stairs, then make the turn into the apartment. It is a good thing that this isn't a sleeper sofa, which is what I was originally going to get. Those suckers are heavy, and with all the different ways they had to turn it (angle it this way, angle it that way, tip it up on end, etc), they would have had a struggle. But it made it here safe and sound, and is so pretty and comfortable. It is so comfortable that when I laid down on it to watch TV, I fell asleep and took a 2 hour nap.

I love how good the ripple ghan looks on it. I think I made the right choice putting this one on the couch and not the other. The RR is now on the toy box turned coffee table.

I Made A Ripple Ghan For ME

2008-03-02T09:50:00.005-05:00

I had some Choco Cherry left over from another project and decided it was time to make myself a ghan. I love making Round Ripples, but I needed a break, so I made a regular Ripple Ghan. I used this pattern. It is super easy and works up fast. I made a ripple for my Mom with this pattern and loved it. For this one, I used RHSS Choco Cherry, RHSS Fusion, RHSS Coffee, and ILTY Ivory. I am going to be making another one and when I make the next one, I am going to make it wider. This one will mainly be used for grabbing it and snuggling when I need a lighter ghan than the 2-strander I made. Now all I have to do is wait one more day for my couch to be delivered.

Citrus Fall - Another Round Ripple

2008-03-02T09:38:00.005-05:00

Well, I did another one. Yep, made my 19th Round Ripple. I had some of the Citrus Variegated left over from another RR, so I decided to use it for another RR. I did this one in slightly different colors. I am trying to keep this one for myself since I think it will look great on the back of my new couch that is coming tomorrow. If it doesn't look good there, Hilly said to use it as a rug in front of the couch. But I have hit a snag in my plans.....Dusty saw it when he was home from college a few weeks ago and said he wanted it. When he stopped by Friday night, He asked me if it was done and if he could take it back to school with him. So I have to decide if I will keep it or let him have it. He already has 2 2-stranders and a RR. I have made 19 of these RR's and I STILL don't have one for myself. Decisions, decisions.

I am also making a RR for my supervisor's new baby. I don't want to post pictures until it is done.

Dusty's 2 Strander Ghan Finally Done

2008-02-16T20:17:00.004-05:00

I have finally finished Dusty's 2 Strander Ghan. He has been waiting patiently for it since before Christmas. I told him it would have to wait until I had all of the Christmas presents done, then I would get busy and make it for him. Well, it took longer that I would have ever thought it would take. Hobby Lobby ran out of the Royal Blue I was using, so I had to wait for more. When I finally found more, it was only one skein and I needed 3. So I had to end up using RHSS Royal instead of the ILTY Royal. It is a little thicker since RHSS is not nearly as soft as ILTY. But since it is going to be in a dorm room and who knows what all he will do with it, I don't think it will make a difference to him. I will know tomorrow when he comes by. He hasn't seen it since it only came up to his waist, and that was last weekend. He has no idea it is done. He will be so surprised that it is done.

I Finally Made Myself A Ghan!!

2008-02-16T18:54:00.006-05:00

After making so many Round Ripples, 2 Strand and 3 Strand Ghans for everyone else, I finally made myself one. Hilly doesn't normally let anyone use hers, but when she was on crutches she had me bring her 3 strander out into the living room so when she was lounging on the couch she could cover up with it. One day when she was at school, I was tired so I decided to take a nap and was too lazy to go to my bedroom, so I grabber her 3 strander and snuggled under it. It was so warm and cuddly I decided to make myself one.
Since I didn't have enough Caron SS to make one, I used RHSS and ILTY (Hobby Lobby's brand). I used Light Mint and Hunter Green (RHSS) and White (ILTY). I used my new size M Susan Bates Bamboo Handle Hook. It ended up being 45" wide and 75" long. I don't usually make myself anything in green, but I got it on sale real cheap and couldn't pass it up. I had no clue what I was going to make with it, and after thinking about it for a while, this is what I came up with.
It is done in simple DC. Nothing fancy, but it is so warm, soft and cuddly. I love it. I see another one in my future. I just have to decide what colors I want my next one!!

Another Use For Cotton Yarn--Crutch Pads

2008-01-23T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hilly went skiing Sunday evening with the Youth Group at Church. They were just about done skiing when it happened. She fell and injured her knee. Her orthopedist was with them on the ski trip (she also babysits for him and his wife). He got her off of the slopes (gave her a piggy back ride), got her ski boot off (he told her the weight of the boot could do more damage) and checked her knee. He told her it looked like there was nothing broken. He told her to come in to see him on Monday if it was no better or was worse. She woke up Monday (after a rough night) and she was in a lot of pain, her knee was pretty swollen, she couldn't bend her knee and couldn't put any weight on it without a lot of pain. I called the Doctor and got her in to see him. He took X-Rays, then told us she needed an MRI. He is checking for torn ligaments. She keeps it elevated as much as possible, is putting ice on it, and is taking Motrin. She is in pain still, but is dealing with it all pretty well. We will have to figure out how she will get to and from the bus stop once she gets to go back to school. It looks like I will have to have my work schedule modified so I can either drive her to and from the bus stop, or drive her to and from school.

She noticed that the crutches are rubbing her a little bit, so she asked me to make her something to put a little more padding on them for her. I let her pick out some cotton yarn in the color she wanted, and this is what I made for her while we were watching Harry Potter. Hopefully they will do the trick for her. If not, I will make 2 more and make it thicker for her.

Rugs I've Finished

2008-01-06T23:27:00.001-05:00

Well, it has been a while since I've posted. I've been busy making things, then I got sick and time just got away from me. But I thought I'd take a few minutes and post a couple of things I've finished. This is a Round Ripple Rug I finally finished for Hilly. I put this on hold so I could get all of the Christmas presents made, then decided to get it done. She knew it would eventually get done. I was going to make it a little bigger, but decided against that for 2 reasons.....1)-I was tired of working on it....being a 2 strand RR rug, I used a smaller hook and it was killing my hands and wrists, 2)-If I made it much bigger, it wouldn't fit in a washing machine. So this is the final size of it.

Here is a rug I made this week for the Living Room. I didn't have a particular size I wanted to make it, I just chained it the width I wanted it, then crocheted until it was the right length. I love the tweed look on this one. I love it so much, I have started another one, but am using a different color of variegated yarn. I am about 1/3 done with the new one, then I have a few more color combinations I want to try.

Five Of The Round Ripples I Made For Christmas

2007-12-27T12:35:00.001-05:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone for 2007, most of the presents have been delivered, so I can post pictures of the Round Ripple's I made. I used yarn from my stash for these. I had all of the variegated already, and I just had to buy a few skeins of the black. They are my version of a Stained Glass RR.

This is the RR I made for my Mom. This is the color of variegated yarn she commented on the most in her Side to Side Ripple I made for her when she was in the hospital, so I decided to make it with that. Her RR is the inspiration for all of the RR's I made this year.

This is the RR I made for my Dad. He sees me crocheting all the time when he comes to pick up Hilly or to drop her off. He made the comment that this one 'Looked Manly', so right then and there I knew it was for him.

This one I made for my Derek and Caren (my nephew and his wife). I wasn't sure what colors variegated to use for theirs, so I just grabbed some yarn and this is theirs.

This is the one for Ron and MerriJo (my brother and sister in law). Her favorite color is purple, and since this one has green in it, I decided to use this for theirs.

This is the one I made for Charlene (MerriJo's Mom). She sent a message to me saying I was not to buy anything for her. Well, I didn't buy anything for her, I already had all the yarn, and the yarn wasn't bought specifically for her, so I got by with giving her a gift on a technicality.

I have 2 more to post, but can't do it yet since they haven't been given out yet. They weren't able to be with us this Christmas, so as soon as I see them and give them their RR's, I'll post pictures.

New Things For ME!!

2007-12-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy I haven't been able to update this in a while. I have been working long hours (just gotta love working retail this time of year), making lots of Christmas presents (still have a few more to make), driving my daughter here and there, etc.

I did take a little time last night and this morning to make myself a couple of things. I found a skein of yarn on sale at Hobby Lobby and just had to have it. The problem is that there was no label on it, so I have no idea what brand of yarn it is. It is so soft and fluffy, I just had to buy it. It looked so lonely sitting there all by itself. So I brought it home, grabbed my N hook, and whipped up my new soft fluffy scarf.

Then I grabbed some thread and started working on a snowflake, but my wrist wanted no part of that, so I put the thread down and grabbed some cotton yarn and whipped up a snowflake. I used CottonTots in the color Confetti. It is white with specks of pastel colors. I should block it, but right now I just don't have the time.

I have more pictures to post, but that will have to wait for another time. I need to grab my hook and get busy on finishing the Christmas presents.

Made This Just For ME!

2007-11-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy crocheting scarves for orders that I haven't been able to make many other things. The orders are finally done. So before I start back on Christmas gifts I thought I'd make myself a little something. So I made myself a shawl. I made this in 2 days. It works up super fast. I really like making this one, since it starts from the bottom and you can stop whenever it is the size you want. It is a triangle granny. It is 3DC, then 3DC between the 3DC's. Super easy. I made it with Sugar'N Cream Cotton yarn. It drapes nicely, and is warm. The picture on the left has a vintage brooch holding it closed.

I've Been Busy Making Scarves For Orders

2007-10-22T18:39:00.000-04:00

I have gotten orders for scarves from some of my co-workers. I have made 2 with this yarn so far. It is Red Heart Super Saver and the color is Zebra. It is a nice variegated that works up quite nicely. I have orders for 2 more with this particular yarn.

I also have orders for 2 more scarves. Then I will be making a scarf and a shawl (and I am not quite sure what else) for a friend that will be going through chemo and radiation. I am also trying to get my Cincinnati Bengals scarf finished. I've put it on hold while making all the scarves for orders and then making Viv's things. Hopefully I will be able to get it done soon. I'm trying to work on it a little here and there.

Here is a scarf I made using Lion Brand Boucle.
I have quite a bit of this type of yarn, and have never used it before. It took a little getting use to, but all in all it wasn't too bad to work with. I have heard horror stories about using this type of yarn, but since I used a big hook (size N), it wasn't too bad. Now to decide what to make with all of the other skeins and colors I have.

Scarves I Made For A Winter Scarf Swap

2007-10-11T22:29:00.000-04:00

I was in a winter scarf swap over at Crochetville. Here are the scarves that I made for my swap partner. Now that she has received them, I can post pictures of
them. I couldn't decide what pattern I wanted to use for her scarf, so I started working up a few. I just kept going, and when they were all finished, I decided to send them all to her. She said on her survey that she really likes purple, so I made them all with at least some purple in them.

I really enjoy making scarves, because they work up pretty fast. They make great gifts, because in my opinion, if you live where it is cold in the winter, you can never have too many scarves!!

I Got My Invite!!

2007-09-20T20:57:00.000-04:00

I got my invite today for Ravelry!! Now it is time for me to try to figure out what I'm doing there. So much to learn there. We will see if you really can teach an Old Dog New Tricks!!!

Hilly's Watermelon Round Ripple

2007-09-17T14:16:00.001-04:00

WHEW! I finally got Hilly's Round Ripple Done!! We named it 'Watermelon', because when I had the first color bands done, it looked like a slice of watermelon. This was an on again, off again project. It kept getting pushed aside so I could finish other projects. She was very understanding about it all, though. She was so happy when I walked into her room when she was laying on her bed watching TV and I covered her up with it. She had no idea I had been working on it when she was in school and after she went to bed. I wanted it to be a surprise when I finally got it done. It ended up being about 70 inches point to point. I used Red Heart Kids yarn in the colors of Hot Pink and Lime, and Hobby Lobby's Yarn 'I Love This Yarn' in White. It is still a little too warm for her to use it, but soon the temperatures will be getting to where she will be able to use it, along with her monster 3 strander.

First Christmas Present Finished!!

2007-09-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

I've gotten a little behind on posting here. I've been so busy that time just seems to get away from me. I have lots of projects in the works right now. I have a round ripple, a 2 strand ghan, scarves, a rug, and dishcloths in various stages of completion. But I did get this Round Ripple Afghan done for my Mom for Christmas. It is done in RHSS Yarn in the colors of Black and Artist Print. It ended up being 65 Inches point to point. I was going to make it bigger, but for 3 reasons I didn't: 1) she is still recovering from surgery and has limited mobility, so dealing with a monster round ripple wouldn't be a good thing, 2) she is 5'2", and doesn't really need a monster round ripple, and 3), I ran out of the Artist Print!! I decided to use this color scheme to match the 'Straight' Ripple ghan I made her when she was in the Hospital.

I have another one finished, and I will post about that one later. Right now, I hear my yarn and hook calling me, and I've learned that if I don't answer the call and start crocheting right away, I end up making mistakes!!

Kane's Round Ripple

2007-08-27T13:18:00.000-04:00

Here is the Round Ripple Afghan I made for Nancy's Grandson Kane. I took some of Hobby Lobby's 'I Love This Yarn' to Florida with me, just in case I needed it. We went to AC Moore (a store we don't have where I live) and I came across some yarn in pound bags. It was a mystery yarn...no known fiber or weight listed on the bags. I saw a bag of blue and white twist, thought it would make a nice Round Ripple, so I bought it. I used it along with the 'I Love This Yarn' and this is what I came up with. When I started working on it, Kane (he's 4 1/2) stood there in fascination, trying to figure out how I was taking yarn, a hook and making it into a RR. I told him I was making a blanket, I asked him how big it should be, he held out his arms and said "this big". So that is how big I made it. He didn't know it was for him until I was almost done. He got a big grin on his face, asked how much longer it would take to finish it, then said OK!!

On the day we left Florida for them to bring me home and be in Ohio for the birth of their 7th grandchild, I showed it to him, told him it was all done, and asked him if he wanted to take it on the long car ride to Ohio, then back to Florida. He said "no, he wanted to leave it at MeMe's (Nancy's) house so it would be safe". So when they get back home, he will have his pretty Round Ripple waiting for him.

More Goodies I Made For Nancy

2007-08-23T19:54:00.001-04:00

Here are some more goodies I made for Nancy. She hadn't seen any of my crochet projects in person, only in the pictures I send her. She was amazed that I can crochet with thread. I told her it wasn't as hard as you would think. Well, at first it was, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it. All the thread projects I've made so far have been fairly easy to complete. We will see how it goes when I try harder patterns!!

This is a Round Ripple Table Topper I made with thread.

This is a Round Ripple Doily I made for her in thread.

This is a coaster I made for her in thread.

Some Of The Goodies I Made For Nancy

2007-08-23T16:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of the goodies I made and gave to Nancy while I was down in Florida visiting her. She loved them all (at least I HOPE she did).

This is a White Sweat Pea Shawl done in Hobby Lobby's yarn 'I Love This Yarn'.

This is a Sweat Pea Shawl done it Bernat Super Saver's color 'Wine Twist'.

These are some of the dishcloths I made for her. She liked them, and commented that Jack will like using them to wash the dishes, since he is the one that usually does them. He also used them on the ride from Florida to Ohio as arm and elbow cushions. He would put them on the door and console, then rest his arms on them. No more sticking to the leather!!!

Almost Vacation Time

2007-08-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

In less than 60 hours I will be on a plane to Florida!!! I am so excited. I haven't been down to Florida and/or seen Nancy in 7 years. I have spent the past month making many crocheted things for her. She has seen pictures of a lot of it, but I have kept quite a few things secret from her. She has never seen any of my crocheted items, so I am anxious to see her reaction. I haven't posted any pictures or put much on here, since she reads this. I will post the pictures when I get back.

My Latest Creation

2007-07-01T22:28:00.001-04:00

Here is my latest creation. I made this round ripple for my best friend/sister Nancy. It is made with Sugar N Cream cotton yarn. The color of the yarn is called 'Swimming Pool'. I tried to make it look like ripples in the water look. My crochet buddies at Crochetville.org think it does, so I succeeded in what I was trying to accomplish! I used a little bigger hook on this one since she lives in Florida. I didn't want a thick, heavy rounder for her. She will be getting this in August, along with another rounder plus many other goodies I have made her and will make her for before I go visit her. I haven't decided what I am taking down with me, and what I will leave here for when she comes up here. Decisions, decisions. I guess a lot will depend on how many things I end up completing for her.

Another Finished Round Ripple (for Janet)

2007-06-15T19:42:00.000-04:00

I have finished another round ripple afghan. It was delivered to Janet last week, and she loves it. This one came about after the silent auction. A lady at church (Janet) saw the ones I donated hanging on the wall. She didn't realize they were for sale. When she found out I made them, she ordered one. Strangely enough, I just happened to be making one in the exact colors she wanted. I have no idea why I started making the afghan when I did. They are not colors I would use in my house, because they don't match. I figured I'd make it up, stash it in my crochet closet and I would have it for when I got an order for one, or when I had an occasion to give it to someone. I'd say that was very good timing!

It was extremely hard to get pictures that show the true colors. Hopefully you can get an idea from these 2 pictures.

Here's My Latest Round Ripple

2007-05-30T23:47:00.000-04:00

Here it the latest of my creations. This beautiful round ripple afghan will be auctioned off. Hilly will be going on a mission trip in June, and the youth group will be having a spaghetti dinner and silent auction to raise money for the trip. I decided to crochet 2 round ripple afghan's for it. The more I worked on this one, the more I fell in love with it and wanted to keep it for myself. But it is going for a good cause, so I will let this one go too. I will be making myself one in these colors one of these days.

This one ended up being about 63" point to point. I was having a hard time deciding how to edge it. I thought about it for quite a while, then decided that since it began with the variegated yarn, it should end with it too. I wasn't sure how it would look, but the farther into the row I got, the more I liked it. I think that from now on, every round ripple I make that has variegated yarn in it will end with it.

My Latest Round Ripple!

2007-05-23T11:05:00.000-04:00

I have finished my latest round ripple. I started this with every intention of keeping this one for myself. But once again, it is not meant to be mine. I was working on it one night and Hilly came into the room. She stood there looking at it for a few minutes. She asked me who it was for and I told her I was keeping this one. She stood there for a minute, then said in a quiet voice "I think you should donate that one to the silent auction."

The youth group at our Church will be going on a mission trip in late June, and they are having a Spaghetti Dinner and a silent auction to raise money for the trip. So this round ripple will be auctioned off on June 3. She also wants me to make some dishcloths/washcloths for the auction, plus anything else I can get made by then. Looks like I will be very busy crocheting for the auction.

The Move Is Done And My Latest Creations!

2007-05-12T09:06:00.000-04:00

Our move is done and we are finally getting settled into our new place! We are so happy in our new place. We have no steps to deal with anymore. And that is a good thing right now because Hilly decided to sprain her ankle Thursday night and she is on crutches. We have a balcony now, and when we look out our windows or are on the balcony, this is our view.

And here is a picture of the sunset our first night here.

I have been able to finally crochet again. During the move, I was crocheting dishcloths/washcloths since they are fast, easy and don't take up much room.

Here is my new rug I finished. It is in the living room right now. I will be making more of these, but can't put them on the tile floors until I get some non-skid matting to put under them. So for now all the rugs I've made will be on the carpet.

Second Round Ripple Rug

2007-04-28T18:57:00.000-04:00

Here is my second round ripple rug for Hilly. I was just going to switch the color placement, but noticed that with all of the yarn I have, I didn't have enough pink, so I used white instead. Using the white gave it a heather look. I'm very pleased with how they both turned out. Once we get moved and semi-settled, I will be making more of these for our new place.

Round Ripple Rug

2007-04-24T22:05:00.000-04:00

I was trying to organize some of my yarn (that is going to be a HUGE job) and I came across yarn I forgot I had bought. I grabbed some of it and tried to decide what I could make with it. I was looking for a fast project, since I am trying to get packed up to move. I decided that since I like making Round Ripple Afghan's so much, I'd make something with that pattern. I ended up making a 2 Strander Round Ripple RUG. It turned out great. It is thick, soft and just the right size. Hilly came home from school, saw it and claimed it as hers for our new place. I am making a second one for her. I am using almost the same colors (using white instead of pink) but in reverse.

I used Caron Pounder Soft Pink, Yarn Bee Soft Delight Fuchsia, and Yarn Bee Soft Delight Dark Blue. It is 22 rows and 36" point to point. I used a size J hook. This is the smallest hook I have ever done a 2 Strander with (I usually use at least an N hook), but since it is a rug, I wanted it to be thick with very few holes in it.

Annabelle's Round Ripple Is Done!

2007-04-22T12:46:00.000-04:00

It is done!! I finished weaving the ends in last night. I packed it up and took it to work to give it to Annabelle's dad. He was shocked when he saw it. I told him it was a beautiful round afghan. He was having a hard time grasping what a round ripple afghan is. He loves it!! He asked me how much he owed me for it and I told him he owed me a few orders for round ripples and he also owes me a few pictures of Annabelle with her afghan.

I made this one with Caron SS in the colors of Baby Brights Ombre, Orchid and White. It was extremely hard to get a good picture that showed the true colors of this one, so I had to settle with this picture.

Trish's Round Ripple Is Done!

2007-04-19T19:25:00.000-04:00

It is done! Except for the few ends I have to weave in, it is done. I sure hope she likes it. I used RHSS and the colors are Sage Mary, Buff and Black. It is about 55" point to point, and 39 rows. The last few rows to a very long time to do. I really like how this one turned out.

Nancy's Rounder Is Done!!

2007-04-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

Finally, Nancy's monster round ripple is done. Well, I have a few ends to weave in, but it is done. I finished it last Thursday. The last few rows seemed to take forever to do. It has 49 rows and is over 60" tip to tip.

This is Dusty trying to get it to lay flat without letting it hit the wet porch. Plus we were fighting 40mph wind gusts. He did a pretty good job!! We have named him the bat afghan holder!! LOL

Making Slow Progress On Nancy's Rounder

2007-04-09T20:30:00.000-04:00

Nancy's round ripple is taking much longer than Dusty's to finish. I am using different yarn for hers, and it is thinner (but softer), so it takes more rows to make it a big one. His was 37 rows, and I am on row 43 of hers. I am close to being done, though. I have done more than what is in the picture. I have done one more row of black, and another section of the blue mint. I am putting one more row of black and one more section of the rose violet, then will decide if it is big enough. If it is, I will put the edging on it and call it done!! I hope it will be, because it is taking forever to go around this thing. Once I get this done, I need to finish the one I am making in thread for her, then I can get it in the mail for her.

Once hers are done, I have an order for 1 rounder, I have 1 rounder on hold, plus I got an order for a 2 strander. Looks like I will be busy for a while.

New Round Ripple And Doily For Nancy

2007-04-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

I have been trying and trying to decide what color and type of yarn I was going to use for my best friend/sister Nancy's round ripple afghan and was not having very much luck. Then one day I was bound and determined to find just the 'right' yarn for her. After much looking and matching up, I found the perfect colors for her. I worked up a little of it to make sure the colors were right, then sent her pictures of it. She loves the colors, so it is a go. I am having so much fun making this for her.

It was hard to get the colors to show 'true'. I still haven't gotten it right. It is an extremely hard color to get to show 'true'. It is Rose Violet and Blue Mint and a little Black to accent them. The 'true' color of the Rose Violet is somewhere between the two pictures. I will keep trying to get the colors right in the pictures.

I am also making her this doily. It is working up quite nicely, considering this is only the third time I've worked with thread. This is #3 thread, in Teal and Rose. I'm gradually working my way to #10 thread.

Hilly's Afghan Is Done!!

2007-03-30T13:13:00.000-04:00

Hilly's monster 3 strand Afghan is finally done!! I made this with Caron Simply Soft yarn in the colors of watermelon, chocolate and new white. I used a size P hook. It is over 6' long and is about 45' wide. This one took a little over 1 week to do. And I missed working on it for 2 days. Using 3 strands and a really big hook makes these work up fast, but they get real heavy real fast. This is not something I would make in the middle of the summer.

Done just in time!

2007-03-28T20:48:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my first round ripple!! I got it done for my Son's birthday which is today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUSTY!
I love making round ripples and can't wait to see his face when he sees it.
This was made using RHSS Banana Berry, RHSS Blue, and RHSS white.
Off to work on my next one!!

First Round Ripple Almost Done!!

2007-03-27T18:10:00.000-04:00

My first round ripple is almost done. All I have to do now is put the edging on it. I haven't decided exactly which edging I am going to use. I had so much fun making this round ripple. I almost hate to give it away to my son, but since it matches his 2 strand afghan I made him (same colors), I guess I can part with it. I will be making more of these. As a matter of fact, I am in the planning stages for 4 right now!

My First Round Ripple

2007-03-20T17:16:00.000-04:00

I have started my first round ripple afghan. I was bound and determined to make one. I fought it all weekend because it just wouldn't lay flat. I was ready to give up, but grabbed some leftover yarn from Dusty's afghan and decided to try 1 more time. IT WORKED! The yarn I had been using was making it wavy. I really wanted to use that yarn, and will try once again to use it in a round ripple. Maybe if I make it a 2 strander, it will work.

Dusty saw the round ripple and asked if it was his since it matches his afghan. So I know where my first round ripple will be going!

Hilly's Ghan

2007-03-20T17:10:00.000-04:00

I have started an afghan for my daughter Hillary. She saw Dusty's and decided she wanted one like it, but in 'her colors'. So I am making it a 3 strander out of Caron Simply Soft in Watermelon, Chocolate and New White. This is my first attempt at a 3 strander. Once I got the first row done (the first row is always the hardest), it has been smooth sailing. I got this far in one evening. It is 40" wide and 15" long right now.

The pics don't show the true colors. I'll keep trying to get better pics.

My First Ripple Is Done!!

2007-03-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

I finished my first ripple afghan and gave it to my mother. She is in the hospital, so I thought that would be a great gift for her. She will have something warm and pretty to keep her warm, and she knows how much love went into making it for her. She was completely surprised when I gave it to her. She knows I usually keep the first of something that I make, since it is a trial piece and there is usually at least one mistake in it that only I know about. But I made sure there were no mistakes in this ripple. I will be making more of these. I just have to decide which color scheme I will use next.

Dusty's Afghan Is Finished!!

2007-03-17T19:15:00.000-04:00

I finished Dusty's ghan today. It turned out better than I thought it would. I wasn't sure how all that green would look, but with a strand of white worked with it, it is pretty cool. And it worked up real fast! That's the kind of project I like. It is so soft, thick and heavy. It sure will keep him warm. I have already started on another one!

I posted some close up's of the stitches so you could see how the white looks with the variegated yarn.

New Ghan

2007-03-12T08:21:00.000-04:00

I am working on a new ghan for my son. I had to frog (rip apart) the rectangle granny ghans I was making for my kids. I wasn't paying attention to the hook size, and switched hooks partway in, and they are ruffly, fluffy, crooked, wonky, and won't lay flat. So he asked me to make him a simple one but to still use those 2 colors. So I'm making it with 2 strands, 1 is variegated (RH SS), and 1 is white 'I Love This Yarn' by Hobby Lobby). It is a simple DC with a size N hook. It is turning out quite nicely. It is so soft. Sometimes RH can be a bit scratchy, but using the 'ILTY' yarn makes it super soft (and thick). He loves it and can't wait till I get it done.

New Computer

2007-03-12T00:07:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally did it. I bought myself a new laptop computer today. This is the first time I have ever had a brand new computer. I decided it was time to treat myself. Now I just have to try to learn all about Vista. Just when I was completely comfortable with XP, too. My old laptop had a teeny tiny hard drive. This new one is HUGE! I can download anything I want with no worry about using up too much hard drive space. I'm going to be having fun with this!! What a way to spend a Sunday!!

I did it again today!

2007-03-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it again today. I bought more yarn. I went to Dollar Tree and found some yarn that I just had to have. It was calling my name. I bought 30 skeins of Lion Boucle. I bought 6 of each of these colors: blueberry, lime blue, rose, tutti fruitti and parfait.

Here are some pictures of my newly acquired yarn from this week. It is not all of it, just what I stuffed in the tote. I had to buy this tote to put all of my new yarn in. That makes 62 skeins of yarn this week.

Yarn Buying Binge

2007-03-09T00:57:00.000-05:00

I have been on a yarn buying binge the past few days. I have bought 30 skeins of yarn in 3 days. I have found so much yarn on sale this week. I have bought sugar'n cream (cotton), Red Heart Super Savor, Lion Brand Homespun, fun fur, eyelash, boa just to name the ones I can think of at the moment.

My daughter got her cast off of her thumb and wrist today, and my Mom had surgery today. I got a lot of crocheting done today while at the Doctor's and the Hospital. I stocked up on yarn since I will be spending a lot of time at the Hospital.

I finished the ripple afghan I am giving to my Mom. It turned out so nice. I'm extremely happy with it. I also got some more done on the rectangle granny's I'm making. I started a shawl last week and am over halfway done with it.

My First Crocheted Thread Doily

2007-03-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

This is my very first attempt at crocheting with thread. I was always intimidated with using thread since thread is so much thinner than yarn, and the hooks for thread are so little. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I will be making more things out of thread.

Rectangle Granny Square Afghans

2007-03-04T04:13:00.000-05:00

Here are 2 rectangle granny square afghans I am making for my son and daughter. They each wanted one but didn't want them the same. So I picked to slightly different patterns. Sometimes it's hard to go between the two since they are different patterns.

This is my son's afghan. He likes green's and blue's. I added the white to make it 'pop'.

This is my daughter's afghan. She likes pink and brown. I added the white to make it 'pop'.

My First Ripple Afghan

2007-03-01T17:29:00.000-05:00

I am almost done making my first ripple afghan. I used many different colors of variegated yarn with black yarn separating them. All I have left to do is weave in the ends, then it will be ready to be given to my mom.

First Entry In First Blog

2007-02-09T20:39:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at a blog, so please excuse any mistakes I may make. I make jewelry and I crochet. I will be posting my progress on my creations.

This is a sample of the scarves I made for Christmas presents.