Feature A Friend!

Ok, I should have probably waited until Friday to do "Feature Friday" (not sure if that's even a real thing!) but I have another one that I can feature on Friday. I just wanted to post today and I'm actually at work instead of at home. Issues with the home computer are....continuous and frustrating.

This bright and beautiful creation was done by my friend Aubrey! She's another one of the work buddies who decided to take up crocheting. She's due with her baby in October and has already made a blanket for her him, is working on a tote, booties, a hat, and this hook holder!! She is just on fire!!

She used Red Heart Soft yarn - a little sparkly and fun, and on clearance at Hobby Lobby (woot  - we love those sales!). She followed the same pattern I used for my red one, and I won't lie...after seeing hers, it makes me want to re-do mine in some brighter, happier colors, too! Anyway, she said she had to add an extra row of stars (I think her yarn was sport weight/smaller), but it ended up turning out just great for her! Feast your eyes and enjoy!

Photo Bomb (over the next week!)

I've got so much I want to share! I've been collecting all my photos together of things I have been crocheting lately and I am finally going to post about them. Most of the pictures have lower quality since they were taken on my iPad and I'm not too great at editing lighting or anything like that. Over the next few days, I will be posting about each of my things. I apologize there has been quite a lapse in posts. That's because several months ago, I got an iPad. Who needs their PC laptop once they get an iPad?? Just kidding. We did! But our laptop has been giving us a lot of grief lately and we actually went out and bought one but discovered there was no CD-drive - what?!?! Anyway, I don't need to tell you all of these. Suffice it to say, you can't post on Blogger through iOS and I was too lazy fight with my computer to post.

But now I'm here and I'll share with you a just a couple pictures and I can't wait to post some more tomorrow!

(Taking a peak at..."Chevy!")

I've Finally Finished Some Stuff!

And now I can't find my camera. But I thought I'd post so I can at least have something up. I finished a nice Granny Sunburst for my sister-in-law who just had her baby a couple weeks ago and I did a short, last minute, silky-smooth, ultra-shiny yellow and blue and white blanket for my dear roommate who is due in August.

I'm not going to lie, it is so nice to have that Granny Sunburst out of the way. That was kind of a taking-on that I didn't realize was going to be so much work. Next time, I'll plan better ;-)

So for now, I have a simple stripe blanket that I'm working on at home with some great sport-weight yarn for another friend due in August (they are out-doorsy ish so I thought I'd do a nice brown/blue/green - it's so cute!) and am ever working on the yellow/white chevron for my sister. That blanket is going to be awesome.

A Plan

I want to take a moment to talk about something important. Anytime you make a large afghan (basically anything bigger than a baby afghan!!), make sure you have a plan! Let me explain. No, it's too long. Let me sum up (who can guess that??). I once read the blog of an old friend of mine. I knew him in junior high and even then, he was an astounding artist. Now he has an illustration degree from BYU and does some pretty impressive work. I was checking out his blog and really liked a post he made. He said that any artist, no matter what the medium or size, etc, must always have a plan before you start creating. A plan helps you stay on track, stay accurate and true to what you are trying to accomplish, and you will know what to expect and what materials you will need to complete the project.

That really struck me. I realized that even if I am doing a simple bit of crochet, I need to make sure I have a plan and that I stick to it. I have never attempted to make a large afghan/throw blanket before, and I honestly didn't know what to expect. I used the first pattern I found, but realized that I could have done just a little more research and could have saved myself a lot of trouble and grief. There are a lot better (and easier and faster and less yarn-consuming) patterns out there. If only I would have taken a little more time and not rushed into this blindly. I just get so excited sometimes!

Now, I'm not trying to complain and I have obviously learned my lesson for next time. But the point of my post is just to tell you all, my fellow crocheters and knitters, that if you are planning to make something big, like really big, make a plan. Do your mesasuremnts AHEAD of time. Figure out how much yarn you'll need so you don't have to make extra trips to the store and spend unnessary money. Decide the texture/thickness you want and make swatches if you need to. Play around with hook sizes. All in all, just...plan.

Thanks everyone!

Krista's Blanket aka Nauvoo Pioneer Baby Blanket??

Ok, I won't spend much time talking because I am itching to just show you these pictures. I have to give a little background. My good friend from work, Krista, also crochets. Together, we work on fun stuff while we're at work. I told her about those 262 Lace Crochet Patterns, so with some old Red Heart cream-colored yarn from her grandmother, she chose a pattern and set to work!

This blanket is BEAUTIFUL. She did so well on choosing a good pattern, and not to mention that border! Whew! I never would have thought a big border would have made SUCH a difference! I can't stop gushing about this blanket. She says it reminds her of Nauvoo. It does remind me of a pioneer sort of blanket. I told her she needs to enter it into the State Fair, that's how great I think it is. She says she doesn't ever want to get rid of this blanket and I don't blame her. I asked if I could copy it and make my own, but at the same time, I'm almost afraid I couldn't do it justice! She said of course I could!

Now, we know the blanket isn't perfect. Come on, she was making this up as she went. But wow. Just...wow.

Now, feast your eyes, and enjoy! Don't drool too much on the computer!! (Oh and don't mind my poor camera skills)

Pretty, in't it?

Blessing Blanket

I told myself I would only do 30 minutes computer time specifically for blogging, encouraging me to actually work on blogging and not get distracted by other things (*ahem* Pinterest). I actually did SO good that I used all of my 30 minutes just updating my normal blog. I now give myself an hour from the starting point, meaning I have 20 minutes to write these two posts.

But oh, what good posts they are!!

Baby Girl Blessing Blanket

(Yes, I crochet at work a lot!)

This is when I decided to finish off and make it a square. Border/edging is added but ends haven't been woven in yet.

Close up of a corner.

Hailey needed to test it out to see if it was big enough. I think it passed the test!

Finished!

Finished with scissors showing scale (say that 5 times fast!).

Corner detail.

Showing border and corner.

As you know, I have been working diligently on a blessing blanket for my good friend Whitney, who is due with Baby Girl in June. I was so excited to start in back in April that I went straight to the store, found the first beautiful white Weight 3 yarn I could find, and got to work! I also used one of the lace patterns found all over Pinterest (it's the 262 lace crochet patterns or something like that). Here's a pretty good link. I did Pattern #160. It was very simple and very easy to calculate. I used a size G hook and I think I chained about 120 for my starting point. The work up was very fast and every easy. My only qualm was that the particular yarn I chose, although very pretty, had a small shiny piece that was woven throughout the yarn and many many times I got my hook caught on that. Other than that, though, it was a very nice blanket to do! I then finished off with my own border of holes for the ribbon, and then used Pattern #225 for the edging! I actually had to make the blanket a square because I had started the foundation chain so long, but it still turned out very, very nice. I used a light pink ribbon, 1/4" width. The cost was very minimum and the beauty was great. It reminds me of a soft fluffy sheep! And Whitney loved it, so I am happy!

One very important thing to remember is when you are using ribbons in your borders, to always, ALWAYS stitch the bow to the blanket. This will secure the bow itself (there's is going to be a lot of handling and you don't want that bow to come undone!) and attaches the bow to the blanket so it doesn't slide around all over the place. I am very glad I learned this at the last minute or I just know the blanket would have been a disaster later down the road!

Again, I am very pleased with the way this blanket turned out and I would make another one in a heartbeat. Oh! Plus! This blanket did not use nearly as much yarn as I thought it would, so I am actually left with almost a whole skein! Yes!

I would be excited to see this blanket done with a light blue ribbon, or maybe even green or purple. Other things I would change would be to make it rectangular like I originally planned and make a thicker boarder. All the fun possibilities!

It's been a while.... da da da...I don't remember the lyrics...

But yes! Hello and here I am! I'm really just writing out of courtesy right now. I have pictures, but I don't want to share them yet because I can't be having the recipient seeing what they're going to be getting before they get it!

I have 3 current projects and am already itching to start a million more!! Burpcloths, granny squares, throw pillow covers, you name it! Colors, cotton, yarn, yarn store in Provo, what??!

First Project...chevron. Mustard yellow and off white. It's going to be big and it's going to be awesome. I won't even begin to go into my frustrations with it, though. The less you know, the better...

Second...granny square!!! I've tried to avoid the granny square because I honestly just think they're ugly, but when done right?? Oh man oh man! So many colors to choose from! This one is a sunburst granny. I am SO excited for it.

Third...a beautifully lacy pattern that I found on Pinterest and just kind of made up as I went. I made the blanket the size that I wanted, then improvised a border that could hold a ribbon. The final edging actually comes from the same website as the whole blanket. White, so soft and fluffy it reminds me of a sheep, and pink ribbon. For blessing a baby, or whatever you want to do. I've dedicated most of my time to this one lately because this one is due to the recipient first!

And lastly...I just love crocheting. Have I ever told you that?