SPRING IS HERE – WINTER CLEAN UP BEGINS

Sometimes you have to put down the crochet hook and lay aside the pattern notes, pens and pencils and papers and shuffle through the variety of fiber laying at the feet to go outside and smell the flowers, pickup the sticks and pull the weeds!

Nature is AMAZING! As I watch the weeping cherry, pear and crabapple burst their beautiful flowers into full glory, every day the flowers growing bigger and brighter in color, covering the branches from view, way before the leaves appear………when BAM along comes the storms that strips them apart. The grass below is littered with blossoms, the air looks like snow falling and I can’t help but wonder at the organization of it all. Then the rain comes and pounds all those seeds where they need to be to grow. Honestly, man just couldn’t set up anything like that and reach such perfection. I am always in awe and thank our Lord for such blessings.

HEADBAND MASK HOLDER

As 2020 quickly comes to a close and a vaccine rollout beginning, I hope we can meet the new year with grace and the same fortitude we have shown each other all year.

If you follow me or have seen my Pinterest and Instagram additions of this Headband, maybe its already on your crochet hook. I hope so, as my essential family member can attest, these work! I even wear now to the grocery store which seems to be the only place I go anymore, keeps my ears warm too!

This pattern and other versions can be found on the FREE PATTERN page, download as many times as you like and feel free to share the pattern AND THE Headband too. The materials are probably already in your sewing “crochet” basket. Mix up the colors too, the pattern is easy and quick to do.

Keep that crochet hook busy, happiness and health to all of you!

 5/5

GAUGE MATTERS

As I pin and pin AND PIN, I have to keep saying to myself “GAUGE MATTERS” even as my fingers cry out STOP!

Okay, okay, blocking is not really so bad. Once you have done this vital step, you will know a lot more about your personal tension to details.

Blocking thread projects is a good idea because it opens up the beauty of your crochet work, straightening lines into squares to reveal the finished project beautiful symmetry.

You’ve worked hard to get here, do your blocking like a good crocheter!

So, I say “JUST DO IT”, you will be glad you did.

 5/5

CROCHET HAYSTACK STITCH

The lastest addition to The Lily Collection – Baptism Cross Blanket XIII afghan using the Haystack Stitch. Learning new crochet stitches are fun and designing in the art world of crochet is my thing!

This crochet design pattern falls off the hook at a fast pace and the Haystack Stitch is easy, well defined and a repeat pattern. Welcome Baptism Cross Blanket XIII with your likes and shares which support me as an independent small business crochet designer.

The blanket is larger than my other designs at 47 inches length x 42 inches wide. Using the ethereal quality of Caron Simply Soft yarn and a G6/4.00mm crochet hook makes this design come alive. All my Cross designs are special to me and I know you will love this one too.

Coupon Shopping

Celebrate opening up America! Start breathing and building your beautiful crochet library!

Pattern changes

So, you want to alter the current crochet pattern you are working on. You desire to change a stitch, add rows or rounds and change border design. Someone who does this is often called a DESIGNER. If you have ideas like these pursue them to the end! Create something that is uniquely you. Personalizing for someone you care about is a good thing.

CAUTION HOWEVER KNOW THAT YOU ARE ENTERING DANGEROUS TERRITORY

The simplest to more complex changes you want to make will effect the outcome of the pattern design you are spring-boarding from. Where will those changes likely take you? Will you put in a great deal of effort only to find out you will be frogging the entire project.

Think and plan out what you want to change, so you succeed or identify early on what to scrap. A Designer maps out concepts and changes throughout a design.

Stitches take up space both in width and height. A single crochet is short, a double crochet twice as tall and a treble even taller though all three might take up the same width space, they will not in height. If your working rounds, you will be adding a different amount of stitches so that your corners will lay flat….so if you change a round from sc to dc stitch you just changed stitch count.

Decisions decisions decisions I say MAKE them, but think about how that change may alter what comes next.

MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN AND ALWAYS CREATE

Welcome to 2020

Well, 2020 is not at all what any of us imagined, including me. I won’t belabor what we are all going through because there is no need, we’re in it aren’t we.

What I can do is encourage those of us who offer crochet patterns for our fellow crocheters to keep it up and use this time to create with new ideas, color schemes and stitch combinations.

My current project is using a Linked Double Crochet (Ldc) and Haystacks in the border and a final Flower pattern using Bobbles. Creating a border that pleases me takes a bit of time, I want to look at it later and think once again YES, I do like that!

Wellness to all of you, keep creating, keep those hands and your mind busy.

The start of a Pie Crust Crochet Obsession – part 5

“see POST Part-4 enhancements made to the pattern instructions of Cherry Pie Motif”

CROCHET CHERRY PIE CRUST

A Pie isn’t a PIE without a CRUST, right?! So, here we go to put the Cherry Pie together with its Cherry topping (Motif) and Pie Crust bottom. Check out additional stitches added for this next phase of the Crochet Cherry Pie. Don’t forget to follow the Magic Ring link to a video to see how this is done.

MATERIALS LIST

Medium-4 Yarn, an ounce or so of each color.

MC: Red (Cherries) and CC: White (Crust)

Crochet Hook: F/5 3.75mm

Stitch markers

Tapestry needle

SPECIAL STITCHES

Magic Ring: Form a ring with yarn; leaving loose end about 6 inches long, insert hook in center of ring and under yarn coming from the ball. YO and draw through lp on hook: ch made. Ch 3 (counts as first dc); work as many dc in ring as specified in pattern; join with slip st to top of beg ch-3. Pull the 6 inch tail to close the center of work. This foundation start can also be called adjustable ring because the size can easily accomodate many stitches. Click on Magic Ring to be taken to a Red Heart Video on how to make this foundation beginning.

Picot: Ch 3, slip st in first ch made.

5-dc-Popcorn (Pop): Work 5 dc in specified stitch; drop lp from hook, insert hook front to back in the top of the first dc made, pick up dropped lp, and draw through lp on hook; ch 1 to secure stitch. Normally you would use a ch 1 to secure the stitch, in this pattern I am using 2 chs. Note, all popcorns will be gathered to pop to the front of the motif.

Shell (Shell): Work (sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc) in specified stitch.

V-Stitch (V-St): Work (dc, ch 2, dc) in specified stitch.

ABBREVIATIONS

beg: beginning, BPdc: back post double crochet, CC: contrasting color, ch: chain, dc: double crochet, hdc: half double crochet, lp(s): loop(s), MC: main color, Pop: popcorn, Rep: repeat, Rnd: round, RS: right side, sc: single crochet, slip st: slip stitch, sp(s): space(s), st(s): stitch(es), tr: treble crochet, YO: yarn over

PIE CRUST INSTRUCTION

Rnd 1 RS: With CC, Magic Ring, ch 3 (counts as dc now and throughout), work 11 more dc in ring, slip st into beg dc, ch 3, do not turn. (12 dc)

Rnd 2: Work dc in same st as beg ch-3, 2 dc in each dc; rep from around, slip st into beg dc, ch 3. (24 dc)

Rnd 3: Work 2 dc in next dc, dc in next dc; rep from around, slip st into beg dc, ch 3. (36 dc)

Rnd 4: Work dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in each of the next two dc; rep from around, slip st into beg dc, ch 3. (48 dc)

Rnd 5: Work dc in each of the next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in each of the next three dc; rep from around, slip st into beg dc, ch 3. (60 dc)

Rnd 6: Work dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in each of the next two dc; rep from around, slip st into beg dc. (80 dc)

Rnd 7: Ch 3, skip next dc, sc in next dc; rep from around, ending with slip st into beg ch-3 and ch-3 sp. (40 ch-3 sps)

Rnd 8: Ch 1, (sc, picot, sc) in each ch-3 sp around; rep from around, ending with slip st into beg sc. Fasten off if stopping here or continue to Rnd 9 and Rnd 10 to a Gorgeous Granny Square. (40 picots)

FINISHING INSTRUCTION

Tighten up sliding loop and weave in ends with tapestry needle. With right sides facing, lay Crust on surface in front of you, center Cherry Pie Motif on top of Crust, sew together.

Block if desired. Taking time to block your finished piece will enhance the project by opening up the stitch pattern, evening out lacework and creating straight, even edges, especially as your tension naturally loosens and tightens as you crochet.

CHERRY PIE GRANNY SQUARE

Rnd 9 RS: Ch 4 (counts as tr), 6 more tr in same st, [(ch 3, BPdc around next sc of Rnd 7) 8 times more, ch 3, 7 tr in next sc of Rnd 8] rep between [ ] 3 times more around, ending with ch 3, slip st into 4th ch of beg ch-4.

I used a contrasting color in the picture above to better show the BPdc behind the Picot row.

If you pull the picot towards you while working the BPdc it will be easier to complete.

Rnd 10: [*(Picot, sc in next tr) 5 times more, ch 3, (skip next dc, 3 sc in next ch-3 sp) 7 times more, ch 3, sc in next tr)] repeat between [ ] 3 times more around, ending with slip st into 4th ch of beg tr. Fasten off. Follow Finishing Instruction.

Click on this link to be taken to the Free Pattern page to get the complete pattern.

I hope you will share what you make using my PIE CRUST OBSESSION inspiration!

The start of a Pie Crust Crochet Obsession – part 4

“see enhancements made since first publication”

BREAKING DESIGNER RULE NUMBER ONE

ALWAYS write down the crochet hook size you are playing with right from the start!

“I must have needed that hook somewhere else, right?”

You may get distracted for several days (or weeks) from your design process (like I did) and when you come back to your project you’ll be scratching your head like me today on what hook I was using! If you have several crochet hooks the same size – leave it with the project – I did none of these things. Also, we could talk about tension changes too right now but I won’t!

This is Part 4 of my Pie Crust Obsession. If you have been following along we will finish the top of the Pie. You don’t have to use the color I chose, I just thought it fitting for the holidays coming. Most of all I hope you have fun playing in C R O C H E T!