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Oh, I totally see your point about using a good yarn, most of the time. But not for a kid's ourfit- mine at least will trash it anyway. And my 8 year old is sensitive to wool, though I suppose I could make him something cotton.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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My first crochet project was a terrific and big Afghan -- about 7 pounds of yarn are in it (it's a heavy Afghan). Now I sleep under it every night, and it is wonderful. I started another, using cheaper yarn, and I'm not as happy with it. It is stiffer and scratchier.
But 7 pounds of good yarn can get pretty pricey.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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romany- I love your sweater. It's so pretty. I don't know what you mean about pooches, I don't see any.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I'm planning on finishing up a purse for my teenager, I've been working on it off and on since before I got sick. Bless her heart, she hasn't complained yet that I'm taking 10 forevers to complete it.
I'm crazy quilting the front in fabrics of pink and black, think very Parisian. The back is a drapery fabric in pink with black polka dots. The lining is solid fuchsia and it has black handles. If I finish it this week I'll post a picture. The crazy quilting is all done, now it's just construction stuff to do.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I have a question for the crochet gurus out there.
I'm working on a pattern that is a lot more complicated than anything I've done before and some of the terminology is escaping me. Every row I'm supposed to work either in front of or behind chains from the previous row. I don't understand what is front and what is behind. Is in front of just the side of the work that is facing me? Or is it the same side every time, so that if in the first row the front was the side facing me, in the next row it's the side facing away from me?
Also, here is a bit of the pattern that is confusing me. In the row previous I had done blocks of dc seperated by 3 skipped stitches connected by ch 4 sections. In this row the pattern says exactly: "working in front of ch-4 sp, shell in the 2nd st of the next 3 sk sts in row below and in ch-4 sp at the same time" (the shell is 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc). How do I work it in the ch-4 space at the same time? Am I supposed to somehow work the top of the dcs into the ch-4? If so, how do I do that.
I know this is complicated, but if anyone could help me out I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
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quote: Is in front of just the side of the work that is facing me? Or is it the same side every time, so that if in the first row the front was the side facing me, in the next row it's the side facing away from me?
It's always the side facing you (assuming you're turning your work).
I haven't done shells yet, though.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Wow, is this the same pattern beating you up from when we were IMing the other night?
I *think* that when they say front and back, they mean to only take up half of the loop from the prior row of stitching. Normally you put the hook under both loops, when you work in the front, you put the hook only under the loop closest to you. That helps the stitches of the shell to poof out.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by blacwolve: Also, here is a bit of the pattern that is confusing me. In the row previous I had done blocks of dc seperated by 3 skipped stitches connected by ch 4 sections. In this row the pattern says exactly: "working in front of ch-4 sp, shell in the 2nd st of the next 3 sk sts in row below and in ch-4 sp at the same time" (the shell is 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc). How do I work it in the ch-4 space at the same time? Am I supposed to somehow work the top of the dcs into the ch-4? If so, how do I do that.
Is the pattern supposed to create a kind of poofy 3D-thing? If it is, I think they mean for you to actually fold the previous row with the "ch-4 sp" behind the "2nd st" part, and work your shell through both those stitches, sort of like hand-sewing when you put the needle through both pieces of fabric at once. I've never had to do anything like that, though, so I'm not positive, but that would be my best guess. And the stitching in the ch-4 space means to just stitch around the entire chain, rather than any one particular stitch in the chain - I couldn't tell if that was part of your question or not.
Does the pattern come with a picture of the finished product that you could post? Usually with complicated crochet patterns I can figure out what they want more easily if I know what the outcome is supposed to look like.
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Nope, I finished that one. This one is a baby afghan and it's significantly more complicated.
If I knew someone in my physical area that I could ask for help, I think I could get it pretty quickly, since most of my questions are basic. I just don't know anyone who crochets IRL.
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Does the pattern come with a picture of the finished product that you could post? Usually with complicated crochet patterns I can figure out what they want more easily if I know what the outcome is supposed to look like.
If I can find a scanner, I can post it, I'll ask my boyfriend if he knows someone who has one. The pattern doesn't look like it's supposed to be puffy. It looks like there is a backgroud of double crochet with slightly raised diamonds with corners touching all over. Does that make any sense?
Also, Sarah- I don't know who April is, I doubt you can help, and your grandma is not in physical proximity to me.
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If you could see me examining that picture with my nose about 6 inches away from my screen, trying to see the individual stitches, I'm sure you'd laugh at me.
Okay, I'm guessing that if you rotate the afghan in the picture 90 degrees counter-clockwise, that would put it right-side-up in accordance with the pattern instructions, right? So rather than looking at it as a pattern of raised diamonds on a vertical dc background, I'm seeing it more as a bow-tie shaped pattern (going shell-to-shell) with horizontal dc rows in the background. Does this make sense?
(Sorry, I have a hard time describing things that I understand on purely physical and visual levels with words.)
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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To be honest, I can't tell. The shells are each seperated by what amounts to eight double crochets, if that helps?
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Wait, I think I get what's going on now. "3 sk sts in row below" - I missed that word the first time through, sorry. So you're basically working across the front of the previous two rows in order to start the raised diamond/bow-tie part, right?
*getting frustrated by trying to mentally manipulate yarn and hook that aren't there*
*going to get real yarn and hook to test ideas that I don't have words for yet*
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Okay, I think I may have figured it out. That is complicated!
Here's what I did: When you go to do the shell, do the first half of each of the dcs in that 2nd sk st in the row below, going in front of the row with the 4-ch space. And when you do a dc in general (not that I think you don't know, just for an attempt at clarity), it's YO, insert hook through front to back, YO, pull loop back to front (there's 3 loops on hook now), YO, pull new loop through 2 loops on hook (2 loops on hook now), then at THIS point, YO around the 4-ch space - as in, insert the hook under the 4-ch space as if it's one big stitch, then grab the new loop from in front of the 4-ch space - and then complete the dc by pulling the loop through both loops on the hook. That gets the new row of dcs laying across the front of the previous rows.
Mind, I've never worked with a raised pattern that works across the front like this does before. Well, I think I tried crochet cables a long time ago, but mostly I've done a lot of lacy open-work, doily-type crocheting. This was just what I got from experimenting to see what would get me something that seems to follow the instructions and also looks like what I'm interpreting the picture to show, so I could be totally wrong, and if I am, someone please correct me! But that's what I'd do if it were my project. I'm guessing the next step on that row is to do a bunch of ch (like 12-14ish?) to connect to the next shell in the row, and that after a bunch of rows (6, or maybe 12, from the picture) the parallel chains get gathered together in the middle somehow to form the bow-tie/butterfly image? That's the guess that I was basing my shell-guess on, anyway.
I hope this helps! And that's a gorgeous pattern, btw. I hope you post a pic when you get it finished!
posted
Thanks! That does help a lot and the whole pattern makes a lot more sense now. Thank you so much.
I think my next project is going to be doing something lacy (note the vagueness there) mind if I ask you for help when that comes about?
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Sure, ask away. I haven't done a lot of crocheting lately, so I might be rusty, and I'm not an expert by any means, but I'll be glad to help where I can.
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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My twin baby blankets are all done, and they are so sweet. The twins are due any day, and I hope they like their blankets.
I made each out of a very soft baby blanket-sized piece of fleece. Then I snipped holes about 1.5 inches from the edge, every 1.5 inches apart all around the border. I crocheted into the holes using this impossibly soft baby chenille, with one single crochet, two chains, then another single crochet in the next hole, all the way around the border. The edges kind of folded under and hemmed themselves in the process. Then I continued single crocheting around the border for a few rows, for the contrasting border. At the last row, I switched yarns to a color that matched the fleece. I made two matching blankets. One is soft green fleece with a pale yellow border, edged with soft green. The other is pale yellow fleece with a soft green border, edged in pale yellow.
(they are not giving up the genders of the twins, so they get yellow and green)
If I had a camera, you could see them. But I don't so, well, let your imagination picture them for you.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Awww that does sound adorable, Tante. Maybe I should borrow that for the fleece throw my daughter wants but I can't seem to get around to making.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Also, super easy to do! No pattern to follow, and all the work is the border. Which, by the way, is made from a super chunky yarn. I used an "N"-sized (9mm) hook, and Lion Brand Velvet Spun Chenille. The main part of the blanket is just bought from the fabric store.
Still, if I were the baby, I'd be very happy to be under such a blanket.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Have any of you heard of the website www.etsy.com ? I'm not a very crafty person, but I love handmade, unique items, and etsy seems to be the best site on the intraweb for these things. A couple of friends of mine who are crafty love to browse the site to look for ideas... I love to browse it to see all the pretty things I wish I could afford. Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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I've been there Jhai. It has some great crafts there. I do have an account there, but I have yet to place anything up there.
Posts: 822 | Registered: Jul 2001
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This is a call out for help from all those craftier than I.
I have cross-stitched the names of each of my neices and nephew in various styles of letters based on their age, gender and general interests. I want to give them to the kids to put as name plates on their doors when they move to their new home in a few month. I was wondering if anybody had (simple and inexpensive) ideas for mounting them. What could I put them on to make them look attractive. I have a broad ribbon that I could use, but the ribbon that I have doesn't match two of them so I would have to go find another color to finish those. Help!!
Posts: 340 | Registered: Mar 2003
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The local craft store sells a sticky board that can be used as a matte. You can cut the cross stitch fabric, stick it to the board, then just glue some ribbon around the raw edges to finish it off. Add some long ribbon to hang it from the door knob.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Thanks for the ideas. I hadn't even thought of matting it. We have equipment here to do that and lots of people around here know how to do it who could help me out.
In a few weeks, I'll be able to go to a craft store so I'll look around. Thanks for the suggestions!
Posts: 340 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I buy 1/4" thick foam core at Hobby Lobby for about $2 a sheet (24x36" size), which I can cut to size with a utility knife. I make most of my ornaments by sewing a coordinating fabric to the reverse side in a pocket, slipping a piece of foam core in the middle, and whipstitching the opening shut. Then I get 1/4" ribbon to cover the seams and act as a hanger.
I also use the same foam core for framed pieces and pin the fabric into the edges with sequin pins.
I won't use the sticky-faced boards (EZMat?) anymore because I discovered that the adhesive discolors my fabrics once they've been mounted. This usually takes some time (like a couple years), but I have a piece I mounted about a year and a half ago done on antiqute white linen that was icky cream within 6 months. And I've never smoked or allowed smoking in my home so I'm certain that's not a factor. That was my last adhesive board mount.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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At least make sure they're acid-free. Otherwise use glue or staples on the underside, depending on how thick it is. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Anybody make anything for their mom for Mother's Day?
I sewed a purse for my step-mom. She loves dolphins so I found this pretty dark teal placemat at the home store for $2.99 and cut out a purse from it. I printed out clipart of a leaping dolphin then traced it onto tear away stabilizer. Ironed the stabilizer to the bottom of the purse, so the dolphin is leaping out from the bottom right hand corner. I then used seed beads to outline the dolphin as well as some stylized waves of water using dark teal beads for the dolphin and light blue for the water.
I just finished putting it all together - black satin lining and a bamboo handle. If I had my birthday present yet I'd show it to you (I'm getting a new digital camera from my hubby but it isn't here yet.) At any rate, I'm rather proud of it. It's the first time I've made a purse with the purchased handles, I usually make my own handles from excess fabric, but the placemat wasn't big enough for that. I like the way it looks. Little bit extra work, but I think I will do more this way in the future. The only drawback - the handles cost $4.99, plus $1.99 for the D-rings to attach them so they were a lot more expensive than the material!
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm so excited about what we're making for Mother's Day.
I teach 1st-5th grade sunday school, and all of us are doing this project for our mothers. (As much fun as the project has been, I don't think I'll do it again...tons more prep work than I thought it would be). I will however do this myself again. It's been a kick coming up with ways to improve it.
Over the past few weeks, I've been taking pictures of the kids in my class, then cropping them in Photoshop to 2.5x2.5, printing them out, then punching them out with my 2.5" circle punch. I've got about 5 or 6 of each child's face with different facial expressions. Silly, mad, surprised, smiling, relaxed, that sort of thing. The kids will pick out their four favorites and glue them to cardstock flowers I cut out a couple of weeks ago (I use Fiskar's Shapecutter with a template). They'll take another flower and a blank circle cardstock center (cut with my 2.5" punch), write something they love about their mom in the middle, then glue the center to the second flower. The picture flower will get taped to a short chenille stem that is wrapped with florist tape to a ballpoint pen (I've been doing these up while sitting in front of the TV...just have 40 more to go...). The Mom Sentiment flower will get glued to the back side of the picture flower, sandwiching the chenille stem. They'll make four picture flower pens for their moms, then put them in paper mache flowerpots we decorated last week, that I'm going to fill with beans tonight and cover over with tulle to make sure they don't fall out before they get home.
In the end, they'll have a small bouquet of picture flower pens in a flowerpot pen holder. So far, they're turning out adorable -- I knew one of my kids wouldn't be there this weekend, so I did her pens up as a prototype. I was really proud of how they turned out.
I'm going to make one for my mom with all of the grandkids for the faces. Once I have my mom's done, I'll take a picture and post it. I'm planning to decorate her flowerpot decopaging bleeding tissue paper. I think it will end up looking like stained glass, then I'll heat emboss butterflies in glitter over the top of that. I think it'll look really cool.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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That sounds beautiful, Belle! Sheesh, I feel lame now for just going the flowers-and-card route, but the holiday kinda snuck up on me and now I don't have time to make anything.
Posts: 957 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I crocheted big thick twin-bed sized Afghans for my Mom and Mother-in-law. It takes a while to make a big thick Afghan, and twice as long to make two.
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I think it would be neat, we live in a wooded area, so having one tree that can look back at you will add flavor.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I finally got the picture of the purse I made for my stepmother online. Here it is.
The color is not quite right - the material was lighter and more green than in that picture but because it had a sheen to it it was hard to capture the exact color.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm in a polynesian dance class, and decided for a memorial day project to make my own poi balls -- two long, and two short. I have tons of yarn just lying around, so the rope part of it is almost completely done. Today my teacher's gonna show me how to make the ball part.
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So you're basically working across the front of the previous two rows in order to start the raised diamond/bow-tie part, right? 
