An excellent and lovely afghan pattern

I am starting an afghan pattern for a new niece/nephew that is due in June of 2015.  As they are not going to find out which gender, I am making an afghan for either.  Using Waverly yarns since they are discontinued.  I might as well use up what I have here.  

So far in a minty green and a silvery medium blue.  I have a pink, a white, and a yellow.  Will see if I can add a darker hue of each color, too, like the one below…or not!  Am not exactly sure as to how the placement of colors will be, but as I have lots of time to work on this, it will be fun to figure it out as I go along.

This is the Twilight Shells Throw #LW4502 below.

This is the Twilight Shells Throw in another pattern on Red Heart. It's a little different.

It is a simple shell stitch and works up into something quite lovely!  The color choices and placements are endless!!  This also works very well with the air-crochet when you change colors.  Spectacular!

The pattern is free so give it a try!

"Crochet Ever After" by Brenda K.B. Anderson

I got it, I got it, I got it!!!!!

I'm soooo excited!  I sent off for the new fun crochet book that has all sort of wonderful patterns. Fun patterns!

Originally I purchased it because of the cowl shown on the back…it is exactly what I wanted, and looks knit.  The other "cute" things were not in my radar at all.  HOWEVER after reading through it I can see possibilities for nearly ever single pattern…fun and different gifts for family and friends.

This is the front of the book from Amazon.

And this is the back of the book

Inside you will find a shawl, mittens, a doll, purses, and hats…and other goodies!

After I make a cowl for myself I plan on making the cupcake purse as a box for my granddaughter who is enamored with boxes. Fun!

Afghan from several years ago….

It came to my attention that in Ravelry I had not published photos of a lovely afghan I made for a little boy in 2011.  It is one I loved when I saw another one on Ravelry made by Sara…in blue.  It was gorgeous, so decided to get the book and make it.

I don't know if I actually posted it here, but think that it is so special it is worth posting again even if I had.

This is in the book "A Year of Baby Afghan's" by Leisure Arts #4439.  The Afghan is the one for August, and is super cute.  SC, with post stitches, but not HARD per se. Just following the pattern to get the post stitches in the right place was often a challenge.

For Debi…..

One of our Ravelry friends has been rather ill, so the group made an afghan to send to her.  Using the same "Circle-in-a-Square" pattern that I used for my nephew, only we used purples from Vanna's Choice.

This is the result!

Air Crochet or Air-Crochet; i.e. what people are now calling the Standing Double Crochet stitch

In 2008 I devised a stitch that I called Air-Crochet for lack of a better term.  I did not want to confuse it with the Standing Double Crochet, or Standing-anything-crochet stitch because it was different, never before used, and I was so very proud of my accomplishment. My friend Margaret has a habit of starting to call it the standing crochet stitch which again starts sweeping it away from my "finding out how to do it originally", into the grouping of an "old" stitch which honestly isn't the same.

I studied the DC, the SC and all the other stitches to see how they were made….making one and taking it apart, over and over again until I could "see" how the stitch was formed.  It took me a couple of days, and I worked hard at it.  

I mentioned in several times, although at that time I didn't advertise it or tell people what I called it…at least I don't remember doing so.  It wasn't until 2009 that I went ahead and told people about it and did a tutorial on it in the Vanna's Choice Fan Club.  That tutorial can still be located there, as well as on my own project pages.  I then posted it on my previous blog, Learning and Loving Crochet.

I was doing two blogs at a time, and found that I could barely do one, so closed that one down….probably should have transferred all the info over if I could somehow. Anyone knowledgable about that?

I put up a YouTube video recently and then just for giggles I searched for "air crochet" and found two blogs that had put up tutorials. One last year which Moogly did, and one this year (could be last?) that another person did.  I wrote to both to let them know that I was the one who originally cooked this baby up.

To my surprise I reached a lot of resistance to that statement, even though I backed it up.  You know as well as I do that I am not a super designer, or a fancy doodle blogger.  I just like to make things easier for my fellow friends in crochet.  

At one time I designed a box with a magnet in it and used it for several years to keep my pins and whatnot in there.  Several different boxes, several different designs.  Paula received one when I finally decided to let lose of the design and share it. Lo and behold over the next two years people started making fancier boxes and selling them.  To this day, Paula still gives me credit for my "Cat Box" which delights me to no end.

But I stray….back to the Air-Crochet.  I was rather miffed when Tamara (Moogly) came back to me to say that it was a printed stitch from 1999 or some such.  When I asked for the reference, because if someone else had discovered the stitch I had not heard of it, she gave me that name of a book. I bought the Kindle version and the updated version….and it wasn't my stitch.  It was, however, the same ol', same ol' standing crochet that you start with a slip stitch (the very thing I was trying to avoid).

When I told her that it wasn't the same and that I honestly would like credit for at least designing the stitch I received silence.  Days and days of silence.  It floors me that someone who is as talented and who has such lovely designs would dis me that way when the only thing I wanted was it to be given the credit that I devised the stitch…for a dc, for a sc, for a hdc, and for a treble.  I can even do it on bobbles and other stitches … easy, peasy.

I was really in a funk for several days waiting to hear from Tamara to say she had researched it and I was right, and she'd at least post my name.  I have to admit that her tutorial, as well as the other one, are a bit better than mine….but mine came first, it isn't an "old" stitch that has been around for "decades" as the one person said.

So am I being selfish….I feel like I am stamping my foot with a pouty lip crying, "Pay attention to me!"  Maybe I am, and if so, it is only right. I know she would not like someone to pass around her patterns and lose her a sale, just like I don't like people renaming my stitching and acting like I had nothing to do with it.  It actually hurts my feelings. Really.

Have you ever heard of the leaning tower stitch?  The ladies regularly give credit to the man who designed that stitch, even long time after his passing. 

Thanks for letting me vent.  I needed that. Guess I had better start working the blogs more.  I tend to slide quite a bit!

Happy Crafting and Learning!

Two posts for one day! …..sharing the doily I made for a swap gift

Unfortunately this was harder than it should have been, and not as flat as I would have liked.  It is because I mistakenly started with a larger thread and had to make adjustments.  I had finished about 10 rows and realized it wasn't going to work, so took out five and worked from there making adjustments.

Then I found out that the thread was POLYESTER not cotton…I had begun wondering why it felt so funny, putting it off to being Mercerized.  My bad. It was a wonderful gift from Bev, and had it not been for her generosity, I would never have been able to make the gift in time, so am very thankful for her and the gift.  It did turn out to be pretty!

I immediately purchased some thread in size 5 and size 10 so that I had more to use for various patterns.  I do want to make more doilies.

Finished…..finally!

My helper wondering WHEN are you going to finish and toss the ball for me!??!

Is is over 6' long but only about 42" wide I think.

Crab stitch edging

 Makes X's and O's for my sweet nephew!

New Blanket for Jonathan

I found a lovely pattern on Ravelry called Circle-in-a-Square.  There are many other patterns out there that are pretty much the same, but liked the final look of this one so chose it to do an afghan for my nephew.  I had started one last year doing Tunisian, but I just didn't like the look of it about 1/2 way through.  That was the SECOND afghan I started for him.  The first one was a charted pattern and it was too hard for my hands for some reason.

This one is just a simple two color afghan, grey and cream, which I think will look pretty classy. The yarn is With Love by Red Heart.  Was surprised how much I really like it!

I have almost all the circles made, so am now adding the three rows on the outside.  Hopefully it will look as good as I think it should!

I have been doing circles in other colors to see combinations and may just finish up several afghans for Christmas as this is a VERY fast pattern…rather satisfying and also (for me) not boring.  Oh, did I mention EASY???

Try it -  you'll like it!

I did finish Stella's blanket….

I have been purchasing Iris for years from Snowpeak Iris & Daylilly here in Oregon.  I visited her for the first time to pick up my order in person this year and found she is closing down. Her husband Castle passed away last year and she is of an age now that it is back breaking work alone, and not enough profits to pay workers.

This is a photo gallery of about 1/2 of the varieties I had to leave behind in Idaho when I moved. All bought on line from her. If you love these flowers you might want to contact her as after the last sale she is going to bulldoze them in.  Her iris are beautiful, and she always gives a bonus root to surprise you.  I suggest you go on line and check her out!

Cute blog

Love the colors she uses, and her gracious tone about where her patterns derive.  Some amazing looking happy things going on in he blog!

Look HERE and it is like going down the hole into Alice's Wonderland!!!

I AM KNITTING!…..well, sort of…..

I decided to try my hand at knitting again.  It's been years and I have had such a time trying to go back. Instead of a large project, this time I decided to stick to something smaller.  So, a small square seemed the trick!  A dish cloth!!  

The first one is a Tunisian cloth, then the sec on is knit.  I didn't do the borders properly, so am keeping this one.  The third one isn't shown yet as it is a gift.  However, it is turning out quite nicely!

Now below is the graham cracker desert that my mom used to make.  You take graham crackers and spread fresh whipped cream on them and stack them, then "frost" them with the rest of the whipped, sweetened cream.  Put it in the freezer and serve up the next day.

SOOOOOO good!  She also made it with those chocolate round wafer type cookies. Yum!!

I would think by now most of you know that I am not much of a cook, but as I have LOTS of cooking 'things' and am getting tired of McDonalds (not to mention that I have put on lots of weight - and I know the graham cracker cake doesn't help!) I thought I'd better start actually cooking a full meal now and again.

Wa, la!  A roast with all the veggies! Yum…very good if I do say so myself.  So far it has lasted three days, so am finishing it up tonight, except for some extra meat I will freeze for another go at sandwiches later on.  

I did get the rice cooker out, too. Found it is a steamer and slow cooker, too, so am excited to use it.  I want to make my mom's "American Fried Rice" which I love.  I will love it IF I can find the recipe or at least replicate it properly! Rice, bacon cut into pieces and fried, green onions, fried egg,  and sometimes cooked carrots, with a dash of vinegar and some bacon grease.  Not good for the coronary patient!

Have a great Sunday!

Stella's Booties

My Great Grandniece Stella

These booties are going to be too large for her, but that's okay.  I am still working on the afghan to match! Might toss in a hat, too….maybe.

The Baby Mary Jane Skimmers have already been sent and received.  

Good Morning to Sunshine! Yay!

Mother's Day was glorious! Sun and blue sky and it hit 70!  

Today it looks like it will even be warmer, and "mostly sunny" in our area.  I'm stoked.  I am able to sit out at one end of the back yard on the concrete garden seat and toss the ball to the other end of the new grassed in yard! :o)  

The doggie is thrilled again to have a place to run, AND no rain.  Me, too, as cleaning up the dirt and mud is never ending.  Now with grass the mud and dirt are at a minimum!

This is the original side yard.

First I had a fence built on top of a wall and brought up the level a bit…still mulch, though. Wasn't finished across the front part off in the distance.

Then I added grass and took out some plants that kept getting mildew from too much shade. Brought the level up about another foot at this end which was lower..

Across the back fence there were three planters.  That's where the ball kept landing when I would toss it for Maggie!

Now no planters, the blue berry bushes transplanted toward this end of the yard where the garden started….deck on the right which was at one time dirt and slate.

Added the concrete seat at this end of the yard so I can toss the ball to the side yard…and sit on my duff doing it!

And now Maggie doesn't have to leap tall buildings in a single bound when she chases after the ball! She is happy and I am ecstatic!

Now for crochet….I finished my slippers a few weeks back and forgot to post.  These are super comfy, super warm, and I can walk on the damp grass and not get my feet wet if it is a quick dash.  Made with double yarn, and then two layers of soles.  Make for a cushy step!

These are adult Mary Jane Skimmers by Sylvia Schuchardt at HookCandy.com, and on Ravelry. I used Vanna's Choice in Cambridge so the dirt would not show so much.