Granny Square Afghan

Here is a picture of the Granny Square afghan that my sister started 40 some years ago. It was recently rediscovered and  completed by me.  Never say never to those works in process.

You can see from my sister's smiling face that she is happy to have the afghan back in her possession.

 

Back to the Future

I’m calling my first crocheted project of 2013 “Back to the Future” and when you see the pictures you will understand why.

This is a bit of a long story, so grab a cup of coffee and read on. The year was 1970 and my younger sister Kathy wanted to learn how to crochet.  Kathy made a mistake that new crocheters often make; she started with a project that was way too big, a granny square afghan consisting of 24 large motifs, then she became discouraged, or got tired of the project or both.  At any rate, she put the unfinished project aside.

At some point she turned the project over to our Mother for completion but Mother never completed the project. Mother passed away on September 5^th 2012, and while going through her things we found the unfinished project.  I took the motifs home and told my sis that I would finish the afghan for her, 42 years after it was started.

When I got to looking at the motifs I discovered what Mother had mostly likely discovered.  Kathy had made a very common mistake, when attaching a new color of yarn; she attached it to the wrong side. Quite a few of the motifs are done this way.  Mother was a perfectionist when it came to crochet. She could not tolerate a mistake. My best guess is that Mother planned on taking the motifs apart and make them right.  I noticed several short strands of yarn in the sack that housed the project, but for some reason, she never finished.

I on the other hand can tolerate a few mistakes. I told Kathy what I discovered, but that I do not intend to fix her mistakes. They are part of the personality of the motifs. I have four more motifs to complete and then I’ll stitch the motifs together, add a border, and present the granny square afghan to my sister some 40 years after it was started.

Here are some pictures of the motifs. When I have the afghan stitched together, I’ll show you a picture of the finished object. It is indeed a blast from the past.

 

Mistake Rib Scarf

I don’t know who “invented” the Mistake Rib pattern stitch so I can’t give that person proper credit. It is a stitch pattern that I recently discovered and being a new knitter, one that I appreciated. It looks great, and it is easy. It gets its name because the ribs are offset which really gives it an interesting look. If you are looking for a great take along project, then this mistake rib scarf is just the ticket!

You simply knit two and purl two across and end each row with one purl

You can use any size needles and any type of yarn, great for stash busting.

The pattern stitch consists of multiples of 4 + 3.

To make my scarf I used one hank of Malabrigo, Worsted. I purchased this beautiful yarn from one of my favorite yarns shops, Heindselman’s Yarn and Needlework. They say they are the oldest yarn shop in America, which is reason enough to visit the store. They are located at 176 West Center Street, Provo, Ut 84601

The finished size of my scarf is approximately 5 X 50 Inches.

The color way is #246 Hummingbird. 210 yards, 100 grams

 

Size 13 needles

CO 27 stitches

Row 1: *K2, P2, repeat from * across, end with K2, P1.

Repeat row 1 to desired length.

Filet Scarf

The other day I picked up the Knit N Style Magazine, December 2012 issue. I came across a filet scarf in crochet by Helene Rush. I loved it and decided to crochet it. I promised a cousin of mine that I would make her a scarf.

I thought I could make the scarf from stash yarn, but alas, I have hundreds of skeins but none seemed to look as good as what was in the magazine. So I got on the phone and called my local yarn shop, which is Personal Threads in Omaha Nebraska.  They quickly sent out the yarn, two skeins of Knit One, Crochet Too Ty-Dy Wool, one Chili Mocha and one Antique Garden.

The scarf made up very quickly, and I'm excited to get it mailed to my cousin. I hope she likes it.

 

Lace With a Twist Cowl

Like so many of you I have been busy working on Christmas gifts. A few finished objects got into the mail before I could take pictures to share.

I'm pretty proud of this knitted project that I just finished for my sister for Christmas, and thought I'd share it quick before it gets wrapped up and delivered.

The pattern is called Lace With a Twist Cowl. The designer is Lisa Gentry. I found the pattern in a Leisure Arts Booklet that I purchased from Hobby Lobby for $9.95 this fall. The Booklet features  ten different cowls designed by Lisa.

The cowls are all  fun, and I hope to knit several more, but this one is my favorite. It is made with yarn from Red Heart's Midnight Boutique line. Two skeins of yarn were used and size 10 needles.

 

I hope you like it.

Pattern Review

My niece Valarie is expecting her first baby in January of 2013. It is a boy.

I saw a bunting set in the December 2012 issue of Crochet World and knew I had to make it for Val. The pattern is Cuddle Bug Bunting Set. The designer is Dianne Gochenour.

The original pattern calls for 1 skein of Lion Brand Pound of Love medium weight yarn. I used 3 skeins of Lion Brand - Vanna's Choice - Baby, colorway Little Boy Blue to complete my project. I had enough for the bunting, and the hat and had a little bit of yarn left over.

The pattern stitch is a simple 3 double crochet shell repeat which is very easy to work, and I love the finished object. The entire project was completed in just a couple evenings. I will be presenting the set to Val as a baby shower gift the end of November.

If you like this design and decide to make it yourself, there is an error in the pattern: Rnd 6 should read Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, sk next st, shell in next st, [sk next st, sc in next st, sk next st shell in next st] around.  The "[" is in the wrong place.

Note the same error is repeated in the hat in rnd. 4

Here is my doll baby modeling the bunting and the hat which is sized for newborn to three months.

 

 

 

Magic Knot

I was surfing the Internet this morning and came across a link within a pattern for something called "magic knot".

I have heard of the term magic loop, but not magic knot so I clicked on it. I think this is a very clever way of joining yarn without having two little tails left over to either work in or weave in. When the knot is secure, you simply cut off the left over tails very close to the knot.

This is a tutorial on You Tube by Jane Richmond. Nicely done Jane.

I hope you find it helpful  Enjoy.