Monday, July 22, 2013

Newborn Ball Cap pattern



Here are a couple photos of the newborn ball cap that I made from this pattern:

http://www.crochetville.com/community/topic/125299-newborn-ballcap-pattern/#entry2228461





This was a lot of fun to make. It is made with worsted weight yarn so it works up fast. The designer says that she had made many newborn ball caps with lightweight baby yarn but she wanted to make one with worsted weight so she adapted the pattern to compensate for the different yarn. She did an amazing job on it!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Baby/Toddler Hooded Cable Sweater

This is one of my favourite patterns. It is done in crochet using 3 ply baby yarn. The instructions are for ages 6 months all the way up to 6 years old. I have made one for each of my grandchildren all done in the 6 months to 1 year size.

I made this sweater for my first grandson in baby blue. For my granddaughter, I made it in a light purple, like the colour of lilacs. And for my second grandson I made it in a variegated blue. I never added the pompom on the top of the hood. I don't really care for those.

This pattern is designed by Agnes Russell. She did a great job on it. I found the instructions easy to follow. The skill level for this is listed as "Intermediate". You can find it at  Free-Crochet. 


Monday, July 15, 2013

Crocheted Portraits


If you are looking for something different to crochet, why not crochet a portrait of someone. It's as much fun as painting. Once I got going I didn't want to stop. It was so much fun seeing the picture emerging from some yarn.

Here are two of my favourite:

John Lennon




Johnny Cash



















I haven't done any more in awhile. But, I did do one more that I didn't put on my site as it's very special to me. I crocheted a picture of my husband 6 months after he died. That one hangs on my living room wall.

To make a pattern to crochet from you have to turn the photo into a graph, You do that by
using the free online graph maker at
http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/

You choose what grid size you want, either "Regular", "Big" or "XL". I chose Big. Then select the Stitch size. I chose "Needlepoint, Cross Stitch, Crochet". Then click "Browse" to find that photo on your computer that you want to turn into a grid. Then click "Submit" to upload the photo. It will be turned into a grid in a .PDF file. Download that and open it with Adobe Reader or any other software that will open it. Then you can print it out.

I always convert my photos to black and white first. You can do that in most photo software programs.  I use IrfanView but Windows has one that might work as well. It is much easier to crochet or knit a portrait using only 2 colors.

One thing to remember is when changing colors is to finish off the single crochet with the second color. For example, let's say you just did 3 sc in black and the next few stitches are white, so when you do the 3rd black sc you would insert your hook, pull up a loop, then drop the black yarn and pick up your white yarn and finish off that sc. You must do this to keep your color changes even.

Also when you work from a black and white graph photo, you will notice that some blocks are gray. I don't want to work with a 3rd color so what I do is I will go over the graph with a pencil and darken in the gray blocks that I want to do in black. Those I do not darken in, I will do in white. These blocks are usually those around the outline of the face, around the hairline, eyes, ears mouth and nose. You can tell by looking at the photo which blocks should be done in black so as to stand out in the finished piece and still keep the resemblance to the person in the photo.

I also have Crochet Graph Pattern Tips here that will help make it much easier for you when working with the yarn.



Saturday, July 13, 2013

The Bavarian Stitch

I came across this site
http://032ad8a.netsolhost.com/madmad/2012/02/04/bavarian-crochet-blanket/#.UeF4EayZYo-
about a blanket this lady made using the Bavarian Stitch. You've got to see this! It is absolutely beautiful! She has lots of pictures.

The pattern she used is on this video. It has clear, concise instructions on how to make this blanket using the Bavarian stitch.  





Friday, July 12, 2013

Crocheted Baby Socks Pattern (Made with Worsted Weight Yarn)




My new crocheted baby socks pattern is ready. These are made with worsted weight yarn. They work up very fast. Great for quick last minute ideas to add to a gift for a new baby.
I'll post the pattern here, and you can also find it on my website at
http://crochetandknitting.com/bsocks2.htm

I also have a crocheted baby socks pattern in the lighter yarn. You can find it at
http://crochetandknitting.com/babysock.htm


MATERIALS

1 - 50g ball of worsted weight yarn. It wouldn't even use that much yarn.

Hook - 4.00mm

Size: Foot length approx. 3.5 inches - however, not all worsted weight yarns are the same. I used different brands for the 2 pairs in the photo above, the camouflage pair is 3.5 inches in foot length, and the purple variegated pair is 3.75 inches in length.
Gauge: 5 sc = 1 inch, 5 rows of sc = 1 inch.


Abbreviations used:
st - stitch
ch - chain
ss - slip stitch
sc - single crochet
tog - together
RND - Round


SOCK TOP

Ch 13
ROW 1 - 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in each ch to end. (12 sc)

ALL STITCHES in the remaining rows are through BACK LOOPS ONLY.

ROW 2 - 1 sc in each 12 sc, ch 1, turn. (Note: do not count the ch 1 in your stitch count on all rows throughout the pattern.)

ROWS 3 to 21 - Same as Row 2.

ROW 22 - (Joining row) ss to join Row 21 to Row 1. Turn inside out.

You now have a tube shape of ribbing. To start the foot of the sock, with right side facing you, ch 2, 1 sc at base of ch 2, 1 sc along each end of ribbing rows, ss to join to first sc at beg. (22 sc)

HEEL - ALL Stitches are through BOTH LOOPS.

ROW 1 - 1 sc in first sc at the base of ch 1, (remember, ch 1 doesn't count in the stitch count) 1 sc in next 11 sc, ch 1, turn. (12 sc)

ROWS 2 to 4 - Same as Row 1.

ROW 5 - 1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc tog (twice), 1 sc in next 4 sc, ss to join, Ch 1, turn. (10 sc)

ROW 6 - 1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc tog (twice), 1 sc in next 3 sc, ss to join, Ch 1, turn. (8 sc)

ROW 7 - 1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc tog (twice), fold heel in half with wrong side of heel facing you, (see photo below) ss the next sc to the 2nd sc on this Row, ss the next sc to the  1st sc of this Row, ch 2, turn heel to the right side.

CONTINUE WITH THE REST OF THE FOOT:

RND 1 - Space 7 sc evenly along edge of heel rows, 1 sc in next 10 sc, place 7 sc evenly along edge of heel rows, ss to join, ch 1, turn. (24 sc)

RND 2 - 1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc tog (twice), 1 sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc tog (twice), 1 sc in next 5 sc, ss to join, ch 1, turn. (20 sc)

RND 3 - 1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc tog, 1 sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc tog, 1 sc in next 5 sc, ss to join, ch 1, turn. (18 sc)

RND 4 - 1 sc in each sc, ss to join, ch 1, turn. (18 sc)

RNDS 5 to 9 - Same as Row 4. (18 sc)

ROW 10 - 1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc tog, 1 sc in next  6 sc, 2 sc tog, 1 sc in next 4sc, ss to join, ch 1, turn. (16 sc)

ROW 11 - 1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc tog, 1 sc in next  6 sc, 2 sc tog, 1 sc in next 3sc, ss to join, ch 1, turn. (14 sc)

ROW 12 - 1 sc in next 1 sc, 2 sc tog (6  times), 1 sc in next 2 sc,  ss to join, ch 1, turn. (8 sc)

ROW 13 - 2 sc tog (4  times),  ss to join, ch 1, turn. Cut yarn leaving enough of a tail end to sew up toe opening.



Thursday, July 11, 2013

Ripple Granny Throw.




I love this pattern. You can make it any size you want. I made 3 of these so far as baby blankets. I made 2 for my new grandson who will be born in September and 1 for my nephew and his wife's baby girl who will be born in August. The photo is the one I made for her. I don't want to put photos here of those I made for my new grandson in case my daughter-in-law happens to see it. :)


Here's the link to the pattern.
http://libertycrochet.blogspot.ca/2012/02/rippled-granny-throw.html

The designer did a great job on it!  I love it! But I did make one adjustment. If you do this pattern you will see where she had to start doing more decreases at the bottom of the ripples as it was getting crowded. I noticed that it was bunching up. So I re-did it by doing the first single crochet row around the granny squares in only the double crochet stitches and not in the chain 1 spaces. If you omit putting a sc in the chain 1 spaces, the pattern works out fine with no bunching up or crowding, so it's not necessary to do more decreases at the bottom of the ripples.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

What's been going on with me.

Hello fellow crafters. After a long time of not doing much in the way of crafting or anything else I have decided to get back at it and start my blog again and hopefully do some redesigning of my website http://crochetandknitting.com .

July 8, 2013 marked 3 years since the death of my husband and he was also my best friend. I felt so lost, so confused and I lost most of my creativity and ambition to do anything. Life seemed so pointless. The daughter of my neighbour's who lost their 19 year old son to cancer said it best, "It never gets any easier, you just get more used to them not being there."

My granddaughter was born 2 years ago so I did crochet a lot of items for her. My 2nd grandson will be born in September so I have a lot of things made for him already. And there has been new babies of my nieces' and nephews' born the past few years that I have made items for. So I have been looking at a lot of patterns that I found online and really liked so I will be sharing those with you, plus I am working on a new baby socks pattern that is very fast to work up, and maybe I will get the inspiration to design some more patterns as I get going.

Right now I want to hurry up and get the baby stuff done, I'm also making items for my nephew's wife who is having a baby girl in August and her baby shower is this coming weekend! 


Then I can't wait to try an afghan pattern I found online, it's different and beautiful. I will share that with you soon.