flower sunburst granny square instructions

click on title above to open instructions (via Scribd)

to print,
Click the iPaper menu (next to the Scrbd word) on the left side of the upper toolbar, scroll down, then click Print.

Crocheted coral reef

I'm still laughing at myself and my March TIF crocheted (Berroco designed) snowflake. But I sure wish I had the time to look at this SITE completely! (umm, do these things get dusty?)

I feel totally deflated looking at the gorgeous photos, and am NOT ready to take on free-form crochet with so many WIPs hanging over my head.

I'm trying to sew in ends and do edging of some granny squares WIPs.
. Not exciting at all, but when done, will be cheerful and keep somebody warm. I'm actually quite fond of them, as they started me on my arm surgery recovery. One day I'll stop talking about that!

TIF March -- finished, along with most of our snow

I spent the early part of March thinking about Sharon B's March TIF challenge. We still had snow here, so I thought a lot about snowflakes and snow crystals.

But the month got away from me, sewing wise, and 10 days ago I realized I'd better get something going, or March's project would end up simmering like January and February -- started but not finished.

Enter a crocheted 12 sided 3-D snowflake from Berroco:
It could also be dubbed "cow udders from space" or "Madonna's rejected bustier prototype from the 80's."

It turned out to be a fascinating project, for the "details."

Vague directions and maps confound me.
So I truly enjoyed watching this 3-D object come together, although things weren't "all clear" until the 3rd point or so.

Mid-way through I realized I could have gone down a hook size to make things tighter. I used old pantyhose for the stuffing.

There was actually a lot of crocheting, so my mind wandered and thought about possibilities of future crocheted glove fingers and how now I could design something.
For the most beautiful crocheted gloves and tapestry crochet, look at these gems: Lara Croft

I tried some Regia Kaffe Fassett Design line wool, and was pleased. I was afraid it would be thin or have a superwash feel, but it is a nice wool that works up thicker than it looks.

This would be a good project for a patient teacher and teens, too. But I have newfound respect for all the crocheted toy folks out there -- you have to pay attention to what you are doing and watch your row joins counts!

You have to go with the moment - TIF March

March has escaped me, sewing wise.

In between thinking about what I still have to do or go to between now and Sunday Easter dinner, I thought: there is no way I'm going to have any spare "free, calm and quiet moments" to even get started on something "snow" related (see a few posts below for some thoughts)for my TIF March work. Monday next week is now booked, Tuesday is a PT 1/2 day ... and so it goes.

But I did find something "fun" actually snowflake related a couple of weeks ago, and although they aren't original, they will be interesting to make (one knitted and one crocheted), and because I can pick them up and put them down, can get done by the end of March. I'm still quilting my Feb TIF and still need to finishing pulling the fringe on the Jan TIF. I do want to stay with the challenge somehow, although so far I'm doing far more "thinking" than producing.

I have to laugh: the beginning of March here was cold, windy, and full of afternoon snow storms. This week spring HAS decided it's time (vernal equinox today, I think) and yesterday it looked like a Frosty the Snowman mega-melt around town -- full wet streets, and the not-so-fun "black ice" puddles.

March TIF challenge

Sharon B's March challenge is definitely .... a challenge! I need to finish Feb AND Jan, so I'll be like Scarlett O'Hara and think about this "another day." But someone has already posted DMC floss companion colors, so that will help!.
(Edited later in the day: it's still winter here. What is more "detailed" in the small version of nature than a snowflake? So I'll eventually do something with cutout snowflakes or snow crystals in thread.)We'll still have snow for a while, but if not, there are tons of pictures on Flickr to help me out.

I spent some time yesterday cruising Ravelry to look for ideas to put my sunburst granny squares together,
but I'm still thinking about it. I don't know if I want all those "white edges." But the Afghans and blanket group there has 67 pages of projects!

And I have a new fun knitting book
to look at (thanks to examples from Jean's Knitting): this book could keep you going for a while on the different styles of scarves to knit!

Rowan Wool Cotton Afghan squares WIP

 

 

This is the project I started immediately after my arm surgery in London, so I am quite fond of it. I somehow made it up to John Lewis' on Oxford Street to buy the wool and hook.

The wool cotton is lovely, and the blocks stretch nicely with minimal pinning.
This will be on our bed, and I'll also continue to work on the flower granny squares from Cascade 220.

"Help" with flower granny square colorings

I finally got all the Cascade 220 colors from four different sources, so with taking out the heathered colored ones (that didn't look heathered on the internet) I'm working with 27 colors.

Luckily for me, the untrained artist, there is the Palette Generator to help out if I want to use color schemes from photos. A GREAT resource!

And there is similar one to help out with stripes -- this will be useful when I use the leftover yarn for a ripple afghan.

I'm a pirate

I admit it.

I'm taking some color themes from photos and crochet patterns from three different online craft blogs and working up some flower granny squares. Suffice to say I thank the authors but won't be posting any more about it -- although the enjoyment I'm getting personally is immense. And then I'm sure I'll have enough for a ripple afghan leftover!

I also have my tonal taupe/soft pink/white typical granny squares that I'm working on (started in London) with Rowan wool cotton -- a dream yarn if there ever was one.

And ... also am knitting Rowan hand cotton bag ... lots to work on. And lots and lots of books up here to read.

We have discovered www.pandora.com -- a radio station where you can pick your titles and they do a stream of like minded artists. Hopefully they will continue to be able to broadcast -- there are current copyright issues at the moment that they are trying to work out, along with other internet sites.