Easter Crochet (a free pattern for you)

Please be gentle with my pride.

I was asked to write up this pattern and did this and the photos late last night with the help of my daughter --- the color is not great, but I hope it will be a pattern that you try.

I have used this in several ways --- there is no gauge reference. If you want it tiny, then use a crochet cotton and a small hook --- or use bulky and a large one.

The one on this blanket was made using two worsted weight strands held together and then I added a quilters yo-yo to the center - the yo-yo had sentimental reasoning.

So here we go ---

CH 5, SS IN FIRST CH TO MAKE A RING

CH 3

2 DC IN RING, CH 2, 3 DC IN RING, CH 2, 3 DC IN RING, CH 2, 3 DC IN RING, CH 2, SS TO TOP OF BEGINNING CH 3. 

NOTE  - THIS IS A BASIC GRANNY SQUARE CENTER. 

CH 3 AND TURN WORK

* 2 DC IN CH 2 SPACE

CH 2, 3 DC IN SAME CH 2 SPACE. 

SS DOWN SIDE OF LAST DC (SEE TOP ARROW BELOW. I DO 2 OR 3 SS TO MOVE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE DC) 

SS IN TOP OF EACH DC IN THE FIRST CLUSTER (SEE 2ND ARROW BELOW) 

SS IN CH2 SPACE.

CH 3

 REPEAT FROM * 3 TIMES UNTIL YOU HAVE THE FOUR POINTS 

**CH 1 AND TURN YOUR WORK

SS IN TOP OF EACH STITCH IN THE DC CLUSTER AND INTO THE CH2 SPACE.

CH 3, 2 DC, CH 2, 3 DC

REPEAT FROM ** ONCE MORE FASTEN OFF AND WEAVE IN ENDS.

THE CROSS IS SIMPLY A VARIATION ON THE BASIC GRANNY SQUARE.

IT TAKES LESS THAN 5 MINUTES TO MAKE ONE AND IS A FABULOUS SCRAP PROJECT.

PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU FIND ERRORS IN THESE INSTRUCTIONS --

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THE LINK TO HERE AND PLEASE GIVE ME CREDIT IF YOU USE THIS PATTERN. 

I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR VERSIONS 

I'M ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ---- USE #MAGGIEGRACECROSS TO TAG THESE ON INSTAGRAM. 

YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL ME AT TERESAHOME@JUNO.COM

HAVE A WONDERFUL EASTER 

More Rustic Roots Cowls

Recipe is included in yesterday's post. 

These are the last of the gift cowls. But they are far from the last of the ones I will make. 

I am showing all of these, because the yarns are just so danged gorgeous. And I love the idea that all but one of these has supported a local farm and dyer. 

The recipe for the ribbing remains the same. 

This colorway is County Fair. 

It reminds me of all the lights at our small town local fair. 

It has always been a favorite thing to attend. For the fun, the music, AND the exhibits and competition items in that arena. And the 4H and FFA animals as well. 

For this one I used what I call a Pebble Stitch. It is nothing but alternating SC then DC worked in the round. Every now and then I would have to complete two of the same stitch to keep the texture "nesting right"

When I do these stitches I want a DC in the top of the previous row SC - hope that makes sense. 

These are cowls, they will be bunched around your neck, you will never notice those paired stitches. 

I am talking MINDLESS crochet here. I did most of these in the car, in the deer stand, or by the campfire. 

Exactly the same pattern but this colorway I called Wine Harvest.

These are such beautiful colors.

This is the same texture stitch - I did a few less ribs on the top so it fits a bit closer.

This color not as dulled as it appears --- horrid lighting for this one. 

The color is much better in the modeled shot you will see later in this post. 

Now for my favorite...

I learned this stitch in the process of making these cowls. This is actually the back side and it really does look knitted. And it is such an easy stitch to do. 

Here is a link to a video 

It is a variation on the half double crochet (US term) and it gives a stockinette looking stitch on one side and this stunning texture on the other --- will use this a LOT. 

The photo above shows what most people would call the "right side" flipped up, But in the cowl application this is fully reversible. 

The red yarn is by DREAMS IN COLOR YARN and the color is called Lipstick Lava. 

This yarn is fabulously soft too. 

Again I used fewer ribbing rows and the nature of the stitch pulls the fabric in a bit, so this and the next one are a closer and taller fit on the cowl.

See - I told you the recipe was foolproof. 

This last one is my favorite colorway in the rustic roots yarn. 

I called it RIVERSTONE. 

Each of these yarns is from a very small dye lot, So they are pretty much one-of-a-kind. 

This particular cowl is also the camel stitch ---- so it is reversible as well.

And you can see it did some very interesting pooling about 3 inches in. 

Just remember the ribbing is completed first and then the cowl body, So these are actually finished "upside down" 

So if the stitch look a bit funny, that's the reason.

There is the flip side of this one. 

Now - I do have one "TIP" --- these are crocheted in the round. That typically leaves an uneven spot on the ending edge. Here is how I blend it in and give a smoother presentation on the finish. 

I finish my stitching in pattern, then for three stitches, I use the next taller height, then work my way down in three or four stitch increments until I have completed three or four slip stitches in the previous row. This tapers to a smoother finish (see bottom right of above photo) 

This was 3 DC, then 3 HDC, then 3 SC, then three SS. (US TERMS) 

That may not be the PROFESSIONAL WAY, but it is my PRACTICAL way. 

Now some super pretty modeled photos. 

Abby in the Santorini Sea Cowl 

(think the iconic photos of Santorini, Greece) 

She actually chose this one as hers.

Abby in the Lipstick Lava Cowl.

She is becoming much more edgy in her clothing. I see the New York influence a lot more in her confidence and clothing. 

So proud of her moving up there and beginning her life there.

Abby in the Riverstone Cowl

Molly in the Wine Harvest Cowl.

Molly in the County Fair Cowl.

Those eyes people --- those eyes.

Molly has had a tough year and I am so happy to see the light returning to those eyes. 

There you have it. 

This years Rustic Roots Gift Cowls

Easy stitching, fabulous Yarn, Beautiful results. 

Rustic Roots Cowl (Recipe Included)

I bought some gorgeous local wool yarn at a trunk show. 

One skein and I fell head over heels in love with the texture. 

It's spun from Gulf Coast Native fleece and has a bit of silk blended in. 

I knew immediately these skeins would become gifts for this past Christmas. 

It's from Georgia Rustic Wool

I decided on cowls. 

Now this is a RECIPE ---- NOT A PATTERN

I started by measuring a favorite cowl I already wear a LOT. 

I then created the ribbing. CHAIN 8 - turn - skip first chain and then 7 SC - ch 1 - turn 

7 sc in the back loop only. 

Repeat until you reach the desired length -- it was 122 rows of ribbing for me. 

Make a loop and sew the ribbing into that circle. 

I then simply  HDC in the end of each rib. 

I continued this until I had "enough yarn for a crab stitch last row. 

DONE and DONE.

This one is called Urban Camo simply because the grey/green feels like camo -- but the grey is like concrete. 

This is plain old HDC and I love the slight star effect this made while having a nice flat texture.

A close up of the border 

 My Sweet Abby modeled this one for me. 

This one I called the BLUEBERRY COBBLER one. 

It's a recipe --- after I completed the ribbing I used B.Hooked Crochet's Cowl pattern and made this one Bobble stitch 

I call this one the BLUE SPRUCE  - Made using the same bobble stitch.

I ended these using the camel stitch band. 

My oldest daughter is modeling both of these - 

There are more variations on these - but my friend asked for the recipe ----- 

It's crochet - It's how I relax - These will hopefully be used and loved. 

The four points Blanket

 This is a story about a gift.

It started out going to be a gift for one person.

But it ended being a gift for someone else.

It started like this.

I found a pattern that I absolutely loved. 

Go ahead -- go take a look.

A linen baby blanket.

I've never worked with linen and I wanted easy care.

So I bought some of my favorite acrylic yarn for this and proceeded to follow the instructions.

I started this just before my end of summer beach trip. 

I followed the instructions to the letter and realized quickly that this was going to be no BABY blanket. 

OK, change plans.

I needed a wedding gift. 

Thus - this became Dean and Stephanie's big ol' blanket. 

Easy colors.

Blue, Grey, Cream, and Tan.

Miles and miles of single crochet. -- literally (I worked on it in the car) 

I was really pretty OVER  decreasing rows of single crochet by the time this was finished. 

And then it was finished.

And it is huge.

Like easily double snuggle huge. 

The perfect weight for a great blanket.

(come on you all know that favorite feeling) 

and the yarn felt great. 

But by golly --- the damned thing curls like Shirley Temple's hair?

I wet blocked - nope

I steam blocked - nope

So I tried my own method for stopping curling.

I added a brown border ----

Yup -- fixed it. 

Then I had a huge fight with MaggieGrace (myself) about keeping it. 

Well - Dean and Stephanie won a fight they didn't even know they were having. 

And here's the finished result. 

I took it to the city park for a photo shoot. 

the floor of the gazebo so I could stand on the bench for a full shot.

Last minute statements about the pattern. 

It is beginner simple.

Lot's of SC and SC decreases.

It's made in two halves and then sewn together. 

Blocking may work to fix curled edges on some yarns - but you can always use a border band to fix it too. 

I found it fun to read all the how to increase the size of the blanket questions in the comments. I know they all meant how to with the linen yarn, but I chose another method.

If you want a bigger blanket --- simple ---  use bigger yarn. 

My final say on the pattern. 

I LOVE IT AND I WILL DEFINITELY DO IT AGAIN. 

As soon as I recover from those miles and miles of single crochet. 

The Fall Nandina Shawlette

So, it's like this.

I craft.

I sew.

I cross stitch.

I CROCHET.

It all is important to me.

I am also cleaning and purging a lot of things. It's time. And its beginning to be very effective. The clean corners give me space to breathe.

Enough preliminary information.

I cleaned out an embarrassingly piled up corner of my kitchen. It's an awkward little space that I have hated for 20+ years and we pile stuff there. I dragged it all out and went through it an item at a time. And I found YARN (imagine that)

What to do?

Stash it - nope, did not ever seriously consider it.

Sell it - nope there too, I loved this combo of colors so much

And it was good yarn. 

Only option left was MAKE SOMETHING. 

But what? And this other project is not done. Hmm!

So I left it on the table by my chair and I studied and I designed in my head and I worked on finishing the big project I was working on and the car project I was working on too. 

And then I finished the car project and I started the head designed thing with this. 

And it looked like CRAP. 

Yes crap. 

So I frogged and regrouped. 

Enter Ravelry search. 

I found this free pattern over there.

She calls it the Oh!So Simple Crochet Wrap

And boy does it live up to its name. 

After the first four rows, I was off and running. 

It became the car project, because it was so easy. 

I changed my yarn colors at whim.

And it was fun. 

I call mine the The Fall Nandina Triangle Shawl, because the color remind me of the Nandina bush fall colors.  that link goes to my ravelry project page with notes about the yarn if anyone is interested. 

Below are some of my pictures of the thing. 

Just started - and that orange could easily be worn as hunters safety orange, it is that bright. 

A row of single crochet and a row of double crochet --- repeat.

I really love these colors so freaking much. 

 

And the yarn is so wonderful, both to work with and that the finished object feels like.

The japanese maple tree is starting its fall color showing. and the multicolor areas have this wonderfulness of color in them.

It even matches the pretty color of my new car.

I added a button for securing this.

The button allows for closing it in any of the double crochet openings, making this very easy to secure. 

And --- I listed this on my facebook and Instagram as a give away. 

People have been very generous to me over the years and I am returning that favor now. 

Still on my hook .....

The four points blanket is still being worked on. I am very much "over" all these rows after rows of single crochet. But it is turning out really cool. I have decided that it will still be a gift, just not a baby gift. This will turn into a very adult sized sofa blanket and I will post pictures here in full color once it is finished. But not on my facebook, because the recipient does follow me there. I can rightfully cover up with a single panel of this one.  One of the repeated questions on the PurlSoho.com post with the pattern was how to make this bigger than baby sized. Easiest way ---- change the yarn to a larger one. I have/will use 8 skeins of worsted weight yarn and it is wonderful.

 THE PERFECT SNUGGLY WEIGHT 

In my Serenity location, I have these on deck. My friend Vicki is leading a wonderful project - THE KINDNESS QUILT and she invited me to create a square. Well I am stash busting and I crocheted these four very different squares. I will begin embellishing them for the project. I have some ideas that I think will make these really pretty when they are finished. 

Embellishing will feed my creativity as well. It's not just crochet, this will let the "artist" in me have a bit of fun. 

And last there is this brightness. Yes it is damned near safety orange. This is the car project. I keep a box in my front seat with a project that I can do a few stitches on in the bank drive thru, or fast food drive thru, or even to grab when I will be riding with a friend. 

This is a triangular shawl pattern that I found for free on Ravelry. It's the Oh So Simple Wrap pattern and it is so easy. I am making it from 4 balls of a cotton blend yarn that I found while I was cleaning the corner in the kitchen. (Let's not talk about how long they were buried in that corner.)

I refused to add this yarn to the stash, so it spent a few days beside me while I worked on all that single crochet. I spent those days "designing in my head", then when it moved to the car project box, that designing was not working out. I went on the search for a project that I could easily pick up and put down, Where I could change colors as I wanted and that could expand or contract in size depending on the yarn I had. I could have done an old fashioned granny square shawl, but I wanted something with slightly more style. This is turning out to be perfect. 

I sure hope you are having a wonderful day.

Remember LIFE IS CRAZY BEAUTIFUL

On my Hook ----

I am making one of these ........ you can find the pattern here. also some fabulous yarn kits for this.

the pattern is written for a stunning linen yarn and will finish at approximately 36x36 with that yarn

I fell head over heels for the contemporary feel of this big color block blanket. I stalked it for weeks before I committed to it.

those of you who know me --- know that I have changed up the yarn. I was reading all the comments at the pattern post and several people were asking about sizing it up for a bigger blanket. I chose the absolute easiest way to do that.

I'm using bigger yarn. Linen Quill is a stunning, fingering weight yarn. And it is not a terribly expensive yarn. But it does have the drawback of requiring washing in cold water and blocking in the care and cleaning of items made from it.

My intentions are a large blanket for a baby blanket. Because babies are just not tiny for very long and I much prefer my blankets to be used for a long long time (especially for special people), i tend to make mine very generous. Mommies - you will never regret pulling that blanket off the back of the sofa and snuggling you and that little one together - I PROMISE.

I also want my blankets to be easy care and well used. Toss in the car. Go to the ball game. Make a pallet on the floor. Or a tent over the dining room chairs. Add in a dog or a cat to snuggle if you like. Toss into the washer and dryer. That's my lifestyle. I love it. Less stress.

So I am making a big version from Hobby Lobby's I Love this Yarn. Acrylic worsted weight yarn. I've chosen my colors and I have started color A ---- I will not be putting photos up as I go, but Just know that this is happening and it's going to be amazing. The texture and feel of this really super soft yarn are wonderful to me. This is not a stash project, I bought the yarn for this one.

Now for the negative part of this blanket........ it is SINGLE CROCHET and it is taking what seems like FOREVER. I don't care what weight yarn you use, that many single crochet stitches are going to be a drawn out process. (It's really stunning though)

Even though it is taking a while to do this one, there will be repeats of this pattern because it really is very appealing to me.

I have next week off for vacation and I plan to work on this and a few other things while I rest and relax. I'm thinking that NOT DOING THE WHOLE TOURISTY thing will let me get some progress as well as rest accomplished.

I'll see you guys again in August.

thrilled with this

 

 

so I had this idea.

 

And this denim toned blue yarn.

 

I wanted a true random insert blanket.

 

so I unwrapped the skeins of blue.

 

Reach into the bulk of each skein and cut three times.

 

Gathered up some scrappy bits in the colors you might find on a mountain lake property.

 

And started my yarn balls.

 

As I came to a cut, I tied on a length of scrap. Some were 20 inches, some were yards.

 

then I crocheted a rectangular granny.

 

I am IN LOVE with how this filled with random color bits.

 

baby Chase's mommy liked it too.

 

Here is a great pattern for getting started on the Rectangle Granny. Instead of ending with just a few rows, keep going until the blanket is the size you wish.

 

 

long time - no see

No excuses.

I went MIA again

But here I am with just a bit of sharing for you 

32 skeins of yarn have been used from the stash.

Three baby blankets and this full sized beauty in blue, cream, tan, and brown.

and I have started one from yarn that I purchased but is NOT going into the stash, I've started that blanket. 

I'm also working working working on THE MOST INTRICATE cross stitch project I have ever done. 

This was a gift for my friend Renee. Well she's actually the daughter of one of my best friends. But since all the girls are now young adults, I can call her my friend, can't I?

We gave Miss Renee a bridal shower on Sunday afternoon. 

I used one of my crochet nests as the food table centerpiece. 

To see the exquisite nests that inspired me - go here

Vicki makes and sells beautiful knitted nests. 

She's a wonderful person and there is an amazing array of beauty at her blog. 

Get a coffee and spend some time.

Here's the bride-to-be with her mom and soon to be Mother-in-Love 

You can guess - but I will go ahead and tell you - her Mom is the one in pink.

A quick note about the Softball Princess.

it's over.

she graduates from college with her undergrad degree in Environmental Science next weekend.

She's graduating with honors.

and more than likely moving far away to continue school. 

I have EMPTY NEST SYNDROME

yes - those of you with small children are allowed to be jealous. 

I just want to know how this happened. 

She is supposed to just be a little bit bigger than THIS.

......