Sunburst Blanket!!

 

I have been wanting to make this blanket for such a long, long time!
 

Flowers in the Snow! by Solstrikke. 
I love everything about it. 

All the gorgeous colors, the total randomness,
the simple border, everything!!

 

 

  

This one by Gillian is so beautiful. 


 I love what she calls her "ordered and systematic randomness"!! 
So funny how we all work in such different ways to create.

This one here and here and here! 
I love them all! 

So many colors. 

Such happy blankets...

Sunday night, I gathered all my odds and ends and

started making my circles... 

I took Solstrikke's pattern and added a fourth row 

 

then the border...

 

then joined my first four...

 

they are flying off my hook... 

a long weekend of nothing at all coming up. 

 Nothing but circles turning into squares!!

Linking up with:
Lucy Blossom Crafts
Keep Calm Craft On
Linda
Planet Penny
Rachel

 

A Sweet Baby Blanket

I work around a lot of guys. 

Guys who can work on and fix just about anything.  

And just in case you didn't know,

guys are completely different from us. 

A recent conversation with a work guy went something like this:

 

Guy:  "Hey, do you still make those yarn blankets?"

 

Me:  smiling "I do."

 

Guy:  "I need one."

 

Me:  "Sure...what color(s) do you want." 

 

Guy:  "Its for a baby."

 

Me:  "Boy or girl"

 

Guy:  "She's a girl"

 

Me:  "What color is the Mother using?"

 

Guy:  "Don't know"

 

Me:  "Is she registered anywhere?"

 

Guy:  "Don't know"

 

I almost start laughing, because how can you NOT know? 

 

Me:  "What color do you want?"

 

Guy:  "Whatever color you think she would like."

 

Me:  thinking...Oh ok...you mean the lady I don't know? 

whatever color she would like?

 

Me:  "When do you need it?"

 

Guy  "Two weeks."

 

 Good enough. 

 

So armed with "she's a girl" and "baby blanket"

this is what I came up with....

Color:  Light Dusty Rose

 

Hook size:  4

 

HDC, join as you go Grannies

I hope whoever she is, she liked it. 

I need to ask him, but I bet he won't know!

Linking up with:
Lauren
Nicole

Wisdom Begins in Wonder

Seaside Shawl or Is Winter ever going to end?

Spring came our way for a couple of days.  I didn't know if I was going to get much

wear out of my Seaside Shawl. But, winter has come back for a short stay, so yay! 

 The shawl is getting worn on cold mornings. 

 

 

Pattern from Solstrikke.  (She has such a lovely blog with great tutorials.)

 

 

 I love it.  I love the colors, the drape, the size,

 the way it wraps around me...like a big yarny hug! 

 

 

Red Heart Boutique in Tidal again...same as my infinity scarf.

 

 

I am currently working on a Maybelle Flower garland in all my favorite Spring colors! 

 

 

Wild about Yarn has a "Motif Monday"  Every Monday she posts a new pattern

that she has created.  These are two of the doily patterns from her site.

There is a flower pattern and another doily that I haven't tried yet but will soon.. 

I love these quick, easy projects.  (Almost) Instant gratification.

 

And yarn wreaths....I know they were popular like 5 years ago.  But I still love them. 

They are so much fun to create...even though I always burn myself with the hot glue gun. 

I change mine out on my front door every month or so with the seasons.

I had a neighbor stop by and ask me to make her one.  She said it looks like a great, big hello. 

Yes!  That is exactly what I wanted. 

 

And finally...maybe one of favorite mandala's from Wink...Issue 14 of Simply Crochet. 

(I am having a hard time blocking it correctly.  It should be a circle,

 but for some reason mine is  turning out lopsided!)

 

 

I love the open-ness.  Her patterns and pictures are always so easy to follow. 

 

 

Linking up with these two very talented ladies Chrissie and Nicole this week. 

An Infinity scarf...and a poncho?

Joining in with Chrissie, Nicole, Tami, Crochetaddictuk and Ginny for their link-ups. 
So much inspiration out there.  Every week my "to-do" list grows!

My niece asked me to make her an infinity scarf...why have I not made these before?
So simple!!  I think it took MAYBE 2 hours.

Just simple DC, chain 1, round and round and round!

 (The only problem I had was joining my starting chain without twisting the stitches. 

I finally wrapped the starting chain around my rocking chair and joined it from there.)

The pattern for the flower was found here.   I am soo impatient with patterns!  

I got frustrated and just improvised.   

 Easy to make, easy to wear, pretty hanging on a coat hook.  

What more could I ask for?

The yarn is Red Heart Boutique in Tidal. 
 It is a surprisingly soft yarn and drapes perfectly!

I can see MANY, like way too many of these in the near future! 

Just like the book “If you give a moose a muffin“: If a crocheter makes a scarf, 

she will want a shawl to go with it and probably some wrist warmers and maybe a hat.  

Definitely a shawl!

I love the "openness" the pattern created.  
Wrapped around twice it is so thick and nice and soft and warm.  

Wrapped around once, it hangs down to my waist and I forget I even have it on.

All the sudden I have turned into a poncho wearin' person! 

I don't know when it happened, but how did I ever NOT wear them?  

My first poncho is of course inspired totally by Lucy  I always love her finished projects.  

Choosing colors and stitches completely random on mine.

I like being able to wear it on cold mornings, even though it is not anywhere near done. 

Something about slipping something handmade on, it just seems to keep you warmer.

Sideways view of the stitches...I love crochet! 

Chloe decided she liked it and asked for one.  So of course, I quit working on mine, 

 I let her pick all her favorite colors and got to work. 

I love that she loves the things I make her.  I know that wont always be the case...

but for now, I couldn't be happier!

I hope to have her's finished for their weekend visit.  

A Happy Hooker, Indeed.

Sharing what is on my hook with Chrissie Crafts and crochetboulevard...

Currently working on Valentine's Day decorations...

Table runner ...

I am totally in love with the popcorn stitch.  I love how much depth it adds. But it is a yarn-eater!!

Mandala...this is from Simply Crochet, issue 11...same pattern as my winter mandala

Bunting ...

Hearts...to add to bunting, to string along windows to hang off anything that doesn't move!

Pom-pom trimmed ribbon.  I found this from a Christmas clearance sale.  .10 cents for 100 yards.

 What is not decorated with hearts, will be trimmed with this ribbon or in the case of this jar, both!

I attempted my own mandala pattern which didn't work out so well.  It turned out very ruffley.  I am currently ripping out the last 6 rows and am going to try again, and probably again until I get it figured out.

Lavendar filled sachets for friends and teachers.  I love this pattern from bunny mummy...

she has so many cute, easy to follow tutorials!

Also still working on my Vintage Ann blanket.  Up to 97 squares as of this morning.  

I am taking my time and adding a square as inspiration strikes. 

I am so enjoying adding  every random square

 

Wordless Wednesday

Chloe's Blanket

I asked my rainbow lovin', sunset chasin', bug catchin', twirling princess
what her favorite colors were and she said all of them.
. 

So all of them it is!  83 rippley row of color!

I love the easy crochet ripple pattern. Nothing complicated.  Nothing to fancy. 

My blankets tend to be used for tent making and wrestling with the dogs

(I'm looking at you Bray!)



I love how this turned out.  Fits a twin bed perfectly with plenty left over on the sides to wrap herself up in.  She is a terrible baby to sleep with. She is moving and tossing and turning all.night.long!!

 

I still think that the border is the best part.  Halfway through, I always feel like I am making it too big, putting too many rows on.  But I can't help myself!!  I love a good, thick border.  I love the way it frames the work perfectly!

 

I know that she won't appreciate it now...but I hope some of these blankets survive and one day
(a long, long time from now) she is wrapping up her babies and remembering how much
her Nene  loves her!!

 

And as always...I think this may be my favorite one!



A Great Big Rainbow

My new favorite....



From the beginning this has been a big, happy blanket that I have loved working on.  Every time I look at it I smile.

Queen size...I think she is the biggest one that I have made.

 



I started this the last Sunday of July and finished the first week of September.  5 weeks of happy hooking for me.  I made my foundation row and was 7 color changes (14 rows in) when I realized I had made my foundation row too tight!  AAARRRGGGHHH!!  If I had read through the directions, I would have known to go up a needle size to avoid this.  But since I have to do everything the hard way....

So I gave the 14 rows  to Bray to play with while I started again. He's a funny little man....loves yarn!! 240 chains.  Counted twice to make sure and I was off and hooking again. This time with a bigger needle!
 Once I got going, this took shape in no time at all. 
 

 



For the border, white, and whatever color of the rainbow was next in line. 

 Final 7 rows, single crochet in my rainbow colors

 

 

 
Loved the repetition. Could watch the kids play, help Alex with his homework, watch TV, whatever, and never missed a stitch! Worked the ends in as I went (for the most part!!)

Luckily, I have an awesome husband who doesn't mind the fact that our bedroom in turning into the brightest colored room in the house!  Pillows and blankets and pictures and yarn wreaths and felted flowers, oh my!!

 

 

18 colors!  2 skeins each. 
 

Found the perfect pillow to match...paisely sunshine

 

Total happiness here!!