Thrifty Crochet

On day three of working on the mystery pattern that a friend challenged me to make without knowing what it was, I was fairly certain it was the 6 day star blanket. Here's how far I got. Day four got this much more finished. Since it was already fairly large I checked the instructions, which said to repeat the second set of rows until the throw reached 60" across. Day five after I reached the final row that made the throw 60" across. I sent a picture to my friend, who confirmed that it was the 6 day star blanket. Oops. How did I get it done in five rather than six days? I am pretty fast, but I also used worsted weight yarn. I think most makers use a lighter weight like sport or DK when they make theirs. I chose the worsted weight because it was the yarn I'd pulled to make something for Valentine's Day but didn't have time to do anything. I thought the colors turned out pretty, almost like a peppermint star. The pattern proved problematic f...

While on our road trip to Cocoa Beach last week I brought along my 6 day star blanket to work on. Because they're both big men the guys sit in the front, and I can't see to read their lips from the backseat, so joining in their conversation is impossible. If I don't have something to do I doze off. The night before we left I prepped a little take-along bag with everything I needed to keep crocheting on the go, including a ziplock bag for ends and a half-page printed version of the pattern if I need to check my stitch counts. A lot of makers say they can't work on something in the car because they get dizzy. I find that if I don't stare at my work but look up and watch the scenery now and again I don't have a problem. It's easier to crochet in the car during the day for me, too; at night it's just too dark, and I don't own a portable light source. It's best to keep your supplies to a minimum when you take your crochet on a road trip. ...

Here's a way back story for you: thirteen years ago I belonged to a yarn co-op for Juniper Moon Farm , when I was seriously considering getting back into crocheting and maybe even selling my projects.It was such a great experience, being able to contribute funds the farm needed and receive their yarn in return. I loved learning how to wash the beautiful wool they sent me, and it sang through my fingers as I crocheted with it. I was probably the only crocheter in the co-op back then. :) This is the little baby blanket I made with the yarn I got that year, and it remains one of my favorite pieces I've ever made. I was reminded of this time when I went on my account over at Ravelry to check out the yarn stash feature. I do want to organize and keep track of my yarn, and it could be helpful. I didn't recall that I had put my JMF yarn on my stash there, or that I intended to inventory and keep an online ledger of my yarn. Why did I leave Ravelry in the first p...

My guy, our nephew and I went on a day trip to Cocoa Village, where I played tour guide and took them on the walking tour of the historic buildings in town. This time we were able to check out the Porcher House along the way, which is a gorgeous nineteenth century mansion. I stopped in at Hello Again Books , of course, and brought home a pile. If I lived any closer I'd be in trouble. On the way home we stopped by the Valiant Air Command Warbirds Museum in Titusville to hang out with some of my old friends, too. :) If you'd like to see pics of all the amazing aircraft this organization is restoring and preserving for future generations, check out my album here .

I recently purchased a print version of the pattern for Jayda InStitches' big beautiful basket made of variegated yarn, and decided to work through the pattern as I tested how fast I can make one. I have a ton of partial skeins of variegated yarn in colors that I'm not going to use for any other purpose, and I want to make them into as project baskets and household containers. This is the perfect pattern for it, too. I love seeing how three different colors of variegated yarn come together in this basket. If you use different yarns each time no two are ever the same. I've also made them out of solid colors and three skeins of the same color, and they always turn out pretty. I ended the first night on row 18, which is about the halfway mark, so this for me was a two-night project. On the second night I began running out of the yarns I'd pulled for the project, and since I would have had to change the variegated colors to blues I went instead with fadin...

Future me again. After three days my mystery project is about half done, so I thought I'd post an update. Day two. When I tried to follow the pattern counts I kept having issues, so I likely have some extra stitches that shouldn't be there (and I will take the blame for that.) I'm doing better now that I've stopped following the pattern and just keep repeating the rows in a logical fashion. It looks nice and graphic, and should be quite pretty when it's done. I'll probably wrap it up in three more days.

Last month I had two stuffed toy patterns I wanted to try, one for a one-skein rabbit and the other for a cat made from blanket yarn , and I opted first for the latter because I have a lot of this yarn in my stash, and I've yet to figure out what to do with it. This was only the second time I tried to use blanket yarn for a toy. Although I like many of Bernat's yarns, their baby blanket polyester is not my favorite. I have to say upfront that it is very soft, doesn't shed and works up quickly. I made the cat in one night. Things that bother me about the yarn: the heavy chenille feel, the awkwardness of working with it and the requisite big hook, and lack of stitch definition. My lack of experience with blanket yarns in general contributes, but so does my maker's pride. Blanket yarn is a shortcut for anyone wanting to make projects very fast, which is a plus for anyone looking to sell their work. Yet the end result isn't as impressive as something ma...