The next Pinkalicious Square

Received Charcoal Square

P5310029

Latest Squares to Share

I didn't get all the squares photographed individually, so will do
that when I get back home. These Va Va Victorian Squares get mailed
out tomorrow.

Crochet 101: The Anatomy of a Square - Cat's Corner Part II

Before reading THIS post, go to the next one.  It is hard to write the second part before I write the first part, so they are out of order...sorry.

This is the cut yarn pulled out all the way.

Yarn in needle, thread under the top loop of beginning dc.

Put the needle down in the middler of the previous loop from whence the yarn came, thereby making a top loop complete.

completed stitch

Weave in the end of the yarn (easily hid in the corner stitches!)

Take the yarn tail (cut from the skein) and thread it to make a 'bump' -

Look carefully - can you see the missing 'bump' below the yarn tail?

Make a small stitch so this dc looks just like its neighbors!

The photo below shows the newly made 'bump' to match the other stitches.

This photo shows the square with no chain 3's showing!

The beauty of doing this is you can't see your joining areas.  The bad part is having to cut the yarn at each row if you want to be sure none of the rows has a chain three.  There is a video on YouTube that shows a way to double crochet instead of doing a chain three turning chain.  It's a bit tricky and takes some practice to make it look right. Click here for the video - YouTube -

If you can get the hang of it, when not changing colors  you would not have to cut the yarn.  However, I think this looks better, but those who don't crochet would never know the difference!  Might not be able to tell the difference in a chain three either, so judge your audience and recipient as to how much work you want to put into the crochet piece.

Crochet 101: The Anatomy of A Square - Cat's Corner Part I

I found a way to make a double crochet "in the air" that keeps you from having to make the chain three when you change colors.  See photos below for my color changing method.

There is a great YouTube showing how to make the dc when you aren't changing colors in the next row.  Basically when you are done with the row and have pulled up the loop at the end, instead of chaining three you just extend the loop up to about the size of a dc, and wrap it around your hook as you would do a YO, then go into the bottom loop from whence it comes and draw up a loop.  Treating it as a regular dc, you just make it one!  It looks great and saves you from making the dreaded chain 3.  I'll post a link in the next post.

CAT'S CORNER METHOD FOR CHANGING COLORS WITH NO DC

Beginning - wrap yarn as it it is a dc

Pull through a loop and work it off as a dc

Then work all the way around in your dc pattern

Ending the row - but don't pull up that last loop!

Pull this loop out (under pen) (other loop on hook should not really be there)

Pull all the way through

Loop now pulled out

This is the way to end the row - 2 loops on the hook

Now YO with yarn from the undone loop

Pull it through the last two loops

and now pull it all the way out!

Christmas Squares

Snowflakes for the square swap in Vanna's Choice.  

The Purple Octopus is done

For Amy Jo

My three year old granddaughter loves the purple octopus - so when I received an amigurumi book from her mom, I was delighted to see an octopus in there. Not just any octopus - a PURPLE one! So, I finally got around to starting it while on the plane to San Diego. After a stalwart beginning I read line under Row 22 - add the eyes and cheeks. I did not have eyes and cheeks. Decided they could be put on later. Finishing Row 24, I read the NEXT line - start putting in the stuffing. Needless to say, I did not bring stuffing.

This is when I put down the size G hook and picked up the size I hook and began to make more squares out of Vanna's Choice. Both the plane trip down and the plane trip back took five hours, so I did finish quite a few squares. Not the octopus, though.

Thus, I am back to the octopus between square swapping so that I can have him finished before my trip to Portland to see the little darlings. It is the youngest first birthday so we are making an early appearance. G'pa does not like crowds and sharing of the grandchildren all that much. We are doing one of our deadheads in and out. I am bring the extra gift along for the oldest - a bad habit to start, but one I fear is the bane of most grandmothers. You just don't want to show preferential treatment to any of them, and especially when the youngest is getting lots of attention.

And besides - these two will be the only ones I ever have, so I need to make the best of what time there is to spoil them from afar! 

Method to my madness!!!!!