Pam's Western Afghan

I finally finished joining the squares from the Play Misty For Me swap. I think this swap was in 2009....oh, my. Glad I finally finished it!

The squares made and sent were all in the Misty group of colors in Vanna's Choice. I chose only 3 colors (not unusual for me) in what I thought would look more western - and asked for that type of square .... Indian-ish. I think I was lucky to get the most beautiful squares "evah"!

I finished the border of the afghan with the stitch I mentioned in the previous post - but did not name - that was used in Edie Eckman's books. It is called the Tower Stitch that some person she knew started using and named it such. I really like the way it compliments the afghan without making it girlie (will be shared by Pam's hubby) like an ordinary granny border as it turn sideways a bit. 

Can you see the resemblance to the Rick Rack Stitch?

I'm very excited to see how they like it! Nice to start the new year with something finished so nicely.

So...................

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS!

May your blessings be many, and your troubles be few - and may only good things happen for you.

Rick Rack Stitch

This is the pattern to the scarf I started (and did not finish yet).  I did not use the different colors of yarn, but instead chose a variegated yarn for that project, and really love it better than what the pattern had. The owner of Knit Wits, a local LYS, gave me the pattern as I was so enthralled with the scarf she had made. The pattern comes from a long ago publication and I searched high and low to see if I could find it on the web. Could not, so here it is for you all to try.

The pattern is quite similar to one that is in both the Around the Corner book by Edie Eckman, and in her Motif book.....similar but different!

Enjoy!

Rick Rack Rainbow Afghan

Sizes:

7 colors of fingering wt. yarn - use E hook

7 colors of sport wt. yarn - use G hook

or

7 colors of worsted wt. yarn - use I or J hook

Chain 298 - Color A....(make two rows of each color)

Row 1: DC in 4th ch from hook. DC in next 2 chains (These 4 DC will be the flat border ends on both sides). *Ch 3, skip 3 foundation chains, DC in next 4 chains. Repeat from * across to last 4 chs. DC in each of the last 4 chs. Ch 3, turn.

Row 2: DC in next 3 DC. *Ch 3, skip next 3 DC. Make 4 fpdc around post of the next DC (this will tilt the stitch to look like Rick Rack). Repeat from * around, ending with 4 DC in last 4 DC. Change to next color. Ch 3, turn.

Repeat Row 2 for all colors, two rows each color until desired length.

End with color A, repeating row 2, chain 3, turn. DC in next 3 DC, *sc in next DC, ch 3, 3 DC around post of last DC. Repeat from * around ending ch 1, 4 DC in last 4 DC for edge.

This afghan has a nice stretch to it and bounces back to look like Rick Rack. Good in any weight yarn.

Try making a scarf first to get the feel of it. Use above pattern until you reach the width you need....the increments will be: Repeats x 7 plus 4 plus 2 for beginning stitch. The number of stitches depend on your yarn and on your desired width for the scarf.

i.e. - 3 x 7 = 21 + 4  + 2 (for beginning stitch) = 27

4 x 7 = 28 + 4 + 2 = 34

5 x 7 = 35 + 4 + 2 = 41

My First Puzzle

My BFF in San Diego, Leonora, gave me several puzzles for Christmas.  Previously, I have been putting together the 500 piece puzzles by the Utah artist, Dowdle. This one is 3000 pieces.....Hubby had to cut a piece of plywood that is 55x36" so I am able to fit the puzzle on the table (of course we rarely eat dinner there!). The pieces in the box are the ones I have already gone through, the pieces to the right in the bag are the ones I am still sorting - looking for side pieces to put together.

I started this process Sunday morning. As you can see, this will take quite awhile....at least it will keep me off the streets at night, and out of trouble!

Since the photo was taken, I have completed the side except for five or six pieces that must now be in the sorted pile! Ugh.....but am not going back through them again.  I also have a few pieces of the Zebra and the lily pads together, and a few other hooked onto the side pieces.

I don't know that I am going to like this one.....SO much harder than the Dowdles!

Bordered AND Mailed!

The border is a pattern from Edie Eckman's book, "Around the Corner; Crochet Borders" which I LOVE!  It is a must have for anyone who does afghans.  I believe this pattern is #93.  It is the second time I have used one from the book, and believe me she makes doing borders a true delight!

Hopefully it will arrive on Friday, but if not it just prolong's the Christmas celebration, so that's just fine. 

 

 

Not exactly my front yard.......

.....but close!

This is the neighbor's alfalfa field - sans alfalfa, of course! Yesterday we saw over 80 head of deer out there, but my photos were rotten as it was snowing. They like to paw the snow off the ground and eat what is underneath. Today I saw about 1/3 as many in the field, but there are more in our field to the right, and our other neighbor's apple orchard to the right of that.

I watched as two trucks were stopped in the middle of our road and wondered why ... they were letting a couple of mule deer go across the road, and were watching the others in the apple orchard. We often have people park on the side of the road, sometimes five or six at once, lined up to watch the deer close up.

I like photo with the view of the hills in Oregon, across the Snake River. The Snake River is located along the dark line of trees you see near the middle of the photo which was taken from our front yard. It winds around behind the hills you can see all decorated in white farther in the background, and then travels north to the Columbia River, which then goes west to the Pacific Ocean. So - some day all this snow will end up on some beach in California! ;o)

We are suppose to get more snow later today, and then "clear-ish" skies for the rest of the week. I was really ready for Winter and snow, but am thinking I'm already ready for Spring - even thoughWinter hasn't really arrived "legally"!!!

Tomorrow is the first day of Winter and a Lunar eclipse. Depending on where you live, late night December 20 or early morning December 21, the full moon will be darkened by the shadow of the earth as it passes between the moon and the sun. I think this is suppose to not only be the longest night of the season, but also the darkest ever! From what I understand, this is the first lunar eclipse falling on the winter solstice since 1638! And the next one won't be until 2094.

If you are like me, and are living where there are rain clouds and snow clouds (or just clouds) you should be like me and have an iPad! It has Stargazer which is an app that shows the sky as it actually is, and you can turn it toward the sky, or horizon, or even the floor! It will show you what stars are in "that" place at "that" time, so I can "watch" the eclipse even though I can't watch it. Yay!

I hope you all can see it!

Juliet Afghan for my Grandniece

My grandniece will be 13, or just turned 13. So hard to keep up these days.  I asked my SIL, her grandmother, what sparked her interest in decor for her bedroom and she told me about the Bed, Bath, and Beyond bed ensemble that she loved called Juliet.

I started a swap in the colors so that I would have something to put together for her.  Here is the project in all it's brilliant glory, sans the border.  I plan on putting a fab border on it similar to the one I did for my older niece here in Idaho that received the Provencal afghan

Anyway, thought I'd share what I have so far!

New Book ....

I purchased this book on Amazon.  It is called "Interlocking Crochet" and has quite the dazzling collection of geometric patterns.  So many, that I was wondering why she put all of them in one book when she could have made two, and twice the money!  That makes me like her, and her patterns, all the more.

I made one pattern in Vanna's Choice and got "off kilter" on my counts. I learned just how important it is to check EACH row and make sure the pattern is right.  I am going to finish the square just because - and use it in my afghan. I don't mind.  I would not, however, use it for an afghan that I'm giving away. This will be my own donation to my "Uptown/Downtown" swap on Ravelry.

The second square I started and finished is made with kitchen cotton.  It did not turn out as thick as I would have liked, but it will be okay to use. Plus it will shrink and "fatten up" a bit. For my own potholders I have found I'm not hanging them so am not putting on the loop. Might as well make them easier!

What I learned on this second square is that I have a lot to learn. Hmmmmm.  Mainly, I did not finish it off or border it well.  The pattern got lost on the top and bottom edges on the mainly brown side - so I must have missed something in the instructions.  I think I have it in my head now, so will make another attempt, doing another potholder.

I am already considering how to make a large afghan using this book - perhaps  bordering in one of the patterns and using something else for the middle.  Any suggestions?

I think this is a book I can highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn a new crochet method, and anyone who wants to make something spectacular and different! Come on - you know you want to try this!

Merry Christmas from the Holy Family

..... and a couple of Noah's Ark animals!

I am grateful for all my friends and family, near and far, on-line and on the street, and in keeping with the tradition of good will, am wishing you all a very wonderful (and thankful) Thanksgiving weekend, as well as the same for the coming Christmas celebration.

Blessings to you and yours from our home and family.

Joseph, of Joseph and Mary fame .........

This is my last offering to Nancy for her Nativity group.  Rather handsome, no?

Now to get back to the scarf and posting the pattern .... I think you will love just how easy it is and how different!!!

This is the latest of the Nativity amigurumi characters that I have received....and the last. :o(  I don't remember posting about her, so if this is a double post please forgive me!

The pattern is from Alan Dart and was made by Sylv in England.  Isn't she just beautiful!!!!

In my younger years our family visited my mom's sister and her family at the farm near Tekoa, WA.  They had a family cow named Bossy. Although she was not light peach with a white face, she was sweet - even with a not-so-sweet name.  I think I'll call this one Bessie to honor that sweet cow that let me milk her one time.

New Scarf ......

I am working on a new scarf in a lovely cotton rayon yarn. I am finding the color combination to be right up my alley, but it seems to twist quite a lot as I crochet. I am not sure if that is due to the way the LYS wound the yarn, or it it is the yarn itself.  Every couple of rows I have to untwist it.  This is Olmue, a yarn blend from Chile, 399 yards in a finger weight.

After I experiment a bit more with this one I will post it again with the pattern notes. Not MY pattern, but have never seen it on the web anywhere, and looked in lots of books to no avail. So. I want to try my hand at a couple of variations before divulging the wondrous crochet stitches.  

The colors here are "cooler" than in reality. The scarf has more of a lavender/purple hue.  The next time I post I'll be sure the coloring is perfect....as perfect as I can get it.

Drool all you want - I'll be back with more!

Fixed .....

We had plenty of light rain for two days, but just before it hit we were able to have the land slide "fixed" - filled up with dirt.  So, having the rain was a nice touch to settle it down and smooth it out. The top photo shows the huge backhoe at the front of our house patting down the dirt which was brought over by another machine.  These young men worked FAST.

These are the "before the rain" photos .... remember that from top to bottom is about 100 feet.  Thank goodness the trees survived and now have their roots covered.

And along comes the Donkey .....

So here is the second little animal for the Nativity .... they just are so cute! Same pattern purchased for the whole set from Carolyn Christmas, link in the last post.  This is the first time that I put on the little plastic eyes.  Liked it so much that I went to a site called 6060 and purchased a whole bunch of cute eyes, and even some noses! ;o)

Now here he is saying goodbye to everyone before his long journey.  The rest of the group are those that I have received in the swap.  The sheep to the left are from Noah's Ark, but fit right in with the Nativity set!  In a larger format it's a bit blurry.

Isn't this a nice family.

Mary had a little Lamb

Whose fleece isn't really white this time. I used Vanna's Choice Lamb - appropriate, no?

For the nose, ears, and feet I used Beige - black for the eyes, of course.  I just think he is just such a cutie!  He was almost as easy to make as the Lady Bug.  This little guy goes with the Nativity Swap characters I've sent out.

He, like the others, is from the pattern book you can buy at Gourmet Crochet by Carolyn Christmas (isn't that a NEAT name!?!).

Hopefully the link works if you click on the photo of the booklet. She has many wonderful little booklets full of lovely surprises!

Now on to the next Nativity character..........

Little Lady Bug

This month for the Itsy Bitsy Swap on Ravelry, for Noah's Ark - I decided to do an itsy bitsy bug ... the little Lady Bug to be exact.

I found such a cute character in the book "Super Cute 25 Amigurumi Animals" by Annie Obaachan.

This pattern took just a couple of hours to finish - it was very fast, and is oh so cute! I think that it could be used in many ways - as a pin cushion, to tag luggage, use as a large pull tab on a big zippered purse, or a decoration for a purse. 

However you use it, whether as a toy for a child, or a decoration for a gift, it will be astonishingly easy AND cute! And now my giftee has it in had to do with as she pleases! 

;o)

My Boy Chuckie

Just could not resist - have been feeling under the weather for 3 days, and thought about what made me feel good and warm and loved and felt I ought to share one of several reasons I feel that way....

This is Chuckie - he is 13 years old, making him "older" than my husband now. He's my big baby boy - follows me all over the house (unless he is asleep) and whines at me when it is time to go to bed. He won't go unless I go (or if I take him in there and sit a moment while he falls asleep - he is a sound sleeper!).

Dogs - such wonderful creations of love and companionship.

Finished the Potholder

This is the first time in years that I have made a thread potholder - I think this is only my second one!  It really doesn't take a whole lot longer than using the kitchen cotton, and looks so dainty in comparison.

I did not use a pattern for the front - as stated a few posts ago.  However, I found a hexagon pattern and used it for the back.  The white from the front shows through a bit, and I had cut a piece of fabric to "line" it between the parts - but liked the look less than without - so took it out at the last minute. Although the corners don't look pointy on one side, they are - I just did not smooth it out properly for the photo, trying to rush and get the photo taken and then packaged to ship to Karen (BrooklynIrishGirl on Ravelry - shhhhh don't tell her yet!)

This potholder is substantial enough to use, and dainty enough to display. What could be better!??!  Oh.....not expensive to make!!   ;o)

Dickie

I am not the most creative, but decided to make a dickie for the Friendship swap.  It is is simple rectangle made with a very nice yarn. Hopefully the spectacular nature of the yarn shows up in the photos.  It is actually three yarns in one.  One is quite sparkly, one is bumpy, and one is ropey.  When you click on it, it should show well.....

Then I found some buttons to match the type of yarn and put them on the side close to the ends so it could be worn flat, just under a blouse or sweater.  I really did love the feel of it and the look of it under my blouse. Hopefully the recipient does, too.  I think in some ways I like it better than the cowls you see which are overwhelming to me.  AND it is oh-so-warm!

Try making one if you haven't already. Quick, easy, and oh, so comfy!

Part of Our day....

When my BFF from Savannah and I decided we were going to town my hubby wanted to take our photo down by the For Sale sign on our lower property, then one looking up at the house. After he took the photos we took off to go to town.

Backing up here a bit....at lunch I thought the water pressure was low. Went around the whole property and could not see a leak, and none of the water junctions were on. Everything off...did not hear the pump go off a lot, either. Now, fast forward.......

........so after we leave the Hubster looks up at the house and thinks that it looked funny on the slope. He takes the four wheeler up the side of our property instead of the drive and notices that the hillside had actually slid off!!! There was a broken pipe under the Juniper that was connected to the yard water through some unknown, long forgotten pipe. Thank goodness that it did not take out the two trees in front, but did take out a huge chunk of the Juniper. Had he not caught it the house would have been next, I am sure....with us in it!

One of the only reasons I am not fond of living on the point of a hillside mainly made of sand......the thought of sliding off into oblivion. You can see in the second to last photo indentations in the side of the hill where there have been water breaks and parts of the hill have slid off, to the left and right of this water break. I hope this is the last time!

Potholder Beginning

More work.  

I'm in a Potholder Swap - got talked into it by Karen (BrooklynIrishGirl on Ravelry) because so many of the ladies who joined wimped out.  You just can't leave a friend hanging mid-air like that, so of course I agreed to join.

This is the beginning of a potholder for someone who didn't get the ones she was suppose to get. I'm an Angel. :o) HAH! Mom would laugh at that one!  Well, at least I'm being an angel to Shelby.  

The white portion was a small coaster I bought at JoAnn's - 99 cents!  I never used it as a coaster - or anything else for that matter - so thought perhaps I could use it as the basis for the potholder I'm to make.  I think so far it looks pretty good!  I just made up rows as I went...if it didn't work out for the first corner I turned, I'd go back and add or take away stitches.  What I didn't do is write down the pattern, so this will be my one and only!  Sort of like a one of a kind painting by a famous painter....;o)

I still have to back it, and might go down and buy something made for hot pads or ironing boards, then border the two together.  Or, I might just do a pattern from a book or from Ravelry for a hexagon and use it as the back portion. Probably the latter as I don't really like to get out of the house much. Isn't that weird......love staying home.

So, my dear friends, how do you like it so far?

Potholder start

The Seahorse for Noah's Ark

I think the Dolphin I already sent will be happy with an underwater companion...what do you think?  Isn't this the cutest little thing!  Well, not toooooo little - about 5" or a tad more.  Love, love, love!

Here is the pattern by Jessica Woofter.  She has quite a few free patterns for lovely sea creatures, so I plan on making a few more.

Another great surprise today is I was searching the blog of the lovely Curly Girl she had lots of Jessi's patterns posted, as well as others along the Sea Creature theme! Lovely!

Please note - when you print out the Seahorse pattern, Jessi does not leave anything to chance so you will be printing out 10 pages!  The photos are in color, which is a great help, and she gives info on all the stitches ahead of time.  If you love Amigurumi (my BFF doesn't like the dolls...so sad) then you will love her site as well as Sonya's!

I could not resist the two photos of my dog Sami.  She wanted to come closer to 

investigate the small blue intruder, but was a good little girl and stayed 

on her daddy's pillow instead!

Crocheting knit graphs.....

I decided to try a pattern I found on Garn Studio's web page.  It is for a sweater, and I liked the look of it - but as I was not knitting, nor am I a good knitter, I felt I'd try the snowflake design in Tunisian.

Note that I only did the pattern repeat - just wanted to see how it would turn out - I had it slated for a doggie sweater, but never did get around to finishing it off.

So, as a crocheter, you can pick up patterns that are graphed for knitting.  I used a MoEZ Tunisian hook which would probably be about size P or O.  Knitting graphs are notoriously elongated when crocheted, but in this instance it didn't look real bad!  Sometimes when translating to Tunisian you might want to drop a row here and there to keep from getting the stretched out look - no real formula for it, just do what you can do!

This particular pattern was made with the intarsia technique, carrying the yarn along behind. I think none of the stitches are over four or five in either color, except for the navy where only one row is without white. Looks like more, eh?  :o)

I really do have to figure out something to do with this little gem...it's just sitting in a bin. :o(

Warning.....

.....just in case you didn't notice, I had a complaint to Google that my web page was hijacked. It took all afternoon for me to get on and to (hopefully) fix it.

I would like to suggest to all of you to go into your account and change your passwords asap. I guess this is a common practice, although the first for me.  Be sure that your password does NOT match anything else - NO other password should be the same.

Also, don't forget to protect your computer, too.  If you get to a site that has malware on it, I'm quite sure it can get to your computer and to your web pages.

Be smart. Be safe.

Noodle The Elephant

My friend Liz sent me a goodie as an Angel. I told her I'd make her something special and she mentioned an elephant - and I thought that would be perfect...so meet Noodle!

She is made from a pattern by Irina Strange (remember the little hat that wasn't a hat??) ... http://www.irenestrange.co.uk/reeneegurumi.html

So, I'm going to get her mailed out today or tomorrow (hope Liz doesn't look at my blog!!). I honestly hate to give her up!!